A couple of nights before (Friday, actually) I checked out the Young Fresh Fellows tribute night and the fans sure looked like they were having fun. Because I have not been a resident of Seattle long enough to have observed the band's obvious popularity, the highlight of my night didn't come from the musicians playing tribute but from a friend having to humbly admit that his sweetly scathing e-mail bemoaning my opinion of Urge Overkill's need to give it up (an opinion I shared a few weeks back in Up & Coming) HAD BEEN RIGHT. In his own words: "The [UO] show was just god-awful."
And speaking of days gone by: In case you didn't see the mention in the Up & Coming section of this issue, Hammerbox is reuniting for a show at EMP on Friday, May 15. I've known guitarist Harris Thurmond since he was a wee lad of 17, graduating from high school and looking forward to a year of school in Denmark. Still living in Oregon, we'd lost touch, and I had no idea Hammerbox existed until they played a show in Portland and I became an instant fan. I also remember the time their key broke off in the band's van--and the group held its breath waiting for drummer Dave Bosch's infamous temper to set in. As I recall, he took the mishap gracefully and they all slept on the floor of my freezing apartment. Anyway, if you were a fan or still are, be sure to check out this reunion. Even I'd forgotten how good they were.
And how's this for pure and total jack-assery? Last Saturday night at the Cha Cha some fool thought it would be HI-larious to monkey with (to use one of Grandpa's phrases--"Don't monkey with that!") the bar's water supply, causing the popular Capitol Hill drunky spot and the adjacent restaurant, Bimbo's Bitchin' Burrito Kitchen, to close down, depriving employees of tips as well as knocking out the sinks, showers, and toilets of the people who rent the apartments upstairs. Sometimes, this city is full of little more than assholes ruining it all for everyone else.
The tough non-assholes Rat City Rollergirls, a roller-derby team who've been gracious enough to invite me into their fold (to observe and relive the passion I had for the old televised, weekly sport I watched as a bruiser-lovin' 4-year-old) are having a fundraiser on Sunday, May 16, at the Fun House, featuring bands Ball with Tail and Chronic Disorder. Demon of the Derby: The Ann Calvello Story will be screened, as well as Bay City Bombers, the awesome 1972 roller-derby film featuring Raquel Welch as the hottest roller warrior you'll ever see. Things kick off at 4:00 p.m., and it's give what you can.
One last thing: The new business going into the space next door to the aforementioned Bimbo's is to be a bar featuring cabaret, not burlesque. On that I made a boo-boo. Sorry.
