Taking Hipster Mountain by Strategy

Death by audio, indeed… Damion almost sends us to meet with Jimi and Bonham in rock and roll Vallhala. They’re gonna make us sing backup, so I’m not in too much of a hurry to get there. Looking at a hawk or something. I’m in the back living between the earbuds, I look up and there’s the trailer of a semi about 80 ft away us headed towards us at about 75 mph. I have a literature degree, so you do the math. Damion nonchalantly turns down the radio to listen to the screech of tires. Burnt rubber, burnt breaks, but we remain unscathed. Amesege’nallo’, spirit ward. I take the helm for the first time on tour. I drive like my grandmother.

Well, more like a drunk grandmother. A little loose, but totally in control. New York City always means Brooklyn, and it always means Williamsburg. Right? We went directly to Death By Audio. A warehouse space near the river, This place seemed pretty pro. Front door. Separate door for equipment. Back bar area. Stage. We unloaded and immediately found the bar. Texts and calls later turned out such Knoxville ex-pats as Meg Vinson, BJ Barbee, Casey Wooden and Lou Vessar. At Snacky, we threw down bi bim bop, sake, beer, threw it to the street, hit up The Levee, more beer, shots, smoke, back to the club. Things were a bit sketchy. We couldn’t figure out when we played. No one seemed to know either. We went on after Anti Magic, Ted from These Are Powers’ new band. We played another Ju-Ju wavin’, incense burnin’, rock set. We are really hitting a stride. People got into it, not just the Knoxville folks. Smaller crowd, but very attentive. Late night beers and whiskey. Made a little gas money. Passed out.

It’s fucking hot here.

JSN/CRS/wmn