Kilroy et al: Tour Diaries Day 1 and 2
Ed note: We often publish C-U band's tour diaries when they head out on the road to represent us in the great wide open. The content here is just as it appeared when they send it to us. So, grammatical errors and offensive language may abound, but that's part of the fun.
Day 1: Thursday, May 14
We decided kick off our ‘tour' by throwing a house show at our house in Urbana. Carl Hauck, Jonathon Childers, and Stan McConnell all played amazing solo sets. Carl started out the night with some calming, acoustic guitar songs culminating with a song epic with complicated slide guitar. Jon, broken leg and all, sat down for his set which seemed tame until you realized what he was singing about. Stan stripped naked in front of everyone and then realized that he had another layer of clothing on and proceeded to play a mixture of half Santa tunes and his own solo work.
There was a pretty good turnout for a last minute, finals week show and the environment was very conducive to the music being played. We played a set with Edward Stuparitz on synthesizers/computer, Otto Stuparitz on bass, synthesizer, and vocals, Brian Collier on singing saw, and Ed Rice on acoustic guitar, vocals, and occasional bass drum. Luckily, we had no noise complaints from our neighbors, Phylis and Joe, who kindly provided us with a heaping amount of popcorn for our party. It was a good start to our ‘tour.'
Day 2: Friday, May 15
We left in the afternoon for our show in Des Moines, Iowa at Mars Café. The highlight of the trip was definitely the ‘World's Largest Truck Stop' and Truck Museum, specifically the mail delivery snow mobile thing. We also purchased ‘Disposable Johns' for upcoming father's day presents.
The Mars Café was a quaint, quiet coffeehouse/sells alcohol and sandwiches. I think we were a bit out of place, it seemed more geared towards solo acoustic acts, but nonetheless it ended up being a fun time. We played a fairly long set, about 1:15 or so. The baristas were kind and provided us with a few beers and directions, although inaccurate, to the downtown area bars after the show.
After playing, we set out to explore downtown Des Moines. One thing that we did learn: we were somewhat of place. On two occasions we got eyed in a strange manner by people, one even negatively commented on Edward's striped hoodie, who apparently looked fat: a bold comment from a city of salad-dodgers. We also ran into a severly intoxicated, gap toothed, off-duty police officer that asked us several times if we were ‘holding', our opinions on ‘confederate hockey teams', and responded with ‘who the fuck are you?' when Otto said he felt like a beer and pastry. Nonetheless, he provided us with accurate directions to the bar that we were looking for, El Bait Shop. It was a pretty large bar with some 200 microbrews on tap, yet unfortunately barely anyone was there...
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Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
That article almost looks like something out of The Onion
Thanks! I’m looking forward to writing even more….
Yay! Love this! Welcome to the family!
that last photo’s a doozie, Chris. good work.
that city center house show was one of those life-affirming things.
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I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles
And without bloodshed. Sounds like the Savoy trustees aren’t as narrow-minded as some of their whiny pants constituents. Do you think quack Snell is already planning an asinine counterattack or is he still laying low after those “threats” against his person?
hey, if hair ain’t gon’ be over your head, my jokes may as well be.
Okay, almost 24 hours later and I finally got Issac’s Summer joke. I’m an idiot.
Excellent. I am glad sometimes American dreams are encouraged, rather than stifled.
Swap the dog for a fire pit and it sounds like you’re writing about my back yard. Very nice.
funny, as your summer begins, another Summer ends.
@Dan - Wow. Unfortunately, I have to refrain from further comment due to a previous employment relationship. But with that brief context you might be able to imagine possible comments or responses I could have.
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represent, Matt.