Happy Halloween! Been a few months since we've posted on here, but rest assured we haven't been just sitting around doing jack squat. First of all, we played a fun as hell show in September--a release party for our good friend Laura Lionello Popelka's book Panic Kit, and were joined by The Columbines and Begin By Gathering Supplies. The tireless awesome dudes of Caffeinated Recording have uploaded videos to youtube of that show. Our set can be found here. Laura's book is a wonderful read, and you may recognize our own Rich Fessler on the back cover, providing his glowing review.
And this is only 66% Mayor For Life-related, but this past Friday, Rich and I had a blast performing in two different one-off Halloween bands for the Columbines "Monkey Problems Exposition." After rollicking good time Halloween sets by The Columbines (performing Bitter Tears songs), Whales (performing covers of such songs as "I'm So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters), and Begin By Gathering Supplies (performing covers of such songs as "Godzilla" by BOC), I joined most of my old band Wind or Ghost (sans Emily) in performing a few Wipers covers, which was so goddamn much fun I think we're going to do it again some time. Then Rich joined the band Red Denizen on vocals, and they performed an entire Dag Nasty album. There should be videos of this up on youtube soon from our pals at Caffeinated. It would probably help if you got pretty drunk before watching them, to immerse yourself in the whole experience.
OK, now for the near future. First and foremost, our Sinking Feeling/Snowmobiling 7" is in the process of being pressed and sent to us right now! Once we have it in hand, I'll update the bandcamp page with purchasing details if you don't live nearby to Chicago and want to order via mail. It's going to be a limited edition of 300 copies, and will include high quality digital download, as well as screen printed artwork by Erin Page of Kill Hatsumomo Prints. We're pretty stoked that this thing is finally coming to fruition.
And to celebrate, we're playing a show on Saturday Nov 12th at Quenchers, with Marmora and Cmn ineed yr hlp, in a show we're dubbing "Reunion Rock Yards" due to the fact that we are the three remaining currently active bands that practiced at Union Rock Yards. Here's a link to a facebook event page. Marmora features our old drummer Uli behind the kit, and if you are reading this and don't know who our best buds Cmn ineed yr hlp are, I'd be pretty surprised, and you should be ashamed. The show's going to be great--we might even bust out a new song or two if we get them fully ready to go by then. So if you only see us once this year, this is probably the show to do it.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Show July 29th at Quenchers!
Friends! We are going to be playing another show with a couple of great bands we've already played with, and another band we haven't yet. Hope you can make it out!
Friday July 29th, 2011, 9PM
@ Quenchers (2401 N. Western, Chicago IL)
Slow Witch
$5, 21+
We're playing first, so get there early. Looking forward to this one. It's been a few months. Time flies when your bass player is jet setting to Europe for a month to tour with Bear Claw, your guitar player starts a new job, and your drummer's busy for a little while making a Sequoia record at Matt Talbot's studio. But we are coming back to rock you right in your faces yet again.
Oh and also, we're putting the finishing touches on that 7" and hope to have it pressed and ready to go pretty soon. Hooray!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Scott (of Bear Claw)'s Going Away Show - April 9th @ Quenchers
Hey all, just wanted to post about a very special episode of Blossom rock show we have coming up on Saturday April 9th @ Quenchers, with Bear Claw and Trophy Wives.
As most of our friends should already be aware of by now, Scott Picco, the drummer in Bear Claw, is leaving in a few weeks to live in Germany for a period of at least 18 months, due to a job-related offer to relocate and work there. We're all super excited for Scott because it will be a great opportunity for him, although we'll be bummed that it means Bear Claw will be on hiatus that long. As you know, our own Rich Fessler rocks nearly identical Ernie Ball Music Man bass guitars in both Mayor For Life and Bear Claw.
As for me, I've been going to their shows since pretty much the beginning, and I think I might hold either #1 or #2 on the list of "most Bear Claw shows attended by a non band member" if anyone had been keeping tabs on such a thing. For years, when seeing Bear Claw rock the hell out of tiny places, I've been the one guy that knows exactly where to nod his head to the nonstandard beat, and when not to clap yet and go "WOOOO!!" because the song isn't actually done yet. Hell, a few times I've been the one guy in attendance who isn't in one of the other bands playing that night, I'm sure--buzzed up, shouting "I WANTED YOU TO DIE!" along with Rich, wondering why the hell so few other people were around to enjoy it.
So it's been pretty great to see them put out three records and slowly build up a small yet devoted following and a fair amount of respect from their peers and even some of their heroes. All of a sudden in 2008 they're touring Europe. Then in 2009 I'm seeing them open up for Shellac at what I think was a sold out show (or if not, a nearly sold out show) at the Bottom Lounge, which is a decently sized venue--something they'd done at different venues quite a few times at that point. Now they're planning a second Europe tour in May of this year, while Scott is living over there.
And I'm definitely no longer the only one standing in the crowd, buzzed up, yelling "I WANTED YOU TO DIE," correctly nodding along to the odd time signatures, and not falling for the false endings. What's so endearing about that is that Bear Claw managed to carve out their little niche more or less out of spite, and because of a solid work ethic. They know that what they do isn't pop music--it's abrasive, there aren't any guitars, and these two pissed off guys keep shouting at you. They don't care. It's what they do, and they do it well. In person, they're three of the nicest guys I know. They're what I love about living in Chicago--it's at times loud and menacing, jarring you out of your sense of complacency, while being altogether interesting as all hell and friendly. I know not everyone wants to live here because it's balls cold almost half of the year, but that's fine with me, because I don't really mind the cold.
Here's the part where the cliche Nelson Algren quote comes in whenever anyone talks about Chicago: "Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies. But never a lovely so real." I think it definitely fits Bear Claw's music too.
So of course I called in a favor to my friends to let their little brother band open up for Bear Claw once before they head off to Europe for a month, then go on an extended break. I'm pretty excited that they acquiesced and I get to once again share a stage with one of my favorite Chicago bands ever. Make sure you get there early, not only because you might miss us, but also because you might not get in. Quenchers is a small place, and it'll be full of all of the other people who aren't falling for the false endings any more.
-Todd
As most of our friends should already be aware of by now, Scott Picco, the drummer in Bear Claw, is leaving in a few weeks to live in Germany for a period of at least 18 months, due to a job-related offer to relocate and work there. We're all super excited for Scott because it will be a great opportunity for him, although we'll be bummed that it means Bear Claw will be on hiatus that long. As you know, our own Rich Fessler rocks nearly identical Ernie Ball Music Man bass guitars in both Mayor For Life and Bear Claw.
As for me, I've been going to their shows since pretty much the beginning, and I think I might hold either #1 or #2 on the list of "most Bear Claw shows attended by a non band member" if anyone had been keeping tabs on such a thing. For years, when seeing Bear Claw rock the hell out of tiny places, I've been the one guy that knows exactly where to nod his head to the nonstandard beat, and when not to clap yet and go "WOOOO!!" because the song isn't actually done yet. Hell, a few times I've been the one guy in attendance who isn't in one of the other bands playing that night, I'm sure--buzzed up, shouting "I WANTED YOU TO DIE!" along with Rich, wondering why the hell so few other people were around to enjoy it.
So it's been pretty great to see them put out three records and slowly build up a small yet devoted following and a fair amount of respect from their peers and even some of their heroes. All of a sudden in 2008 they're touring Europe. Then in 2009 I'm seeing them open up for Shellac at what I think was a sold out show (or if not, a nearly sold out show) at the Bottom Lounge, which is a decently sized venue--something they'd done at different venues quite a few times at that point. Now they're planning a second Europe tour in May of this year, while Scott is living over there.
And I'm definitely no longer the only one standing in the crowd, buzzed up, yelling "I WANTED YOU TO DIE," correctly nodding along to the odd time signatures, and not falling for the false endings. What's so endearing about that is that Bear Claw managed to carve out their little niche more or less out of spite, and because of a solid work ethic. They know that what they do isn't pop music--it's abrasive, there aren't any guitars, and these two pissed off guys keep shouting at you. They don't care. It's what they do, and they do it well. In person, they're three of the nicest guys I know. They're what I love about living in Chicago--it's at times loud and menacing, jarring you out of your sense of complacency, while being altogether interesting as all hell and friendly. I know not everyone wants to live here because it's balls cold almost half of the year, but that's fine with me, because I don't really mind the cold.
Here's the part where the cliche Nelson Algren quote comes in whenever anyone talks about Chicago: "Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies. But never a lovely so real." I think it definitely fits Bear Claw's music too.
So of course I called in a favor to my friends to let their little brother band open up for Bear Claw once before they head off to Europe for a month, then go on an extended break. I'm pretty excited that they acquiesced and I get to once again share a stage with one of my favorite Chicago bands ever. Make sure you get there early, not only because you might miss us, but also because you might not get in. Quenchers is a small place, and it'll be full of all of the other people who aren't falling for the false endings any more.
-Todd
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