Joe 'n Andy's Hole In the Wall. The "Hole" is the small pocket of airspace in which you have to perform. The "Wall" is what you're crammed up against while performing. Rock! Thanks to Katy for being so nice to us.

Once again, we tempt fate by playing our least-rehearsed song first. This time, fate gives us a smackdown. All attempts at early-course correction are fruitless. The band moves on to more hospitable song territory and then it all comes together. Minor jumping feats accomplished. So this is what current feels like? All true injuries occur post-set. Buzzkill Romantics play mightily. Davida's pedal count makes me dizzy.

= adam =

We'd never been to Joe & Andy's Hole in the Wall before (La Mesa) and upon arrival, realized this was not just a clever bar name. It really is T-I-N-Y, but in a cool, local hangout, kind of way. I liked the murals of people covering every inch of the walls. My friend pointed out that the large one behind the stage of a raven-haired gothy girl looks remarkably similar to Michael Jackson. Steve was more than pleased with the plethora of Faith No More booming through the speakers. Adam enjoyed the free beer. There was a little something for all of us.

As the time to rock neared, we easily spent as much, if not more, time discussing HOW we were going to set up on the lily-pad sized stage in the window as we actually spent setting up. Then Adam went and tried to figure out the right combination of knob-twisting, curse words, and magic fairy dust that would get the PA to work while leaving me to do the one thing I hate most: Mic Check. Uhg. Not to mention the at Joe & Andy's you tend to get shocked by the mics if you touch them. Adds that extra element of excitement to each song ‚ "Am I going to break a string? Am I going to forget a verse? Will I finish this song before I'm electrocuted to death??"

Finally we began our set and during our first song, a horrible domino effect occurred of misunderstandings and mess-ups. It threw me off the rest of the night and made me self-conscious of my playing which was no fun. But for the most part, everything but the first song went well enough. A couple of hecklers rushed outside to mosh during one of our songs. The usual enjoyment of Red'Vines was had by all who ventured close enough to the stage to get some. Compliments post-rock about how Steve's drumming "kicked their ass", that we sounded similar to GBV (yay!) and a compliment that I personally needed to hear, which was that no one could tell how unsettled I was for the duration of the set. I guess watching M*A*S*H on one of the 5 tvs in the bar while I played equates to a bored, confident, "I don't need to look at my hands" rockstar face. Or people were just being nice. But I like being gullible and giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Thanks everybody who came out, even if you all looked away when I tried to make eye contact. Now tell me, how am I going to learn to work the crowd if you guys don't work with me?!?

~*~Amber~*~

Ah...maybe.