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Polysics @ Musica – Akron, OH – 02/12/2010 – Concert Review

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Culture was shocked in Akron last night thanks to Tokyo, Japan’s Polysics making a special appearance at Musica.  The orange jumpsuit wearing foursome traveled half way around the world to perform their Devo inspired music to a packed club on what normally would have been just another regular Friday evening.  Scenesters as well as a couple punk rockers and plenty of proud geeks piled into the quaint club in downtown Akron with perfect knowledge of what would soon progress.

Polysics is best defined as a pop power punk electronica experimental new wave outfit or “technicolor pogo punk” as they dub themselves.  Think heavy synthesizers and guitar matched over insane voice altering vocals as well as a very energetic male lead vocalist Hiroyuki Hayashi (Hiro – and yes, he sounds like Hiro from the TV show Heros) who blasts out English, Japanese, and gibberish lyrics.  Formed in 1997 out of the pure love for Devo as well as The Tubes the band is an underground sensation thanks to their extremely energetic live shows and of course their orange jumpsuits and straight bar-style sunglasses.

Opening the evening was a band called Stiletto hailing from Kent, OH.  The band reminded me of Bedlight For Blue Eyes and Roses Are Red with their slight heavy rock sound.  The lead singer had a good voice and when the band had it together they sounded fine.  They sadly kept having issues starting their songs and it became apparent that they needed some more practice as it became downright annoying to some of the crowd.  Still, they did well and get props from me when the lead signer quoted Tupac but really did not match up to the headliner at all.

Armed with my trusty camera I really thought upon entering Musica that I was going to grab some photos during Polysics’ set but while inside the venue I saw this:

That really was something I did not want to see.  I respected the artist though and did not shoot anything until the very end of the show because who am I kidding…I need at least one shot.

Good thing I did not take photos as there was a dual braided memory card deleting bandit who was part of the Polysics crew.  I understand the premise of his doings but you should have seen this guy.  He stood upon a stool and the moment a flash went off he was bolting over to that non-sign reading schmo and erasing any Polysics related photo from their camera.  Seeing what this guy was all about I really did not want him touching my gear so I parked the camera to my side and just enjoyed the show.

Hands were about the entire evening. It was a party.
Hands were about the entire evening. It was a party.

You know a crowd is excited to see a band when they cheer insanely as the band is setting up their gear on stage.  Things just got better when the band actually took the stage and just started hammering out songs.  The songs they played ranged from almost industrial heavy pieces to absolute insanity jump-all-over-the-place songs.

Still a novice to this band I just started with amazement throughout their set not having any idea what was going on other than a damn good time. The couple songs I did recognized were “Young OH! OH!”, “Fire Bison”, and just amazing “Shout Aloud!”

As entertaining as Hiro was throughout the night (especially when he screamed “you gruys awre awresoooooome!!!”) I absolutely adored the straight faced Kayo on the synthesizer and vocoder.  I could not help but envision the scene in Revenge Of The Nerds II when the nerds played the concert at Hotel Coral Essex.

According the band’s MySpace page Kayo will be parting ways with the band after the tour so I am pretty psyched I was able to the original line-up.  The whole night was a party with Polysics controlling it.  Fans danced and tossed their hands about to the music.  It was indeed a interesting and fun evening.  If I had to describe the evening I would have to say just imagine Daft Punk, Devo, and the Teen Titans humanized and in orange jumpsuits and you might have some idea what happened.  It was amazing.


Polysics – Young OH! OH!

POLYSICS | MySpace Music Videos


Pretty Good

POLYSICS | MySpace Music Videos


Polysics – Moog Is Love

POLYSICS | MySpace Music Videos

I had to throw this in too…

Cleveland, Country, Good Times, Live Shows, Music, Outlaw Country, Photography, Review, The Awesome

Dale Watson Is A Friend Of Mine – A Recap Of The 01/19/2010 Beachland Tavern Show

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A couple of weeks back I had the pleasure of seeing Austin’s very own Dale Watson & His Lone Stars at the Beachland Tavern with my pal Dale, not Watson. It was a cold January Tuesday night but once inside the tavern full of real country music lovers one would think they were in Texas with the atmosphere and fun attitude spread about during the performance. Cowboy hats were optional and I only saw a couple during the evening to be quite honest.

A brief history how Dale Watson’s music and I came to be before I even go on… I was working at the record store I once managed with my pal Dale, not Watson. Dale picked up a CD one day with a guy on the cover who had a couple tattoos and almost looked rockabilly mixed with some Chris Isaak appeal (here is a link to the album we had in our hands). I honestly thought once the CD began we were going to listen to some rock act that never made it but the moment Dale Watson’s voice came across the speakers both our mouths dropped open.

It was country music, not that crappy pop country music, but honest and wholesome country with some outlaw attitude added. His voice was baritone and ever so comforting. I was instantly reminded of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and even Waylon Jennings while listening to the CD. Dale was more astounded than I and he became a huge fan in moments time. Sometimes picking up a random CD out of a pile of what looks like nothing just to check out the sound is worth it.

I later on would learn that Dale Watson was more of an underground DIY type of artist who preferred to do things his way even if it meant he would not gain immediate popularity. He is friends with Jackass star Johnny Knoxville, and has released 18 albums (live & studio) over the past 15 years. Many of the songs are about being on the road doing his thing, truck stops, and life.  Not all is cheerful though as some songs are written around the love of his life who he lost to a car accident in 2000 as well as how Dale Watson coped through the ordeal.  His downward spiral of abuse and depression from the tragedy luckily ended in time for the artist to continue going through with his passion.

Dale Watson has come through town a couple of times now over the years but for whatever reason I missed out.  Dale, not Watson, though made it to a prior show and had nothing but good things to say.   I always was curious to see him live so the moment I found out Dale Watson was coming back to Cleveland I owed it to myself to make an appearance and thanks to Dale, not Watson, I was able to set aside time to ensure I would be there.  There was no way in hell I was going to miss this opportunity as seeing someone as charismatic as Dale Watson.

Upon walking into the tavern that night I was shocked to see that I was actually one of the younger fans in house but I did not let that bother me at all. Before I knew it some older gentleman sitting at the bar was telling me stories about his tattoos and a Bic pen (don’t ask). He was beyond entertaining and I think was more than half in the bag before the show even started. I never did catch his name.  A couple other folk there I actually knew so prior to the show we hung out and talked Watson.

With no opening act Dale Watson & His Lone Stars took the tiny stage and delivered an amazing show. Having been the first time I witnessed them live I made sure to plant my feet right next to the stage and held my ground until the last song was played.  I also was equipped with my trusty camera so I may have taken a photo or two.

Having the fans provide the set list during the evening proved Dale Watson and crew were all about putting on the best show possible. A couple of times Watson would acknowledge the shouted out song and tell the fans he was going to save that for later but for the most part when some one shouted out a track the band played it. Playing tracks new and old I got a better taste of his material that evening than I ever imagined. Still learning his catalog I was most excited to hear “Country My Ass” and “Exit 109”.

After the show my pal Dale, not Watson, and I struck up a conversation with the drummer of the band as well as their road manager. Both gents were very cool people and after a little time passed we learned that Watson likes to drive the tour bus himself amongst other things. We even all shared a shot and toasted to my birthday that was happening in just a couple hours.

The shot you ask? A Jagerbomb…  Yeah I know, not too country.

Soon they introduced us to Dale Watson who was just hanging out at the bar drinking a beer and chatting with a couple other fans. Needless to say Dale Watson was just as cool as the other members. He kindly chatted to the both of us and Dale, not Watson, told Dale Watson that he “felt like a little kid meeting Hanna Montana.” Laughs were shared about but I know how Dale, not Watson, felt. Even if Dale Watson is not at the top of the charts we both see him as a musical icon and to meet him and talk to him was a big deal.  I could not have asked for a better evening of music that night and thanks to Dale Watson & His Lone Stars I also have some memories to accompany my most recent birthday.

Here’s a little snippet of the show thanks to Dale, not Watson, who filmed it with one of my cameras:

Have you found yourself interested in Dale Watson?  Here are a couple of my recommendations:

Akron, Art, Artist, Cleveland, Derek Hess, Good Times, Got Local?, Interview, Photography, Sports, The Awesome

Interview: The Northeast Ohio Rock ‘n’ Roller Girls

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It’s been a while since I have done an interview here on BHP but I thought I would make it up all you readers out there by creating a super interview.  I have been wanting to do this for a while now and thank the fine women who make up the Northeast Ohio Rock ‘n’ Roller Girls.

Seeing women of all shapes and sizes skate as a pack on a oval track is indeed something that everyone needs to see.  With music playing, announcers calling out the match, and the fans cheering their team the bout is just as entertaining as any other sport out there.

Just in case you have no clue what I am talking about, I speak of roller derby.  Specifically women’s indoor flat track.

If you have not heard of roller derby you are missing out.  Maybe you live under a rock or just don’t get out much but roller derby is a pretty big deal.  Don’t agree?  Check it out live at least once, I promise you will think differently.

Not only do the girls skate their hearts out all season long but they also get involved with charity and local organizations.  Honestly, out of all of the sporting events I have been to in my life I have never seen the wholeheartedness that is seen during a roller derby bout.  When you go to a match you are also going to a fundraiser of sorts with the money collected from the raffle tickets and beer sales sold by the roller derby grils during and after the bouts.

Last October I attended a roller derby match at the Summit County Fairgrounds.  The bout was between the Northeast Ohio Rock ‘n’ Roller Girls and the Buffalo, NY Assault City Roller Girls.  Along with a nice sized crowd, I cheered the home team on to a victory.  It was actually the final bout of the season so not only was it a pretty important win for the team but also a start to a well deserved break.

For those of you who do not think roller derby is a sport you really need to reconsider.  The girls wear helmets just like football players do, elbow and knee pads like pro skaterboarders wear, and mouth guards (do you see what I am going here?).  To top that,  their playing grounds are flat concrete surfaces where they compete to score points by pushing, blocking, and shoving the opposing team.

I watched girls fall hard on to the concrete that night only for them to get back up and jump back in the game.  A couple of them took falls so hard I don’t think I would have gotten up myself but they were in it to win it and brushed themselves off and jumped back in the game.  It was an exciting event with the fans going crazy and both teams trying their hardest for a win.  When all was said and done the final whistle was blown and the Rock n Roller Girls finished their final bout of the year with a victory.

So who are these girls?  Some are moms and wives, some are students, and many carry successful full time jobs.  They are people just like us and they do not hide their secret of roller derby status like they belong in Fight Club.  They are good people with families and friends with their own lives outside of the rink.

Regardless of what their day gig is or how they live their lives, they all are part of a sport where practice is mandatory and teamwork is key.  When the team comes together they become their own supportive family not only helping one another but also helping the community.

Recently I had the privilege to get some questions answered by a slew of the wonderful girls of the Northeast Ohio Rock & Roller Girls as well as a couple of their referees.  Instead of interviewing one team member I decided to interview as many as I could.  Be prepared, this is a long read…

Continue reading Interview: The Northeast Ohio Rock ‘n’ Roller Girls →

Babble Blog, Good Eats, Good Times, Photography, Random

Babble Blog: The Weekend TX Invaded OH

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The internet is a crazy thing and of course we have Al Gore to thank for it…

Within the last couple months a friendship was created between a guy in Ohio who likes to blog and a girl in TX who found his blog through Twitter.  Small talk started and things slowly progressed to the point where phone conversations started.  Music taste was shared as well as appreciation for literature, art, and history.  It was clear that these two people had a lot in common.

Weeks later a plane ticket was purchased and TX invaded OH.

If you have not figured this out yet, I am OH and TX is my pal Jenn who I am more than thrilled to have started a friendship with.  Last weekend she visited me and I thought I would re-cap some of the fun we had.

Friday was one of those work days I wanted to hit fast-forward on until the shift was over.  It was a long day because in my mind I was trying to figure out all the things I wanted to show Jenn.  As soon as 2:30 hit the clock I was out of the building and off to the Akron / Canton airport to pick up Jenn.

After the initial meeting he hopped on Route 8 and searched for something to eat.  I immediately thought of an Akron staple and headed to Luigi’s Pizza where we caught up face to face and lunched on some great food.  After lunch we headed to Highland Square as I wanted to show her one of my favorite Akron music stores, Square Records.  We checked out some other shops in the area and decided to head back to my pad to hang out as Saturday was going to be a busy day.

Saturday was one of those days that I had been planning in advance for weeks upon hearing Jenn confirm she was going to visit OH.  We started the day by heading out to Lakewood to eat an early lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland, Melt Bat & Grilled.  I called the ever cool Matt from Addicted To Vinyl as he agreed to meet up with us to see if he was awake or passed out in a ditch somewhere.  Surprisingly he was not only awake but waiting for us to arrive at Melt.  He even put his name in for a table and stated we only had to wait 30 minutes!

I actually had something to take care of upon entering the Melt establishment that i had been meaning to do for quite some time.  So the moment I walked in and was greeted I rolled up my sleeves looking for a staff member…and showed them my Melt tattoo.

Yes, a Melt tattoo.

Melt Bar & Grilled started a tattoo promotion recently where if a loyal fan of the establishment gets the Melt logo or a variance of it they will receive 25% off their sandwich, FOR LIFE.  As a grilled cheese fanatic I could not pass this up so I had my tattoo artist Ronnie Castro tattoo the permanent coupon on my arm in November.

Now that I was standing there in Melt it was time to get into the gang of loyal grilled cheese lovers.  After some appreciated compliments, photos, and the ever important “Tattoo Family Member” card I joined Matt and Jenn at a table for some grilled goodness.

Matt the trendsetter ordered a “Mighty Mac Melt”, the sandwich of the month and as a huge fan of mac & cheese I had to order the same.  Jenn had to be a rebel and ordered an Italian grilled cheese.  The three of us chatted so much that it seemed like only moments passed until we were served our sandwiches.  That meal was a highlight of my year!  No joke…  My sandwich was a giant friend mac & cheese nugget snug in a grilled cheese.  My arteries clogged and I only ate half (don’t worry I saved the rest for dinner, as did Jenn) but it was worth it.

After we stuffed ourselves silly Jenn and I said by to Matt and I decided to take Jenn to the park down the street to see the Cleveland skyline.  I do not care how cold it is outside, there is something about the Cleveland skyline I think everyone needs to see from Lakewood Park.  She really enjoyed it a lot as did I.

Once our fingers turned blue we decided to pack it up and head downtown.  I drove up and down the streets and gave Jenn a mobile tour of one of my favorite cities.  We really did not make any stops as I wanted to get to Collinwood before it started to get dark so Jenn could see Waterloo during the daylight.

After a couple of laps through the city we hopped back on the highway and headed out to the artsy district of Cleveland also known as Collinwood.

Stopping at Music Saves and Blue Arrow Records were on my agenda while out there but much to my surprise I was informed while at Music Saves that there was a Rock N Roll flea market going on at the Beachland Ballroom.  With plenty of time we headed down there and checked out what was good.  I really wanted to buy stuff there but money is tight these days on the BHP ranch so I was a good boy and looked with my eyes and kept the $1.27 I had in my wallet.

I plan on checking that out again one day when I have a couple bucks to spend.  There was a guy there who’s name escapes me but he had this box full of CDs from local Cleveland bands of the 90’s.  There were a few bands in there I remembered hearing about or even seeing live as a young music lover.  If I had it my way I would have grabbed a bunch just for the memory.  The guy said he had vinyl too but left it at home so I am hoping next time he is there.  We shall see.

Merchants were starting to pack up so I headed down to see Pete at Blue Arrow Records to see what was good.  I love that store and I had to show it off to Jenn.  While there I flipped through endless vinyl and found a Pacific Gas & Electric LP I had been looking for so you could say I was excited.

As we headed back to good ol’ Akron, OH it started to snow ever so slightly.  It was a nice end to a long day.  Once home we just kicked it and geeked out (relaxed) for the duration of the evening.

Sunday morning I did my best to make a breakfast of sorts and was pleased with the outcome. I cubed up some potatoes and fried them up as well as made eggs and refried beans.  I then fried up (with Jenn’s help) some corn tortillas and make tacos.  The outcome was an OH take on a Tex-Mex staple breakfast meal and I was thrilled.

I scored major brownie points there.  Speaking of brownies, the night before while we were geeking out I snuck in the kitchen and made brownies with chopped up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  Yeah, they were amazing.  I pride myself on those.

Sunday morning I did not want to do much of anything but relax and Jenn was ok with that.  Suddenly I came up with the great idea of taking the pups up to Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls to show Jenn the fun little area as well as the Cuyahoga River.  While walking around she took tons of pictures and I just soaked in the beauty of the river and surroundings.  I love having that place just down the street from me.  The pups had fun dragging me all over the place.

Right before heading back home I noticed that the open light was on at Metropolis Popcorn so we picked up some snacks for afternoon football watching.  I got my favorite Chicago style popcorn (cheddar mixed with caramel) and Jenn chose the dill popcorn.  Both were amazing.

The rest of Sunday was chill and of course the Browns lost but at this time it does not bother me anymore.  There is always next year – and a hopeful first round draft pick.

Monday was departure day.  I know Jenn had fun because she thanked me multiple times throughout the morning.  I thanked her as well for coming up.  Not only was it a pleasure to have met her face to face but it was also awesome just to show her around Cleveland/Akron at the places I love.  Had we more time I would have taken her to many more places but I think I did good with what was shown.  Still, I wish I would have dropped by Cleveland Hts. and showed her Coventry.  Oh well, next time right?

Jenn is back in TX and I am sure she left OH with a good idea of how fun our city is, well at least I hope she did.  Upon exiting my car at the airport she reminded me that I was always welcome to visit her in TX and I hope to do that one day very soon.

Babble Blog, Cincinnati, Funny, Good Eats, Good Times, Photography, Road Trip, The Dumb

Babble Blog: G250 & Shooting Trees

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Good news everybody!

All I can think of at this very moment is Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth:

Seriously though, there is some good news as I was able to recover a lot of data thanks to a computer whiz at work. This means I have all my music and photos back. Sadly I am still having a hard time finding my contacts and whatnot in Outlook. I really hope I can figure something out and retrieve some of those email messages but if it is not able to happen at least I got something back…

Why are computers such a pain in the ass? I wish I could have had some warning so that I could have planned accordingly. Lesson learned.

I have noticed lately that I have actually been blogging more personal aspects of life rather than what music I am listening to. Get used to it. Sometimes there is nothing better than typing out your day/week/month for the world to read. Who knows, someone might get a kick out of it.

A few days ago I was having one of those days where the zippers were falling apart on my hoodies and the pain from screwdrivers stabbing my thumb while trying to fix it just made it worse. Crappy as it was, it turned for the best when I found a package at my front door. It is the little things in life that mean the most. Someone out there took time out of their life to make me something and honestly it is the coolest thing I have ever received:

Of course I have already sent something back. I look forward to the reaction. It was nothing absurd in case you were wondering… It was thoughtful, fun, and maybe even amazing.

BHP is still getting things straightened out with the whole loss of the laptop. Any day now I will be posting worthless information for everyone to shake their heads to. Speaking of, let me tell you about my weekend…

This past weekend I went to Cincinnati to visit one of my best friends. Usually when I make the trip down there I take a friend but this time it was just me and the pups. I left Saturday morning and arrived there just before noon and returned home the following evening around 7pm. That one quick trip was full of hilarity from the moment I pulled into his driveway.

I could sit here and talk about everything that happened while down there but that might take a while so I will just point out the parts I look back at and either shake my head or laugh at.

-Hibachi. There is a place in Cincinnati called Tokyo that has the best sushi and hibachi ever. I make a point to go there each time I visit. Their dragon rolls are quite possibly the best I have ever had and the hibachi is damn tasty as well. The staff is super friendly and usually when we go it is not busy. This particular time it was just me and my friend at the hibachi grill. We stuffed our faces, talked for hours,and sipped on sake.  Life is good.

Sushi @ Tokyo

-IKEA. I have always liked IKEA products but never had been to one of their stores. An IKEA store opened in Cincinnati within the last couple years and I decided it was time to pay the store a visit. Walking in there I felt like I was in a Disney World attraction with all the different types of people and giant cargo elevators as well as human jammed escalators. I felt like I was in a rat race of sorts following all the people through the upper level of the building that showcased different rooms full of IKEA product. After endlessly dodging customers and employees while looking for an end to the maze I found myself getting bored and decided a pillow fight was in order. Some of the IKEA zombies did not like that. Moving on we managed to get lost but then noticed the convenient arrows on the ground were pointing the opposite direction we were walking so a u-turn got us back on track. As if the upper level was not enough we skipped the Swedish meatball stand and headed downstairs where it was just a warehouse of product. I admit I bought some stuff but did not spend a lot of money. I grabbed two pillows, two small tables, and a tool set. I wanted more but knew it was not a good idea. The shopping carts did sweet 360’s too.

-Roman Candles (Part 1). When a friend tells you that the roman candle you are about to light off may shoot far, listen. I did not and shot one of the balls of fire over my friend’s fence and into his neighbor’s yard. Oops.

-Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout. It’s been a little over a month since I started drinking again. I went alcohol free for a while not just because I wanted to see if I could but because I needed a break. As soon as I fell off the wagon I had a mission to find the Guinness 250 stout. The G250 is a limited edition Guinness stout that was brewed for their 250 year anniversary – simple enough right? Well I have been unsuccessful in finding it on tap in my neck of the woods but was lucky to find an Irish pub in Newport, KY that had it. My friend and I drove there, took at seat at the back bar, and proudly ordered a pint. My (insert worship character of choice) that beer was absolutely AMAZING. It is not thick like Guinness as it is a stout, but still holds that distinguished taste I love.

-Zombie Girl. After we left the pub we walked around the Newport area and as I walked past a Hot Topic I noticed a girl dressed like a zombie lying on the floor perfectly still just inside the entrance. She waved ever so slightly to inform me she was not dead (yet) so being the friendly guy that I am I walked up to her and complimented her on her zombie success. It was funny to see other passerby’s reactions, many who just did not get it. I wanted to punch those people in the face but did not. As my friend and I left the Hot Topic I noticed Ms. Zombie Girl had her hand open as if she were holding it open for a donation. I told my friend I wish I had some change to drop in her hand but my friend was quick to my idea and pressed thirteen cents into the palm of her hand. She looked me confused and we left laughing. We are idiots, yes.

-Roman Candles (Part 2). This time was a little funnier and a little dumber as I thought it would be a good idea to light more roman candles in the early hours of the morning. This time I made sure to hold it away from any neighboring house but for whatever reason managed to shoot a tree with the first fireball. I am an idiot, yes I am.

I survived the weekend unscathed. I did not hurt myself or others so I must say the weekend was a great success. I visited one of my best friends ever, ate mad amounts of foods, drank for at least 12 hours, and remember everything. Good times indeed.

The dogs had fun too.  Of course I took them, they have friends in Cincinnati too…

The pups...