Big news: everybody and their mother should come to THE MINT on Tuesday, April 19th, in order to witness the awesomeness that will be the Amoeba Homegrown Showcase! With lots of fancypants bands and fancypants stars at a really fancypants joint - The Mint! (Hint: don't go to Amoeba, or at least, not at 9 PM).

More details and a lot of exclamation marks can be found on the Shows page. 
  posted by marmida-san  @ 7:25 PM

The band recently returned from a jaunt to Texas, where they apparently were unleashed both physically and sonicaly in the streets. Apparently there were some casualties, some Michael Jacksons (redundant?), some barbecue, and a mythical 80s fantasy movie creature called The Grackle.

Jason reminisces in his kind way:

The Sin City show was great, both the Soda and the Waco Tragedies sets were real fun - big props to Brian Wright's folks and his friends from Waco, who waited around patiently, then really whooped it up when we played. The food at Maria's was excellent, the people were friendly, and there was a crowd all day - lots of love to Shayla and Bryson for hosting us once again on their event. Also, Kevin got the "biggest ego stroke of the trip" award from none other than John Doe, who complimented his playing not once, but twice during our time in Austin.

Gigging in the street at 2:30 AM with the punks and Mexicans swing dancing was pretty awesome, and I really appreciated the Hotel songsters that let us have our way with the back end of their evening - that Saturday night set, with all of us through one amp, was as close as we have come to total sonic destruction. Thanks again to Jenni, Sara and AJ, Gabriel, and yes, Jay Nash for finding a place for an all-LA shindig, and the owners of the ONE TWO ONE for putting up with all the nonsense. There are also a few other folks to thank: Joe at Coffin Case, Lynda Kay Parker, Merle Jagger, Amoeba Mary, Bree & Ashley Nathan and ? (the nicest punks on earth), Ashley and Darice, Mike Freese, the girl who made the BBQ list, and too many other people to name - help me out here guys!

Kevin is obsessed with the Grackle:

thanks to Mark Rubin at Violins Etc. for making it possible for me to bad touch a double bass for the duration of the Austin experiment.
Thanks to Coffin Cases.
Thanks to Nintendo.
Thanks to Sin City.
Thanks to the Motel 6 spring break crew from Plainview, which is the friendliest place in Texas apparently.
NO THANKS to Dr. Dipshit and his drunk punching and gear bashing that cost us two shows and a bunch of money for the Coffin Cases guys. BOOOO.

Thanks to John Doe for properly identifying me as a Philadelphia native and a serial double bass killer.
Thanks to the GRACKLE. (BEWARE THE GRACKLE! ! ! !)
Thanks to Lord Grunge and GRAND BUFFET for preventing a vicious hate crime outside the Zero Degrees club. Phew. That was a close one.
Thanks to Brian Wright for channeling the purest spirit of rock and roll I've ever had the luxury of nearly losing an eye over.

AUSTIN ---- THANK YOU FOR BAR B QUE.

P.S. Mark, since I plugged your shop can I get a discount on that bass, please?

Mike apparently misses his horn AND the Grackle:

The bell of my horn is about as "fixable" as Michael Jackson's face. Who knows how it got that way....just remember it how it was; then it badtouches you.

The best way to describe our sxsw from my end is to post the pictures that will probably spill in pretty soon from Mary @ Ameoba and Nathan from Coffin Case.

All I'll remember in 5 years is playing in the street, jumping through a window and the wrath of the grackle.

Now that they're back safe and sound, come on down to one of their upcoming shows and congratulate them on surviving their Grackle encounters.

Hm...can you barbecue a Grackle? 
  posted by marmida-san  @ 11:29 PM