I think I know how I’m spending my Fourth of July! JonnyX and the Groadies are playing down the street, at Worksound (well, down like 20 streets). It lames me out to say that I have yet to go to a JX:ATG show in Portland. They are from here, and they play shows all the time. What gives? I don’t know, except I do know that I can’t sit here and dwell on my past missteps. That’s not what the Fourth of July is about, anyway. This day is about remembering our past awesome steps, where we did cool stuff like see JonnyX and the Groadies in a different city. So, the last and only time I saw them was back in 1999, at the Pickle Patch in Isla Vista, CA. I brought a rocker friend along (was Party of Helicopters also playing this show? I think so), and we stood around and waited to see what the opener was all about. As we stood, a sweet-looking bespectacled boy came up and talked to us. He was friendly, and that made us wary. We also may have been wary because he was wearing a mesh shirt, women’s underwear, and nothing else. As I was about to ask, “so, are you in one of the bands?” he stepped behind the drum kit, the other band members merged to their instruments, and they all erupted into one of the most brutal, spastic, and fast sets I’ve ever witnessed. It was wonderful. I particularly remember them playing the last song on this CD, with the singer flopping onto the floor and writhing around in agony during the insane part.
Nowadays, JX:ATG doesn’t have a drummer. They use drum machines, and they have more synthesizers and lasers. And they still totally rip. And the shows look like a lot of fun.
JonnyX and the Groadies – gettinjiggywitit
Trying this doohicky:
https://blueskiesabove.us/noise/07%20Librarians%20(Slight%20Return).mp3</audio>
Comments
Thanks for the resources. Yeah, I’ve had experience with boggy yahoo groups (the portland pinball database), and know that the way to get people involved 2.0-it a bit more.. and we’re in the process of turning that map into a full-on real database!).
I’m still seeing you in my head, wailing away by yourself in the middle of the street, hair flying, fireworks going off all around you. It was a beautiful sight.
See you at pdxpopnow fest.
Yeah, I play bass for the Groadies. The Yahoogroup I moderate (PDXDIYSHOWS) is pretty dead, it was ok back in like 2002 but, its not Web 2.0 enough. Check out www.pc-pdx.com its run as a Wiki, so some of the info is whacky, but its still a pretty good resource.
Thanks for help with the belt, it does fall off every-once-and-a-while.
Yes, you absolutely buy the EDS records, especially their newest one. They are soooo great.
We’re both playing the PDXPOPNOW! festival the last weekend of this month, definitely bring a big backpack and a lot of dough (not for the show, its free, but for all the records/shirts/stuff that the awesome bands playing the shows will be trading for money).
JX:ATG: Great show! All the bands were awesome. I meant to try and figure out which one of you wrote this… but I didn’t. Bass player? If so, you ran in to me right on your last note of the set, and I handed you your awesome belt. I saw you taking pictures earlier, but didn’t know you were in the band (I would have brought my camera, but I have 25iso film in it right now, and I don’t have any flashes). I was by myself most of the time, in a blue shirt, and black pants, and glasses. I am pretty out of it when it comes to the DIY scene in portland, but I really want to start going to more shows. Where do you find out about them? The yahoo group linked on your website?
And darn it, I meant to buy a t-shirt, but then I totally forgot after the show. Next time. And I should have brought a backpack so that I could have bought and then carried home some Experimental Dental School records. Gah well.
Pancho: Thanks for the nice words. I’m glad you appreciate the posts!
Gratzer, you’re the man. Thanks for it and all the music posted. Blogs like this give the chance to many people like me to hear music that otherwise we couldn’t ever know. Greets from Chile. ;)
Ha! Thanks for posting this, see you tonight!
-JX:ATG