The 400 Bar (and the show) Reviewed

Is sweet. Really great sound, which for what amounts to a dive bar is impressive. Plus the bar tender told me it's "nationally relevant". Not entirely sure what that means. I suppose they get a lot of great shows in - maybe they get a lot of blog love. It's happening right here, isn't it?

I'd like to give you a rundown of the bands because we got booked on a bizarre bill.

1: Nerve Lizard - a three piece, instrumental jam band that wailed. Tons of slap bass, loose drums, and sizzling guitar work. That being said, I'll quote Jacob: "I was riffed out after the second song." My sentiments too, but those guys could play.

2: Bug Girl - A two-piece from Australia that consisted of a long haired shirtless drummer and a fist pumping dark eyeliner female guitarist. Apparently some producer who has worked with AcDc did their record. You could tell. Two huge Marshall stacks and tons of badass rock n roll. It was great. My favorite was the tune "Blood, Sweat, and Beers". I dream of being cool enough to write a song like that.

3: Us - You know, The Great American Novel? Playing the acoustic guitr and a drum set with a broken kick pedal. Kudos to Jacob who found a way to play through it. A pro, that guy.

4: Scary Numan - A bunch of guys my dad's age playing songs from the 80s. I actually think their slogan is "Destroying your favorite 80s songs". I don't really have favorite 80s songs, but I'm sure they would have been destroyed. The keyboardist did have a sweet MOOG. And they used a drum machine for everything.

See what you miss out on when you don't support your local (and Australian) artists? For those of you who did come last night, thank you.

Hey! You there! Blog reader!

I need some help. I've been playing under the moniker The Great American Novel for the last couple of years. I haven't really had a band, although for the last few months I have had a drummer. Here's the thing: I'm thinking it may be easier to just go by my birth name. I realize that in the grand scheme of things, this dilemma is of no importance. But I'm wondering: what are your feelings about band names? People names? Monikers?

Let me know.

Shows and Whatever Else

Anybody reading these anymore? I'll keep writing them until I start getting messages about wasting internet space.

I have a show tomorrow at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis. I think it's gonna be sweet, except that I have to sell 25 tickets for it. Which is fine; I mean I understand why they do it. It's just that it's a Thursday and I don't have that many friends. Bummer.

Jacob and I have been practicing, which is super fun because it makes the songs better. I'm quite enjoying being a two-piece, with just the acoustic and drums. Not to say that I wouldn't take a bass player - I may have one trying out here soon - or a multi-instrumentalist (i.e. guitar, banjo, accordion, everything). If you're interested, do let me know.

I also have a show next weekend (May 29th) at a new place called The 808 in Minneapolis. It will be loads of fun. I'll be playing guitar for cathy Crescendo, as well as performing myself, as well as listening to Sarah Winters and her band perform. Then June 11th in Duluth (I think) and June 30th at 318 in Excelsior (which is just me and a guitar). Then a month off for graduate school stuff. And back in August.

Jacob is moving into our basement this summer for a little while, which will be great. We're going to start work on a full length with some of my favorite songs I've ever written. Drums in June sometime. And the rest will follow.

I wrote another Ray Carver song, this one based off the story Why don't you dnace?. That's three so far and I continue to enjoy the process. Be waiting for the Raymond Carver record to drop in the next decade sometime.

I've also started back on that pesky novel, after taking a semester off to write short stories. If you've been reading, then you know that I finished the first draft. Well, now I go back and destroy two-thirds of it and start fresh. It's quite a process.

Let me know if you have any questions. Just post them in the comments and I'll devote an entire blog to your questions. Everyone is special. You can also email them to me at lazerhawley@gmail.com or contact me through the website at www.thegreatamericannovel.net.

Later.

I'm back...

From Hogwarts. Laugh it up Literati and Cynics alike. I've been busy. Reading the Harry Potter series. As much as I'd love to be an elitist and say it's all rubbish, I'd like more to say that I'm a human being. They're really wonderful books. Or at least wonderful characters. And a wonderful world. And that's what she does so well, create a world within a world. And for me it is enough to forgive her sometimes blockish and rough writing. And, to be frank, I didn't want to leave. I got home yesterday and saw the book I had finished the night before sitting on my ottoman and I'll admit, I did get a little sad. But it's not like post-Avatar depression (I didn't see the movie) where this world is so gray and drab that I couldn't get out of bed this morning. I mean, today IS gray (or grey!) and drab, but I managed to crawl out of bed regardless.

Where was I? Ah. It's nice to imagine that there's a little magic in the world. I know exactly how cheesy that sounds. And I don't care. Is it so bad to hope for a world good triumphs evil?