_______________________________________________________

THE DOPE SHIT

_______________________________________________________

Recorded live to cassette 10/28/05 Stuart's Basement Nashville, Tn 

So after writing and recording several 'songs' in our living room in East Nashville at our house on Carolyn Street, we were invited to play a party at our friend Stuart's house.  It was our first public performance, and at the time the band consisted of just Rhea and myself.  For this performance, we invited my long time collaborator and friend, Josh and my roommate, and Larva to help fill out the line up.  We had only one actual song in mind, something we had written some months earlier called 'kill to live' which ended up our first release, Freakout Jamboree.  I can't say for sure we actually came very close to performing that song at all during our 27 minute set, but we did manage to channel something far more ambitious and revelatory in the process.  

Most of the attendees of the party migrated upstairs as we entered into a trancelike procession of southern sensibilities and uninhibited nihilism, a constant theme in most of the music I was involved at the time and throughout my life.  Those who did remain and/or were intrigued by the chaotic noise emanating from the basement actually ended up joining 'the band' in one sense or another until we were basically a 7 piece 'jam' band, for lack of a better word.  By the end John, who I also played with in Big Nurse was running around with a broom stirring up dust and debris, Nathan of Birdfeeder was one the ground covered in filth throat singing and gurgling into the microphone. Pretty sure Stuart ended up joining in at some point as well (it was his birthday after all).

If you asked me who else contributed to our set, I embarrassingly must admit I do not recollect, but feel certain I am missing some key contributors to the cacophony.  It was almost 15 years ago and I'm pretty sure I was drunk.  so sorry to anyone I left out in this monologue.  

Larva ended up joining the band permanently shortly after this performance as the three of us were living together at the time.  it was really organic and unique in regard to both composition and improvisation which led to some very interesting results releasing 6 if not more albums in a little over a year.  Josh moved to California and were joined a year later by Rhea and myself where he would actually reconnect for some double trouble! performances during our first few years in Oakland before disbanding around 2008.  

This was for me the beginning of what I would consider my most prolific and creative time period perhaps of my entire life.  I feel fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to meet and collaborate with so many unique and like minded individuals as I did between the years of 2003 and 2006.  It was a really special time for myself and I would assume most of us.

thanks for listening