Dear Friends,
A happy birthday today to my buddy, Alex. I hope he’s having a good day and making some band sound great. He’s pretty good at that.
*****
The pain is dull now. Tears can still come pretty easily, but not as plentiful yesterday as the two days before. I only had a few moments where I thought I was going to lose it. I suppose that is some kind of progress.
I took Doug’s Arizona van to get emission tested yesterday. I promised him I would get that done before the 15th of the month, so I got it done. I think we are going to keep it for the time being. Rhondi thinks we have relatives that might need it at some point, so we should hold on to it for now. She’s probably right.
To be honest, it is a pain in the ass to drive the vans as they have been modified to make it easy for someone like Doug to get in and out of the driver’s seat. The driver’s seat sits super high so finding a good, comfortable place to put your foot so that you don’t hit the hand attachments with your knee while still being able to reach the accelerator and the brake pedal is tough.
It served Doug well, though, and that’s the important part. It may serve someone else we love well, too, before it’s all said and done. Only the shadow knows for sure right now.
All I know is that it would have sure been nice to be able to call him yesterday and let him know the van passed. Luckily, he doesn’t have to worry about that kind of thing ever again. I envy that.
*****
On Monday, I had to be observed at work. I didn’t tell my principal what had happened because I didn’t want it to influence my evaluation at all. I told her yesterday when we had our post-observation meeting, though, after we had signed my e-doc saying that I am fit to teach children.
She’s very cool and she’s cool with me taking a week off prior to our fall break so I can head to Maine and help Rhondi out. I need that time there and I’m hoping my wife needs me there with her. That reads way worse than I meant it. I should probably clarify and say that I hope I can be of some help to her.
It will be good to get there and let some healing happen…and it will be weird.
*****
Today is just going to be a day, I think. Nothing to crazy planned. Learning for the children and a meeting and normal stuff for a Thursday. That’s what I would really like. Just a normal Thursday.
If the headaches I’ve been having all week so far would fuck off, that would even make it better.
*****
I was so stoked when I discovered that there were more Devo records than Oh, No! It’s Devo! and the “Whip It” single. I mean, I love those records and wrote Oh,No! a bit ago, but when I got my hands on Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, I could not have been happier.
I love, love, love that record. It is the only record by any band that I have covered three songs off of during my musical career. We did “Uncontrollable Urge” when Eric, CG, and I did our one and only Buck Farkley show at Hollywood Alley, and I think either Pinky or Bourbon Witch did it once as well. I’ve done “Gut Feeling” several times, and even did “Mongoloid” once, too.
This is probably my favorite Devo record, although that’s a tough choice. It’s the one I have listened to the most, by far. It was one of my first CDs because I think Matt had it and gave it to me with the CD player I bought from him in 1989 when he needed $20 more than a CD player that he had won at some work thing.
I could be wrong on that, actually, because now that I have typed it, I remember that long, skinny cardboard box that CDs used to come in when you bought them. I kept it for a long time. So, no, I didn’t get it from Matt, but it was one of my first CDs, either way.
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! has been in heavy rotation during my life since 1988, I think. It was in the Polka Dot Pad days that we listened to it a lot. When “Uncontrollable Urge” kicks in, I’m a happy man. It can always brighten my mood.
The Polka Dot Pad had a number of records that were in heavy rotation, but Devo is one of the ones that has always stuck with me through thick and thin. It is such a perfect piece of weirdo, angsty, American post-punk. There really is no other band that is quite like them.
I’m so glad I got to see them live. I know they may play again and maybe I’ll get another chance, but several of the dudes have died off. It’s a shame, but those guys got started about fifty years ago, so they are not spring chickens any more. They have (d)evolved, I guess.
I also love “Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy” with all my heart, too. The riff just kills me and by the time the lyrics kick in, I’m ready to rock. I love playing that song live. I am certain at some point I will do it again. When we did it as the Naughty Little Squirrel Fuckers at the Thrash of the Titans show for AzPunk, we killed it.
The whole record, though, is just stellar. There is nothing on there that doesn’t warrant a good, long listen. I mean, there is some silliness, but it’s Devo-silliness. They did ‘silly’ in a way that was still super cool. “Space Junk,” for example, has some killer guitar in it.
“Mongoloid” and “Jocko Homo” are faves, as well. I actually taught Trent how to play “Mongoloid” at Hillbilly practice last night. Four notes.
“Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Getting’)” is another fun one, too, and the cover of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is quite rad. My friend, Mike Miller, who passed away many years ago did a great cover of “Satisfaction” that was kind of a tribute to both the Rolling Stones and the Devo version mixed up together. I miss that guy.
I’ll be listening to Devo for the rest of my days.
*****
See you tomorrow.
Pica(i)sso.
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