the achieved and remembered

12/4 - Killwhitneydead w/salt the wound and the demonstration (giorgios? pittsburgh)
12/10 - the Swellers, Ragweed, on vinyl, the hormones (garfield artworks, pittsburgh)
12/11 - Fireworks, polar bear club, TALK ABOUT IT (garfield artworks, pittsburgh... 8 bucks from us!)
12/12 - Jeremy Enigk w/ Stephen Tribou and Vacant Sea - (club cafe, pittsburgh, $16)
12/21 - the audition, punchline, vinnie from IATA, the years gone by, etc (forward hall, erie, $14)
12/27 - shockwave, shai hulud, wisdom in chains, etc (forward hall, erie, 15.. you definitely want to get these in advance)
1/14 - reel big fish, streetlight manifesto, tip the van - (cleveland, 22)

9/20 - sigh, cleveland
9/22 - four year strong, crime in stereo, fireworks, theres always tomorrow... erie
9/23 - nfg, four year strong, day to remember, ishc
9/30 - street dogs, pittsburgh diesel $12
10/5 - testament and soilent green, pittsburgh, rex theatre $24
10/5 - btbam ... erie
10/8 - obituary, unleashed and carnifex, rex theatre $20
10/11 - punchline, stillframe sky ... edinboro
10/15 - revival tour with chuck ragan, guy from avail and guy from lucero... belvederes
10/17 - kamelot, edguy... cleveland $20
10/21 - dillinger four, nofx, club zoo $20
10/28 - gwar, cleveland $20
10/30 - h2o, bane, cruel hand, energy.... strummers? pittsburgh
10/31 - on broken wings, Terror, As Blood Runs Black, The Ghost Inside, Blood Stands Still... strummers
11/11 - broadway calls, smartbomb, old believers ... erie
11/12 - dredg, Telescreen & Judgement Day, .. cleveland agora
11/13 - have heart, black listed, ceremony, convicted... mr roboto

6/20 - edinboro - $10 - punchline, i am the avalanche, victory lane, etc
6/26 - pittsburgh - zoo - $17.50 - alkaline trio
7/17 - cleveland - warped tour
7/17 - pittsburgh - diesel - $15 - BORIS, TORCHE & WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
7/24 - pittsburgh - diesel - 12 - Valient Thorr Plus Every Man, Monotonix & Dutch Buchanan
7/29 - pittsburgh - warped tour
8/2 - cleveland - weakerthans
8/3 - cleveland - $28-32 - chanticleer

not that i'm really motivated to write this...

NYC TRIP RECAP

Day 1 - We got some fries and dogs at the O, and left for nyc at like 3 am... our first mistake. The gps cord died about a half hour before lock haven, so we stopped at a walmart to try to find a new one.  Thank god for dads because mine bestowed the knowledge upon me that i could simply replace the fuse inside the charger and voila it worked. The fuse cost about 50 cents. Note to everyone: when a car-charger cord goes bad, just buy a new fuse.  We tried to make it to nyc in time to see the st. patricks day parade, but that didnt happen. Checked into our hotel room at about 1, took a nap and then headed into the city.  By the way, we stayed in newark, which was about 6 miles from our pathway subway station into nyc. The pathway only cost 1.75 per ride, and the hotel came to about 45 a night, so we made a pretty good deal staying in such a seedy area.  Newark is very ... colorful I guess.  But they did have a white castle. And drive through dunkin donuts.   Anway, we arrived at the wtc around 4 or something, and proceeded to chinatown.  We ate at this place called big wong's (keep in mind i researched pretty much about every restaurant we ate at either on about.com or our frommer's travel guide. yes i am a geek) which i really enjoyed (share a table with a chinese family, very good prices) however jade got sick from our meal. I think it was these oyster wontons we got, which were nasty as hell.

After big wong's, we walked down to the brooklyn bridge. Walking it was one of my goals set for the trip, and it was well worth it.  Quite an experience, you really feel like a new yorker when you cross this thing. I can't really explain it, you just have to be there. Sure, walking a mile doesnt sound all that exciting but it was trust me.  We were gonna eat at this ice cream place under the bridge but the walkway let us out so far from it, we just decided to subway our way back to the rockafeller center.  And now let me just say this: the top of the rock blows the fucking empire state building out of the water. Its pretty much no comparison.  Well here let me compare... empire state building: costs more, worse view. top of the rock: amazing view, costs less. i'm sad we even wasted our time with the empire state building (we went to it on thurs) but hey we got in for free with the nyc pass and now we know to avoid it for the rest of our lives.

Oh, and the ny pass... we paid $100 and got into pretty much everything I mention in here for free, plus a lot of other stuff we didnt have time for, as well as discounts at a lot of places. 10 bucks off planet hollywood lunches for one. I'd recommend it, but you have to really make an itinerary to get your money's worth. which of course, i did.

So anyway, top of the rock cost us 17.50 but was just incredible. Glad we did it for sure. Gawked around at times square, headed back to the ghetto hotel.

Day 2 - Slept in a bit, oops.  Went to the central park zoo... was told it might be a let down, but it sure wasn't. Maybe all these things just seemed awesomer because they were free.  Either way, the zoo had cool monkeys, penguins, seals and these awesome walrus guys.  After that, we hit up the Guggenheim museum, which was actually really cool even though I'm not into art.  Some chinese guy did these surrealist sculptures. I'm not even going to try to talk about it because i know nothing about art, but there were a bunch of cars suspended from the ceiling, as well as like 100 wolves crashing into an invisible wall. Yeah it ruled.  Called a cab to bloomingdale's area to get jade some new shoes... interesting experience.

I think we checked the TKTS line... where you get half price broadway tickets. Way too long, oh well.   Went down to little italy to eat... just picked a random italian restaurant that seemed reasonable, and it wasnt bad. Nothing to write home about however.  Then we proceeded to the empire state building (I might be getting this a bit out of order), where we rode the ny skyride (think universal studios stationary car with a screen ride) from like 1997 hosted by kevin bacon and an appearance of james doohan, they said they were working on a new one. I am a dork so I loved it either way and I'm glad I got to see this one before they retired it.

Back to the ghettotel.

Day 3 - Slept in a bit, oops.  Took the pathway to the wtc again, and the cabbed our way to the ellis island ferry.  It was pretty froggy outside, but for the price of free (with our ny pass), the ferry was a steal. Saw the statue of liberty (it was epic), got off at the wrong stop (the immigration museum), then found our way back to mainland. Cabbed our way up to the bodies exhibit, which I really enjoyed. 2nd favorite museum experience in nyc.  I learned a ton and was kind of grossed out.  We sort of hurried through it, but whatev.  I'd recommend everyone go see this at least once, if only to be aware of the things they are showing. 

After bodies, we taxi'd ourselves up to the resting place of cbgb's, which is now a gift shop. I cried a bit. But i also overheard they are trying to get a new venue in that are so that's cool I guess.  We ate at this hip asian place that forgot to cook jade's order so we were there a bit too long, but the food was good.  This was the second time in my life I forced myself to seriously eat with chopsticks and it was even sort of successful.

After the hip asian forgetful cuisine we cabbed ourselves up to the ambassador theatre and watched chicago.  It was an ok performance, worth it, but not as good as it could have been. We had really killer seats though, 3rd row from the front.  After the show we found a random diner on 9th ave before it started getting shady in hell's kitchen and had some unexciting food.

Day 4 - Slept in a bit, oops. First thing, we took the subway to brooklyn, all the way down to coney island.  I really enjoyed the subway ride, brooklyn is such a bittersweet area to me. It's like rundown, but not really. Lots of graffiti and broken down homes, mixed with very nice looking suburban houses with yards and all.  My eyes were pretty much glued out the window the whole time back and forth, so much to look at. 

Arrived at coney island.. and yes this place is way past its heyday.  The amusement park is still there, its recently been revitalized i guess, but its still quite decrepit.  We ate a nathan's hot dogs (a first for me) and walked around the park and boardwalk.  Got a lot of good photographs showing how rundown the park is now, but it still has charm.  Down the boardwalk a bit is the nyc aquarium, pretty much right next to the cyclone rollercoaster.  The aquarium ruled.  Sharks and jellyfish were the highlights.

After the aquarium, we took the subway all the way back up the the natural history museum, which we sped-walked through (we were trying to get our money's worth), and the taxi'd our way down to the museum of sex with our jamaican cab driver.  This was probably my favorite museum. Pretty awkward reading about and watching porn clips next to 50-somethings.  I'd definitely recommend this museum to anyone that likes sex and/or porn.  Bring your parents.  I think after this we went back to the empire state building to try to go to the top (for free).  We got up there and it totally sucked, you were just in an observatory and cant see shit, and had to wait in 5 hour long lines and trek up stairs and shit, and pay extra to go up to the top. eff the empire state building.  I did get awesome pizza beforehand at a random shop so I wasnt totally bummed.

I guess thats pretty much it, or as much as I can remember.  Very fun trip, definitely wanna do it again soon. I love nyc.


vidz: http://www.youtube.com/user/xtheapocx
photo gallery http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h201/xtheapocx/nyc%203%20-%2008/

3/29 - pittsburgh - roboto benefit - rites of spring, shudder to think, minor threat, gray matter, scream, ignition (cover bands), $5-10
4/7 - pittsburgh - garfield - owen
4/9 - pittsburgh, roboto - hit the switch, hank jones, american armada, static transistor, $6
4/19 - cheswick - Anti-Flag with The Street Dogs , The Briggs and Fake Problems, $17
4/24 - pittsburgh - smalls - Dimmu Borgir with Behemoth , Keep of Kalessin, $30
4/24 - pittsburgh - diesel - the audition , hit the lights, every avenue, morning light, kiros
4/24 - cleveland - grog shop - mxpx, $12
4/27 - pittsburgh - roboto - paint It Black, Cloak/Dagger, Kim Phuc, Static Transistor
4/30 - cleveland - peabody's - on broken wings, Emmure, Ligeia, Recon, After The Burial, RedIFlight
5/2 - cleveland - testament, $24
5/4 - cleveland - time warner amphitheater - GIGANTOUR megadeth, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job For A Cowboy, and High on Fire, $32.50
5/6 - cleveland - agora - ministry's C U LaTour, $30
6/10 - pittsburgh - the school - on broken wings, Emmure, Ligeia, Recon, After The Burial, RedIFlight9 

anybody wanna go

1/28 - pittsburgh (garfield) - chuck ragan from hwm, ben nichols from lucero acoustic show
1/31 - pittsburgh (diesel) - madball, sick of it all, death before dishonor, wisdom in chains
2/6 - cleveland (agora) - Poison The Well featuring The Chariot, Dance Gavin Dance, Crime In Stereo
2/23 - cleveland (agora) - vast ($13)
2/26- cleveland (hob) - angels and airwaves, Meg & Dia, The Color Fred, Ace Enders ($28)
3/2 - pittsburgh (school) - earth crisis, terror, sworn enemy, shai hulud, down to nothing, recon
3/5 - pittsburgh (rex) - henry rollins ($30)
3/14 - latrobe (st vincent college) - new found glory, relient k ($25)
3/19 pittsburgh (smalls) - starting line, bayside, four year strong
3/25 pittsburgh (diesel) - say anything, biffy clyro, weatherbox

hope everyone had a good one. I saw gin blossoms down at station square. sweet, a washed up band from the 90s is all pittsburgh could get! ah well what can you do. punchline played too.... their new stuff is meh but its cool they are nearly career musicians now without even being on bigger than an indie label.

my new years resolution is just to be more positive in general (forget the last paragraph, i'm allowed to be judgemental about music!). i've kind of been in a slump in that whole regard lately... my positivity peaked in early 2006. discovering andrew wk, and other things. it was going pretty well for a while, nearly a year. then i just had some lame experiences that i guess i really haven't recovered from.

drawing from the difficult things in my life is what influences me to write music, but i need to learn to separate those feelings from everything else and focus it on the art. try not to let it manifest in my attitudes.

i wouldnt say i'm being a negative nancy lately, but i'm not nearly as crazy or positive as i once was.

by the way, finale note about my musical prospects... i bought some recording equipment, and we've been recording songs lately. if anyone is interested in checking out the myspace i've been posting on, and i havent given you the url yet, just ask. i'm going to try to get more things up in the next few days. we are still desperately looking for members. so if anyone knows any guitarists or drummers into indie rock type music, PLEASE let me know.

i'm pretty much just gonna use it to post show updates and stuff... and major things happening in my life that i feel like sharing with people in writing. which hasnt happened lately, as you can see. but here are some shows coming up!

12/20 - pittsburgh (my house) - doug cooper trio
12/21 - pittsburgh (roboto) - secret headliner, unreal city, sacred pledge, unit 731
1/6 - pittsburgh (roboto) - static radio, seasick, static transistor, drought
1/11 - pittsburgh (club zoo) - killswitch engage, dillinger escape plan, every time i die, parkway drive
1/31 - pittsburgh (diesel) - madball, sick of it all, death before dishonor, wisdom in chains

12/5 - pittsburgh (rex) - The Dillinger Escape Plan w/ A Life Once Lost, Genghis Tron
12/7 - cleveland (peabody's) - amon amarth, decapitated, himsa, sonic syndicate
12/17 - cleveland (peabody's) - vader, malevolent creation, cattle decapitation, abigail williams, light this city, veil of maya
12/17 - erie (perry hi-way) - anti-flag, the code, bomb the music industry, hank jones
1/11 - pittsburgh (club zoo) - killswitch engage, dillinger escape plan, every time i die, parkway drive

-my favorite thing about 99-00 style metalcore has gotta be first: that its awesome. and second: the non-metally softer parts. so good.

-i've been getting real into discovering new music over the past week. its been ridiculous.

-i'm gonna start collecting vinyl. mainly anything resembling 90s emo. that whole deep elm/the hope i hide inside me/emo photograph era. love it.

-i've gotten back in touch with my inner hardcore kid.

-now that i'm older, i'm realizing what really matters. music and friendship.

-wow i didnt even dress up for halloween this year.

-greatest name for a fast as shit hardcore band: shut the fuck up