Googling bands is my job. OK there’s more to it than that but I do a shit-ton of it. Today I tried to google the band Black Horse. I typed in “black horse band” and one of the top results was this. Note the title of that page: Horse Feathers. That’s also the name of of a band in Portland, a band whose track I listened to as part of the PDX Pop Now compilation selection process. A band that is not Black Horse. I press on.
March 30, 2005
March 12, 2005
PERFORMANCE
Last night my first band ever had our first show ever. We’re called Clap Amp and I’m not sure what we sound like. I told my mom I play “weird noises” on the synthesizer, so she can call it “dancey weird noises music” (also, she doesn’t think I can actually play keyboards and suggested I switch to tambourine ; emasculating). People who saw us tell me we sound like “Nice Nice but dancier” or “um, experimental but fun” or my personal favorite “halfway between something I wouldn’t like and something I would like, and I liked it”. These were all my friends, so of course they’re going to be complimentary, but it was still cool to see their reactions, especially since they were the first I’ve ever heard from anyone, ever. Steve thinks we rule, and that’s huge (unlike Steve who is really quite slight).
I myself had a fucking awesome time and freeked the fuck out. My girlfriend says I was making faces she’s never seen me make before. I caught flack for wearing shorts and flip-flops and dancing around like a hippy, but fuck that noise. It felt so amazingly good to bang my fists down on the keyboard and yell in time with each hammer drop while Ryan worked out the 1-2 slam beat and Pat got nutz with the feedback pedal. I predict many more house shows this summer. Stoked!!!!!!!!!
March 4, 2005
Crackerjacked
I know I’ve kind of left you all hanging out there wondering DID HE GET HIS FREE IPOD? PLEASE TELL ME! and I’m happy to report that… I haven’t. YET.
BACKSTORY: A couple months ago I finally coerced my girlfriend and boyfriend into signing their lives away for my entertainment, which brought my grand total referrals up to the holy FIVE.
The next step after this is the “verification” process wherein the Gratis Network bigwigs dig down and try to figure out whether or not each of my referrals are actually unique, if their personal info has been sufficiently coopted, etc. These bigwigs came to the conclusion that Kristen was not a real person due to her having signed up using my computer. I filed a complaint and they, amazingly, gave her full credit. An order was placed = iPod gland secreting crystal-pure excitement and anticipation. Gross.
Fast forward a month or so and I finally receive a little package labeled FreeiPods.com. I open it lightning quick, anticipating the hours of pure geek bliss to follow. And it’s a t-shirt. This one:
fig 18: my american dream
There’s also a piece of paper explaining how they’re sending this t-shirt so I can show everyone how I stoked I am to have my free iPod, implying I should have it by now which, again, I don’t.
A strained but polite e-conversation takes place between me and Gratis customer service (nice guys actually) wherein they finally reveal who they ship through (DHL) and I finally track my order. Turns out the did send it out but for some reason it was returned to sender. Which seems to mean that my free iPod is currently gathering dust somewhere inside Gratis world headquarters. I filed a Custom Service Inquiry at the site
3/4/2005 4:21:18 PM
klunko@yahoo.com wrote:I just tracked my order at DHL and it says my order was returned to the shipper. I’m not sure why this happened, as there were no delivery attempts to my knowledge. Can you please check to see if my order came back to you and send it again?
Like I said, they’re usually pretty quick to get back. But they haven’t yet. Stay tooned.
