TSG Sun

Skateboarding on the Quad, loading dock on the side of the auditorium.

I should really be in bed. Somehow Icame across this Myspace page dedicated to Titanic Love Affair. What’s that about?

I think most of you know of my disdain for most rock and roll, or more accurately, guitar-based “alternative” rock. I mean, if you have to listen to guitars, it had better be something  meaty like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Big Black, etc. Honestly, I had never heard, or listened to TLA before, but I was pretty impressed with “Planet Strange” and the cover of Carole Kings “It’s Too Late.”

So going back to my original question. What’s the background on this page? Whom is behind it? Does Lars (and the rest of the former band) know he/they are being stalked?

Here is the link:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=61383489

For some reason, I did a search on Youtube for Leroy Bach.

Here is some video that I found, recorded at The Rainbo in Chicago.

Here is the link. Perhaps someone else knows how to post this properly so the video player pops up. I’m actually too lazy to figure it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KQU9yXzwdk

Leroy will be on The Late Show with David Letterman on Friday night.

Leroy has joined Iron & Wine for their upcoming tour and they will be on Letterman Friday night. Actually, it was taped this past Monday but airs Friday.

I know all this because Iron & Wine’s manager, Howard,  is our neighbor. His daughter plays with my daughter. His wife and my wife talk shit about us behind our backs and, actually, right to our faces.

I guessIron & Wine needed another multi-instrumentalist and my neighbor Howard thought of Leroy and by chance, he was not presently engaged and decided to join up.  I don’t know if it’s a longterm thing or not.

Other interesting former C-U music people living on my street are Phil Rockrohr and Brian Krumm of The Great Crusades, a band whom Brian Leach is a member.

www.ironandwine.com

www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/show_info/pants/

Man this site is dead. Am I the only one posting here? Well here’s some news. We just had a baby on Saturday the 1st. His name is Simon Gawlik, 7lbs 10 ounces. Wahoo!

And because the hack is gone… this post was made by Randy, wait for it…. Gawlik.

About three years ago I asked Rick for permission to use a Didjits tune (any one) in a promotional video for Cold War Skateboards that was going to be included on a DVD being given away to subscribers of a skateboard magazine called Concrete Wave. He said it was OK, but then I didn’t end up using a song. Three years later we got a last minute call to be included on the 2007 DVD. We didn’t have anything ready, so we went out and shot some footage for about three hours one Sunday, and I spent the next three nights after work looking at old footage, cataloging, digitizing, and editing. It was actually nice to have such a tight deadline since it prevented me from spending too much time on it. Anyway, here it is, and Rick, I hope it’s still OK to use a Didjits song.

Many, many years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the land and The Farmboys were a common name around the fiefdom of Champaign and Urbana, I heard a song. “That’s when I reach for my revolver,” would ring thru my head. Sweet baby jesbu, The Farmboys have a hit! Then around ‘97 I heard it again. This time it was Moby. Moby, covering a Farmboys song. Maybe Pink Floyd was right, and pigs do fly. Finally, a few weeks ago, while building a shed, a friend popped in a Mission of Burma CD, it was good, But then, the song, again. It had found me.

So I am happy. But I’ll be happier when I can find the Galva beat-up mix and the Secret Goldfish bootleg cassettes. There’s also that Timble tickle tape.

As you may or may not know, TSG alum, Rich (Tall Rich) Toth is a very successful attorney, working downtown Chicago at a prestigous and influential law firm.

But did you know, Tall Rich’s new pastime and hobby is piracy. Yes, I’m sure some of you don’t believe that piracy actually exists in today’s modern world. Obviously, the piracy industry has seen better years. At the height of the piracy trade in the 1700 and 1800’s, pirates, in some areas of the world, were the defacto rulers of the oceans, second only to the British and Spanish navies (sic?), depending on each country’s dominiant years of power.

Piracy fell into disfavor in the ensuing centuries, nearly dying out all together in the 20th Century (save for a brief interest in Butt Piracy during the 1970’s and ’80’s in some of our nation’s “urban” areas–thanks for the info Randy!) .

However, recently, due to the immense popularity of the Pirates of the Carribean films and that adorably dapper Johnny Depp, being a pirate is all the rage today. There has been a surge in this new trend of weekend piracy.
But piracy is a very challenging hobby. As you probably know, being a swashbuckling privateer has it’s risks. Drowning, injury or death from swords or even cannonball fire, walking the plank, etc.

Tall Rich has parlayed his legal background and his interest in weekend piracy into a book and seminar series entitled “Avast Ye Dogs! Embracing Your Inner Pirate.” It’s a how to guide for beginners and hardcore pirates a like. Invaluable tips about fighting scurvy, how best to trim one’s beard, optimizing one’s pillaging techniques, how to handle mutinies, where best to bury treasure, etc. Stay tuned here for his book signing tour.

The only date lined up so far is at this year’s Tall Ships exhibit at Navy Pier this summer and next winter’s Chicago Boat Show at McCormick Place.
Congratulations Tall!

RELATED LINKS

http://www.buttpirates.com/

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/pirates/

Get them while their hot. Your name@tenshittyguys.com. Let me know, I can forward it to your other email.