Screeching Weasel/Riverdales June 19-20 in Austin TX

That's Screeching Weasel on the 19th and the Riverdales on the 20th. I'm pretty sure the Riverdales show is slated for the smaller room so plan accordingly.

I really want to give you the lowdown on the SW re-formation but there's honestly not a lot to say. Legal issues prevented me from doing my own band on my own terms over the past couple of years but thankfully those problems are all resolved now. The kind of stuff happens sometimes. I won't deny that those problems - which were really just the culmination of many years of a lot of other b.s. - left a foul taste in my mouth about SW. But now that all the headaches are behind me I'm feeling great about it. I'm finally running my own band again and I'm really happy and excited to be back at it. I've got a killer line-up comprised of myself, Danny Vapid, Simon Lamb (the Ritalins), Justin Perkins (Yesterday's Kids) and Adam Cargin (Blueheels) (he's also the new Riverdales drummer) and we've got a great set list. And I'm thrilled to be playing in Texas - places like Houston and Austin were always great for Screeching Weasel in our touring days. We are only playing two other shows in 2009 (in the fall - they'll be announced next month) so we'll hope to see you at one of them!

Screeching Weasel and Riverdales tickets both go on sale at 10 a.m. central tomorrow.

Tickets for Screeching Weasel on June 19th

Tickets for the Riverdales on June 20th

The bands are playing on different nights so if you want to see 'em both you'll have to buy tickets for both nights. Additional shows will not be added even if these sell out so if you wanna go, get a move on!

Screeching Weasel Skateboards

This guy Ken made some really cool Screeching Weasel skateboards. $55, limited to 51 copies. Move fast if you want one!

The Problem Here...

...isn't really that Obama and his administration did something stupid, even now that it's looking even dumber than it did initially. It's hardly as though US-British relations are going to disintegrate over Obama and his gang blowing a dinner and giving the prime minister 25 DVD's that won't even play in a British DVD player (the PM's gifts to Obama included a pen holder made from the timber of the HMS Gannet - a British anti-slavery ship - and a multi-volume first edition biography of Winston Churchill but, strangely, no Fawlty Towers videos). In fact, it would barely merit comment if it weren't for the past 8 years of Bush bashing (often inspired by events far less remarkable or oafish), as Power Line notes:

Can you imagine the Democrats' reaction if the Bush White House had given a European head of state a set of DVDs that can only be played on North American machines? It would have been conclusive proof of Bush's provincialism, lack of sensitivity to our allies' sensibilities, ignorance of the wider world, techno incompetence, failure to appreciate the superiority of European civilization, blah blah blah. That's how it would have been reported and editorialized on in every newspaper. So let's check tomorrow's papers and see whether that's how Obama's gaffe is covered. Or whether it's covered at all.

It is indeed interesting to note the utter lack of response from those who gleefully reported, obsessed over, and cheered every George W. Bush foible and fumble. Whether Obama is snubbing the British PM, smashing his head while trying to board a helicopter, or mistaking a window for a door, the silence is deafening. Apparently these days the President's intelligence is gauged by his ability to read a Teleprompter. Uh, most of the time anyway. Neato!

Power Line link via Althouse

(Sort of) New Screeching Weasel Bio

Up on our MySpace page.

Live Like You Mean It

That's the new slogan for Wisconsin.

The logo looks like something you'd find in a Power Point presentation put together by a motivational speaker at a corporate retreat. Is that red idiot doing a handstand or did the designer try to catch him mid-cartwheel? In any case, people from Wisconsin don't do handstands and cartwheels. We pound beers, hunt, fish, and drink from bubblers. Stop trying to make us something we're not.

"Live like you mean it" is a vapid phrase used by people writing self-help books and ads aimed at snowboarders. I have no idea what it has to do with Wisconsin. People in Wisconsin don't really live like they mean it. They live like everybody else everywhere else. I don't even know what it means to live like you mean it. Are you supposed to pretend to give a crap? I moved to Wisconsin so I could stop pretending to give a crap. I've grown several beards and have even started wearing shorts outside occasionally in the summer. I don't need my own state taking my money to pay some lousy graphic designer to tell me I should be acting peppy when I just want to be left alone with my fishing pole and my beer. Fuck off, Doyle.

Via Dane 101

Cleaning Out My Bookmarks

Well I'm up too late, still on west coast time. Might as well get rid of all the bookmarks lying around.

This is a nice review of one of my shows from last weekend.

Pretty interesting. Funny how the anti-war people never have a damn thing to say about stuff like this.

A couple weeks ago the Isthmus ran an article on the guy who started this place. I am interested in squash but I don't know a lot about it. Dues are 90 a month or 1000 a year! You'd better be damn sure you love squash before joining! I'm not sure! I've never even played! I'm intrigued but come on, no lessons? This group offers free clinics for beginners twice a year, in spring and fall. That's pretty vague! How will I remember to inquire come spring? I guess if I care enough I will. But you know what? If the squash people want me they can come get me. The racquetball people are sure to be much more accommodating and affordable anyway. See ya later, bookmark!

This place sells some pretty cool t-shirts.

Why in the name of fuck did I bookmark this?

I hope somebody remembers to point and laugh at him when this doesn't happen.

I truly loathe Obama. Now I know how pussies and dingbats felt about Bush.

I intend to read this some day, but it's long and it has a nightmarish title so who knows.

Fucking A. This Freeman guy is a jagoff.

Bono is right. Never thought I'd say that.

I've only scanned it but this seems obvious, useless and counterproductive all at once.

I've been holding on to this link for something like 6 months, waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it in my e-mail group when I've really pissed somebody off and want to give 'em that final push over the edge. I can't wait any longer. I need to clean out my bookmarks. It's all yours.

Music

I couldn't resist buying the new U2 album for 4 bucks from Amazon.com's MP3 store. I don't know U2's albums at all other than the Joshua Tree which starts off great and then gets really boring. I sort of assume they all have one or two good songs and a bunch of filler. I don't know why. But this new one - No Line On The Horizon - is really good. There are four legitimately great tracks (the title track, "Magnificent," "Moment Of Surrender," and "Breathe") and only two terrible songs ("Get On Your Boots" and "Stand Up Comedy"). (The attempt at political commentary from the POV of a journalist ["Cedars Of Lebanon"] is laughable but I imagine that's par for the course with this band.) You have to be impressed with a rock band that can still write great songs into their third decade of existence. And I love that they've stuck with their signature sound. Everything they do still sounds like U2. The guitarist knows all of two tricks, and he repeats them over and over and yet it never gets old. Definitely worth your 4 bucks. It's worth noting that I never would've bought this album if not for the el cheapo price. I don't know if there's a lesson there or what but them's the facts.

I also got a copy of the new All-American Rejects album, When The World Comes Down and I'm happy to report it's fantastic from beginning to end. The thing I love about AAR is that, like U2, they know what they're good at and they do it better than everyone else. And what they do is write ridiculously catchy pop songs about girls and love and breakups. They don't subject you to lame, awkward insights into war or politics. It's just great pop music played by an outstanding rock band. That's the funny thing about AAR - so many punk rockers give 'em shit for being pretty (guitarist Mike Kennerty has noted that being in AAR marks the first time in his life anyone's ever referred to him as "pretty") and playing pop songs, but they still rock harder than 95% of the punk bands out there. See them live sometime and try to tell me different! I really liked the band's last album, Move Along, but this one's even better. My top three songs at the moment are "I Wanna," "Fallin' Apart," and "Mona Lisa," but they're subject to change at any time.

And finally, speaking of Amazon.com's MP3 store and great rockers who wrote killer pop songs (among other styles), looks like yet another Buddy Holly anthology has been released. These Holly collections are pretty much all the same, but what makes this one special is that Amazon.com MP3 is selling it for a measly 2 bucks! If you don't own any Buddy Holly you owe it to yourself to buy this. Trust me, sportsfans. Seeing the Ramones live gave me the kick in the ass I needed to start my own band but discovering Buddy Holly at the tender age of 11 was a quantum leap forward in my rock education and the most important musical landmark in my life. To this day a better rock and roll songwriter hasn't come along. Believe me. You need to own this at any price, but 26 of the master's best songs for two bucks? Come on. You have no excuse not to buy this. Don't put it off. I promise you'll thank me.

Riverdales Phase 3 Vinyl

The Riverdales Phase 3 album is coming out on vinyl on April 7th - first pressing is limited to 300 copies of baby blue vinyl. You can pre-order it here. Subsequent pressings will be on different colored vinyl.

UPDATE: Uh, sort of. There is apparently other vinyl being pressed too. Click here to pre-order black or yellow vinyl directly from the label.

Weasel Radio Update

Nothing much to report but I did want to give an explanation of what happened to Weasel Radio. Owen moved to Seattle. That's what happened. I am holding out hope that we can resume eventually but right now it's a distant dream. I'm keeping plenty busy with songwriting, recording and gigs but I do miss my weekly rap sessions with Owen. What fun we had! I think he's on Facebook so feel free to look him up and harass the heck out of him to get the show going again.