Show Review- Phenomenauts

So this is a ridiculously late show review for the show the Phenomenauts played at Reggies in Chicago on the 23rd of August. I know, I know, I'm terrible. It's been really busy lately and I had so many awesome things I wanted to say about the show that I didn't sit down and blog it. The openings bands were just fine but I really don't remember what they were called or much about them. The first band wasn't great but the rest were average to good, just nothing memorable. Plus I attended the show with friends who smoke and since it's no longer allowed in public buildings in Chicago we had to go outside fairly frequently during the opening acts.
Reggies isn't the greatest place for a show like this. The Phenomenauts have been known to draw pretty large audiences and this tiny space didn't allow for a lot, but still it was way more empty than I would have expected.
The band opened with lots of theatrics, lights, fog and amazing sound. They pulled out their famous toilet paper gun at one point, although they didn't use many of their normal props and theatrics given the limited space. They had amazing energy and put a lot into the show which I thought was great, trying their best to get the audience involved. The fans were pretty rabid, all things considered, with a few hardcore fans shelling out ridiculous amounts for jackets and hoodies and singing along with every lyric. Despite not having many of the original members of the band left they kicked ass, although I really would have loved to have heard Tiny Robots live. After the show we talked to a few band members and they were great- really friendly and concerned about the fans.
Altogether a really good time, and an amazing live show. They are just as good live as on their cds and that is rarely the case for most bands.

Perfumes I like

Wow if it wasn't for testers I think I would be lost when it comes to perfumes... there are so many there right now and I find that I'm about equally turned on and turned off to them. Half the time I will love something right away and the other half be disgusted or wonder who would want to smell like that.
Some fruit perfumes smell good but for the most part I can't understand wanting to smell like food. I'm usually drawn to more light, girly scents or flower smells. I also prefer some more musky smells if they are not too strong.
I would have to say right now my favorites are Ralph Lauren Cool for Women and something from Zumiez (wish I could remember what). Day to day I love the Sexiest Fantasies smells, the purple and blue ones which I love to layer together.
I was amazed (and amused) to find this list of unique fragrances here: fun perfume. Check it out for a laugh or for a unique scent or gift. I'm definitely ordering some!

Zombie Con 2009

An upcoming Milwaukee horror convention, Zombie Con will focus on the zombie side specifically! It's going to take place at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel & Convention Center on October 10th and 11th. So far the lineup could be better in my opinion. Big name and excellent actor Sid Haig will be in attendance and it's almost worth the $35 ticket price just to see him alone. The couple other people I would be at all excited to meet are the woman who played the zombie girl in the original Night of the Living Dead and the man who played the first Jason in Friday the 13th. I'm hoping more guests will be announced in the coming months to make the event more exciting and worthwhile. I'm also looking forward to seeing what other events will be confirmed. Tattoo contests, costume contests and film screenings are always fun. I'll update again when more information comes out.

Album Review- Psycho Ward Vol. 2

This is one of my absolute favorite albums at the moment for several reasons, not the least of which is that it features a great song by one of my favorite bands at the moment, Goddamn Gallows. I saw them last year and have been hooked ever since. The song, Everybody Dies, is constantly stuck in my head. The entire cd is great though, and a very good mix of Rockabilly and Psychobilly. Other really standout tracks to me are Alcohol King by the Starlight Wranglers, Til Death Do Us Part by Sik Luv, Sniffin' Glue by Twistin Tarantulas and Bloodfeast by Pickled Punx. There is very little filler and I was happy to see that most of this compilation featured less well-known bands. Most people into the music would probably already have songs by the better known bands on some album at home so I really appreciated that there were very few of the bigger name bands on this disk at all. Of course I couldn't complain that Phenomenauts, Phantom Rockers and Rocketz and Calavera were featured. I highly recommend getting this disk. It hasn't left my player in a few weeks.

Koffin Kats Tour Dates

The Koffin Kats have announced the tour dates for their upcoming US tour. They are as follows:

Aug 29 2009 8:00P
Smalls (All Ages) WAYNOPALOOZA V Hamtramck, Michigan

Sep 12 2009 3:00P
Amity Lanes/ North East Psychobilly Showdown Woodbridge, Connecticut

Sep 17 2009 8:00P
Mac’s Bar Lansing, Michigan

Sep 20 2009 8:00P
Beachland Ballroom (tavern)- ALL AGES Cleveland, Ohio

Sep 25 2009 8:00P
Central Space (ES Jungle) Indianapolis, Indiana

Sep 27 2009 8:00P
Reggie’s Rock Club Chicago, Illinois

Sep 29 2009 9:00P
The Annex- 18+ Madison, Wisconsin

Oct 3 2009 8:00P
The Firebird St. Louis, Missouri

Oct 4 2009 8:00P
Jerry’s Bait Shop Kansas City, Kansas

Oct 10 2009 8:00P
The Grail Couer d’ Alene, Idaho

Oct 17 2009 8:00P
Arcata Theatre Arcata, California

Oct 17 2009 8:00P
Studio 7 Seattle, Washington

Oct 18 2009 8:00P
Fire Escape (ALL AGES) Citrus Heights, California

Oct 19 2009 8:00P
The Blue Lagoon Santa Cruz, California

Oct 31 2009 8:00P
TBA Las Vegas, Nevada

Nov 5 2009 8:00P
Club Vegas Salt Lake City, Utah

Nov 7 2009 8:00P
The Juggernaut Gallup, New Mexico

Nov 10 2009 8:00P
No man’s Land El Paso, Texas

Nov 11 2009 8:00P
White Rabbit (ALL AGES) San Antonio, Texas

Nov 12 2009 8:00P
Metropolis Mc Allen, Texas

Nov 13 2009 8:00P
House of Rock Corpus Christie, Texas

Nov 14 2009 8:00P
Walter’s on Washington Houston, Texas

Nov 18 2009 8:00P
Side Stage Tulsa, Oklahoma

Nov 22 2009 8:00P
The Muse Nashville, Tennessee

Nov 23 2009 8:00P
Atomic Rocket Lounge Columbia, Tennessee

Nov 25 2009 8:00P
The Nick Birmingham, Alabama

Nov 26 2009 8:00P
Sluggo’s Pensacola, Florida

Nov 27 2009 8:00P
Churchills Miami, Florida

Nov 28 2009 8:00P
Pastimes Pub (TBC) Sarasota, Florida

Nov 29 2009 8:00P
Odins Den (TBC) Orlando, Florida

Nov 30 2009 8:00P
Jackrabbits Jacksonville, Florida

More will likely be announced later.

Book Review- Deathrow

This book is awesome for fans of psychobilly. It's a great read all the way through as well as being easy to pick up, flip to a page and skim through it.
The book isn't a traditional book but a compilation of issues of a psychobilly fanzine. It was actually compiled by Alan Wilson of the Sharks, who ran the original fanzine, Deathrow.
The book has a little of everything- interviews with bands and band members, rumors, show and album reviews, amusing anecdotes and much more. There are many pictures, unfortunately they have the quality of a photocopied fanzine.
Read straight through some of the reviews get tedious after a while but it is an extremely enjoyable, interesting and informative book about psychobilly.

Album Review- Dying Breath by Coffin Draggers

I know this is an older album (2007) but since it never really leaves my head I felt the need to review it. The entire album is really good, with the tracks Voodoo Doll and the hidden track really standing out to me. For fans of Rockabilly and Psychobilly I would definitely recommend checking it out. I don't run into many people who have this album or even know of the band which is a shame. The album does have some goth influence which I usually try to keep out of my psychobilly but the Coffin Draggers pull it off really well and created a memorable album.