What is MOBFest? Not sure that I know myself. Something along these lines: for a fee (aroudn $50 as I understand it), you submit your demo and some big time record exec’s listen to it and then come to see you play at MOB Fest sposored show, which occur for 2 or 3 night around the city. Approximately 10 clubs a night participate in this event. I think that its largely a joke, I’m sure that no bands get ‘signed’ as a result of this, its just another sick excuse to ‘pay to play’. US Beer Co from our previous experience there is a shady club, at least as far as the way its run. The 1st time we played there, they had only Bud Light and Budweiser available. When I asked why, the bartenders told me something about the owner being distrustful of distributors and their alleged ‘scams’. They had run out of booze and beer at a recent previous show and had not re-copped shit because of the lack of convienent availability. Now this to me signifies a fucked up type of management. So MOB Fest was being hosted at the US Beer Co that night. There were 8 MOBFest bands booked I believe, they were scheduled to play on the upstairs main stage. We (with 6 other bands) were set to play on the downstairs stage simaltenously. We technically had nothing to do with MOBFest, although since we would be playing in the same club with record exec’s in the crowd, wouldn’t we as well have a chance of getting ‘noticed’?(Plus we didnt’ have to pay some bullshit fee) Ironically, we would end up having even more exposure then the basement stage, but I’ll get to that…. Hilger and I arrived around 5:30 pm as planned. Rob said he would be there closer to 7. No worries since according to the (broke-ass) website of the club, we were scheduled to play at 9:30. Ratbag Hero was the band that originally got us the show, but they had canceled. Shooting Blanks had been booked at the last second (day before), and our old friends Last Man Out as well as club promoter Andy and his band The Symptoms were scheduled, so I was excited. It seemed that we were there excessively early, but this was the time Andy had told me to be there.
So we chilled and bided our time. A crowd started to filter in as well as some of the other bands. Shooting Blanks arrived and we had them store their gear with ours. We started drinking and everything seemed well. It was however, not the case….
As we mulled about in the basement area, I was talking to Andy and trying to find out our slot and what time we would be going on. Just then I watched his face freeze up and I turned to see what he was so shocked at. Two cops, in plain clothes but with holstered weapons out (one even had a bulletproof vest on) came down and started looking around. I didn’t know why there were there but figured it couldn’t have been good. Just a few nights ago, the place got shit down a bit early due to noise complaints.
Rob arrived but we were told not to load in any more gear. We were told that the owner was talking with the cops. No one knew what was going on but it was beginning to look like the basement bands were going to get canceled. Just then Andy popped up and hit me with the news. The owner had been cited for not having proper permits and tax shit since he techically had 2 clubs/shows going on, they didn’t want the basement show to go on. Andy’s solution was to set up the basement acts on the floor in front of the MOBFest bands big stage upstairs (thus putting all the bands on the same floor). We would only get to play for 15 min. each, in the intermission between bands on the big stage, while the next band set up. We set up 2 guitar rigs, a bass rig and a drum set for everyone to use to minimize set up times. This situation was definately fucked but thanks to Andy’s smarts and unwillingness to let the show get canceled, it looked like it was going to happen.
Yer Mothers Lovers was the 1st band of the night, they were one of the MOBFest bands. Hilger’s original band Socially Unacceptable had played with these guys back in the day and Hilger and met one of the members even previous to that while standing in line for Primus tickets. Then they opened for the Powerknobs not a week before this night, I missed their set though. They were awesome and rocked hard. Their song ‘Satan and Lucifer’ is, to say the least, right up my alley.
The the 1st basement band, Last Man Out took the stage (or the area in front of it). This was our 3rd time playing with them — in 3 different venues, all 3 times booked together by chance. This was the 1st time I really partied with the members and watched them closely, and discovered a new found respect for them. This band is awesome, can’t say enough good things about them. Due to the cramped arrangements, at one point a cymbal stand fell over. Someone picked it right back up but myteriouslly the bass rig died at that same moment. Luckily it was in the closing seconds of their last song so it didn’t matter. Upon investigating further after the set, we found that the edge of the cymbal had falled perfectly and chopped the bassists cord right in half, perfectly clean. Now that was fucked.
Shooting Blanks was the next ‘basement’ band to play. Matt somehow broke his strap right before they played while tuning up in the backroom. He has some kind of weird strap locks so Hilger (who also has strap locks) couldnt even loan him a strap. I just said fuck it at that point, and told him to use my guitar. He beat the shit out of it but it survived and somehow stayed almost completely in tune.
After them was some country music sensation: a 16-year old prodigy. Her set seemed to go on forever. Finally we took our ‘stage’.
Our set was:
Grudge
Excited to Die
Hot Mom
Spreading Yourself Thin (Pie in the Sky)
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
It was a total success and went off without a hitch. We really went all out and went insane considering how short our set was. It felt really good. We gave out a bunch of stickers and shirts in the chaos after the set and got a good response from people.
The Symptoms were the next basement band and they fucking rocked once again. They have elements of weird guitar lead and vocals over it like Fugazi, but they also play fast straight forward punk shit at times too. Andy has an octave pedal that he uses constantly, clicking it on and off — he plays more lead and riffs then chords. They are great.
I stayed a while later and then busted out, I was drunk and still nursing a mysterious fever I had taken on the night before, which still sticks with me even as I type this the next day. Its just enough to feel weird and uncomfortable. Wish it would go the fuck away.
I’ll never play US Beer Co again unless its under new management. I would beef with the cops but they were probably just busting this guys balls cause they dont like him, and it would seem like he would deserve it. Much props to Andy for always being optimistic and knowing that the show must go on. Big up to Shooting Blanks and Last Man Out, 2 dead serious bands that have been doing their thing for years. Can’t wait to play with either of them again.
