Low Profile live at the Elk Grove Community Center
Saturday June 28th
With Squared Off, Lacquer and the Amazing Interceptors
This whole day was just awesome. I woke up to a lawn mower at like 10:30 in the morning but didn’t really get outta bed till noon. I went skating for a lil while. It drained too much energy from me so I went back in and just chilled. I watched the baseball game and fell in and out of sleep. Then I put on some Slayer to get me motivated. I showered up and got ready.
We met up at Rob’s at 5. Loaded up and headed on our way. We got there around 6. Met up with Hoser and Lisa and just chilled outside enjoying the sun till the rest of the bands showed up. Lisa and I went on a run and came back with some yummy Mt Dew Live Wire slushies. They were pretty damn good. Got a nice brain freeze from it.
A bunch more people showed up. Andrew and Bill from the Powerknobs showed up. Jessica showed up. Cactus Matt was there swigging some whiskey out of some fountain drink type container.
Squared Off decided to play first. There set was fucking awesome. They opened with Made In America. They played My Turn, Not Takin It, I Want One More, Our Fallen Bretheren, Porcelain and a bunch of other good songs. They covered Seeing Red by Minor Threat and went right into Merchandise by Fugazi. Props all around. Great set.
The Amazing Interceptors played next. I didn’t watch them one bit but could hear them clearly. Pretty loud and rocking. Sorry, I can’t really say anything more. I should have went in and watched a few songs. I was too busy chillin, mingling and having a session in my car with a few others.
Lacquer played next. I saw them with Squared Off and Smear Campaign at Brauerhouse last weekend so I knew what they were all about. They played a good long set and had the people dancing.
We played last. Our set was:
Attitude (originally by the Misfits) for Rhyno
My Turn (originally by Squared Off)
Green Corn (originally by NOFX)
Kamakazi 9-11
Hot Mom
Spreading Yourself Thin
The Last Laugh
Astrozombies (also by the Misfits)
Folsom Prison Blues (originally by Johnny Cash)
I think that was it. We rocked it out for sure. Attitude was a good opener. Rhyno and Cactus Matt sang. My Turn was a lil sloppy but came out all good. Hoser ran up and grabbed my mic and sang like a front man while Joe and Rhyno grabbed Bossmans mic and sang backups. It was great. Very cool to see their faces when we started it up.
Joe and Cactus Matt ran up to sing as much as they could of Green Corn. That song rocks hard. I luv playing it. I watched Bossman blaze the solo. He ripped it up fo sho!
We’ve never played the Last Laugh live before. It was a lot of fun. It’s a pretty mid tempo slow song so I was chilled out for it and it was a good break in a strenuously fast set of songs. The peeps in Lacquer all went swimming during our set. I’m jealous. They snuck into the pool. I guess they don’t have it too secure. There was a big ass water slide attached. I would have brought my suit and paid to go down that thing if I knew it was there. Oh well. Now I know for next time.
Bossman added Folsom at the end of the set and that was that. We took our time loading out and just chilled afterwards and talked. Bossman drove Bill home. Thanks and much luv to the PK’s.
Squared Off invited us to go to Brauerhouse to drink for the afterparty but then Rob invited us back to his house for a late night swim so I quickly changed my mind. I’d rather drink in a big ass pool over drinking in a bar anyday.
So I went home and brought my guitars in and showered and put on my suit and headed over to Rob’s. Hoser, Rhyno, Joe, Lisa, Bossman and Rob were all there already. We drank a lil and then Bossman and I jumped in. Joe and Rhyno later jumped in and then finally Rob came in. It was great. Like bathwater.
What a day. What a show. What a night. I had a blast. Thanks to everyone involved but especially to Cactus Matt and Squared Off.
-ERIK
One of my greatest pleasures whilst in Low Profile was playing early 2003 at the Fireside. Although it was our 11th time playing there, we were lucky enough to get a show with the mighty Smear Campaign. The greatest bunch of guys as well as awe inspiring musicians. 5 minutes after our set, their frontman, Cactus Matt offered us this show — a good 3 to 4 months in advance at that. The date eventually got moved back a week or so, and bands were added and removed from the lineup as well. Finally the date rolled around. I had seen Smear Campaign (with Squared Off) once more in the meantime and hung with Cactus at some other shows. Hoser from Squared Off was at the Fireside that day as well and we learned his band would be playing with us as well. We even played once with them in the meantime and got to know everyone in both bands really well, including Smear Campaigns new bassist Dan (who coindicentally was in a band with Hoser — who we played with — at the Fireside years before!) formerlly of FID. The date was quite anticipated.
Got there early, it was a very nice day out. Sunny and warm, but a bit overcast at times. There was a forecast for rain but it never broke upon us at all on that date. Cactus was no longer playing, but he was the mastermind behind this gig so he was in attendance, swillin’ whiskey from a bottle in the back of Joe from Squared Off’s minivan. He offered it to me a few times but I declined. I drank 2 Cokes before I left, then had a Red Bull and a Mountain Dew Live Wire Slushie before the gig.
Bill Knobs and Andrew from the Powerknobs (here with Cactus), with some other people they brought along showed up which was great. Matt had printed up some great fucking WFTN Radioflyers which were double sided and full color, beautifully done, which even has an awesome blurb about us (with all the other WFTN bands) in it. PVC and his lady showed up, much support there thankfully. I just found out because I am oblivious obviously that Rhyno is a fireman, so he busted out the full mask and helmet for me to wear and amuse everyone. Just like they say, you don’t want to know all the crazy shit a fireman has to wear and how much it weighs.
The lineup was getting changed real fast — Squared Off and us had flipped a coin to see who would play 3rd or 4th. I won the toss with Hoser and we got 3rd. Then due to some nonsense, we were moved back to last. That sucked big time. And somehow Squared Off went from 4th to 1st then.
Squared Off was awesome as always, tore thru a great set with FID, Minor Threat (w. Joe singing!) and Fugazi. I had never heard the Fugazi song before I saw them play it first (at a previous gig). It seemed like this time they played it and it was even tighter. Next up was The Amazing Interceptors. They were a 4 piece with 2 guitars, both guitarists singing. The vocals weren’t really delivered with any force behind them but they had interesting, chaotic 2 guitar attack, lots of textures and different tempos. They were clicking their pedals and footswitches all the time too. Their drummer wore no shirt and was all built. He also wore a tight backwards cap and drumming gloves. He actually did look like he was holding back then to crack a stick right thru those skins. The bassist had a nice Fender Jazz Bass and looked like Dave Guerin (owner of Melrose Park Cock Robin) a bit. He was active on the bass as well and had excellent tone.
Next up was Lacquer. I saw them play with Squared Off and Smear Campaign (as they had many times before in the past) the week previous at Brauerhouse. They are a 4 piece with 1 guitar and a singer. The singer wears some wild outfits and plenty of makeup and even has a DigiTech footpedal board for the vocals. The guitarist name is Mike but looks like a chick, even more makeup on and a big hollow body guitar. The bassist is Lisa, Cactus Matt’s girlfriend. The drummer Brian is by far the most normal, talked to him for a while, he carries his drum stands in a big bed comforter.
By this time I was getting quite anxious and not wanting to talk to anyone. People say I act like a dick when I get this way, but I just don’t want to talk to anyone. I try not to hang around people in that situation because I might snap at them, so I just try to sit alone and stare at the walls. I’m getting a little angry thinking about that feeling now, how you feel when you have to wait 3 or 4 hours to play. I know people will say I’m a pussy or a rock star or any of a number of other things. But here’s the thing, you fuckin’ haters (shaking fist at imaginary people): I don’t drink 5 cases of beer before I play like you fuckhead. And as a result I make you look bad again and again. I thrash until my body is limp and devoid of strength. I swear about a gallon and soak a towel. I try to swing my arm to hit the guitar from as far as I can reach toward the ceiling. So that’s why the fuck I don’t like to wait.
Finally got up there. Hilger was daring enough to bust out his wireless system which often has failed at shows and forced him to use a cord. But I will say, when it works (as it did at this show luckily) it kicks ass. The thing seems to be able to go about 1000 feet, this place is a gigantic room, he was way back in the other end of it and I never even noticed he was gone. The bass was clear as a whistle.
We opened with the message board contest winner song pick from Rhyno — “Attitude” by the Misfits, then went into Squared Off’s ‘My Turn’, it was great seeing the look on their faces for that one. Hoser ran on stage and sang the whole thing, with Matt, Rhyno and Joe yelling into my mic. We played it flawlessly depite what Hilger will tell you. We ended up hooking up Squared Off with more shirts and they were all wearing em like our #1 fan club, thanx guys.
We tore through our songs and it was pretty damned hot in there. I was swiggin’ on some water and drying my head with the magic towel every song and those 2 things make me feel fucking great. If I was a big rock star, all I would ask is that I have a stack of 4 or 5 white towels, neatly folded and maybe 2 cold and 2 room temperature bottles of Evian. And a free ball of coke everyday. And 5 whores. And a deep freeze on the bus full of Colt 45 and Schlitz Blue Bull. And a few Olde English too. And a Mexican chef to cook me shit every day. And an Italian Chef too. That should do it. I think.
After the show as always my mood changed 180 degrees and I was relaxed and smiliing like a motherfucker. Playing a show can only provide that feeling. I could care less about a crowd. I just want to play in front of other bands, that’s obviously enough for me. Rhyno recommended we go to Brauerhouse and get drunk but Rob was gracious enough to proivde the use of the pool for the 2 bands, it was fucking awesome. On the way home I hit, in order, all on North Ave. from West to East:
1) TCF bank — free ATM — $40 withdrawl
2) Taco Bell — ordered 1 7-layer and 1 chicken burrito. I believe they were both bean burritos. Bad times there.
3) Liquor Brokers — the greatest liquor store in the fucking land. My #1 40 spot. They Carry:
a. Colt 45
b. Blue Bull
c. OE
d. St. Ides
e. Steel Reserve 16-oz 4pack
Copped 1 Blue Bull and 1 Colt 45. Ate my Taco Bell in the Liqour brokers parking lot. I was rushing cause I get bad party anxiety (among other anxieties). This is where I’m going to a party and I get scared its going to get rowdy and I’ll miss it or arrive at a bad time. As a result, I often show up to parties way too early or start speeding on the way there for no reason. I chowed my nasty T-Bell and cleaned the beans off my body, and copped my 40s. Went home, thru the 40s in the fridge, jumped in teh shower, dumped dirty show towels and shirts in the hamper. I was only taking a quick shower like when you go to the pool, like where they make the brothas wash out their afro-sheen so the filters dont get clogged. I threw on my new Polo bathing suit and a Polo robe Tony Soprano style, sandals and the big blue cricket hat. I walked up to everyone but Hilger with 2 40s in my hands. Now thats a true playboy. I offered Joe a 40 and he took the Blue Bull. I swilled the Colt and we went in the pool. Burned some shit when Hilger got there. Drank some more Miller Lites after that, got home at about 4 AM, updated the site, then crashed till 1 the next day. I got up, took a shit, piss, blew a ton of snots out of my nose and slept on the futon (change of venue always works) with the AC and fan blowing on me hardcore under 2 blankets, slept till 5 PM. Scored Ceasars 3 steak tacos right away and now its 324 am the next day. Ive got a OE in the fridge Im about to get into and some other things I just bought that im ‘consuming’ now.
The show was a success, needless to say.
–bigbossman
peep the pics from the afterparty….
