el duderino provides great insight into the spirit journey formation of several Psychostick shows... and stuff
el duderino's Final Verdict!
Sound/ProductionOverall: 5/5
Agree? Disagree? Impartial? Stupid? Comment on it!
For those of you that don’t know me, which is probably each and every one of you, I am a huge fan of Psychostick. No, I mean a HUGE fan (not fat, ya chubby chaser). I am probably (unofficially) the first Psychostick roadie, ok, maybe not a roadie. My point is, I’ve been to a lot of shows, 8 total as of March 30 (should have been 9, THANKS STATIC BAR! …ghey). Anyways, when the guys come through, I become a regular road warrior, traveling as far as 7 hours to go see a show (The Myth, yes, I was there!)
So you’re probably saying to yourself, “geez, what a jerk, why the hell did he post this… just to brag?” Well, yeah, that’s part of it. I’ve been asked several times to give reviews on the shows I’ve been to, and well, up ‘til now, I’ve been procrastinating. However, seeing as how I am now a pluh.com staff membar, and you are all my bitches, I have decided to move forward with this little project. So, without further adieu, I present a review of the Psychostick shows I have attended in a nutshell.
SHOW #1, Wichita KS, JC’s House of Rock, September 12th ish? 2006
My first show, and my first time meeting the guys personally. I was so excited; I got there early, 4 hours early! I ran around like a kid in a candy store meeting the guys and getting my CD insert signed. Ya see, this was the first show on the first tour that they came anywhere near where I live, so I wanted to make the most of it since I wasn’t sure if it would ever happen again (fortunately, it wasn’t a 1 time occurrence.)
Afterwards, they looked hungry, so I took them to a local IHOP and fed them (hint, hint, wink, wink). I had a ton of fun that night.
The Drive?
Wichita is a 3-hour drive from KC, and that’s if you’re hauling ass down I-35. The drive wouldn’t have been that bad if it weren’t for the fact that it was through Kansas… so boring. The drive back sucked too because I was in a hurry and I had to pee; not too many rest stops on that stretch of road! However, over all, it was worth it and I would do it again if necessary (hopefully not!)
Rating: 3/5
The Venue?
JJ’s is pretty cool, looks like a restaurant-turned-show venue. There were lots of places to sit and plenty of room to get crazy up by the stage.
Rating: 4/5
The Scrubs (other bands)?
If I remember correctly, it was The Travesty and Continent of Ash. Both bands were good, but I really liked Continent of Ash. They had one song that started out with sound bites from the Peewee Herman show; that was funny as hell. Check ‘em out!
Rating: 4.5/5
The Sound?
I thought the sound was pretty good there, nice and LOUD. They took a few extra minutes with the sound check and it made a difference.
Rating: 4/5
The Show?
This was actually one of my favorite shows. There were only about 50 people there, but it seemed like they were getting into the ‘stick (as if they had a choice).
Rating: 4/5
Overall?
Rating: 4/5
Nothing disappointed. I was so syked, I couldn’t sleep for 3 days afterwards!
SHOW #2, Springfield MO, The Ricano Latino, October 11th 2006 (my birfday, yay!)
To sum it up in one werd, GHEYSAWCE!
The Drive?
I certainly thought the drive would be a lot worse than what it was. Google maps said it would be a 4-hour drive; I made it in about 2 ½ hours. That area of Missouri is beautiful that time of year (the Ozarks for the geographically challenged). The drive back sucked, though. It was about 3 in the morning and seemed like the last 30 miles took an extra hour.
Rating: 4/5
The Venue?
Out of all the venues that I have seen Psychostick at, this one was the worst. First off, the place was hard as hell to find, I passed it about 3 times before I realized where it was. Secondly, the place uses to be a garage, and was about as cold on the inside (heat anyone?) The crowd was small, maybe 25 total, completely un-energetic people. And even though I was already there 3 hours before they technically opened the doors, they still made me pay! Not to mention the fact that the bartender was on the mic every five minutes trying to push drinks off on us. The only redeeming factor, if any, was that the place was big enough to house a shit load more people; unfortunately, it didn’t.
Rating: 0.5/5 ~ I’ll be generous, it was a Wednesday…
The Scrubs (other bands)?
Not the worst bands I’ve ever seen, but definitely bands that I wouldn’t go out of my way to see. There was this one front man that found game in squirting fake blood (at least I hope it was fake blood) on everybody. I think they definitely fit the title for sure (Scrubs, in case your too lazy to drift your eyes up half an inch).
Rating: 2/5
The Sound?
Shitty, let’s just say that. They had a mic stand that wouldn’t stay adjusted, so Mikey had to set the mic up on his bass head.
Rating: 2/5
The Show?
The guys kicked it and did their best with the hand they were dealt. The people there seemed to enjoy it, so extra kudos for that!
Rating: 3/5
Overall?
Rating: 2/5
I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to do that one over. I heard the guy running the place say he was trying to book Psychostick for sometime in December. I just laughed under my breath.
SHOW #3, Topeka KS, The Static Bar, October 12th 2006
This show kicked ass, and would have been my favorite if there had been more people there! It originally started out as just me and the guys going to see Indorphine. But shortly after we got there, the owner heard that the guys were in house and asked if they could play. A show done out of complete spontaneity!
The Drive?
Short and sweet. Topeker is only about 45 minutes from here, or an hour if you drive as slow as Tony does. Plus, I had Jarsh and Vince in the car listening to Bloodsimple and Glassjaw, so it didn’t get boring.
Rating: 4/5 ~ the shorter the bettar!
The Venue?
The Static Bar is a really cool venue. Plenty of room, plenty of booze. It’s really too bad there weren’t more people there (maybe 30 tops). HOWEVER, about a month later, the guys were suppose to play there again. We drove all the way out there only to find out that the bar had shut down for a few weeks to work out a problem with their liquor license, and NOBODY bothered to tell the band. Therefore, I have to demote their score
Rating: 3/5 ~ it was still a really cool venue
The OTHER BANDS!?
If you didn’t notice, I changed the title for this section for this show… mainly because of one band, Indorphine. If you haven’t checked them out yet, you are missing out. As a matter of fact, click on the link right now.. DO IT, click on the link for Indorphine, you can pick this article up some other time. It’ll still be here. GO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, A GOLDEN INVITATION!
Anyways, yes, there were other bands there, but I can only remember one, NoGreatMan. My buddy Russel plays drums in that band. They’re pretty good, with one exception, their front man. Sorry to say this Russel, if you’re reading this, but the guy SUCKS! He can’t hold a note to save his life. Oh yeah, there was this one band with this chick percussionist that looked like she was trancing out when she played. That was pretty cool.
Rating: 5/5 ~ I would give that rating for Indorphine alone. Those guys are AMAZING!
The Sound?
The sound was really good. Indorphine is one of the few bands that sound live like they do on their CD.
Rating: 5/5
The Show?
Un-phucking believable! The guys did really good given the impromptu nature of the show. I also got to see an extra little bit when Psychostick got up on stage and played a song with Indorphine. The planets will never align like that to see those kinds of circumstances again, EVAR!
Overall?
Rating: 5/5
If you haven’t seen Psychostick or Indorphine in a show together, then my friend, you have truly missed out.
SHOW #4, Manhattan KS, PJ’s, November 13th 2006
Small venue + Psychostick = crowded closet
The Drive?
2 ½ hours even with as fast as I drive. It’s one of those drives that, just as you turn the corner and think you’re getting closer, you find out you still have something like 30 miles to go. DAMNIT!
Rating: 2/5
The Venue?
Small, even by bar standards. Throw in a stage, a sound system, some tables and chairs, and you have about 2 match boxes worth of space to mosh (i.e. burnt skin is bad… I’ll explain later)
Rating: 2/5 ~ the owner is real nice though
The Scrubs (other bands)?
Ahh yes, lets see, on this particular night there was an open mic night going on. I felt bad for the guys playing. Everybody else was being so rowdy in there, you couldn’t hear him play, and that’s with me sitting 6 inches from the stage. Oh yeah, and the last song, I don’t quite remember all of it, but I do remember the last lyrics being something about covering Poison songs in Gay bars… hilarious.
Rating: 3/5 ~ I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. They were from the local Air Force Base.
The Sound?
It was alright, nothing to complain about. Although this was their first gig since Vince left, it sounded less full on the left side. But they fixed that the next week.
Rating: 3/5
The Show?
It took a while, but people really warmed up to Psychostick. It was the first time I heard Largiloquent Dithyramb live, that was bad ass.
Rating: 4/5
Overall?
Rating: 3/5
Nothing to write home about. The show could have been better if the venue was bigger and more people were there. The place was packed, but that was maybe 50 people tops!
SHOW #5, Maplewood, MN, The Myth, December 13th 2006
Yes, I was there to witness Psychostick history!
The Drive?
7 hours total. I swear to GOD there is something called the Iowa Triangle! There is a stretch of I-35 north of Des Moines that you could literally fall asleep on and wake up 3 hours later and not have crashed, assuming you managed to stabilize the steering wheel. We were making good time, it only took us 3 hours to get to Des Moines, and then we hit the Iowa Triangle. Time literally stood still! I swear we were enveloped by a milky white substance, the electronics on my car stopped working, and my compass was going haywire!
Rating: 0/5 ~ I HATE IOWA
The Venue?
A really cool venue, although, they could have used more floor space. It’s basically a giant dance club (looks like a theater from the outside) that shares time with touring bands.
Rating: 5/5
The Scrubs (other bands)?
Army of Anyone was kick ass. They played some of their own songs, some Filter songs, and some STP songs (you know I’m all about that!) I really wanted to go backstage and meet the DeLeo brothers, but security was tighter than your mom! Haha, anyways, the other band, oh yeah, 3DG. I refuse to spell out their name. They SUCKED!
Rating: 3/5 ~ would have been higher if 3DG would have came down with syphilis or something that night
The Sound?
For once I thought that the venue was too big for they guys equipment. It was noticeably quieter.
Rating: 2/5
The Show?
AMAZING! 4700 people were shoulder to shoulder on the floor trying to mosh. One thing I didn’t understand was the teenage girls that were down there. What the hell were they thinking. They were complaining about getting pushed and stomped on and getting their hair pulled. GET THE PHUCK OUT OF THE PIT THEN! Oh, and I did almost lose my glasses for good. They got knocked off my face and I was feeling around for about 5 minutes trying to find them in the forest of legs. I did manage to feel around enough and find them. Lady luck was on my side that time.
Rating: 5/5 ~ incredible energy emanating from Psychostick
Overall?
Rating: 4.5/5
Like I said, it’s all 3DG’s fault. Their gayness cut Psychostick to a 30 minute set.
SHOW #6, Manhattan KS, PJ’s, March 28th 2007
The start of my 3-day stint as a roadie.
The Drive?
I could tell you to see above, but this drive wasn’t quite so bad. I rode in the van and conversed with Rawrb about videogames damn near the entire way there. Oh yeah, and we saw a car spin around completely on I-70 at 70 MPH, that was awesome!
Rating: 3/5 ~ but only because it wasn’t as boring this time
The Venue?
See above. I kept looking for the prize lying on the ground. I would swear I was in a crackerjack box.
Rating: 2/5
The Scrubs (other bands)?
Some emo band that I can’t remember the name of, although they were pretty good musicians, and Terror Tractor! These guys were pretty good; they have the best t’s. Check ‘em out.
Rating: 4/5
The Sound?
See above. SOSDD syndrome anyone?
Rating: 3/5
The Show?
Another good one brought to you buy the boys in Psychostick. Although, I still have a scar where some dumbass burnt me with his cigarette. Who the hell smokes while they’re moshing!
Rating: 4/5 ~ a little lower energy, tired maybe?
Overall?
Rating: 3/5
Again, nothing to write home about, but I wouldn’t say I was disappointed. Hell, I’m just glad I didn’t have to drive.
SHOW #7, Kansas City MO, The Hurricane, March 29th 2007
Finally, FINALLY! A show in KC! It felt like it took forever and a bag of chips to get this to happen.
The Drive?
Duh, this is the closest one ever. Only about 30 minutes, and it would have been faster if it weren’t for traffic.
Rating: 5/5 ~ again, the closer the better
The Venue?
The Hurricane has a really nice setup, and a nice, wide stage. I think the guys compared it to the Mason Jar in Phoenix. That’s a venue they use to play back in the day. They said it made them feel right at home. Glad to hear. However, the next time they come through, I hope it’s at a much larger venue, say, Freaker’s Ball in October? Or even better Rockfest!
Rating: 4/5
The Scrubs (other bands)?
There were suppose to be a couple of bands from St. Louis, but for some reason, they dropped a week before. They replaced their spot with a local band called H-Gage. They were good. However, the band that I liked was Stranger Than Fiction. They are a really kick ass local band. Plus, my buddy Russel, the same guy that plays drums for NoGreatMan, plays second guitar for these guys. Check ‘em out biatches!
Rating: 4.5/5
The Sound?
The sound was alright. Was loud, but I was standing right in front of the speakers. There was a song that Stranger Than Fiction played that somebody was out of tune on. I’m not sure they ever figured out and I kinda thought it was the sound guy.
Rating: 3/5
The Show?
If the guys were a little low on energy the previous night, they recouped this night. They completely blew the place apart. I just wish there were more people there (maybe 70). It was raining and a weeknight, so that kind of thing never helps. I was expecting a lot more people because I actually got poster out around town about 2 weeks before. That and I told at least 30 people to go; only about 3 showed up. Not to mention the fact that The Hurricane is in Westport, which is one big party district in downtown KC. People typically hop from bar-to-bar down there. Oh well, like I said, I hope they get onto a larger show next time. It also didn’t help that the show was 21 and over. I heard about 40 or 50 people that would have gone if it were an all ages show.
Rating: 4/5 ~ short set
Overall?
I’m so happy this show finally happened. I’m still kinda pissed that more people didn’t show.
Rating: 4/5
SHOW #8, St. Louis, The Creepy Crawl, March 30th 2007
This was just a weird show, but the people were into it.
The Drive?
This was another one of those long ass drives that seems to go on forever. It’s only about 3 hours, but we got stuck in traffic and got there about 45 minutes late. That and it’s a rather boring drive.
Rating: 2/5 ~ St. Louis is fun, but you have to go and stay, not drive there and drive back
The Venue?
Just a weird place. It was an all ages show, but all they had to keep young people away from the bar was a rope, and they enforced it. It felt like a dungeon in there. When we unloaded in the back, we went through an old fry kitchen. The fryers were crap and rusted, but they still had oil in them. I’m sure its not the worst place the guys have played, but it was one if not the worst I’ve seen.
Rating: 1/5
The Scrubs (other bands)?
By far, the worst bands I’ve ever seen. When we first got there, there was this guy on stage playing the keyboard and using his Mac laptop as his background music. It was like an electronica version of Brand New Shoes. I went down to the stage to see him, and I abruptly turned around and walked away. I had to, I was starting to laugh. He was pounding on the keyboard and saying, not singing, “excessive force, excessive force, excessive force”. There were several other bands there that night, but they were all pretty crappy.
Rating: 1/5 ~ bad, just bad
The Sound?
The sound was surprisingly good. I think it was the acoustics of the place.
Rating: 4/5
The Show?
They tore this one up. The audience really got into it. There were only about 70 people there, but at least 50 of them were moshing up on the stage. After the show, a couple of really cool fans took the guys to Del Taco (Schmalex cream dream supreme)
Rating: 4/5
Overall?
Rating: 3/5
Okay, I’ll be fair, this show wasn’t a complete disaster. It turned out better than I thought.
So, there you have it, the run down of all the Psychostick shows that I have attended thus far. If you haven’t gone yet, then I ask you, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR! Pretty soon, you’re going to have to pay good money to see these guys live, so go now while they are still accessible at a local small venue. Oh, and about the drive, look, I’ll let my boy Shafty handle berating you for that. SO GO!
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