Consumed by the Hands

Woke up in SF this morning to find Sturino is out exploring again.  There is probably a chill metro-hipster cafe within a block of our hotel, and if so… he has found it.  Brainwash Cafe treated us well last night, and the show couldn’t have been more different than the night before in San Luis Obispo.  It was laid back, and we a 4-5 song span in the middle had one guy totally enraptured.  I think “Good to be Home” and “Addiction” were the ones that brought the paramedics for him.

Wendy Bailey has been just awesome on the road with us.  Such a talent and a treat to be around.  It’s her first trip to the Bay and we spent a few hours exploring, unwinding from the wild night in SLO.  For a show in an English Pub, you would have thought this was the only place to go within 80 miles!  Seriously, the line went down the block and stayed that way all night.  We played songs that have not seen the”light of day” for 2 years, and others that were just ridiculous Jane’s Addiction rip-off tunes.  All were consumed by the throng that pulsed and throbbed in front of us.  Only Alex was f0ol enough to leave the stage.

It was halfway into our 3rd of say 5 covers (non-original songs) that we played that night, Folsom Prison Blues.  Alex had the Epiphone Casino and was singing lead, while I held down the bass and Mark and Wendy were riffing along on guitar.  Nate played that ratta-tatta-ratta-tat “far into the night” as some would say.  I told alex before we started Folsom, “Solo for a long time man.  We need to fill some time here.” Mark said the same, unpromted by me.  Good God, where did the time go?!  Well, I’ll tell you…

From that start of that instantly recognizable song, the crowd was stirred up.  Hands in the air, hands in the hair, hands on her pair… bad dancing abounded, where there was room to move.  Then, we got to the solo.  Alex looked like he was mid-demonic possession, fingers fluttering.  I checked back at Mark to see who was making that killer bee-like sound.  It was Alex, and he knew he had free reign at that moment.  He lept from the stage into the crowd and a sea of hands collapsed on his skinny rocker frame.  I actually lost sight of him for a few seconds.  He was literally consumed by the mass of sex-crazed drunkenness on the dancefloor.  I saw a look of urgency on his face after 10 seconds or so out there and he was trying to get back to the safety of our perch, prying himself away from the adoring crowd.  We only found out the extent of what happened after the show was over.

“I was violated out there man.”  We were astounded, and fell over laughing (Wendy too).  “I mean, I had my junk grabbed like six times.  Not just girls, guys too!  I mean, skinny guy… big dick.  It’s supposed to be a nice surprise, but these people found out WAY too easy!”  That was it, we lost it.  Why should I bother writing any more? -Lee

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