theXplodingboys, a forum for all interested in the portland cure tribute band's Journal

greetings all.

the know show was in fact not a no-show, and was great fun. it was dark and the sound system was minimal but everything worked out pretty well--it was like practice, really, except that we usually have the amps facing us...

it was great to meet some new folks as well as seeing our favorite familiar faces. forgeries and dj wednesday were excellent and everyone seemed to be well received. thanks again to forgeries for inviting us along.

here is the list of songs that we played:

push
inbetween days
fascination street
primary
other voices
charlotte sometimes
a short term effect
m
10:15 saturday night
killing an arab
boys don't cry
a night like this

thanks to all for coming out!

-daniel

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

9:09 am

this saturday, we're joining forgeries at the know for a cheap-o show in the alberta arts district. the know, like all bars, thankfully, is now non-smoking, which makes the place bearable--it is no longer a smoke-box.

due to the way the neighbourhood works, the show starts early and ends early; both bands have to quit by 23:00; we're planning on being on stage around 21:00.

show is 3$; venue is at 2026 ne alberta. dj wednesday will accompany us.

by the way, we're reworking the date on the wonder ballroom show. we will not be playing 1 may. we'll let you know, though, when it will be. we're just pushing it back a bit.

alright, hope to see you saturday.

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Monday, March 30th, 2009

10:09 pm - new show! 11th april 09 at the know with forgeries and dj wednesday

theXplodingboys are headed up north... to north portland, that is.

we are pleased to announce an 11th april 09 show at the know with forgeries and dj wednesday! tXb will be playing a stripped-down (ok, only one keyboard) show. the forgeries, with members of once in the sun, princess ugly and and faith and the muse, will open the evening by slathering you with dark and danceable indie rock and post-punk goodness, and dj wednesday will fill in the blanks. be sure to dress warmly.

$3 (cheap!) doors open at 8pm and theXplodingboys are on shortly after 9pm.

10:06 pm - thanks for coming out! (from 7 march 09)

wow, the 6th march tonic lounge show was so much fun! many props to unknown pleasures for having us as well as totally rocking joy division, and also to broken bodies for a great misfits set to kick off the evening. all three sets were well received and it looked like absolutely everyone enjoyed the whole night. the tonic's a great venue as well. many happy returns? we can hope.

here was our set from last night:

the figurehead
a hundred years
pictures of you
charlotte sometimes
primary
other voices
a night like this
a short term effect
from the edge of the deep green sea
a forest

we kept primarily to the older stuff, seeing as how the other two bands being covered were both gone by 1983! many thanks to the new folks for being patient with the older, not-that-kind-of-post-punk cure that was decidedly different than what bb and up offered up. rest assured, we will be returning to the pop for our next show at the WONDER BALLROOM on may 1st! we hope to see a lot of you out for that show.

laughing in the mirror,
daniel

10:04 pm - radio show podcast now available! (from 11 feb 09)

negative_to_you	the appearance of theXplodingboys on the Musicology show on portland AM 970 is now posted! click on podcasts, then musicology. we are halfway through section 2. clicking the "subscribe" button will get you there faster. or perhaps this will work... thanks! -daniel
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9:18 pm - set list from lola's with adrian h and dj kenny

hi there.

I'm Daniel. You may know me as that other theXplodingboys person from Myspace, the one behind everyone at shows that you've never seen.

I've been posting blogs there for some time. I will be copying them here as well, starting from early February. Enjoy...

from 8 Feb:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

greetings.

our first show of 2009 went very well, we thought. the lola's stage was great, the crowd was engaged, adrian h and the wounds put on a mesmerizing performance complete with a short opening documentary about them, and dj kenny rocked 80's socks as he always does.

here were the two sets that tXb played:

1
push
pictures of you
inbetween days
primary
other voices
the walk
one more time
10:15 saturday night
scared as you (wish b-side)
from the edge of the deep green sea

2
fascination street
just like heaven
halo (wish b-side)
charlotte sometimes
piggy in the mirror
a short term effect
a hundred years
a night like this
a forest

thanks to all for coming out. if you missed us this time we'll be playing portland's tonic lounge on 6 March with unknown pleasures (joy division tribute) and broken bodies (misfits tribute)!

sixteen white legs and a row of teeth,
daniel

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

1:58 pm - upcoming shows: 7feb, 6mar

greetings theXplodingfans,

this is a reminder about our upcoming shows.

when: 7 feb 09, saturday, 8pm (we start at 9pm)
who with: dj kenny and adrian h and the wounds. this is a cd release party for adrian h's new self-titled disc

where: lola's room, at the crystal ballroom.
how much: 10$
why: because we haven't played since august and it's about time!

also, we've just confirmed a show with portland's new joy division tribute unknown pleasures.

when: 6 mar 09, friday, 9pm (we will be on second)
who with: broken bodies (misfits tribute) and unknown pleasures (joy division tribute)
where: the tonic lounge, 3100 ne sandy blvd
how much: 6$
why: because punk and post-punk is good stuff.

7 feb details:
theXplodingboys will open and close for adrian h and the wounds' cd release. accompanied by dj kenny (probably the most underrated and best 80s dj in portland), this will be an evening to remember.

tXb are unveiling some new favourite b-sides at this show and it will be the first show to kick off 2009 for us. we're eXcited to be playing some new songs from the top, pornography and kiss me..., and even some non-album tracks will be played!

show is 21+, $10, tXb hits the stage at 9 and midnight. adrian will go on at approximately 10.45
the crystal ballroom (which hosts lola's room) is located at sw 14th and w burnside

6 mar details:
we're eXcited to announce that we will be playing with the brand new joy division tribute called unknown pleasures. rounding out the lineup will be broken bodies, a misfits tribute. so there you have it... all shades of the greys of punk in one room!

the show will be friday 6 mar and will be 6 bucks. tXb hits the stage second. unlike most of our shows of late, we won't be going on really early. and we'll be playing a shorter, but eXplosive, set.

so come out with your eyeliner, tight pants, spikes, leather jackets, fishnets... you know the story. we'll party like it's 1982.

http://thexplodingboys.com/shows.html

thedrowningman

vocals | keys | management | lipstick

theXplodingboys, a tribute to the cure

myspace | youtube | livejournal
"the sun rises slowly on another day
the eastern sky grows cold
winter in water colours
shades of grey..."

2:14 pm - neXt show announcement: 7 feb 09

greetings fans and friends,

this is a quick announcement about our neXt confirmed show.

when: 7 feb 09, saturday, 8pm (we start at 9pm)
who with: dj kenny and adrian h and the wounds. this is a cd release party for adrian h's new self-titled disc
where: lola's room, at the crystal ballroom.
how much: 10$
why: because we haven't played since august and it's about time!

details:
theXplodingboys will open and close for adrian h and the wounds' cd release. accompanied by dj kenny (probably the most underrated and best 80s dj in portland), this will be an evening to remember.

tXb are unveiling some new favourite b-sides at this show and it will be the first show to kick off 2009 for us. we're eXcited to be playing some new songs from the top, pornography and kiss me..., and even some non-album tracks will be played!

show is 21+, $10, tXb hits the stage at 9 and midnight. adrian will go on at approximately 10.45
the crystal ballroom (which hosts lola's room) is located at sw 14th and w burnside

other updates:
we're working on a show with a new joy division tribute band. we'll keep you updated.

alright, that's it for now, we'll get out of your hair so we can put ours on.

http://thexplodingboys.com/shows.html

-thedrowningman
"say hello on a day like today
say it every time you move..."

and here's a special ps for lj users:

i wonder if we could tour with them...

current mood:

eXpectant and punctual

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

9:55 am - happy cure day

thedr9wningman	happy 10/15 everyone! i dub today cure day! And the tap drips: drip drip drip drip drip drip drip...
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Thursday, September 25th, 2008

1:33 pm - a day in the life of a cure tribute band

edgar and i got tattoos. they are the boys don't cry icon. his is on his arm, mine's on the leg (which is huge). my pics are here.

back to the band. last night, we learned three new songs. i'm impressed with the ability for all the members to pick up on songs that quickly. we also are rejiggering our set list to include more variety. we'll be taking out some old standbys and putting in some new ones. we worked on the walk last night and i'm always impressed with how great daniel is on the drums. raven is crack on both keys and guitar--that fleXibility is kind of awe-inspiring.

normally, we don't have practice on a wednesday night, but we were planning on putting on a last-minute show at a venue on the 3rd. alas, it seems that isn't happening. there seems to be some confusion, so no show quite yet. we'll be looking into november/december for our neXt show.

putting a new set together is an interesting process for us. there's the balance of pop/slow, there's the balance of songs that people like and dislike, etc. but we always seem to pull it off. lately, we've come up with an idea to really challenge ourselves by having each member pick a song that they want to do with no vetos. more of the top will get represented in our next ~20-song set. in the spring, i hope to get a percussion-heavy set going with hanging garden, give me it, and even six different ways. we'll have to see how it goes, though. for the record, my pick was halo, a song i've been wanting to do for years.

i'm eXcited about this!

oh, and by the way, we may be looking for more members soon, so drop me a line if you're interested. i'm not sure about it, but we all have a feeling that we're going to lose someone soon.

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Friday, August 15th, 2008

8:31 am - theXplodingboys open for caves, dat'r, boy eats drum machine

thedr9wningman	cure vs. talking heads @ Wonder Ballroom 08/16/08 8:00pm-1:00am 21+ 8$ cover theXplodingboys open for caves, dat'r, boy eats drum machine theXplodingboys will open for a cure vs. talking heads tribute night at the wonder ballroom. caves, dat'r and boy easts drum machine will play some cure and some talking heads tunes. if you haven't seen some of these other bands, now is the time.
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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

10:21 pm - fez 19 july 2008 w/ dj Kenny setlists

---9:45
1.    intro (original song)
2.    shake dog shake
3.    killing an arab
4.    a foolish arrangement
---10:15
5.    10:15 saturday night
6.    charlotte sometimes
7.    a strange day
8.    a night like this
9.    lovesong
---11:15
10.    play for today
11.    m
12.    just like heaven
13.    in between days
14.    the eXploding boy
15.    the figurehead
---12:15
16.    fascination street
17.    prayers for rain
18.    a forest/obstacle 1*
19.    100 years

* as a part of our mashup-with-a-forest series, this is track two from turn on the bright lights by interpol, a band favourite.

9:08 am - say it ain't so!

this band just gets better and better.

saturday night's show was a total blast. our four sets went over very well, and our dj kept people on the floor. i was quite impressed with his spinning eXpertise and we'll be doing that same format again at the fez pretty soon (another couple of months).

when i got to work on monday, i had a message in my inboX from a weezer tribute band. apparently they want to play a show with us.

this is the formal announcement that we've taken the challenge and it is on! 23 august at berbati's pan. we will open at 9:15 and will play for just over an hour. then, weezer! i'm a nerd when it comes down to it... i adore that band, so i'm eXcited to play with them. i've even asked to play drums on a song... hopefully they'll let me.

there's also a cure vs. talking heads tribute night that we'll be taking part in at the wonder.tiX are for sale here things are just awesome. that is 16 august! it looks like we'll be playing 4 songs.

i'll get the set list from our last show up here soon.

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Thursday, July 17th, 2008

11:15 am

thedr9wningman	theXplodingboys at the fez this weekend. we'll be playing 4 sets; the first will be at 9:15, and we'll be playing on the hour:15 after that. come see our summer show!
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Saturday, July 5th, 2008

12:09 pm - summer update

pull on your hair and pout, everyone, theXplodingboys are at it again. this time, we're playing a special format. we've got /dj kenny/ spinning 80s, synthpop, and all sorts of stuff to keep you moving in between our four sets.

the details:
venue: the fez
date: 19 july 2008 (thedrowningman's anti-birthday... or just shy of it)
time: early to late! sets at 9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15. special b-sides and mash-ups will be played at our first and last sets, so you'll want to be there for all of them!
price: 7$

---
in other news:
the pre-show free acoustic gigs were somewhat of a hit. the subversive zone show at mt. tabor on 26 july allowed us as twoXplodingboys to play some of our favourite deep tracks, pared down to a duo. we even played joy division's atmosphere as an encore. the 1 july show at ash street was very well attended, especially for a tuesday night. the tar plains appreciated our chauffer-three imaginary boys mashup (the chauffer is a duran duran song of which the tar plains derived their name). in true tributary form, the tar plains returned the favour with a bit of just like heaven lyrics thrown into one of their songs.

we also played a private party on 14 june. it was great with all six of us there, unplugged in a cabana in a gorgeous back yard. we learned from that experience that playing acoustically for friends, family, parties, etc. is a lot of fun. so, if someone wants a cure tribute band for their party/wedding/event, we may know of one that can help you out ;-). thedrowningman is also a ordained minister and licenced bartender... just sayin'. dj kenny does all sorts of dance/80s stuff, so if you're interested, we have a whole package! email our manager for details!

---
upcoming shows:
we're currently finishing our press kit with an audio cd in it. we're not sure if we can legally sell it (we are a cover band, after all), but if we can purchase the rights to do so, we will have them for sale for you guys at our shows. we currently don't have anything else in queue, other than a show on 24 may 2009 in portland. we're looking for a show for either late september/early october, or late november/early december. if you know of anything, let us know. we are interested in touring, especially other cities in oregon and washington. we will attempt to play on the street as we did in may again... we'll try to email you via this list to let you know when and where.

---
other news/tidbits:
daniel, our drummer, will be relocating to portland in august. he currently lives in corvallis and we are eXtatic to have him in town. this should free us up for shows more often than we've been doing.

we've been considering doing whole-album shows, but we're not sure if there would be an audience for it. we'd need to find the right venue and proper timing, but if this is something you're interested in, please let us know !

thedrowningman will be getting married in september to his longtime partner m. theXplodingboys will play the reception.

---
things are going quite well, and we look forward to your feedback, questions, party requests, etc.

if you want a t-shirt , email here. we have them in women's babydoll m-xl (they run small) and men's/regular t-shirts m-xl. the babydolls are 12$, the regulars are 10$.

ok, that's all for now. we'll see you 19 july!

-thedrowningman
website| myspace| youtube| livejournal

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

12:38 pm - a night like this...

thedr9wningman	in support of our upcoming summer show, threeXplodingboys will be playing this evening with the tar plains and lookbook at the ash street saloon. we will be opening the night, probably going on around 21:00. the show will be free and our set will include edgar on acoustic guitar and amoree on accordion.
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Saturday, April 19th, 2008

5:54 pm - spring update from theXplodingboys

spring has arrived, and with it a slew of new activity for the band.
first off, i'd like to announce our newest member, raven. she's our
newest rhythm guitarist. she officially joined the band in december,
but played with us on our october shows.

i have a few show announcements.

31 may 08 - we'll be playing at /9 muses/ on se belmont and 28th with
/azphodel/ (who played with us the last time) and /stalking jane/.
both are great acts with a great diversity in styles.

19 july 08 - we've just confirmed this date this week, where we will
be playing /the fez/ potentially with a brand new /smiths/ tribute
band. stay tuned to our website to see how that develops.

we are now working with a manager, kenny (kenny@theXplodingboys.com)
and this has resulted in a lot of new activity and delegation of
duties. i manage the livejournal community
(theXplodingboys.livejournal.com), so if you're a member of
livejournal, join that community. i also (mostly) manage our portland
shows. kenny will take over for many of those duties, though, so if
you want us to play a party, wedding, or whatever, please contact
kenny. our youtube community (youtube.com/theXplodingboys) is now
managed by ross, our guitarist of, what, 4 years? and our myspace
account (www.myspace.com/theXplodingboys) is managed by daniel, our
drummer.

lastly, we had a great time yesterday practicing in public. instead
of playing in my basement, theXplodingboys decided to humour me; we
set up an acoustic practice session across the street from /pioneer
square/ and we had a blast doing it. it was the most fun we've had at
a practice in years! so, look out this summer for us somewhere
downtown or on hawthorne/belmont on any sunny saturday. we'll be
taking it to the streets where we will be giving away stickers and
selling t-shirts.

thank you all for listening, and we hope to see you at one of our neXt
two shows soon!

wide-eyed,
thedr9wningman

Tuesday, February 5th, 2008

12:13 pm - a poll for members and others

Poll #1133598 set lists
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

why do you come to see theXplodingboys

View Answers

hot members
4 (36.4%)

the pop songs
4 (36.4%)

the not-so-pop, but happy, songs
5 (45.5%)

the unpop gloom-doom songs
7 (63.6%)

to dance
4 (36.4%)

you never know what's going to happen
5 (45.5%)

to see thedr9wningman get drunk
6 (54.5%)

if you had one song that you'd like to see, what would it be?

View Answers

how should we miX our setlists?

View Answers

40% well-known songs, 60% slow and album tracks
4 (36.4%)

60% pop songs, 40% gloom
3 (27.3%)

80% pop songs, 20% album/doom
1 (9.1%)

20% pop songs, 80% doom
1 (9.1%)

mostly dark and heavy with some pop
2 (18.2%)

all pop, i like to dance
0 (0.0%)

no pop, i like to dance artistically and brood a bit
0 (0.0%)

what's your favourite cure album?

View Answers

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11:53 am - lyrics

so, this neXt set is somewhat of a challenge for me. it seems that we've put a lot of our new material at the beginning, front loading the difficult songs. what has been surprising for me is how quickly i've been able to learn some of these lyrics. after just one practice session, i already have shake dog shake down. in fact, i sometimes dream about these lyrics, which help to get them in my head, and yesterday they interfered with my meditation, rolling around in the back of my head while i'm trying to concentrate on a candle.

some songs we've already been forced to cut; a 22-song set is simply too long, so i suspect we'll be cutting more. without disclosing the whole setlist, though, it is difficult to talk about. nevertheless, i'll disclose some of the new songs, some of which we haven't worked on, with the eXpress disclosure that they may not make the cut.

i think that a foolish arrangement is a great track, and when followed by charlotte somtimes it may prove to be too much for me. charlotte is an eXtremely difficult song, lyrically. nevertheless, i'm very very very eXcited about a hundred years because daniel>jason. he's got the little elements down, and nails the double-kick thing unlike any cure drummer has ever done. i'm super pleased about that!

eXcitement is building, and raven, our new guitarist, is rocking the killing an arab solos. the whole thing is coming together nicely. now, we'll just have to nail down a date before we die in anticipation.

'i tear your red hair by the roots
and hold you blazing
hold you cherished in the dead electric light'
(it doesn't even rhyme... throw me a bone here! (hah!))
-thedr9wningman

current mood:

pensive

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

9:51 am - thoughts from a cure fan