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Sunday, December 6th, 2009
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2:24 pm - going through the years
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thedr9wningman
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we're nearing the beginning of our tenth year as a band (year X!). i'm attempting to put up a new website, and in doing so, i've reordered and reorganised all of our old material. flyers, shows, pictures... it has been a blur through the years (usually pictorially and usually on purpose [wink]). i've worked with some great people over the years and i continue to draw from past members as band members when someone leaves. some people have continued to be great friends and some have moved away or dropped out of my life completely. nevertheless, there has been a lot of joy in doing this project.
my new keyboardist is a great example. he's given us new energy and new blood. we found him almost accidentally, and every practice session he's excited and on top of every detail. i love this guy. his own project seems to be going very well, and it is simply a joy to work with him.
i'm hoping to share a little bit more of myself in the next coming years. i've been sort of reluctant to do so, but i'm now coming to the realisation that this is really my band and that i could share myself a little more, faults and all. for example, i may start using my own artwork in the website; despite the fact that i'm a terrible artist. it doesn't matter. it is me. and people will expect and accept that.
a lot of times i feel like, well... like robert does: that with every change in members that the band may be on its last legs... like this is the final combination of members. yet things always progress, and every time something changes, there is always a positive. i keep renewing the urls, i keep promoting things, i keep getting good feedback and keep getting new fans.
so, we'll see how this goes. as long as i live in this city, i assume the band will continue. i do have my eye on relocation in the future, but it won't be for a little while still. meanwhile, i'll continue to get fatter just like the real robert smith. and in the interim, i hope to entertain you as best as we can.
much love and thanks for ten great years...
thedrowningman
current mood:  thoughtful
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| Monday, November 23rd, 2009
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2:47 pm - congratulations to the cure
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thedr9wningman
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what a wonderful celebration of our iconic, wondrous, beautiful, dancing, itching, scratching, fevered, loved band. we love you so much and thank you for your efforts, inspiration, and all you bring to an entire generation or three of listeners.
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| Friday, November 13th, 2009
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10:53 am - new social media
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thedr9wningman
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dearest fans:
in the ten years that i've been doing this, it seemed that an email list was enough. but with web 2.0, there are thousands of ways to connect.
as a promoter, honestly, this makes my job more difficult. it is more difficult to get through the noise, and it is more difficult to get ahead. with facebook and twitter, livejournal has nearly gone the way of the dodo. and one of my greatest worries is a complete bombardment of our fans with a constant, annoying message of the handful of shows that we do every year.
that said, each medium has its own strengths and weaknesses. livejournal is a true blog, which allows a fan to get more information than I would say many of the other media allow, including some of the more intimate details that i may choose to share with you. myspace allows us to share our music. facebook gives us a critical mass of users that many of the other sites simply cannot do, although it is the most difficult, by far, to manage from a logistical standpoint.
our website, in my opinion, is woefully out of date. but i'm not a webnerd anymore and i'm becoming less and less able to manage it. i can do the basics, but the technologies i employ are definitely 1999 in calibre. attempts at improving that have been, well, botched. i could certainly use some help if a fan could put something together in a quick, easy, meaningful way. i have strict standards for what i want to see stylistically, but other details i would be happy to leave to a designer. i have a little bit of money for this cause and may be able to raise more upon our rebirth in early 2010.
with that said, i simply want to invite you to pick and choose whatever medium you like, full-well knowing that the message will be the same. longer posts like this will be cross-posted to livejournal, linked through facebook and twitter, etc. etc. a dizzying amount of pointers on my end will happen, but i'm happy to do it if it means that you come to our show and that i'm not bombarding you. i will do my best to coordinate and connect the messages and leave none of you out of the loop.
additionally, if any of you want to help out via just being a part of the band as a promoter (that means artist, poster-maker, website designer), i'm learning that the day-to-day of my life eclipses my abilities to be a singer, promoter, manager, booker, photoshop nerd, etc. by all means, feel free to contact me and i will do what i can to make it worth your while.
this has been a team/family effort. we've had tremendous support from band members, their wives, and just friends. that said, after a few years of sort of coasting on my earlier momentum, i'm taking a bit more of an active role in resurrecting this beast after the loss of 3/5 of our members this summer. i truly wish all of them the best and i will appreciate the years of service that they've given me and the band.
sometimes, i think we've peaked. that i should give it up. and then amazing talent comes to us, and the level continues to improve. we're currently a bit unstable, to be honest with you. i'm not sure how the new members will pan out or gel with one another. i feel that it is a bit radioactive. but radioactivity has its benefits. and the sheer, raw, powerful, blistering passion of each of the members for this music is being felt by daniel and i right now. we've never had an all-male crew before. i have to say, it is a bit strange to me, to be honest... but i'm liking it. not because it is all male and we're going to start watching football or anything, but just because these boys are really good at what they do and bring to the table.
i look forward to another year, and i take it step by step. this email came off much more morose than i had intended. i'm not feeling morose about anything at this point. i'm at a point, i suppose, where i'm recognising my own faults and i'm willing to ask for assistance. as it is said in sinking, 'i am slowing down, as the years go by'. that is true. but it is by no means a negative. i'm instead drawing to the band more capable and active members who will help me even more. i'm able to draw more power from within the older i get, and i hope that is reflected in our interpretation of the songs we all adore.
"slow my steps and start to blur
so many years have filled my heart
i never thought i'd say those words"
-primary
thedrowningman
vocals | management | lipstick
theXplodingboys, a tribute to the cure
myspace | youtube | livejournal | twitter | facebook
current music: robin guthrie: continental: amphora
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
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10:43 am - the curse at the roxy
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thedr9wningman
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hey fans, friends, and people who otherwise care,
i'm in los angeles on vacation. i attended convergence last weekend on the elegant queen mary with m. while i am down here, i hooked up with the local cure tribute called the curse and actually jammed with them last night. their guitarist is porl-caliber... i was amazed. their drummer had to work in the morning, and the practice went fairly late into the night, so i filled in on drums for them for the last hour and a half of practice.
i'll actually be joining them on stage for a couple of songs, so if you're a fan of us in la or happen to be here for some reason, come on down. the show is called thirty imaginary years and they're actually playing a lot of new material (which sounds good when you see the guitar work done live). it is at the roxy in hollywood on saturday night. they're playing two sets and it should be fun. you can buy tickets on line for a discount.
'scarred turned backward cold
curled like an embryo'
-thedrowningman
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| Sunday, April 12th, 2009
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12:16 pm - the know set list
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negative_to_you
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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
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| Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
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9:09 am
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thedr9wningman
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 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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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, March 30th, 2009
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10:09 pm - new show! 11th april 09 at the know with forgeries and dj wednesday
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negative_to_you
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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.
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(comment on this)
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10:06 pm - thanks for coming out! (from 7 march 09)
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negative_to_you
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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
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10:04 pm - radio show podcast now available! (from 11 feb 09)
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negative_to_you
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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
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negative_to_you
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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
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| Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009
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1:58 pm - upcoming shows: 7feb, 6mar
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thedr9wningman
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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+, $10, tXb hits the stage at 9 and midnight. adrian will go on at approximately 10.45
the crystal ballroom (which hosts lola's room) is located at sw 14th and w burnside
6 mar details:
we're eXcited to announce that we will be playing with the brand new joy division tribute called unknown pleasures. rounding out the lineup will be broken bodies, a misfits tribute. so there you have it... all shades of the greys of punk in one room!
the show will be friday 6 mar and will be 6 bucks. tXb hits the stage second. unlike most of our shows of late, we won't be going on really early. and we'll be playing a shorter, but eXplosive, set.
so come out with your eyeliner, tight pants, spikes, leather jackets, fishnets... you know the story. we'll party like it's 1982.
http://thexplodingboys.com/shows.html
thedrowningman
vocals | keys | management | lipstick
theXplodingboys, a tribute to the cure
myspace | youtube | livejournal
"the sun rises slowly on another day
the eastern sky grows cold
winter in water colours
shades of grey..."
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2:14 pm - neXt show announcement: 7 feb 09
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thedr9wningman
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greetings fans and friends,
this is a quick announcement about our neXt confirmed show.
when: 7 feb 09, saturday, 8pm (we start at 9pm)
who with: dj kenny and adrian h and the wounds. this is a cd release party for adrian h's new self-titled disc
where: lola's room, at the crystal ballroom.
how much: 10$
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
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| Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
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9:55 am - happy cure day
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| Thursday, September 25th, 2008
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1:33 pm - a day in the life of a cure tribute band
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thedr9wningman
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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
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8:31 am - theXplodingboys open for caves, dat'r, boy eats drum machine
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thedr9wningman
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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
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10:21 pm - fez 19 july 2008 w/ dj Kenny setlists
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thedr9wningman
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---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.
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9:08 am - say it ain't so!
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thedr9wningman
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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
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11:15 am
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thedr9wningman
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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
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12:09 pm - summer update
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thedr9wningman
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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$
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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
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| Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
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12:38 pm - a night like this...
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thedr9wningman
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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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