Dr Frank made it through the Cub Scouts but he got kicked out of the Webelos
By: Frank Portman
Tags: Rock, Texas, Songs, Music, News

SCENE REPORT

— My Texas redux: We had our shows with the Queers and the Capitalist Kids over the weekend, and, as always, Texas treated us right. Not only was everyone extra specially kind and welcoming, but the usual “testimonials” of people’s histories with the band and songs and such were just a bit more emotional and intense than the usual level. I don’t know what it is about Texas, but I noted it a couple years ago when we played Houston and San Antonio for the first time in a decade or decades:

I must have talked to over a hundred people over those two nights, all of whom had stories of their history seeing the band and accounts of what particular songs had meant to them growing up… It was like being in a receiving line of testimonials, one after the other, kind of, maybe, like how I’d imagine my funeral might be conducted, were I to be alive to hear it. Now, I’ve had a great many of these conversations, at pretty much every show, so it’s nothing new per se. But there was something different about this Texas version. It was more emotional, more intense. I’ve never had my lyrics quoted to me so often and with such… emphasis, I guess. A couple of people choked up while doing it. And, well, I’m a sentimental guy and I got a little misty too.

Well, you know, it’s nice to be appreciated. And the rooms were rocking and rolling pretty intensely as well. In Austin, especially, it seemed as though the entire room was shouting along to every song. They were dancing pretty hard even to the new song “Bubblegum Renegade,” and shouting too (though I don’t know what they were shouting — they couldn’t very well have known the lyrics to that one.)

— The Bloody Mary Boys: I’m not gonna say how this nickname for Bobby, Ted, and Jaz came about but it did come about and I’m using it whenever I remember to do so, trying to make it a thing. It’s just something I’d like to happen: I have my reasons. And in aid of that, I’ve made this little section to celebrate it. But I’d also like to take this opportunity to say how much I love my band. Had a great time playing with them, as always. They’re the best.

— Dr Frank made it through the Cub Scouts, but he got kicked out of the Webelos: it seems like every time I see the Queers lately, in whatever configuration, I somehow have managed to forget, in the interim between this time and the previous time, just how great they are and am bowled over all over again. Whatever that thing we do is (meaning the “pop punk” old guard) Joe is in a class all his own, somehow. He’s like a force of nature. I said as much in a brief spontaneous social media panegyric (“the Queers are so great”) that is probably the most “liked” and approved of thing I’ve ever posted anywhere. I’ve seen them maybe a hundred times, maybe more, and it’s always a good time.

So I thoroughly enjoyed their sets, and it was great seeing my old pal Joe as well. It’s been awhile, but I hope we do more shows together soon.

— Capitalist Kids: had a great time hanging out with them and watching their sets as well. That Jittery Jeff Gammill can really write a tune.

— “Checkers Speech”: you can read all about it at the links below (scroll down to Song for Odin) but playing this song with Matt and Tanner from 41 Gorgeous Blocks was one of those magic moments.

— Amplified Apathy: Finally, I want to mention Amplified Apathy, a. k. a. rain, whose guitar-playing videos on Instagram you may have seen linked in this space before. We first met a couple of years ago at that San Antonio show mentioned above— that’s her mom’s old Alcatraz shirt she’s wearing in the pic.

If you scroll through to the next pic in the Instagram post you’ll see she’s at least a head taller now than she was back then. Anyway, she’s a true rock and roller and it was good seeing her and her mom again. I dedicated “Bubblegum Renegade” to her (and you can see a bit of video of it in that IG post as well, if you like.)