The Kitchen Sink Stayed Home

It didn’t rain. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that for the past year, it has seemed the skies have been holding back until we have a show. Okay, I’m not narcissistic enough to believe in some sort of divine conspiracy, but when it isn’t raining, I take note. It was cold as all holy hell, but you take what you get. And, I suppose you northerners wouldn’t call 50 degrees all that cold.

We made it to Winston-Salem with relative ease. To my surprise, Darby didn’t bring the kitchen sink. She and Kim accused me of shaming them into traveling lighter. I know they were just trying to economize last time. I have just been such a drifter, packing light is second nature. For years, I owned nothing more than what could fit in my car. Durham has settled me a bit. Though, I do wonder if I will ever stop getting the urge to try new places.

We were a bit nervous to play Elliot’s Revue because we had heard they have issues with noise. Knowing that we like it as loud as possible, we lightened the load a little bit more by taking smaller amps. It was really an exercise in self-restraint.

From the moment we walked in, Jack, the bartender, made us feel at home. He immediately gave me the lowdown on the night’s proceedings and handed me a beer. Less than ½ hour after arriving, Mike, the soundman, showed up with a huge smile. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever met such a nice soundperson. He was very conscious of what we needed and really stayed on top of things. Even as we were sound checking, the crowd was talking to us and the majority of those folks stuck around.

It was a new experience in a way that we were the only band playing that night. We had 2 hours to use as we wished. It was also very strange to me because I couldn’t really read the crowd. They seemed like they were hanging out in their living room. At one point, I began to wonder if they were even listening. I really try hard to be involved with the audience, but they seemed happy doing what they were doing and nodding their heads. But, as soon as we finished each set, they really friendly and we unloaded quite a bit of merch. . It’s not often that we play a place and hang out to drink afterwards. Given that we were away from home, it was even more shocking.

Elliot’s Revue, in someway, made us feel as though we were in our living rooms too.

Yo Ho Ho & a Carafe of Coffee

You know how sometimes what seems like the last straw turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to you? In retrospect, that pretty much sums up our recent trip to Wilmington. Colonel Kim decided she wanted to go along on our road trip and we were happy to have her along on the adventure. That’s the beauty of being a three piece. There’s always room for company! Kim insisted on getting a loaner van, but the van showed up with out seats. So we didn’t have the van. Then we did have the van again. Then we had to convince Darby to get into said van.

Wilmington is only about 2 ½ hours from here, but Darby and Kim packed like we were never coming back. I’m serious. Two small coolers with snacks and drinks, a carafe of coffee with accompanying travel cups, many duffle bags of mystery, a toolbox and an industrial electric cord. I silently giggled to myself! However, tropical depression whomever was blowing through that night and the coffee really came in handy when the rain started to pound us. Then once again on the tense return trip.

We were really psyched to play in Wilmington, but it turned bad. Two of the acts on the floor we were playing cancelled which left us playing last. I insisted the “host” band played last, but he wanted to stick to the line-up. Not wanting to be a bad “guest” I went along. We noticed halfway through the set of the band before us, the soundman disappeared. To my horror, when we played not only did our “host” band disappear, but so did half the crowd. We never saw the soundman again that night. Once again, Colonel Kim to the rescue! Despite her efforts, we were playing in a basement and I couldn’t hear anything. On the fly, I reorganized our songs only playing my guitar when Darby had the leads. I was so furious, I pulled, what Gavin calls, an Elvis and just stood there singing with contempt in my eyes and popped off at the mouth once in a while. I never start a set without finishing it, but at that moment, I had had it and was ready to walk off. Still, I finished the set.

The drive back was no picnic. It was cold and rainy. Even worse, as I have said, I felt like I had been pushed over the edge. I lost my temper like I haven’t lost my temper in years. Poor Gavin, Darby, and Kim had to endure 3 hours of me ranting and raving about all things musical. I just could not shut up. It all kept flowing out. I spouted my views on everything from my musical childhood to the current local scene. When we arrived at Darby’s house, I insisted that I didn’t want to do this anymore and left all of our equipment there. I went as far to hand her the picks out of my pocket and say, “I QUIT!”

I spent the next few days in hiding. I was truly embarrassed and thought my friends would never look at me the same way again. I also knew that it was something deeper that caused me to react the way I did to one bad show. I’m used to those by now ;)
So, I did a lot of thinking about the possible cause of my frustration. And luckily, I have the kind of friends who just see me as passionate.

Over the course of our time together, I think we’ve played a fair amount of shows. In a year, I lost count at 38 pressless shows. I got sick back in August, and stayed sick for about 6 weeks. I would think I was getting better and it would come right back. I blame this on continuing to play while sick and germy bar mics. Just thinking about whose lips and other punk rock body parts may have touched them makes me cringe! I realized that maybe, just maybe I’ve been pushing myself a little too hard. We haven’t even had time to record a proper album. I’ve been building a database of venues for when we can go further out than NC, booking, playing, juggling drummers, doing all the admin. & graphic Goodness, hosting bands, and let’s not forget working and living a real life. A friend recently told me that it was okay to feel tired. I looked at her like she was insane. But, it’s true. Again in retrospect, I think the cold was my body’s way of telling me something. So for now, and with much restraint, I’m taking it a little lighter on the booking until we finish this recording and grow our set a little bit. I feel that it is a necessity before we go any further. I guess I just feel that working hard is a measure of my drive for all this.

In the meantime, I’m writing lots of new songs and reviving some oldies. Our website is still being tinkered, but it’s live. And, I’m working on a couple of projects with Subdivision 67, which will hit a ledge near you before the end of the year. Wilmington was a great experience. I’m too tough and I mean it too much to quit. Thanks for the reminder.

Cherry has been Saved!

I'm in a rightfully foul mood. My life and my past have geared me to be one tough cookie. I always get up and dust myself off letting the anger turn to energy. But, the thing is, I'm not really that tough. Yup, I said it. I'm actually quite the thinker and feeler and I try to put all of my emotions into my projects rather than lash out at the world. Despite having the magic social talker button I can push on demand to cover the thoughts behind my eyes in smiles and complements, I tend to be a hermit and spend more time with my guitar than any one thing on the earth. I have a couple of mottos about playing which I stand by, "If you aren't giving everything, you are giving nothing." And, "If you aren't sweating, you aren't working. Get out of the way!" I am frustrated beyond belief with music right now. Not my band for once, we are actually getting tighter and more ambitious. But just the whole political landscape around here and how it spread as far as Wilmington last night. I've never been treated with such disrespect. It's actually made me cry and crying pisses me off. I could go on forever with this and the reasons I'm feeling this way. I could name names and start some wars, but to quote Gossip, "I don't want to be a part of any social scene who only puts me down and judges me. I don't ever want to be that girl, the saddest thing in the whole wide world."

So, let's change the subject and talk about something good. Perhaps it will remind me why my love (aka...music) has to hurt sometimes. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of playing with Joe Buck and The Karloffs @ The Cave in Chapel HIll. Please check out The Karloffs. I cannot say enough about them musically or as people. They are special....and not in the short bus kinda way;) Sir Joe Buck was a true joy to have kicking around The Cave. His performance was, as usual, brilliant. He has a true gift for engaging the audience and for making them feel valued. Even sitting in the back room of The Cave, he seems to have an aura around him that just sparkles. I was amused to watch people gravitate towards it like a moth to a lightbulb. It was also cool to meet the BCA brainchild, Christian, who put the show together. And the ever so sweet merchandise guru, Kathy. (That's not only how I see her, she's so much more!) It was clear the three of them have a true passion for what they do and it was refreshing to be around such genuine souls. I have an admiration for their fierce independence. Even choosing to sleep in a Wal-Mart parking lot than on a quiet street.

I was most disappointed in my performance. My poor guitar has been even more of a bitch lately than ever before. I brought her back from England and almost got arrested at Customs over it. I have had that damn thing rebuilt and cosmetically touched up 3 times now. Still, she reminds me that she owns me every once in a while. I was soooo embarrassed that it had to be at a show that was so important to my waivering confidence to play. Funny how things work sometimes though. There happened to be a guitar repairman who came out to see Joe Buck who approached me later with a few ideas. I met with him later that week only to find out that, despite what the last repairman told me, my ancient floating bridge and tuning gears hadn't been replaced at all. They were still original to the guitar and the source of my problems. I was ready to burn it that night or at least start playing a different guitar I would never love as much, but due to fate, she was saved. Fascinating, this universe. Yeah, that hurt and I died a little inside that night, but it worked out for the better in the end. I even learned something.

So, thanks Joe Buck and Bucket City Agency. Positive experiences are always appreciated.

T.

FINALLY!!!

As I write this blog, a very cheesy 80's song is running through my head...."The search is over. You were with me all the while." We are nearing our 1 year anniversary as a band (I'll write about that soon) and what a year it has been! I am fully convinced that if we made it through this year, we can make it through just about anything.

Only a few months after starting to play live, we were left high and dry by the drummer we loved most. For the past several months, my booking and playing life has been nothing but over complicated and stressful by having to juggle fill-in drummers and an endless search to find a motivated, permanent individual. Still, we carried on...somehow. We were most blessed to have Jessica from Pink Flag and Gabe from The Pneurotics always having our back. We will always regard them with the highest of respect! They are both incredibly talented.

But, Gavin was our original drummer. He was the first one to hit a stage with us and the most consistant at being there when no one else could make it. Always helping us load and getting our drunk asses home safely. Even though he is my husband, I was truly hesitant about having him in my band. Being a Billy Childish produced artist, he has quite the musical past himself and my pride got in the way. First off, he's really a guitar player and his drumming is very primal. Secondly, I never wanted anyone to make the mistake that he writes any of my songs. I was in bands and writing volumes of songs way before I met him. I was so adamant about this, at one point, I recorded myself one-woman band style to see if I could pull it off. I was ready to go that route. But, as a result of listening to these recordings, I realized that primal sounding is exactly what I've been looking for from a drummer. Think Hasil Adkins, Joe Buck, Natty Brooker from Spacemen 3 or Gossip.

At that point, the funniest thing happened. We were asked to play the Swannanoa show and no one else could help me that day. As always, Gavin stepped in and we had a great experience. I began reflecting on all those husband/wife bands I know...Red Collar, Beloved Binge, Juanita and The Rabbit, Sequoya, and Sawteeth McTweedy. And, I began to see things differently. When we were married, Gavin knew that I would be dedicating the rest of my life to this rollercoaster ride. At times, he says my work ethic is astounding and more driven than anyone he's ever met. So, in thinking about these bands, I became inspired by the mobility they have as a couple and how I never, once, ever looked down on those women for being in bands with their spouse. Pride goeth before a fall.

When I spoke with Darby about it, I had much hesitation in my heart, but if I remember correctly, her words were, "What are ya? Stupid? Of course!"

So, help me in welcoming Gavin (a.k.a Agent Ugly ) to The Virgo 9 tribe. We are very proud to have him.

-Teresa

Time for an Evolution

It may seem that I have been a little quieter than usual, but I assure you, it's the calm before the real storm begins. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes in our camp. For a few months, I have been feeling an internal need to grow into more of our potential. Upon starting this project, neither Darby nor myself expected the support, reception or constant gigging we were about to face. We are most grateful, but I feel it's time to evolve a little bit further than our initial expectations of ourselves.

The next couple of months will see us going a little lighter on the shows than we have have over the past year. We are not wussing out. In fact, little could be further from the truth. We are getting ready to begin recording our first full length album and would prefer to shift our focus a bit while doing so. In addition to that and in our usual DIY style, we will be, with S67's help, screenprinting our own shirts and working on a proper press kit. We are also going to be adding many of my new and older songs to our set. And I will be working hard to get one version of us or the other out to neighboring states this winter.

On top of all of this, we have joined forces with new partners in crime, Subdivision 67. We are thrilled to be part of such a positive and talented group of DIYers. Motivation like these folks is rare, and it's an honor. Please hit the link on the side to learn more.

On a more personal note, we have added a new member to our V9 family. His name is Coal Train. For a few months, I have been carefully considering (especially with the thought of touring alone) adopting a puppy. I went back and forth and came to the conclusion that if it were meant to be, it would happen. Animals have always had a way of finding me. During the consideration process, it seemed that every dog in Durham knew what I was thinking. Everywhere I went, I made a new friend. I really didn't expect it all to happen so quickly, but upon going to a party last Friday night and being told Coal was shelterbound, I knew what I had to do. By Sunday, he was laying on the couch with me watching movies. He is an awesome dog. He only barks at the door, loves my cats, and even knows a few commands. Let the evolution begin.

Little Things Matter

Overall, in the almost one year Darby and I have been hitting the ground with our music, we cannot complain. We've had so-so nights, bad nights, and nights we wish we would have just stayed home. But, that's the nature of the beast and those are really not the things that stick with me. I am always driven by the quirky things and the kind things I get to experience. I love the stories I hear and after the week I've had, I have been thinking about those people who quietly make it all happen.

On Sunday, I was horrified to open my guitar case to realize my input had fallen inside my guitar and the washer was completely gone. So, I packed her back up and headed over to Guitar Center to see if they could help me out. I needed it back by Wednesday and I was in quite a panic. Luckily, both Eric and Allen (The Antagonizers, Blood Red River) were working. Within minutes, I had my guitar all doctored up and a new drum key in my pocket. I used to have a phobia of music stores because of the geekier than thou rip off artists I have experienced. Through a new acoustic, a constant need for picks, straps, cords and strings, and sometimes just needing a laugh, Allen and Eric have always greeted me with respect and the funniest banter you could ever imagine! They've never tried to sell me on something I don't need and they have always encouraged me. Thanks, gentlemen!

Tuesday saw me meeting up with Darby and Kim to have some dinner before heading to see Shana Scudder and Sequoya play. From the day Kim and I met, she has always looked out for me and kicked my ass onto the stage. She threw the most wonderful Rockin' in The Park bash, listens to my endless supply of musical annoyances, and then she gives the best advice. On top of that, she takes the best photos of us and keeps me snacking more healthily on homegrown cucumbers. All this while doing Subdivision 67!






Last night, we played with Twilighter @ Fuse. I'm not saying that other venues we've played have not been good to us, we've been very lucky. But, Fuse went above and beyond. We were shocked to hear that we got free drinks and a free meal! And we're not talking PBR and some greasy fries. We dined on Kobe burgers, tofu taquitos, and panco crusted talapia. The crowd and Twilighter were amazing to us. I came home with a lot less merch. and money in my pocket. There was the incident involving a thrown drink barely missing me which made our new catchphrase, "She was about 2 seconds from getting her ass beat." pop out of my mouth, but it was such a good experience everyone laughed it off. I think the most impressive thing was the bartender, Mark. When I tried to cheap out and order PBR, he insisted I upgrade. I realized that I didn't have any personal cash to tip him, so I bought a pack of cigarettes. When I went to sign my credit card slip, he told me not to leave a tip. I did anyway and then watched him take the money and drop it in the band's tip jar. It really warmed the heart.

On the way out of Chapel Hill, I realized I had done the unthinkable. I left my guitar behind! I've always secretly been so horrified of that moment I thought it would never happen. Luckily, we weren't futher away and we turned around. Upon getting back to Fuse, I found it untouched and where I left it.

I want to write more about some of those bands I've mentioned in this blog. They have all helped me a lot too. But, this week has already worn me out. I'll get to them in due time. In the meantime, I have a date with my couch!

Reuse Before Recycle & Facebook

Growing up with my Grandma Esther made it impossible for me to grow up and not be creative. I can remember being a child and watching her create quilts from old clothes. In her day, doing these things was a necessity. She raised 9 children on a WV coalmining budget. She used to involve me in all sorts of artistic activities and to this day, her strong will to survive, to garden and her creative reuse teachings have stuck with me. She always encouraged me to express myself and, if necessary, to fight for my life and stand by what I believe in.

I suppose, if I have one cause to endorse (other than my music,) it would be reusing things. We have enough stuff on earth! My house is full of spice containers turned into pen holders, coffee cans turned into planters, junkmail turned into stickers, old books turned into canvas and envelopes...etc. It's such an easy thing to do.

Upon moving to Durham, I was thrilled to find The Scrap Exchange! http://www.scrapexchange.org/ For a girl like me, it's the perfect retail therapy. They share the same philosophy and I find just about anything I need to spruce up my strange artwork there without breaking my bank or my committment to this one thing I believe in. So, upon seeing their open call for reuse artists, I jumped at the chance to submit some of my work. I have been very blessed here in Durham to have the chance to not only share my music, but also my artwork. The reception is tonight from 6-9PM. Come out and join in!

Now for something not so pleasant, Facebook. A friend (who still thinks I'm into astrology) called me to inform me that my birthdate is called The Day of The Enigma. She thought it was funny because she's known me for years and claims she still doesn't know anything about me. Other than saying what I think, I guess I am really private. So, last night, in an effort to get my music on more sites, I tried joining Facebook. Within the first 5 minutes, it felt so invasive and creepy, I deleted it. If you got an invite to be my "friend." Sorry. That is just NOT for me. Myspace is bad enough!

xo, Teresa

Cicada Omega

Music is a constant rollercoaster ride. After a couple of days of being on the upswing of it, today leaves me feeling a bit down. So, in an effort to perk myself up, I want to talk about something positive. Cicada Omega. We drove down to Swannanoa, NC to play an artist's collective with them. From the first moment I met them, it was hugs all around and as Dan said, it was like we had known each other for years. To say that it was fun and full of debauchery, is an understatement. In fact, I think I may still be recovering. Everyone at Ghost Town was a truly unique soul who made us feel right at home. I was welcomed with great conversation, food, and free drinks. I truly believe some of those cats will go on to do some interesting things with themselves. Cicada Omega played a blistering, freeformish set which had everyone up, moving, participating and letting their hair down.

I did my usual, TIME TO GO & disappeared into the night to head back home to get my house ready for guests and to try to get a little rest before heading to The Cave to play with them again. Thanks to the previous week's mini-festival featuring the same, same, same local acts, The Cave turned out to be very low-key, but they played another perfect set and my friends and the barstaff were most impressed with them. I brought them back here and we spent a couple of hours talking about life, music and they left me feeling most inspired.

Sometimes when you live in an active musical bubble, you forget that there is a big world out there. It's no secret that, for the most part, I am not too keen on the local political scenes. I feel as though we are ignored and when we aren't being ignored, I am constantly having to fight for everything from time slot to dates to any ounce of being taken seriously. If not for my real friends and close family keeping me together some of the BS (mostly what the local writers choose to write about and promote on their badly designed stuff-to-do sites) would have seen me crumbling like a cookie. And lately, I have been considering throwing in the towel and moving back into the woods to approach music differently. But, being around the Cicada Omega folks reminded me that I'm as valid as the next person with a guitar and there are other options out there for me. Even if I do have to get on a plane to be appreciated.

The four of them MEAN what they do from their hearts, there is no pretentious crap with them and it shows in their music. If they are coming to a town near you, I highly recommend them. You won't be sorry. They are the real deal!

Check out the Quick Like a Bunny link for local thoughts on them!

The Possibilities Are Endless!!!

For the past couple of weeks, Darby and I have been playing for fun with our friend Kim. It has been a most refreshing experience playing for the sake of it and trying new things. Last week, I discovered that I could actually throw down some bass licks and kick out a beat on the drums. I considered it beginner's luck. Last night, I decided to give it a go again. I've never really had much desire to play drums. In fact, I had always considered them quite intimidating. But, I have say, I impressed myself. Lord only knows how I was able to do it, but I took to it like a duck in water. Perhaps it was all those years behind the piano teaching my legs and arms to act separately. I was even able to sing while playing them. This made me most curious, so when I came home raving about how much I enjoyed it, my husband suggested I try playing my guitar, playing the kick drum and singing my songs. Except for those couple of oddly timed songs, it worked! I mean, it really, really worked. It worked so well, I'm gonna start doing some of our tunes that way. Look out world. I just found yet another way to take The Virgo 9 out there!