Hey everybody-

Went to go hear Chuck Palahniuk speak last night at WOW hall + there was the later show featuring Mood Area 52, the Desert Fathers (or Dessert Feathers?) and YELTSIN.

I don't know why I thought it wouldn't be completely packed down at WOW hall for a free speaking engagement by a famous author. There were people packed all the way to the entrance of the hall when I showed up at 7:15. I couldn't hear a thing, so I headed downstairs to the bar to have a beer and listen throught the system down there. I chatted with Mike Roderick and Barb and then Chuck was doing his intro, so we all listened in.
After a short intro spiel about his recent TV appearance on Conan O'Brien, he read his short story, "Guts".

I will say this: I had heard the warnings about how this show should not be attended if you are at all squeamish. Having read Palahniuk's books, I thought, "pshaw - I can handle it. No problem." I am not a squeamish person.

I squeamed.

"Guts" turned out to be three masturbation stories gone terribly wrong. That's really all I can say. If you like squirming, you should read the short story. I think hearing it once was good enough for me.

Later, I came back with Tina and Betheny and Randy for the music part of the program. Chuck was still there signing books while Mood Area 52 were playing. He seemed like a nice guy, but I had no inclination to get in line to talk to him.

The Desert Fathers were a loud trio from NYC who sounded like a cross between the Melvins, early Soundgarden and Sonic Youth. Unfortunately, they had a really shitty attitude about playing in a near-empty hall and made the situation worse by insulting Eugene, insulting Chuck Palahniuk, and basically acting like TOTAL F#@KING PRIMADONNAS! Their music might have even sounded good under different circumstances, but they flat-out alienated everyone there. I just laughed. HEY DESERT FATHERS SINGER: (insert really mean, expletive-laden sentence slamming Desert Fathers here)

Yeltsin came on after that and somehow, the hall suddenly had 50 people in it. They played a great set to friends and others and Jake pulled out some amazing hammer-on action that sounded great. Jivan verbally jabbed the Dessert Feathers the whole time, but they were outside, talking on their cell phones by now, so they missed a potentially fun/antagonistic situation.

If you haven't already been there, Ed Cole Rocks is my ongoing chronicle of my old band, Garden Weasel. in my most recent installment, you can read about the most amazing chicken coop/practice pad that I think ever existed.