Halloween 10/28/11 - Pix from Poggie
Many thanks to Scott the booker and the fun crowd at the Poggie Tavern in West Seattle. Our first time playing this classic room. It reminds us of the old Lock and Keel, a long narrow room with a hard brick wall. The stage sound is actually quite good, you can hear the high vocals and guitar overtones coming back at you. The crowd seemed like they were pretty into it, big cheers from the back. Hope to do it again sometime.
petenice posted this as: fresh, show blog, still images
Summer Shows and New Songs 8/2/11 - Show Blog
GWAS band just wrapped up a nice little series of shows in which we debuted some new material. Abe’s new song “Too Ride” takes a saunter down a funky road. Pete’s new one “Oingo Boingo” attempts to mash up 80’s power pop with a New Orleans shuffle. “Big John” is an elephantine stomper written by Mr. Matt. Folks seem to be digging the new stuff.
| download mp3 | flash audio |
| Too Ride |
petenice posted this as: live recordings, show blog
Halloween Houseparty 10/31/09 - Show Blog
It’s been a while since we played a basement kegger. Last night brought the spirit back with costumes and decorations and intoxicated revelers. GWAS band played two sets under a net of plastic cobwebs. As usual at these kind of parties, we kept it together for the first few numbers, but as alcohol and other interesting substances took hold we got to ripping down the brown covers. Thanks to all the dancers and screamers… and thanks to the neighbors of Wallingford Ave N who were very tolerant of the late loud jams (and didn’t call the cops).
petenice posted this as: fresh, show blog
GreenwoodStock 08/04/09 - Live Recording
What a great time. Thanks much to Scott Walker for all his hard work putting this event together. Here’s a recording from the show, it’s a little crispy on the guitar, but worth a listen.
| download mp3 | flash audio |
| Breakfast of Love |
GWAS posted this as: live recordings, show blog
Greenwood Car Show 6/27/09 - Show Blog
This was our first outdoor summer show in awhile and the sun was pounding down. Fortunately there is lots of shade on Greenwood Ave and there was beer and more shade next door at the Wing Dome. We took the stage around 2PM and played to a big crowd and lots of cool cars (over 700 cars this year) with a mix of originals and big dumb crowd pleasers. We had a great time. Bands before us: Mama Tried & Perry Acker were great.
http://drop.io/gwas_carshow09_1
http://drop.io/gwas_carshow09_2
petenice posted this as: fresh, live recordings, show blog, still images, waste
Oddfellows Hall 6/20/09 - Show Blog
This is a real Oddfellows Hall that has been converted into a large bar/restaurant. Big high ceilings and lots of space. Great food, very relaxing vibe. We played two big sets to a small but enthusiastic crowd and then managed get back to Seattle w/o being arrested. This is what rocking Redmond is all about.
GWAS posted this as: show blog
Shanty Blast 5/30/09 - Show Blog
Fun show at the Shanty in Lake City last night. Big crowd with lots of energy and enthusiasm. The Shanty is one of those old Seattle watering holes that you may have driven by 1000 times. If you have never stopped in you should. They are booking a ton of interesting music these days. Friendly bartenders. 50 cent pool table. Yeah!! Click through to download or listen to the show!
continue reading...GWAS posted this as: live recordings, show blog
ToST 4/24/09 - Show Blog
Always good to get down on the Fremont Jam. This was our second show at ToST and the mood was groove. The scene on the back deck was hopping with hipsters and the statue of Lenin watched over all. We played a bunch of originals and then closed with a dead cover (Loose Lucy). Lazybones picked it right up and opened with a dead cover (Scarlet Begonias). Thanks to Lazybones for having us come down and open up.
GWAS posted this as: show blog
Epic Snelk 03/28/09 - Show Blog
Let’s summarize last weekend’s Snelk shows. Cowboys, prostitutes and bachelorettes doing the limbo underneath a sex doll. Minty fresh deep powder face shots. Fireside confabs with friends. Midnight snoring of the log saw variety. Winter is dead, long live the Snelk. Hear a live cut from Saturday night, first set.
GWAS posted this as: live recordings, show blog
Summertime 2008 Photos
Summer 2008 was good to GWAS BAND – we played a bunch of outdoor festivals and parties. Selected audio cuts are posted in the live recordings section.
GWAS posted this as: show blog, still images
Overcoming it 08/20/08 - Show Blog
Last Sunday’s Peace Concert was yet another lesson in overcoming negativity. The situation was classic. The All*Stars were scheduled for 4:45, so we told our peoples to be there around 4pm. We had a great turnout of friends, family and folks who hadn’t been out to a show in years. Well, 5pm came along and the band “Spinning Brodies” started to break down their gear. However, as the All*Stars were prepping, multiple long-hair dudes started pushing massive stacks toward the stage. What’s this? Another band? Turned out the drummer for “Brodies” was also in a project called “Overcome” and they were going to do a few songs. Um, okay… it wasn’t scheduled, but go ahead rockers.
Overcome kicked it off with a sludge-guitar intro, followed by the obligatory rhetorical cry, “are you ready to rock?” Things went downhill from there. Their set expanded into a buttrock-epic as they flogged cover after cover, introduced guest shredders, and basically turned a sunny Peace Concert into the Ballard Firehouse (RIP).
Backstage their “manager” started throwing elbows when we inquired about the length of their act. In the world of Overcome, only the strong survive. Anyone who’s been in a gigging band can probably relate. Sublime said it best when opined that sitting through a shitty band was worse than being hassled by the man… and the stink from the van was fully in effect yesterday afternoon.
Eventually, Overcome ran out of songs they knew and scuttled off. But not before a significant number of our fans had to split. But now comes the cool part… Before we launched our set we gathered up the remaining friends and family and paid witness as Alan and Betsy got married (Abe’s Brother and Sister-in-law). Don Glenn helped to perform the ceremony and signed the wedding documents. The ritual was beautiful and emotional and in some ways, even more potent after waiting out the mess. Afterwards, the All*Stars played a really hot set in the afterglow of love and oneness.
GWAS posted this as: show blog, waste
Peace Concert 2007 - Live Recordings
We played the Seattle Peace Concert last Summer. T'was awesome. Best part was that C2M2 Music recorded the whole thing off the board, mixed the show and sent us a copy. Here are a few of the tracks from the show. Extra thanks to Martin for his hand in the matter, and for his hands on the congas. They sound sweet.
| download mp3 | flash audio |
| Saving Face | |
| Jimmy | |
| Sneakin Sally |
GWAS posted this as: live recordings, show blog
MessMan's Mesquerade 10/31/07 - Show Blog
By far the most fun and drunk show we’ve played in a long long time. Crowd was happening durning the first set, sparse during the second. Some cool folks cheered us on for the late late tunes. One cool dude sang a verse for Mary Jane. We ended up busting out a bunch of old crusty numbers. Audio tape came out horrible. MessMan is truly the man. We hurled pumpkins at Starbucks at 3:30 am.
GWAS posted this as: show blog, waste
Microsoft 10/07 – show blog
We've been rehearsing at performance volume all Summer long down in a little sweaty box in Ballard. The downside has been hearing loss, the upside is that we're much tighter and noisier and raunchier. Yesterday we brought the raunch to Microsoft for an outdoor party in the sun. Free beers and food and gorgeous weather brought out a nice crowd. Check out the cuts below. Sexy People went over well and then we blew out a fuse on Till The End of the Day. Here s a little video clip from the show, thanks to Adam Kinney for shooting.GWAS posted this as: live recordings, show blog
Pocket Park 8/07 - show blog
Abe and I played this one with crippling hangovers. We had been to see the Rat City Rollergirls the night before – and made a swing through the North City Tavern where a fellow with good intentions and a bad attitude bought round after round of Jaggerbombs. Needless to say… Hurtin. Thank goodness Dan stepped up again. Good old Danny, addressing the crowd, calling the set, reminding me when to solo. Nonetheless, the audience seemed to dig it. Memory is foggy, but I seem to remember “Tidal Waves” and “Hey Baby” going well. I was mostly just happy when Abe did his numbers. After we played Jim Page and Artis the Spoonman got up to do their thing. Always entertaining… At one point Artis did a speech about how Paul Allen’s company was late sending him a check for $800. People clapped. I was in such pain – couldn’t join the revolution, under any other circumstance – I woulda stormed the barracades for my man.
GWAS posted this as: show blog, waste
Peace Concert 8/07 - show blog
The woodies put on a really high energy show for the peace concert. The conditions were perfect – a gorgeous day, a decent turn out, an enthusiastic crowd. It’s becoming a tradition for us to help Don push out the “Peace Wave” as our opener. Second song started out great, “Saving Face” brought upbeat energy into the amphitheater. People seemed to perk up. Then we slowed the set down with “Working Holiday” and “Hey Baby”.
I had my hollowbody PRS rigged through the Speedster and we were all playing really loud, so the stage sound was trigger finger touchy and super hot. I played a massive-evil-electro-clam at the beginning of “Geek Love” – but once wasn’t enough so I did it again. Did it sound intentional? I hope so. Martin the Conga player was up there with us. We didn’t have an organized set list, (we never do), when we called “Jimmy” Martin said “I love that song,” so we played it and killed it. Then we took the express train to noisetown during the jam. The folks backstage seemed to dig it. They cheered. We brought the show back to reality with “Bumpkin”, folks dug the vocal improv. On “Atari Car” we did a foolishly long hold when the jam was peaking. I hope it sounded cool, it felt right. We closed with “Sneakin Sally” in which we worked up a new schtick and a vocal jam. The post concert high was supplemented with many beers and other intoxicants. What an incredible day. It’s what summer is all about.
petenice posted this as: show blog, waste
Caffe Bella 7/07 - Live Recordings
We had a really fun show at Caffe Bella last night. The room was acoustically hot so we had to stay on top of our dynamics. Thanks to everyone who turned out for the party!Check out the two tracks from Baby Bok Choy. Here's what they look like. Look at their cool toys. This band is e x c e l l e n t.
* "Baby Bok Choi" a wack new funk / jazz / electronica project featuring veteran Seattle players Bob Heinemann (Mana, Jambalaya), Chris Spencer (Fabulous Roadstars, Motel 5) Greg Rudolf.
GWAS posted this as: live recordings, show blog
The Workin’ Band at Central Ave 6/07 - show blog
A few months back a dude named Ira started booking gigs for us. He schedules roadhouses outside of town that want working bands. The Greenwood All*Stars play lots of covers and our originals sound like 70’s classic rock, so it works out okay. Last night, Ira booked us at the Central Ave Pub in Kent. It was the full meal deal. We brought our own PA, played three sets from 9 to 1 and we MC’d a wet t-shirt contest.
Our first set started really strong. We opened with A Tear for Eddie. People started arriving just as we were killing the jam in Johnny on the Spot. We had the groove for a while, but then we started feel like we were loosing the room. This happens sometimes early in the night. The band will do a big ending on a really jamming cut, and the room gives us dead silence. It’s not that big of a deal, but for the band, it makes us think we need to do something different – like play a cover, or turn up the volume, or freak people out. The truth of the matter is, folk just need to get loosened up. They’re not really there to see us, they just want to have a good time with their friends. We’re the entertainment. If they don’t clap, they don’t clap. Our job last night was to be tight, play good music, and have fun. Our first set was the working part of the working band. We played for an hour and fifteen and took a short break.
Second set was when it all came together. We opened with Workin Man Blues, and headed deep into cover land, playing tunes like So Lonely by the Police. We really nailed the room with No Quarter because we fully ripped the jam to shreds. As the room warmed up to us we started cruising around and playing improvised jams and interstitials. It was really fun. Dan sang great on Soul Kitchen and Signed Sealed. Our originals went over pretty well with the crowd. We played for another hour or so and took another break. Dan and Matt went outside and got viciously stoned. Abe did some tequila shots. I ordered a few more pitchers.
By far, the highlight of the evening was the wet T-shirt contest. We helped to MC the proceedings as three courageous women in flimsy cotton tops were hosed down with cold water. The All*Stars did a slow bada-boom bada-pow style jam as the ladies gyrated. Needless to say, the crowd went wild. We’ve never experienced anything like that before. It was uproarious. After a crisp $100 bill was awarded to the most bodacious lady, we attempted to keep the room alive with Centerfold, but we clammed the hell out of it. Oh well, the night had peaked. The energy in the room gradually subsided. Folks drifted off and we drifted into space jam world. Dan did a 10 minute drum solo on Donna and we did an extended version of Interstellar.
By the end of the night we were exhausted. We got our hard earned $300, but ended up paying $50 of it back to the bar for our drinks. After Ira’s $30 commission, we were left with $220. All in all, it worked out to about $5 an hour for each guy in the band. However, it’s not about the money, it’s about the opportunity to share our music and to connect with each other through it.
petenice posted this as: show blog
Lisa's Sexy BBQ Party 6/07 - show blog
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Fremont First Friday Art Walk 6/07 - show blog
Another GWAS show sans-drummer, for this one, we relied on the DRUMROBOT (aka Groovebox). About half the tunes were done with the machine, the other half were drum-less. The gig actually turned out pretty dang awesome. We did miss our buddy Dan Man, but for the mellow, outdoor, groove thang, it was fine. At one point we had about forty people watching. Caitlin sat in with us for four songs. She’s got the pipes. New tunes at this show included One Monkey and I’ve Been Hoo Dude .
petenice posted this as: show blog
The Snorting Elk 12/06 - show blog
Abe: this was a good weekend. two nights, two different crowds, one great venue:
Night 1
construction workers, scientists, weekday riders enjoying live music before the commute back to civilization. loud sounds, pizza, short set breaks and tall orders.
i always enjoy the in – between – set banter with listeners:
this night involved an up and close conversation with John, a construction worker fom Oregon who came from a long line of Finnish Fisherman. we discussed the merits of Richard Thompson and the propensity of the scottish to be drunk.
we got a good response from the crowd, especially during the second set. people from all walks of life enjoy the drum solo!
people from all walks of life enjoy the encore to the drum solo!
then more drum solos!!! as pete nice put it so eloquently, “Dan, you remember when we tried to bring back the outtro at the end of Donna? and you shook us off like we were fleas on a dog’s back! “
Pete: Another epic weekend indeed. It went like clockwork.
Night 2
Our goal for the second night was to get the room dancing. It took all night, but we won them over. During the first set the crowd was responsive to our more psychedelic stuff. By the third set, they were drunk enough to dance to Sloopy.
abe posted this as: show blog, waste
The Blue Moon 11/06 - show blog
Abe: that was a good show. thanks jayjay, uncle doodad and dangermart. dangermart rocked! tim is is crazy. that is good. im happy that we played the tsetse fly song, its been up in my head dancing around for some time. its good to get that shit out there. also, i enjoyed the relevancy of backporch: 2 years after it’s inception. that is a sign of a good song-gawdamn! musically we didn’t get too far out there(limited time), which is ultimately where id like to be, yet all in all a good showing by gwas. on another note, general tso’s at HOHO garden((can’t be sure about the name(?)) is the bomb. as is uncle doodad, those guys understand the beauty of direct to disk live recording, and layed down some tasstyyyy schnizzz. as is dangermart- hard rocking mofos with crisp clean sounds and a masked front man who in the spirit of good fun almost inspired a two man riot! now that is a show!! a
PeteNice: We played first on a three band bill with Uncle Doodad and Dangermart. Much praise and thanks to Dangermart for hooking us up with the gig, and continued kudos to JJ for running such a cool scene down there. We played a short set of mostly GWAS classics to a fairly full room. It was great to see people light up for the one new tune we played “Teesee Fly”. The stage sound is pretty flat and the monitor wasn’t working. If you listen to the linked file above it’s a pretty good representation of what it sounded like up there. However, it’s always a blast to play the Moon. You can really push it out there and back.
D-Bone: The set was good, but not as good as the tequila we shot down before we took the beer-smelling stage of the Moon. The show got of our local posse out, like Scott & Jen, Diana, Sabina, and several others. Overall I thought this was our best performance in over a year, in terms of tightness and general dynamics and carrying the tunes along their paths. Of course, being the drummer, that opinion is not likely shared amongst the rest of the guys. I got the impression that I was the only one who thought we played well. I guess we’ll find out when we listen to the CD that the awesome guys in Uncle DooDad so graciously recorded of our set and gave us. Just for that alone, we owe them one :) but certainly not to take anything away from the DangerMart express…Tim, if you’re reading this, you are CRAZY! Never stop doing what you’re doing….people in the audience need to get more involved, and you guys certainly draw them in. NIce set by all, thatnks of course to the Moon, JJ for the gig, DangerMart for having us open up, Uncle DooDad for the CD and jamming a hot set as well, and of course the underage drummer who couldn’t hang out in the club but still made the effort to jam – and did a great job! Thanks guys for a fun and rcoking night! PS – I should drink tequila more often….should I?
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The Rainbow 9/06 - show blog
PeteNice: The stage sound at the ‘Bow is awesome. You can feel the bass coming up from below your feet, and the monitor mix is so very very nice. It’s amazing how a positive feedback loop like that can help you perform much better. All*Star band played great but the room was mostly empty. The Bow has been on a long slow slide it seems. Good news is I heard they’re renovating. It would be great if they moved toward no cover charge style booking like they do at the Moon.
GWAS posted this as: show blog, waste
Show Blogs Through the Ages
For years this band has kept a blog. Here's everything from our old site in one post. Whoa.
Friday, September 9th 2005 - The Blue Moon
Danny Boy:
This was the most political show we've ever done, capped by Pete Nice's
Anti-Bush rap. I thought we might get miniature cans of oil thrown at
us by psuedo-conservatives who were trying to enjoy a night as a liberal
for a change. People, their butts, and their political views. But this
was a special gig for me since my parents were at the show. In fact, we
learned "When the Saints Come Marching In" in the hopes my dad (at the
ripe young age of 76) would get up and sing. I guess it was not meant
to be...he chickened out. Wus. Regardless, we jammed hard and had fun.
Would have been nice to see more people out there, but it was a busy
night in the Seattle music scene, so understandable we didn't get as
many bodies in as we wanted. Next time we'll stand outside and bring
them in a gun point.
Matty N:
Fun night at the moon. JJ (sound guy/booker) has really dialed in the whole stage
set-up process. Gigs at the moon used to be pretty chaotic but not anymore. We
played two sets to a medium sized crowd. A classic GWAS show in terms of highs
and lows. We're still struggling to sing harmony. Sometimes I think we're getting
better but after this show I'm not so sure. Then again, if I didn't get all drunk
maybe I'd sing my parts better. Anyway we really got into the pocket with some
of our jams which is my favorite thing to do - so no complaints. We played some
of our political songs and I found myself playing real angry (especially on
Backporch). My frustration with the federal government has reached an all time
high and it was cathartic to release some of my angst through music. For a second
I think I even felt what it must have been like to jam hard in the late 60's. Ah,
if only I could hold that feeling.
Pete Nice:
Ah yes, that's the feeling, an all-night show with no PA problems and no
one rushing us off the stage. We're at our best when we can open up and
jam and improv as a band. That's why I love playing music - spontaneous
collective magic - and it happens best for us at The Blue Moon. The
first set highlight for me was when a dreadlocked dude cheered on my solo
during "Hook Slide". Our second set was a joyful blur with lots of long
solos and my own personal pitcher. The crowd thinned out but those who
stayed were super-charged. One furry guy up front was especially enthused. We
went into a spur of the moment "When the Saint's go Marching in" during
"Mr E". Some new ones included "What Deaner was Talking About",
"Egyptian Reggae", "Baldheads", "Tush Tush Tush" and "Atari Car". We closed with "Soul
Kitchen" and hit Dicks for some late night nasty.
Sunday, July 17th 2005 - Seattle Peace Concert
Pete Nice:
Don always does such an incredible job of pulling these shows together
with shoestrings and duct-tape. At this particular show American Music
spaced some gear and the sound guy bailed, so the musicians all had to
pull together (sort of) to get the PA set up. The show started two hours
late, which was fine with us, the delay generated a bigger crowd. For
soundcheck we played a few bars of "Neckbone". Everything seemed fine.
However, a few moments later, the guitar mic clipped out in the middle
of "Do You Feel It"... I tried wiggling the cable and it came back to
life, but only temporarily. Soon we were playing "Foreign Shores" and
the mic was sending huge pops through the mains. This continued for the
rest of the set. Alas, we played the best we could, we ripped up a new
one called "Atari Car" and closed with an extended "Breakfast of Love"
jam. Here's where the gripe comes in... It was nice of the sound guy from
Special Meds to help patch together the crude PA, but it was lame of him
to sit on the good mics and cables that he brought and later busted out
for "his" band. I mean seriously, I could kind of understand if it was
some kind of competitive thing with industry folks and Special Meds was
trying to "get to the top" by making sure the first band sounded crappy,
but yo, this was Don Glen's *Peace Concert* - you know, free food, share
the love, work together... So, whatever, all the hippies had to listen to
a messed up sound system because the good mics were waiting in the van.
Next time, we'll bring our own mics and we will and *share them* with
the other bands.
Sunday, May 22 2005 - University District Street Fair
Pete Nice:
We were really pumped up to play this festival because the booker at the
U District Chamber of Commerce said we were one of the best bands that
applied. Wow, really? Right on! Unfortunately, the folks who were
running the stage had a different opinion. Or at least, they decided to
cut our set in half. Perhaps they were tired, or the shows had gone on
too long that day. Whatever the case, just as we were getting into the
meat of our set, we were given the cane. Alas, the brief show we played
was really tight. We opened with a modified version of "Bumpkin" which
is always a crowd pleaser. Then we rocked a short version of "Sexy
People." We introduced the band during "Storytime" and then segued into
"Nookie Run". At this point they called "one more" so we closed with
"Still Sitting". Overall, it was a great showcase for the band (about
250 people in the audience) and even though the sound guy yoinked our
set, it was worth it.
Saturday, April 9 2005 - Dubliner
Pete Nice:
We're kind of like the Dubliner's "house band"
at this point... and we're psyched. The room has great acoustics
and Mike the sound guy did a super job last night. The Dub gives each band member a
free pitcher and the
cash from the door isn't bad. Unfortunately, our first set opened with a clunker, "Happy Sex Worker"
which we haven't played in about a year and we never open with (now we know why).
But soon we got
into the groove with extra slow versions of "Backporch" and "Mr Spock".
We goofed out on a new short tune called "Wigglyworm" and segued into
"Breakfast of Love" which achieved maximum viddlyness.
We closed a short first set with a specially dedicated cover of "Sloopy".
Several pitchers later we took the stage again for a marathon second set. We opened with
"A Tear for Eddie" which got a few folks in the room really pumped up (gotta love those
Ween fans). Shortly after we played "Brazil -> Besame Mucho" also two new ones. Then
we got into the regular GWAS groove with our standards "Ninja Shark", "Breznev", etc etc.
Notable late night busts included "Muminum" which we haven't played since our first gig ever at the old
Rendezvous, and a few bars of "Chalkdust Torture" which was by request. Mister Martini,
who at this point is the unofficial 5th member of the band (thanks for the extra pitcher)
jammed out with us on "Neckbone". Soon after we played Mr Norris' love song "Not Even" during
which Keith and I traded solos. We were getting pretty sloppy as the night
wore on, I turned around at one point to see Abe downing shots of Tequila, followed
up with a full-on stage dive (or tumble). Folks were getting into it, one woman
from Chicago got the front of the room up to dance. We continued rocking until last call, at
which point I made a mad dash to the 7-11 for more beer. Nice
to see CreepyTom hangin out at the late night sesh.
The theme of last night's show was "Apache" - for we must honor
the riders, their land strong earth, who must be free... free to live their own lives.
Friday, January 28 2004 - The Blue Moon
Pete Nice:
Without doubt this was one of our most rocking shows ever. The
gig was booked as a double bill with "The Wilderness Children" who,
unfortunately, broke up before the show. That opened up the whole
evening to the all stars. Which is the way we like it. Playing all night
allowed us to open our jams to improvised spaces we've never been
before. The crowd was excellent at the moon. They were with us from the
start. Listen to the live tracks, the crowd
was going nuts! Guest stars included Keith Martini, Scott Owen and
Ellisa Benjamin.
Friday & Saturday, December 17 & 18 2004 - Snorting Elk Cellar
Pete Nice:
The Alpine Inn welcomed us back for another weekend of debauchery at
Crystal Mountain. Although we didn't get ideal ski conditions, the skies
were blue and spirits were high. We did our best to stir up some
positive mojo for the Crystal Crew by playing double sets on Friday and
Saturday. Overall, both shows were pretty slick. We closed Saturday with
an extended "I'm a Man -> Interstellar" jam. Probably our tightest stuff
was "Ninja Shark" and "Saving Face" on Saturday. Abe's new tune "Mr
Spock" brought out some smiles. Also, the new "Mary Jane -> Neckbone"
medly was popular. People like songs about marijuana and fried foods.
After the show on Friday we raged so hard that three of us ended up
booting. Saturday night found three Greenwoodies stumbling around like
fools in a world of magnificent crystalline darkness.
Friday, October 22, 2004 - Fremont Dubliner
Pete Nice:
It felt really good to get the band cranked up again for another
show at the Dubliner. We took the last three months off to work on new
material. Also, Dan was on hiatus from GWAS so he could work on a
rock opera. At last Friday's show
we were back in high form - with a good crowd - and great energy.
Highlights included Abe's new tune "Mr Spock" and guest singer Kelly
Scott who killed "Tyrone". Late night we got a bit sloppy (as usual) and
then turned the stage over to Color of Revolution. Rob showed up freshly
buzzed from the Van Halen concert and jammed on the keys. Afterwards we
all headed back to my pad for pizza and a late night smoke out.
Sunday, July 4, 2004 - Tacoma Freedom Fair
Matty N:
Another working holiday for the Greenwood All*Stars. This show was on an
outdoor stage along Tacoma's Ruston Way waterfront with panoramic views
of Commencement Bay, Vashon Island, and the Olympic Mountains.
Breathtaking! As if by divine intervetion, the clouds parted the moment
we took the stage. We played quite a few covers at this show and managed
to win over some new fans. We closed with a smoking version of the GWAS
classic "Breakfast of Love" (which we don't play too often anymore). A
great wrap-up to a killer string of outdoor summer shows.
Sunday, June 27, 2004 - Seattle Peace Concert - Magnuson Park
Pete Nice:
The Peace Concert was a great experience. We were the first band to take
the stage on a totally gorgeous sunny afternoon. We seized the
opportunity to jam with Don Glen (Peace Concert organizer). After we
helped Don push the "Peace Wave" we rocked out on some Greenwood faves
including a really tight version of "Saving Face". After the show we
spent the day eating pasta salad, drinking beer and
swimming in Lake Washington. Life is good!
Saturday, June 26, 2004 - Greenwood Car Show
Pete Nice:
The Greenwood Car Show was way heavy. Polished steel, belching
motorcycles and sausage-eaters in tight leather set the vibe. Cool. We
pushed loud and hard with some fairly insane adaptations of classic rock
songs. We slammed on "Sloopy" and did a respectable version of "LA
Woman" - the crowd responded well to the covers and also to a few of our
originals - "Nookie Run" gathered a good groove. After two hours of
playing in the hot sun we were pretty wiped. I lost my voice and my
fingertips were bleeding. Yikes - rock is hard work!
Sunday, June 20, 2004 - Fremont Fair - Mainstage
Pete Nice:
Greenwood All*Stars at the Fremont Fair was one of our best shows yet.
Without a doubt, it was the soberest. It's a good feeling to get up,
drink some coffee, do some stretching, and play an awesome gig in front
of 100+ people. Our first AM show ever caught all the right vibes. We
played a few new numbers including a Kinks cover "Sunny Afternoon." We
also pulled out the classic "Monkey Party" jam with Mr. Martini in a
Gorilla costume. Diamond Dave Donar from Detroit got up and jammed on
the amazing electro harmonic mouth harp. There were lots of kids in the
audience, they had great fun watching the monkey dance around. Thanks to
everyone at Fremont Public and Static Factory for putting everything
together.
Saturday, February 14, 2004 - Valentines Day - CD Release Party at Dubliner
Pete Nice:
For the last year we've been working on our first album "Slow Shark."
Last night we celebrated its release at the Dubliner in Fremont (which
is fast becoming our favorite room in town.) Scott the sound engineer
has installed better speakers and a nice mixing board so the music
sounds better than ever. Keith Martini opened the show with some lovely
Flamenco guitar styling and then Tim Castellani and Dan Moore joined
him. We took the stage at 10:15 and played two sets. First set
established a good groove and second set was really kicking. We played a
special Valentines Day serenade to a special someone and then busted new
material including "Flutes of Chi" and "Standing on the Verge." Late
night Color of Revolution got back up and played a few crazy punk rock
tunes. We closed the show with "I'm a Man / Interstellar" which was
cool. Judging by the crowd response and feedback we got from the
Dubliner employees, we pretty much rocked the room hard. It was one of
their better, busier Saturday nights. That's what we do people. We throw
out the vibe and pack the house. CD's almost totally sold out.
Friday & Saturday, January 23 & 24, 2004 - Snorting Elk Cellar at Crystal Mountain
Pete Nice:
All the hard work we've been putting into this project paid back
like a mighty good-karma boomerang last weekend. Lemme break it down. We meager
greenwoodies were given free lodging, free lift tickets, and free
pitchers of sweet nectar in exchange for two shows of crowd pleasing
pocket grooves and explosive raging freakshow jams. The Snelk is,
without question, the coolest ski bar in Washington. The heads showed up
in force and they got the fuck down. The whole crew there at the Alpine
Inn was totally chill. The vibe was as close to perfect as we had
dreamed. Did I mention that we severely rocked both shows? We came on
strong during first set on both nights and then evolved into freeform
spaces that set new highs for the All*Stars. Saturday had a much more
raging crowd that packed the dancefloor for all three sets!
Saturday, December 20, 2003 - The Fabulous Dubliner
Pete Nice:
Last night was our first show at the new Dubliner, first time
hanging out there really. The room has the same feel as the old Dub, but
the crowd's changed from sailors to sophisticates. I'm not complaining
tho... they pack the house every weekend. Special thanks to Scott for
helping us understand the sound dynamics of the room. On his advice we
struggled to keep the extremities under control. Hit the pocket in
"Roses" but the testosterone ripped free in "Nookie Run". It's a
delicate room, easy to overwhelm. On tape review, folks genuinely
grooved on our set, especially on the softer jams, which I think are
becoming our sweet spot. Looking forward to Bubb Rubb at the Dub again
soon.
Friday, December 19, 2003 - The Fabulous Rainbow
Pete Nice:
Great vibes and a cool scene. Much thanks
to Elias John Swann for running the Amazing GreenBall EyeCandy Vidly Video Show also
thanks to Juke for getting on the bill at the last minute (great fucking chops - dang!). Also,
Fudd the sound guy - great technique and super cool vibes. Load in was at
7, had to avoid a gaggle of drug dealers. Sound check went great. Opened
up with "Breznev" and went strong to a room that filled quite nicely. Worked a little christmas
cheer into "Donna" and told the "Story of the Rainbow" (a rambling epic about mustaches and strip clubs).
I did my noodling solos for way way way too long and then brought up Keith-o to peel thunder
from his axe. Holy monkeys! Always a pleasure to share the stage with the K-man. Juke rocked out
for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately Abe got a flat during load out
so we hung out with street people late into the night until AAA arrived.
Friday, October 31, 2003 - Capitol Hill Arts Center
Pete Nice:
Halloween night at the new Capitol Hill Arts Center - their
first really huge blowout - a massive rush indeed. What a way to
re-emerge from our Summer of creative cocooning. It was a real treat to
work with the CHAC staff - Bob, of course, gets first thumbs up for
hooking us with the gig. Amy - great press. Professional sound mix as
well. We rocked. Also had a few goofy schticks worked out, played
-neigh- became Salt and Pepa. Awesome all-star rapping from Jarred
Massved Karimi Eu. And who could forget the guest monkey who peeled
paint off the walls with his axe? Of course, the main attraction of the
night was Circus Contraption. It was my first time seeing their show,
and I totally vibed on their whole scene. Great to see big tent showmanship
co-mingled with "Bricoleur" musical tradition. And also, the backstage
strip-show was very very nice.
Thursday, July 10, 2003 - Larry's
Pete Nice:
We finally played in Pioneer Square, on Taco Night no less (free Tacos
for motorcycle ridin' wooly mammoths and their females). The first band
to play was "Eye Level" - they were really good and brought many fans.
We took the stage shortly after 11 and kicked into an hour of high
energy material. It's good we played our strongest stuff first because
as the night went on the crowd thinned out (typical for weeknight gigs).
After reviewing the tape, I'd have to say this was probably our most
jamming, highest energy show yet. We smoked on Jimmy and
played a new cover Jungle Man by the Chilis. We'll be taking the rest
of the Summer off to work on new material and so Matty can have a nice
wedding and honeymoon!
Monday, June 30, 2003 - Ballard Firehouse
Pete Nice:
This was our first ever "Battle of the Bands" - complete with a cash
award and recording contract. Alas, it was on a Monday night at the
Firehouse so we promoted a bit, but mostly played to get our foot in the
door with a new booker we're working with. We played second on the bill
(thank god) so there was a decent crowd (for a weeknight). The stage
sound at the Firehouse was pretty hot - I could have used more guitar in
the monitor mix - I heard from a fan that our mix was solid through the
mains. We only played for an hour so we rocked straight through. We
didn't win the contest (the winning band was the one who brought the most
fans) but we did win-over some new ears.
Saturday, June 21, 2003 - Blue Moon
Pete Nice:
Special thanks to Marangatang for warming up the crowd last
Saturday, not that the crowd needed much to get loose. Our show at the
Blue Moon marks the high water point for our drunkest audience ever.
Usually we have a few bawdy fellows at our gigs who yell and carry on
with the band - at the BM, they were coming in from all sides saying
things like "do dah yargolillah" and "you guys are garfo lashnish." All
in all it was a pretty wild gig, we jammed hard on Voodoo
Lady and Mr E's. Even though we got paid shit, it was a good
gig.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - Rendezvous
Pete Nice:
Our first gig as GWAS was at the Rendezvous, so it was fun to come back to the
Jewelbox Theater. There's still an issue with their electrical system that gives my amp
a wicked bad buzz. Ariel, the sound guy, did a great job helping me work around the issue
and he hooked us up with a great mix. We debuted our music video Highway Ninja Shark
at this show. Even thought the crowd was small, we played a really hot set.
Friday & Saturday May 9 & 10, 2003 - Baranof
Pete Nice:
This weekend we were accepted into the tribe of Baranof (pronounced BEAR -
A - Noff). Friday,
we played to a medium sized crowd of sit-downers - which was fine as we
were a bit rusty on our changes. Alas, we rocked into the wee hours and
left the audience satisfied. As tradition is beginning to dictate,
Saturday emerged as the more memorable evening. The room filled out
nicely. We welcomed our greenies with a new song titled Ode
To Greenwood and got them dancing with Brezhnev's Books. The set was
crowned by a special guest appearance by northwest legend Daddy
Treetops. He helped us jam on Hookslide and Stay up Late. After a
short break the magic began. We welcomed a series of guest stars to the
stage including The Feese, The Knopster, Castelani, Keith (monkey man)
Martini, Bob Basso and a few other drunken crooners. Wildness ensued:
breakdancers, beer chuggers, Jamaican freestylers, Mexican mullet men
and long legged Norse goddesses. Another magical evening in the heart of
Greenwood.
Saturday, April 12, 2003 - Lock and Keel Tavern
Pete Nice:
After last weekends sloppy epic at Baranof we were really jazzed to play a tight show at the Keel.
After our customary din-din at Bad Alberts we trucked right to the stage with our bellies still full of
dock street burgers. We played loads of covers for the first half of the show and were psyched to see the club fill up
nicely. By 10pm the room was packed. The Keel is such a loud room that it was good to have all those bodies to absorb sound.
The best part was, only one or two folks there were GWAS loyalists, it was a room of fresh ears. Quite a few
folks got up to dance. We rocked out, cleared our gear and got our cash!
Friday & Saturday April 4 & 5, 2003 - Baranof
Pete Nice:
We thought that we would come to the age old Baranof and show the salty old dogs a new trick.
However, we young pups learned that if you tangle with the viking gods you tempt a stormy fate. Friday night
went wonderfully. We had a great turn out. The energy was hot. We played three sets and did quite a few extended
jams. Saturday was an entirely different story. Our bass player ate some bad mojo and turned to jelly after the
first set. Poor guy, he looked like a ghost. But the show went on with the help of some fabulous guest all*stars.
Things were coming back together until the Baranof gods ordered our biggest fan to swan dive
the dancefloor. At that point the magic cookies were transported to the rubbish bin.
Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - Tractor Tavern
Pete Nice:
Playing the Tractor was awesome. The stage sound was hot! We just came off a weekend of recording
so our set was super tight. Of course, playing late on a Tuesday pretty much guarantees a small crowd, but
dang if the the 30 people there didn't get totally into it - they were dancing and carrying on - it was
great!
Saturday, December 14, 2002 - Lock and Keel Tavern
Pete Nice:
The "Keel" called us back and asked us to play there again. That's a good sign, the must
have dug us last time. When we showed up the bartender said "I've heard good things about you guys."
Right on! The gig went great, we flubbed a few parts here and there (especially on Attaq Iraq) -
but hey what band is perfect every time. Crowd response was enthusiastic. Dan had a friend adjust
the PA so we had a really nice mix.
Saturday, October 26, 2002 - 15th Ave Bar and Grill
Pete Nice:
Six hours before we were to take the stage, Abe called and said that Sarah was going
into labor! Wow! New Life! Congrats! As our keyboardist had fairly incredible other plans,
we went ahead and played the gig as a power trio. By all accounts
we rocked the house. We were opening for a band called "WAD" who we met at FreeFest.
They were really cool to let us play as long as we wanted. They also let us use their gear. Thanks
guys! After the show we hung out with Corey and Dave from FreeFest, what a great time!
Saturday, August 31st, 2002 - Lock and Keel Tavern
Pete Nice:
This was only our second official show in Seattle. It went really well. The opening
band was "Sole Moxie" they were great! We took the stage at about 11:30 and rocked until close.
The bar was PACKED! Yeah! People were really grooving on it. Afterwards we talked to some
folks from Philly who had been to Bumbershoot that day. They said we were the best band they'd seen
all day. Of course, they hadn't consumed five pitchers of beer at "the shoot."
Friday, July 26th, 2002 - FreeFest II
Pete Nice:
Awesome gig! Kicked off FreeFest on Friday. People jammin
around a huge bonfire. Forks crew lighting off mass Indian Rez Fireworks
and pouring dry gas on the fire - BOOM!! Flags waving, blue lights
streaking, band blasting grooves in the woods. Party till dawn yo!
Friday, June 14, 2002 - East Patio Lounge Mackie Designs Inc
Pete Nice:
Played to 100+ people on a sunny Friday. People got into it,
danced around, ate hot dogs. I think we freaked out a few folks with the
raunchy lyrics. Ha!
Friday, October 23rd, 2001 - The Rendezvous Restaurant
Pete Nice:
This gig was mucho funo, we had a nice turnout. It was one of the
last shows at the old Rendezvous.
GWAS posted this as:
show blog, waste
The Dubliner 10/05 - show blog
PeteNice: This was a big show for us, our first big show without Danny. He’s not out of the band, he just couldn’t make this gigs. We hooked up with Martin the Conga Guy to keep time. It was a great experience. We really had to get out front of the groove and we also had to bring down the energy. Much more focus on lyrics and harmony, which we actually hit. Yeah.
GWAS posted this as: show blog, waste
Nectar Lounge 12/05 - show blog
PeteNice: Nectar Lounge is a great room with quality sound. We don’t usually play weeknights, but we made an exception to test this place out. They took really good care of the band (showed us where the secret beer stash was) and were attentive to our sound (thanks Synge.) Fortunately, we had a decent crowd for the first half of our set because we played right after Monday night football. Later it was just a mere handful. But that’s all good, we booked this show to decompress after our weekend in the studio. It felt really good to go from such a controlled setting to an open space. There were some nice moments. “Foreign Shores” and “Besame Mucho” felt really good and Abe was really solid on “Nothing To Do With Love”. It was also cool to reconnect with Corey from FreeFest. Sounds like he’s ramping up to do it again in 2006. Hellz yeah.
GWAS posted this as: show blog, waste
