BALLARD FIREHOUSE -- SEATTLE, WA -- 11/13/98
by Ron Hromoko
it *really is* an old firehouse.
i can't recall a smaller venue in which i've seen todd perform. a
diagonal corner stage faces out into a room no bigger than a bar
with a small dance floor in an airport hotel. large red, wooden,
windowed doors through which firetrucks once passed form a facing
wall. these optionally open to the outside during summer, i assume.
everywhere else, brick.
the crowd is hip and mellow. everyone has a black outfit with at
least one cool item to show off: elvis costello glasses, big black
doc maartens, a goatie or it's newest useless derivative, the glick,
colored hair, or maybe those horrible black hip huggers.
after an opening rap i won't soon forget, todd picks mike, with his
stylish gray TRTV baseball cap, to stenographize this evening.
the tooning begins early with
the ceiling is high, so there is some reverb and wandering sound.
a request from along the big red doors is screamed, then awarded with
- there goes my inspiration
which is good, but not without a few warning signs from the throat to
go easy. uploading this toon is unsuccessful, so we try again with
where todd challenges the throat. the throat wins this one. an
extended rap on perscription glasses follows the toon and is also
recorded when todd forgets to stop the mac's recording.
is slow, but evens the score with the throat. another rap, this time
on todd's anger with his ISP, gets him jacked up for
which is a great rockin addition to the set. we get the solo tonight.
devil's coffin includes the bipolar boB rap.
incorrect media features ken nelson's reptile theater, a home video
from 1981 with actors dressed in home made crocodile masks. 8mm.
jesse comes out for some relief.
has that weird beginning i confuse with 'mated'.
is starting to groove well. the bridge is still uncertain. dual
guitars for
has todd cracking up laughing at his and jesse's too-hard strumming
for the second verse.
is ended prematurely again by jesse. throat? what throat?
- i want you
- dream goes on forever
the green p-project comes out for a loud release with
which is never confused with 'hide your love away' if it's played
with the p-project. the acoustic G-chord is the source of confusion.
encore
- you've got to hide your love away
breaks another string. the freakin G has been weak for three shows
now. todd starts to play the solo with the broken string, then asks
us to wait as he switches to the green monster to finish the toon.
the name of the song is, "I Hate My Fuckin ISP"
romo