Sing out of your Cages...

Hey, team. To begin with, I’m wicked sorry it’s been so long between updates. I moved back to school two weeks ago and classes started last Monday so things have been ridiculously busy. I’ve got six classes and three jobs, a show to work box office for, auditions next week, a fun new church I wanna get involved with and some pretty new friends along with the old ones. This is all beside the point, though, and I’m hoping to make it up to everyone with a rather lengthy post about the Deas Vail show I saw last weekend. Hopefully you won’t get too bored, keep scrolling down for the pictures and video, it's all there.

To start, I got to make the wonderful drive from Rome to Athens. This is always a treat – sometimes it’s actually true since I tend to make friends with my new Atlanta Traffic Family as we all inch along the interstate. I got into town and Samuel met up with me shortly afterwards when we realized that we had no idea where the show was.

Naturally we spent the better part of the next hour scouring the internet for some kind of clue as to where in the mess we were supposed to be with no luck. All we had to go on was “Deas Vail, 5:00 @ The Point” with the only place even remotely close we knew of being the Melting Point which we knew couldn’t be correct. We decided to pull an August Rush and “follow the music” and made our way downtown

After calling everyone at UGA we could think of to ask for details with no luck, Samuel and I decided to drown our sorrows in pizza, sending Liz a message asking her to join us. It may sound silly, but I would drive that four hours just for Transmet pizza. I've done it before and will more than likely do it again. It might not have helped get us over the pain of missing our band when they were within some hidden five mile radius, but it would have been something. 

We had already parked in front of Transmet (a spot that good is unheard of) when Liz calls back and gives us beautiful directions that for some reason we’d been unable to find on the same wide internet. Apparently the Point isn’t some kind of venue, but a ministry that meets at Green Acres Baptist Church. Who knew? You do now.

Ten minutes later we pull up in front of the church to find some kind of dinner/tent looking thing going on – kind of the last thing we’d been expecting. There were two guys on a stage and a bunch of people eating and ignoring them, so we just walked up and took a seat. It didn’t take too long for someone to come up to us and say hey and we figured out that Deas Vail wasn’t playing until nine, but of course we could stick around and watch the other band and chill out til then, welcome to The Point.

A little while after this, Abel took the stage. I’ll be honest, Samuel and I weren’t expecting much. It was an outside tent show and we were literally the only two people up anywhere near the stage who seemed interested in what was going on. We were very pleasantly surprised. The band had some pretty solid guitar tones and a singer with a plaintive sounding voice that made me want to really believe what he was singing about.

The nice part was that even though the lyrics were really straightforward in their Christianity, there was nothing cliché or off-setting about them. I think that even those without any kind of religious proclivity would enjoy the songs on a simply musical basis.

The songs were nicely put together and hit hard when they did; a couple of the guitar solos were pretty legit so I wish they went on a little longer, but that’s really just a personal preference. They guys were personable both on and off stage and I’m pleased to say that the EP I got for only six dollars was an excellent purchase as of it helped drive me back to school afterwards. Hopefully it helped them buy some kind of dinner after their set, Choo Choo’s is open late and wicked cheap.

After this came the random health seminar – led by the wonderful Corey Little who used to be my dad’s personal trainer, small world – and finally finally Deas Vail played at nine. I’ll back up a few minutes, however, and say that while we were talking to Kevin Kneifel of Abel, the wonderful Justin Froning from DV comes wandering up to chat. Let me just say, that’s amazing.

To have a member of one of your all time favorite bands just walk up to you and say “thanks so much for coming out, it’s really awesome you drove so far to see us” is so ridiculously cool. It’s even crazier when they keep talking to you and you get to play the meet and greet game with the whole band after the show.

The show itself was an incredible experience. Wes Blaylock has one of the most beautiful voices out there and sounds just as dead on live as he does on his band’s recordings. He kinda stalks around with his mic stand and interacts with people even while he’s at his keyboard and seems like such a genuine person, it’s wonderful. His wife is stunning and an amazing musician, Justin is super fun and extroverted when he plays, Kelsey Harelson destroys his drum kit, and Andrew Moore took the time to geek out over pedals and guitar tones with Samuel after the set.

Unfortunately since my car wouldn’t turn on when we were leaving (typical), I didn’t have my camera gear so all you get this time is pictures and video from my and Samuel’s phones, but please excuse the quality since you can get the idea.

You know you love a band when they introduce new things and you don’t automatically tune them out. A lot of concerts, when the band announces they’re gonna try out songs from their new album, the crowd loses interest. Not so with Deas Vail. Samuel and I hung on every note of the songs from the upcoming “Birds and Cages” (these were the only songs we didn’t know all the words to) and I can honestly say there are very few albums I’ve been this excited about lately.

 Ok, so there’s been new Cobras, Mae, and Placebo with upcoming Panic!, MCR, Mute Math and others, but Deas Vail is going to be carving out a spot very near the top of that list if the tracks we heard last weekend are anything to go by. Brilliant.

So this is my Deas Vail tribute. Their music has gotten both Samuel and I through so many stages of our lives together (and his before he met me) and they’ve truly been an inspiration both musically and just to live the way we’re meant to. It was such an honor getting to meet them and see them play in such an intimate setting, I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better show.

I’m beyond psyched about seeing them play the Masquerade with Mae next month, maybe if we’re lucky they’ll remember who we are. Regardless, if you haven’t heard anything by this band, you need to invest in them right this second.

Again, I apologize for the huge gap in updates. With any luck I’ll be blogging later this week about the Closure in Moscow/Maylene/Emery show from three weeks ago and The Audition/DJ Skeet/Cobra Starship show from two weeks ago. Maybe since now I have jobs again I’ll be able to keep affording concert tickets to keep everyone updated. Wish me luck. Until then, keep checking back with the IndioTeam for your music and fashion needs!

How To Dress For A Cobra Starship Show

Okay, gang -- in an effort to prepare ourselves fashion-wise for the upcoming Cobra show (and the possibility that Gabe Saporta might lay eyes on us again), we will be expounding upon the different styles that might be utilized at a Cobra Starship show.

1) The American Apparel: This entails buying a purple hoodie from the notoriously "scene" American Apparel company. (Gabe may or may not model for the company. He looks good in purple. End of story.) Black or gray skinny jeans, or maybe a pair of neon colored denim shorts if you're feeling daring. A baseball cap or trucker hat help in the headgear department. We postulate that Gabe would support (Saport, hah!) clunky golden jewelry, preferably with cobras or an engraved image of J-Tim emblazoned on the shiny surfaces. Chuck Taylors or Vans, maybe Toms, depending on how conscious of third-world nations you want to be. Neon slouchy socks if you are wearing shorts -- or just pull them up over your skinny jeans, who the hell cares? And, of course, do not forget the large, white-framed spectacles which help your vision not at all.

2) The Town-Kid: Harder to define. If you are male, you will probably want to invest in a pastel v-neck shirt from a thrift store (you probably over-paid by ten bucks, if we're being honest). You also want shorts that come above the knee, preferably just short enough to make frat boys curl their lips at you. They should be either denim or corduroy -- maybe a suble pattern that looks like polka-dots at first glance, but upon closer inspection turns out to be tiny ducks.

Girlies ... you'll either need to wear lace leggings with a dress so short an outside show would result in your catching the croup, or really, really tight jeans. This could not be more important. These jeans have to be so tight that you cannot sit down, bend over, or sway to the music -- this is why most girls who go with this look opt to stand against the wall with an uncomfortable, "don't-fuck-with-me" look on their faces. Go for a scant tank top that shows off your prominent hip-bones (your jeans also need to be ridiculously low-cut) and then cover your cleavage with a voluminous "summer" scarf. A large broach or pendant will complete your ensemble, maybe a piece of rope tied around your head, a single braid draping edgily across your intense cheekbones, some neon eyeliner (with a product name like "Bitch" or "Arg!"), scruffy flats from China town that you've worn for the past fourteen years, an advantageously placed set of safety pins ... any or all of these would be appropriate.

3) The Scenester: Lots of eyeliner, male or female, doesn't freaking matter. Black, bitter, eyeliner. And either black or neon fingernails -- alternate fingers, if you wish. Your jewelry should probably be the type popular with a first-grade crowd -- Pretty, Pretty Princess beads, clunky vinyl flower headbands, giant patent leather bows, or rings the size of Utah. Clothing is pretty genderless as well, except that you gals should probably wear skirts the width of belts, to better expose your leopard-print leggings. Girl jeans and old band or cartoon shirts work well -- go all out and tattoo little stars on your face, right next to your eyelids. Your hair should either be swoopy, completely covering your eyelined eyes, or teased and huge. Or a mullet. Your choice, as long as it contains an edgy streak or two of blue or pink.

4) The Old-School Emo Kid: Square glasses, swoopy hair, ripped jeans, flannel overshirt covering something worn and holey, an "I slept with Boy George" button, well-loved shoes, and a messenger bag work for both genders. Stripes are also always a safe bet.

Go with one of these looks, and you will never feel out of place in the vicinity of Mr. Saporta ... we hope. We will be posting pictures to catalogue these looks sometime this week. Signing off for now, kids.