Big Quarters @ The Triple Rock

Big Quarters
"Zip Disks Break '09" Release Party
The Triple Rock
Minneapolis, MN
Saturday October 10th 2009

Big Quarters - "Painkillers"
Big Quarters - "Newborn"

Several unreleased tracks were played so I wanted to hold off on posting the entire set. Be sure you contact BQ to score your copy of "Zip Disks Break '09" You can also subscribe to BQ Direct here to get 5 exclusive cuts a month.



bigquarters.com
myspace.com/bigquarters
youtube.com/bigquarters
twitter.com/bigquarters

Thursday @ The Varsity

FLAC files are available on The Traders' Den.

Thursday
The Varsity Theater
Minneapolis, MN
Monday September 28th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: DINish FOB 4' ROC, 25' back, ~9' ^
Source 1: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Source 2: SBD > iRiver h120 (Line-In @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > mixdown > FLAC > WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Matrix: WAV > Sony Vegas 7 (mixing and edits) > WAV > FLAC
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fades)

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. For the Workforce, Drowning
02.
03. Division St.
04. The Other Side of the Crash
05. Paris in Flames
06. Understanding in a Car Crash
07. Friends in the Armed Forces
08. Autobiography of a Nation
09.
- Beyond the Visible Spectrum - *
10. Signals Over the Air
11.
12. ...encore
13. Jet Black New Year

Geoff Rickly
Tom Keeley
Lucas Previn
Tucker Rule
Steve Pedulla
Andrew Everding

www.thursday.net

I would sincerely like to thank Thursday for allowing me to put this out there. I honestly didn't think it was going to happen. John Harris is legit. Treat these guys well out there. Thursday's new record "Common Existence " is out on Epitaph Records. I apologize if the above line-up is incorrect. La Dispute and The Fall of Troy supported. Thanks to The Varsity for being the Dinkytown venue of choice. May the Varsity and Mesa Pizza live long and prosper. The AUD/SBD mixdown was done by none other than Z. Boes himself. * omitted per band request.

City on the Make @ The Entry

320kbps mp3s are available on emptystapes.com

(if you're hardcore email me for FLACs)

City on the Make
7th Street Entry
Minneapolis, MN
Thursday October 8th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: AB left drink rail ~20ft, ~8' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fades)
TRT: 61:03

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. Massive Project Engineering
02. No Thumbs
03. You've Got the Juice Now
04. New Shoes
05. Pick Me Ups
06. Very Old Bones *
07. Chicks on Bikes
08. Money is My Friend
09. Crack in the 80's
10. The King *
11. Good Old Fashioned Fire
12. Combat Zones
13. Ships Across the Ocean
14. ...encore
15. improv jam w/ lyrics

* unreleased

Mike Massey - Vocals
Stephen Rowe - Bass
Peter Blomgren - Guitar
Colin Stumbras - Drums

www.cityonthemake.net | www.myspace.com/cityonthemake

More fun than a Thursday night probably should be. The Entry can be a tricky place to get a tape that's not heavy on crowd ambience but everyone was throwing down and having a good time. That's what matters. Playing it back it's actually a good Entry recording. First show with Pete. Go see this guy's chops. If not at the next City on the Make show then perhaps Military Special. If anyone can make this transition happen it's Mr. Blomgren. He's also popular with the ladies of Minneapolis. Maybe you still need to pick up a copy of the new LP "Keep This on Fire" or one of the older releases? Aaron & the Sea and History Books supported. What up to my main man Mischa Kegan.

Fall '09 starts out with a backlog...

Closed out last week with 5 shows in 8 days. The consequence was having a stay inside and chill day yesterday missing Strike Anywhere + Polar Bear Club @ The Triple Rock, Murder City Devils @ First Avenue and Where Astronauts Go to Hide @ The 501 Club.

Everything that was going to be posted from Killdozer and Poor Weather Club is now up. Thursday will probably follow La Dispute on that show. Frank Turner and Murder by Death will lead that show. Everything has been posted from MONO + Maserati. I'll post the entire WHY? set if I can get permission. The Dark Dark Dark set will be posted and possibly AU. All three sets from the recent City on the Make show are on the "to be posted" list. Select tracks from the Big Quarters show Saturday will be posted as well.

09-26 - Killdozer + The Urinals + Mannequin men + The Blink Shake
09-27 - Poor Weather Club
09-28 - Thursday + The Fall of Troy + La Dispute
10-03 - The Gaslight Anthem + Murder by Death + The Loved Ones + Frank Turner
10-05 - MONO + Maserati @ Triple Rock
10-07 - WHY? + Dark Dark Dark @ Triple Rock
10-08 - City on the Make + Aaron & the Sea + History Books @ The Entry
10-10 - Big Quarters @ The Triple Rock

Killdozer & The Blind Shake @ The Turf Club

Killdozer
The Turf Club
St. Paul, MN
Saturday September 26th 2009

These Recordings are for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. King of Sex
02. New Pants and Shirt
03. Richard
04. Cinnamon Girl

Michael Gerald (vocalist, bassist, founder)
Dan Hobson (original founding drummer)
Bill Hobson (original founding guitarist)

www.myspace.com/killdozerpage

Here are a few tracks from the Killdozer set. Thanks to the band for granting permission to post them.

320kbps mp3s of the Blind Shake's set are available on emptystapes.com

The Blind Shake
The Turf Club
St. Paul, MN
Saturday September 26th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: AB, 5' LOC, 6' back, ~8' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fade out)

01. Wise Mr. Owl
02. Soft Zodiac
03. Hurracan *
04. The Creeper *
05. Wexford Scramble
06. Weepy Man
07. Jolly Joes
08. Been Young

* unreleased

Dave - drums
Jim - guitar, vocals
Mike - baritone guitar, vocals

www.theblindshake.com

The Blind Shake (Minneapolis), Mannequin Men (Chicago) and The Urinals (Los Angeles) supported Killdozer (Los Angeles) for a string of 3 reunion shows. I'm certainly glad I made it to the Turf Club. Please support the bands by picking up the official releases.

The entire Urinals set can be downloaded here.

MONO @ The Triple Rock '09

Culture Bully and Empty's Tapes wanted to do our part in helping to document this stellar show. You can check out their extremely well detailed piece on the evening over at CultureBully.com. With national recognition I'm sure many people are already aware of the comprehensive job Culture Bully does in documenting the local and national music scenes but if for some reason it's news to you then it's time to hit the bookmark button.

The band's new taping policy is such that they would prefer to hear all recordings to decide if they would like them posted in their entirety or not. Having recorded them 5 times since 2005 and being that they are one of my favorite bands I'm certainly here to respect their wishes. Please do enjoy "Ashes in the Snow" and "Halo" from Monday night's set.

A complete audience recording of the Maserati set can be found here.

WHY? - "The Hallows" @ The Triple Rock

I'm calling this the show of the year. When all is said and done I'll probably have seen at least 80. Hey some people knit and others go to shows. Yeah it's true, I've been waiting since July but I'm trying to leave bias behind. I do have two confessions to make. 1) This was my first time seeing WHY? live. 2) I was afraid the hype was going to leave me disappointed. I was wrong. I spent over $30 at the merch table, mostly on stuff I already owned. My only request? Please play "The Fall of Mr. Fifths" when you get to the Desert.

I don't have permission to post the full set so we'll have to start with something everyone knows...

WHY? - "The Hallows" Live in Minneapolis

If you dig that all kinds of records are available here.

Dark Dark Dark (Minneapolis) supports 09/30-10/10. AU (Portland) supports through 11/11.

Maserati @ The Triple Rock

320kbps mp3s are available on emptystapes.com
FLAC files are available on the Traders' Den

Maserati
The Triple Rock
Minneapolis, MN
Monday October 5th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: DINish (cm, º), right drink rail, 25' back, ~10' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fades)
TRT: 45:11

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. No More Sages
02. 12/16
03. We've Got the System to Fight the System
04. Show Me the Season
05. Inventions
06. "Chug"
07. Monoliths

Coley Dennis - Guitar
Josh McCauley - Guitar
Steve Scarborough - Bass
Chris McNeal - Bass
Jerry Fuchs - Drums

www.myspace.com/maseratirocks

Out of all the recordings to nail I couldn't be happier with the way this one turned out. Maserati is touring the states through October so be sure to check them out if you get the chance. This is serious business. Temporary Residence Limited is such an amazing label you won't want to pass the merch table by either. Please support these fine fellas by picking up one of the official releases. Some of the nicest touring musicians I've met in years. Thanks to the band and to The Triple Rock for allowing another one into the archives. This show was in support of MONO. You know who MONO is, right? Good.

Poor Weather Club @ The Triple Rock

320kbps mp3s can be found on emptystapes.com

Poor Weather Club
The Triple Rock
Minneapolis, MN
Sunday September 27th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: DINish (cm, º), right drink rail, 25' back, ~10' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fade out)

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. Dove Song
02. Ice Age (UK Subs cover)
03. Fat and the Knife (a Blackthorns song)
04. Cinders (written as the Blackthorns were breaking up)

www.myspace.com/poorweatherclub

Thanks go out to the band for allowing these tracks to be recorded & shared on the internets. Be on the look out in the coming months for a proper full length release from Poor Weather Club. Malpais and an untitled song opened the set. These songs were performed at a benefit show for The Daniele Finley Foundation. More information on that can be found in this post.

Lookbook CD Release @ The Kitty Cat Klub

Heads up all. My friend Brody has posted some pics and video from the Lookbook CD Release over at British Rock Is Always Top. Keep an eye on his site for some of the best local and national music documentation around town.

La Dispute @ The Varsity Theater

FLAC files are available via torrent on The Traders' Den
320kbps mp3s are available on emptystapes.com

La Dispute
The Varsity Theater
Minneapolis, MN
Monday September 28th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: DINish FOB 4' ROC, 25' back, ~9' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > mixdown > FLAC > WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
cavis Matrix: SoundForge 7.0 (sync) > Cool Edit Pro 2.0 (mixdown) > SoundForge 7.0 (levels/editing) > FLAC
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fades)
TRT: 30:53

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. Such Small Hands (this is for a friend over on 43rd Ave South)
02. Said the King to the River
03. Last Blues For Bloody Knuckles
04. Damaged Goods
05. Sad Prayers For Guilty Bodies
06. Fairmount
07. New Storms For Older Lovers

Jordan Dreyer - Vocals
Chad Sterenberg - Guitar
Adam Vass - Bass
Kevin Whittemore - Guitar
Brad Vander Lugt - Drums

||Official||
||myspace||
||Facebook||
||last.fm||
||PureVolume||

La Dispute was at the top of the "bands to tape in 2009" list alongside a certain three lettered band ending with a question mark. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity. I've seen a lot of amazing music this year but I can't recall anyone who would be able to surpass the heart and the engergy these guys bring. La Dispute formed in Grand Rapids, Michigan the summer of 2004. They're a young band but something tells me they will be around for a long time to come. You can score both LPs in CD & vinyl through No Sleep Records. Too bad they didn't have that hoodie at the merch table. This show was in support of The Fall of Troy and Thursday. Thanks to the band, John Harris and of course The Varsity for allowing this recording to happen. My friend cavis also deserves respect for the matrix assistance.

It's very likely that the Fall of Troy and Thursday sets are to follow. Please support all of the bands by picking up the official releases.

The Gaslight Anthem & Lookbook

So back in May I entered into a slight obsession with The Gaslight Anthem's "Great Expectations" and their album "The '59 Sound" in general. I'm usually too cool for such sleek poppiness but given the circumstances at the time I indulged this obsession for a good couple of months. Sometime in July I heard they were coming through with Murder by Death and Frank Turner. Wanting to see all 3 acts and fearing it might sell out I went through ticketbastard which I hate to do. I've taped Murder by Death a few times and wasn't worried there. After contacting The Gaslight Anthem's manager I received a very polite No on recording their set but was able to obtain permission to capture the openers.

On a completely different note, Lookbook is releasing their debut LP at the Kitty Cat Klub on Saturday. I'm extremely tempted to break the one cab per night rule and head over to Dinkytown after Murder by Death leave the stage. Regardless of whether I'm there or not I know this will be a great show and I'm sure lots of people will attend.

For now please join me in song...

"And I Saw Tail Lights Last Night In a Dream About My First Wife
Everybody Leaves And I'd Expect As Much From You.
I Saw Tail Lights Last Night In A Dream About My Old Life,
Everybody Leaves So Why, Why Wouldn't You?"

Ela @ The Turf Club

320kbps mp3s available on emptystapes.com
(email me for FLAC files)

Ela
The Turf Club
St. Paul, MN
Wednesday September 9th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: AB, 5' LOC, 6' back, ~8' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fades)
TRT: 38:29

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. Gabriel
02. Shiver Tree
03. Checks Getting Cashed
04. Cuts and Stars
05. History/Photograph
06. Razor Blade
07. Halo Fire
08. Idiot
09. I Don't Know if its Helping

Bill Caperton (vocals, guitar)
Sean McPherson (bass)
Peter Leggett (drums)
Knol Tate (absent tonight)

www.myspace.com/ela

Hopefully people out there appreciate the fact that these guys don't get together much anymore. Great set. To be honest I had forgotten how much I love this band. You should probably pick up a record if you don't have any of them. This was a celebration of Steve's birthday. Communist Daughter, Roma di Luna and Building Better Bombs also played.

More Cowbell Wednesday Series @ The Turf Club

I swear I do not work at or get paid by The Turf Club. It just so happens they book a lot of great shows. Speaking of Poor Weather Club, More Cowbell's Wednesday Series has a tasty show this evening. G-Biz, Ill Ease and Ratt Poison also throw down tonight in the Midway.

Thanks to morecowbell.net you can print out this flyer and get in for $3.

The Urinals @ The Turf Club

320kbps mp3s are available on emptystapes.com
FLAC files are available on The Traders' Den (utorrent is your friend)

The Urinals
The Turf Club
St. Paul, MN
Saturday September 26th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: AB, 5' LOC, 6' back, ~8' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fades)
TRT: 35:15

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. Hologram
02. Close Our Eyes
03. Black Hole
04. Girl Before
05. Water/Blood
06. Beautiful Again
07. Rocket To The Moon
08. Insomnia
09. Sex
10. Shut Yer Trap
11. Strip Club
12. The President & King Shake Hands
13. Unblackmailable
14. This Song Is A Virus
15. I'm A Bug
16. Ack, Ack, Ack, Ack
17. You're Gonna Miss Me

www.myspace.com/chairsofperception | www.happysquid.com

Kevin Barrett - drums
Rob Roberge - guitar & vocals
John Talley-Jones - vocals & bass guitar

It was an honor to tape the legendary Los Angeles punk band The Urinals. I'd also like to give them a sincere thank you for the green light to share this with folks. This was the last of three shows with the mighty Killdozer. Mannequin Men (Chicago) and The Blind Shake (Minneapolis) opened. I'll try to get some tracks up from the other sets as well. Thanks to Herb, Ryan and the rest of The Turf Club staff for doing what they do.

As of Summer 2009 The Urinals have been finishing up their new 13 track album. They're working with Mike Martt (Thelonious Monster, Tex and the Horseheads) at Greenhouse in Long Beach. Keep an eye out for that.

Golden Birthdays & Tour Managers...

So if I let Thursday's tour manager know that the 29th is my "golden birthday" do you think they'll show mercy on the taping front? I'm very interested in getting a recording of the La Dispute set and was given the green light by them to do so. I've heard from people on the West coast that The Fall of Troy are cool with it as well. In all honesty if I need to pack it up before Thursday go on to accomplish this than I'm down. Taping "bigger" bands can get tricky. Even if they're cool with it they may get trumped by the management. I also haven't tried taping at The Varsity since my homie Erik's departure so things could get interesting.

Unfortunately, Young Widows have dropped off the tour but will be returning to The Triple Rock in November with Russian Circles. Their previous two shows (Triple Rock & Turf Club) are in the archives.

Besides being a gorgeous venue what's the best part about seeing shows at The Varsity? Mesa Pizza is across the street!

Benefit show for the Daniele Finley Foundation.

The Daniele Finley Foundation's mission is "to provide emergency support to young adults in the Twin Cities." Here's another snippet from the foundation's website regarding last night's event. "When Daniele died, we asked that people give memorial donations to the Animal Humane Society. We still like that idea. People also gave us a basket of cash at the funeral and in the mail. And on September 27, a benefit will be held at The Triple Rock to raise more money." If you would like to make a donation please email or call 651-644-4540.

The line-up included; The Hostages, Lusurfer, Poor Weather Club, Best Bitch In Show, and DJ Rock the Monkey. Having taped The Blackthorns at The Varsity in '07 I was particularly interested in catching Poor Weather Club (ex-Blackthorns). Unfortunately that was the only set that I taped and I'll check with the band on getting some of those tracks posted.

On a side note, sorry to say that the Blackthorns recording mentioned above is trapped on a HDD that went out on me in July '07. I'm hoping to recover it when data-recovery does not cost $$$.

Killdozer, The Urinals, Mannequin Men & The Blind Shake @ The Turf

Wow. To be completely honest I was aware of Killdozer & The Urinals but I never consistently listened to them and therefore never really "got into" them. I can't think of anywhere else I would have rather been around town last night. Mannequin Men (Chicago) & The Blind Shake (Minneapolis) both killed their time on stage as well. Whoever put this line up together knew what they were doing. Truly historical. Many people missed out but that's how it goes. Thanks to The Turf Club for hosting.

So far I have permission to post a couple two or three songs from each set but I want to confirm this. I'll try to circulate full sets if possible.

Roma di Luna @ The Turf Club

Download your 320kbps mp3s here.

Roma di Luna (duo)
The Turf Club
St. Paul, MN
Wednesday September 9th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: AB, 5' LOC, 6' back, ~8' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad customs > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (normalized + fades)
TRT: 38:43

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. Dance Me to the End of Love #
02. Blue Moon %
03. Before I Die ^
04. Hallelujah *
05. These Tears Ain't Mine ^
06. Inside the Bells ^
07. Bring It on Home to Me +
08. In the Aeroplane over the Sea =

# Leonard Cohen
% Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
* Jeff Buckley (L. Cohen)
+ Sam Cooke
= Neutral Milk Hotel
^ Roma di Luna

Channy Moon Casselle - vocals & violin
Alexei Moon Casselle - vocals & guitar

On this night we celebrated Steve Yasgar's birthday. Steve's lady friend Lee was caring enough to put together a special surprise bill. Communist Daughter, Ela (reunited w/ original line-up) and Building Better Bombs played as well. It was one of the most complete & solid shows from start to finish in recent memory. As you can see this was also a very unique Roma di Luna set. Not only are the duo performances rare these day but the set was full of brilliant covers...some perhaps never performed before of ever again. Have a listen, you'd be a fool to miss this one.

Please check back if you're interested in FLAC files. I also wanted to try to get some of the other sets posted. Ela is close.

Junkyard Empire "Rebellion Politik" CD Release

Download V0 mp3s here.
And for all of the people in the know about FLAC files.

Junkyard Empire
"Rebellion Politik" CD Release Show
The Cedar Cultural Center
Minneapolis, MN
Friday September 4th 2009

Taper: empty (emptystapes AT gmail DOT com)
Location: DINish ( cm, º) FOB, DFC, 30' back, ~9' ^
Source: MBHO 603a KA200N > Silver Quad > UA-5 (BM2p+) > iRiver h120 (Optical @ 16bit 44.1kHz WAV)
Transfer: h120 > USB 2.0 > PC [WAV > TLH lvl 6 + Tested > FLAC]
Edit: CD Wave (tracking) Sound Forge 10 (fade out)
TRT: 54:54

This Recording is for Promotional & Archival Purposes Only.

01. ...Carnage's beatbox intro
02. Casualties of War
03. Original Assumption
04. Rebellion Politik
05. Snake in the Grass
06. open jam with RDM and Carnage
07. Back to the Basics feat. RDM and Carnage
08. Conflict, the History Part I
09. Catharsis
10. ...Rock el Imperio intro
11. Rock el Imperio (Rock the Empire/Alternative Energy medley)
12. ...band intros
13. Manifest

Brihanu - Vocals
Christopher Robin Cox - Keyboard/Trombone
Bryan Berry - Guitar
Dan Choma - Bass
Graham O' Brien - Drums/Laptop

www.myspace.com/junkyardempire | www.MediaRootsMusic.com

Pick up your copy of "Rebellion Politik" today. It's available on all major online stores right now. Carnage, Guante, Samosa and Dahr Jamail supported the evening. Thank you to the bands and to The Cedar for being down with taping.