Stirrings and Change

I feel like CJ is on the cusp of something. It is strangely random.

A year ago today we'd been a band for less than a year and we decided to take on the challenge of playing a Halloween gig as the Flaming Lips. I won't say that this was a mistep because the experience was useful, but it certainly distracted us and exhausted us. We cared too much how it went and maybe worked too hard on it. We started out with high expectations and had to make too many compromises. After the dust cleared I was kind of worried that we might lose our drummer...and that maybe all of us were just a little too exhausted or depressed or SOMETHING to carry on. The future seemed really unclear and shakey.

But we took a little time to rest (just a few weeks, but what a difference that makes)...then a little time to learn new tunes (again, really only about a month of this). And the learning of new tunes went surprisingly well. We've added Silver, D=RxT, Space I Believe In, In Heaven, Wave UK, Ana, Blown Away, and Bird Dream since Halloween...all but one of them since Jan 1st. And now the finish line of finishing the complete catalog is in sight...it's a little ways away yet...but you can make it out for sure. It is buoying.

Enter Martin Atkins.

Such a random thing. We HAPPENED to hear about the coaching session. We went on a whim. We intended to talk Drain but got sidetracked talking about CJ. Essentially...one half hour conversation with one person got us:
1. To decide to print swag...then buy the equipment and start to learn to use it...and to start working on designs.
2. To make a contact for a show in Chicago...and another potential contact for Milwaukee.
3. To start thinking like we were headed somewhere.

Martin is a hell of a guy and he actually followed up with us to tell us to get our asses in gear on the Chicago gig. What a shock. And so now we've been promised a Chicago show at a really nice venue...just waiting on a date (probably a long time off because of how far in advance they book, but promised/pending all the same). Meanwhile...we've got a show every month for the next three...all are on weekends...two are headlining with 2 set gigs...and one is a benefit at HNS.

The feeling today is much different than the feeling that I had on November 1, 2011. It's a total turnaround. I hope that we can sustain this. Learn the rest of the songs. Start playing outside Madison on a regular basis (once every three shows perhaps?). Make and sell swag. Be a respectable band. Get Albertonied for crissakes. MAMMA-fy us bitches. And then stick with it for a while (I don't know about the boys, but I'd be happy to still be doing this schtick five years from now...or longer...if people still came to the shows...which is probably how the real Pixies feel too). Let's fucking do this thing.