Posted: Jun 18, 2008 4:09 pm
Nope, I don't think I spilt anything about Bamalama yet. It was pretty great! The 13-14 hour drive was, of course, the worst part. There were about 40 people from Milwaukee alone that made it down. A bunch left on Wednesday night to make it in time for the Stars game, which I believe are the Brewers Minor League team. I left Thursday night with a group of people and we arrived Friday, about 10am, to realize just how fucking hot it was. Met up with everyone at Travis's house, smoked some joints, drank a few beers and headed out to the Tennesse River for some clif jumping and swimming. The water felt great after a long drive. That area of the river was pretty hip with locals swimming and swinging from ropes. A little boy fell from a tree and broke is arm. He just walked around with a kink in his forearm, shaking it saying, "I think I broke my arm!" and his dead took him to the hospital. We spent a couple of hours there, headed back into town and stopped at Bandito Borrito, a tiny local 'punk' run Americanized Mexican restaurant. The food was fine and tons of us Milwaukee and Huntsville brothers and sisters took over the place.
We ended up back over at Travis's house for a while longer and headed over to the Flying Monkey, where the fest was taking place. I didn't know what to expect but upon arriving I was pretty floored by how big the building was. It use to be an old cotton factory from what I heard and it's pretty secluded. It's a big art collective, 3 or 4 floors maybe. The second floor is divided up by maybe 20 or so different rentable spaces. A small record store sits on that floor but I didn't get around to checking it out much. The main floor is just a big open warehouse with a stage, etc. Big fans to keep it cool.
It was nice to have a go to a fest that wasn't in a expensive dark and trendy bar. There were a bunch of hippy lookin people around all weekend. They were suppose to have Moon Bounce but instead it was a Moon Bounce/Moon Bounce Slide. A dunk tunk was also in play. Hey! It was BYOB all weekend which was awesome of course.
Plexi3, Milwaukee shitheads (hah), we're on first. Didn't watch much of em but a song or two to get on video tape. I see em all the time. Carrots were up next! I thought they were pretty weak, but this ain't the TermBo board, so whatever... I thought they sucked. Didn't watch the Strange Boys.. they bore me live. Terrible Twos, Thomas Function, LiveFastDie all followed. Three bands I can stand watching. I think I taped those sets in whole but I gotta fire up the tape and see sometime. Great first drunken stoned night. Headed back to Travis's house to pass out. A bunch stayed in the AC cooled house and there were about 7 or 8 tents in his yard and driveway. Luckily, I got a shady (shaded) spot so I didn't fry in the morning. I did however end up pulling a Hulk like move on my tent, tearing the door open during the night when I couldn't figure out how to get it open. Someone stepped in some dog shit in the front yard and somehow tied the shit and my tent ripping together and everyone thinks I tore out of my tent to take a shit outside in the middle of the night.
We spent that Saturday back at the River for a while and hit up the local Taco Truck. Four awesome tacos for 5 bucks made by some real suave Mexican dudes. Back at Travis's we go for more drinkin before the day show. Showed up just as the Shining Path started. Thee sloppiest band of the weekend. The kids looked pretty young and one of em broke his guitar and lit the shit on fire after they finished. Mosquito Bandito dude up next. Nice guy! Just came through Milwaukee recently with the Shanks. Speaking of shit, Shank dudes shit on the floor and broke the door at the bar in Milwaukee... and they're the loudest drunken sloppiest worstest band I've had to honor to work with in Milwaukee. I mean that in the best way! Nice guys! Back to Bamalama. The day show was outside under a tent and Mahonies up next. Craig is one funny fuckin dude and the Mahonies rule. Rise Up Howlin Werewolf took the shady grassy area next. Never heard em before but they were pretty good. Long haired hippy dude had the best (raunchiest) guitar sound from some homemade cabinet and pedals. To send off the day show, Roman Gabriel Todd's Beast Rising Up Out Of The Sea, take charge. I mean it, they took fuckin charge!! Insane bass and drums crazyness with special appearance by Mr. Joe Butler. Fuck, I don't know who this guy is but I think he hates work and religion. Afterwards we left and ate pizza.
A few hours pass and we head back for the night show. I missed Jail and unfortunatly I missed out on VCR's other band, Liquor Store. Not that I missed it on accident, I was just so hot and drunk and stoned. I remember not wanting to go inside.
The rest of the night consisted of Wax Museums, the Kind of Jazz Music That Kills, QUintron and Miss Pussycat, drinking, smoking, sweating and that kinda shit.
Okay, that's all I got.
![Kim Gordon - No Home Record lp [Matador]](https://gonershop.s3.amazonaws.com/cart/images/gordonKIm.jpg "Kim Gordon - No Home Record lp [Matador]")