Man….

I love Shellac.

I have since the first time I saw them in that sketchy ass Vet bar in Detroit’s Cass Corridor in the summer of 1994.

The instruments are the same, yet, a decade of pounding has settled into some impressive wear-n-tear. They still take questions in between songs. They still sell the shirts after the show.

And fuck, they still just…well…”rip.”

Todd Trainer is one of my favorite drummers of all time. Of all time. Minneapolis. His time, his sweat, his power, his set, his crashes and of course, that sinister, ominous snarl. I am in absolute awe. Still, after a long, ugly decade of being a “fan.”

Caught them tonight downtown at Berbati’s. The kinda show that makes you move yer head. The kinda show that makes you sweat. The kinda show that makes you drive home real fast…maybe too fast…to read liner notes or play a certain song. And shit if I can’t wait until daylight to try to play some of those beats on my drums.

I’m going Friday night too, goddammit.

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I designed up a book cover for my friend Maggie Powers. It’s showing up in lots of rags all over town. Even here. Yay.

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Matt Cooley was in town last week to see his family and other unmentionables. He came by with his little lady and took some pics of Gary and I hamming it up for our guests. It was good to see him growing up, in love and filling out.