91 replies to this topic

[Lonna]

I haven't spent much time on the the shizz lately.

But recently I found myself feeling nostalgia for the shizz and for those beginning days, when the shizz first started and when alot of us met for the first time.

I am in danger of sounding ultra cheesy, but I'm throwing caution to the wind and opening up a thread for those of you who want to share crazy stories, memories, or moments from those good ole days.


I'll start:

When I was 22, I decided that if I was ever gonna start playing music in a public setting, I had to start playing music in a public setting (duh). But seeing as how I sucked and didn't know anyone, I started playing open mics. On Monday nights I played at Joe's Grotto, a really shitty rock bar in North Phoenix. Then I heard of another one in Tempe at a place called Hollywood Alley. And then a few months later I heard of another open mic in downtown Phoenix. The venue was awful. It reeked of puke and piss and stale beer. The layers upon layers of cigarette smoke made it hard to breath, let alone see more than a few feet in front of you. When I left, I was sure I would never be back. That place was the Emerald Lounge. And for me, it ended up being the best local dive bar/venue in town.

[unluckycharm]

I haven't spent much time on the the shizz lately.

But recently I found myself feeling nostalgia for the shizz and for those beginning days, when the shizz first started and when alot of us met for the first time.

I am in danger of sounding ultra cheesy, but I'm throwing caution to the wind and opening up a thread for those of you who want to share crazy stories, memories, or moments from those good ole days.


I'll start:

When I was 22, I decided that if I was ever gonna start playing music in a public setting, I had to start playing music in a public setting (duh). But seeing as how I sucked and didn't know anyone, I started playing open mics. On Monday nights I played at Joe's Grotto, a really shitty rock bar in North Phoenix. Then I heard of another one in Tempe at a place called Hollywood Alley. And then a few months later I heard of another open mic in downtown Phoenix. The venue was awful. It reeked of puke and piss and stale beer. The layers upon layers of cigarette smoke made it hard to breath, let alone see more than a few feet in front of you. When I left, I was sure I would never be back. That place was the Emerald Lounge. And for me, it ended up being the best local dive bar/venue in town.

I think I met you at that Joe's Grotto open mic when I used to impersonate a bad Radiohead singer-songwriter. Then I think I met Donald & Mike Montoya at the Hollywood Alley one. Then we all eventually got drunk a lot at the Emerald Lounge and impersonated "singer-songwriters". Onetime I helped Andrew throw out a thief from the Emerald...dude was trying to steal microphones! If I get lung cancer, I'm gonna blame the Emerald. I'm pretty sure I met the World Class Thugs kids at Nita's Hideaway. I think I met Chadk when he & Donald were DJs at the Brickhouse. I met HFE...methinks it was at Emerald or Caseys. Jeez I'm old. The first musician I ever met in Phoenix (who is still around) was Mike Red. He was in a noisy industrial band then and still had hair, lol. Best of all I met my wife at a Shizz event.

[Tender Lad]

I miss the Emerald too. We (Meatwhistle) used to cover the place in beer, whipped cream, chocolate sauce & blood. Plus the stage was so small that Ron had to stand in front of my drums and I would shove a stick in his G-string-wearing ass any chance I could get.

*sigh*

[Jacki O.]

i only moved downtown in 2004 (from 2000 to spring 2004 i was an art student at ASU and didn't really socialize) so i was a bit late but i first saw Sonorous at the Emerald Lounge when my friend Shira was like "let's go to this dirty dive bar and check out this weird jazz band"

and i was all "ok"

and then it closed shortly afterwards

My friend Ryan McKee introduced me to the shizz and i went to the brickhouse shizz DJ nights a few times with Ryan.

McKee also took me to the Hollywood Alley to see a band called Fatigo! Who became one of my all time favorite bands!

that's as old as i get

[Lonna]

think I met you at that Joe's Grotto open mic when I used to impersonate a bad Radiohead singer-songwriter. Then I think I met Donald & Mike Montoya at the Hollywood Alley one. Then we all eventually got drunk a lot at the Emerald Lounge and impersonated "singer-songwriters". Onetime I helped Andrew throw out a thief from the Emerald...dude was trying to steal microphones! If I get lung cancer, I'm gonna blame the Emerald. I'm pretty sure I met the World Class Thugs kids at Nita's Hideaway. I think I met Chadk when he & Donald were DJs at the Brickhouse. I met HFE...methinks it was at Emerald or Caseys. Jeez I'm old. The first musician I ever met in Phoenix (who is still around) was Mike Red. He was in a noisy industrial band then and still had hair, lol. Best of all I met my wife at a Shizz event.

I met Mike Montoya on the open mic circuit too, before I ever played at Joe's Grotto. I think I was 19 and living in tempe. I was chubby and lonely and happened upon some open mic on mill avenue. It was the first time I ever played for more than 2 people ( I think there were about 5 people there that night). My hands were shaking. I thought it was cool that Mike and I both played nylon string guitars. And I remember meeting you at Joe's Grotto through the Optimist. What ever happened to that guy? One of my best new years eves was at your house off 6th avenue. I think I wanted to play your guitar, but I was drunk and the guitar was special and you didn't let me. Am I imagining that? I broke a beer bottle on your kitchen floor.

I saw a picture of Donald once with really long hair. Mike and Donald had a studio apartment in tempe. I went over there a few times. It was so tiny. Mike said he slept in the closet. I didn't believe him till he showed me the little bed he had for himself underneath all the hanging clothes. Hey Donald, remember that time I yelled at you? That was stupid.

[The Real Jeffrey Lebowski]

Going to the Judas Priest show with quezo, ladydemon and weener is one of my favorite memories, shizz related or otherwise.

Epic radness.

P.S. How the fuck was that almost a year and a half ago?

[Lonna]

Mark and I met at Briefcase's (Nowhere Man and Whiskey Girl) moving away party. Well, we didn't actually meet there, but that's the first time we were at the same place/same time.

The first time we actually talked was at the Bikini when he was laughing at me for eating a hamburger. Later that night, he stole my bike.

[skeksis]

Think I came on board circa 2003 when I met (sort of) Donald & maybe Chad at some very weird 'save our scene' type meetings hosted by an odd gal @ alice cooperstown. Lurked for some time before that, been kinda peripheral to theshizz ever since... Remember specifically an odd singer/songwriter showcase at the Brickhouse that Donald put together (including Lonna, D and maybe others). Was somewhat impressed, but it's been interesting watching you folks from arms-length ('specially Lonna) mature as musicians over the years. Ahhh... open mics! one of these days I'm gonna get one organized, and I expect y'all to make an appearance.

[mothrock]

NYE party for 2001-2002, I think I met 'the shizz' formally there, though I think we had done a show with vin fiz and minibosses a little bit before this.


timelines get fuzzy in my head.

[Jacki O.]

Mark and I met at Briefcase's (Nowhere Man and Whiskey Girl) moving away party. Well, we didn't actually meet there, but that's the first time we were at the same place/same time.

The first time we actually talked was at the Bikini when he was laughing at me for eating a hamburger. Later that night, he stole my bike.

glad you never talked to him again!



oh yah NYE! i went to that one awesome NYE party at that recording studio (what was it called?). that was one of the best NYE's i've ever had!

[jeremx]

wow.. my profile says join date of 2/23/03. user # 69! woo.. coolest user number ever! anyway, i think i first came over here to post stuff about booking super awesome ska/punk nights on tuesdays at the big fish. man, those were rough. ha ha.. that or posting shows while working at nita's. pretty well only know jr, chad, mikey, tia, and destina. and i met all of them from the azpunk board originally. ha ha

[Danosaur]

NYE party for 2001-2002, I think I met 'the shizz' formally there, though I think we had done a show with vin fiz and minibosses a little bit before this.


timelines get fuzzy in my head.

We played at that place out on the Westside... Burnt Chrome studios or something like that...I think I remember Mothrock saying to me "hey have you ever heard of the shizz?" I was like the what? Yeah I think you sent me the link or we both signed up on the shizz around the same day or something after practice at the Beverly house. I think I met Donald for the first time when EOTM played at Brickhouse with the Budget Sinatra...I wasn't a real actve member of the shizz till I joined up with fatigo though...that waws when Mike was like, "hey you are a nerdy geek with computer skills...cna you make us a myspace page?" actually I think i made the page first and Mike was like coo dude...now I never check it...that is all Mike's baby.

Emerald Lounge Fatigo and Minibosses show...was off the hook...i don't think i have ever swallowed more exhaled smoke in one place than on that night...i think it was only my fourth of fith show too with fatigo...

sigh "memories"

[vitaminardi]

I was donalds neighbor at this ultra-cruddy apartment complex near ASU at around 2002. 4 ground-level cinderblock 1 room apartments. The manager was this dude named Glen, he had this really cool family and a miniature Doberman that would escape and run all over the place and bark at me. I can't remember the situation, but, I think I was knocking on Donalds door, and Mike Montoya shows up, and lets himself in with a key. The inside of the apartment is packed with guitar cases and amps floor to ceiling and Donald wakes up in his briefs and is a little out of it and surprised when mike barges in. That's sort of how I remember it...in any case it cracks me up.

[chadk]

i think i meet donald when in hotfoughtcold, maybe at modified. after that i meet many many more folks through having shows at the farmer house. oh and i remember getting henna with burke at casey's and who can forget sleeveless summer. i think that was when i really meet eric, and jeremy x through azpunk and i always tried to get him to come over to the shizz and now he is here! oh and mikey i guess did an interview with hfc 7 years ago tha i have no recollection off, or maybe just the beginning at long wongs, can't really remember when i meet montoya but i loved fatigo so much they played our wedding. and weener and tenderlad, the first time i saw meatwhistle, was the first couple years i was teaching, i went to see agent orange at the green room, i had meet kraig a few times before hand, but in a very professional sense, he helped out my school with stuff, and the first band was crazy so i went to the bar the next thing i know the singer is on the bar taking peoples drinks and throwing them at them and then i saw that it was kraig and he grabbed me and threw a cup at me and i was super WTF and stoked, that was awesome, i didn't really meet weener and tender lad that night but they made a definite impression for sure.

[Big_Poppa]

Maria V introduced me and Marty to Montoya and Donald a long time ago. D what was it? 96? 97? Marty and I were playing in Rusty Jones and we had a show at Gibson's that night - talk about a place I used to love to play - and we all met in Hayden Square.

Lots of awesome memories over the years - Donald arranged a Travolta/Vin Fiz show at a true "dive bar" on Apache Ave, we had to move a pool table out of the way and hilarity ensued.

DLC and the soft vs. hard core porn discussion.

Albuquerque with the Glooey Brothers.

I have never seen Montoya laugh harder than my matador routine at the Monte V during a Fatigo set.

Portland with the Minibosses/Vin Fiz.

That NYE party/show at Living Head was so amazingly fun. Sparks and Champagne - plus that big bottle of grey goose and all of those red bulls in my backpack. The small river of pee on the side of the building.

It's sad about the Ruby Room - I was just thinking of all of the spots that have come and gone. Emerald, Nita's, Long Wongs, Paper Heart, etc etc... uhhh Lucky Dragon anyone?