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Memories Worth Having. [Part 1]

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

So, about a month or so ago, a facebook event was created such that, it asked some of our close friends what their favorite memories of coming to The Trunk Space were. We’re going to try and roll a couple of these every day, so be sure to keep up! First up is Mike Bogomil;

  • April 2006: One of my first shows at the Trunk Space. It was Streetside Prophet (a disbanded pop punk band with Wes Korte who now sings in Rumspringer) Parkway Wretch (another pop punk band whose members are now in other pop punk bands) and a touring band from Israel called Man Alive. The show was kind of poorly attended, but I remembered liking the overall feel of the venue. I had just gone to ginormous show at the Marquee the night before with Against Me! and the Alkaline Trio, and it was nice to see music in a much more quaint environment. Also, one of the guys in the Israeli band said that the audience were “strangers in an arid land” and his bandmate replied “Strangers in an Arab land? That’s us.” They were really cool and talked about being drafted into the Israeli army and how the only big punk bands that had played Israel recently were Good Clean Fun and Frenzal Rhomb. New venue and new perspective on punk rock and geography = memories indeed.
  • August 2006: O Pioneers and Porches. O Pioneers was really good, they were a lot more noisy than they are now and sounded a lot more like (Young) Pioneers, who they were often compared to at the time. They are still really good, by the way. This was the first time I saw Porches (Ben Horowitz). I may not have watched him had he not politely asked me and my friend to come inside and watch in this kind of passive and sort of guilt trip inducing “if you really want to” manner. Anyway, it worked, and Ben proclaimed two very true things to myself and everyone else who he made feel sorry enough to watch him. Firstly “there is no such thing as an apolitical song, there are only songs that don’t talk about what’s going on”. Secondly, through stage banter rather than music, he stated that everyone in the scene, no matter how much they may disagree with each other, all appreciate things that are “croosh”. I guess crooshalness is in the eye of the beholder, but nevertheless, I think most people involved with DIY music and art are very prone to get super stoked over things that they think are the crooshest things ever, and that kind of enthusiasm tends to transcend all cliques and genres and whatever. I think the main moral of the story is Ben said some profound and interesting things, which is something he does a lot, but this was the first time I experienced it.
  • June 2007: This show may have been on my 19th birthday. It was Deer Tick, Jacob Smigel, Uggamugga, and French Quarter I believe. I wanted to take some of my friends who don’t really go to shows to a show they would like, as a lot of the shows I went to at this time were hardcore punk shows, which are not palatable to most people’s “normal” friends. So in a way I was trying to share something I liked (live ‘indie’ music) with my friends while making them feel comfortable. The show was good. Deer Tick was alt country with a singer who sounded like Boomhauer from King of the Hill. If they still sound like this, I am not surprised that they are huge now. Jacob Smigel was kind of a primadonna but still good. The locals were also good, and my friends had a good time and realized that I didn’t listen exclusively to what probably sounded like serial killer music to them (normal people think this about ‘heavy’ music for some reason).
  • To add to the Deer Tick show story, that night as I was getting stamped, I asked JRC if the hand mattered, because at Modified they do it on the left hand. He said that it didn’t matter and asked me “Do they do this at Modified?” and gave me a hug. They didn’t give hugs at the Modified, and now they don’t do shows anymore. Do the math.
  • Much more abbreviated memories:
    -Dancing shirtless to Captain Ahab with a bunch of people who I am now friends with.
    -Watching noodle climb a tree or try to kill a bug while a boring band plays inside.
    -Having some woman dressed like a gypsy walking to the Bikini look at me and Naomi and say “Oooh! I love hipsters!”.
    -Witnessing Sean Michael (Grassroots Campaign) drunkenly chuck his cellphone onto Grand Avenue only to have it get ran over by a car while he talks about love being bullshit as a boring band plays inside.

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    Long Lost Phoenix Texaco Station Found!

    Sunday, April 4th, 2010
    Texaco Gas Station
    The above Texaco Gas Station still exists though you
    can no longer visit it to
    “Trust your car to the man who wears the star”
    as the 1962 advertising jingle went.
    Can anyone guess what intersection this vintage gas station can be found at?  Hint: it’s not too far from the Trunk Space!

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    Posted in Arizona things of interest, Roadside America, Uncategorized | No Comments »

    All March Events, LOTS of SXSW fun!

    Monday, March 8th, 2010

    For more details, see our calendar

    Wed. 3rd: Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk. Stephen Steinbrink hosts, with Hell-Kite, and The Chandails.

    Thurs. 4th: Grand Ave Live, dwntwn’s longest running talk show! Hosted by Ernasty!?
    Fri 5th-Sun 7th: Art Detour! Three Days of Fine Art and Phoenix Culture!

    Thurs. 11th: The SXSW Month Kickoff show! From France surf-rock by “L’Orcchideed ‘Hawai” plus Planets, Secondary, “Friendship & the Fawn” with local support y Naw Meen and Haunted Cologne!

    Fri 12th, 6PM: RAMPAGE FEST, Day 1: WRITER (San Diego) TAPE DECK MOUNTAIN (San Diego) LOVVERS (UK) ABE VIGODA (LA-CA) $10 Single day tickets available at Zia Records, Stinkweeds, Hoodlums and TicketWeb.
    *3 day Passes just $8!

    Sat. 13th, 6PM: RAMPAGE FEST, Day 2: THE HAPPY HALLOWS (Los Angeles), TV GHOST (IN) SO COW (Ireland), EARTHMEN AND STRANGERS (Tempe) NOBUNNY (CA). $10 Single day tickets available at Zia Records, Stinkweeds, Hoodlums and TicketWeb.
    *3 day Passes just $8!

    Sun. 14th: Red Pony Clock, Funderstorm! 2 high energy fun bands with locals Mike Montya, Everygreen Medic, and Man About A Dog.

    Mon. 15th: Hunx & His Punkettes, Shannon & The Claws, Slow Club, The Pods. Presented by SELECT shows.
    myspace.com/shannonandtheclams

    Tues. 16th: SELECT presents Ty Segall, Charlie & The Moonhearts, Night Beats. With The Chandails and The Young Friends.
    myspace.com/charlieandthemoonhearts
    myspace.com/hunxsolo

    Wed. 17th: Past Lives (members of Blood Brothers), Extra Life (Charlie Looker from ZS/Dirty Projectors), w/ locals Dead Times, Russian Arms & Optics. $5 in Advance, $8 Day of. Presented by SELECT.

    Fri, 19th: 3rd Friday artist’s reception, featuring the “Secret Six” a half-dozen artists who’ve helped shaped the first half-dozen years of our aesthetic!
    FREE

    Fri. 19th, 9-11pm: Kevin Greenspon with Stephen Steinbrink and HORD. Presented by Devlin. Special preshow guests, Whitman & Hi My Name Is Ryan.

    Sat. 20th: SELECT Shows presents Frontier Ruckus with Michelle Blades, Owl & the Penny, and Stephen Steinbrink.

    Mon 22nd: Nice Nice (Wrap). Presented by President Gator. w/ locals Terminal 11 and Jared Alan.
    $8 adv/$10 day of.

    Tues, 23rd: Your Yellow Dress, A genuine Marching band! w/ locals Baby Aviators, Hunger Artist & Desert Figues.

    Wed. 24th, 6PM: RAMAPGE Fest Day 3: TURBO FRUITS (TN) KISS KISS (NYC, NY), THE COATHANGERS (Atlanta, GA), WEATHERBOX (San Diego, CA), THE PAPER CHASE (TX)$10 Single day tickets available at Zia Records, Stinkweeds, Hoodlums and TicketWeb. *3 day Passes just $8!

    Thurs. 25th: Jeff the Brotherhood (from TN). Presented by SELECT Shows. Details TBD.

    Fri. 26th: FANGS (FROM SCOTLAND), w/ THE CULLENS, RUSSIAN ARMS AND OPTICS AND JAIME J. MUSIC / 8:00PM / $6

    Sat. 27th: Psyko Steve Presents Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt on tour w/ The Shakes. w/ Treasure Mammal & Destoroyah. $8 in advance, $10 day of show
    Sat. 28th Deathbomb Arch on tour, Captain Ahab, tik///tik, with James Fella, Father’s Day, and Einhorn.

    ??www.thetrunkspace.com
    ?We are located at:?1506 NW Grand Ave?right next to Bikini Lounge!?
    Join our mailing list at:
    ?http://thetrunkspace.com/newsletter/?p=subscribe

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    Michelle Blades CD Release Tonight!

    Friday, February 26th, 2010

    by Thomas Payne

    Michelle Blades

    By Thomas Paine
    Things have really taken off for Michelle Blades since Phoenix New Times gave her music-feature love in June 2009. Come to think of it, the way things are going, the ukulele-heavy, folk-centric solo artist is going to need a full-page spread on a regular basis.

    Last month, she released the only-online-for-now album Oh, Nostalgia!, which showcases the singer-songwriter adding her adorable élan to fuller arrangements and instrumentation that aren’t humanly possible as a one-person band. (River Jones Music, the same label that’s released records for Courtney Marie Andrews, sculpted and perfected the album in the comfy confines of its downtown Phoenix home recording studio. Oh, Nostalgia! will see indie-store distribution beginning in April.) Shortly thereafter, Blades confirmed tour dates in California, Oregon, Washington, and (whoa!) France and Luxembourg. Not too shabby for a 19-year old gal that’s only been playing shows in the Phoenix area for a year.

    At 8 p.m. Friday, February 26, Blades – the niece of Latin music heavyweight Rubén Blades – will perform a CD-release show that will certainly rival those sold-out affairs that Courtney Marie Andrews experienced at the old Modified Arts. Blades’ onstage ensemble will feature violinist Tobie Milford, another deep cat that is looking to drop a new disc in the coming months.

    At press time, New Mexico-based The Pioneers of Primetime TV and local Stephen Steinbrink were scheduled to share the bill. For more information on Blades, visit www.myspace.com/michelleblades. The label she is currently signed to, River Jones Music, can be found by moseying on over to www.riverjonesmusic.org.

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    The Pretty Things Peep Show Tonight!

    Monday, February 22nd, 2010

    by Diana Welsch

    If you’re anything like me, you probably masturbate to a lot of internet pornography when your parents aren’t home. Your father probably beat off to the underwear models in the Sears catalog, and his father before him surely spanked it to phonograph recordings of heavy breathing and slapping sounds surreptitiously purchased at the five-and-dime.

    Now, your great-grandfather, however, probably shook hands with the happy clown to thoughts of sensual full-bottomed ladies in silken gloves and frilly underthings that he viewed for a price at his local Veteran’s outpost. The kind of babes that could swallow a sword like they were eating a juicy nectarine, and wield a feathered fan with the same casual grace that modern women wield car keys. We’re talking about real women. Sexy ones.

    Today, you can be as fortunate as your great-grandfather. Well, maybe not today. But soon. On Monday, February 22, you have the opportunity to attend the Pretty Things Peep Show at Trunk Space. A trio of fine ladies (and one outrageously mustachioed gentleman) will bring you a burlesque and sideshow performance beyond your wildest dreams. Bettina May, Go-Go Amy, Miss Heather Holliday, and the fantastic Donny Vomit will dance, prance, and sport their pasties and merkins in a manner so erotic, you’ll have no choice but to chomp down on libido-blunting foods such as corn flakes and graham crackers in order to fan the flames of your desire.

    As an added bonus, this spicy show falls on President’s Day. Abraham Lincoln almost certainly had to make do with daguerrotypes of women’s exposed wrists and ankles, and George Washington had nothing more than crudely-carved stone figurines. Do it for your forefathers. Do it for America. Come to Trunk Space on February 22, purchase an ice-cold sarsaparilla, pay the $10 in advance or $15 at the door, and give that internet pornography a run for its money.

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    Joe Jack Talcum

    Sunday, January 31st, 2010

    For the uninitiated, Joe Jack Talcum is a name rooted in mythology. Initially, Jack Talcum was a janitor for a recording studio, who manage to weasel his way into recording with a band called The Dead Milkmen. A conceited hard-ass, and by no means an artist, he gradually took over the band and appended the name Joe to become Joe Jack Talcum. He later married a Japanese artist, Kit McCat, and was eventually though to have been shot, around the same time that John Lennon was: It was later revealed that it was actually a look-a-like. When this happened, they thought it may be the end of the Dead Milkmen, but they’re back and are actively working on new songs now.

    For the non-fictitious take, The Dead Milkmen originated as stories that were written for a newsletter and when it was decided that The Dead Milkmen needed to be turned into an ‘actual’ band, they took names from the stories that had been written and adopted their personalities. In part, Joseph Genaro was hoping that the pseudonym would help separate his personal life from his musical. In 1984, he released his first solo album under the name of Joe Jack Talcum and managed to continue releasing one solo album once every two years, which he managed to do up until 1997. (Of which, a collection is available through Valiant Death Records.) On top of all of this, including The Dead Milkmen albums, Joe has managed to put out over 60 albums in the past 27 years. Take a second to figure out how many albums, on average, he has put out every year since 1983.

    So outside of a being able to travel around the country with various bands, what else is going on in the life of Mr. Genaro. As of the beginning of the year, he’s preparing to move out of his present apartment and into a new one, and then embark onto the Huge Bicycle Tour with Lord Grunge, The Bassturd and DJ Jester the Filipino Fist. But upon prodding and asking, “What’s the one thing you should be asking yourself, after all of these years.” A delipidated voice ushers through the phone, “Aren’t you sick of this?” It gains some momentum. “Aren’t you sick of playing music and going on tour.” Almost angrily, “Are you crazy?” He stops and then explains himself. “Sometimes I think I should be sick, but I’m not. I haven’t had my fill.” He’s right, as much as it is quite an ideal to live through, what of permanence or consistency. “How long until it’s illegal to not have health insurance? How much longer can I go around the country just scraping by?” He says there’s some potential with The Dead Milkmen reforming to play shows, including some new material, but they’re rather reluctant on the possibility of touring.

    Still, thoughts as such aren’t slowing him down. After this tour, he’s going to do another with his solo material with a backing band and with No! Go! Tell! He’s excited to be on tour with The Bassturd, who he had previously traveled with back in September of 2009 and would watch him ask audience members for topics for songs, and create songs on the spot, which he found very impressive. He likes the fact that he’s playing with a pretty eclectic group of people this time around and well, this is obviously not the last time we’re going to see him traveling around.

    The Bicycle Tour will be occurring on the 2nd, with locals Andrew Jackson Jihad and Haunted Cologne.

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    The Heart of Grand Avenue

    Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

    Whether housing an auto showroom—or a cutting edge art space—the building located at 750 NW Grand Avenue remains one of the most flamboyant Space Age structures extant in Phoenix. Featuring soaring roof lines, dramatic angles and large windows, its Googie-style architecture screams of a young, optimistic and prosperous America. 

    Read more about this building in Issue #2 of “The Trunk Space Slide Rule” zine.

    Fletcher Jones Chevy occupied the building at 750 NW Grand Avenue from 1958 to 1974.

    Fletcher Jones Chevy occupied the building at 750 NW Grand Avenue from 1958 to 1974.

    The Paper Heart Gallery was the last occupant of the distinctive Space Age building at 750 NW Grand Avenue.
    The Paper Heart Gallery was the last occupant of the distinctive Space Age building at 750 NW Grand Avenue.

    Douglas Towne

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    Michelle Blades, CD Release, Feb 26th

    Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

    RJM Music Presents
    MICHELLE BLADES CD release,
    “Oh, Nostalgia!”

    Ukuleles, guitars, castanets, boxes of pasta, drum pillows, other things.

    The Niece of Rubén Blades and folk ukulele singer/songwriter is rising up in Phoenix, Arizona, with performances and album releases on the River Jones Music Label. “Think Indie” and Stinkweeds liked her new release so much they thought it deserved a feature in their stores and are offering to stream the entire release online.

    Phoenix New Times wrote…”Michelle Blades stood out as a jazzy Regina Spektor with a interchangeable flourishes of Blossom Dearie and Devendra Banhart. Blades began her set on guitar with The Pioneers backing her, promptly switch to ukulele and brought out Tobie Milford on violin and Erica Shafer on upright bass. Enrapturing the crowd, Blades finished her set by making a song with the audience providing improvised vocals and percussion, while she scatted and freestyled.” And also… “Blades sounds like an island-y Joni Mitchell — or a sweeter Jolie Holland — when she plays her jazz-inspired folk. There’s a soulful edge to her timbre, but plenty of rasp and scratch in that voice, like something you might hear from a chain-smoking lounge singer in the 1940s.”

    The CD’s will be in stores nationwide April and May.
    The two song single Strawberry Ghost will be released Internationally in April

    CD Release party @ The Trunk Space
    Friday February 26th, 7pm.

    Thank you.
    River Jones Music Label 2010

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    Changing the Rules For Touring Bands (Alt.Press Mag, Trunk Space mention)

    Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

    . . . There are a growing number of independent show spaces all across the country that have seen success in a dwindling economy-which helps promoters and bands alike. Venues like the Trunk Space in Phoenix, Arizona, Skull Alley in Louisville, Kentucky, Transitions Art Gallery in Tampa, Florida, and Rhino’s in Bloomington, Indiana, have taken the idea of setting up a basement show for your friends and taken it to the next level with real sound equipment, stages and people collecting reasonable prices at the door. As a result, they’ve become institutions in their cities with the ability to host bands that may have previously played at more traditional, corporate venues.
    Its a good piece (The Rest Here).

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    TS Reunion Fest! Dec 26th-A Fundriaser with the bands of Xmas Past!

    Thursday, December 10th, 2009

    Dec 26 09 (FUNDRAISER)
    If you can’t make it but would like to donate you can do so here:


    Posted in Arizona things of interest, Trunk Space performances, Uncategorized, music shows | No Comments »

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