I had the most awkward introduction to the Mathletes ages ago. A guy tells me (with the best intentions) “Linus Pauling needs to play with the Mathletes so you can get in with the IBP crowd.” Now, could you think of anything more crass? Not “The Mathletes are great!”, not “They are fun!”, not “You’ll have a blast!”, instead, some kind of audience wrangling angle. Hey, I’m not saying the LP4 couldn’t use any audience it can find but, really, this is exactly how NOT to get me into a band. I love to play with bands because I admire what they do and it’s a blast to play with cool bands. So, long story short that pretty much soured me on checking out the Mathletes for much too long. Stupid, I know, because at some point (I can’t recall when) I finally did go see them and it was really good and really fun and really clever and really unique. Then, the more I saw them, the better they got. Each time just getting more and more fun and insane until finally they were like the circus pulling into town with every show and they had slyly morphed into one of my favorite bands. In fact they had reached that particular level of godhead where, if they were playing a show, I had to go no matter what. Even if it was only for a few songs it was always worth it because the Mathletes shows were a sincerely happy and joyous party.
Well last night felt like the end of a really great party – at least for the foreseeable future. Joe is leaving for a stint in Austin performing in a production of “Speedy Motorcycle” and the future of the Mathletes in their current form seems shaky but Joe says “We all have something amazing in the works for this summer that will dwarf anything and everything the Mathletes have been about lately; if it’s any comfort, just know that the best is yet to come.” I have no doubt he will not disappoint.
Anyhow, here are some pictures from last night at the Proletariat:
the generals plan their set list!
In music you have mixed drinks!
play “Quattro” which they flatly refused
despite her relentlessly shouting the
demand over half their set and shouting
“Fuck You! You suck! Play Quatro!”
You have to admire the woman’s tenacity.
- that pinnacle to which so many musicians
strive to archive!
Can you guess what song is being covered?
Mike Switzer checks his cell phone
for the lyrics to “Just like Heaven”.
I shit you not!
Gie Gie takes her rightful place
as the perfect Joe Mathlete foil!
demands the audience!
Carlos smilin’ Dimes style!
Mathletes Stage Left!
Mathletes Stage Right!
Tom wows the crowd
with his Tambourine and his ass!
Joe possibly falling off the stage,
some guy in the audience playing harmonica.
Don’t ask!
It’s a Mathletes show!
Have fun in Austin Joe.
May the road rise with you.
We’ll keep a light on for you.
Love,
Houston
Thank god.
Enough pictures Ramon? Didn’t even mention Whorehound, Bowel, Rustler, Motion Turns it On, Novice, Freed or even Novox. Thou gatekeeper, you.
yeah yeah I think I’ve mentioned all of those at some point. Maybe not novice but I’ll be checking them out next month.