This show happened like a million years ago so forgive me if this is short and fuzzy but I wanted to get something down if for no other reason than I had some pictures sitting on my site from the show.

Like so many other times before, I believed the promoter when he told me the show had a 6pm show time, so when Nessa and I arrived at 6 we were there in time to open the door for the promoter and his bag of fast food dinner. Oh well. I'd like to think I wont make that mistake again but I will.

I had never been to the Hi-Jinx before so I spent a few minutes looking around the place. The front room is a tiny room with a pool table and an antique mechanical bowling machine stuffed into it. A doorway opens into a hallway with a bar along one wall and booths along the other. A half set of stairs lead back to a small landing that holds another table. At the end of the hallway is a larger room and a small 2' stage. Restrooms are behind the stage. The whole place has a sort of glamorous sleaze to it.

Since Ink and Dagger have a nasty history of not showing up for concerts, I kept an eye on the door all evening. Sad part was that none of the bands had shown up by 7pm. I'm not sure what time it was when Error 5 showed up, or when Element called saying they were on their way, but I know I was very bored by that time and Nessa had already taken a walk or two to get out of the club.

Since Error 5 arrived first, they would play first. Error 5 is Haiku Noise Militia's alternate personality. It consists of the core Haiku players (Vince, Jesse & Adam) and for this night's show only, me. Vince played bass, Jesse played on his synth and Adam sang and spoke while a number of electronic devices, robots, keyboards, and toys chatted away. I simply read a copy of some book Adam tossed me about raising poultry. It was all pretty inane and masturbatory actually, but that's not necessary a bad thing. I think we got a pretty luke warm response to our 15 or so minute set from the 35 or so folks present.

I ducked out with Vanessa to find some food after Error 5 and didn't get back until Element had already started their set. I hadn't seen Element for a few months and I had heard there were some changes in the band. Honestly other than Tim and Larry I didn't know who is in the band ever, but I had heard that Tim had moved to keyboards and the band was moving in a more electronic direction. Tonight however someone couldn't make it to the show and people were having to switch instruments and Tim had moved to vocals meaning the band was back to it's very noisy punk self. They put on a very energetic show, but it's so very loose and so very sloppy. I really didn't enjoy them much tonight at all.

When Element finished their set I took inventory and noted that Ink and Dagger still hadn't shown up. The bar's house music came up, drinks were served to locals, regulars played the piano and the 45 or so kids who had shown up to see the vampires from Philly, waited and tried to blend in.

Nessa and I waited around for about another forty five minutes before giving up. According to the promoter he talked to the band when they were in Denver the day before and they assured him they would be there. I just couldn't wait any longer and the other folks seemed to feel the same as the crowed thinned out to about 25 by the time I left.

I talked to Vince a few days later and he said evidentially Ink & Dagger showed up around 10:30 or 11 and were upset that no one was there and left without playing. I guess them big city vampires didn't know that on a Wednesday night in Kansas, nothing happens after 9pm.