I thought for some reason the show started at 7pm so I was in a hell of a rush when I ducked out the door at 6:40. I knew I had to grab lithium batteries before the show so I could take pictures and thought I'd just be able to pick them up anywhere, not true. It actually took me one Amaco, a QuickTrip, a CompUSA, a BestBuy and finally a Wal-Mart to get the job done. It was well after 7 by that time so I hoped on the highway and floated to Lawrence at about 90.

I found the hall pretty easily but it was totally empty. I checked downstairs at the flyer again. This was the place, this was the date but there was no time. Finally I ran into a few folks that I assumed were the promoters who said the show was at 10pm so I split over to Vince's house to see what he was up to and see if I could talk him into going to the show.

Vince was home so I came in and plugged in the Play Station and loaded up Madden 99 NFL football game thing. He kicked my ass pretty bad the first time (I had never played before) when I was the Vikings but it was pretty even when I was Pittsburgh. He was San Francisco both times. At a tad before 10pm we headed over to the club, paid our 10 and entered a very well lit room that looked more like an art gallery without art (because of the bare, well lit walls I suppose). After catching up with Greg from TBIONs I found out they hadn't done their soundcheck or anything and I had time to run down to Rudy's to get something to eat.

When I returned with breadsticks in hand and Vince in tow the band had already started. I scarfed another stick and started snapping shots. The band didn't think they played very well but I thought they were pretty good. The volumes were off with guitars being louder than the PA but a small room and borrowed gear will do that to you. And their crowd seemed to enjoy the show with head bobbing and swaying while the others were at least attentive. Again the band ended with the long sprawling instrumental driven by Greg's guitar and accented by the drums. A little showmanship but it seemed largely hurry up and play and hurry up and leave (which they did after they played).

Between bands I had a chance to examine the diverse crowd. There were some indie rock kids that turned out for TBION. A collection of attractive and out of place grrls who turned out for Mi6, and some crusties there for Filthy Jim. It didn't seem many stuck around for Electron Volts.

Mi6 were up next. They are a local? fast pop-punk band that is unusually syncopated. I think the bass player must have come from a different musical background. If looks were telling, the guitarist was on the high school baseball team that used to beat me up and call me skater fag in the 80s. The band put out a long set of high energy three chord pop punk and at least their fans seemed really into it. Vince commented it was nice to see a pop-punk band that wasn't still in high school, but later in the set recanted saying at least high school bands only have 6 or 7 songs. The finished their set to great crowd delight with covers of Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl" and Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?". I wonder if the common theme was intentional.

A quick break and Filthy Jim were up next. The band featured two of the folks I took for promoters earlier in the evening, a rather shy grrl bassist, a dashingly smooth guitarist and a Animal-type drummer with a leather pilots helmet on. FJ are a noisy and loose rock-a-billy band. Certainly not clean and pure like a Reverend Horton Heat would be, but much more in bed with chaotic, noisy punk. The drummer was simply amazing. Not technically wonderful but he hit the drums hard and fast and that's always fun and the guitarist was really good and fun to listen to as well.

As always about 5 songs into the set and at about 1:30 I decided it was too late if I actually wanted to get into work for my 9am meeting and headed home. So I missed Electron Volts and I still didn't make it in in time for that meeting.