Jun
Posted on 10th June 2009
Hi there. If you are going to be at Bonnaroo this week, I just wanted to remind you to be sure to come see Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’s “Bonnapoo 2009” show featuring my hot rock band Valley Lodge as the house band. We will be playing some of our hits before the show and then backing Triumph on some of his popular (poopular?) favorites. The great Todd Barry, Amy Schumer, and Kumail Nanjiani will also be appearing on the show. There will also be incredible surprise guests. The shows are all in the comedy tent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Don’t miss it. Dammit.
Oh, and speaking of Valley Lodge, be sure to illegally download our new album “Semester at Sea” however you can or just go buy it on iTunes, http://notlame.com“>Not Lame, Kool Kat Musik, or CD Baby. And by our incredible self-titled first album too. Still not convinced we don’t suck. Download a few of our hits for free here, here, and here. See? We’re not messing around. Oh, and be sure to see us at Club Europa on Thursday, June 18 at Club Europa with Corn Mo.
Dave Hill
Jun
Posted on 8th June 2009
Hi there. Mondays- do not even get me started on this topic. Anyway, here are a couple few videos for you to watch throughout your day today. I hope you enjoy them so much. The first one, above, is me performing my incredible and futuristic Chihuahua-based trick that I won’t go into too much detail about because then it will totally ruin the incredible surprise that is waiting for you.
The next incredible video I have for you today is from my friends Bishop and Douch, who are British and talk funny. This video features Mr. David Cross. Watch it now or I will, well, I’m not sure what I’ll do really, but I really hope you watch it.
And finally, here is Cheap Trick performing a cover of Slade’s “When the Lights Are Out.” I thought this was a Cheap Trick original when I first heard it and then someone schooled me on the matter. It makes sense though- I’ve always thought of Slade as sort of the British counterpart to Cheap Trick, not that they’re exactly the same, but, well, you know what I mean. My point is they are both awesome. And so is this song.
Jun
Posted on 5th June 2009
Hello there. I just had a delightful breakfast with the world-renowned photographer Beowulf Sheehan and he gave me a bunch of photos from my recent Dave Hill Explosion show with special guests Ira Glass, host of the popular “This American Life” radio program, and Takka Takka. Above is one of my favorites of the bunch. I will post more when I get around to it, dammit.
And speaking of This American Life, here is the video David Rakoff and I made for the “This American Life- Live!” show. As rumored on the Internet and also discussed in detail with Ira on my show, this video was actually cut in the end from the live show. I think I posted it here before from Vimeo, but I just uploaded it to my YouTube channel so I figured I’d slap this version up on my blog too. I mean, hey, why not? Am I right or am I right? I think this version might be slightly different from the Vimeo version too. Or it might be the same. I supposed I should watch both and come up with an answer on that one.
And finally, if you like to know even more about me and plot for world domination, there is a nice interview with me on the popular Rumpus website right now. You can read it right here. It’s a delightful way to spend a Friday. Not that it will take all that long. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it a whole bunch.
You are the best. Have a great day.
Dave Hill
Jun
Posted on 4th June 2009
First things first, I am going to be on Jena Friedman’s popular “Entertaining the Bartender show at the Pyramid Club on Avenue A here in New York City tonight at 8pm. So if you want to show up and pelt me in the head with anything, you know where to find me.
In other news, here is a great video of the 13th Floor Elevators playing their (I think) most popular song “You’re Gonna Miss Me.” On the drive up to Boston for the Walter Schreifels solo band show at Great Scott Sunday night, we listened to them and some other psychedelic bands for most of the drive. We were especially into the electric jug player. I don’t know why more bands don’t have an electric jug player. It’s a secret weapon. I don’t know how that guy does it.
In other news, here is a YouTube clip of the tail end of the Walter Schreifels solo band’s Sick of It All/Smiths medley we have been rocking. That’s me on the left. I have since gotten a really good haircut. Everyone is talking about it. We are playing at the Studio at Webster Hall on June 17, so if you want to see me and my great haircut and also hear the Sick of It All/Smiths medley, you have pretty much just hit Easy Street if you come to that show.
And finally, here is another nice review of my rock band Valley Lodge’s new album “Semester at Sea,” which you should totally go buy on iTunes or something. We are incredible. I almost can’t stand it. We will be at Bonnaroo next week as the house band for Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and we will be playing at Club Europa in NYC on June 18. So there.
Jun
Posted on 1st June 2009
It is Monday and I am still coming down from a weekend of rocking like a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain (which is to say a hurricane) as part of the Walter Schreifels solo band. On Friday night, we played at the Khyber in Philadelphia, which is a can-do town. I have played at the Khyber a number of times in various bands over the years and I really dig the place. It’s fun for rock purposes and they also have a great beer selection for hammering purposes after the show. I did both to the best of abilities.
Sammy Hagar’s new supergroup Chickenfoot, which also features Joe Satriani, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Michael Anthony from Van Halen, was playing in Philly the same night. We still managed to get a good crowd at the Khyber despite the fact that “I Can’t Drive 55” was being played just a few blocks away. And in a weird twist of fate, I called my friend Preston, who lives in Philly, to see if he was going to come to our show and he had to hang up the phone quickly because he was driving Sammy Hagar somewhere. Hey- you got Hagar riding shotgun, you hang up the damn phone. Anyway, that’s the closest I’ve come to Hagar since waiting unsuccessfully in the Beachwood, Ohio Marriott to meet Eddie Van Halen after a Van Hagar concert back in the ‘80s and Sammy strolled through the lobby. Being a staunch Roth supporter, I remained seated. Over the years, I’ve softened over Hagar though. I am still not a fan of his music really, but I do respect how he fully embrace his Hagarness. I just can’t stay mad at him.
Before the Khyber show, Walter, Arthur, Andy, Andy’s buddies, and I went for a stroll around town to see the sights and look at the people waiting in line for the Chickenfoot concert. Our research indicates that incidences of goatees are higher in Sammy Hagar fan circles than they are in the non-Hagar population. Further findings will be revealed in the near future. Stay tuned.
We also passed this old bar called A Man Full of Trouble. Apparently it’s where sweet dudes with a lot of small animals in their possession used to party in olden times. Since then I believe most Philadelphia bars have adopted a “No Monkey” policy. Say what you want, but things were just more fun back in the 1700s.
Despite the absence of monkeys or wildife of any sort, the Khyber show was a lot of fun and our first time playing together live. Walter is playing hits from his whole career at these shows, so the set list is a great mix of his new solo stuff and older stuff from Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, Rival Schools, and Walking Concert. As a huge fan of his music, it’s a blast to be playing this stuff with him and the rest of the band.
After the Khyber show, I drank some stuff with my brother-in-law and some friends and then cabbed it back to his and my sister’s house nearby. At around 5am, I woke up completely naked in their guest bedroom. I’m still looking for answers on that one. I decided not to bring it up at brunch.
Last night, we rocked Great Scott in Boston. That’s a photo above of the stage right before we went on. Walter picked up those big banners of that Mexican guy (he is a well-known Mexican guy, but I can’t remember his name at the moment) in Mexico and we have been hanging them onstage for dramatic effect. We were in a cab on Friday and without thinking I asked Walter if he remembered to bring the two Mexicans and right after I said it realized that our driver appeared to be quite possibly Mexican and maybe thought we were up to something strange. Oops.
During the first song last night, the Mexican guy in front of my amp fell over, leaving my side of the stage largely Mexicanless for most of the show. We tried to fix him during Walter’s acoustic set, but the Mexican guy wasn’t having it. It turned out to be a really fun show anyway.
After the show, we drank a bunch of stuff, which is just how it goes sometimes when you lead the rock-n-roll lifestyle. At the end of the night, I took a cab out to my sister’s place in the suburbs of Boston and fell asleep and/or passed out as the driver tried to track down my sister’s house using my sketchy directions. $50 later, he dumped me off in her driveway. I woke up earlyish this morning to hang out with my sister, meet my newborn niece, and play with my three year-old nephew, who admittedly had the edge on me as he hadn’t had nearly as much Jameson as me the night before. I think we will both end up taking a nap today though.
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