Start the video at 1:30 if you're patient, 3:10 if you like music.
This footage was shot on July 4th, 2003 at the Magic Stick. It was a glorious day in Detroit rock history. Young Soul Rebels record store (now only existing in memories and a fair amount of t-shirts across the globe) had their grand opening a few doors down from the Stick and I was proud to be their first paying customer, $1 for a 1 1/4" badge of the San Francisco punk band Crime.
Later that day the Dirtbombs would play a wind-besieged set at the TasteFest in the New Center area that marked Ko's first-ever appearance as an actual member of the band.
To top the evening off was the Young Soul Rebel's launch party. I don't remember the specifics of how it all came about, but I know that Brian Muldoon and I, affectionately known as the Science Farm, had been enlisted to play. I'd brought my own amp. Not long before we were supposed to play Jack arrived. I don't know if we asked him to play or he asked us if he could. Regardless, all three parties agreed to the idea of covering "Louie, Louie."
The big bad "secret" about the whole thing is that I then didn't know how to play guitar. Still don't. I've no idea what chords are called or what key things are in. I just try to play what it sounds like and usually fail miserably. So to involve Jack in the whole thing made me feel a little guilty.
(after the fact Brian said we probably should've just done "Looking at You" by the MC5 and I couldn't agree more)
At 4:02 I let Jack take a verse and just make stupid noise on my guitar the entire time. I'm totally acting like a dipshit.
At 4:36 see Marty Morris of the Cyril Lords and SSM be so kind as to pick-up and re-set the mic stand I'd so callously dropped to the floor.
At 4:41, please help me understand why I am wearing such baggy jeans. I would say this time would be the skinniest in my adult life, but that's still no excuse. Why did I choose to eat away my babyface?
At 5:20, I pay respect to the Cramps
At 5:46 I've eschewed the guitar and it's clear that my singing is not my strong suit either
At 6:17 "Thanks for nothing"
Brian starts an original song at 6:25 that was basically titled "I Could Be Jesus Christ and You'd Just Ask Me For a Glass of Ice"
Brian told me afterwards that he couldn't hear a damn thing. All things considered, he does an impressive job of keeping up.
At 8:41, I must admit, that guitar swinging is kinda impressive
At 9:20 another original song, "Nails in My Brain" (inspired by the Mistreaters' "Santa Stole My Baby") Brian loved this one
10:39 "Dirt" by the Stooges. My goal was just hitting guitar strings with the right timing, I didn't really notice or care what notes they made.
12:00 slamming the neck of the guitar into the mic stand...pretty cool
12:59 Marty Morris offers me his PBR. I pour it out over the neck of my guitar and toss it behind me. What a dick.
The video cuts out at 13:25 and it's probably for the best. Brian always said his goal was to be in a band that would clear rooms and I think we just about accomplished that.
There's other videos of Brian and I playing together (including a 20+ minute version of "Sister Ray" and probably the Rock City Festival where we played an unusual number of songs with the digits 6 and 9 in the title) but the only copies of those are probably buried in my mom's basement or lodged in the wall of a burned out house on the east side of Detroit.
Still, there's something to be said about being 21 years old and absolutely fearless.
