This is in response to a thread I recently put up on ETS. Hopefully this is the last time i will need to do this in my blog.

First of all, if you don’t know what this is about, go to this thread: http://www.echoingthesound.org/phpbbx/viewtopic.php?t=23199

If you do know about it, here’s some detail as to what is going on with this thread here: After waiting for 2 months for people to respond to their order emails — including having sent private messages on ETS — I have eliminated the orders that did not respond. There are now FIFTEEN SPACES for orders remaining. These cases will all be offered to the MEETUP CREW.

There are FIFTEEN SPOTS for MEETUP CREW members; if you would like to join, please reply to this post in the comments. MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS and that it is an email you check regularly. DO NOT PM ME, I WILL NOT RESPOND TO MEETUP REQUESTS VIA PM until I have all 15 people. You CAN of course discuss in this thread whether or not you can make it, or any other circumstances!

If you would like to be part of the MEETUP CREW, you MUST abide by the following rules:

1. Anyone in the meetup MUST be local to the San Francisco Bay Area, or be able to transport yourself to it with no inconvenience. That’s where this is happening. I plan on having the meetup at my house or as close to it as possible, and my house is an hour from SF or Sacramento.

2. So that I know you are you, everyone who is officially recognized as a meetup crewmember will be given an order number and emailed a code word. These codes are unique to each person and they will be distributed via email. PLEASE DO NOT ASK TO SIGNUP IF YOU DO NOT PLAN ON CHECKING YOUR EMAIL REGULARLY FOR THIS! At the day of the meetup, you will need to present your ETS screenname and code word to me, along with your order number.

3. Communication will happen primarily via this thread. PMs are OK but emails are really the best way to contact me if you need to work out a pressing issue.

4. If you are able to provide your own packing or painting materials, your respective case will be either discounted or free, depending on what you are able to supply. A list of what I am needing is located here: http://www.echoingthesound.org/phpbbx/viewtopic.php?p=1024930#1024930
Please disregard the corrugated cardboard box, we will be using USPS flat rate shipping boxes.

5. Meetup crew members will receive the following items with their cases, as to differentiate from the regular orders:
- 1 cardstock stencil, used to put stencils on the cases
- 1 bandana

6. IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT TO THE MEETUP: I don’t mind if you want to post in this thread, but I’m trying to streamline this to make it clear and simple for everyone participating. If you do want to talk about the cases, please go to the other thread (linked at the top of this post) to discuss.

Thank you everyone who is helping out. I apologize if I am sounding a little short tempered but I am in a very stressful time in my life, and this process has been taking a very long time. Once we get this rolling, we’ll be on our way to completing the process!

There are a few bands for whom a concert is a true event; in which each opening band attempts to upstage the one before it, and the headliner oversees the fact that they are able to eclipse them all. After my experience Thursday night, I would definitely say that Skinny Puppy fits into that category in terms of their performance. But cEvin Key and Niven Ogre, the two industrial wizards that are the masterminds behind the band, do not attempt to outdo with fire, smoke, or any million-dollar flash-bang. No, Skinny Puppy is here to scare the hell out of you — and to give you a good time at the same time.

I am a big fan of industrial music, and this was the first ‘Puppy show I have ever been to. That being said, I was completely unprepared for what greeted me as an opener. I was used to industrial bands opening with… well, other industrial bands, or bands of similar caliber or likeness. Key and Ogre do not work in this fashion; as Skinny Puppy originally began as an experimental project for Key and evolved into the ferocious beast that it is now, their opening bands also possess the same avant-garde ferocity, but multiplied at least tenfold. It would be most accurate — for people who are NOT fans of noise music — to say that the opening bands proved to be an endurance test for fans to see the glorious Skinny Puppy.

First onstage was a character in a long black cape and a mock-Superhero costume (albeit black with a shining silver jockstrap), known only as Otto Von Schirach. He slunk onto the stage and gave life to the two laptops on the front table, causing a dark ambient snarling to come racing into the Fillmore. Barely a minute in, and the cloak was gone to reveal Von Schirach — at which point his electronics when completely berzerk. Think of a thick, heavy rave with every single instrument breaking, skipping, or exploding into static, and THAT is what Von Schirach’s background sounded like — not to mention the otherworldly, thunderously distorted roars that came from his microphone as he ran around the stage like a lunatic on acid. His set seemed entirely improvisational, it was too chaotic to have been otherwise; especially when it was punctuated with the arrival of a giant fur-suit wearing creature waving a staff with a synthesizer on the end of it, followed by another character dressed as… a whoopie cushion.

We were allowed about 30 minutes to rest our ears before the arrival of White Mice, who — for their structure, at least — seemed like they would be a bit more normal. The nightmarish costumes — each band member wore a hideous mask that was half head, half skull, all mouse, and the bassist and effects player wore bloodstained lab coats — should have given the audience a clue. Moments later, the band erupted into a vicious wall of noise: thundering low end punctuated with shrieks as the bassist scraped at his strings; an ominous sped-up funeral dirge of a drumbeat; and the sonic buzzsaw of the effects board, which must have pulled sounds from Hell itself.

The band blasted through a set with intensity and duration that could have matched the maniacal Otto Von Schirach, and then finally threw their instruments across the stage and departed. The wait was surprisingly short between when the Mice finished and Skinny Puppy began; I’m used to waiting for over 30 minutes at a time, though I imagine the speed was because they had less things to “tune”. In any case, it was about fifteen minutes before the lights snapped out and another ambient roar rolled into the auditorium. cEvin Key slipped past the drumset (occupied by newcomer Justin Bennett) to his keyboard-and-sampler-mounted metal fortress, and the music and beats began. Where was Ogre?

The right side of the stage had been occupied by a massive pair of sheets of tarp, pale white and covered with what looked like violent spatters of blood. Upon ‘Puppy’s entrance onstage, a glaring strobe ignited behind the screen, and a twisted silhouette appeared behind it. Only when a microphone-and-cord-like object appeared in the figure’s hand did we realize that it was Ogre. It took a few songs — powerful pieces accentuated by Key’s flooring, darkly melodic synths and Bennett’s amazing drumwork — before he emerged from behind the tarp, and was even more gruesome than his ghastly shadow had allowed him to appear. Covered from head to toe in tubing and wirework, he looked like a cyborg covered in hoses spewing black ink all over his face and body. It was soon determined that this ink was, of course, not black — it was blood red, and he violently smeared even more across the battered tarp as the show progressed.

The setlist spanned a good chunk of all of the band’s work — classics such as “Dogshit”, “Testure”, and “Rodent” threw the crowd into a frenzy (which isn’t really saying much — the audience was remarkably subdued for all the mayhem going on onstage), while the songs from their new album, released in January of this year, were also very well received. The encore spanned for four songs, all of which were rare tracks that were a true treat to listen to. The show ended with Ogre disrobing himself of his excess hardware before the encore began, and drummer Justin ending the set with a thunderous drum solo that went on for many energizing minutes before ending in an explosion of bass drum and electronic madness.

Skinny Puppy will put on a show that has the ability to either creep you the hell out, gross you the hell out, or impress the hell out of you. Personally, I got a little of each over the full span (including all the openers). Beware, those who have never seen them, that they will bring opening bands that may test your patience; but if you can endure the earsplitting cacophany of whatever sturm und drang that they put you through, the performance by Skinny Puppy will be well worth every penny on your ticket.

Long time since I updated this blog, and things are looking up. But I am cutting to the chase with this post: it’s in reference to the recent project I am working on. For more information, go to Echoing The Sound and read about the NIN ammo boxes given away at the LA meetup, and then read this thread to see the project I am working on.

As a recap:

1. These boxes are made from .30-caliber ammunition boxes that I will purchase from army surplus stores. Each box will have a custom-painted Art Is Resistance (AIR) flag design on them. Each person can decide on the color of his or her box, flag, and star.
2. There are current plans, due to availability of the items inside, to make a starting run of 100 boxes. If there is enough demand I will create & sell more.
3. Pricing, at this point, stands to be about $15 per case, not including shipping. Shipping will cost (in the states) up to about $13/box, and internationally it’s almost double that (except for Canada). I will calculate this as exactly and honestly as I can because ALL OF THESE WILL BE SOLD “AT COST” — I AM NOT TRYING TO MAKE ANY PROFIT WHATSOEVER.
4. Info about the contents is as follows, as well as the contributors:
1. An AIR flag patch, embroidered. Color choices are olive, red, and black, with black borders for each chosen design. Ishtmail is contributing these.
2. 10 AIR flyers, handbill size (5″ x 7″), the design of which is located here. If we are able to make additional flyers, based on the other design seen in the “official” AIR kit, there will be 20 flyers in each box. transmitting end is creating these.
3. 5 stickers with the AIR flag, choice of black or red.
4. 5 buttons with an AIR flag, or a custom-made Photoshop design (which the ETS forumgoers can create). defiant_trespass will be providing these.
5. A black marker for doodling stencils with, as was included in the official kit. Baron_Von_Kickass is researching the price for this.
6. A 2-layer stencil with the AIR flag and star. It will be the same size as used to make the flag design on the case. Each stencil will be used to make the appropriate flag, to give it that used look so that it seems like a tool of the trade.
7. Stamps with the AIR flag, 2 or 3 inches in size. This is tentative due to price and how fast they could be created, and Alrohir is making them.
5. The contributors’ boxes also will contain special blue AIR patches as designed by ViolenceInHD, but only for the contributors as there are less than 10 to go around. This means that if you want to take care of purchasing and sending over the stickers, or the stencils, contact me or post in the forum about what you can do. Currently, 8 of the patches are accounted for, between the current contributors, myself, and my best friend who will be primarily building these with me.
6. Anyone in the Bay Area can help me make these, once I have all the materials together. By help I mean spraypainting, packing the items, and packaging them once they are ready to go. Contact me via instant messenger, email, or the ETS forum — please do not use this blog, and see #6 for the reason why.
7. Please use this blog post to request a box. Post a comment specifying: (1) how many boxes you want, (2) for each box, I need the box color (or none if you don’t want it painted), the flag color, and the star color, and (3) what kind of patch (olive, red, or black) you want in each box.

That’s all to report on that. Keep an eye on the ETS forum for more information. Again, use this blog to request your orders.

This is the extent of human compassion in the place I live:

1. Because of about a total sum of 5, maybe more, overtime hours accrued over a 4 month period, I am limited to 77 hours per pay period instead of 80. Despite requests for more work and other shifts to cover, I have been met with no avail. To add to this, every time I speak to my manager, it becomes another fight. Even when I went in neutral, something is brought up that could be the most insignificant issue. Thus, every day I desire to leave the one job that I’ve been able to do the best for the longest time.

2. The policies of financial aid essentially state that the amount of financial aid I can get — if any — is determined partially by the income and/or assets of my parents. Despite the fact that they will not assist me in paying for anything academic, or anything else for that manner, they have enough in savings to disqualify me from financial aid. I am being denied the ability to move back home, as well. So I have no idea how I will pay for college next semester.

3. My roommates — the best example of asshole college frat idiots, except without the frat, with less beer, and (if possible) more closemindedness — have decided to move out of the current apartment complex, because one had their new car broken into and his new stereo stolen. (Pause here, while we contemplate his stupidity for having that combination of new items in an apartment complex known for how much it sucks balls.) They have insisted that I not come with them, without giving me any significant reason and without willing to discuss the manner either. So now I will have the incredibly fun task of trying to find a place to live.

I know, this is repetitive, I’ve posted it many times before.

But it’s all I can focus on right now.

And I can’t stand it.

More posts will come later once I get my head on straight.

Wow. It’s been a long time since I posted.

Heard that before. Yes. I know.

Suffice it to say this: A week for me consists of 40 hours of work, 5 hours of PE (plus at least a few of workout PE on the weekends), 2-3 hours of “real” class, 3-4 hours of arguing about stupid, pointless shit with my roommates, 28-35 hours of sleep, and countless hours of pointless, YouTube- and webcomic-driven insomnia. That is, when the insomnia is not also sponsored by addicting Super Nintendo games (or, in this case, hacks of said games) or general “what the fuck am I doing” moments.

So yes. I’m busy as hell, and tired.

I’ve been chipping away at updates recently. My deviantART was updated to include some recent Photoshop doodles I did, and then within the last week to add the posters I’ve made. For those unfamiliar with this concept: The Fillmore auditorium in SF sometimes gives away free posters after shows. Having seen some really good ones, and also ones that were utter dogshit (and not just in my humble opinion either; go see if you can find the posters for The Rapture, Dir en Grey, or Goldfrapp), I was compelled to make my own poster designs. These can be seen (or purchased — please?) on my deviantART page at the aforementioned link. The official poster people think that they’re amateurish, which I find pretty ballsy of them to say considering some of the posters they let out.

The upside of this: the bands like the posters. At least, Gordon, Rob, Johnny, and Gord of The Tragically Hip liked the poster I made for them. (I printed out a few copies to give away at the show.) That, by the way, was a terribly fun show. It’s been a while since I went to a concert, so it was a breath of fresh air in the monotony of my life (of course, this was immediately followed with a LATE trip home and an EARLY spinning class, but that’s not the point), not to mention that the Hip are insanely energetic and have terrific might in their songs. Gordon is an unyielding tempest of energy; his violently exciting charisma comes much in the vein of Tunde of TV on the Radio or Cedric of the ‘Volta, and yet he is also taut and vibrant with passion, much like Ed Kowalczyk or even Mike Patton. Describing him is difficult; the music is also very eclectic, but can best be said as energetic rock with enough difference, passion and edge to be exceedingly draining (and in a good way, of course).

I am terribly excited about the upcoming Mars Volta show on Saturday. It’s seated, I’m in the fifth row, and it’s in Berkeley. AND, I have the night off. Can’t get much better than that.

This would be a longer post due to such a long hiatus between entries, but I’m exhausted and need to work all night tonight. Thus… goodnight. Hope you enjoy the few page updates I’ve had lately. They are all on here… just look carefully.