8.17.07 - Somerset, KY

We arrived in the historic business district of Somerset around 8:00pm, a little later than we would have liked, but what can you do. The van purred like a kitten all the way down 75 to Renfro Valley with her $1K worth of brakes and ball joints. It was a smooth sail. She feels tight again like the first day the Captain brought her home from the dealership.

Somerset’s always been a great place for us to play, from our first days there at Roll Skatepark to the now-defunct Amp Space to the almost defunct Riverstone Gallery. The hands-down core of the town’s music scene is a fella named James Vitatoe. We’re lucky to call him our friend. With a customized vanity plate reading ‘Fugazi’ on his sporty little 300 hundred dollar car that he’s been driving for the last few years, it’s easy to see where he got his undying sense of DIY and community centered-ness. He is the glue of this sleepy town, and it’s through his selfless efforts that we’ve been lucky to meet a talented new crop of musicians that are only getting better and better with each return visit.

We are Pompeii were already set up and ready to go by the time we started loading in. I felt like an asshole opening and closing cases while they were playing a stripped down acoustic set, but we tried to be as quiet as we could. They were cool, bass player trying his hands on acoustic guitar for the first time live… one of ‘em couldn’t make it I think, so they pulled it together as a two piece. Kind of Bright eyes meets…. I can’t think what else.

With fresh strings and thickened blood from our hours in the van, we set up to go next. Couldn’t quite get the amps sounding right for the first couple songs,, couldn’t really hear Toby too well either. His stuff’s heavy enough, it should be loud enough. That’s how it works, right? I think the room may not have enough AC to properly power all the tube gear, but regardless, it was good to shake off the first night jitters. We did ‘Coffin Notes’, ‘Crest Nursing’, ‘Send the Owls’, ‘Among the Quiet People’, ‘Conifer’, ‘In Multiples’, ‘The Departure’, ‘Ribbons’ and ‘Thinning Herds’.

Our old buddies in the Colour out of Space went third. Very nice of them to play on such short notice. They were ripping it up as usual. Jason’s guitar has quite a zing to it. He led the band through myriad sounds and styles, from surf to jazz to metal to funk, all in the course of one song! Absolutely effortless, fluid, mesmerizing guitar playing, and the bastard’s only 20!

End of the night, loaded out, Colour out of Josh asks us to stay at his place. Cool house about 200 yards away from the club. Rambonxious little pug named Dakk. I would have called him Pugsly, but he was a fucking ball of energy none the less Josh is a fucking Star Wars and comic book nut. We stayed in his upstairs room which he had to clear of action figures and light sabers so we could spread out. I cooked beans and rice with a light salad of cucumbers and home grown tomatoes Dry county means apple juice and water. His wife was about ten months pregnant, says she can’t sleep anyways so didn’t mind that we were there. Very kind of them both, plus they had to work early the next morning, so the pancakes were an extra treat!

Sometimes you meet some of the nicest people in the world. They went out of their way to make us comfortable and we truly appreciate it. Day one complete.

- Mike