Magic Markers @ Free 103.9

Pete in the Markers' Tour Diaries in Bejeezus:

"I spend all day at Leah's fixing Kimberly and getting directions to Free 103. Me and Leah head out 1/2 hour late after spaghetti by Leah's mom. We get to Elisa's and pack the car and leave an hour 1/2 late. Road it quick time down 84 to NYC. Like an idiot I take Leah's advice to exit Henry Hudson Parkway for some short cut which gives us a breathtaking view of Hudson Bay from New York at Sunset. Past helicopters, Aircraft carriers, skyscrapers, through town, and over the Williamsburg bridge we go. We arrive and Val scares the hell out of Leah by sticking her face in the window. We load up the stairs, Chat with Matt Valentine and Erika Elder for a bit, then move the car and check out the space. It's a 2nd floor tiny hole with old tv's everywhere making video art, a small stage with yellow x-mas lights pulsing to the sound of the skewering buzz of the nice noise DJ. 1st up, Mark Dwinnel does some nice picking and singing. Then MV&EE's Medicine Show. EE plucks the uke while MV plays some smoking guitar and starts his Kermit free verse songs. These guys are coming from a different place and I dig it and their commitment to it. Cool Shit.

"Next Astral Blessing tear through some heavy fucking noise/psych beauty. These guys fucking shred. Daniel looks like some kind of young Jimmy Page and smokes the same shit. I think these guys may be my favorite band after this tour is up. A hard act to follow, but we're next.

"Paul implores us to play a short set so Bears can play too before midnight. Elisa and Leah set up their guitars while I look around for a place to plug the tape recorder in, thinking I didn't have to set my drums up. Markus, Astral Blessings drummer taps me on the shoulder and says "it's all set for you." And I see that he's taken down his drums. AAHH! I hurriedly throw my kit together adding the same rushed tension as last night's show. We play a smoking 15 minute set. V noisy and loud to screaming crowd. E's guitar keeps cutting out in a cool percussive way and I slam her pedal to make it work... pretty cool.

"We tear down quick and I head to wait for AAA to come (I locked my keys in the ignition). Double Leopards' Mike and Maya wait with me outside and we shoot the shit. Not a bad time. They offer to let us stay but Leah's got a paper to write so we head off into the night for CT."