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Nice shout out from Spencer to Gerry Conway. Nobody ever talks about Gerry Conway, but he's a phenominal drummer with a very unique style. Probably far better known for his work with Cat Stevens than Fairport Convention. It makes me wonder. Perhaps Spencer said generically that he liked the drummer in Fairport Convention, and didn't say a name. If that were the case, he probably would have been referring to Dave Mattacks, another genius drummer.

I know, I've read a lot of Watt's tour diaries over the years. The way he speaks and writes (and sings) has been steadily evolving into something that is more and more difficult to understand. He has a ton of interesting stuff to say but you have to dig through mountains of bizarre jargon to get to his message. It's now to the point where he translates his jargon into several different foreign languages, sometimes in the same sentence.

I might need to re-read this, as it always takes me several paragraphs to acclimate myself to whatever the fucked up language is that Watt has invented for himself.

Is that The Subterranean in Chicago? I saw Polvo there a few years ago and that's what I remember the venue looking like.

Hospitality has been announced as the opening band for most of the Septermber dates. I recommend getting there in time to see them.

Have you read Drumbo's book, Beefheart Throught the Eyes of Magic? It's much longer than Zoot's. Pretty much the same story, but much greater detail. Unfortunately, it's very poorly edited and repetitive at times, and drumbo is nto a good writer. Could have easily been 500 pages instead of 800. Nevertheless, if you can get past the flaws there's some fascninating and frightening stuff in it.

I thought the Steven Tyler book was highly annoying. It's the type of book I can imaging Guy Fieri doing the audio book reading. I love the Aerosmith Walk This Way oral history, though.

I think this one is argualbly the best book, period.

The Real Frank Zappa Book Bill Harkleroad - Lunar Notes: Zoot Horn Rollo's Captain Beefheart Experience Kristin Hersh - Rat Girl

Every Wilco show will feature one member of Tweedy prominently. Very prominently.

Rumor has it at least one member of Tweedy wil play the whole show with them.

I wish they had done this while Pete Quaife was still alive.

I'm not sure if these are possible, but the original Feelies, and the original Modern Lovers.

It's a tragic story regarless of what the finer details are. But yeah, it's kind fo bizarre that we've now got a full page on a thread such as this devoted to a band probably none of us were ever true fans of.

I don't know what the true story is, but those allegations were cited to sources somewhat more reliable than Wikipedia.

Whoa, that's truly shameful.

Wikipedia says: He committed suicide, shooting himself while in the early stages of mental health treatment for alcoholism. That's an awful shame.

That's too bad. This band had potential, and might have been remembered more fondly if their music had been recorded with a less "of its time" production style.

That's definitely true. I've only heard a few Gin Blossoms song. The two that have been mentioned, plus Allison Road. That band had potential and knew how to write a hook. There's certainly a lot of worse songs out there than those three. Didn't their main songwriter die right after they had their hits?

I guess nowadays Cracker would play for a couple hundred. Maybe 500? Spin Doctors probably play for 100 or fewer. Who knows how large of a crowd Gin Blossoms could pull these days.

Willie Nelson opened for the Pixies?

It's interesting that you mention that. I saw them in Chicago and my memory told me that In Prism was already out, but in fact that was in 2008 and In Prism came out in 2009. Have they toured at all for either of their two reunion albums?

Pere Ubu opened a lot of shows on that Pixies tour. You probably would have remembered them, though.

It baffles me that I already had seen Polvo twice and would still allow myself within 50 miles of the Spin Doctors.