End of an Era

There's been a lot of rumors going around about the "new" Emos and the fate of the old Emos. It was previously stated that the outside area would close, but the inside room would remain open. From what I know, as of now, the whole building where Emos was located on 6Th & Red River has been sold and will indeed close at the end of the year. It was allegedly sold to the restaurant El Sol Y Luna which is where Emos IV was briefly located.

I have in fact visited the nu Emos on the corner of Burton & Riverside where the Backroom once stood. For those unfamiliar, the Backroom was a local metal bar that often hosted various punk rock shows. The building itself was split in half with one side as the venue and the other half as a bar with pool tables etc. One of my fondest memories of the Backroom was the infamous "Power Hour." Power Hour was a long arduous sixty minutes of $0.10 rum & cokes. They were also notorious for $2.50 pitchers of Lone Star which often ended in trouble.

The nu Emos is actually pretty state of the art and remarkably clean (as opposed to the old Emos or The Backroom). It resembles nothing of what the Backroom building was or the original Emos for that matter. It essentially looks like every other shitty corporate venue I have visited across this country. There are now three bars with even more overpriced alcohol and absolutely no recognizable bartenders. The restrooms all have doors that open and close which is nice. The stage is much larger and free of any poles in the center. The dressing room does in fact have a shower, but it is about as small as the old Emos dressing room. And I'm pretty sure it holds the same old, dirty, black, leather, couch that could probably tell you some stories you would never believe. The nu Emos has great sound, but it definitely lacks the original spirit that Emos was founded on.

It's been quit some time since I even called Emos my stomping ground. I spent many a night at Emos once upon a time. A couple of years ago, my priorities took a shift, not for any specific reason. It was just time for me to do something different. In all honesty, I just grew tired of the disadvantages of being an aging party girl. Almost simultaneously, there was a shift in power amongst the music scene with the inception of Transmission Entertainment. Red 7 & Mohawk became the unspoken rivals to Emos. Everyone has their own opinion regarding the situation and it's not really my place to air other's grievances. However, I do believe those events signified the beginning of the end.

Regardless of what happens, I had some interesting times at Emos, like when my roommate Andrea called Lukas Haas by the wrong name, & watching a girl stand in her own puke, or watching some idiot drive his scooter into a parked truck out front. There were so many good times, a few bad times, and a whole lot of drunk times. As an homage, I thought I would share a few of my favorite moments at Emos.

The time Bad Sean got stabbed

It's no secret that I used to party balls. SXSW was an all out week long assault on my liver and sanity. It's also no secret that I have an extensive knife collection. I've always carried a piece in my purse for protection as long as I have lived in Austin (I did 3 yrs on Riverside). One fateful SXSW afternoon at Emos I got into a drunken discussion with Bad Sean. He was of the persuasion that I didn't have the balls to stab someone. To prove him wrong, I stabbed him in the arm.

Side Note:

As I relayed the above story the following day (after my friends and I decided to see who could drink the most free Red Stripes in one hour), my friend Pete was convinced that the knife in my bag was not sharp enough to cut through skin. I disproved his theory by stabbing him in the elbow.

S.O.S JTB

My love for Jets to Brazil runs as deep as my love for Jawbreaker. I was fortunate enough to see them play at Emos each tour they did for the three albums that were released. I briefly met Blake Schwarzenbach in 2000 and even took a photo with him. Then in 2003 (their final tour) I sat at the bar for a bit after the show. Blake walked up to the bar next to me and said, "Hey, what's up." I was speechless.

JTB

Frodo on the loose

Again SXSW (2007?), while waiting for The Living End to play, I indulged in several beverages. As I waited in line at the bar, it was complete madness. Suddenly I saw a very small person in front of me jump over the bar and throw his arms around Cody, Sanchez, Hushang, & Patrick. Low and behold it was Frodo ( or DJ Frodo Ipod as some know him as). They posed for pics as cameras snapped away for what seemed like forever. Clearly, Frodo had more to drink that night than I had.

There was a time when Frodo was in Austin a lot. I coincidentally ran into him at the most random places. Apparently, during SXSW (2006?) I approached him outside of Emos and said, "Hey Frodo, give me a cigarette!" Number one: I do not recall this event, it was relayed to me the next day & Number two: I don't even smoke.

Propagandhi (2000)

This was a memorable show, not only because it was Propagandhi (who don't leave the Great White North very often), but it was the first show after Emos expanded the outside area. It was a sold out show and with the exception of SXSW that might be the most people I've seen packed into Emos. We got to meet Chris Hannah and talk with him for a bit which was really cool. My friend Eddie (number one Prop fan) even had a song dedicated to him (Back to the Motor League). Being in that audience was such an amazing feeling. Seeing hundreds of people in unison sing the lyrics "fuck religion, fuck religion, fuck religion" was pretty incredible. I've seen Propagandhi since then (Mohawk 2009) and they were great, but it will never compare to that first show.

Blackout with The Faint

When The Faint's Danse Macabre came out, it was all of my friend's favorite album (it still holds up and I still love the keyboard player). It was so incredibly infectious! Soon after I turned 21 yrs old, they were on tour opening for No Doubt and decided to play a one off show at Emos. My friends and I partied like it was Spring Break '98. While the Faint played, I began dancing with this guy I was sure I knew from somewhere. He offered to buy me a drink and I could not refuse. This mysterious gentleman returned with shots of tequila. I immediately downed mine and replied, "See you on the other side." I kept asking this fellow where I knew him from but could not place him for the life of me. Meanwhile we talked about how much we really liked The Faint. Mystery man said, "Yeah that's why we asked them to go on tour with us." I replied, "Oh, you're in a band?" Mystery man, "Yeah, I play guitar for No Doubt, we're playing here tomorrow. You should come see us." I guess that's where I'd seen him before. The next morning (with no recollection of how I got home) I awoke to a message on my answering machine (yes, you heard correct) stating, "Hey Priscilla, it's Tom from last night. I left a couple passes for you at the box office so I'll see you tonight."

Gorilla Biscuits reunion

If any of you are familiar with the old crew at Emos then you know about their hardcore pasts. Most of those guys were recovering straight edgers who had a soft spot for old school hardcore. The night Gorilla Biscuits played a reunion show (2007?) at Emos, it was a huge deal. In the middle of the set, Graham pulled out a trampoline on the stage and the entire staff started diving into the crowd. It was the most ridiculous/hilarious thing I have seen. A bunch of grown ass men beaming from ear to ear while jumping on a mini trampoline. It was an interesting sight!

The Hot Dog Incident

If you ever spent more than ten minutes inside Emos, you will know it was never the pillar of cleanliness. The Onion crowned the Emos facilities "Worst Bathrooms In The World" for fucks sake. SXSW 2007 was a rough one to say the least. As Saturday approached, our momentum began to dwindle much like prior years. While waiting for Turbonegro play the final set of the night, we realized none of us had eaten any solid food. My fast thinking led me to Hot Dog King where I promptly bought dogs for myself, Kenny, and Chad. As we sat at the bar inside of Emos, enjoying our dogs Chad dropped the last inch & a half of his hot dog on the floor. Without hesitation, he bent over to pick it up and put it in his fucking mouth! HE ATE THE GODDAMN HOT DOG OFF THE FLOOR AT EMOS! A wave of nausea washed over me immediately. It's been four years since that incident and Chad is still alive & herpes free (I think) so I guess he got lucky.

Side Note:

Chad's Lil bro (Brandon) once relieved himself of number two in the Emos restroom. Chad apparently felt the need to one up Lil bro.

Heaven in a plastic cup

There once was a beloved bartender at Emos named Sanchez. This revered man brought us the greatest invention since the interwebs: The Sparkleberry. The Sparkleberry was a delicious drink that often resulted in the best slash worst decisions I have ever made in my life. The ingredients were simple: half vodka, half Sparks, splash of cranberry, twist of lime. Well, now that the original formula of Sparks has been altered, I will never enjoy another Sparkleberry which might be all for the better. So long orange tongues!

I'm grateful that I got to see some amazing shows at Emos like RFTC, Screeching Weasel (pre Ben Weasel breakdown), and the first Lifetime show since they broke up just to name a few. The best part of those wild, crazy days were the friends I made. I'm glad I could share those moments with the people I care most about. We had some great times and now it's time to make some new memories. Goodbye Emos, it was fun while it lasted.

I'll always remember playing "Jet Black" on that jukebox.

wish list

So with the holidays rapidly approaching I figured everyone would be racking their brain about what to get me as a gift. I thought I would give you a hand in case you're looking for that perfect Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Halloween, Christmas, Birthday, or Thanksgiving present. Here's a list of things I would love to have. Do what you will with it.

The Shining Dress

I found this on a website that makes really cool clothes. It's as if someone dug around in my brain and merged the twisted ideas with fashion. They also have a Steve Buchemi dress, a Jaws swimsuit, and blood splattered tights. How awesome is that?

Claddagh Ring

I didn't realize until much later that this is a traditional Irish ring symbolizing love, loyalty, & friendship. I first saw the ring in season two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was a ring given to the Buffster by main squeeze Angel right before he banged her and turned into the Evil Angelus. Despite my distaste for Angel (Team Spike), I always thought the ring was really pretty. I often find myself checking them out at Tesoros on S. Congress. Isn't it kind of weird to buy jewelry for yourself? Unless you're Liz Taylor but even then, Richard Burton threw her a couple bones.

Riptide by Michael Prescott

I came across this book in a list of must reads on Huffington Post or something like that. I generally tend to gravitate towards a lot of horror, true crime, music bios, and satirical books. I've read a lot of books about serial killers (more than I care to admit) and Jack the Ripper in particular. This book is a fictional investigation of the Ripper murders. It sounds like a different take on the murders which could be pretty cool. I'm not into the kindle/nook craze quit yet because I really enjoy the aesthetic of a real, live book in the flesh. I usually buy my books second hand or order them online. I've actually had a tough time finding this one so keep an eye out for me.

Morrissey vinyl singles box set

Not to endanger my goth cred, I do appreciate The Smiths. It just so happens that I enjoy Moz's solo career far more. His solo catalog is so much more self deprecating yet shockingly narcissistic. Albums like Viva Hate & Vauxhall and I made me fall in love with this charming man. They have this box set at Waterloo Records for $99. I often find myself fondling it when I stop by. I really could use the 7" for Last of the Famous International Playboys. How can you not love Morrissey?

ANTICHRIST Criterion

I love Lars Von Trier's films, but some of them I can never watch again. His films are beautiful and tragic all in the same. ANTICHRIST really caused a stir for this self proclaimed greatest director of all time. He recently announced his withdraw from public interviews. Von Trier's comments were a bit misconstrued at this year's Cannes Film Festival resulting in a lifetime ban. I do think Von Trier is incredibly over the top but he's also really misunderstood. Being Dutch, I think his language barrier makes it difficult to translate his unusual sense of humor to English. Anyhow, I loved ANTICHRIST and I have built up my own conclusions on the plot. I would hope the extra features could explain a little more about the film. Although, I fear it would only be more confusing so maybe I don't really need the Criterion collection.

Funeral Home Perfume

I know it's pretty goth but hear me out on this one. I love the Demeter line of fragrances. They're really different, reasonably priced, and very subtle. Funeral home is apparently a blend of lilies, carnations, gladiolus, chrysanthemums with a hint of mahogany and oriental carpet. I've used a few different scents over the years; I currently wear the grass fragrance. The Hello Kitty scent is not so great but there's a new cherry scent that sounds really yummy. I highly suggest checking out the line. Whole Foods carries a few scents but the funeral home one has to be specially ordered.

Frye boots (Jane)

It seems I am always on a perpetual hunt for the perfect boot. I go back and forth about what type of boot I want and what color. On top of my indecisiveness, I have really skinny calves so that poses another problem. I love this brand of boots but they are so expensive. I really like Fluevog boots as well, but those are even more expensive. However, I have yet to find something comparable. I'll take one in every color please, size 7!

Freddy Krueger Nikes

This would take my horror cred to a whole new level of awesome. Most women lust after Louboutins, but I lust after a different red bottomed shoe. Damn these are cool!

Camo Snuggie

I have a faux Snuggie, a fuggie as I refer to it. I don't really like it; it's baby pink. I will trade you a baby pink fuggie for a camo Snuggie that I can take with me anywhere I please. I'm always cold so a Snuggie would be useful for me when I attend hockey games, outdoor movies, or even work. Maybe a matching one for my dog too? Make sure it's camo!

HUMAN CENTIPEDE necklace

I have a Centipede t-shirt which I get many complements on so I think the necklace would make a great companion. Whoever made this classy necklace is a genius. I think if anyone could pull it off, I can.

Eggies

Have you seen the infomercial? I love eggs, but I hate yolks. This makes it really easy to cook eggs while eliminating the yolk. It also makes it a lot easier to make deviled eggs. If you've had my deviled eggs, you know they are simply the best around.

Yoda backpack

Do I need to explain why this is awesome?

To be honest, this list is a bit of a joke. I wouldn't mind having these things, but I could live without them. As long as I have a happy healthy pooch & a talking/dancing gopher I couldn't be happier.

Halloween

There really are few things in this world I love more than Halloween season. It has been an obsession of mine as long as I can remember. There's this magic in the air that you cannot find any other time of the year. I love decorating, carving pumpkins, eating pumpkin stuff, dressing up, dressing my dog up (which he loathes), baking treats, and most of all watching horror films. I have various decorations that stay up year round in my home and when I was a little girl, I often got more presents on Halloween than Christmas! Even when I was a kid, I made up various reasons to wear my costumes throughout the year. I'm not really sure how I justified recycling the dino costume for 4 yrs, but my mom was OK with it. She always let me decorate our house. Her stipulation was that the decorations had to be cute & cuddly as to not scare any neighborhood children much to my dismay. Now, as an "adult" my goal is to scare any & everyone including myself.

I have this special ritual in October. I watch horror films all year long, probably more than the average person in general. However, in October I only watch horror films, almost daily. I would like to share with you some of my favorite things to watch at Halloween time. This might sound redundant so humor me.

The Other Holy Trinity

No, I'm not talking about Lord of the Rings. EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD II, & ARMY OF DARKNESS are all great films to kick of October with. Part 2 is definitely the piece de resistance, but my favorite thing to watch while baking/cooking is ARMY OF DARKNESS. I love Bruce Campbell & his gorgeous chin; I think ARMY really highlights his sense of humor and Raimi's love for the genre. Although, now I would question that love after hearing about this bullshit remake.

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

I remember seeing this in the theater as a kid and being completely mesmerized. All that Pixar shit has nothing on this masterpiece from the twisted mind of Tim Burton. Not only is it a cool kid's film, but it's also a really sweet love story between Jack & Sally. My friend Jason used to collect NIGHTMARE toys and one day I told him that I wished I could be the princess of Halloweentown. He relied, "take a look around you...you already are!" And so I am.

MONSTER SQUAD

Three words: Wolfman. Has. Nards. Where else do you find Dracula, Mummy, Wolfman, Frankenstein, and Creature in the same film? I loved this film as a kid, and it has withstood the test of time into adulthood. One of the coolest moments in my life was getting to watch it on the big screen with cast & crew in attendance.

INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE

I watch this film while passing out candy on Halloween. In high school, I devoured Ann Rice's Vampire Chronicles. My favorite books were Queen of the Damned (the film was awful) and Memnoch the Devil. Those Twilight fans can take some notes from Lestat & Louis. Real vampires are dark, violent, and horny as fuck....not cute, sparkly, and waiting til marriage. It's hard to believe that was a little Kirsten Dunst as Claudia. Brad Pitt recently revealed his misery while filming INTERVIEW. Apparently he was not happy to play second fiddle to a certain scientologist.

HALLOWEEN

Well, the name says it all. Who would've know how frightening a William Shatner mask paired with a pair of coveralls could be. I remember watching HALLOWEEN with my dad when I was little. I immediately went out and watched all the sequels, of course some were better than others. This is pretty much the quintessential halloween film.

These days, I tend to watch more French, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean horror films. As a purist, I think Halloween season deserves good ol' American classics like these. I also realize how watching all these old films remind me of my dad who I miss dearly.

I hope everyone has a lovely Halloween season and I will be posting pics of my costume so stay tuned! And remember "slutty whatever" does not a costume make.

TV Party

The fall season always marks the beginning of several television shows trying to make their mark. I have found that I do not watch much television these days. I'm not some elitist who's above watching television. I don't have cable because if I did I wouldn't get anything done because I would spend all my time watching Forensic Files & Unsolved Mysteries reruns. However, lets talk about the rapid decline television has taken in the last few years. Reality or some twisted perception of it rules the tube now. You can't change a channel without coming across a singing competition, dating show, or some sort of extreme job. We have The Real World to thank for paving the way for reality TV. Don't get me wrong, I have fallen victim to a couple of these shows (American Idol & Rock Of Love) so I kind of see the appeal. I do draw the line at a bunch of greasy trolls from New York pretending to be from New Jersey tramping around in the outfits Forever 21 made on a dare.

Lately, if I have spare time, I generally spend it watching films or reading which I enjoy much more than The Simpsons. My main problem with television shows in particular is commitment. I hate committing to a show and being obligated to watch every week. Now that my relationship with Law & Order SVU has come to a tragic end, I no longer feel tied down to a show.

Let me take the time to discuss my all time favorite television shows.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

I could go on and on about why I love Larry David so much. Larry is one of the funniest people in the world. He says and does all the things mere mortals like us only dream about. I'm not talking about how much money he has; I'm talking about his social observations. Larry lets people know when they're misbehaving. I also really love Susie Greene, she's hilarious. Curb remains consistently funny unlike many other sitcoms including Seinfeld which was created by Larry David himself. Seinfeld got a bit ridiculous in the end there you must admit. I strive to become a social assassin like Larry. If you haven't watched Curb, do check it out. The Car Pool Lane & The Grand Opening episodes are personal favorites!

Dark Shadows

Obviously I wasn't alive during the original run of Dark Shadows. I was around to catch the Dark Shadows revival in the early 90s. My mother and I watched it when I was a kid and I absolutely loved it. I have to say it definitely influenced my vampire obsession. Yes, that is indeed a baby JGL as David Collins. The revival series was only around for one season but it encouraged me to go back and watch the original series. When I heard more than a year ago that Tim Burton would be doing a film adaptation of Dark Shadows, I almost lost my mind. I thought if anyone could pull that off it would have to be Burton. Then finding out that Johnny Fucking Depp was gonna be the dreamy Barnabas Collins I could hardly contain the inner goth girl! Upon initial casting, Johnny Depp said that he was born to play this part and I couldn't agree more. I have watched this project very closely and have come across some very bizarre photos from the shoot. Now I'm not gonna freak out just yet because I trust Tim Burton would not fuck this up. I know Tim Burton has had some major duds in the last few years (everything from PLANET OF THE APES to ALICE IN WONDERLAND) so he has one chance to make it right.

Veronica Mars

I read an article that mentioned a new show coming out that had a main character who was like a cross between Buffy Summer & Angelina Jolie in high school. An interesting description like that should peak anyone's interest. After watching a couple episodes, I determined Veronica was a lot like Buffy but in a Nancy Drew kind of way. VM also had great taste in phones! Even though Kristen Bell has been aggressively campaigning for a movie, I won't hold my breath. The creator of this show, Rob Thomas, is from Austin so you may catch a few Austiny references throughout the series. Rob Thomas also went on to do a much beloved & also gone too soon series called Party Down that you should check out.

Notable episodes: Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner & President Evil

Team Logan!

Twin Peaks

There will never be another show like Twin Peaks. From the looks of it, there will probably never be anymore films from David Lynch either. The early 90s were plagued by one little phrase: Who killed Laura Palmer? I remember contemplating for hours who could be the killer. I almost called one of those 1-900 numbers at the end of the show but my mom told me I'd be in deep shit if I did. I also cannot think of another cast with as many good looking ladies as the women of Twin Peaks. I still have a girl crush on Sherilyn Fenn and Madchen Amick! Twin Peaks was a true rarity in that the entire cast was amazing. Did you guys know Donna Hayward's mom was played by Zooey Deschanel's real life mom? Or that Norma was played by Rashida Jones' mom, Peggy Lipton? And Pamper Tamblyn's dad was crazy Dr. Jacoby? Some of my favorite episodes are Coma & Cooper's Dreams.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Again with the vampire obsession! It's still hard for me to talk about the demise of Buffy. Most people I meet who watched Buffy were rabid fans and I am guilty as charged. It's like meeting a fellow former drug addict. I even named my dog after Spike the vampire. Buffy was one of the first shows to highlight a strong female lead who was heroic & vulnerable at the same time. I don't recall many role models in high school but Buffy was definitely one of them, even if she was fictional. The show itself was pretty groundbreaking. It dealt with a lot of personal issues like the death of a parent, love, fear of marriage, homosexuality, and addiction. I watched the final episode in a packed theater at The Alamo Drafthouse. I remember looking back and seeing dozens of people crying. I've seen the final episode maybe twice since it aired and I still get choked up. I'm really glad Buffy & the Scoobies live on in comic form. Buffy was a lot of things for different people, but I think the main thing she stood for was hope. It's hard to pick a couple favorite episodes but the most popular are Hush & The Musical (I have the soundtrack).

Honorable Mention

My So Called Life

I was an angsty adolescent in the 90s who dreamed about wearing Jordan Catalano's flannel shirt. I recently watched a few episodes and it is indeed pretty ridiculous but I still love it! My favorite episode was the Halloween episode. Fun fact: I once met Jordan Catalano. He said hi and I screamed like a little girl.