XXVIII: Good Times (DYNOMITE!)

Last night was the band's 28th show and Nick's second show with the band. We played @ Crosstown Station with Plain Wight, The Arcane, and  Tim York.  And I must say, it was a good night. Despite the fact that our brand spanking new trailer was accosted in the back alley by some asshole. Can you believe that shit?  Someone hit our baby!

We had a lot of fun playing this show. It feels incredibly good to be back at it again after our hiatus. And to be quite honest, the band has never felt better than it has these past few shows with Nick.  It's as if something is in the air. And it's not Ryan's hairspray. For the four of us it feels like a new chapter in the band. And we are excited about the future. Good times, indeed.

Thank You to Liam, Plain Wight, Tim York, The Arcane, Jeff Pickman, and EVERYONE who came out last night.

- Gene

Show Twenty Seven - We're Back

After three long and painful months of searching for a drummer, recording, waiting, being frustrated, and waiting some more we are finally back on the old horse. Saturday night marked our first show back at The Brick here in KCMO. This show was booked the day before because we thought it would be a good "slump buster" and indeed it was.

By the time we arrived the only other band on the bill for the evening had canceled. So, it was just us. We owned the bar at that point which was fine with us. Because we are perfectly comfortable being left in a bar alone.....

Long story short, we consumed alcohol, we played our first show in months, and we broke the seal with our new drummer, Nick. All in all, we were  happy to be there.

Thanks to Sheri, Matt, Duane, and the rest for the staff at The Brick for having us and being such hospitable hosts for the evening.

And special thanks to everyone who showed up to support us again. We appreciate it.

Next Stop, Castle Donington.

Adios Amigos,

Gene

Show XXVI: Ladyfingers and Roman Numerals

Last Saturday marked our 26th show and my 31st Birthday. It was also Neil's (Riot Room) Birthday so he decided to put together a show  @ The Riot Room and we were lucky enough to be on it. The Roman Numerals (one of KC's finest) were headlining and a band from Omaha, Nebraska called Ladyfinger was on the bill as well. We knew nothing about Ladyfinger at this point beyond the fact that they are on SaddleCreek Records  (more to come).

It was a cold night in KC when put into the context of the California like weather we have had over the past couple of weeks. We got to the Riot Room and had a drink and a shot (ritual). At that point, I began my coalition to not drink anymore before we play despite the fact it was my birthday. Water it was. And the waiting game began.

Ladyfinger brought in there gear and began setup as they were first on. They did a quick line check and I immediately noticed how good they sounded.  Some time went by and the bar began to fill up. Ladyfinger took the stage and a few songs in, it hit me. This band was absolutely sick.  Great players, great sound, original, loud, heavy. What's not to like? We love them.  And we want to play more shows with them. Yes, these fine gentlemen put on one hell of a show. All hail Ladyfinger!

We were up next so after the teardown /setup cycle, we were ready to go. There was a good croud and all of us felt pretty good except for Ryan, who was sick and had been sick for the last few days. We played a rearranged 9 song set and Ryan even did his signature "shooter" dance move which usually doesn't happen unless he is DRUNK. Consequently, this was the move that pushed him through the finals with Rosie O'Donell on Dancing with the Stars a few seasons ago.... Long story short, we had a LOT of fun.

Next up were The Roman Numerals who always put on a great show. This was our first time playing with these guys and we were happy to be on the bill with them.  It's aways prefferable to play with great bands and these guys are certainly great. True to form, they killed it.

Thank You to Ladyfinger, The Roman Numerals, Neil, The Riot Room and everyone who came out to the show. It was a great night and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a birthday.

- Gene

Show 25: Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club

I once read somewhere that in order to be good at something, you need to do it for a minimum of 10,000 hours. We like this logic and have adopted it for the band.  On Friday, we played our 25th show @ Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club.  (Only 9,975 shows to go!)

Davey's Uptown is a place that I used to basically live at over a decade ago. Back then, my old band, Sacrifice Isaac, played many shows there. And over the years we saw the place transform from a one room bar into a legitimate live music venue in Kansas City. I remember seeing some incredible shows there over the years. Standouts in my memory included Shiner, Jimmy Eat World, and Giants Chair. Long story short, lots of history for me at this place.  However, I moved away from Kansas City to the East Coast . Four years later I moved back. And I had not been back to Davey's Uptown even once since then.  And I have absolutely no idea why.

Needless to say, I was excited to see the place after so long. And we were excited to play there since we had not before. Initially, The Dark Circles were on the bill and offered us a slot. However, they had to cancel and the New Lost Souls were put on the bill. We arrived at the bar and it was an instant blast from the past for me. The first room seemed like it had not changed at all. Same bar, same booths, etc. It was as if I was transported back 10 years.  However, the live room is a whole other story. It almost looked like a new venue completely. New PA, New layout, larger stage, new bathrooms, etc. In fact, the only thing that I remember being the same was the battered hardwood floor.

We were slotted to play first so we set up. It was going to be a rough night due to the immense amount of good shows going on the same night. Luckily for us, our loyal and supportive friends, significant others, and in Brent's case, parole officer, showed up to support us.  It was a small but great audience and the sound was REALLY good. Overall, it was a great time. I enjoyed seeing some old friends and reconnecting.  We had a great time playing at Davey's and we hope to do it again soon.

We would like to thank
1.  Everyone who came out to support us yet again.
2.  Michelle and Mokie for everything.
3.  The New Lost Souls
4.  Pete, for making it sound so good.

Till next time,

Gene

Show 24 : Ode to Lawrence, Kansas

Oh how we love Lawrence, Kansas. Let us count the ways:

1) Good Energy
2) Niee People
3) Young People
4) Nice, Young, Attractive People
5) Home of Brent's Fraternity, Lambda Lambda Lambda
6) Fond memories of when I spent a few years as house mother/sex therapist for the Theta Sorority house.
7) Where Ryan first discovered Red Bull
8) Levi's new college home

Last night we played The Jackpot in Lawrence. We were super excited for this show because it was our first in Larry Town and we were playing with our good friends, Marty Bush's band, Audiovox and The Old Black. These kind of shows are always awesome because everyone knows/respects each other and most of all, the music is good.

Audiovox opened the show and I must say it was very cool to see two guys "tear shit up" as one inebriated audience member said to me over and over again. And tear shit up they did. I really enjoy seeing Marty and Brad bring this band to fruition. It reminds me of Death Cab meets Weezer. And only two guys which means there is more beer at the end of the night :-)  These fellas are reaaaaalllll smart.

We played next to a small but dedicated group of people. In fact we were so surprised at how many people came out to the show for us. Thanks to everyone for making the trip!!

I felt pretty good about our performance and overall felt like it was a good show.  Brent jumped around like he had ants in his trousers. Ryan concentrated on playing his parts and not letting the huge Par 64 light 3 inches from his head bother him despite the 3rd degree burns.  Levi pounded the skins with razor concentration while contemplating quantum theory. And I, as usual, tried to keep it all together while playing this strange small instrument (the guitar) and yelling, I mean singing, into the microphone.

After us came Lawrence natives The Old Black. We have played a handful of shows with this band and I really like them and their music. It's pure, classic, riff oriented rock with overtones of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and I don't know what. As usual, they rocked the fuck out.

Thanks to Audiovox and The Old Black for having us on the bill last night.

Most importantly, we would like to thank everyone who made the trip out to Lawrence last night to see us. We really appreciate all of your continued support and commitment to the band.

Much "Respek"!!!

Gene

XXIII: Mini-show on the Tele

It's somewhat crazy to say this was our 23rd show. Technically it was since we did load up all of our gear go somewhere, unload it, play then load it back up and go back to the good old WFS HQ.  But we only played for about 6 minutes. One song and exactly one minute of a song and that was it. Long story. So here is the condensed version:

1) We get the opportunity to play on a local TV show (KC Afterhours)
2) Our talented friend, Tammy Saum and her lovely models are on the show as well.
3) Filming with a live audience is set to happen at 1:00PM on Saturday
4) We show up at 11:45
5) It's a bit crazy and all over the place
6) Show gets postponed for an hour (live audience waiting)
7) Show gets underway, we play 1 minute of a song while Tammy and models walk on.
8) We then play one song with the volume of our amps down so low, I'm not sure the audience even heard us :-)
9) The show filming goes on.....
10)And on.....
11) And on.......
12) And on.........FOREVER

This was a frustrating situation for sure. At the end of the day, everyone was super nice to us and I am glad that we did this.  But it was a crazy day and we had no idea what the hell was going on the entire time. In fact, I don't think anybody did.  We'll chalk this one into the "learning experience: category.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the filming and stayed despite the painful delays. And thanks to all of the crew.

Ciao,

Gene

Twenty Twin Twin: Band Field Trip Day

The day of our 22nd show was different than all of our other show days. Mostly because we began the day together, early in the morning.  Why does that sound so wrong? To clarify, we had to be at a radio show in the morning. And not just any radio show but Affentra's Big Fat Morning Buzz on 96.5 The Buzz. Whew, that was a lot of "Buzz". We were all pretty stoked and a little nervous to be totally honest.

So we all woke up way too early (even Brent), I picked 3/4ths of the band up and we were on our way to the station. Our friend Jeriney was co-hosting the show with Affentra that morning so she let us in from the cold and in moments, the greater KC area could hear our collective post-adolecent voices.  We talked about the Harvester's benefit show that night, the new EP, our inate hate for each other, the fact that half the band are liars and Brent's big spoon affair with "The Boooosh".

Affentra and Jeriney were both incredibly great to us.  Affentra said we could come back anytime we would like.  After 30 mintues or so, we sat around and talked about the industry with Affentra. We all really liked her a lot. Overall we had a really awesome time. A HUGE THANK YOU TO 96.5 THE BUZZ, AFFENTRA'S BIG FAT MORNING BUZZ SHOW, AFFENTRA, and JERINEY!!!

After we left the station, we all went and had breakfast together which was another first. The four of us were thinking the same thing: We would like to do this every day. But alas, we need to pay the bills somehow. But someday, we'll make it happen.

The show @ The Riot Room was with The Abracadabaras and it was a benefit for Harversters. Bring a can of food, and get in free. We went on around 10:300 and played our usuall set. Lookign back, I can;t say it was our best show and I can't say it was our worst. All in all, it was an "OK" performance. That being said, it was for a good cause as well.

After we played, The Abracadabaras went on. Think The Doors meets Oasis meets The Brian Jonestown Massacare. I really liked their set. Especially the songs later in the set. They seemed like one of those bands that settles in and then takes it to the next level. Cool band, nice guys.

In the end, it was a good day/night.

In other news, all of the music is recorded and roughs are mixed for the new EP. Vocals begin this week and we hope to complete everything by  cometime in January. We are really excited about the EP and even more excited to put soem more new songs in the live set!


We appreciate all of your interest, opinions, and support:

Happy New Year,

Gene

Twenty One : Home, Home on the Range

Thanksgiving Night 2008: Our first holiday show as a band. It was set to happen at our home base, The Riot Room with The Sixteens, The Rich Boys, and last but not least, one of Kansas City's most proficient bands,  The Architects.  To be quite honest, I felt a little left out because we were the only band with a "The" in the name. "The Waiting for Signal" just doesn't work so well.  What are you gonna do?!

All of us were excite about this show for a lot of reasons. First, It's our last show before we go into the studio to record our next EP. Second, we had a new song to try out on our focus group....I mean.....audience.  Third we were playing with The Architects who we were excited to see. And last but not least, The Riot Room.. The place we played our first show. The place we go to watch shows often. The place where our friends work. The Riot Room is home to us.

All of us were turkey-comotose by the time we arrived to the bar and. I was drinking coffee and tea like it was water to wake up. By the time we went on, we  were fully awake. Once again, our friend and engineer extroadinare Jeff Pickman was behind the board making magic happen as he always does. And we were off.

In my opinion, this was one of our best shows. The audience was awesome. It was so nice to see familiar and new faces. The sound was perfect.  The new song went over really well. We saved babies, won the girl, and rode off into the sunset.  Most importantly we had a lot of fun playing. Which is what it is all about. Sometimes I forget that but it is great to be reminded.

After we loaded out we returned and got a chance to check out The Architects. All four of us were thoroughly impressed.  Consumate nice guys and one of the best (if not the best) live bands in the region, hands down. If you don't believe me go and see for yourself.


Thanksgiving is a time reflect on the things in life you are most thankful for. And for me, 2008 will forever be a time that I was thankful for many great things in my life. One of which is this band.

Happy Holidays,

New Music

Well, it has been over a year since we released our first baby, The Catastrophe EP.  And although we are still proud of that release being our first ever, we are also so sick with it. We want to kill the baby.  Wait a second, that sounds terrible.  We don't want to kill anything. What we mean is,  since then, a lot has changed. We have been playing some unreleased songs for close to a year now . We have been pre-producing those songs and others in our rehearsal space.  A new release is LONG overdue.

So here are the specifics:

We are going into an undisclosed studio to record our second EP on December 5th.  As far as we know, we will be recording 5 songs. This time around we are we are going to handle the engineering/producing/mixing with a little help from select friends along the way. How will it turn out? Who knows? We are really excited about this and will be spending most of the month working on it.  We should be ready to release sometime in January/Feburary at the latest.

Until then, we hope to see you at a show.  Thanks for checking in,

- Gene

Show 20: You win some, you lose some

Last night marked our 20th show. We were on the bill with two other bands for "The Rock N' Roll Fashion Show" @ Crosstown Station. Each band was to play 4-5 songs while models walked a runway wearing various local designer's clothing lines. One of those designers was our friend, Tammy Sammy (www.saumfrock.com). If you are not familiar with her work, Tammy takes old and new band shirts and makes these completely awesome skirts/dresses/whatever you call them. She's like MacGeyver (did I just date myself?) for clothing. Needless to say, we were happy to be playing during Tammy's models....

We were on second and were announced as the curtain opened. We embarked on our five song set while the models strutted around on stage:

I am not going to sugar coat it, it was a difficult show for us. In fact, the most difficult yet.  Drum microphones fell, guitar amps cut in and out, and it was pretty much the most disastrous show we have played yet. Still, we were told by many that no one noticed these issues out front. Ahh how sweet it is to have a talented soundman. Thank you jeff Pickman!!! But, if that was the worst show yet, we will GLADLY take it.  Believe me, I have played shows in my lifetime that made me consider taking up bungee-less bungee jumping. This was a walk in the park by comparison......

Overall, it ended up turning out well. The event was planned extremely well  and everyone had a great time. We would  love to do another one of these shows in the near future. Thank You to everyone for coming out and showing your support yet again.

Next up, Show XXI: Redemption @ The Riot Room

- Gene

Shizow 19: Almost 20

Last Saturday night we played The Riot Room with Paper Cities, Traindodge, and Dropsonic.  It as a great bill for us to be on and we were happy to be there. Every band played well and sounded great thanks to the skillful ears of one Mr. Jeff Pickman.

It had been about a year since I last saw Dropsonic at The Record Bar and I was excited to see them this time around. They were INSANE. It was a humbling experience to say the least. They have to be one of the best live acts at this level of the game. And they are a three piece! Bastards..... :-)


We would like to thank everyone who came out for showing your support for us as well as all the bands that played.  It's great to be in good company.

Till next time,

Gene

The Magical Number Eighteen

Our eighteenth show was set to happen at an unlikely venue, the coveted Buzzard Beach in Westport.  For those of you out of towners, the Buzzard Beach is a Kansas City landmark.  It has been around forever and is the best dive bar in the area and beyond.  I have been frequenting the Buzzard for about 14 years and I have many memories, scars, and otherwise as a result.  In that time I have never seen any band play there before (although a few have) and I never would have thought it to be a good place for live music. But I was wrong again as usual:-)

Last night had to have been one of our most enjoyable shows to date. We have played bigger venues to more people but this show was something special to us. It meant a lot to us as a band. We were surrounded by friends and strangers, all having a good time on a Monday night.  Much Jager and other alcoholic beverages were consumed.

We felt a real sense of community and connection last night with everyone at the show. We would like to sincerely thank all of you for coming out and making a Monday night feel like a Saturday night. We appreciate your continued support.

- Gene

Show XVII: Bates Birthday Bash @ Crosstown Station

Last Friday marked our 17th show at one of our new favorite venues, Crosstown Station. The fine folks doing a Camel Cigarettes Promotion put us on the bill with Inner Party System, an up and coming national act and it was "all that". Many factors contributed to our perception of the evening including:

1) It was Ryan's Birthday (almost)
2) There were free cigs and alcohol
3) The sound was BAD ASS (thank you, Jeff Pickman)
4) There were girls dancing on poles (we are not kidding)
5) The show was video taped
6) There were girls dancing on poles (for real, I thought we would mention it again)
7) Inner Party System was quality with an INSANE light show
8) Ryan did his signature move "The Shooter" on stage, solo.

Overall, we think it was one of the best shows we have played yet. Thank You to everyone for coming out and making it a great night.

- Gene

Ladies and Gentlemen: We have new merchandise

Hello, Hello, and Hello-

We have new merchandise that we are excited about. Two different t-shirt designs, stickers, and a small supply of limited edition hand painted Jager bottles from the Ryan Bates private reserve.

The shirts are $10, the stickers are free, and the limited edition Jager bottles are going for $100. So far, the shirts and the stickers have been going fast which translates to more Jager and therefore more limited edition bottles....that we can't sell . It's cyclical, you get the idea.

In the next couple of months we will be recording a new EP, maybe even two new EPs for release sometime after the new year.

Until then, we hope to see you at one of the upcoming shows.

Thank You,

- Gene

Show 16: Rock the Vote, Liverpool, and Ludo

Sunday marked our 16th show and a couple of firsts for the band: Opening up for a national act(s) and playing in the daytime. We played the Power and Light District (KC Live) for the "Rock the Vote" show which included The Belated, The Wombats, Carolina Liar, and Ludo.

We were really stoked to play this show as well as see the other bands. We were also excited for all the fringe benefits of being on such a bill: the coveted backstage pass or "fuck you" pass as Brent so eloquently calls it, free alcohol, a green room, screaming fans, television, and possibly a key to the city. Alas, our hopes and dreams only partially came true; you guessed it, they gave us our "fuck you" passes. I guess one out of six isn't bad? And the day had only just begun.

We arrived on-site in time to catch The Belated play after loading in. I had never seen this band live before and I must say that I was really impressed. They sounded killer and did a great job.

Once The Belated had tore down, we started to see our gear being hauled onto the stage. We were in shock.....roadies?!!! Holy Shit. This was the big time. So we promptly ran back there and started to help. Once the gear was on-stage, we started to set up and then something strange happened: Politicians of every type and variety started taking the stage one by one for a few minutes each. We saw this on the schedule but weren't sure what was going on exactly. So we went with the flow. A few minutes later, 96.5's Afentra (btw, we love her) announces "Ladies and Gentlemen, Waiting for Signal". Holy Fuck, we were just announced, but there was one problem: we weren't finished setting up yet! So we scrambled, plugging in cables, grabbing guitars etc. After a few seconds, we heard the comforting sound of background music begin to play over the pa again. A few minutes later, we were ready to go....kind of. At that moment, Ryan realized that one of his Guitar cables is not working. So he quickly replaces it and we are off to the races.

No sound check, no line check, just our band, as they say "el natural". Like baby birds thrown out of the nest we were exposed! But it felt good, because after all it's only rock and roll (or "lock and loll" if you are in Japan). We finished our set, grabbed our gear, with some help from the gracious folks there, and made way for the Wombats who were up next.

The Wombats began their set with a simple introduction "We are the Wombats, we are from Liverpool". For fuck's sake, did they say Liverpool? Yes, they did. I want to be able to say that. In fact, I AM going to say that at the next show, Not because I want to be from Liverpool but just because it sounds cool…..

After the Wombats, we loaded our gear out and then back into our rehearsal space. I went home and the rest of the band went back to the show to see Ludo. From what everyone told me, these guys were the real deal. They even covered a Faith No More song. It's a NICE! I won't miss them next time they are in town, and you shouldn't either.

Overall, this was an awesome experience for us. We want to thank 96.5 The Buzz, Rock The Vote, and everyone for coming to the show.


Till Next Time,

Gene

WFS Show XIV & XV: The Busket Combo (Dog in a Tub)

Last night we played for the first time on the KC Live (Kansas City Power and Light) stage. For those of you out of towners this is a recent addition to the Downtown Kansas City landscape across from the new Sprint Arena. The venue is located outside with a huge glass canopy over it.

It was raining all day long and I received tons of texts and calls from friends wondering if the show was canceled due to the weather. I reassured everyone it was not and cited the glass canopy. I went on and on about all the fancy, world class, cutting edge architecture and engineering that I so presumptuously assumed was in place. Guess What? I was right! For once....Sweet vindication.

Anyhoo, we arrived at the venue while the Republic Tigers were sound checking and were pleasantly surprised and shocked to have the kind people @ KC Live help us unload our gear, and have a nice little green room to share between the bands. There was a separate monitor mix, we received a decent sound check and all was well. We felt like we were in the lap of luxury and indeed we were.

Of course there was one issue (because there always is). per city ordinance, the show could not be over 100dB in total volume. Unfortunately, Brent's bass aone was reading 103dB by itself! We were shocked that we are all really just that deaf already. Brent was prouder than any of us have seen him before and in fact, he was beaming. So there it is: Brent Kastler, 103dB, tadow. We promptly turned the bass down to a more comfortable level and the problem was solved.

We took the stage at around 8:00PM and were finished by 8:40. The stage was spacious, the staff were gracious, and the audience was awesome.

Afterward, we were privileged to play a small, intimate show at "The Beast House". It was acoustic except for the fact that we played with drums through electric guitars and amplifiers loudly :-)

A Huge THANK YOU to:

1) Jeriney @ 96.5 The Buzz : She does more for local music and local bands than ANYONE hands down. We LOVE this person and thank her for all she has done.

2) Everyone for coming out to support us, we so appreciate it!
'
3) The Republic Tigers

- Gene

Shows 12 and 13: A weekend of tribulation and triumph

Last weekend was a first for us: two nights / two shows. The first night was outside @ The Westport Beach Club. This was a special show because it was Corey's (Paper Cities) birthday show. It was also our first outside show and it was HOT. But, we were playing with three great bands (The Old Black, Paper Cities, and Thunder Eagle) and it was all about having a good time. Despite a number of challenges: the heat, the PA system going out, sniper fire, and mud wrestling every band maintained and kicked ass while doing so. Good times.

The next night we played @ The Brick. We love this place because of the great vibe. We were booked with one other band (who shall remain nameless). That band failed to show up so it was all us. This was a difficult night to play in KC. There were a TON of other shows both national and local going on. Attendance was pretty sparse at first and we were concerned. After the first song we had some technical difficulties. But we just rolled through them. Luckily, some of our people showed up and made the show happen. In the end, we played almost all of the material we have and even a few new songs. Thanks to everyone who came out and showed your support.

In other news, we will be recording a new EP very soon. We'll keep you posted.

- Gene

Eleven @ The Record Bar

Show 11 turned out to be pretty badass despite Brent's busted foot, my 7:00AM flight this morning, and Levi's terrible love blister flare up. It's always a pleasure to play with good bands and last night was a perfect example. This Alibi and Overstep made it difficult to go on last. Simply put, they brought "it". And we loved every second of it.

Thanks to everyone for making it out on a Wednesday night.

Now I must shut down my laptop before I get beat down by an air Marshall.

Best Regards,

- Gene

Show Number 10: We laughed, we cried, we consumed

Show 10 was going to be an uphill battle. Everyone was all tired from the 4th of July festivities the night before and we were concerned that attendance could be an issue. So we sent out text messages to friends, family, and supporters. In these text messages we carefully crafted verbiage that threatened these fine people with the wrath of Ryan Bates if they chose not to show up. And somehow, it worked.

All of the people that mattered were there. It ended up being a great night. Thanks to everyone for coming out! And also thanks to 68 Comeback and My Only Danger for bringing the rock.

P.S. For those of you who didn't make it to the show, may god have mercy on your collective souls (no pun intended) should you run into Ryan Bates anytime in the near future.


With Love,

Gene

Nine!

Saturday marked our 9th show.  There was a lot going on in town, many concerts, shows, etc. and we were certain it would be a tough night.  The only saving grace was that we would be on later than usual and give people a chance to come out late (around 1:15).

We ended up hitting a beer covered stage at a ripe 1:45 AM. Low and behold, there was life in front of the stage.  We had a LOT of fun on Saturday night.  Thanks to everyone who came out to support us, we appreciate it. Also thank you to everyone @ The Riot Room for working their collective asses off all day and still being the coolest gentlemen in the city.

Next show, we break into number 10! Our band will be in the rock n' roll 5th grade!