Voltage at the Empty Bottle

I went to see this band called Voltage tonight at the Empty Bottle. They were pretty rad. I'd seen them once before. Some girl I knew randomly gave me a bunch of records. I don't know why. It was very random. And Voltage was one of the records. That's how I first heard of them.

I went with my friend Gregg, whom I have to thank for agreeing to meet me there, because had he not, I might've not gone, and it was a fun time.

The first band claimed to be called NineteenEightyThousand, but that name wasn't listed and something with the word Lazer was listed, so I don't know who they were. They weren't selling merch, either. Regardless of what they were called, they were pretty fun.






The second band was called The Diminishers and they, literally, made me sick to my stomach. Or so I claimed. I can't say for sure whether it was them or not that did it. It may've been a coincidence, but I was queasy and I felt OK blaming them. They had like all these people on stage including three violinists and a cellist, so I thought maybe they'd be interesting, but they were terribly boring.



The guy who sang, and for whom the whole band seemed to be an ego stroke for him, created the most simplistic melodies that reminded me of children's educational songs, but not in a good way (like that vowels song by The Evens).

When their set was over, this guy by the bar yelled "one more," and I literally had this violent sort of impulse to make him be quiet, but I didn't attack him or anything.

At the last Voltage show I went to, I saw this guy who also happened to be at this one who also happened to know my friend Gregg. Weird coincidence, huh? His name's Kevin. We all took pictures together. Including some in the photobooth. Yay photobooth!






Then Voltage played. Just two guys, but they sound really full. The drummer was really awesome and had a xylephone mounted to his drum kit. And in one song he used a whistle and it was really good. Can you tell I'm tired?







The drummer's high hat stand was really unstable and the drummer of NineteenEightyThousand leaned onto the stage and held it steady for half of a song. While he did, this other guy who we were all pretty sure was high on acid or some other psychedelic put his leg over him. It was kind of humorous and weird.



Later, that same guy came up to me. He said, "I have some words for you." As he said this, he was zipping up his pants. He said, "I'm zipping up my pants, but don't think that's an invitation. It's my body." I was laughing.

Then he said, "I feel like you have a beef with me."

"No, I don't have a beef with you," I said it and I meant it.

"You're not friendly toward me."

"When I saw you today, I thought you looked familiar, but I didn't know from where I met you."

He told me we used to work at the same starbucks together, which you'd think I'd remember that, but then I vaguely remember that he worked there very briefly and then it made sense that I didn't remember him so well.

He said that my name was Jason and when I told him it was Brian, he said, "Well, they have one vowel in common," which is something I often do, so I thought that was funny.

I asked him his name and he said, "Javier....No, Lord, you can call me Lord, I'm a vengeful lord!"

Then he said, "I'm gonna kiss you, but don't take it personally," and then he gave me a peck on the lips, said thank you, and walked away.

He screamed a lot the rest of the night. A constant source of entertainment. Hopefully I'll see him again.