Private Dancer: Fall Tour 2009 Video Journal
[As St. Paul's Private Dancer set out on its 16 date fall tour, the band's Jesse Kwakenat took to the director's chair and documented the trip from behind the lens. With the first 16 days in the bag, the band is now gearing up for the second leg of its tour which will kick off in Wisconsin and continue on for nine more dates throughout December. In the meantime Culture Bully is proud to present Private Dancer's fall video journal.]
Words and video by Jesse Kwakenat.
Day One | Chicago, IL | The Hideout: Four fifths of Private Dancer driving down to Chicago to meet Nate (already on tour with the Chambermaids) and start our tour for the next 16 days. Awesome cameo by Mike Lust, member of Tight Phantomz and proprietor of Phantom Manor Studio.
Day Two | Spring Green, WI | Shitty Barn Party Party (Presented by Gastro Non Grata and Furthermore Beer): So day two is six kinds of awwwwwsome. Gastro Non Grata roasted a pig and Furthermore Beer got us dizzy. Last of two shows with Chambermaids who were en fuego. Tomorrow we drive to Fargo. Ouch.
Live from the Shitty Barn Party: Opened with this tonight, good times. Also: Too…….f***in’…….smooth.
Day Three | Fargo, ND | The Aquarium: Leaving in the morning to head to Fargo. We’ll have a one hour stop in Saint Paul which will be sweet but then right back on the road to The Aquarium and then west. We get fed in Fargo which is the kinda gig Private Dancer likes best.
Day Four | Missoula, MT | The Badlander: Played this show after driving all night and the next day from Fargo to Missoula. Stayed at Colin’s (Vampire Hands, Secret Language) house. He BBQ’d for us and it was so, so good.
Day Five | Olympia, WA | Le Voyeur: Got into Le Voyeur last minute after getting pulled over TWICE, the trailer lights were all f’d up (as in not even on) and it was raining and dark. The first officer was awesome and laid back (still wrote us a ticket but deserved) but sweet baby jesus the second cop was a piece of work. Hey was a power-trip dude who was maybe twenty three and was just, how you say? Ahhhh yes, “a DICK.” He asks for our license and registration and then he collects ALL of our licenses. He gives us a ticket for the trailer and then, check this, he chastises Chris and I for not wearing our seat belts and I show him I have mine on. So he says “I guess you do” and informs us he’s giving Chris a ticket. As we leave the stop we realize he wrote the ticket to me, which is just fucking awesome. We cruise under the radar to the show and stay at our friend Mara’s apartment afterward. While waiting for the van to and trailer to get fixed the next day Nate and I ate at this Korean BBQ joint that was ridiculously good and Nate asked for his stuff super spicy but not “too macho.” The dude at the restaurant new exactly what he meant.
Day Six | Seattle, WA | The Comet: Those Philly Cream Cheese hotdogs were insane. Chris Rose had one but yours truly had two. That drunk guy at the end was something else, note that squeaking sound towards the end is him bending in the passenger side mirror on our van.
Day Seven | San Francisco, CA | The Hemlock: We drove overnight from Seattle and pulled into The Hemlock around eight. This show was awesome with Hot Fog and the first show of seven with the Careerers. The show and party at Donny’s afterward were amazing, but in between Nate got his pedals stolen and I broke the fifth metacarpal on my right hand. We woke up and ate Cuban food and drove to Sacramento.
Day Eight | Sacramento, CA | Java Lounge: with the Careerers and Goodness Gracious Me. That song at the end is Rosie (Careerers) playing a ukulele.
Day Nine | Arcata, CA | Nipplepotamous!: We’re in Northern CA and it’s beautiful. Careerers and Monster Women. Monster Women are Nate’s new favorite band and they’re really, really good. Alex has converted to a pure doughnut diet, he will eat them for dinner tonight and will eat them again tomorrow for all three meals. Disgraceful. I go to get my San Francisco injury x-rayed after this show and will wear a splint on my right hand (when not playing) for the rest of tour. Excellent breakfast the next day in Arcata (all of us except Alex, doughnuts) and depart for Chico.
Day Ten | Chico, CA | Empire Coffee: Empire Coffee is in a train car. There should be more shows in train cars.
Day Eleven and Twelve | San Diego, CA | U-31 and Soda Bar: So we drive overnight again and get to San Diego mid-afternoon. We are staying for the next two nights with Careerers’ friend who has an amazing apartment one block off the beach. First night at U-31 the Vikes dismantle a hapless Packer squad on MNF. We sleep on the rooftop deck both nights and it’s freezing rain back in Mpls. Sorry Mpls. Dudes go boarding in the ocean and we eat fish tacos four meals a day. Private Dancer considers relocating.
Day Thirteen an Fourteen | Los Angeles, CA | Redwood Bar and Careerers: “Couple thoughts on CA. Things seem to be very laid back here, which is awesome, but also sometimes leads to things not really working right. Hmmm.” – Alex
L.A. was excellent. We stay with Nate’s sister first night and after the second LA show we drive overnight to Denver. That’s right, Denver. As we leave LA we find out we’re in a race against time as a winter storm is right on our tails and there is a possibility it will catch us in the mountains and if so we’ll be six kinds of SCREWED.
Day Fifteen | Denver, CO | Old Curtis Street Bar: Overnight from LA to Denver. PAINFUL. Some amazing topography, coupled with some delirious and tired dudes equals some serious blown minds. Snow caught up with us in Denver, it was 22 degrees. Compare that to the 80 we had in LA and it’s kinda hard not to let it crush your soul just a little. Still, somehow, we’re having an amazing time.
Day Sixteen | Omaha, NE | O’Leaver’s: Final night. Our best friends Justin and Nicole made us pulled pork and let us hold lil’ baby Elliott. One of Chris’ pedals was broke as shit but got fixed by the third song and all was well. Then, HOME. Until December.