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Nutshell Kingdom: Bicycle Face - Spontaneous Penis
2006
First off, let me thank Mitch for the exhaustive 4-CD Bicycle Face extravaganza that came in the mail yesterday. I had been listening to Vols. I and II for a few months now, but I will make sure that I use the extra copies to spread the Bicycle Face gospel to the uninitiated.
A few comments before I tell my Bicycle Face story. First, I was so happy to get these CDs because, sorry guys, "Trust and Obey" sucked. As an album, it did not come close to capturing the BF that I saw dozens of times live. These new CDs do a much better job. I even prefer the T&O demos to the finished album. Plus, T&O did not have many of my favorites. For instance, "Lost Weekend." By far my fav BF song. I adore the line "You ruined my weekend, that's a hard thing to forgive (forget? doesn't matter)." Also, I never realized until I got the new CDs how much I enjoyed "Libido." I remember it from shows, but I never knew the name of the song and it never really registered. Until now. Now, I listen to it all the time. Let me add that "Hall of Unappealing Food" is my least favorite song. It is also the one that is running through my head all the time. Go figure.
So, I saw Bicycle Face for the first time on a Sunday afternoon at the original, small-sized Miracle House of Rock, an abandoned warehouse building in downtown Greensboro (Forgive me if I have already written this memory before - I can't remember). I was not quite 18 1/2 years old, freshly arrived in college, maybe two weeks. I went with Marca and Christine. It was BYOB and I had a plastic nozzle bottle full of Bloody Mary that stole from my roommate. I drank that pretty quick and was feeling good.
I sat on a filthy couch or paced around smoking and making small talk with a bunch of strangers that would soon become the social fabric of my life for the next few years. On the couch, my Bloody Mary gone, I shared a bottle of white wine with a married woman. Being 18, I automatically assumed she was interested. Also, being 18, I did nothing about it but blush ferociously (can someone blush ferociously? No matter - I'm sure I did). I had never met a married woman in a social setting before. Big adventure.
I didn't know Mitcch, Brian or Chris yet. When they came on, I was most impressed by Chris' metal trashcan drumkit (Washington Redskins?). Mitch was in rare form. I remember 'Graveyard.' They also did a KISS cover and "What Goes On" by the Velvets. I knew that song via the original and The Feelies and so felt right at home. It was nice. At some point, Mitch takes a bigboy bottle of Schlitz Malt Liquor between his legs and faux comes all over everybody on the couch. Rock-n-roll.
There was another guy who stood up and took his dick out for all to see. Like I said, big adventure. Little did I know, that would not be the last spontaneous penis Greensboro would offer me.
