Too many shows this week, and the earplugs I bought for my New Years Resolution are still tacked up on the back of my door.

But I'll start off with an unconfirmed rumor from a good source...maybe someone with more of a Top 40 interest than me can confirm this...you can see all 3 members of Bratmobile in the audience of the Britney Spears Live in Las Vegas DVD.

I'm working on booking shows for Rose Melberg, Cynthia Nelson, Andrew Kaffer, and Rocketship in the next few months in Olympia. Yay.

Speaking of which, if you think you want to be a real life friend, you should e-mail me and come to the all building Martin Apartment Party next Friday.

Tuesday the 28th: Robert Pollard and Once For Kicks in Seattle at the Crocodile

Bob is old and drinks tequila. Tommy Keene's vocals were not turned up at all so I was dissapointed in the lack of harmonies. I somehow denied the fact that Robert plays fucking marathon sets and as much as I wanted to talk to Jon Wurster about a book he mentioned in an interview I read, I was too tired and headed home instead. In my obligatory monthly Tullycrafting, Jeff Fell was there and I think it was the first time in about a year I've seen him NOT wearing a GBV shirt. I have to make a personal note here about how much fun I had talking to D, A, J, and R or I'll forget their names by the next time I see them in Seattle.

Whoa, and I do want to get some sleep tonight, but Merge is nice enough to have the entire Robert Pollard "From a Compound Eye" album available in streaming audio.

Thursday the 2nd: David Rovics and Attila the Stockbroker in Lacey at St. Martin's University

I love David Rovics, but I think (and by his onstage admission) smoking Washington's wacky tabacky made him a little less gregarious than I was expecting. Attila the Stockbroker was a pleasant surprise, as I fear poets as much as my own poetry. Once upon a time the Manic Street Preachers even opened for him. Or maybe it's just my fetish for the English accent. Both performers are amazing poets that find ways to work with political words that I dreamed of but never could find, especially not so directly. Although David brought the house down with "I'm A Better Anarchist Than You" which really made me laugh. I want to support the anarchists, but the few I know that are out feeding the hungry and giving to the poor are far outnumbered by the ones who just manage to piss me off and act like that's the only important political act to participate in.

Friday the 3rd: Son and They Shoot Horses Don't They in Olympia at Le Voyeur
Son's cover of The Smith's Still Ill using the top 2 strings on his guitar for the chords and a loose bottom string for percussion was amazing. They Shoot Horses Don't They is a fun mix of Red Pony Clock and Old Time Relijun, now on Kill Rock Stars.

Saturday the 4th: Stereoearrings (Karl Blau), Ponies in the Surf, and Nire in Olympia at Le Voyeur

Nire were quiet and lovely and made me very happy I didn't spend all my money to go see Low in Seattle this week because they had the same effect on me. A beautiful, sleepy pretty effect.

I love Ponies in the Surf. They're a brother sister duo from New England, with bits of Columbian pop mixed in. I was thinking about how I didn't really like the Owl and the Pussycat too much when their album was released, but now I love the softest boy girl duos I can find. Alex croons, Camille harmonizes, and I just feel so charmed when I listen to them play, like I'm in some kind of plush lounge far away from the cement floors and bar noises I'm actually subjecting myself to when I've seen them.

Karl made noise with a radio and effects pedals. He cut his hair and wore sneakers and looked super cute. Really. I love him and knew I was being superficial of his hippieness, but I've had enough of boys in pigtails for one lifetime.

Afterwards I drove out to KAOS 89.3 with Nire and Ponies in the Surf so the Ponies could play a live set on Gimme Indie Rock. They sounded great and I intend to post the video soon.

Okay, sleepie time...really...I need to do this more often instead of trying to write it all up at the end of the week...