Where do Tegan and Sara get off charging $35.25 for concert tickets? Who are they, The Eagles?

Went and saw The Mother Hips on Friday night. The concert’s DOORS were at NINE PEE EMM. My god people! I know vampires are all the rage right now, but that doesn’t mean I can live like one. I have to go to bed at night. Luckily it was just them and another band called The Lonely H, which Cam and I decided was a silly name. I still really hate the name, but the band was actually pretty good. Nothing totally exceptional, but just some 70’s sounding classic rock. Singer could really wail. Bass player smiled like a weirdo the whole time. Guitarist was totally competent but never busted out the mad solo he was so close to doing several times. And drummer was nine years old. Or not, but he looked like it.

Anyway, The Mother Hips came on and put on a solid show. They played most of the songs I knew by them, without saying a single, solitary word between them. No “Hey Denver,” no “Thank you,” nothing. They’re also looking a little old, which I guess is to be expected since they’ve been around for 20 years. They stood basically still, played well, sang well, but lacked a certain je ne sais qua. Maybe it’s because it was so late, or maybe some of their songs are just kind of boring, but towards the middle of the set they had these strange instrumental breaks for minutes at a time in the middle of songs where it seemed like they should be playing some cool guitar solos, but really they just hit random notes every so often with that pained look that guitarists get when they’re busting out sick ass shit on the guitar. But they weren’t. But it was still good.

The venue was the Hi-Dive, which is so tiny I drive by it every day on my way to work and I had no idea it was there. We got there around 8:30 because we couldn’t imagine that doors would be at 9 and we looked in the little window and it just looked like a hallway, so I assumed there would maybe be a room back in the back where the concert would take place. But alas, there was no room. It is just a hallway. You turn to your left and tucked away in the corner there is a stage. There can’t be more than 100 people that can fit into this place. I was struck by two thoughts. First, how sick would it have been to see a band like Against Me! back in the Axl Rose or Eternal Cowboy days play at a place like that? Second, how sad is that good rock music like those two bands can’t fill a bigger place, yet the Black Eyed Peas will soon be coming and selling out the Pepsi Center?

Dudes with goatees are always douchebags.

Des, our follower, and more importantly friend, has been in the hospital and is now at home with her mom. She had spinal fluid leak into her brain and needed four spinal taps to remove all of it. She thinks it’s treatable, but if anyone wants to say a quick Get Well Soon to Des, then do it.