being out and about in 2005 I've seen a lot of good shit,

the best show I've seen this year, hands down, was seeing Mick Flower from vibracathedral lift the room night after night on the no way out- sunburned/ magikmarkers/ mick flower tour - first show in austin after a 2 day nightmare drive, atlanta at the house party, knoxville, charlottesville made me cry, and bard college was what i might compare to hendrix lighting the guitar on fire if I was there, why isn't this guy hunted down by record companies and on the cover of all these magazines?

Matt Valentine and Erika Elder at the Wilder Cats Benefit, a.k.a. 'Ron-Aid', january '05 and in Brattleboro Common Ground June '05, they've met the alien / sasquatch diplomat-dealer up there in the Vermont woods and are softening the blow for us when they finally arrive and take it all over. also Joshua's set from this show was amazing

Major Stars upstairs from their record store at Charlie's in Harvard Square on a cold winter night. No idea they had a new line up and they smoked my head with headbanger power and foxy sex on a Monday night, giving comets a run for their money, their new 7" is the best two sides I've heard since the suntanama 7".

Warmer Milks on the Six Organs Tour, laying down 5 aces in Lexington, KY with the full band, these guys are the missing link and the band that will take the prize.

Mountians of Moss, Knoxville, TN, Six Organs Tour, they said this guy never plays outside of town, but he should because he's sorely needed, laid down the most beautiful set of acoustic music / songs/ film I've seen ever. Turned my girl-frown upside-down.

The Believers, turning into a sex machine at flywheel, and pa's lounge, sex & drugs, sex & drugs, dead or alive, don't fear the reaper.

Jessica Rylan, Can't, so good. seen three shows all awesome. she even sang me a song into my ear as a 'set'

Jack Rose at Spaceland, arthurfest and then with Pelt- boston in november, he's the uplifter.

Rick Bishop at Twisted Village in Boston, perfection.

fourtet at the museum of fine arts boston, people came looking for the hits or some shit to dance to but kieran cleared the room with a punishing set of supernova black hole...best 'noise' show all year

Keiji Haino, a week ago solo in NYC, power electronics for the 'tweeds' to quote keith connelly, vocal insanity, true rock star.

Sonic Youth at Arthurfest, I was in between the stage and the mosh pit fence right up front, so good, so loud.

Pearls & Brass in North Adams, finally, the straight up rock power trio. serious drum face. didn't know anything at all about these guys except that elisa saw them one time in chicago and she said they were awesome, and they are...

hush arbors...six organs tour... my man Keith can sing and play and write some damn good songs and stay up all night with the fiend.

Comets on Fire at Arthurfest, time machine set in the daylight. fletch on drums. super hot set for the big stage which they wear very well. also here in boston at t.t.s this june, first time in a while I've seen a mosh pit in boston, stage on fire!

Magik Markers, I could write a fuckin bob dylan book on these guys as a qualified expert, I've been at about 40 shows by them this year and night after night have had my bell rung by the beauty hammer that is pete, elisa, and leah. They bring the pain, and ask the big questions and I am a better person for knowing them, the magik markers have changed my life in many ways and I will be very excited to see what the future brings their way, standout shows include the January 05 Boston show where for the first time in my very bar experienced life I was afraid for an all out, out of control, barroom brawl, they brought out all my thug danger instincts like looking at angles on how to best take down the biggest dudes in the room to stall for time while they got their gear out and i had a bottle tucked up my sleeve ready to crack it over someones head if things got thicker than they already were, cleveland, chicago, missoula, montana - pure sex danger then pete took the mic and flipped the room over on my hanging tongue, June 05 in brattleboro with Robin Sweetapple on guitar, house party in arcata an orange tongue ride to body heat- the new breakdance move, oakland spaz, sf, LA legs at the echo, the smell (I got to play drums), then the duo shows - pete and elisa- dark power, readings from the book of light, austin, charlottesville, baltimore, north adams then the 3 piece Halloween show, the most psychadelic show I've ever been to. Night after night I'd be watching them and glancing at my brothers who would look back and throw up their hands in despaired amazement or nod and look me with glazed high eyes like they just drank elf blood for the first time and they were "In".

Six Organs all year, first in jaunary, San Fran, where i saw the first show with him standing menacing the crowd then in Boston / Providence, with corsano on drums, the Arthurfest show was like watching history in the making, and then the fall tour with hush arbors with me and hush as the band. As a true 6 Organs fan, I was thrilled and honored to join the band and pay tribute to the school of the flower by playing drums and drinking with whiskey dracula 18 days in a row.

the best thing all year though is seeing the genesis of the Drifter. look the fuck out in 2006, which leads me to this:I played a load of shows this year and my personal favorites were,sunburned: knoxville, regina greene's house on a monday night, tonic- april, canada in june, all of it, markers tour / columbus, chicago, missoula, portland, oakland, san fran, atlanta, philly, drifter as lazarus, bard college, Boston with Dinosaur Jr. six organs: zeitgiest- boston, nyc,mercury lounge,flywheel, mt. pleasant, south carolina, charlottesville, VA, boston - p.a.s and finally the first show I played this year in san fran with Ethan Miller & the Howlin' Rain after recording the record was awesome and kicked off a great year.