Sunday, June 1, 2014

Mystery Date Mission Log: The First Missive




















Mystery Date are on tour trying to sell this record. Johnny's keeping us abreast.
Once again my courageous compatriots and I have been called into the
fray in the name of Mystery Date, and this time we’re going farther
than we’ve ever been before.  So begins a journey of fast music,
burritos, booze and windbaggery. Friday night Grady and I travelled

to Agent Damien’s laboratory to receive our devices for the mission.
Unlike our rather ostentatious allies at MI6 we did not opt for something
conspicuous like an Aston martin for transportation.  In order to
maintain the utmost secrecy agent D provided us with a large Dodge van
with “Honk for J.Bieber” spray painted on the back. The work of a
covert agent is not always glamorous and agent Damien cleverly knew
that no one would suspect 3 flamboyantly-dressed dudes traveling in a
brightly spray-painted van. After the mishap with the heat seeking
missiles installed in the last Mystery Date division vehicle, Agent
Damien instead installed a secret built-in rice cooker to aid the
cause.  It was at this meeting that we had a chance to meet Piñata’s
newest agent, one mister Desmond Tank, a strikingly suave and
handsome young man in his twenties (days not years). I predict he’ll go
far in the service.


We set out at three PM to take advantage of the afternoon’s deep cloak
of anonymity. Traveling across the vast wastelands of Wisconsin we
heard no noise except what was the honking of an apparent goose that
none of us saw. We travelled swiftly, careful to avoid the Taco John's
in Black River Falls where I could be recognized and our mission
compromised. After many hours of briefing ourselves on David Bowie
through the van’s stereo system we felt prepared for what we knew we
must do.  Ten clicks into Madison we arrived safely at the rendezvous
point: Mickey’s Tavern, a filthy backstreet dive sympathetic to the
cause; so sympathetic in fact that they furnished us with as many tap
beers as we could drink for free.  Support is appreciated in any form
as not all were meant to serve on the front lines.  




After a few hours of recuperating from our journey we met our contact, Dirty 
Nigel, a black marketer providing safe sex toys to the repressed Madisonian
population and, by all accounts, a conscientious man in a frequently
unconscionable business. After partaking of the finest brews afforded
us in our unique position we listened to the manifesto of our fellow
Minneapolans Soap Scum. We spread our news of the movement as best we
could. I think it went over well but I really don’t pay that much
attention. After a swift and energetic set Dirty Nigel and the Strap-Ons 

took the stage, blasting through a lively set. After the show we
enjoyed burritos and I pontificated at length upon many interesting
subjects of such weight and importance that the mere act of
considering them tired my worthy comrades to the point of sleep!! 

It’s heartening to know that in a seemingly morally ambiguous and
meaningless world there are men like Dirty Nigel, who, despite the
illicit nature of the world in which they exist will open their homes
and sing the songs of freedom in the name of our common cause. We hope
for the opportunity to one day return the hospitality on our own soil.




Today we will have to pass through numerous check points in disguise
to the city of Chicago. I pray that the false travel papers and
identification we purchased will get us there safely.  If we succeed
we will be meeting with some old and dear comrades. Jenn of The Wet
who served by my side in the invasion of South By Southwest not once
but twice, as well as the occupation of the Hozac Blackout in '11 or
'12, the time that has passed has blunted my memory to the specifics
leaving only a lasting impression of true courage. Tom and Rebecca,
many times have executed operations under deepest cover since I first
met them when they brought the Infamous Tyler John Tyler to Saint
Paul’s Midway House itself.  And last but certainly not least, a man
whose name is spoken in reverent whispers wherever people still keep
faith in true liberty, Joe Power, a man with no little influence on
myself who performed with the Basement Disasters when I went on my
first set of missions as a young agent. The Authorities approach, we
will send contact if we arrive-






















Over and Out,
MD


Thursday, May 29, 2014

Mystery Date Will Tour Several Midwestern Cities (5/31-6/7)!


Beloved power-pop trio Mystery Date are going to be driving around the upper, then the lower Midwest this week! If you live in any of these cities, please make time to go see Mystery Date, give them a sandwich and buy their new You and Your Sister 7".

Saturday May 31: Madison, WI @ Mickey's Tavern w/ Dirty Nigel and Soap Scum
Sunday June 1: Chicago, IL @ The Burlington Bar w/ The Wet and The Jollys
Monday June 2: Detroit, MI @ The Lager House w/ Fake Surfers and Nurse
Thursday June 5: Columbus, OH @ Cafe Bourbon Street
Friday June 6: St. Louis, MO @ Lemmon's w/ Humanoids
Saturday June 7: Kansas City, MO @ Harling's Upstairs w/ Mosquito Bandito and Wick & The Tricks


Friday, April 18, 2014

Released! Black Diet's Find Your Tambourine is real, and it's beautiful.



Black Diet's album is finally coming out. Find Your Tambourine has been labored over since they were still JT and The Sloppy Seconds, since they had a different drummer and backup vocalist. The making of this record has seen Black Diet change and grow and become the absolute tightest original soul band in the Twin Cities. After abandoning several attempts at translating their sly enthusiasm and expert craftsmanship to digital media, the sextet arrived in Mike Wisti's basement 24-track Albatross Studio to start again and for the first time, finish. The resulting album is exactly what you'd want and expect. A clear, urgent batch of soul songs with just the right amount of accidental beauty.




Friday, April 11, 2014

Released! Mystery Date "You and Your Sister"



Mystery Date's new 7 inch "You and Your Sister" b/w "Lightspeed Romance"/ "The One That You Really Want" is released on Saturday April 12 with a release party at the Hexagon Bar. Following that, it will be available in our online store, as well as at Twin Cities record stores.

Each copy is uniquely colored and hand-stuffed with an insert and download card. The jackets were designed by singer Johnny Eggerman, and the center-label was designed by Eli Hansen. We're really excited about the finished product, and above all, it sounds great. Learn more about this record here.


Sunday, April 6, 2014

Black Diet Midwest Tour!

Hey Guys,
Today our buddies Black Diet is headed out to conquer the Midwest(or at least a few key Cities) in support of their new album Find Your Tambourine. Tell all your Family, Old Friends, Cousins, or anyone you know in ANY of these towns to get out and see Black Diet!


Friday, March 28, 2014

Piñata at SXSW: Heading Home and The Moral of the Story



Damien says: Whoops! Trevor sent me this the day he got back from Texas, and I read it, loved it, told him how much I loved it, and forgot to post it. Here it is:

Hey Folks,

So I am back home in relative safety and chill of Minneapolis. Once again I miss out on all the St Patrick's Day shenanigans. Thank goodness. As a Doyle on my mother's side, and as an Irishman with a taste for libations I can say I don't care for the typical revelry. I'd rather spend some or most of it in a car on the way back from Texas. We had smooth sailing the whole way. A solid 20 hour cruise up I-35. Last year was a snowy icy struggle the whole time. A little traffic heading out of Austin and around every reasonable size city in Texas but once we were out of the state we were fine. Luckily we didn't hit any bad weather until Crosstown 62 in morning rush hour. A little freezing rain. No biggie.


I guess what I learned this year was that SXSW is (no secret) no longer the songwriters' gathering it started as. It's grown way beyond the breeding grounds of the next indie band breaking big this year. It's a mecca for folks who want to see groups they already know and will submit their email to RSVP for a chance to stand in line for an over-capacity showcase at a corporate-sponsored stage that doesn't exist most of the year.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Piñata at SXSW 2014: The End of it All, and This Fest Don't Need Any Fixin'.



Trevor has reached the end of his South by Southwest Experience. We hope he and Marvel had a lot of fun, and Gloria and I have been eagerly awaiting the return of our super-friends! See you at practice, guys!

Hey Folks,
So much like last year's South-by-Saturday, the plan is to hook up with my dad's old friend Dale Peterson and head over to South Congress for Mojo's Mayhem at the Continental Club. This is Mojo Nixon's showcase. We get there just in time to see the JD Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers from Paduka, KY. For a 1 PM set, they fucking rip. I am informed by Jade that they end the set with a handful of songs by JD's old band The Legendary Shack Shakers.  We all hop out for a minute to see who is playing at the South By San Jose event across the street. The onstage isn't doing much for me, but I find out that Cody Chestnutt is playing at 5.

Back to the Continental. We see some of Dale's favorite Austin singer/songwriters; John Dee Graham, and James McMurtry. John Dee has Marv and me in tears, but James has us white trash boogying through his tales of dirty living.

Back across the street to Cody Chesnutt. We sit through the band before him, which I didn't get their name. They had 2 songs in a row with choruses that had a line like "I am the Passenger" in it. Cody came out about 20 minutes late. They suffered through a few technical issues. Cody sounded like all of the SXSW shows had tore his voice up pretty good. Even still, they did not disappoint me. I think some of those that didn't absolutely adore his music like me were turned off.



Back across to the Continental. We missed the Whiskey Sisters. But caught Mojo's set. He opened with "Can't Hardly Wait" a Replacements cover. Then proceeded to tear the place down. Appearently everything about the government and corporate America can suck his dick.

I kinda wanted to stick around for Tinariwen at the SXSJ, but we were pretty far from our destination and needed to start moving.

We set out headed through downtown to 6th and out of the shit. Determined to not wait in lines or pay covers we skipped Shangra-La, White Horse, and Hotel Vegas. We got micheladas and margaritas at Tukoba. We ate Gator from a guy on the street in a weird trailer with a sign that said free beer. Gator was good, got no free beer.

We hit the Grackle for a beer and to see who was playing there. I ended SXSW at the Grackle last year and heard some metal. This year it was Bipolar Gentlemen. It was some very out-there music. Crazy metal percussion with contact mics. Bass player played with little metal sticks and had his bass laying down. There was a Culligan water jug with a mic in it. Their singer had no eyebrows and crazy make-up and effects on her mic. It was pretty intense. We bought a CD.


On to the Hi-Hat for a beer and back to St Roch's. We turned in early(ish). I told Jake Quam that I would take first shift driving on the way home, so I wanted to be rested.

Today was an awesome day. I saw real Austin music, Cody Chesnutt, and  some avante garde. It was a good way to end this adventure. Now for the real adventure. The journey home.

Flavorful Side Note:
We ate BBQ breakfast around the corner from Jade's place. It looked like a dump but the BBQ was perfect. We went back this morning but the ribs and brisket weren't ready. Kinda sad. In other sad food news. It brings me great pains to say that Lucky J's Chicken and Waffle Taco truck is no longer in the food court on 6th and Waller. There was a different Chicken and Waffle Tacos, but they were more expensive and could not hold a torch to Lucky J's.

Musical Side Note:
I wonder how many people that come to this festival actually see 1 band or songwriter from Austin Texas. I'm really glad that I was able to see some. Mission: Spend an equal amount of time in Austin soon and see what music scene here is really all about. I've heard good things.