Are you kidding me?!

Lou here...

Okay, we figured it out...this whole time I've been using my booking sheet from '96! So, every venue we've "attempted" to play this year has been shut down or knocked down. This is pretty sad given the fact that in 10 years over half the venues we played at have failed and no longer bring you the kind of music that will propell the indie spirit into the future. Now it's all American Idol Worship, which in a way is not all that bad, but I just can't seem to figure out who is exploiting who there.

Indianapolis, Indiana: The Patio in Broad Ripple. I must say I was a bit surprised to see this on the tour! There was a time it was owned by the same folks as The Vogue, and ever since Scuz took it upon himself to jump up on stage and crash the Iggy Pop show, we were "infinitely banned" from all Indianapolis venues. Come to think of it, this might have been during a Michigan show. I think there use to be a Vogue there too. Or was it The Vic in Chicago. Either way it's been awhile since we were "back home again in Indiana." Scuz kept singing this on the bus to a tape he found of Jim Neighbors...the guy that played Gomer Pyle.

So, long story short...I'm using the wrong tour book, we go to the now defunked Patio and we end up over the river in a biker bar that got a bit out of hand. J.C. Filer was there to catch the madness. Actually, they were quite nice and I promised to give a plug to the bar, but I wrote the info on the back of the old tour book and seem to have misplaced it. J.C. says there are some decent venues down around the Kentucky/Ohio boarder so we're going to check it out. Anyway, enjoy...and when in Indy (as they call it) look for this biker bar...you can't miss it...we had a BRAWL!


©2006 J.C. Filer
©2006 Expendable Teens

Flip can read, can you!

Basically the only reason for this post is to keep you all from seeing Flip's last comments on the previous post. The Bottom Lounge use to be one of the hottest, sweatiest rooms in the windy city. Back in the day many bands opened for themselves, sans the lead singer. If you didn't, a band like the teens could usually show up with our gear and play the opening spot. Who knew the place would ever vanish? Not a good sign! But, the teens have weathered the death of punk many times over and live to tell the tale. I found an alternate venue and that's all that matters. So there, Flip!

That said, we wanted to thank B! for letting us hijack his blogspot and introduce us to his art cronies. J.C. Filer offers up this great pic of the TEENS...



Hey, B! We may have hired the wrong artist.

--Lou

Paint It Bleck

Hey, Flip here. Did you all see us at Lollapalooza in Chicago's Grant Park on August 5th?

No? Why not?

Oh yeah, WE WEREN'T THERE!

That's right, screw Perry Ferrell and all those corporate ass clowns who think they're the best thing since individually wrapped slices of cheese. If you wanted to see REAL punk rock that doesn't charge fans a few pints of blood and a couple hundred bucks for a whole weekend of posers, emo crap, and warm bottled water, you were at the gig at the old Schlotsky's Deli on Division Street at 1:00am, where we rocked the freakin' house 'til about 1:45 when Chicago's finest came to kick us out because we didn't have the right permit to rent the building for the night. Thanks, Lou.

But those who were there saw something special. Scuz was soaked with Old Style when he told the fans he hadn't showered in two days, Athena kissed some girl and then kicked her boyfriend in the nuts, Willy did an improptu solo during "Show Me Your Pantylines" that incorporated the Benny Hill theme (which got the whole place moshing and just about every girl flashing her rack), and I cracked a symbol during "Prom Night Disaster" (the B-side to "I Forgot My Calculator"), but I may keep it for a future track. It has this cool, quick fade sound that I like.

We're probably headed south for a little while toward Indianapolis and maybe Kentucky and Tennessee. I can't wait to see how those southern folks take to a mohawked black man with arms as thick as the Guns of Navarone.

Flip out!

WOW!

We thought it was cool!
They thought it was cool!
But, the votes are in and the indication seems to be that you thought is was cool as well.

Thanks to all of our fans, old and new, for supporting the true independent spirit of punk music. For the past 24 year, the Expendable Teens have been rocking out to the beat of their own drummer...albeit, Flip! But thanks to the fans we have never and I mean NEVER had to sell out. Like I said before, the music you get comes directly from us, no labels no BMI or other bullshit...just straight forward punk rock music from the heart.

How do we do it. With your help, their hasn't been a gig in the past 15 years that hasn't been fully catered by the few dedicated fans in the midwest that kept our bellies full and our hearts light. Now a whole new generation of fans seem to be getting into the legend of the TEENS thanks to Nik Havert and B. Wilkison. Those boys are spot on in both spirit and good old fashioned know how. They know their audience. They printed just enough Expendable Teens UNLIMITED EDITION mini comics to distribute at this years Wizard World in Chicago without blowing the bank or disappointing any fans. A big comicbook convention, for the midwest they tell me...I've never heard of it, but then again, most people have never heard of us...hey, sounds like our kind of crowd.

Nik and Bill wanted me to give praise to one fan who summed up the spirit of the TEENS in just a few words. After purchasing the mini comic for a mere $1 he turned to the splash page (I like this term, but I have know idea what it means) he exclaimed:

"This page alone is worth more than a dollar." - Johnny Eppich

So, if any of you punk rock zombie loving fans want to get in on this we want to hear more. Next year marks our 25th anniversary and we want to give the fans every inch of fun for their hard earned money! We really appreciate it. And as always, don't blow smoke up our ass. If you hate us, or the comic, let us know that too. We already have your dollar...so, piss off.

-Lou