This Week in the Mercury
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Contest The Greatest Hold Steady Ticket Giveaway EVER!
Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Once again we are overloaded with tickets to see the greatest party bands on Earth. Hmmm, what to do with all these Hold Steady tickets? I suppose we can give them away, but first some details:
Thanks to the deep pockets of Jack Daniels (Booze, it's recession-proof!), the Hold Steady are performing a free, invite-only, show at the Crystal Ballroom on Monday, March 16th. Unlike most concerts where we only have a pair of tickets to give away, this time we have so many tickets to part with, it hurts.
So what do you need to do to win yourself (and a guest) into this badass show? Just post a comment below about your favorite Hold Steady song, or a drunken tale that involves Jack Daniels. We have a lot of tickets, so don't hold back.
Here are the very important rules:
All entries must be posted before tomorrow at 9am. All winners MUST pickup the tickets at Mercury HQ (605 NE 21st Ave, Suite 200) on Friday, March 13th (from 12-5pm), or Monday, March 16th (from 9:30am-5pm). No exceptions. Good luck, and see you in the party pit, or the chillout tent.
1
Wow, Hold Steady stories or Jack Daniels stories. Hard to pick. Since I remember the Hold Steady stories a little better, here goes: I was working at the CB when the Hold Steady played in Lola's Room (can you imagine?!?) and was instantly amazed by the band. Lola's was jam-packed with fans, all going crazy and singing along at the top of their lungs. At first, we tried to keep fans away from Craig, but (if you don't know) the Lola's stage is like 8 inches off the ground, and those darn fans were persistent. Plus, Craig didn't seem to care. Even let a fan lean in and light his cigarette at one point.
I was hooked immediately. You gotta love a band that loves their fans, and encourages them to go a little crazy with the good times.
I was hooked immediately. You gotta love a band that loves their fans, and encourages them to go a little crazy with the good times.
2
Wow, just ONE drunken Jack Daniels story?? Hmm. Let me think back through the years ... hang on. Well, the first memory involving JD that I can think of didn't involve drunkeness because I was only about nine and was touring the JD Distillery, which I lived about an hour from. I leaned over a giant fermenting vat (I doubt you can do that these days) and saw the mash about 12 feet below me and noticed a bubble on the surface that then popped. About 3 seconds later this SUPER INTENSE smell of what I now know is JD hit me in the face so hard it almost knocked me over. After that, the next thing that comes to mind is going home with a girl I worked with after drinking Jack & Cokes all night and we started making out and suddenly I had to throw up and before I could make it to the bathroom I puked all over the walls in her hallway. Oh, I also LOVE The Hold Steady, if that helps.
3
At the last Hold Steady show, I drank so much whiskey (er, Jack Daniels!) that I set my hair on fire (in the Crystal) and broke up with my boyfriend. True story. I promise to be better behaved on Monday.
4
I was going to write about something different, but in reading JoannaK's post above she uses the word "Craig" twice. This reminds me of why I took immediate interest in the Hold Steady. You see, my name is "Craig" too. Popular culture is severely lacking famous people named "Craig".
Who else do we have other than Craig Finn? Craig Hooper, the one-time early member of Crowded House? Or Craig, the male cheerleader that Will Farrell played alongside Cheri Oteri on SNL? Reading JoannaK's post and picturing her writing about ME fronting a great band makes me feel all good inside.
Who else do we have other than Craig Finn? Craig Hooper, the one-time early member of Crowded House? Or Craig, the male cheerleader that Will Farrell played alongside Cheri Oteri on SNL? Reading JoannaK's post and picturing her writing about ME fronting a great band makes me feel all good inside.
5
I don't remember the last two Hold Steady shows because I thought that doing multiple shots of Jack Daniels was a good idea. I was very very wrong. I really want to go to this show and at least remember the first half of it.
"there's gonna come a time when the true scene leaders
forget where they differ and get the big picture
cause the kids at their shows, they'll have kids of their own
the sing-a-long songs'll be our scriptures"
"there's gonna come a time when the true scene leaders
forget where they differ and get the big picture
cause the kids at their shows, they'll have kids of their own
the sing-a-long songs'll be our scriptures"
6
The last time I saw the Hold Steady I drank so many "...double whiskey (Jacks), coke, no ice..." that I was "...bent down at the party pit...", was sent to the "Chillout Tent", and even got "Sequestered in Memphis". It's all good because instead of saying "Lord, I'm Discouraged" I learned to "Stay Positive". Man I've had some "Massive Nights" thanks to the Hold Steady and Jack Daniels.
7
The last time I had Jack I ended up leaning halfway out of a car window on the way home from the show cussing out the crowds of Portland hipsters for such greasy hair and tight jeans.
Almost killed but the girl was able to hold me steady.
Almost killed but the girl was able to hold me steady.
8
JD and the HD are a great combination! Of course, makes me think about the lyrics to Constructive Summer which includes the lyric, "Double Whiskey, Coke, no ice." THat is what I happily drank through the last Hold Steady Show (ShoBox Seattle)!
I have to say that I don't think there is another performer out there right now that is having as much fun on stage as Craig Finn.
I have to say that I don't think there is another performer out there right now that is having as much fun on stage as Craig Finn.
9
First time I saw Hold Steady live, they melted my face. I swear a bottle of Jack should have been sold with every Boys and Girls in America album. Favorite song comes from that album: “Hot Soft Light”. Favorite song to hear live is “Stay Positive”. That song makes you jump, point, go “whoa-oh-oh”, AND Craig thanks each and every one of you (… and you and you and you).
10
The song that roped me in for good as a Hold Steady fan was "One for the Cutters". Great tune. But let's talk about Jack Daniels. Jack has a magical effect on me where I can only remember the book ends of the evening, mainly the shots followed by waking up face down on a lawn surrounded by my closest friends as they ponder whether I am in good enough shape to drive myself home. Usually they compromise by locking me in my trunk. Often I awake the next day with no real memory of what happened. I'm like that pensive d-bag from Momento. I have strange aches and pains and no clue how I got them. For days I grind my gears to discover the reason behind my physical agony. I chalk it up to getting older and wiser. And then, someone has to break the silence and go into the excruciating details of the night, the shots, the poor excuse for break dancing, and yes, insisting that I, barely cracking 150lbs, could body lift my 300+ lb friend.
This is why I will be drinking beer at the Hold Steady show.
This is why I will be drinking beer at the Hold Steady show.
11
My first Hold Steady show was at the Cap. Hill Block party in Seattle last summer. It was an event of singular beauty. Jack Daniels stories? I could fill absolute freaking tomes. Here's a classic: I spent a summer working at a cannery in Ketchikan, AK. I started sleeping with a girl who worked in the office, who lived with her (large, bearded, kinda scary) boyfriend near downtown. She and I would sneak away while he was working, have some drinks and get naked. One night he was driving forklift in the cold storage and we took his car (an old Pontiac) up to a viewpoint above town with a fifth of JD and did our own version of WWE wrestling one-on-one in the backseat. Awhile later we were in the front seat again, drinking Old No. 7 and watching the boats come in to dock in town. I looked over and she had passed out, face smooshed up against the window. I had to go back to work , so I drove her home. I turned on the street she lived on when something hit my door. I looked over and it was her boyfriend, screaming and pounding on the window with his fist. I tromped the gas and peeled out. I could see him chasing us on foot in the rearview. In front of their apt., I yanked the e-brake and left her and the car, and ran as fast as I could out of there. The next day at work I carefully avoided the plant and the loading dock where I knew he was once again driving forklift. Finally I got a call from our headquarters in Seattle - they wanted some paperwork that was in the production office in the plant. I tiptoed across the loading dock and almost made it to the door before his forklift came screaming out of the cold storage and stopped in front of me. He hopped off and towered over me. "I have something to say to you!", he said, poking me in the chest with his index finger. I waited, saying nothing, thinking about the cost and availability of reconstructive plastic surgery. He pulled his face so close I could see the pores on his nose and said,"I DON'T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU DRIVING MY CAR AGAIN!!!" Then he turned, got back on the forklift and disappeared into the cold storage.
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12
The last entertaining story I have that involves me and Jack Daniels was when I was at a show for a local band. I spent 2 hours waiting (and drinking Jack sours) for the show to start. By the end of the show, my love of Jack Daniels had become quite apparent. A friend asked if I wanted to meet the band. I said no thanks, cause I didn't want to meet them acting silly. I was coerced and finally went backstage. I ended up talking non-stop about camera lenses and other "interesting" things to the members of the band...the next day, I sent an apology to the singer for what I may have said and for the rambling...He said, don't worry, you were charming. And now I know everything I need to know about camera lenses :)
13
I drink jack daniels and listen to lifter puller. Oh wait, that was the 90s and I don't remember much more than that. Now I'm older and not much wiser.
Now in the two thousandsies I drink jack daniels and listen to the hold steady and think about how cool lifter puller was. Then I wake up more hung over than I used to feel.
Now in the two thousandsies I drink jack daniels and listen to the hold steady and think about how cool lifter puller was. Then I wake up more hung over than I used to feel.
14
when i was in college, i took a road trip with some friends. "when we hit the twin cities, i didn't know that much about it. i knew [the artist formerly known as prince] and i knew profane existence." a couple years later i learned about the hold steady while on a road trip (this time, though, we didn't hit the twin cities, nor did i know so little about them.) It just struck me as pretty great that the song Stevie Nicks defined my experience perfectly (only being aware of one musician and diy punk distro/record label from the area).
15
when i was in college, i took a road trip with some friends. "when we hit the twin cities, i didn't know that much about it. i knew [the artist formerly known as prince] and i knew profane existence." a couple years later i learned about the hold steady while on a road trip (this time, though, we didn't hit the twin cities, nor did i know so little about them.) It just struck me as pretty great that the song Stevie Nicks defined my experience perfectly (only being aware of one musician and diy punk distro/record label from the area).
16
The first Hold Steady song that really hooked me was "Party Pit". The epic drum roll, the riff, the piano hook. The lyrics that were (as always with Craig Finn) so specific to a particular situation but somehow bringing a sentiment that reminded me of so many friends of mine who got "pinned down at the Party Pit". I know the "some suburban shopping mall" in the song is probably in Minnesota, but it feels like Beaverton, Oregon to me.
17
The song "Stuck Between Stations" inspired me to buy John Berryman's Pulitzer and NBA winning collection "The Dream Songs". There's something about the songs off of Boy's and Girls in America and that book that make drinking seem like the best and the worst option; a celebration and an escape of and from life.
Still, Jack Daniels is always a good time. I probably drank a lot of it in college, but it was mixed with so many other things it's hard to recall. My friend used to drink a lot of it and its easier to tell stories about him. They mostly involve him throwing and smashing things. I remember when he drank a whole bottle of it and I dared him to drink a pint glass of egg nog. That didn't turn out good.
Still, Jack Daniels is always a good time. I probably drank a lot of it in college, but it was mixed with so many other things it's hard to recall. My friend used to drink a lot of it and its easier to tell stories about him. They mostly involve him throwing and smashing things. I remember when he drank a whole bottle of it and I dared him to drink a pint glass of egg nog. That didn't turn out good.
18
The song "Stuck Between Stations" inspired me to buy John Berryman's Pulitzer and NBA winning collection "The Dream Songs". There's something about the songs off of Boy's and Girls in America and that book that make drinking seem like the best and the worst option; a celebration and an escape of and from life.
Still, Jack Daniels is always a good time. I probably drank a lot of it in college, but it was mixed with so many other things it's hard to recall. My friend used to drink a lot of it and its easier to tell stories about him. They mostly involve him throwing and smashing things. I remember when he drank a whole bottle of it and I dared him to drink a pint glass of egg nog. That didn't turn out good.
Still, Jack Daniels is always a good time. I probably drank a lot of it in college, but it was mixed with so many other things it's hard to recall. My friend used to drink a lot of it and its easier to tell stories about him. They mostly involve him throwing and smashing things. I remember when he drank a whole bottle of it and I dared him to drink a pint glass of egg nog. That didn't turn out good.
19
i like jack daniels, and all whiskey, and i enjoy drinking it while listening to the hold steady. the end.
20
For me, the Hold Steady are a party band, soundtracking many an evening out carousing with my friends. With so many great songs to fuel a night of drinking it is hard to pick just one, but I think the closing refrain of "Party Pit" sums those kind of nights perfectly: "gonna walk around, gonna walk around, gonna walk around and drink some more." It marks the point when drinking shifts from being the fuel to the goal, which generally happens around 1 AM.
21
For a while when I got decently drunk I would have 1-2 mini-blackouts a night, where I would be standing, and all of a sudden, still completely conscious, I would just fall over and I would lose all muscle control in my body. I would guess it was like fainting, but being totally conscious during the process and unable to do anything about it, to where I would just say "the hell is going on here???" on the way down. The most painful happened very boringly, I just cut my wrist falling in my bedroom, but the funniest happened to have been a night where for some reason I found myself in hyperactive mode and drank a night's worth of Jack and beers in about two hours. So I found myself unable to keep upright, with an open handle of Jack in one hand and a red plastic cup of beer in my other hand, standing directly over the keg in my friend's front lawn. It was fortunate being a friend's lawn, otherwise dumping all the keg's ice and half of his bottle of jack on my shirt might have had more serious consequences.
22
I am not what you would call an adventurer. Unless, you consider adventure being glued to the computer, a book, or the tv, and if you do, then you might consider taking a gander at the OED or another reference work of note. This said, I found myself in bar off the Zocalo in Mexico City or rather a cantina, though it is called, Bar La Opera. Rumor has it that Pancho Villa shot a bullet into the gilded ceiling. Like many such cantinas the clientele is all male. The waiters were fastidious in starched-white shirts and black ties. It was early evening and the room is humid. When I entered the room it was empty except for two professionals at a table in the back and a man at the bar, Ernesto, who was wearing cowboy boots, a thread-bare suit, and a unobtrusive mustache. I felt trepidation entering the cantina, not knowing what to expect, thinking I may not have been welcome. Upon seeing me, Ernesto grinned broadly and said, "Amigo, come drink with me," which may have been the only words he knew in English. My Spanish was not much better. He bought the first round. Tequila. Natch. The next round fell to me and Ernesto was adamant about having an "American" drink. Behind the bar, I could see Jack Daniels, quintessentially American, so much so that it makes you want to say 'merica, omitting the 'A' because you feel so proud that you feel no embarrassment affecting a redneck accent. The bartender poured. Ernesto and I drank. Ernesto nodded approvingly. "Es bueno. Es
muy bueno." He called for the bottle. He poured out two more shots. We drained them. Over the next few hours, we went back and forth over the bottle to Jack. Ernesto's acquaintances would stop by and he would pour a shot for them exclaiming, "American" then "Bueno, no?" Each time, he waited for them to show agreement. If they didn't show enough enthusiasm, he would wave his hand dismissively and utter words of disgust. By eleven, Ernesto and I were embracing whether it was from affection or merely to balance, I can't say. We stumbled into the night, bid each other farewell and made promises; we knew we wouldn't keep, to meet back the following evening. I had never been
a Jack drinker before that evening sticking to off-market brands, I'm cheap. I suppose I'm still cheap, but when I buy whiskey, I go with Jack, even though I'm sheepish aboutthe rock n' roll image they want to sell me. I go with Jack because of one drunken night in Mexico City when being 'Merican didn't feel so bad.
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muy bueno." He called for the bottle. He poured out two more shots. We drained them. Over the next few hours, we went back and forth over the bottle to Jack. Ernesto's acquaintances would stop by and he would pour a shot for them exclaiming, "American" then "Bueno, no?" Each time, he waited for them to show agreement. If they didn't show enough enthusiasm, he would wave his hand dismissively and utter words of disgust. By eleven, Ernesto and I were embracing whether it was from affection or merely to balance, I can't say. We stumbled into the night, bid each other farewell and made promises; we knew we wouldn't keep, to meet back the following evening. I had never been
a Jack drinker before that evening sticking to off-market brands, I'm cheap. I suppose I'm still cheap, but when I buy whiskey, I go with Jack, even though I'm sheepish aboutthe rock n' roll image they want to sell me. I go with Jack because of one drunken night in Mexico City when being 'Merican didn't feel so bad.
23
Best Hold Steady song is "Most People Are DJs" because it's true: everyone's a fucking critic, and the world is full of assholes who think they should determine what other people listen to. Fuck you.
24
Stuck Between Stations is the most heavily played song on my iPod according the my 25 Most Played List. The Swish is #6 and Knuckles #7. Being now in my, hack cough, late 30's those songs make me remember a little bit what it's like to be 19. Thanks for that. All that said, I tend to agree with The Guilty Carnivore a little bit, even if that song doesn't get as much play in my ears.
25
Stuck Between Stations is the most heavily played song on my iPod according the my 25 Most Played List. The Swish is #6 and Knuckles #7. Being now in my, hack cough, late 30's those songs make me remember a little bit what it's like to be 19. Thanks for that. All that said, I tend to agree with The Guilty Carnivore a little bit, even if that song doesn't get as much play in my ears.
26
I spent the last 5 years living in Tempe, Arizona. In those 5 years I learned what a mix of Sun and Jack can do to a man. Ohh, and I was also on the crew team for a short while at ASU, so make that Sun, Jack, and racing boats. One early regatta morning I was sipping Jack Daniels pre race in an attempt to recover from the previous nights debauchery. I was either trying the "hair of the dog"routine or, more likely, I was simply trying to forget the things I had just recently done, I can't really remember. We hauled our boat into the water and gave it a shove. Within a couple of strokes everything was running smoothly for our 8 man team. Right when we got up to speed I started heaving heavy torrents of Jack rich puke over the gun rails, pretty much in unison to our oars cadence. Row and chuck, row and chuck. You get the idea. (I must speed through this now, because it'll get long). My friends showed up on Mill Ave. bridge, wearing sailor outfits and cheered down upon my rowing and chucking on and into Tempe town lake. From what I remember each of them had a bottle in hand, were shirtless with personalized sharpie sailor tattoos, and were sporting rolled white pants and captain hats. They were a glorious sight. After the race, in which we posted our PR time, all my maties and I hit up the tailgate for the football game that was across the road. Under the blazing sun we drank copious amounts of beer that goes well with Jack and then attempted to catch the bus home, somehow getting separated. The next thing I remember, it's dark out and I'm speeding through an unknown part of town in a cab. Awaking in such a state I kindly asked the driver to turn the Eagles off - pretending to be the dude - and in classic Leboski style he kicked me out of his cab. At this point I started to get a little scared. All of my money had gone missing and I had not the shakiest idea about where I was. In turn, I flagged down the first police car I saw and asked for a ride home. After a roadside strip search, he obliged me and I was in bed by 11pm. That is, until Delta Charlie woke me up with a shot of Jack in hand... It all starts and ends with Jack.
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27
My boyfriend makes the most brilliant plans when he drinks the JD...So one night, he says to me, he says...he says, "We're gonna lean this ladder up against the water tower climb up to the top and drink and talk this summer..."
I say, "Why wait for summer?"
I say, "Why wait for summer?"
28
I was once crusin for men online and there he was: a muscle-ish daddy in his 40s, naked, sitting on the floor, with a bottle of Jack Daniels in between his legs.
I sent him a message that it always has been a dream of mine to take shots from a bottle and get lit enough to have sex with him.
he sent a message back telling me that he doesn't drink.
yeah, kinda wtf. old gay men can be weird like that.
I sent him a message that it always has been a dream of mine to take shots from a bottle and get lit enough to have sex with him.
he sent a message back telling me that he doesn't drink.
yeah, kinda wtf. old gay men can be weird like that.
29
My ex-boyfriend put Citrus on a mix CD for me and I was immediately hooked. Such a great song. Too bad I can't listen to it anymore...The fucker ruined it for me. I still love The Hold Steady though. Oh, and Jack Daniels.
30
My favorite Hold Steady song is also "Most People Are DJs," for many reasons, but I also love Stay Positive.
My bf thought he hated the HS until we started dating last summer and blasted that album on our way to camping in the woods. We got super wasted in the woods and sat in the parked car and sang that song really loud, then had a sloppy car makeout sesh. The next day we realized that the interior lights were on, and the car was parked really close to where our friends were sitting.
whoa oh oh oh...
31
Going to have to go with Hoodrat Friend as my favorite HS song. I heard it before it got popular (followed by minimal radio play) and dug it right away. As well, I've been in two bands now that have covered it, and it has nice easy groove which leads itself well to adaptions (including a Country/Bluegrass variant!).
32
This band is definitely one of the best of the decade. I've been following them since 2004 when they dropped Almost Killed Me. I went to their show at Berbati's and there was almost no one there! I got to stand below Craig as he splashed his beer over the crowd. He went through a 12-pack easy. There are so many good songs, but i'll mention a few: The bassline and groove in Killer Parties is one of the best out there. It gives me goose-bumps. Then there's How a Resurrection Really Feels from the second album: "with her hair done all up in broken glass..." When they covered the Minutemen's History Lesson Part II last show I almost shit my pants. I must see them again! So many highlights from all their shows.
33
@ chucothedriver: I think they played twice at Berbati's. The first time was empty. I got the keyboard player to call my brother's cell and apologize for accidentally writing "Portland, Washington" on the back of the tour t-shirt.
34
i like "southtown girls" cause i feel like i might have been that girl to a few of the folks i dated.
35
I find "Stay Positive" to be my favorite Hold Steady song. As a teacher, the lyrics seem so real to me. The Oh-Oh-Oh hook is absolutely priceless. I like the idea of teaching our sing-a-long songs to our kids. We gotta stay positive. However, I gotta give a toast to Saint Joe Strummer as well.
36
Actually, my favorite Hold Steady moment was singing the Oh-Oh-Oh with my sister and husband and my good friend Matt at the Crystal this fall. In a world that has dealt some hard luck, it's good that a band can remind us to "Stay Positive."
37
"Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer
I think he might've been our only decent teacher"
What more do you need?, a name drop that even Hank Williams Jr. could appreciate. Also, the piano on Constructive Summer reminds me of the piano in Bruce's Jungleland 30 seconds in.
(left this off my original post way above)
I think he might've been our only decent teacher"
What more do you need?, a name drop that even Hank Williams Jr. could appreciate. Also, the piano on Constructive Summer reminds me of the piano in Bruce's Jungleland 30 seconds in.
(left this off my original post way above)
38
Seriously "Stay Positive" is the best song life. What a way to make you feel good. As for Jack..that makes me feel good too!
39
My boyfriend and I went to San Diego to visit his family, I was meeting mom and big sister for the first time and was really nervous. We arrived late after delayed flights and went straight the amazing rental we found on craigslist (dirt cheap, 1 mile from the fam, full kitchen and a bottle of smirnoff vodka that looked like it had been in the freezer since the 80's). My boyfriend and I walked up to the corner store, he had never seen booze at a 7-11 and proceeded to freak out like a lottery winner! We had just gotten a copy of the Stay Positive record and were excited to listen to it. We walked home with a couple bottles of Jack and a 6 pack of coke. We sat out on the back porch of our cozy get away and put the record on. We started drinking under the stars, turning it up a little bit more with every song until it was cranked, and we were loaded. We sang the words to each other and ended up "getting down" under the stars and passing out with the CD still playing on repeat.
I woke up with the most evil hangover I have had since I was in college. I missed the entire first day of the family get together!
It was one of the greatest sex-capades of our relationship, and to this day that record hits the player, and we both giggle about our reckless outdoor romp!
We will be celebrating our anniversary next week, and what a perfect way to remind us of why we are so good together, including our LOVE of the hold steady.
I woke up with the most evil hangover I have had since I was in college. I missed the entire first day of the family get together!
It was one of the greatest sex-capades of our relationship, and to this day that record hits the player, and we both giggle about our reckless outdoor romp!
We will be celebrating our anniversary next week, and what a perfect way to remind us of why we are so good together, including our LOVE of the hold steady.
40
My fave HS song changes all the time--I have listened to almost nothing but them for about a year and have the whole catalog pretty well memorized. Right now it may be "Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night," which took me a while to get into, or "Ask her for Aderall," which makes a great county jam in my head. All time, though, I'll go with "Sketchy Metal"--let this famine end and let the 2-for-1's [of Jack Daniels] begin!
41
I had heard about Hold Steady, but hadn't heard them until about 6 months ago. I loaded up the iPod with a couple of albums and since then every time I create a Genius playlist it includes a little HS. Apparently HS fits in with everything else I have in my library.
I'd have to say my favorite song is "Sequestered in Memphis." It reminds me of my days living in Arkansas where we'd think nothing of a road trip to either Memphis or Dallas just to see a show. After driving 2 or 6 hours to rock out I was ready to party down. Most often with Jack & Coke and the freedom that comes from being out of town.
I'd have to say my favorite song is "Sequestered in Memphis." It reminds me of my days living in Arkansas where we'd think nothing of a road trip to either Memphis or Dallas just to see a show. After driving 2 or 6 hours to rock out I was ready to party down. Most often with Jack & Coke and the freedom that comes from being out of town.
42
This can't be true! I entered into the Jack Daniels contest 5 weeks ago when I saw the ad in the Mercury. I also told a couple of friends who entered. Then guess what. Everyone I told about the contest won tickets while I got the f'n shaft! Anyways I loved the first time I saw them at Lola's Room, Secrete Machines were playing upstairs in the 'Round'. Great show but wayyyyy too smokey. The next time I believe it was right after Boys And Girls In America was released. I left the 'adult' section and made my way up to the front with all the kids and never left. Gawd I had to take such a piss I can still almost taste it! The next time I saw them was a year and a half ago when I went back to Detroit to visit family. They were playing in a little club in Pontiac Michigan and there were only about 50 people at the place. Craig said it was the first time they played 'Joke About Jamaica' in front of a live audience. That was cool. After the show I went up to the Bass player and said to him "see you in Portland next week." Sure enough the very next week on the way into the show he was talking on the cell phone behind the tour bus and I went up to him and said "told you I'd see you." Don't think he knew what I was talking about but I did. That's all I got......
44
This is a continuing saga, really. For the past year or so my morning ritual has been a shot of Jack Daniels followed by "Positive Jam" as I get ready for the bike ride into work. Thanks.
45
My Jack Daniels story...
In the early days of my drinking, I used to perform booze experiments on myself, locked in my room. Yes, I was a strange lad. I had my head wrapped around beer, so I needed a new test subject. And that test subject was Jack Daniels.
Me. Jack Daniels. My bedroom. The evening started out swimmingly. Warm smiles, slight flushing, sense of calm. But it's the titration that will always get you in the end when it comes to hard liquor That's was the take away from this experiment. As the world grew spinny and more than a little nauseous, I knew I'd gone too far.
To keep myself anchored, I hung onto my desk by the strength of one pinkie. Everything was swirling around, but as long as I concentrated on my one anchor, my pinkie, I was able to hold it together. I probably swayed about in my seat for hours, holding back the vomit, sweating, and fiercely concentrating on my pinkie anchor to reality.
As you may have deduced, that was the last time I drank Jack Daniels.
In the early days of my drinking, I used to perform booze experiments on myself, locked in my room. Yes, I was a strange lad. I had my head wrapped around beer, so I needed a new test subject. And that test subject was Jack Daniels.
Me. Jack Daniels. My bedroom. The evening started out swimmingly. Warm smiles, slight flushing, sense of calm. But it's the titration that will always get you in the end when it comes to hard liquor That's was the take away from this experiment. As the world grew spinny and more than a little nauseous, I knew I'd gone too far.
To keep myself anchored, I hung onto my desk by the strength of one pinkie. Everything was swirling around, but as long as I concentrated on my one anchor, my pinkie, I was able to hold it together. I probably swayed about in my seat for hours, holding back the vomit, sweating, and fiercely concentrating on my pinkie anchor to reality.
As you may have deduced, that was the last time I drank Jack Daniels.
46
I've heard that struggling pillheads really find that the line "some nights the painkillers make the pain even worse" and the portrayal of an addiction based relationship in "Chips Ahoy" is pretty spot on. Again, so I've heard. So for them I say "Chips Ahoy."
47
My Jack Daniels story: I was already three shots of tequila (formerly my favorite) in when some random fella I'd met that night offered to buy me "do another shot". It would have been rude to say no, right? He wandered off to the bar to buy the shots and returned with the shot. I tossed it back, doing the whole salt / lemon thing using the supplies provided by the friendly waitstaff for my previous shots. He looked at me like I was absolutely nuts and after a few seconds, it dawned on me that something wasn't right. That wasn't tequila. It was, in fact, HIS favorite...good old JD. Not so great when coupled with salt and lemon. Not wanting to puke in front of my new friend, I willed myself to shake it off and pounded the beer in front of me (because that's so much more lady like), hoping to elminate the horrid aftertaste. No dice. Still grossed out by the whole thing, I thought maybe a sweet drink would do the trick. Nope. After the vodka tonic, things go fuzzy. The next thing I clearly remember is lying on my friends' bathroom floor lecturing them for the "unreasonable" amount of tissue in the garbage can and moving, piece by piece (ick), EVERY bit of tissue from the garbage can into the toilet to flush it down. Apparently, in my drunken state, I equated this with recycling the paper product they had wasted blowing their noses. Moral of the story: never solve a liquor problem with more liquor...and don't do the salt / lemon thing with Jack Daniels. It's pretty gross.
I don't have a Hold Steady story yet (maybe you can help me out there), but I do know Craig's sis. She's beautiful, she's fun, she rocks at karaoke and she can probably drink most guys under the table at a moment's notice.
I don't have a Hold Steady story yet (maybe you can help me out there), but I do know Craig's sis. She's beautiful, she's fun, she rocks at karaoke and she can probably drink most guys under the table at a moment's notice.
48
I too was at the Lola's show with Jack-n-Coke in hand and it was by far the best show I've seen them play in this town. The best song that always brings me home the most (to MPLS) is Stevie Nix, something about being 17 and/or 33 forever, yearning to be back in the hey day and Mary Tyler Moore and the fact that Husker Du covers "Love is All Around", it's perfect nostalgia. I remember Galen at one point pulled out his wallet and started throwing $1 bills out into the audience, along with beers flying, it was one of the most hilarious things I've seen anyone do on stage. I hope to have another Jack Daniels with those boys...they are so talented and what better way to party?!
49
woof wooof woof wooooof woooof woof. Jack Daniels woof wooof woof woof woof woooof. Woof woof woooof Hold Steady wooof woof wooof. Woof woooof woof.
50
After consuming vast quanties of Jack, I shit my pants on my sofa while listening to Seperation Sunday. I doubt Charlegmagne ever shit his pants. That would be a great Hold Steady song title "Charlegmagne shit himself".
53
To ameliorate the often mind numbing job of English teacher in the boondocks of Japan, foreigners from various nations would frequently gather at someone's tatami box of an apartment and whoop it up. During one particularly hot August shindig where JD and Coke were in abundance, the liquid courage took Hold (I was far from Steady), and I ended up running naked with a buddy through some poor farmers rice field (not proud of that moment by any means). Should have stuck to the sake.
54
'chillout tent' is kinda a cheesy song, but i love it nonetheless. the narrative is totally adorable and engaging. "she looked just like a baby bird" is one of my favorite sentences ever and i hope that someone says it about me someday.
jack daniels and i have had some fun times together, mostly when i was living in the midwest. my favorite halloween ever, i drank a bunch of whiskey and dressed like a caterpillar [my spirit animal] and rode my bicycle all over town and generally had an awesome time. & i'm pretty sure that i made out with a wholesome boy on some basement stairs. thanks whiskey!
jack daniels and i have had some fun times together, mostly when i was living in the midwest. my favorite halloween ever, i drank a bunch of whiskey and dressed like a caterpillar [my spirit animal] and rode my bicycle all over town and generally had an awesome time. & i'm pretty sure that i made out with a wholesome boy on some basement stairs. thanks whiskey!
55
One of my favorite hold steady songs is the cover of "can you please crawl out your window" by bob dylan. I drink a lot of liquor. Usually can't afford JD, but when I can, I love the stuff. Most recent awesome memory involving Mr. Daniels was last thanksgiving. My three syblings and I got wasted together at a "home alone" sort of thanksgiving bash...mom and dad had to travel for work. As I wagged my head from side to side in my parents living room I witnessed my sister (21) screaming "chug chug" as my little brother (16) enjoyed his first guilt free, non stolen cup of wine, my older brother (25 and total nerd) smoking way too much pot (hadn't known he even smoked) while standing on the armchair in the corner trying not to laugh, and me in the reflection of a window smiling from the awesomeness of the best thanksgiving ever. Also, lil wayne was blasting from the television, I was very happily drunk, my brothers boy friend was passed out on the other couch, and I think even the dogs were wasted somehow. After it was over all three siblings vomited...real hard...and I helped everyone to bed...and ate some oreos.
56
I was eighteen, an undergrad at Suny UB, and at a Halloween party with a fifth of jack daniel's in my knapsack. Very puerile of me, I believed that the only proper manner to consume whisky at an underage college affair was to drain from the brown paper sack that it was sold to me in, and this caught the fancy of another lit major, such desperation to be dark like all the bad authors that we emulated at that juncture in what we would find out later was awful navel-gazing prose that only under-grads can write. But she was smitten straight away, as was I, and we spent what seemed like hours making each other laugh at hopelessly inane insights and flaccid wit. As we were enjoying each other tremendously, her former boy friend was also in attendance, and he did not perceive our jocosity looking like it might tumble into a tryst very well. (This is where I point out he was in the lamest costume ever, a "Scottish Smurf" he was, he called the miserable character something like "Surfus MacHaggis", ambling round with a plastic tumbler of Genny Green Ale, blue face paint, a kilt and bag pipes, and earlier in the evening it had been conveyed to me that he was performing dialog from the cartoon series in a "Highland/Upstate NY" accent). So as I am chatting up this girl, who despite my intoxication at that moment, I will still insist was a gift to all the authors, poets, musicians, the belletristic, she was garbed in a "Pixie" outfit, scattering glitter (hey-it's o.k. when tiny cute girls do it on Halloween, so stop rolling your eyes), her ex-boyfriend has stomped over to put an end this, and bellows forth at me "Whadya think yer doing?!"
"Uh, talking."
"What is yous talking about?!"
"How I'm much funnier than you, much brighter than you and how I will make her cum, which you could never do."
After this statement, he picked me up, threw me down a flight a steps, and when I arrived back to awareness again, I had chipped a tooth that split through my upper lip (I still have a slight scar between my nose and mouth), my nose had been broken (this was seven years ago, and it still looks, well broken) and my new glossy Target shirt was sanguinated from the collar down to beneath where I would have tucked it in, and my cheek was smeared with blood that was pooled in the spot where my face had landed. Being who I was at the time, I reached in my knapsack, withdrew the Jack, begin drinking again, and asked the "Pixie" if she would come home with me.
She stood there and stared for awhile, then handed me a tissue from her purse and walked away...........
More...
"Uh, talking."
"What is yous talking about?!"
"How I'm much funnier than you, much brighter than you and how I will make her cum, which you could never do."
After this statement, he picked me up, threw me down a flight a steps, and when I arrived back to awareness again, I had chipped a tooth that split through my upper lip (I still have a slight scar between my nose and mouth), my nose had been broken (this was seven years ago, and it still looks, well broken) and my new glossy Target shirt was sanguinated from the collar down to beneath where I would have tucked it in, and my cheek was smeared with blood that was pooled in the spot where my face had landed. Being who I was at the time, I reached in my knapsack, withdrew the Jack, begin drinking again, and asked the "Pixie" if she would come home with me.
She stood there and stared for awhile, then handed me a tissue from her purse and walked away...........
57
It's a nice convenience that my drunken JD tale and Hold Steady fav song choice go hand in hand. It was a hell of a New Years eve and I visited family in Seattle. I ended up going to a whiskey bar drinking loads of my fav Jack Daniels and coke! I soon became woozy with my words, yeah, all drunk and shit. Jack does me like that and it does me good. Anywho, Hold Steady's Banging Camp came on the Whiskey Bar radio and I was dancing like there was no tomorrow. I danced til the bangin' stops. It was bliss!
58
These days I like my Jack n PBR back back.
Mine is not a drunken tale, its a lifestyle thing.
It started a long time ago....
I've been a working class punk since before it was, well, cool.
When I was just a young punk girl, the fellas I worked with
would stack up the Jack n cokes faster than I could drink 'em
& the old biker guy with the scorpion tattoo would sit across
from me, steal my extas & snarl "how's it feel to be born
under a bad sign, kid?". I still don't have an answer to that.
I still like my Jack, though.
I'm still dragin around in old trucks, vintage bikes, some
kinda steel job, & combat boots. One day a good
friend tossed me my first Hold Steady album. Been hooked
ever since....new anthems for a new working class.
Yeah - JD & the Hold Steady.
Two great tastes the taste great together - its cheeze, but I'll
rock on with that.
My favorite song? With out a doubt - "stay positive"
Mine is not a drunken tale, its a lifestyle thing.
It started a long time ago....
I've been a working class punk since before it was, well, cool.
When I was just a young punk girl, the fellas I worked with
would stack up the Jack n cokes faster than I could drink 'em
& the old biker guy with the scorpion tattoo would sit across
from me, steal my extas & snarl "how's it feel to be born
under a bad sign, kid?". I still don't have an answer to that.
I still like my Jack, though.
I'm still dragin around in old trucks, vintage bikes, some
kinda steel job, & combat boots. One day a good
friend tossed me my first Hold Steady album. Been hooked
ever since....new anthems for a new working class.
Yeah - JD & the Hold Steady.
Two great tastes the taste great together - its cheeze, but I'll
rock on with that.
My favorite song? With out a doubt - "stay positive"
59
please please please tell me i can get tickets somewhere!!!!!!I need a break from my kids or im gonna scream!!!!!!!!
60
Wow, I think I'm too late, but I don't always play by the rules. Jack Daniels....well, it had to be the time we were supposed to be camping at Yellowstone National Park but the day we got there it was raining too hard to set up camp. So we drank a bottle of Jack in the bathroom, which is where we woke up. It was supposed to be safe from bears in there. Please, let there be 2 tickets left
61
This is kind of corny but a couple of years ago I met a girl and we started flirting and joking about mix tapes and how we all used to make them. So we decided to make each other a mix and exchange them to see if we would be a good match for each other. Without any prior discussion, we both handed over our mixes and the first song on both our mixes was "Certain Songs" by the Hold Steady. We both flipped out and now two years later we're engaged! Corny but true, and damn...the Hold Steady helped me find love! And just like the song says, "Certain Songs" is scratched into my soul. God I love that band! Thanks Hold Steady for saving me from the miserable bachelor lifestyle I was leading...
62
I'm definitely Stuck Between Stations, because I can't give up the triangle as a musical instrument.
The best use of Jack Daniels is plying it for the bravery required to skirt the third story ledge of your neighbor's window to get into your apartment. Saved the evening, since we were supposed to throw a party in our flat. '93 San Francisco. True Story.
The best use of Jack Daniels is plying it for the bravery required to skirt the third story ledge of your neighbor's window to get into your apartment. Saved the evening, since we were supposed to throw a party in our flat. '93 San Francisco. True Story.
63
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