More on the last ITFOW Show

Some videos and pictures have been popping up around the web from the final ITFOW show:



The most ridiculous picture of me I've ever seen. HA.


The last ITFOW song ever: ALASKA


A picture of Kyle and Zack from the Away With Vega set


FOR A BETTER TOMORROW


THANKS FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL YEARS

OH MY GRACIOUS DON'T TELL ME IT'S ALMOST OVER

How many days are in April? Thirty, I think. That's suck because today is the 29th. What am I gonna blog about? Worry later, knucklehead. I've got two more days of National Poetry Month. A Song on the End of the World by Czeslaw Milosz is a biting, tight little poem that does it's thing and I like that thing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last night was the Poets Picking Poets reading at Be Here Now, and MAN oh MAN it was fantatic. Christopher Newgent was there with his Vouched Books table. People bought some books (like me finally picking up Easter Rabbit by Joseph Young). The crowd was a bunch of palz and professors and wo(a?)nderers. I was so pleased.

Ryan Rader was a sweet MC, his good mix of humor, sentimentality, and business.

Layne Ransom opened up the readings with her loudproud goodness and poem where God has a Facebook. That's nice.

Mark Neely brought his calm goodness, not to mention this amazing poem about kicking rats and SO MUCH MORE. He also read Elysia's poem titled "Dominatrix," which begins "I want to force feed you a pigeon." LOLZ.

Elysia Smith has a reading style, this shouting girl kinda thing that I'm digging a lot. She also read a Hoagland poem which made me smile lotz.

Zach Arnett showed the community what he's been hiding. This nice dude has more good words in there, I KNOW IT.

I got to read to my parents and that makes me SO happy.

Christopher Newgent rules mucho, I mean much, I mean so much. Him and his stage presence. Him and his lit presence.

Todd McKinney has one of my favorite reading voices EVER. Get to see him read again Saturday and that'll be nice.

Patrick Collier read his martini haikus and some other haikus and some more martini haikus and a couple of my "On" poems and that was funny and brilliant and humbling. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO END THE NIGHT.

Really, I can't thank everyone, the readers, the listeners, the bar folks, enough for being so welcoming and friendly and patient. A great boom to end this undergraduate career.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have a new Smalldoggies post up for the Vouched Satellite, an interview with Micah Ling of Book Punch Reviews.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Order my tickets for this goodness earlier this week:



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GET STOKED FOR THIS:

GET THIS

Day 10 — Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to

Hey People I Know From Local Shows,

Brainstorming ideas for these letters, I jotted down names beside each day, first thought kind of things, and most are unanimous or short, but then, this one was like: Kyle, Frank, Zack, Heather, Lacie. These people are you, People I Know From Local Shows. And it continues: Stephen, Ashley, Erik, Keaton, Derek, Tulo, Mike, Kyle, Dave, Annie, CJ, Ben….

It’s not easy to write a letter to someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to. It’s even harder when it’s to three dozen people you know from loud bars and garage shows.

But, it’s also super hard for me not to write this letter, if that makes any sense, because on one level, you have impacted me in some way, with your music, and/or even just your company of being there. It’s like In The Face Of War says, “We've all been drawn together by one common theme, by one common need.” It’s that connection that brings me back, even to see a band I’ve seen fifty times, or when I feel too out of place or something.

I’ve basically grown up with you, in a weird, I-know-you-like-your-name-and-the-bands-you-shout-the-loudest-to kind of way. Many of you met me when I was a chubby, pale 14/15 year old with spike bracelets and Dickies pants. Part of it might be an appreciation of the fact that you even talked to me then.

It’s not that I want to be best budz or party animals together, but it’s a curiosity I think of wanting to know more about how you live and the thoughts your head holds. It’s also jealousy, obviously. Many of you are pals and have inside jokes and go drink on each other couches, and sometimes, it feels like that might be nice. Also, most of you are cool musicians or knowledgeable music people, and I’m not.

I’m not even saying you’d like me now, or that I’d like you in those other situations, but I can’t help but think, it might be nice to try.

Tyler

VGR VGR VGR

Tomorrow night, I'm reading for The Jackalope Wars Chapbook Release Reading with Jeremy Bauer and Lindsey P LaVal at Village Green Records, Muncie's coolawesome indie record store. I've seen a lot of cool bands there over the past what six years, and I'm pretty nervous of reading there (I read outside there at the end of last school year). OH YEAH MY MOM IS COMING ISN'T THAT SWEET?

Here are some awesome bands I've been exposed to because of VGR:

State Champion: Oh I might have passed up seeing them again last night in Indy, but yes, they are great. Start and stop southern rock n' roll fun. One of the best live sets I've seen inside VGR.

Sleeping Bag: Saw these dudes play inside VGR last night, instead of the State Champion show in Indy. Real fun, energetic set.

No Age: Obviously didn't see them at VGR, but I have bought both No Age albums there. GOOD GOOD STUFF.

In The Face Of War: I didn't see them first at VGR, but the best shows I've ever seen them play have been outside on the VGR lawn: darkness, loudness, shoutness.

Caddywhompus: For such an experimental, exciting band, they play together so well and with the BSU campus as a backdrop, it was a really cool thing seeing this two-piece jam.

I'm missing lots and lots of cool bands.

I hope I can do this history justice a little bit please.