Traveling 3000+ miles across the Atlantic, lots of money spent and
lack of sleep. It was all worth it because Seeing 100 monkeys live in
Nashville was PRICELESS!
I arrived Friday night just in time to meet everyone at the Newcon
welcome party. There was karaoke, food and lots of alcohol! Meeting
all my fellow monkey junkies was awesome! Moving swiftly on to
Saturday……
Saturday was such a busy day. It kicked off at 9am with a webmaster Q and A session. It was great to get some advice from Heidi who runs theTwilight Facebook page and also Lori and Jenn from the Twilight Lexicon page.
Next we had the actors Q and A session. Kimbra Hickey, Jose Zuniga and Jackson Rathbone were on the panel. They were asked a lot of great and interesting questions and were very honest with their answers.
The music Q and A session followed. We had Uncle Larry , Ben Johnson, The Tin Tin Can, Tom Owens from the Pet Lions and Shaun Fernando who were happy to answer all questions about their music. Forgive my lack of details for what questions were asked. The weekend was long!
During the day there was art work on display from people who had entered The Spencer Bell art contest and there was also a 100 monkeys design a t-shirt contest in which people attending the convention could vote for. ( more about that later). Also Kelly Garrett Rathbone was on hand to show us her art work which was beautiful!
There were photo ops to meet Ned Bellamy, Jose Zuniga and Jackson Rathbone. As you would expect, there was a full room of people waiting to meet Jackson! He was very nice an took time to sign something for everyone, take a photo with everyone and even had a brief chat with each and everyone of us waiting !
Then it was time for the jam session! What I had been waiting for!To
see the band play live for the first time!
All the band were there! It was a very intimate gig and most of the
music played was just made up on the spot! The guys did some
switcharoos and we were even treated to Uncle Larry on the bass!
The jam session was about an hour long and it ended with so many
audience members joining in playing instruments that the guys handed out and a few people even brought their own!
The guys hung around for a while after and took time to say hi to
everyone. It was a special and unique show.
With the jam session over, it was time to head over to the Wildhorse
Saloon to line up for the show!
Whilst in line, I was given the amazing news that my design had won
the 100 monkeys t-shirt design comp! Keep an eye on the bands website for details of how you can get your hands on the t shirt with my design!
A few hours later we were let into the venue and took our places to wait for the show to start.
The Wildhorse is a great venue with a balcony upstairs for those that
did not want to be squished in the crowd downstairs! The show was
packed. It was amazing to see such a huge turn out to see the band!
We were treated to a great performance by the Tin Tin Can. If you have not had a chance to listen to their music or see them perform, check out their latest album on their myspace page!
Then came 100 monkeys! They opened with Ugly girl and were on fire. The order of the other songs they sang, I could not tell you but I know they sang all of these: Orson Brawl, Reaper, Her Sister Becky, Smoke, The Monkey Song, Arizona,The Thank You song, Prayer, Looker,Wings on Fire, The Grocery Store song and a new song that they wrote in Nashville.
After the show we staggered back to the hotel, just in time to wave
goodbye to the guys who were heading back to L.a
Newcon was a small and personal convention and if there is another
one, I urge you all to go!
Thanks to Tim and Vi and everyone else involved for working so hard to make it a big success!
A Big Thank you to Theresa for working so hard on another 100 Monkeys show review! Here is her account of the Venue show in Vancouver!
It was a dark, cold, rainy night in Downtown Vancouver. Hundreds of women, and a handful of men gathered outside an amazing little place on Granville called Venue.
What were they lined up for? You ask.
To see the 100 Monkeys for their last show in Vancity of course!
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t hundreds of women and men when the doors opened. But once the first band got to rockin the stage of Venue, there were a couple and a few hundred people on the floor and in the balconies to check out The Bleeding Horse Express and our favorite band of primates.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I looked at Venue from the outside. To one wandering down Granville, you see an old rundown theatre, with the potential to be so much more. When you walk in the door, you see what it has become.
If you choose to venture up the stairs to the second floor, you are given the most wonderful view in the house. The second floor is a wrap around balcony giving you an amazing view of the floor and the stage. If you got there early enough and made to the ends of the balcony, you are literally sitting above the stage with quite possibly the best view in the house.
The first floor is an open dance floor with TONS of room.
The stage was amazing as well, complete with an LED back drop that is controlled by the soundboard. If you check out some of the seriously awesome videos on the youtube you will see ‘100 MONKEYS’ scrolling behind the guys. This wonderful board also made some pretty pictures like airplanes and flames and other awesome graphics to go along with the songs.
Now down to the dirt…
The guys opened with an AWESOME rendition on Orson Brawl. I’m still adjusting this song being an opener, since its always been the last song of the night. Though I will say, its quite a number to get the crowd going. The transformation of this song never ceases to amaze me. Seriously.
You’ll have to forgive my faulty memory as I can’t remember much of an order after Orson, but I remember hearing some Smoke and the always haunting Looker. Some chipper and sickly sweet Keep Awake and Wing On Fire, complete with Graupner’s very adorable impersonation of an aeroplane. Some Reaper and a little Arizona, and of course The Monkey Song and Ugly Girl. They threw out an awesome improv about warmin up some Campbells Soup and closed out the night with an amazing Thank You to us all.
The show was eff’in AMAZING!
The guys really rocked it. And I will admit, they looked like rockstars on that stage with the awesome lights and an amazing sound. It made my heart swell with pride and brought a tear to my eye to realize how far they have come.
Pictures will be added to the gallery later today!
Check out the Gallery NOW for Theresa’s Pictures! CLICK HERE
So, you can’t go to Nashville because it’s too far away? Never fear, the lovely Nickki and Vicky will be broadcasting live from backstage at the Wildhorse show on 7th November 2009!
They will be chatting with the band just before they go onstage so tune into Blog Talk Radio to hear it LIVE!
Want to get your hands on some new 100 Monkeys Merchandise? Well now you can! Head on over to The Monkey Mart and pick yourself up a new T-shirt, Bag or Button!
Not only did Theresa provide us with some amazing photos from Lucky Strike, she has also written this review of her experience from the Spencer Bell Legacy Show to share with everyone! Thanks T!
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The Spencer Bell Legacy Shows were AMAZING. And when I say amazing, I mean these shows truly topped the show I got to experience in February.
The whole afternoon started around two when the doors opened. It was nice to be back in Callahan’s knowing the treat we were about to get, but not knowing how special an event it was going to be.
First and foremost, Bill Bell came out do the amazing introduction, and welcome everyone and thank us all for attending the event to celebrate the life of his son, Spencer.
Next came Johanna and Shannon to talk to us about the wonderful raffles that were being held to raise money for the legacy and things of that nature.
Next came the wonderful and saddening Tourist Tribute to Spencer Bell. It’s a beautiful video that will leave not a dry eye in the house.
Then came the most wonderful band I’ve seen to date (sorry my 100 Monkeys, I do love you, but I think these guys stole my heart.) The Stevedores took the stage and the whole show blew me away. I’ve owned a copy of Tamuawok for quite sometime now, but nothing I could ever dream of could have prepared me for the show that those four men put on for us. They played a variety of songs from Advice to Thunderdome, Fearful to Hardwired, Top Hat Big Hands to I Heard It On The Radio. I was blown away by their set.
Up next came The Tin Tin Can. A wonderful set which included Animal Bones and Arkansas among others. As well as Billy Jean, by Spencer Bell, a beautiful cover that rocked as much as the original. They are truly an amazing group worth checking out.
Next we were all treated to a short set done by Dan Graupner (Aka Mr. Orson Brawl). He played three songs, including a song in the works called Little French Shoes, and told us short but cute stories of his times with Spencer. A wonderful addition to the wonderful music.
Last but not least came the 100 Monkeys. They rocked it nice like with a very energized set with songs ranging from Ugly Girl to Looker and Smoke to Arizona, and a hauntingly beautiful cover of Spencer Bell’s Violin. And no Monkey set would be complete without The Monkey Song.
The guys wrapped their set and Mr. Bell very kindly asked everyone to take a place in line to give them a chance to straighten up the bar a little and have a short break before the next set.
The second show was as amazing as the first if not better. Actually I will say it was better. While we were treated with another healthy dose of the Stevedores, Dan Graupner, The Tin Tin Can and the 100 Monkeys, we were also treated to some Drew and The Medicinal Pen. Fantastic band. Seriously. Their amazing set was wrapped with an awesome and quite tearful rendition of Spencer Bell’s Dandelions. Seriously AMAZING!
On top to the wonderful musical styling of Drew, we got to participate in a lovely toast done by all the bands as well as an extended version of Thunderdome after the 100 Monkeys set was complete. An amazing thing to watch, all of Spencer’s friends and family rockin out on stage to an amazing song.
Lucky Strike the next afternoon was a continuation of showing the love to Spencer, as we were all very excited to see Drew, The Stevedores and the 100 Monkeys again.
I will give mad love where it is due, when I say Ben Johnson made this weekend of shows amazing. Please don’t get me wrong when I say that every band that we got to see was amazing, but the man played 6 sets in two days time. I’m amazed he was still standing to play The Monkey Song at the end of the Lucky Strike set. His voice was gone, but to be able to sing that song back to them, and when I say them, I mean to the guys in all the bands as well as Spencer’s friends that were in attendance, is a moment I will never forget. As is the awesome improve done by Jerad and Dan, and Jerad taking lead vocals on an awesome rendition on Thank You.
My highlights of the whole weekend? Really meeting the Bells, Top Hat Big Hands and I Heard It On The Radio Station, Arkansas and Billy Jean, Dandelions, An improv about some chick named Theresa, stories about Spencer, Little Black Dog, Thank You (which can never be said enough), and seeing many old friends, and making many new friends. Seeing the bond that one person can build even in death, and the love for that one person from friends and family and strangers.
Tickets are now available for the Spencer Bell Legacy Project Concert. Performances by 100 Monkeys, Tin Tin Can, Stevedores and Drew and the Medicinal Pen.
You can purchase your tickets from Callahans’s for $15.00. When you buy tickets that there is a special package for sale: Ticket, Tee Shirt, Live & Wasted CD and a Cause bracelet for one lower price.
For those of you that are not able to attend the show in person, there will be a live feed that we will give more info on nearer the time.
