This is why I like Myspace

It helps me find bands like Midnight Movies

Lessons learned fromNightTwo of The Cover Up

Kevin Collins from Double Negative performing Minor Threat (Videos removed) 1. Get there early. I should have known this considering my scheduling snafu with Thunderlip earlier in the week, but last night I lollygagged about the house until about 10:30, thereby missing "Weezer" (a.k.a. Goner). I understand they did a fabulous job. At least I did get to see Chris, who made my night by giving me a copy of Riot's "Fire Down Under." Yes, Chris, you're right. It's better than "Restless Breed." 2. No matter how dead-on an act is, acoustic generally doesn't work for The Cover Up. Let's be honest: The Cover Up is about seeing friends and having a rowdy time. The guy who did Nick Drake sure did a great job, but it kind of put a temporary damper on the mood. 3. Even if a band has been done before, they can be done again as long as you pick a different era. One of my Priest-loving friends disagreed with me, but I loved the early era JP, complete with a be-wigged, goofy-outfitted Rob Halford. Tyrant and The Ripper are two of my favorite Judas Priest songs, and that guy nailed them both. 4. I need a larger memory card for my camera. I recorded so much stuff that I ran our of memory when "Gary Numan" came on. In my haste to to back and delete some old photos I knew I wouldn't need, I accidentally deleted the video I'd shot of Double Negative doing Minor Threat. That's a shame because Scott Williams' crazy-looking wig was one of the funniest things I saw all night. 5. If you don't really look like anyone in the band you're covering, make papier mache heads so people will know who you are. The big-head Gallagher Brothers from "Oasis" were hilarious and disturbing. 6. Everyone loves Steve Miller. Just check out the videos, with Ben Barwick as Steve, for proof. 7. Sparks will sneak up on you, quick. The less said about that the better. Check out my other Flickr photos. Check out Liz Winfrey's awesome set of photos from the Cover Up. I should mention that I was also at Night One of the Cover Up, but was working shooting video of "Fleetwood Mac" for The News & Observer. Please check it out and let me know what you think. I'm still learning the ropes of "official" video making, but it's something I'd like to do more of. Here's the story. You may have to register to see it.

Local punk rock marching band

My former bandmate Amy Wilkinson alerted me to this. The Scene of the Crime Rovers

The way metal ought to be

Loud, sludgy and brutal. That about sums up The Sword (Myspace), who played Kings last night with Savannah, Ga., band Kylesa and Wilmington's own Thunderlip. Actually, their Myspace describes them as sounding like "a bunch of bison being pushed over a cliff," which is pretty damn accurate. (Video removed) Unfortunately I missed Thunerlip, who, for some reason, played at 9:30. Kings needs to either start all their shows early, or start them all late. I can't handle this back-and-forth. It seems like every time I go there I either miss one of the bands I want to see, or the band I want to see isn't going to start for another two hours. Kylesa (Myspace) was cool -- a good deal more brutal than The Sword, but with the type of throat-shredding vocals I don't normally go for. But I was really excited to see that they had a female guitarist/vocalist who was totally awesome. Here's their video: (Video removed) See more pics here.

Laid Out Level at Slim's

Last night I caught a couple of songs from this Raleigh power-pop band at Slim's. They sounded good, and had a talented guitar player -- though I'll admit the one I taped wasn't one of my favorites. They gave a way copies of their CD, which is now out on Radical 9 Records. Here's the video.