San Fransisco and WARPAINT 7/22/09

Wow, okay, where to start? Let's do what Julie did and start at the very begining. So I went to SF with my friends Nevada and Ryan, both who have never listened to Warpaint or ever heard of them for that matter, agreed to go with, because they're both awesome and we all have deep love for music (we all did become friends through our choir classes in high school) so they're always down for a free show in San Fran. On the way to the city, (left at 12 noon) we picked up a friend of theirs who lived near SF named Megan, very sweet girl, very cool. So we drove for two hours and got into the city, went over Golden Gate and drove around until we found Height Street, (3:30pm) we parked and walked many blocks (browsing a few stores like a weird costume shop) and realized we were farther from Amoeba than we thought. So we stopped at a sandwich place and got some food, then walked all the way back to the car, and drove down Height St again, deciding we'd find Amoeba first and then park as nearby as possible. So we found Amoeba and parked at the Mc'D's next to it. By that time it was a little after 5 so we went across the street to a bicycle store Ryan wanted to visit. While we were in the store, I started to worry that no one would like WP, many times I like the eclectic stuff that some people just don't like, and then I got worried that they just wouldn't like them, and I'd be the only one that really enjoyed the trip. Then at 5:40ish we went back across the street to Amoeba.

At 5:45pm, We went inside, checked out stuff (the door guy took my WP CD I brought, but he was actually really nice, just big and beefy, and gave it back to me later to get signed). So we went inside and I was feeling really anxieous. Then I looked around and saw the stage in the corner of the store and Warpaint was there(!) so I kind of wandered around the store's music, I didn't have anything I was looking for so really I was just watching and listening WP warm up. I heard Emily say to the sound guy to watch out on her mic because "I sing loud and high", I though that was cute. So I wandered over to the stage, WP was off. The store announced WP was going to be on in a few minutes. Then they announced them and they came on through the door. At first it was really strange to see them in person, but I got over that pretty quickly.

Set List:
1. Beetles
2. Stars
3. Elephants
4. Majesty
5. Krimson

"Elephants" really woke up the crowd, we were all really into it, really felt a good vibe the last two songs, and then it was over way too soon (the only "bad" thing with small sets).
There were about 20 people there watching. Jenny said "Hi Mom" before "Stars" and dedicated it to her Mom, who apparently was in the front :) They all sounded really good and Josh really does get into it :) It's quite an incredible thing to watch. They were wonderful live. I took some pictures, but none of them are that great, my camera isn't that great,, just a small pocket sized digital, and I took a video of "Elephants" (one of my favorites). It's not the best angle and a lady's head is blocking Theresa, but what can you do? Actually the sound quality sucks a little because I was close. Like the one in LA, Amoeba had cameras and were recording, so I hope now more than ever, they post stuff on their site of WP soon.




Blurry, but it has a cool effect around her head.

My favorite, especially of Emily, besides the first one with the whole band, even though it's blurry.


Pictures are up bigger on Photobucket.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/Kris14/?action=view¤t=warpaint1.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/Kris14/?action=view¤t=warpaint2.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/Kris14/?action=view¤t=warpaint5.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/Kris14/?action=view¤t=warpaint6.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/Kris14/?action=view¤t=warpaint7.jpg


The guy with the hat in the last one, is from Moonrats, Emily winked and pointed to him when she mentioned they were playing with them at the Knockout later that night, mentioning this was Warpaint's first stop on their first tour. I didn't have the right angle to get any better pictures of Theresa, or Josh, or Jenny for that matter. My friend Ryan had a film camera, so maybe, just maybe, he got pictures. I'll find out and we'll see.

Video of "Elephants" recorded by me :)





Then I got my CD back, and found my friends (Nevada had gone to move his car because it was only 40 minute parking) and to my great delight, they all really liked Warpaint :D And 3 of them bought their EP and came with me and we got them signed. I was sort of shy to go over there, but I got over that as well. Nevada asked Em how long they've been together and she said 5 years, but just took a lot of time to play before really touring and whatnot.

Everyone always says Emily is really sweet, but she really is such a sweetie. I said hi and asked her how their trip was. She said good but they got there just an hour before the show. She asked if I was going to the show that night and I said I couldn't because it was over 21. She asked my name and began to sign my CD. I told her since they were from LA I was really happy to see them anyways, and she said they just got a new booker, and were hoping to book more shows (I think by that she meant more all ages for the future). I said good. I wonder now if that was her secret was of hinting at the secret show? (see below) Hmm...maybe I'm reading into this too much.

I said hi to Jenny and she signed my CD, with "Love Love Happy Days". She was cute and quiet and wrote "We love Davey" on Dave's head on the picture inside the EP(my friend Ryan had told me he thought she was cute).

Then I went over to Theresa, who was talking to Nevada, told her she sounded good tonight, she said thanks and signed my CD as well, and then we said goodbye and left the store. All the ladies were so pretty in their own unique ways. Josh was hanging out to the left of WP, talking to Moonrats I think, in a section of CDs.

We walked down Height and looked around in a few stores, then Nevada called a friend of his that he knew from D.O. track who lives in SF and we met her at a Oriental Resurant and ate dinner. Her name was Nicole and she was very cool. Then we walked back past Amoeba to Nevada's car, he parked on the street behind Amoeba in someone's driveway, Nicole offered us cookies and tea back at her place. When we got in the car, we put in the WP CD, everyone wanted to listen to it. 30 seconds into "Stars" Nicole says "Ooo, I want to burn this CD!" She didn't even know who Warpaint was, but she liked their music :) WIN! So we got back to her place, met her very cute, very shaggy blond, thin, tall, very cute, roomate, who was really nice, then we had some oatmeal cookies (really it was all a big blob in a pan that we cut up with a knife) that were rmeally good, had a lot of brown sugar I think, then we watched "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and had tea, which really hit the spot. I was freezing and warmed up by sticking my ice cold feet under Nevada. Almost fell asleep. Then we said goodbye to Nicole and cute roommate and went on our way.12:00am.

It was warm and dry and in the 90's up in Sac area, but in the Bay it was cold and cloudy and in the 50's. By this time at night there was fog and water drops were in the air. And Nevada's windshield wipers were smearing, not wiping. But it was okay. We got lost, because instead of taking highway 80 North, we took highway 80 South. So we had to find a way to turn around. Then we got lost and couldn't find Megan's exit to take her home. But we found it eventually. So that took us 2 hours. So then it was another two hours to get home.

I was so happy everyone enjoyed them and bought their EPs too :) We be spreading the Paint to the world. Nevada told me on the car ride back, after we dropped off Megan and Ryan feel asleep in the back, that he thought a year from now, Warpaint will be big. :)

I hit my bed at 3:30 this morning. I woke up at 2 today and made Cinnamon Rolls and then wrote this. Ow. I'm gonna go shower and clean off the icky of the city. It was fun though. And I read that WP and Moonrats will have a secret show in SF on the 29th?! I may have to take another trip. And as I write this, I'm hearing horrible high pitched ringing in my ears and all kinds of stuff. Ahh, the joys of live shows. I guess Warpaint was louder than I thought.