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Us Rookies have been taking it easy lately, doing smaller shows and spending time writing new songs before we go into the studio early next year. But, even when we take it easy, great stuff happens. Read on.....
In the past month, we got what are probably our most flattering bits of press we've received to date. First, Adam was named "Best Original Cover Band Leader" in San Diego City Beat's recent Best of 2003 issue. Not only did Will Schilling write that "(Adam/Rookie Card) has performed some of the funniest, cleverest, wittiest cover sets and/or songs in the past year in San Diego" but was also nice enough to mention that our original music is good too. Check out the full piece here. Secondly, local country/folk/americana magazine the San Diego Troubadour featured a VERY nice article on us by Robert Woerheide. For out of towners who want to see how many times Adam can call himself clever in one article, read this. Then, Adam found local 91X DJ Tim Pyles naming us as one of the hottest bands in town while ego surfing: We're not letting it go to our heads......much.
Local altrock station 94.9FM has been airing an ad for weeks now to promote the Miller Lite Great Debate, an online contest to vote for the greatest San Diego band of all-time. The spot has one DJ explaining to the other one that you can also vote for the best up and coming band, to which the other DJ replies "Like Rookie Card!?". WHAT!? The spot airs all day and all of the night, however, we're nowhere to be found on the website. We'd appreciate a write-in vote in the box marked "OTHER".
We found out last month that some Canadian filmmakers randomly found our song "Put Your Honey Where My Mouth Is" on mp3.com and liked it so much that they used it in a documentary they were doing about finding their photo on a bottle of Jones Soda. They're talking to MTV Canada about them airing it (jinx). We should have a copy soon and plan on screening it and playing afterwards sometime in the next couple of months.
...and on the third year, he rested. No Jews Explosion this year despite the Rabbi's burning desire to do a show based around our new Governor's parentage. Still, he'll be singing his version of the Sandler song TOMORROW (Tuesday) on 94.1 FM's morning show at 11am. Also, mark your calendar for Monday, December 22nd. There will be a screening of Jews Explosion videos at the Whistle Stop with donations being accepted for fire victims via the San Diego Foundation. For more information, check out Cover Me Badd's website.
Buzzkill Romantics Live at Casbah (12/13)
New Static Halo Website
DJ Adrock SD dj's Farewell Exile On Kettner Blvd (Dragons cover Stones at Casbah 12/24)
It's been quite a month. 3 out of 4 Rookies were deathly ill (from walking pneumonia to bronchitis), we lost Elliott and the sky is raining ash. It's time for us to take things down a notch, finally write some new songs and do a couple of fun shows...
Despite an incredible list of celebrity no-shows, the show was a ton of fun. Everyone actually had a good excuse. The show just became more cursed than a Spinal Tap drummer. Pictures & video are here
The setlist:
1. Rock The Casbah (done as London Calling) by the Clash (Adam)
2. Green Glo by Rookie Card (Bart Mendoza from the Shambles)
3. I Will Dare by the Replacements (Adam)
4. Put Your Honey Where My Mouth Is by Rookie Card (Billy Shaddox from Billy Midnight)
5. Kiss by Prince (some drunk guy, he was drunk, right?)
6. Radio Radio by Elvis Costello (Melanie Martinez & Jason Exum)
7. Boys of Summer by Don Henley (Sean O'Donnell from Reeve Oliver)
8. Dead Flowers by the Rolling Stones (Paul and that drunk guy, dude get off the stage!)
9. Making Love Out Of Nothing At All/Lost in Love by Air Supply (Bobby Fantasy)
10. Mazzy Starship by Rookie Card (Jenn Grinels) INCREDIBLE video
11. American Girl by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Rick Wilkins from the Nards)
12. Shout by the Isley Brothers (Jose Sinatra)
13. Suffragette City by David Bowie (Jeremiah Lorenz from Hedwig)
a. Pics from Adam's birthday show (including a video of the Air Supply medley)
b. We're playing another private party on Saturday, November 15th. If you're friends with us, we'll let you know where it is. If you're not, you'll probably steal a video camera like last time, so don't ask.
c. Jason, Nasr and Adam have all been lucky enough to give each other walking pneumonia, bronchitis and other related chest fun in the past month. Dylan teaches sick kids and is therefore immune to all diseases known to man.
d. We've got a few extra copies of the San Diego Music Awards compilation our song "Green Glo" is on. If you want a copy, send us a self-addressed stamped envelope or ask us on the street.
e. Rookie Card is only playing a few more shows this year, so catch us! Perhaps December 6th at the California Club (with Billy Midnight and Bart Davenport) is your last chance.
f. F is for fire. Nasr could see flames from his house in Santee yesterday. Our rehearsal space here at the Garden of Speedin' was within a couple of miles of fire yesterday. Two sets of Adam's relatives were evacuated yesterday from Scripps Ranch. All of the smoke and ash has been a great help for Rookies recovering from chest/lung related illnesses. Fingers crossed for everyone we know that's been effected.
Thursday, October 30th at The Casbah 9:15pm
Gary Shuffler's Bauhaus tribute
with special guests
MILKLY CRUE (Pure Milk, Jason Hee, Marie Haddad and friends)
Adam's Elliott Smith memories
Well, we may have lost Best Local Recording to
AM Vibe but we did win the first awsrd handed
out at the SD Music Industry Reception at
Humphrey's the night before. Thanks to a server
screwup, some folks on our mailing list got our
e-mail about rawkaraoke 10 or 15 times,
sooooooooooooo check it:
Reeve Oliver winning Best Rock Album over RFTC,
Dragons & other SD biggies with a 6 song ep was
easily the highlight of the night.
Winners: http://sdmusicawards.com/ballot.shtml
As reported on SNL News, Rookie Card's EP First Day of Class was nominated in the Best Local Recording category for this year's San Diego Music Awards. It was never meant to be more than a demo, so it's a HUGE deal for us to be even considered for this award along with 4 other acts we know and love (cage match, anyone?). Unlike other categories, there is no public voting (just sucking up to the Academy, which we did, of course) but you can vote for other stuff at the SDMA website. Also, our song "Green Glo" is on the semi-collectible SDMA cd that will be given away at all of the charity events the week before the awards ceremony (see below). You can attend the actual awards on Tuesday October 14th (with performances by Steve Poltz, Ilya, Mojo Nixon & more). Come on down to dry our tears. It's for charity.
We got a last minute invite to play local NBC affiliate's Sunday morning news show a few weeks ago. Up at 4, there by 5, soundchecking by 6. They showed us playing a bit before a commercial, interviewed Adam, played "2/29" and we did Costello's "Radio Radio" over the end credits, a supergeek nod to Elvis defiantly doing the song on NBC's Saturday Night Live many moons ago. How punk. zzzzzz Jason was recognized in a grocery store several days later by someone who saw it. Remember my name, FAME! Pics soon...
WOT ROOKIES WROTE
Nasr's first tour diary entry!
Adam writes about Friendster for local weekly (no longer online)
Adam hates Beatles
MORE COOL JOE ELWELL PICTURES
Cracklin' Oat Band and Buzzkill Romantics at Davidapalooza:
http://www.singleclick.com/gallery/album47
Buzzkill Romantics viva the Vegas:
http://www.singleclick.com/gallery/album54
COVER ME BADD
ONE THING
The boyband show was almost set to roll (with 13 people and cool Halloween shows) but then I remembered there are only 24 hours in a day. Just too much going on. Later...
AND ANOTHER THING
Johnny Rotten called the Sex Pistols' San Diego Street Scene audience "fookin' wankers". That's practically a shout out. Rumors that he dedicated "Belsen Was A Gas" to the Jews Explosion are false.
For a band in limbo, we had a TON of stuff happen to us this month, so we're sharin'...
First things first. Dylan has done plenty to endear himself to us in the past month. He rocks. He holds his guitar aloft. He makes us laugh. He's got a purdy tourvan. Now, he's a fulltime Rookie. http://www.rookiecardthemovie.com/dylan.html Being our "temporary" guitarist for a month where we played some of our best shows EVER meant that other guitar hopefuls didn't have much of a shot. Still, we had some VERY talented people come in and audition (thanks guys!) and we would seriously recommend all four of them. So if you know a band that needs a guitarist, let us know. It's also quite possible we might be accepting a 5th semi-permanent Rookie into the fold (read: PEDAL STEEL! woohoo!). Dylan's own band, Static Halo, just put out their new album, Save It For The Ages, and it's fantastic. We'll keep you updated on where you can pick it up and when they're playing shows.
Guess who gave an expert witness quote to San Diego City Beat Magazine concerning the recent layoffs at mp3.com? Why, none other than unemployed Rookie bassist Jason Hee! "When I tire of reading Bukowski and singing Hank Williams, I suppose
I'll start looking for a new job," Hee quipped. There's no telling what they'll do with the music pages at mp3.com but, for now, they're still up so go save those mp3's to your computer! http://mp3.com/rookiecard
Two weeks ago, Rookie Card got to play our first ever sold out show, opening for our heroes, the Rugburns. Singer Steve Poltz said it was one of the top 5 Rugburns shows ever. It was probably our best ever. We opened with the Replacements' "Talent Show" and closed with the song the Rugburns have closed their shows with for 10 years (10 minute epic "Dick's Automotive"). Check out the lyrics to see why this is a song only an idiot would take on. We even finally got to play "2/29" in front of a real life Leap Year baby!
Check out Joe Elwell's pics
(and a movie of Adam geeking out, singing the Replacements' "Waitress In The Sky" with the 'burns). Also, check out Steve Covault's pictures.
Thanks again to EVERYONE for helping out and making our roadtrip so much fun (including the folks who came all the way from San Diego for the first 2 shows in exotic Midtown and Pacific Beach). BIG thanks to Dylan for playing such awesome lead guitar with only 2 weeks of rehearsal and letting us make the trip in Dick Van Dork (his newly christened four wheel Rookiemobile). We had lots of friends come out for all five shows and nothing went horribly wrong. We have no wild & crazy stories and no horrible mishaps to share. Just good wholesome rock fun. How boring. We can't wait to do it again! Nasr is doing a tour diary that we should have up on the site sometime soon, complete with pictures. For now, check out Liliana Aranda's (Magnet, Amplifier) VERY cool pictures of us at Hush Hush in San Francisco.
At the very last minute, we were asked to play in the Comicon booth of the newest cool weekly magazine to hit San Diego, Fahrenheit. So, we learned "Speed Racer", snuck in our instruments and did our acoustic thing. Nasr will write more about it in his tour diary but, for now, check out this video clip of us doing "Mazzy Starship". Yeah, it was kinda loud in there. In the next issue, they had a HUGE half page color picture of Adam and Jason.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Reader contacted US for a feature in Blurt. We politely declined but they convinced us to agree to an interview. Then they decided not to run the article. This has devestated us deeply because of their rich tradition of fine local music journalism. We hope to be involved in some idiotic scandal worthy of their illustrious publication sometime in the future. The overexposure continues in future issues of CityBeat (Rookie Card feature & Adam's Street Scene picks) and Fahrenheit (Adam's piece on Friendster) plus Jason's online music reviews.
Last month, Liam Gallawanker returned to Beatlefair, one year after the Fookin' Wankers' set was cut short by impatient Beatles coverband the Bootles and Beatlefair staffmembers. He didn't even get inside before he spied the Bootles' mulleted femme bassist, gave her a video of last year's show, thanked her for getting us kicked offstage and offered her several ways she could apologize. She just thanked us for us for the publicity. Of course, he got it on tape. The day before, Liam spied the Bootles' drummer at Comic-Con dressed in full Trek gear. 'Nuff said.
Until next time,
Rookie Card
once again, a 4 piece band
Nevermind http://www.rookiecardthemovie.com , here's http://www.friendster.com/user.jsp?id=1351023 (check out all of RookieCard's A-List celebrity friends from Small Wonder to Duct Tape)
Dylan has done plenty to endear himself to us in the past month. He rocks. He holds his guitar aloft. He makes us laugh. He's got a purdy tourvan. Now, he's a rookie. There's lots more to tell but we've got a lot to do now that we've settled the guitarist issue. For now, check out the pics (and movies) from our INCREDIBLE sold-out show with the Rugburns. Steve Poltz said it was one of the top 5 Rugburns shows ever. It was probably our best ever. We closed with the song the Rugburns have closed their shows with for 10 years (10 minute epic "Dick's Automotive"). Get ready for more big news in the next few weeks!
At the very last minute, we were asked to play in Fahrenheit's Comicon booth. Nasr will write more about it in his tour diary but, for now, check out this video clip of us doing "Mazzy Starship". Yeah, it was kinda loud in there.
Earlier this month, we had a blast opening up for the Hatchet Brothers (SD country bar band institution). Our hero Steve Poltz (Rugburns) was there, as he is on occasion. He done dug us and led the Hatchets in an impromptu song called "Rookie Card For A Full Year (Till He's Fully Grown)". The first verse was about Adam making out with him by the Whistle Stop bar in the backseat of his Volkswagen(?!) and teaching him about love. Frank Hatchet was doing harmonies for Pete's sake. We went to file the proper paperwork for retiring from rock & roll (like it will EVER get better than that) but a small bit of optimism crept in and we're gonna keep on rockin'....
* Liam Gallawanker recently handed videos of the Fookin' Wankers to members of Blur. They giggled and bassist Alex actually said he'd heard of them. Opening slot at Wembley, here we come!
* Cover Me Badd's September boyband/rawkshow is in the planning stages. Possible postponement with all the Rookie stuff. Stay tuned.
This week, Rookie Card embarks on its first ever roadtrip, playing Oakland, San Francisco and LA with TWO very cool San Diego warm-up gigs for good measure. 5 shows in 5 days. Phew! Our friend Dylan Martinez has done a great job stepping in as our temp lead guitarist for this upcoming mini-tour. Gabe played his arse off in his last shows with us, including our show-stealing 2 coversong set at Dizzy's ("San Diego Super Chargers" and a medley of "Baba" by Bunky mixed with the Drew Pearson Ford, Mossy Nissan & Jerome's jingles. We plan on taking most of the rest of July and August off to audition other folks.
GUITARIST WANTED
Rookie Card is sad to announce that we're parting ways with lead guitarist, Gabe. It's an amicable split. Gabe needs time to concentrate on his day job and his other band, The Pinwheels, and the RC train is not slowing down anytime soon. The Rookies are taking a road trip up north in July, playing a couple Bay Area gigs and hitting Spaceland on the way back (details). Our good friend Dylan Martinez (Static Halo, Baja Bugs) has graciously volunteered to fill in on guitar duties until we find a full time replacement (insert Bob Stinson joke here), but Gabe's still playing a few farewell shows:
June 27th at Dizzy's
June 29th at The Catamaran
July 2nd at the Del Mar Fair
The Pinwheels are currently recording a full length album and are still seeking a full time bassist. Any prospects should contact them through their website, www.thepinwheels.com. Jason is filling out the Pinwheel low end for the time being, including an opening slot for Cobra Verde w/ J Mascis @ The Casbah June 29th.
If you have any ideas of a suitable lead six string Rookie, PLEASE let them know that we're looking. The basics:
GUITARIST WANTED, lead with confidence for established band with indiepop/alt-country goodness. Wilco, Weezer, Replacements, GBV, Costello, Old 97's, White Stripes. If you've got some time & good six string stuff, let us know.
(please pass it along!)
MP3.com had Rookie Card as a featured "ON THE RADAR" band on their homepage last week. We got about 5000 plays in that time and it put us on their worldwide charts in a big way. "2/29" (the song featured on the homepage) got as high as #32 on the alternative charts and is STILL the #1 powerpop song after almost two weeks (even after we got taken off the homepage). Consequently ALL the songs on our page ended up charting high:
"Put Your Honey Where My Mouth Is": #1 alternative-country (and still kicking around the top 10 after a couple of weeks)
"Last Nite She Was An American Girl": #3 alternative cover songs
"...in bed": #4 indiepop/lofi
"Meet The Rookies" #10 interviews(!?)
"Dear John": #29 alternative-country
"Green Glo": #31 powerpop
ELLEN WRIGHT'S INCREDIBLE EARTH DAY PHOTOS:
http://www.rookiecardthemovie.com/earthday.html
SELF SERVING GIMBEL STUFF
May 25th JIVEWIRE at the Casbah
with Bad Credit live & DJ Adrock SD pressing play in the backroom
June 15th Adam The Gimbel at the Whistle Stop
June 17th Adam The Gimbel at the Sunset Tavern (Seattle)
ROOKIES BY MAIL
A couple of weeks ago, we got a Rookie Card promotional assembly line going and sent out a ton of cd's, bios and rookie cards to clubs, magazines, radio stations and friends. The response has been pretty incredible. We've still got a lot more places we'd like to send it to. If you know any form of starmaker we may have forgotten, please let us know.
BIG OL' RAWKSHOWS
We've been getting all kinds of crazy gigs. In one week, we confirmed that we were playing a Padre game in September, a San Diego Gulls game (on 2 days notice) and the Organ Pavillion in Balboa Park as part of the huge annual Earth Day fair. The hockey game was fun. There were fights (on the ice) and our name was on the Jumbotron. The Earth Day show was pretty incredible. We learned "Hippy Hippy Shake" just for the occasion. The setting alone is breathtaking but we played to thousands of passersby (some actually took a seat and watched for awhile). At one point, a group big Jesus fans (with signs) came parading through our area and requested that we play "Amazing Grace". So, Jason & Nasr each took a verse and it wasn't half bad! We'll have pictures up soon.
PICS FROM OUR CD RELEASE SHOW (Cover Me American Idol/Bad Credit/RC)
PICS FROM OUR M-THEORY ACOUSTIC SHOW
Thanks, Moxie Joe! (wink)
JASON WRITES:
J-Hee's first ever review, published by a cool new online zine spearheaded by folks from the band the Church.
THE PINWHEELS NEED A BASSIST
Jason has been playing bass for Gabe's group, the Pinwheels, for 20 years now but is leaving to start his own rock n' roll band with Davida & Charlie from SDBO and Michael Swarth called the Buzzkill Romantics. If you know a bass player looking for a fine up-and-coming pop outfit, drop Gabe an e-mail at gabedude2000@hotmail.com.
CRACKLIN' OAT BAND TALES
No upcoming shows but Jason has written some witty reports of all of our shows at http://www.rookiecardthemovie.com/cob.
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