See that picture? Notice that brunette in the picture? Do you know who she is? If you do, let me know so I can kill her.
Nah, I'm kidding. That's me. Yes, that's me with the love of my life, Jackson Rathbone.
This picture was taken after the 100 Monkeys show last Tuesday in Bakersfield, California at The Dome. I'm sure that you're wondering what in the world happened to his eye. I asked Jerad Anderson that very same question prior to the start of the show, but I couldn't quite hear him. All I got from him was the flapping of elbows that looked suspiciously like the Funky Chicken, though I was fairly certain that a goofy dance didn't cause a shiner THAT impressive. You may think I could have asked him about his eye while we were taking this picture, but no. The alcohol had been freely flowing and Jackson's coordination (as well as his speech) was highly impaired. I'm partially to blame for that (more later). However, I since have heard that while in San Francisco, a guy tried to steal Jackson's guitar. Jackson chased down the guy and a scuffle ensued. He did manage to retrieve his guitar, but got the black eye as a souvenir. Ah, the sacrifices people make for fame.
The show at The Dome was really good. The venue was very small, the stage was fairly low, and there was only a crowd of 30-40 people, so it was a very intimate experience. They sang "Wings on Fire", "Reaper", "Keep Awake", "Ugly Girl","The Monkey Song", and a new song called "Prayer", among others. It was a shorter set than most, but still entertaining. The improv song was called "Mustache", which was a reference to the beautiful and expertly groomed magnificence upon Ben Johnson's face. During the "Thank You" song where Jackson introduces the band, he said to thank someone and they just may buy you a drink. I found this to be the perfect opportunity to hand him the double Jameson I bought for him prior to the start of the show. He downed it in one gulp. They took a 10 minute break before they came back on stage to finish up. I took this opportunity to buy Jackson another double Jameson, which I gave to him as they were closing out. Before they walked off stage, Jackson gave me the sweat-stained hat that Ben Graupner had been wearing that night (you can see the hat in the picture if you look below Jackson's elbow). Jackson then walked back on stage for a moment to down the second double Jameson. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have bought that second drink.
The show at The Viper Room was a bigger venue and there were more people. Even though it was an older age group than the Bakersfield show (Bakersfield was all ages and LA was 21 and over), the concert goers were screaming like they were at a Jonas Brothers concert. The set list for this show was much longer. It included the songs I listed above as well as others such as ".38 Special", "Looker", and "Junkie". The improv song was called "Meatballs". It was quite hilarious and a little raunchy. In fact, Jackson felt the need to apologize to his mother before starting the song. I was smart enough not to buy any Jameson, but I still did manage to get a gift. The way Jackson did it was really cute. The curtains had closed and he stuck his head through them to blow me a kiss. About 30 seconds later, he stuck his hand through the curtains to give me the coveted set list (pictured above).
100 Monkeys played two shows yesterday at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. They are taking a break until February 5th when they will perform at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, California. Of course, it is always possible that they'll add shows at the last minute, so that's why Monkey Junkies should stayed tuned to the 100 Monkeys website to check for new dates and venues. You can also download a free copy of "Keep Awake" while you're there. So far, it looks like I'll be going to the show in Palmdale, but don't worry, I will NOT be buying any more Jameson.
