HAH! TAKE THAT OHIO! WHAT WITH YOUR FANCY BRIDGES AND PAINTED BARNS AND 65MPH SPEED LIMIT!

For whatever reasons, we here at 21deadmonkeys don't really like Ohio. I don't know if it has something to do with us being from Michigan or what. Stranger yet is that we spend so much time down there. Like just last week, Webmaster Bri and myself went down to the Happy Badger to see some bands play. The Happy Badger is a pretty cool place, all grass roots and stuff. The owner guy came over to me while I was drawing on the table (they have these big pieces of paper for table covers that you can draw on) and was like "Wow, you're pretty good!" Mind you I was drawing Ducky Boy flipping the bird... Anyways, we were there scouting Kick-Stand cuz I invited them to be on the 21deadmonkeys compilation (I swear to you, if I can get enough bands, this will eventually get released) and I wanted to check them out live. You know, in case they sucked real bad I could just renig on my offer. Hey, I'm an asshole like that. First band: Uncertain 5= musically okay, not really digging singer. Second band: Blooddumpster= good for a laugh, not really digging them though. Third band: The Dead Pets= knocked me on my ass because they were so fucking amazing (I'll come back to them). Last band: Kick-Stand= wow, they're young! They played kinda sloppy and had to follow a totally kick ass band. I think if they stick with it, they'll be good. Evalution: offer not renigged.

Back to The Dead Pets. These guys are from the U.K. and how they ended up playing the Happy Badger in Toledo, Fucking Ohio is anyone's guess. I'm glad they were there though, they were the best part of the night. I went in knowing absolutely nothing about these guys and they blew me away. I think that's only happened twice before. Needless to say, instead of paying my overdue bills last week, I went and ordered their cds from overseas. I've been playing their sampler cd I bought at the show in my car for a solid week now. They're basically a punk band with a horn section. And the best part was the lead singer. He kept talking between songs, but because of how fast he was talking and his accent, no one understood him. Fucking great. Go check them out. If I'm lucky, maybe I can get them to be on the 21deadmonkeys comp.

Oh yeah, and the title of this one comes from a song by the late, great John Denver. I think it's just called "Toledo." It's a good song.

And if you're in a band and interested in being on the 21deadmonkeys ska compilation, drop us a line.

off the train,
mmr 21