I’m busted. One of my earliest lasting contributions to the internet: my review of the 1996 Portland Cure show.

I had just turned 14 and it was my first time seeing a real show (I don’t count questionable Hood River local rock shows). The Cure was my favorite band, and they’re still in my Top 3 (though the exact position depends on the day). I was there with my best friend (Mayhaw), my girlfriend (Leslie) and my dad (Curt). It was pretty much the best group of friends I could have asked for.

That night was awesome then, and even though some may write off my excitement over it as silly teen follies, I still defend its awesomeness now. It’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, although I’m sure it’s mostly because of the time in my life that I saw it. Shows were just better when I was younger. And not to diminish anyone else’s show experiences, but growing up in Hood River and having to go to Portland to see them…it brings an extra element of exoticism to it. This was true for The Cure in July 1996, They Might Be Giants in November 1996 and September 1999 and maybe even the first shows I went to when I moved to Gresham in 2001 like John Spencer and various K Records shows at the old Meow Meow. It’s sad, but seeing shows just doesn’t have the same magic as they did in el days of yore. If I must blame someone for this tragedy, I blame Weezer.

However, I do think my review was pretty cool for a 14 year old. I actually criticized musical elements of the show. I wasn’t just some teen fan saying OMG!!!! (although if I had, I might have revolutionized the internet with that acronym). By then, I was already a Cure bootleg hound, so I knew my Cure shows. I didn’t know much about any other band except They Might Be Giants, but I at least knew my Cure more than anyone else in Hood River, except for maybe Shawn Ewers (who was also at that 1996 Cure show).

So yeah, July 31, 1996 is a day that will live in infamy in my world, and hopefully the few I know who experienced it with me.

Here’s a video of “Freeze Tag,” our set-closer from me and My Pugs’ Ash St. show last Sunday. Thanks to Margie (video-taker) and Ky (video-poster) for the video!

And for the sake of massive contrast, here’s the music video of the album version, made by Mark Young back in 2003:

A video from last weekend’s Alex Arrowsmith And His Pugs show at the Ash St. Saloon here in Portland. Thanks to Colleen Perkins for the video!

In other news, PDR is now on CD Baby and iTunes. Go nuts and use your 401K on buying it multiple times.

Dudes! I updated the discography with pages for Public Domain Rainbow and Modernity Leave…finally! Which means all the lyrics are up, too (except for the improvised songs from Modernity Leave, for now at least). I know some people care about lyrics, and for those of you that do, you can see how little I care about mine! I hear a preschool in Cleveland is using the “New Times And Fire Road” text for the spring term of AP Story Time.

NEWSFLASH: I have submitted PDR to CD Baby, so it should be available in its physical form within the week. YES.

Also, don’t forget that Alex Arrowsmith and His (aka My) Pugs are playing at the Ash St. Saloon next Sunday the 28th. 9 pm, $5 at the door, 21+. I know it’s a Sunday, but we ARE playing FIRST. So it’ll be an early set if you need to be in bed by 11 pm to wash dishes the next day, like Mayhaw does.

Thanks to Colleen Perkins for the videos!

The Zaps:

Coldplay Got Eaten By Piranhas:

The Man With The Golden Touch:

In PDR news, it will be available commercially soon. I swear.

Lots of other news impacting imminently!

Public Domain Rainbow will be on CD Baby/iTunes/whatever soon, but until then, if you would like a PDR straight from the source, here’s how: Paypal $6 to alex@alexarrowsmith.com, and include your mailing address (or email it to alex@alexarrowsmith.com). Easy eh! I LOVE going to the post office (no joke), so this actually works out for both of us.

Hark! PDR cometh from upon yon hillside! Today I sent off the final artwork and mastered songs to be printed and duped. Finally, after two years from conception to contractions, Public Domain Rainbow is finally and officially DONE. I don’t know when the exact release date will be, but it should be up on CD Baby/iTunes/etc. by the end of the month or early March. The arbitrary release date will be whenever I get the hard copies of the album shoved into my warm living hands.

I have songs from PDR in the player at the top of the page! Take a listen to minute to the songs!

Also! The full band debut of Alex Arrowsmith AND HIS PUGS (myself on guitar/vox, Mayhaw Hoons on bass and Ky Fifer on drums/vox) will be on February 17 at the Hawthorne Theatre. It’s at 8 pm, $4 at the door, 21+. Come out and witness apocryphal history! Also, we have a show at the Ash St. Saloon on March 28. Me and m’pugs must school the world.

I should also mention that I left Tiger House last week. So did Ky. However, Bill and Carl are picking up the pieces of that nuclear blast quite well, and from what I hear, they already have a replacement bassist and are auditioning 6 drummers next week! Awesome eh! I’ll also still be recording future Tiger House CDs and demos and whatnot. So you should still go see their shows. It is important.