That’s right…VIDEO!! Mr. Mark Young (from History for Sale) taped the amazing insanity that was our Birthday Show at the Blue Moon. Not only did he tape the epic rock fest, he made this little video montage of our birthday which totally blew my mind and made my week.

So while you’ll be hearing all about our birthday shows this weekend (now that we’ve had the proper week it took to recover)–you can watch some of the party right now. A huge thanks to Mark Young for making this video totally out of the blue…one of the best birthday gifts ever!!

It seems like we’ve been waiting a year and a half for this concert–because WE HAVE! It’s been a year and a half since Vindaloo’s last concert, (which was fittingly at the Blue Moon) and tonight they will raise from the grave of the rock’n'roll dead and Rock the blue moon once again. (Yes, that is a rock with a capital “R”.) 

In some ways we’ve been waiting for this show for even longer, as both Vindaloo and our secret headliners were bands we tried to book for our very first concert ever. Tonight’s the night they take the stage, accompanied by two of our favorite new bands–What What Now and The Drug Purse. It’s going to be one hell of a show and a few people have said some very nice things about it, so we really hope you get to come out and rock out with us.  

Lord knows, I don’t remember a single person’s face from Wednesday night’s action-spectacular at Neumos.  All I remember is face-shredding prog, fantasy-metal from Wah Wah Exit Wound and the hazy smoke that surrounded the exceptionally costumed A Gun That Shoots Knives.  Oh, and a lonely paper pteradactyl that fluttered above the crowd.

Well, my liver has decreased to its usual medium level of swollen, and I’m ready for another helping of Sound on the Sound Birthday Mayhem.  And lucky for you and me, tonight is the capper of this excessive birthday week.  The headliner of tonight’s event at The Blue Moon in the U-District is so amazingly, er, amazing, we’ve actually been contacted by the government and told not to reveal their names, in fear that their international fan base will actually riot and destroy Seattle.  Just know though, you’re in for a treat from these mysterious Black Power Rangers.

And that’s not all, heavy rockers Vindaloo are reforming for one, magical night of deafening joy.  Also killing it will be The Drug Purse and What What Now, whom I have no knowledge of, thus cannot regale you with their, obvious, many achievements.

Don’t miss this.  You’ll be sad, and far, far too sober.

Curiously the writers of Sound on the Sound all have birthdays within a week of each other, so to celebrate we’re gathering some of our favorite rock and roll bands from the local scene, old and new, to ring in our next birth year at the Blue Moon. Mad props go to one Katie Miller over at matiekiller.com for putting together the above poster for us.

Our headliner, due to scheduling issues, asked to remain a secret, but I can tell you that we straight up love this band and it will be worth staying out late. We are calling them the Black Power Rangers.

The other three bands appearing are also special and not nameless. What What Now has been sticking exclusively to DIY and house shows, and this will be their tavern debut. We caught their show around Halloween and were mucho impressed. Tacoma’s Drug Purse who we haven’t seen yet, pretty much sound exactly how you might expect from the band name (for a change), a vintage psychedelic jam. We caught their set on Audioasis a couple of weeks ago and had to get them on the bill. And Vindaloo will of course be reuniting for this one show only. That set is not to be missed.

Save the date (and bring your earplugs)…

A Sound on the Sound Birthday Show featuring…
A SUPER SECRET HEADLINER we’re calling The Black Power Rangers
Vindaloo
Drug Purse
What What Now
Friday January 16, 2008 at the Blue Moon Tavern in Seattle.
First band at 9pm. 5$ at the door. 21+.

We were thrilled to wake this morning to a letter/declaration from Stu Ridesworthy about our very own Birthday Bash, and had to share it with you.

Greetings Seattle rock n roll types,

I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2008. Ah, 2008. The year that Vindaloo, Seattle’s “Loudest rock band” did not play one single show in Seattle.

I’ll tell you, I wept every day from my vacation Chateau in the South of France, and cried for months in my bottles of Dom Perignon from my endless wine cellar (while doing my super-model girlfriend).

By mid July, it was all I could do to muster up my dignity and take Eva Mendes out for a night on the town in Athens Greece via the private Concord.

I fear I may have been a bit of a downer on that little outting, as all I could talk about was our dearly departed rock n roll damnation trio over our Beluga caviar and bottle of 52 Chateau Lafite.

In August, Ben wrote to me to tell me that Iceage Cobra was having a swell time on the road and that they had scheduled their final show for King Cobra in late September.

The same month Matt contacted me in regards to the final tuition payment to Harvard, as he was finishing up his doctorate in advanced applied rocket mechanics, and their application to the guitar amplifier. I was glad to hear from him and promptly wired him the 650 thousand dollars from Vindaloo’s Guatamalan offshore account.

It was in December, of 2008 that I was contacted by a Ms. Abbey of Sound on The Sound and asked if Vindaloo, per chance would be interested in doing a birthday bash show for her well known Blog.

I wired Ben the information, who was, at the time,  on tour playing back-up-lead guitar with Ozzy Osbourne and Zack Wild.

46 seconds, there was a knock at my door. It was ben.

He had taken the first flight from Las Vegas, after recieving my message and promptly confirmed in these exact words:

“Hell yes, I’m gonna throw down like a tornado full of semi’s for the SOTS b-day bash!”

Jeff and Matt soon confirmed afterwards with similar tornado/semi after-comments, ( I believe Matt said something about a intergalactic death ray mounted to a semi,… in a tornado of lazers…but I digress)…

I made my official confirmation to Ms. Abbey after returning from my retreat in Holland.

With all that said, myself and the entire staff over here at Mustache Ride LLC, in beautiful New York City’s 5th Avenue Mustache Ride Pavillion, would like to extend our warmest regards to all attending the show.

And I hope to see all of you; January 16th, 2009 at the Blue Moon Tavern in Seattle

-Rock On Seattle,

Stu Ridesworthy

Owner and CEO Mustache Ride Records, LLC.

Vindaloo at The Blue Moon ::: photo by Abbey

Hell yes! I’ve already shared with you my giddy joy that the original members of Vindaloo are reuniting one night only to celebrate Sound on the Sound’s birthday at The Blue Moon January 16th; and happily it turns out Vindaloo shares in this giddy excitement.

Behold the latest myspace bulletin from Ben Harwood of Vindaloo:

Subject: Cous-Cous, Transformers, and a Vindaloo reunion?

Ok, I’ll just skip right to the 3rd one, as I’m sure many are curious if they have not yet heard Ms. Abbey of Sound on the Sound shouting it from the rooftops of the UW campus.

Jeff, Matt and I have decided to give our friends a special treat Friday, January 16th at The Blue Moon off 45th st.
(just down the way from UW campus)

For 1 night, Vindaloo will RE UNITE!

All 3 ORIGINAL members. Myself, Jeff Silva (drums) and Matt Fortin (Bass).

Over the last year, we’ve grown tight again as buds and musical colleagues and frankly, we’re itching to unleash the two Marshall 8×10 stacks on your faces once again for a night of pure, un-adultered rock n roll damnation.

We’re going to play the loudest, meanest, most pent-up rock set EVER, over 35 short minutes to anyone interested in attending, because, frankly, all 3 of us have what I have come to coin: “Rock N Roll Blue-Balls.
”

This shindig is going to be awesome, and we couldn’t be happier that we got to do this for Abbey and Josh over at SOS (2 people all 3 of us are especially fond and appreciative of for all their support).

Um, FUCK YES. That is all I have to say. If I wasn’t snowed in, I really would be screaming this from Seattle rooftops. We love Vindaloo, we are seriously in need of getting our faces rocked off, and we can’t wait for January 16th to roll around!

Mark your calendars people, this is going to be fucking EPIC.

Ben Harwood with Ice Age Cobra ::: photo by Abbey

We have good news and we have amazing news for you. The good news–the above is a kick ass photo of Ben Harwood formerly of Ice Age Cobra and Vindaloo, two of my favorite bands of all time who are no longer making music together.

But I know what you’re really wanting for and wondering about is the AMAZING news, so here it is. Vindaloo is reuniting for one night only to play Sound on the Sound’s 2nd Annual Blue Moon Birthday Bash Extraordinaire. Let me repeat that again, with emphasis on how absolutely fucking rad this is: VINDALOO is coming out of retirement/the realm of broken up bands, and PLAYING OUR BIRTHDAY SHOW. I know all caps are annoying, but really and truly, I want to scream the news from the blog rooftops and real rooftops all over the city.

So, if you haven’t done so already, set aside January 16th for partying with Sound on the Sound and getting your face rocked off by Vindaloo and three other amazing local bands we’ll tell you all about very soon.

Ben Harwood, of Vindaloo and Iceage Cobra, is unabashedly one of my favorite folks in Seattle. Not only has he been in two of my favorite Seattle bands, Ben is one of the most genuine folks you’ll ever have the pleasure to encounter. He is an outspoken advocate for Seattle music and when needed, for himself and his bands. He also has an uncannily magnificent ability to grow chops. All around, the Seattle scene and sound is a much richer place for having Ben Harwood around. By the looks of the fantastic birthday party that is brewing in honor of Ben’s 30th Birthday this weekend, I am not the only one who has love for Mr. Harwood.

Since a few of you are begging and whimpering for photos of this weekends mind-blowing show at King Cobra… I must oblige with a photographic tease of the evening.

Haven’t done one of these for awhile, but just in case you’re curious as to the tunes that kept me company this first month of 2008… here it is. 

Wild Orchid Children - Wild Orchid Children EP
J. Tillman - Cancer and Delirium and Minor Works
The Shackeltons - The Shackeltons
Blue Scholars - “Guns and Butter” (live on KEXP)
The Lashes - Thank You EP
Palmer, AK (anything written by Eric Howk, basically)
The Mountain Goats - “Sax Rohmer #1″ (cannot wait for Heretic Pride!!)
PWRFL Power - “Tomato Song” (i’m slightly obsessed with this song)
Ravens & Chimes - “Faraway Sound of Cars”
Modest Mouse - “March Into The Sea”
The Go - “Yer Stoned Italian Cowboy”
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Elvis Perkins - “Shampoo”
Vindaloo - “Death Stars Coming Baby”
Whalebones - “Don’t You Know”