Hungry Villagers, Benjamin Davis Murphy, David Dondero

Benjamin Davis Murphy 

Morgan called me up last night and asked what I was doing. It was Saturday night and since I’m Peter Lee, I was obviously doing nothing.  I told her that I was thinking of going to a show at Walter’s but I didn’t have a ride. Before I knew it, she grabbed her keys and started driving to my house.

On the phone I told her that Benjamin Davis Murphy and David Dondero were playing.   I put the song “Rothko Chapel” on a mix CD I made for Morgan once and she really liked the song because it’s about Houston and fuck yeah, Houston rules.  We were afraid that we’d miss Ben play but when we got to Walter’s, the show hadn’t even started yet. The show was pretty fuckin’ expensive, I mean $10 at the door. Fuck. Anyway, I paid in $1 bills and told the guy sitting by the door that I was a stripper. Then I recognized that guy; it was Ben Murphy from Panic in Detroit and Lucky Motors. I wasn’t starstruck or anything, I just realized that I had misinformed myself all night. I was under the impression that it was Benjamin Wesley, not Benjamin Murphy, playing that night. Oh well!

The first band that played was Hungry Villagers.  They were brothers in an acoustic duo. They were pretty dang good.  Morgan and I talked to them after the show and we learned that they’ve been living in Clear Lake for only a year. Before that, they lived in South Africa because their parents were missionaries.

Benjamin Murphy played after. Considering I thought Benjamin Wesley was playing, I had no idea what to expect.  It was pretty damn good. He played electric guitar with his backing band, an iPod (an idea he admittedly stole from Hearts of Animals), and he had a beard and played a Big Star cover and beards + Big Star covers are awesome. I think I put that Big Star song on a CD I made for Morgan and she recognized it when he played those first few notes and I wonder how much I’ve polluted Morgan’s taste of music with the crap I listen to and the CDs I make her.

 
David Dondero

I assumed David Dondero was going to play an acoustic folk set like he usually does but he had his whole band with him, which they named themselves the Entire State of Florida, and had an electric guitar.  He played a bunch of old songs and then the last few songs he played acoustic. I bought an overpriced t-shirt before I left.

 All in all, a pretty great night.

Creepy Chris Ryan Puppet

I don’t personally know Chris Ryan but I’ve seen the bands he’s been in play a few times. I heard he got hit by a car once. One time I was at Aaron Danger’s house and Chris Ryan came by to pick up some records. Aaron and Chris Ryan are friends, I guess.

I was hanging out at Amy’s Ice Creams a few days ago at 11:30 AM, the precise minute they opened their doors. Morgan and I wanted to use their photobooth but it was out of order so Morgan went to the restroom to go pee and I sat down at a booth. Neither of us planned on buying ice cream. I started talking to one of the girls working that morning. She goes to my school. She somehow convinced me to apply for a job there so she gave me a white paper bag. She told me that was the application. I had to do something awesome with the bag and write my name and phone number on the back.

Aaron Danger and Lauren/Illene/Walla told me that Chris Ryan crashed the Amy’s van last week. When I got the white paper bag, I thought to myself, “Hey, Chris Ryan used to work here.” The only plausible thing to do at this point was turn the white paper bag into a creepy Chris Ryan puppet. On the back of the puppet is a handle with a toggle that lets you open and close his mouth. His tshirt is a Mayhem shirt.

I don’t really care about getting the job, I just wanted to make a hilarious puppet.

Chris Ryan plays in bands like God’s Temple of Family Deliverance, Black Congress, and is an ex-member of O Pioneers!!!