Death in the Midwest

I’ve played at most three good games of pool in my life. Last night was one of them.

I went to high school with Andy. He switched schools after his freshmen year, and we didn’t see much of one another until after graduation. While I was attending OSU, I’d bump into Andy fairly regularly at the Blue Danube, or one of the other watering holes I would frequent. Andy always made it a point to come over to say hello, and see how things were going. This continued through college and beyond.

Several years ago I received a phone call from Andy, inviting me to come see RacecaR, the band he was with, play. I did, and was absolutely blown away – it was a great show, and Andy’s vocals were insane. Andy continued to let me know when he was playing, and I always made an effort to see the show.

Andy left RacecaR (or they broke up, it’s not clear to me) and started practicing with a new group, Death in the Midwest. Again I received an invitation to the show, and again I went. This band was a lot different from RacecaR – much more traditional heavy metal. Although the gig was in a dive of a bar, the band’s energy was phenomenal, and I had a great time watching and listening.

Last night I went to Skully’s to watch the band. Skully’s is a significantly better venue than their last gig. Before the show, I shot a few games of pool with Andy, his brother Mike, and a friend of theirs. I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a good pool player. But for whatever reason, last night I played (for me) quite well! It was a very relaxed, entertaining evening.

The band went on around 11, and they rocked just as much as the first time I saw them. Behind them, projected on the wall, were some of the works of the Brothers Quay. I’m told that these works were the inspiration for the Tool videos, and I can certainly see the influence. It made for an effective backdrop to the music.

If you get the chance, I encourage you to check them out!