TRAILER :
The Mopery.
Reading that name, thinking about it...did anyone else get 30 degrees warmer?
The Mopery was a DIY warehouse space that ran for years, not months. It hosted the likes of every band in that poster, and hundreds more.
Ironically, when I had first moved here with my now ex-girlfriend, I stood outside of Pearle Vision while she bought glasses. Vans were outside. Someone came to the grey metal door I hadn't even noticed, with beer. "Ah, you bought me beer!" I said with a smirk. He replied...."No, but what are you doing tonight? I have some bands playing upstairs. We live in tents in a warehouse." I had planned to go to the Empty Bottle for something...don't remember what...but my ex-girlfriend bailed on going out...so I decided to change my plans as well.
I went to the Mopery....alone....
I vividly remember the first time. You entered through a seemingly invisible grey door, on the side of a grocery store! Went up the stairs, through a small hallway, into another heavy metal door with ragged metal for a handle. In the summer, the heat hit you first. I walked in to smiles. Nods. Someone told me to put my beer in the fridge...yeah...that big one over there with the sliding doors. Nobody took it. While this may not be all of your experiences, I'm almost positive a single beer of mine was never taken at the Mopery.
Five bands played in three different spots that night. One by some couches, then in the back corner...in the kitchen...near the industrial sized slop sink...and out in the open. Where the masses shoved and swelled.
I went back over 50 times, half of them alone. It didn't matter. Everyone was nice. Shit got crazy! People gave you booze, threw water on an exhausted crowd, and stories about what was happening. They were respectful. It felt like my own personal Ninja Turtles or Hackers hideout. We all smoked cigarettes and got our eardrums blown out by crazy shit. I met Alex White. Travis and Michael P. So many wonderful folks that to this day have shown nothing but appreciation, dedication, and love for creating a collective music scene.
It was the Mopery's gloriously disgusting charm that made me fall in love with this city's underground scene.
This last show...this was a madman marathon that when explained, would make people laugh.
Lechuguillas
Running
Loose Dudes
Paper Mice
Bad Drugs
Unmanned Ship
Sunsplitter
Ono
Mark Solotroff
Jason Soliday
Battleship
Sunglasses
and Tiger Hatchery
8:30 - Forever
Having a cooler, and being there since 9 p.m....I remember getting a little hazy around 1 a.m., after Paper Mice played. It was basically the half-way point. The air started to get hot. You could see waves. I don't think we were even breathing anything except hot, gaseous fumes at the end of the night. We all drank the kool-aid, and stumbled out from 4-6 a.m., wondering if this really was the end...
Really though, it was the music that won. If you don't care, that's fine, but you can't say it wasn't important. My friend Brian brings up the times we went there on a monthly basis. It left a deep impression. It was a dirty, hot, disgusting mess...but it was ours. Never have I felt so comfortable walking into a dark warehouse with not a single person I knew surrounding me. It sparked something.
Naturally, there were many, many cameras.
I know a lot of you have footage. You should hit me up and we should collect it all.
Victor Spatafora took it upon himself to bring a completely ridiculous 1080p camera into that last show...and the end result is amazing. Footage by 90% of the bands. I think EVERYONE missed filming ONO for some reason.
I gave him a few videos I had, and the end result is 38 minutes of stories from all of you...mayhem...blood...endless amounts of every type of liquid, scream, and noise you can imagine.
so HOW DO I GET THIS, you ask?!?!
If you would like one, e-mail me @ hotmetaldobermans@gmail.com. If you'd like to donate a buck or two for materials, feel free.
There are a few copies of this at Reckless Records, right now, for $6. Permanent on Chicago Ave...call them before you go, they're going in and out.
Victor is asking $5 suggested donation, whatever's in your pockets, hugs, whiskey, whatever. the materials are well-done and rad. Good artwork! I actually bought mine at Reckless just so I could come home and make this post. Best $6 i've ever spent.
We should compile footage. Maybe one day a full 9 hour version can be released. Just kidding. Pretty safe to say I don't think anyone needs to see the intricate details of how this played out.
I can honestly say, I was blown away by how great it ended up. Instant classic!
DVD :
These are some I took of the last night :
1 comment:
I ♥ Ⓐ
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