Community

Since i was such a grumpy gus on Wednesday, let's focus on something overwhelmingly positive and good.

In less than an hour i'll be leaving my house to pick up the other HiFi dudes and head to this season's three-times-per-year PRF BBQ, the Auktoberfyst version, at Klas German Restaurant in Cicero. PRF stands for "Premier Rock Forum," a sarcastic nickname bestowed upon the Electrical Audio message board. Yes, it's an internet forum full of nerdy, loud-rock-listening goofballs. But if you dismiss the community that has sprung up around the PRF as a group of "Steve Albini acolytes," just because the forum happens to be hosted by the Shellac guitarist's studio, well, you'd be as guilty of dismissing and underestimating what's happening here as most of the Chicago music press.



"Albini-worshiping," eh? Sure, one of the forum's most beloved moderators isn't even a Shellac fan, but if it's easier to use blanket judgment and dismiss a music scene that's rejecting the majority of what the music media sees fit to cover, instead of taking a careful, thought-out, and well-researched look at what we're accomplishing, hey, that's cool too. As my friend Bradley said on the forum after seeing that Time Out Chicago listing:

Not that I give a shit, but whoever wrote this little bit of Dead Medium fluff knew just enough to be snarky about: (i) the PRF "name", which is simply funny, ironic, and self-deprecating; and (ii) "Albini-worshipping", which is just a superdumb thing to say given how obvious it is that Steve is on the ground with the rest of the troops.

Hooray, writer!

You worked in "rawk", too, even though that doesn't begin to describe the Thursday show. Like, not in the least. You, TOC writer, apparently didn't do a second of research, like not even one hit on a band hyperlink. So lazy, this way to write about music!

Please, world. Leave us the fuck alone.

We do not speak your language. We do not use your tools. We do not aspire to your goals.

Please.

Alone.

The only shit that I give is to hope that the world does not give enough of a shit about us to give a shit.

Me, i'd be ok not being left alone if people bothered to actually pay attention instead of looking at our events and thinking, "oh, yeah, it's just a bunch of dudes playing Jesus Lizard ripoff music because they all worship Albini." Yeah, sure. That's why The Blind Shake and Big'n have kicked our asses at past events, and why Call Me Lightning will be hanging out and melting faces tomorrow.

As i type this, friends of mine from the United Kingdom are convening on Klas for another night of killer rock music. Our tour in August was booked at least 66% by people we have met on the EA Forum. There's a word for a music scene that's so close-knit that friends merely need to shoot friends a date and a city, and a show is booked, or that inspires people to travel insane distances to hang out and enjoy great food, great music, and great people. That word is community.

And yeah, i said music scene, and i meant it. The PRF is a music scene as vital and powerful, and way more close-knit, than most scenes based on geography. And i'm including Milwaukee in that. As much as i love Milwaukee and consider it my band's home, we feel even more at home among out fellow PRFers.

So hey, there's some great music happening at Klas Restaurant in Cicero this weekend. It's open to the public and costs $10 for tonight, $15 for tomorrow, and $20 if you attend the whole weekend. The price includes food, people. So don't be afraid to come check out something a little different, off the beaten path, and is warm, inviting, and with thoroughly kick your ass from here to the United Kingdom and back.