Shows of Yore #4 (Papa M) and #5 (Wiring Prank)

(rubber gloves ten years ago)

I recently moved into a new house and while unpacking, I cracked open the old CD vaults before again stashing them away in the closet again. I think a lot of this stuff has remained unopened for 6 years or so... Some questionable/embarrassing stuff in there for sure, but every once and a while I would find something and have to put it on and re-listen to it. Back in the day, I used to record shows with a DAT recorder and sometimes I guessed right with the mic placement and the levels and it actually worked out. These are two shows that for the most part fall in that category.

Papa M was a solo project from David Pajo from seminal 90s bands Slint and original member of Tortoise who went on to start Aerial M, and then Papa M, Pajo, and Dead Child. This is a show on November 21,1999 at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. This is from his last forays in the "post-rock" genre supporting his drag city album "Live from a Shark Cage" but you can hear an slight leaning toward the folk he has been playing for the past 6-7 years. The great Alan Licht played guitar on this tour. Apologies for setting a mic next to the people chatting throughout a good amount of this show. But that's the way it was (still is?) most of the time at RGRS...

Wiring Prank were an exceptional Denton band. I remember seeing them as early as 1997 at the Argo in the BIG ASS BEER days. I saw recently in DFW/DIY blog posted an EP (?)... which was a bit more in the June of '44 zone than this show from 1999. They transformed into a much more melodic, introspective, and for lack of a better word "slowcore" band. They have never released material from this period... This band features Bryan VanDivier (now plays drums for Tre Orsi) on guitar/Bass Six(?), a couple of Sams (last names please), and Will Johnson (um...) on drums. They actually opened for Papa M, but I thought the recording from the two songs from this show a few months prior was a bit more "spirited". I am unsure where this show was....perhaps the Old Dan's Bar?

PAPA M 11.21.99

WIRING PRANK 7.19.99