Native Cats in the U.S. (short for U.S.A.)

[Paydirt!]

Hello all. Paydirt from Tasmania here, infrequent caller and way infrequent forum poster. I am half of a band called the Native Cats and we are touring the United States very soon! It's a drum machine and bass guitar and singing, and also some old video game style electronics when the situation calls for it. You can hear some things at our Bandcamp if you like. The main point of the tour is to play Gonerfest in Memphis but we are also playing the Northeast, the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast (is that what you call them? I want my lingo to be flawless by the time I arrive)

So yeah this is a promotional-type thing but also a bit of a tourist-advice-type thing. We'd love any suggestions for places to see and things to do in really any of these locations, but especially around NYC and Seattle and super-especially Boston and Memphis and San Francisco, since these are places where we have some good non-travel days. Also if you do happen to come to one of our shows please say hi, I like to think that I'm the instantly approachable sort but I'm putting it out there just to be sure.

Dates and things (some lineups not quite complete):

THU 20/9: Sierra Grille, Northampton, MA w/Potty Mouth, Flock of Sigall
FRI 21/9: P.A.'s Lounge, Somerville, MA w/Reports, Potty Mouth, Major Stars, Cuffs
SAT 22/9: Dead Herring, Brooklyn, NY w/Home Blitz, What Next?, Household
SUN 23/9: Cake Shop, NYC w/Estrogen Highs, Scott and Charlene's Wedding
MON 24/9: Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA w/Pet Milk
TUE 25/9: Golden West Cafe, Baltimore, MD
WED 26/9: Velvet Lounge, Washington, DC w/Harness Flux, La Reproduction Interdite
SAT 29/9: Murphy's, Memphis, TN (afternoon show at Gonerfest)
TUE 2/10: the Funhouse, Seattle, WA w/Squib
WED 3/10: the Know, Portland, OR
THU 4/10: the Northern, Olympia, WA w/Survival Knife, Morgan and the Organ Donors, Vex
FRI 5/10: Casa Sandinista, Oakland, CA w/Uzi Rash, Unnatural Helpers, Yi
SAT 6/10: Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco CA w/Buttons

[dudep]

I can hang with one through twelve, but what months are numbered 20-29??

[Kormod]

Yeah, what are you using, an Ancient Egyptian calendar? Australia sucks.

[Paydirt!]

Ah jeez, this after I get everything else right for youse (the state abbreviations, "Tuesday" instead of our preferred "INXSday", etc.)

[buffcoat]

Ah jeez, this after I get everything else right for youse (the state abbreviations, "Tuesday" instead of our preferred "INXSday", etc.)

Man, that is a fascinating idea.  When is MidnightOilsday?

[Paydirt!]

Ah jeez, this after I get everything else right for youse (the state abbreviations, "Tuesday" instead of our preferred "INXSday", etc.)

Man, that is a fascinating idea.  When is MidnightOilsday?

We go Oilsday, INXSday, Saintsday, Hoodoosday, Caveday, Huntersday, Sunday. It's very much like Subsidized Time, but less about money and more about reminding everyone that occasionally we make music that America likes. The change back to Sunday was officially a concession of sorts to the religious Right, but we all know it was purely out of shared national embarrassment at our one regretful year of "Jetsday".

[daveB from Oakland]

Is it true that your "MayDay" has been replaced by "Colin HayDay"?

[Spalding]

Will you have your own car or van? In Memphis, I'm sure you're thinking Elvis, Sun, and Stax. I'd also chip in Civil Rights Museum, Brooks Museum of Art (in Overton Park, very near the Hi-Tone), and the Pink Palace (local history museum). And A. Schwabs store on Beale Street.

If you have a car and a little time, you might think about day trip to Clarksdale (Delta Blues Museum) or Oxford, Miss (William Faulkner home).

[Greggulator]

Hey! How much time will you have in Philly? I'll try and make the show.

Also: PA's Lounge in Somerville, MA is one of the bets places to perform/see a show at in the East Coast.

[Paydirt!]

Driving into Philly on the morning of Monday the 24th, driving to Baltimore the morning after. Any recommendations other than the Philadelphia Museum of Art/Rocky steps/fondly recalling Tom's thoughts re same?

[Paydirt!]

Just played our first show last night in Northampton, we've enjoyed the last few days of hanging out in Boston but it's quite a relief to actually get going with the thing we're here to do. Really fun show, great crowd, got to meet a few people including one nice young FOT (hi Jason, if you're around!). PA's Lounge in Somerville tonight!

Hard to describe how it feels to see a Panera Bread for the first time.

[neilnumberman]

The wife and I are gonna try to make it to Somerville tonight to see you guyz. Really lookin' forward to meeting our Australian Best Show brethren.

[chetfarnsworth]

Paydirt! I remember one of your more recent calls singing Pet Shop Boys and talking about your band. Glad you're having a good time so far, wish I could make it to one of the NYC shows. Let us know how it goes.

[mackro]

Paydirt, I'm planning to drop by at the Funhouse show on Oct 2nd. Since the Best Show on this coast is 6-9pm, there will be no Tuesday conflict!

You're playing with SURVIVAL KNIFE two days later in Olympia.  Are you familiar with the band Unwound?  Justin and Brandt, ex Unwound, are in this band. They don't have anything out just yet, but the new songs sound as good as Unwound, and at least weirder.

[Paydirt!]

Hey thanks! Hadn't heard of Unwound before, but our friend Chris from Ride the Snake who booked the tour explained the connection. Very excited.

Somerville show was a strange one, heaps of technical problems entirely outside of our control, but still seemed to go down pretty well on the strength of our first 3-4 songs I suppose? Got to meet Neil Numberman and his wife, to whom I really must apologise for apologising so much on the night. Was prepared for the worst in Williamsburg given everything I'd heard, but received a very warm welcome from just about the nicest bunch of scenester kids I've ever met, and had a really great time. Cake Shop in Manhattan last night was really fun too, really hope that place sticks around. Our hotel was evacuated at 1.30 am, no explanation but definitely smelled smoke somewhere on the way out, stood barefoot on the footpath ("sidewalk") watching people take pictures of firefighters with their phones.

Off to Philadelphia today, hoping to stop off at the Silverball Pinball Museum on the way.