Tiger Bear Wolf Update

There is an official Tiger Bear Wolf website now. And for everyone who didn't rush out to buy the album on my recommendation or receive a drunken phone call playing it on your answering machine (hi Pete!), they've put the MP3 for You Play Guitar out there.

On a personal note, it took me 4 trips to Gate City Noise (and a stop at BB's) to get the album, but last Saturday small scale capitalism was in action and I've listened to it nonstop since then. Why 4 trips? The first time was right before TBW played there and the album was sold out. The 2nd time I got there at 6:30ish and the store closes at 6 for summer hours now that UNCG is out of school. The 3rd time they were sold out, but the proprietor, Andrew, got on the phone w/ them and requested a new shipment. The 4th time was the charm, and Saturday afternoon turned into Saturday night and then Sunday morning and I was still listening. Seriously, if you are in Greensboro and buy records or cds, Gate City Noise is run by the nicest damn guy and you should take your business there. If they don't have it they will get it. In contrast when I went to BB's (no link b/c they were no help) and asked if they had the new Tiger Bear Wolf. I figured since it is the record store right across the street from Guilford College and TBW are all Guilford guys it would probably be there (and it's on my way home). Well, it wasn't, and the guy there told me that until TBW got a "real" distributor they would have to bring by some cds. A phone call from a store owner and a prompt delivery from the band seems like a "real" distribution channel to me. I guess some people like to have purchase orders in their hands and promotional key chains in their drawers to keep it real. I think they should bring the album by BB's one cd at a time.

And last but not least, I went to see Tiger Bear Wolf last night at the Werehouse in Winston-Salem. Dave was nice enough to go w/ me on a Thursday to Winston to see a band he had never heard of. I had never been to a show there despite the fact that this was the 3rd club name at this particular address. I don't think I saw the best show ever, but I saw enough that when I got home at 1:30 it seemed reasonable that if I didn't play it too loud I could listen to the record one more time and drink the last tall boy Icehouse before going to bed. Tiger Bear Wolf played at a volume that I don't think the sound guy was prepared for. The first 2 songs were accompanied by a high pitched wail (they fixed it or else something broke in my ear), and the vocals for the guy on the right were never at a level where you could hear him. Anyway, I'm nitpicking b/c Tiger Bear Wolf tore it up. I was so excited that I asked for a set list (Light, Winner, Silver, Body, Bed, Lens, Guitar) and then gushed like a schoolgirl to one of the guys. I'd be embarrassed, but I meant it when I said I loved their album. They're playing June 3rd at Ace's Basement. And then embarking on a national tour too sketchy for me to quit my job and follow them. Although Chicago is nice in the summer time and the Cubs are playing at home.