Street Dogs
State of Grace
Released: July 8, 2008
Hellcat Records
Producer: Ted Hutt

Mike McColgan – vocals
Johnny Rioux – bass, backing vocals, mandolin, harmonica, acoustic guitar
Marcus Hollar – lead guitar, backing vocals, dobro, pump organ, acoustic guitar
Tobe Bean III – rhythm guitar, slide guitar, dobro
Paul Rucker – drums

1. Mean Fist – 2:30
2. Kevin J. O’Toole – 3:52
3. Into the Valley – 3:07
4. Rebel Song 2:56
5. The General’s Boombox – 3:38
6. Elizabeth – 3:05
7. Two Angry Kids – 2:29
8. Guns – 3:16
9. San Patricios – 2:49
10. A State of Grace – 3:46
11. Free – 3:39

This is part two, continued from: http://strangereaction.com/2009/12/11/everybody-out-ep/

Ray and I talked on the phone about once a month, and we kept it short. Then one night he calls and says that he and his Wife are flying back out mid-2004 for our 20-year high school reunion, I almost shit.

I had this flashback of when I was on the phone with Ray’s Wife, prior to them coming out the first time. I wanted to be an accommodating host, so I asked what type of food they like, and what types of drinks, and snacks, etc. She said she liked “East-Coast” food. I sat there for a minute, and finally asked what that meant? She says Nathan’s Hot Dogs, and White Castle Burger’s. Anybody living in L.A. knows that is an almost impossible request. Back in 1982 or 1983 there was a Nathan’s in Encino. And within two years it was gone. I don’t think a White Castle has ever been on the West Coast. But my Wife, ever the trooper, found a place online that would send us a case of White Castle cheeseburgers in 48 hours. Perfect!! Well, when Ray and his Wife got here I whipped out the burgers, and she took one look at them and said I can’t eat cheese, it gives me the shits. I wanted to throw the case at her.

So, Ray and his Wife want to come to L.A. again. My Son, was born June 17, 2004, within a month my Brother-In-Law was involved in a terrible motorcycle accident that has left him paralyzed from the waist down. He was in one hospital or another for almost six months. My Son was born premature, and he was stuck in the hospital for three long weeks. So, when Ray called I was really, really drained. I couldn’t play host to any further prima Donna behavior.

So my Wife asked her Brother to move in with us, help him and their retired parents with his day-to-day routine. So, at the time of Ray’s call I used my newborn Son, and my Brother-In-Law (who decided to move back home, and not in with us) as reasons why I couldn’t offer them a place to stay.

I guess due to Ray’s accident they fell into financial trouble. So, instead of booking the trip six months in advance (when they first decided to travel) they waited, and booked the trip on Priceline one-week prior, with Ray’s Sister-In-Law’s credit card. We all end up in jams, but what got me was that this was not a direct flight or even a connecting flight. It was a flight from Virginia to Chicago, and that’s all.

Anyhow, prior to Ray boarding a plane he told me that he and his Wife would be landing at LAX at midnight, and they would be staying in a hotel across the street from the airport. I said cool, buzz me when you check in, and we’ll hit up a Denny’s for a late night meal. So I hit the sack at around 8:30 that night so I would be alert when he called.

I wake up at 8:00 am, and check the phone machine, no messages; I ask my Wife if Ray called? Nope, nothing. I wonder if Ray’s Wife got them kicked off of the plane with strange meal requests, who knows? So, I wander into my office/guest bedroom and start checking email. There are six emails from Ray. First one, call me, and a number in Chicago. Second one, dude, where are you? Third, dude, stop fucking around, and call me. Fourth, I need you to buy two tickets for my Wife, and me from Chicago to L.A. immediately! Fifth, I swear to God, dude, hurry this up. Sixth, I’m fuming, where are you?

I sat staring at my computer screen for about ten minutes. What the fuck? In the time it took to write all of these emails he could’ve called me, and explained his situation, and even maybe I could’ve helped.

So, at about 9:00 am, after I called the Chicago number three times to no answer, Ray calls. He has an attitude, I ask where he’s been, in which he replies, “where have I been, where the fuck have you been?” I pause for a minute.

I try understand why a person who was supposed to be my friend, and watched me knock-out a handful (or two) of various shit-talkers would come at me with this attitude, either he wanted to get his ass handed to him or he wanted to impress his “woman.” So, I took a deep breath, and explained (as calmly as I could) that I went to bed early so I could go to L.A. and take him (and his “woman”) to a late-night dinner. And I didn’t get his antagonistic emails until this morning. To which he tried to justify away by saying, yeah whatever you’re always on the web late. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being retarded this response rated a 2.

I could see this conversation was going nowhere, so I asked him what his plans were for the rest of the day, and he came back real snippy and said “we can’t do anything now, we had to pay for last minute tickets from Chicago to L.A.” At first I couldn’t tell if he was blaming me or what . . . ?

So, I casually say: “next time you plan to travel, and you know ahead of time, let me book all your tickets and hotels. If you book in advance you can usually get a good deal.”

Now, he starts tripping. He says: “Well, not all of us are fucking rich, we have to use Priceline.”

I say: “First off, slow your ass down, and secondly I’m not rich (I was out of work for three years, and I had just started working again).”

He says: “Yeah, whatever stop whining.”

God as my witness I am trying to be calm. I say: Nobody is whining, I’m just saying I could help you with your travel plans.”

And he decides to take it up a notch. “You’re still whining Michelle.”

I start to snap, I say: “What did you say motherfucker?”

And he, staying brave with his Wife beside him, and coaching says: “you heard me Michelle.”

Now it’s on: “You pussy-whipped motherfucker, do you know who you’re talking to? I’ll tear your fucking heart out!”

And Ray says: “Yeah, yeah Michelle.”

I am now seeing red. “ You pussy motherfucker, learn to cut your own fucking food, and then maybe she’ll let you wipe your own ass.”

At this point Ray, and I both had our Wives pulling the phone out of our hands. They talked, and the agreement was she and Ray were going to stop over in about two hours, visit and then go to the twenty-year reunion.

They never came.

So, my Wife calls up Ray’s Wife, and says “I calmed Mike down, where are you?” She said “Ray couldn’t calm down, so we’re not coming.” Now my Wife was annoyed, all the shit we had put up with from them came to a head. My Wife said “whatever,” and hung up.

So I picked up the car keys, and start walking out the door. My Wife grabs my arm, and says “where are you going?”

I say “to the reunion.”

She says “But you said you weren’t going.”

“I am now.”

“Why?”

“Because I decided to whip Ray’s ass in front of all of our old friends.”

She starts to wrestle the keys away from me, and, well, I let her win. I go into the other room and play with my newborn Son.

Every four to six months I would get an email from Ray’s Wife telling me about some video or TV show they were a part of (news segment about “love in the face of tragedy,” Ray’s accident bringing them closer together, and a You Tube video of them renewing their vows). And I would write back: “Congrats, you’re famous!” Because, basically, I didn’t give a fuck.

Then in November of 2005 my Dad died. A lot of grudges that I had, I pushed them aside. I started talking to my Mom, and Brother again (although, this wouldn’t last).

And then one day around Christmas of 2006, two years since I talked to Ray, I emailed him, and thanked him for a movie he burnt to DVD that I passed off to my Dad. It was a cartoon that my Dad liked called Fire & Ice. It wasn’t available on DVD at the time, and Ray mailed me the copy. My Dad was pleased, and so I decided to write Ray and say “thanks, you made my Dad happy.” It was my first Christmas without my Dad, and I was feeling bluesy.

So, I sent off the email, and a week later he sent one that said: “Sorry about your Dad. You’re welcome for the DVD. – Ray”

So, that was that. We’re not friends, but Ray escaped a beating.

“It’s sad when someone you know becomes someone you knew.” – Henry Rollins

On to the review . . .

This past weekend I went to Headline Records to visit my old friend Jean-Luc, and as always when I start talking music I brought up Everybody Out! And to my surprise Jean already heard them and loved them. Then he tells me if I like EBO, I’ll love the new Street Dogs. He pulls out the album and says I need the listen to it. Within two hours I was listening to it, and was very impressed.

I included a download (below) of one the tracks off of this album. I’m impressed!! It’s a good upbeat collection.

The standout cuts are Elizabeth, Kevin J. O’Toole and Rebel Song.

If you can find it, buy it!!
Rating: ***** five out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Breakout by Richard Stark
Listening: Street Dogs – State of Grace
Watching: Lords of Dogtown directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Free & legal download of the week: Street Dogs – Two Angry Kids: http://www.hell-cat.com/media/download/audio/910