For the Record: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club In Store, Amoeba SF, 3/10/10

We weren’t planning on going, but Mel’s flight was delayed two and a half hours. So it just made perfect sense for us to run over to the Haight to go to the free Amoeba in-store performance of BRMC. After everything last night, we didn’t end up picking up the new record, so we needed to buy it.

I’m looking for parking close to Amoeba when I have to squeak to a stop behind a cab that stops in front of the store. I’m watching the door slowly open as I impatiently wait for the cab to move. I see a boy in a leather jacket with a cigarette, and quickly realize who it is. “Um, Mel, that’s Peter!” And out pops Robert right after him. We’re laughing hysterically that I almost ran over BRMC. What funny timing, but now we know we’re not late!

We loop around the block and end up finding a spot right where they had just gotten out of the cab. While it’s pretty packed inside, we find a place to stand in the first aisle. Unfortunately, it’s behind a really tall guy and his little girl. “I’m having the same feeling you did at that Oakland AiC show“, Mel says.

The man over the loudspeaker tells us that we can have our CDs signed after the set. Mel goes and grabs us CDs and some free posters they are giving away.

The set begins with ‘Beat the Devil’s Tattoo’. It’s an acoustic set, and the sound leaves a lot to be desired, unlike when I saw Black Cobra here a few weeks ago. The camera man recording the show moves in front of my view of the stage, and the tall guy in front of me keeps moving around. So we can’t really see, and the sounds kind of sucks….but, hey, it’s one of our bands and it’s free.

I hear a girl scream ‘PETER!!!’ and then hear the crowd gasp. I turn around and a girl is flashing him from towards the back of the store (almost in the metal section). WOW. Bold move in fluorescent lighting….at least they were a decent pair of boobs. I looked at Peter to see his reaction and he has a funny look on his face and mutters something. The little girl in her dad’s arms in front of me looks at him and goes, ‘Daddy, why did she take off her shirt?’ Awkward!!! The dad ignored the question.

Suffice it to say, boob flashing -> kid’s question -> ‘The Toll’ was….odd.

Afterward, we go to see where to line up to have our CDs signed, and end up being told we would be at the beginning of the line. We didn’t want to be the first ones, especially after last night! So we let a few people go in front of us….

Mel went first. The order of the table was Peter, Leah, then Robert. When I got up there, Peter asked me if I had recovered from my birthday. I said yes. My first thought was, ‘OMG, he remembered!’ Then I thought, I only had one drink so it wasn’t like I had a rough night or anything…did I act like I was drunk? Oh jeez… I just said hi and thank you to Leah. Robert was standing while the others were sitting, wearing his sunglasses indoors. “You were there last night, weren’t you?”. “Yes”, I said. “Are you coming back tonight?” I told him I was going to try to, but I don’t have a ticket yet. He said that he thought it shouldn’t be a problem. So I said ‘great, see you later’, or something like that. I have trouble talking to people wearing sunglasses. I like to read people’s eyes.

As soon as I turned around, it hit me. Whoa, both of the guys remembered me from last night! Really?! That is a first…..

Mel and I giddily went back to the car with our loot. I sped her to the airport, and then immediately sped back to the Tenderloin for part 2 of 3 for the evening.

The setlist was something like this:

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
River Styx
Shuffle Your Feet
666 Conducer
Rifles
The Toll

Mel’s pics from the event can be viewed here.