Tour Report by Jean Smith. July 1996

Earlier this year Mecca Normal played its first ever show with drums. This historic event was amplified by the 10th anniversary of the release of our first album. Mecca Normal is officially a trio and 2 Foot Flame is officially a duo. We toured in the east and south in April and May. We’ll be on the west coast in August. The current album was cut by Peter here in Vancouver at Profile Studio where I’ve just finished producing Peter’s next album, Elevator Madness (to be released on Trance Syndicate mid-October). K Records is releasing a Mecca Normal 7" called Paris in April, an acoustic three-songer recorded at Sounds Fin To Me Studios.

In Chicago we finally acknowledged that we’ve become too friendly with Bill Meyer for him to ever write about us objectively again. Christina and Matt came to the show in Ypailanti at the Green Room--an excellent space--to make sure we had a place to stay. They are part of the Honorary Impostership Program (various opinionated people are on the road claiming to be Mecca Normal for the purpose of gaining access to radio stations to talk about the environment, political activism and the sexuality of teenage girls).

In Toronto the opening band is By Divine Right. Dave has equipment problems that stall our show but BDR’s guitar guy Jose is right there loaning Dave his amp, cords and eventually his guitar. We played live on Much Music (Canada’s MTV, but now as uptight).

Montreal: We played for 90 minutes in a beautiful little theater with a balcony. The entire show was broadcast on Canada’s national radio (CBC) on Brave New Waves--an excellent show.

In Charlottesville, Vir., we played the Tokyo Rose, the only sushi bar I know that does punk rock shows in the basement. The opening position on the bill was a 27 year old woman who told the story of how that very day she, for the first time in her life, bought clothes for herself. Until that day her mother had bought her clothes. Her fashion sense was not up to scratchy--red blazer and a navy pleated skirt. It’s a start, though. Imagine--independence at 27! Next thing you know she’ll be cutting her own meat!

The Atlanta show was great, our first show ever there. Members of Possum Dixon and Mudhoney were very nice! In fact, Mark Arm found my hair clips on stage and returned them to me with a huge helpful smile. Sweet boy! We stayed with Thomas Peake, a music critic who we tried not to be too friendly with (learning to avoid the Bill Meyer Syndrome, we made him buy us breakfast).

Birmingham was so friendly that we almost didn’t want to separate from our new friends to play the show. Michael (our host) made us pork chops and cornbread after the show, like at 2 a.m.

New Orleans was so incredible to wander through. As we played in Anthony’s front yard until the cops came (we were just finishing anyway). Have you ever noticed how quickly parties evaporate when the keg is gone? The streets of the French Quarter were packed with people drinking margaritas in plastic cups.

Houston was our next show but we’d left enough time to visit the Tabasco factory--a total thrill! Toby is the booker and sound guy at Mary Jane’s in Houston. He was completely helpful and he laughed at all my jokes. Charalambides played with us and later took us home. Just last week I got my music stand in the mail, I’d left it at their place. I didn’t even have to ask them to send it. I hope their good deed is returned to them on their tour.