Another perfectly executed weekend has left me wanting more, but as Monday afternoon grows old I realize that I definitely had my fill. Friday began with a trip out to Williamsburg via the Delancy bus which has become my favorite way to get to hipster heaven. Instead of being dropped off on North 6th Street, the bus shoots you across the bridge and lands you on the south side of the burg. As I walked up to Grand Street, a call came in from Trevor who only had a couple days left with his platoon. The soldiers wanted to catch a buzz, but had no means of finding help upstate. I managed to put a call into a friend at Syracuse who was able to hook the boys up. Sometimes it all comes together. Thanks to my friend in the 'Cuse who took care of the boys.

Once Trevor was sorted out, I could finally sit down with Jin and Mike to enjoy a wonderful meal at Snacky. If you read Good Times Roll, you may remember me raving about this Korean meets Chinese meets American tapas joint. Its a little hole in the wall with a tasty menu. I had a veggie stuffed bun, crab shumai, roasted pork and some kimchi. The best part is they are all small plates so you can experience a bunch of different tastes and flavors in each meal. Snacky comes highly recommended; you gotta love Korean with your favorite Korean. After dinner we walked over to Jin's house to throw back a Sparks while we gawked at the hole that was just burnt into her couch. Thankfully no one was hurt and by 10pm we were in a car headed back to the city with Susan in tow.

We managed to get into the Mercury Lounge in time to see Eric and the rest of Say Hi To Your Mom plow through their big homecoming set after being out on tour with Nada Surf for a few weeks. The band sounded great under the guise of the club's new sound guy, and they managed to bring a set that felt a little heavier than usual. Eric didn't play "Running With the Devil" per Beach's request, but an onstage apology and his attempts to work it into another song earned him some bonus points. Once they finished we paraded down to Bowery with a crew that numbered in the double digits.

Bowery was jam packed with folks hungry for some Swedish pop. We had some time to kill so I went downstairs to say hello to Jen and Mary who were slinging the beverages. I ran into so many friends that its difficult to remember who wasn't in attendance. We nestled into the back corner as the Shout Out Louds took the stage and from the first note on it was easy to tell that their A-Game didn't make the trip to NYC. Nothing about the first few songs sounded right. The vocals and cymbals were piercing and the keys were not at a stable volume in the overall mix. Cara and I kept grabbing each other to bitch about one thing or the other. Thankfully they returned to form for the last few songs of the set which forced me to hopscotch in old Belin fashion.

With a bit of resentment stuck in my teeth, Dana, Frank, Lauren, Anna and I ducked out of the Bowery and split cabs down to the Knit for Tom Vek. It was on this cab ride that something finally dawned on me; I was completely fucking hammered, (damn you Bango). We cruised into the already jam packed club to find out we'd missed Mobius Band's set. Now I'm not going to comment on the show because all I can really remember is thinking that Tom Vek looked like Hayden Christensen and that much like Jerry, the band sounded like a spot on match of the Album. The last thing I remember was Tom calling out the final two songs of his set. The crew tells me I was at the club for awhile following the set before a class act Belin was pulled.

Saturday began with Builder and I bro'n down for some brunch at Angelina's. There crepe's are so damn good. I think momma Belin will have to taste the goodness this weekend. On my way home I caught up with Dr. Roctagon who joined me in a margarita before we returned to 186 to watch Notre Dame play a shaky three quarters against Tennessee with Kyle and Perry. I had to leave the game as it approached the 4th quarter, but the boys kept me updated to the fact that Notre Dame pulled off the win. We had Super Fury Animals and Caribou at the club that evening, and things went according to plan.

A bit after 10pm we decided to shut down so Beach, Christine and I decided to jump in a cab knowing that LEVY's set already started at the Mercury Lounge. We walked in the back to find Cara, Jin and Mike enjoying what the New York quartet was throwing down. LEVY has been a steady part of my musical diet since the record was passed my way, and they aren't in any danger of losing their heavy rotation status. They possess the sound of young New York, (circa 2002), but their intensity sets them apart from other bands still waving the flag. The songs are so heart felt that you can almost feel James Levy's pain. If you've screwed up something good, been cheated on, suffered a tough split or just want to feel what its like, pick up their record and a box of tissues.

Something about me was off so I returned home to watch some UFC with Kyle. Miriam and her dad stopped buy which means I now know a famous German actor. Around 11:30pm I had to make a decision on the evening so I bucked up and hit the street. Trick and the Heartstrings were already knee deep in their dance routine so I decided Bowery would be a better stop. Beach and I found our spot and drank the night away to a set of dark grooves by Calla. The band might have been the most impressive of the weekend. It was really quite surprising, especially since I'd thought they were a bit shoegaze or dream pop. Though I didn't pay 100% attention to the set, their sound recalled darker bands like Joy Division and aggressive bands like Nirvana with a bit of the choppy angular guitar that became Wire's signature. Sure, these are all blanketed assumptions, but I'm just hedging my bets.

After their set we walked back to the Mercury Lounge to close out our night with a pile of drinks and me setting up a drum kit only to tear it down moments later. Then I had a dream that I was a roadie for Brian Jonestown Massacre, but for some reason they asked me to play. It was the closest I've ever been to being in a band that didn't play ska. Sunday was so lazy it was awesome. Christie saved me halfway through and made me join her on a walk around the city. I returned to 186 to waste my evening with Kyle and Dee. Well, we did watch The Karate Kid from start to finish so it wasn't a total waste.

Show me paint fence! Show me wax on!