Music Fest Northwest

We just got back from a three days of being STOKED at the MusicFestNW which took place at various clubs around Portland, Oregon. Highlights of the weekend were too numerous to mention, but some of the coolest were:

A) - The Burnside Distribution party where we met a lot of cool people (and some not so cool) and watched Richmond Fontaine play a tight set of Americana tinged rock...

B) - The Crystal Ballroom, where we were blown away by the talents of Smoosh, two girls aged 12 and 14 who play drums and keyboards and absolutely rocked the hall with complex songs and great melodies. You should do yourself a favor and check them out...

C) - The Zombies at Berbatti's Pan. That's right, THE Zombies! You know, "She's Not There", "Time Of The Season", etc., etc., etc. They were stunning. One of the best shows we've ever seen, and we've seen a lot. I don't know which was better, watching the crowd of 300 tattooed and pierced rockers going absolutely ballistic at the end of every song, or the expressions on the faces of the 65 year old guys onstage who were soaking up every minute of it! It was great. My hands still hurt from clapping so much.

We had a good time meeting people, schmoozing, boozing and cruising while getting work done at the same time. If you've never been to Portland you should definitely make it your next vacation spot. And if you're into music you should consider moving there. We'll see you on the street...

- normal ::::: guards of metropolis

Jason Carter in Vietnam

Jason Carter arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) today for the third time in the past 6 months, this time with Guards of Metropolis' long-time live sound engineer Alan Stone in tow. On this trip, Jason will be guiding several first time visitors through the southern part of the country to show them the results of their donations to the Village School Foundation, a non-profit organization which builds schools for underprivileged children in Vietnam. The Guards of Metropolis have been working closely over the past year with the organization in raising money for the construction of educational facilities, tuition, and school supplies, all without the support of the Vietnamese government. Read more about the foundation (and see photos of Jason floating down the Mekong River) at the foundation's website.

New CD project with Frank Black

G.O.M. guitarist Charles Normal is in a Portland, Oregon recording studio working on a CD project with Frank Black, singer of the legendary Pixies. The album, a collaborative effort between Black, singer/songwriter Larry Norman, and Mark Lemhouse backed by the Guards of Metropolis, is still in pre-production with an eventual release date slated for Spring 2007. Stay tuned for more info...

Guards of Metropolis CD Release set

The Guards of Metropolis' debut CD "Alligator" has a confirmed release date of February 2007 on Slackertone Records. The band will be returning to their native Norway for Christmas but will head back to the U.S. for a national tour coinciding with the CD release. In the meantime, you can listen to song samples and download free MP3s by going
here.