January 24th, 2009.


Filthy robmobile. What HAS it been rolling in!!??! And you KNOW it’s been sniffing tailpipes! Below, I sit in the laundry portion of the Soapbox in Wilmington, NC. I rarely feel the need to “centre” myself before a show, but Friday night had me a little scattered and besides, I like the smell of laundry.

We’re wandering through the leaf-strewn streets of downtown Raleigh and the night’s closed in like a fist. We’re discussing kittens and following Jamie to Jack Sprat.


Someone’s Sister performing on the (new to us) stage at the Soapbox Laundrolounge in Wilmington, NC. I’d somehow forgotten how powerful Georgia’s voice was and coupled with Kat, they were endangering the PA system. With Laura backing them on lead guitar I was suddenly intimidated to be the headliner of the night. Still, the show went off very smoothly, mostly thanks to the efforts of the organizer, our very own Bambi.

Last night’s show at the Soapbox was huge, loud and awesome. A huge crowd, and OutImpact’s biggest turnout ever – a full room roaring back at us. Someone’s Sister was as powerful as ever (has it really been two years since we last played with them?!?) and Andy was a new and amazing find.

After such a long drive I fear we weren’t quite as ON as I’d have liked – I’m always intimidated by that room for some reason – more quiet than I ought to be. And so AFTER the gig, poor Von and Melba got the brunt of ubertalkative rob pouring out on them.


Andy, our opening act at the Soapbox Laundrolounge. She was pretty intense… and had a shirt appropriate EITHER for Kimmy or Joanna.

Afterwards we retreated to our hotel and simply collapsed. I was more exhausted than I thought and was unconscious before 3am, dead to the world until housekeeping decided to double-check and see if we REALLY meant to place our “Please Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.


Kaitlyn dancing in between sets at the SoapBox Laundrolounge in Wilmington, NC. My only complaint being that lesbians apparently tip bellydancers like they were strippers. Dollars in the top? REALLY??!!?!? SO uncool! 

And of course the REAL show-stopper was Heather and Kaitlyn performing together. Many a heart stopped.

I was dreaming peacefully of text-messaging on some archaic chrome phone, fighting the buttons and exhausting my fingers but getting the job done when suddenly the frantic pounding sounded at the door with the cries of “HOUSEKEEPING!!! HOUSEKEEPING!!!” I woke up confused and discombobulated thinking that there must be an emergency to warrant such cacophony and that in the panic the person at the door MUST have transposed the words “quickly now, there’s a fire and if you don’t wake up and leave the premises you will be burned alive in a most horrible way” for “HOUSEKEEPING!!!”


Saturday night we played in Chapel Hill at Jack Sprat. But before we played, we fed. And I was SO amazed to see that not only was the food so uber-good, but also they made little designs in my sooop!

Heart pounding, I stumbled to the door, peered outside with one squinting eye as the woman says “HOOOOUSSSSSEKEEEE – oh… so sorry.” I mutter something and stumble back to the bed with Ani’s song playing through my head…


And different ones in Barnaby’s soup.

And I wonder how comfortable you have to be in hotels before you get SO used to housekeeping popping their head in on you that your only response is to “roll over and taste the pillow with your grin”.

Next time I’ll remember to fortify my position with some sort of pit trap.

“HOUSEKEEEEEEEEeeeeee – *thud*”

Only then can rob roll over and taste that pillow with his toothy grin.

upComing & inComing

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