All Articles Sorted by Date
(most recent at top)
Posted: July 15, 2007
Matt vs. Nature - guess which one wins?
The Wife, The Soldier, The Dumpster
Posted: July 15, 2007
Matt goes dumpster diving and finds a life.
I Am Getting Too Old For This Sort of Thing
Posted: May 29, 2007
Jason heads down to sunny Indio for Coachella 2007, attends a pool party with rock journalists and bikini models, and... actually, that's as far as I read; it was pretty long. Judging by Jason's other concert stories, though, it's probably safe to assume that he gets injured before the thing is over.
Posted: May 08, 2007
Eric ponders the question that sooner or later every married man must face. "When making your wife travel 200 miles to go to a concert, should the performers be Styx or Blue Oyster Cult?" Read on for both Eric's answer and review.
FIFI AUDIO, NO. 7:
THE "PAUL'S BASEMENT" SESSIONS
fifi Defies the Law of Diminishing Returns
Posted: May 08, 2007
13 years after their last album as fifi, Eric, Dan, and Jason reunited (along with Paul and Matt and Jolinda and Clint and...) to record some new songs, minus the increasingly awkward fifi pseudonyms. Here's the full story AND downloadable MP3s! Get them now! Impress your friends! Collect the whole set (two)!
Posted: May 08, 2007
Matt talks about mortality. Well, specifically, friends who have died. No laughs here, but read it...if you dare.
A Short Film
Posted: January 20, 2007
Jason bought his son Max a video camera, and this is what Max came up with. Kids today...
Road to Tacoma, Part 1 (Video)
Chapter 1
Posted: January 20, 2007
In January 1984, Matt, Jason, Eric, Paul (and a bunch of other folks) traveled to the bustling metropolis of Tacoma, Washington, to see Genesis (or possibly Gene Siskel; my memory is unreliable) live at the mighty Tacoma Dome. This is a film about that fateful trip.
Road to Tacoma, Part 1 (Video)
Chapter 2
Posted: January 20, 2007
In January 1984, Matt, Jason, Eric, Paul (and a bunch of other folks) traveled to the bustling metropolis of Tacoma, Washington, to see Genesis (or possibly Gene Siskel; my memory is unreliable) live at the mighty Tacoma Dome. This is a film about that fateful trip.
Road to Tacoma, Part 2 (Video)
Posted: January 20, 2007
In May 1984, four months after the first "RTT" spectacular, the Paul's Basement crew returned to Tacoma, this time to see the mighty RUSH on their "Grace Under Pressure" tour.
Semi-Revolutionary Colons (Video)
Posted: January 20, 2007
Audio by fifi, Video by Matt Terry. Cannot legally be shown in Blaine, Washington. Any further explanation is superfluous.
Posted: January 20, 2007
At last, the story can be told. Forget everything you know - and everything you THINK you know - about fifi. Prepare to have your eyes, ears, and minds opened.
Posted: January 20, 2007
fifi proclaim their deeply-felt love for, and allegiance to, woods both hard and soft. Includes rare footage of He's in the world-famous Metrix recording studio, expounding on the selling points of the Tronix mini-amp.
Hi, my name is Matt,
and I'm a Dick.
or: Kris Kringle in a Shame Spiral
Posted: December 18, 2006
12 Steps. Weepy people. Beautiful buxom gal. And Matt dressed as Santa. What more can you ask for?
STYX, Lynden Fairgrounds, 2006
Posted: December 16, 2006
Cami reflects on the relationship, if any, between receiving Holy Communion and attending a Styx Concert.
Things Which, In Retrospect,
I Should Not Have Done
The Trans Am Incident, Part 1
Posted: December 10, 2006
One boy and two girls in the back seat of a Trans Am, speeding down a one-way road directly into the gaping maw of SATAN!
Things Which, In Retrospect,
I Should Not Have Done
The Trans Am Incident, Part 2
Posted: December 10, 2006
Porneia? Or merely Aselgeia? Only Elder Toews knows for sure. Hoping to evade punishment for his shameful crimes against God and Nature, Jason goes on a midnight walkabout in North Lynnwood.
A Crazy Little Thing Called OzzFest
Posted: November 18, 2006
Jeff says: Ozzfest. Yes, Ozzfest. From 9am to 11pm all day long nothing but Heavy Metal. There are people who think I am nuts for going. There are people who ask me if I will drive so they can go next year. It is simply amazing that Ozzy Osbourne of all people has become such a franchise unto himself. Nothing else you will ever experience as a concertgoer will ever match up to an Ozzfest experience.
On A Steel Horse I Ride, Episode 2
Notes from the Tour Bus, October 2006
Posted: November 18, 2006
In this electrifying episode, ‘Anonymous’ exposes rampant surliness in the Italian service industry. Also, a plot is hatched to steal a holy relic. Read the whole story for the shocking details!
2nd Annual Paul's Basement BBQ Mixer
July 29, 2006
Posted: September 22, 2006
This year’s event went more smoothly than last year’s, primarily because we decided to skip the cotton ball-scooping game, thereby avoiding the competitive ugliness that spoiled the 2005 party for all in attendance. Plus, fifi rocked the Casbah (and when I say ‘Casbah’ I mean ‘Paul’s Rec Room’).
An Ode to Paul's Basement
A Performance by fifi (Video)
2nd Annual Paul's Basement BBQ Mixer
Posted: September 22, 2006
We found our cherished haven
In the basement over at Paul's
Acoustic tile overhead
And faux wood-paneled walls…
And Then? - A Short Story by Jason (Video)
2nd Annual Paul's Basement BBQ Mixer
Posted: September 22, 2006
When choosing something to present at the 2006 PB BBQ Mixer, Jason wanted to read something that was politically and socially relevant to members of his generation. So he decided to read a science fiction story that he wrote in junior high. (Illustrations by Robin DiAngelo.)
Grand Cinemas Alderwood - RIP
A Performance by fifi (Video)
2nd Annual Paul's Basement BBQ Mixer
Posted: September 22, 2006
Matt says: Though not a member of fifi, I actually teared up when watching this. Kohl’s be damned! (you see, Kohl’s department store just opened in the space that used to be "Grand Cinemas Alderwood") Watch. Listen. FEEL.
2nd Annual Paul's Basement BBQ Mixer
Posted: September 22, 2006
If, like the rest of us, you find it hard to imagine Paul drunkenly bellowing "Born to be Wild" in front of a cheering audience, this video will be a special treat.
Red Dawn
A Reading by Jeff (Video)
2nd Annual Paul's Basement BBQ Mixer
Posted: September 22, 2006
Jeff says: I would not have read anything at the bbq if I had not come up with something that I thought would fit in with the Paul's Basement approach. Plus, it was a chance to get one last dig in at a locker partner.
Redacted Mash Notes
A Reading by Jason and Matt (Video)
2nd Annual Paul's Basement BBQ Mixer
Posted: September 22, 2006
Trying to find nuance and pathos in scribbled missives written in 2nd period Social Studies on college rule notebook paper folded in the shape of a triangle. Howdy Rowdy!
Notes from the Tour Bus, September 2006
Posted: September 18, 2006
The first in a series of journal entries by ‘Anonymous,’ a longtime friend and supporter of Paul’s Basement who just happens to be employed by a Major Label Rock Band… In this episode, while on tour throughout Europe, ‘Anonymous’ wonders why his (or her) hotel room is always next to the dumpster, and also gives us the lowdown on Irish nasal hygiene, widespread anti-Belgian bias, and the awesomeness of Wolfmother. Our favorite line: "If there is ever another huge cholera outbreak, ground zero will be a Spanish music festival."
Jeff Tries Out For The Seattle Sounders
Posted: August 29, 2006
Jeff says: Trying out with the Sounders was part fantasy, part pre-midlife crisis avoidance management, part lotto mentality, and a lot of sweat. I now know that the next level up is not a step, but a leap that you hope to get a fingertip hold of a rung above to slowly pull yourself up.
Separate Fair Admission Required
STYX, Lynden Fairgrounds, 2006
Posted: August 29, 2006
Robin must pass up a stimulating lecture on the (re)presentation of dominant discourses across (de)colonialized subjectivity in the "war" on identity politics in the borders and frontiers of queer space, in order to attend a Styx concert. Her convictions are soon put to the test, moving her from theory to practice regarding the politics of veganisim, the commodification of Christianity, and the fetishization of the phallus.
Jehovah Wants Me To Have Clean Teeth
Posted: April 28, 2006
Waiting for the bus. Accosted by hot Jehovah’s Witness. What more can be said?
Scanners vs. Empire Strikes Back
Posted: April 28, 2006
Matt says: A memory I’d rather forget: How I shafted a friend and watched a pigeon get run over by a bus.
The Summer I Grew Up
Posted: April 25, 2006
Matt says: Epic story of a summer I can never forget. The three most influential months of my life.
Part 1: A 'Non-Smoking' Floor in a Korean Hotel
January 1994
Posted: April 04, 2006
Jack awakes on the 13th floor of his hotel in Seoul, Korea, and realizes that the place is on FIRE! Forgetting everything he was ever taught, he quickly opens the hotel room door and gets into the elevator… So much for it being a "non-smoking" floor…
Part 2: One Night in Bangkok
1994
Posted: April 04, 2006
Jack meets a wondrous woman, Yui, in Bangkok and she begins to take him on "Dangerous Tours"… In this adventure, he dines on traditional (AKA not-so-clean) Thai street food, walks the plank, and meets an elephant who shares the same name as this wondrous woman…
Part 3: Wet Body Contest
1994
Posted: April 04, 2006
In Thailand they celebrate their New Year by pouring water on each other (it is, after all, about 100 degrees outside)… when a foreigner walks down the street during the New Year's celebrations he becomes the target of choice for many, many people's buckets of water…
Part 4: My "Last" 14 Hours in the USA
1994
Posted: April 04, 2006
The trials and travails of trying to take a simple flight to Asia. An airplane dumping 100,000 lbs of fuel on the Olympics & an emergency landing (complete with fire trucks) are only the start…
Part 5: One Night in Manila
1995
Posted: April 04, 2006
When a bicyclist goes through an intersection against the light, he is hit at full speed by a Jeepney and goes flying… while the Jeepney (AKA huge taxi) driver was not at fault, his passengers encourage him to quickly flee the scene, knowing that in Manila the driver will be blamed for the death nonetheless…
Part 6: Some Days It Just Isn't Worthwhile...
1995
Posted: April 04, 2006
How many ugly tricks can Murphy play on a business traveler during a one day trip? Read on and be amazed!
Part 7: Hiking in an Elephant's Shoes
1995
Posted: April 04, 2006
Jack returns to Thailand for another of "Yui's Dangerous Tours." This one is a planes, trains, & automobiles adventure that leads Jack to wonder if he will return to civilization in one piece. The story includes elephants, leeches, stone cliffs, and some amazing memories.
Part 8: A Businessperson's View of Disney World
2000
Posted: April 04, 2006
Disney World may be a wondrous place to a small child, but to a business person it can be something akin to a living hell. Read on…
Part I
Posted: March 18, 2006
Filler. Ignore. Read something someone else wrote. Once you’re done with the quality – you can come back and read this later…
Part II: The Early Years (2-11)
Posted: March 18, 2006
Matt says: An attempt at filler while I couldn’t come up with any other articles to write. Read and enjoy…
Posted: March 18, 2006
What the hell? Step into the recesses of Matt’s somnambulistic brain and figure out what’s going on.
River Deep, Mountain High, Pullman Cold or,
The Long and Winding Road Back Home or,
3/5 of a Mile in 108 Seconds
Posted: March 06, 2006
Are the Huskies and the Apple Cup really that important? Eric and friend Corinne give an emphatic "Yes."
A Look into the Dark Side of My Life
Posted: March 06, 2006
This is not how a class reunion is supposed to go!
Things Which, In Retrospect,
I Should Not Have Done
I Should Not Have
Followed Ed Into The Forest
Posted: March 06, 2006
An angry Austrian man engages in mortal combat with his sworn enemy: The North American grey squirrel. Also, Jason falls in a sewage pit.
August 27, 2005
Posted: January 15, 2006
If only Paul could have shown a little more good sportsmanship during the blindfolded cotton ball scoop game, the evening would have been perfect. Still, Eric's story WAS pretty funny. And those Lemon Drops...!
Screenwriting Expo #4
Posted: December 09, 2005
Hollywood = HELL. And, for some reason, Matt wants to work there.
In Memoriam - The Grand Cinemas Alderwood
Posted: December 08, 2005
Matt says: My home away from home. Now razed for a Kohl’s. Memories…like the corners of my mind…
Part I: The Secret Shame of Shag Carpet Burns
Posted: October 29, 2005
Part I of Jason's rueful meditation on the humorous, painful, and sometimes just plain naughty (two words: Magic. Man.) memories evoked by the music of his favorite bands... with a particular focus on the greatest Top 40 art-pop New Wave band of the 80's: The FIXX.
Part II: A Case Study of Witness Youth
Posted: October 29, 2005
In Part II, what started out as an essay on the far-reaching impact of The FIXX has somehow transformed into a very personal memoir about growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. If you're not careful, you just might learn something...
Part III: The Final Conflict
Posted: October 29, 2005
After a debauched teen party goes horribly wrong, Jason and his partners in crime must face a showdown with the "Boss of Bosses": The Congregation Overseer! There's also some stuff in here about The FIXX.
Part 3 - Pinball Machines I've Known and Loved
Posted: October 27, 2005
See what happens when an addiction to pinball enters the home! Hijinks ensue!
Part 4 - The Future of Pinball - Does it Have One?
Posted: October 27, 2005
Sadly, a way of life comes to an end…or DOES IT?
Part 5 - Pinball and Geeks - Thank You Very Much
Posted: October 27, 2005
Obsession is back – ALMOST better than ever.
How to Define a "Classic" Film
Posted: October 25, 2005
Matt says: My attempt at film study. As usual, not well thought-out, and not well explained and, basically, filler. But read it anyway – if you want.
Posted: October 25, 2005
Matt says: Me. Beer. 18th Birthday. On a bed. Screaming: "I NEED A WOMAN!"
Part 1 - The Lure of the Silver Ball
Posted: October 25, 2005
Matt's first obsession. Part 1.
Part 2 - The Vacation Years
Posted: October 25, 2005
Some called them "Recreation Rooms" – Matt called them crack houses. Anyone have a quarter?
Part 1
Posted: August 12, 2005
The best part in this story is when Jason falls out of a moving car to vomit on himself in a ditch. In the rain.
Part 2
Posted: August 12, 2005
After losing his job, his home, and his manhood, what else in Jason's life could possibly go wrong? Well, he could fall out of a tree and break his spine, for starters.
A Father-Son Conversation
Posted: August 12, 2005
Dad: "The Posies!" Max: "The Faint!" Dad: "NO, THE POSIES!" Max: "NO, THE FAINT!" Dad: "You're grounded."
A Kinky Thing Happened
on the Way to the Coliseum
The Kinks, Seattle Coliseum, 1983
Posted: July 10, 2005
Sex sells. Sex sells concert tickets. Sex sells an innocent young man down the river.
The Interview
Posted: July 10, 2005
Matt says: Fake interview I wrote years ago. Thought it was funny then. Think it’s stupid now. But we needed articles for the site and I found this in WORD and then I thought…
Before and After
Back to the Future
Posted: July 10, 2005
Jason roams the streets of Lynnwood stealing promotional coffee mugs, sees "Back to the Future" before anyone else in the whole world, and ends the day by making out with his best friend's girlfriend. Good times.
Don't Dream It... Beeeheee It...
Posted: July 10, 2005
There are some movies that have a great impact. There are some friends that have a great impact. "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and Susan. They will be forever entwined.
The Police, Seattle, September 1, 1983
Posted: July 10, 2005
Eric and Jason recount their worst concert experience EVER. There are monsoons, injuries, fights, drugs, sexual humilation, Eric comes down with whooping cough, and Jason gets roughed up by some roadies. What did they learn? It's impossible to sleep in an overflowing Porta-Potty. They DID get to see The FIXX, though.
Posted: July 10, 2005
Crimes committed. Property defaced. Matt's the guilty party. WITH PICTURES, TOO!
Waldstadion, Frankfurt, 1991
Posted: July 10, 2005
The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World chalk up another victory in the Fatherland, and Eric was there to see it.
Part 1
Posted: July 10, 2005
Jason, his family, and several hangers-on take an ill-fated trip to Disneyland. "...to review: Our blue and white VW Bus was a tinderbox of potential emotional and physical violence."
Part 2
Posted: July 10, 2005
The hilarity continues as the rag-tag crew visits Magic Mountain! "...folks, it looks like we’ve got an electrical storm coming in, so just sit tight for a minute…"
Grab Your Rose and Ringside Seats
BOC in 1995 and 2000
Posted: July 10, 2005
If you don't know who Blue Oyster Cult is, let Eric set you straight.
I'm (Actually Not Very)
All Right, Jack
A double feature of romance that ends horribly
Posted: July 10, 2005
A poignant story of young love thwarted by some bad Chicken Ala King. Urgh.
Jason's Weird Dream - 03/15/05
Posted: July 10, 2005
There's a swimming pool, and a weird guy hanging around in the background, some kids unsafely riding bicycles on the freeway, mysterious black sludge, a wake, and a note which reads: "We have to get over the money issue - FAST!" (?) Fortunately, Jason has Matt and Robin to explain it all.
Posted: July 10, 2005
First, an attractive woman hands Matt a long, hard meat sandwich. Later, there is waterskiing. Jason parses the symbology of Matt’s dirty, dirty dreams.
Movies I Have Walked Out On - And Why
Posted: July 10, 2005
Matt says: I haven’t walked out on many (though God knows I should have). These are the few, the bad, the understandable.
My Top Five Films, And Why - Film #1
Posted: July 10, 2005
Enter into Matt’s brain via his OTHER obsession: Films.
My Top Five Films, And Why - Film #2
Posted: July 10, 2005
Matt says: I would tell you the film title, but then that would ruin the fun. Read this and find out.
My Top Five Films, And Why - Film #3
Posted: July 10, 2005
Why is society so caught up in lists? What’s the point?! Can we really define things in terms of numbers? Would this film be in your top ten?
My Top Five Films, And Why - Film #4
Posted: July 10, 2005
It’s not "Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" – I can tell you that much.
My Top Five Films, And Why - Film #5
Posted: July 10, 2005
You can start with #5 if you want. Or you can skip to #1. I don’t really care…as long as you read these.
Posted: July 10, 2005
Matt says: My realization that my maturity level is increasing as I watch my children grow up. Still…It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.
The Day that Flash Gordon Opened
(and also the music died)
Posted: July 10, 2005
"Pathetic Earthlings... hurling your bodies out into the void..." Jason recalls the 1980 opening night of Flash Gordon: The sweet Queen soundtrack, the bore-worms (!), and the sexy, sexy Spandex costumes. Also, John Lennon gets shot.
These Pink Ladies are
Getting Hornier by the Minute...
Or, Grizzly Attack Survival Tips
Posted: July 10, 2005
In this story, Jason's dad sounds like a cross between Roger Ebert and Jerry Falwell. As usual, things end with Jason humiliated and alone, rueing the day of his birth.
Posted: July 10, 2005
Have you ever had a tricycle? You know how it has three wheels? Think of Matt as one of those wheels.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Seattle, July 24, 1985
Posted: July 10, 2005
After reading this, you have to wonder: Has Jason ever attended a concert WITHOUT suffering grievous bodily harm? In this one, he actually ends up in the hospital after seeing the opening act: Lone Justice. Remember them? They had that one song.
Posted: July 10, 2005
Matt says: My first real introduction to Jason and his relationship with his father. Oh, and Woody Allen and gratuitous nudity.
