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In the spring of 1997 an amazing musical bonding happened. Shane, the guitarist and musical wellspring for Pint o’ Guinness and I started hanging out more and more. We had been friends and bandmates for several years at this point; but, up until this point we had never really collaborated much outside Pint o’. Conveniently, Pint o’ was to be on hiatus for a few months while some of our other band members were studying abroad in Ireland. During that short period the two of us made an attempt at writing a few songs for the band. The more we got into the process though, we realized that the songs probably wouldn’t fit with Pint o’ Guinness–but they were too cool to just throw away. The songs were deceptively simple but melodic and layered with multiple harmonies. In many regards you might say this was our Simon and Garfunkle moment. Shane was clearly Simon and I was Garfunkle. It was also at this time where the two of us realized how closely our voices locked together,  a little erie to be honest. We managed to record two of the songs written, again for the Campus Music Network at the University of Puget Sound and you can find those two tracks listed below. We called ourselves Skivereen, which is an old world word for a person who binds leather books, seemed fitting. Since then the two of us have come together to do a few other bits and pieces here and there, but life happens. I’m not sure posting those tracks would be entirely appropriate for various reasons. Shane now plays in several amazing progressive metal bands which are definitely worth checking out. Notably Lucid Spiral and Holophrase are two of them. Onward, through the fog!

Skivereen Tracks:

Skivereen–winter days

Skivereen–Few and Far

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17 Again
When Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) is threatened with the prospect of losing his wife and kids in a bitter divorce he makes a wish to go back and live life as if he was 17 years old again. In short, a spirit guide appears, magic happens, and Mike’s wish comes true. Now, young Mike (Zac Efron) sets out to try and relive his life but quickly learns that perhaps he should instead be helping his family, this time better than he could as “Dad.” But is he too late? Can Mike help his kids gain confidence and can he save his marriage with Scarlett (Leslie Mann)? Surprisingly a better film than it should be, but still not great considering the fact that the film’s plot and concept has been done before in countless other films. And, despite his roots as a teen heart throb, Efron actually shows some potential as an actor. Maybe a fun matinee, or cheap date movie. 17 Again is rated PG-13.

Paris 36
The year is 1936 and when a small theatre in a suburb of Paris is forced to close due to financial hardship, a number of theatre hands and performers band together to save the property from a nefarious community leader. One part musical, one part theatre, and one part film shot with beautiful cinematography making for an experience that’s a true pleasure to watch. Reminiscent of Moulin Rouge on a slightly lower budget, and perhaps not as eccentric but still cleverly written and well acted. This gem is a must see for cineophiles. Paris 36 is rated PG-13.

State of Play
Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), a rough newspaper reporter, suspects a conspiracy when a petty thief and a congressman’s assistant are killed in two apparently unrelated deaths.  When Cal teams up with a rookie writer (Rachel McAdams) it appears as though his hunch was correct. But how important is getting to the bottom of this story; and, will it cost him his life? An all star cast including Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, and Jeff Daniels help round things out and keep this thriller alive and kicking. Worth seeing. State of Play is rated PG-13.

In the Spring of 1995 at the University of Puget Sound a chemical mixing of multiple musical genres transpired: 1 part punk, 1 part SKA, 1 part metal, 1 part folk, 2 parts Celtic, and a dash of bluegrass to taste. The end result was a flavor and combination that can only be described as Pint o’ Guinness, the punk rock irish carnival of mayhem and chaos. At any one time during our 5 years as a band there could be anywhere from 5 to 8 members, with instruments ranging from Tin Whistle, Banjo, Mandolin, Bodhran, Guitar, Accordian, Drums, Bass, Sax, Clarinet, Trombone, Trumpet, Fiddle…the list goes on.

Sound Life Section of the Tacoma News Tribune, March 17, 1998

Ultimately we all played several instruments and swapped places often. I was a part of this delicious mess, from the band’s early inception all the way to the bitter end. From practices held in a campus chapel basement– being kicked out by security officers, to concerts in front of hundreds of amazing fans. We were a force to be reckoned with and went nowhere quietly. By some standards we were an early version of The Pogues, or close to bands like the Dropkick Murphys. An odd brotherhood that spawned a number of other projects and bands but to this day in many regards still stands out as the musical pinnacle of success for a number of its members (but then what is success?). I could write volumes on band stories, fights, political battles, and the stuff that makes films like Spinal Tap so sad, funny and true. But this perhaps for another day, yes? As for recordings, there are many, sadly none of them ever really did justice to represent the juggernaught of sound we created live but you can imagine right?

Check these out for size yo:

Pint o’ Guinness–The Train

Pint o’ Guinness–Whiskey Watered Down

Pint o’ Guinness–Sometimes

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