Coverups Overseas

March 9, 2018March 26, 2018 Lindsay Marshall 0 Comment Dirty Denim, The Coverups

As you probably remember, The Coverups are Green Day’s most recent side project. Billie, Mike, and a bunch of their friends get together to play tiny bar shows with nothing but cover songs. Every show they announced would be a dollar more expensive: $10 show, $11 show, and then all of a sudden there was a flier for a $13 show. This was their first “overseas” show, across the Bay in San Francisco.

What happened to the $12 show?

They played two shows in one week. One more show at the Ivy Room in Berkeley, and then to Thee Parkside in San Francisco two days later.

I had another show to go to about a mile away at Slim’s in San Francisco that same night. Can it be done? They don’t call me the Concert Fairy for nothing.

Ivy Room, Berkeley—3/6/18

Dirty Denim opened this show. I’ve seen them open for Dog Party and thought they were pretty cool, but I wasn’t really paying much attention this time. I was at the bar chatting with people. Everyone seemed to really love them, though. It’s an all-female band. The best.

Dirty Denim’s singer Katie Rose played tambourine with the Coverups for one song.

The band bought a limo from Craigslist in Bakersfield and rode it to the show decked out in Coverups stickers.

The stage was higher this time than it had been the previous two shows, because Green Day literally had them build a new stage for them. Good, because now those of us in the front weren’t falling on top of them, and also so people in the back could see better.

Green Day gets what they want. Could this be their last show there? Maybe. But they’re getting a new stage.

They had ten Coverups t-shirts made to give out at this show. Marnie got one directly from Mike. Mike also came in wearing a Coverups robe, that of course was also given to a lucky audience member.

Color Me Impressed (The Replacements)

Walking Out on Love (The Nerves)

I Wanna Be Sedated (The Ramones)

I Can’t Explain (The Who)

Don’t Change (INXS)

Chinese Rocks (The Heartbreakers)

Where Eagles Dare (The Misfits)

Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones)

I Fought the Law (The Crickets)

Teenage Kicks (The Undertones)

Bastards of Young (The Replacements)

A Million Miles Away (Plimsouls)

American Girl (Tom Petty)

Where Eagles Dare (The Misfits)

Take two.

Neat Neat Neat (The Damned)

My sister loves this song, so I had to record it for her.

Sheena is a Punk Rocker (The Ramones)

Stop Drop and Roll (Foxboro Hot Tubs)

FUCKING FBHT WTF AHHHHHH. There’s something I never thought I’d see live. Probably the closest I’ll ever get to seeing THIS Green Day side project live.

Tre even joined them onstage to play it for real. He is amazing, dude. There was a pretty big difference between Tre’s playing and Chris Dugan’s. He really is the world’s most dangerous drummer.

Happy Birthday

I believe we were singing Happy Birthday to Tre’s wife, Sara.

Pretty in Pink (Psychedelic Furs)

Dancing with Myself (Generation X)

Jason White coming out of his shell is my favorite. He stripped off his jacket mid-song and leaned over into the crowd.

Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie)

Suffragette City (David Bowie)

Kat Lively, frontwoman of LA’s Psychic Wine, followed the Dirty Denim singer’s lead and asked the band if she could jump onstage and play tambourine for this song.

Happy (The Rolling Stones)

Surrender (Cheap Trick)

“I want you to want me… but not that song.”

Jessie’s Girl (Rick Springfield)

Someone in the crowd requested this, but Billie didn’t know the words.

Marnie requested “Stacy’s Mom.” “Stacy’s Mom,” “Jessie’s Girl,” close enough.

Good Times, Bad Times (Led Zeppelin)

Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin)

Living Loving Maid (Led Zeppelin)

Led Zeppelin was another request, and they didn’t play any of those songs in full.

Whole Wide World (Wreckless Eric)

Hey Joe (The Leaves)

I don’t think they played this whole song? I don’t remember it.

What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding (Elvis Costello)

Where Eagles Dare (The Misfits)

Take three! I moshed a little this time. Why not? Last chance.

Marnie and I headed to Taco Bell after the show, of course, and we camped out there til 3am. The guy gave her potato tacos at first (literally taco shells with potatoes in them rather than…tacos) and we were very confused.

“Have a satisfactory evening!”

Thee Parkside, San Francisco—3/8/18

I the Mighty was playing at Slim’s about a mile from Thee Parkside THE SAME NIGHT. I couldn’t miss them. No way.

Doors at Thee Parkside were supposedly at 8pm, meaning maybe The Coverups wouldn’t hit the stage til 10pm? I had Marnie on the inside texting me about the opener. At 9pm I was watching I the Mighty hit the stage at Slim’s, and at 9:42, as they were starting their last song, Marnie texted me that the opening band just started.

FUCKING SCORE!

I didn’t miss either of my bands. Concert Fairy Status.

Naturally, I got to Thee Parkside just in time to see Bill Schneider and Jason White being denied entry into the venue. I guess Jason didn’t have a wristband, and the security guy tried to FIGHT Bill. Like for real, hands on him, FIGHT.

Me: “They’re in the band!”
Everyone else: -ignores me-

It was crazy. The guy just wouldn’t listen. It was like he was being an asshole for the sake of being an asshole. I know you’re (maybe) just trying to do your job, but if everyone is telling you the guy you’re fighting is in the band, maybe you should see if there’s anything truth to that first? Just a thought.

I ended up squishing through the crowd and was somehow able to find Marnie in about the third or so row back. It was very packed.

Marnie somehow gets very lucky at these shows and Billie just kinda handed her a toy helicopter. She was a little peeved about having to hold it the whole show, but ya know, it was from Billie Joe.

Amanda and another girl had a fake mustache for Billie in honor of that time he had a terrible mustache a few shows ago. He wore it for one song before giving up on it. Amazing.

Someone attempted to crowdsurf in this tiny little bar and I moved tf out of the way. I don’t feel like having a large man dropped on my head tonight, thanks. I’m already sweaty and exhausted from ITM earlier in the night.

I ended up back near the bar, so I just got a water and decided to stay camped out there for the remainder of the night. Two shows in one night is TOUGH. Maybe not my best idea.