The Mr. T Experience at Bottom of the Hill

Since the Lookouting at the beginning of last year, I’ve seen The Mr. T Experience a handful of times. However, one of my Idiot friends from the East Coast, Lauren, recently fell head over heels for their music and befriended frontman Dr. Frank [Portman], but hadn’t had a chance to see the full band live yet. So she planned a surprise trip to see the show at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco along with Kepi Ghoulie and Nerf Herder. Obviously I was going with her.

The surprise seemed to go great. Dr. Frank was happy to see her. I, on the other hand, was the most awkward. Remember that time I lost vision and almost passed out during MTX’s set at Punk in Drublic last year? Yeah, that was the story we went with to introduce me to Dr. Frank.

Lauren: “Lindsay passed out during your set.”
Me: “At Punk in Drublic. It was terrible timing.”
Lauren: “Sackcloth and Ashes.”
Me: “Of all bands to pass out during… Of all songs…”
Lauren: “She goes to hardcore shows.”
Dr. Frank: “…well I’m glad to have been a part of that experience.”

WELP I’M DEAD NOW BYE. Someone teach me how not to be so incredibly awkward please.

Kepi went on first. He’s a party. He had balloons and streamers, although he decided not to throw the streamers once he was up there. He said he didn’t want to trash the place.

He had a drummer and his acoustic guitar, and told us the next night in LA he would have another guitarist in place of a drummer. He never plays the same set twice, so it’s a new show every night. I thought that was so cool, and I would love to see more artists approach shows that way. He also took requests while onstage. He was prepared for anything.

Mid-Kepi’s set, I saw another friend, Kat, not far from where I was standing. Kat and I had attempted to learn to ride motorcycles together a couple months ago.

Kat: “We have so much to catch up on! I don’t think I want to ride motorcycles!”
Me: “ME NEITHER!”

She and I caught up during Nerf Herder’s set until Dr. Frank’s wife, Dina, grabbed us to go watch them play “Nose Ring Girl.” She told us the story of how when she was young, she liked a boy who was really into Blink 182, so she started listening to them. Then a friend decided to educate her on good music, and made her a mixed CD with “Nose Ring Girl” on it. The Mr. T Experience was also on that CD, and now she’s married to Dr. Frank. Life is funny sometimes.

I liked Nerf Herder. They’re nerdy and punky, but I just wasn’t crazy enough about them to leave the back seated section of Bottom of the Hill to actually watch them.

And then came The Mr. T Experience.

Lauren was taking pictures for a while and then ran into the pit, dragging me with her. I was a little hesitant because I only know about half of their songs, if even that. But her excitement was infectious and I loved it. She was having so much fun, and with someone like that at a show, it’s impossible not to have so much fun with them.

Not to mention MTX IS so much fun. I might not know all of their music (yet, and it’s not totally my fault because apparently there are no more physical copies in existence of what are supposedly their best two albums) but I really do love them, and their lyrics are BOMB.

More Than Toast
She’s Not a Flower
Naomi

Cinthya (With a Y)
Oh, Just Have Some Faith in Me
Thank You (for Not Being One of Them)
Fucked Up on Life
Dumb Little Band
She’s Coming (Over Tonight)
Swallow Everything
Hell of Dumb
Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba

She All Right
Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend

Told You Once
Bubble Gum Renegade
…And I Will Be With You
Sackcloth and Ashes

Danny Partridge
Here She Comes
I Fell for You

Their bassist was apparently drunk and not playing all the right notes—I overheard him admitting that to someone after the show. I could not tell AT ALL (me and my zero music ability), but Lauren said she could. She went to the following night’s show in LA as well and said they were tighter there, but honestly I thought they put on a killer show at Bottom of the Hill too. They always do as far as I can tell. I fell in love with them live.

Random piece of knowledge Lauren bestowed on me: The Smugglers‘ song “Coffee, Tea, or Me,” was actually written by Dr. Frank. Lyrically that would make a lot of sense, tbh. It’s very clever, as all of his songs tend to be.