Daley Blames - Who Else? - The Media For Oprah-geddon
Chicago Gets Googled
Friday Flashback - Old School Oprah
Today's Transgender Day of Remembrance Honors the Dead
Review: Paramount Room
This weekend, Chicagoist headed over to the Bottle for the Manishevitz/Detholz!/Volcano! show. As we copped a lean on stage right, we noticed Chicago rock club mainstay Thax Douglas in the audience. We’ve always thought of Thax as a barometer of how good a show we’re in for, and we weren’t wrong.*
As Detholz! took the stage, lead singer Jim Cooper told the gathered throng that though Thax was in the audience, he was retiring from reciting poetry at shows. He proceeded to recite “Thax #1,” an ode to Chicago’s most recognizable scenester. After the rock, we spoke to Thax, and he confirmed that he was taking a break to recharge his creative batteries.
Chicagoist hopes Thax makes it back to the stage soon. Not only is he unique to Chicago, but he’s also a sharp pin 
in the ego balloon of those who get too high on their own supply. Though that doesn’t stop us from hoping he decides to write “Chicagoist #1” some day.
In the meantime, we can apparently find all the Thax we want on eBay, according to this ad.
* In case you’re wondering, Manishevitz and Detholz! were both great. The Detholz! set was like going to Rock Church and getting sanctified while Manishevitz’s guitars and horns had us feeling all New Romantic.
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thax #2
i for one am very excited
his half-baked poetry won't
infringe on my rock shows.
talking about flowers and
sodomy doesn't get me in the
mood for watching the wrens,
douche.
Thax is ok by me, though I must say that he's getting a little boring these days. Maybe he needs more of a hip-hop presentation, or lazer light show :)
Thax is a legend. Recharge and get back soon!
I was at the Canasta show at Schubas last monday...they had a few guest vocalists and one of the guys (can't remember who) read what he claimed was one of Thax' poems. I don't think it was though and it seems like some people are sort of turning against him. I know he and Tweedy had a falling out.
Groan...
The only reason to applaud Thax at shows is that he's done and the band can actually, finally play. Such rambling, pointlessness, and hardly a barometer of how good a show is going to be.
Say what you will about his poetry. Like any creative endeavor, it's not for everyone (although I certainly enjoy it, and will miss him terribly).
On a personal, level, however, Thaxter is one of the kindest, most sincere souls on the planet.
Furthermore, perhaps the naysayers should ask themselves if they have the huevos and dedication accomplish what Thaxter has in the last 7 years.
. . . and posting blog entries about other people's work doesn't count.
"...accomplish what Thaxter has..."
Being the guy who pisses off all the people at the rock show by reading his terrible poetry? Being the guy who has written a couple of unknown, unacclaimed books? Recording a record no one buys?
I'd accomplished the last two by the time I was 21, dude. So have plenty of other people. And the first one? I'll take posting blog comments any day of the week, dude.
really . . . ?
Then why isn't anyone getting all blog-pissy about your terrible poetry, 'dude'?
see above. BECAUSE I DON'T READ IT BEFORE ROCK SHOWS TO DISINTERESTED CROWDS.
"Being the guy who pisses off all the people" would it be wrong to ask 'some asshole' to cough up the data on this? Saying Thax has pissed off all the people seems to be a gross generalization considering off the top of my head I can name 10 people who don't mind seeing him up there for the whopping 30 seconds to 1 minute he takes up before a show.
how dare i speak in generalities!!! for shame, me. for shame.
obviously some people like the guy or he wouldn't have taken wesley willis' place as the official schadenfraude bitch of the chicago rock scene. but i don't. and i hear more people asking "who the fuck is this guy" than "oh golly! it's thax! hurray."
some people like toni morrison. that doesn't mean she knows how to write a good novel.
I don't know about everyone else here, but when I see 'some asshole' post here, I say to myself 'oh golly! it's some asshole! hurray! Universally valid aesthetic judgement is about to be delivered to us from on high . . . hurray!'
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't stand this guy. I wonder if any of his so-called fans would actually pay to hear him read his poetry.
'BECAUSE I DON'T READ IT BEFORE ROCK SHOWS TO DISINTERESTED CROWDS.'
Well then, all other things being equal, I suppose your brave efforts to NOT burden us with your horrible, horrible poetry clearly make you the superior choice. My mistake.
... but, your blog comments are so 'cracklin.' Perhaps you should reconsider and take a stab at it while Thax is taking a break.
thanks for snark, carny. way to get in the spirit of things. remember that everyone believes their taste is correct, and everyone is right. it's just a question of whether you choose to apologize for that fact. i don't.
KD, some people adore my stuff, and some people think it sucks. but either way, i don't go to rock shows to read it. if you're reading poetry at rock shows it had better be so good everyone explodes into glitter at its mere recitation. until this miraculous uber-poet arrives, lets keep the rock at rock shows and the poetry at poetry readings. and lets keep thax's poetry where it belongs: lining the bird cages of this great city.
but thanks for your kind words on my "cracklin" comments. i prefer crescent-fresh as an adjective, but this will suffice.
Thax is the Ronnie Woo Woo of Chicago indie rock.
You freak out when he isn't around, but hate it when he is.
King of Zing, that name suits you well. That was indeed a good zing!
Indeed, and I doubt Thax is about to apologize for his poetry (nor should he). IMHO, doing something is de facto better than nothing - if we asked everyone whose creative efforts might get hated on (and that IS everyone) to spare the haters and stay home, then there'd be no rock shows to go to.
Besides - and think what you want about Thax ... whatever - but if he was really so universally reviled, he never would have gotten in front of the crowds he got in front of.
While the comparison to Ronnie Woo-Woo is funny, a 30-second poem before a show is nothing compared to CUBS WOO, MADDUX WOO, MURTON WOO, LEE WOO, CUBS WOO for hours on end.
it's just not poetry
Never enjoyed his poetry but I can't say it really pisses me off or annoys me, either...his invocations are way, way down on my list of things that annoy me at shows. At any rate, it generally lasts about a minute tops.
it's just not poetry
Yes and only Beethoven 'is' music...zzzzzzzzzz
Whether I enjoy one of his poems or not the brief reading of one of them before some band doesn't bug me. And if you are seeing thax read them so often that it really irks you than you are going to shows way too much.
...than you are going to shows way too much.
Bite your tongue. There's no such thing.
I've been around indie rock scenes in other towns (champaign, cleveland) and the hipsters love to "adopt" someone way older than themsevles (and whom they would never otherwise hang around) to have as a "mascot" who shares the stage with bands. Champaign had an old guy named "Chocolate Ice" (sang the blues) and Cleveland had Soupy T (comedy bits). Eventually, (1) the "mascot" becomes enamored with his perceived local celebrity and (2) the hipsters get tired of him. Never ends good.
I've been around indie rock scenes in other towns (champaign, cleveland) and the hipsters love to "adopt" someone way older than themsevles (and whom they would never otherwise hang around) to have as a "mascot" who shares the stage with bands. Champaign had an old guy named "Chocolate Ice" (sang the blues) and Cleveland had Soupy T (comedy bits). Eventually, (1) the "mascot" becomes enamored with his perceived local celebrity and (2) the hipsters get tired of him. Never ends good.
a note to you stupid stupid internet fucks-
get this straight-
bands let me read my poems on stage because they like my poetry and they like me.
clubs let me read my poems on stage because audiences like my poetry and they like me.
you dorks are jealous because I'm actual doing something creative and while barely making it I am making it while you guys are staring at stupid blogs hoping your boss doesn't catch you.
I get into shows for free. I get to go backstage because bands enjoy hanging out with me. I get to read my poems on stage because bands like my poetry. I'm living Lester Bangs' fantasy every night.
You cannot say this.
You jealous fucks are pathetic.
The next time you see me on stage, remember-I am allowed on the stage, not you. I am laughing at you. Keep searching on these stupid music blogs regurgitating press releases and looking for the next hot band, for a whisp of glamour that you will never find because you don't deserve it. When that hot band comes to town they will be hanging out with me, not you.
Fuck you,
Thax
a note to you stupid stupid internet fucks-
get this straight-
bands let me read my poems on stage because they like my poetry and they like me.
clubs let me read my poems on stage because audiences like my poetry and they like me.
you dorks are jealous because I'm actual doing something creative and while barely making it I am making it while you guys are staring at stupid blogs hoping your boss doesn't catch you.
I get into shows for free. I get to go backstage because bands enjoy hanging out with me. I get to read my poems on stage because bands like my poetry. I'm living Lester Bangs' fantasy every night.
You cannot say this.
You jealous fucks are pathetic.
The next time you see me on stage, remember-I am allowed on the stage, not you. I am laughing at you. Keep searching on these stupid music blogs regurgitating press releases and looking for the next hot band, for a whisp of glamour that you will never find because you don't deserve it. When that hot band comes to town they will be hanging out with me, not you.
Fuck you,
Thax
Haha, thanks to the Trib for pointing this bon mot out...I hope Thax reads this one at his next show. If he really wrote it, it changes my opinion of him: what a fucking loser...a 50 year old dude that can't pay his rent bragging about hanging out with The Redwalls.
for whatever reason (though i think i know what it is), thax took a shine to me and would talk to me whenever we'd run into one another at shows. he passed along the fact that he wouldn't go to shows at the empty bottle anymore because they had the temerity to ask him to pay to get in if he wasn't "performing".
WAY TO SUPPORT THE ARTS THAX.