Lucky Thirteens

I started using the name Lucky Thirteens when I found myself cranking out songs in the summer 1996, with little regard for quality. I'd never sung anything in any band (for good reason), and tried my hand for the first time here. Burying the vox in the mixes, of course. My friends Jennifer Stefanick on drums & her ex-bandmate Cyn on bass ran circles around my obvious case of "attempted guitar" and "impersonating a vocalist." We rehearsed the hell out of the 15 or 20 songs, recorded most of 'em at Karl Brummer's Anonymous Noise studio along with Matt Mung on extra backing vox, and a lovely duet with Jeff & Shann on the DeeDee/Thunders/Hell masterpiece "Chinese Rock", and we sent a few tapes out. Jeff Dahl in Arizona took a song for his "Trash on Demand, Vol. 2" compilation, after Candy 500 (Jen & Cyn) had led the way on Volume 1. He said he wanted my vox louder in the final mix, because, and I quote, they reminded him of Gregg Turner's turns at the mic in the Angry Samoans. "I MEAN THIS IN A GOOD WAY" - exact words - I still have the letter. Anyway, he took a song, the gentlemen of National Dust took a song for their "Damned For All Time, Vol. 3" compilation, and we released a split LP with the Nervous Christians. 500 pressed, 53 sold. thanks Mike Lund! Thank you, Heidi Duggan! Thank you, Todd Norin! Thank you, Amanda Kill! And to the other 49 people, many thanks. Sorry I didn't get yer names. Mike Thrasher, while ordinarily a very intelligent booking agent, must have had a weak moment when he volunteered a slot opening for Battallion of Saints at EJs to us... luckily, good sense prevailed, and we all 3 declared our intent to move on & do something productive with our lives. Whether this actually occurred is a subject open for debate.I played with the Weaklings, then the Procrastinators, then the Oblivion Seekers, then Bradly, Sten & Derek Baron asked me to sit in with them for a new project they were working on. We had to look for a drummer, & I made a poster with this text: "Looking for drummer. Floor tom & snare only. No better than Nick Knox." We found Storm working at a guitar shop near where Berbati's is today, & he fit the bill just fine. Then there was Tony. Then Steve Mickelson. Then Wade. Robert Parker. Craig. Dan Hawthorne. There were a few bassists between Derek & Jedediah: Ralph Porter filled in on about 4 songs at a show at Bar of the Gods, when Derek forgot to show up. Chester Stallings filled in at one show where we were photographed. Ivan French sat in with us on a trip to California. Then we got lucky & found Jedediah Aaker & all was well in the world. Then we broke up. The band played New Year's Eve 1999 somewhere in downtown Portland, but I was at home with my 5 month old daughter, trying to be a responsible adult & parent. Waiting for the world to end... and it didn't. There are about 25 songs in the can from various studios. A summer session out at Smegma yielded some fine songs.Time will tell, no? Me? I'm looking forward to a year with TWELVE Friday the Thirteenths.