World Racketeering Squad Blog

Tonight we play our first public show with just Isaac and myself since December of 2007. Sure, we've played this way around campfires, at parties, and for friends lots of times, but performing on a stage for strangers is different.

I'm excited! It's a new chapter for WRS and we don't know where it will lead. I'm also nervous because it's new and different and I got really comfortable playing bass in a rock and roll power trio.

Have I wanted a chance to focus on my singing by setting my bass aside? Absolutely. Has my confidence and poise increased 100-fold since we last performed a a duo? Totally. Do I expect my nervousness to transform into exuberance once we hit the stage? You know it!  But that doesn't change the turbulent energy on the boundary of something new.

I'm deeply thankful for all of the support you have given us through the years, and I know the future is bright. I don't want to let any of you down by not being the most badass I can be for you.

See you tonight!

~ reed

Isaac and I are playing publicly in The Squad's new incarnation as a totally acoustic duo for the 1st time this Thursday at Trophy's.

I can't wait to hear your reactions to the acoustic versions of the WRS tunes you know and love, including "Collecting Dust" and "Rise up to the Sun" from our new EP All for One - click to listen!

Four shows are coming up to tickle your fancy. Which ones will you choose?

April 28 - Trophy's with The Cocker Spaniels and Jennifer Cook

May 6 - Rock and Roll Ridiculousness at Club 1808 with Zim & Knux, Bell Riots, and the Tex Offenders

May 13 - All for One EP Release at The Rockin Tomato

May 14 - Sunset Valley Farmers Market 10AM - noon

See you there!

A is for Awesome - how the rock makes you Feel
B is for Bruce - because he keeps it Real

C is for Cool - which can also be Hot
D is for Dead - which is what I am Not

E is for EMP - my pulse kills Electronics
F is for Feedback - Isaac's fun with rock Sonics

G is for Girls - in our songs and our Dreams
H is for Heartbreaker - she makes coffee and Creams

I is for Isaac - he's the king on Guitar
J is for Just-in-Times - where Omega's the Star

K is for Killer - usually from the Future
L is for Lorelei - I'm not looking for Her

M is for Mozart - ooh rock me Amadeus
N is for Needful - what we think will save Us.

O is for Otaku - among whom we are L33t
P is for Panic - happening in the Streets

Q is for Quagmire - what wars turn Into
R is for Rock and Roll - I want to with You

S is for Summer - she's the most perfect Glau
T is for Te - the virtue of Tao

U is for Undercover - that's where we are Going
V is for Vanity - what Reed's hair is Showing

W is for World - where the Squad Racketeers
X is for Dos XX - yummy Mexican Beers

Y is for You - and you're also the Dream
Z is for Zeitgeist - it's the times of the Scene

Now I've sung my ABCs, Saturday come rock with me!

This one is parked in a new coffeeshop in Chicago caled Worm Hole.  The whole place is straight out of 1984 and has a souped up time-traveling DeLorean in the front window.  That means The Squad could play this joint any year we want!

I haven't even played Bioshock 2 yet, but I'm totally excited about Bioshock Infinite after seeing this trailer:

Since we have a new album coming out and are ramping up our promotions, we're looking for the images that really capture both the images and feel of WRS.  So many great pictures only include one of us, and we're a band so that just won't do.

Do you have a great photo of the whole Squad you think would make a great promo pic?  Send it or a link to us - you could be part of the WRS press kit or maybe even future posters and albums!

Here's an old favorite of mine. I love the meta nature of an image of an image of the band! (Plus Bruce is in front for once!)

We don't have the gig yet, but The Squad dreams big, and this wild fancy bar & grill set on the planet Mars itself seems the perfect venue to maximize the Nerdwave experience.

If you or yours can make this dream gig happen, make it so and let us know!

Check out more madness on io9.com and the Mars 2112 site!

After years of secrecy concerning his past, Reed has finally come clean about what really happened in that time jokingly referred to a "before now" in his new Bio on this very site!

Excerpt: "... which opened up experiences and joys he never knew existed.  Despite her contagious madness ..."

Check it out now by clicking on Reed Oliver!

So pleased to be able to see more articles in the Guide. Mine stopped receiving and the new version I picked up only allows me to write 140-character comments about things. It also has some sort of stylized fruit on it, rather than "Don't Panic" in large, friendly letters.

Sometimes a movie come along that immediately calls for another movie to come along.