Brenda

When everyone piled into Brenda’s bathroom-sized practice space to shoot a video for their new song, “Blackout”, nobody, as far as I could tell, had a distinct plan of action. There would be torrents of band-purchased cheap beer and whiskey and a camera crew with some good equipment in tow. It was gonna be a party video—I prayed in the vain of the Eau Claire, WI hetero-hardcore band Dios Mio’s “Shit Life,” which is a must see.

Brenda and Metal Feathers’ (they share the space) amps, guitars, drums and plastic torso were stacked high up the walls above the dirty carpeted floor, probably as vacant as it had ever been. Besides D.J.’s minimized drum kit in the back, a sweaty human occupied each remaining square inch of the room. There must have been twenty people.

At some point it was decided that everyone would have an instrument, and that we were to rock out in time with “Blackout” blaring from the P.A. system. This went on for a few hours, each take increasingly rambunctious and wet. Josh became the primary target for projectile cans. D.J. poured beer on his own drums for an incredibly foamy party effect.

It became clear that we all had the same goal in mind: to capture our own shit life. A big unashamed party, everything maximized, everyone included. Mike shotgunning beers off a high hat. People picked up and dropped. Instruments and bodies abused for the sake of the moment.

I think “Blackout” does inspire the feeling of, “Fuck it. Let’s party.” Maybe that’s just because we heard the song a million times while fucking it and partying. Either way, the feeling is ingrained now. The humid exhilaration in the air was for the people, the place, the band and their excellent new record.

At one point everyone split for a stagger down along the mammoth oil tanks of South Portland’s Lincoln Street for one of Peet’s fabled toad walks, which did in fact yield a toad. It was like a spot on a busy painting for the eye to rest. Everyone breathed in the fresh air and cigarettes for a half hour or so, then went back in for a few more takes. It went on long into the night.

Brenda had a party, and this is the video. It was a lot of fun.

Article by Tyler Jackson
Video directed by Nick Poulin