PUBLIC HOUSE PRESS PREMEIRE!

Count Dante kills at the Castle and crushes the Caravan.

December 11, 2004

It had already been a night of the bizarre as Count Dante climbed up to the stage at the Edinburgh Castle Pub in the Tenderloin for his headlining spoken word performance as part of the Public House Press anthology release party. Count Dante, for some unknown reason performing under the much more pedestrian name of Bob Calhoun, was there to show off his oratory skills and promote the book Public House, which includes his first published short story as well as works by such best-selling authors as Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting), Anthony Swofford (Jarhead), and Mary Roach (Stiff).

Earlier in the evening, the Scottish bar that peddles equal parts fish and chips, single malt scotches and literary readings, was descended upon by a mob of drunken revelers clad in ominous Santa Claus garb. Were they mocking the holidays or were they merely celebrating them? No one knew for sure, but, but there wasn't going to be any literary readings with so many drunken Santas overrunning the entire hall.

The Santas were eventually convinced to leave by the smooth talking barkeep turned publishing impresario Alan Black and the event was able to proceed. Preceding The Count's bravura performance were new San Francisco writers Amy Itzert and Katherine McWilliams and Litquake mastermind Jack Boulware and the inspirational 7-year old Grant Black. The event was hosted by Alan Black and Luke James who built Public House Press from the ground up using only their whisky soaked ambition.

Every author in the collection had performed at the Castle including Dante who may have been the first person to read there ever when he opened for Irvine Welsh in 1995. Oddly the very same evening that the Count (then also referred to as Bob Calhoun for reasons unknown) warmed up the crowd for Welsh also marked the very first ISW ever at the Transmission Theatre. Calhoun/Dante went on to wrestle and announce for seven years with ISW, but has now returned to the Castle, which is where he arguably got his start.

On December 11, 2004, the Count launched into his violent monologue as soon as the towering 6'9" Luke James was finished announcing him.

"I have a message for the Fat Man," Dante roared.

"What do you find when you go to the fat neighborhoods?" He questioned. "You find a Burger King right across the street from a KFC!"

The audience was stunned into silence as the Count continued his bombastic assault: "From the Frito Lay to the CIA/They have made us what we are today/and they are gonna' have to pay!"

Dante followed this monologue with another spoken piece called "Faith Based Fire Prevention" where he mocked George W. Bush with more intensity than the entire DNC.

"So the next time that your home is on fire, " Dante said delivering his best W impersonation, "I suggest that you pray and just see what happens."

Count Dante left the stage to near unanimous applause and accolades made all the better by his shocking accomplishment from the evening before.

On Friday December 10, Count Dante and the Black Dragon Fighting Society did what was previously believed impossible as they played to an overflowing crowd in San Jose, California!

Count Dante and BDFS played a free show at the Caravan Bar put together by South Bay Hardcore torchbearers NME and headlined by Arnocorps. The show was ArnoCorps last before they return to Austria to record the new album that Adventure rockers the world over have been demanding.

Previously San Jose shows had only been populated by winos and tumbleweeds, but the three-band bill not only packed them into the tiny lounge but was also hailed as the best music night the club had ever had.

The setting was maybe the most intimate that CD & the BDFS had ever rocked in as the Caravan had no stage leaving Jim "The Truth" Henderson to set up his massive drumset underneath the big screen TV and next to the cigarette machine. The band still rocked with reckless abandon and Count Dante delivered his success seminar and the "Message to the Fat Man" in preparation for the Castle show the following evening.

ArnoCorps, now sporting a lineup that includes two bassists and an incalculable amount of guitarists ringed the pool table with their cadre of instrumentalists and bludgeoned the barflies with their immovable wall of sound. The entire bar soon broke out into a pit. Chaos reigned in what may be ArnoCorps best performance.

At another close by venue, a 1990s happy punk revue played to an audience of nostalgia buffs and well-wishers, while the Dante, NME, AC show pulsated with a violent life all of its own as all three bands prepare for the future and refuse to be burdened by the past.

COUNT DANTE'S FIRST SHORT-STORY "THE STRANGE CASE OF SEAN McO'MAJESTY IS AVAILABLE NOW IN THE PUBLIC HOUSE ANTHOLOGY FROM PUBLIC HOUSE PRESS AND AMAZON.COM OR WHEREVER FINE ANTHOLOGIES ARE SOLD!

click here to order your copy today!