Plugging Shit My Friends Do: Even Man Out, “U N I R O K”

I went to college with these guys, back when they were playing in a different band. I’m pretty sure I lived with the guitarist for awhile, too, but college is pretty much a blur at this point. They put on a killer live show, and I was so excited when I finally got a fake ID so I could go to all of them (I was Miranda Jayne Quigley from Enid, Oklahoma, and thank you to the friend who found her ID lying on a bench in Lake Havasu and realized we looked a bit alike*). They’re incredibly talented musicians — the lead singer, Palimo, was a piano prodigy as a child, Trent Reznor-style, and, the first time we met, he asked me if I took it in the ass. I had gone to their practice studio with my boyfriend and his best friend, Brian, who was (and still is) the guitarist. There were a bunch of chicks there, a ton of liquor, and like 20 porn mags laying around. Palimo sat on the couch next to me and picked up a magazine, and went through every page and asked me “So, do you do that?”

I was like, “Who the fuck is this guy?,” completely unaware that he would eventually become one of my favorite people in the whole world.

Brian has been in my life forever, it seems. We met in our early college years. He was my boyfriend’s best friend, and I was my boyfriend’s girlfriend, but for the most part we both behaved like his children. We bickered like brother and sister forever, but, as a result, today I feel like I’m bonded with him like a brother. Everyone called him “CG” back then, for reasons I can’t even remember, and every now and then someone would mention “Brian” and for like a full year I would just think to myself, “Who is this Brian I’m always hearing about?” Finally I asked my boyfriend if I was ever going to meet Brian, and he was like, “Um, that’s CG’s real name.” But now he just goes by Brian, and is going to send me an angry email in T minus 10 seconds for reminding people of that old nickname. Whatever. People have been calling me “Evil Beet” since high school. I made a career out of it. Brian is one of the coolest, funniest, smartest dudes I know.

They all moved from Arizona to Philly about six years ago, so I don’t get to see them nearly as often as I’d like, but we keep in touch via email. A little while ago they started a new band called Even Man Out, and they’ve been playing amazing shows along the Eastern seaboard since then. They just released their first album, U N I R O K, and you can listen to some of their tracks, buy their album, or learn about their show dates on their MySpace Music page, or check out their Facebook page here.

Check out Even Man Out here!!!
Check out Even Man Out here!!!
Check out Even Man Out here!!!
Check out Even Man Out here!!!

* I just looked Miranda up on Facebook, and it appears she’s married now and living in Oklahoma City! Thank you for the years of underage drinking, total stranger Miranda!