steve billens

Steve Billens
Lotsa crazy things afoot. I can’t complain. If I did, no one would care. Well…I guess I jumped the gun stating I was out of Bleach Battalion. Basically the next day Natassja from BB e-mailed me to see if I could play 4 dates in the next month. Hrm. Sounds like I’m in, and the band is back on. That is awesome news! BB has a few new tunes and I really dig em, they range from straight up Punk to a sorta Reggae Ska thing. I gotta practice the drums for sure. I think I can play them, but practice makes perfect. Yeah, as soon as I got the e-mail I was like, Oh crap, I better start practicing. So I went down and practiced. We have shows booked at The Box Social, which is some joint up by the Congress Theater. The dates are May 29 and June 12. I dunno what the deal is for June 12, but there are like 5 shows that day that I want to see. Bleach Battalion of course. Does that count? I won’t be seeing BB, I will be part of BB. That’s the ultimate concert experience. “Feel like you’re one with the band!” What else? I just saw that Concrete Blonde is doing a reunion tour where shockingly they will be playing Bloodletting in its entirety. I would’ve considered that if I wasn’t already occupied. On a side note, The Church, who I guess have some kind of awesome catalog of material (Under the Milky way and Reptile?) are messing with the format of playing your seminal album. They are playing one song off of each of their albums. I didn’t get it really, but I think UTMW and Reptile are on the same album. I’m not gonna chance that. The only Church song I like is Reptile. Back to June 12. Did I mention Bleach Battalion is playing at the Box Social? Must see for sure. Thrice is playing w/ Kevin Devine at HOB. I hate HOB. I’m not too bummed about missing that, although KD is playing with a band which prolly means he’ll be busting some classic Miracle of 86 stuff. Off With Their Heads is also playing at Subterranean. Then we’ve got Bottle Rockets at Ribfest, Bamboozle roadshow with a bunch of bands I’ve never heard of, and that’s basically it. I might try to catch OWTH after the BB show if I can, although I’ll be driving around w/ drums in my car that will be screaming to be stolen.



On a not so side note, do you guys know what a Box Social is? I just found this out. I feel enlightened. A Box Social is the opposite of a sausage fest: a place that is packed with women. I dunno if women ever say, “Let’s not go there, it’s a total Box Social.” I’m thinking not. I’m thinking it’s more guys saying, “Yeah bro, total Box Social, wink wink nudge nudge.” Still, important information for you urban slang challenged folks out there. Lotsa throwback shows coming that I have more than a passing interest to check out. Pink Floyd’s The Wall will be unbelievable. I think. It is being performed by Roger Waters and Ringo Starr and friends. I think Johnny Winters is playing guitar, Donald duck Dunn is playing bass, and Joe Satriani is helping out w/ lead guitar. I just made all that up in a sort of half-assed slam at the fact that Roger Waters is not Pink Floyd. But I’m sure it will sound as good or better than Pink Floyd ever did. RW should just change his name to Pink Floyd. That would totally mess up the song Have a cigar…or would it? The ultimate irony? Pointless questions? Other bands that are coming? Rush? Reo Speedwagon? Styx? Kansas? The Buzzcocks? I totally want to see The Buzzcocks. They are coming to double door. I gotta make that happen. I think it’s on a Sunday or something. I need more information. I have the information. That’s why the internet rules. Sunday, May 23 at Double Door. Then Monday, the Ponys are playing at the Pritzker Stage at Millenium park. Lots to do fo sho.



I really have a ton to say. I am drawing a blank. We are losing people at work left and right. It’s a bummer. I’m glad that they are moving on to greener pastures (hopefully), and it obviously solidifies the jobs of those that stay (read me), so that’s good too. The bummer is that I lost my buddy. His name is Dave. He’s from China. He is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met and I was trying to learn from him or hang with him so some of his intelligence would rub off. I don’t think it did. I was fascinated by the way he thinks in math. I think in words, that’s why I’m a bad writer and flailed through college and somehow came out with an English degree. Dave and I were in the options class together. When people had questions, I would try to answer them in common terms that all should be able to grasp. Well all didn’t always grasp them, so Dave would step in. He would go up to the blackboard and write down the equations, then he would explain the concept by how different variables affected the outcome of the equation. So for example, when time is in the denominator, and it increases, it makes the overall number smaller, so an increase in time causes a decrease in delta, or whatever. He would say, “Dis guy affects dis guy, and we can forget about dis guy.” Each piece was a “guy” I thought that was trippy. I didn’t know math was a bunch of little “guys” hanging around together. That’s what math is though, you can book it. Well I wish Dave well. He’s a smart mother. Before he came to our company he was working at Carnegie Mellon writing code to teach computers how to see. I shit you not. He’ll be ok. His real name is not Dave either. He just goes by that. His real name is Xuhui. I have no idea how to pronounce that. Dave is easier. Or maybe in China Xuhui sounds like Dave. I doubt it, but it’s fun to think about.



Oh well the work stories are flowing so why hassle it? When I started here, Compliance and Operational Risk shared an office. There were 6 people in there. We were a motley crew for sure. Well one woman, who was way talented was a contractor. Her contract expired and she left. Then Opererational risk moved out. That left 3. Then Compliance moved out. Then one of the guys from Compliance left. He was my bud from Michigan and he was an outdoorsman (still is I believe.) He left. Now one of the operational risk guys is leaving too. So there were six in the office, now there are 3 out of the office. Old times. Old spaces. Old disgraces (well not really). They are all moving on to greener pastures and the rest of us will pick up the pieces. Life goes on. It’s good to see that the economy is picking up, and that there are opportunities. 1 year ago, it was hold on to your job with a death grip. I guess the job market is loosening up.



There’s more, but I can’t think of anything. We’re all meeting for drinks tonight to say goodbye. That will be good. It was supposed to be drinks for 1 guy, but I think it will basically be for 3 now. Weird. Oh well. Keep on keepin on