Fighting For the Universe

A nun, a german shepard, and Clark Matthews walk into a bar…

Oh, you’ve heard that one?

The thing is, I haven’t really spent much time in bars since college.  I don’t drink, so that doesn’t lure me.  I’m married, so that doesn’t lure me.  Typically, the only times I enter a tavern are at Christmas when my friends come home for the holidays and need a break from their families, and when I want to see a local band.

It is the latter reason that will see me at VZD’s (NW 42nd & Western) tonight.   Technically a local band from Denver, Fighting for the Universe is the brainchild of Yukon native Dave Howell.  Howell was also the frontman of my favorite band of the late-nineties, Fixture.

Truthfully, if it had not been for hearing Fixture when dragged to “Millerstock” in 1996, I might still have been one of those white guys who refuses to listen to anything other than gansta rap even now.  During my college years, I followed the band the way modern day hippies chase around Phish.  If they got a gig at a bar in Stillwater, I was there.  If they rented out a Knights of Columbus Hall for a concert in Yukon, I was there.  After they signed with One Ton Records and started playing all over Texas, I was there (often).  When the band broke up after their lead guitarist graduated from college with an electrical engineering degree, married a veterinarian, and got a full time job designing construction equipment (the typical rock and roll story), I had to satisfy myself listening to inferior music like Dave Matthews and Green Day while holding sacred the the two albums they left behind.

Anyway, I encourage everyone reading this to get out to VZD tonight around 9:00.  If you see a bald headed guy with the remnants of red hair bouncing ideas for the Justice League off complete strangers come say “hi”.  I might even buy you a water.

P.S.  Another band, Evenmark, started by Yukonites is actually headlining the show.

9 Responses to “Fighting For the Universe”


  1. 1 Patrick

    Odd that we both write about the local music scene within 12 hours fo each other,,,

  2. 2 Raller

    A groupie is a person who, while he/she may be a fan at some level, seeks intimacy (most often physical, sometimes emotional) with a famous person.

    That sounds about right.

  3. 3 Tears for Fear

    Fixture stole our song. Shout, Shout, let it on out.

  4. 4 Stevo

    so, if I show up does that mean i get a cameo in the next installment of the justice league?

    cause that would really make me giddy.

  5. 5 Clark Matthews

    Who’s to say that isn’t already in the works? But showing up would certainly improve the odds.

  6. 6 Stevo

    yessssssssss

    i just may go mad spending and buy you a cola

  7. 7 Ryan

    Hold up. Are you from Yukon, Clark?

  8. 8 Clark Matthews

    I am not. I have been a northsider my whole life except for college and a couple of year long residencies in the Tulsa area.

  9. 9 Ryan

    Gotcha.

    Kinda shocked to see another person that was at Millerstock ‘96 and knew Dave and Cody (Evenmark).

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