For the answer, we have to go back to the beginning. OK - not all the way back to Eden and fig leaves and shit - only back to the day of our first show at the Fun House. For some reason we had all spaced making a sign. Along comes gig day, and I figured we'd stop at Bartells, grab some poster board and a magic marker, and slap a makeshift sign together at the club. Upon arriving at Hoagie's to load the gear, Hoagie is putting the finishing touches on a perfectly formed but gigantic sign - made from a white sheet, black paint, and wood framing - which he was saving as a surprise for the rest of the band. Oh yes - we were surprised, as the sign was about twice as large as it needed to be. Furthermore, all of the wood made lifting it a precarious undertaking. Regardless, this thing was freakin' awesome.
So we squeezed it (barely) into Hoagie's van, and used it most gigs until our Portland debacle, where we had to leave it (and Hoagie's van) behind in Seattle. Once Hoagie's van croaked, we realized there was no toting this monster around without disassembling and reassembling it every show. Still, we had to have someone hold that fucker with 2 hands, as opposed to handing it off to me to thrash about with. So we needed a new sign.
Again no one took the initiative to make a new sign. I eventually tried getting Kinkos to whip one up, but they appeared to have no idea how to do it. As luck would have it, Marci knew someone who knew someone who knew exactly what we wanted and made us a sign for free, just in time for Chop Suey. The new sign is nice and light, and fits in my car.
"So," you may be asking, " whatever became of the old sign?" The last I heard it was being used as a sail for a 12 meter yacht hoping to enter the America's Cup. Or its in Hoagie's basement. Whatever....