| Go to sleep now, little ugly |
[Nov. 10th, 2008|10:17 pm] |
It's funny how, within the alternative/indie music world, there are some bands that are wildly popular when compared to other bands in the very same scene...you would think that, as a band became more and more popular, they would stop being 'alternative' and cross over into more mainstream territory...some might tell you that this is exactly what happened to The Decemberists, and I'm not sure I'd be quick to argue...however, there have been more than just a few cases in history of a band hitting it big and still remaining true to their own creative direction...
The Decemberists released their first album, Castaways And Cutouts, in 2002...in my opinion, this is their best album, as the next two would mostly retread the literate, waltz-time path that their debut blazed...their fourth album, 2006's The Crane Wife, though, was their first for Capitol Records, and it shows...along with a few nautical-folk moments, there are some completely uncharacteristic turns and explorations into genres like funk, big guitar rock, and (gulp) prog...in concert on Friday night, the band played a good amount of material from each of their albums, and focused rather heavily on their new singles series, Always The Bridesmaid...according to leader Colin Meloy, their upcoming album, Hazards Of Love, lacks many of the more jaunty numbers that drove their previous albums; however those missing songs are being released one at a time over a few months (the last of the three singles comes out the first week of December)...Still, the band puts on a really good show, and brings great life and energy into some of the more questionable songs in their catalogue...the show is interactive as well, with Meloy getting everyone in the Electric Factory to sit down during "The Perfect Crime #2", or rousing an Obama-inspired call-and-response during the not-so-subtle "16 Military Wives"...naturally, their devoted (and ever-growing) audience ate it all up...
From where I was standing, I had a tough time getting good pictures, but a few that I did catch were pretty good...
As always, there are a few more pictures from this show (and lots more from other shows) here...
Additionally, Y-Rock, XPN and NPR Music were broadcasting the show live that night, and now have it archived for your streaming pleasure...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Strolling under grimey skies
Machines that make you kiss in time
Smoke on your breath, smoke on your breath |
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| Take me to the airport, I need to be extremely far away |
[Nov. 3rd, 2008|07:49 pm] |
You can usually learn a lot about a songwriter's personality through their songs...Steve Poltz is a goofy sort of guy, but has a very tender side, and his songs reflect that...Chris Eaton of Rock Plaza Central is a bit of a character, but is a really good storyteller, and his bizarre lyrics adhere to his own fantastical canon...Stephin Merritt is an exception in more ways than one...
Leader of many projects, Merritt is most notably the creative director for The Magnetic Fields...Merritt is the antithesis of the 'rock star' persona, often acting either very quiet or very rude in situations where 'traditional' performers would be animated and outgoing...however, you'd never know any of this by listening to The Magnetic Fields' songs...sure, a lot of their 'love' songs are dark and a little twisted, but even a sourpuss like Merritt has a sense of humor...
Joining Merritt onstage on a rainy night in Philadelphia a few weeks ago was vocalist Shirley Simms, pianist Claudia Gonson, guitarist John Woo and cellist Sam Davol...The Merriam Theater was a fine setting for the band's recital-like stage show, which consisted of light chatter (mostly from the bubbly Gonson) in between a fine selection of songs from Merritt's various projects...most of the two sets were made up of tunes from The Magnetic Fields' new album, Distortion, but unlike the record, the live performances of these songs were not enveloped in sheets of squealing feedback...this might be an act of mercy by the band on the ears of the audience, or at least on the ears of Merritt himself (he suffers from Hyperacusis, in which normal sounds reverberate within the ear until the sound becomes unbearable)...it was interesting to hear "Too Drunk To Dream", "California Girls" and "Three-Way" done totally acoustic, and it almost makes me wish that the re-record the album sans-distortion...I mean, if they can market Verve: Un-Mixed, why not?...
Along with a few tunes from Merritt's "bubblegum-goth" project The Gothic Archies, the band performed a good number of the 69 Love Songs, and a few other earlier tunes...all of this (except for the encore) was done with a few surrogate instruments taking the place of those the band had been separated from in transit...despite a few monitor-related technical difficulties (and a trigger-happy sound guy who cranked up "Rock'n Me" just as the last note of the first set was played), the show was an elegant affair, and I await the band's return...
Unfortunately, the Merriam has a very strict 'No Photography' policy, so the only picture I could get was the Distortion cover-emulating poster that was in a lightbox outside...
Though there aren't any more pictures of The Magnetic Fields, you can check out pictures from plenty of other great concerts (like Nick Cave, Los Straitjackets and Sonic Youth) here...
Coming soon, The Decemberists @ Electric Factory and Sondre Lerche @ World Cafe Live...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
You could blame it on the music
But it wouldn't be right
Cause I've gotten lucky to some pretty bad tunes
Must be the Moon |
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| ¡Muchisimas gracias, damas y caballeros! |
[Oct. 28th, 2008|10:58 pm] |
A question that most everyone answers at least once in their life goes like this: "What would your theme music be that would play everytime you walk into a room, walk down the street, etc."...for some, it might be the theme from 'Shaft,' for some it might even be the theme from 'The Greatest American Hero,' but who am I to judge?...for me, I'm not sure if I could pick a particular song, but I know for sure that my theme music would be a reverb-drenched surf instrumental...
I've seen many surf bands over the years, from the legendary (Dick Dale) to the local (the inexplicable surf band from Bucks County that opened for Dick Dale)...this past Wednesday, I witnessed a surf spectacular with two of the bands that do it best in the surf world today...the show was a double bill with Los Straitjackets and Laika & The Cosmonauts...while I've seen Los Straitjackets a few times before (and will likely see them again), this was my first and last time seeing Laika & The Cosmonauts...that's not because I didn't enjoy them, it's because this is the Finnish surf combo's farewell tour...the group has been made up of the same four guys since its inception 20 years ago...at the end of this tour, they're amicably calling it quits, and have even released a retrospective, Cosmopolis, to commemorate their long career...
Laika's set was very impressive...they are all extremely talented musicians, and, because they don't speak very much English, they kept the chatter between songs to a minimum...I have a few of their albums, but only recognized a handful of songs they performed...the good thing about surf music is that it's not always about whether you know the song or not (because, I'll admit it, a lot of it sounds the same), it's about the song's mood and energy...Laika & The Cosmonauts are also experts at making both the classic, rave-up surf and the more spooky, film music-inspired surf...it was a great show, though it's a shame that, after this tour is over, such great talent will likely be channeled into making cell phones...they are Finnish, after all...
As it was a double bill, I was excited once Laika were done, because there was still a whole set from the masked men of surf to come...next to The Ghastly Ones (who I'll see one of these days), Los Straitjackets are, without a doubt my favorite surf band...amidst a lot of the same-sounding surf that's out there, the distinct tone and style of Eddie Angel's guitar tears through each song in a manner that would make the late Link Wray proud...Los Straitjackets are very high on the 'schtick' factor, and it never gets old...this was my third time seeing them, and their silly 'choreography' during certain songs still makes me smile...
Along with favorites "Itchy Chicken," "Kawanga!" and "Tailspin," the guys did a few new songs, like "Fortune Cookie" and "Challenger," which are probably going to be on a new album...they also did their wild version of "Sing Sing Sing," with new(ish) drummer Jason "Teen Beat" Smay doing some incredible drum fills...Dad commented that it's amazing that his arms didn't fall off by the end of the night...after the show, I got a Mexican import live album, which has versions of a lot of songs that aren't on their previous live record...I'm anxious to hear a new album of theirs that is primarily surf; the forays into twist music with Kaiser George and 'rock en español' with Big Sandy were entertaining, but really gimmicky, even for them... I'll save the write-up of The Magnetic Fields for a different post, which should be along shortly, but first a few things:
As always, more pictures of Laika & The Cosmonauts and Los Straitjackets can be found here...
For a change, here's a post about me on a different blog...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
So be kind to your mother
Though she may seem an awful bother
And the next time she tries to feed you collard greens
Remember what she does when you're asleep |
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| In the first bar, things were controlled / But in this bar, things were rock-n-roll |
[Oct. 15th, 2008|09:02 pm] |
Having been to as many shows as I have, it's becoming a little harder to surprise me...sure, there are many things that artists can do to spice up a set (and my guess is that the new stage show from of Montreal features them all), but many of the smaller shows I go to can become predictable, though nonetheless enjoyable...still, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from seeing Jonathan Richman this past Sunday night...
If I were to stop seeing shows at the First Unitarian Church, Jonathan's show would have been the perfect close, because it closely resembled the first show I saw at the Church: Calvin Johnson of twee-folks Beat Happening...like Johnson, Richman doesn't have the biggest fanbase, but those who know his music positively love it...also, both performers had extremely stripped-down stage setups, with just acoustic guitar and drums (Richman even had his own little mixing console onstage and kept adjusting the sound during drum breaks)...the crowd was also similar (though the Calvin Johnson show was in the much smaller side chapel) in that it was made up of just about everyone: indie kids, punk kids, and even families where the parents listened to The Modern Lovers when they first came about...with the unusual crowd and the bare-bones instrumentation, Jonathan led a part-dance party, part-campfire sing-along through song after song...
Many of his songs were from his new album, Because Her Beauty Is Raw And Wild, which came out in April..."No One Was Like Vermeer", "Es Como El Pan" and the title track were some of the standouts from the new material, and he closed the evening with the mournful "As My Mother Lay Lying", which also closes out the new disc...many of his older songs served to bridge the gaps between the unfamiliar (though familiar-sounding) new material, and Jonathan busted out "That Summer Feeling", "I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar" and Modern Lovers classic "Pablo Picasso"...so much of Jonathan's song are half-spoken that each tune ran into the next, with the banter blending in with the lyrics...his songwriting has been described as "child-like", and I understand that that's not an insult; he really is like a big kid...
If you're not familiar with Jonathan's music beyond "Roadrunner", check out his self-titled solo debut and I, Jonathan, his finest solo work, in my opinion...and, as always, there are more pictures of Jonathan (and many other fine artistes) here... Coming soon: the return of Los Straitjackets and the last stand of Laika & The Cosmonauts (and yes, that's one show!)
E.
Lyric of the Time:
My love's in Amerikay
They're calling out the rosary
Spanish wine from far away
I'm a free born man of the USA |
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| There is nothing to be sad about/Gonna give the gates a shove |
[Oct. 8th, 2008|09:14 pm] |
I'm not sure what it was, but the last two concerts I've been to had a lot in common...
Last Wednesday, I saw Stereolab at the Troc...I've been a fan of theirs for a few years, and I really like their new album, Chemical Chords...they're the kind of band that, while I can't hum any of their songs, I know them (and like them) when I hear them...Just as the do on record, the band simply oozes cool onstage...singer Lætitia Sadier isn't particularly animated, but the music doesn't really warrant too many theatrics...at one point, she introduced a new song, "The Ecstatic Static", and I was the only one who clapped...she looked down at me and smiled with a confused look and said, "Why, you're the only one clapping!"...I think that part of what made the connection between Laetitia and the crowd a bit difficult was her accent...though Stereolab calls England home, Lætitia herself is French, and even in the songs it's kind of hard to understand what she's saying...this leads to a lot of their songs being misinterpreted, as the lyrics are often very dark, standing in contrast the the bubbly pop music...some of the highlights of the set were "Neon Beanbag", "Self Portrait With 'Electric Brain'", and "Three Women", all from the new album, as well as some of their more experimental jams...also, one of the opening bands, Pittsburgh's The Van Allen Belt, were really good, even though their album isn't produced as well as I imagined it would be...
 Stereolab play around a lot with the balance of happiness and darkness, whereas Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds play around with the balance of darkness and more darkness (though Dr. Cave himself would probably argue that)...
Beginning with a set from ex-Gun Club/Cramps/Bad Seeds guitarist Brian "Kid Congo Powers" Tristan and his band, Nick Cave took to the electric light-flanked stage of the Electric Factory...with a new album for 2008, the tremendous Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, and over 25 years of back catalogue, it was a career-spanning free-for-all over a few hours...starting off with the slow-burning "Hold Onto Yourself", the band kicked it with the title track to the new disc...speaking of kicking, that's just what Cave did to his organ when he tried to play his solo in "Red Right Hand"...finding that something was wrong after attempting the first few notes, he gave the organ a swift boot, knocking it and his music stand over...Like his music, Nick Cave is a misunderstood guy...he's got a great sense of humor and clearly doesn't take himself too seriously...what he does take seriously is entertainment, and he is one hell of a showman...between running around from one end of the stage to the other and changing around the lyrics to some of the songs to reflect people in the crowd, Cave showed off something too many performers lack: showmanship...on top of all that, the songs were incredible...at the end, I got a setlist, but upon reading it I found that it wasn't the set from that night (!!)...from memory, the standouts included "The Weeping Song", "We Call Upon The Author" and a singalong version of "The Lyre Of Orpheus"...the level of musicianship among the Bad Seeds was also incredibly high, especially in the case of multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, who is also a part of Cave's Grinderman project, and has the look you'd expect from a member of the Bad Seeds...
That was, without a doubt, one of the best show's I've seen all year...and I've seen a lot, don'tcha know!
More pictures from Stereolab and Nick Cave (as well as many other shows) can be found here...
Coming soon: Jonathan Richman @ First Unitarian Church, Los Straitjackets and Laika & The Cosmonauts @ World Cafe Live
Stay tuned...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Stagger Lee throwed seven
Billy said that he throwed eight
So Billy said, hey Stagger! I'm gonna make my big attack
I'm gonna have to leave my knife in your back |
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| Of Jams and James |
[Sep. 18th, 2008|08:39 pm] |
As you know by now, I had declared this year as my "Year of a Million Concerts"...so far, I think the rate I'm going at will indeed bring me close to a million shows by the end of this year...not only were the two shows I went to this week both at the same venue, the stories behind the performers and their appearances in Philadelphia were somewhat similar, too...
Sunday night saw the first Philadelphia appearance by former Jam and Style Council frontman Paul Weller in almost 15 years...during his tenure with The Style Council, Weller famously refused to tour America...back with a new (and really great) record, 22 Dreams, Weller and his band were in top form on Sunday night...many of the fans had been waiting to seem his since his days in The Jam, and greeted the "Modfather's" new material warmly, which is more than I can say for some of the crowds I've seen at other performances of rock "legends"...as a matter of fact, I've seen many "elder statesmen" of rock, and their performances have fallen into two distinct categories which often carry over to their newer records as well:
- those who surround themselves with a large band of young musicians to draw attention away from their deteriorated technical abilities due to years of drugs, touring and drugs...examples: Brian Wilson, Lou Reed (though, to be fair, if Lou didn't have a huge band, I wouldn't have seen Laurie Anderson in person)...
- those who have aged more gracefully, remaining fresh and agile and, while they may have a large band, still show proficiency on their instrument...examples: Elvis Costello, Stan Ridgway, Paul Weller...
Beginning with a few acoustic numbers (mostly from the new disc), Weller and his boys showed their grown-up side, even throwing in an arrangement of "The Butterfly Collector" from The Jam's All Mod Cons...as the stools and acoustic guitars were pulled aside, Weller seemed like he was itching to rock...highlights of the set included some of the standouts from 22 Dreams, "Have You Made Up Your Mind", "Sea Spray" and the title track, and some older solo Weller tunes, like "The Changingman", "Wild Wood" and a fantastic rendition of "From The Floorboards Up" from 2005's As Is Now...for the last song of the encore, the band busted out ever the crowd-pleaser, "Town Called Malice", which was given the sing-along treatment (especially on the "woah-oh" and "Struggle after struggle..." parts)...I got a setlist after the show, and they had apparently planned to end with another classic Jam number, "That's Entertainment"...as much as I love that song, "Town Called Malice" was the perfect closer to a night of music from a man who completely deserves all the praise he's gotten over his long career...
Just like the people at the Weller show had waited very long to see their hero in concert, the crowd at Tuesday night's James concert was equally anxious to see the recently-reformed group take the stage...
As I mentioned in my review of their lovely new album, Hey Ma, James has been out of action for about six years, and hasn't played in Philadelphia for even longer...it was funny to see the band's reaction to the crowd's excitement...at one point, while the audience was singing the chorus to "Sometimes (Lester Piggot)", lead guitarist Larry Gott took out his own camera and was videotaping the crowd from the stage...between many of the songs, the group's iconic lead singer, Tim Booth, simply stood speechless at the microphone, surveying the audience with an awestruck look on his face as if to say, "I can't believe that you're all really here to see me and my band."...well, believe it, because their set was one of the most energetic and enjoyable ones I've seen all year...spanning their whole catalogue, James brought out a lof of their hits, as well as some of their deeper tracks to an audience who was read for anything (well, maybe not for Wah-Wah in its entirety)...along with "Sometimes", some of the great moments included "Upside" and "Oh My Heart", both from the new album, the classics "Sit Down", "Say Something", and "Born Of Frustration", in which Booth traversed the stage speakers and managed to get himself up into the Trocadero's balcony, where, via wireless mic, he sang the tune (war whoops and all) from the back of the theater...of course, they ended the evening with their best-known track, "Laid", where members were invited to dance onstage, resulting in madness of Carbon/Silicon proportions...
For me, seeing a band like James is one of the most enjoyable concert experiences...when they were together originally, they weren't mega-superstars, and they're obviously not reforming just for the money (though I'm sure that's a factor to any band)...like the audience, the band was happy just to be there...between the great performance and a great new album, it's like they never went away...
As always, more pictures from Paul Weller and James can be found here...my new camera is still taking some getting used to, but I think I may have figured out how to get better concert shots with it...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
I'm going to see you in a foreign land
I'll pack my bags, oh lord
I'm a travelin' man's man |
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| Experimental Jet Set, Trash And Converse |
[Aug. 31st, 2008|11:27 pm] |
For all the concerts that I've been to, I try to make a mental note not only as to what band I'm seeing, but what style of music is being performed...to me, that gives a nice overview of what sorts of genres I'm not just listening to on records, but what I enjoy so much that I go out to see them live...of course, I go to a fair amount of shows for free, but there are still plenty of concerts that I pay for (and I always hope for those to be worth my money as prices for concert tickets continue to rise)...while the show this past Friday with Sonic Youth wasn't free, the surprisingly inexpensive tickets provided far more than their face value in entertainment for the night...
About a month ago, I see on the concert calendar in the Y-Rock studio that Sonic Youth are going to be appearing at the TLA at the end of August, and tickets went on sale in a few days...on top of that, tickets were only $10 (with fees, it came out to about $15; still well below the admission price for most shows in the area)...when the time came to buy tickets, I got them quite painlessly through the LiveNation website as soon as they went on sale at noon...as I was looking around various sites to get more info on the show, I found that within only a few minutes of going on sale, the show had sold out...the more people I talked to who managed to get tickets told story after story of how they had to pay many times the original price of the tickets through friends or alternate websites...it seemed like I was the only person who didn't have any trouble getting tickets online...the people who paid hundreds of dollars for the tickets didn't exactly appreciate my telling them of this...
As planned, I got down to the TLA about an hour before doors opened...there were about 10 or 12 people already there, which left me quite relieved, as I was expecting to come into a line that had started much earlier in the day (I had a feeling that Sonic Youth's fans were crazy like that)...there was one other act on the bill, and that was The Hold Steady...for those who have never heard of them, I envy you, as most of Triple A radio, many magazines and just about all of XPN's listeners have embraced them as the greatest music-related thing in history...the band isn't terrible (in fact their performance Friday night was pretty energetic), but they certainly aren't the best band in the world as their fans might lead you to believe...the couple in front of me were obviously only there for The Hold Steady, and were discussing their lists for XPN's 885 Essential XPN Songs Countdown...I was going to say something about me working there, but they mentioned something about being scared by something they heard on Y-Rock once, so I stayed out...
The first person to show up that I knew was Jamie, the girl from the World Cafe Live ticket booth...a bunch of her friends came, too, and were very friendly, so we started talking as we waited...the concert was evidently sponsored by Converse, although there was so little prior advertising (since the show sold out so quickly) that we only realized the sponsorship as we were in line...there were a few guys with cameras and media badges walking up and down the line, taking pictures of people who were wearing Chuck Taylors...it just so happened that Jamie and one of her friends were wearing Chucks, and had their picture taken for the Converse website...a few minutes before the doors opened, the Converse guy comes back over to us and thanks us again for letting him take our picture and asks us if we would like to meet Sonic Youth...the answer was a clear one, so we were given wristbands with the instructions to meet at the staircase to the balcony about a half hour before showtime...
Evidently, we were hardly the only people invited to meet the band...we waited and waited in a whole group of people at the bottom of the staircase, and were finally led upstairs just as The Hold Steady took the stage...unfortunately, this meant that we couldn't have any conversation with Sonic Youth since we couldn't hear anything over the music...just the same, we were all given limited edition screened posters for the night's show to have signed by the band...it could have been that Sonic Youth weren't really into the whole 'come meet the band before the show' thing, or maybe they were just anxious to perform, but they didn't seem to happy to be there...except for drummer Steve Shelley, who gave everyone a big smile as they reached the end of the autograph line...
Through a pinky-swear, I secured a spot right up against the stage before we went upstairs...I managed to get back up there before THe Hold Steady did their second song...though I am not a fan, I would love to see these guys play an XPN festival, because they would be a huge hit...most of the songs they did were from their new album, Stay Positive, though they did throw in some older songs...I recognized a few, but wasn't swept away...lead singer Craig Finn does look like Jim Duffy, Temple Ambler's press guy/Holiday Show star, though, and that made me smile...
As I was saying before, I've seen many different kinds of bands...everything from surf and bluegrass to jazz and however you would describe the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players...I can't really think of another experimental band that I've seen, although Mission Of Burma came pretty close...as I usually do at the TLA, I stood to the lefthand side of the stage...most often, the bassist or lead guitarist is on that side, and in Friday's case, it was Lee Ranaldo, who might have been the most fascinating guitarist I've ever watched...because Sonic Youth use so many goofy guitar tunings in their songs, it's easier for them to just switch guitars every song instead of tuning between songs...this means that the band carries countless guitars with them on the road (and they've even been stolen and recovered in the past)...not only are the guitars in odd tunings, but they are often played in unconventional ways (read: bowed, and sometimes smacked with drumsticks)...it was really cool to watch an instrument used in a way that no other band I've seen has done before...
The set was an interesting one, with a few of their better known songs peppered through a lot of material from their classic Daydream Nation album...some of the standouts were "'Cross The Breeze", an intense "Drunken Butterfly" and "Jams Run Free" from their most recent album to date, Rather Ripped...they started off with two songs that they said to have written earlier that day, but there's no word as to whether they will be on their forthcoming new album, The Eternal, or not...even though this was my first time seeing Sonic Youth (and, from what I overheard from other people talking around me, many other people's first time as well), I found the assortment of songs to be really good, and I look forward to seeing them again (and maybe a live version of "Teen Age Riot" or "Disconnection Notice")...as I left, I was given another poster (not signed, though), definitely making the night a net gain...
This was also the first show I've gone to with my new camera, which will still take some getting used to...until then, you can check out a recently-updated Concert Gallery...there is, however, one picture I'd like to share here, as it is a good summary of the show:
Bassist/singer Kim Gordon, not standing still...
One of my favorite shows of the year so far? Definitely. Am I upset that I missed Nine Inch Nails, who were performing the same night? Not really, though I've heard good things about their new live light show...then again, nothing will ever be a better light show than this...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Sweet lips flowers + cream
Deep in love surrender pink steam
Deep in love you need no other
Deep in love yr lonely lover |
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| Matchless |
[Jul. 31st, 2008|08:47 pm] |
I'm not sure if there was one specific point that I lost respect for some of the formerly-respectable music press outlets, but as The Black Keys say, things ain't like they used to be...take, for example, the most recent issue of Rolling Stone:
Day 349 - July 28th, 2008
I know what you're thinking, but even as a Disney stockholder I'm disgusted...since when did Rolling Stone become freakin' Tiger Beat?...I've been embarrassed to read any recent music magazine outside of my own home, and internet-based music outlets aren't much better...I've never been one of the 'Pitchfork sucks because they suck' kind of people, but I'm slowly beginning to see their way...I'm pretty sure the "people" at Pitchfork assign their reviews to those most likely to hate a certain band or album...The Onion had it right...and you know what? the Jonas Brothers are just another cog in the Disney machine, and if they think that it's them, Disney won't hesitate to throw them out on their asses and let them try in vain prove that they're real artists (see: Hilary Duff, soon-to-be Miley Cyrus)...
On Tuesday, I DJ'ed at World Cafe Live once again...this time, though, I wasn't playing the traditional modern DJ mix of electronica, new wave and trip hop...instead, I played the music that I grew up with, namely big band and swing...for fidelity's sake, I stuck with recordings of newer swing bands rather than original era bands, though that might be good for another time...I played hep tunes from Stompy Jones, Cigar Store Indians, Bill Elliott and, of course, Lee Press-On & The Nails...I'm not sure if there was a band going on after me the previous week, but there was a group this past week, which may have been the reason for the larger crowd...everyone seemed to enjoy my picks, and I even saw some of the waitstaff moving around with a little dance in their step...
After I was done, Mom, Dad and I went to pick up Dad's car from the shop and went for water ice at Rita's...next to the Rita's was a curious little convenience shop with a likewise curious lone gas pump...
Day 350 - July 29th, 2008
Self Serve Island might be a good place to get banished, but Soft Serve Island is a much better place...
Yesterday was jam-packed with activity...I went in to XPN primarily to see the Old 97's perform a World Cafe session for Special Producers...Special Producer is a title given to those who become members of the station at a particular level, and are invited to a number of World Cafe tapings that are more akin to the Free At Noon concerts than the regular tapings in the recording studio...
The 97's were really good, and performed a few songs from their new album, Blame It On Gravity, such as "Dance With Me", "The Color Of A Broken Heart Is Blue" and "My Two Feet", as well as "Barrier Reef" from 1997's Too Far To Care by David Dye's special request...
Day 351 - July 30th, 2008
The session was over around 12:45, so I did some work in the office for the rest of the day...around 3:00, Josh T. asked me if I wanted to see Wolf Parade that night at the Electric Factory...while I'm not nearly the biggest fan of theirs, I rather like a few songs from their new album, At Mount Zoomer (which is a great name for a record)...I said yes and he gave me two tickets, one of which I gave to ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) glitterglamgirl who would meet me at the show that night...the show was pretty good, and I'll post some pictures from it on my Concert Gallery (along with a few more pics of the Old 97's)...there was an interesting crowd at the show, and I felt like glitterglamgirl and I stood out as not being hipster enough...I did see my buddee, Ani, from school there, which was very nice...also, one of the guys from Wolf Parade is named Spencer Krug, or as I say, Spen-SAH!...
Almost ironically, by going to the Wolf Parade show, I missed the broadcast of my interview with MGMT that was aired on XPN Wednesday night...it's okay, since I was, um, there for the interview, but from what I heard, it (and the intro to the interview) sounded really good...I even got an e-mail from our program director congratulating me on the airing!...
Those of you who know me know that I don't chew gum...what you might not know is that I do chew some gum, but only the greatest gum in the world, Fruit Stripe...it's been a while since I've had it, but I came across some in CVS today...
Day 352 - July 31st, 2008
I mean, what could be better than gum that comes in a pack of 17?!...does anyone else remember a bubble-gum flavored Fruit Stripe that came in a pink, purple and yellow pack?...I feel like I used to see them all the time at Wawa in the 90s...
Tomorrow is my super feature on my Y-Rock show...Throughout the day, I'll be spotlighting songs that are sung by someone other than a band's lead singer (for now I'm limiting it to other members of the band, as I might feature guest singers another time)...if you have any suggestions, be sure to e-mail me...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Play me what I want to hear
Don't make me have to come down there
Forgot how to think and I don't wanna dance
I wanna hear few minutes, few minutes, few minutes, of silence |
|
|
| 66th & 6th |
[Jul. 28th, 2008|12:05 am] |
You might remember "Pea Devendra" from back in March...I suppose he's off making videos with "Pea Natalie Portman" now, so in his stead, let us welcome a new member of the Silly Things Made Of Food crew...
Day 344 - July 23rd, 2008
I would put up a poll to have you vote on what indie rock personality he looks like, but I can't afford a poll-capable account...maybe he's "Pea James Mercer", "Pea Isaac Brock", or even "Pea Conor"?...you decide!...
Earlier on Wednesday, I watched as The Ting Tings recorded their World Cafe session...it was pretty enjoyable, but it went on rather long...still, I get a kick out of sessions that draw spectating staff into the control room...
Thursday, I began going through my closet and finding fallout from my last three years of high school...it's funny how things like my drawing-filled notebook, drafts of copy for the yearbook and my assignment books bring back better memories than my yearbook itself does...for whatever reason, yearbooks can never completely capture the day-to-day silliness that was a day in high school...I would say that it almost makes me want to get in touch with the people I shared that time with, but much like I would rather see the Nick Lowe of the 1970s in concert than the Nick Lowe of today, I don't think that meeting up with the 2008 versions of my classmates would quite do it for me...
Mom, Dad and I went to a new local Kosher restaurant called Max & David's (though their difficult-to-read logo might make you think otherwise)...we went there with my grandparents, who may or may not have been there before...we happen to be very good friends with the family that owns the place, and they are almost always there to mingle with the rest of the neighborhood that shows up...the food was eclectic, artsy and pretty good, but I said that if I wanted to interact with people the way everyone in there was, I would go to synagogue more often...my people...
Day 345 - July 24th, 2008
"Yeah, we got international cuisine, cookin'..."
On my Y-Rock shift on Friday, I asked for e-mail to help me out with a feature I'll be doing this coming Friday...I want to feature songs that are sung by someone other than the lead singer of a band...I'm not sure if I want to include guest vocalists (that is, someone who is not in the band at all), of if I want to save those for another time...if you think of any examples of microphone-trading in the indie/alternative world, be sure to e-mail me by Friday!...
And in case you were curious, here's what I pulled out of my closet on Thursday (I didn't have a chance to take a picture of them until I got home on Friday)...
Day 346 - July 25th, 2008
There's also some stuff from camp mixed in with the recycling...I'm so eco-friendly...
Saturday, Mom, Dad and I took a trip to New York City...it was the first time I had been up there in a few years, and the first time in longer than that since I spent a whole day there...we parked around 2nd and 9th and went to Toy Tokyo, Love Saves The Day and got Belgian fries at (where else?) Pommes Frites...we went to Trash & Vaudeville (more accurately, just Trash), where I got a PiL shirt and saw a poster for Black Kids (so it's not just us)...we took a cab uptown to Times Sqaure and went to the sprawling M&M's store and the surprisingly lame Hershey's store...what's rather cool is that the cabs have TV's along the back of the divider between the back seats and the front bench with a taxi network on them...such technology!...we then walked to the World Of Disney store, where we bought a lot of stuff for three people who are going to be in Disneyland in 2 weeks (!!!!)...
The main reason we went to New York was so Dad and I could see a performance by XRP...for a few years in the late '80s and early '90s, the four guys we saw were offically known as Rockapella...with tenor/professional Jew Sean Altman, high tenor Steve Keyes, baritone/scat singer Elliiott Kerman and the lowest of bass singers Barry Carl, XRP put on a show unlike anything you'd ever see from the group that calls themselves Rockapella these days...their set was comprised mostly of covers, as well as many songs that probably haven't been performed since this incarnation ended with Steve's departure in 1991...highlights included "Zombie Jamboree" (with Barry's "This next song is about an iiiiiiiisland" intro), "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?" (of course), and "Flat Tire" (complete with choreography as seen in Spike Lee's 'Do It A Cappella')...
Day 347 - July 26th, 2008
After the show, Dad and I met up with Mom at the new location of 2nd Avenue Deli (no longer on 2nd avenue)...at "toity-toid and toid", the place looks like they've been there forever, but is still fresh, shiny and charming...our waiter even brought us shots of chocolate soda with our check!...
What I love most about New York is how, no matter what time it is, there is always something going on...we were eating around 10:00, and it could just as easily have been 2:00 in the afternoon...when we headed back to our car, there was not a single street that didn't have people in it...we made a final stop at Search & Destroy, where I got a really ugly vintage shirt for just $18...once I get it dry-cleaned, I'll wear it all the time because I can...
The three of us were so freakin' tired after coming home around 3:00 in the morning, yet we somehow made it to a little get-together for my aunt's birthday and I went to the Folk Show (which was thankfully low key as Gene was at Falcon Ridge this week and Chuck Elliot filled in for him)...
While I was waiting for the train, I was reading the Philadelphia Weekly's cover story, about a guy named Matt Davis and his musical project, Aerial Photograph...
Day 348 - July 27th, 2008
I saw Matt and Aerial Photograph open for the Paisley Haze Quintet back in the day, and remember them as being very boring...then again, I wasn't exactly expecting a live classic film score to open for a bunch of my jazz fusion-playing buddies...as it turns out, Davis now composes monthly pieces about Philadelphia and performs them at Tritone...I'd hate to see their fans get confused and show up on a night that Prowler is performing...on second thought, I'd love to see that...
Goodness knows what is going on this week...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
I'm the changingman - built on shifting sands
I'm the changingman - waiting for the bang
As I light my bitter fuse |
|
|
| Lookin' like a poor man's Arthur Baker |
[Jul. 22nd, 2008|10:11 pm] |
Perhaps when Project 365 is completed, and posts won't have to be so darn long, I will update more often...until then, here's another near-week in review...
On Thursday night, I saw the inimitable Robyn Hitchcock with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) whatawaster ...it was indeed a lovely time...doors opened way long before Robyn actually took the stage, so whatawaster and I exchanged countless stories of strange concert experiences, the world of music journalism and what we have on our respective iPods...I made her a 2-CD mix of (what I thought to be) mainly obscure new wave music, but I find now that she might already know many more songs than I could've anticipated (which is most excellent!)...she says that she can't remember setlists, but luckily I'm compulsive like that and remember a bunch of tunes that Robyn did between tales of how Bowie's David Live was recorded here in Philadelphia...the solo acoustic set featured a few songs from his most recent record, Olé! Tarantula, namely the title track and "Museum Of Sex", as well as some hits he had with The Egyptians, like "Oceanside", "One Long Pair Or Eyes" and "She Doesn't Exist", some oddball solo tunes, such as "DeChirico Street" and "Victorian Squid", and my favorite song of his, "Idonia" from 2003's Luxor...he also had some very curious merch for 'sale'...there was a sort of silent auction for three small green traffic cones that Robyn had turned into art (by drawing on them with a Sharpie)...
Day 338 - July 17th, 2008
There are evidently 23 cones in all, and, when all assembled together, tell a story called "Dawn Of The Green Cones"...
Friday was Robyn Hitchcock day continued, as he was the guest for the Free At Noon concert...of course I went to see him again, and he did a few of the same songs as the night before (even though he said that he wouldn't in case any people who were there Thursday night showed up on Friday!)...I brought my copy of Luxor to play "Idonia" on Y-Rock and got Robyn to sign it...he even remembered my name from the night before (but still wouldn't pose for a picture)...we sat rather far from the stage for the concert on Thursday, so my pictures weren't too good...luckily, I got a bunch more from alongside the stage on Friday...
Day 339 - July 18th, 2008
The irony is that I'll probably get a new and improved camera just in time to not take a picture everyday anymore...oh bother...
The rest of my shift went rather well, and I did a little salute to Paul Weller's career when I gave away tickets to his show in September (which I am very excited for)...
Saturday was an interesting sort of day...I was invited to a friend's house for her graduation party...I went to high school with her, and though she's only two or so years younger than I am, I felt really old when it hit me that she's only now graduating from high school...after all, it's only been two years since I graduated from high school myself, but I have been so far removed from that world for the whole of those two years...between college and work (and a big dose of not talking to anyone I went to high school with), I feel like I have not only burned my bridges, but did so rather quickly...the best part is, though, I don't feel that bad about it...if I felt like maintaining connections with the people I graduated with, I certainly would have...then again, the school I went to is now at a different location and operates under a different name...I guess I'm not the only one who's moved on...
On a lighter note, the people at Tastykake seriously need to calm down...there must be something in the water there; how else could you explain these new products coming out so close to each other?...
Day 340 - July 19th, 2008
...it's just pure madness I tell you!!...
After that silliness, I had a nice breezy evening on The Folk Show on Sunday night...Gene had been in Okemah, Oklahoma the week before (during our festival)...he was attending an annual gathering that celebrates the life and music of Woody Guthrie called 'WoodyFest' (which would also be a great name for a John Waters film festival)...Gene took with him a digital audio recorder to record little interviews and things with performers and organizers, and brought it in on Sunday night to have me figure out how to get those recordings onto a computer...
Day 341 - July 20th, 2008
...it really wasn't that tough to figure out...it's actually a neat little device and starts a new track when you hit 'record', so there's no way you can record over something you've done...neato!...
Yesterday is going to be tough to explain in writing...I came up after my Y-Rock shift ended at Noon to have lunch with Mandy$ (formerly of Philly Local, currently of the other side of the office) at World Cafe Live Upstairs...the special was 'breakfast for lunch' with strawberry pancakes and scrambled eggs...it was totally pancakes...
We start noticing that there are a bunch of groups of young girls milling around the building, mainly towards the World Cafe Live side...as it turns out, that night there was a show with a guy named Teddy Geiger, who was apparently involved with a few music-related TV shows back in 2006 that no one who wasn't a 14 year-old girl saw...his current tour has a tie-in with CoverGirl makeup (pretty hilarious), and there was evidently a 'contest' where the first however-many people to show up with a thing of official lip gloss would be admitted to sit in on Teddy's soundcheck and have a meet & greet with him...because of that, the building gradually filled up, and I feared that shopping malls in the Philadelphia area were becoming deserted...by 4:00, the lobby and staircase smelled like a giant Jolly Rancher, and the girls were sitting all across the stairs, making it difficult to navigate without stepping on a Prada backpack...don't they know how terribly boring soundchecks are?...sheesh...
Also, most of Dr. Dog were performing live on the air during the Leicht Lunch, and Helen was playing a bunch of songs from their terrific new album, Fate, which made for a great soundtrack to pancakes...
At any rate, Joey O. (of the Y-Rock) gave me a few buttons from an NBC campaign...literally!...
Day 342 - July 21st, 2008
I'm not sure what show the 'Lipstick is my pick' one is for, but it is rather pink...I'm going to give the 'Law & Order'-related ones to my grandparents, who not only collect political memorabilia, but pretty much watch nothing but 'Law & Order' all day and night...on a side note, Vince D'Onofrio looks great for a guy who blasted his brains out back in 1987...
Today was my big debut as a DJ...no, no, I mean as a live DJ...I spun for Happy Hour at World Cafe Live Upstairs...I didn't take notes on what I played, but it was everything from classics like Roxy Music, the Happy Mondays and Pigbag to brand new tracks from CSS, the Brighton Port Authority and The Rapture...it was a lot of fun, and a few people even commended me on my picks...
Day 343 - July 22nd, 2007
Join me again next Tuesday from 5-7 as I play more different songs (I might even mix it up and go with a one surf/one swing theme!)...
That should be all for now, but I'll leave you with a mighty cool video:
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Today on this program you will hear gospel,
And rhythm and blues, and jazz
All those are just labels
We know that music is music |
|
|
| 52 364/365 |
[Jul. 16th, 2008|08:19 pm] |
There are oh so many reasons why I've been away for so long...actually, there are only a few reasons, but each one of them is a pretty big deal...good thing I'm back to tell you all about them!...for your own safety, you might want to grab something to drink or use the restroom before reading any further...it's okay, I'll wait...
Back already?...great, here goes!...
I found some stickers in the kitchen last Wednesday...they were evidently sent from Aetna and are supposed to be stuck on a calendar to remind you to do various health-related things...as if that wasn't great enough, they all have pictures and half of them are in Spanish!
Day 330 - July 9th, 2008
The 'Obtener Medicamentos' sticker would most definitely be all over my calendar following the activities of the long weekend...
Thursday night kicked off the 2008 XPoNential Music Festival...though I was not working there, I went to the grounds that night with Mom and Dad to enjoy the music of Jim Boggia and The Blind Boys Of Alabama...there were a few other performances that were just okay (which would be the theme for the whole weekend, at least for me)...the Blind Boys were pretty neat, since they have been around for so many years but have only recently gotten the attention and the acclaim that they (and all the members that have passed away) deserve...it was quite literally a religious experience, akin to Dr. John's NonCOMM performance or the legendary Allen Toussaint at our festival a few years ago...
Day 331 - July 10th, 2008
 Friday was slightly more complicated...XPN was broadcasting the entire festival (from both stages, natch), so I was scheduled to be on the board at 3:00 after an abridged World Cafe...I figured that I would have enough time to get over to the XPN studio after my Y-Rock shift (which ended at 3:00), but I really had to rush myself over...it all worked out, both for me and for the technical stuff on the Festival end that fed the audio from each stage...there weren't really too many bands over the course of the weekend that I just had to see, but one of the groups I was glad I saw was The Redwalls...they were already a Project 365 picture from when I saw them at the Drexel showcase, so I picked a shot of the waterfront and skyline during Alejandro Escovedo's set...
Day 332 - July 11th, 2008
It was really funny how all weekend (as well as at previous XPN festivals) artists are saying "It's great to be back in Philly" and "Thank you, Philly!"...I guess if the stage was facing the other way (or if they took time away from making interns bring bags of ice to the tour bus they refuse to leave), they'd realize that they are in Jersey, which is pretty much Philadelphia anyway...
Saturday was the real start of my stint at the Festival, as I mixed the live audio for the performers at the Kids Corner Garden (insert retired fanfare)... it was really great working with all of the performers, like Bubboon's Tunes ("The Cheese Song"), John Hadfield ("Robot Monkey Head") and Skip Denenberg ("Teach Me Your Magic")...most of the setups were very small, at most a guitar and keyboard, and the performers themselves were very helpful (even if they were wearing costumes that made the heat even worse)...
After the Kids Corner Garden closed Saturday evening, I got to see the one band I had not seen before that I was particularly looking forward to...from his work with shoegazers Galaxie 500 to the psychedelic dream pop of Luna, Dean Wareham has done so much in contrast to what's popular in the music world...his wife and collaborator, Britta Phillips (the voice of Jem of 'Jem and The Holograms'), now perform as Dean & Britta...though their new material might not be as arresting as Luna's best, they are still a cut above most other acts that emulate the 4AD style...you may remember that I met Dean and Britta when Dean came to XPN to record a World Cafe interview about his book, Black Postcards, and that Dean wasn't feeling so well...Saturday, however, they were both in top shape and wowed the audience with renditions of "Words You Used To Say", "Singer Sing" and "You Turn My Head Around" (all from their latest, Back Numbers)...also in the mix were some of their classic covers, like Serge Gainsbourg's "Bonnie And Clyde" (a hidden duet with Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier on Luna's Penthouse) and a version of New Order's "Ceremony" (from Galaxie 500's On Fire)...
Day 333 - July 12th, 2008
I was joined on Saturday by my cousin, Blair, who seemed to enjoy the bands that he saw (since I was in the Kids Corner Garden all day, though, I'm not sure who any of those bands were)...
The final day of the Festival came rather quickly...maybe it's because I was away from the hectic hustle and bustle of the main areas of the Festival, but everything seemed to glide by without issue...Sunday featured a special celebration for Kids Corner's 20th anniversary, featuring a performance by Trout Fishing In America (truly the greatest band in the world...take that, The Hold Steady!!)...not only did the duo put on a terrific little set, but they drew a huge crowd of people who came over from the main Festival area to join the celebration...I got to talk to Ezra and Keith afterwards, and they were very thankful for all of my help, and I told them how they were not only my first concert, but probably my first, like, eight concerts since they played at the Keswick about every other week in the early 90s...they got a kick out of that...
Unfortunately, Trout Fishing put on such a great show that they were a tough act to follow...I kinda felt bad for Miss Amy, who played to a considerably smaller audience than Trout Fishing did not minutes before, but she had one thing Keith and Ezra didn't have: a penguin-shaped hamper full of scarves...
Day 334 - July 13th, 2008
The Kids Corner stage rolled to an enjoyable close with a set from local favorite folkie John Flynn, who leads a double life as a Guthrie-esque folk singer and as a wonderful family songwriter...most of the time, it's a combination of both of those lives that makes John such a great performer, for the kids and for the adults...the Festival itself ended with a set from Joan Osbourne, and yes, she did "One Of Us" (which she didn't even write; Eric Bazilian did!)...
After the Festival weekend, I was too tired to do anything...of course, instead of sleeping for a week, I went into work at 9:00 for a Y-Rock shift on Monday morning...that acted as a sort-of bucket of ice water remedy instead of a good night's sleep, but I'll take what I'm given...Mom came to pick me up after work, and we headed to Atlantic City...we would be visiting my aunt and uncle and their new baby (spare no exclamation points) early the next day, so we stayed overnight at my grandparents' apartment in Ventnor (with my grandparents, of course)...it's been a while since I was in Atlantic City at night, and I was fascinated by the light projections being thrown on a newly built tower behind the Borgata casino...
Day 335 - July 14th, 2008
Yeah, I know it's not a great picture, but the apartment is rather far from the Borgata...luckily, we're on the sixth floor, so I didn't have anything blocking the view...
Yesterday was my new cousin, Elijah Walter's Bris...in case you don't know what a Bris is, it's a ritual circumcision...if you're still in the dark, do yourself a favor and stay there (or look it up yourself, because there's no way I'm having my blog come up in searches for descriptions of it)...as it turns out, though, I'm not so bad with kids after all...I took my other cousins, Alyssa and Isabella, out of the room while the Bris itself was being done, and kept them occupied until all was well...we did all sorts of things, like feel the breeze coming from an air conditioner vent and play with our feet...it's true, I'm the best cousin ever...and for those with even the coldest of hearts, behold my new cousin in all his 'aww'-inducingness!...
Day 336 - July 15th, 2008
I said that I'm going to get him a tiny pair of Doc Martens and a onesie with the Ramones logo on it...he's going to be the coolest kid in school...man, I'm going to be 42 when he's my age now...yeesh...
Yesterday was also my parents' 24th wedding anniversary...next year, we'll be singing the "Happy Anniversary" song in Vegas!...
I was back at XPN today where I sat in on a World Cafe taping with the Dodos...the San Francisco-based duo's music is hard to pin down...it crosses into many styles, including folk, experimental, and even country, and their new album, Visiter, features intense, claustrophobic interplay between guitarist/singer Meric Long and drummer Logan Kroeber...their session wasn't bad, though I am disappointed that they didn't do "Fools", the one song of theirs that both XPN and Y-Rock are playing...I would have loved to see them perform live, but they cancelled their performance (which was supposed to be tonight) a couple weeks ago, but curiously remained on-board for the Cafe taping...
After all this, it's a good idea to get a lovely beverage (because you're likely done with the one you got at the beginning of this post)...why not enjoy my recent find at a Jersey Target:
Day 337 - July 16th, 2008
If you want to know what they're like, check out the Onion AV Club's Taste Test feature on them...it beats the socks off of anything I could've come up with for the seemingly comatose Main Fizz...
Tomorrow I'm seeing Robyn Hitchcock with whatawaster ...think of it as a cross-blog experience (as the kids would say)...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Don't say what you mean
You might spoil your face
If you walk in the crowd
You won't leave any trace
It's always the same
You're jumping someone else's train |
|
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| Help save the youth of America |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|02:32 pm] |
I always get a kick out of seeing bands that have been performing for many decades...it's all too common to see young, newly-formed bands with firecracker energy on record and in concert, but bands that have lasted the years and maintained their original attitudes are always a pleasure to see...usually, they aren't promoting any new recordings and are just touring to have a good time and relive their musical past...I felt this way when I saw Stan Ridgway, Lou Reed and Was (Not Was) (although they were touring in support of a new album, their show was a showcase of their whole career)...over the past few days, I've added two more legendary bands to the list of concerts I've been to...
Friday night was Mission Of Burma, the Boston post-punk pioneers, who played an ear-shattering set comprised mainly of their debut EP, Signals, Calls, And Marches...mix together Roger Miller's manic guitar work (and almost knocking the microphone stand into my face at least a dozen times), Clint Conley's controlled but unusual bass style (he uses a lot of chords and other uncommon tactics) and Pete Prescott's explosive drumming (along with the band's distinctive tape loops coming from the mixing board) and you have an evening of guys who look like your dad making music that might scare your parents...there were even a few haphazard sing-alongs (most people only know the choruses to their songs), especially on "Academy Fight Song", "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" and "This Is Not A Photograph"...they also did one of my favorite songs of theirs, the non-album track "Peking Spring"...on top of all that, the basement of the First Unitarian Church (the same place where I saw Vampire Weekend) was like a freakin' oven...
Day 318 - June 27th, 2008
Yeah, it was really hot in there...and outside, the sky couldn't decide if it wanted to rain or not, so everyone had umbrellas that didn't end up getting used...
Yesterday, I went to work at the Y-Rock table at the second day of the Paul Green School of Rock Festival...I'm pretty sure I've expressed my disdain for the whole 'School of Rock' thing in the past, so I won't get into it too deeply...pretty much, I have a hard time believing that 'Rock' can be taught or learned, and after seeing the bands of kids that performed throughout the day yesterday, I have even less faith in the future of music...if there was one telltale sign that something is wrong with the 'School of Rock', it's when a kid no older than 10 took to the main stage in KISS-esque facepaint and shouted "Are you ready to rock??...Do you like metal?!?...I hope so"...at least he was courteous enough to ask before launching himself into a screamy, bangy frenzy that was more noise than music (and not even the good Sonic Youth noise)...there were some bands that were performing inside the tent where the Y-Rock table was set up that were so grating that Adrienne and Erin (who were also helping out) and I just had to leave...
Now, no one in their right mind would subject themselves to an event of this nature unless there was some big payoff at the end...luckily, some real bands were booked to play throughout the festival's three days...Friday featured the Butthole Surfers, today's guests are The Dropkick Murphys and Less Than Jake, and yesterday's headliner was Devo...as if to not only make up for all of the lousy bands I had seen throughout the rest of the day, Devo's set just about made up for every bad concert I've ever been to (okay, so maybe not Adrian Belew opening for They Might Be Giants, but it came pretty close)...of course they did their best-known songs, like "Jocko Homo", "Girl U Want" and the iconic "Whip It", but also dug a little deeper for "That's Good", "Blockhead" and "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA"...it's very funny to hear the audience chanting "We Are Devo!", clearly unaware of what the band's main message is...as bassist Gerry Casale said in between songs, "it's been a long way down since the Constitution was written here 200 years ago, huh?"...no truer words have been spoken about this fair city...
Day 319 - June 28th, 2008
Naturally, there will be more pictures of Mission Of Burma and Devo (including an appearance by Booji Boy) in my Concert Gallery...
Tonight's Folk Show will feature a "Live Radio Concert" from local zydeco (?!?) band Zydeco A-Go-Go...tune in and bring your dancing shoes...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Time's a-comin'
When a new breed say
Welcome tomorrow
Instead of yesterday |
|
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| Seafood, mama |
[Jun. 19th, 2008|02:17 pm] |
Over the past few days, there have been a few run-ins between XPN people and crew on Penn's campus that are filming the sequel to "Transformers"...evidently, they have been shooting the movie in the Philadelphia area for a few weeks now (did the first one take place in Philadelphia, too?)...the crew has taken over some of the parking lots that we use for Free At Noon parking, and have generally been causing scenes (and not in the way they're supposed to)...Sunday night, there were searchlights playing around the sky all night, and they seemed to be coming from the street below the Walnut Street bridge...after I was done with The Folk Show (which was even more sunshine-hippie-tastic than usual) and catching some of Jesse Ruben's set with glitterglamgirl , I set out to find what was making the searchlights...
Day 306 - June 15th, 2008
Yeah, so it was a truck the whole time...a little less impressive than say, one of the Transformers, but for all I know that truck's a robot in disguise...
On Monday I was back at XPN for my Y-Rock shift (I'll post the playlist in a bit)...I was actually going to be there all day and night, since Dad and I (and our friend Steve) would be seeing The Puppini Sisters that night at World Cafe Live...in case you are not familiar with their music, The Puppini Sisters are three young, British ladies who are not really sisters (and only one is actually named Puppini), who emulate a legendary American set of (real) sisters, The Andrews Sisters...while The Puppinis do plenty of close-harmony standards, like "Hold Tight, Hold Tight", "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" and "Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano", they do many modern songs (and even a few originals) in that style...some of their modern tunes include The Smiths' "Panic", Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" and even Beyoncé's "Crazy In Love"...their concert was a showcase of their repertoire and feisty personas, and was a lot of fun all around...
Day 307 - June 16th, 2008
...after the show, they came down the steps at the side of the stage and walked right over to me (!!), and Kate (in the blue) gave me a kiss on both cheeks and told me how much she liked my outfit (you can see my picture with the Sisters on the MySpace)...I told them that I heard their version of "Walk Like An Egyptian" over the PA system at Appel Farm, and they said that they hope to see me again sometime ("Maybe we'll actually play at that festival!")...it was a lot of fun, and there's three of them!...
There are very few things that I like about watching the news...if you've read my blogs for a while, you'll remember the many times that something I saw on the news has set me off into a Penn & Teller-like opinionated fury...certain things just don't belong on the news, or don't deserve as much coverage as they are generously given...I was rather surprised that there wasn't so much coverage of the recent scare over some bad tomatoes (not to be confused with the killer variety)...as a matter of fact, I've seen more up-to-date coverage of the state of the tomatoes at Wawa than on the news...various updates on the FDA's decisions regarding the quality of the tomatoes they use in their salads and sandwiches have been posted all over the stores for the past few weeks...luckily, though, the scare evidently ended on Tuesday...
Day 308 - June 17th, 2008
Not that I even like tomatoes, but it's good to know that we can stop being scared of produce...for now...
Last night, Y-Rock was broadcasting live from the R.E.M. show at the Mann Center...I was back at the station op-ing the board...there were a few technical things here and there, but all went well in the end...there wasn't really anything for me to do during the music sets, but luckily I had my lovely beverage with me...
Day 309 - June 18th, 2008
Though it's not exactly a fistful of limes, it was lovely nonetheless...
Later today, I think I'll be getting a new cell phone, since my current one (aside from being smooshed from when I collapsed onto my butt at the movies in December) has started shutting off intermittently...oh well...
Free at Noon with Carly Simon tomorrow, and maybe other things, too...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
All you see is all you'll get
He's trying to buy some kind of medal
He's not sure of all he has
But avarice is all that he's made of
And everybody knows |
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| Crisp |
[Jun. 9th, 2008|10:28 pm] |
I have a totally reasonable and 'aww'-inducing explanation for my lack of a recent update, but I'll save the sad sappy stuff for a little later on, since I (by which I mean you) have got some catching up to do...
We last left off with me going to XPN on Wednesday in search of something to do...while I didn't exactly find any spectacular jobs that had to get done there, I did put away just about all of my laundry when I got home, which is a bigger production than you might expect (then again, if you know me, you shouldn't be very surprised)...first, I went through my closet and bureau and set aside any shirts I didn't want anymore...after that made some space, I folded and put away all of the shirts that were previously in teetering stacks in the laundry room...there was just barely enough space for all of them, which was pretty satisfying...
Day 295 - June 4th, 2008
...and that's not even a quarter of the stuff I had to fold and put away...okay, well maybe it is, but it's definitely not half!...
For those of you know don't know, Mom is going on a trip to Florida this week...Dad and I aren't going along, but we'll keep ourselves properly occupied (or occerly propupied) for the time she's gone...she'll be driving down with my grandparents, so she asked me to make a bunch of CDs for them to listen to in the van...I made eight or so mixes of stuff, culled from XPN, Y-Rock and our own favorites, as well as a few single-artist mixes...she also asked to take along one of my portable CD players for her to listen to at night...it made me think back and struggle to remember the last time I carried around a DiscMan and a wallet of CDs...weird...
Day 296 - June 5th, 2008
That happens to be the last DiscMan I ever bought...an mp3 CD player, even...I remember taking that to camp and having about 20 CDs with about 15 albums each on them...oh how times change...
On Friday, I went in to XPN with a full day of things to do...Y-Rock shift was a lot of fun, of course, and I got a bunch of new albums as well...during the day, my cousin 'graduated' from her pre-school, so we had dinner at my grandparents' house to celebrate...it was cute, especially with the cookies that Mom got shipped from a company that does a lousy job of packing and shipping baked goods so that they arrive at their destination in one piece...oh bother...
Day 297 - June 6th, 2008
Saturday was the real reason I haven't updated in almost a week...Mom, Dad and I went to the Appel Farm Arts & Music Festival in Elmer, New Jersey...the 20th annual festival featured sets from They Might Be Giants, Marc Cohn, The Smithereens, Matt Duke, Suzanne Vega and many more...we got in with the help of our dear friend Gene Shay, who got passes for the three of us...what he (or anyone else) neglected to tell us is that Elmer, New Jersey is located in lovely, scenic The Sun...personally, I blame Vienna Teng: I fell asleep on our blanket during her set, and when I woke up, I had some of the worst sunburn I have ever had (aside from when I got badly burned on a camp trip to a Kentucky water park)...I've spent the last two days slathering my arms and face with moisturizers and other such concoctions...at least the other performances were enjoyable...here's The Matt Duke...
Day 298 - June 7th, 2008
To whomever it may apply: flail away...
As I mentioned, I've been covered in moisturizer since Saturday night, which made doing anything beyond lying down hard to do without getting everything all sticky (and definitely not in the good way)...I'm really good at just lying down all day, but I had to help out at The Folk Show last night...luckily, the guest that night (local buddy John Francis) was just going to do a small performance, so I had time to rest and hydrate...when I got back home, well, what else?...
Day 299 - June 8th, 2008
Today was an interesting day at XPN...between everyone commenting on my sunburn (and my moustache, now that you can see it since it doesn't blend into my skin anymore), I did my Monday Y-Rock shift and got even more new albums...I had a music meeting where we added a bunch of songs that I recommended, like new music from The Zutons, Fleet Foxes and Paul Weller...listen for all those and more on my show this Friday from 11:00am - 2:00pm (eastern)...yeah, I'm on for an hour less because they're running an hour-long radio special about the new Coldplay album at 2:00...yeah, I know...
You may remember that I helped out at the Non-COMMvention a few weeks ago...well, today I got a thank-you package containing the free stuff I would have amassed had I gone to more of the events...most of the contents aren't much of anything (save for a few neat radio samplers and Dr. John's new album), but the bag itself is rather nice...
Day 300 - June 9th, 2008
...it'll go great with my Lost Highway "Get Lost" t-shirt...
Goodness knows what's in store for tomorrow, but if my life is anything like a B-horror movie (which it often is), the subtitle might end up being "The Peeling"...gross, I know...
Moral of the story: The outdoors suck; avoid at all costs
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Do the Wall Street shuffle
Hear the money rustle
Watch the greenbacks tumble
Feel the Sterling crumble |
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| NonCOMMbustication |
[May. 31st, 2008|08:39 pm] |
To round out the Memorial Day weekend, we went to New Jersey (again) to have dinner with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle who live in Smithville (which is kinda near Atlantic City)...we had dinner in this fish/seafood place which had nautical decor all over...
Day 286 - May 26th, 2007
After the elongated weekend, I headed back to XPN on Tuesday to find that there wasn't really much work for me to do...I spent some time sprucing up the Y-Rock MySpace page with some new PhotoShop effects that I learned over the weekend...there are a few sites that offer tutorials on how to do various PhotoShop effects, things like how to make a photo look like Pop Art, how to make things look old and grainy, and a few more complicated things...one effect, in particular, caught my fancy, both for the effect itself and the sample picture used in the tutorial...the "Circuit Board" effect...
Day 287 - May 27th, 2008
I mean, if you're going to turn a picture into a circuit board-like pattern, why on earth would you want it to be a picture of a fox?...whatever...
On Wednesday, I stayed at home and straightened up my room a bit...I also received what might be my favorite album of the year so far, and I haven't even listened to it all the way through yet...
Day 288 - May 28th, 2008
I like how that angle and lack of scale makes it look like a record, but it's actually a CD sleeve...not only that, but that's the limited edition sleeve featuring Ron...the regular sleeve features Russell at the microphone and the monkey at the piano...goodness, those guys are brilliant!...
Erin and I watched "I'm Not There", as well as part of a documentary about the making of the terrific soundtrack...unfortunately, they didn't talk to Stephen Malkmus at all (they did, however talk to Lee Ranaldo, who doesn't look anything like you'd expect the guy behind "Mote" and "Karen Revisited" to look like)...
On Thursday, Dad and I went to Willow Grove Mall, where Dad got his hair cut and colored Josh Pincus Red...as he was getting that done, I wandered around the mall, finding that it is slowly getting more and more sucky...so many stores are either closed or closing, and the ones that are still open aren't very great...even the Disney Store is closing in accordance to the recent reacquisition of the stores by the Disney Company...I did, however, bump into my friend and fellow XPN'er Valerie (the Philly Local intern), which was a pleasant surprise...
Dad and I went to the supermarket on Wednesday as well, and got something so genius, I had to wait until Thursday to try since I needed to prepare myself mentally for this occasion...
Day 289 - May 29th, 2008
It's a wonder it took a company this long to make such a great product...and a warning: if you make a comment about "getting caught in the rain", there's going to be trouble...
Yesterday was the second day of the 8th annual NonCOMMvention, sort of like NERFA, only better and not creepy...the convention is a gathering of Triple A radio people from all over the country...this year, it was hosted by XPN, and took place at a few different places in the Philadelphia area...last night, the events were at World Cafe Live...I volunteered to help load the bands' gear in and out, which also granted me access to the performances that were going on all night (and I do mean all night)...of course, I was at XPN anyway for my Y-Rock shift (which went very well) and other assorted work...after all of that, I registered and got my NonCOMM badge (yes, I kinda did need a stinkin' badge)...though not part of the convention, the first performance I saw was from Forro In The Dark, who happened to have a gig upstairs that night...you may remember that I saw them when they came here last year, and was incredibly impressed...the same goes for this time, and I may have even turned a few more XPN people on to the Brazilian group's sound...
The first performance of the convention that I saw was by Ani DiFranco (who I held the XPN office door open for earlier in the day)...while I was never really a fan of hers, I was still happy to see if only to say that I have seen her...I know that there are many people I know who would be very jealous to hear that I was so close to the stage and to Ani during her set (it really wasn't as crowded as I would have expected, so it wasn't all that hard to get right up front)...during her set, I noticed a few members of other bands that would be performing later, namely the lead singer of Carney and the keyboard player from The Hold Steady were standing right next to me...
The load-in work wasn't a big deal at all...the two bands that had to be helped out didn't have that much stuff, and we had a lot of people (including the members of the bands) helping out...those bands were Back Door Slam and the aforementioned Carney, but more on those two later...
One performance I was particularly looking forward to was from Dr. John...for as long as I can remember, I've been a fan of his music...while his more recent albums haven't really been as strong as his classic records, it's kinda hard to make anything better than some of his records, no matter who you are...he did a lot of songs from his upcoming new album, The City That Care Forgot...for the title song, he invited Ani DiFranco onstage to sing with him...it's moments like that that make me want to go to more events like this...
Day 290 - May 30th, 2008
I took a ton of pictures, so I'll post those in my Concert Gallery in a little bit...
After Dr. John's set, I went back upstairs to catch up-and-coming group Carney...while their songs derive a lot from gritty blues, they have a very theatrical edge to them as well, mostly seen in lead singer Reeve Carney's Plant-ian wail...they did material from their new Nothing Without You EP, as well as a fantastic version of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"...I'm hoping that these guys get the attention they deserve, because they put on a great show (despite the fact that it was around midnight!)...the other band, Back Door Slam, is the latest object of XPN's affection...while I am not really a fan, I can tell that they are going to be a hit at the Festival this summer...by the end of the night, our ears were shot, and we (the volunteers) were being bothered by an inebriated Chris Parsons, formerly the drummer of Polak a Britpop grop formed from the ashes of '80s-inflected shoegazers Adorable...it was interesting for a while, but became old fast...Back Door Slam weren't in any rush to leave, so most of us left before they had loaded out, though there were still plenty of people who could lend a hand (at least that's what we were told by the band's manager)... After last night, it's a wonder I woke up at all today...when I did wake up and make breakfast, I ended up falling asleep again...when I woke up again, I found that Mom and Dad had brought dinner from Peace A Pizza, which was delightfully unexpected...
Day 291 - May 31st, 2008
Does "Gourmet Style Pizza" count as unnecessary "quotation marks"?
Tomorrow is Arts In The Park, or more accurately, Dogs In The Mud...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
A lot of words but no one talking
I don't want no part of that
Something real is what I'm seeking
One clear voice in the wilderness |
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