Yikes. That's not something I'll attempt again for at least a year. I was talking with a friend today about the idea that as I get older I become more insular and detached from people. I know a part of it is getting involved in the projects I find myself spending all of my time on. Lincoln Calling this year was such a huge part of my life once summer rolled around. A lot of my friends were out of town on internships or having graduated moved away for jobs.
But it was fun (for the most part) to work on Lincoln Calling this year, and seeing so many of my friends at the shows this weekend felt great. I saw displays of raw emotion that are rare in some of the people I know. And knowing that I contributed to an all out dance party at Box Awesome was a great feeling as well.
One of my favorite moments was walking into Duffy's Tavern while Gito Gito Hustler was playing and there was a standing room only crowd in the music room. Smiles everywhere and a band full of Japanese girls on stage with the lead singer in a heavy accent yelling "are you ready to rock and roll?!" The crowd responded with a resounding yes.
People who interviewed me in the media asked "why, why do you do this Jeremy?" And I might have been able to give them a stock answer at the time, but I managed to put some thought into really answering the question.
I know a part of it is my ego. I want to prove to myself and everyone else that I can handle the challenge of something this big and arduous and be successful when it's go time. Is the monetary pay out at the end of the day worth the time that I put in? No? Do I feel validated when people tell me I did a good job of putting it together? Not really. But seeing people let themselves go, if only for a little while, and knowing I played a little part in that feeling that I love so much in myself, is all I think I really need.
I know I'm gaining invaluable experience that I'll be able to use in some occupation later in life...maybe. If anything I'm passing the time until something better comes along.
Goodbye LC '07, it was a good run.
10.07.2007
8.01.2007
Thoughts on Lincoln Calling preparation
It's crunch time guys. Last few weeks before school starts and I still need to confirm with at least ten bands. Some of those not yet confirmed are pretty close to it, but not definite. I'd like for them to be so I can start spreading the word in earnest. At least the weekend is a little later this year so I have some time to work with.
It's great to think that this is something that I do the bulk of the work putting it together. When the weekend comes I sometimes feel like downtown Lincoln is all mine for three days. But until that weekend I have a lot of anxiety and stress that comes from doing this in my spare time. It's still work, but it's work I do after I do the stuff that I get paid to do.
But I think all in all I've had a rather productive summer. I wrote probably 40 articles, reviewed 20 or so CDs, worked 30+ hours a week at a warehouse and found a job bartending. I'm still broke all the time, but at least I'm progressing.
Listen to kexp.org, it's good stuff.
It's great to think that this is something that I do the bulk of the work putting it together. When the weekend comes I sometimes feel like downtown Lincoln is all mine for three days. But until that weekend I have a lot of anxiety and stress that comes from doing this in my spare time. It's still work, but it's work I do after I do the stuff that I get paid to do.
But I think all in all I've had a rather productive summer. I wrote probably 40 articles, reviewed 20 or so CDs, worked 30+ hours a week at a warehouse and found a job bartending. I'm still broke all the time, but at least I'm progressing.
Listen to kexp.org, it's good stuff.
6.04.2007
On a ratings scale of 0-6
I have no idea where I'd rate on the Kinsey scale. Even after I finished "The Inner Circle" this morning after waiting the whole weekend to read the last 20 pages. Guess that's what happens when you have to leave the book at work.
Another offering from T.C. Boyle, and I'm realizing I think I've already read his best works in "Drop City" and "The Tortilla Curtain." "The Inner Circle" is a fictitious account of the period of time when Dr. Alfred Kinsey was doing his now famous sex research. Told from the point of view of an assistant, it blends facts with a fictional story to give Boyle a background in which to tell a story about sex and ultimately love.
An interesting story, but it dragged on (430 pages) and ultimately the point was something he could've gotten to much quicker. Still like his writing style, just wish he had stronger plots at times.
I'm al
most done with "Fast Food Nation," which I'd been reading at home but I picked it up at work after finishing the Boyle, since it is also in stock at the warehouse. I wonder how long it will be until I eat fast food again. It's been more than a week now and I don't even want to buy hamburger at the store and cook it myself. A fantastic story in its own right, a non-fiction documentary style account of how fast food became a national obsession and all of the costs, economical and human that have come with the transformation. It name drops Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" a lot, a 1906 account of what kind of conditions meat packers worked in in Chicago's meatpacking district. might be worth picking up as well.
But I think when I'm done with this one I'm going to try and find something a little fluffier. Or the new Chuck Pahlaniuk. One of the two.
I grabbed The Police's new double disc greatest hits collection and I think I'm having a rediscovery of how good classic rock can be. At work we listen to a lot of classic stuff on the radio and I hear songs from time to time and I realize that I miss them. Being super hip and keeping up on the next big thing has its drawbacks. At times it seems like every band has a very short shelf life and for the most part bands are more likely to break up than make even five albums, making it difficult to find long lasting loyalty to any given band.
Go Pink Floyd!
Another offering from T.C. Boyle, and I'm realizing I think I've already read his best works in "Drop City" and "The Tortilla Curtain." "The Inner Circle" is a fictitious account of the period of time when Dr. Alfred Kinsey was doing his now famous sex research. Told from the point of view of an assistant, it blends facts with a fictional story to give Boyle a background in which to tell a story about sex and ultimately love.
An interesting story, but it dragged on (430 pages) and ultimately the point was something he could've gotten to much quicker. Still like his writing style, just wish he had stronger plots at times.
I'm al
most done with "Fast Food Nation," which I'd been reading at home but I picked it up at work after finishing the Boyle, since it is also in stock at the warehouse. I wonder how long it will be until I eat fast food again. It's been more than a week now and I don't even want to buy hamburger at the store and cook it myself. A fantastic story in its own right, a non-fiction documentary style account of how fast food became a national obsession and all of the costs, economical and human that have come with the transformation. It name drops Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" a lot, a 1906 account of what kind of conditions meat packers worked in in Chicago's meatpacking district. might be worth picking up as well.But I think when I'm done with this one I'm going to try and find something a little fluffier. Or the new Chuck Pahlaniuk. One of the two.
I grabbed The Police's new double disc greatest hits collection and I think I'm having a rediscovery of how good classic rock can be. At work we listen to a lot of classic stuff on the radio and I hear songs from time to time and I realize that I miss them. Being super hip and keeping up on the next big thing has its drawbacks. At times it seems like every band has a very short shelf life and for the most part bands are more likely to break up than make even five albums, making it difficult to find long lasting loyalty to any given band.
Go Pink Floyd!
6.02.2007
The Icky Shuffle
more like the WinAmp shuffle since I'm not a big fan of iTunes. Maybe I should be. I made a playlist of all the random songs I have on my computer that aren't in a folder for a particular album to see what kind of stuff I've picked up over the last three years (length of time I've owned this piece. It's all over the place, songs like Garth Brooks' "Somewhere Other Than the Night" and Toni Braxton's "Just Another Sad Love Song" I don't think you'd expect to find on my computer. But there are some treasures that I would never think to just listen to just because, like School of Fish's "Three Strange Days" and The Toadies "Possum Kingdom." That Toadies song comes on the box sometimes at the Watering Hole and it's always a treasure.
Went to Art Walk First Friday for the first time last night. Got downtown a little late because I was procrastinating but it's great to see a vibrant arts community out and about. Saw a lot of people I knew and more that I didn't but in all I was impressed with the amount of people roaming from gallery to gallery. My friend Alyssa came along and told me about a list she's compiling called 1001 things to do in 101 days. Obviously supposed to be sort of motivating and full of things you don't usually do or have thought about attempting but haven't yet.
I know of a couple things that will probably make my list:
____ number of pushups. Will have to do the math and come up with a reasonable number, like 2,000 or something. That's only twenty a day.
Talk to my brother Jason, it's been more than two years since we last spoke.
Write my brother David a letter. He will never talk again and that's a shame, but he can hear just fine so I'll have to put that on there.
Email my friend Jacob. He emailed probably ten days ago and I haven't replied yet. We met in fourth grade (1987) so we've known each other 20 years. Long time. Good memories, and bad times that are laughable now, like fighting each other when we were on the same soccer team. Then we went to the baseball card shop and bought and opened a box worth of 1988 Score.
Send my mom a poem I wrote her on her birthday when I was a junior in high school, it's pretty basic and not at all good, but the sentiment is there. I'll share it with ya:
She
Special times in our lives, those are times we do hold dear.
Those times are over oh too soon, that's the time that we do fear.
We're here right now so live today as if it were your last,
'Cause when you're done you can't go back to it that was your past.
Tomorrow is forever; today is just for now,
if you've never lived before today I'll show you how,
because eternity is a long time for me not to have shown,
all the emotions and the feelings I wish she would've known.
pretty corny if you ask me. Instead of ever sending it to moms I wrote it on a little piece of paper and stuck it in my crush's locker while I was pretending to go to the bathroom. I saw her read it after class but I never told her it was me.
The day's have been up and down as of late. The end of each school year means more friends leave to explore their futures after college. Most don't return. We keep in touch, but most close friendships are based on proximity which doesn't exist nearly as much when Lincoln and Little Rock, Portland and Montrose are so far away from each other.
But I learned something when I moved to Lincoln. Your future is what you make it. I don't even play Powerball meaning my chances of winning are nil. But if I want to get of any funk I'm ever in I know I just need to get busy. Summertime for me is organizing Lincoln Calling, saving money for the next move and reading books. Sure there's drinking and video games and movies and whatnot, but keeping busy is the key. At least for me.
No particular point to this post, Michelle was giving me hell for being so non-existent in the blog world so I thought I'd just ramble a little bit.
Went to Art Walk First Friday for the first time last night. Got downtown a little late because I was procrastinating but it's great to see a vibrant arts community out and about. Saw a lot of people I knew and more that I didn't but in all I was impressed with the amount of people roaming from gallery to gallery. My friend Alyssa came along and told me about a list she's compiling called 1001 things to do in 101 days. Obviously supposed to be sort of motivating and full of things you don't usually do or have thought about attempting but haven't yet.
I know of a couple things that will probably make my list:
____ number of pushups. Will have to do the math and come up with a reasonable number, like 2,000 or something. That's only twenty a day.
Talk to my brother Jason, it's been more than two years since we last spoke.
Write my brother David a letter. He will never talk again and that's a shame, but he can hear just fine so I'll have to put that on there.
Email my friend Jacob. He emailed probably ten days ago and I haven't replied yet. We met in fourth grade (1987) so we've known each other 20 years. Long time. Good memories, and bad times that are laughable now, like fighting each other when we were on the same soccer team. Then we went to the baseball card shop and bought and opened a box worth of 1988 Score.
Send my mom a poem I wrote her on her birthday when I was a junior in high school, it's pretty basic and not at all good, but the sentiment is there. I'll share it with ya:
She
Special times in our lives, those are times we do hold dear.
Those times are over oh too soon, that's the time that we do fear.
We're here right now so live today as if it were your last,
'Cause when you're done you can't go back to it that was your past.
Tomorrow is forever; today is just for now,
if you've never lived before today I'll show you how,
because eternity is a long time for me not to have shown,
all the emotions and the feelings I wish she would've known.
pretty corny if you ask me. Instead of ever sending it to moms I wrote it on a little piece of paper and stuck it in my crush's locker while I was pretending to go to the bathroom. I saw her read it after class but I never told her it was me.
The day's have been up and down as of late. The end of each school year means more friends leave to explore their futures after college. Most don't return. We keep in touch, but most close friendships are based on proximity which doesn't exist nearly as much when Lincoln and Little Rock, Portland and Montrose are so far away from each other.
But I learned something when I moved to Lincoln. Your future is what you make it. I don't even play Powerball meaning my chances of winning are nil. But if I want to get of any funk I'm ever in I know I just need to get busy. Summertime for me is organizing Lincoln Calling, saving money for the next move and reading books. Sure there's drinking and video games and movies and whatnot, but keeping busy is the key. At least for me.
No particular point to this post, Michelle was giving me hell for being so non-existent in the blog world so I thought I'd just ramble a little bit.
5.13.2007
Whenever I was a child I wondered what if my name had changed into something more productive, Like Roscoe.
Short post here, but if you are a fan of Midlake, a modern day Fleetwood Mac in my opinion I just found a remix of the band's hit "Roscoe." It's good to know that music can still give me the chills even if I don't smoke anymore.
Check it:
http://www.worlds-fair.net/mail/MIDLAKE.mp3
Check it:
http://www.worlds-fair.net/mail/MIDLAKE.mp3
5.09.2007
25 books this summer?
The title of this post may or may not be a ridiculous attempt, but I'll know in a couple weeks. I took a summer job at the Nebraska Book Company. Nothing crazy, about $8 an hour, basically moving books around and sorting them alphabetically. Kind of like I did as a kid with baseball cards by number, player or team. It's been slow so far since a lot of the shipments won't come in for another week or two, giving me a few minutes here and there to sneak in a couple pages.
I finished my first book today, T.C. Boyle's latest, "Talk Talk."
Boyle is one of my favorite authors and I consider his book "Drop City" one of my favorite all time reads. In "Talk Talk" he goes about telling the story in his same whimsical manner, adding all kinds of minute details that leave me in awe of his ability to craft a scene.
The story basically revolved around a man and a woman who date, the woman is deaf and the man isn't. They figure out when she gets arrested for outstanding warrants that someone has stolen her identity and is racking up credit card debt and felony charges against her all over the West Coast. The two spend the entirety of the book tracking down the thief and much craziness ensues. I was a little let down with the book. I didn't care much for the protagonists because they seemed to make some pretty stupid decisions, and the identity thief didn't go down in flames in a manner that I was hoping for at the end of the book. But I do realize that Boyle isn't about creating stories that tell us what we want to hear. Instead he crafts characters who have realistic flaws.
We get angry at our friends and family and ourselves for doing stupid shit all the time. So these characters are realistic, but that doesn't necessarily make them likable. In any case, it was an enjoyable read, it just didn't meet my expectations.
After I finished the Boyle book I immediately picked up "Smashed" and started reading.
I'm only about 30 pages in but I guess it tells the story of a girl who starts drinking at the age of 14 and takes the habit to some pretty extreme places. It hasn't gotten dramatic yet, she's still a freshman and wanting more opportunities to lush it up, but I'll keep you posted as to how it turns out.
In other news I got my grades for the semester and the lowest was a B, by far my best semester ever. Go me.
I finished my first book today, T.C. Boyle's latest, "Talk Talk."
Boyle is one of my favorite authors and I consider his book "Drop City" one of my favorite all time reads. In "Talk Talk" he goes about telling the story in his same whimsical manner, adding all kinds of minute details that leave me in awe of his ability to craft a scene.The story basically revolved around a man and a woman who date, the woman is deaf and the man isn't. They figure out when she gets arrested for outstanding warrants that someone has stolen her identity and is racking up credit card debt and felony charges against her all over the West Coast. The two spend the entirety of the book tracking down the thief and much craziness ensues. I was a little let down with the book. I didn't care much for the protagonists because they seemed to make some pretty stupid decisions, and the identity thief didn't go down in flames in a manner that I was hoping for at the end of the book. But I do realize that Boyle isn't about creating stories that tell us what we want to hear. Instead he crafts characters who have realistic flaws.
We get angry at our friends and family and ourselves for doing stupid shit all the time. So these characters are realistic, but that doesn't necessarily make them likable. In any case, it was an enjoyable read, it just didn't meet my expectations.
After I finished the Boyle book I immediately picked up "Smashed" and started reading.
I'm only about 30 pages in but I guess it tells the story of a girl who starts drinking at the age of 14 and takes the habit to some pretty extreme places. It hasn't gotten dramatic yet, she's still a freshman and wanting more opportunities to lush it up, but I'll keep you posted as to how it turns out.In other news I got my grades for the semester and the lowest was a B, by far my best semester ever. Go me.
4.17.2007
ONe of those days where you'll remember where you were...
It's about 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday April 17. I went to bed last night a little after one a.m. and woke up just a little bit ago to the sound of trains warning as they passed through the intersections of a sleeping Lincoln. A new friend asked the other day how I ended up in Nebraska after growing up in California. I suppose a decent answer would've been "it's nice to hear trains at night instead of sirens." It might've needed further explanation, maybe not, but the answer in large part is as simple as that.
Yesterday some 30 plus students were shot and killed by another student on the campus of Virginia Tech. I remember hopping on the Internet yesterday morning and seeing a Yahoo headline saying a student had been shot and killed on VA Tech's campus and thinking, why do people feel the need to resort to gun violence so often? Just a few hours later the situation became much more dire, and I spent the rest of the day juggling homework, class and being glued to CNN to try and figure out the same details the rest of a stunned nation wanted to know. It's frustrating to watch press conferences where media seem so eager to find a place for blame. Questions were shouted at the president of the campus as well as a local high ranking police official demanding to know why they hadn't done a better job of warning a campus of more than 25,000 students and 10,000 employees plus who knows how many visitors, that a tragedy had struck. How is anyone to fathom that a person could commit an act so heinous? Anything like that is just so random and unpredictable that officials can only do what they can to try and control the situation when in reality there is no great way to control someone with the type of mind to do such a thing. To try and place blame on a group of people who want nothing more than for innocent people to be able to go about their daily lives is a farce of monumental proportions.
Add to that a statement made by representatives for the White House in the first moments of a press conference: "The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed," and you have to wonder how we've gotten so far away from the actual facts of the matter. People are dead. Virginia Tech's legacy as a public institution will forever be scarred. And America has a media that's trying to figure out how to make someone else the scapegoat and an administration trying to make a political issue out of the situation. It's quite appalling.
School's almost over for the year. The weather has turned nice and lately I've felt like there is a purpose in life and I'm getting closer by the day to finding it. Some coversations lately have got me to thinking about what my purpose might be. Hopefully the next few weeks will be filled with good times and creating memories that I'll hold dear because it's nice to know that people love me. Sometimes I lose track of that. Don't forget what's important in life is all I can say.
Yesterday some 30 plus students were shot and killed by another student on the campus of Virginia Tech. I remember hopping on the Internet yesterday morning and seeing a Yahoo headline saying a student had been shot and killed on VA Tech's campus and thinking, why do people feel the need to resort to gun violence so often? Just a few hours later the situation became much more dire, and I spent the rest of the day juggling homework, class and being glued to CNN to try and figure out the same details the rest of a stunned nation wanted to know. It's frustrating to watch press conferences where media seem so eager to find a place for blame. Questions were shouted at the president of the campus as well as a local high ranking police official demanding to know why they hadn't done a better job of warning a campus of more than 25,000 students and 10,000 employees plus who knows how many visitors, that a tragedy had struck. How is anyone to fathom that a person could commit an act so heinous? Anything like that is just so random and unpredictable that officials can only do what they can to try and control the situation when in reality there is no great way to control someone with the type of mind to do such a thing. To try and place blame on a group of people who want nothing more than for innocent people to be able to go about their daily lives is a farce of monumental proportions.
Add to that a statement made by representatives for the White House in the first moments of a press conference: "The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed," and you have to wonder how we've gotten so far away from the actual facts of the matter. People are dead. Virginia Tech's legacy as a public institution will forever be scarred. And America has a media that's trying to figure out how to make someone else the scapegoat and an administration trying to make a political issue out of the situation. It's quite appalling.
School's almost over for the year. The weather has turned nice and lately I've felt like there is a purpose in life and I'm getting closer by the day to finding it. Some coversations lately have got me to thinking about what my purpose might be. Hopefully the next few weeks will be filled with good times and creating memories that I'll hold dear because it's nice to know that people love me. Sometimes I lose track of that. Don't forget what's important in life is all I can say.
4.15.2007
A couple of good shows
Finally made it up to the Waiting Room this week, twice in fact. Tuesday saw my rookie excursion for some Man Man and I didn't really know what to expect except for maybe mayhem. And that's pretty much what I got. When the band hit the stage the wore all white and there were instruments absolutely everywhere! All of the band's members played several instruments throughout the night performing music that was described to me as The Decemberists on crack and I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment. At one point the singer, who goes by Honus Honus, poured some water into a small metal bowl and threw a spoon into the bowl for the desired sound. The crowd of maybe 100-150 people ate it up. Everyone was jumping around and surprisingly more than a few people knew the words to the songs. Very impressive.
Thursday was another fun night. After a rollicking good, if not at some points scary, time at the Bemis Center's annual Slide Jam I made my way down to The Waiting Room for some Eagle*Seagull action. They just got back from a pretty extensive European tour and man are they tight! They were missing some equipment prior to the set so I hope they found it, but they didn't play anything from the album that has been released, but they did play three songs I had never before heard performed live.
I grabbed a set list from Eli (vocals) after the show and what the sound of that band has become is going to take them places for sure. Tim McMahan of the Omaha Reader had this to say about the band's performance:
"Just returning from a lengthy European tour, Eagle*Seagull was road-hardened last night, and maybe a bit road weary. I think I've mentioned before that they seem to be evolving into a Franz Ferdinand-style dance band. That certainly wasn't evident during the first couple songs, which bore the same piano-driven ensemble feel that can be heard on their debut. But as the night wore on, the back-beat dance grooves kicked in. There were at least three songs that could -- and should -- be career-defining club hits (and that will likely be on their new album), including a simple dance number with the line "We came to dance" that will eventually find itself onto a lot of mix tapes (if that new record is ever released). Their other highlight was the set-closer, a love-song anthem with a killer chorus that was angelic."
I don't think I'll make it to any shows this week but Antibalas is playing Knickerbocker's Friday if anyone is interested.
4.09.2007
I need to stop liking so much music. Or at least cheap, live music. I went to The Balance last night because I hate to miss what they might pull out of the hat. It was Jake, the guitarists b-day, so the show had a special kind of feel to it. My roommate decided it would be a good night to have a party so I had to decide between the two events.
As per usual, The Balance won the battle, at least until the show was over. Jake wooed me into staying by showing me the set list prior to the show. Little Brazil opened, they rocked, and were not too off put by my heckling from the stands. The Balance ripped it up as usual, did a great rendition of my favorite song "Hesitation" as well as a few spot on covers. First up was Bruce Springsteen's "Dancin' in the Dark" and the band's bassist Sam Larson might've found a song that fits his vocal style well. Next up was The Police's "Message in a Bottle" and I've gotta say that that was some of the best drumming I've heard by Brett to date. The night ended with a doubling up of Pink Floyd, first with Nate Green on solo keys from "Nobody Home" which segued into a great "Comfortably Numb."
This week Man Man on Tuesday at the Waiting Room (my first visit) and again on Thursday for Eagle*Seagull. I might go to another show on Friday, we'll see how my pocketbook and ears are feeling. In other news it's almost 12:30 a.m. on Sunday and I have about nine pages of a ten page paper to write before noon tomorrow. Gotta go.
As per usual, The Balance won the battle, at least until the show was over. Jake wooed me into staying by showing me the set list prior to the show. Little Brazil opened, they rocked, and were not too off put by my heckling from the stands. The Balance ripped it up as usual, did a great rendition of my favorite song "Hesitation" as well as a few spot on covers. First up was Bruce Springsteen's "Dancin' in the Dark" and the band's bassist Sam Larson might've found a song that fits his vocal style well. Next up was The Police's "Message in a Bottle" and I've gotta say that that was some of the best drumming I've heard by Brett to date. The night ended with a doubling up of Pink Floyd, first with Nate Green on solo keys from "Nobody Home" which segued into a great "Comfortably Numb."
This week Man Man on Tuesday at the Waiting Room (my first visit) and again on Thursday for Eagle*Seagull. I might go to another show on Friday, we'll see how my pocketbook and ears are feeling. In other news it's almost 12:30 a.m. on Sunday and I have about nine pages of a ten page paper to write before noon tomorrow. Gotta go.
4.04.2007
The events that occurred somewhere between last week and today…
Many of them are kind of blurry, through a haze of boulevard keg beer from the kegerator, Jager Bombs after each successive gambling victory and a band called Jackyl you’d think my weekend was complete. But Tuesday came and still I felt the remnants of what could be called a pretty good time.
I can’t remember Thursday night amounting to much, a lot of the same ‘ol same ‘ol. But Friday night was a little crazier, Saturday was insane and Sunday, we’ll just call Sunday overkill.
Friday night
3.29.2007
Dialogue
Paul: Who would you rather have sex with? A dolphin or a sheep?
(time to ponder)
Me: A dolphin. Seems like there would be more lubrication.
A couple minutes later...
Paul: Hey Mark, who would you rather have sex with, a sheep or a dolphin?
(without pause)
Mark: A dolphin. I've heard they know how to have a good time. (Or something relatively close to that).
Nothing about tonight was too outlandish. Weekdays are difficult for getting amped to be outlandish, we all have class or some kind of responsibility to attend to. Instead we played trivia trying to name off players from sports teams of years past. I hadn't heard the name Mickey Morandini in a long time.
(time to ponder)
Me: A dolphin. Seems like there would be more lubrication.
A couple minutes later...
Paul: Hey Mark, who would you rather have sex with, a sheep or a dolphin?
(without pause)
Mark: A dolphin. I've heard they know how to have a good time. (Or something relatively close to that).
Nothing about tonight was too outlandish. Weekdays are difficult for getting amped to be outlandish, we all have class or some kind of responsibility to attend to. Instead we played trivia trying to name off players from sports teams of years past. I hadn't heard the name Mickey Morandini in a long time.
3.28.2007
Upcoming shows I'm interested in:
It would be nice to make it to the Waiting Room in Omaha tonight for Dirty On Purpose/Besnard Lakes/Spring Gun but it's not going to happen. I'm making it to Omaha less and less anymore and I think a big part of that is not being motivated to find road tripping partners. Gas sucks too.
But there are shows later this week, this weekend and beyond worth mentioning.
On Thursday, 3.29.07, Mew will perform at Knickerbockers. The Danish band is making waves on alternative radio and has been compared by Allmusic.com to the likes of Radiohead, Coldplay and Malajube. Not a bad bunch of bands to be lumped in with. Tickets are a bit steep at $15, so I'm still iffy on this one. 9 p.m. start time, 18+.
Friday gives blues fans a chance to check out the Blues Messengers at Meadowlark Coffee for a free evening show.
Saturday, 3.31.07, has a couple different shows to offer. Moonshine Still will be at Knickerbockers doing their southern indie rock jamtronic fusion, whatever that means. Speakeasy is opening the show. Tickets are $8 for this 18+ show and are available through Rad Kadillac's Web site.
Over at the Chatterbox local rock legends Ideal Cleaners have a show with New Zealand's Die, Die, Die and Omaha's Latitude, Longitude. Tickets for this 9 p.m. show are probably five bucks.
The show I'm most tempted to see has more to do with my curiousity of how much alcohol a group of friends can consume during a single concert. Jackyl, a 1980s mainstay on the mainstream rock charts with songs like "Down on Me," is playing up at Coyote Willy's. Legend has it the band often used a chainsaw on stage as an instrument that made certain chainsaw-like sounds. One part 1980s hair band, one part guys who love to drink equals, well, I'll have to tell you about it on Sunday or Monday. But it should be a good time. Tickets for this one are $15. Ouch.
Expect another update early next week with some more upcoming shows.
It would be nice to make it to the Waiting Room in Omaha tonight for Dirty On Purpose/Besnard Lakes/Spring Gun but it's not going to happen. I'm making it to Omaha less and less anymore and I think a big part of that is not being motivated to find road tripping partners. Gas sucks too.
But there are shows later this week, this weekend and beyond worth mentioning.
On Thursday, 3.29.07, Mew will perform at Knickerbockers. The Danish band is making waves on alternative radio and has been compared by Allmusic.com to the likes of Radiohead, Coldplay and Malajube. Not a bad bunch of bands to be lumped in with. Tickets are a bit steep at $15, so I'm still iffy on this one. 9 p.m. start time, 18+.
Friday gives blues fans a chance to check out the Blues Messengers at Meadowlark Coffee for a free evening show.
Saturday, 3.31.07, has a couple different shows to offer. Moonshine Still will be at Knickerbockers doing their southern indie rock jamtronic fusion, whatever that means. Speakeasy is opening the show. Tickets are $8 for this 18+ show and are available through Rad Kadillac's Web site.
Over at the Chatterbox local rock legends Ideal Cleaners have a show with New Zealand's Die, Die, Die and Omaha's Latitude, Longitude. Tickets for this 9 p.m. show are probably five bucks.
The show I'm most tempted to see has more to do with my curiousity of how much alcohol a group of friends can consume during a single concert. Jackyl, a 1980s mainstay on the mainstream rock charts with songs like "Down on Me," is playing up at Coyote Willy's. Legend has it the band often used a chainsaw on stage as an instrument that made certain chainsaw-like sounds. One part 1980s hair band, one part guys who love to drink equals, well, I'll have to tell you about it on Sunday or Monday. But it should be a good time. Tickets for this one are $15. Ouch.
Expect another update early next week with some more upcoming shows.
Show Review: Tim Reynolds, Knickerbockers, 3.27.06
I'm not sure how I'm going to go about writing these reviews, but I think for now I'll go with general impressions. I wasn't overly excited about going to see Tim Reynolds last night because of a long day at school, but a friend convinced me to go and I can say I'm a better person for it.
I missed the local opener, Tsumi, which is too bad, because I'd like to get my hands around as much local music as possible. I don't think I've seen Tsumi yet, which is too bad because the band has been kind about asking for some of my attention. It's sometimes difficult to commit myself to seeing three bands when I don't know much about any of them, and Tsumi lost the battle this round.
Ferrick was at the peak of her set when we arrived. Alone on stage with just her guitar she seemed pretty taken in by the crowd's appreciation for her efforts. I was also impressed. It was a smallish crowd, but one that seemed enraptured by her music and let it be known in between songs. Her music was described by my show companion "sounding like Sheryl Crow but it doesn't suck," though he added that her wasn't sure that meant he liked it. I thought it was fun, maybe a little too Lillith Fair in style for my liking, but not bad by any means.
I'd interviewed Tim Reynolds prior to the set for a preview in the Omaha City Weekly. Show previews are something I'm quite familiar with writing and sometimes they all seem to blend together with the same questions and answers. Sometimes though, the musician being interviewed will come up with something I know has to make it into print. In Reynolds case that sentence was: "I didn’t see any of George Bush’s sphincteral way of thinking and a media that doesn’t sell news just to get ratings," in response to a question about his recent tour experiences in Europe. Sphincteral isn't exactly a real word, but I love it nevertheless.
For his set, he too performed alone. Two guitars graced the stage, both acoustic, one a six-string the other with twelve. All I really knew about Tim Reynolds before doing research for the article was the "Live at Luther College" album he collaborated with Dave Matthews on. What I didn't know is that he is incredibly serious about his technique on the guitar. He used a variety of loops and sound effects to create songs I never would've thought could come from a guitar. At other times his finger speed was so tremendously quick I found myself wondering what kind of practice has to be put in to master such a skill.
The songs themselves weren't overly catchy or mainstream in the slightest. But to witness his skill is something I'm glad I got around to at least once. I don't think I'd go out of my way to see a repeat performance anytime soon. But if I was a guitar player it would probably be a much more rewarding experience.
As for the crowd during the show, it seemed to thin out about half way through Reynolds set, probably because of the early in the week date and time of night. Some of the people that stayed forgot how to not be obnoxious. Granted, sometimes I'm that guy so maybe I don't have the right to bitch. But Reynolds' music seemed the type that requires a good deal of concentration so to yell random shit out mid song seemed like it'd be considered tacky. Still though, yells of "You're a God!" and "Timmy!" (a la South Park) were still heard from time to time. This probably isn't casual knowledge, but I read in an interview that Reynolds HATES it when people yell out "Timmy!" at shows. I suppose his more dedicated fans know that.
After his set Reynolds walked into the bar area and into the Knickerbockers kitchen I think in preparation for shouts for an encore. But the sound guy turned on the house music and I think everyone figured they were good to go. He stayed in the kitchen for awhile before coming out to talk to fans, I wonder if there were any leftover George's tacos in there.
I'm not sure how I'm going to go about writing these reviews, but I think for now I'll go with general impressions. I wasn't overly excited about going to see Tim Reynolds last night because of a long day at school, but a friend convinced me to go and I can say I'm a better person for it.
I missed the local opener, Tsumi, which is too bad, because I'd like to get my hands around as much local music as possible. I don't think I've seen Tsumi yet, which is too bad because the band has been kind about asking for some of my attention. It's sometimes difficult to commit myself to seeing three bands when I don't know much about any of them, and Tsumi lost the battle this round.
Ferrick was at the peak of her set when we arrived. Alone on stage with just her guitar she seemed pretty taken in by the crowd's appreciation for her efforts. I was also impressed. It was a smallish crowd, but one that seemed enraptured by her music and let it be known in between songs. Her music was described by my show companion "sounding like Sheryl Crow but it doesn't suck," though he added that her wasn't sure that meant he liked it. I thought it was fun, maybe a little too Lillith Fair in style for my liking, but not bad by any means.
I'd interviewed Tim Reynolds prior to the set for a preview in the Omaha City Weekly. Show previews are something I'm quite familiar with writing and sometimes they all seem to blend together with the same questions and answers. Sometimes though, the musician being interviewed will come up with something I know has to make it into print. In Reynolds case that sentence was: "I didn’t see any of George Bush’s sphincteral way of thinking and a media that doesn’t sell news just to get ratings," in response to a question about his recent tour experiences in Europe. Sphincteral isn't exactly a real word, but I love it nevertheless.
For his set, he too performed alone. Two guitars graced the stage, both acoustic, one a six-string the other with twelve. All I really knew about Tim Reynolds before doing research for the article was the "Live at Luther College" album he collaborated with Dave Matthews on. What I didn't know is that he is incredibly serious about his technique on the guitar. He used a variety of loops and sound effects to create songs I never would've thought could come from a guitar. At other times his finger speed was so tremendously quick I found myself wondering what kind of practice has to be put in to master such a skill.
The songs themselves weren't overly catchy or mainstream in the slightest. But to witness his skill is something I'm glad I got around to at least once. I don't think I'd go out of my way to see a repeat performance anytime soon. But if I was a guitar player it would probably be a much more rewarding experience.
As for the crowd during the show, it seemed to thin out about half way through Reynolds set, probably because of the early in the week date and time of night. Some of the people that stayed forgot how to not be obnoxious. Granted, sometimes I'm that guy so maybe I don't have the right to bitch. But Reynolds' music seemed the type that requires a good deal of concentration so to yell random shit out mid song seemed like it'd be considered tacky. Still though, yells of "You're a God!" and "Timmy!" (a la South Park) were still heard from time to time. This probably isn't casual knowledge, but I read in an interview that Reynolds HATES it when people yell out "Timmy!" at shows. I suppose his more dedicated fans know that.
After his set Reynolds walked into the bar area and into the Knickerbockers kitchen I think in preparation for shouts for an encore. But the sound guy turned on the house music and I think everyone figured they were good to go. He stayed in the kitchen for awhile before coming out to talk to fans, I wonder if there were any leftover George's tacos in there.
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