if you have 5 minutes, this is quite an interesting commentary on what it's like to drive on I-285... (just click play down below)
2.28.2006
atlanta driving...
phil collins, a mullet, and a warbling seagull...
due to non-profit information technology, i have been blocked from communicating with the outside world during the day because all things went wrong with all computers here. needless to say, i am a couple of days late on this review...
show review:
Icons of the Underground
Dekalb Event Center
went to see: Second Shift
unfortunate enough to see: Midnight Ritual
in an attempt to fill an otherwise unexciting friday night with good music, we (me, wife, 2 good friends) decided to take a trip out to the dekalb event center to see second shift play a last second show. we looked up the directions and started on our way. 30 minutes, phil collins' greatest hits, and several loops around a strip mall that included a hispanic butcher later, we found the entrance to the dekalb event center, or atlanta live! as it is apparently also known. we parked with all the other cars and made our way to the box office window. having looked up the show online, we were expecting to pay the advertised price of $10 to get in the door, so we were all a little shocked to be asked for $16 a piece. "that's not what it says on the website, the site says $10", i said. "that's the advance ticket price", replied the guy behind the window. to which we replied, "ok, have a nice night", and turned to walk away. i had not even finshed my complete 180 before the "manager" (i assume this because he seemed to have some sort of authority to make deals) yells, "whoa, whoa, whoa. where ya goin?". "away", we reply. "why? what will it take?", he asks. at this point i am completely taken aback, having never negotiated, bargained, or bartered my way into a show before. thinking that the bands need to get paid, i always pay what i'm asked, so i am left stammering in my steps while my friend regains his composure quickly enough to state what should have been obvious, "we just thought it was $10". replies the manager, "alright, we'll let you in for that. i can't believe you were just gonna walk away..." (as if it were the most absurd thing ever). so we pay and in we go, or so i thought. in a night of concert firsts for me, i was patted down. now, i don't know what kind of shows i normally go to, but that has never happened to me before. it wasn't intrusive, just odd.
i hope you'll forgive the extensive background and description that is going into this review, but i'm finding it very difficult to portray exactly how strange this night was.
the space itself was enormous, not like in an auditorium/hall/theatre type of way but in a hotel conference center/ballroom kind of way. the walls were covered with white drapes with music notes projected onto them, with a bar lining each side wall and a bar all the way along the back wall (and based on the service, 1 bartender for the entire place). up front was the stage, set back into the wall, about 10 feet off the ground, a very grandiose positioning. but based on my pat down, it must have been that high out of necessity (very much different than the vibe at 10 high). in one corner of the room, there was a bed up on a stage with palm trees and a sign that read "Photos: $5.00", not even really sure where to begin with that. then dotted sporadically about the room were tall tables, with tall couches around them, with white tablecloths and candles. again, very odd vibe for a second shift show. we find a table to perch at, and begin looking around for any familiar faces, or even a familiar style of dress. we order some drinks and listen to dj sky, who put together a very interesting mix of old-school hip-hop that kept us fairly entertained for quite a while. oh, that and the drunk migdet looking fellow with the mullet who almost got beat up by every guy in the place for staring and then standing too close (6 inches at most) to the ladies that they were with.... fun. "wassa mattah, you godda prahblem wif me?", "no, just go back to your table", "wassa problem..." (stumble, fall).
what felt like 2 hours later, the first band came on... midnight ritual. as they took the stage, my spidey-sense was tingling that we might be in danger. the lead singer (female) was wearing a black leather mini-skirt with a white faux-fur vest and then matching white faux-fir leg warmers, the guitarist was wearing a purple velvet jacket, and the bassist had on a sleevless "spam" t-shirt. now, i'm not a fashion critic, but none of this adds up to anything good. normally any manner of dress can be forgiven if the music is right, unfortunately, there was very little redemption once they started playing. the music was a very weak stab at an indie-garage feel and the singer sounded like she was trying to imitate karen-o, but failing with the whole singing thing, plus karen-o just has an attitude and stage presence that you cannot duplicate. i wish i could say something positive, i usually try to, but there was just nothing. the faked attitude mixed with the bad music made them very unlikeable. they couldn't even give their music away, they tried, most people left it sitting on their tables.
after a break to switch out equipment, second shift took the stage.
the negatives: the sound system was obviously geared toward a more urban sound and at times the bass and kick drum were drowning out all other instruments, including the vocals. the height of the stage and the set up of the space did not lend itself toward a large amount of crowd participation which has a certain effect on a band in that they cannot feed off crowd energy as easily as they normally could, that and the crowd was standing 20 ft away from the stage and there were only 20 of them, everyone else remained seated.
the positives: every time i see baker and the guys perform, i am more and more impressed with how tight and solid they sound. they are performers and the music plays out well to a diverse audience. despite a lackluster audience, they put energy and effort into putting on a good show. the upcoming gig at the roxy on march 31st should be a barnstormer.
second shift left the stage and we left the dekalb event center....and listened to more phil collins. then we called it a night, a very strange, eventful, but ultimately satisfying night....and, thanks to a colorful cast of characters and second shift, worth every penny of my negotiated entry fee.
.beans.
2.24.2006
taking the designs of our backs...
if you like t-shirts and also cool designs then you should check out Threadless t-shirts. they accept t-shirt designs from regular folk and then they put them up on the web and have visitors to the site vote on them, and then print up a limited run of the winning t-shirt design. if your design wins you get $750 and $250 of store credit (about 16 shirts). you can also join a sort of "t-shirt of the month club" for $200 for a 12 month period, plus a $30 gift certificate when you sign up. so 14 shirts for $200.
anyway, if i could afford it, i would join. the designs are like the ones on the left here and pretty nifty as a whole.
.beans.
2.23.2006
what's the word i'm looking for...
be it vindication or redemption it doesn't really matter, because i won. weekly poker game went very well for me, all the way to the end (and 12:30am). i played a much better game and the luck went my way this time... and there was plenty of luck that came my way, i won't deny that.
that's all i have to say about that because i don't want to get yelled at for writing about this weekly event more than i apparently should be.
"...and i'm back in the game"
10 points for the movie quote.
.beans.
i'm ready for my close-up...
so, earlier this year i made the joke that the mythical album chinese democracy would come out in 2006 just like i would get famous for writing this blog. turns out i may need to start looking for a manager and an agent, any takers?
leaked G'n'R tracks give fans hope - yahoo! news
of course, the tracks have been pulled down so i can't find them anywhere, i was a little behind the curve on this.
i still have mixed feelings about "buckethead" on guitar. wait, no i don't....it's a stupid gimmick, give me slash any day.
.beans.
2.22.2006
everyone deserves a second chance...
so i heard this song forever ago and dismissed it because i was pissed that the guy left taking back sunday for this gig. but i just reheard it the other day, and in all fairness it is a good song and really catchy. i think you guys will like it, its so totally emo.
straylight run - existentialism on prom night
(i don't care what you say, tell all your friends is and amazing album and i still listen to it a lot)
2.21.2006
read all about it...
a new article is up at WCP by yours truly...
my wife told me that i should stop writing only about poker stuff (especially the weekly game) on this blog and add more diverse postings... so i put up the music post below, not because she said so, but because i felt like it. really, it was.
so i bring it to the people: do you, like my wife, hate me?
is there any other subject on which you would like to me to spit knowledge at you? like a white, severely less-talented krs-one... "because he's droppin', droppin', droppin' science, droppin history. with a whole leap of style and intelligency"...
10 points for the song reference.
::beans::
making things with your hands...
arts & crafts records seems to be much more than just a record label. they subscribe wholeheartedly to the D.I.Y ethic, but not in a "we can record in my basement and print our own flyers" type of way, but in a "we can host your website, design your album artwork, manage your band, and produce your album" kind of way. sort of a one-stop shop for all indie artist needs. and it appears to be working very well for them.
the canadian indie scene, especially in montreal, has exploded recently and has become the place to seek out "the next big thing", and arts & crafts is at the forefront of this movement. of course, not every band on the label is canadian (i.e. american analog set), but it is home to some of the best (in my opinion) canadian indie acts around at the moment. the label hosts each band's website and fan forums, as well as the usual tour date listings and merch shop. here is a description of themselves from their site:
the label also has a very familial atmosphere as members from several of the bands play in several of the other bands, with broken social scene being the sort of an all-star band. my new favorite, and recent e-music download, is the album set yourself on fire by stars. i highly recommend listening to this and then downloading the album for yourself (along with anything else that is on my list). the album is sort of a folky space-pop, ranging from swirling guitars to horns and acoustic guitar and then manufactured beats. alternating male and female vocals give for a diverse feeling on every track.Arts & Crafts is a record label, artist management, design house, distribution and production company... dedicated to the development and proliferation of beauty and greatness in all disciplines of the arts.
Our musical roster currently consists of Broken Social Scene, Jason Collett, Apostle Of Hustle, Stars, Feist, Valley Of The Giants, The Most Serene Republic, New Buffalo and The American Analog Set .
::songs::
the best way to listen to the music is to click on any of the band links above and let it stream. flash players are making downloadable mp3's more and more difficult to find, so i apologize. it might just be that technology has finally defeated me.
2.16.2006
the curse is over...
no money for me at the weekly poker game, i finished on the bubble. however, there were some very positive things to take out of the game: i played better, finished better, and i went up against pocket jacks and WON!!! it was a horribly loose call with my K-10 offsuit but i just had a feeling. when i saw the pocket jacks i started packing up my stuff and cursing the stars under which i was born....but then a king hit and the rest is just folklore. on the negative side, i'm still spending more on poker than i'm making at the moment.... although i'm pretty sure i'm still ahead on all time winnings.
i need to update my most recent e-music download list, which i will do soon. within the next few days will be a label review for some really good music that exists in canada...
some ::songs:: for your perusal:
enon - shave
the new year - chinese handcuffs
!!! - hello? is this thing on?
tv on the radio - dreams
two gallants - las cruces jail
hot hot heat - bandages
saint etienne - lose that girl
boysetsfire - requiem (NEW!!!)
jonah matranga - lukewarm (formerly of onelinedrawing)
2.09.2006
i don't even know what to say...
taken down by a suckout jack on the river again in the weekly poker game. it really is getting ridiculous and a little scary how much one card in the deck is completely working me over. i've been trying to remain philosophical about it but i'm gonna have to start looking up spells or something that will ward off hexes and the like...
another post on WCP is coming up so go check it out...
you should take a listen to sharks keep moving it's good music, i like it a lot. very mellow with the occasional vocals. there are members of a lot of really good bands in the line up, kind of like an indie all-star jam band without any of the "neo-hippie" connotations that might come along with that. i don't even know what i'm saying... just listen to it. it will make you feel better.
here is the description from their website:
Sharks Keep Moving are a hard band to describe. They are one of the few bands that the whole "ex-members of.." title doesn't do them any good. With past and current members of State Route 522, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Minus The Bear, On Alaska, The Blood Brothers & Kill Sadie they put a lot of diverse sounds into the music, but lack the hardcore genre they left behind. The Sharks sound is different. With the best aspects of a modern indie rock band. They capture the artistic lyrics Jake Snider sings while playing the off beat and complex signatures they write as a whole unit. I often say they are what would happen if Don Cabalerro and Karate were mixed into one batch of goodness. What it all comes down to is you need to experience them for yourself. After a short break up, the band is back playing together, so expect nothing but great things for the future.::songs::
sharks keep moving
- jet's jets
- logger
- try to sleep
anybody have any post suggestions or musical finds that they would like to share?
2.08.2006
spreading the love....
go check out Wicked Chops Poker where i will be contributing the odd poker story now and then, including this gem about....gems.
stay tuned here for more music stuff...
wholly inappropriate, but i couldn't stop laughing...
unless you have a german sense of humor, do not watch this....
commercial for german eyesight stuff, or optics, or something:
2.07.2006
a quick set of reviews...
i have downloaded a bunch, but haven't listened a bunch, which seems backwards...
inkwell chaos reveals rhyme - picking up where he left off with my hotel year, travis (lead singer) is vocally much stronger and his pop sensibilities reside comfortably on his sleeve with his heart. this is poppy deliciousness with some guts. the glass is half awesome is my favorite song, so check it out. also visit them at their myspace page.
goblin cock bagged and boarded - what a brilliant name, and the album cover is great as well. this project features rob crowe of pinback fame and has a very unique sound. sort of a dirgy musical feel with his piercing tenor cutting through, makes for an interesting dichotomy.
portugal. the man waiter: "you vultures!" - formed from the remnants of anatomy of a ghost, portugal. the man borrows heavily from that sound and produces a very technical musical underlay with melodic, harmonious, and at times dueling, vocals. very good listen and highly recommended by this writer. myspace page.
2.06.2006
in kind of an awkward position...
my office was struck by a version of the kamasutra virus because we use non-profit virus software .... and i'm the de-facto IT guy in the office based on the premise that i know what a virus is at all, and that's not good.
quote of the week:
"i got an e-mail attachment that looks like it could be pictures from a contact of mine in russia and it is zipped. i've tried to open it a bunch of times but nothing happens. can you help me?"
2 hours later our whole system was f'ed...
all that to say that i haven't already bailed on my "frequent posting" commitment, i've just been wholly preoccupied with trying not to lose all of my files, which failed.... i lost all of the files on my c: drive.
the network drives did survive so i'm back at work, yay (sarcastically).
more of our regular content to follow.
::beans::
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