25 things January 31, 2009
Posted by bbop in Uncategorized.3 comments
So there’s this thing going around Facebook right now where you’re basically supposed to write “25 random things, facts, habits or goals about you” and then send it along to 25 of your friends. Since I still have quite a few Luddite friends who refuse to get on Facebook — and so I can have more than one whole post this month — I figured I’d post my list here as well. Maybe you’ll learn something about me that you didn’t know before. Or maybe you’ll be deathly bored, in which case you probably shouldn’t be reading this blog in the first place.
(Actually you faithful blog readers are seeing this before the Facebook community because I can’t figure out how to include 25 people on my note. It’s only letting me add like eight or nine. Hopefully I’ll get someone to help me figure out what I’m doing wrong.)
So without further ado, 25 things about me:
1. Coming up with 25 things that somebody would be remotely interested in seems kind of daunting.
2. I wonder how much longer I can keep this up.
3. I would have a much easier time telling you what I don’t want to do with my life than what I want to do.
4. If money weren’t a consideration, I would totally want to open or work in a used record and/or book store.
5. I went to high school much further away from home than I did college (Exeter, N.H. for the former and Evanston, Ill., for the latter). Probably the happiest sustained time in my life thus far was my last year and a half of high school.
6. I used to be really into tennis when I was younger. I took lessons, went to several camps and pored over magazines and books for tips. Sadly, I can’t remember the last time I played.
7. When I was seven, I cried hysterically after the Cubs lost the 1984 National League pennant to the Padres after taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. I still curse Steve Garvey.
8. I’m not really sure why I went to journalism school, other than for the sake of getting a master’s degree. On a somewhat related note, I still do my best to adhere to AP style.
9. I’m not a fan of mushrooms, either for edible or narcotic purposes.
10. If everyone has a hidden talent of some kind, mine is apparently the ability to drink virtually unlimited quantities of fountain Diet Coke.
11. I get slightly uncomfortable when I don’t have a something to drink on hand, and tap water doesn’t count.
12. I really, really dislike snakes, to the point where I almost can’t even stand to look at a picture in a book. Unless it’s cartoony. Then it’s sort of OK.
13. Before I got into a car accident about 18 months ago, I had never broken a bone or spent the night in a hospital.
14. I haven’t owned a car since the accident, and haven’t really missed it that much.
15. Though I never mind going to a movie with a friend or friends, I actually prefer seeing them by myself.
16. I am quite fond of certain delicacies of the upper Midwest, such as Vernor’s ginger ale and blue moon ice cream.
17. Aside from music, I think I probably get the most enjoyment out of traveling. I could be slightly off, but by my count I’ve visited 46 states (I don’t seem to recall ever spending any significant time in the Dakotas, Wyoming or Nebraska), 24 countries (not including the U.S.) and four continents (have yet to set foot on Africa, South America or Antarctica).
18. Currently at the top of my list of places I most want to visit: Japan.
19. My mom hasn’t been very healthy for most of my adult life and she talks about dying more than I think is healthy. It kind of bums me out.
20. I love handwritten notes, cards, letters, etc. I end up saving almost all of the ones I get.
21. My celebrity crush: Kate Winslet.
21. No idea why, but I have a fascination with swimming pools. Not so much your garden variety backyard pool, but more like enclosed bodies of water in weird places — along the lines of rock pools (like they have in Australia), hot springs and rooftop pools.
22. In college, I spoke in a “lingo” derived primarily from the Wayne’s World and Austin Powers movies. I think some people I knew during that era still expect me to talk that way.
23. My parents are both allergic to alcohol, so I always assumed that I was too. I probably wouldn’t have drunk in high school anyway, but that was certainly a big reason why. Turns out I just get the Asian flush, which I quickly discovered after consuming my first beer — which, for the record, was a Guinness in London the summer after my senior year.
24. I wish I were a faster reader, so I could get through more books. Also wish I knew more about how to listen to jazz.
25. This is going to be the year the Cubs win the World Series. I’m tired of waiting until next year, dammit.
My year in music, more or less January 11, 2009
Posted by bbop in music, nostalgia.Tags: Alejandro Escovedo, Big Star, Bon Iver, British Sea Power, Flight of the Conchords, Jamie Lidell, Kathleen Edwards, Old 97's, Randy Newman, Tilly and the Wall, Vampire Weekend
4 comments
We interrupt our regularly — or not so regularly — scheduled programming to bring you an attempted summation of 2008 as it related to my musical experience. In some ways, I have to admit that I find this whole year-end exercise dumb, or at least a bit futile since I haven’t even written about more than half of 2008 here yet (though I swear that I’m going to eventually catch up!) Not to mention, I’m certain there are plenty of details I have already forgotten about.
There are also plenty of things that don’t neatly fit into this “top 10 list” format. Like having the pleasure and good fortune to see my friends Martin Rivas and Craig Meyer (and their many friends) play so often in and around New York. Or the discovery of an awesome box set like Dust To Digital’s Victrola Favorites: Artifacts from Bygone Days, a collection of vintage recordings from around the world taken from old 78s. Or the audacious concept of creating a “fake” album of alternate versions of songs (a number of which people wound up liking more than the “real” versions) to thwart leakers the way Ben Folds did with his new album Way to Normal. Or any number of “No way!” moments when you stumble across a record in a shop that you’ve been looking for or didn’t even know existed.
In terms of actual music listening, I’m also getting curmudgeonly and finding that I’m probably listening to as much older music these days as I am new stuff; although I try to stay in the loop as much as possible, I can only keep track of so many bands with “crystal,” “wolf” or “deer” in their names. But jokes aside, I guess I’m just learning that there’s so much stuff out there — both past and present — that it’s OK a) not to be able to listen to everything and b) to listen to stuff that you like and not dwell on stuff you don’t.
To that end, here’s the list of 10 albums released in 2008 that I enjoyed the most. As I explained last year in my year-end music post, I prefer not to rank my top-10 list. It’s really more of a top-20 list this year anyway since, as far as I’m concerned, the 10 records I’ve listed as honorable mentions could easily be flip-flopped with those in my top 10. Nonetheless, tradition demands some sort of “best of the best,” right? So here’s what I’ve come up with:
Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
I have to be honest: This debut record wasn’t one that I immediately responded to, as many people did. But it has a way of seeping into your consciousness over time and kind of planting itself there. When I finally heard the songs performed live — and really could experience the emotional impact of Justin Vernon’s unique voice — that cemented this collection for me. Collection is a key word here, I think, because it really works beautifully as such, probably reflecting the environment and mood in which it was created.
Favorite track: “Re: Stacks.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
British Sea Power, Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade)
It was a little surprising not to see this one on more year-end lists; perhaps it had something to do with it being released in January, one of several records on my list that came out very early in the year. Whatever the reason, I’m kind of secretly glad that these Brighton lads (and lass) seem to be remaining a relatively well-kept secret for now. This album poses a simple, straightforward question and answers it with both epic and melodic songwriting and arrangements that hint at their often-frenetic live performances. If this is what rock music can be, sign me up!
Favorite track: “Open The Door.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Kathleen Edwards, Asking For Flowers (Zoe)
If you know me, you might know about my fondness for Canadian musicians — and, more specifically, Canadian female singer-songwriters (Sarah Harmer, pretty much everyone who’s sung with Broken Social Scene). Kathleen Edwards, of course, fits right into that category, and might be right at the top of the list. I thought this record represented another step forward in terms of her maturity as a songwriter, as she tackled some weightier subjects and took some chances without losing her knack for lyrics and melodies.
Favorite track: “I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Alejandro Escovedo, Real Animal (Back Porch)
Whether it’s because of his association with Bloodshot Records in the late 1990s or because he’s based in Austin (and thus identified as a “Texas singer-songwriter”), Alejandro Escovedo has often been stuck with that dreaded alt-country label. But as a friend of mine put it recently, his latest effort rocks. Written in collaboration with Chuck Prophet, the record touches on everything from Escovedo’s days in the California punk scene to friends lost along the way to a music venue from his youth. It’s a love letter to Escovedo’s musical influences and he sings about them with the kind of heart that made no less than Bruce Springsteen take notice.
Favorite track: “Always A Friend.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords (Sub Pop)
For a while I grappled with whether to put this comedy album on a list of music or to give it a special category, but what the folk? OK, that was bad. But the bottom line is that this was one of the records I most enjoyed this year, so I feel comfortable with putting it on the list. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have become infinitely more popular since their HBO show, of course, and “Business Time” is now an NPR staple (who’d have thunk it?), but I really appreciated their full-length studio debut for its seamless blend of musical parodies, originality and zaniness.
Favorite track: “Think About It.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Jamie Lidell, Jim (Warp)
For the most part, I have to say, I am a big fan of the so-called “neo-soul” movement that has emerged over the past few years. While most people have flocked to Amy Winehouse and such spinoffs as Adele and Duffy, however, Jamie Lidell has managed to crank out a pair of terrific records while remaining relatively under the radar. This past year’s Jim represented a big step forward from 2005’s Multiply in both songwriting and production. It’s just a great album to listen to. In fact, I dare you to listen to the first half — Side A, as the vinyl-inclined among us might say — and not come away feeling better than when you started.
Favorite track: “Another Day.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Randy Newman, Harps and Angels (Nonesuch)
Another thing about me, musically speaking: I have a soft spot for piano men (although, curiously, not so much for piano women). When it comes to that category, you won’t find many better than Randy Newman. On his first album of new material in nearly a decade, Newman featured his trademark biting wit, a tenderness that comes with growing older and reflecting on your life and, of course, some good old Dixieland rhythms. Like Joe Henry’s Civilians a year ago, Harps and Angels gave me a greater appreciation for an artist I was aware had been making great records for a long time but to whom I hadn’t previously devoted much time. I’m grateful that I finally saw the light.
Favorite track: “Feels Like Home.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Old 97’s, Blame It On Gravity (New West)
It can be easy to pick on the Old 97’s, still doing what they do after nearly 15 years when most of their contemporaries have either parted ways or evolved into something else entirely. They’ve gotten older, gotten more curmudgeonly perhaps, but they’re still cranking out great pop songs and that sort of stability is comforting in these turbulent times. I wouldn’t call this a comeback album, as some have, because I don’t think they’ve ever made a “bad” album. But give credit to producer Salim Nourallah for helping to bring together a collection of songs drawn from new life experiences, old Ranchero Brothers material and outtakes from past recordings.
Favorite track: “The One.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Tilly and the Wall, o (Team Love)
Hard to believe that the Tillys didn’t even put their best song of the year, “Beat Control,” on their album, choosing instead to release it as a 7-inch and digital EP months before. (It was included on the UK and Japanese versions, as well as promos in the U.S.) Despite that odd decision, this latest offering presented a more grown-up side of the band. Angrier, too, which I know didn’t suit some people but which I thought was cool. I can’t say that this is my favorite of the three Tilly full-lengths, but I respect that they took some chances and pushed the envelope a little bit. And I still enjoyed it more than the vast majority of stuff that came out last year.
Favorite track: “Alligator Skin.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend (XL)
The trajectory of this record — and this band — has been fascinating. From a CD-R version of demo versions issued in 2007 (the so-called “Blue CD-R”) that was endlessly hyped in the blogosphere to the official release and inevitable backlash to its appearance on most every year-end list, this was an album for our times. The thing is, the music itself really does hold up; it had to, given so much scrutiny. Having gotten a chance to see them live several times, I can say that everyone from frontman Ezra Koenig to keyboardist/producer Rostam Batmanglij to the rhythm section of Chris Tomson and Chris Baio has chops. It will be interesting to see where they go next.
Favorite track: “Walcott.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Honorable mentions:
- Army Navy, Army Navy (The Fever Zone)
- Liam Finn, I’ll Be Lightning (Yep Roc)
- Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
- King Khan and the Shrines, The Supreme Genius Of… (Vice)
- Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue (Warner Bros.)
- The Magnetic Fields, Distortion (Nonesuch)
- Aimee Mann, @#%&*! Smilers (Superego)
- My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges (Ato/Red)
- Jenny Scheinman, Jenny Scheinman (Koch)
- She & Him, Volume One (Merge)
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Special citation:
Various artists, Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story (Big Beat UK)
Obviously it’s not feasible here to mention all of the great compilations — whether they’re reissues, box sets or soundtracks — coming out these days. But as a fan and collector of comps, I always want to leave room in my year-end summary to discuss at least one. For me, 2008 was a big year for delving into the music of legendary Memphis rockers Big Star after reading Rob Jovanovic’s interesting book about them. Of course I have long been aware of the influential band, but I discovered there was a lot I didn’t know about their history and the music scene in Memphis at the time. One nexus of that scene was Ardent Studios, where members of Big Star and many of their friends worked and recorded. It was a happy coincidence that this excellent two-disc collection came out around the same time I was reading the book, providing a terrific overview of the period with outtakes and demos from Big Star and rare cuts by bands such as Cargoe and the Hot Dogs that ran in the same circles. Read the book and buy this collection and you’ll definitely unearth some buried treasures.
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Ten I wish I had spent more time with (or some time with):
- Calexico, Carried to Dust (Quarterstick)
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Anti)
- Centro-matic/South San Gabriel, Dual Hawks (Misra)
- Frightened Rabbit, The Midnight Organ Fight (Fat Cat)
- Girl Talk, Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
- Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple (Atlantic)
- MGMT, Oracular Spectacular (Sony)
- Mudcrutch, Mudcrutch (Warner Bros.)
- TV On The Radio, Dear Science (DGC/Interscope)
- Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreak (Roc-A-Fella)
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Favorite shows of 2008
The year 2008 will probably wind up being the high watermark of my life in terms of the number of shows I had the good fortune to attend. It would honestly be difficult for me to make an accurate count, especially if you include local shows in New York. So it wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to whittle this list down to 15 (or so), and I’m probably leaving out something great. And since Wilco shows — as usual — comprised a significant portion of what I saw, I deliberately tried to limit those to just a few for variety’s sake. But anyway, without further ado, here are some of the 2008 concerts I will remember most fondly in the years to come:
- Wilco, 2-16-08, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL [Residency]/Wilco, 2-26-08, 9:30 Club, Washington, DC [non-Residency]: The five-night Residency deserved a category of its own, and Night 2 topped my list on account of such memories as the deafening ovation for John Stirratt after “It’s Just That Simple,” Andrew Bird’s terrific guest turn and the unforgettable “Peaches” encore. Of the non-Residency shows this year, the first of two nights at 9:30 gets my nod for the unpredictability of the setlist, bra-throwing shenanigans and, of course, the faux Grammy.
- Jon Brion, 5-2-08, Largo, Los Angeles, CA: Jon’s last show at the old place, and it really had it all — Bobb Bruno in the bunny suit, a surprise cameo by Flight of the Conchords, E, PFT, teary speeches, Flanagan singing an Icelandic lullabye.
- Ben Folds Five, 9-18-08, Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill, NC: The only other thing I could have asked for was a better seat.
- The Decemberists, 11-5-08, Terminal 5, New York, NY: One day after Obama’s historic victory, everybody was in a downright celebratory mood.
- Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band/Jenny Lewis/M. Ward, 9-28-08, La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX: Special guests Gillian Welch and David Rawlings joined all three acts on stage, leading to a memorable night of collaborations.
- My Morning Jacket, 8-16-08, Waterfront Park, Louisville, KY: All I can say is…flying V and giant puppets!
- British Sea Power, 5-19-08, Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ: Amazing to still be able to see them in such a small venue, and amazing that the place’s roof is still on.
- Neil Young/Wilco, 12-16-08, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY: Spencer and Sam Tweedy both got some stage time on the last night of the tour, which featured smiles all around.
- The Feelies, 7-1 and 7-2-08, Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ: Their first shows in nearly 17 years, and it was wonderful to be able to see them on their home turf.
- Randy Newman, 10-10-08, Genesee Theater, Waukegan, IL: Just Newman and a piano, and he played just about everything you could want to hear.
Honorable mentions:
- Bon Iver, 4-10-08, Lakeshore Theater, Chicago, IL
- Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (Indie Rock Karaoke), 12-3-08, Studio B, Brooklyn, NY
- The Magnetic Fields, 10-11-08, Capitol Theater at the Overture Center for the Arts, Madison, WI
- Ranchero Brothers, 11-24-08, Largo at the Coronet Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
- Jamie Lidell, 9-26-08, The Parish, Austin, TX
Getting on with it December 9, 2008
Posted by bbop in music, travel.Tags: Bon Iver, Colin Meloy, Jeff Tweedy, Kathleen Edwards, My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend
1 comment so far
Oy, it’s December. It’s now been more than two months since I’ve updated this thing (which I’m shamefully reminded of every time I visit certain friends’ blogs). To quote that musical sage Barry Manilow, where does the time go?
I don’t really know, to be honest. As I was watching the Bears get throttled the other night, I thought I might be able slip this post in during the waning minutes of November, so as to at least post one damned thing in the 11th month. But it was not to be, so instead this comes to you from the first few hours of that final month of the year (and the nine days since). Since the clock is ticking on 2008 and I’ve promised myself — and a reader or two — that I’ll have this thing caught up by the end of the year, I guess I’d better get a move on.
So forthwith, the first in a series of month-by-month updates (beginning with April when, you might remember, I returned from several weeks gallivanting in Australia and New Zealand) that will hopefully achieve the aforementioned goal in an expeditious and relatively painless fashion:
After getting back from Down Under, my first show was Bon Iver at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago, my first time seeing him/them and my first time at the venue. I hadn’t really been able to get into Bon Iver’s much-praised record For Emma, Forever Ago as quickly as some, but hearing the songs live (by my recollection, they simply performed the album in order, in its entirety) really made a difference. It helped that the venue — a surprisingly intimate, converted movie theater — was ideal for this show. We sat toward the back, but there really wasn’t a bad seat in the house. In that setting, the haunting beauty of the record really had a chance to be revealed. And it was. …
A few days later, we all gathered at the Hotel S ‘n’ S for what has become an annual highlight of the past few years, a basement show with Jeff Tweedy. I can never really sum up what a great night it is, but a couple of highlights included a sublime performance of “The Unwelcome Guest” and a tremendous rendition of “Sir Duke” (by Martin Rivas) that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. …
I hung around Chicago the next week to see a couple of Cubs games, but wound up only seeing one because of a rainout. I also took a quick trip down to Louisville to catch Kathleen Edwards, who was touring with her excellent band in support of her great new record, Asking For Flowers. What can I say? I’m a sucker for Canadian female singer-songwriters, I guess (ahem, Sarah Harmer). I just always enjoy seeing Kathleen, who has perfected that mix of sassiness and tenderness that makes her so appealing to many men and, judging by the group of very affectionate lesbian couples in front of me, women as well. Anyway, she did a nice mix of new and old and even a duet with opener Dan Wilson on his song “Secret Smile.” (Why did I have no idea that Wilson led the band Semisonic?). A few hours after the show, while napping and waiting for my very early flight back to Chicago, I was awakened by a rumbling that I later found out was an earthquake. Not sure if it had anything to do with the show, but I guess I’ll always think of that one as slightly earth shaking. Ha ha. …
Back in Chicago, I went back to the Lakeshore Theater to see a comedy show headlined by Todd Barry (of “Flight of the Conchords” fame). I also intended to go see the late show at the Lakeshore that night with the band The Fiery Furnaces, but I ended up selling my ticket and going out for a late night with Sam, Kris, Jeff and Daniel. … The next night, April 20, Sam and I went to the Riviera Theatre to see the double bill of The New Pornographers and Okkervil River (who had Charles Bissell of The Wrens touring with them on guitar). This was NPs with Neko but sans Dan, but fortunately they still did “Myriad Harbour,” with Okkervil’s Will Sheff standing in on vocals. They hadn’t played it when I saw them the last time. … The next night, my last in Chicago on this trip, I went to see the first of three Colin Meloy solo shows that I would see before the end of the month. …
Back in New York for the first time in more than a month, I only had a couple of nights before I hit the road again. The first I spent in Brooklyn seeing Jay Reatard at Europa. Since there were four bands on the bill (and, as I get older and more curmudgeonly, I’m less willing to stand through all of them), I tried to time it so that I would miss at least one and maybe two of them. But of course, despite what I thought was a tardy arrival, I still arrived before the first band had even gone on. Fortunately, each act played a fairly short set (including Jay, who blazed through his in what couldn’t have been more than 35 minutes). … The next night I had bought an advance ticket to see Destroyer at Bowery Ballroom, but skipped out when I found out that Nels Cline was playing two shows at the Jazz Standard as part of Cryptogramophone Week. The first was as member of the Jeff Gauthier Goatette, a fusion-y band whose music I’ve always enjoyed. The late set was a rare duo show with Nels and his twin brother (and percussionist extraordinaire) Alex Cline. I can’t remember what they played just now, if it even was anything specific, but it was probably improvised and certainly interesting. …
From there it was back to California for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Actually, I only attended two of the three days this year (missing Prince on Saturday night…boohoo) because I drove back to L.A. to see what was initially supposed to be Jon Brion’s last show at Largo before the club moved to its new location at the Coronet Theatre on La Cienega Boulevard. It turned out to not be Jon’s last show at the old Largo after all, but a fun night anyway with regulars Fiona Apple, Sara and Sean Watkins and Benmont Tench dropping by. … Later that morning, I rose, picked Evonne up and drove back to Coachella. Our primary motivation was to get there in time to see My Morning Jacket, which we did. It was a set featuring mostly material from the new record Evil Urges, though we also got a guest appearance by M. Ward on “Off The Record.” Afterward, we literally dashed over to another stage and caught most of Sons and Daughters’ set. And before we left, we lingered to watch part of Roger Waters’ headlining set (featuring Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety) from afar, taking in the spectacle of it all. I had no idea E was such a big Pink Floyd fan! …
I had pondered a visit to the Salton Sea the next day, but instead flew to San Francisco to see Devotchka at the Fillmore. Actually, I mainly was interested in Basia Bulat’s opening set, and she didn’t disappoint. Like I said, I love the Canadian female singer-songwriters. Devotchka had a lot more of a Latin sound than I thought, and less of a Slavic influence. I also seem to remember a pretty dramatic stage show with girls on swings or something like that. Anyway, it was OK but not really my thing. …
To close out the month, I saw back-to-back Colin Meloy solo shows in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. I know some people who don’t enjoy it as much when the principal songwriter of a band steps out for a solo performance, but if I really like a band’s music, I personally enjoy seeing the different side of that music that comes out in a stripped-down setting (not to mention actual different songs that a full band either doesn’t know or doesn’t often attempt). And that’s the case with the Decemberists vis a vis Colin. So over the course of the two nights, it was nice to hear a variety of songs, both new and old — as well as more than a few Smiths/Morrissey interludes. I’d be hard pressed to say which show I preferred, so I won’t. Just that it was a pleasure to have seen both.
Jeff Tweedy//4-12-08//Hotel S ‘n’ S, Chicago, IL//support: none
I’m Into Something Good/ELT/Simple Twist Of Fate [Bob Dylan] (aborted)/Hotel Arizona/Be Not So Fearful [Bill Fay]/Henry and the H-Bombs [Mott the Hoople]/Let’s Not Get Carried Away/Summerteeth/You Were Wrong/Build Me Up Buttercup [The Foundations] (w/Martin Rivas on guitar and harmony vocals)/John Wesley Harding [Bob Dylan]/The Unwelcome Guest (w/Martin Rivas on harmony vocals and Dave Mirabella on guitar)/Dreaming [Blondie]/Thirteen [Big Star]//**intermission**//Simple Twist Of Fate [Bob Dylan]/Airline To Heaven (w/Eddie O’Connor on guitar)/Outta Mind (Outta Sight)/More Like The Moon/Wait Up/Laminated Cat/Kamera/A Magazine Called Sunset/The Ruling Class/Love and Mercy [Brian Wilson]/In A Future Age/The Lonely 1/The Thanks I Get/The Long Cut (w/Dave Mirabella on guitar)/Dash 7/Hummingbird/Sir Duke [Stevie Wonder] (Martin Rivas solo)/No More Poetry/Chinese Apple/I’m Always in Love/Pecan Pie/Far, Far Away/California Stars/I Can’t Keep From Talking/Gun/Candyfloss
—————————————————————————-
Kathleen Edwards//4-17-08//Headliner’s Music Hall, Louisville, KY//support: Dan Wilson
Mercury/In State/What Are You Waiting For?/Asking For Flowers/Run/Copied Keys/I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory/Oh Canada/Scared At Night (Kathleen solo)/I Can’t Give You Up (Kathleen on violin w/ Colin Cripps and Jim Bryson)/Summerlong/Six O’Clock News/12 Bellevue/Good Things/Oil Man’s War/The Cheapest Key//e: Secret Smile [Semisonic] (duet w/Dan Wilson)/Goodnight, California/Back To Me
—————————————————————————-
The New Pornographers//4-20-08//Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL//support: Okkervil River (w/Charles Bissell on guitar)
All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth/Use It/Stacked Crooked/All The Old Showstoppers/My Rights Versus Yours/The Laws Have Changed/Twin Cinema/Challengers/The Electric Version/Testament To Youth In Verse/Unguided/Mass Romantic/Adventures in Solitude/Myriad Harbour (w/Will Sheff on vocals)/Sing Me Spanish Techno/The Bleeding Heart Show//e: Don’t Bring Me Down [Electric Light Orchestra]/The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
—————————————————————————-
Colin Meloy//4-21-08//Park West, Chicago, IL//support: Laura Gibson
Lesley Ann Levine/We Both Go Down Together>Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together [Morrissey] outro/new song-This Is Why We Fight/The Perfect Crime No. 2/ O, Valencia! (w/Dracula’s Daughter fragment)/Apology Song/Shankill Butchers/Kingdom of Spain/Cupid [Sam Cooke] (duet w/Laura Gibson)/new song-Lovely Night/Oceanside/A Cautionary Song//e: The Engine Driver/The Mariner’s Revenge Song
—————————————————————————-
Vampire Weekend//4-25-08//Empire Polo Field, Indio, CA//[2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]
Mansard Roof/Campus/Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa/M79/Bryn/Boston/A-Punk/I Stand Corrected/new song-White Sky/One/The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance/new song-Little Giant/Oxford Comma/Walcott
—————————————————————————-
My Morning Jacket//4-27-08//Empire Polo Field, Indio, CA//[2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]
One Big Holiday/Off The Record (w/M. Ward on guitar)/I’m Amazed/Evil Urges/Wordless Chorus/Highly Suspicious/Lay Low/Anytime/Gideon/Smokin’ From Shootin’/Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2
—————————————————————————-
Colin Meloy//4-29-08//Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA//support: Laura Gibson
California One>Youth and Beauty Brigade/Wonder/Summersong/Billy Liar/The Sporting Life>The Boy With The Thorn In His Side [Smiths] interlude/O, Valencia!/Cupid [Sam Cooke] (duet w/Laura Gibson)/Shankill Butchers/new song-Margaret Suite/Apology Song>I Don’t Owe You Anything [Smiths] interlude/A Cautionary Song//e: Raincoat Song/Tristan and Isolde/The Mariner’s Revenge Song
—————————————————————————-
Colin Meloy//4-30-08//The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA//support: Laura Gibson
Shiny>Rusholme Ruffians [Smiths] outro/Apology Song/The Soldiering Life/The Perfect Crime No. 2>Reelin’ In The Years [Steely Dan] interlude/new song-Lovely Night/new song-This Is Why We FIght/California One>Youth and Beauty Brigade/The Engine Driver/Cupid [Sam Cooke] (duet w/Laura Gibson)/Grace Cathedral Hill/Dracula’s Daughter (disco version)>/O, Valencia!/A Cautionary Song//e:The Landlord’s Daughter/The Mariner’s Revenge Song
Cubbie love October 6, 2008
Posted by bbop in sports.Tags: Cubs
add a comment
By coincidence, I happen to be reading Scott Simon’s excellent memoir, Home and Away. And by coincidence, I happen to have just reached the chapter entitled “Cubbie Love,” which begins thusly:
“Being a Chicago Cubs fan defies metaphor. Nevertheless, over the years I have tried quite a few. It’s like rooting for the Italian army. It’s like campaigning for Harold Stassen. It’s like raving about your Edsel. If rooting for the New York Yankees is like rooting for U.S. Steel, then rooting for the Cubs is like…well, you see the point? No metaphor improves on, it’s like rooting for the Cubs. They are the devotion that defies despair. They are the love that evinces the triumph of hope over experience.”
As Cubs fans everywhere mourn the end of another season without a World Series championship, I couldn’t have put it better myself. At some point, you think ‘This is going to be the year; odds are it’s bound to happen at some point, right?’ But then you think, that’s probably what some poor schlub was probably saying in 1950. Note to self: Next year, don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking this is the year; instead, go into it with the attitude, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Haha (ugh) October 3, 2008
Posted by bbop in sports.Tags: Cubs
add a comment
If someone had asked me yesterday afternoon which would have produced more laughs, Game 2 of the Cubs-Dodgers series or the much-anticipated vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, I never would have predicted the former. But that’s what ended up happening in the Cubs’ 10-3 stinker. What else can you say when all four infielders make an error in one game? When virtually every reliever gives up a run? It’s hard to even be frustrated by this Cubs series because both games have basically been laughers. I mean, the Cubs haven’t even been close, so it’s hard to get all that devastated. As I said yesterday, the really devastating, crushing setbacks in my Cubs fandom have come when they were so close. This time, it has just been comical.
I still have a shred of hope, of course, remembering what happened in one of those aformentioned crushing defeats. In 1984, the Cubs destroyed the Padres in the first two games of the National League Championship Series — I think the scores were 13-0 and 11-1 — only to lose three straight and leave at least one seven-year-old boy in tears. (I still curse you, Steve Garvey!) So yeah, I have hope but no real faith that anything will change Saturday when Rich Harden tries to stave off bitter defeat for one more day.
Again, for more on this depressing state of affairs, check out Bleed Cubbie Blue’s take on where we Cubs fans stand today.
Mantra of a Cubs fan October 2, 2008
Posted by bbop in sports.Tags: Cubs
3 comments
Well, at least a true one anyway: Hope for the best, expect the worst. I’m trying not to be pessimistic after watching last night’s terrible 7-2 loss to the Dodgers, really I am. But I already had a bad feeling coming into this series, and if the volatile Carlos Zambrano (not to mention the Cubs’ offense) doesn’t come through tonight, then you can probably kiss this season adios.
It wouldn’t be the biggest disappointment ever in my lifetime — 1984 and 2003 were both way more devastating than a potentially early exit in 2008 would be — but it would still be a major bummer. It just seemed like this ought to be the Cubs’ year. If not now, then when? Unfortunately, the playoffs these days seem like such a crapshoot. Teams can be mediocre most of the year and then catch fire in the last few weeks and go on to the World Series. Look at the Rockies last year. It seems like that used to not happen as much before the advent of the wild card.
I hope I’m wrong, but I’m afraid that the Cubs might have been built for the long haul of a 162-game season, but not the playoffs. The Angels, who won the most games in baseball this year and lost to the Red Sox in their opener, might be in the same boat.
So I’m hoping for the best tonight, but deep down expecting the worst. Until then, I’m trying to take some heart from this very rational post on my favorite Cubs blog. Let’s go, Big Z!
Lands down under September 10, 2008
Posted by bbop in friends, music, travel.Tags: Australia, New Zealand, Split Enz, Wilco
add a comment
Even if I would have written this in April, as soon as I got back from Australia and New Zealand, I don’t think I would have been able to fully capture all of the things we saw and the adventures we had there. So I don’t feel too badly about recapping now, hopefully getting to most of the high points from an amazing three-plus weeks and giving you faithful readers at least some sense of what we did and saw.
(I haven’t managed to get all my photos from the trip uploaded yet, but eventually they’ll be on my Flickr page for all to see — well, if you’re my friend anyway.)
First off, I have to thank Brianne for inviting me to join her (and her company for footing most of the bill) since the trip really came about when she chose Australia and New Zealand for the destination of the extended sabbatical her company allows its employees to take every five years. I think that’s such a smart thing for a company to do because it not only makes for happy employees, but also allows them to broaden their life experience — and, as a result, come back and be a more valuable asset to the company. So good on you, Brianne’s company.
(And while we’re on the subject, kudos to the Internet as well because we certainly wouldn’t have been able to plan this trip from scratch without it. I sometimes wonder how people used to take extended trips to far-flung places without being able to book a room online or map out the distances between points. I know that travel agents used to take care of a lot of that stuff, but did they really arrange everything? I guess there was a good deal more adventure involved as well, but personally I’m glad to have at least some idea where I’m going to be staying and how long it will take to get where I’m going.)
Like I said, it would be impossible to capture everything about the trip without writing a really, really long — and probably boring, if you weren’t there — account from touching down in Sydney to taking off from Auckland. So I’m just going to try to capture some of the flavor of the trip by grouping some of my memories into a few sub-categories:
*Music: The first part of the trip was, in some ways, dictated by Wilco’s itinerary. For instance, we almost certainly wouldn’t have gone to Brisbane if Wilco hadn’t played there (and I’m glad we did because, for whatever reason, that show probably wound up being the best one we saw on the trip). We didn’t make every show the band played in Australia and New Zealand, but five of the seven wasn’t too shabby. Although Brianne actually started the trip in Melbourne without me, we didn’t see the Wilco show there because it was the last one on their tour and it wasn’t practical for us to go back to Australia once we had gotten to New Zealand. So we continued on to the South Island after Wilco’s final New Zealand show in Wellington on March 24, which was definitely the right decision. But before we headed south, we hung around Wellington an extra day to see our final show of the trip: New Zealand’s own legendary Split Enz, who were on a reunion tour. It was particularly fitting that we got to see them since we both had been singing the lyric “Aotearoa, rugged individual…” (from the song “Six Months in a Leaky Boat”) practically since we landed in “In Zed.”
*Rock pools: Since I had read a New York Times article about rock pools a few weeks before our trip, I had been a bit obsessed with visiting at least one while we were in Sydney. I’m not sure what it was, but just the idea of a pool carved out of rocks at the edge of the ocean intrigued me. Like it’s the ocean, but in a pool! Or maybe they just looked really refreshing, I don’t know. Anyway, the quest to find one happened on a Sunday afternoon after we had spent the morning touring the Sydney Opera House and walking around a bit downtown. We took a bus out to Bondi Beach — probably the most famous stretch of sand in Australia — but instead of staying there, we found an easy walk that hugged the nearby cliffs and decided to follow that for a while. After passing a couple of smaller beaches, we eventually wound up at Bronte Beach — sort of a low-key sister to bustling Bondi — and went into the rock pool there. It was just a glorious, sunny day and we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and walking and exploring. What a day; I’ll remember it for a long time.
*Natural beauty: Oh God, I could write pages and pages about this. From the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney to the volcanic island of Rangitoto near Auckland, I saw some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen on this trip. Just New Zealand alone provided sensory overload. There was the couple of days we got to spend on the Coromandel Peninsula — about two hours drive from Auckland — where we hiked down to Cathedral Cove and dug in the sand for hot springs on Hot Water Beach. There was the gorgeous Otago Peninsula, just a short drive from Dunedin, which dead ends at the Royal Albatross Colony. And of course, there was the drive along the Southern Scenic Route from Dunedin to Te Anau (or vice versa). There are so many different scenic viewpoints and other points of interest along the way that you can’t possibly see them all. At least not in one trip.
*Fiordland: When it came to natural beauty, though, this region in southwestern New Zealand pretty much took the cake. One rainy day, we drove from Te Anau up the Milford Road to Milford Sound. There are a number of points to stop and admire the scenery along the way (Mirror Lakes, The Chasm), and despite the drizzle, we definitely took advantage. A day or two later, we took an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound that was not only one of the highlights of this region but of the whole trip. Along with six other people and a crew of two, we spent a memorable afternoon and evening aboard the Waverley, cruising in and out of the arms of this very isolated waterway. We saw more rainbows and waterfalls than we could count, helped catch fresh fish for dinner and even took a night swim (well, some of us). The only regret was that we didn’t see much in the way of wildlife, but it was nonetheless a really fantastic little trip within a trip.
*Cities: Although we got out into the countryside as much as we could, we also spent a good amount of time in urban centers. Of course, Sydney and Auckland are both world-class cities but a pleasant surprise for me was Wellington. I said this at the time, but it reminded me of San Francisco in a lot of ways. They’re both fairly hilly, have a bohemian streak and feature some stunning settings. We spent a memorable afternoon climbing up Mount Victoria and being rewarded with some phenomenal views. Before that, we took the requisite stroll down Oriental Parade (with ice creams in hand, of course). It was a pretty glorious day. I think we also visited the national museum of New Zealand, Te Papa, that morning. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention the early dinner we had at the Maori-themed Kai in the City, where we sang a couple of Maori songs with the owner/troubadour — “E hine e, hoki mai ra…” Another morning was spent all-too-briefly exploring the area around Cuba Street, kind of like Wellington’s version of the Haight. Sadly, we did not have any Flight of the Conchords sightings. Nevertheless, looking back, I could have happily spent another day or two in Welly.
*Eating and drinking: One thing we didn’t often skimp on was food. Some meals I distinctly remember: a fab brunch at bills in the Surry Hills section of Sydney (I believe I had some sort of corn fritter, made with fresh corn); sand crab lasagna for lunch in Brisbane; a gorgeous plate of natural (raw) Bluff oysters and fried blue cod and chips in Bluff; ridiculously good fast-food noodles at Otto Woo in Auckland; a heaping seafood platter with just about everything you could imagine in Dunedin. Oh, and we had one wholly unexpected but very memorable dinner at Wagamama in Sydney. Seemingly countless pastries and flat whites (like a cafe latte) were consumed, as well as several scoops of New Zealand’s famed hokey pokey ice cream. The dairy products in New Zealand, as we had been forewarned, were indeed amazingly delicious. On the beverage front, in addition to the flat whites, I also consumed copious amounts of a mysteriously tasty soda called Lemon & Paeroa — L&P, for short — whose trademarked slogan is “World Famous in New Zealand.” I also enjoyed many of the beers I tried in New Zealand, notably Mac’s and Speight’s.
*Lodging: We stayed in a wide range of places, everywhere from backpacker hostels to business-class hotels, but a couple of places definitely stood out. One was The Oystercatcher’s Cottage, pictured above, in Bluff. A tiny town at the bottom tip of New Zealand’s South Island, Bluff is where most people go to catch a ferry to Stewart Island. (We wanted to do that, but decided that we didn’t have the time to make it worthwhile.) We had been looking for a funky place to stay somewhere along the Southern Scenic Route and, after some Internet searching, found this place which is essentially a guest house run by a family. Luckily, it was available for the night we were going to be in town so we booked it (the “booking” was just a simple e-mail agreement — no confirmation numbers — and we paid in cash). And personally, I’m so glad we did because it turned out to be just the coziest place you could imagine. If you’re looking for the sterility of a chain hotel, this isn’t for you. But if you want a place with some character, stay here. Another great place we stayed was a B&B in Auckland, the Great Ponsonby. Aside from being located in a great neighborhood and featuring a cozy common room with all sorts of books and music and free WiFi, this place raised the art of hotel breakfasts to a new level. You could have a cooked-to-order breakfast that wouldn’t have been out of place in a restaurant, plus they had muesli, fruit, breads, etc., for the taking. I think my personal favorite was muesli with yogurt and fresh feijoa (a guava-like fruit that the innkeepers grew in their garden). Mmmm. One other place I should mention was the Harbourside Apartments in Sydney. What a view we had! This picture was taken from our window the morning we checked out:
*Last but not least: I must mention that I overcame my fear of heights (at least momentarily) and bungy-jumped off a bridge at the original commercial bungy site just outside of Queenstown. And without hesitation, I might add. While the girl before us had to be coaxed into taking the plunge, I am proud to say that for me it was 5-4-3-2-1, go. Somewhere there are pictures…
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-18-08//Enmore Theatre, Sydney, AUSTRALIA//support: Bridezilla
Sunken Treasure/Reservations>/Remember The Mountain Bed/Company In My Back/You Are My Face/Hell Is Chrome/Handshake Drugs/Pot Kettle Black/A Shot in the Arm/Side With The Seeds/Via Chicago/Impossible Germany/It’s Just That Simple/Pick Up The Change/Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway(again)/ Jesus, etc./Theologians/Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You//e: Hate It Here/Heavy Metal Drummer/The Late Greats/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)>/Monday>/Outtasite (Outta Mind)
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-19-08//The Tivoli, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA//support: The Mess Hall
A Shot in the Arm/Radio Cure/You Are My Face/Impossible Germany/Handshake Drugs/Pot Kettle Black/Side With The Seeds/She’s A Jar/Misunderstood/(Was I) In Your Dreams/Forget The Flowers/A Magazine Called Sunset/Jesus, etc./Too Far Apart/I’m Always In Love/I’m The Man Who Loves You/Poor Places>/Spiders (Kidsmoke)//e: On and On and On/Walken/Hate It Here/Can’t Stand It/Casino Queen/I’m A Wheel/Hoodoo Voodoo
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-22-08//Dakota Fields, Whitianga, NEW ZEALAND//[1st annual Coromandel Blues and Roots Music Festival]
You Are My Face/Side With The Seeds/Handshake Drugs/A Shot in the Arm/Jesus, etc./Impossible Germany/Via Chicago/Hate It Here/Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You/Kingpin/I’m A Wheel//e: Monday
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-23-08//Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND//support: Miriam Clancy
Sunken Treasure/You Are My Face/Muzzle of Bees/Handshake Drugs/War on War/Side With The Seeds/A Shot in the Arm/Radio Cure/Shake It Off/Pot Kettle Black/Impossible Germany/Via Chicago/California Stars/Forget the Flowers/Jesus, etc./Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You//e1: Hummingbird/On and On and On/Spiders (Kidsmoke)//e2: Hate It Here/Kingpin/The Late Greats
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-24-08//Wellington Opera House, Wellington, NEW ZEALAND//support: Miriam Clancy
Sunken Treasure/Company In My Back/You Are My Face/Side With The Seeds/IATTBYH/Hell Is Chrome/Handshake Drugs/A Shot in the Arm/Reservations/Impossible Germany/How To Fight Loneliness/California Stars/Jesus, etc./Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You/Hummingbird//e1: The Late Greats/Hate It Here/Heavy Metal Drummer/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)/Monday//e2: Spiders (Kidsmoke)
—————————————————————————-
Split Enz//3-25-08//TSB Arena, Wellington, NEW ZEALAND//support: The Phoenix Foundation
Shark Attack/Poor Boy/One Step Ahead/Give It A Whirl/Nobody Takes Me Seriously/Double Happy/I Hope I Never/Message To My Girl/Dirty Creature/Years Go By/Stuff And Nonsense/Devil You Know/Matinee Idyll (129)/Strait Old Line/Pioneer/Six Months In A Leaky Boat/I Got You/What’s The Matter With You/I See Red//e1: Take A Walk/Charlie/My Mistake//e2: Bold As Brass/History Never Repeats*
* — setlist courtesy of frenzforum
Another year August 30, 2008
Posted by bbop in aging.Tags: Aimee Mann
2 comments
Thirty-one today
What a thing to say
Drinking Guinness in the afternoon
Taking shelter in the black cocoon
I thought my life would be different somehow
I thought my life would be better by now
I thought my life would be different somehow
I thought my life would be better by now
But it’s not, and I don’t know where to turn
—Aimee Mann
(Don’t worry, it’s not really that bad! I mean, it is a little depressing but I’m not about to do anything drastic…haha.)
What I did in Feb. (March, too), part 3 August 15, 2008
Posted by bbop in friends, music, travel.Tags: British Sea Power, My Morning Jacket, Tilly and the Wall, Wilco
1 comment so far
All right, given that it’s mid-August, I admit that it’s ridiculous for me to be writing about stuff that happened back in February and March. I’ve been the worst blog slacker ever, and I have no good excuse. In an informal survey of the 10 or so people who read this thing, four offered encouragement, one was mean and five were more or less indifferent. So if you care to read on, I will eventually catch up one way or another. And I’ll start by getting into March!
In many ways, the cross country trek I took after Wilco’s Residency shows in Chicago proved to be my most arduous and memorable trip of the year. It was probably not a trip that any sane person would put themselves through and, by the end, I think I might have been more tired than I’ve ever been, mostly owing to getting about an hour and a half of sleep on average for four straight nights.
Let me give you the overview: two days after returning home to New York from Chicago, I found myself on a train to Philadelphia, then a 5 a.m. train to New Haven, Conn.; from there, I caught a ride back home, only to get on another train the next day bound for Washington, D.C.; after a couple of days there, I flew to San Francisco and took a side trip to Visalia, Calif., before returning to San Francisco for a couple more days; then I flew from Oakland to New Orleans, spent a couple days there, then flew to Houston; after a couple more days in Houston, I caught another flight to Tulsa, Okla., and, after that, a flight to Omaha, Neb., where we rented a car and drove to Des Moines, Iowa; finally, I flew from Des Moines back to Houston and, after one more night on the road, caught a flight back to New York.
Most of that travel, of course, was done in the course of following that group that “rose from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo” (my favorite new stock phrase). While nothing could match the Residency shows in terms of sheer ambition and impact, I think the immediate post-Residency gigs might have been my favorite run of shows this year. First, many of venues were old favorites — the 9:30 Club, Tipitina’s, Cain’s Ballroom — which provided a reminder that, no matter how big Wilco might get, the best place to experience the band (in my opinion) is a standing-room only, small-to-mid-sized rock club. Add the fact that, in the wake of the Residency, virtually any song in the Wilco canon seemed to be a possibility to be included on the setlist, and you have a recipe for a pretty exciting show.
It didn’t hurt that the supporting act — John Doe backed by a terrific band that included vocalist Cindy Wasserman — was so strong as well. A smile comes to my face when I think of their performance of X’s “The New World” that flowed into The Beatles’ “Revolution”; their version of Joni Mitchell’s classic love song “A Case Of You”; and especially their cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” on which Nels would come out and shred with his fellow Los Angeles resident. I also really liked many of the songs from John’s most recent album, A Year in the Wilderness, particularly “The Golden State.” This was a band I looked forward to hearing night after night.
And I haven’t even mentioned the presence of the Total Pros three-piece horn section for some of the shows on this run, which was a treat. I’ll never forget them having to play from the balcony at Tipitina’s because the stage was too small to fit them all. The guys from Brendan Canty’s Burn To Shine film crew were along for ride at several of these post-Residency shows as well, shooting footage for a potential DVD release. Even toward the end of the run, when Jeff’s voice started to give out (I can’t remember him sounding as ragged as he did in Houston), the band somehow continued to deliver.
All in all, this was a wonderful run of shows spent with some of my best concert buddies at some of my favorite venues with a band that was really clicking on all cylinders. How could you ask for anything more?
Contrary to popular belief, though, I don’t just see Wilco shows. And fortunately on this trip, I also had the good fortune to see a few other gigs. I made a point of it, in fact, by trekking out to the Bay Area during that annual week of musical craziness known as Noise Pop.
Before that, Uyen proposed we drive out to a town called Visalia nearly four hours southeast of San Francisco to see British Sea Power. Random town? Five-dollar show? Count me in! Although we subsequently saw several more shows on their epic U.S. tour supporting the excellent Do You Like Rock Music? , this Visalia gig — at a wine bar called The Cellar Door — might have been the most memorable. First of all, there wasn’t even really a stage; rather, the band played on flat ground at the same level as the audience. Not only that, but due to technical problems, British Sea Power wound up playing first (before intended openers Colourmusic). How often do you see that? It had been too long since I had seen BSP, and this show helped remind me why I liked them so much when their debut record, The Decline of British Sea Power, came out a few years back. Though the foliage they used to tape to their monitors was no longer there, their deadpan antics remained. And we loved it.
After seeing another fun BSP performance in their official Noise Pop showcase the following evening at the venerable San Francisco club Bottom of the Hill, I took Uyen to see Tilly and the Wall the next night. Full disclosure: I love the Tillys. They’re just a super fun live act, and even though I don’t always love the young (read: teenage) crowd that comprises much of their audience, I always leave their shows with a smile on my face. They almost will you to have a good time. For me, this was my first time hearing a lot of the songs on the new album O, so it was maybe less of an outright fun show than others I’ve seen. But I appreciate how they’ve continued to progress as a band and so I enjoyed myself quite a bit that way as I took in the newer material.
We rounded out our Noise Pop schedule by dashing over to Great American Music Hall following Tilly’s set and made it just in time for the much-anticipated live debut of She & Him, the new project featuring M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel. GAMH was packed, and we were toward the back, but it was a pleasure to get to experience the show at all. Zooey proved to be the star of the show with her singing, while Matt took more of an accompanying role. Or maybe the songs they performed — some covers, some originals — were the real stars. They had a timeless sort of feel that, to me, also sort of characterizes Matt’s own music. It was a nice way to close out a busy evening, and I think everyone left with a little bit of a lighter step.
By the time I got back to Houston to attend My Morning Jacket’s first show featuring songs off their forthcoming Evil Urges album, I was running on fumes. Luckily, Evonne was there to help pick me up. The Verizon Wireless Theater isn’t a particularly great place to see a show, but it didn’t matter too much because of the anticipation in the air. And despite playing a lot of songs that the audience wasn’t yet familiar with, the energy of the band as they worked out these new songs in a live setting made up for it. Of course, I always hope for more At Dawn material, but I really couldn’t complain at getting a sneak peek of the new record. It was an epic way to end an epic trip.
Wilco//2-23-08//Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA//support: John Doe
Sunken Treasure/Remember the Mountain Bed/Airline to Heaven/Hesitating Beauty/Muzzle of Bees/You Are My Face/Side With The Seeds/A Shot in the Arm/She’s A Jar/Kamera/Handshake Drugs/At Least That’s What You Said/Pot Kettle Black/Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway(again)/Via Chicago/Impossible Germany/Jesus, etc./Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You/Hummingbird/On and On and On//e: Hate It Here/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)/Hoodoo Voodoo
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//2-24-08//Schubert Theater, New Haven, CT//support: John Doe
Remember The Mountain Bed/California Stars/Company In My Back/Pot Kettle Black/A Shot in the Arm/Radio Cure/You Are My Face/Side With The Seeds/Pick Up The Change/Hotel Arizona/I’m Always In Love/Impossible Germany/Jesus, etc./Misunderstood/Airline To Heaven/Theologians/Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You/On and On and On//e: Hate It Here/Heavy Metal Drummer/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)/Monday>/Outtasite (Outta Mind)
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//2-26-08//9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.//support: John Doe
(Was I) In Your Dreams [w/Total Pros horns]/Blood of the Lamb [w/TPs (clarinet only)]/You Are My Face/Pot Kettle Black/A Shot in the Arm/Side With The Seeds/Pieholden Suite [w/TPs]/Impossible Germany/Sky Blue Sky/Handshake Drugs/Too Far Apart/Summer Teeth/Jesus, etc./Walken [w/TPs]/I’m The Man Who Loves You [w/TPs]/Hummingbird/A Magazine Called Sunset/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)/Monday [w/TPs]/Outtasite (Outta Mind)//e1: Hate It Here (w/TPs)/Can’t Stand It [w/TPs]/The Thanks I Get [w/TPs]/Just A Kid//e2: Shouldn’t Be Ashamed/War on War/Heavy Metal Drummer/The Late Greats [w/TPs]
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//2-27-08//9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.//support: John Doe
Sunken Treasure/Remember The Mountain Bed/Company In My Back/You Are My Face/Side With The Seeds/She’s A Jar/A Shot in the Arm/Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway(again)/Handshake Drugs/Pot Kettle Black/When The Roses Bloom Again/Impossible Germany/It’s Just That Simple/Someday Soon/Box Full of Letters/I’m Always In Love/Pieholden Suite [w/Total Pros horns]/Jesus, etc./Hate It Here [w/TPs]/Walken [w/TPs]/I’m The Man Who Loves You [w/TPs]/Hummingbird/On and On and On//e1: Via Chicago/California Stars//e2: Casino Queen/I’m A Wheel/Monday [w/TPs]
—————————————————————————-
British Sea Power//2-29-08//The Cellar Door, Visalia, CA//support: Colourmusic [due to technical issues, BSP actually played first]
Atom/Remember Me/The Scottish Wildlife Experience/Lights Out For Darker Skies/Trip Out/Down On The Ground/Waving Flags/Great Skua/Favours In The Beetroot Fields/The Spirit Of St. Louis/Canvey Island/No Lucifer/True Adventures/Rock In A
—————————————————————————-
British Sea Power//3-1-08//Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA//(Noise Pop show with 20 Minute Loop, Colourmusic and Off Campus)
No Lucifer/Remember Me/Oh Larsen B/Favours In The Beetroot Fields/Atom/Down On The Ground/Blackout/Waving Flags/Great Skua/Lights Out For Darker Skies/Carrion/Canvey Island/True Adventures/Trip Out/The Spirit Of St. Louis>/The Scottish Wildlife Experience>/Rock In A
—————————————————————————-
Tilly and the Wall//3-2-08//Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA//(Noise Pop show with Capgun Coup, Tally Hall and Little Teeth
Chandelier Lake/Pot Kettle Black/Fell Down The Stairs/The Freest Man/Urgency/Dust Me Off/Nights Of The Living Dead/Tall Tall Grass/Bad Education/Beat Control/Blood Flower/Sing Songs Along//e: Lost Girls/Cacophony/Rainbows In The Dark
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-4-08//Tipitina’s, New Orleans, LA//support: John Doe
(Was I) In Your Dreams [w/Total Pros horns]/The Late Greats [w/TPs]/I’m Always In Love/A Shot in the Arm/At Least That’s What You Said/You Are My Face/Side With The Seeds/Box Full of Letters/Airline to Heaven/California Stars [w/TPs]/Impossible Germany/Via Chicago/Blood of the Lamb [w/TPs (clarinet only)]/Forget the Flowers/Someday Soon/Summer Teeth/Jesus, etc./Walken [w/TPs]/I’m The Man Who Loves You [w/TPs]//e: It’s Just That Simple/Hate It Here [w/TPs]/Can’t Stand It [w/TPs]/Kingpin/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)/Monday [w/TPs]
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-5-08//Tipitina’s, New Orleans, LA//support: John Doe
(Was I) In Your Dreams [w/Total Pros horns]/Pieholden Suite [w/TPs]/You Are My Face/Company In My Back/Impossible Germany/Handshake Drugs/A Shot in the Arm/Pot Kettle Black/Side With The Seeds/Pick Up The Change/Hesitating Beauty/Jesus, etc./Heavy Metal Drummer/Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway(again)/A Magazine Called Sunset/Too Far Apart/Theologians/Walken [w/TPs]/I’m The Man Who Loves You [w/TPs]//e: What Light [w/TPs]/Hate It Here [w/TPs]/The Thanks I Get [w/TPs]/Just A Kid/Monday [w/TPs]/Outtasite (Outta Mind)/Casino Queen/I’m A Wheel/The Late Greats [w/TPs]
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-7-08//Verizon Wireless Theater, Houston, TX//support: John Doe
You Are My Face/Muzzle of Bees/Remember The Mountain Bed/Company In My Back/California Stars/Impossible Germany/Shouldn’t Be Ashamed/Pot Kettle Black/Handshake Drugs/A Shot in the Arm/Side With The Seeds/Via Chicago/When You Wake Up Feeling Old/Forget the Flowers/Airline to Heaven/Box Full of Letters/Jesus, etc./Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You//e: Heavy Metal Drummer/Hate It Here/Kingpin/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)/Monday
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-8-08//Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK//support: John Doe
You Are My Face/Muzzle of Bees/One By One/California Stars/Impossible Germany/Handshake Drugs/I’m Always In Love/A Shot in the Arm/Side With The Seeds/She’s A Jar/Jesus, etc./Pick Up The Change/Airline To Heaven/Forget the Flowers/At My Window Sad and Lonely/Hotel Arizona/War on War/Via Chicago/The Late Greats//e1: Hate It Here/Heavy Metal Drummer/Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)/Kingpin/Hoodoo Voodoo//e2: Monday/I’m A Wheel
—————————————————————————-
Wilco//3-9-08//Val-Air Ballroom, Des Moines, IA//support: John Doe
Ashes of American Flags/Remember the Mountain Bed/You Are My Face/Muzzle of Bees/Handshake Drugs/Cars Can’t Escape/Pot Kettle Black/A Shot in the Arm/Side With The Seeds/She’s A Jar/Impossible Germany/California Stars/Summer Teeth/A Magazine Called Sunset/Via Chicago/Jesus, etc./Walken/I’m The Man Who Loves You//e1: Hate It Here/Kingpin/Passenger Side/Heavy Metal Drummer/Red-Eyed and Blue>/I Got You (At The End of the Century)/Monday/Outtasite (Outta Mind)//e2: I’m A Wheel
—————————————————————————-
My Morning Jacket//3-10-08//Verizon Wireless Theater, Houston, TX//support: Yo La Tengo
Evil Urges/Off The Record/Gideon/I’m Amazed/What A Wonderful Man/Highly Suspicious/Thank You Too!/Golden/Sec Walkin/The Way That He Sings/Wordless Chorus/Aluminum Park/One Big Holiday/Run Thru/Smokin’ From Shootin’/Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2//e: Dondante/Lay Low/Mahgeetah/Anytime
Rumors of my (blog’s) death July 3, 2008
Posted by bbop in comebacks.6 comments
Contrary to popular belief, I have not abandoned this blog. You might have thought as much since I’ve written like two posts since April, but no. Nobody even gives me grief about not updating anymore, which I take to mean all six readers have stopped checking. I offer no excuses. I’ve just been lazy. There always seems like something else that needs to be done or someplace else to go and I never have enough time to sit down and write something decent. So it just falls by the wayside.
Also, I’ve gone to a lot of shows in the past 10 weeks. In fact, I think it’s the most prolific stretch of showgoing I’ve ever had. In June alone, depending on your definition of a show, I think I went to like 30 shows. Not every day, mind you, but sometimes more than one a day. That also takes a toll on the ol’ blogging. I’d like to recap each show I go to in some detail, but that gets to be sort of hard when there’s so many of them and you’re getting home late and getting up late and doing stuff you have to do to live (laundry, buying food, etc.) I know that no one will have sympathy with me on this — not being able to keep up with blogging about shows I go to certainly pales in comparison with just about anything most people in the world deal with — but I’m putting it out there nevertheless.
So anyway, once again, I’m vowing to be better about posting from this point forward. I’m going to get up to date if it takes every last ounce of determination I have (and some very brief posts). Once that happens, I intend to make every effort to post in a timely fashion — basically my plan is to write shorter items more frequently. I think that’s probably the general idea of a blog anyway. And there you have it…my promise to you, O faithful reader. Feel free to hold my feet to the fire if I should fail to hold up my end of this sacred pact.
In the meantime, I want to share with you a photo that I snapped a couple nights ago of my cab driver’s taxi license. Yes, his name appears to be what you think it is:
