You're such a good friend, I have to break your heart. (Late review of Juno)

You have to face it people. I'm hip and cool and always have tickets to the hottest shows in town or the advance screenings of the newest movies.

Really, this is just my hopeless insecurity and desire to be liked that sends me on my endless quest for things like passes to Juno weeks before its Chicago opening.(I saw this on December 4th, people.)

Since Jason Reitman's last feature, Thank You for Smoking, was such a breath of fresh (cough, cough) air, I was genuinely looking forward to this movie when I scored the passes online back in early November, but there had also been enough annoying bits in the previews, that I had some reservations. I don't generally care for Jennifer Garner, and Ellen Page is a little too perky. The quirky soundtrack sounded a little too contrived.

In the end, everything worked anyway, and I found myself laughing more than I have at anything in the theater in a good long time. I also found myself smiling a lot. But, I was also annoyed by Juno's confidence and pretentiousness. But then I remembered, she's 16. At 16, weren't we all a little bit like that? We covered up our insecurities with music or fashion that we thought marked us as different and cool? (Like chewing on a pipe, or listening to a lot ofSo I don't blame her for being annoying, I blame her age.

Each character had some admirable qualities - hmmm... except maybe Jennifer Garner's character. I can't even remember her name right now. I thought she was pretty irritating, and I won't spoil it for you, but the way it ends for her makes a lot of sense. I think that's the only way it could end for her.

I waited too long to write this, and I haven't been able to organize my thoughts very well lately anyway, so I think I'll sum it up with this. It's got some good animation, narration, and scoring. Some enjoyable characters. It's not extremely predictable - there are some elements of surprise. It's damn funny, and you know what? I think I'd see it again. I might actually see it again in the theater. This is rare for me to leave a movie feeling that good.

Some of that might have had to do with the friends I was with, the beautiful snowstorm that found when we left the theater, or the fact that I was on a mental high from a really good conversation I'd had that afternoon, but that good feeling lasted for three or four days, and I would like to think that the Juno had something to do with it.

Sidenote: In doing a little research, I learn that Jason Reitman is A) younger than I and B) the son of Ivan Reitman, who brought Meatballs and Ghostbusters. Meatballs is, FYI, one of my all-time favorites - so apparently this genius runs in the Reitman blood. But then we will need to expect Jason to make some turkeys, too, because his dad sure did.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

Check out my friend's blog Big Rock Candy Mountain - he's started his annual tribute to all things bizarro in the world of holiday music.

i am gonna make it through this year if it kills me (Mountain Goats/Bowerbirds, Empty Bottle 11/15)

From their own bio on their own Web site:

Many of the songs involve desperate characters who've found themselves in some trouble and want to moan about it a little before taking their lumps. The sexual tension between characters in your average Mountain Goats song could split the atom if the power could be harnessed, but it can't, so forget it.

So I'm sitting here trying to think of why I like this band so much. They make me uneasy. They make me itch. They make me want to throw up because I'm so scared for all these people who seem to be living so close to the edge of losing their minds, and then I wonder how close I myself am to that, or how far. Then they make me jump and sing along.

My first exposure was last summer or fall via one of those random samplers that emusic throws up (no pun intended) on their site for free download. This one was from Pitchfork, and included some crap, but a lot of good stuff that influenced my listening well throughout the next year. The song on the sampler "Woke Up New" was at first catchy and entertaining, and then I got tired of it, and knowing nothing about this band, wrote them off as nothing more than another group of geeky boys singing their frustrations to simple chords. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just troubled by the fact that I can't seem to get enough of that lately, but that I no longer tolerate the same from women.)

Over the next couple of months, I downloaded a few tunes here and there from some mp3 blogs... and at some point, I ended up with "Moon Over Goldsboro" and I think I was hooked. It haunted and still haunts me, for some reason conjuring up images of the times I returned to my hometown to heal after some failure or heartbreak.

There is a lot of small-town imagery in their songs, and perhaps that's part of the appeal for me. I haven't yet begun to scratch the surface of their career yet, but of the handful of albums I've aquired, I keep going back to The Sunset Tree. Maybe I just like John Vanderslice's production, (really looking forward to their next album for this reason) but I think that maybe it's becasue of how all the songs fit together as an album.

Anyway, about the show.

The Bowerbirds did their best, and played some of their fine tunes to an audience that was half listening, and half drunk and obnoxious. I think we will see more of them, and I look forward to what they do next.

As for the Mountain Goats, I was glad that I knew many of the songs they played. Having never been to one of their shows, I wasn't sure what to expect, especially considering that I don't know much of their music, overall. I don't think they played long enough, probably less than an hour, including encores, but since most of their songs are so short, they still fit in a lot of them, including a rocking, sing along, "This Year."

There is such thing as too much of a good thing though, so I suppose I should be glad they stopped when they did. I just found myself wishing I'd paid a little more attention, because to use another cliche, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. I was drinking beer, watching people, singing along and cheering, and while I wasn't looking, it was over and I was thinking, but wait, I'm having too much fun. I look forward to the next time they come to town, and I want to be more attentive next time. I hope I don't O.D. on them before that happens, but I don't know if there's a danger of that.

Even I'm too young to REALLY remember Joy Division

The Ian Curtis biopic CONTROL, brought to us by Anton Corbijn, who is best known for his rock photography and music videos, seemed to be a series of photos and music videos more than the story that I wanted. Although the acting was a good as they critics are saying it was, the blatant foreshadowing was a little too much, and I don't know that we got to care enough about the characters. Sam Riley's performance though, was physically convincing, and made me feel sad about how much we expect from our touring musicians. The fact that all of this took place when this kid was, well, a kid makes me skeptical. Where was the back story? What happened in his past that made him so depressed. Why don't we see more of his family? Maybe it's all a big mystery, and was even to his wife, from whose book this story came. I suggest waiting for the video. But I could be wrong.

Man Push Cart - DVD review

There are certain things about urban life that vary from city to city - and one of them is street food. In chicago, we don't really have it in the downtown area, but are starting to see more of it in the neighborhoods (frutas, elotes, mayonesa, etc.) In Paris you'll see the crepes and the chestnuts. And in New York, you can get just about anything. In fact, there is even an annual competition (read about the dosa man who won this year here) for the best of the food vendors.

What you see most often though, are the shiny coffee carts, where you can get among other things, bagels, doughnuts, tea, and of course, coffee in NYC's blue & white greek-font cups. The best parts of Ramin Bahrani's tale of a formerly famous Pakistani pop star struggling to make ends meet in a coffee cart were the quiet moments.

The dialogue and acting at many points was strained and awkward, but the long, silent shots of Ahmad pulling his cart down the street at 3:00 a.m., lighting the gas burners, stacking the bagels - these were beautiful, and worth seeing.

There are many things left out of the story - why he's there, how his wife died, whatever happens with the girl, etc. so don't go into this looking for resolution. But, do enjoy the rare look at one of the people we see every day but don't know the first thing about. 3.5 stars.

imelda de la cruz @ uncommon ground 11/2

I am always happy to go to Uncommon Ground. Especially in cool weather, when it's cozy and you can fully enjoy the soft lighting, music, and rich (and often local and/or organic) food and drink.

I had promised myself that I would keep to myself all weekend, and I have, except for that moment on Friday when I succumbed to the peer pressure of the Wesleyanites. Friend of a friend of a friend, Imelda de la Cruz was playing there, and since a) I was hungry, b) I always like being with Mary and/or Guy (and/or their friends) and c) that three-cheese pizza is amazing I decided to go.

I'm abstaining from alcohol for a couple weeks (just for fun?) and so I couldn't enjoy a glass of wine, but it was still a nice dinner, and I was able to walk away with more money in my pocket than I would have otherwise.

The first act of the evening was as wispy little thing from Minneapolis named Jenny Dalton. Heavily influenced by Tori Amos, her original songs didn't do much for me, but were a nice background for dinner - and I did enjoy her one cover tune, which was Neko Case's "Hold On, Hold On."

The room filled up quite a bit for Imelda (and here's a link to her Web site before I forget) and so the energy alone was enough to put me in a mood more receptive to new music.

During my book club meeting on Thursday, the conversation dissolved at one point into a discussion of the Thundercats. And so, Imelda's little opener invoking Snarf, Voltron, the Gummy Bears and many other staples of weekday afternoon cartoons from the 80's was a little uncanny.

I'm not sure if I'll follow up and become a true Imelda fan, but there were moments when I truly enjoyed her, and I would definitely go see her again, expecially at Uncommon Ground. I liked her Tuck and Patti style guitar with the soft jazzy vocals on things like "Too Late," and I liked the rumbling piano and Imelda's strong low register on "Champion" but I didn't care as much for the diva moments at the end of that song.

I like her goofy, awkwardly hammy stage presence, and strangely, one of the pieces I enjoyed most was one that she apparently wrote when she was quite young - I think she mentioned playing it at her first gig in a friend's basement in Staten Island in 1995. I can't remember what it was called, but I think was struck me about it was they lyrics and wondering if she could write something like that we she was that young, then she's probably capable of even better things now - and according to the article in Friday's Trib, she has only been back in the saddle for a couple years, so we'll see.

Thanks Alexis for the tip, and thanks to the Kern-Suesuntisooks for dragging me out.

Decemberists Cancel Remainder of Tour

So, apparently we were the lucky few in Chicago, and those of you who didn't make it to the Vic earlier this week will never know what you missed.

The Decemberists were scheduled to continue their monumental "long and short of it" tour in New York last night and tonight, but have cancelled the rest of the dates. Here's a link to their own Web page, so you can read the official story, but it's due to one band member's illness.

While I'm on the subject though, I hope they get to reschedule, because they had some pretty amazing theatrical backdrops. I particularly liked the one for the long of it.

Someone's got to do the culling of the fold. (The Decemberists/Laura Veirs & Saltbreakers - The Long AND the Short of It, 10/28 AND 10/29 @ the Vic)

Really, someone does. Because at this rate, The Decemberists will be playing stadiums in a few years, and how the hell will they decide what to pull out of their bottomless hat after one or two more albums?

I got home well over an hour ago from parte deux of the launch of The Decemberists ambitious "The Long and the Short of It" tour. (Note to self: research why so many artists kick off tours in this city. Is it a treat or the shaft?) And now I shall attempt to synthesize two nights of revelry into a few short paragraphs.

First, Laura Veirs.
I randomly first heard this woman in Boston in the fall of 2002. I was there on a business trip, and met up for a drink with an old college aquaintance. It went so well that we got together a couple nights later and went to hear another friend-of-a-friend/fledgling musician play at the the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. And I remember that it was enjoyable enough. I even remember liking one song "Black-eyed Susan" quite a bit.

Fast forward a few years and a few albums (and me falling in love with and moving to Boston for aforementioned college friend, but that's as personal as I'll ever get in this blog and beside the point anyway) and Laura Veirs is hot stuff. Despite her unrefined, shy voice, she has broken through some sort of barrier. I had forgotten about her, but when she started surfacing in Paste magazine and NPR with the release of Year of Meteors I remembered that lonely cowgirl I saw in Cambridge, and I started paying attention.

Although "Meteors" was probably a bigger breakthrough, Saltbreakers has secured Laura a degree of sustainability. There were probably only 100 people at Schubas the night she and Saltbreakers launched their tour their in May, and the show was pretty flawless. And now she's sharing a six-week bill with some genuine rock stars at some of the most established music halls in the country. I had been pushing maximum density on my October concert calendar when the Decemberists announced this special fall tour. I was tempted. Then I was sold by two things. A) the concept and B) the Laura Veirs.

Here's the two night review in a nutshell, now that I've given you 10 pages of background. They need some time. The sound at the Vic can be pretty awful at times, and was probably at it's worst during her Sunday 10/28 set. On top of that, her drummer is out with a bad back. Some of the obvious favorites from her last two albums were missing both nights (Galaxies, Don't Lose Yourself, Cast a Hook in Me, To the Country) but they made a good effort. The Decemberists' John Moen sat in for drummer Tucker Martine the first half of the set both nights, and really showed his mettle on songs he'd just learned.

During the portions sans drums, we were treated to some oldies that I didn't expect to hear. Last night it was "Black-eyed Susan" and tonight it was "Jailhouse Fire."
We sat in the balcony both nights, and so while at small places, I love to see Laura and the band rock out on tunes like "Wandering Kind" the way the vocals sounded up there took away a lot. But, I still loved almost every minute of her geeky presence, and the highlight was tonight, when they played "Riptide" from Carbon Glacier, Steve Moore's trombone was a perfect fit, and the song just soaked into the audience and the peeling-paint atmosphere of the Vic.

And now the Decemberists...
I received a copy of Picaresque as part of a 30th birthday gift from my friends David and Orly (in 2005.) I listened to it a couple times, then stopped. But then, last winter, I started listening again, and when The Crane Wife came out, and I went to see them at the Riviera this past April, I was hooked. By the time they played their free show in Millenium Park in July, I was a true fan, and knew most of their songs.

And that can be a curse when you go see a band live.

But I'm okay. I'm not like that boy crying "free bird." (or that guy my age crying "trapeze swinger" at Iron & Wine for that matter.) I'm just happy to be present, and watch these people work.

The Long
Opened with the full "Crane Wife." Closed with "The Mariner's Revenge." In the middle, we heard "The Island" and a few others, but the climax was "The Tain." The same piece that lost a lot of audience members on that wet night in July, was complete success last night. There was rolling around on the stage, there was dancing, there was melodica.

I was really sleepy, and even though it was an early show, I found myself drifting off in the midsections of some of those epics. Especially during their cover of Pink Floyd's "Echoes." Lulled to sleep, not out of boredom, or even exhaustion, just relaxation. But then, they would switch to a harder-rocking movement, and I'd be awake again.

The Short
Back for round two, and boy was I excited. And it was great. They opened with "Oceanside" and closed with "After the Bombs" Everything in between was great. There were a few forgotten lyrics, but other than that, you wouldn't know that they don't play all of these songs all the time.

I almost jumped out of my seat when they played "The Culling of the Fold." For some reason, that had become my favorite Decemberists song this past week, and Colin Meloy chose this piece to fly his freak flag. Stroking the heads of audience members, sprawling on the the floor like a cat, and wrapping the mic cord around his neck like he wants to die like Michael Hutchence...and it's a fucking amazing song anyway.

Quite a bit of audience participation took place. Meloy can make the people do just about anything. But it's not just him. This band has this synergy that can't be topped. Every player is so talented and unique. Colin's talent is in his voice and writing more than his playing - but everyone else has his or her own thing too. Chris Funk switches effortlessly from mandolin, to guitar, to hurdy gurdy and back again. Nate Query can play his upright bass upside down, and lying down (and he's hot) John Moen make drumming look like breathing (and he's a pretty good jester, too) and Jenny Conlee: Jenny is a shining example of when a nerdy prodigy realizes she can be a superstar too. As if accordion and singing isn't enough, watching her stroke and tickle that organ during the last few pieces was almost enough to make me raise up my hands and repent.

The last encore tonight was "After the Bombs," and they threw in a tiny cover of a portion of the Smiths', "Ask." I think maybe in another post I'll get into analyzing the lyrics to both of those songs in relation to the crazy times upon us. ("If it's not love than it's the bomb that will bring us together.") But that's for another time.

Last night I was satisfied and ready for sleep. Tonight, I was left wanting more. Wishing they'd played a few more of my favorite songs. Left wishing I'd been down on the floor with the kids who jump and dance and clap with abandon. And left wondering if maybe I should buy a ticket to go see them in Milwaukee later in this tour.

But they'll be back. And they'll be just as good, because that's their job.

P.S. A special shout out to Jill and Dr. Sideburns for joining me tonight, to my neighbor Trevor for coming along last night, and to Dave for soldiering through both nights. I think he had more fun that I did.

And Rocktober is over! I'm going to sleep for a couple weeks now.

Sad songs, cold-filtered four times - Aimee Mann for The Craft @ the Park West - 10/23

I love the bass lines in some of Aimee Mann's songs, especially on The Forgotten Arm. Sometimes when I'm sitting at my desk, and one of them comes onto my little ipod, I'll find myself drifting off, listening to that one line, dipping and grooving its way into the song.

Although I've never listened to WXRT, I'm on their mailing list, specifically for things like this. I've been a fan of Aimee Mann since Magnolia caught me by surprise in 1999, and although Lost in Space took a while to grow on me, The Forgotten Arm had me pretty quickly. But somehow, I've never managed to catch her live, so I was overjoyed to get to attend this taping of Aimee for The Craft, a project of the the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, sponsored by some beer company.

(Here's a link to where you will eventually be able to view clips from last night's show: http://www.mgd.com/craft/home.do)

We sat at a table right down on the floor, and the camera was swinging over our heads all night, so I imagine they got some pretty good shots. She opened with "Little Bombs" a favorite of mine, followed by a new song "Little Tornado" I noticed a contrast right away in how she played the two. She looked a little bored and hurried for the first song, and although it sounded great, I missed the feelings that I get from the recording of that song. The new song though, wow. It was amazing to watch her really lost and focused on how it sounded, because she knew we were hearing it for the first time.

And she actually talked a little about that. See, this wasn't an ordinary concert. In between pieces, she would sit and chat with Warren Zanes about her writing, performing, creation and collaboration, and even boxing.

I won't go into the details, because you'll be able to see them yourself on the Web, but I liked a lot of the things she had to say about: writing music for films, see your music in films, playing new songs vs old songs, why she likes playing with dudes, who she goes to first when she writes a new song.

She didn't really make it sound easy either. In fact, she talked about deliberately going to music school because she didn't have any talent, but she want to learn some skills. She said that music seemed like magic to her - and this has always been a sort of assumption of mine too - that if I haven't figure out how to write songs or play bass by now, I never will, because I don't have that magic. But maybe I just have to buy a book.

Warren Zanes is pretty good at interviewing these folks - since he's a musician himself, but with Aimee - it was even cooler, because he was able to take her back to 20 years ago in Boston, when they were both struggling in the same scene, even sharing bills.

Speaking of Boston, one of her new songs she preface by saying something to the effect of "this song is about living in boston and - surprise - being depressed." What is it about that city, anyway?

Her new album promises to be a little more lighthearted. Called Smilers, it should be out in March. And although I wasn't fond of how she described the cover art, I liked the story she told about it. It's not a concept album like the last one, so the songs are more independent of each other, and she claims that they're not as dark. I liked what I've heard so far, especially "Little Tornado." and "Freeway."

It was a cool experience, and I'll look forward to re-watching it when the beer people post it online.

And really - I've got to start carrying that notebook. I was trying to formulate my thoughts for this when I was running tonight - but if I had actually been taking note during the show, I might have been able to write this when it was still fresh in my head.

Still learning, I supposed.

As you know, October is coming to a close. As you may have noticed, October has been Rocktober around here, and I'm a little ready for it to close too. I'll be taking in the Decemberists double header on Saturday and Sunday, and I've got a ticket for The Mountain Goats next month. But otherwise, I'm trying hard not to make any plans.

But, if you should happen to come across free tickets to something, I can usually be swayed.

They ought to pay me

So, I must have watched this trailer 15 times over the weekend. I think I'm going to buy a calendar just to start counting down the days until it's released. It's no secret though that I love Michel Gondry - so I would watch an instructional video on how to paint country stencils of geese on your kitchen walls if he directed it.

http://www.bekindmovie.com/

New Pornographers @ The Metro - 10/18

There wasn't enough time to give this a proper review. I went from the show to playing pinball at the gingerman to jumping in Julie's car for a 4-day trip down memory lane. Forgive me. I spent the weekend with the class of 1997 at Knox college, so what happened at the metro on Thursday is ancient history.

Benjy Ferree: shows promise. Will possibly do some research, since we missed most of the set.

Emma Pollock: First number was good - downhill from there.

New Pornographers: awesome. I love seeing this alter ego of Neko Case. The rock chick wearing no makeup and dressed like a 21 year old hipster boy. The rest of the band was great too - not sure yet who's who, but I do know that the one guy drinks too much beer. Also, nobody puts baby in a corner. The girl who's not Neko has a lot of talent too, but doesn't get much spotlight.

Did I mention that they used the A-Team theme as their walk-on?

I don't have to review every movie I see, do I?

So, as part of my relaxing South Bay weekend, I watched Knocked Up with Erin, Jon and a couple of their friends on Saturday night. It was actually a pretty perfect evening. We had a few beers - including Naja's cask-conditioned smoked chipotle porter - but before that we played a little pinball.

Then we went back to their place, procured some pizza and watched the movie. It was funny. I'm glad I'm not in my twenties. I liked that he was wearing one of my favorite t-shirts, but that's about all I have to say about it.

Snow Cake - a little dvd review

I kept seeing the preview for this movie on other DVDs and something about it intrigued me, and it was the perfect movie to watch Friday night. I was exhausted when I crawled into bed with my laptop and my headphones.

Alan Rickman blew me away as a random person with shady past dropped by circumstance into the tiny town of Wawa, Ontario. I haven't followed his career or anything, but he fit the role so well, I think that maybe it was the role he was born to play.

Rickman's Alex Hughes had picked up a young hitch hiker, and just before they arrive in her hometown, they're hit by a truck, and the girl is killed. Driven presumably by his own demons, Alex feels compelled to stick around and pay his respects to the mother, Linda. Sigourney Weaver plays Linda, the autistic mother coping with the death of Vivienne, who was both her child and companion. I don't know if I've ever seen or even heard a story about an autistic adult, so this was really refreshing, and I didn't find it predictable or cheesy at all. I'm not sure I bleieved too much in Carrie-Ann Moss as the seductive neighbor, but Alan Rickman's reactions were great.

If you haven't figured it out, I liked dramas that take place is cold, isolated places. So, this fits that bill. It also sounded good - with a lot of songs and scoring by Broken Social scene and conspicuous inclusion of TWO Welsh rock bands, Stereophonics and Super Furry Animals.

And if anyone finds a recording of the Japanese folk song,"Notteru Ondo" that's featured in a couple scenes of the film, let me know.

I really do just want someone to eat cheese with. Is that so wrong?

Oh, I shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition? Maybe they should have called the movie "I want someone to eat cheese with, bitch."

Anyway - it (I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With) was okay. It's always nice to see chicago on the big screen, and there were three or four moments where I laughed very loudly. And only one of these was due to Sarah Silverman's irreverancy. I think the others were all in dialogue between the main character and his best friend.

The weirdest part was when the two guys are leaving the movie theater... and it's The Music Box, which is where I'm sitting watching this movie. And the one guy says "Do you wanna get something to eat?" and I actually whisper to Julie, there's a Dairy Queen up the street (because I could have gone for a Blizzard at the moment) but they didn't go to the DQ. It was just odd though, because even though this film has major distribution, it's all Chicago, and even though it wasn't that great, it was probably pretty true.

John Vanderslice/Bishop Allen - The Empty Bottle - 10/6/2007

I keep forgetting to bring earplugs with me, but I decided that I need to start taking preservation of my hearing a little more seriously, so last night was first show I went to "plugged" in a while. It took a little while to get used to it again, and I kept pulling them out to make sure I wasn't getting cheated.

I've been a Bishop Allen fan for a while since I first heard "Things Are What You Make of Them" in the preview for Mutual Apprciation. And I know they play in Chicago quite a bit, but I always seem to have something else going on. So when I found out that they were opening for John Vanderslice, I was pretty close to overjoyed.

Bishop Allen was fun. Every lead has his/her own stage presence, and Justin Rice's is twitchy and piercing. His eyes have a little deer-in-headlights look to them when he plays, and boy does he sweat. The rest of the band seemed to be having fun too.

John Vanderslice. I was immune to him until "White Dove" showed up on a Paste Sampler a couple months back. Apparently he's got a but of a cult following - and although the club wasn't sold out, there were quite a few people there who were excited abou "JV" as they call him. Good set - the bass player's dancing cracked me up. In the midsection, JV dismissed one player at a time, until it was just him bringing on a barreling version of "Numbered Lithograph" one of my favorite tracks from Emerald City. They played well on the catchy songs like "White Dove" but I was also excited to see the passion that they put into less-accessible tunes like "tablespoon of codeine."

Both Bishop Allen and JV mentioned numerous times how happy they were to be in Chicago. I was starting to thing that JV's stage banter was a bunch of bs when he started singing about having a dance party after the show. But he wasn't, and in lieu of an encore, he and the band jumped down into the audience for a sing-along of one of their songs that everyone in the place save me, Jill, and Chris knew the words for. And then they turned on some hip hop and busted a move with the fans. Pretty unexpected and fun.

When it's time to change - How do you like the new Reader?

I had heard about it a few weeks ago, but had put it out of my mind, so the first time I saw it was when Joe and I were leaving the metro after Voxtrot on Thursday. Although I whined about it all the way home, I still haven't opened the paper yet to really evaluate the change. I already know I'll miss the sections. I had just gotten used to the four-color and the reduction to three sections. This change is huge, because a good portion of The Reader's character was in its unique design and layout. But, I'll probably be able to adjust eventually.

Here's a link to their own page about it, complete with a lot of consumers sounding off. I'll let you know what I think later. http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/redesign/

Thanks for using me

Well, If anyone talked to me on Monday, they would remember that I was excited about The Blow show, and about having free passes to The Darjeeling Limited. In the end, we didn't get to the screening soon enough, which was fine. So, I waited, and caught an early show after work last night.

I've always had mixed feelings about Wes Anderson's films. There are certain things I love about them, but I do always want just a little bit more. A little bit more of what, exactly, I'm not sure. Rushmore is still by far my favorite. But, I think the Darjeeling Limited might be sneaking in just ahead of the tenenbaums for the number two position.



There weren't quite as many laughs as I wanted, but it was beautifully shot. And I liked the characters, especially Adrien Brody's Peter (he's not too hard on the eyes, either.) I feel like there's quite a bit missing in the implied "way they were raised," but I like the dynamic between the three brothers, and I appreciate that the serious midsection of the film where the boys find themselves in a small village, where language prevents them from saying the stupid things they probably normally would in that situation, was pretty genuine.

And let's just face it. I absolutely love trains.

I love Rock and Roll (Voxtrot,The Little Ones and too much beer at the Metro - 10/4/2007)

I may have been the only one to buy advance tickets for Voxtrot when the went on sale back IN JULY. Okay, so maybe that was a little premature. Especially considering that the afternoon of the show, the Metro was sending out free tickets via email. But I was still glad to have the comfort of those three paper tickets in my back pocket as we walked down Clark Thursday evening.

We arrived at a perfect time. We had missed the Sleeping States, but we knew we would. the Metro was still pretty empty. So we got some beers and took our places leaning on the railing in the balcony (my new favorite Metro vantage point.) Maybe I was just reeling from having served up a perfect little dinner and taking a walk with friends in the "unseasonably warm" night air. Or maybe it was the wine. But I was so happy, and When The Little Ones came on, you couldn't take the grin off my face.

I've been listening to the same five tracks of theirs that I have on my computer for the last 10 months, but never had the chance to see them. They are great performers. I forgive them their tiny jeans (and unlike my friend David-not-Pitz, I really didn't have a problem with the bass player's red pants)because their vocals sounded great, and the were so bouncy and happy. I've never seen a rock band smile so much. They effortlessy switched instruments, transitioned to tambourines, handclaps and shouting, and still managed to sound crisp. I was stamping my feet and smiling along with them.

Fast forward to Voxtrot. Someone kept handing me beers, and we were joined by some acquaintances of one my friends, and I got distracted, and a little too drunk to give this band as much attention as I wanted. I know they were also a lot of fun to watch, and I like the synergy between Ramesh Srivastava and Jason Chronis. I'm going to keep an eye on the calendars though, because I'd like to catch them again, that time while drinking coffee so I can concentrate more on the sound.

(I'm leaving out the part about the afterparty in the balcony, where I gushed and babbled to Ed Reyes about how great their set was; spilled free beer on Joe and David, and somehow walked away with an LE Mile 44 poster, with some indecipherable voxtrot autographs on it. It's better that way)

Khaela Maricich is a (hot) spaz (The Blow @ The Empty Bottle, 10/1/2007)

I think it's the Empty Bottle's M.O. to start shows like 45 minutes after the published time. Which is why we found ourselves suffering through one interesting/okay opening act (high places) and one maybe they're good, but I can't stand the sound act (videohippos) at 10....10:30..... 11:00....last night. And all this on a Monday night.

I'm 32 for cryin' out loud, and maybe if I wore a hipster bandana around my neck, I would have the superhero stamina to withstand this sort of thing, but, when it was 11:10, and no sign of the headliner, I was about to pack it in.

So glad I didn't. The Blow is nerdslut pop at its finest. It was so much fun watching her bounce around the stage, sometimes miming, sometimes singing to her imaginary partner. And the best part of it is that she's just this normal-looking dork with a pretty voice and a knack for intelligent lyrics. I even caught her holding hands with some chick and looking pained as she shoved bits of paper towel in her ears during videohippos set.

Apparently, this tour is the last time she'll be performing the songs from Paper Television, so catch her if you can.

when you do not know you know when you know you do not know (Mason Jennings, Lakeshore Theater, 9/28/2007)

I remember the first time I heard Mason Jennings. When I lived in Grand Forks, we'd go see whoever came to town, because the chances were few and far between. Mason had me though, from the first time I heard "Confidant." The dipping of his voice, never quite landing where you think it will, was unique and endearing.

After a number of years though, I've seen him a number of times. He often plays the same songs, and plays them well, despite the rotating cast of musicians in his band (I still miss Robert Skoro on bass, but that's ancient history.) So, I was expecting the same type of show last night. But, this time it was different.

No band. Just Mason, his guitar, and on two songs, a reedy upright piano he found backstage. His angry "Crown" stands out as a highlight, but I lost my little scrap of paper with my notes (I know, I know, C. - you warned me, right?) so I don't really remember what else I wanted to write about. But, from the funny songs (Your New Man) to deep questioning (Jesus Are Your Real) to the swinging hammer of "Empire Builder" and the haunt of "Adrian" it was a nice departure from the live shows where it seems like half the audience is just a bunch of drunk Minnesotans hanging around waiting to hear "Better than That."

(Not that there's anything WRONG with that. At all. I like drinking, I like Minnesotans, and that's a really good song. It was just nice that he didn't play it for a change.)

go back to wrigleyville, fat kat

So - tonight, an impromptu trip to the newest mark of uptown's thus-far gradual, yet probably soon to be runaway, gentrification: Fat Kat.

Somewhere between a bar and a restaurant, this place is apparently hoping to survive on the fact that they're the only new, straight, bar ad grill in the area, and that they have a prime location on the corner of Broadway and Gunnison. Non-descript decor, boring music so loud I couldn't hear my friend across the table ,much less the server, flaky staff... should I go on? Decent beer list, but nothing special. Drink menu looks good, but I don't want to drink a fancy cocktail in that atmosphere. There was also too much open floor space and a LOT of those flat screen tvs that seem to be plaguing the city. So, I suppose they're waiting for the cubs to make the playoffs so that all of the overflow from Crew can stand at Fat Kat to watch the games.

Like my friend Julie said to me on the phone, we all WANT to like this place, but it's just not special enough. It looks like every new place that has opened in Wrigleyville in the last 5 years. The food was good for bar food, but they're trying a little too hard with the presentation. It's fried bar food, even if you put it on little sticks.

my first cheese

It was goat's milk queso blanco, and it was about the size of my fist. It was clean and white. I made it Saturday afternoon, and I've been nibbling on it, each time thinking I was eating some magical food that I conjured out of thin air. It wasn't particularly delicious, but it was good enough, and it had a perfect texture. I finished it tonight in a tomato salad. Since this was the first try, I went for one that didn't need any cultures. Just milk and vinegar. The hardest part was heating th milk to 188 degrees.

Note to self to take photos of things like this.

even heroin addicts are hotter when they've got accents

I saw the movie Pure on DVD over the weekend. I cried a lot. I'm not sure if it was really that good, or if I'm just a sucker for little British kids taking on adult responsibilities. He locks his mother in her room so she can detox, and and he is able to stand his ground and not let her out, even when things get really bad, just to be lured away by the pretty girl who lets him feel her tits. I really wish there were even more scenes with the Scottish narcotics detective though. I love listening to him talk. I think I need some Scottish friends. Maybe I should hang out at the Duke of Perth more often. I don't mind eating all those peas.

Iron & Wine, Arthur & Yu - Metro, 9/23

I was disappointed to find that the opening band was not made up of a talking aardvark and that girl from my summer camp, Jennifer Yu. They were good enough. i was ready for them to be done though. A little bit Mamas/Papas, a little Neil Young influence, no a lot. But,the gal, she just isn't a good fit, except on the one song "come to view." She sounds like she belongs in that one, but the rest of the time seemed like a pretty accessory.

As for the main course, I was pleased. I'm not a huge Iron & Wine fan. I have the EP with Calexico, and love that stuff. And I've listened to a handful of random bits here and there. Let it be known though, that this is probably the closest to a jam band I'll ever go.

For the first night of the tour, I thought they played pretty well together - especially since there were eight of them. There were a few things to iron out soundwise - but if you catch them later in the tour, I think it will be a pretty good experience.

We stood front and center in the balcony - a great vantage point, and at one point, I spaced out during one of the songs and was getting sad about something, and then found myself laughing, because I was looking down on this field of cellphone fireflies, blinking as people sent text and photos.

I know, I'm supposed to write about the music. Well - although the first single from the new album (out tomorrow, I believe) is relatively cheerful, a lot of Sam Beam's music chugs and races along in this slightly dark way - like the score of a film where the protaganist is making a mistake, like the person driving on their way to cheat on a spouse, or where someone is covering up an accidental death.

Are you still with me? All in all, I liked it. It was fun to watch the band - sometimes I couldn't figure out what sound was coming from where. I don't know my music terms, but I really like Beam's plunky picking on his guitar - but he would just confuse me even more when he would turn his back. Percussionist #2, I don't know his name, so I'll call him Animal, was pretty fun to watch. I swear he was like the guy on the Harlem Globetrotters cartoon who was always pulling shit out of his afro. I don't know where the guy was keeping all of those little bells and whistles (and blocks, bowls, chimes, rattles, and an one point, a lap-sized steel drum.)

I had no expectations, and I was very pleased. I was not, unlike one guy in the balcony with us, there JUST to hear "The Trapeze Swinger." About 2/3's through the show, his yelling for that song became a little excessive, and then at the end, he was in serious mourning, threatening a tantrum - I was really worried that he was going to throw himself off the balcony.

I was looking forward to a late dinner at Uncommon Ground after the show, but their kitchen was closed, and we ended up at the Raw Bar and Grill. Good wine, bad frog
legs, and really, really weird service.

I'm not doing very well with this succinct thing.

I still don't know how to play euchre, but I finally saw ANCHORMAN

One of those movies that everyone is always quoting, but I never got around to seeing. I was waiting for some colleagues to buy some stuff at CVS on Thursday, and I was poking around in the bargain bin. I really don't think $6.99 for a Jody Watley CD is a bargain, but whatever. Anyway, Anchorman on VHS was $3.00 (I know, some of you are thinking: What is this "VHS?" I do no know this.)

I love Will F. and all, but somehow I was still expecting it would be funnier. I did laugh quite a bit though, but really, I don't know that the characters were well developed enough to really stick with me. I will say that it did contain one of my favorite scenes/lines of any movie ever, I think, and this was Steve Carell on the bear. I tried to find a photo of this to post on the blog, but all i found was this.

i'm hungry

All the way through the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle I was torn between thinking Kingsolver's nonfiction writing is too flowery for her own good (with everything from asparagus to dead tomato plants to turkeys getting personified to death) so she should really stick to telling made-up stories and wanting to move to the country ASAFuckingP. This is nothing new, I've been thinking about goat farming for about 3 years now. I'm not saying this book changed my life or anything, but I have been buying a lot more local produce lately, and I bought a book on home cheesemaking. So I'm one and a half steps closer. Now I just need the sugar______ to help me pay off my student loans while I gather eggs and plant seeds.

zzzzz........

One of the best things about Summer in Chicago is the variety of neighborhood festivals where you can often catch a number of bands for the "suggested donation" of $5. I'm quite ready for summer to be over, so when my friend suggested going the the Old Town Grape Crush, I was reluctant. But then I saw that Duncan Sheik was headlining, so I changed my mind.

I have a short fuse when it comes to drunk women with giant sunglasses though, and when I met Corrinne at North and Wells on Saturday afternoon, I could tell I was in for it. Everyone there had been out "tasting" wine all afternoon, and it was a pretty obnoxious scene. We poked around a bit, had a glass of wine, stayed in spice house as long as we could without sneezing, and then went for dinner at Adobo. Dinner was great,and thankfully were able to eat outside, because inside was more of the same. Loud, drunk, rich people who won't move to let you get to the restroom.

Anway, this is supposed to be about Duncan Sheik. Dinner was more interesting than he was. He knew he was playing to intoxication, and so I think he was determined to just play until the clock struck whatever so he could collect his check and go home. I'm not a huge fan, but when I was working at a radio station in 2000, we got a lot of play out Phanton Moon. And I've been looking forward to seeing Spring Awakening someday. After a boring first song, things started to pick up about halfway though Casanova... but then he played his "Barely Breathing" card. He had the handful of Trixies (Okay, I was trying not to, but I had to say it) who actually knew who was on stage wailing along with that one, but he lost me... I stayed 'til the end, tried to enjoy his string quartet, hoped for him to play "A Mirror in the Heart" and went home glad that I didn't spend any realy money on it. I'm glad Broadway's working well for him.

Don't get too old to make movies, Mr. Loach

I first became aware of Ken Loach in 1996. I was living in Germany, and would cross the border to Strasbourg, France to see films in English. There was one big place that always had a few American or English films, and there was some other smaller, artsy place where you could see more obscure thing, often in series. There was a Ken Loach series at one point, and they were running Land and Freedom and Ladybird, Ladybird. I don't even remember if I saw those films there, so I don't how I remember what they were.

In any case though, by now, I've seen most of his films, and had been waiting all year to see The Wind That Shakes the Barley. Cillian Murphy was very convincing as a blue-eyed Irish doctor who gives up his medical career to fight for Irish independence with his brother and brethren. Ireland in 1920 is something I know nothing about, and I now want to know more. It's curious that an English filmmaker was telling this story. And the English characters were so extremely ugly in this, I found myself wondering if this was accurate, or if Loach was somehow making atonement or reparations for his forefathers.

I haven't cried so hard in a movie in ages. We know, because we hear, that war makes a person do unimaginable things. When someone's loyalty to a cause wins out over their bonds with family, this becomes even harder to understand. And like many war movies, it left me crying not only for the story, but in gratitude for my own privilege and freedom.

I'm glad I wasn't able to catch this in the theater earlier this year, because on the DVD is s short documentary called "Carry on Ken" exploring the director's work. Robert Carlyle, Peter Mullen and other actors from some of his best work, along with crew members and the man himself review the unique ways in which he works, and explain why they think his films are so unique.

I didn't realize it, but he forces his actors to use a lot of improv, which always intriques me in dramas. In fact, they talk specifically about the scene in Carla's Song when Robert Carlyle's character finds Carla in the bathtub. That was improv. The only instruction the actor got was to go to that apartment, find the key, and go in. Amazing stuff.

He's got a new one lined up for next year, I think it's called It's a Free World.

rave against the occupation

There were no previews... we were eating now & laters and telling stories, when the lights dimmed, and a few hebrew titles appeared on the screen. Then, suddenly it was all shaky camera and military checkpoint chaos. And somehow I was rapt from the first moment. Eytan Fox already impressed me with his storytelling in Walk on Water , but I wasn't expecting as much from The Bubble. Alyna and I were discussing this as we were walking in. The slick sexy American look of the poster made it look kinda stupid, but really it was a look into a little bubble of modern young (queer) life in Tel Aviv. A few plot twists that I didn't see coming drew things out to make a longer movie than it probably needed to be, and really - I'm not so sure about that Shakespearean ending, but I did shed a few tears. I also enjoyed listening to the Hebrew, especially the names. It also had a pretty awesom soundtrack. Bebel Gilberto, Israeli covers of Tim Buckley, some Bright Eyes, Belle and Sebastian...Nada Surf...shall I go on? All good, evocative film music. Don't rush out and see it in the theater or anything, but it is pretty good.

first of the burrs

Fall hasn't officially started yet, and what my dad calls the "first of the burrs" came and went on Labor Day weekend with beautiful weather. But, this week, the temperature dropped. And here I am thinking about winter squash, the smell of leaves, my halloween costume (octopus or bagpipes? what a quandary) and the ridiculous amount of live music I'll be taking over the next two months.

I kicked it off on Saturday with a trip to the Hideout Block Party. My pal Joe and I were waylaid due to the fact that we got lost. I know, I know. I hadn't been there in years, and he never had, and neither of us bothered to writed down the directions. So we walked and walked. We got our excercise, but we missed our first target, which was Dan Deacon's 4:00 performance. But, I'm pretty sure that he was the vision in baby blue we saw during Art Brut's set... Barbara, who met up with us, and I were admiring his costume (Russian circus strong man on holiday in florida ca. 1978?) and wondering if he gave mustache rides.

Despite our navigational errors, we had a great time. In addition to getting $20 and free food from Kia for test driving a car, we got to take in some great and not-so-great-but-still-fun performances. I think a lot of the musicians were sitting around drinking beer all afternoon, so some numbers suffered, but at least they were enjoying themselves. It was hard to hear Art Brut's funny as hell lyrics outdoors, and I think they were drunk. I hear Mucca Pazza can be fun in a small setting, but after they paraded up onto the stage, the got pretty boring pretty fast. The Blue Ribbon Glee Club prompted me to elbow Barbara and say "My four-year-old could paint that." Not that I have a child at all, but what I meant was that anybody could get a group of friends together to belt out off-key choral arrangements of pop tunes. Yeah, I know, we could, but we don't, which is why they have cornered the market.

Now, down to business. I don't know many of the Frames' songs, but I will say that they started out strong - totally connected and playing the hell out a few tunes. But then I think that afternoon of drinking took over, and things started to fall apart a little. They brought some local chicks up from the audience to sing that overplayed song from that overplayed movie. (I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying summer is over, and so I need a break from Falling Slowly... and from Young Folks, now that you mention it.) Bringing part of the glee club back up for a kick-ass cover of the Pixies' "Where is My Mind" was a good move though, and that was a fine way to end things.

Seriously though. I've caught Andrew Bird a handful of times, and after his last performance at the Riviera back in April, I'd decided that he doesn't do as well live as I'd like him to, and so I would probably take a pass the next time he came around.

I take it back.

He had an energy on Saturday that I've always wanted to see from him. I mean, some of those tunes are pretty rocking, and I've thought that he often gets too wrapped up in the recording and looping and instrument-switching. It's a laborious process, and I feel tired because he seems like he might be trying too hard. But this time, technology was on his side, and it was a pretty amazing set. His voice has matured so much since his Bowl of Fire days. He's a pleasure to listen to, and on this night, he looked so happy in his sweaty cloud of beats and bowstrings, he was a pleasure to watch, too.

Here's someone's video. But you really had to be there.



Okay. I promise I'll work on being more succinct next time, but how was that for my first review?

that's all over when we ride up troy's bucket

Went to the Music Box for The Goonies tonight. There were far too few people in the theater, but boy do I love that film. First time I've seen it on the big screen since I was a wee goonie myself. So many great moments. I want to watch it again and again.

I'm totally pumped for the Paste Secret Show at Subterannean tomorrow. I can't believe they're keeing us in the dark about who's going to be there. Well, I know it's not Pearl Jam. And that's a relief in my book. I'm hoping for My Morning Jacket. Or Son Volt.

too much information

I think I watch too many movies, and I think that dampens my enjoyment of the really good ones. I haven't been to the theater in a while, the last time being the screening of Eagle vs. Shark (complete with q & a with Taika Waititi and the leading lady) because every time I think of it, I guilt myself into "enjoying the weather" instead. Sometime that means sitting in my bedroom with my laptop, watching DVD's.

It's only fitting that Ingmar Bergman just passed away, as I've been watching a lot of movies from the Scannies these days. That's my own term, and I don't mean it to be insulting to my brethern from the Nordic region. I truly enjoy the time I've spent there. I just like the word Scannie.

So I can't give you actual reviews, I'll just give you some statements.

Together (AKA in Swedish: Tillsammans)
I gave this 4 out of 5 stars, just like I did the other two Lukas Moodysson films I've seen (I'm too scared by what I've read to see his most recent.) I don't know. Maybe I just like listening to Swedish. Maybe I just like the geeky teenage crush story. Or maybe I'm sentimental, and like watching these people build their own wacky family from what they've got.

Brothers
Danish - kind of shocking story how war forces two brothers to switch roles. I thought the acting (even the kids - loved the pancake scene) was pretty damn good, and if there's anything I like listening to more than Swedish, it's Danish.

I know, I know, "Danskerne taler med kartofler i munden." But I still think it's hot. Except when your PTSD is manifesting itself in the form of ripping apart your house and trying to kill your wife and kids, then it's as scary as English.

After the Wedding
I tried not to get nostalgic as father and daughter were sitting at one of the Tivoli Restaurants. What's this movie about. Choices, secrets, power, regret. Not sure why I liked it so much, but there's the Danish again. And every character was pretty flawed, so I guess that's kind of real.

The Secret Life of Words
I was loving the quiet quirkyness of life on the rig... just enjoying the movie for what it was and wondering what I could do to get a job cooking on one of those contraptions... then, when Hanna finally starts telling her story, they almost lost me. It was seeming so textbook for a while. But then I realized that what she was saying was so unimaginable, it's never going to seem real. I keep thinking about it, and it's been a few weeks, so it must have been good after all.

Summer in the City

It seems like there's something to do at every moment.

This morning: 12 mile run

Last night: Awkward (because I wasn't drinking in preparation for said run and didn't know most of the people very well) pre-wedding party for colleague.

Thursday night: Live taping of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me at Millennium Park, followed by dinner at an Armenian restaurant. (Just in case anyone's wondering, this sort of activity would probably meet my expectations for a "perfect date" but it wasn't a date, because there were three of us.)

Wednesday: Self-procalimed holiday of "Decemberists Day." Spent the morning slaving over a stove. Lunch with other hooky-playing friends at Glenn's Diner, followed by picnic and slightly rainy Decemberists show in Millennium Park. A great day, but I was too tired and irritated by the drunk people who weren't listening to the music to really enjoy the show as much as I wanted.

Before that I was in Denver. Tonight I think I might head over to one of Chicago's neighborhood festivals to check out the Redwalls and Poi Dog Pondering. Old and new(er) denizens of Chicago's rock scene? Tomorrow there's talk of going to someone's place to play with the Wii. I hear it's a good time.

three in one, netflix dvd reviews

fur
loved it. asking/answering the questions about how someone from a prim and proper background ends up documenting the seedy underbelly. the surreal lens, the colors, the fur, hair, sex, etc, were pretty awesome. I could barely stand to watch the shaving scene though. I don't even remember how I used to shave my legs.

gray matters
Piece of crap. Yes, people I know and like enjoyed it but well, I'm convinced that Heather Graham's character will stay single forever. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But see, she thinks it's because she's been chasing the wrong gender all her life... even though she thinks she gay now, she's still got the problem that she's fucking obnoxious.

slc punk
Well, I liked this. Though, I think there were probably a few anachronisms, and there was a clear lack of a plot, it was still a fun little essay of poser/punk coming of age in Salt Lake City. I was drawn to this after spending two weeks there on business recently. I like the actors though, and a did shed a tear when the one dude died.

Counting Backwards - Paris Je'taime and other stories

Every time lately that I listen to something, see a film, or read a book, I want to talk to someone about it. But then I seem to forget some of the most important parts in the telling. And I think, myabe I should write this down.

Maybe I should, and maybe I'll fill in this blog with the backlog in my head, but maybe I should just start with last night.

My office building was evacuated, and not knowing quite what to do withourselves on a Friday afternoon, some colleagues and I ended up at a bar. Did you know that beer is more expensive before 5:00 in evanston?
After 1,2, then 3, it was only 6:30, and and apparently time to see a movie.

We were some of the youngest people in the crowded theater, surrounded mostly by over-60 couples. A bunch of little stories about Paris, and it's hard to pick out my favorite. Tom Tykwer's catalog of memories flashing through a young man's head when he thinks he's being dumped was a favorite, as was mime's story, and the story of Ana, a young mother who sings the same lullaby to her own child with such warmth only to vacantly sing for someone else's as her job later. The moment she wakes up in the dark stands out to me, the blue cups and saucers for a dying's man's coffee date, and Nick Nolte telling his little grandson to shut up. It was pretty cool.

The last story though, of the letter carrier from Denver, eating a sandwich in the park was so awkwardly real to me too. Feeling lost, ending up eating chinese food when she wants to experience paris, wanting some one standing next to her to say "Isn't this beautiful?" to. I have this loneliness when I'm travelling alone. And it makes me sad, but would it really be better if there was someone with me, I don't know.

Anyway, it's worth seeing, whether you've been to Paris or not, but I imagined all these couples sitting in the dark, reminiscing about their romantic trips there in their younger days. I did remember my stroll by the eiffel tour with the Johnson sisters from Idaho, and my lonely hours wandering and getting lost, and finding comfort in a nutella banana crepe.

I would want to see how this is done with other cities too. These stories were more about people than places, so they really could happen anywhere. I didn't like the vampire bit very much, but even that had its moments.

And just like they say about Chicago, Denver, Boston, and probably even Paris, if you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes.

Welcome to my new blog.

How long will it last? Your guess is as good as mine. The title was inspired by the SNL sketch/video on sloths. in case you didn't hear the last line, the nature video was not entirely accurate.

Neither am I.

But I'm going to attempt to post some music, book, and film reviews. I'm going to attempt to not post a lot of personal information that I will regret, and then later delete.

In case you're wondering what happened to TronaPower, I decided that it was just a little too much information for me to be sharing with strangers. And WAY too much information to be sharing with family and colleagues.

In case you're wondering what happened to the stolenmusic project:

A) I got over it
B) I accidentally deleted all the postings while I was trying to clear out TronaPower.
C) Both of the Above

(The answer, like on many tests, is C.)