Inhale...
Tuesday Dennis is supposed to fly into JFK Airport at around 6:00. He has an hour layover in Cincinnati and, unfortunately, it is snowin' like a mutha in Cincy. He misses his connecting flight which is the last flight to JFK from Cincy on Tuesday... Luckily he is able to get a flight to LaGuardia. I'm already at JFK when the ol' switchero takes place so I relocate, too. He is supposed to get into LGA at around 9:00. Ends up being almost 10:00. But he makes it safe and sound. Guess what didn't. Right. His luggage...
After I nearly kill the both of us on the way home (really, I'm an excellent driver) multiple times, we decide to eat very poorly at the loverly Pat's Hubba Bubba, a '50s diner thing that is about the only restaurant on my street open at 1:00 a.m. We also attempt to go to Tigin. The bright lights and empty bar lead us to the sudden realization that bars in Stamford close at 1 a.m. on weeknights. Lame.
Wednesday We begin the first of many days attempting to retrieve Dennis' luggage. We make arrangements for them to leave the bag in the mailroom of my building. We head to the Guggenheim.
After a few hours at the Gug we decide to wander around the city for a bit. We're uptown and we end up going to the Rainbow Room for drinks. A few Manhattans heavier and an absolutely absurd bar tab lighter, we decide we're hungry. We grab a cab to Little Italy and have a great meal and a copious amount of wine. We meet Barbie and Ken and see a girl with the largest, sparkliest diamond ring I've seen in my life. What do I know, though. I'm hammered...
We then decide to go over to Avenue A for some more drinkies. At some point I hit a bump on Houston and go a tumbling. We look for someplace divey and end up at the Ace Bar. I don't find it as divey as that description. I find the kitchy collection of lunchboxes to be completely bizarre, though. We like it there. Wish I knew about the bloody mary. That sounds yummy.
I now have exactly $9 left and we have about 25 minutes to make the 1:30 a.m. train back to Stamford, the last train until 5:30 a.m. I try to convince Dennis that staying until 4 a.m. closing time and then going for breakfast before the train is a better idea. Wisely, he convinces me otherwise. We have a cab driver who tolerates us quite nicely and takes my $9. Somehow we get on the train and end up back in Stamford.
Normally there are tens of cabs at the Stamford Station. Suddenly Wednesday night there are none. We end up sharing with a bizarre couple and take forever to get to my place. Dennis informs me that our driver is drunk. He confirms this by getting out to pee on the curb while we get my chair out.
No luggage when we return.
Thursday We ain't pretty. We rest.
Again, no luggage.
Friday Luggage finally arrives in the morning.
Back to the city to wander about. I purchase way too much including (but not limited to)
* Two boxes of Pocky at M2M
* Three vegan cookies at Sacred Chow
* One Elvis bootleg at Bowery Records
* Too much coffee
* One B.R.M.C. CD at Bowery Records
Dennis purchases much less and I hate him for it. He's better than I am.
I hit another pothole. Again, I go tumbling. This time on Broadway.
Dinner in Stamford at La Hacienda.
Today I convince Dennis that it can take more than two hours to get to JFK. Really. It can. It takes less than 45 minutes... Oops! Dennis is there way too early, I'm back and getting ready to go see The Handsome Family. Apartment quiet. Sad.
Exhale...
Full T-Day recap soon. In case you haven't gotten your Thanksgiving fill of weird-ass shit, here's a bit more.
Dennis thought I was completely insane for taking movies from the train. He's probably right. However, I thought this short one of Fordam was pretty interesting. This longer one of Harlem is, to me, simply sublime. This one of the the underground entrance to Grand Central Terminal is probably only of interest to me and the clinically insane.
I've had a sudden realization that my content over the last couple of weeks has, well, we're all friends here right? Figuratively and literally speaking? My content has sucked ass.
Please accept my heartfelt apologies for the recent outage. I hold myself to lofty goals. Lately I even bore myself.
I think what I need is a recharge. A burst of activity to get me back in the swing. Lucky for us all the long weekend will provide tales aplenty. Oh, yes. Just you wait...
Anyhow, I don't know how much I'll be updating between now and Sunday. However, when I do, watch out...
Aw, see. This is just sad. They were so cute together and, seemingly, still very much smitten. Drink a pint for 'em this weekend, would ya?
Costello splits from wife
Musician Elvis Costello has split from his wife, ex-Pogues singer Cait O'Riordan, after 16 years of marriage.
The pair are believed to have simply drifted apart and went their separate ways in September this year.
The couple met when Costello, now 47, was a producer of Irish folk rock band The Pogues in the mid-80s, and O'Riordan was a member of the band.
They married in 1986, but O'Riordan, now 37, left the band shortly afterwards.
A statement issued on their behalf said: "It is regretfully announced that the marriage of Elvis Costello and Cait O'Riordan has come to an end after 16 years.
"The parting, which took place in September, is amicable and it is hoped that the privacy of the individuals will be respected."
Costello first came to fame in the punk era of the 1970s with the band the Attractions, but set himself apart with thoughtful lyrics and musical proficiency on tracks such as Oliver's Army and I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down.
Long since a solo artist, he has become one of Britain's most important songwriters.
He is constantly experimenting with musical styles, teaming up with Sir Paul McCartney, songwriter Burt Bacharach and classical stars Anne-Sofie Von Otter and the Brodsky Quartet.
He even managed a guest appearance in the second Austin Powers movie, with Mike Myers, and a recent Simpsons episode.
Ugh. I really need to start going to bed before 1 a.m., don't I? At any rate, I don't have anything particularly witty to say today. Patricia, as usual, has some fun stuff. Check these out for starters.
You know, we may have lost. But this is much more embarrassing. Michigan has won a national championship in both football and basketball in the last 15 years and there were minor incidents (isn't it a shame that that's a given these days?) but nothing close to this.
During my undergraduate years, I did witness the now legendary "End of The World Party" It paled in comparison. There was nothing this year. Of course, maybe that's because CMU got whupped at home for the first time since 1973.
This short movie turned out exactly like I hoped it would. Like some weird squirming mass lit by some unseen red menace.
I planned to get a lot done today. Hmm. Somehow's it's 11:00 and I've barely gotten anything done.
A few updates, though.
* There are new pictures in A Day In The Life. Two from Earle (more as I get time to tinker with them) and a few from the Stamford Balloon Inflation thing.
* There's an audio lesson on Always A Critic.
Enjoy!
Ansel Adams I'm not...
Looked at my pics from the Earle show this morning. Lesson learned. Need to adjust the exposure time for concert shots. Was too long and everything's blurred. They look like this for the most part even after a lot of photoshop work. Oops!
We have this going on here tomorrow. It's basically a warm-up for the Macy's Parade next week. This way people get to practice carrying the balloons and, hopefully, the Cat and the Hat won't kill again. I'm probably not going to the parade (City tomorrow, I think) but I am going to go to the inflation party tonight to take pictures cuz that's kewl.
* Got the new chair on Tuesday. I call it the hovercraft. It's completely insane how nimble and light it is. I only biffed it once which is literally amazing for new chair and I think where I took a tumble (going about 15 mph down the 79th Street Transversal) would have a been a problem for any chair.
* I was in 17 elevators today. I counted. I don't know why.
I'll try to give a detailed account of the last two days tomorrow (that sentence barely makes sense). Right now it's just too much. Too much was the theme for the last two days.
* Too much work
* Too much art museum
* Too much drinky
* Too much walking in the rain
but just enough Steve Earle.
Tomorrow updates on the days, Earle photos, another CD review!!
Um, I can ban your IP address from posting here...
Okay, okay. Everybody. The picture on the bottom left is by the multi-talented Meredith "Missy" Missroon. I'll make a link sooner or later. In the meantime, go visit www.missroon.com and look at her loverly work.
Sheesh...
My pal and frequent commentator Dennis will be here next week hanging out for Thanksgiving. Yaaaay. I told him that nothing other than nice restaurants and bars happen around my neighborhood. Boy. Was I wrong.
Check this out! Hall & Oates AND Meatloaf on back-to-back nights! We were planning on spending all of our time in the City. Best start rethinking that!
Uh. You know I'm kidding, right? I wouldn't be opposed to walking down the street to see Joan Baez, Dr. John or B.B. King, though, if the tickets were cheap.
Wow. This is just so unbelievably wrong...
PHOENIX (AP)-Wilford Brimley thinks banning cockfighting isn't the right thing to do.
The grandfatherly actor and oatmeal pithchman attended a weekend rally in Phoenix to voice opposition to Proposition 201, an Arizona cockfighting ban expected to pass Tuesday.
Passage could lead to more laws restricting use of animals, like prohibiting the use of dogs for hunting, Brimley said.
"My saddle horses are my friends," said Brimley, 64. "My dogs are my friends. Once an idea like this gets started, I don't know where it's going to end."
Brimley's concern was unfounded, said Kim Hicks of the Arizona Humane Society.
"This isn't about anything except cockfighting," Mrs. Hicks said. "We have no intention of telling Mr. Brimley what he can or can't do with his dog."
Cockfighting is legal in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Louisiana. Missouri voters will also consider a ban Tuesday. Brimley, who lives in Utah, says he visits Arizona to attend cockfights.
You know, if I was a child in the company of Michael Jackson, I'd insist on having my face covered, too.
Really. What's goin' on with this guy? That's HIS child? Riiiiiight. If there ever was an unfit parent...
Look, I'm perfectly willing to admit that my music snobbery sometimes leads me down some pretty weird paths. However, this one takes the proverbial cake.
I really, really, really love Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", right? Well, I'm now completely obsessed with the genesis of that title. It's from a four-disc box set called "The Conet Project." They're these incredibly bizarre and spoooooooky shortwave recordings. This explains it much better than I could.
However, I'm having a hard time justifying about $80 on the set. So, uh, any of my wacked-out readers have access to a copy of this?
Ugh. Cleaning out one of my closets. Came across a small box that I didn't recognize. It's clothing, lingerie mostly, that M. left here (well, in Atlanta) so she'd have things to wear when she visited.
I so did not need to find that tonight.
I'll admit it. I'm a disciple of the Ikea concept. Cool looking furniture that's mass produced and cheap as hell. In shifting around CDs today I decided that I need a much bigger media cabinet and, of course, immediately decided that I'd go to Ikea this afternoon to see what they had.
It seems like I go about every six months and am slowly replacing furniture in my place. Usually I go the store in Jersey. There's one a little bit closer in Long Island but I usually choose not to go there. My rationale for that is pretty lame, it's down the street from M.'s place and I'm afraid I'll run into her. Nevermind that Ikea couldn't be further from her style of furnishings. I just felt that the possibility was there.
Today, I decided that was completely ridiculous and went to the LI store. Whoa. What a difference location makes. You see, the Jersey store is full of Manhattanites. They have free shuttles, believe it or not, from the Port Authority every thirty minutes on weekends. As a result, you get a bus loads of people looking to fill their tiny studio apartments with cheap furnishings. The Long Island store has a different theme - screaming children. Nightmarish screaming kids running up and down the overly crowded aisles. At one point, some brat was trying to hide under my chair. I'm not kidding. Children shouldn't be allowed in public. Oops! Did I just say that aloud?
For those of you who have never had the Ikea experience, you go through little showrooms that they have set up to choose your furnishings. I chose this media cabinet because it's huge and modern-looking and doesn't look cheap at all. You then go downstairs to the "self-serve" pickup area. Remember the end scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark?" Well, it's kinda like that except the shelves are half-empty. You see where your choice is supposed to be but, invariably, they're out of stock. Nice. A completely wasted trip. Just ordered it online. See. I should be a hermit.
So it's we're getting a Nor'easter here this weekend. It's been wet and dark. Perfect weather for reading the Times all day long and organizing.
I decided to spend part of the morning organizing my Elvis Costello CDs. After all, three new re-releases come out on Tuesday! I get the honor of buying these albums for a third time on CD!
I'm very ashamed of my Elvis collection. It's completely ridiculous. So, a quiz. How many EC CDs do you think Mike has? This is only the CDs. The vinyl would make the number literally obscene. I didn't count double CDs as two, just one. It includes legitimate albums, compilations, soundtracks, bootlegs and CD singles. So guess away. The winner will win something. Not sure what yet.
Oh, and don't mock too much. I can think of at least two readers here who surely have more than I. You know who you are... :-)
Tell me what you want of me
Or are you terrified of failure?
You put on a superstitious face
Behind all this paraphernalia
We're not living in a masquerade
Where you only have three wishes
It isn't easy to see
In a lifetime of mistaken kisses
-elvis costello
Went to the site of the late, great Brownies last night. It's a new bar called Hi-Fi and is indie rawk central in NYC. The hook? Well, they have the "world's first" MP3 jukebox. They have almost 2000 CDs ripped onto a big ol' drive. This, as you might imagine, is a deadly combination. Music geeks, alcohol and a seemingly endless selection at the jukebox meant that on a Friday night I couldn't even get close to it. It's not like you can really hear in there anyway. I didn't like the place. It's crawling with wannabe hipsters trying to take in the "new scene." I am, however, paying for the enjoyment I did have today...
So the ol' Tag-Board isn't the only thing around here that's puritanical...
I found out tonight that in the loverly state of Connecticut you cannot buy any wine, beer or liquor from a store after 8 p.m. Eight o'clock!!! I don't know what's more shocking, the mere fact that the cut-off is so early or that it took me a year of living here to find that out. I'm tryin' to become a better solo lush. I'm tryin'!!!
I'm in the City today. Not much time for updates. I did however get an e-mail from my boss. The economy's in the toilet and I just got a raise! Days like today make me love my job...
Take a trip over to "always a critic," kids. It still needs some remodeling, but at least there's something to listen to while you laugh at the snobbery that will be housed within!
Another lame evening of staying in and working on the website. Yeah, I know. It's getting bad. Anyhow, here was tonight's discovery...
In flipping channels while picking out colors for the "always a critic" blog, I stumbled across a show that I've never seen - "Providence." I stopped on it because I saw a guy in a wheelchair talking to another guy. Now, I recognized the guy in the chair. Just some character actor who isn't disabled in any way. Just have him sit in a chair. People will buy it. That bothers a lot of people. It really doesn't bother me. I think it's pretty funny that people actually stopped Raymond Burr when they saw him walking because they thought he had been "healed."
All the kewl blogger kids are doing the Googlism thing. Here are the best of mine...
mike wolf is a train guy
mike wolf is involved with a vineyard management company and oversees about 400 acres in napa county
mike wolf is now the president of the collegeville cougars booster club
mike wolf is since deceased
mike wolf is an amazing writer
mike wolf is willing to host the meeting
mike wolf is having his students get use to skis by walking on the flat with one ski
mike wolf is an out
mike wolf is aware and will write specs for contractor furnished wood poles
mike wolf is walking back to the table after having put a slide in the projector you will see him looking down
mike wolf is thinking of organizing a caravan
and most importantly...
mike wolf is a world
Dontcha know it!
I don't mind getting little breaks here and there. However the recent tendancy for people to give Crip Boy the "Senior Citizen Discount" is a bit troubling.
Today, for instance, D. and I went to lunch at Taco Bell. Ick. I know. It's what he wanted. My $3.25 order was cut by thirty-two whole cents because the cashier decided that I deserved said discount. I'm not sure what to make of such generosity.
Combined with the Starbucks guy who always charges me for a small coffee regardless of what I order, I could make quite a killing on the resale market.
Stripes in IE6.0 should be gone. If you still see them let me know. I'm almost positive I fixed it. Almost.
Poor Kirk Cameron. Whatever happened to him?
Anyhow, I'm havin' some issues here. Despite Patricia's help, the yaccs comments are still all jacked up. I'm still seeing some weird bleedthrough on my machine at work. Jim can't see my entries at all. Best of all, Paige's filters at work are classifying me as porn. Cool!
Sigh. More work tonight, I guess. Though I really don't know what to do for any of those problems.
So this morning I'm taking my usual leisurely time getting ready this morning...
Well, no, that's not entirely true. Both Partygirl and T. suggested that I imbibe in the ol' Nyquil to combat the cold. I had some here, I think left over from M. I never touch the stuff. Now I know why... I was asleep by 11:30 but then up again flipping the channels at 3 a.m. Note the US Navy - your 3 a.m. infomericial is probably not the best recruiting tool. Do we really want a boat full of insomniacs? But I digress...
I was taking an horrifically long time to get ready this morning. I was in a state of partial dress at 8:45 when I hear the door to my apartment open. Yes. The door opening with a key. Clever burgular, that one. Suddenly I realized that it was Tuesday. It was my housekeeper. At 8:45. Nice way to start the day scrambling about while my Pigeon English speaking housekeeper tries to make small-talk. Note to self, Tuesdays are the new early days.
Welcome to the new digs. Don't touch the walls. They're still wet.
Choose your seat carefully. You'll be sitting there all year. No. Mark. You're gonna have to move. You and Bruce have to be separated. Patricia, we're not going to be able to hear you back there. Move up, please.
The comments are still ugly. The old comments aren't imported. The secondary criticism blog isn't even up and running (that's where you'll also find MP3s and the like). I haven't even finished the sidebars. However, I was afraid that if I didn't just uproot us I'd never finish.
So look around, leave some comments. But be sure to clean up your own messes. Your mother doesn't work here.
Picked up a copy of "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" this weekend after reading Moby's comments on it. So far it has been a real interesting read. Anybody else ever read this?
Also am completely addicted to Mr. Bellers Neighborhood, an online journal of NYC writings. I promise you that it has nothing to do with the fact that it's edited by Parker Posey's boyfriend. Not a thing.
In my previous relationship we often carried on the time-honored of tradition of making each other music mixes. Of course, it being a relationship of the 21st Century, we made mix CDs.
In shifting around some of my embarrassingly plentiful CDs today, I came across this one. We had just gotten in a fight. That is, I did something that she perceived as wrong. I remember it being a really big thing at the time. Now, however, I have no clue what it was about. Believe me, oh readers, when I tell you that the problem isn't that I forget issues. The problem was that there were always issues of a minute manner that suddenly escalated into yelling and tears. When I got this disc I should have run far, far away. I see that now. Then I was blinded.
Silver Springs - Time Casts A Spell on You, But You Won't Forget Me -2.1.2000
"Silver Springs" - Fleetwood Mac
"Everything to Everyone" - Everclear
"Unloved" - Jann Arden
"Me & My Chains" - Kristen Hersh
"Six Hundred Sixty-Six" - Fisher
"The One That Got Away" - John Gorka
"Don't Try To Tell Me" - Wendy & Lisa
"Dear John" - Eddi Reader
"Wishful Thinking" - Duncan Sheikh
"The Letting Go" - Melissa Etheridge
"Don't You Forget About Me" - Simple Mind
"Had To" - Fisher
"Still Crazy After All These Years" - Paul Simon
"True North" - Fisher
"Love Ridden" - Fiona Apple
Yikes. The sound of Steve Nicks' voice still puts me in a weird, defensive mood. That song, to me at least, is incredibly threatening. Poor Lindsay.
The ever lovely and entertaining Partygirl has just lauded me with the worst title I can imagine. I, Mike Wolf, am B&T.
For those of you not in the Tri-State area, B&T is Bridge & Tunnel. This is a unique New York put-down that applies to anyone who takes a bridge or tunnel to get into the City. The concept of this title is obvious. Those of us who don't live in one of the five boroughs are somehow lesser. Wannabes, if you will. I would probably be the worst type of B&T'er - one who goes into the City on a very regular basis and loves everything the City has to offer. In fact, I often speak as though I do live in the City, something that PG called me on. I'm still mulling over how I feel about this one.
On one hand, I'd love to live in the City. See my 100 things for further proof. However, the City just isn't very "do-able" for crip boy. Most apartment buildings have steps and even fewer don't have tiny doorways. Getting around is even harder. Literally less than ten-percent of the subway stations have elevators. Those that do aren't in areas I'd want to travel to. Having a car is a nightmare at best. So my only options are usually cabs. Not a cheap proposition.
That said, it's still one that I want to take on. All I need is a job close to where I work. (Ed. note - Yes, Mike is so dumb that he just wrote that. We don't understand, either. We think he meant a job close to where he lives. One never knows, though, does one?) Easy, right? Yeah. I'm having a hard time with it, too.
Whatever you do, don't hold it against PG. She's right and she writes some of the wittiest stuff.
I know I should really work on the new site tonight. However, I feel really crappy so I think I'm just gonna lay down and take a break. We'll be here for at least this week I think. I know. I know. Slacker.
1 - I hate you guys. No, really. Why does no one give me feedback on the new site? Are you all sleeping off your Veteran's Day hangovers? Cuz that's about the only excuse I'm buyin'.
2 - Anybody have a recipe for a back-alley, handed down from generation-to-generation cold remedy? I needs me something strong.
3 - Anybody other than me completely annoyed by those "Yoda Man!" commercials?
4 - My new favorite online radio station is KEXP in Seattle. Check it out, twangers.
5 - Will you still love me tomorrow?
From the Stamford newspaper...
Scene . . . Westport residents Don Imus and Phil Donahue running into each other at Switzer's Pharmacy in Southport.
Scene . . . On Wednesday afternoon, an impatient Richard Gere, actor and Pound Ridge, N.Y., resident, was spotted waiting outside in the Whole Foods Shopping Center in Greenwich while gal pal Carey Lowell was getting her java at Starbucks.
Jealous much? LOLz!
I put a couple of crazy pictures of my crazy cat up. You're gonna have to go to the new space to see them. Point your favorite browser to mikewolf.net and click on "a day in the life."
Okay. You're all invited for a little open house to look at the swanky new digs. The carpet's not in yet and the paint is still wet so we're not moving in for a little while yet. We'll get all the boxes out of here and get all settled and let you know when you can come back to see the new swing set in the backyard.
For now look at this. The randomness link and the photos link both work. The critic link will work soon.
Comments? Is it fast enough? Please don't leave any comments there yet. Leave them here and I'll migrate everything over.
In addition to dropping too much cash on a digital camera and enjoying a beautiful autumn day, I also went to see a film this afternoon. The new Audrey Tautou feature, "God Is Great, I'm Not." Swoon...
Now, I'm completely biased. As most of you know, the doe-eyed Audrey is my latest obsession. Thanks to my friends at NetFlix I have been able to see every film that she has made. Some are not very good and some, of course, are amazing. Regardless of the project Audrey is always beautiful, effervescent and flashing that smile that melts my lil' heart. This film was just so-so. The plot gets a bit old but it is chock full of Audrey magic. It also was at what has to be one of the best moviehouses in the whole damn country, the Paris Theatre. It's an old-time art house complete with a balcony and, get this, no concessions whatsoever. I don't know if this film is going to have a very wide release (it was released in France last September) but I guess I'd recommend it for a nice change of pace.
So, I bought a new digital camera today. A complete impulse item bought in the city but one that I'm very happy with. I was an early adopter of digital photography and my old Olympus was just that, old. My new Fuji is pretty damn tiny and groovy. It's going in my bag that I carry everywhere so I can always have it at hand. I can't tell you how many times in the last couple months I thought "I wish I had my camera!" Once I get the Moveable Type site up at www.mikewolf.net there will be more organized section for photos.
So...
With all apologies to the rest of the world, I really believe there to be no more beautiful place on Earth than Central Park in the autumn. Sure, it's cliche. It's also amazing. As evidence, take a look at these.
Those may load slow if you're on a dial-up. Opinions on content and load speed wanted.
Enjoy!
I played really well in the crappy cities when I was looking to leave Atlanta. I actually accepted a job in Milwaukee (and later backed out...) and had offers in Cleveland, Corpus Christi and Detroit. The only one of those other offers I even entertained was the Detroit job. Michigan, as you probably know, is where I grew up. The Detroit job was actually a larger salary than what I took here in Norwalk and the cost of living is much less. I would have been doing very nicely, not that I'm hurting at all now thankyouverymuch. I had some concerns about the company, though, and major concerns about Detroit. I'm an urban boy. I could live in the heart of Detroit for a song. However, the quality of life there would literally be a fraction of what it is here. Here I can go to NYC on a whim like I did last night. I have a world of cultural opportunities a short train ride away. I even have some pretty groovy places in South Norwalk including some great restaurants that have migrated from Manhattan and a really good art film theater.
Sometimes, though, I question whether I should have gone for the money in Detroit. However, when I read things like this I know that I made the right call...
The Phoenix was chosen to host a press screening of "8 Mile" because Eminem and director Hanson were adamant that the film be screened in the city; the Phoenix is the only commercial theater showing first-run films within the Detroit city limits.
Oh, my!
If I can gloat a bit more...
A great show by Fountains of Wayne last night. They're an amazingly tight live band and the Bowery is probably my favorite venue in the city. Long-time readers may recall me babbling about the sound there on many an occasion. The only complaint was it was too short. Thy probably played less than an hour and a half. But, when you only have two albums out (and one in the works) and most of your songs clock in at around three minutes I guess that's to be expected.
I also got to briefly meet blog pal and fellow NYC music gadabout Jesse! By that time, however, I had way too much vodka on an empty stomach and was obsessed with getting the 12:17 train out of GCT. Sorry 'bout that, Jesse.
FoW also have a new album coming out "in a couple of months" and played a lot of stuff from it. Seems like it's more of their usual great stuff. Keep your eye out!
Line of the night from Chris - "A couple more sissy rock songs and then we're gonna go all Nickelback on yer ass!"
New York's all in a tizzy now because a couple of fine folks from New Mexico decided to come visit us with the Bubonic Plague. Hey, thanks! Mind you it's not contagious and they certainly contracted it at home. How do we know that? Well, fleas and a rat in their home (nice crib, folks) tested positive for the plague in July. So let me get this straight, you knew that you'd been exposed to a disease that has been dormant on the East Coast for a century but decided to come check out the sights anyhow? Wow. The NY Tourism Board is really working hard in a post 9-11 world.
Next year will mark the second wave of New Wave inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. British acts Elvis Costello and The Attractions, The Clash and The Police, all of them first-time nominees, will join last year's American post-punk initiates The Ramones and Talking Heads at the Hall's 18th annual induction ceremony.Aussie hard-rock heroes AC/DC and '60s blue-eyed soul duo the Righteous Brothers round out next year's list of honored artists, who all became eligible 25 years after the release of their first recording.
So, is it too early to figure out how to weasel my way into the Waldorf Astoria for the ceremony? Creative ideas appreciated.
I'm completely giddy. Tonight a well-needed slice of power pop manna is coming down from the heavens to land upon the Bowery Ballroom in the form of Fountains of Wayne. And, yes, I am gloating.
I found this quote from the new Governor-elect in Georgia to be very chilling. For those of you who aren't familiar, half of the old Georgia flag was literally the Confederate Flag. It was changed a couple of years ago to a flag consisting of the history of flags in Georgia. The ol' Star and Bars is still there, it's just not as prominant as the Rednecks (read: racists) would like. Unbelievable.
Interviewed a few minutes later on WSB-TV's morning news program, Perdue said, "We've got a lot of citizens out here who were upset over the process used to change our flag. When we convene in January, we'll see the mood of the Legislature and we'll deal with that issue when we get there."
Thataboy, Sonny! Nice...
Well, looks like we're in for a nasty couple of years. I don't understand. I really have come to expect the worst from American voters. I've seen "us" make some pretty blatantly wrong-headed choices at the ballot box. This, however, floors me. I really thought that the economy was a real issue. Guess not. Guess we like the quagmire we find ourselves in. Oh, and war. War sure is fun, ain't it? The combination of a dire economy and a focus-free conflict in the hands of a unilateral party is literally the scariest thing I can think of.
I think Mark and Marjorie have the right idea. Wish I could join them. Damn. I'm depressed.
Um. Georgians. Saxby Chambliss beating Max Cleland and your new governor Sonny Perdue? Is he related to that annoying chicken guy (read: slaughterer) Jim Perdue? Wow. What a scary place.
Excuse the crass title, but this bit that I stole from the incredibly entertaining Cyborgirl is the funniest thing I've read in a long, long time.
I'm devastated. Well, perhaps that's bit too dramatic. I'm shocked, at the very least. No one in my office is planning on voting today. No one!
Is the whole world that apathetic? Please tell me I'm not the only one voting today. Please?
I don't know that I have any readers in either Minnesota or Florida. However, if anyone stumbles by or any of you regulars know anyone in either of those locales please, please, please make sure you get out there and vote. Of course if you're planning on voting for the Republican candidates in either of those states, you need to vote tomorrow.
ADDENDUM - Tiffany's right. Everybody get out and vote! My Georgia readers need to get out and vote for Max Cleland, too. He's a good man. It'd be a shame for him to only be able to serve one term.
A cow orker asked me today when I stopped listening to the radio. They're perplexed by the fact that I haven't heard radio staples like the current Justin Timberlake single. I responded, "I dunno. I guess I never really listened to the radio."
I went back to my little corner of the office and realized that wasn't true at all. You see, I grew up in Mid-Michigan in a tiny town with a population of around 7,000. Cultural outlets were few, but I've always loved music. Truth is, I spent a lot of those days listening to the "cool" radio station in the area, Q-106. Cool in those days seems to be what they play on "classic" rock stations these days - Van Halen, Journey, Stones, Eagles, Led Zep, etc. Being Mid-Michigan we also got more than our share of Bob Seger and Ted Nugent. We always heard tales of the "weird" stations in Ann Arbor and Detroit but, to a pre-teen in Calhoun County, that seemed to be the other side of the world.
I slowly culled better tastes from my friends. I'll never forget the day Mark Mortenson brought his new, shiny vinyl copy of "Purple Rain" over for me to listen to. It started me down a road of Prince fandom, one I stayed on for quite a long time. Mark's no longer with us, unfortunately, but I still think of him every time I pull that album out. Mark also bought me a copy of the Stones' "Undercover" for my birthday and convinced me to go see Madonna in Detroit with him. His tastes weren't perfect...
I also remember sitting in Joel's room listening to records on his little Sears stereo. Joel had much better tastes than I did back then. Early Scritti Politti and ABC come to mind. So does Billy Joel's "Nylon Curtain." What were we thinking with that one, Joel?
Late in high school I started hanging out with a different crowd. Dubbed "The Mutants" (doesn't every high school have a group that gets called that?), we were bonded by our love of non-mainstream music. They got me into some things I still listen to: The Cramps, Bowie, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Velvet Underground, Bauhaus. The list goes on for miles. I still laugh every time I think about helping the groups' ringleader, Abbott, prepare his version of "Bela Lugosi's Dead" for a lip-synch contest at a high school dance. Needless to say, no one outside of our group had any clue as to what was going on. I often wonder what happened to some of those people. Last I knew Abbott was doing sculpture in San Francisco but we fell out of touch again very quickly.
In college, I started to really listen to many of the things I do now. I moved on from the new wave sort of stuff I loved in the eighties and started listening to a lot of songwriters. I first saw Elvis Costello when I was in college. I started listening to Gram Parsons and early Uncle Tupelo.
I can honestly say, though, that I've never really listened to the radio since those early days of Q-106.
Thanks for listening to me reminisce. Joel et. al., I know what missing phase you're thinking of. Don't you dare...
So after dining solo at Dojo in St. Marks I headed over to CB's to see their portion of that night's CMJ festivities.
I got there halfway through a set by Jeff Klein and his band. I was pleasantly surprised. Smart, edgy power pop with a lot of energy. Pretty derivative, but better than most things I've stumbled into. Check him out if he comes your way. The second was Tim Jones, the leader of an alt.country band called Old Pike that I'm vaguely familiar with. He fit the earnest-songwriter-with-a-six-string mold a bit too much for my tastes. Had one song that he wrote after moving to LA called "Saltwater Kisses." Need a I say more?
I was there, of course, to see Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter. A thousand thanks to Deano for turning me on to her this summer. By the time they were ready to perform (they were using borrowed equipment so it took them a bit) the room was probably only half full. Despite a fantastic performance, I'd guess half of those in attendance left during their set and most of those that remained where seemingly there to talk. I moved up front so I could actually hear without being distracted. I played the disinterest up to NY hipsters but Dean tells me that it was actually because it was the dj boys from CMJ, which makes sense. I felt really bad for them as they'd come across the fucking country to play for 40 minutes for an audience that was, well, horrible. When I said hello to Jesse afterward she seemed literally overjoyed that someone outside of Seattle knew "Reckless Burning." I bought a groovy t-shirt and had her sign my CD. I wasn't planning on the CD thing, I just had it in my bag at the time and thought it would be fun. She hugged me. Swoon. I left after that. I figured that the guy from Mudhoney who was playing later on that night wouldn't be into hugging me.
I didn't make it to any other CMJ functions but this would have been a funny panel. Can you even begin to imagine the ego in that room?!
Purchases -
1. One used copy of Black Dahlia
2. One promo copy of Frank Black and the Catholics' Black Letter Days
3. One copy of the 2003 Not For Tourists Guide to NYC
4. One Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter t-shirt
Still more later.
So I went to the Affordable Art Fair Saturday. I really enjoyed it despite the fact that the majority of the "affordable" pieces were in the $4000 price range. It was all contemporary stuff and a lot of really nice photography. I really wanted this amazing shot of the Chrysler Building but I couldn't justify the $4600 price tag. Who am I kidding? Not only could I not justify it, but I don't have that kind of money just lying about. An investment, I know, but not one I thought I could dive into without more research.
I did come about this close to buying this in a 48x60 lightbox. It really is an amazing and whimsical shot and is very, very striking in that large lightbox format. I dunno. It really would look amazing in my place. Maybe someday.
I also had a wacky and surreal conversation with a groovy woman working at the, get this, Cynthia Plaster Foundation's booth. Yes, that Cynthia Plaster. For those unfamiliar with her, um, work - check out this. And, yes, Kiss did write a song about her.
More later.
I'll have a full recap of a groovy day tomorrow but I'll leave you with this joke. Jesse's guitarist (and incredibly lucky boyfriend) was in Whiskeytown. Obviously there's some bad blood there. He told this joke...
"How many Bryan Adams' does it take to screw in a light bulb?"
"SECURITY!"
Yeah. I got the gist but thought it was bizarre, too. The dishearteningly small crowd was too busy chatting and being hipsters to even ponder it.
ADDENDUM - LOLz. I found this in an online interview with him. No love lost, certainly...
Q: So do you like being in a band with your girlfriend? Better than being in a band with Ryan Adams?
A: I don't know, they both fight like girls.
You know who you are. Get off your collective butts and go see Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter when they next play your fair city. Not only are they amazing live, but Jesse is a super sweetie. Tell her I sent ya! Full review tomorrow.
November 7 at Crocodile Cafe (Seattle, WA) w/Neko Case
November 9 at Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR) w/Neko Case
November 23 at Cafe du Nord (San Francisco, CA) w/Victoria Williams
December 6 at Chop Suey (Seattle, WA) w/Winfred E. Eye
In lieu of doing this demo that is really getting on my last, last nerve I thought I'd babble about what I'm doing this weekend.
Tomorrow I'm going to go to the Affordable Art Fair in Manhattan. Now, mind you, only in Manhattan would $5000 be considered affordable. I'll be looking closer to the low-end of the scale for some more stuff for my environs. Lord only knows what I'm looking for but it will be fun nonetheless.
This is also the weekend for the CMJ Music Marathon and I'll be taking in as much as possible. May go and freelance tonight as I don't have any tickets but there are no less than thirty shows going on. Tomorrow I'm going to CB's 13 Gallery to see Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter.
Finally, on Sunday I may be going to see my boss run in the New York Marathon. However, it's supposed to be wicked cold early in the morning and there will be three million people lining the route. I don't think he'd miss me, do you?
After listening to Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" pretty much non-stop this week while working on a demo, I've basically decided that it's not only my favorite album in recent memory, it's my favorite album ever. Yep. That's right. Not a bad track to be found.