Concert: Kings of Leon at MSG 1/29/09

Amazing show. They truly filled the arena, and kept the audience moving the entire time. Caleb's howl was raw and intimate despite the size of the venue, and the songs were performed very tight. BriGuy, Burger and I were amazed at how powerful Nathan's drumming is; you really could feel it in the concrete under your feet. We had great seats at 12 o'clock from the stage, so I could both see and feel the crowd's energy. Obviously everyone was on their feet for the hits, but even the "bathroom break" tunes kept people up. And my voice is completely gone; the mark of any good rock show. Here's what they played:

Setlist:
Crawl
Taper Jean Girl
My Party
Molly's Chambers
Closer
Fans
Revelry
Milk
Four Kicks
Wasted Time
Sex on Fire
Slow Night, So Long
The Bucket
Notion
McFearless
On Call
Use Somebody
Cold Desert
Trani

Encore:
Knocked Up
Manhattan
Charmer
Black Thumbnail

Mac is Back

Picking it up at the Apple Store tonight. Schweet! Expect a flood of new music and musings (including Delta Spirit, The Whigs, my Jan 2009 Playlist, and the end of my sobriety). Psyched.

Give This A Listen: The Whigs

The Whigs are a good old rock band from Atlanta. They're opening for Kings of Leon this Thursday at MSG (a show I hope to go to; ticket prices being the only obstacle right now). I'm really digging what they're throwing out there. They are a true power trio and are very garage-rock, but their hooks keep them grounded. The newest album (from 2008) is called Mission Control.

I recommend, as a single, "Right Hand On My Heart." It's a melodic, heavy-tempoed, epic rocker. Reminds me of a mix of 70's arena rock (as epitomised so well by the fictional Stillwater from Almost Famous) and good 90's alt rock.

Mac-Less

I brought my MacBook Pro in to get serviced and cleaned up, so all posts will be coming from work. By the end of this week I hope to put up my January 2009 playlist.

Also, this is the last week of sobriety. Saturday night at midnight, we raise the dead!

But for now, check this:

Commentary: The Inauguration

Higgs, Burger, KA and I gchatted during the inauguration. Enjoy:
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HIGGS: imagine if barack just took off in the other direction
"FUCK IT!!" (takes off in a full sprint)

TML: before he walks out, i imagine him lying on the ground ala rod tidwell
"no no, wait, just let me enjoy this for one minute"

HIGGS: he's saving that for the walk back to the white house

KA: somebody give rick warren the hook

HIGGS: rick warren really went down hill since home improvement ended

TML: ARETHA!

HIGGS: cheney is melting.

TML: i had no idea there was a second verse

KA: this is news to me

HIGGS: Red, don't you have this hat that aretha is wearing?

TML: i do. i lent it to her. i feel like im not getting it back though

KA: here we go, SMILIN' JOE

TML: $20 he points at someone after he's done with the oath

HIGGS: look at cheney...he starts to fade like marty mcfly at the end of BTTF

TML: He is Old Man Potter

BURGER: why is joe buck not calling this?

KA: john williams, unexpected

TML: i bet he wins an oscar for this

KA: and tae diggs on the clarinet?

HIGGS: barack's wikipedia page is updated already. they're jumping the gun. those bastards.

TML: no, he becomes president at noon regardless, oath or no oath, according to brian williams...who is always right

HIGGS: welcome to the new america. i just did a standing o in my apt all by myself.

BURGER: higgs just jerked off into a sock

HIGGS: wait. his middle name is HUSSEIN!! I WANT MY VOTE BACK!!

TML: man he is a stringbean

HIGGS: I wonder if Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed that the first black president would be a half-white Hawaiian metrosexual.

TML: He did, they found a text from 1960 in which he exactly prosthelytized this

BURGER: He also predicted aliens to arrive on earth in 2012 and destoy the planet

TML: At the end of his speech: "Oh and by the way, the BCS is toast"

KA: i cannot believe this man doing the benediction is a real person

TML: this guy is like a Disney-ized personificationan of an old hounddog

HIGGS: seriously. i think he's 200 years old.

TML: he did the benediction for lincoln, thats why barack wanted him

BURGER: AMEN

HIGGS: why is feinstein the MC of this whole shindig?

TML: because shes a handsome woman

HIGGS: that's one of my favorite euphemisms.

TML: its so backhanded

HIGGS: very snide.

TML: bush seems VERY happy

HIGGS: he can't wait to get the shit outta there. i'm surprised he didn't tunnel out last night.

TML: and throw up a big "PEACE, WE OUTTA HERE" sign and bolt back to texas

HIGGS: imagine if bush did 'pressed ham' as marine 1 was taking off.

TML: jesus. now all these people have to get out of the mall.

HIGGS: Taxi!

Playlist: Yes We Did Find Some America Songs!

While working this weekend, I think I caught that bug that is going around. You know, the one causing all this "Hope," "Optimism" and "thrills" (the kind that go up Chris Matthew's leg). Barack Obama is here to save America from the dangers of Bernie Madoff, junk food, and pirates using nothing but charisma, intelligence, and a killer jumpshot.

So in honor of 44's swearing in, I typed "USA" and "America" into my iTunes library and saw what popped up. Here are a few of my favorite America themed songs steaming on the right-hand side:

US Blues - The Grateful Dead
Of the Dead's more accessible tunes; it's a light, tongue-in-cheek blues-y/ragtime-y pop song. Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.

American Hearts - Piebald
Piebald was the last pop-punk band that I really liked. They were rocking, smart, and fun to listen to. But after them, everything went all emo and guyliner. Boo.

American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Though I am very love/hate with Tom Petty, this song is undeniably awesome. And undeniably American. Fuck yeah.

A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country - Randy Newman
Despite the love-fest going on right now in DC, I'm sure Randy will continue to write about how fucked up American life is, even in the Obama years. He's insane.

Young Americans - David Bowie
Ain't there one damn song that can make me, break down and cry? No, not this one; but isn't the sax in it kickass? Rumor is that Bowie himself played it.

Ah Mary - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Country rock with a strong female vocal. It's fun, and I'm a sucker for a clever pop song (Spoiler Alert! Mary's last name is pronounced "Kah").

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band
Though written by a Canadian, this sad account of the "War of Northern Aggression" all Levon Helm's, an Arkansawyer [had to look that one up]. He sings and drives this haunting ballad into eternity, lest we forget the bloodiest chapter in US history.

Momma Miss America - Paul McCartney
A groovy and slick instumental off his first solo album McCartney, in which he plays every instument. I love this song, but save for the meaningless title, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the United States.

Surfin' USA - The Beach Boys
Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry
Brian Wilson totally ripped off the Prime Minister of Rock n' Roll here, so I just gave you both songs. Check out how the lists of cities are different.

Coming To America - Neil Diamond
You bet your balls this made the list. How could it not? Comina-heyaa!

Streaming Has Arrived

At the urging of Promo Barbie and JK, I have figured out a way to stream my "Best of 2008" playlist on the blog. Check it out to your right under "Music" in the sidebar.

It's an imeem playlist, so you can play it here, or click it out and play it via imeem.

I realize that some of them are only :30 clips, but if you have imeem and sign up, it will make them full length. I'm trying to fix this.

I think I'll do this from now on, in addition to making them available for download. Sound good? Of course it does.

It's coming back...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/fashion/08CODES.html?_r=3

Playlist: The Stones of Winter

There's something about this time of year, right around now, that gets to me. The New Year's new-car smell begins to wear off, and I start to realize there is a helluva lot of winter left. In my library there are a few songs that sound in the same daze that I am, and listening to them helps me through it. Of them, there are 4 standout Rolling Stones tunes that you might not recognize. I recommend putting these on your iPod and listening as you walk with the cold wind howling at you, against an early winter sunset:

"Winter" off of Goats Head Soup
The title fits because this song literally sounds like the grey of January. Mick sings:
"Its sure been a hard, hard winter/My feet been draggin' across the ground/
And I hope it's gonna be a long, hot summer/And a lotta love will be burnin' bright."
It's powerful, melancholy, yet ever-so-slightly uplifting; as if to acknowledge that Spring out there somewhere.

"Sway" off of Sticky Fingers
Jagger sings a tale of how all his friends have become victims of their drug-addled lifestyle, and he feels in the grips of the "demon life" as well. Not that you have to be around addicts to identify; it's about being in a rut or routine that you can't break out of. There's a certain angry optimism to this song however, that signals a change can happen, dammit.

"I Got The Blues" off of Sticky Fingers
You know what you're getting from the title, but don't confuse this for some whiny acoustic song. It has one of the best brass melodies of any Stones tune, and is an obvious tribute to Otis Redding and Stax. The haunting organ solo feels like the stinging cold wind on your walk home, and to me it is one of those sad songs that you want to hear when you're down. It's a quiet acceptance of the winter-depression.

"Moonlight Mile" off of Sticky Fingers
A perfect compliment to "I Got The Blues," it's another slow builder with Mick's soul-bearing vocals. An iconic guitar riff is the foundation of the entire melody, and every instrument and movement stems from it. More "wind" and "cold" symbolism appear, but this song ends with an orchestral ascension that cant help but make you feel hopeful that there is a sunny end to this season.

Photos: NYE, SD & Color

New photos posted on Flickr: New Years, San Diego, and some experimentation with my new old camera, color film, and a kaleidoscopic lense.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/themidnightlumberjack/show/

Sobriety: Basketball & Milk

Well this sober thing hasn't helped my basketball skills at all (tough loss tonight for the Independent Mortgage Co. team. Mr. Fuck Maguire played a great one offensively, but our scoring never got going in OT). Since I hadn't really eating anything all day except a salad, on the walk home at 11PM I headed to Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar on 13th and 2nd. I got the famous pork buns, and a chocolate-brownie-ice-cream & cereal-milk shake (thanks to a lactaid pill). Since that might be the closest I ever get to Ko, I'm happy enough because it was awesome. I'll have to take Blondie back there; she'll friggin' dig it.

Also, I'm posting tons more of my pretentious B&W (and some color) SLR photography to my Flickr page, so check it out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/themidnightlumberjack/

Sobriety: wd-50

Blondie and I went to dinner on Saturday night at wd~50, a place I've been dying to try for a long time. It's run by Wylie Dufresne, one of the leading molecular gastronomic chefs in the country. We had a great meal (and saw David Chang so it was a total foodie dream night), but damn was it hard to go out to a nice dinner without any drinking.

First, we arrived half an hour early of our reservation. This is usually SOP for us, but if you can't wait it out with a cocktail, it's a brutal 30 minutes. We literally stood there and stared at the extensive bar, D.Chang's stupid ski-hat, and each other's obviously parched lips. Thankfully they sat us before we attacked the bartender.

We had to explain to the waitress why we weren't ordering wine, and she gave us a mix of response 1 and 2.

By the time the apps were done (I had the smashed foie gras, and it was fucking unbelievable. Blondie had the chestnut soup which I loved, but a heavy dose of "mackerel powder" kind of turned her off. She's not one for powdered fish apparently), we had run out of things to talk about. 3+ years of dating got us past the first course. Awesome.

The entrees came (monkfish with Irish oats for her, duck with worcestershire spaetzel for me) and we went to town. The oats made the monkfish dish, and I devoured the duck (which tasted like fillet and was amazing, easing my debilitating hatred of fowl and poultry). But we both couldn't help but notice how the water between bites just felt wrong. Like using a golfcart at Augusta. Or Phil Collins fronting Journey.

And for dessert, cheesecake globes with lime ice cream balls and raisins, and a caramelized brioche with brown butter sorbet. highlight of the meal. It seems that "molecular gastronomy" really is at it's best for desert. But damn did we miss that Riesling or ice wine with it.

Now normally, a place like wd~50 would be cost prohibitive for us, but sans drinking, we managed to save at least $100. So far, this is the first upside of this crusade.

Overall, it was a delicious meal and cool experience even without the booze, but not something I see us ever going back for. It's just too pricey and too experiential.

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On an unrelated note, I watched TMNT (the CGI animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie from a year ago), and frickin' loved it. The 9 year old I became for that hour and a half was glued to the TV. Thoughts?

Sobriety: Weekend #1

A few things I noticed while out and not drinking:
- I pounded 4 club soda & limes. Not as fun or as easy as 4 beers.
- My back and knees hurt like crazy around midnight from all the standing. Apparently alcohol is a pain reliever as well.
- I have far less to talk about sober.
- I need to thesaurus "sober" and come up with some new words for it.

And finally, people have three general responses to finding out you're not drinking:
1) Good for you, pal.
2) Gee, I should give that a try.
3) That's dumb; you're an idiot, no fun, and your lifestyle choice is wrong.

I heard much more of 3 than 1 or 2. This is going to be rough.

Sober January

I'm not going to drink alcohol for January. I ended 2008 with one helluva buzz, and I'm not going to sip any more hooch until midnight on February 1st (that's going to be a big Saturday night). Wish me luck.

I have my reasons, and I don't feel like explaining them, but mainly I want to see if I can do it and remain somewhat normal in my routines. Judge me, you weiner.

MVTB is doing a detox as well, but she's gone all hollywood with it.

So spattered in with some music and TV postings will be some updates on my progress.