Monday, November 29, 2004
okay then
weird, so like the main blogger page isn't working but blog this does. this will mean nothing to a lot of you.
in between working on saturday i have done a lot of chilling out, and am now a bit under the weather. dammit. wasn't i just sick? i am out of walgreen's rest easy night time. i have done my zinc, i don't understand!! daniel was around this weekend, we went to the movies (I heart huckabees again, no, that's not a sequel, just saw it again) and watched some quality entertainment like Strong Bad Emails (on DVD!! WOOOT!) and Jem (as in the pink haired 'rock star' not the pop star that is around now).
I have agreed to DJ at Delilah's on Dec. 22nd, so I not go to Madison for Magnolia Electric Company. we shall see :(
hmmm
apparantly there are blogger issues. is this thing on?
Top Ten Lovely Songs This Year
1. Joanna Newsom - Clam,Crab,Cockle,Cowrie
2. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
3. Magnolia Electric Company - Down the Wrong Road Both Ways
4. Andrew Bird - Sovay
5. the Finn Brothers - Edible Flowers
6. Matthew Sweet - You're not Sorry
7. Tom Waits - Day After Tomorrow
8. Jay Bennett - God's Coffee
9. Loretta Lynn - Miss Being Mrs.
10. Iron and Wine - Passing Afternoon
Friday, November 26, 2004
thanks!
today's thanksgiving was lovelier than i could have imagined! sooz and i cooked, after a trip to whole foods with paul... sooz and i were still cooking when paul got back from dining with HIS fam, so we all headed over to dine at Kristina's with her and her parents, who are sooooo nice! we had LOTS of food and LOTS of wine and good music. We came back to our place for dessert and beer in a vase and alcholattes and Alice's Restaurant. Our guests left, then sooz paul and i watched a few strong bad emails on the DVD!! the paul and i watched crappy requests on vh1 'classic' and now i am the only one awake! woot!
seriously, happy thanksgiving everyone!
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
woot update
sorry all, I've been lax in updating. let's see if I can recall the last few days:
Alison, Kris, Graham, Stacy (and eventually Lucas) came over for leftover beers and SNL Trivial pursuit, which is way harder than you would think. I mean there's a lot of minutae they expect you to know! Three hours late, I sort of won the game though. Saturday I crashed out. Sunday... oh yeah, sooz came home after 2 freaking weeks, and we ate at Thai Thai. Last nite we visited with Sue(zan) and the youngns and consumed a lot of Pez. Did you know European Pez isn't colored? and they have cherry! Then Kristina and I went to Rodan for dinner, wine and Califone... it doesn't get much better than that. I think Paul arrives today and tomorrow is the Stirratts/Autumn Defense at Schubas! yay thanksgiving eve!!
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Friday, November 19, 2004
Say Yes to Michigan!
I was not expecting much from this show, perhaps some sleepy acoustic songs, maybe Sufjan and one accompanyist, but then I noticed the shows were being billed as "Sufjan Stevens and the Michigan Militia" and started to get excited.
He sold out TWO shows on a Thursday at Schubas. Pretty impressive for a guy with a handful of indie releases, very little media coverage, etc. The next step is probably Metro for him, but if the Decemberists can pull it off, I guess Sufjan and the Militia can as well.
Nicolai Dunger opened (i was only familiar with his vocal contributions to Calexico's Love cover) but he was pretty engaging with an extremely powerful voice. He seemed to hold the crowd's interest too, which is always nice.
After a little banjo tuning, the drummer came out (in a snazzy american flag shirt) and provided a beat to which the rest of the band (5 more plus Sufjan) came marching out to. I have never seen anyone march onto the stage at Schubas. It should be a requirement. They were all dressed in matching uniforms. They opened with the song of the song of the 50 states ("pack up your bags glockenspeil!") and I was immediately impressed by the tightness of the band and ability to recreate the unique sound he has on his albums. Banjo, drums, horns, harmonium, keys, glockenspeil, guitar and the occasional bass and a choir of beautiful voices.
Next up was Flint, and I was surprised by how captivated the crowd was. Sufjan has some really quiet songs and you didn't hear a peep from the audience during some near silent moments. He told us Illinois was the next album in his 50 states series, and played Chicago for us, which was quite the rocker, at least for Sufjan standards.
A nice mix of Seven Swans and Michgian songs followed with a provocative cover of the Star Spangled Banner (same vocals, with a few more lines thrown in around the rockets and bombs part, and a completely different arrangement.) The set was closed with the only song played off A Sun Came: Super Sexy Lady, which got the crowd rockin'. He came back for one encore song (mentioning the fact that it was really hot in there) which was The Transfiguration.
If you havent heard him go check out the songs up somewhere on his
website and make sure you go see him live with the Michigan Militia before they are filling up baseball parks and the like.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Unseasonably Warm
Dang, it's 61 degrees here!
Going to see Sufjan Stevens after work tonite, finally!
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
mmmm 16 beans!
kristina came over for some of my very special 16 bean soup. neither of us ate the hambone. we watched
Festival Express which had some really incredible footage of Janis Joplin, the Band, Grateful Dead and uh... Sha Na Na. I bet THOSE cats liked to party. These folks went across Cananda on a train partying the whole time, like
partying. those were the days!
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
yay califone!
kristina and I, after a chance meeting at a wicker park record store and dinner and some beer, went to see Califone play a soundtrack for the film
Kinoglaz. It was pretty damn cool. They're doing it every monday this month at
Rodan in Wicker Park, and I HIGHLY recommend making a nite of it and checking it would with dinner before and dessert afterwards. The espresso truffle cake was pretty delicious even after a bull got unslaughtered.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Rock Me Joe!
Thanks to Rusty I got to see the Pixies show tonite (although many people were trying to get rid of tickets... Six months in advance is a lot.) It was soooooo good. For a big show at the Aragon it wasn't offensive! The music brought back fond memories, unlike this REO Speedwagon video that is on right now. I remember why Kim Deal was my idol in high school (that was pre-heroine of course.) Anyhoot, it was really really great. I really liked both Wave of Mutilations in order, and closing with GIgantic! YAY! Managed to find Adam afterwards who gave me a ride home, and was playing MFHAB in the car!! I mean Andrew Bird... whoops.
Okay, I should make it two aweXome music nites in a row and go see Califone tomorrow nite. (take a nap afterwork Kristina!)
Sunday, November 14, 2004
After much deliberation
I have decided to go see Pixies tonite, because if I don't I know I will regret it.
woot!
quote of the day
"you're really against cyber sex aren't you?" ~noah
Saturday, November 13, 2004
ahhhhh
i love baths. and kitties.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Why do I have allergies all of a sudden?
getting old sucks.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Happy Birthday Sesame Street!
Sesame Street is 35 today! Not much older than me. I was a big fan as a kid, and today have a weird fascination with Sesame Street Records! This one is my favorite, it even has an ACTUAL Bee Gee on it:
Did you know they have unique characters in other countries? Here's one from Egypt!
...and Big Bird has a cousin from the Netherlands!
in case you missed it...
Wilco on Leno Pics!
Damn, he's just so elegant when he plays. What comes out is sometimes elegant, mostly provocative, occasionaly otherworldy and usually incredible. I'll shut up now.
...and then there's Pat.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
My critique of Leno last nite
WTF is up with Jennifer Tilly? holy crap!!! She should have evoked a pretty great scream out of Jeff for "I'm a Wheel". At least the world gets to see the wonder that is Pat Sansone rockin' the telecaster. The close ups on Glenn making screamy faces was nice though.
NOT ENOUGH Nels and Mike though. How often do you get to see a kinda nerdy guy on grand piano during a song that gets windmills? And Nels should have worn a skirt...
Monday, November 08, 2004
Last Minute reminder!
Wilco are on Leno (ew) tonite!
Yay Matthew Sweet!
Matthew Sweet is one of an elite group (including Neil Finn) that I have been a fan of most of my life and has yet to really disappoint me. Well, Matthew has the Thorns and Neil has the first Finn Brothers album, so we'll allow them each one bummer "side project" but anyways, I digress. Even this new album is growing on me. So yeah, I saw him tonite, after only seeing him one other time waaay back when. Seeing him, and Neil is always kind of surreal. The show was great, but the sound at the Park West when yr up near the stage is kinda eh... but it's alright. He played all the songs I could have hoped to have heard... Even Someone to Pull the Trigger which was big on my mixtapes ca. 1995. gods, i miss mixtapes. no, not mix CDs or iPod mixes. fuckin' CASSETTE TAPES. but I digress. Even the new songs sounded really cool, and Matthew is selling pottery that he makes! Yes, I bought a piece. I'll try and post a pic of my pot and of the show later. I'm too content to go get my camera. oh i forgot to mention all the nice travelling matthew sweet fans i met. it always makes me feel better to know there are others!
EDIT:How could I forget to mention and thank Mike for taking me home? If you ever need a mattress, he's yr guy!
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Saturday Night!
there is no more k-mart on devon, only whistler's restaurant.
Friday, November 05, 2004
bleh
four more years. ugh.
I watched THX 1138 tonite. sigh.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
fuuuuck
I wish nyquil (or Wal-greens Rest Easy Nite Time) lasted four years. fuck.
ohdeargods
how can anybody be sleeping right now?!?!
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TODAY
...ESPECIALLY all my friends in Florida. If you're in Chicago, and have a few minutes, ask for the "demonstration" and pay attention to the names on the sample ballot. It's good for chuckle. Check for hanging chads too, when you are done punching.
woooo halloween!
despite having a cruddy cold, halloween was pretty cool. Kris brought over some scaaaaaary records (a couple by Frankie Stein and uh, the Honeydrippers) and we all got into costume (there was some last minute gathering of props) and went to the wilco show where THEY were in costume too!! wacky!!
Here's a picture from Brianne's camera!
(l to r) top row: Stacy as Heavy Metal Drummer, Gina as Cat Sansone, Kyle as Napoleon Dynamite, me as the Autumn Defense, Brianne as Spiders, Kristina as Cleopatra, Angela as Hell is Chrome, Dunja as spiders. bottom row: Rosie as a Cherry Ghost, Alison as old timey Sherriff, Kris as "the Bee" Paul as Theologian, the spud as Cheney, Sooz as Queen Bee.
