July 07, 2007
Live Earth 07-07-07
Here's what I really don't understand about the organizers of global concerts: they apparently think the US ends at the East Coast. First it was the Live 8 series - which got as far as Philly. That concert series was plagued by critics saying rockstars were trying to speak for Africans and not even allowing African musicians to speak for their countrymen.
Anyway, this Live Earth series is about something a little closer to home: how we in the developed world are ruining the entire world with our over-consumption. And yes, I'm contributing to that by sitting in my air-conditioned house watching concerts on my over-heating laptop.
So here's the thing: this time, we US'ians got two concerts. Two concerts about two hours apart from each other. Why the hell are their concerts in DC and NYC but nowhere else in the damn States?!?! For goodness sake, the country does not end when you stop seeing the Atlantic Ocean. Give me a concert in Chi-town or Los Angeles, or any other city not on the Eastern seaboard.
I got to say, other than a video on dying man-made lake in Australia, I haven't bothered with the message of this concert series. Instead, I've watched some anonymous world music, Jack Johnson and Crowded House in Australia, recorded Shakira and Foo Fighters in London, and now I'm waiting for Madonna to come on.
Reminds me of when Madonna was on stage at Live 8 with a woman who in her childhood was the face of starvation in Africa. It was an extremely surreal moment, esp since the African woman didn't understand when she was supposed to obsequiously walk off stage and allow Madonna to return to her regularly scheduled rockstar life.
Posted by cj at 01:19 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2006
Dylan Video Premiered with Contest for Autographed Guitar
True Dylan fans already know that the first video from his new cd premiered on Friday on Slate. Here is the video:
To enter a contest where the one prize is a single autographed guitar (meaning all those entries, just one winner), you have to correctly date pictures captured from the video. Go to Slate for more deets.
And if you're interested in the lyrics to this song - which like most Dylan gems includes many words unclear to the common ear, follow me beyond the jump. Words by Bob Dylan, copyright Special Rider Music, found at the Expecting Rain fansite.
Thunder on the Mountain lyrics
Thunder on the mountain, and there's fires on the moon
A ruckus in the alley and the sun will be here soon
Today's the day, gonna grab my trombone and blow
Well, there's hot stuff here and it's everywhere I go
I was thinkin' 'bout Alicia Keys, couldn't keep from crying
When she was born in Hell's Kitchen, I was living down the line
I'm wondering where in the world Alicia Keys could be
I been looking for her even clear through Tennessee
Feel like my soul is beginning to expand
Look into my heart and you will sort of understand
You brought me here, now you're trying to run me away
The writing on the wall, come read it, come see what it say
Thunder on the mountain, rollin' like a drum
Gonna sleep over there, that's where the music coming from
I don't need any guide, I already know the way
Remember this, I'm your servant both night and day
The pistols are poppin' and the power is down
I'd like to try somethin' but I'm so far from town
The sun keeps shinin' and the North Wind keeps picking up speed
Gonna forget about myself for a while, gonna go out and see what others need
I've been sittin' down studyin' the art of love
I think it will fit me like a glove
I want some real good woman to do just what I say
Everybody got to wonder what's the matter with this cruel world today
Thunder on the mountain rolling to the ground
Gonna get up in the morning walk the hard road down
Some sweet day I'll stand beside my king
I wouldn't betray your love or any other thing
Gonna raise me an army, some tough sons of bitches
I'll recruit my army from the orphanages
I been to St. Herman's church, said my religious vows
I've sucked the milk out of a thousand cows
I got the porkchops, she got the pie
She ain't no angel and neither am I
Shame on your greed, shame on your wicked schemes
I'll say this, I don't give a damn about your dreams
Thunder on the mountain heavy as can be
Mean old twister bearing down on me
All the ladies in Washington scrambling to get out of town
Looks like something bad gonna happen, better roll your airplane down
Everybody going and I want to go too
Don't wanna take a chance with somebody new
I did all I could, I did it right there and then
I've already confessed - no need to confess again
Gonna make a lot of money, gonna go up north
I'll plant and I'll harvest what the earth brings forth
The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf
For the love of God, you ought to take pity on yourself
Music and words by Bob Dylan
Copyright 2006 Special Rider Music
Posted by cj at 07:49 PM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2006
Ode to Boingo
My best Halloween ever was 1995. That was the year I attended the Farewell Concert of Oingo Boingo at the Universal Amphitheatre. While on one level, it's sad that in 10 years, nothing has beaten that night. On the other hand, seriously - who can top a Boingo concert, especially since Danny refuses to consider reuniting?
Halloween will forever be entwined with one of my all-time favorite bands. And there's nothing wrong with that. There is something wrong with not having plans on All Hallow's Eve. Granted, I'll probably still be recovering from the weekend, but there should be revelry.
I heart Rhapsody's description:
New wave nerds, Oingo Boingo represented Southern California long before "The OC" came along.Of course, Danny Elfman is the genius behind the Simpsons' theme song, the Batman soundtrack, the Desperate Housewives theme song, and the movie "Nightmare Before Christmas."
Viva new wave nerds!
Posted by cj at 10:03 PM | Comments (0)
September 05, 2006
Goodbye My Lover...
I've heard many great songs recently. But none have touched me quite as deeply as this one by James Blunt. Thanks to a repeat Oprah show durin my packing spree, I'm hooked on this haunting British singer songerwriter whom the rest of the world picked up on at least a year ago.
Did I disappoint you or let you down?When Blunt was introducing the song on Oprah, he kept referring to it as "miserable." Indeed it is. I've listened to many an unrequited love song (India Arie's new album has some of the best), but nothing is as complete and authentic as this one.
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your head.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.I am a dreamer and when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for a while.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.
I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.And I still hold your hand in mine.
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bear my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.
I can't wait for the new experiences waiting in LaLa land.
lyrics courtesy of Seek Lyrics.
Posted by cj at 01:04 AM | Comments (1)
August 08, 2006
rhapsody blows
really, really annoyed that rhapsody's server is down.
can't connect to the website. few times I can connect to the stand alone player, it wont actually play any songs - so it's useless.
Tell me again what I'm paying a monthly fee for. sigh.
In more positive music news, Dylan is releasing his first new album in five years, Modern Times. (Link sends you to a Sony pre-sale.)
and he's touring. and as usual, he aint comin to any big cities. arg.
Posted by cj at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2006
Best New Album: India.Arie, Testimony, Vol. 1: Life & Relationship
Thank goodness for India.Arie.
And thank goodness for my new computer's sound system.
Hoping for a way to beat the heat this weekend.
Here's hoping the Gay Games Triathlon goes on this Sunday despite the heat. WILPF's co-President, Chris Morin, is participating as a fundraiser for WILPF. Please pledge your support to help make peace a reality.
Posted by cj at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)
June 12, 2006
Lisa Loeb and other Jews
So on Sunday I went to the Chicago Jewish Festival. My sole motivation for leaving my Sunday NY Times at 11:30 this morning was to see Lisa Loeb for free. It ended up costing me a $5 forced donation, but I suppose that was worth it for Lisa.
Unlike most people, I own a Loeb album (Hello Lisa) and I didn't even remember that her #1 single was featured in the movie Reality Bites. I've also been listening to her on Rhapsody. So I was pleasantly surprised that she played a few of the songs from the album I've come to appreciate via Rhapsody - The Way it Really Is. There were only two downsides to her performance: an extremely obnoxious "festival staff" person in a bright orange shirt who refused to get off the stage (he was taking pictures of her and the audience and completely distracting both her and the audience from her performance), and it was too short. Well, a third downside: I had to listen to a rabbi rockin out while waiting for Loeb to perform. It totally reminded me of Crossing California, including the random female groupies to the side of the stage.
I'm really glad I went with someone because chatting with her made it okay that I was at a really dorky, completely uninspiring Jewish event. I also managed to get in an argument with an Israeli ex-Special Forces guy. This because my purse has my WCUSP button on it. (WCUSP = Women Challenge US Policy: Building Peace on Justice in the Middle East, a national campaign of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and I am the WILPF US Program Chair.) Then my friend and I started debating the Israel / Palestine issue. And the whole thing made me realize that I need more ways to explain my views to other Jews who believe that a Jewish state is absolutely necessary to avoid another holocaust. I could go on, but I don't want to talk off the cuff on such an important issue.
Afterward, we went to Ribfest on Lincoln in my hood. I had half of a fried Snickers, a corn on the cob, a rib sampler, and a few bites of a Ribwich sandwich. I should've bought another ticket and gone for the Cuban sandwich I had originally been eyeing. Then again, having found an authentic recipe on the net, I now remember why I've never tried one before: garlic is a main ingredient in the roast pork, and I'm allergic to garlic. In any case, I'm not exactly wasting away so it's fine with me that I threw out most of the sandwich.
Posted by cj at 01:42 AM | Comments (0)
May 09, 2006
Chopin: Music for Broken Souls
Marian Marzynski is the Polish grandfather you never had. He's also the filmmaker behind some intriguing PBS docs. They suck you in like reality teevee, but instead of making you feel like you've lost a few IQ points and hours of your life, they make you feel like you've gained insight into something you never knew was missing from your world.
He went to the 15th Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw for Frontline. 800 contestants, 1 winner.
Chopin lived most of his adult life as a refugee in France after the Russians took over his country. Critics say his music is infused with the yearnings of a broken soul; a voice yearning for the disrupted past. I believe everyone can relate to this desire. More importantly, to hear his music played passionately is to feel the presence of God.
More info: "Poland: Chopin's Heart, A nation's musical gift to the world" on Frontline / World.
Posted by cj at 10:34 PM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2006
Random Boingo Links
Inspired by this post, here's a small collection of music links:
Oingo Boingo's "official" site. Appears to just be shilling unrealistic t-shirts and the site has nothing really to do with the band.
boingo.org The delightfully old-skool fan-supported site.
Wikipedia entry featuring a lovely pic of the band.
Dead Man's Party the tribute band that includes an original band member.
Johnny Vatos' Tribute to Halloween last year featured many of the original band members as they commemorating the 10 year anniversary of the death of Boingo.
Site that explained the difference between Boingo drummer Vatos' tribute and the DMP tribute band
MySpace profile of the creator of above website. Strangely, he too lives in Chi-town. Can I just add here how annoying the music bits on MySpace profiles are? I'm listenin to U2 on my computer and it keeps getting mixed with random songs.
The U2 fest in my apt is due to me pickin up a copy of Bono: in conversation with Michka Assayas last night. It's a quick read. So far, not quite as good as Chronicles, Volume One but then really, how can anything be as good as delving into Dylan's mind?
Posted by cj at 05:15 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2005
mp3, iTunes, and aaCPlus
I've been thinking about what's on my Hanukah wish-list lately, which made me itchy to read techy news on mp3 players (and laptops, but that's just fantasy reading).
Turns out Apple is just as evil as Microsoft. Why's that? Because anything you buy at iTunes can only be played via iTunes or an iPod. It means you don't completely own the music you buy through iTunes. Frankly, I don't understand buying songs online but then I don't own an mp3 player. I do appreciate Rhapsody, Real Network's digital music service, but currently think I should save the money that I would pay for access.
Sony created an even more evil "digital management system," but discontinued it when its ability to be a sys admin on unsuspecting hard drives was used by hackers.
Microsoft, on the other hand, seems to want to make its digital rights management tool useful with most audio players. Nevertheless, why should they be allowed to see these "tools"? All they do is deny the owner of the music easy access to playing it.
aaCPlus is the new audio file format approved for general use by the folks that standardized mp3. It creates a higher quality sound with lower bandwith use than mp3. Basically, the files are smaller but sound better than mp3s. In the future, portable players will be able to play both formats (making me wonder if I should suck it up and continue to use a cd player a lil longer)...
Related articles / links:
"Digital Rights Mismanagement: How Apple, Microsoft, and Sony cash in on piracy prevention." by Adam L. Penenberg in Slate
"You Can't Be Too Thin: The skinny new audio format that will replace MP3s—and revolutionize Internet radio." by Paul Boutin in Slate
"The Apple Polishers: Explaining the press corps' crush on Steve Jobs and company." By Jack Shafer
Funny Mock Ad for iProduct at a boy and his computer
Posted by cj at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)
September 27, 2005
Dylan The Fabulous Self Promotor...
Bob Dylan is a great musician. I can no longer deny that. And the doc playing on PBS is really interesting, even if it was primarily created by Dylan and his manager.
More interesting to me is this new cd, "Bob Dylan: Live at The Gaslight 1962." Yes, I'm a sell out yuppie-type for buying a cd exclusively available at Starbucks with my grande extra hot soy latte. Bite me.
But seriously, I'm enjoying this more than the soundtrack. Perhaps because this is my first listen to the cd. Perhaps because many of the songs on the soundtrack are available in previous cd's (which are part of mi chavo's collection that I've been borrowing this summer).
Mostly, I don't have access to many other recordings of Dylan singing old folk songs, and I truly enjoy these songs.
He's still stuck on himself, and still refuses to actually let outsiders in no matter how many retrospectives he creates in a variety of mediums. No matter - the music speaks for itself.
And chavo, take note: Baez was a star before Dylan. I'm not trying to argue their relative places in the pantheon of music, but stop crackin at a truly great singer.
Posted by cj at 07:49 AM | Comments (0)
September 26, 2005
Robert Zimmerman on TeeVee, Online, and in Your Head
One of the first things I found out about my boyfriend was that he thought Bob Dylan was the greatest artist of all time. I laughed at him and told him I hated Dylan. A little over a year later, I've accepted that Dylan is a great musician and lyricist. I'm intrigued by Slate's twin articles about the new Dylan movie "premiering" tonight on PBS (unless you've already bought the DVD version).
First, I had no idea he steals lines from other artists without crediting them.
Second, I didn't know most of the interviews and footage was collected by his manager before Scorcese was ever brought onto the project.
and Third, I'm intrigued by David Greenberg's critique of our cultural obsession with all things 60s, including Dylan during that time.
Go read for yourself:
"The '60s Trap: Why critics ignore the rest of Dylan's career." by David Greenberg in Slate
"The Last Temptation of Dylan: Watching the new documentary." by David Yaffe in Slate
The two cd releases related to this doc are available - one exclusively from Starbucks, and the other at all music outlets. I'm listening to the double album, No Direction Home: Bootleg Volume 7, on Rhapsody now. It's a really good cd - combines most of his best music from the 60s. Of course, I'll just wait for mi chavo to buy it to actually touch the cd version...
Posted by cj at 08:16 AM | Comments (0)
August 20, 2005
My Night in Rockford
So all week I thought I was going to Rockford College. Partially because I'm an idiot and thought the only thing in Rockford, IL was Rockford College. Partially, because when I asked my friend where we were going for this concert, I thought she agreed we were going to Rockford College. Oh, and add in a touch of WILPF mania, and you'll understand why I thought I was going to Jane Addams' alma mater.
Instead, I drove past my friend's flat and had to drive back the other way. I was anxious, since my driving tour of Chicago made me later than our agreed upon meeting time. Little did I know we couldn't leave on time anyway - someone needed to find the perfect outfit.
So then there was the mad dash to Rockford. With a driver-decided pit stop for gas and food. Then I felt guilty the rest of the way to Rockford, since the band we were going to see started at 9pm and the stop I thought would take 10 minutes ended up taking closer to 25.
So we got to Rockford and despite my turn into Rockford College's driveway, managed to get to the decidely un-college-like setting, Elixir night club. As soon as my phone rang, I knew it was mi chavo. Primarily because no one else calls me, especially not at night. But I missed the call. At about 9:05, we got to the front of the club line. And my phone rang again. I answered and told mi chavo I was at a club with my friend and her fam and would talk to him tomorrow. Then we went inside to hear the best band of the night - Blackmaker.
Their music was unique and yet reminds you of the great rock you never hear anymore on commercial radio. It has an infectious beat and pure rock presence on stage. And I'm not just writing this because one of my friends dates the drummer. I really did enjoy their music the most.
There were three other bands that night. And lots of drinking and chatting and spilling beer. I was primarily responsible for the spilling beer part (my inner klutz always shines through). It was sorta a surreal experience. To explain how I knew my friend, I had to mention my boyfriend (they used to work together), which leads to conversations that seem uncomfortable to me. As much as I love mi chavo, I want to be able to meet people as an individual and not always proclaim my couple-ness. Anyway, after an extremely full week of getting reacquainted with Central Standard Time, work, and my father's birthday, I had forgotten that today is my anniversary. Which I remembered last night at a rock concert.
In any event, there was a lot of rock music last night. Blackmaker opened for Theory of a Dead Man. Since ToaDM's website doesn't allow you to view info on their old shows, I can't tell you the names of the other bands that played last night.
At the end of the night, we were caught in a thunder storm. Anyone who knows me knows I hate driving in rain (my one real accident happened in the rain) and I hate driving long distances (bad wrist problems). After driving my grey whale alone most of the time, it was weird to have five other ppl with me. At first, people chatted but then they all started falling asleep. Since I am horrible at staying awake past 2am, I started rambling to my friend about her office's politics...which is weird since its been months since it was actually a concern for me. Back to my own reality. I'm off to write a proposal for WCUSP - Women Challenge U.S. Policy: Building Peace on Justice in the Middle East, a national campaign of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).
Posted by cj at 02:15 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2005
Cafe Tacuba - Not Like How You Hear Them on "Morning Becomes Eclectic"
Last Friday, mi chavo and I were invited to meet friends at the Aragon for a Cafe Tacuba concert. I knew I had heard of the band and couldn't remember how. Sunday's NYT Magazine piece on Nic Harcourt reminded me that I had heard them on my favorite radio program - Morning Becomes Eclectic, (which you can now listen to on demand!)
Anyway, back to the concert - I don't have a ticket stub because my ticket was simply a raffle ticket, which surprised me since it cost $55. So, I don't remember the names of the opening acts. The first act was a band lead by a female vocalist whose favorite phrase was "la la la." Apparently, writing three minutes songs is too difficult these days. Instead, the tired, basic sound of post-punk 80s was attached to a few phrases in Spanish, and the over-arching "la la la," which seemed to occur in every single song as the major lyric.
The next band was much, much better. They're name is Kinky (really, how can you forget that?) The Chicago Tribune wrote that they're one of the best new latino bands around, and I agree. They have a punchy connection between rock and traditional latino music - including a rousing accordian player.
The only problem, which kept getting worse throughout the concert, was the ventilation. Aragon fits about 6,000 people and although the place wasn't sold out, it kept getting more crowded. Add to that the lack of a decent air-conditioning and a well-known poor quality sound system and it added up to one uncomfortable night. Between the drunks spilling and throwing beer, the stifling air, and the music being blasted at a decibel level meant for an audience three times the size of the venue, I was almost ready to leave before Cafe Tacuba got on stage.
The concert was announced as started at 7pm. I believe the first band took the stage at 8pm, and Cafe Tacuba didn't start till after 10. Since mi chavo needed to pick his grandmother up from the airport, we weren't able to stay for the whole concert. While we missed a little, I don't think we missed much. Our friends left with us because one of them got nauseous from the heat. Besides, the music didn't need to be as loud as it was and none of us were looking for a concert with 1,000s of our closest inebriated friends. Guys were stumbling from the concession stands with five beers in their hands and usually chugging at least two of them. I'm all for people having fun and drinking, but please explain the point of buying a $7 cup of crappy beer and the throwing it onto the rest of the audience?
According to our friends, Cafe Tacuba's concert at the Hard Rock Cafe here in Chi-town was much better, both because it was calmer and because the ventilation and acoustics were so much better.
Posted by cj at 04:35 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2005
Rolling Stone Mag on Audioslave in Cuba
Blind Boy Grunt passed on a link to "Airborne With Audioslave: Behind the scenes of one rock band's invasion of Cuba," by Vanessa Grigoriadis
It's a great article that captures the essence of Audioslave: the band's strident politics attached to a pure rock star singer. And how Cuba can change everyone, even Chris Cornell...
I enjoyed the last graph best:
On the windswept patio of the Hotel Nacional, Cornell assesses the experience. "I'm more shocked than I thought I would be," he says of the visit. "You can't come here and not look at Cuba strictly on a human level and feel some nervousness and some shame and some anger at being American." He thinks about what he'll take home from all this. "When it comes to writing lyrics, every aspect of human life is going to be part of the palette for me," he says. "This experience would be something that I would write about in a song, or some songs. You can look at a band like U2, which is not overtly political, but Bono gets a lot done. I think we can be that way, too."Emphasis added.
Posted by cj at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)
May 08, 2005
The Highs and Lows of Life: How I Ended Up at the U2 Concert Last Night
Yesterday began with an emotional event. Mi chavo had to end the suffering of his shi-tzu and I accompanied them to the vet's office. As mi chavo's houseguest for the last few months, I've gotten to know his dog a bit. And I have deep regrets about the passing of my own childhood dogs - Lightening while I was in junior high and Freckles this past summer. So while I didn't know mi chavo's shi-tzu for long, I could totally relate to mi chavo's pain and sadness at making the decision to end her sickness and allow her to go to a better place.
So, we spent the rest of the afternoon relatively somber and hangin out in bed. Mi chavo had read that Ticketmaster puts seats on sale to sold out shows the day of the concert, so he obsessively tried to find tickets to U2's first Chicago performance. I was skeptical - hell, I it ain't like I have a lot of cash lying around - but understood that he needed the break from everyday life. Around 5pm, Ticketmaster started showing available seats. First, only behind the stage. Then I joined the action on my own laptop and had more luck. I found $165 per ticket seats and eventually got seats in the second tier for $95 plus fees.
In about an hour, we showered, dressed, and ate dinner. I even put makeup and jewelry on and foolishly chose heels so that I wouldn't have to fold the bottom of my jeans. We got to United Center in record time and I put my high-heeled foot down on the idea of parking nine blocks away to avoid the price of parking. After a painless visit to will call to get the paper tix, we made our way into the Center.
Very few people were in their seats for the opening act, Kingdom of Leon. To clue us in on why they're "playing support" for the entire summer North American tour, they opened with that song from the Volkswagen commercial. It was all downhill from there. Perhaps some people enjoy annoying, heavy metal-screech ballads by men who are ugly and can't sing, but I didn't come for that shite. Mi chavo said Franz Ferdinand was opening on some dates on the tour, which U2's website confirms.
Two things would have made the night perfect: Franz Ferdinand opening and having known I was going to the concert, which would have given me time to really delve into the Atomic Bomb cd, so that I could appreciate those songs during the show.
Well, actually a third thing would have made the night perfect - if Bono had limited his political rants to the space between songs, instead of trying to incorporate them into songs. He stopped "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" to don a bandana with the symbols of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Problem was, he mumbled the explanation and the camera guy never bothered to show the side of his head that included the crescent and star (which I'm assuming is the symbol he used for Islam). And it was odd to see an Irish Catholic with a Star of David in the middle of his forehead. He was trying to make a point about the synergy of the three major religions to evolve from Abraham - and I believe he even sang a ditty about Abraham - but mi chavo doesn't remember the song and couldn't understand what Bono was saying to hear his point.
It's ironic to me that Bono's current political obsession is with Africa. He urged us to come together to end war and poverty and AIDS - I think, again the politics were a little incoherent and I'm inferring that from what I know of his political activism. In a town with a significant black population, it said something to me that (1) I didn't see any black people in the basketball stadium and (2)the majority of people in attendance were clearly upper middle class (who else can afford $100 tickets?) Don't get me wrong - I appreciate Bono's political work. I think he's been a significant and important supporter of poverty eradication and AIDS prevention. I just think his way of fusing his political message with his music was poorly done.
On the other hand, as a rock group, U2 still has it. Their lights and most of the video added to the concert. The stage was set up with an elliptical cat walk that reached out into the center of the court, allowing all of the performers to get closer to my side of the stadium, which I really appreciated. It was also interesting to see Bono play back up drums on the opening song, "Love and Peace."
The set list was okay. After the excitement of the first three songs, the energy seemed to ebb and only seemed to pick up during their old skool staples. Mi chavo and I agreed on this problem afterwards, although my experience was dampened more than his by the people around us.
I don't know why it bothers me so much to be near people I detest. There was a group of ancient wannabe's in front of us who got so damn drunk that the men were flailing about, throwing their arms out in classic drunk old white guy in a polo shirt dance and blocking my view of the stage. Additionally, one of the brianiacs decided to invite his son to join them in their seats - literally taking over the seat of a man next to the group and adding to my inability to see the stage with his drunkenness and random pot smoking. At one point I even spoke to the losers - just to release some of my built up anger over their interruption of my concert experience.
But enough about the drunk losers. Truly the best part of the concert was watching mi chavo rock out. I've also been jealous of couples at concerts - the ones who kiss and dance together and generally look like they're enjoying life more than me. This time, I was part of one of those couples.
We danced, we kissed, we stood together watching the concert. It was the perfect antidote to a painful morning. In fact, it was also an antidote to my painful evening - Aunt Flow decided to join the party and brought her dog Cramps with her.
You have never lived until you've seen mi chavo smiling. With his pearly white teeth and the cute dimply on his right cheek, it's really a great experience. Plus, he looked hipster cool last night in a t-shirt with guitars on it, jeans, new Sketchers, and just enough stubble to make him look good, not scraggly.
Alas, we missed all of the political booths because they were only on the first floor of the United Center and we went straight to the second floor where our seats were. So, we were unable to pay a buck to buy a One band. Now, if I want one I have to buy ten and pay $5 for shipping. Doh! Curious what the hell I'm talkin about? Here's the About page from One's website. The only reason I knew about the wristbands was that my sister-in-law had bought some at the U2 show in Phoenix and was wearing it at Passover.
Off to try to call my mom again. Happy Mother's Day for Peace. (Julia Ward Howe created the day to bring together moms to end war.)
Posted by cj at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)
May 06, 2005
If Piracy Grows, It May Not Be the End of Music
Blind Boy Grunt sent along a link to a must-read article on the future of the music industry. "If pirating grows, it may not be the end of music world," Kevin Maney's technology column in Wednesday's USA Today.
It's fascinating to think about a world where musicians earn no money on recorded music, but still make a living as musicians. That's the Chinese model. Roger McGuinn, former leader of the Byrd's, represents another alternative business model. He creates new music on his computer and personally pays to have it packaged and shipped and sells his cds via the web and at his concerts.
Interesting food for thought...
another music article courtesy of Blind Boy Grunt: "Audioslave concert a first in Cuba," via Reuters/Yahoo News
Posted by cj at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2005
Halleluyah! The Mistress of Music is Back!
Acording to eircom, Kate Bush has been working on a new album for awhile and announced in December that it is almost finished and will be out in 2005. Could it be?!?!
How exciting!!!
Oh my goodness...we watched the Metallica doc last night and mi chavo had flashbacks to his youth. Reading up about Ms. Bush leaves me reminiscing about my own childhood. YAY!
Posted by cj at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)