status check - interested
background ambiance - typical
long-time readers, first-time visitors, those just passing through - it's time for a little interactivity.
i spend all this time rambling and observing and critiquing, but i want to turn the tables for once. since i've got "garden state" on the brain (just checked out the latest entry at zach braff's blog), i've been mulling over the idea of "you've gotta listen to this song, it'll change your life."
so ...
i'm kindly requesting input from you about some of your life-changing songs. you can list one or one hundred - as long as you include the song and why you selected it.
please add your thoughts - i'm really interested in this. this goes for regular commenters, lurkers, even those who found this while looking for something else.
so speak up! it only takes a minute.
8.18.2004
8.17.2004
you know you want to
status check - amused
background ambiance - what you'd expect at 8:46 p.m.
as the blogger people are all about convenience, you now have the opportunity to do what you've always wanted - to search the archives of this here blog for specific things. want to search your name and see what how much trash-talk is dedicated to you? search away. interested in knowing if i've ever made reference to a particular band? there you go.
i'm finding my own little ways of amusing myself with it, to be honest. for example, did you know ...
- "big fucking boots" has come up three times (including once in which i was shocked people were searching for that)?
- "howie day" comes up 59 times?
- averi, 36 times?
- show, 87; concert, 38?
- higher ground, 25; paradise, 23?
- badassmamajahamba comes up on a single, fabulous occasion.
i'm also amused by the increase in phishy types enjoying all burlingtonia has to offer. as i walked down church street this evening, a band of phish fans were playing for a group of similarly-minded enthusiasts. they're hanging out by nectar's, chilling in the park. and many of them have this smile of happiness/fatigue/etc. on their faces that indicates just how crazy coventry was.
good times.
background ambiance - what you'd expect at 8:46 p.m.
as the blogger people are all about convenience, you now have the opportunity to do what you've always wanted - to search the archives of this here blog for specific things. want to search your name and see what how much trash-talk is dedicated to you? search away. interested in knowing if i've ever made reference to a particular band? there you go.
i'm finding my own little ways of amusing myself with it, to be honest. for example, did you know ...
- "big fucking boots" has come up three times (including once in which i was shocked people were searching for that)?
- "howie day" comes up 59 times?
- averi, 36 times?
- show, 87; concert, 38?
- higher ground, 25; paradise, 23?
- badassmamajahamba comes up on a single, fabulous occasion.
i'm also amused by the increase in phishy types enjoying all burlingtonia has to offer. as i walked down church street this evening, a band of phish fans were playing for a group of similarly-minded enthusiasts. they're hanging out by nectar's, chilling in the park. and many of them have this smile of happiness/fatigue/etc. on their faces that indicates just how crazy coventry was.
good times.
more adventurous
status check - indie and yuppie at the same time
background ambiance - same old, same old
sitting here, in my crisp kakhis, kelly green polo shirt and loafers, listening to the latest rilo kiley album (out today - "more adventurous" - pick it up), i'm feeling quite the clash of genres.
it amuses me.
wrote a whole thing about rilo kiley over at myspace. perhaps i'll wind up transferring it over here at some point, but if you want to read the music-related rambling, head over there and search for my full name. while you're at it, sign up for an account - few people i know have them and my friends list is looking pitiful - i've got rilo kiley and rivers cuomo linked as friends, but few people that i actually, well, know.
why don't my friends get as hooked on this e-stuff as i do? oy.
background ambiance - same old, same old
sitting here, in my crisp kakhis, kelly green polo shirt and loafers, listening to the latest rilo kiley album (out today - "more adventurous" - pick it up), i'm feeling quite the clash of genres.
it amuses me.
wrote a whole thing about rilo kiley over at myspace. perhaps i'll wind up transferring it over here at some point, but if you want to read the music-related rambling, head over there and search for my full name. while you're at it, sign up for an account - few people i know have them and my friends list is looking pitiful - i've got rilo kiley and rivers cuomo linked as friends, but few people that i actually, well, know.
why don't my friends get as hooked on this e-stuff as i do? oy.
8.16.2004
the rock vote
status check - pleased
background ambiance - silence
i'm delighted/thrilled/stoked to be able to ask you to cast ballots in the san diego music awards.
you needn't be a sd resident to be able to voice your appreciation for the music coming from that scene on the left coast. as should be somewhat obvious, considering that i'm on the opposite side of the country, have voted and am telling you to vote. but i digress. some rockin' people are up for awards this year, most notably in the "best acoustic" category. tristan prettyman, anya marina, saba and ... pete thurston.
yep. pete's up for a sdma. which means you need to vote for him. just head over to the website (link above), pop in your name, address and email and then click away on the little circles next to your favorites. as long as pete is one of them.
and, on a side note, vote for mraz as artist of the year.
merci!
background ambiance - silence
i'm delighted/thrilled/stoked to be able to ask you to cast ballots in the san diego music awards.
you needn't be a sd resident to be able to voice your appreciation for the music coming from that scene on the left coast. as should be somewhat obvious, considering that i'm on the opposite side of the country, have voted and am telling you to vote. but i digress. some rockin' people are up for awards this year, most notably in the "best acoustic" category. tristan prettyman, anya marina, saba and ... pete thurston.
yep. pete's up for a sdma. which means you need to vote for him. just head over to the website (link above), pop in your name, address and email and then click away on the little circles next to your favorites. as long as pete is one of them.
and, on a side note, vote for mraz as artist of the year.
merci!
8.15.2004
simma down, nancy drew
status check - amused
background ambiance - nick drake - one of these things first
while she knew she should take time to look into her own life, do her own writing, take care of her own messes - it just felt right to take a weekend to retreat into a book, a soundtrack and observe for awhile. to try piecing together a story from the snippets of phrases and allusions, laughing at the hypothesi that emerge during the process.
i need to start work on the novel. tomorrow. i've been feeling particularly literate as of late.
i've got a hankering for a frozen raspberry margarita and some more chapters of harry potter's latest adventures (picked up the paperback so i could finally reread it all 800+ glorious pages). i'll get to enjoy one of the two before i drift to sleep.
p.s. so nice to know remy zero is featured on a soundtrack compilation other than she's all that (actually, did they even release a soundtrack for that? i think i meant to buy it for a friend back when the movie came out and i couldn't find it) and smallville. can the band get back together again now, please?
background ambiance - nick drake - one of these things first
while she knew she should take time to look into her own life, do her own writing, take care of her own messes - it just felt right to take a weekend to retreat into a book, a soundtrack and observe for awhile. to try piecing together a story from the snippets of phrases and allusions, laughing at the hypothesi that emerge during the process.
i need to start work on the novel. tomorrow. i've been feeling particularly literate as of late.
i've got a hankering for a frozen raspberry margarita and some more chapters of harry potter's latest adventures (picked up the paperback so i could finally reread it all 800+ glorious pages). i'll get to enjoy one of the two before i drift to sleep.
p.s. so nice to know remy zero is featured on a soundtrack compilation other than she's all that (actually, did they even release a soundtrack for that? i think i meant to buy it for a friend back when the movie came out and i couldn't find it) and smallville. can the band get back together again now, please?
8.13.2004
olympic spirit
status check - lovely
background ambiance - san diego radio
friday the thirteenth - traditionally my lucky day. as i have millions of stories to write today, i hope the luck of the thirteeth helps me out.
the light at the end of the print-lined tunnel? the olympics kick off tonight with the opening ceremonies.
while i'm not generally much for drinking games these days (unless it's the fabulous game called "let's do shots with the musician"), the parade of nations drinking game holds a special place in my heart. the rules are simple and unforgiving. drink each time a new national flag enters the stadium.
the salt lake city ceremony prompted the rally cry of "mormons RULE!" (this came to us around the time germany entered) who knows what athens will have in store ... 202 nations participating and it's sure to cause debauchery.
bring on that torch, dammit!
background ambiance - san diego radio
friday the thirteenth - traditionally my lucky day. as i have millions of stories to write today, i hope the luck of the thirteeth helps me out.
the light at the end of the print-lined tunnel? the olympics kick off tonight with the opening ceremonies.
while i'm not generally much for drinking games these days (unless it's the fabulous game called "let's do shots with the musician"), the parade of nations drinking game holds a special place in my heart. the rules are simple and unforgiving. drink each time a new national flag enters the stadium.
the salt lake city ceremony prompted the rally cry of "mormons RULE!" (this came to us around the time germany entered) who knows what athens will have in store ... 202 nations participating and it's sure to cause debauchery.
bring on that torch, dammit!
8.12.2004
the sweetest star that fell
status check - tired
background ambiance - crickets
i hoped that the clouds would clear enough to see the meteor shower at its peak tonight, but it was not to be. the cloud cover obstructed my view of the shooting stars and my tired eyes were playing tricks on me, creating specks of light on the clouds that i believed to be meteors until i noticed they were present when i looked to the back yard as well.
for some reason, i wanted to recall precisely how i felt while watching the meteor shower junior or senior year - but i was unable to recall the sharp details of the experience. i remembered laughing about missing a particular meteor, feeling as if i'd missed the best moment of the night, but i couldn't recall whether it was warm or cold, if there was a breeze - even what time of year it was.
reaching for a faded memory - and grasping at a frayed edge of that memory - that's when you realize you are truly getting old. there are too many memories to keep each one fresh. the more experiences you add to your canon of experience, the less vivid each one can be.
which is why i write. i want to be able to at least read about the details of the moments, even if i can't fully recall them. after tonight's frustration, i searched through my archives and found this:
around 4, a group of 15 of us or so trekked from meg's over to the field across from the east entrance to campus. there was already a sizable crowd gathered there, lying huddled in groups, standing, sitting in lawn chairs. people were offering each other beers, others were smoking--just everyone gathered for relaxation under the stars.the leonids meteor shower was beautiful.
the sky, which was clear all night, had become sprinkled with fluffy clouds, which seemed to glow in the night sky. they were racing by, but the stars seemed to move more than the clouds did. when a meteor burned across the sky, everyone on the field shouted and laughed. some meteors were quick flashes in the corner of my eye, while others burned so bright they left a long trail and glowed there for a second, temorarily burned into my vision.
my mind flashed back to sophomore year, watching phil-dog, christopher, and collin rehearse "picasso at the lapin agile", when picasso (phil-dog) says, "i want to leave a trail, a long string of fire, so bright it leaves an imprint on your mind" or something like that.
initially, i sat by myself, looking up at the stars, but eventually, i found myself keeping warm with baz, liz and phil. i left around 5:15 or so and trudged back to my room, where i fell into the deep, intoxicated sleep that weekends provide, waking up today at 2:30 in the afternoon.
november of senior year. upon this discovery, i felt somewhat comforted.
background ambiance - crickets
i hoped that the clouds would clear enough to see the meteor shower at its peak tonight, but it was not to be. the cloud cover obstructed my view of the shooting stars and my tired eyes were playing tricks on me, creating specks of light on the clouds that i believed to be meteors until i noticed they were present when i looked to the back yard as well.
for some reason, i wanted to recall precisely how i felt while watching the meteor shower junior or senior year - but i was unable to recall the sharp details of the experience. i remembered laughing about missing a particular meteor, feeling as if i'd missed the best moment of the night, but i couldn't recall whether it was warm or cold, if there was a breeze - even what time of year it was.
reaching for a faded memory - and grasping at a frayed edge of that memory - that's when you realize you are truly getting old. there are too many memories to keep each one fresh. the more experiences you add to your canon of experience, the less vivid each one can be.
which is why i write. i want to be able to at least read about the details of the moments, even if i can't fully recall them. after tonight's frustration, i searched through my archives and found this:
around 4, a group of 15 of us or so trekked from meg's over to the field across from the east entrance to campus. there was already a sizable crowd gathered there, lying huddled in groups, standing, sitting in lawn chairs. people were offering each other beers, others were smoking--just everyone gathered for relaxation under the stars.the leonids meteor shower was beautiful.
the sky, which was clear all night, had become sprinkled with fluffy clouds, which seemed to glow in the night sky. they were racing by, but the stars seemed to move more than the clouds did. when a meteor burned across the sky, everyone on the field shouted and laughed. some meteors were quick flashes in the corner of my eye, while others burned so bright they left a long trail and glowed there for a second, temorarily burned into my vision.
my mind flashed back to sophomore year, watching phil-dog, christopher, and collin rehearse "picasso at the lapin agile", when picasso (phil-dog) says, "i want to leave a trail, a long string of fire, so bright it leaves an imprint on your mind" or something like that.
initially, i sat by myself, looking up at the stars, but eventually, i found myself keeping warm with baz, liz and phil. i left around 5:15 or so and trudged back to my room, where i fell into the deep, intoxicated sleep that weekends provide, waking up today at 2:30 in the afternoon.
november of senior year. upon this discovery, i felt somewhat comforted.
8.11.2004
gardens and yankees
status check - delighted
background ambiance - same old, same old
informative notes:
- true to predicted form, the phisheads are beginning to pop up in burlington. amusement ensues. hope it doesn't rain in coventry ...
- garden state opens in burlington next friday. as in 8.20. do not ask questions, just go. see it. thank me later.
- wilco is playing the flynn in september. need i say more?
background ambiance - same old, same old
informative notes:
- true to predicted form, the phisheads are beginning to pop up in burlington. amusement ensues. hope it doesn't rain in coventry ...
- garden state opens in burlington next friday. as in 8.20. do not ask questions, just go. see it. thank me later.
- wilco is playing the flynn in september. need i say more?
goodbye red, hello d.t.
status check - pleased
background ambiance - same old same old
after spending two days worrying myself silly with thoughts of car payments, insurance quotes, credit and the like, i'm the giddy owner of a new (to me) vehicle.
it's amazing how the stress lifts once you sign the papers. you'd think it would be the other way around. i imagine it will be back in full force tomorrow - well, in about a month. but for now, it's celebration time, the dawn of a new era.
while waiting about 15 minutes to sign all of the endless forms (so many i'm convinced i signed saturn the right to use my likeness, take my firstborn child and release all of my personal information to countless spammers), i hastily ran out to red to empty him out (i know vehicles and ships and things are generally considered female, but i like to think that red was the only constistent man in three years of my life). i was in such a hurry that i had to stop and think to myself that this was my goodbye. red deserved better than that. so i sat in the drivers' seat for a minute until my mother walked up and asked me what the hell i was doing.
after the car was clean, i patted red's hood and walked from him toward d.t. - the new, gleamingly gorgeous car in my life.
and the answer to the all-important question: the first musical selections played in d.t. post-purchase were tides' "keep it a secret," followed by ryan adams' "rock n roll."
background ambiance - same old same old
after spending two days worrying myself silly with thoughts of car payments, insurance quotes, credit and the like, i'm the giddy owner of a new (to me) vehicle.
it's amazing how the stress lifts once you sign the papers. you'd think it would be the other way around. i imagine it will be back in full force tomorrow - well, in about a month. but for now, it's celebration time, the dawn of a new era.
while waiting about 15 minutes to sign all of the endless forms (so many i'm convinced i signed saturn the right to use my likeness, take my firstborn child and release all of my personal information to countless spammers), i hastily ran out to red to empty him out (i know vehicles and ships and things are generally considered female, but i like to think that red was the only constistent man in three years of my life). i was in such a hurry that i had to stop and think to myself that this was my goodbye. red deserved better than that. so i sat in the drivers' seat for a minute until my mother walked up and asked me what the hell i was doing.
after the car was clean, i patted red's hood and walked from him toward d.t. - the new, gleamingly gorgeous car in my life.
and the answer to the all-important question: the first musical selections played in d.t. post-purchase were tides' "keep it a secret," followed by ryan adams' "rock n roll."
8.10.2004
assessment
status check - defiant
background ambiance - same old same old
i'm incessently overanalytical at times. mainly when i have to be decisive. which i'm not a fan of. too many decent options from which to choose.
but i need to just enjoy the ride. well, the process of selecting a ride. and insurance quotes. and budgeting. and thinking about how long i will have whatever ride i decide on.
(and thinking of car names and bumper stickers in the rear window and how i can get a college decal without paying too much in the bookstore and finding visor cd sleeves and other key things.)
i suck.
background ambiance - same old same old
i'm incessently overanalytical at times. mainly when i have to be decisive. which i'm not a fan of. too many decent options from which to choose.
but i need to just enjoy the ride. well, the process of selecting a ride. and insurance quotes. and budgeting. and thinking about how long i will have whatever ride i decide on.
(and thinking of car names and bumper stickers in the rear window and how i can get a college decal without paying too much in the bookstore and finding visor cd sleeves and other key things.)
i suck.
8.09.2004
end of a red era?
status check - nostalgic - and silly
background ambiance - same old, same old
regardless of which car i buy on wednesday, the fact remains that i am saying preparing to say goodbye to my first and ever-faithful green car named red. i'm feeling almost traitorous as i think about it now - while i'm testing out a snazzy red mid-sized suv, my little green plastic car is sitting in a parking lot at a dealership, waiting for me to return and take him for another spin. little does he know that he'll likely soon be heading to that dealership in the sky.
it might be considered overdramatic to get nostalgic about a car, but let's face it. i've been called overly dramatic before and surely will be called the same thing in the future - for once, it's just not about some band or song. furthermore, find me one person who doesn't look back fondly on their first car - and try to tell me you didn't get the least bit sentimental when the time came to give it up and move on.
i bought it just over three years ago and have since nearly doubled the mileage it handled in the previous nine years it roamed the highways. my first important car decision was what song to play in the discman/car sterio hookup i'd purchased the day before (for those curious minds, it was howie day's "after you" from the 6.18.01 paradise recording. i know, big surprise.). my first solo trip in the car was to the sound barrier, where i picked up an eqx bumper sticker (fell off ages ago) and a round dmb dancing nancies decal (still at the top of my back window).
i've had the fuzzy dice, the mardi gras beads, the strawberry shortcake air freshener. on my 21st birthday, red was covered with printed signs with embarrassing moments in my college history. for two years, surfer bob caught wave after wave on my back dash.
i sat in red's passenger seat two years ago, crying my eyes out as i left st. michael's on graduation day. i watched dc fade into the distance as i headed back to vermont and steered the car up to burlington for the start of my new career. i swear it could drive itself to boston and from the driver's seat, i determined that exist 37 on 93 south is the earliest you can glimpse the boston skyline. i drove it through the city, i drove it through the country. it survived summer and snow, hail and this summer's freak monsoon-like downpours. it even survived the parking lot behind my first burlington apartment (although it did wind up a little worse for the wear) and the oppressive heat of gridlock traffic in saratoga springs before a dave matthews show.
this car has just fucking ruled and i almost wish i didn't have to give it up. can we just bronze it and store it somewhere, funny back bumper, engine indicator light, tempremental drivers window and all?
driving in my car, a live jason mraz show keeping me energized, i realized that i was happy. the cool night was hinting at the autumn to come and i was happily cozy in a fleece, the window slightly cracked so the breeze was on my face while the heater kept the rest of me warm. the night sky was clear while the lack of streetlights allowed the stars to spread out above and in front of me. i was singing along with the music, a hot cup of coffee in my hand, having just left a campfire, great friends and hugs. an assignment was waiting for me at home, the information there and the framework of the story already written ...
background ambiance - same old, same old
regardless of which car i buy on wednesday, the fact remains that i am saying preparing to say goodbye to my first and ever-faithful green car named red. i'm feeling almost traitorous as i think about it now - while i'm testing out a snazzy red mid-sized suv, my little green plastic car is sitting in a parking lot at a dealership, waiting for me to return and take him for another spin. little does he know that he'll likely soon be heading to that dealership in the sky.
it might be considered overdramatic to get nostalgic about a car, but let's face it. i've been called overly dramatic before and surely will be called the same thing in the future - for once, it's just not about some band or song. furthermore, find me one person who doesn't look back fondly on their first car - and try to tell me you didn't get the least bit sentimental when the time came to give it up and move on.
i bought it just over three years ago and have since nearly doubled the mileage it handled in the previous nine years it roamed the highways. my first important car decision was what song to play in the discman/car sterio hookup i'd purchased the day before (for those curious minds, it was howie day's "after you" from the 6.18.01 paradise recording. i know, big surprise.). my first solo trip in the car was to the sound barrier, where i picked up an eqx bumper sticker (fell off ages ago) and a round dmb dancing nancies decal (still at the top of my back window).
i've had the fuzzy dice, the mardi gras beads, the strawberry shortcake air freshener. on my 21st birthday, red was covered with printed signs with embarrassing moments in my college history. for two years, surfer bob caught wave after wave on my back dash.
i sat in red's passenger seat two years ago, crying my eyes out as i left st. michael's on graduation day. i watched dc fade into the distance as i headed back to vermont and steered the car up to burlington for the start of my new career. i swear it could drive itself to boston and from the driver's seat, i determined that exist 37 on 93 south is the earliest you can glimpse the boston skyline. i drove it through the city, i drove it through the country. it survived summer and snow, hail and this summer's freak monsoon-like downpours. it even survived the parking lot behind my first burlington apartment (although it did wind up a little worse for the wear) and the oppressive heat of gridlock traffic in saratoga springs before a dave matthews show.
this car has just fucking ruled and i almost wish i didn't have to give it up. can we just bronze it and store it somewhere, funny back bumper, engine indicator light, tempremental drivers window and all?
driving in my car, a live jason mraz show keeping me energized, i realized that i was happy. the cool night was hinting at the autumn to come and i was happily cozy in a fleece, the window slightly cracked so the breeze was on my face while the heater kept the rest of me warm. the night sky was clear while the lack of streetlights allowed the stars to spread out above and in front of me. i was singing along with the music, a hot cup of coffee in my hand, having just left a campfire, great friends and hugs. an assignment was waiting for me at home, the information there and the framework of the story already written ...
dilemma
status check - torn (yes, much like natalie)
background ambiance - television
i hate making big purchases. i'm not good at it, which means i only do it on rare, rare occasions. i wind up thinking "now do i REALLY need this?" and coax myself out of it.
i'm buying a new (to me) car on wednesday and i'm already going crazy about it. my dream car is parked in my driveway, as i'm borrowing it for two days to test it out. yet i'm sitting here thinking about all the little purchases i'd have to give up and am already starting to think, "now REALLY ..."
the funny this is that if i were to buy it, i'd have a red vehicle. i currently have a green car named red. does this mean i'd have to name the new car green?
aurgh ... shouldn't have to be making such adult decisions ...
background ambiance - television
i hate making big purchases. i'm not good at it, which means i only do it on rare, rare occasions. i wind up thinking "now do i REALLY need this?" and coax myself out of it.
i'm buying a new (to me) car on wednesday and i'm already going crazy about it. my dream car is parked in my driveway, as i'm borrowing it for two days to test it out. yet i'm sitting here thinking about all the little purchases i'd have to give up and am already starting to think, "now REALLY ..."
the funny this is that if i were to buy it, i'd have a red vehicle. i currently have a green car named red. does this mean i'd have to name the new car green?
aurgh ... shouldn't have to be making such adult decisions ...
8.08.2004
exhaustion - continued.
status check - tired
background ambiance - television
maybe someday, someway, somehow, sometime we'll get together and we'll break it down
and I'll ask, "why you gotta be so shy, why you gotta be that way?"
well maybe, baby, I like it that way
shy that way
- t.prettyman & j.mraz
go see "garden state." catch a fantastic band-backed matt nathanson set at a city near you. enjoy howie's improved band, but also hit up a solo set. enjoy vegetarian curry in chinatown. laugh at improv in cambridge. scream along lyrics to "with or without you." see tides live. take part in a high school reunion and enjoy it. catch up with someone you haven't seen since college. break into the song's harmony while navigating the neon-lined streets of boston. wonder who the hell thought bubbles would be a good idea. laugh.
background ambiance - television
maybe someday, someway, somehow, sometime we'll get together and we'll break it down
and I'll ask, "why you gotta be so shy, why you gotta be that way?"
well maybe, baby, I like it that way
shy that way
- t.prettyman & j.mraz
go see "garden state." catch a fantastic band-backed matt nathanson set at a city near you. enjoy howie's improved band, but also hit up a solo set. enjoy vegetarian curry in chinatown. laugh at improv in cambridge. scream along lyrics to "with or without you." see tides live. take part in a high school reunion and enjoy it. catch up with someone you haven't seen since college. break into the song's harmony while navigating the neon-lined streets of boston. wonder who the hell thought bubbles would be a good idea. laugh.
8.07.2004
born again from the rhythm
status check - exhausted
background ambiance - tristan prettyman - guest check
i need a weekend to recover from the week's end.
background ambiance - tristan prettyman - guest check
i need a weekend to recover from the week's end.
8.04.2004
nice problem
status check - pleased
background ambiance - keyboard
too much music.
not enough time.
such a predicament.
what's to be done?
hear as much as possible.
soak up the sound.
smile like a fool.
sing harmony.
come back for more.
background ambiance - keyboard
too much music.
not enough time.
such a predicament.
what's to be done?
hear as much as possible.
soak up the sound.
smile like a fool.
sing harmony.
come back for more.
an attempt at justification
status check - amused
background ambiance - keyboard clicking
i need to just think of it as saving money in the long run.
stopped by pure pop to pick up some driving music for tomorrow. planned on either the shins or modest mouse, wound up going with the shins' "chutes too narrow" (since one of my flatmates has modest mouse anyway). just as i was ready to head to checkout, i stumble across keane's "hopes and fears," on sale for a tempting $7.97.
while i'm half-cursing myself now for buying both, i'd wind up buying them separately anyway ... and keane was on sale, so it would be a travesty to overlook the opportunity to save money. so really, in the grand scheme of things, i just saved myself a few dollars. this is a good thing.
i just won't focus on the fact that i know i'll be picking up tristan's cd on friday. and that i'll be supporting the fabulous matty nay with a shirt purchase on thursday. and perhaps adding to my howie poster collection (yes, i know. i'm a dork). and that whole food thing ...
but again, these can be justified. i'll save money on shipping by buying tristan's cd at the venue. matt is completely worthy of my money - more so than almost any other musician i know of. and the potential howie poster? well, it's simply another piece of my growing concert poster collection that will one day be worth thousands of dollars.
right?
background ambiance - keyboard clicking
i need to just think of it as saving money in the long run.
stopped by pure pop to pick up some driving music for tomorrow. planned on either the shins or modest mouse, wound up going with the shins' "chutes too narrow" (since one of my flatmates has modest mouse anyway). just as i was ready to head to checkout, i stumble across keane's "hopes and fears," on sale for a tempting $7.97.
while i'm half-cursing myself now for buying both, i'd wind up buying them separately anyway ... and keane was on sale, so it would be a travesty to overlook the opportunity to save money. so really, in the grand scheme of things, i just saved myself a few dollars. this is a good thing.
i just won't focus on the fact that i know i'll be picking up tristan's cd on friday. and that i'll be supporting the fabulous matty nay with a shirt purchase on thursday. and perhaps adding to my howie poster collection (yes, i know. i'm a dork). and that whole food thing ...
but again, these can be justified. i'll save money on shipping by buying tristan's cd at the venue. matt is completely worthy of my money - more so than almost any other musician i know of. and the potential howie poster? well, it's simply another piece of my growing concert poster collection that will one day be worth thousands of dollars.
right?
introspection
status check - contemplative
background ambiance - television
i am an emotional packrat. and it's time to clean house.
background ambiance - television
i am an emotional packrat. and it's time to clean house.
8.03.2004
left coast rock
status check - elated
background ambiance - same old same old
i meant to order tristan prettyman's album last week but, for whatever reason, forgot to.
is it that i forgot or that i subconsciously knew that i'd be able to pick it up in person on friday at the paradise lounge?
believe what you will, but i think i'm psychic.
howie, matt and tristan in a span of two days - my minibreak plans are getting better and better by the second. and i've earned them, dammit!
p.s. for those in the boston area NOT attending mn/hd/o.a.r. on thursday night, head to somerville. tides are playing the sky bar, doors at 8, 21+. everything good in music is happening late this week, apparently.
p.p.s. tristan's making the trip east-side, which means billy and pete should follow. immediately.
yup.
background ambiance - same old same old
i meant to order tristan prettyman's album last week but, for whatever reason, forgot to.
is it that i forgot or that i subconsciously knew that i'd be able to pick it up in person on friday at the paradise lounge?
believe what you will, but i think i'm psychic.
howie, matt and tristan in a span of two days - my minibreak plans are getting better and better by the second. and i've earned them, dammit!
p.s. for those in the boston area NOT attending mn/hd/o.a.r. on thursday night, head to somerville. tides are playing the sky bar, doors at 8, 21+. everything good in music is happening late this week, apparently.
p.p.s. tristan's making the trip east-side, which means billy and pete should follow. immediately.
yup.
8.02.2004
paul
status check - amused
background ambiance - silence
check your email. thank you. :)
- the management
background ambiance - silence
check your email. thank you. :)
- the management
go now, you are forgiven
status check - exasperated
background ambiance - same old, same old
it hasn't ceased to amaze me that "the last dispatch" flew so low beneath people's radars up here. band forms at a vermont college. band plays up here numerous times, as does several solo offshoots of band. band prepares to play final show - free show expected to draw a large crowd. show ultimately brings between 60,000 (boston herald) and 110,000 (boston globe). yet people up here say nothing. i'd think they didn't even know about it, but i made numerous references to it.
but mention phish and everyone goes nuts. countdown to coventry in full swing. it frustrates me to a ridiculous degree.
and it's not even that i had an amazing time at the show. i'll be honest - i didn't.
sure, i had a fun time hanging out with friends on the esplenade. i enjoyed taking a weekend roadtrip for musical purposes. i enjoyed catching those few lines of "much ado" matinee on the common. a couple of the songs i was able to hear were great - hearing "the general" played live for the final time was fantastic.
but my experience during the actual show was lousy. our seemingly fabulous seats wound up being obstructed by cooler-toting, beer-spilling sorority types who refused to listen to the music. twice, i feared the bottles being thrown from everywhere would hit me - one would have, had it not slammed into the sign right in front of me. i yelled at the people behind me, yelled at the people cutting over our blanket. i was kicked, i was stepped on, i had water and beer spilled all over. i even got into an argument with a guy trying to sell free samplers for a dollar apiece. i was reminded a million times that the yankees suck (big shock). i couldn't hear most of the music and only saw a bandmember or two on three occasions.
i had a very idealized notion of the show - perhaps based largely on my positive experiences at woodstock. with over 200,000 people there, i was still able to hear every song of every band i wanted to see at the time. i remembered lying in the grass listening to rusted root and knew this would be the same way.
unfortunately, the crowd that would have been rocking to limp bizkit back then was in full force at saturday's show.
with all that, i'm glad i went. as i said, the day itself? lot of fun. during "elias," people were dancing and i was able to forget temporarily that the crowd sucked. got to say hi to someone in my college journalism program i hadn't seen since graduation. "the general" rocked (particularly interesting point made by beth - final encore of a farewell show includes the audience singing back to the band, "go now, you are forgiven." coincidence?) getting to tell off free music exploiter felt really good - and perhaps stopping the people behind from throwing glass bottles into the crowd was a huge relief.
if we hadn't gone, we would have wondered what it was like and wished we'd been there. we went, we were there AND we survived. definitely an expereince for the great american novel.
hey, look - a photo.
p.s. regardless of his injuries this season, despite his bitterness over the arod attempt (for which i don't blame him), i was in mourning upon hearing the "no more nomar" news. he's been my favorite player since his rookie season and i even have a nomar bobblehead doll. i think the trade will, all in all, be good for boston, but it marked a sad day for yours truly.
background ambiance - same old, same old
it hasn't ceased to amaze me that "the last dispatch" flew so low beneath people's radars up here. band forms at a vermont college. band plays up here numerous times, as does several solo offshoots of band. band prepares to play final show - free show expected to draw a large crowd. show ultimately brings between 60,000 (boston herald) and 110,000 (boston globe). yet people up here say nothing. i'd think they didn't even know about it, but i made numerous references to it.
but mention phish and everyone goes nuts. countdown to coventry in full swing. it frustrates me to a ridiculous degree.
and it's not even that i had an amazing time at the show. i'll be honest - i didn't.
sure, i had a fun time hanging out with friends on the esplenade. i enjoyed taking a weekend roadtrip for musical purposes. i enjoyed catching those few lines of "much ado" matinee on the common. a couple of the songs i was able to hear were great - hearing "the general" played live for the final time was fantastic.
but my experience during the actual show was lousy. our seemingly fabulous seats wound up being obstructed by cooler-toting, beer-spilling sorority types who refused to listen to the music. twice, i feared the bottles being thrown from everywhere would hit me - one would have, had it not slammed into the sign right in front of me. i yelled at the people behind me, yelled at the people cutting over our blanket. i was kicked, i was stepped on, i had water and beer spilled all over. i even got into an argument with a guy trying to sell free samplers for a dollar apiece. i was reminded a million times that the yankees suck (big shock). i couldn't hear most of the music and only saw a bandmember or two on three occasions.
i had a very idealized notion of the show - perhaps based largely on my positive experiences at woodstock. with over 200,000 people there, i was still able to hear every song of every band i wanted to see at the time. i remembered lying in the grass listening to rusted root and knew this would be the same way.
unfortunately, the crowd that would have been rocking to limp bizkit back then was in full force at saturday's show.
with all that, i'm glad i went. as i said, the day itself? lot of fun. during "elias," people were dancing and i was able to forget temporarily that the crowd sucked. got to say hi to someone in my college journalism program i hadn't seen since graduation. "the general" rocked (particularly interesting point made by beth - final encore of a farewell show includes the audience singing back to the band, "go now, you are forgiven." coincidence?) getting to tell off free music exploiter felt really good - and perhaps stopping the people behind from throwing glass bottles into the crowd was a huge relief.
if we hadn't gone, we would have wondered what it was like and wished we'd been there. we went, we were there AND we survived. definitely an expereince for the great american novel.
hey, look - a photo.
p.s. regardless of his injuries this season, despite his bitterness over the arod attempt (for which i don't blame him), i was in mourning upon hearing the "no more nomar" news. he's been my favorite player since his rookie season and i even have a nomar bobblehead doll. i think the trade will, all in all, be good for boston, but it marked a sad day for yours truly.
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