so.

i wrote the mother of all posts two days ago. i clicked "post" - and internet explorer crashed. therefore, i lost the paragraphs upon paragraphs of concert analysis, nostalgia and overall observations about the meaning of life and the human condition (well, ok, the grafs really did include the first two).

thus i am left pondering whether to try to replicate the post or just chalk it up to technology giving me a swift kick in the arse and move on. for the sake of being able to let others get a taste of what i experienced (not to mention the fact that i'd like to be able to remember the small details later on in life), i'll attempt a slightly shorter post about the most recent stop on the revelry concert tour and the days following ...

monday was just a quality day all around. after working, i hopped in the car and enjoyed a brilliant early fall day while driving to massachusetts. my new cell phone has a hands-free earpiece, so i tried to ignore feeling like an ex-castmember of "rent" while speaking with my editor and a few friends during the drive. mraz provided the soundtrack for the highway traveling, as i sang along and enjoyed what is consistently one of my favorite drives to make.

per usual, a huge smile spread across my face as i rounded the bend on 93 and saw boston stretched out in front of me. greeting the welcome sight of the skyline, i called up my brother so he could walk me through reaching his apartment in somerville. believe it or not, i showed quite the navigational skills - that is, once i got past missing exit 30 off the highway. i still maintain it wasn't my fault. ;-)

my brother's apartment, i am pleased and ever so relieved to report, is great. it's a nice place, he's definitely making a home for himself and i quite enjoy his roommates. especially after colleen and i were each threatening to kick his arse (she gets extra points for having the dvd box set of "my so-called life."). he seems happy - and this in turn makes me happy, as i was worried that reality wouldn't live up to the hype he had built for the whole boston relocation process.

after relaxing briefly, we hopped onto the t (oh, dear sweet t - you're dirty, you're crass, but you have some special charm i can't describe) and headed to kenmore, where we made a dinner stop at burrito max (my chipotle-starved soul screamed with delight) before i headed to avalon for my show and he headed to the all asia cafe for his. after meeting some new acquaintances during the walk and having it reaffirmed that i look ridiculously young, i made my way into the club which, i will state again, just does not do it for me the way paradise does. it's too posh for a rock club. for a club, it's definitely cool, but when you're going to a show and you want to feel a connection, avalon just doesn't cut it. too big, too slick, too shiny and fake for raw, emotional music.

but nevertheless. i found ways of amusing myself before charlotte martin took the stage and i was blown away by her tori-ness. as a tori fan, i was impressed by the similarities, but charlotte also stands capably on her own. a tiny thing behind a piano, long blonde hair falling in her face, she comes off as small and anything but intimidating, but then she unleashes this gorgeous voice ... "in parenthesis" is quickly becoming one of my favorite songs (i picked up the ep, as i'm a music and concert merchandise whore. i also picked up jump's "vertigo" and a howie poster. i know, i know. but they're justifiable - i would have wound up buying them anyway and at least at the show they cost less. i have less fortune justifying the $6 and $7 vodka crans from the bar - no one should ever have to pay that much for a clear plastic cup of vodka cran - i don't care if it's absolut!). her cover of the cure's "just like heaven" is brilliant - i found the mp3 version and have been enjoying it immensely. oh, and the fact that she writes her set list on her arm every night made me happy. i like talented people who don't take themselves too seriously.

then jump came on ... very very cool. after having the chance to listen to "vertigo" a bit now, i'll say that i certainly prefer jump's live sound over studio. the album has more of an alt-country feel to it, which is great, but live they rock out more, which i think brings more to the particular songs in their setlist. not to mention that i have a harder time picturing matt bivins while i listen to the studio album (side note: i don't know what it was - matt's not someone i would ever normally find overly attractive. he's got the "hi, yeah i'm a rockstar" swagger - whether cockiness or enduced by alcohol, perhaps both? - but there was just something about him that intrigued me. i'm mainly chalking it up to the fact that i was anxiously awaiting howie.). but the band gets mad props for performing with a standup bass, accordion AND cello. hells yeah.

while i waited for howie to take the stage, i started chatting with two guys standing by me, comparing howie stories and theorizing about the future of john mayer - i found that i am far, FAR from alone in thinking/hoping/praying that he'll get back to who he used to be. it was good to know that there are a bunch of us out there. ;-)

after a 45-minute set change (howie came out onstage with his band, discovered his guitar wasn't picking up on the amps, so had to leave the stage and come back out about ten minutes later), i experienced howie day, band-style, for the first time.

Morning After
Brace Yourself
I'll Take You On
Sunday Morning Song
Perfect Time of Day
Collide
Numbness for Sound
Sorry, So Sorry *
Ghost (Beams)*
You and A Promise
Secret
Trouble in Here
She Says
-----------
Bunnies *
Madrigals *

* - Howie solo

y'all can download the show to hear how it was, but a couple of quick notes:
- i'm all the more excited to listen to the new album (less than a week ...). while there were some songs i wasn't 100 percent crazy about when i heard the clips ("Sunday Morning Drive" "You & a Promise" - the latter of which i have on the Madrigals EP), they are solid in their entirety. actually, both of the specific songs mentioned are favorites now - i'm shocked by how much i'm loving "Y&aP." "collide" is wonderful wonderful - another "she says" and so good - and i knew i loved both "brace yourself" and "perfect time of day."

- howie's antics during "ghost" made my jaw drop. playful, DANCING, and the full techno "beams" outtro, lines and everything.

- i was a huge skeptic, but i personally think the band suits howie incredibly well and the songs take on a whole new life with the fuller backing. instead of the transition to band ala mayer, where i can strongly say the solo versions are much better than band renditions, in howie's case, they're apples and oranges. both great.

- he just looked HAPPY.

all in all, the show's lineup was the strongest all-around that i've experienced since probably either vaco/howie/pmb in december 2000 or howie/mayer in 2001 (pattern, anyone?). i can't say it was one of my favorite shows, as i've given up on the concept of labeling specific shows as Favorites), but i'll say that it was fantastic and i'm so glad i made the trip. the 2000 people there were treated to a great night of music ...
(oh, i should mention, the photo provided is part of locobirdy's online gallery ... great pic, i think!)

ok, sleep now. more philosophical, music-related posts tomorrow during the Day Off. well, day off followed by night o' workin - but let's focus on the day part.

oh, and my chi was centered tonight. hahahahahaha. ;-)

wow.

the concert last night was ridiculous. charlotte martin. jump, little children. howie day.

charlotte opened up her mouth and an amazing, tori-reminiscent voice roared out. not to mention that anyone who has a song about obsessing over love and a potential crush that says "any girl who says she doesn't obsess ... is full of shit ..." gets a big shout of approval from yours truly. so funny.

jump was great - i've been wanting to see them for awhile now and i'm thrilled i did. one of the lead vocalists (name to follow once i have time to learn a bit about the band) oozed the frontman sex appeal that comes with being in a rock club and swept away by the dancing lights and thumping base. and they rock out with a standup bass and, at times, a cello. hello!

and then there's howie. i was nervous about the band. i was nervous about the lack of looping and pedal work. i was nervous that it would be another john mayer-esque moment - the realization that the singer-songwriter i followed and the style i loved would be lost in cymbal crashes and the wail of an electric guitar.

whereas john's band took away from his sound, howie's band took his songs and kicked them up to the next level. it was absolutely amazing to hear songs i've known for years played in such a new and exciting way. and to see howie laughing on stage - not the little "hi, i'm being cool and angsty" hehehehe laugh. all out laughter.

i haven't personally seen that since the coffeehouse.

i could do without the girls behind me screaming "I LOVE YOU HOWWWWIIIIIEEEEE" after each song. i could do without straining to get a good view. i could do without hearing people say, "ohmigod, this guy is so good, i'm going to have to, like, listen to his stuff now." i could do without the show being at avalon and the space feeling small due to the number of people there (around two thousand).

but it was amazing nevertheless. he's on his way. and it's a little sad, but i'm also so incredibly happy for him, as it appears that everything is coming together just as it should for him.

what a bloody amazing night.

... flashbacks ...

while at work today, i realized that i can say i'm anticipating the delight of a performance by a howiedayhowiedayhowieday. i haven't said that in eons ...

i'm looking forward to this, the next portion of the victoria revelry concert tour. i haven't seen howie perform in ... hmm ... over ten months. it'll be the first time since the very first time i saw him live (back in february of 2000) that i will NOT know the lyrics to a number of his songs - not to mention that it'll be the first time i see him perform with a band, well, ever (admittedly, i'm not crazy about this particular aspect, as i love the solo howie experience, but hey, i'm determined to keep an open mind). i think it'll be a great show - although a large part of me wishes the show was occurring down the street at paradise ...

but i'm also looking forward to getting out of the state and going on a road trip. i always love driving to boston - it's an easy drive and i, unlike probably the majority of non-massachusetts drivers - love driving all the more once i cross the border into massachusetts. i'm not quite sure of what it is about it ... it's just the feeling i get. and once i round the bend and the boston skyline becomes visible in the distance, i go nuts. god bless skylines.

seeing my brother will be great - i'm excited about being able to check out his new apartment and see his new haunts and the folks he's living with. he sounds happy when i have the opportunity to speak with him - i'm looking forward to seeing how accurate what he's told me really is.

so that's pretty much where i'm at. bags packed, items from home ready to bring to tom (i'm bringing a "from vickie with love" care package that i've been putting together), cell phone charging, cds positioned in the car so as to best provide the soundtrack to my travels. ticket waiting for me at avalon, howie day preparing for the concert. rock on.

so yeah. sleep shortly, wake up and work the morning shift, hop in the car and take off. let the adventures begin ...

golly gee, what have we here ...

story time ... both the column and the football game coverage.

it will sound exceptionally dorky, but nevertheless, it's a cool sensation to look at something i wrote and then turn the page and see a large photograph and article about sylvia plath.

bah. too much to do today and not enough time to do it. remind me to really think things through before i tell my bosses to "give me a call if you need me to work on sunday." the gesture may be nice, but they might actually take me up on it, as they did today. only a 2-7 shift, but still one i, quite frankly, have no desire to work.

... friendly fenway ...

i'm hoping against hope that the gods smile upon me and have my email addy come up as one of those selected for the green monster playoff seats. i would a) love to get to my fourth game of the season b) love to attend a playoff game and c) swoon with happiness to be able to watch a game - any game - from atop the green monster. if (when) the playoff game tickets don't come through, i intend to buy green monster tickets for one game next year. while i'm generally opposed to the ridiculous ticket prices at games these days, i would certainly pay the money once to sit on top of the wall ...

my new phone has the potential to outwit me. it's snazzy though - i dig it. my brother would have been completely lost with it.

i still have great disdain for football, but today's game made me realize i can at least tolerate it - almost find little bits of pleasure, actually. but i still think it's a lame sport. give me soccer - the REAL football.

and i'm exhausted. so, that said, i do believe i'm going to prepare for sleep now - prepare some music, curl up in bed and read "the hitchiker's guide to the galaxy" (which i picked up today because it's about damn time i read it) until i fall asleep ...

4, 3, 2, 1 ...

the wigs were everywhere - unfortunately my 'fro was at the groomer's. or maybe i just hadn't checked the website to discover that it was a wig-encouraged show. if i had known, yeah, i would have picked one up and gone along with the wig-friendly vibe. it would have amused me.

the show was amazing. it amazes me how warm and comfortable guster makes me feel - not to mention that brian absolutely amazed me. that man can pound on the bongo like it's nobody's business - good lord. he's my favorite guster man - i love how he commands attention without saying a damn thing during the shows. he just rocks out and kicks arse.

as was to be expected, i grinned like a fool and felt all warm & fuzzy-like when "parachute" was performed. i loved the expected songs and sang along at the top of my lungs, but the selection of "come downstairs and say hello" as the final encore song was probably the highlight. it's a song that i have really connected with since the album was released and i couldn't believe they chose to end with that - i took it as a sign and, coupled with the sightings of two monarch butterflies within 24 hours, i have to assume that something great is on the horizon.

just don't know quite what yet.

regardless. it's now nearing 4 am. column is done and sent in - knock on wood for that, thank you. tomorrow morning i pick up and get to play with a new toy before playing press girl with all of the guys at the msj football game.

oh, and i prided myself on figuring out a way to fit the word "foppish" into this week's column. i hope the word runs - it will delight me.

that said, the friday five and then i sleep.

1. if you could eat dinner with and "get to know" one famous person (living or dead), who would you choose?
... hmm ... this is the ultimate i'm-never-going-to-be-able-to-decide question. assuming that there would be a way to eliminate the language and cultural barriers, i'd go with shakespeare. if it turns out that shakespeare did in fact write his works. if not, marlowe.

2. has the death of a famous person ever had an effect on you? who was it and how did you feel?
i suppose that the death of some famous individuals had an effect on me in the respect that it shaped the time in which i lived - kurt cobain comes to mind right away. and then then there are the "wow, i never thought they'd actually die - they just live on forever" type of situations (most recently, johnny cash). the death of senator wellstone last year was the closest thing to a known individual dying and affecting my life, as i wound up working in his office for a little bit following the crash and spent a lot of time thinking about what i would have done were i in his staff's position ...

3. if you could BE a famous person for 24 hours, who would you choose?
currently living? hmm ... i have simple tastes. tori amos so i could know what it is like to be a brilliant singer, songwriter and musician. i've always wanted to know the piano.

4. do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? who?
before i cut my hair, i received numerous compliments that i looked like janel maloney from "the west wing." i am currently growing out my hair and will hopefully someday resemble her once more.

5. have you ever met anyone famous?
yes.

back to basics ... looking ahead ...

quick vicbits:

reality tv provides many, many guilty pleasures for yours truly, but there is nothing quite as satisfying on television as a good, gripping episode of my staple favorite show, "the west wing."

ah ... it's good again. this brings me great pleasure.

my body is feeling the good ache of exercise - as i began to get back into shape yesterday. this also brings me great pleasure.

the next few days will involve little sleep ... but in a good way, all things considered. tomorrow i work, followed by my now-customary trip to burlington for three bits of notebook nightlife coverage: rembrandt, richard shindell and dave ralph. i'm ignoring the reality of the situation for as long as i can: that being that i work at 6 a.m. friday. um ... yeah.

guster friday night. hurrah! i'm incredibly excited. guster + flynn = very very good times.

waiting to hear about other news ... in several different, yet somewhat connected, areas, actually ...

ok, sleep is necessary. 4:15 will come far too quickly ...

paying my dues, paying my dues ...

ticket confirmations ...

ah - making my rainy, dreary day better by spending money on concert tickets.

such a music whore.

confirmed - 1 ticket to howie day at avalon for 9/29
confirmed - 1 ticket to jason mraz at calvin theater for 10/9

hurrah ...

$*(!)*$()@IIOPJ IOSJFIOPU@ (OR)*@()$*()!@$(_!*( $!

grrrrrr.

ok, now i feel better.

still can't find check card. fuck.

i want to do an interview about the person, not the concert. fuckity fuck.

and i want to be able to do both, as i'm not strictly, benefits-paid tied to either. fuckity fuck fuck.

in better news, the rain splashing against my windshield this morning seemed to evaporate in the sunshine that filled my car as i listened to "so damn lucky" off dave matthews' "some devil." thus far, favorite tracks include "so damn lucky," "grey blue eyes," "save me," and yes, "gravedigger."

time to work off some aggression and energy.

... if i were my check card, where would i be?

ok, i need to buy two tickets today. one to howie at avalon, the other to mraz in northampton. problem is, i can't find my check card - probably because i've been using it too much lately, so i've had it out by my desk.

hmmm. this could prove problematic.

the search begins. i will hop in the car, drive to rutland to make my latest musical purchase and search the car, return and hopefully be able to ensure that i will enjoy a great deal of musical revelry in the next couple of weeks.

i notice the stars, they began to shake and dance and burst and fall into the darkness

i spent a few minutes outside tonight, sitting on the driveway behind my house. i closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the night - crickets chirping, the wind rustling the branches of the trees surrounding me and, perhaps most delightful, the gentle scrape of each leaf as it fell to the pavement.

autumn night beckons.

who's cursed? i'm cursed ...

so it appears as if good ol' union college is pretty much out of the question, as tickets for the public go on sale at 7 a.m. wednesday morning ... but you can only purchase them in person. at union college. in schenectady. which would be, well, impossible, as it's a) about two hours from here and b) i'm working at 6 a.m.

so mark that as concert - what, nine? - that i'm probably missing out on. note to self: buy ticket for northampton tomorrow.

averi just made me incredibly happy. not to mention that, as i'm at the site right now and the streaming music is playing, i'm discovering that i'm quite a fan of one of the new songs, "bounce." did they play it at paradise last time? i don't remember it ...

i have succeeded in doing next to nothing today. i say "next to nothing" because i did do one thing - i slept for nearly four and a half hours straight. i didn't even realize i was tired - i laid down to watch "adaptation" and BAM! i woke up hours later, at first cursing myself for blowing the opportunity to do much of anything, but then realizing that i obviously needed the rest.

now, feeling much like a certain former roommate with narcoleptic tendencies (hahaha), i am going to rub the sleep out of my eyes, stretch out in an attempt to remove the tension that's been in my back all day long, then go for a walk or something so i feel as if i at least moved my body a bit today.

ah - nothing like a day spent clearing out all of the stress/kinks/fatigue. tres bien.

... story time ...

i have fallen victim to editing.

i've got to run out and pick up a copy of the paper to see if this exists in print form as well ... but i never said the football game went into OT - i don't know why the headline says overtime. because, well, there was no overtime.

and a couple of my favorite features of the column were edited out, not to mention that the headline gives it the impression that things didn't go as well as they did at the fundraiser ...

oy.

is it any wonder why i find this 'roid particularly amusing?

the timing could not have been better for that.

closing was, in its own twisted, relative way, fun. well, maybe not fun. but easy as can be. much easier than writing a measly 250 words on a football game, that's for sure. i now completely understand why i never felt like i missed out, not having a football team to cheer on during high school or college. why, you may ask?

i really cannot stand football. give me basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer - you name it and i'll very happily be in the stands or, ideally, playing. hell, i've even given golf a shot this summer.

but football can exist without me having anything to do with it, thank you ...

speaking of soccer, if you haven't already read it, check out the story in sports illustrated about mia hamm. mia has been my favorite female athlete for just about as long as i can remember - not to mention one of my favorite athletes overall. when i was in my early years of high school, i would train during the off-season, going running or doing drills on occasion - things like that. on occasion, i wore a sweatband (primarily, i think, because we were strictly forbidden to wear such items during the soccer season, as my coach viewed them as frivilous and attempts to draw attention to the individual, rather than the team - how much did my coach ROCK!?!). when the sweatband was not on, i was training as vickie. when the black nike band was on, however, i was mia.

she continues to inspire me to this day. it's a great article.

are you ready for some football?

this is going to be interesting. i've never attended a complete football game. i went to a thanksgiving day game in beverly a few years ago, to experience the whole high school football thing my mother had told me about (she went to beverly and went to the game each year growing up), but it was cold and we left at halftime. my high school was way too small for a team and, besides, we were soccer types. and my college had a football team ... back in the 40s or something ...

so here i am, preparing to not only attend a game, but cover it and write about it after. this will be amusing as hell.

anyway. tickets for guster have been purchased - hurrah! tickets for mraz are pending - i'm still deliberating whether i want to head down to northampton or not. i'm a little torn. we'll see.

i think i'm buying a ticket to howie at avalon - haven't yet, but i think i will do so this evening. screw it - why not go? it'll be fun to see howie before the album hits and he becomes hugely popular ... one last time, if you will.

quick notes ...

i must finish my story for tomorrow morning's deadline before i try to relax for a bit, get more than, well, three hours' sleep and then wake up and prepare for the crash course in football reporting i will undertake tomorrow before saving the day at work. oy.

regardless - quick comments. i think musical revelry is definitely in my future. guster on the 26th and i want to head to boston on the 29th to check out howie at avalon. i think i'm buying ticket(s) tomorrow. anyone up for it coming along? if so, drop a line or leave a comment. i'm looking forward to howie goodness while, i do believe, getting my first glimpse of my brother's new somerville pad ...

mraz. i'll find out tuesday night, i believe, whether or not public tickets will be available for union college. i think i'm buying ticket(s) for northampton tomorrow as well (i'm on a musical tangent, can we tell?). who's up for that? same rules apply.

ok, time to write like it's going out of style. more later. leave love.

but before sleep takes me ...

... two quick comments.

- to understand what i meant about mraz, check out the posting i just came across on the official message board. that is exactly what i was talking about earlier.

- nick, thank you so much. i'll drop you a line tomorrow - i'm sorry i'm not this evening, but as i said before, it's late now and fatigue is weighing down my eyelids ... regardless, i'll talk to you soon. take care until then.

friday five time ... as i just returned from an evening of musical entertainment (or would "amusement" be a better term for it?), this seemed particularly appropriate.

1. who is your favorite singer/musician? why?
hahahahaha! i know i tend to be very secretive about my musical tastes - i'm not one to really discuss who i'm into and whatnot. but i suppose i should reveal to the readership here (the whole four or five of you - much love to the loyal ones!) that i'm kind of half into the musical stylings of one jason mraz. ok, enough sarcasm. mraz has been a favorite of mine for awhile now, as i believe he embodies just about everything that i'm into. talent, wit, self-depricating charm coupled with an incredible insight and the ability to convey said insight to an audience, whether it be through performance or the written word. he's more than a musician - he's a poet. not to mention that he's funny as hell and someone who doesn't appear to be falling into the pitfalls of fame - taking himself too seriously or losing touch with the person the public is now falling in love with (take notes, my dear mayer boy).

other favorites include my gateway drug into the singer-songwriter realm i love so much, that being howie day (been a fan of his for three and a half years now - good lord), as well as the musicians and great guys that come together to form averi. ben folds, rufus wainwright, tori amos, ani difranco, dave matthews (and members of dmb) and gavin degraw are also featured members of my favorites list.

2. what one singer/musician can you not stand? why?
hmm ... this one's difficult. i suppose ... *pondering* ... anyone who loses touch of themselves once fame hits winds up rubbing on my nerves. i'm struggling with a love/hate relationship with john mayer at the moment, as i used to be a huge fan of his (and had the opportunity to convey that to him way before the whole no-such-thing-room-for-squares-hi-i'm-a-boy-band-with-one-boy phenomenon took place) but am now realizing that the john i knew and became a fan of has become a nonentity ...

some others i have no use for: jessica simpson (found in the mixed up files of ms. victoria under "moron"), john tesh (ick) and vitamin c (because i'm still traumatized by "the graduation song" - thanks beth). there are many that i personally don't feel a strong connection with, but i acknowledge that there are others who may feel the same way i feel about an artist/s like mraz or howie about someone like, say, 50 cent or tool or whatnot.

3. if your favorite singer wasn't in the music business, do you think you would still like him/her as a person?
i can't say, as i don't know mraz outside of his music. besides, if he wasn't in the music business, i probably wouldn't know he exists. not to mention that he wouldn't be who he is if he wasn't involved with music ... from what i've seen/read/heard about him, however, i think i'd still find him very cool and would be totally down for a drink and some conversation ...

4. have you been to any concerts? if yes, who put on the best show?
i am very, VERY fortunate in the respect that i've been able to attend many concerts, from the very large (woodstock '99 with hundreds of thousands of my closest friends) to the very small (my benefit concert, anyone? or the concert at met cafe in providence where michelle and i watched a band break up in less than three songs' time - during our escape from the sold-out, teeny-bopper ordeal that was mayer at lupo's). i've attended country, classical, punk, alternative, singer-songwriter, metal, funk, jam band and other shows at colleges, fairs, professional venues, stadiums, even an air force base and a vintage clothing store. the only thing i enjoy about music more than being able to pop in a cd i love is seeing a musician or group live. i don't think i could possibly select one concert as the best one i've attended - each one has something special about it, much as that may sound like a cop-out answer. some highlights, however, include guster at the flynn in 2001, virgina coalition/howie day/pat mcgee band at their three-hour-plus paradise show back in 2000 (wow, three years ago this december ...), live at memorial aud, ani at memorial, tori at both the patriot center and the palace theater, several of the averi shows i've attended (special moment: chad's solo version of "daffodils" played for me), matt nathanson's second set at the smc coffeehouse, john mayer/glen phillips at higher ground, howie/mayer at paradise 6.18.01, particular moments at woodstock, dmb at spac, counting crows at spac. the list honestly could go on and on. i often leave concerts thinking to myself that what i just experienced was "the greatest show ever."

5. what are your thoughts on downloading free music online vs. purchasing albums? do you feel the RIAA is right in its pursuit to stop people from dowloading free music?
while in dc, i almost applied for a job with the riaa - but i couldn't go through with it, as i find that its download policing is something i simply cannot agree with. i know there are people out there who take blatant advantage of the capabilities downloading provides - hell, there are many songs i have on my computer that i downloaded and i was booted off napster for awhile because i had some metallica mp3s on and was caught red-handed (red-computerized, should i say?). but i have to assume that most of the people out there are like me in the respect that they ultimately repay the artists for the money they might be losing out on each time i click "save as" and download some random mp3. take mraz. i have in my posession tons of live shows on cd (thanks paul!), as well as burned copies of most of, if not all, his now-unavailable independent releases. but i bought "waiting for my rocket to come." i've spent money on some merchandise. i'm going to be attending one, if not two, concerts within the next month. most of the musicians i've downloaded have been people i've ultimately seen in concert or they've released albums i've purchased.

there are many times where i would never have even listened to a musician or group had i not downloaded the mp3 to give it a shot. as long as they have the ability and talent to back up the slickly produced studio albums, artists have nothing to fear. it's like john mayer said: you can burn a copy of a show, but you can't burn the experience of being there. listen to the 6.18.01 show and listen to him instruct the "photographers" to take a photo all at the same time. you can't see the pose he makes - if i hadn't been there, i couldn't have gotten my photographs back and see my personal copy of the pose from the angle at which i stood in the front row. i couldn't have heard him sing, "you are invincible" during "no such thing" and remember how he looked down at me while he sang the line.

therefore, i maintain that the riaa is attempting to protect artists' rights - those without the ability to cross from the singer/musician realm into that of performer and true artist.

ok, tirade over. it's after 3 a.m., i woke up this morning (yesterday morning?) at 4:45 a.m. and i have to wake up around 7 to write up as much of my column as i can before work at 11. i'll write more about the amusement this evening provided when i'm rested and refreshed. until then, i leave you with teases of late night/sugar- and iced coffee-infused amusement (deep philosophical discussions about how life would be better in so many areas if coffee flavoring was involved), four bands and nearly four hours of music to support a presidential candidate, a blast from the high school past and general good times.

keep safe, chickadees, and stay indoors over the next few days if you're in danger of getting blown away by isabel - be careful!

... ooh, the mystery, the intrigue ...

the mystery swirling around picardo continues ... i've been able to peel away a couple of layers of intrigue and can say this - i give him/her/??? mad props for doing what he/she/??? did ... long live creative spontaneity!

in other news ... i've received an invite to sneak preview a rembrandt exhibit next week - very, very cool. let's give it up to fine art ...

and, should the union college show fall through (or perhaps even if it doesn't?), there is another opportunity for mraz goodness in my future - northampton on 10/9. i've had good luck with northampton live musical experiences ... i traveled there a couple of years in a row for warped tour (yes, i rocked the warped tour train twice - or was it three times? i can't recall ...) and had a great time baking in the sunshine, seeking shade in the air conditioned tent while watching sublime videos in inflatable armchairs and, one year, running into andy shortly after getting beaten to a pulp in the crowd gathered for less than jake (but having a great time in the process). i also traveled the northampton way for howie day back in ... 2001, i believe? the performance was at iron horse music hall, which, for the record, is a fabulous gem of a venue - low-key and nice without being pretentious. i said at the time (and still say today) that if i were to open up a venue (something i'd love to do someday), i'd want it to be like the iron horse. except that i'd allow taping and photography.

this performance will be at calvin theater - never been there. but i'd be more than willing to make the trip ...

alright - time to do some more research for this weekend's "art & the city" (hahahahahaha - this still amuses me far too much) before dinner and reality tv at the home away from home. season finale of "cupid" - will america be kind (hank) or cruel (robert)???

we shall see ...