08.05.07
Posted in Music at 1:19 pm by Joe Blubaugh
Anyone who’s been to a rock show recently knows the sort of turmoil that constantly occurs in a crowd: people trying to squeeze in front of you to get a better view of the show. At The Hold Steady’s show yesterday, two guys squeezed just in front of me, offering the traditional “Sorry, man.” For some reason, now seemed like the time to address this meaningless platitude.
“Like Hell you are.”
“What?”
“No one is ever actually sorry for squeezing closer to the stage. You don’t need to apologize to me.”
“It’s just that we really love this band, man. You understand.”
“Of course I understand. I’d like to be as close as possible, too.”
“Sweet, thanks. You want some wine, man?”
“Absolutely.”
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08.03.07
Posted in Music at 12:44 pm by Joe Blubaugh
- The Arcade Fire: Neighborhood 1 - Tunnels
- Warren Zevon: El Amor De Mi Vida
- Dire Straits: Sultans of Swing
- Randy Pease: Like You
- Spoon: The Fitted Shirt
- The Flaming Lips: Mr. Ambulance Driver
- Silk Road Orchestra: Gallop of a Thousand Horses
- The Raconteurs: Level
- Talking Heads: Psycho Killer
- Camera Obscura: Knee Deep at the NPL
Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. There’s a possibility of afternoon thunderstorms and it’s going to be in the 80s all day. I’m going to wind up bringing both sunscreen and an umbrella, taking no chances. I’m excited for the lineup I’ve planned, though! It’ll start out a little twee with Matt & Kim, but things are going to rachet up fast with the 29-member I’m From Barcelona Swedish music collective. I hope they bring the whole band. All in all, the music is going to kick my ass - I’m going to be jumping up and down for something like four straight hours bouncing from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah to The Hold Steady to Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Spoon. I don’t know if I’ll have enough energy left at the end of that for Interpol or not.
I’m apparently just all about trying to die from exhaustion this week. First my double-up bike ride, then a Lollapalooza weekend, then the Great Apartment Move-Out.
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07.13.07
Posted in Personal, Music at 8:00 am by Joe Blubaugh
Last week was one of the laziest of my life, due to the General’s fairly generous 4th of July policy. This week has been one of the busiest as a form of compensation, I think.
From the iPod:
- Royksopp - 40 Year BackCome
- Aimee Mann - It’s Not Safe
- Gustav Mahler - Symphony No 5, Movement V (SF Symphony)
- Hank Williams - Lost Highway
- Metric - Handshakes
- Radiohead - There There. (The Boney King of Nowhere.)
- Stephane Grapelli - The Folks Who Live on the Hill
- Lester Young w/ the Oscar Peterson Trio - Just You, Just Me
- Jens Lekman - A Man Walks Into a Bar
- The Cure - Plainsong
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06.22.07
Posted in Personal, Music at 1:49 pm by Joe Blubaugh
My landlord didn’t even call me today like he promised. Jeez.
- Aimee Mann - “Humpty Dumpty”
- We Are Scientists - “Can’t Lose”
- Hendrix - “Foxy Lady”
- Elliott Smith - “Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands”
- Billie Holiday - “You Let Me Down”
- Mirah - “Jerusalem”
- Devo - “Peekaboo”
- The Clash - “Complete Control”
- Randy Pease - “Ishmael”
- Detholz! - “Rock the Casbah”
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06.15.07
Posted in Music at 5:28 pm by Joe Blubaugh
The Mostly Old Men Edition
1. Warren Zevon - “Thing to Do in Denver When You’re Dead”
2. Costello & Toussaint - “Freedom for the Stallion”
3. Dog Traders - “Captions”
4. Star Patrol - “On the Warpath”
5. E. Costello - “Coal Train Robberies”
6. Martha Wainwright - “When the Day is Short”
7. Fogerty - “Lodi”
8. Placebo - “Jackie”
9. Camera Obscura - “Knee Deep at the NPL”
10. Dave Douglas - “Strange Liberation”
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05.23.07
Posted in Music at 8:04 pm by Joe Blubaugh
So, there are at least two nights (potentially three) that I have, have to go to Summerfest. I mean, sure I could try and go for the half-ironic fun of watching Def Leppard, Styx & Foreigner keep going, or see Blue Oyster Cult, but my friends, there are two absolutely essential shows here: Weird Al Yankovic, and Spoon! Also, the same night as Spoon, B.B. King! Good day, sir! On the third potential night, Morris Day & The Time will be getting their funky groove on, but I don’t know if it’s worth a third night of admission prices. Son Volt will also be bringing it to town on a fourth night, but why must all the good bands be so damn spread out? I don’t have quite that much time and money.
It is encouraging to see at least that many good shows on the calendar, though. It’s actually a decently varied festival for a city like Milwaukee; there are rappers - good ones - like Lupe Fiasco and Ludacris, some classic rock, some modern whine-rock, some good shows, some decent country, even. Huzzah!
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