Until The Weekend Heals Us

I went to a concert in a barn this weekend...a real barn.
It was out in the sticks of NIU, the bustling metropolis of Dekalb Illinois. The soup-like fog that met us on our way should have been a bad enough sign. The fact that we arrived too early, guaranteeing us a few hours before the band we actually came to see went on, should have been another.

However, a funny thing happened as I settled in and made the best of the situation. Somewhere in the middle of my third BYOB beer I started digging on the opening act, a crazy psychobilly band that had the bonus stage antics of a drunk girl in underwear randomly jumping onstage, grinding on the micstands, and grabbing the crotches of various band members.

The headlining jam band I have seen before and actually like as well. The point is, we were surrounded by deliriously drunk/stoned kids really enjoying the show and having a good time. The good time they were having was infectious. No pretense. No agenda.
This might seem contradictory of me to those who read my tirade of the last Kings Of Leon show with nearly identical surroundings. The difference to me is the kids here were un-pretentious and just having fun. The crowd at the KOL show seemed like they couldn't care less who was onstage. Some seemed drunk for the sake of being drunk, they other half looked like they were TRYING to have fun.

Thank you barn in the middle of nowhere,
for reaffirming my love of live music.



I am off to see a Jeff Tweedy benefit show at The Abbey Wednesday for Chicagoan Gary Schepers--who has made his living as a soundman with many local venues.
Story can be found here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/health/chi-0601200353jan20,1,1617576.story?ctrack=1&cset=true


Speaking of shows, I will be at Langerado in March, with a lineup featuring Black Crowes, Wilco, Flaming Lips, Ben Harper and Secret Machines, I just could not pass it up.
http://www.langerado.com/




We have posted ours and others Best/Worst lists on this site before, but this http://www.buddyhead.com/music/bestof2005/ is by far the best I have seen,...don't believe me? Behold the disdain the have for that annoying Weezer song from last year...

Weezer-Make Believe
20 things we would rather do than hear that “Beverly Hills” song ever again:

1) Visit the dentist
2) Wait in line at the DMV
3) Live in Arkansas
4) Vote
5) Zip our dicks up in our jeans
6) Fall into the gorilla exhibit at the zoo and get gang raped by all the gorillas at once
7) Read
8) Make out with Rip Taylor
9) Accidentally sit on our nuts
10) Skin our dickheads with a carrot peeler
11) Watch Bushwick Bill from The Geto Boys fingerbang our sisters
12) Deliver a retard baby
13) Wax Buzz from The Melvins back and taint
14) Masturbate with broken shards of glass
15) Tattoo an un-circumcised dong onto our chests
16) Funnel stomach bile mixed with trucker cum and “rrhea"
17) Sew vagina lips onto our forehead
18) Shave Oprah's gunt
19) Titty-fuck Star Jones
20) Go to the Warped Tour without a gun




Secret Machines new record out in March/April called Ten Silver Drops.
Meanwhile the first track has leaked on the web.
http://www.livemusicblog.com/audio/AloneJealousStoned.mp3




Check out your knife throwing skills with this game...
http://www.yoarcade.net/ability/knifethrow_content.html




The Strokes US Tour
03/03 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
03/06 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
03/08 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
03/10 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater
03/11 Tulsa, OK Cain Ballroom
03/14 Austin, TX Stubbs BBQ
03/15 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
03/17 Grand Prairie, TX Noka Theatre
03/19 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium0
3/21 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre
03/24 San Francisco, CA Concourse
04/02 Portland, OR Roseland Ballroom
04/04 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
04/07 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
04/08 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
04/10 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
04/11 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre



It's all about perspective:
"Felice Varini paints (lines, concentric circles, triangles) on things (tunnels, castles, groovy interiors). A seemingly random smattering of elements that, viewed from a specific point in space, coalesce into a tangible planar element."
http://www.gravestmor.com/wp/archives/2006/01/10/notes-on-the-denial-of-perspective-02-felice-varini/



The Smashing Pumpkins and Phish always seemed like the bands most likely to reunite, so emminent are they to reform I question why they "broke up" in the first place...well it didn't take Corgan too long to get his band back together http://www.nme.com/news/smashing-pumpkins/21996
I am about excited about this as I am for warm milk.
Trey can't be far behind.

Let me too welcome our new female poster. I look forward to her insight.
More Later,
HelperMonkey