Pop Culture Lunch Box: Concerts

Showing posts with label Concerts. Show all posts

Friday, June 21, 2024

Wilco continues to play rock concerts that just can't be beat for me

I've seen quite a few Wilco concerts, and it's good to know the band still has it. Last night's show at Wolftrap in Virginia was among the best ones I've seen. I wasn't sure if they would call it in on the way to the curated gathering the band puts together every summer called Solid Sound, but instead it appeared the players were in complete synchronicity with each other, and Wolftraps's sound on the lawn was very crisp.

One way to describe what I heard is the way Glen Kotche described his instrument back in 2004's The Wilco Book (which is a fun picture book about the making of the album A Ghost Is Born):

"I think drums - percussion - can be used not only as a rhythym instrument, but also for color and texture (as in an orchestra). I think that the drum kit hasn't been explored enough outside the parameters of groove-based jazz or rock and that has an exciting future."

Kotche's drums bashed in pastiches when leader Jeff Tweedy wasn't singing, and sometimes when he was. Meanwhile, Tweedy is a masterful Jerry Garcia-type figurehead, with beautiful singing to guide the path with his own ripping guitar and the iconic lead playing of Nels Cline and Pat Sansone's Nels Cline-approaching talents as well. Bassist John Stiratt quietly plays up a strorm while holding everything together tightly.

The setlist:

Misunderstood
Forget the Flowers
Handshake Drugs
At Least That's What You Said
I Am My Mother
Cruel Country
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Meant to Be
If I Ever Was a Child
Theologians
Cousin
Bird Without a Tail / Base of My Skull
Hummingbird
Evicted
Box Full of Letters
I'm Always in Love
Jesus, Etc.
Impossible Germany
Heavy Metal Drummer
A Shot in the Arm

Encore:

California Stars (Billy Bragg & Wilco cover)
Falling Apart (Right Now)
Via Chicago
Spiders (Kidsmoke)

"Meant to Be" and "Evicted" are great new entries into the Wilco cannon from Cousin (my 9th-favorite album of 2023). Look at all those other classic entries into the set: "Misunderstood," "Handshake Drugs," "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," "Theologians," "Hummingbird," "Box Full of Letters," "Jesus, Etc.," "Heavy Metal Drummer," "California Stars," Via Chicago," and "Spiders (Kidsmoke)." Then there's my favorite "Impossible Germany." I fear the thought of someday making a list of my favorite Wilco songs. It will not be easy.

As if I needed more evidence on a fun night under the moon with friends before a major heat wave arrives in Washington, D.C., this show cemented Wilco/Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt as my fourth-favorite band of all time. And openers Cut Worms were also very good in a Buddy Holly-meets-Grateful-Dead-way.

5 out of 5 stars

Monday, May 13, 2024

Guided by Voice highlights the Kilby Block Party on Sunday

Going to a rock festival is a pretty big commitment that takes stamina. After Saturday at the Kilby Block Party at the fairgrounds in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, we decided to skip afternoon acts Royel Otis, CSS, and Pond and save up for the evening lineup of Guided by Voices, Interpol, and LCD Soundsystem.

It was a fine decision as those three acts were well worth the price of admission. We danced away to festival closers LCD after a razor-cool performance by Interpol, and the weekend’s clear highlight, GBV as the sun set behind their stage.

Leader Robert Pollard was in fine form, with even a couple of his patented high leg kicks. “I Am a Scientist,” “Teenage FBI,” “The Best of Jill Hives,” “Glad Girls,” and many other staples dotted a tight set. Pollard promised 21 songs in an hour and he delivered.

Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)
Meet the Star
I Am A Scientist
Dance of Gurus
Motor Away
Jack of Legs
Tractor Rape Chain
For the Home
Boomerang
Focus on the Flock
I Am a Tree
Haircut Sphinx
The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory
The Best of Jill Hives
Alex Bell
Your Name Is Wild
Game of Pricks
Glad Girls
The Rally Boys
Encore: Teenage FBI
Encore: A Salty Salute

Sunday, May 12, 2024

Dinosaur Jr. highlights the Saturday lineup at Salt Lake’s Kilby Block Party

I’m excited and lucky to have travelled this lovely Mother’s Day Weekend to beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah to not only visit with some of my closest old high-school friends but to join them at the Kilby Block Party.

It’s a three-day festival. We didn’t attend on Friday, unfortunately missing Vampire Weekend, Courtney Barnett, Alvvays, Kara Jackson, and a few others I would have liked to have seen. But that’s ok because we now still had two full days of shows to see, which is plenty, seeing as I can’t remember the last full-on music festival I attended. Perhaps it was Lollapalooza in St. Louis and Chicago back in the 1990s.

I had hoped to catch Beach Fossils at 2:35, but we were a little late for that so headed to see hot new band Slow Pulp at 3:25. They were a little drowned out by some Rage-like band from one of the other stages.

But the main action of the day had us getting a good spot early for Dinosaur Jr., which played at 5:10. It was a greatest-hits set, with highlights including “In a Jar,” “Out There,” “Feel the Pain,” “Just Like Heaven,” “The Wagon,” “Start Choppin’,”Freak Scene,” and closer “Gargoyle,” from their self-titled debut album. The sound was great and the moshing crowd and band kept the one-hour set energetic.

After a tasty plate of butter chicken from the Himalayan food truck, we headed over to see Belle & Sebastian, one of my favorite bands. This was my first time seeing them in concert and they entertained well from a distance, with many from the crowd invited to dance on stage for the last few songs. Highlights of the 10-song set included “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying,” “I Want the World to Stop,” “Piazza, New York Catcher,” and “The Boy With the Arab Strap.”

We hung out for a few cool songs from Santigold, then caught the end of Bombay Bicycle Club’s set before finishing the evening with Death Cab for Cutie playing all of its classic album Transatlanticism before morphing into Ben Gibbard’s other band Postal Service. I think this was the first time I had seen Death Cab, and while formerly being a favorite band (and it was cool that Jenny Lewis came out to play with them for a bit), I’m not sure if they stand the test of time all that well in my book.

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Velocity Girl takes me back to college at D.C. reunion show

Some bands always feel like they are yours alone. Not enough people ever got into them despite how much they strike a chord personally. In college I rode in the back of a camper truck (highly illegal now) all the way from Southern Illinois to Breckenridge, Colorado for a ski trip. And one of the main things I remember about that trip was listening to Copacetic and Simpatico, the first two Velocity Girl albums, over and over.

I still love hearing those songs and apparently, over the years, quite a few others have kept them close to heart because I got to see the first of two sold-out shows at Black Cat in Washington D.C. on Friday night amongst an enthusiastic crowd.

And, in reality, Velocity Girl was never mine alone. The band’s label, Sub Pop, gave the debut a publicity push that it really only matched with Nirvana’s debut Bleach.

On Friday, VG played excellently, even though it hasn’t played more than a few shows in the past 25 or so years and the last album showed up in 1996. (While information in music mags has been tough to find in terms of what the band members have been up to over the years, guitarist Archie Moore has been working as a recording engineer and is attempting to make Copacetic sound better for a future re-release and singer Sarah Shannon released two solo albums and has a bunch of releases with her kid band in Seattle called The Not-Its!).

The problem with the show was Black Cat’s sound. Shannon’s voice was buried in the mix and then the overall sound suddenly improved halfway through the set, which made it clear the sound people realized after many songs that something was wrong and, oh well, they were finally going to get around to doing something about it.

I’ve really scaled back my attendance at Black Cat in recent years, and I was writing about what bad sound the club (which I would love to love) sometimes has even way back in 2011 at the Yuck show. Perhaps that’s also because we’ve been spoiled in this town by the consistent excellence of sound quality at other venues like the 9:30 Club and The Anthem.

But back to Velocity Girl: the band played excellently and is surprisingly loud on stage. Apparently that’s always been the case, it’s just that I had never gotten to see them live until now. The highlights from debut Copacetic included “Audrey’s Eyes,” “Crazy Town,” and “Pop Loser.” The best moments from second album Simpatico were “Drug Girls,” “Sorry Again,” and the Pixies-like “I Can’t Stop Smiling.”

Velocity Girl was 5 out of 5 stars, but Black Cat’s sound was 3 out of 5 stars (at best), making the overall show 4 out of 5 stars

Side notes:

D.C.’s Tuscadero opened and we’re pretty enjoyable. Love the Happy Days reference in the band name!
Ate at Moi Doi across the street before the show. Very tasty Vietnamese. Go with the beef jerky, drunken noodles, and pear salad.
Attended the show with my wife and ran into friends Angie and Linda at the show.

From setlist dot com:

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Liz Phair revisits her classic debut album at D.C.’s Anthem

When it comes to female indie rockers of the 1990s, I put Liz Phair, Juliana Hatfield, and Kim Deal at the very top. So it was awesome to finally see Phair live last night at The Anthem in Washington D.C.

After a really enjoyable opening set by Blondshell (which, at the moment, has my 21st favorite album of 2023), Phair entered with her crack band and launched right into playing 1993’s Exile in Guyville in its entirety. Even the lesser songs on that release translated really well to the live setting, but I still would have preferred more inclusions from my two favorite Phair albums: 1994’s Whip-Smart and 1998’s Whitechocolatespaceegg.

The sound at The Anthem impressively matches D.C.’s other perfect-sound-always venue The 9:30 Club. The night’s clear highlight, Fuck and Run, really popped and put on full display how wonderful the sound operators and acoustics are there.

Another clear highlight was the first song of the encore, Supernova, off of Whip-smart, which got the crowd dancing and having a great time. We had actually moved back from our 13th-row seats by that point and had a much better view than the one we started with jammed in tight on tiny chairs up front.

Johnny Feelgood and Polyester Bride were next, both from Whitechocolatespaceegg. Spanish Doors off her excellent 2021 album Soberish and Why Can’t I? from her 2003 self-titled release rounded out the encore. See the setlist.

Now I need to get back to reading her book Horror Stories.

4.5 out of 5

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Lemonheads return with a bang to DC's 9:30 Club

Never doubt Evan Dando and his Lemonheads.

Evan Dando and John P. Strohm

His show with Juliana Hatfield at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. last December was a hot mess, especially after much anticipation for its billing as the 30th anniversary tour of It's a Shame About Ray. The two of them just chopped at their guitars, forgot lyrics, often were barely audible vocally, and basically jammed like they were learning new songs instead of playing those two-minute pop punk ditties clean and tight like they really have to be for full live enjoyment.

I've seen Dando many times and he is right up in my pantheon of rock heroes with The Beatles, Guided by Voices, Pavement, Jeff Tweedy, Lou Reed, and the Beach Boys. And almost never fails to bring an exciting live show, including such endearing asides as letting me play his acoustic guitar one time backstage at Iota in Arlington, Virginia and signing my chest (for some reason) after one of the very best concerts I've ever seen, Soul Asylum and the Lemonheads at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis in 1992.

Now, less than a year later, he was back at the 9:30 Club last night for another 30th anniversary celebration, this time for an album equally excellent to Ray, Come On Feel the Lemonheads. And it was like night and day. The place wasn't as packed as it was on his last tour, but the people there got a heaping helping of top-notch entertainment.

I wasn't even sure until yesterday that I would go. But as the sun started to set, I hopped on my bike, unable to miss whatever would be in store. Promising videos from recent live shows combined with the promise of seeing opener John P. Strohm, largely retired for playing music, convinced me to go. I figured Strohm's consumate professionalism might keep Evan on his toes, and whether that mattered or not, I don't know, but Dando and Strohm both rocked.

Evan joins the crowd.

Strohm has his own avalanche of great songs through his years in Blake Babies, Antenna, Velo Deluxe, and with his solo material. He recruited a keyboard buddy from Philadelphia to accompany his guitar playing and treated us to Blake Babies' classic "Out There," although unfortunately he declined to play "Girl in a Box," which may be his greatest song but which he also says he'll never sing again, assumedly based on the lyrical content about literally keeping a girl in a box as his plaything. Another highlight was "Slip Away" from his country album Caledonia. The songs off his upcoming new album also sounded great.

Strohm would come back out for part of the Lemonheads set. But first Evan and drummer John Kent and bassist Farley Glavin opened with a killer version of "Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen. This was the start of what would prove to be very tight playing by the three piece and what I think is Evan's best band since the heyday of Nic Dalton and David Ryan.

The next 15 songs were Come On Feel in its entirety, with the best highlights too many to mention, but certainly included "The Great Big No," "Into Your Arms," "Down About It," Big Gay Heart," "Rick James Style," and "The Jello Fund."

Then it was Evan solo time. "The Outdoor Type" was gorgeous, Then he played a serious of country covers by Gram Parsons, Florida Georgia Line, Randy Travis, and more.

The final act, when the band and Strohm joined back in, was probably the most powerhouse of the evening. "Hospital" rocked out of the gate, with "My Drug Buddy," "It's a Shame About Ray," and "Rudderless" each being loaded with vigor and heart.

The band left again to let Evan play a tremendous drum-only version of "Lyin' Eyes" by the Eagles. Then the band and Strohm came back for a ripping closer of "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You." People probably thought I was nuts, but I couldn't stop singing that last song at the top of my lungs my whole bike ride back home.

5 out of 5 stars

I even got a souvenir instead of the usual super-lame Ticketmaster ticket on my phone.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Beck and Phoenix rock a pretty sweet Maryland venue

Beck sings with Weyes Blood and Thomas Mars of Phoenix.

Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland was a bad word for me for many years. I had seen the Beastie Boys there in 2005 and the takeaway that stuck with me for years was that it was a place with truly awful sound. Plus, the vibe wasn't as cozy and nice as the similar outdoor ampitheater Wolftrap down in Virginia. And even though I was right in the pit for a 2010 Vampire Weekend show, the sound still wasn't optimal. Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 2003 wasn't great either.

But I've officially changed my mind after seeing Phoenix and Beck on Sunday night. The sound was frankly amazing. And the visual show from both acts was top notch, as was the general vibe up in the lawn.

Since renovations at Merriweather, in fact, I've also seen Wilco and Hall and Oates with Squeeze, and both shows had excellent sound.

Back to Sunday night, my friend Brian and I arrived with our sons after the two opening acts had finished and right before the start of Phoenix. I've been a fan of the French band since its 2004 sophomore album Alphabetical. Highlights of the set included "Lisztomania," "Alpha Zulu," and "1901," with singer Thomas Mars (who my son thought looked like Tom Cruise, which I agree with if you sprinkle in a little Timothée Chalamet) walking through and jumping into the crowd during closer "Identical."

Beck, who has always been on my bucket list of artists to catch live, played a very crowd-pleasing set full of massive hits like "Loser," "Devil's Haircut," "The New Pollution," "Sexx Laws," and Deborah." Mellow tracks "The Golden Age" and "Lost Cause" were my favorites, and I was thrilled to get those songs from my favorite Beck album Sea Change. Beck has come a long way since breaking out with the timeless "Loser" 29 years ago and has transformed into a mega rock star with very cinematic, L.A.-feeling qualities. He really knows how to entertain and captivate a 20,000-seat venue. Phoenix and openers Weyes Blood and Sir Chloe joined in for a rousing end, with bouncing Flaming Lips-like balloons everywhere, to the so-called "Summer Odyssey Tour" on "Where It's At."

Everyone left happy, and you know what, the renovations there may have even addressed some of the parking, because we scooted right on out from our top-of-the-garage spot. Well done, Merriweather.

Sunday, September 3, 2023

Dayton, Ohio provides a playground for Guided by Voices fans from all over the world

The back half of my Guided By Voices 40th anniversary celebration in Dayton began Saturday with a bite of Old Scratch Pizza and a drive to Island MetroPark, site of the bandshell where GBV leader Robert Pollard’s dancing and high-kicks made it into their videos. Many GBV fans, who had descended on this Ohio city from all corners of the globe, spent the day hanging out in the park with their fellow diehards.

Next up was the Dayton Walk of Fame, which now features a Guided by Voices plaque. GBV fans were also milling about this area, which is located on the same street in West Dayton where Wilbur and Orville Wright built, in their bike shop, their first plane.

East 5th Street is another happening neighborhood of Dayton, with Omega Records, good coffee and food, and shopping. But then it was time to go back to the hotel to relax for a bit before night two of the concerts.

As much as I had heard opening band Wednesday would be good, I had no interest in seeing Heartless Bastards, so we opted to arrive just as Built to Spill was set to take the stage. The highlight of the band’s set was closer Carry the Show from Keep It Like a Secret. Although the powerful female rhythm section and guitar maestro Doug Martsch didn’t play my favorite song of theirs, Kicked It In the Sun, at least they offered two tunes off that classic album, Perfect From Now On - I Would Hurt a Fly and Stop the Show.

We had enjoyed the floor near the stage and also sat in amazing seats on Friday, but security finally got the memo and that was not happening on Saturday. So we sat in our actual assigned seats for the whole show, up in the balcony, but the great news was that the imperfect sound of the night before had been adjusted for the better, and our seats were pretty great even if they were a little higher up.

Even better news was that GBV took the stage at 10:45 and were much more energetic than they had been the night before. Further, they kicked out an even-better, but still 38 song, set. Dance of Gurus, A Salty Salute, and The Rally Boys was an electric way to start the show. So many other highlights dotted the rest of the night. Scoots and I determined they played nine songs on both Friday and Saturday, but of the rest of the Saturday-only tunes, memorable moments included Twilight Campfighter, Yours to Keep, Echoes Myron, Choking Tara, and closer Don’t Stop Now.

Scoots and I get back to the hotel late night, fortunately woke up in time to get some hotel biscuits n gravy and eggs, and headed out to make my return flight from Indianapolis to Baltimore.

A very successful Labor Day ‘23 weekend with one of my oldest buddies and Bob Pollard and the gang. Thank you Dayton.

Monday, August 21, 2023

Evan Dando and Keith Richards and Kate Moss and Johnny Depp and Enya and ...

In my book, Evan Dando of Lemonheads fame only has one mark against him - his terrible It's A Shame About Ray 30th Anniversary show with Juliana Hatfield at Washington D.C.'s 9:30 Club earlier this year.

Otherwise, he is one of my all-time favorite singers and songwriters. I stumbled upon a brilliant 2019 New York Times feature by Alex Williams about him that is loaded with nuggets that all Lemonheads fans will want to read if they missed it. Check out these highlights:

"He partied with Keith Richards and Johnny Depp and mugged in paparazzi shots with Kate Moss."
In a 1993 profile, Dando "perched poolside in Hollywood, mired in a depressive bout “as black as it is bottomless,” ... "Unable to speak, on doctor’s orders, he was only able to scrawl 'sorry, substance abuse' on a yellow notepad."
He toured with "New Age chanteuse Enya, but it ended badly when he called her out for growing a beard."
Speaking of his Varshons and Varshons 2 albums, Dando said, "I felt like it was sort of funny to wait 10 years and do another cover album, like I’m the biggest slacker of all time."
"The former prep school student who managed four Fs and one D- in his one semester at Skidmore College."
"With his surfer-ish looks, whimsical attitude and taste for LSD, which he said he began experimenting with in early high school, he seemed more like a hippie-era troubadour than a Generation X nihilist."
Dando became a teen idol and said, "I was actually celibate for eight months, at the height of it. It just got to the point where, this isn’t fun, different chicks every night."
"Angelina Jolie appeared in the Lemonheads’ 'It’s About Time' video."
"Courtney Love popped up in tabloid shots kissing Mr. Dando, not long after her husband, Kurt Cobain, committed suicide, although both denied they were romantically involved."
"He joined the hard-partying members of Oasis on tour during their mid-’90s peak."
He "was tight with Johnny Depp, who appeared in the 'It’s a Shame About Ray' video. "We hung out together for like six months, just at his house,' Mr. Dando said of the actor. 'We would lie together. We called it 'sidewinding.' We’d take Xanax and, like 5-year-olds in the same bed, talk all night. We were really good buds until I slept with his girl.'"
After stints in a mental hospital and multiple rehabs, Dando "is aware that the Evan Dando death watch started decades ago, as with his friend Keith Richards. Both are still here."
But, he added, "I have some crazy luck and all my friends will tell you that. I caught a thousand-pound black marlin the first five hours. People say they go five years without seeing a fish that big. I got a hole-in-one once at golf. I’ve played golf three times."
"Whenever he feels desperate, a royalty check seems to arrive, like when Martin Scorsese used the Lemonheads cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 'Mrs. Robinson' in The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013. 'It’s like every time I’m about to hit the skids, some 80 grand check comes in from Nowheresville.'"

So along with his music, there are endless reasons to like this riches to riches to rags/riches character.

Friday, July 28, 2023

The Highballers light up Greenbelt on a stormy night

I haven’t seen my friend Kendall’s band The Highballers much lately (though not for lack of opportunities; they play a lot of shows around D.C.), but I went with my wife and my friends Kevin and Megan tonight to Greenbelt, a little town in Maryland envisioned by FDR as the first intentional community. Once there, and secure from the raging heat storm outside, we stepped in the see the band in a great little concert room behind the New Deal Cafe.

As Kendall said, the place always gives him "a real good vibe," and indeed there was a good mix of newbies like us and regulars. The place felt like if there were a bar and restaurant (tasty BBQ) at the cohousing community where we used to live in Silver Spring, Eastern Village Cohousing. Funky, fun, intelligent people all around just enjoying their time on Earth.

The Highballers have consistently gotten tighter and better. The whole band really seems committed and they played a lengthy and pleasurable set of covers and mostly originals. While Kendall and Belen traded off amazing harmonizing vocals throughout the country set (the good kind of country, it should go without noting), with such highlights as “I Didn't Mean to Get Drunk Last Night But I Did,” my favorite might have been “Older Guys,” a Gram Parsons tune covered later by Teenage Fanclub and made to sound like an Uncle Tupelo country-punk rager by The Highballers.

Kendall reminded us that it had been 10 years since we celebrated the band's album release at the time at the old Iota in Arlington, Va. Here was what I wrote about that album at the time, in my Best New Albums of January 2013 column:

The Highballers - Soft Music and Hard Liquor

My son was in the process of getting married to The Highballers' showman-leader Kendall's daughter in their preschool class. That would have made this review a conflict of interest, but luckily it was clean-up time and the kids were unable to comlete the ceremony. Regardless, I saw this band live at Arlington's Artisphere and they were a force. It's easy to compare them to an offshoot of Johnny Cash and June Carter (what with the boy-girl vocals and all), but The Highballers are much funnier, have smoking and tasteful musicianship all around, have lots of songs about drinking (which is, let's admit, the point of honky tonk), and gloriously adds a modern twist ala Uncle Tupelo and The Bottle Rockets.

So they be improving (or just consumate musicianship-ers), but they are also clearly just naturals. Oh, and our kids may not be married yet, but they are still friends.

Sunday, June 11, 2023

TV Snide: May 2023

TV Show of the Month: The Bear - Season 1 (Hulu): A Chicagoland beef joint goes through growing pains as one brother dies, leading the way for brother Carmen to return from his tour working at top restaurants around the world. He has serious brother issues to work out, but finds a family in the restaurant’s co-workers. An incredibly special cast is led by Jeremy Allen White of Shameless fame and Ayo Edibiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and L-Boy. There are parts that take me way back to my college years working at IMO’s Pizza. And it’s a beautiful thing. 5 out of 5 stars

The Sex Lives of College Girls - Season 1 (HBO Max): This was a surprise. I thought this might be something to see on a whim and give up after an episode or two. But several friends’ recommendations were not wrong. This is the modern version of Beverly Hills 90210, but, dare I say, funnier. The four roommates are all needles in the haystack. The casting directors should win awards. The story is that these girls are just trying to make it through the start of college, and it truly takes me back to my freshman year, in a way that no other show has ever done for me. 5 out of 5 stars

Concert of the Month: The New Pornographers at 9:30 Club in DC: The band, although without weirdo Dan Bejar, was firing on all cylinders with a greatest hits set that included some top-notch additions from their new release. The only song I wish they would have played was “Letter to an Occupant” from Mass Romantic. But adding to the excellence of the evening was the fact that friend Alexis beelined me, Kevin, his friend Mark, and Ruben up to near the stage, something I don’t do that often anymore, and the early start time was pretty nice for we old folks as well. 5 out of 5 stars.

Short Story of the Month: “Babylon Revisited,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1931): Charlie has returned to Paris two years after ending up in a sanitarium because of his wife’s death during the heyday of post-Depression cafe society. He is making the case to his sister-in-law and her husband that he is well enough now to take back custody of his young daughter Honoria. The plan appears to be that he will take her back to his home in Prague, but then two bad actors from his wild days resurface and put custody of his daughter back into question. A wonderful snippet of that time and place. Fitzgerald is obviously a true master of fiction. 5 out of 5 stars

Movie of the Month: The Blair Witch Project (Paramount Plus): The best thing about watching this for a first time, like my son just did, is going in cold and not knowing whether this is real or fiction. I remember back to when I first saw it and being pretty terrified about the creepy found footage from the Maryland woods. The pure unprofessionalism of it all is what makes it so oddly compelling. One of the top horror flicks of the 1990s. 5 out of 5 stars

The Natural (Showtime): I always thought I had already seen this 1984 classic, but I hadn’t, so it was extra special to watch with my 15-year-old son. Robert Redford plays the amiable and talented Roy Hobbs, who gets shot right as his pro baseball career is taking off. He makes a comeback for the New York Knights 16 years later and battles his way through crooked owners and lousy ladies to find a sweet path that includes childhood sweetheart Glenn Close. 5 out of 5 stars

“Pet Milk,” by Stuart Dybek is a romantic little read that seems perfectly of its 1984 time, and I also somehow feel I read it at some point long long ago. It oddly starts with an image of the narrator’s grandmother serving Pet milk as coffee creamer and then takes us through the 22-year-old on a date that ends with him making love to his girlfriend in the L back from downtown Chicago to her place in Evanston as other passengers look on from platforms they pass. 5 out of 5 stars

Only Murders in the Building - Season 2 (Hulu): Anyone who is a fan of Selena Gomez or Steve Martin or Martin Short will definitely like this mix of wacky humor and solid murder mystery. The gang tries to solve the killing of an elderly woman in the building, leading them through a raft of possible suspects, including Tina Fey. 4.5 out of 5 stars

30 for 30: Elway to Marino (ESPN): This is a great story of what was to be the first major NFL Draft event with fans attending in person and TV cameras capturing every move. When Pete Rozell calls John Elway’s name first overall to the Baltimore Colts, it sparks bidding wars throughout the league, as Elway refuses to play for Owner Robert Irsay and a management style under which he doesn’t think he’ll find success. Meanwhile, Dan Marino of the University of Pittsburgh doesn’t go until #23, which is particularly painful to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Chuck Noll refused to grab him and, as fate would have it, Terry Bradshaw would suffer a career-ending elbow injury in the first game of the year and their pick Gabriel Rivera was paralyzed six weeks later in a car crash. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Wheaton AMC): This series is wildly entertaining to me, someone who doesn’t get too excited about most superhero movies. Star Lord and the gang are back to save Rocket Raccoon, who is the focus of this chapter. His backstory is revealed, which includes escaping from an animal experiment prison and going on to become a world-class pilot and member of the Guardians. Does the battling and destruction the gang faces in this one, including a major battle on an alternate Earth, mean the end of their nucleus? It sure seems like it. 4.5 out of 5 stars

“The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien (1986): This short story starts by exhaustively giving lists of what a troop of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam carry with them on their marches. It’s an interesting perspective of what war is like. Then it segues to following the sergeant, Jimmy Scott, in his metamorphosis from pining in love with a girl back home to burning her photos and letters so he can focus himself on leading his soldiers. 4 out of 5 stars.

Moonfall (HBO Max): Patrick Wilson and Halle Berry lead the cast in this creative 2022 sci-fi flick in which the moon tilts out of its axis and heads on a collision course with Earth. The lead actors are astronauts who need to save both the day and their family members. It’s a very big ask. But the effects and dialogue all work really well in an entertaining rollick. 4 out of 5 stars.

Friday, October 14, 2022

Pavement arrives for the concert event of the year in DC

My friend Scoots came all the way from Southern Illinois to see this one, and it was well worth it. Pavement played at the Warner Theater in DC on October 6. After taking our 11th row seats, with the seven other friends in our group, next to one of my favorites, Mary Timony of Helium and Ex Hex, we settled into watching a fairly eclectic setlist that included many of the gems from Pavement's catalogue that we had been hoping to see.

Here's a little clip from the punk anthem that has become even more apropos in these politically divisive times, "Two States:"

Here's the setlist:

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