Rising From Shavasana, We Find That...

Breath brings about balance,
as each cycle continues its achievement
worthwhile with little or no dispute.

And the breath brings energy back
to the hands and feet;
the limbs lay complacent and better
than intact,
for the body is borne anew to breathe deep.

To focus on one thing will be everything
that means something worth doing;
this is found in the case with deep breathing,
as concentration is put to the test at its fullest.

Let the tension sink to the ground,
and make the spine flat, no longer compressed.
The shoulders, pushed back and down;
not round, nor the ribs pressing against the chest.

The mind doesn’t think about bombs dropping
at this moment when the body lies still,
awaiting for the thoughts to surface;
Once there, acknowledge them,
and put them to rest then,
so needed energy can refresh into stressed parts
sending a timely message:

to relieve of wants, desires and needs
and simply be.

The sweetness of 2006, Thus Far...

I highly, highly recommend (band - album) :

Wagner and the Zombiemen - Across the Fall of Sunset
Built To Spill - You In Reverse
The Appleseed Cast - Peregrine
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Mono - You Are Here
Russian Circles - Enter
The Black Heart Procession - Spell
Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
Thursday - A City By the Light Divided
Cursive - Happy Hallow
The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
The Album Leaf - Into the Blue Again
The Lymbyc System - Live
The Black Angels - The First Vietnam War
Editors - Back Room
Film School - self-titled
Dredg - Live At the Fillmore
This Will Destroy You - Young Mountain
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Mogwai - Mr. Beast
Dredg - Live At the Fillmore
Kaddisfly - The Four Seasons EP
Band of Horses - Everything All the TIme
Forward Russia - Give Me A Wall
Story of the Sea - Enjoying Fire
The Umbrella Sequence - Crossing the Wires LP
The Long Winters - Putting the Days To Bed
Sickoakes - Seawards
Empires - EP
Red Fox Grey Fox - The Songs We Sing EP

Where, O Where, Has Time Gone?

It's December now; what the hell? November was just a blur. I saw Elvis Perkins, The Pernice Brothers, The Decemberists, The Lymbyc System, Dirty On Purpose and The Album Leaf all in 3 straight days! Yet I haven't blogged about them at all. Even though they were phenomenally wonderful, brilliant, vibrant, exciting, invigorating, peaceful and rocking shows!

Not to mention, in October I saw a slew of awesomeness:

- North, and Wagner and the Zombiemen's CD release at Lee's Liquor Lounge on Halloween!
- local bands new to me (Empires, Red Fox Grey Fox, The Spirit of '76, Cue The Doves) play with one of my faves, Kaddisfly, at the Toybox
- Down and Above at Ogara's Garage
- the ecstatic, hyperventalating-in-a-good-way Architecture in Helsinki open up at First Ave for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (though it should have been the other way around).

Great, great shows, and no review of them, for shame on me! It can be difficult to capture the present moment of a live performance, especially when a lot of time has passed since. You have the memories; you can conjure up the images and the sounds and your then-breathrate and your sense of comfort of being in the environment you want and all of that which has to do with human nature and behavior.....and yet, what you express never fits what exactly what you felt. That's the awesome power of the combination of mind and body working ever-present. Whoa, there's some poetry/psych for you. Nice rant, I'd say.

Agree?

Neat Penmanship?

Don't think so, as Cursive's music is anything but neat, ha! I'm referring to the 9/23/2006 show at First Avenue, where I saw Omaha, NE native Cursive rock our sociopolitical, emo and post-punk socks off! Due to unfortunate circumstances, I wasn't able to see fellow Saddle Creek band Ladyfinger, whom I heard opened the show with a bang. Even more unfortunate was that I didn't see Portland's lively-as-a-firecracker The Thermals. They are also sociopolitical, discussing the effects of organized religion on a small town. I'm sure their set contained high-energy, addictive vocals and the ability to make one think and dance. So far, I've heard about half of their new album, The Body, The Blood, The Machine, and it is phenomenal! Another great Sub Pop release, no doubt.

As I arrived just in time to see Cursive open with the epic, manic 'Big Bang,' the horns sections blew loudly, and the audience responded with a mix of heads banging and feet moving happily. The new tracks off of Happy Hallow sounded great and full live. Even their older, more emo-like songs sounded huge with the addition of the horns section. One of the best parts of the performance was when the band talked about how thankful they were to be playing music and how the bands they were touring with also shared the same attitude. Just happy to be playing, showing us their creativity through words and music. I dug the humility shown, as well as the performance.

Their newest disc mostly debates religion in a small town, with its ill-effects and hypocracies layed out clearly in lyric; even the vague metaphors paint their message as one well-defined and standing strong to opposition (or in the present day, fundamental conservatives). The only downer was that I was a little tired and pretty far back in the crowd, so I didn't feel as much energy as I would have closer to the stage.

Hello.

Built to Thrill!

Built to Spill was supposed to have played First Avenue back in April, but due to Doug Marsch's eye surgery, they had to reschedule for September. That was fine by me, as I had bought my ticket in April already. Fellow Northwestern Pacificers Helvetia warmed us up with their brand of spacey, bright psych-rock, employing lots of fun sounds and hazy instrumentals into their set. It was very laid-back for the most part, but then suddenly the tempo would change, the drum beats would get just a little more fast and complex, and soon we followed the shifts with our feet. At least I did. The drunk people got into them, yelling and shaking their fists with delight (not rage) towards the stage. I bought their album afterwards, and I must say, it is quite good. Easy to throw it on in the background and get things done, or put it on headphones and just chill out.

When the lights dimmed and the projection screen rose, the crowd erupted as Built to Spill set up to rock our socks off. And that's exactly what they did for over 2 hours, playing a decent mix of old and new stuff. For being a huge fan, I wasn't familar with some of the earlier songs that they played, but I still enjoyed the hell out of them! They really knew how to just groove and rock for long periods of time, only stopping to speak to us once in a while. They are what indie rock from the Pacific Northwest sounds like, as tons of bands have been influenced by them time and again.

The new songs were out of this world, as their sound showed even more of an appreciation for straight-up psych-rock. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything the same or repetitive from them either. Lots of the drunks yelled out song titles over and over again, hoping the band would play their favorites. And as I left, I found not one disappointed fan. They did their part, thrilling and wowing us till the very end.

Sonic Youth & The Flaming Lips, How Magical

As in, seeing the Magic Numbers, the prolific Sonic Youth and the always-imaginative The Flaming Lips. At the State Fair, no less. Talk about a way to kick off the fair! Unfortunately, pouring rain and wild wind also accompanied the start of the fair, so the show was delayed for a while. The Magic Numbers couldn't open since all the equipment had to dry out, meaning that Sonic Youth began the evening, who put on a very lively, lovely and loud show. I was mondo impressed by their musicianship, even if the die-hards in the crowd pointed out some instrumental mishaps.

Being the generous gents they are, The Flaming Lips let the Magic Numbers play a few songs after the Lips played a few of theirs. That was nice, though it did throw off the mood a bit, since the Lips are all about theatrics: confetti, big plastic bubbles, streamers, dancing martians, dancing santas, smoke, lights, big blue balls floating and flying about, and crazy videos displayed on stage. Wayne Coyne got in his beloved plastic bubble and rolled around the crowd, smiling and giggling all the while trying to maintain his balance. It was the perfect way to start off, building momentum towards a crazy, crazy show. Performance wise, this was the best show I've seen this year. You just can't top the action that happened onstage. Whomever decided to have the Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth open the fair, well, they are simply geniuses.

Out with the Old: Smashing Glass; In With the New: Silver Fly.

Such a very odd title. But, it will make sense, I promise. August 12th, I saw both Kaddisfly (who have a bit of Glassjaw in them) and The Silversun Pickups (who have a bit of older Smashing Pumpkins in them). See, it makes sense now right? On to the review:

Luckily Kaddisfly didn’t play at the Quest. Instead, they played the Profile Music Cafe near the U of M Campus. I biked down there, considering I live in the heart of Minneapolis again. I followed some guys who looked like they were in indie and emo bands, thinking they’d know where the show was at. Sure enough, it was in a band’s practice space! I entered, and saw nothing but high school kids at first. Granted, I know I don’t look that much older than a high schooler, but I had a uneasy feeling about what the bands were gonna be like.

Sure enough, the opener Declare This An Emergency was full of high-pitched and whining vocals. I sat down, looked around at the kids listening to them and was happy to not be 15 again! The next band, The Aesthetic, poured out even more sugary pop-punk and emo sounds. It was decent…for a 15 year old wondering about growing up or drawing strength from within. Positive yes, but overdone as well. The thing is, the songs are so damn catchy though. They were like a calmer version of Glassjaw. I do thank the band for letting the other bands use their space for the show; that was rad. Things became a little heavier when Hail Architect took stage next; this band showed up to throw down, as the harcore kids say these days. Lots of loud guitars, heavy bass and rumbling drums, with the occasional powerful scream thrown in for good measure. They were most definitely rock and post-hardcore, and damn fun to watch.

Then the moment came that I had been waiting for since last November when I missed Kaddisfly play at Station 4. I talked with the singer, Chris Ruff for a while before they played, and he remembered talking to me at Station 4, which is pretty sweet. They played mostly new songs off their upcoming album, Set Sail The Prairie, and they were ungodly good! Like bursts of energy going off at just the right moments, enveloping you in its power, unable to escape and not wanting to because it is just perfect, like it’s exactly what you needed to refresh. A very, very intense performance, their set was.

Their new album is going to floor me, no doubt. A guy gave me a copy of the cd since it leaked, and it's phenomenal. I'll of course be buying it when it's released to the masses. It was just a small practice space, with them playing for about 20-30 people tops, but they poured everything they had into it. By the end they were soaked and exhausted. All I have to say is, it was probably one of the best shows I’ve been to in 2006, if only for the closeness felt. There was a mutual appreciation for their performance, as well as for their attitude. I know they’re 25, like me, and just regular guys (like me), but dammit….they make something special. All their lyrics are influenced by nature and human emotion, so if they are labeled an emo band then it’s true emotion found from introspection and appreciation of the elements around you. Not from girls breaking their hearts of their misplaced anger towards world issues that they themselves are not responsible for. Instead, there’s rock, post-hardcore, indie, punk, experimental elements and jazz wrapped up into one huge sound that they exude.

Feeling refreshed from Kaddisfly, I biked over to the beloved Entry, where the buzz-band worthy Silversun Pickups were playing. I missed Shoveldance and most of the Alarmists, but that’s alright. The Entry was packed, and when Silversun Pickups took stage, the crowd erupted with joy and delight. Yeah, they are influenced by earlier Smashing Pumpkins but who cares, because they have brought back the fuzzy, droning alt-rock with sweet pop sincerity to the masses. Their EP Pikkul is great, and their debut LP Carnavas is astounding, flat-out rolling rock to nod, rock out and give much respect to! Live, they were flawless, with the singer Brian showing Minneapolis appreciation by quoting Purple Rain with the bassist, and other such nonsense. Yeah, that’s done by other touring bands, but who cares when the band rocks so hard?? I certainly don’t. The band was very humble, and displayed dry wit and deadpan humor, interacting with us between and during their set. They were entertaining on so many levels, and had never been here before, so it was great to see them loving it so much in the Entry. For venues, you just can't beat a packed show at the Entry. I was exhausted but completely satisfied with the night of music that I enjoyed immensely.

Death Cab, with a Dance from Franz

Yeah, it's been too long since I've last blogged. But looking for a new place and/or job takes up a lot of time. What is sweet, though:

1. Having some wedding things secured, such as date (7/21/07), ceremony place (Green Isle Park), and reception place (The Woods).
2. Going to Chicago with Katie over 4th of July weekend, and seeing the Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, fireworks on Grant Park, and being about 1000 ft up in the John Hancock Observatory. Riding the trains, especially the 'L,' and eating dinner at local places was quite thrilling as well.

To the past:

April 20, 2006.

After spotty sun-showers, I ventured over to Northrup to see DCFC. I'm so used to seeing them at First Avenue that seeing them on a big stage actually overwhelmed me. I enjoyed their set, but it was really hard to connect with them from the 2nd balcony level. Still, I got chills when Ben came out and played "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" on his guitar. It's just so powerful, at least for me. Anyway, DCFC had trees and a landscape for stage props, and the band had a lot of room to move around and jump and dance oddly like usual. Definitely enjoyable to watch, but I've seen that enough now, I think. They also had stagelights, which hindered their performance at times (I still don't find them to be a band playing anything bigger than First Avenue, but that's just me.) Most of the songs performed were those I saw last time at First Avenue, but they did manage to musically dress-up a few of the older goodies, which was a treat to see. Otherwise, I don't think I have to see them again.

Watching Franz Ferdinand is like a firecracker going off during a parade; wild, loud, smile-causing, and dance-making (though I don't always dance watching fireworks). It makes sense that they are an arena-rock band, since their music is all about energy and making you move your sweet ass! The lighting and smoke and whatever else worked well for them. The only thing was that they played every song fast; there's a reason the slow-tempo ones are slow!

Openers The Cribs were fun to watch, though they'd be much better in a smaller venue like the Triple Rock, 7th St. Entry or 400 Bar. But they got the crowd going with their energetic post-punk dance music, or whatever the kids are calling it these days.

Scottish Monsters Invade, Beautifully

The last time I saw Mogwai (July 2003, I believe), I stood with my forearms on the stage and crossed, watching the awesomeness that is their live show. This time around, I was a couple rows back, sometimes being taken aback by their wild and random light display. That definitely surprised me, as did their performance that night. They came out dressed in green track suits, with the crowd roaring as they opened with "Yes, I Am a Long Way From Home," (how appropriate. The sound was super-clean, with every harmonic ringing in my ears with simple delight.

Some say this band is moody; true, their music can be that at times. But they're always a treat to see live. They play the loud parts jarringly-loud, and their soft parts... pillow-soft? However, their set was more subdued than last time, playing mostly from their newest disc, Mr. Beast. They didn't play any of their long tracks, which disappointed me. But, bands have to mix things up once in a while, and I understand that. I wasn't fond of some of the stage lighting, and the sign outside First Avenue said there would be strobes going off; still, some of it detracted from their otherwise-stellar performance. I did enjoy their Scottish emblem displayed on a banner onstage, and the way the main guitarist swayed and moved; with and by the music. Not just for the crowd, but for himself as well. When I see music moving someone like that, it simply moves me. I've written many poems and journal entries to Mogwai's catalogue; after that night, I don't see an end to that.

I didn't catch all of Torche's opening set, but what I did see was straight-up metal (not fast, just slow-crushing drums that built in intensity with every hit). Long-haired musicians rocking out, the singer yelling words I couldn't understand (partly because the sound mix wasn't great - happens with opening acts, unfortunately); the kind of metal music not heard a lot anymore.

To end this, it is unbelievable that I saw Sigur Ros, Mogwai and Mono in the span of a little over a month. Thank you, Twin Cities music venues, so so much.

Circles surrounded with Loud Birds

The above mentioned title refers to the mind-numblingly fantastic post-rock show I saw last night at the Triple Rock Social Club.

Russian Circles opened up, and I'm telling you, they're pushing the envelope when it comes to post-rock/post-metal. Crushingly intense, complex drum beats, finger-tapping, occasional guitar shredding and a venerial cornacopiea of bass lines made for an eye-opening, jaw dropping performance! This band just has it. It was so refreshing to see instrumental music played with that kind of demeanor, that kind of random style. I will definitely see them again when they come back around.

I've always loved Pelican on disc, and I thought that they would blow me away live. Surprisingly, they didn't. The sound was loud, the band intense, but every song was fast and loud. They've got some quiter, acoustic songs in their catalogue, but they didn't play any of them. Whereas both Russian Circles and Mono played loud and soft songs, Pelican played nothing but loud ones. They were metal, hard-hitting and lively, but there was no real change in tempo or volume. The singer had mentioned that this was the largest crowd that they had played for in Minnesota, which was nice. However, they could have changed up their set a bit to have the music ebb and flow, upon which a lot of music (especially instrumental) is built.

Having seen Mono twice, I knew I was in for quite a treat. They never cease to amaze me, or completely refresh and floor me; mission accomplished again. They played some newer songs, and their bassist even played piano for a song intro. Like recent Sigur Ros and Mogwai shows I've been to, Mono's set was more melodic. Many songs began and ended with the two guitarists' building on each other's bright and simple harmonic picking, with quiet basslines and hushed drums filling our ears to round out the beauty they display through their playing. Absolutely gorgeous, is how I can describe their set last night. You could hear your heartbeat when songs ended, since the audience was so stunned (at least I was) by their performance. They're from Japan, but yet I've seen them three times now in the last 2 years! You can be sure I'll see them when they come back around, since they always add something new each time. If you like them, go pick up their new disc, the Steve Albini-produced You Are Here. It's perfect.

Subdued with Awe

05/08/2006

To have the privilege of seeing Sigur Ros and Amina twice within one year is unbelievable; seeing them at the historic and majestic Orpheum theatre is, well, fucking stupendous! Ok, maybe I didn't need to swear. But wow, the perfect venue for this show, the Orpheum was. Seated in the lower section, Amina's sounds rang even more crystal-clear than the wine glasses that they played! Pardon the pun...not really.

Their performance is always a treat, and the second time around, it was even more tasty. They're working on new music, which I'll be very eager to get my hands on when it's out. Who knows if it'll be in any store in the US. I just may have to fly to Iceland to get it (anyone with me?). I can't really describe their sound, but let's just say it is beautiful, one that when your ears hear it, they curl up in a peaceful acceptance of all the world.

Shroud this time in red light, Sigur Ros opened with a energetic number of their latest album, awakening us from our daze. Problem is, Sigur Ros puts you in even more of a dreamy, lively, crushingly powerful daze. This time around, the music swelled less overall, and stuck to being subdued and calm most of the time. No problems for me there. The background artscape exhibited random geometric patterns, and a feeling of travelling with the band through space at one point! Quite intriguing, complementing perfectly their alien-like sound (meaning, who or what do they sound like? nobody else). At one point, the band sat circle-like, playing notes on guitar, and after each note, the stage lights looked like candles flickering; quite impressive.

They closed with their epic last track off of ( ), pushing me into a full-body spasm of loveliness and awe! By the time that the song ended, Jonsi had broken his e-bow, and we stood on our feet applauding yet another outstanding performance.

Story of the Rock!

This story takes place on Saturday, 5/13/06....

It all began with The Soft Rocks. They reminded me of fuzzy, droning rock, with odd stage energy, low-key singing and off-balanced music. Very entertaining. Perhaps a better band-name (at least to describe their character) would be the quirky rocks, or jagged rocks.

As we turn the page, we find that The Six Parts Seven took stage, a band that should be a staple among my love of instrumental-rock. They drove up from Ohio to play, and my did they put on a show! Most of their set was comprised of new songs, as they are heading out to Seattle to record soon. I was quite happy with their set, feeling like I was watching Explosions In The Sky, yet more subtle and a bit more of a twang (steel and slide guitar will do that). But it fit so well. Their music is very gorgeous on disc, so pick it up if you want peaceful, simple, soothing sounds.

Moving on, locals Duplomacy excited the crowd, and did not disappoint this newcomer to their sound. At first, I thought it was a little too relaxed, but then the drums started crashing, the guitar whining, the bass thumping. I smiled and enjoyed their set of rock with pop-sensibility. They're working on some new music, and it should be exciting to hear.

There were many fish when this sea entered: The monsterous Story of the Sea, comprised of former Houston and Align members. Add the production help of members from former-Shiner and Kid Dakota/The Hopefuls, and you've got gold, pure gold, for music! The vocals were very reminiscent of Kid Dakota/The Hopefuls, the drums Houston-like, and the bass Align-ish, yet more apparent? Either way, I was in awe of their live energy. The songwriting is poppy, the vocals sometimes difficult to discern. But it doesn't matter; once you see them, you just have to move! The drumming just crushes, bringing this story to conclusion. That night, a new form of rock was born, and I was lucky enough to witness it.

Motivational March? Hardly. Awesome April? So far!

Yeah, so Katie and I thought we'd finally take the X-Mas tree down in March. No...it turns out. Still there, with decorations and all. I thought I would finally take care of my random basement clutter composed of old college papers and elementary school nostalgia. Not even close. Katie prepped and packed for Ireland, while I...well, loafed around, sluffed off. Bought new music (Editors, The Appleseed Cast are gems), went to a couple shows, had a rad St. Patrick's Day Party, etc.

Oh well. While Katie was gone, however, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I saw A Whisper In the Noise and Arab Strap on March 31st, and for April Fool's...fucking, Wagner and the Zombiemen! Not only that...but at their house! It was an April Fool's Day party, complete with some acoustic stuff, and Chad Zigweid's unnamed band that featured himself and another female on vocals, and guys on drums and bass and guitar. The music was very good, very folk-like with a nice rock-tinge. Heavy drums, and beautifully blended vocals.

Then afterwards...the beauty and awe that is Wagner and the Zombiemen! They last counted around 70 people at the party, not bad at all! Of course, not everyone was watching them play in the living room, but they should have been. There was Paul; brilliant drummer and one-half visionary of Wagner, who devised a super-sweet sound system. There was Chad; the intense mandolin player and spoken word visionary. They performed their 2 stories awesomely, and even teased us with a 3rd story. What was it about? Well, it will not be explained here, as they had some minor difficulties, and again, you'll just have to see it for yourself. Let's just say they've found yet another genre to build their sound upon. They always leave you wanting more, which isn't always a bad thing....

Other things I did while Katie enjoyed Ireland:
- wrote some new poems and finally rewrote some old ones while listening to Explosions In The Sky, Dredg, Mono, and Sigur Ros on headphones.
- journaled the night of my 25th B-Day, expressing pure gratitude for all those whom I love
- softball practice with my friend's team...I'm excited for the season.
- got my car's oil changed for $12! Thanks mail-obtained coupon; you're the best!
- righteous BBQ, convo and viewing of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report at friend's place
- biked to and from work most days, with gorgeous weather and magnificant tunes playing
- saw Thank You For Smoking...if you haven't seen it, go already!
- walked around the lake, ordered pizza and watched The Life of Brian (VHS) with Tricia
- celebrated my 25th B-Day by my friends taking me to the Shrine Circus! Seeing a guy get shot out of a cannonball is something I wanna see again, and again, and again, and again....
- cleaned up the place quite awesomely, even dusting electronics with these great dusting wipes I bought at the dollar store, oh yeah!
- received a phone call and a ride home from work on my b-day from my biological father, or "bio-dad," as is the term my friends find absolutely hilarious. I hadn't seen him since I graduated from the U of M back in May 2004, so that was kind of crazy. But it's cool.
- went with Tricia to pick up Katie from the airport, and gave my fiancee a big hug and kiss once we got back. Hey, there had to be some mushiness/romance mentioned! I am engaged, you know!
Also, I got an awesome Irish/Celtic necklace from her. So all in all, a great time was had by all!

Now it's time to enjoy the outdoors and spring again. Cheers to that.

Strapped By a Whisper

I began March with a show, Film School, and ended it with one. Quite a good way if you ask me. To end March, I attended my friend's art being displayed, and afterwards, saw A Whisper In The Noise (AWITN) and Arab Strap at the Entry. What an incredible show! AWITN beefed-up their older songs, and chilled us to the bone (in a good way) with their newer stuff. Wes Thorson, the singer and mastermind, displayed incredibly emotional theatrics onstage. He'd croon with eyes shut, head down on the keyboard at times, and then violently snap his head up and scream his head off! It's a powerful scream, though; not annoying to the ears at all. It was a great dichotomy, one that works well with this band. The drummer is so loose, so fluid, he doesn't seem human at all. Their set refreshed my pure enjoyment for them. Their newest CD will be out April 18th, and I'll definitely be picking it up.

Then Arab Strap came on, and I couldn't believe it. The large, bearded, nicely-dressed Scot sang a melodic opener that felt almost as if I was watching a modern-rock singer hold and move his microphone about very passionately. Definitely nothing wrong with that; I just haven't seen that done in quite a while. Their music alternates between sounding bright and dark, which is great since their lyrics are very sexual and depressing. Quite a combo, and they execute it flawlessly. They had great crowd banter, even with the occasional yelling rant about something Scottish in origin. But that was to be expected. Their newest album, Last Romance, is strikingly beautiful to say the least. I highly recommend it.

This School Rules!

as in, Film School, the great Bay-area indie-rock band. They love Interpol, Elbow, Joy Division and Peter Gabriel, as evidenced from the singer's hushed crooning and jangly guitar. I saw this gem of a band at the 400 Bar on March 1st. A great way to begin March indeed!

Hojas Rojas opened up, and their set of space and hard rock was enjoyable. There wasn't much of a crowd, until the singer said that he would do a cover, and hoped the crowd didn't mind. They played a Radiohead song and we loved it. Their music was decent, and their performance fun to watch overall.

Next came a band from Green Bay, Turn Blue. It was a duo of opposites: The tall, balding, skinny, glasses-wearing singer playing guitar and keyboard piano; the short, stocky, lotsa hair, headphone-wearing drummer. Their songs were poppy and easy-going, though the vocals were quite faint at times. The music was better-suited for coffee shops and low intensity gigs of the like. However, I liked the change, and talked to the band afterward. Sure enough, they have played a number of coffee shop gigs in the Green Bay area.

When Film School came on, all the tall, skinny, white, shoe-gazing twentysomethings (including me) came out in abundance, some with beers in hand (not me). Dressed in track jackets, hoodies, snowboard-looking hats and baggy jeans, they stared at their shoes and barely danced throughout the band's set! Not me, though; I danced, swayed and sang along to the band's addictive, catchy, refreshing and post-rock tinged music for over an hour. They played some songs off their EP, which I promptly purchased aferwards. I spoke with the band after their set, who said this was their first trip to Minnesota and the Midwest. Hopefully they'll come back again soon!

Hip-Hop and Zombies, Oh My!!!

Last weekend, I saw one of the greatest combos ever for music and performance: hip-hop and zombies! It was all local, very entertaining and within 24 hours!

The Groove Commences

On 2/24/2006 , the local hip-hop show at Coffman tasted sweet after a long work week, with Kanser, Heiruspecs and Brother Ali rocking the crowd with their tight playing and rhyme-spitting. I didn't arrive in time to see Kanser play, and I was disappointed since they had a full-backing band. Oh well; they're local, so I'll get a chance to see them again sometime soon.

Heiruspecs got the crowd of college kids, indie kids, hip-hop kids and hippie kids going with their lightning-fast rhymes, feel-good lyrics and crushing musical endeavors. They played a few new tunes, with one hilariously making fun of all the 'whack-ass' rappers out there. It's always a great time seeing them perform, as they stay true to the art form. They'll freesytle when they're supposed to be singing the second verse of a song, and they have great on-stage banter, making sure we are with them with every song played. They swore a lot more, and acted more cocky than the times when I've seen them before. But, the show was sold-out, and sponsored by locally-heralded stations Radio K and The Current, so wouldn't be extra psyched to play! I know I would. We danced, swayed, put our collective fists in the air and grooved carelessly.

Brother Ali headlined, pumping the post-Heiruspecs crowd up much as possible, considering we all grooved intensely for quite a while beforehand. I found Brother Ali's delivery very smooth; his rhymes clever, complicated and fast. His solo spoken word, however, really got my attention. He told of very personal stories of family and life and death, themes that are self-evident as I grow older for sure. I enjoyed his performance, and with Keith Token on his side riling up the crowd, the night ended on a very good note.

The Gore Begins, and it is Lovely and Consuming...

The next night we headed to Big V's in St. Paul to see our friend's band, Wagner and The Zombiemen! There's no exclamation point, but there should be; this band is pure genius! A mandolin, rolling and crashing drums, sound effects and zombie spoken-word stories, all wrapped up in one perfect package! It doesn't get any better than that. The stories contained a mix of hope, sadness, desperation, fear, intensity and acceptance, spanning quite the human spectrum of emotion. This band is definitely the most original band I've heard this year.

It's like epic folk-post-rock-zombie-word, if you critics are looking for yet another genre to add to the oversoaked categorization of music. Each song was about 10-15 minutes long, with the music rising and falling in sync with elements of the story spoke. During the intense parts, the singer reprises a phrase meant to run away, be alert. It's a signal for survival through song, and it couldn't have been better executed. How these stories turn out, though, will remain untold here. You simply must see them for yourself! If there ever was a chance to see originality unfolding with the unlikeliest mix of genres, here it is, so do it already! Rumor has it there will be a CD release party in the future, so be sure to be checking the band's updates regularly! I know I will be, and if you have any decency, you will too.

Catching Up To Life Again!

Yes, it has been way too long since I've posted. I've got great reasons, though, for my absence:

The biggest one...I'm engaged now! To whom, you ask? Why Katie, of course. She's the one for me, she's the one for me (I love The Beta Band)...

I had been looking at rings for a while, and went with Tricia to look at some on December 29th. The jeweler informed me to come back the next day, December 30th. I did, and it didn't really hit me that I had just bought a ring! I just ordered it there, and would await a call from the jeweler when the ring was ready. The very next day, at Lee's super-righteous New Year's Eve party, I told all my friends there that I had bought Katie a ring. Within one week of purchasing it, I had told pretty much everybody, and Katie had no clue. I thank you again, friends, for not telling her. After the new year, I went to my friend's belated New Year's Eve party on 01/06/06, complete with friends, champagne and a countdown to midnight via the microwave clock! That was hilarious, and I told more people at the party about my buying Katie a ring.

In the same month, I saw a great show at the Triple Rock for the pro-choice movement (remember kids, pro-choice doesn't mean pro-abortion!) that featured Unknown Prophets, Dessa and Cecil Otter of Doomtree, the Shim Sham Shufflers, the magnificant The Haves Have It and the always impressive and amusing Belles of Skin City. This concert was for a great cause, and each band had something progressive to say about the current political climate. No surprises there.

I picked up the ring January 26th, rushing to get to the jeweler before it closed at 6pm. She handed it to me, swiped my credit card, and I signed the slip. I walked out the store, checking my coat pocket twice to ensure that the ring was indeed there. A lot of emotions came over me: pure joy, excitement and nervousness, among others, so I called some friends to calm down a bit and tell them the news. After friends de-escalated my hyperness, I walked to Cheapo and promptly purchased 4 cd's to get in the normal mindstate before heading home to Katie. After all, she thought I was going to the 'Y' to work out after work, not pick up an engagement ring! So I had to act calm and collected. I was totally chill when I returned, and went about eating food and packing for the trip up north.

We left the next day, January 27th, to celebrate Katie's 25th B-Day at Bluefin Bay, located right off the awesome Lake Superior in Tofte, MN. The lake wasn't even close to being frozen over, due to the warm weather and whatnot. Consequently, that hindered our ice skating and cross-country skiing plans. Nevertheless, we made the best of it: a lakeview outside our hotel room, jacuzzi, calm Nature and local establishments for eating and shopping were at our disposal. We got there friday night, popped a frozen pizza in, ate, soaked in the jacuzzi and crashed. We awoke Saturday morning, and trekked to Coho Cafe, where we ate amazingly good food and dessert. We walked along the boardwalk connecting the resort to the Cafe, taking in the fresh, clean, crisp air. The atmosphere was fantastic, confirming that indeed this would be the day when I would propose to Katie. We got back to the resort, and fell asleep listening to the waves crash against the shore. We awoke, watched a bit of the Truman Show and prepared for dinner at the resort restaurant. We dressed up a bit, and I made sure I had the ring in my dress coat pocket.

Our dinner was wonderfully delicious, and I told Katie we were to have a toast before every sip of wine. I may have hinted a bit at things to come, but was generally coy about it. There were some really heartfelt words spoken that night, and it was turning out to be the perfect night. After dinner, we hurried back to the resort. I thought, this is it, right now, I'm going to propose! So I went to the bathroom and took the ring out and put it in my right hand. With a closed right fist, I exited the bathroom, bent over and took out a poem I had written for this occasion. I was getting real excited, my heart beat increasing a bit and such. Katie, meanwhile, was watching cartoons on cable tv! I said 'turn the tv off, I have to read you a poem.' Moving the endtable in front of the fireplace, I instructed Katie to sit there while I read the poem.

This was it....I got on both knees (just to mess with her a bit), the poem in my left hand, the ring hidden in my right fist. The first verse was general and contained lovely words. The second verse, however, contained the word ring...and that's when I got on one knee and opened my right fist to reveal the ring to Katie. Her eyes got really big, she started tearing up and leaning forward in anticipation. I, on the other hand, began breathing heavy and slow, my left hand shaking as I read the poem to her. She sat through the whole poem, and when it ended, she leaped off the endtable and threw her arms around me. Subsequently, my ear, neck and cheek was covered in her running makeup, which was damn cute! She said, 'of course I will!' About 5 minutes after hugging and kisssing and shaking, we were like, 'oh yeah, the ring! '
I shook as I slid it on to Katie's finger. That was it....the anticipation, the nervousness, the surprise, the shock, all but completed. We jumped in the jacuzzi and talked for over an hour about, well, everything really. So exhausted from the shock and occurence, we exited the jacuzzi and fell asleep for the first time, engaged, fiance and fiancee. Holy shit, right? It was great!

The next morning we awoke refreshed and eager to play outdoors. We drove up to Lutsen, ate some good food and went snowshoeing! That had been my first time, and Katie helped me into the snowshoes. The loop was about 3 miles, and we viewed the great lake, deep-valley forests and a hanging gray skyline. Light snowflakes fell on our jackets, and Katie pointed out the beauty of them; the fact that we could see their individually shapes due to them falling lightly. That she pointed this out to me was one of the numberous reasons I proposed to her. After a snack at the resort restaurant, we soaked in the big communal hottub and retired to our room. Leftovers comprised our dinner, and great comedy ala Simpsons, Family Guy, and a Jim Gaffigan comedy special thoroughly entertained us. We totally relaxed that night, writing about the weekend adventures and surprises, including a nature poem that I left part of in the resort room journal.

We returned Monday January 30th (Katie's 25th B-Day!), and did all of the following in one hour: went to the gym, Rainbow, unloaded the car, prepared Katie's B-Day angel food cake, showered, dressed and left for dinner with our great friends. We told of the engagement, recalling our weekend through pics that Katie had displayed on our tv. She even passed the engagement poem around, letting our friends read it. They gave me a mix of warm and sarcastic responses, saying it was 'beautiful, heartfelt, tearful, universe-changing (ok, not the last one...) Awash with friends and celebration, I must say that last weekend in January was one of the best weekends of my life! And yes, I'm surprised as much as you are; I don't know how I kept the secret from Katie for over a month! I'm sneakier than I thought I was...

After telling my family that I'm engaged now, my focus shifted to grad school, hoping to pursue a Master's of Public Health. I studied for that damn GRE, recalling prefixes, suffixes, roots of words, and high school algebra and geometry. I gathered letter of recommendation from past and present employers, completed the online application, prepared a resume and letter of intent, requesing an official transcript, etc. It was a big process, consuming my afterwork evenings and hang-out-with-friends and fiancee time. But I submitted my application last week, complete with everything needed. I took the GRE last week and got whooped! Not horrible, but below the preferred score for grad school admission. I could retake it, but I don't know if I want to. The math was a big pain, the verbal about what I expected, and the writing part smooth. Oh well; it's over for now.

Now it's time to return back to life again: get back into poetry, writing, blogging, attending concerts, hanging with friends, seeing family, working out and doing yoga. We have chinese chi balls, tai chi kit, exercise ball, massage/reflexology/shiatsu books and darts that need to broken in and used. I have photos from August 2004-present that need to be organized into albums!
Ok...in all likelihood, all of the above won't happen right away. Nonetheless, it feels superbly awesome and fantastic to be engaged to Katie, and great to be done with grad school stuff. 2006 will surely be another amazing year, with more changes and great music to occur for sure.

MY LIFE IN 2005

Don't worry; this is not gonna be some My-So-Called-Life type of entry. It's just that I haven't gone to a show in quite a while...well, a month....but that's a long time for me!!!

January: Obtained my driver's license after a few failed road tests!

February: Started working at a group home with people having schizophrenia and depression; went to a Job Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center and saw my friend's band on Valentine's Day.

March: Interview for full-time job with Hennepin County; buy cell phone for the first time.

April: Accepted full-time job on my birthday; Awesome b-day party at my place; Pack up and journal the last night at my old place; Last weekend of April: move in with Katie; quit old jobs.

May: A day after moving in with Katie, began new job with Hennepin County; spend Memorial Day weekend with Katie at Bluefin Bay Resort in Tofte, MN (absolutely gorgeous).

June: Saw The Hold Steady and The Hopefuls at Grand Ole Day; joined YMCA.

July: 4th of July weekend in Winnepeg with friends; Bastille Day bash at Lee's; attended friend's wedding.

August: Katie accepts awesome full-time job, big celebration; my Great-Grandma's 91st B-Day Bash!; watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie; saw The 40-Year-Old Virgin; went to Como Zoo for the first time since moving in May; saw Engine Down at Triple Rock.

September: celebrate 2 year anniversary with Katie by going to Science Museum, The Walker, Loring Park, and various local restaurants; Katie begins awesome full-time job; is the month of amazing concerts; celebrate Tricia's 25th B-Day; visit with bio-dad's side of family; saw Arcade Fire, Architecture in Helsinki at First Ave and 7th Street Entry.

October: saw Death Cab for Cutie; purchase my first car; super kick-ass Halloween parties!

November: go to Kansas City with friends to eat at Waffle House; saw Tristeza; found out I don't need braces and surgery to correct my underbite; Thanksgiving with my family.

December: begin applying for grad school in Public Health; Christmas weekend with Katie's family; celebrate twins' 23rd B-Day; friend's Christmas party; wicked-sweet early 90's party; celebrate my grandma's 78th B-Day; unbelievably righteous New Year's Eve party at Lee's.

2005 was a great year overall. Lots of big changes in my life, but my constants are still there; the balance, still intact. Thank you, everyone.

THE BEST MUSIC OF 2005

It's very difficult to come up with a top 10, so I'll just list 10 phenomenal albums of 2005 of which I cannot get enough and to which I cannot stop listening!

The Wolf Parade- Apologies to the Queen Mary
The Decemberists - Picaresque
Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die
Low - The Great Destroyer
Kaddisfly - Buy A Unicorn; We'll Buy Your Intentions
Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
Sigur Ros - Takk
Swords - Metropolis
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Elbow - Leaders of the Free World

There are so many other amazing albums released in 2005, but I thought I'd be strong and stick to 10 and not include any honorable mentions. Let's hope 2006 will be another great year for independent local and national music.