Canyons Of The Deep

Busy Indeed

2009-02-23T00:33:00.002-06:00

Yeah, it's been way too long since I've last blogged.

2009 now. Well, it's been for almost 2 months. I recorded the historic presidential inaugaration and have the speech downloaded as well.

For now, I'll just say that I've applied for grad school, again. Let's hope the 3rd time really is a charm! I'm still a health coach. My certificate classes are keeping me very, very busy. I'm enjoying being a student again, but it is tough balancing out work time, study time, class time, wife time, friends time, family time, and alone time.

I'm still listening to a bunch of ridiculous comedy podcasts and audiobooks: The Mustache Rangers, Never Not Funny, The 40 Year Old Boy, The Sound of Young America, The Bugle, and anything with Ricky Gervais.

I'm also stepping up the intellectual side by occasionally listening to NPR, KFAI, various public health podcasts, This American Life and the RadioLab podcasts. Those are all fantastic.

That's it for now.

Expression

2008-06-20T02:28:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd transpose an untitled poem I wrote in late April whilst listening to the newest Explosions In the Sky. Not a huge surprise on the themes, based on the music.

And sometimes we stare...

We stare and find that our past
cannot be seen beyond the glass.

There is a need that feeds apathy,
and one that rejuvenates energy;
let's pick the latter, if we are to rise,
meeting our expectations with no hesitation
now that we've found a way to balance all sides.

Yes, it takes a toll on the eyes,
pushes patience towards acceptance
once the work is done,
once real words are spoken,
heartfelt ones that come from prolonged introspection.

It is at this juncture do we seek investigation
to what lies deeper, further,
beneath our preconceived misconception.

We shall arrive at acceptance if love is used as our guidance,
a presence felt on many levels,
distinguished from the religious as its personal benefits
take into account, waiting and many measurements
that determine a wholeness described in concrete concept.

Or a fractured scribble written to fill in that tremendous gap,
the one that really feels like a trap when you transcribe that notation.

Looking further to discover its rotation,
a relationship so simple
it renders you senseless until you decipher that message,
the lesson that is invaluable:

Life is what lies within; no more distance is needed
once your first deep breath is taken.

From there, it is a given.

Copyright 2008 Supernovaflip

Get Moving!

2008-06-19T00:28:00.003-05:00

Move physically...biking, running, lifting, stretching, flossing (yes, it counts). This week I've biked about 40 miles total. 35 of them to and from work, roughly, for one trip. It takes a while, but it is a gorgeous ride. I've broken in my new running shoes, with a half mile walk/half mile run and a full mile run, respectively, this week. My lifting is getting better. Flossing needs to improve. Or begin.

Move mentally....write poetry, journal, tape record, meditate, read, ponder, investigate, listen to music. I've been listening to some post-rock late at night (and am right now) and reading my journal entries over the last 3 years or so. Quite a few changes, that's for sure. Just trying to maintain the balance, like always. Haven't written poetry in a while (besides a poem here and there for lovely Katie). I don't think my creativity is gone. It's just been...displaced...elsewhere. Yeah....

Job rejections have been plentiful, but my motivation remains. Making some decent connections in public and community health. Have a few opportunities pending. Need to work on applying for the certificate program. Just hoping this helps me break into the field.

Move emotionally....hang with friends, laugh, enjoy, savor, express. Haven't done enough of that.

Not a very exciting post, but an insight nonetheless.

A Smattering of Updates

2008-06-06T22:27:00.002-05:00

Since I've pretty much lost a lot of interest in blogging each month, I've decided to write about comedy, music and some stuff from my life. And as you can see, I'm trying a new template. I've temporarily lost the links to my friend's blogs, but I will put them back on again soon, and most likely list some podcasts and comedians worth checking out and becoming addicted to. Beauty.

I've been hooked on comedy for a while now thanks to a great friend of mine. I've been listening to podcasts by Ricky Gervais , Jimmy Pardo and the Bugle. I've also seen some amazing comedians: Todd Barry, Louis CK, Eddie Izzard, David Crow, Eugene Mirman, Andy Kindler, Mark Moran, and many others whom I can't quite remember unless I reference my scheduler. It's been fantastic. I've also gone to $1 improv Sundays at Brave New Workshop, where I saw some ridiculous, talented, wacky, hilarious and genius comedy skits. Of special note, The Mustache Rangers. They are beyond awesome, if that is indeed possible. I also feel that my wit has sharpened and that I've grown funnier, if there is such a thing. Maybe that's just me being an ass, but that's how I feel about it.

I've joined Gmail finally, got on Facebook and even joined LinkedIn. Probably one of the reasons why I haven't blogged in a while. Sadly, I haven't seen any rock concerts since Down and Above in late February. Doesn't help working evenings during the week for that either. But I have purchased the newest Oceansize album, Frames, which is just gorgeous through-and-through. The new All The Way Rider, The Eagle's Revenge, is straight up rock all the way 'round, with influence from Oceansize and their usual preferences right there.

There's been enough family stuff going on since the last post, but I don't need to share it here. I'm still searching for part-time or full-time work in community health, or health education/promotion. Current job is going well. Also looking into volunteering places to get that solid, relevant, community health experience. I've received many rejections from numerous employers, but I'm still trying and applying. Looking into applying for a certificate program in the core concepts of public health for this fall, as a gateway for re-applying for the MPH in Fall 2009. Haven't written much poetry lately. Still going to the gym on a decent basis, but really just maintaining. I did get a new pair of futuristic looking running shoes and I aim to break them in soon. I'm thinking of getting semi-slick tires to convert my mountain bike to a hybrid. I've played some baseball with friends, and managed to hit some balls out of a little league field. Woo. And I seem to be addicted to my baseball game on PS2. So there it is.

That's about it for now.

D'oh.

2008-02-23T13:21:00.003-06:00

It happened again. I was denied admission into grad school. I received the letter yesterday, waited for Katie to get home so I could open it and boom....history repeats itself. The letter gave the same reasons as the last on. Nothing specific to my application, just general guidelines that I suppose I'll have to follow up with to see exactly why I was denied.

I'm very surprised, considering I did much better on my GRE. My letter of intent couldn't compare to my first one, so I thought. I got an A in a graduate-level course, had good letters of recommendation, have relevant work experience and all of that. I just don't know. Either way, I'll have to find out the reasons or try something else.

Who knows. Maybe I'll be a Health Fitness Specialist and not worry about community health. My current job is going well so far. I've sought public and community health jobs so I can gain knowledge of the field, and it's one where I've wanted to pursue further academically. I could apply to different schools, I guess. I have options. I'm not going to act on them right now, though. Not until I find out why I wasn't admitted. It really does suck.

Luckily I saw Down and Above play a phenomenal, grade-A+ show at the Fine Line last night for their CD release. I listened to it once today, and it's so, so, so very good. And it'll just get better with each listen. Currently I'm listening to 'The Earth Is Not A Cold, Dead Place' from Explosions In The Sky as I type this entry. It soothes me. Perhaps I'll bike around today, as it is warmer compared to weeks, or months, past. Or just sit and play video games for a while like I've been doing recently. Or listen to various comedians that I find to be hilarious, or watch something hilarious. Or write. Dunno. Either way, I'll be OK. Just gotta accept it for now, not dwell too much, and keep going strong. I've come a long way and I don't plan to back down.

A Long, Crazy, Wonderful Year

2007-12-29T18:56:00.000-06:00

This won't be a super-long post, but I must say, 2007 has been an incredible year in all aspects.

In no particular grammatical or temporal order:

I attended 7 weddings, bought some great music, saw some great new bands, took ballroom dancing lessons, had a great b-day party, saw my great grandma return home from the nursing home, lost my job, got married, went on an awesome honeymoon, started a new job, lost and gained health insurance, bought glasses, lost consistent contact with some friends, gained contact with others, saw less concerts, blogged less, joined a gym, spent way too much in car repairs, had 2 great aunts pass away, biked less, wrote less, saw good movies, laughed a lot, got into the whole iTunes and iPod thing, retook the GRE, submitted my application for grad school and traveled a bit.

All in all, an incredible year. I look forward to 2008 and all the surprises life brings.

Cheers!

REVAMP

2007-11-02T12:28:00.000-05:00

These words came to me last night:

I had forgotten what it's like
to stare at the night;
the quiet that surrounded me
in the middle of this fair city
was quite astounding,
to say the least.

On my back, one star caught my eye
as it was the only one in plain view;
the others were hidden due to many causes.

I just stared and went back to the past,
where I frequently wrote of the night,
and how recently these lines
were full of empty.

That just isn't right.
It's time to I come around again
to the place where my hand
picks up the pen
and scribbles without end,
any and all thoughts, right or wrong,
that this being has.

Make the time to express and decreased will be stress.

Music came into play as well,
another constant I have missed
and wish to revisit passionately,
for there are many stories to tell,
naturally.

The time between books was so short,
for introspection was spent at length;
so I hope to pick up the pace
and display these thoughts through pages again,
and marvel at the words sprawled across,
for I'm beginning to think deep again,
out of bed.

Copyright @ 2007
Supernovaflip

It's All Around You...

2007-08-11T01:51:00.000-05:00

Not only is the aforementioned title a lyric in a Bjork song and the title of a Tortoise album, it's basically the way I feel right now. So much has happened since the last post, including:

- Katie and I got married!!!!
- went on a beautiful honeymoon
- my bro turned 22
- saw The Simpsons movie the day after returning from honeymoon
- friend had a birthday
- the I-35W bridge collapsed - wtf, right? Yeah.
- my mom turned 45
- my great grandma turned 93 - wonderful birthday party too
- accepted a Health Coach job part-time
- received wedding pics from wedding photog, as well as those from friends
- participated in National Night Out, meeting neighb's and having good food
- saw a great play as part of this year's Fringe Festival
- another set of friends married today

A majority of events could deservedly neccesate their own post, but that would take a while. Let's just say that I wrote about our wedding at length in our guestbook ( and have more to write), that the wedding itself was gorgeous and perfect; probably the best day of my life. The honeymoon was spectacular, and it was great seeing and celebrating with friends upon returning. I was deeply stunned when the bridge collapsed, and fell into an obsession with its subsequent coverage. It took a bit to get out of it and onto other things, but that's what my wife, friends, music, writing and the other constants in my life are for.

I was so happy to see my great grandma was thrilled with everybody at her party, and love that most of my friends are still here and hanging out, sharing funny, silly and serious moments with me. I am grateful for the part-time job that is starting soon, even though I want and am still seeking full-time work in the health education/promotion fields. I'm sick of applying but will continue until my goal is met. Two friends abroad are returning shortly, and the round of weddings is ending in September, as will be summer. My post is scattered tonight, but that's of no surprise.

I wrote a poem about Katie and I, and then wrote a poem about the bridge collapse. Both ideas for the poems happened previously, but I didn't write them until recently. But life is about editing, rearranging, progressing, fixing, etc. Speaking of editing, I'm listening to the brilliant new album 'An End Has a Start,' by Editors.

By means of segue, the bands that I'm absolutely floored by right now include: Red Fox Grey Fox, Weaver At the Loom, Editors, Sea Wolf, Giants, Caspian, Beware of Safety, Joy Wants Eternity, Ghost Wars and Wild Sweet Orange. Each band tells its own story, whether through soaring instrumentation or powerful words. It hits me, like the love I feel from the world around me if I'm patient enough. It truly is all around you if you just listen. That's what I've learned to believe. Now to keep that motivation up and close, and continue forth.

Married Me!

2007-08-09T00:46:00.001-05:00

From Sound Comes...

2007-07-16T00:19:00.000-05:00

these words written 7/12/07 at 7:50am.

Don't let the seconds rush by.
Make them count in the here and now,
for there is still time.

I will say, without delay
that I've taken the morning for granted,
ignoring the sounds outside
that beckon me to rise
and begin another try
at a better life.

For you can only improve on yesterday
if you make a move today.
Otherwise, you might as well stow away,
and forget about pushing to the next level,
where moments are realized and explained for benefit,
for perseverance and other such processes.

Proceed to rise with the sun just barely missing your eyes,
knowing that it's not about repeating actions tested and mentioned
throughout the busied mind;
but about not letting the seconds pass by
and doing what is needed to show balance.

That means calming breath, easing those second-guessed intentions
without so much as relying on that fourth dimension
that easily makes way for additional distractions.

To say we're distracted by time is right on the button,
but that doesn't mean we have to be swept away in its meaning;
only its application.

How this all relates? No longer will I take the morning sun for granted.

Ups and Downs, Strikes and Gutters

2007-05-23T22:49:00.000-05:00

That's right, dude.

I got a new cell phone, which is good. But I didn't pass probation and lost my job, which is bad.
I'm job searching, which is good. But I haven't advanced passed a first interview yet, which is bad.
I'm done figuring out my wedding tux, which is good. But I haven't picked out my ring yet, which is bad.
I saw some friends in the past month, which is good. But many others, I haven't seen, which is bad.
The wedding invites are all printed out, which is good. But I haven't gotten all of my families' addresses yet, which is bad.
I still have my gym membership, which is good. But I've only gone once this month, which is bad.
I have more time to journal and write poetry, which is good. But I've yet to do any of that, which is bad.
I got my vision checked out, which is good. But I may need glasses for reading and the like, which is bad.
I got my hearing checked out, which is good. But I didn't hear a certain high-frequency in my right ear, which may be bad.
I've had more time to bike around, which is good. But I've only biked a few days since my last day of work, which is bad.
I'm blogging, which is good. But I'm writing this in an annoying manner, which is bad.

Minneapolis Via Bike

2007-04-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, indeed. I took today's pleasant weather as a notice to go biking and explore Minneapolis some more. I grabbed my helmet, granola bar, long-sleeve t-shirt, banana, water bottle, reflector, helmet, backpack and headed out. I listened to the ridiculously-amazing Set Sail The Prairie by Kaddisfly. Their music and lyrics matched perfectly to the mood I wanted to set for the ride. I raced against the wind mostly but kept in high gear. The sun went down slowly as I rode the Hiawatha Greenway to Lake of the Isles. I never really went north of there before, so I decided to explore. I biked along Kenwood Parkway, briefly observing the huge houses, quiet but horribly-paved road and large amounts of green space. Kenwood took me all the way around to the Walker and Sculpture Garden.

After crossing the busy road, I biked to Loring Park, where I stopped at a bench for a banana, granola bar and plenty of water. I sat for about 10 minutes, just observing life coming alive in the park: teenagers doing sweet bike tricks on the skate ramp; elderly folk walking along the path; a lady watching the birds and wild squirrels; kids shooting hoops; students from MCTC getting out of class, chatting on cell phones. I thought about writing a poem or journaling since I did bring them with, but decided not to due to the impending sunset and subsequent lack of light. I put on my long-sleeve t-shirt, reflector and helmet, and rode home via Blaisdell to the Greenway and back. From www.mapmyride.com, I calculated that I biked about 12 miles. Not too bad for an hour's ride. I plan on doing more for sure. There's just way too much beautiful scenery and sights not to.

LIke lightning bolts struck in the eye, so too time's weary hand goes by...

2007-04-18T22:01:00.000-05:00

That really should be a poem.

I saw The Red Sparowes at the Triple Rock 3/21/07 and they were fantastic live. On 3/29/07 at First Ave I saw Explosions In The Sky, who completely altered my perception of my body and music. The entire show was life-changing, seriously. When they played "First Breath After Coma" followed by "Greet Death," it was the most phenomenal and body-blowing combo I've ever seen from any band!!!

My body became the music, floating outward and surrounding space and time. It was as if the notes were pieces of life and I got to experience them closer than I ever had before in music. This is really hard to describe, since it was almost 3 weeks ago and it's something I just felt, experienced; I cannot duplicate the moment in words. Tears streaked my eyes and face; chills and bumps covered my body; sweat poured out intensely; my mouth stood agape for a very long time; facial expression frozen in a state of wow-ness; eyes lit up like lightning sparked them, energizing everything within. No other show will top those 10 minutes. It was, to put it bluntly, a musical orgasm. An electric shock. An out-of-body and mind experience. Whatever else you want to say.

March Music Madness (of The Lovely, Inspiring Kind)

2007-03-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

I've been experiencing some gorgeous music this month. I just purchased Cloud Cult's new album off their site and I must say, it is stunning. I got goosebumps just listening to the first few tracks before deciding to purchase it. Yes, I'll probably be missing Subtle and TV On The Radio at First Ave tonight, but for good reason: I'm listening to beautiful music. And that's all I am wanting to do (besides blogging). So yes, buy their new album, 'The Meaning of 8.' It's beyond amazing. And I'm only 7 tracks through it currently (19 tracks totaling 1 hour). Also of utmost-amazingness:

Kaddisfly - Set Sail the Prairie. I've been listening to an advanced copy I got way back in 07/06 and have been addicted to it. Still waiting for the actual CD that I ordered weeks ago. Reading reviews of it, and more importantly, their lyrics, has made me love this band much, much more. They weave philosophy, nature, human nature, spirituality, emotion and weather so well together, both in sound and word.

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible. Very pretty. Listened to it twice now and it's grown on me. Definitely different than Funeral, but that's to be expected. I'm not going to extensively review it, just get it and hear for yourself.

Michael Franti + Spearhead - Yell Fire! I know it came out last year and I'm late to jump in, but wow, this album is magnificant! Catchy, reggae, hippy, political, indie rock. Makes me want to protest the war, chill out with friends, make love to my fiancee, make peace with the world, write about life and nature, appreciate the little things, etc. A great album to get you in a great mood for the day.

Clair de Lune - Assisted Living. I still love this band. Their newest is post-hardcore, emo, punk, jazzy and whatever else that makes for one great record. They've experimented with their sound and I like the results. They're still a band I never get tired of seeing live and listening to, especially in the warmer months.

And what shows are happening in the next few months? Red Sparowes, Isis, Explosions In the Sky! Amiina, Seymour Saves The World, Clair de Lune, Self-Evident, All The Way Rider, The Twilight Sad, The Long Winters, Stars of Track and Field, Mono, Cloud Cult, Low, Story of the Sea, Ken Andrews, The Black Angels, The Hopefuls, Heiruspecs, The Umbrella Sequence, Ice Palace, Jeremy Messersmith, Calla, and a bunch of others....

Some of these bands I've seen...many I haven't, and many will have new material as well! Just 2 songs left to listen to on the new Cloud Cult album...so far, best album of 2007. I'll end here.

February Forgotten

2007-03-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

Early Feb:

Attention is paid
to the tension that has worked its way
into the body.

Every tingle felt, every nervous tic acknowledged
as:
unnecessary, but logical?
Certainly.

As change has come in waves,
at times slamming with brute force,
its components calculated and ready.

Others, complacent and time-biding,
playfully taking stock of what is to come,
overtaking any sensible defense for its comfort:
to reside within: affecting mind set, perception

Well, I won’t roll with the waves.
I’d rather ride them along,
to a foreseeable future;
one where love and strength runs pure
and there’s enough balance in thought
to go around.

VS.

Listening to Explosions In The Sky, 2/28/07:

Notice the notes lift
the mind up tonight,
towards a reaction partly calm
and mostly bright.

Each element takes its turn paving the way
for more days where the goal is to seek
and not learn,
for the process of relief is slow;

Revitalize, even slower.

Yet well worth the effort put forth,
as the heart quiets, the mind races wild
but in control.

The body takes command now,
letting pressure drop.
Eyelids draw their phase out,
focused on a natural course
instead of one hurried and forced.

All too common and ever the source
of growing problems;
let the notes dissolve them,
disappearing from thought and vanished henceforth.

No need to push toward now,
for the body has run over
the choices, the paths
and decided to replenish and refresh
so more days can last
without brute force and emotions
both harsh and brash

It's one thing to live intensely; it's another to accelerate its effects.

So tonight move with the notes;
there's no need to grow until tomorrow
when another process takes hold;
that of hope.

Indeed two different ideas, resulting from two different moods.

Listen to new Explosions In the Sky, Kaddisfly, The Arcade Fire. Beauty at its finest.

Jumpin' January!

2007-01-31T22:07:00.000-06:00

I don't know....whatever.

I can't believe that this month is gone now. It went by so damn fast. A lot of fun stuff happened, and a lot of stuff happened...wedding planning, ballroom dancing class, grad class, work, gym, seeing lots of friends at Katie's b-day celebrations, seeing great grandma in the nursing home, seeing family, etc. I wrote about 7 pages and 1 poem the night of the one-year anniversary since I proposed to Katie. It's fun to go back and review the year, especially when many significant events unfolded. What I did notice is that my poetry really has gone downhill in frequency and perhaps content/creativity. I could give reasons/excuses/justifications till I'm blue in the face, but I'd rather not.

I saw Story of the Sea, Asobi Seksu and The Appleseed Cast at the Triple Rock last Thursday night, and it was a phenomenal show! But I don't think I'm going to extensively review the show, mostly because tonight I'm not feeling the energy to do so. I love winter time, and it's going to be downright chilly for the next week. The office is chilly, which could explain the lack of entries. Then again, meh.

The Blur That Was...2006

2007-01-17T20:34:00.000-06:00

I will not put up a month-by-month favorite list like I did last year. Basically, a lot of things happened in 2006. I proposed to Katie in January, and haven't really been able to top that since! Hmmm...weird.

Now that you're done laughing, smiling or whatever it is that you do, few readers of mine, here's what was great about 2006:

Lots of phenomenal shows: Wagner and the Zombie Men, Arab Strap, Film School, Sigur Ros, Amina, Mogwai, Band of Horses, STNNNG, Mono, Kaddisfly, The Silversun Pickups, The Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, Built to Spill, Cursive, Kill the Vultures, Empires, Red Fox Grey Fox, Pernice Brothers, The Decemberists, The Lymbyc System and The Album Leaf. These were all awesome, jaw-dropping shows that I saw this year and blogged about. There were others, but not as captivating as these.

Significant Events/Changes:
- engaged to Katie
- new place (back in Minneapolis)
- new job (U of M School of Public Health)
- physical injuries/sickness (bacterial bronchitis, cut right finger, hit a woman with my bike, great grandma with broken right leg, regular grandma with collapsed chest wall)
- exercising at Rec Center again
- less time hanging out during the week with friends
- less biking around the lakes, going to the beach
- less yoga, stretching, meditation, writing, journaling, blogging
- awesome friend went to Australia for awesome grad school opportunity
- awesome friend went to Brazil for awesome internship
- traveled to Chicago with Katie
- experienced more local events (Minnesota Institute of Arts, May Day Parade, Powderhorn Art Fair, Fall Out Fest, Apple Orchard, Latino Health Fair, Science Museum, Minnesota History Center)
- rad parties (New Year's Eve, engagement celebration/Katie's b-day, b-day at Shriner's Circus, Cinco de Mayo, Tricia's grad party, Art Party, Bastille Day, Ryan's Farewell-off to Brazil, Haus' sendoff, Tricia's b-day, Halloween, Lee's b-day, holiday party)
- went snowtubing!

Now it's 2007, and I'm:

- taking one grad class for credit as a non-degree seeking student (received rejection letter in April, to get in Fall 2006)
- about to begin ballroom dancing class with Katie
- beginning wedding planning, finally
- going to be reading at a friend's wedding in February
- hoping to write more, exercise/stretch more, hang with friends more
- going to be marrying Katie in July. Damn, that's awesome!

...and a bunch of dream-like shows coming up in terms of sheer kick-ass-ness, as well as other life events that will surely bring about much writing, poetry and conversation.

Perhaps I'll write about life on here this year, and not just shows.

Happy 2007! I aim to make this year, the year of Peace.

Rising From Shavasana, We Find That...

2006-12-04T22:03:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-12-01T17:18:00.000-06:00

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?

2006-12-01T16:55:00.000-06:00

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?

2006-10-10T21:46:00.000-05:00

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.

2006-10-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

Hello.

Built to Thrill!

2006-09-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

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

2006-09-18T21:11:00.001-05:00

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.

2006-08-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-09T22:52:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-10T19:52:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-22T22:49:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-05-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-04-12T22:23:00.000-05:00

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

2006-04-12T22:06:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-03-18T15:50:00.000-06:00

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!!!

2006-03-05T15:34:00.000-06:00

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!

2006-02-21T21:54:00.000-06:00

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

2006-01-14T16:33:00.000-06:00

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

2006-01-04T23:17:00.000-06:00

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.

All The Way Rock

2005-12-27T22:48:00.000-06:00

Yes, the show at the Leaning Tower of Pizza on Dec. 17th was definitely a display of all the way rock! Jeremy from the now defunct local post-hardcore Align has a new band dubbed All The Way Rider. That's seriously the perfect name for this band, because it's all about riding a steady stream of rock. Loud guitar, crushing drums and chugging bass, combined with Jeremy's jarring vocals make for one hell of a show! I was mondo-impressed, seeing as how they haven't swum out of any Quicksand or gotten off the land of Fugazi very much. Ok, horrible puns, especially if you are unfamiliar with those 2 bands, but nonetheless, I dig them a lot.

Next was Missouri's Riddle Of Steel. Straight-forward, fast and dynamic rock brought to the table with this band. There was a bright light from beneath the stage that shrouded the band, morphing their outlines into fuzzy, hazy pieces of energy that spasmed, screamed and jolted about the stage. Very impressive.

After my ears were ringing (with earplugs in, mind you) Self-Evident took to wow the crowd with their brand of quirky, jangled jazzy-experimental-rock. I had never heard their new tunes sang live before, and it was quite a treat. Till the 3rd song, when the bass drowned out the singing, leaving the drums vying for the crowd's attention. All in all, though, a good show at a great place for food.

A Wave of Genius

2005-12-07T22:32:00.000-06:00

As in Rogue Wave...

Ha, I'm punny, isn't I? Ok, enough of the crap. To kick off a nice, long and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing more great bands at the Triple Rock on November 23, 2005. It was frigid cold, and Katie and I ran the couple blocks from our parking spot and waited in line. Of course, we had to be standing right between a couple of smokers, which made the waiting not-so-fun. It's ok, though; at least we breathe easy while inside and the idiots have to go outside to light up. Now only if they would do a statewide ban....I don't know what's wrong with this state sometimes. Anyway, that'll be saved for another time...

Kubla Kahn started off the night with their form of poppy, jam-band like rock that would be well suited for a summer block party. They did get the crowd growing, warming our chilled faces and bodies (some people didn't even have coats on...mostly girls who had walked over from the Augusta campus, and older adults that seemed to have visited the bar for a while before they stood in line). I'm used to concertgoers being 16-30yrs old; this show, however, displayed lots of older adults. Many of them were full of liquid courage, evidenced by their shouting at the band and dancing drunkenly, stumbling into fellow concertgoers who just wanted to dance without getting spilled on! Luckily, this didn't happen to us, and we enjoyed Kubla Kahn's humurous stage antics, holding up big signs that instructed us to applaud and cheer! I had never heard of them before, but I wouldn't be surprised if they play a lot of bar gigs.

After Kubla Kahn, I made my way through a very-packed Triple Rock to the Rogue Wave merch table. I purchased their brilliant new album, Descended Like Vultures. The Hopefuls went on, and I was very impressed by their set, playing the familar hits that The Current adores. Some of the songs I had never heard before were very good, delving into more rock than pop territory. The Hopefuls aren't scared of the Olympics Committee, it would seem, as they still don their trademark tracksuits. I admire them for that, and the fact that they simply are awesome to watch live. Their energy inspired a guy dressed in a suit to get onstage and dance and march and do all sorts of crazy things while the band played. They didn't seem too upset about it, or amused either. Who knows; either way, it was a great performance, pumping me up for Rogue Wave.

After a lengthy delay in set-up, Rogue Wave took the stage and played an hour of beautiful, dreamy indie-rock. You feel like you're along the west coast, watching the ocean as you zip around the coastline with mountains sprinkled faintly in the distance. The sun is shining, you're comfortable, you've got plenty of food and water, your friends are having a great convo one minute and then they get silent when they see the oceans and mountains. They then proceed to put in some music that fits the mood...like Rogue Wave.....and they just chill, soaking in the moments like these that never last as long as you want them to.

Like Tristeza, Rogue Wave used christmas lights (white ones, though, not red) to set the mood of their performance. They were laid-back for the most part, and rocked out when it struck them to do so. Zach Rogue and the band are a lot of fun to watch, loving our response to the new tunes as well as the old faves (old being 2004!). The sound was excellent, thought the vocals were muffled by the wall of noise eminating from the two guitars, bass and drums. I didn't mind this one bit though, as my love of post-rock comes from such noise. We left around 1:45, tired but content with a wonderful evening of music.

Caution: Listening To This May Cause Euphoria

2005-11-27T22:10:00.000-06:00

In a word, Tristeza. Another one that describes their music and performance, stunning. This San Diego-based instrumental band graced my ears at the Triple Rock on November 10th. I heard of them through friends, and they, like many other post-rock bands, floored me when I first gave their music a listen. James LaValle used to be with them, but now is in another little-known (kidding, of course) post-rock band on Sub Pop, The Album Leaf. James occassionally plays for Tristeza on some dates, so it's good to know that they're all still hanging out at times.

Though Christmas was 6 weeks away when I saw them, Tristeza felt the need to dim the stage lights and go with white Christmas lights strung around their guitar and bass lamps. A soft red spotlight covered the drummer as he executed the manic playing of old and new tunes. The new stuff is a definite expansion of post-rock, diving head-first into the psychedelic realm with a modern edge. With the pretty harmonic guitar-work, sporadic and repetitive keyboard and lavish cymbal still present, I would say it is their best work yet. Live, their songs ranged from a subdued, gentle shock to a full-bodied jolt of roaring post-rock. The drums rolled, splashed and rhythmed their way alongside steady bass riffing and spacey, jangly guitar. It was perfect!

Before Tristeza, I saw Bo.Monro at the Manhattan Loft. I met this experimental-acoustic guitarist at the 400 Bar when Swords and Talkdemonic played. He told me his love of Explosions In The Sky, and we just started talking about awesome and inspiring post-rock. We shared the love of many great bands, and there was no way I would miss seeing his 1st show here. He sat in the middle of the Loft with a plugged-in acoustic and small effects-pedal. The show was good, and I purchased his EP. The EP even inspired me to dust off my old bongo drums I once played years ago. I played along to the guitar, making up progressions and beats that coincided with the guitar (or so I thought) ; after 2 songs, I concluded that I needed more practice. Nonetheless, it was fun to get the bongos out again and play along. It almost makes me wanna do spoken-word again. Who's with me?

Funny Band Name, Quasi-Funny Band

2005-11-27T21:44:00.000-06:00

I am of course referring to my friend/old roommate Mike's band, Smascius Clay (also known sometimes as Smascius Clay and The Awesomists). They used to call themselves Cleaver Groveland, but for some reason, that name just didn't work out. Now you'd think that with a name like Smascius Clay, the band may be funny on-stage. I saw them October 26th, and I can tell you they were funny, with before, during and after-song banter between the members. The line-up: Scott drums and takes photos and does other things for Radio K, Gord plays guitar and screams like no other, Noel plays guitar and sings emotionally, and Mike rocks out and plays bass. Now that you have the background, I can say that the humor was part joking and part sociocommentary; that is a wonderfrul combination, for you entertain and educate.

Onto the music, the band's love of emo, screamo (especially Alexisonfire) and post-hardcore makes for an interesting mix of songs and sounds. Gord loves to scream hardcore lyrics and Noel loves to croon at times, and at other times, pour his heart out through intense lyrics concerning relationships and heartbreak, a coup d' tate (sorry Lee, if I butchered the spelling of said French phrase) among emo music. They played enough songs to get a good feel of their sound and presence, ending with a slow, mid-tempo quasi-ballad. The sound was what I figured knowing the interests and influences the band has/had. I'd see them again, and overall, not bad for their 1st gig. And at The Triple Rock too! Nice way to start out things.

And Yet, More Rambles Emerge.....

2005-11-15T21:38:00.000-06:00

With the changing today of rain to sleet to finally snow, I thought a poem I have just composed
would be good to go. So off we fly, into this odd guy's wacky sort of mind:

the rain finally turns to snow
as the light drains to night's shadow;
long, it has become,
once the days of summer have gone.
and with it,
the fall of autumn.

walking the streets
slipped with rain freezing to sleet,
vehicles hit brakes, turn with caution
but some will still run to the bus
not caring of the splashing going on
in the depths where curb meets a depressed concrete.

i couldn't have changed more throughout the day,
out the door and striding along as if the sun
had just begun to peak its head out
and beginning to pour forth, heat now

but instead, the sky's been dark all day
and moods i've watched have been stuck in-between
a wet foot and a frozen face:

uncomfortable and stressed from
letting what little smile that was left
melt with the rain.

not mine, though.
I jumped with excitement as I moved
towards my destination,
thinking

the grave is a far-off from today,
so I'll rejoice and play
with the change instead
of letting this maze lie complacent
in my head.

I've my health, love and friends to thank,
as well as music providing a so-often escape
from the details that creep up like a snake,
smooth and rapid-fire like,
turning my mood to that of the turning cold weather rain,
the sleet turning more foul to snow once
the temp hits far enough below.

and in this space,
as well as the distance I've covered,
I'll go all over the place
with a mind that skips and stutters,
like there's a wind flapping wildy
against the shutters
and I'm there to close them,
but hesistant to do so.

There you have it:
Completely non-edited, on the spot, random and jumpy. Just how I like 'em.

The Youth in All of Us

2005-11-13T21:19:00.000-06:00

10/11/05. First Ave. Youth Group opens, the sweet and silky smooth group of young men from Australia. They adore Death Cab for Cutie (DCFC) , Built To Spill, and even Bob Dylan. Who doesn't? The singer looked a bit like Napoleon Dynamite, the oh-so-cute (says Katie) drummer played blazingly well and loud, and the bassist looked very warm in a leather hoodie. They broke-in the crowd to their incredible live show, with equal parts being intense and calm. They kept their composure for the slow ones, then rocked out awkwardly and random to their unique brand of music. It was perfect, and a great start to the night.

Then the adorable and suddenly huge DCFC took stage. I've been a fan for over 2 years, jumping late on the indie bandwagon after hearing The Photo Album. However, I've now seen DCFC 3 times, each time in the fall at First Ave. I must say this was not the best show of theirs that I've seen. Maybe it was because the crowd responded slowly to some of their newer, glossier pop songs than the old faves. Maybe it was also because it was a 21 plus show; less people were dancing and singing passionately along to the songs compared to the all ages shows.

Either way, it was still an amazing performance, and they played a solid mix of the old goodies and new goodies. They extended most of their songs, and Ben and Chris switched from guitar to keyboard with every other song. Also, Chris wore a First Ave. sweatshirt; you definitely can't say anything bad about that! Plans is still a wonderful album. It sounds like it's on a major label with the slick production and more basic song-structures. Then again, they signed with Atlantic and still expressed their artistic freedoms, like keeping Chris as the producer. The sound is still distinctly DCFC, and very enjoyable.

Two encores made the audience happy. Especially when Ben came out with just his acoustic guitar and played the oh-so-catchy-and-quite-sad song, 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark.' It's smooth, and the lyrics match his way of singing perfectly. That's how the band works, and you couldn't ask for it (you could, but you wouldn't want to) any better.

Cirque de Soleil: Aerotheatrics in motion

2005-11-13T21:03:00.000-06:00

My, my. How I love trampolines, and world-class acrobats performing crazy feats that defy and detest all we know of gravity and laws of physics. They use the hell out of them to their advantage. Forget class: go see this and you'll learn more about the mechanics of motion in 2 hours than you would in 2 weeks of physics class. Ok, enough of that for now...

The show that I saw, Corteo, contained awesomely powerful live music in French, Spanish, Italian and even some post-rock thrown in, much for my happiness. We had premo seats: stage center, with the performance right at eye level. No neck craning or side-turning needed. For 2 hours plus, I sat awestruck with my mouth agape, eyes widened and ridiculously overdone laughter pouring out whenever something amazing happened, which was pretty much every 5 seconds.

The performers jumped on trampolines posed as 2 full-size beds, complete with bedposts, headboards and footboards. Costumed angels danced about the air, people spun inside very-large-silver-ring things, using momentum and spin to overcome the tenets of gravity and inertia. Acrobats exchanged positions on platforms, flipping and swooshing about the air, with their partners timing the grip just perfectly. No one fell, no one was hurt or injured. If I did any of that (even running across a slippery stage in thin shoes), I would surely get injured and if it was funny (which it would most likely be because why the hell would I do anything like that?), all my friends would have a hearty laugh. There would be stories told at parties, with people breaking into vicious bouts of full-body laughter. And after, they would come to me, smile, laugh and shake my hand, for I had entertained and educated them. My, such a thing would be so grand!!

I digress...yet again....

My friends were right, though; the show did give me some bad ideas regarding myself, a trampoline and a trapeze. Luckily, my roommates never let me have a trampoline. Maybe that was for the best.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

2005-11-13T20:54:00.000-06:00

I've been to many different shows, and have bands from all over the world. In 12 years, I've went from country to alt-rock to metal to rap-metal to post-harcore to space-rock to emocore to post-rock to indie-rock to indie-dancerock. I have bands that span the world, for the most part. Suffice to say, it takes a lot to hear a band and be really, really excited about a refreshing sound. All the bands I saw thursday (yet another thursday with 2 shows in one night) 9/29/05 at First Ave. and the Entry, respectively, expelled the precise amount of energy and intensity to wow the crowd.

I missed most of The Belle Orchestre but no worries; this opener's brand of post-rock was very classical and folk-like, with violins wailing away any preconceived notion one may have had of this being standard and derivative. I purchased their CD for $15, which is spendy for the concerts I usually attend! The album was well worth it, as it's brought pleasant associations of night and relaxation to myself and others worldwide (possibly!).

I headed to the front for Wolf Parade. These gentlemen sure love Modest Mouse, as their latest album was produced in part by Isaac Brock. I found their set to be unique and wildly entertaining overall. Their live performance is quite a spectacle, with band members running around onstage and knocking over various percussive instruments. That's what we call being in the moment. We cheered and hollered and danced like maniacs to their wonderful world of indie dance-rock.

For the headliners, a band that absolutely wowed and pleased almost every music critic out there, Arcade Fire. Another Montreal band, another band from Canada who just gets it right! The 9 members had a helluva time onstage, playing a mix of older tunes and a bunch from their epic Funeral album. Their voices blended lovely throughout each song, and they took turns playing different instruments. At one point, the Wolf Parade drummer climbed up the amps and proceeded to drum on the railings of the balcony, which was highly amusing and entertaining.

On a side note, I just don't get it. You're a damn fool to me if you're up there on the balcony with the other 21+ ers drinking instead of being on the floor dancing your cares away, especially to a lively band such as Arcade Fire! I'm 24, and I have a hard time not dancing at most shows I go to. In all fairness, though, to each their own.

For their encore, Arcade Fire played my favorite song, Wake Up (no, not the Mad Season or Rage Against The Machine song; their own.) Their voices rose high with their instuments, and I exploded with delight and glee, grinnning idiotically while pumping my hands and dancing like there was no tomorrow.

With such an emotionally draining and life-pumping show, I didn't think twice about using that adrenaline for the bands in the Entry. What a drastic change I saw! In a span of 15 min, we went from louder-than-life artistry to quasi-karoakee with samples! The artist was New Buffalo, an upcoming singer/songwriter from Melbourne. Her music was decent, and her voice like that of Mirah a bit. It was a nice change of tempo. The people on the floor actually were sitting for her set, which I hadn't seen at the Entry for quite a while.

Next came Dr. Dogg. We went back to 1970's fuzzy psychedelic rock when these fellows took to the stage. The guitarist stage left looked like Tom Petty, and swaggered and hopped around onstage while keeping sweet guitar licks and progressions in line. Quite the feat, really. There were a fun band to watch, and nod your head to, and just chill. There were some die-hards in the crowd yelling drunkenly to every word sung and screamed.

They were the perfect set-up to the delightfully goofy and wildly talented Architecture In Helsinki! I first saw this band last summer at the Turf Club. Their set there was very album-focused, having fun and trying to stick to a tight set. This time around, however, they let it all hang loose. They yelled the words at times, improv'd a bunch, and had a raucus set. Other band and crowd members rushed the stage, and soon people were playing anything they could find. One guy put a steel drum on his head and played that, causing boisterious laughter and amusement to erupt all around. This band is so original and so unique and so fun to watch, it's no surprise they have an awesome following. People who look for something that doesn't follow the standard formula, and explore many different sounds and structures. They made everyone's night, concluding a perfect night of music with a completely on-the-spot Prince song! How could you not love them after that??

This Hope is Not Cold

2005-11-07T22:31:00.000-06:00

Since I found out about "post-rock" from friends a couple years ago, I've been completed hooked. Out of all the amazing bands in that genre, I had not yet seen Sigur Ros. That is, until September 24th. I'm truly lucky; seing a band from Japan one week, Mono, and then a week later, Sigur Ros from Iceland. They played at the State Theatre, which has crystal-clear acoustics. The fact that it's a theatre may have something to do with it. The string-section of Sigur Ros, Amina, opened the performance. Katie and I arrived a little late, and saw only half their set. What we did see, though, was beautiful. The four women played xylophones, keyboard, harpsicord, wine glasses, bells and even a laptop. Their sound reminded me a bit of Mum without vocals. Seeing as how they're all from Iceland, it's not surprising. We rushed through the crowd and purchased their EP, which has some songs we missed. I even ran into an old friend from middle school there.

We returned to our seats, anxiously awaiting for Sigur Ros. The curtain shrouded the band in white, and a slow drumbeat filled the theatre. After the first song, the curtain rose, and with it, the crowd's energy. Sigur Ros performed a flawless set, playing a few tunes off their gorgeous new album, Takk and a bunch off their previous releases. Of course, all of their music is gorgeous and breathtaking. Hearing it live caused the sound to rise to even more epic of proportions, in my eyes. They definitely rock out harder in concert than they do on disc. At one point, I thought the drummer was going to break the cymbals. He didn't, and the band played on. Jonsi's voice was spot-on, hitting those high notes exactly like on the albums.

We were captivated, teary-eyed and awestruck when the beauty ended. Birds flew arounded on the projection screen that served as the backdrop. My eyes split time between the screen and the band playing just flawlessly. I have a hard time believing they are human, and not just wonderful figments of a dream where the English language is silly and not needed, and there is noise erupting everywhere you turn. But, it's a calming noise, sweeping your emotions to the grandest of heights.

If they had played longer, I think I may have transcended all time and space, for they sound like pure energy. But they didn't. I stayed myself and they ended perfectly, calming the crowd with a slow shimmer after performing the last song off of their untitled album. Jonsi tore apart his bow. They came on for not one, but two, final bows. We cheered, applauded and stood there in the moment, relaxed and fulfilled. I was numb and silent on the way back home. Now that takes a lot, ask anybody who knows me.

Concluding on A Perfectly Pitched High Note

2005-11-07T20:50:00.000-06:00

I became a local music fan over 4 years ago, back in 2001 when there were dank, dark and squalid venues like the Foxfire, Bon Appetit, and the Library Bar and Grill. All of these venues featured wonderful shows for all ages and are now sadly, gone. One of the first local bands I saw was Down and Above (DNA), whom after 4 years and countless shows later, I still love. They played with Casanatra and Seconds Before at the Triple Rock on September 18th. Most of the time, these bands are heard on the local shows of mainstream rock radio, and not usually college or indie radio. However, Seconds Before and Down and Above have wonderfully original sounds that could be played on more than just corporate radio stations.

Seconds Before's set (doesn't look right (the grammar, that is), does it?) was a big bowl of fun, with their drummer Stan playing his last show just like....it was his last show...
Their new stuff is faster and more upbeat, less poppy and more...rocky? On the last song, members of the other bands came on stage, holding whatever percussive instruments they could find. All hovered around Stan, and the stage exploded with as much sound as possible. Casanatra was next, and they were very good musicians, but the singer's voice did not sound clear at all.

Then DNA came on. Their love of high notes, King's X, killer breakdowns, 3-part harmonies and passionately positive stage performance really got the crowd going. They played a great mix of songs from their last 2 albums, and even played a couple new ones. Their cover of Willie Nelson's 'Highway Man' was amazing, mixing bluesy and bluegrass-like guitar with a bit of jazzy drumming, and then proceeding for a flat-out rock breakdown. Yeah, playing covers can be cheesy;when you can pull them off as spine-tinglingly extravagent as DNA does, there's no reason to second-guess your liking them. All of their voices blended so well together, and they seemed more refreshed than the last time I saw them play, when they opened for Dredg. They're also one of the first bands I've seen that smile a ton while they're playing, and not take themselves so seriously. So, this show was the perfect way to end an amazing week of seeing bands from the Northwest, Midwest, East Coast, and Japan. All in the same venue no less. How I love the Twin Cities.

11; None More Higher!

2005-11-07T20:34:00.000-06:00

Actually, not true with Mono. They are without a doubt the loudest band I've ever heard. Period.

This rings true (as my ears, even with earplugs in, can attest to) for the two bands I saw at The Triple Rock, on September 17, 2005. What a great way to celebrate a full moon, my grandma's birthday and Citizenship Day. No, my grandma didn't go, but if she did, she would have loved it....ok, probably not...

Anyway, current Temporary Residence Limited labelmate, Bellimi, began the evening. I can only say that they were quite loud. I couldn't understand the singer, as she mumbled into the mic more times than not. The drumming was varied, but the guitarist and bassist kept playing the same chord progression; this made for a decent but not-so amazing performance.

Mono came on next. I saw them at the 400 Bar this past spring/summer, and I was stunned beyond belief. I knew I was in for a treat, and they disappointed nothing at that show. This show, too, reflected their beautiful performance of crushing post-rock. The bassist stood center stage, a guitarist to her left and right, and the drummer behind. She swayed in one place, while the guitarists took turns between standing and sitting on a chair. Among the great things of this band: they have no instrument changes. No extra guitars or basses. The band ends each song with their heads collectively down, taking in the sounds like we did.

They are humbling to watch. No spectacular stage moves, except for a bit of head shaking and foot tapping. But hey, that's what I was doing during their songs (when I wasn't laughing and smiling wildly and widely, relatively). The guitar was louder than the drums, which I absolutely love. Their set was perfect and their music, patient Mono does not force the music; rather, it smoothly builds up, and erupts into a gigantic wall of noise that overwhelms the senses. I glanced at my friend and he gave me the look of 'yeah, I know, say no more.' The band didn't say anything either, letting their sounds display to the crowd, the addiction that is their music in full-effect. Definitely not in mono. More like loud, very loud, stereo. Ha. Like a black hole explosion, even though technically you cannot hear sound in space. But if you could, that's how you could describe the bombastic sound of Mono.

7, 7 Awesome Bands...

2005-11-01T20:51:00.000-06:00

Finally, back to reviewing shows! I'll start with a big one that happened all in the night of 9/16/2005....

This isn't gonna be a super-long review, as I've seen a total of 14 bands in the past week. Here's half of them, all in one venue but split into two phenomenal and ultimately tiring shows!

Phenomenal and Spasmic:

I arrived around 6 pm for the first band at the Triple Rock, The City On Film. To my surprise, the band actually started on time and I missed all but one of their songs. It was pretty good, basically indie-rock with low energy. Then came on the band with the very fun to say name, as it involves much inflection in their title: Thunderbirds Are Now! A very fun, indie-dance/electropop band from Detroit, this group had lots of stage theatrics. The keyboardist spasmed around stage, dancing wildly while hitting the tamborine with the impact of a jackhammer on concrete. So, a great set in all.

After was These Arms Are Snakes, which should have an exclamation point, I think, after their name. They're stage presence is hyper and intense mostly, with the frail singer screaming his head off one song, then the next dancing to a fast kick-drum beat, making the crowd clap their hands along to the infectious rhythm their sound becomes. They were very enjoyable to watch, especially when the singer stood atop a basic 4-legged folding table and then proceeded to throw the table and a blue plastic crate into the crowd after the song ended. What a nice way to end the set!

I found my friends in the crowd, and we waited patiently to see Minus The Bear. I saw this band at the Entry when Houston had their CD release party. Oh, what a sweet show that was indeed. This show was equivalent to that one; though I wasn't right in front this time around. Still, the sound was amazing, with Matt Bayle's voice ringing smooth all along the set. The guitar trade-offing between he and the other guitarist made for one fine show. This band loves to utilize guitar frets, and write entire progressions without the usual finger-picking or guitar-strumming. Their set was a decent mix of old and new tunes that satisfied the crowd immensely. I bought their newest CD, and I must say, it has a very clear sound. Very Minus The Bear, and quite gorgeous instrumentation overall. If you're a fan, pick it up. If not, become one!

Your Friends Are Always Right...

Ok, so Lee told me that the Haves Have It definitely do have it. I always wanted to check out their shows, and finally could when they played the later show with Lazer Forever and one of my local faves, Clair De Lune. I was floored by Lazer Forever and the Haves Have It. The drumming was all over the place, with as many changes in songs I haven't seen since I saw Architecture In Helsinki at the Turf Club this summer. It was the largest crowd for which The Haves Have It played, and they did it right from the start of their set. Very friendly and energetic at times, then step back a bit and let the instruments show off the wonderfully fresh and original sound they've composed.

Lazer Forever were unbelievable to watch as well, with each musician having a very fluid sense of comfort in every instrument they played. You can rock out to them, dance to them, tap your feet to them, pretty much anything. So, I have to thank Lee for telling me about these two bands...and many others that I should have been listening to a while ago! I'm catching up. Lastly, Clair De Lune was very good. I would have enjoyed them more had I not rocked and danced to 6 bands before them. Their new tunes were chaotic, with a lot more screaming and cymbal-smashing than their previous music. 7 hours after arriving, I left tired but appreciative of the wonderful music scene and venue the Twin Cities has.

Canyons Dig Deep, Again!

2005-10-24T23:03:00.001-05:00

It has been way too long since I've last posted. Katie's computer has been out of commission till recently. And I've been too lazy to post using Tricia's computer. I have so many concerts to review, and many updates to tell the blogsphere: buying my 1st car (not a junker!), finding out I'll need braces and surgery when I'm able to get them, thanks to my bio-dad passing onto me, bad skeletal structure of the jaw causing a severe underbite. Thinking about a new job, grad school, etc. Maintaining balance using poetry, love, friends, music and yoga. More idiotic political spitfire. Family issues. Hanging with old friends. Remembering the college days. All these things. It's been a super-busy month or so. And I'll show you what I can in writing: they'll be like snapshots.

Snapshots of my life
that divide the smile
from the strife.

Something like that.

Again, I Reiterate!

2005-09-13T21:27:00.000-05:00

Words are not necessarily needed when it comes to music.

I found more evidence of this in the band I saw last night at the 400 Bar, Talkdemonic. Hailing from the scenic Northwest, this duo is quite energetic and lets their playing speak volumes about their emotions. A woman draped in a flowing blue dress, New Balance shoes and no socks played violin, while a casually dressed male in an english-looking hat, short-sleeved dress shirt and a tie with the knot loosened just a bit, played drums and messed with the sounds eminating from his laptop. Their set was intense and beautiful, bringing to mind a bit of folk and a lot of post-rock. What was refreshing, though, is that I could not draw any comparisons to other bands in that genre. Simply put, it was flat-out impressive, fresh-sounding music. The only negative was that the songs were too short.

After Talkdemonic, another Arena Rock Recording band took the stage: the now shortened Swords. They were known as The Swords Project before, when I saw them in 2003 at the 7th Street Entry with the awesome but now defunct morning band, The Gloria Record. My jaw dropped when I saw them then; last night, I smiled more and tapped my feet to their 2 drummers filling the room with their monsterous crashing cymbal rhythms. All 6 members were there, distracting me from the true reality and nature of the world. For you see, this is what this kind of music does for me and does to me. It was pouring outside, but my focus lied on stage. The singer was louder and more focused than last time. The band had a different energy than last time, but it was very positive and perfect for a stormy night.

Swords played for about an hour, mostly from their new album, Metropolis. I purchased the album, even though it's not available to the general public till next tuesday, so there! I'm only kidding...I listened to it en route to work, and it is quite astounding. Better sounding than their previous, as the vocals are more prominent and still subtle when they need to be. I also bought Talkdemonic's album, Mutiny Sunrise, which serves as another refresher for the ears. Both albums are a must-buy for anyone who loves beautiful music. That's all for now; more to come later.

Not Necessary Till Now

2005-08-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

What I mean is, I've turned on the word verification option in my blog. The reason is because I found 8 random comments on my last post about Engine Down. The comments are all random advertisements, called unwanted comments in the blogsphere. So, there it is. It'll be alright, though; only humans can feel real emotions....well, until the scientists can make huge leaps in robotics that is. Till then...we'll all be ok.

The Engine That Could...

2005-08-28T12:49:00.000-05:00

rock you, make you think and move you all at once. I'm referring to the powerful Engine Down, the "emo-rock-type" band that loves Sunny Day Real Estate, minor harmonic guitar playing, smooth vocals and vibrant drumming. To be fair, though, they developed their own sound over the years. Like SDRE, they are definitely not a whiney emo band that MTV currently loves, with members dressed in tight clothes with straggly hair, sunken eyes and do incredible things onstage like spinkicks and flips to detract the audience from their mediocre musicianship. These 4 gentlemen put on an incredible live show, as I saw firsthand at the Triple Rock Social Club last Friday night.

Arriving around 6:45, I expected to hear the opener Des Ark. Instead, I heard this powerful female voice onstage as I entered. I wondered what band this was, so I asked a crowd member and he said it was Bella Lea. The singer and guitarist was Maura, and her voice was similar to Portishead or even PJ Harvey. The drummer was very fluid, with arms and legs pounding away and making for a thunderous sound that covered the venue in cymbals and kick drums. The guitar and bass work drew from modern rock and jazz structures at times, showing a unique spread of influences. Their set was fun to watch, and one song really gave me goosebumps as Maura's jazzy voice soared in time with a building drum beat that erupted just as the crowd collectively gasped. Too bad it's not on their 3 song EP that I bought for $2 instead of downloading it from their MySpace page. I look forward to their LP.

What was even more amazing was the family connection that Bella Lea and Engine Down had. The 2 guitarists, Keeley and Jonathan, in Engine Down used to play bass and drums in Maura's old band, Denali. And, Keeley is Maura's brother. So, lots of connections there.

Engine Down played for about 75 minutes, with their set split mostly even between songs on their 4 albums. That was great since their last album came out last year and some bands like to promote the hell out of their last album and forget how they used to sound. Not this band, though. Maura even went onstage to sing a song with her brother. I found that wonderful, as I have not seen a lot of brother/sister music collaborations at the shows I go to. Keeley and Jonathan were a two-prong guitar attack, letting their music speak for their lack of showmanship. There wasn't a lot of movement between band members, but their music swung volumes of energy around the crowd. It affected me, as I again swayed and bobbed and rocked out to the whole set, singing along to vocals drowned out by amps. Every song live was extended by 2 or 3 minutes of post-rockish bliss, making me one happy concert-goer. After all, they do thank Explosions In The Sky on their latest self-titled album.

There was no announcement of their last song, just straight-forward instrumentation that made for the perfect ending: Music playing, then the 1st guitarist leaving, then the 2nd one, then the bassist, and finally the drummer fading out the set with a calm but intense array of tension playing. All in all, an amazing show. Sadly, this is Engine Down's last tour, dubbed the appropriate 'Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow' Farewell Tour. I'm sure though, that they'll be involved in other music endeavors. Their merch guy and Maura told me that, so I rest assured. Afterwards, the show put me in a calm-body-but-hyper mind-state, which I expected no-less from this incredible night of loud and quiet art.

Upon Switching Courses, We Come To a Change of Heart

2005-08-21T21:35:00.000-05:00

Damn, I really like that title I came up with, don't you? It sounds like something from post-rock, which is endearing and magnificant to me. This is a digress from politics (about time, huh?). Here's some poetry inspired by a great conversation and walk with a friend around the skirts of downtown St. Paul one fine evening:

'Meaning Aplenty'

the moon reflected off the window,
leading me to easily see my key
as I put it in the lock
and turned the door knob,
anxious to make it up those stairs
where she was there;

my love, who cares when I laugh or sob
over the littlest of affairs
because she knows I attain a passion
from the balance I maintain.

I just got back from a talk
with one of my best friends,
diving deeper than we had been for a while.
Around the city border we took a walk;
though his foot was injured
so we made our trek a slow pace for sure.

We discussed the things that mattered,
the things that made us smile, the things that gave us trouble
and how we've taken some of time for granted.
Indeed, things have changed for all of us
but we still keep in touch
and we do more than that, really,
so what is there to get upset about,
seriously?

Knowing how well we have it
compared to some of the world.
Even in this political climate,
I can harvest strength from these people
who took my view and left it askew
after only a couple of months
before the millenium came through.

To you,
I'll say thanks for everything.
I'll try to reciprocate
and not get lost
in searching for the meaning.

What Good Are Words, Anyway???

2005-08-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

I mean, language is 95% non-verbal. So much can be said with body language that speaking to someone to communicate your message is almost...pointless.
Well OK, not really! But sometimes you don't need words to describe feeling; you use your senses and then your brain interprets the feelings as such and such...

Like language, there's no need for words in music at times. Some of the most beautiful, moving music is all instrumental (jazz, classical, experimental, post-rock). Just imagine if bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Explosions In The Sky , or Mono actually sung in their monumentous epics; it'd detract from the intensity of their music, and the crescendos would not be as cathardic. Last night, these thoughts were proven by all the noise rock bands I saw at the awesome, historic 7th St. Entry with my great friend of almost 6 years and former roommate, Lee.

Diamonds played first, and it was amazing. The band played off-stage, making it up close and personal. Walls of noise eminated from their amps. The drummer started off slowly, then built into a thunderous rhythm. One of the guys kept rocking back and forth on his heels whilst squatting, acting like he was going to break the fun electronics and knobs that he held. They were quite intense, and a great start to a spellbinding show.

Next was Plastic Crimewave Sound. Hailing from Chicago, this band was not afraid to be even louder than Diamonds. Yeah, there were words, but I couldn't understand the singer, and it didn't matter because the vibrations from the stage were all that was needed to satiate the crowd. They even played 2 unbelievably wild and fucked up songs with Minneapolis legendary Michael Yonkers. He had this guitar that looked as if it had paid a visit to the trash compactor; it was at least loud as one, if not louder! Their last song was so out there, I can't describe it.

After Sound crushed our eardrums (though I had earplugs in, it was still plane-taking-off-the-runway loud), the mighty Kinski took stage. Now I must say, these Northwesterners know how to bring the loud, brash, and psychedelic rock! Each band member was phenomenal to watch, and I danced and swayed my hips and heels for the whole set. They were quite stunning, faster and even louder than the first two bands. There were words on the last song, but it was a perfect groove to end their rocking, intense set of music.

Now to the sweet stuff...Oneida. This trio was defintely the loudest, and I swear their drummer was a machine. Except for the human voice and swagger of his hands flailing around each drum. Every drummer was show-stopping, but Oneida's drummer sang while keeping oddly-timed beats at the same time. He held his voice steady throughout, a feat noteworthy in itself. So that pretty much made me think of him as a machine, and not an amazing, furious and passionated human being who played drums. During the last 2 songs, I kept alternating between fuck! and fuck yeah! as this night of music was jaw-dropping. Four hours of pure noise rock and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Reliving Childhood...

2005-08-07T21:46:00.000-05:00

through kick-ass movies and video games. I'm talking Mortal Kombat and He-Man: Masters of the Universe! I had a He-Man two-wheeler when I was a kid. I rode it all the time, though I don't know where it is right now. I never took it off any sweet jumps though...it would real bad if I did! The He-Man DVD is awesome and well-worth the $15 I paid for 10 episodes. Skeletor's voice, though, sounds like a cross between a wizard and a gnome, if you could imagine that...yeah...probably not huh?

Onto video games, the Mortal Kombat I bought is for PS2. The game is rated M, as blood stays on the battle stages. You can even jab your oppponent in the side/ribcage with a sword, dagger, bow, etc. To make it even funnier/more disturbing/disturbier, once the weapon goes in the side, the opponent bleeds its life away slowly, so it doesn't take as long to win. I know I'm gonna get much flack from my friends that I'm not playing Mortal Kombat for Nintendo...but what I have to say is, this game rocks just as hard as the original...just in a more modern way. Just for kicks, I also watched Mortal Kombat the movie last week. It was between that and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles. Now, I'm all for TMNT as I owned all the Turtles, Splinter, Shredder, Brain, Be-Bop and Rock-Steady, etc. ; however, both myself and Tricia could not find our copies of the movie. So we decided on Mortal Kombat. Even though I've watched it twice this year, it still was awesomely cheesy and grand in its scope, keeping close to the video game moves and such. Besides, who wouldn't want to watch Liu Kang fight Shang Tsuang (spelling? sorry if I got it wrong)?

Reliving childhood cannot be complete without sweet playground games such as hopscotch, dodgeball, big base and four square. I played the latter this past friday night with some friends, and it ruled! I made it to the King square more than once, but most of the time I was out after advancing to the second square. To round off an awesome week of video games, cartoons and playground games, I played some extreme frisbee in that I acted like the typical dog who loves to catch a tennis ball when the owner throws it. No, I didn't catch the novelty flying disc with my teeth, if that's what you're thinking...but I did get some wicked grass stains on the shoulders and back of my t-shirts, not to mention forgetting that there was a slight hill when I was running to catch a great throw from Katie and consequently, doing a wild somersault-kinda thing and ending up with a nice bruise just below the patella. The worst part is, I didn't even catch the disc! Oh well, I love running and catching, just like during Little League baseball. Those were the days, indeed.

Finally, An O'Riley You Can Love!

2005-07-31T13:56:00.000-05:00

Nope, I'm definitely not talking about that beyond right-wing and former tabloid reporter who makes up stats to justify his views, the Al Franken hatin' Bill O'Reilly. No, I'm referring to Christopher O'Riley, the amazing pianist! He transcribes the music of Radiohead, and it is unbelievable! His set at the Minnesota Orchestra Hall was phenomenal. It lasted only 70 minutes, but he had the audience cheering and yelling for more after every song. He even played 3 Elliot Smith songs, which was a real treat. In fact, that's the music he'll be putting on his next album. In between a set of songs he'd get up and make a joke or two, and it had everyone going, from us college-aged folks to the older ones that were sitting next to me. I'd never been to the Hall, so I was taken aback by its incredible acoustics. There were giant speaker-looking-things, all gray and cube-shaped, sticking out of the ceiling and the back of the stage. So combine that with the dazzling music and you get one floored person.

After the show, I biked home, I composed a late-night poem. I'll probably post it on here soon. It's not as long as my last one, nor is it intensely political. It's about love, and bringing balance to life...sort of. O'Riley must have influenced me a bit today, as I've been listening to the more jazzy and experimental type of music of L'altra and Rachel's while cleaning up a bit. I've also changed my blog name, probably also influenced by my mood and the music I've been listening to this past weekend (experimental, post-rock). Hope ya dig it, because I do.

Get A Leg Up!

2005-07-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

Or how about a foot? What this means is....well, actually now that I think about what I just typed, it doesn't make any sense at all! Hmmm...I was trying to be clever and be a bit punny because what I really meant to say is Get a Foot Down! as in, get my left foot down on the ground. Distribute all my weight on it, which I cannot do right now because I went to the doctor yesterday to take care of something on my foot and now its blistery and painful to walk on. So this means I've inherited quite a gimp, with my right leg taking on all the weight of the left leg as I walk. So no fun bike riding with a blister right on the ball of the foot, causing me to pedal with the heel of my left foot.

Luckily I don't have to do a ton of walking at my job. Of course, my not being able to walk properly was the subject of many jokes between a co-worker and myself. Suffice to say, he mentioned 'warm it up chris,' to which I responded, 'I'm about to...as soon as I can jump.' Yeah, real great office humor there. At work I've been writing a lot of poetry. It's all emotional since it has to do with life and how I interpret it. One contained the remnants of a conversation I had with a good friend I walked around (back when I could walk decently!) with in St. Paul last Thursday night.

Another is about global warming and how out-of-the-loop-of-the-general-scientific-concensus-concerning-the-well-documented-humankind-effect-on-greenhouse-gas-emissions some politicians can be, complaining about how they don't want trillions of dollars being spent on uncertain policy. Hmmm...Iraq anyone!! Not trillions....yet. To balance all things out, I also wrote about how my lover, friends, music and poetry are the main characters to keep my focus of balance on center stage. So...it's not all bitterness, cynicism and weighty feelings about the world for this human...just sometimes. You must have tears and smiles, is all I have to say.

A Plethora of Music

2005-07-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

Indeed, 2005 has been a decent year for good music. Here are my favorite CD'S from 2005 thus far:

Low - The Great Destroyer
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning; Digital Ash in A Digital Urn
Dredg - Catch Without Arms
Kaddisfly - Buy Our Intention; We'll Buy You a Unicorn
Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die
The Album Leaf - Seal Beach EP
Surfjan Stevens - Illinois
At the Drive-In - This Station is Non-Operational
Circa Survive - Juturna
Gratitude - Gratitude
Tarentel - Paper White; Big Black Square
Alicia Wiley - In Your Sight
M83 - Before The Dawn Heals Us
Mogwai - Government Commissions: BBC Sessions 1996-2003 [LIVE]
Billy Corgan - The Future Embrace
Death Cab For Cutie - The John Byrd EP
Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Cloud Cult - Advice From the Happy Hippopotamus
Caribou - The Milk of Human Kindness

Ok, that's all I can think of for now. Of course, there are a myriad of bands I've discovered in 2005 whose albums were released before 2005. However, that does not pertain to this list. That'll have to be saved for another time.

Diving Right In To The Left

2005-07-20T21:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is my 2nd blog, and I'm already diving headfirst with my poetry. It's raw, non-edited, full of emotion with probably little factual basis. But hey, that's how we liberals are, right media? That was sarcasm there if ya missed it. Anyway, here's a little (or long) ditty I wrote up before work one early morn. Not all poetry will be like this; some will be lovely, othes will be nature-y in nature, and love fills a lot of themes...just not the political ones, usually. Enjoy. I can't wait for the comments:

"How to get foreign resources from mideastern countries"

Here's a strategy: let's use the military!

Take a popular figure,
perhaps a former governor will due
as long as he's got friends in high places where scandals and mishaps leave without any signs or traces of misconduct,
nor any cases being brought to trials for justice to be portrayed

Put him in power with the help of masterminds
and his father that tower over the rest of normal people's lives.
Give him money, allow him to bend the rules like they all do
and watch him spin,
the propaganda flying out of not his mouth
but from those that keep a closer watch out
for any chance to do the rivals in:

You know, those 'lefty liberals' that love to spend and do nothing more than shout?

Radical righty says: Real stories, keep 'em in lock down from the public and strike the record straight from the headlines,
using newspapers and airtime for the stage set to play another puppet game.

Regime change was the first order;
now go in there and take out anyone who defies our culture.
Take their oil, watch the people toil even though their dictator's
been taken out of power.

There's a new breed of terror all around, caused by our occupation claiming to stand strong and be proud against a nameless face and violent waves.

Says the media:

They're not human beings, they're insurgents, call them militants who hate america,
cuz america = christian;
at least that's what 59 million thought to vote and get the chimp elected
even if those on the ground say the opposite of what the big spenders claim.

Cease and desist
or be killed in the process.
There's no need to resist;
profits are on the way to the contractor's pockets!

You'll stay in poverty while the monkey says we've given you hope and liberty;
If only you could use this for the rest of your dark days.

Be (s)elected,
then go to war on the helpless and poor.
He's been there for 5 years;
good thing we can't give him any more
after all the fabric we've woven
has been torn open behind closed doors.

Wear your flag on your arm so we can see how red white and blue you are.
Then see how much you wear your heart on your sleeve when you see
all the bodies coming back,
without a clue as to how to stop the attacks
from making your view turn from clear to black.

I know, that was long. They won't all be like this, I promise. Anyway, on with life!

2005-07-19T21:18:00.000-05:00

I look so hip...but I am NOT a beatnik!

"Tis the Beginning...'

2005-07-19T20:59:00.000-05:00

Of chaos, of total randomness, of beauty, of passion, of expression, of ranting, of laughing, of crying, of exploring the chaotic nature of the self, the loved one, the twin, the opposite of you, the universe. There will be poetry posted by myself, sometimes an excerpt and sometimes its entirety for all to view and think about. There will be music discussions, political idealogies, random pictures of hilarity, nature shots. Psychology, philosophy, religion, sex, relationships, yoga, meditation, politics will all most likely rear their lovely and ugly heads at some point. Some threads will leave you puzzled, confused, excited, wondering and wanting more. To start, I have no idea what this is going to be like. But no matter what, it is going to be all about balance in every sense you could conceive it being. With that said, time to jump into the canyons of the deep. Enjoy.