Drugs and an extra pint of blood are nothing new. You just can’t get away with it any longer.
With all the cameras and all the testing… it’s really getting tough to cheat.
Archive for July, 2007
I never missed an episode of Soul Train when I was a kid, so I’m still a closet R&B fan. I planned to see Musique Soulchild this Friday at Penn’s Landing since its also free, and I never pass up ANYTHING free.
Then I read Brian McManus’ column in PW about Musique’s two opening acts: Raul Midon and Chrisette Michele. I attended the Eric Roberson show a few weeks back, and his opener, local 19 year-old Jazmine Sullivan almost blew him off the stage. Brian thinks Raul and Chrisette will do the same. After watching a few of their myspace videos (both have played Letterman) I tend to agree.
Raul is a blind New Mexico native who plays a mean guitar. Be sure to check out his “horn solo” in the Letterman clip above.
Chrisette is a 24 year-old goddess from Staten Island. Signed to Def Jam.
Bring a chair. I’ll see you there. 7:30 sharp.
I have the pleasure to work in one of the most beautiful settings in the tri-state area; the Scott Arboretum on Swarthmore College’s campus. The grounds has a great mix of really large, old trees, including an american elm (pic of the actual tree at MarthaStewart.com!) which escaped the dutch elm disease, giant tulip trees, massive beech, and this old bender oak, which sadly, is slated to be cut down within a week. It’s a sad, sad day for us tree huggers.
According to Scott, the Quercus xbenderi is the result of a naturally-occuring cross-fertilization between a red and a scarlet oak. Arboretum staff estimated its age between 150 and 300+ years old. Its trunk circumference is over 20 feet and its huge branches are supported with cables.
Apparently they’ll leave part of the trunk in place and a chainsaw artist will create a sculpture from it. Sounds like it could be pretty cheesy to me but I doubt it will be since the arboretum doesn’t do anything cheesy.
Goodbye old buddy.
There’s interesting facts, photos and measurements of old and tall trees over at the Eastern Native Tree Society’s webpage.
My buddy’s mind was recently blown by the concept that there were TV shows and movies based around children’s toys. He asked why people would pay to see such a movie (Transformers). My immediate answer was nostalgia. I hope to further answer the question.
First and foremost I’m excited and can’t believe I haven’t gone yet.
Secondly… I never owned a transformer until earlier this year.
Thirdly… I don’t think I watched the show that often. I did watch… but I had Uncle Floyd, Degrassi, and in the rec room You Can’t Do That.
I watched enough to know who the main characters (yes… toys) were. My neighbors Pete and Jeff had both Prime and Megatron (and I think Starscream too). They really didn’t like playing with them. They were like models they were proud of (but didn’t make). I think it may have been a pain in the ass to transform a G1 bot. Maybe they were actual puzzles… unlike those crappy pollyanna gobots (that did give me hours and days of entertainment). Two moves… pfft. My folks got me Star Wars and Smurf stuff only (it was a good deal).
So I was on the cusp of the whole G1 Transformers thing. I probably was more into GI Joe. For both I rooted for the bad guys.
Why then? I’m guessing it’s the same reason I’m hunting down game boys and Atari 8 bit cartridges and laserdiscs of things oop and never released on DVD.
Nostalgia. Recapturing that little bit childhood. That’s lost.
But Transformers 2007 is a fucking crazy remix. This is no smudgy-acetate 12fps cheap animation.
And it’s not just images and voices… It’s Saturday morning baseball, and riding my bmx off of a picnic table (trying to mostly), and picking up rocks to find crayfish with my feet in the stream and playing Ghostbusters on my Atari 800 with my feet ’cause I mastered it with my hands.
It’s all of that. And nothing can live up to that hype… but the hype itself can.
That movie right now is EVERYTHING that i want it to be. Prime is going to die again, because he sucks. Grimlock is going to rule the autobots and help them be a little bit cooler. Megatron’s just going to kick ass. Grimlock’s going to do something funny. Starscream will talk a bit… ’cause I like his voice. Constructicons… a whole lot of cassette tape robots… That microscope Perceptor… Umm … Maybe the Dinobots will kill the Predicons… Insecticons chewing on something… and… oh yeah… NOTHING will turn into a Chevy Truck.
Because that kind of product placement sucks. Irony?
So all in all… If you’re going to sell stuff to kids… have them fight and shoot stuff at each other… and also have them turn into other things. The toy is the reward for watching the show and the show is the reward for playing with or coveting the toy.
This same guy by the way has been bidding on something similar to this track set. It’s for his son… whose friends will be like, “Your toys are old. You’re family’s poor.” This set’s only fractionally for the kid.
It’s getting back that thing that you lost… that you used to like and are sad it went away… and Beast Wars did nothing for you… and the hair metal original movie is the bestest thing ever.
I’m very happy that Peter Cullen is back… but Prime is just not a likable character. Die Prime die. If not this one… a sequel will do. Please no spoilers… I’ve already been tipped off that one of my (spoiler alert don’t click)heroes will not be in this one. That’ll make me wanna see the next one.
Horay sequel!
Thundercats do nothing really. Voltron if it’s done right… with vehicles and lions on separate days. M.A.S.K. … well… not really… but I’m still amazed that that vertical take-off plane became a real thing.
I’m not sure if my friend can understand. Back in his day the toys were only shown during the commercials. That’s if programming was on at all. He and his family used to gather around the tv to watch the test pattern… cigarettes were advertised… and G.I.Joe was a ten inch doll.
I hope you get yours back my friend. Maybe they’ll start using pull-tabs again.
UPDATE: I saw it. I loved it. It is still making me very happy. The animators and writers did a hell of a job. Michael Bay… you certainly made your presence known. You can easily pick out your contributions. Everyone else… snap up job. I’m really pissed about the Brawl/Devistator mix up… but’ll be happy if they’ll be mixed up in the next one.
I saw this movie with another friend… who may have been born around Gen 1. She loved it too… I’m glad it does that… It spans. Go see it. It’ll amaze you at the very least.
Got there too late to see O’Death, which was a bummer, but was able to see all of Deerhunter’s set, which was also a bummer. I agree with Jill- what’s the hype about? They sounded like Bardo Pond, with that one cord wall of noise that gets old quick in a 100 degree venue. But man, that lead singer is a real looker!
Man Man lived up to expectations and were just as good as in this footage (a must see) at a pool party in NYC earlier this month. They were a ball of energy and the number of intruments used was astounding. At one time all five members were playing their own drum set. Their sound is a mix of klezmer and carousel music set to Tom Waits vocals. They gave love to their hometown crowd, but weirdly, never uttered a word to the audience between songs.
Funny story about Man Man: Ddog and I had a chance to see them when they opened for Fiery Furnaces at the First Unitarian Church a few years back, but for some reason we both weren’t really into them yet (they hadn’t grown on us) so we spent the entirety of their set standing outside in the cold smoking cigs and getting our drink on. We’re still kicking ourselves.
CallMeMickey has Push The Eagle’s Stomach available for download.
Daytrotter has some great O’Death studio sessions available.
And lastly, make time to read the Philadelphia City Paper’s April article on Man Man. It’s a great read with crazy pics. NOW I’m a little scared of these guys…
AND THIS JUST IN: Philadelphia Weekly’s fine concerts in the park series will feature Man Man and Favourite Sons August 22! FREE! …and I just paid ten bucks! What a gyp. KIDDING.
Full lineup here.
MAN MAN at the Starlight Chinatown Philly 7/10/2007
Published July 6, 2007 Philly , music , shows Leave a Comment
Didn’t get enough of the home town heroes on the 4th with Mr. Daryl Hall and Mr. John Oates? Be sure to check out Philly’s biggest export of the moment, back home from their stint with Modest Mouse,Man Man performing at the Starlight Ballroom. This show is going to be off several hooks.
I am most familiar with member Billy Dufala’s collaborative works with Philadelphia dancers. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him make beautiful music while beating up on a splinter-worthy broken piano. No clips of Sasha Welsh’s MFA performance (which I too had contributed (video projections)), but here is one from George Alley’s Soirée.
I’m curious as to what Man Man will do live. Their studio recordings incorporate things like fireworks and a dog in a bath tub (not at the same time). See for yourself in Pitchfork’s Special Presentation video. I imagine that there will be no dogs in tubs, but one can only hope that there’ll be a spectacle. There will be a spectacle.
Also be sure to check out Junkmedia’s interview too.
Appearing with Deerhunter (Atlanta) and O’Death (NY). Pics and review following the show!
