October 31, 2004

Happy Birthday to me

At this point I often have trouble remembering how old I am. When someone asks, I honestly have to think about it before I can give an answer. Sometimes that can look suspicious, I imagine. I'm over 21, I swear. Way Over.

I believe the root of the problem is that after a certain point you pass all of the milestones: 16, 18, 21, 25... then the milestones get farther away: 30, 40, 50, 65. The sense of anticipation is replaced with a sense of, oh I don't know, foreboding? Too strong? Maybe.

So that's where I'm at. Another year, but at least it's always interesting.

October 30, 2004

Table for One

Today, for the first time ever, I ate in a restaurant alone. I'm not going to count eating at a bar, which I have done a number of times and never considered it that much of a big deal. But for some reason, actually going into a retaurant and being seated at a table alone made me hyper-aware.

Even up to a couple weeks ago I was telling a friend that the idea of dining alone made me uncomfortable. Just the thought of sitting there... eating... alone ... seems so odd. But I found myself coming back into Manhattan around lunch time, and I had some errand to run so it would probably be awhile before I got back to Brooklyn, and I had just picked up a couple of magazines, so I thought, what the hell.

Like most things that freak me out, once it's happening it's never as unusual or dramatic as I worked it up to inside my head. I fact, while I was there four other people came in and took tables alone. Maybe I just picked the right place.

I read a short article on The Mountain Goats in some acoustic guitar magazine, flipped through a Rolling Stone (which I despise but bought because of the interview with John Kerry and an article by Hunter Thompson), had a few beers and scanned the room for amusement.

October 28, 2004

Who are You?

Why must the Who whore themselves out in such embarrassing television commercials? First it was the Overture from Tommy for Allegra or was it first the use of 'Bargain' for some SUV? Now I can't remember. Then it was 'Happy Jack' for Hummer SUVs of all things. Ugh. Now it's 'I Can See for Miles' for some fucking headlight! A headlight for crissakes. Does everything have to be so literal? I love the Who. I have loved the Who for years and years. I devoured every magazine article and story; every tall tale, myth and rumour; every film and television performance. The Who were even going to be the first live show I would have gone to but they cancelled the appearance (bastards). It PAINS me for this blatant misuse of music to continue. Why?!? Why!?!

HP has a really clever and well produced commercial that uses the Kinks 'Picturebook'. You know, the commercial with all the people passing paper photo frames that turn into photos of the things they pass. It's totally smart and it doesn't degrade the song. It doesn't make me shiver with loathing when it comes on like the Who ones (or the Cadillac 'Rock and Roll' campaign - don't get me started on that one).

I don't want my favorite childhood band sullied. Maybe Pete Townshend needs the money... who knows. He can sell the songs, I guess. Just do it in a smart way.

Running in Place

I am not sure if there is anything as ridiculous as running on a treadmill. And yet that is primarily what I find myself doing since I joined the gym in my neighborhood. There was a bit of improvement when the place expanded and moved most of the cardio equipment upstairs. Now I can stare out the window at the vacant lot across the street... maybe catch sight of a rat or something interesting while running steadily in place. If there's nothing outside I can always go back to the miniature televisions.

After awhile those same music videos playing over and over can get to you. If the rotation order would vary a bit, perhaps that would help. I know to avoid being up there at 7:40 because I absolutely refuse to run to Magic Carpet Ride.

Of course, this week I have been awful. I try to go Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and this week I haven't gone at all. Well, tomorrow I have to go or the week is a wash. It's just that with the colder weather it's so much easier just to stay in bed.

And to be fair, I was away on Monday so that doesn't really count.

October 09, 2004

Puffy Ami Yumi: Webster Hall

There is something irresistable about Puffy AmiYumi. I'm not sure what it is or how I ended up seeing them live, but I'm glad I did.

It was just a hunch, I guess. I have always had a taste for the absurd, so when a friend asked me to pick up tickets for Puffy Ami Yumi, I couldn't resist looking up their website.

I really didn't know much about them, but reading the different news items did remind me that I had heard about some crazy Japanese band being sued by Puff Daddy. Oh yeah.

Well, the played at Webster Hall (the Mosquitos opened) and the whole scene was pretty crazy. For one I didn't realize that they barely speak english and all of the stage banter was in Japanese. Any english that was spoken was written out ahead of time and read by Ami or Yumi from a sheet of paper.

But then, they are bigger than Madonna in Tokyo so I imagine they can do anything they want. Which also explains in a way why they only played three shows in the United States... because they don't need to, really. They're just testing the waters and doing a bit of promotion for their work with The Cartoon Network.

The show itself was really good. The band was tight despite the drummer's flight being delayed and arriving from Japan only an hour before the show. He got big applause for this.

Their songs are fun and catchy if you like Japanese Pop, or even just any pop. And because they borrow liberally from the catalogues of classic rock to fill in riffs and licks as they go, you may vaguely feel that you have heard these songs before.

October 08, 2004

Mountain Goats: SouthPaw

I saw the Mountain Goats at SouthPaw Wednesday night. They are absolutely my favorite band right now. I am not sure I can accurately describe how happy that band makes me. John Darnielle is a goddamn genius.

My friend Eric recommended them to me months ago and this was the first time I saw them live.

The show started late. The doors opened at 8 but John Vanderslice, who opened, didn't go on until 10. The Mountain Goats didn't get to the stage until 11.

Even though it was a work night, it was totally worth it.

Who would have thought that there could be such a crazy energy coming from just one acoustic guitar (and John sat through most of the show) and a bass? It helps that John Darnielle's lyrics are the smartest and most perceptive being written today. Well, in my opinion.

Highlights were definitely "No Children" and when Vanderslice and his band came out to join in a full tilt version of "See America Right". In fact, he could have played the whole Tallahassee album start to finish all night for all I cared. Hell, I do that at home sometimes.

My only complaint was that it was seemed so short. It was a little over an hour but it seemed to go by much too quickly. I guess it's a good thing they stopped so I knew when to go home.