April 30, 2005

I know it's Spring...

... cause I'm getting all these damn bugs. Just small ones, but they're brazen, cocky little bastards with no respect or regard for social boundries or the guidelines of a civilized society.

I am thankful that they are small. Not sure I have the stomach to deal with a big meaty old bug. It's been a rough week. I'm tired. I need some rest and an easy going weekend. I can't deal with the thought of some freakish insect trying to carry off my toaster oven.

This weekend I intend to spend a bit of quality time catching up on some studies. A little quiet time with some books and few distractions. And maybe, if I'm up to it, installing Tiger to see if it messes up anything.

April 23, 2005

So....

I didn't take any photos at the Superwolf show... it just didn't seem appropriate. Everybody was just chilling and enjoying the music - except for some guy that got totally wasted, dumped his drink on a bunch of people and then got thrown out. Somehow I missed that.

The show was really good though. The only bummer was that they added a second show later that night, moved the first show up an hour and then kept reminding everyone to get the fuck out once the set was done. The band came out for a three song encore, but the whole watching the clock thing really dampened the mood for me a bit. That's totally not rock and roll.

It's currently raining like a bastard outside and I've been stuck inside since this morning - partly self-imposed while I try to get some stuff done Things that have been hanging over my head for weeks now. However, my ability to procrastinate is still very strong, so instead of doing what I need to, I've found a variety of other distractions to keep me busy.

It's still early, sort of, so maybe I can get a head start for tomorrow. Or maybe I just need a vacation.

April 18, 2005

Monday

Sorry. No time. Very busy.

Show at the Bowery on Thursday, I'll try to post some photos or something.

April 11, 2005

Friday

My friend Bob and I were down at the Bowery Ballroom on Friday to see Bloc Party. Chromeo and The Ponys opened. The biggest surprise for me that night was how much I liked Chromeo's performance. I honestly don't know that much about them beyond that song, "Needy Girl", that seems on the verge of being overplayed. The song itself is fun and totally catchy, but based on that, I would never have guessed that the band responsible for it could put on a totally kick ass show. An added bonus was the beautiful Gibson Flying V that Dave 1 played during the show when all I really expected to see was stage of synthesisers, two guys and a vocoder. (They also had the good sense to put a live drummer on stage, and that makes a BIG difference.

Next up was The Ponys, and they were pretty good. Not really a standout performance, but definitely a good solid, straight-ahead band. We went to the back of the room for a beer and took in the band from there.

When Bloc Party took the stage around 11, the room was filled with very excited fans. Their Wednesday show in Philadelphia had been cancelled due to the lead singer blowing out his voice, but he was fine Friday night. Most likely they were looking for a break in a long tour schedule to rest up for the weekend shows.

The band was great and put on an amazing show. The crowd was so wrapped up in the whole thing that some actually began to dance at the front of the stage. It's such a rush when the band is really cranking and the crowd is just loving it. It really ratchets up the experience a few notches.

I have been lucky enough to catch some really fantastic and impressive shows this year so far, and I have to put Bloc Party up there too. I had been reading so much about Bloc Party lately and people just gushing over their album and shows - sometimes that just sets you up for a big disappointment. But they totally delivered at the Bowery on Friday. I am a believer. Hell, tell you what, I'll even go buy the album.

April 07, 2005

Time Change

We've been really busy at work and I haven't had much of a chance to write, but I should just say that I am so glad it's gotten warmer out and when I leave work (most nights) it's still light out. I'm totally looking forward to my second Spring/Summer in Brooklyn.

When things calm down a bit hopefully I'll be able to make a few entries. I will be at the Bowery tomorrow to see Chromeo and Bloc Party. I'll probably take a few photos or something.

April 03, 2005

The Big Onion Blues turns 10

While working at a job a ways back, I had a big crush on a married woman that worked upstairs in public relations. It was all very innocent and, of course, nothing came of it - if she knew, she never let on.

It was her sense of humor that drew me to her. She had a well honed sense of the absurd and an overactive imagination that easily exploited the work atmosphere. She would telephone random people in the office and, as they picked up, transfer the call to some other random person. Sometimes she would leave strange rambling stream-of-consciousness group voicemail messages late at night. Yes, looking back, she may have been insane - but it was the good, fun kind of insane. Right?

It was in one of those strange rambling stream-of-consciousness messages that she first used the phrase "Big Onion Blues" to describe her mood. It had so much potential that I took the phrase and wrote a blues song for her.

Late one night I recorded it with two of my friends: Bill on drums and "Fretless" Joe on bass. Bill was the music director there and did an amazing job recording the tracks. Joe also worked in the audio department and added effects to the final piece. I assumed the role of Blind Onion Wilson and also played guitar.

This is the 10th year anniversary of the song, so I have decided to re-release it, so to speak, and dedicate it to everyone that made it possible...

Big Onion Blues (3.65 MB).

April 01, 2005

3 is a magic number

This morning at the gym there was a visibly agitated man going from locker to locker, checking the numbers and muttering under his breath.

"That one's taken. That one's taken. So's that one. That one, too."

Finally he settled on a locker two down from the one that I was currently putting my clothes into. I heard him exhale a long slow sigh and whisper to himself...

"At least it's a prime number."