Recent Shows
Metro 06/13/00
National Skyline was sort of disappointing. I got their CD to review a few months ago and liked it pretty well, but their live show is really a bit indulgent. There is a bit too much ambience and guitar noise for my taste.
The Gloria Record was what I was afraid they might be. In a different time and place this would be perfectly fine, but I've seen a few too many young white males pouring their hearts out like this recently.
Fireside Bowl 06/14/00
Mike Kinsella was alright. He is, of course, ex Cap'n Jazz, ex Joan of Arc and ex American Football, which is to say American Football is finally officially broken up. Anyway, he did the solo acoustic thing with recorded backup. Decent stuff. Photos
Urban Legends had a nice rock pop thing going on. The singer had sort of a weird voice but the drummer was a girl, which is always a plus. Photos
Cerberus Shoal was really pretty amazing. They are a six piece with about four or five instruments each. The songs would go through long periods of discordant repetitive notes before suddenly exploding into crunching, angular melodies more extreme than A Minor Forest in their darkest dread-math hours. Their music is so far removed from everything I'm used to hearing that even if I had hated it I would have had a deep respect for its uniqueness. Photos
Fireside Bowl 06/17/00
Grotto played some fast, straightforward hardcore. Not a lot of change from song to song, but not terrible either. Photos
The Vida Blue might well land somewhere on my top 30 or so live bands. They play with an impressive degree of emotion and sincerity that clearly takes a lot out of them. the pictures speak for themselves. Photos
American Heritage still plays the spastic, grindy math stuff, but they have some more effects and even singing now. During their last song, half a dozen clearly intoxicated fans scrambled up onto the stage to dance. This in itself wasn't a problem, but someone broke bottles against the stage, which could have hurt someone and created a mess that one of the conscientious boys from Haymarket Riot had to clean up. The bass player's pedal also was broken during the melee, which he clearly wasn't very happy about. Photos
Sweep the Leg Johnny was pretty good. They managed to keep the energy level high even while contending with finicky mics. The long-winded, tension/release stuff off of "Tomorrow we will run faster" sounded the best. Photos
General Info
06/15/00 ~ Afternoon
Show on Tuesday sort of sucked. Show on Wednesday was great. Saw the guy from Last Ditch Effort whose name I forgot again (Ben?), met Erin, met the guy from Cerberus Shoal whose name I forgot. I'm bad with names...
There are new pictures as well. Mike Kinsella, Urban Legends and Cerberus Shoal.
What do you think of the new three column layout? I've organized things loosely by subject matter. Is it easier to read?
06/16/00
There is a very funny interview with Steve Albini (ex Shellac, produces everybody important) in this week's issue of The Onion. Read it here. And "Justify Your Existence" is with Atom Bomb Pocket Knife. A very indie issue.
06/18/00 ~ Evening
I got my father some books ("Atlas Shrugged," "Drive," Hang Time," and one containing "proof" Elvis is still alive) for Father's Day.
Days Between Stations has moved. Deadwinter has a new layout.
I love taking pictures at hardcore shows. When a slow, quiet band is playing, I have to rely on different angles and lightings to get cool shots. When a band is playing fast and going crazy, I can shoot it with my eyes closed. I got some great pictures of Grotto, The Vida Blue, American Heritage and Sweep the Leg Johnny.
"Behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living. Since the dawn of time, roughly a hundred billion human beings have walked the planet Earth. Now this is an interesting number, for by a curious coincidence there are approximately a hundred billion stars in our local universe, the Milky Way. So for every man who has ever lived, in this Universe there shines a star." -Arthur C. Clarke
Are your friends using you? This survey is seriously funny. "Do you have friends who are as psyched to chill with you watching Dawson's Creek as they are to a college bash?"
Links
The World's Most Boring Webcam: Just what it sounds like. The FAQ is pretty funny.
Cerberus Shoal: Take stirring strings, Tortoise's xylophone, clashing percussion, dark atmosphere and Eastern rhythms. Mix, let cool, serve.
Fred Weaver: Sparse, sometimes jarring acoustic music. Ex Vineland.
Joe Lavin: Internet humor columnist. June 16th column is very funny. Links to other columnists as well.
CMJ: Lists, lots and lots of reviews...
Sweep the Leg Johnny: Chaotic, imploding math-rock accented by an alternately bouncing / blasting alto sax. Not for the faint of heart.
History of the Internet and Web: Goes all the way back to 700 BC. If you happen to be half as interested in timelines as I am check it out...
CBGB Photo History: Photos from CBGB's in New York, some quite old. Blondie, The Police, Ramones, etc.
The Ultimate Band List: Just type in the name of a band for fan sites, official sites, interviews, and who knows what else.
E-zine list: Extensive list of internet-based publications.