Concert Experiences

There are many great concert experiences one could cull from a live performance. The full on rawk show, with lazer's, explosions, light shows, rawk show sing-a-longs when the singer holds out the mic to indicate, "Okay, everybody else sing now, I'm tired, then I'll compliment you and say the city that I'm in name for gratuitous applause". There's the intimate coffee house setting, solo acoustic(!!) the jaw-dropping moment, the can't-wipe-my-smile-off-my-face moment, face melting (but not in the Raiders of the Lost Ark way), the obscure cover moment where all the hard core fans are beside themselves with giddiness that their hero would play such an obscure gem. Then there's the weird dancing guy, you know, like Beatle_Bob, that may or may not take away from your concert going experience. Who can forget the I-think-I-just-met-my-future-significant other moment when someone near you knows all the same lyrics as you do. How is this possible? And she's a cute girl too! Then there's the bring a bunch of fans up to the stage who kinda look outta place up there, like kids trying to play the "Grand Prize Game" on Bozo but at the same time they think they are so cool cos they are on stage.

However(comma), the one I have in mind a somewhat modest concert moment. It's when you may drive to the show and you are listening to the band you are going to see as a pre-show primer. This does not violate any concert going ettiquette, such as wearing the concert shirt to see the band you are seeing, but I digress and that's for another blog entry, probably someone else's blog. May I resume? You park your car, the song is in mid-song as you turn the ignition off. Then later that night you hear that song and you think to yourself, "Hey, that was the song I was (ahem) jammin' to in my car as I parked it!"

This phenomenon happened to me last night at The_Waco_Brothers show at Schubas Tavern in Chicago. The song, "Nothing At All" from their fine record, "Freedom and Weep".

Vic Chesnutt 1964 - 2009

On Christmas Eve I had just listened to Vic Chesnutt's latest record, "At the Cut". It's been on semi-regular rotation since I saw him for the first time in my life at Lincoln Hall in early November 2009. I came up to check my computer (yeah, I still use one of those antiques that sit on a desk, not a laptop, not a iPhone, droid, Zune, Dune, or similar apparatus) and was saddened to see Vic Chesnutt was in a coma! Of course, in this day and age with interwebs, wits, twits, texts, and twats, news does tend to spread fast, even if it's erroneous news. After some ill-advised news leaks in the next 24 hours, it was confirmed that Vic Chesnutt had died on Christmas Day 2009. It was an apparent suicide attempt that had left him in a coma.

I had heard of Chesnutt's music before, had it on a soundtrack or a compilation CD, but admittedly, I'm late to the party with his oeuvre of music. Then there was the R.E.M connection that had garnered his music some attention. The aforementioned show at Lincoln Hall was basically my introduction to Vic Chesnutt. When I heard him play those songs that night were the first times I had heard those songs in my life. There were probably less than 100 people in the Hall that night. I was about 10 feet from the stage.

"We're here to play some mu-jik tonight." was his intro. It was just an odd pronounciation of the word "music". At first I wasn't sure if that was how he pronounced the word, a speech impediment, or he was just goofin around. Chesnutt has been in a wheel chair since 1983 when he was in a car accident.

So I'm standin there, taking in this show, he has a full band in tow with former members of Fugazi and Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra. I can read "Vic" on the headstock of his guitar. The guitar has that all too cool "played" look. He gets a great sound out of it. He plays surprisingly well despite his physical limitations. But who am I to call them limitations? Fool. The band completely rocks in the context of Chesnutt's songs culled mostly from his last two records. He's a dynamic performer, one of the more passionate performers I've ever seen in my life. It was just the way he would tug on his shirt, adjusted his seat in his chair, paused between songs, told a joke or a story, and just the way he belted out lyrics were nothing short of stunning. The most compelling song of the night was the way he sat in the wheel chair belting out, "Coward" off his last record. In a lifetime of going to see live music, this song, without question, was one of the best live performances of any one song I have ever seen.

More people are writing more fitting tributes than I to Vic Chesnutt's music and legacy. As Chesnutt lived a life with chemical dependancy and previous suicide attempts the lyrics to this song seem only apropo. These are from "Flirted With You All My Life", a song from his last record.

I am a man.
I am self-aware.
And everywhere I go
You're always right there with me.
I flirted with you all my life,
Even kissed you once or twice
And to this day I swear it was nice
But clearly I was not ready.

When you touched a friend of mine,
I thought I would lose my mind.
But I found out with time
That really, I was not ready.
Oh, death. Oh, oh, death.
Oh, death. Really, I'm not ready.

Oh, death, you hector me.
Death's unmade those dear to me.
You tease me with your sweet relief.
You're cruel and you are constant.
When my mom was cancer-sick,
She fought but then succumbed to it.
But you made her beg for it.
"Lord Jesus, please I'm ready."
Oh, death. Oh, oh, death.
Oh, death. Really, I'm not ready.
Oh, death. Oh, oh, death.
Oh, death. Clearly, I'm not ready, no, no.

The Record Cleaning Experience

As I've noted in these parts, I listen to music in mediums of CD, mp3, and primarily vinyl. Sorry cassette and 8-Track fans. I go to great lengths to enjoy my listening experience. It's not just listening, there are tangible touchy feelie things involved. It's not just background noise though I'd be a liar if sometimes it turns out that way.

These are some of the extraordinary measures I go to when purchasing records, new and used. Going back to first getting records, the first thing I check after cracking open the cellophane is to see if there is a lyric sheet in the record. If so, oh happy day! If not, just a little more work listening.

The next thing I do is clean my records. Presently I use these things products. I use the no-rinse Quick-Wash Record-Cleaner, the Miracle Brush, the Audio Quest Carbon Fiber Brush, and the Disc Doctor's Stylus Cleaner. Though a record cleaner vacuum seems like a coveted item, I made one myself. Though many products of this ilk can be found with a simple internet search, most of the links I've supplied here are from The Needle Doctor. Highly recommended from this music listener. Call 'em with your order, knowledgeable music fans who are eager to help and share their experience, not to mention their favorite record spins, if asked.

Here is a rough sketch on how I made the record vacuum. The first thing I found was a motor from an old vacuum cleaner. I proceeded to build a box around this. I attached some tubing (in layman's terms, it's just black tubing I got from the hardware store) and I then used the curtain or furniture attachment and cut an 1/8 inch slit along the length of this piece. I sealed the end with some caulk and a small piece of plastic. I put some black felt (as seen in photo) on each side of the slit to protect the records. I'll cut new felt and replace it from time to time. I've used an old turntable that was from my teenage years (circa 1982!) as my work station. Do I feel like a bit of a shoemaker by making my own vacuum? Yeah, a little, but this system seems to work well and my records are clean and sound great. Maybe if I have enough nuts stored away someday I'll invest in a professional record vacuum, but in the meantime . . .

I begin by placing the record on the turntable cleaning station which is on my vacuum. I soak the brush with cleaner and work it in for a few revelations and then some back and forth half spins (per the instructions) for about 20-30 seconds. I then vacuum up any excess cleaner and dirt that is still on the record. I then let them air dry with any excess liquid that may remain though the vacuum seems plenty strong enough.

One other thing that I do is make sure all my records are stored in record_sleeves. I've gotten a little lenient on storing all my records in these sleeves because I've found that as long as they are in a sleeve, they seem to have adequete protection despite the claims made on the hi-lighted sleeve link. I'm a little selective in what records get the fancy sleeve and which ones get the factory installed sleeve.

The other sleeve I use is an outer album jacket sleeve to protect the record cover. I store the records so that the record won't slide out of the jacket nor the sleeve.

Another little thing I like to do that is more of a personal preference is that any little sticker or label that was on the original shrink wrap I cut out and retape it to the album sleeve. All these records as shone are in a sleeve with the original sticker attached to the new record sleeve.

The Carbon Fiber brush is used for everyday use before playing a record. This removes any dust that may have accumulated in just general record usage. It's gonna happen. However, if you don't manhandle your records or let Uncle Fester touch the grooves of the records with his grubby mitts, there is no need to vacuum and clean them again. Just use the carbon fiber brush before you spin each side. The stylus brush, well, it's just what it says. Clean periodically with the cleaner but as I said, if your records are kept clean, rarely do I get a fuzzy little dangle on my needle . . . hey, wait a minute. . .

Are these extravagant practices? Umm, probably. Is it a labor of listening love? Most certainly. One thing I found odd was that my latest turntable, a Rega-P3-24, suggests that record cleaning is over-rated despite the record cleaning company claims. This is quoted from the instruction manuel, "Don't worry about visible dust on the record surface, this is brushed aside by the stylus and any that collects on the stylus can be easily blown away. In general, record cleaning is overdone and one should not believe all the claims made by record cleaner manufacturers."

This thinking almost swayed me to thinking that I don't have to go to such measures (or at least moved my "fader knob" more to the middle) to have clean vinyl. Almost. I think it's in my system now. To borrow a current cliche in writing. The series of one word sentences to accentuate the drama! Must. Clean. Records.

Welcome Fats Domino

This nonsense I like to call a blob of a blog and last.fm's rwagner would like to welcome Fats_Domino to his Top 50 playlist with 542 plays. With the minimum requirement of over 500 plays to crack "rwagner" Top 50 this is quite a coup for Fats (like it really matters much to Fats or his next of kin). Most of these plays have come in recent days as the "house music" for the Chick N Dip Drive In (as seen in the book "Drive- In Deluxe") in Hampshire, Il. Fats' early rock n roll recordings, that were so influential at the dawn of the rock era, sound right at home in the dining room of the Chick N Dip whose birth itself took place in the 1950's. In fact, one recent diner in the diner commented, "This music is perfect for a place like this." Most of these listens came via the Fats Domino box set "Walking to New Orleans". If you don't have it, do yourself a favor and get it.

Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard at Lincoln Hall, Chicago, Illinois

On October 26, 2009 I was fortunate enough to attend one of just a handful of shows Jay Farrar (of Son Volt) and Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) performed at the new Lincoln Hall in Chicago. The venue is in what was the old Three Penny movie theater on Lincoln Avenue. It's just a few doors down from the late great legendary Lounge Ax Ax as well as across from the Biograph Theater, where John Dillinger saw his last film.

Farrar and Gibbard recently united to record songs inspired from Jack_Kerouac's book, "Big Sur". The record, "One Fast Move or I'm Gone", is one of my favorite new releases of the late 2009 season. While, admittedly, I'm not well versed in the DCFC catalog (that won't be for long), Farrar has long been one of my favorite's since my introduction to Uncle Tupelo in 1992 with "Still Feel Gone".

The pristine new Lincoln Hall with it's friendly staff (I wondered to some friends if they could bring that ol' cranky door man from Lounge Ax) was full capacity and a scarce ticket. Farrar and Gibbard were accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Mark Spencer, Jon Wurster (of Superchunk, who also played on Farrar's 2001 release "Sebastopol") and Nick Harmer on bass. The acoustics in LH are tremendous and the crowd was so attentive that if one spoke between songs it would have been akin to speaking loud in a library. Farrar had commented that this was the "one week anniversary" of the band. This caused Gibbard to quip, "Oh, I forgot to pick you up something." The band, surprisingly tight for only being together for a week, played the entire record. In addition a few choice covers that included, Bob Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie", Farrar's own "Voodoo Candle" done as more of a pop song, and Tom Waits "Old Shoes" (and Picture Postcards). Both singers songs from the new record are very strong and both vocals accompany each other quite well, especially Farrar's backing vocal on "One Fast Move and I'm Gone". Gibbard made it a point to state that these songs were, in fact, written by Kerouac. It was also nice to see Farrar out of his element a bit as opposed to his shows with Son Volt. It's just nice to see him change it up a bit and just be a dude in a band.

It was a great introduction for myself to the new Lincoln Hall. It's only a matter of time before the place gets that lived in rock show feel but by initial appearances this is going to a well-run club, incidentally, owned by the same fine folks who run Schubas. Also, it would be nice to see Farrar and Gibbard collaborate again in the future.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the United Center 9/20/2009

While this review is a few days late, I figured hey what the hey, I wrote a brief review of The Replacements last ever show from 1991 a few blog entries ago, which is according to my math, is almost 20 years ago. First and foremost, if Springsteen is in the Chicago area, I go. Period. Exclamation point! End of conversation. I couldn't imagine not being there if he was just 30 some miles from my house. Well, I take that back, I did skip the show he did a U.S._Cellular_Field back in the olden days when it was called Comiskey Park for The Rising tour. I had already seen 4 or 5 shows on that tour and single gigs in stadiums usually result in a "typical setlist" for Springsteen. Then again, a "typical setlist" for a Springsteen show usually conquers any setlists by most bands.

Finding out when tickets went on sale that Springsteen would be playing "Born to Run" (the album) (Yes, that's a nod to Wilco) not just "Born to Run" (the song) had the Springsteen concert chills going even before the tickets went on sale. As most Springsteen followers know, he regularly changes the setlists from night to night but even then his shows can have a certain predictability, e.g. "'Point Blank' was put in 'The River' slot on night 2 in Boston". So with an entire album performed in it's entirety I thought there'd be an extra aura of excitement.

I brought my lovely wife and one of her favorite songs is "Thunder Road" so as we arrived at the U.C. we weren't late but we were pushing it, we parked, got out, it was raining outside and I said, "What if he starts the show with the album, we'd miss 'Thunder Road'!" So that prompted us into a slight jog . . . "We can make it if we run . . ." Instead, Springsteen played 7 songs before kicking off the record, the first being "Seeds", originally off the "Live 1975-1985" boxset. Next was a rousing, rocking "No Surrender" and then a few songs all the cool Bruce kids are calling "the recession set". Whatever.

What I call it was a no-nonsense, take no prisoners, rock n roll show. There was little Springsteen schitck and little time between songs. It was the song ends, guitar tech throws Springsteen another guitar and then it's "One Two Three Four!" he counts off the next song. Even "Preacher Bruce" was absent save for a little spiel during "Working On A Dream" and Springsteen spent most of that spiel pointing out, "that was the sound of the E Street Band fuckin' up." Then Steve_Van_Zandt pointed out the Bruce that he forgot a verse and Bruce said, "Steve told me that I forgot a verse so that was the sound of the 'Boss Man' fucking up." Sprinsteen was waaaay out in the "pit" a.ka. mainfloor, for "Hungry Heart" which caused Steve Van Zandt to quip on WXRT the next day, "Bruce spends more time in the audience these days than he does on the stage."

Then Springsteen introduced the moment we had been waiting for, "Born to Run". He said words to the effect how his first couple records stiffed and that this record was more or less a make or break record. So with harmonica in hand, house lights up, he let wail those all to familiar sounds of "Thunder Road". It's like it was no secret to the entire audience what song was next but yet to hear it open the record live, the crowd let out a collective "aaaaaaaah". It was incredible. "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" was quick, to the point, "Here's the important part" when "the Big Man joined the band", and no band intros like in the 1999 tour. There was also an added trumpet player, Curt Ramm, to join Clarence Clemons. "Night" was good, and having backseats behind the stage for "Backstreets", watching Max Weinberg play the intro to "Backstreets" was surreal. It was odd to have "Born to Run" in the middle of the set but the place went nuts and the obligatory house lights were up! Clarence seemed out of the picture when I saw Springsteen in May. He doesn't get around as much, but on this night he was on his game and Springsteen used him as a foil like he used to in "She's the One". Bo Diddley would have been proud.

The highlights of the record as it was performed were "Meeting Across the River" and "Jungleland". Personally, I had heard them in sequence before but this time they had the trumpet player! Sheesh, I'm having a "Magnolia" moment right now as a slew of acorns are falling on my porch roof. On Roy Bittan's piano riser were just Roy, Curt Ramm on trumpet, and Richard Davis on stand-up bass. Davis played stand-up bass on the original record in 1975. And of course, Springsteen on the mic . . . "Hey Eddie, can you loan me a few bucks . . ."

As with the rest of the record, we knew *what* songs were next yet to hear "Jungleland" follow"Meeting Across the River" was a Springsteen concert goers dream. Again, just Suzee Tyrell on violin next to Roy Bittan on piano . . . "The rangers had a homecoming..." Not to cite to many Springsteen concert cliches but Clarence really nailed the sax solo on "Jungleland". Springsteen took a stand on Roy Bittan's piano during the sax solo punching the air for emphasis along with Max's drums. As the song was ending, I was thinking if this band doesn't get a 7 minute standing ovation we all should turn in our Springsteen fan cards.

It appeared anything to follow "Born to Run" would be a letdown but it was not to be. The rest of the show continued with "Waiting On A Sunny Day" (the singing kid section needs to be retired already), "Promised Land", "Radio Nowhere", "Lonesome Day", "The Rising", and (upcoming concert cliche) a blistering version of "Badlands".

This has now become a nice change of pace at Springsteen shows, the request segment. Fans bring signs, hold up signs, for Springsteen to play. Some of them are obscurities and some are cool and no so cool covers. Bruce will scour the "pit" for request signs, get confirmation from the band that they can indeed play it, then rip through it. As Van Zandt pointed out the next day on an interview on Chicago's wxrt, they really are rehearsing those songs right then and there on the spot. These signs aren't "plants". He said words to the effect of, "We just run through it and make sure there is not bridge that won't embarrass us." On this night we were treated to, "Da Do Ron Ron", "Rockin' Robbin", as well as the little played "I'm Goin' Down" from "Born in the USA".

What was odd was that the band never left the stage for encores. They just stayed up there. The show ended with "American Land", "Dancing In the Dark", and what appeared to be a treat (okay, we'll just say it probably wasn't on the original setlist) for all us good fans in Chicago, "Rosalita".

In my 25 plus years of seeing Springsteen, this was probably one of the best shows I had seen him play. The last time I saw him it didn't seem that energetic, a lot of newer material from the new record, and probably, the biggest indictment of the show probably came from me. My daughter had fallen off (umm pushed off) a swing-set at the neighbors, was okay, but banged up purty good, so my mind may have been elsewhere for the May show.

Then when my 5 year old daughter asked about the show on Monday, I told her Springsteen played all of the "Born to Run" record. She exclaimed, "He played all of side one and then side two?"

Beatles Box Set

This Beatles stereo box set is a revalation in sound. While some of it doesn't sound too much different than the recordings I have on vinyl or CD, there are certainly plenty of "wow" factors in listening. More later . . .

Saving the Lords Park Zoo

I've posted here in these parts various things about Lords Park. Being that we live across from Lords Park, it holds a very special place in my heart. I even have a folder specifically for Lords Park in the photo link in this blog. Word has recently leaked through various voices in the press that they ("They" being the City of Elgin) are going to remove the animals from Lords Park in a cost cutting measure in these troubled economic times. Maybe the times are not as troubled as they once were but I just like writing, "troubled economic times". Here is a recent story from August 16th from the Elgin Courier News. Elgin-Bye-bye-bison

There are bison, elk, and deer in the park, not to mention several, seemingly thousand, Canadian geese and ducks. There had been a farm petting zoo during the summer months but that was removed this past summer in a Elgin cost cutting measure. The bison have been in Lords Park since the early 1900's. Generations of families have come to Lords Park to see these animals. When I tell people I live near Lords Park, ultimately, the first thing they ask me is if the buffalo are still there. I always proudly tell them they are.

Now, they are in serious jeopardy of being moved elsewhere. It's a crime but there is hope. The "Friends of Lords Park Zoo" have a website with info regarding this. Most importantly is a petition to sign. If you are reading this, please take a moment to sign the petition.

http://www.petitiononline.com/LPZBISON/petition.html

The Wrens at Schubas Tavern - Chicago July 24, 2009

New Jersey's own, The Wrens, played Schubas Tavern in Chicago, Illinois in what was the first of two shows. I had been anticipating this show for a couple of years since I had first seen The Wrens a couple years ago at Schubas (it's really bugin me that I can't put an apostrophe in Schubas). I was floored by that show. It was so good that The Wrens made my short list of bands that I must see whenever they are in town. I did see them a second time at some street festival a couple of summers ago but that didn't match the intensity of the show I saw at Schubas.

The "house" music at Schubas when I walked in was Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska".

The show started with the recently rumored to be dead Thax_Douglas reading some poems. Thax is alive and well. His poems? Well . . . let's just say I'm not a fan but it is pretty cool that he gets to read poems at rock shows. The show had a similar intensity of the show I saw previously in the quaint settings of Schubas. Kevin Whelan is a near madman on stage. It's like just when you're about to think he's going to go completely mad, he reigns it back in with humor and wonderful songs. Greg Whelan is the most "in the pocket" guitarist since Mike_Campbell. I'm not exactly sure what "in the pocket" means but I heard it once to describe Campbell. I know Campbell is as steady as they come. So is Greg Whelan. Charles Bissell, with is somewhat unique guitar playing, is one of my favorite vocalists as well as songwriters. Whew, I avoided using the term "singer/songwriter".

The show itself wasn't too different from the previous show I saw. It had a similar set list but we were treated to 4 or 5 brand-spankin' new songs. It's well-documented of The Wrens glacier-like approach to releasing records so it was refreshing to hear some new material. The newer songs were piano oriented with Kevin Whelan taking the lead vocals. It's hard to make a fair judgement from hearing them just once but my ears didn't hear an "She Sends Kisses" or a "Happy" in the new material. Maybe I'm just a jaded concert goer but they really need to retire the "fans with drumsticks" bit during "Boys, You Won't".

As The Wrens closed out the show the appreciative crowd brought them back for an encore. If you've never been to Schubas, the off stage always humors me because the bands just go outside on the Belmont Avenue sidewalk and just wait to go back in. There is no backstage to speak of. They played the obligatory encore but those nutty kids and fans of The Wrens cheered and cheered for more. The house lights didn't come up, didn't come up, then The Wrens came back to play some more. They made it well-known that they didn't have any more material rehearsed that wouldn't embarrass them. As they joked about it and shrugged their shoulders, the audience laughed and it was comical. Then it became apparent they really didn't have any more songs rehearsed. Really. We got bits and pieces of Led Zeppelin's "Misty Mountain Hop" and "Rock N Roll". We did get what appeared to be an impromptu version of "I've Made Enough Friends" from their record "Secaucus", which was pretty cool.

So not only are they slow pokes at releasing new records, which they make light of themselves and most people find it endearing, including myself. It also became apparent that they don't spend a lot of their free time working on their set lists, song arrangements, or even a few covers. Speaking of covers, we didn't even get The Outfield's "Your Love", which I've heard them cover before. I know most of the band has "day jobs" and families but I did get to thinking, "What the hell? You haven't released a record in 6 years and now you've run out of songs to play? What are you doing in your spare time?" Play freakin' "Ex-Girl Collection" would ya?

Buy hey, it was a good show and they're still on my short list of bands to see, especially if they release that new material . . . someday. While some of the set seemed "paint-by-number" and contrived, The Wrens could have just closed shop and not have come back for an encore they weren't ready for, but they did. So I credit them for that in an age of total lack of spontaneity in rock shows. So while the encore crossed the line from humorous to embarrassing I don't think anyone at Schubas (no apostrophe) left the joint disappointed.

When Rock Peers Speak of Springsteen

In recent years I've read of other rock musicians gushing over Bruce Springsteen as if they were shameless fanboys and girls. When you think about it, aren't most musicians music fans first and foremost? Sure there's been tribute records including one just of "Nebraska" alone. In 2007 there was a big tribute show to honor Springsteen held in New York City with the likes of Steve Earle, The Hold Steady, and Josh Ritter, to name a few. Then there was Bono's glowing Rock N Roll Hall of Fame speech for Springsteen.

The three that have struck me the best have been other musicians talking or writing about Springsteen. Pictured is something hand written by The Clash's Joe Strummer. It needs no introduction, just read it. Here is a link to the pictured story. Click on the word "link".

Here is another ringing endorsement from John Wesley Harding from his blog, click on this link: http://blogs.myspace.com

Then I think of Serge Bielanko of Marah who reviewed a Springsteen show from the 1999 "Tracks" Reunion Tour. It really captures the essence of being a Springsteen fan. I've read this review countless times and each time I do it really reaffirms life as a Bruce Springsteen fan. Here it is.

Dancing in the Dark

(Like a White Boy)

by Serge Bielanko

I.

The sun took South Philly in one last time and then loosened its grip on the evening sky. Down on South Broad Street, not too far from where they blew up the Chicken Man, dusk came rolling in...slow...like a pimp in a Caddy. Darkness on the edge of town? You're goddamn right. I lit a smoke and sighed as traffic from I-95 growled, roared, and faded away. Somebody's "Badlands" collided with someone else's "Born to Run" and it sounded so sweetly menacing that I made a note to try that shit at home. I knew something wonderful was about to happen inside as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band returned to Philly for the first time in ten years. But I had no idea that watching my own friends would turn out to be that thing. Sometimes Springsteen music works real honest-to-god magic. Just ask Ed, or Paul, or me.

II.

My buddy, Ed, was in the fourth row last night and he just called me and said that his life is different now...that things ain't gonna be the same anymore. He said he was driving home after the show and his heart started really skitzin' out. I compared it all to driving home after a spectacular evening of sex with a supermodel. Ed said it was more like three supermodels. You get the idea. Me and my friends were on the side of the stage?real close, great view. But watching Ed down in the fourth row was almost as sweet as watching Bruce himself. From the first notes of "The Ties That Bind," Ed's tree-trunk arms were pumping his fists toward heaven or the moon or something. And his face? God, I wish all of Philly could have seen that boy's face when Bruce kicked into "Badlands." More than joy, more than ecstasy, more than passion was pumping with the blood through the veins of Ed's head. To be honest with you, I'm pretty sure he might've been possessed by the sort of fever that can drive some men to act lewd or crazy or really brave. Bruce's music does that to us. Ed wasn't the only one though. Down three rows from me, my buddy Paul was dancing in the dark, man. Right from the get-go, Paul was doing the white person dance, that concert dance of the non-dancer. Head roll, weave, sway and repeat. It's a beautiful thing to watch your friends do that. They're so free; it's so pure. I stared at him as the songs ended and he clapped and hooted unabashed like some mother at her kid's t-ball game. Through "Backstreets" gusto and "The Promised Land"'s promise Paul kept his body moving, his claps nearly always in time, his grin never missing a beat. He'll never forget it and neither will I.

III.

And then there was me. I've never tried too hard to like people who aren't into Springsteen. Our friendship could go nowhere and our future would be bleaker than "The River." It's fine? like what you like, and have a good life. No, me, I am into Springsteen. I am a fierce believer in the vision he's always trumpeted: that rock 'n' roll music could take us all higher emotionally and spiritually; that it could make the world a better place. And so as I clapped my own rhythms and sipped my beer and shouted "Bruuuuuuuuce" with my friends and 20,000 other people in the city I love, I suddenly realized the monumental gifts that Springsteen has repeatedly brought back to us again and again through the years. There is the music, of course. All of those albums that have soundtracked our lives and guided us through the whimsical gauntlet of time. And all of those shows?all those mesmerizing nights set ablaze by the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world. But there's also a lot of hard-to-describe gifts; gifts that he's given us that require time and craft to really articulate into words. I'm talking about all of the passion, the glory, and the sense of triumph we've been privy to just by participating in his world and allowing him into ours. It ain't bullshit, people, and it never has been. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are as real as the night is long, and I know there're a lot of people who would agree with that. But I guess in the end, only the Springsteen fan could really fathom the whole thing, the feeling you get watching your friends dance to the music.

Maybe Ed summed it up best when I asked him if he thought Bruce saw him so pumped up with life up there in the front...and maybe even looked him in the eye. "Dude," Ed started, then paused with unconscious conviction. "I know he did." Connection made. Happy 50th Bruce...and thanks for everything.

Serge Bielanko plays guitar, sings, and writes music in the band

Marah?which can pull off the riproaring-est version of "Streets of

Philadelphia" you've ever heard. Marah's next album is forthcoming from the

E-Squared label.

Sunday Morning Serenity

This morning I was enjoying my Sunday morning on my front porch.  I had my coffee, the sun was shining into my face and into the spindles of our porch.  It was a great morning and it's mornings like this that I think that I really have a good life.  When I have a view like this of Lords Park it really makes me think why would I want to be anywhere else.  As this blog subtitle suggests, I don't have to chase the dangling carrot anymore.  I'm home and I'm home in more ways than I can articulate.

I was up before the family and I was spinnin' Centro-matic's "Dual Hawks" as these pictures were taken.  I got some speakers wired for out on the porch.  It's great to listen to music or even the ballgame on.

Jay Bennett, R.I.P.

I went to Indy500 yesterday, had a great day, Helio won, (not to be confused with The Helio Sequence) played over 100 songs on my iPod on the way there and back in my car on the 3+ hour drive to the track.  Before I went to bed I plugged in my iPod to sync it to scrobble-de-bobble all these songs to last.fm when I read several posts on the Postcard listserv that former Wilco member Jay Bennett had died.  While I hoped it was just internet rumor because, as I've scribed in this very place before, everything you read on the internet is true, I was hoping it wasn't.

Then the more I read, the more official looking website links began filling my gmail inbox.  Sad.  This incarnation of Wilco with Jay Bennett was one of my favorites.  While Jeff Tweedy and John Stirratt remain the constants of the group if I was to make a "Wilco Supergroup" comprised of current and former members of the band, this said band would most certainly include Jay Bennett.

Here is a obit posted by Jim DeRogatis late last night.  Nice long url, huh?  I didn't trim my url.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2009/05/jay_bennett_dead_at_age_45.html

The Replacements last show

I don't get to as many rock shows as some rock show go-ers get to in this world but there is one rock show feather I can stick in my cap.  The Replacements last ever show.  It was July 4th, 1991 in Chicago in Grant Park along Lake Michigan.  Being this the pre-internets age I wasn't aware of the rumors that this indeed could possibly be their last show ever.  I was just going to see one of my favorite bands of all time.

Like with many other bands that I have come to love, er, um or obsess over, I came late the The Replacements (swinging) party.  I had heard of them as early as '85 through a friend but at that time I had the car floored with all things Springsteen.  I didn't see The Replacements until the "Don't Tell A Soul" tour of 1989 at the Aragon Ballroom.  I ended up seeing them, all told, a modest 4 times and one of them being at the vanilla confines of Poplar Creek Music Theater opening for Tom Petty.

Let's get back to the 4th of July in 1991, shall we?  Nothing like blogging about things from almost 20 years ago, huh?  I went with this dude that I worked with.  He was a muscle man.  We get to Grant Park and the line is wrapped all the way around the block.  I think my friend pretty much said, "F--- dis" and proceeds to walk towards the front of the line, walk, walk, walk, I'm following behind him but I didn't want to get greedy about where we were gonna, um, cut in line.  No wait, we just blended into the line since it was a mass of humanity as it was at Taste of Chicago.  As we got closer to the front of the line I'm saying to my friend, "Ron, cut in here, Ron, cut in here, cut in here".  He keeps walking towards the front.  I play along, he slides in right near the front of the line with me close behind.  I figured either no one really noticed that we cut or since he is bulging at his pecs, lats, and biceps and all things muscles I figured even if anyone did notice they didn't want to mess with him.  Once we got in and found seats (yes, seats, not the lawn) I asked Ron if he heard me saying "cut in here" and he said he did but he figured as long as we are cutting why not go for broke?

This was one of the WXRT sponsored shows so needless to say, they probably plugged it ad infinitum.  The other bands on the bill were NRBQ and Material Issue with the late Jim Ellison on vocals.  The show itself was about an hour with the set list heavy on songs from their last record, "All Shook Down".  It was almost Replacements-by-numbers but I wouldn't go so far to say they just phoned it in either.  Looking back at a review from Bill Wyman from the Chicago Reader, I see that they did play nuggets as "Within Your Reach", "Unsatisfied", and "Can't Hardly Wait".  The one thing that did happen that was very Replacements-esque was that they switched instruments during the last song, "Hootenanny" and then handed them off to roadies as they left the stage for the last time. One regret from XRT dj Frank E. Lee that I read in one of their old XRT newsletters was that one of the Replacements handed his guitar to Frank for him to go out and play during the encore.  For whatever reason, Lee declined.

Throughout the years there have been rumors and Internet buzz about Replacements reunions or even Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson getting together in some aspect and calling it The Replacements and those rumors remain just that, rumors.  Personally, I think breaking up as they did and staying broken up only adds to their scruffy legacy.

Stuck my toe in the record sellin' bidna

I was in Elgin Antiques and Uniques a few weeks ago.  He has a fragile little bull in a china shop kinda place that I admire.  I told him how it's been a bit of a pipe dream to have a little shop in downtown Elgin, Il but with records, CD's, and music.  You know, something with maybe a word like "Emporium" in the title.  Ray says to me that people are asking him if he has any records all the time.

So then Ray says to me, "Why don't you bring a box full of records down, we can work something out, and you can sell them on consignment?"  

I almost jump out of my Red Wings at the thought!  I scoured through my 78's and some of my LP's that I didn't really listen to that much or records that I thought might do well in an antique store.  I brought down about 50 - 78 speed records to sell at a buck a piece.  Nothing special just the dime-a-dozen waltzes and fox trots you can pretty much pick up anywhere.  Even those, though, have a nice old antique feel that put you in another place as you listen to them.  I also brought down about 40 records that I have priced anywhere from a couple bucks to $10-15.  I mostly just priced them by my heart, what some were going for on ebay, or the Jerry Osborne Rockin Records  guide.

Apparently I sold 5 records at Elgin Uniques Grand Opening!  If I remember correctly, I sold Led Zeppelin "Coda", a Chuck Berry 2 record set, Blues Brothers "Made In America", and perhaps an old Duke Ellington live set.  I'll be switching out some records and adding others that I get.  We'll see how it goes, ya know, vinyl is making a comeback. . .

How does "Comeback Records and Music Emporium" sound for a record store name?

Greatest Invention of the Download Era

The greatest invention of the download era is when you purchase (Did you read that you downloading crooks? "purchase."  That means you buy it.) a new record of the vinyl variety often times it comes with a code for a digital download off the bands web site or record label site.  In fact, it's strange if you buy a new release on vinyl and it doesn't come with a digital download of some sort.  Some records will even come with a CD packageed within the record sleeve.  The digital download code one of the few bright spots in an otherwise spiraling record industry. 

A recent example of a download code from Roger Bryan and the Orphans

It's like someone, some "suit" with a brain knew that people who still like to spin records, young and old, are also using iPods and MP3 players to play their music.  So it's like we all get the best of both worlds, we can get the warmth of listening to a record and making that ever excruciating decision of "side one or side two" and still the the convenience of taking your music with you with an iPod.  

If We Never Meet Again

"If We Never Meet Again" is one of the more underated rock songs to come out of the sheen-age production of the 1980's.  It was penned by Jules_Shear who may not be a household name but some of the songs he has written became hits for others, notably, The_Bangles, "If She Knew What She Wants" in 1986.  If you had already clicked and read the Shears link I posted, you would have read that Shears also was the creator of "MTV Unplugged" and did host the first 13 episodes.  "If We Never Meet Again" is a good mid-tempo little rock song and as someone once said, "What's wrong with that?  I'd like to know."  I like a good little mid-tempo rock song.

I first heard the song when it was released in 1988 from Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers.  I was living in Fort Lauderdale at the time and probably one of the first times I heard it I was waiting for the bridge over the Intercoastal_Waterway!  Growing up in rural Kane County Illinois you'd have to wait for farm implements.  When I moved to Florida at the ripe old age of 20, I was waiting for million dollar yachts at giant draw bridges.  I had also heard Shears original version of this song, also recorded in 1988 from his band The Reckless Sleepers.  The song was also covered by Roger McGuinn on his stellar comeback record from 1990, "Back From Rio".

When I started my hobby as the "Greatest Couch Guitarist Of All Time" but horrible even in the most basic Open Mic settings I found the song easy to play even for me.  No barre chords, G, C, and D.  Throw in a little Em and Am and there you go.  I got the chords of the internet so they must be correct.

Here is the Tommy Conwell version in all it's 80's production glory!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJYxJV3SeQ4&feature=related

Compilation CD in real time

"The following took place on Thursday between 2p.m. and 3p.m.  The events occured in real time."

I'm, of course, paraphrasing Keifer Sutherland's "Jack_Bauer"  from the show 24.  I did something Thursday that I hadn't done in years.  I made a compilation CD, or comp CD, as they are commonly called, in "real time".  It was a revelation to me as if I was revisiting myself in a former life.

What can be said about the mix CD, or in a previous life, the Mix Tape that hasn't already been said, mostly by Nick Hornby?  You can do or own research on Nick or just go rent, or better yet, read Hornby's book, "High Fidelity".

Oh, I still make a mean "Comp CD" from time to time but nowadays they take the form of sterile, lifeless "drag and drop" playlists.  I got my first CD burner around the year 2000, ironically, about the same time "High Fidelity" the film was released.  The mix tape came to an abrupt end with the advent of a burner.  How convenient!  Drag, Drop, (Rock) N Roll!  I missed the intimacy of creating a mix tape almost from the start despite how easy a mix CD was.  I missed getting my stack of CD's out, cueing up the needle, playing songs in my head, what would sound good after, say, Van Morrison's Jackie Wilson Said or if there ever was a better leadoff song like The_Replacements "I Will Dare"?  

Thursday I decided to make a comp CD for my brother, in real time.  I picked out, played and listened to every song for the CD.  This was no drag and drop affair.  I kept it simple and made a comp of the Drive-by Truckers.  Since he is new to the band, I kept it simple and heavy on Southern-Rock-Opera .  He's knows Skynard, he knows a few Neil Young songs.  It was mostly culled from vinyl with a few DBT cd's thrown in for good measure.  The time and effort was worth it.  I had out my stack of DBT records, a stack of DBT cd's, the brain was churning, what would sound good after "Carl Perkin's Cadillac" or should I lead the mix CD with "Let There Be Rock" or close with it?

Roger McGuinn at the Hemmens Auditorium Elgin, Illinois

It was once said (many times) that if a living legend is playing live within a reasonable driving distance to your house you go make an effort to go see that living legend.  While I personally may not practice this principle all of the time (and what is the true definition of "reasonable driving distance"? 30 minutes? 12 hours? 2 days with a hotel stay?) I did so on this particular evening.  Roger McGuinn played the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, Illinois March 21st.  The Hemmens is well within said reasonable driving distance, heck, it's within reasonable walking distance to my house.

 

The house lights dimmed and the opening chords of the Bob Dylan-penned "My Back Pages" echoed throughout the pristine acoustics of the Hemmens.   It was a sound so incredible that it almost sounded like it coulda been intro music for the former leader of The Byrd's.  From out of the shadows and into the spotlight stepped Roger McGuinn himself with his famous 12 string Rickenbacker guitar. Yeah, that one, the jangly guitar.  The guitar that made describing jangly guitar music to a friend an adjective, "You know, it sounds jangly, 'Byrdsy'."  It's the guitar McGuinn saw George Harrison play in the film "A Hard Day's Night" that possessed him to get one for himself.  If I could somehow bottle how I felt at that exact moment when McGuinn played "My Back Pages", those opening chords, last night at the Hemmens, I'd be happy and misty-eyed the rest of my life.  

Words like "national treasure", "legendary", "iconic" get bandied around way too much in this day and age but with someone like McGuinn these words chime true.  It's criminal that oldies radio formats and cable TV playlists play just a few greatest hits from The Byrds.

Roger McGuinn, formerly known as Jim (had to get that in somewhere), then took a seat along side a banjo, a 12-string acoustic, and his specially designed for him Martin HD-7. He began to weave wonderful stories of growing up listening to a transistor radio, "the iPod of it's day", learning to play early rock n roll on the guitar, going to the Old Town School of Folk Music, and getting his parents to sign a paper so he could fly to California to join the Limelighters just after high school graduation. Among these stories he'd intersperse a Leadbelly song, a Woody Guthrie song, some more Dylan covers, and of course songs and stories from The Byrds.  The show was well paced, if not rote (not a knock on the show, mind you, you can hear some of the same stories almost word for word on YouTube) since he has really honed and crafted his show to focus on the many highlights of his career.  Here is a YouTube link of a version of Eight Miles High not too different from the version last night.  McGuinn is still in great voice for a man his age.  His guitar work is immpecable, even mind-boggling, to think he is getting all that sound out of one guitar.  And then to be able to sing and get all those sounds from the guitar does truly make him a national treasure.

Hardwood Flooring

I'm not sure how many people actually read this blog, if you even want to call it that, but the reason I haven't been around in a few weeks was that I spent the better portion of them installing a hardwood floor in my house.  To the left is the final product.  It's 3/4 inch tongue and groove oak flooring.  

I did approximately 650 square feet of flooring covering 4 rooms.  It's the entire mainfloor of our house, save for a small bathroom and a kitchen.  I had ripped up the carpet, the pads, any little nails that I could find (even by kneeling on them) and then just did one room at a time.  A friend came over to help me square up the room, show me how the floor nail gun worked and got me started on the first few rows of wood floor.  From then on, I pretty much was on my own.  Oh, I'd call a few times and pick his brain (which as I think about it, was valuble beyond words) about something, my brother came over and offered a suggestion or two, but other than that I did the whole thing on my own.

Here are some before, during, and after photos:

Photos from the same room with simlar angle

I had much trepidation going into this ordeal.  Would our house be torn up for months?  Wood (heh!  wood floor.  wood.  heh) I not have the room squared and the end planks be crooked little sliver pieces on one end?  Would I end up overwhelmed and have to have my friend over to "hold my hand", do all the work, and wonder what the heck I did wrong?  Does this old floor have to many dips, waves, and imperfections so that the pieces would not meet from one room to the other?  Next summer is all this wood gonna all buckle on me?  Well, that remains to be seen but the more I thought about it, if wood floors were buckling left and right in people's homes, then I don't think they'd be so popular as flooring.

In the end it came out great!  We are very pleased with how the floor came out.  I just got going, got started, a little tunnel vision focus didn't hurt with the project, listened to a lot of "shuffle" on my iPod since I didn't have time to be flippin records over or even exchanging CD in and out of the player,  Of course I also had the "get what you pay for knee pads", which were frequently slipping down to my ankles.

Here is another link with some more photos:  http://family.webshots.com/album/570505611QoSxas

"Can we listen to the Okkervil River with the bone head?"

"Can we listen to the Okkervil River with the bone head?"  That is the question posed to me often when my daughter, who is 4, wants to listen to Okkervil River's latest release, The Stand Ins. She does pronouce "Okkervil" correctly, which is more than even some fans of the band can say.  Her favorite song is Lost Coastlines.

Now I just have to figure out if she wants to listen to the record with me, the bonehead, or if she means she wants to listen to the record with the skull on the cover.  "Skull" hasn't quite entered her vocabulary yet.  I'd like the believe it's the latter, I'm sure it'll be the former as she enters her teen years.

If the Walls Could Sing

The house we live in dates from 1885.  The other day I was listening to Blind_Willie_McTell, an old blues singer who's music dates from the late 1920's.  That sentence is vague enough I'm totally understating his influence.  His death in 1959 went largely unnoticed until his music was reissued and Bob Dylan immortalized him in a song from The_Bootleg_Series_Volumes_1-3 in 1991.  Listening to McTell in my old house just got me thinking that perhaps someone else had listened to McTell in this same house, in the same room, looking out to Lords Park,  on 78 speed records, and on a record player not to different from the one I own.   Now, if I only had a couple original McTell 78's instead of the dime-a-dozen waltzes and foxtrots that I picked up at thrift stores and flea markets that were the pop songs of that era.

It's nice to imagine someone listening to McTell, the Carter Family, or some old Robert Johnson records in our old house but what people were probably listening to was the pop songs of the day, waltzes and foxtrots.

The New Springsteen Record

My copy of the new Bruce Springsteen record "Working On A Dream" came in the mail yesterday.  I had heard less than flattering reviews of the record as some songs were leaked.  So I decided to listen with my own ears.  I may not be the most ardent Springsteen fan nor have I traveled the most miles but I consider myself a diehard fan.  Also, I loved his last record, “Magic”.  Brilliant 3 minute pop songs, great melodies, strongly written material, and almost a return to form with the E Street Band.  This record could have come out after “The River” or even if one could substitute it for “Born In the USA” that 5 record run from “Born to Run”, “Darkness”, “The River”, “Nebraska” and then “Magic” would be almost unequalled in rock music.

Now that I’ve qualified myself, or perhaps, disqualified myself, with the above paragraph, here is my review.  “Working On A Dream” begins with a sweeping  8 minute cowboy epic called “Outlaw Pete” that makes me recall another sweeping cowboy epic, “Butch Cassidy And the Sundance Kid” where the tag line is “Who are those guys?”  Well, with “Pete” my question is “Who is this guy?”, meaning Springsteen.   It apes an old Kiss song, “I Was Made For Loving You”.  You be the judge with this link:  Outlaw Pete and Kiss.   Also, Governor Blagojevich has ruined cowboy fantasies for the rest of us with his grandiose cowboy analogies.  The next song on side one (and there are only two songs on side 1, what da?) is “My Lucky Day” which isn’t a bad little song, would have fit well on “Magic” but really, this is a song Springsteen in a former life gave to Greg Kihn or Joe Grushecky.  "Working On A Dream", the title cut, is solid and will probably come off well in a live setting.  Then again, all Springsteen songs come off well in a live setting.  

Springsteen has a grocery store crush in “Queen of the Supermarket”, which is the nadir of the record and perhaps the lowpoint Springsteen's storied career.  C’mon now, who hasn’t bought just one grape and went to the cutest check girl they could find, even if it meant standing behind another shopper with a full cart and two screaming little kids?  I know I have.  However, at this supermarket I think Springsteen was in the "Meat_Loaf” aisle when he wrote this.  The next track, “What Love Can Do” and “This Life” are good little AAA songs, the latter with a nice sounding Beach Boys coda.  A lot of these songs suffer from over-production.  Just gimme the E Street Band in a room with Bruce, his guitar, and a microphone!  “Good Eye” finds Springsteen back at the river in a bluesy harmonica romp of a song that harkens back to how he performed “Reason to Believe” on the solo “Devils and Dust” tour or on the “Magic” tour.  A good song that will have me putting the record back on the turntable.  “Tomorrow Never Knows” makes me want to turn off my mind, relax and float downstream.  Okay, a Beatle reference was too easy with that title but hardly a memorable tune with a little country shuffle thing working. 

Throughout the record though are many spiritual references, some Bible references, redemption, and stories of making right and wrong choices.  “Life Itself” touches on a few of these and these themes are what does bind this record together and may eventually make it a “grower” for me.  “Kingdom of Days” has a nice jangle but it ain’t got nothing’ on “Ties That Bind” for jangle.  One can’t expect Springsteen to be writing songs as a man in his 20’s and "Life Itself" clearly had “Boomers” in mind.  “Surprise”.  Forget it.  “The Last Carnival” uses carnival metaphors (what else?) to weave this story in one of the stronger cuts off the record.

So up to this point, I’m less than pleased with this record.  I mean, it’s Bruce, I’m a fan, I can’t knock it too much, or can I?  So by the time I got to the last track, a bonus track on the vinyl, “The Wrestler” I felt like The Joker in “The Dark Knight” when he sees the real Batman, “Now there's a Batman”.   Now there's a Springsteen song.  It's like the beacon of my youth and adulthood has crashed the party. Maybe not the strongest Springsteen song in his oeuvre but good nonetheless.  This song rolls over the credits in the film “The Wrestler”.

No Saturday Delivery

Today was the first Saturday of the rest of my life with no Saturday delivery of the Elgin Courier News.  Two words:  awful.  While I won't deny being a creature of habit not being able to walk out in the snow in my slippers with no socks ala that kid in "The_Polar_Express" was truly bothersome.  I think this is a Sign_o'_the_Times with newspaper readership as I recently wrote about but to wake up and not be able to go get a newspaper like Henry Hill in my robe at the end of Goodfellas I felt like my breath was being sucked out of me like when Jimmy Conway is trying to get his money with a phone chord from Morrie.

So I came up to my computer to read my Courier News on the internet.  While I'm almost internet savvy (I can successfully copy and paste) with RSS feeds and my Google Reader.  This is fine for news of the Miami Dolphins from the Miami Herald or news from the 

BBC, it's not the newspaper as I know it.

I'll breathe, I'll take a chill, but what am I gonna read with my cereal later!

Newspapers as a Momento

I enjoy reading my newspaper every morning.  I know said activity (sad activity?) is archaic in today's instant message, twitter, internets at your fingertips world we live in but I do enjoy my morning coffee and reading the newspaper.  Even for myself, I'll read something in the paper and I'll have read the same story the night before on the Internets and say, "I read that last night on the 'net, why do I even subscribe to a paper?"  I like to eat reading a paper too and sitting at my desk with my computer and a burrito just isn't the same as sitting there at El Faro with my Chicago Sun-Times with salsa roja dribbling down my chin.

So I've noticed changes in my paper, the Elgin Courier News, is making several changes, dropping Saturday editions altogether and switching to tabloid format.  Even the mighty Chicago Tribune recently switched to a tabloid format for newsstand sales to spruce sales.  Columnists are leaving papers in droves including some of my faves in recent months Jay Mariotti and Robert Feders (his last column for S-T is linked here) of the Sun-Times.  Music writer Mark Guarino was unceremoniously released from the Suburban Chicago Daily Herald.  Mariotti claimed the future of media is the Internet but went to write for "cutting edge" AOL?  AOL?  You're so 1996, Jay. 

My point here and I do have one is that even though newspapers are becoming more and more passe regarding how to get your news, I find it ironic that when there's a big news story, like the recent inauguration, what do people buy for a keepsake?  

A newspaper.  

How many copies did you buy?

Peanut Butter

With peanut butter in the news again this week regarding peanut butter salmonella I'd like to remind everyone, or "spread" the news, if you will, the proper (and only) way to eat peanut butter.  When removing peanut butter from the jar you are supposed to leave a section of peanut butter completely unscathed by human hands or butter knife.  You leave one section untouched for as long as humanly possible.  The depiction pictured above/left is in the early stages of a peanut butter jar (probably one sleeve of saltines worth, eaten open-faced, of course)  This isn't a IMHO or YMMV issue, it's the only way.

 

An esteemed colleague of mine (pictured right) agrees with me on this issue.  I wish I could supply the exact link to the "Calvin and Hobbes" strip regarding peanut butter removal and retrieval but to most peanut butter addicts, this is what we do.  Trust me, it's the only way.  

Beatles Cartoons

One thing I've found an interest in recently with my fellow music buff/snob, (well, okay I'm the music snob), my 4 year old daughter, are Beatles cartoons.  These cartoons originated in 1965 and ran 'til about 1967.  The era depicted in the cartoons is the mop-top era even though some of the songs used in the cartoons are from "Revolver" (1966) and even "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" from 1967. We all know the Beatles were far removed in more ways than one from the "moptop" era by this time.  The cartoon characters are humorous caricatures of the Beatles with actors supplying the voices.  The individual cartoons are about 5 minutes in length.  The actual songs are sung by The Beatles themselves.  There's no shortage of madcap hilarity and bad puns.  Hey, nothing wrong with a good bad pun, I always say.

This cartoon is one we've taken exceptional interest in.  It's from the "Revolver" record and the song itself is 2:03 of pop bliss with And Your Bird Can Sing.

Can you recognize the voice of John Lennon from other childrens programing?  Think Bass-Rankin Christmas specials. . .Why the voice of John is none other than the Burger Meister-

Meister Burger from "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town".  I watched it this past Christmas with my daughter and it reminded me of my childhood claymation crush of Jessica Kringle (ooh la la, Go Santa Go Santa!).  The voice of Lennon (and George Harrison, for that matter) is American voice actor Paul_Frees.

Once again, since we know everything we read on the internet is true, here is a wikipedia article on The_Beatles Cartoon.  If you'd like to watch more Beatles cartoons just search YouTube.

Victor Jara

"Fences that fail and fall to the ground

  Bearing the fruit from Jara's hands."

--Calexico

On Calexico's latest record, "Carried To Dust", the opening song is titled, "Victor Jara's Hands" which was intriguing to me enough but the only investigating I did was ask my wife (who is from Mexico) if she had ever heard of him.  She hadn't but she likes Celine Dion, so I at least got that going for me, which is nice . . . I guess (rolling my eyes).  Recently I began reading a book by Pablo Neruda's widow, Matilde Urrutia, "My Life With Pablo Neruda".  The opening chapter begins at the end of her life with Pablo Neruda in their homeland of Chile with the U.S. backed September 11 1973 coup  when Augusto Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected socialist president, Salvador Allende.  It was during this chapter I saw Victor Jara's name again. As I always say, "If two or more people say I look like a horse, I had better start looking in the mirror."  Or in this case, if I see two or more Victor Jara references I had better start investigating.

Victor Jara was a singer-songwriter, teacher, poet,  political activist, and a native of Chile.  In the days following the coup Jara was publicly killed on September 15, 1973.  He was, more or less, mutilated, in Chile Stadium.  This stadium was later renamed "Estadio Victor Jara" in 2003. Legend has it the military forces cut off his hands as he began to sing protest songs.  "They are killing people."  Neruda would say before his own death in 1973, "How can you not know what happened to Victor Jara?  He is one of the mutilated, they destroyed his hands.  The body of Victor Jara, mutilated, how can you not know?  Oh my God!  If this is how they kill a songbird . . . and they say he sang and sang, which riled the soldiers." Urrutia recalled this moment in her memoirs.  Neruda, who was battling cancer but making progress died himself on September 23, 1973, indirectly as a result of this coup.  Matilde Urritia had been trying to keep disturbing news from Neruda in fear it would send him further spiraling but he found out anyway.  This explains his incredulousness to Urritia in not knowing about Jara.

In my research I also found out that Jara's name is paid homage in several song including The Clash's "Washington Bullets",

"As every cell in Chile will tell, the cries of tortured men, remember Allende in the days before, before the army came, please remember Victor Jara, in the Santiago Sadium, es verdad, those Washington Bullets again." 

I think The Clash just said in just a few song lyrics what others try to say in entire books, or er, um . . . blogs.  Jara is also mentioned in songs by U2 (One Tree Hill) and Arlo Guthrie.   Folksinger Phil Ochs, who had performed with Jara in South America, organized a benefit in Jara's memory in 1974 titled "In memory of Salvador Allende" which included the likes of Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, and Pete Seeger.

One cannot under-estimate the educational powers of music.  All it takes is to hear a song, get an ounce of curiosity, do a little research, and you become richer as a result.  I think Bruce Springsteen summed it up best in his song, "No Surrender".

"We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school."

--Bruce Springsteen

When a 45 is not a 45

I just got my copy of the 7 inch single of Okkervil River's Will Sheff covering The Wren's song, "Ex-Girl Collection" with the B-side of The Wren's Charles Bissell covering Okervil River's "It Ends With A Fall".  Back in the day, I woulda called this a "45", however, this is a 33 1/3.  Like they say, if it looks like a 45, walks like a 45, is little like a 45, and has two songs like a 45, it must be a duck. It's not a 45, or a duck, as I found out without reading the fine print.  Will Sheff ended up sounding like Alvin (my favorite Jonas Brother. . . oh wait) as I had the record on the wrong speed.  Okay, so I'm not the first person to do that but isn't it a shock to the system when you forget to change the settings from 45 or 33 (or 78) or vice-versa?

So once I got the record on the right speed the Sheff cover of one of my favorite Wren's songs of all time is outstanding.  Sheff enunciates some of the lyrics I couldn't understand from the original, though the original is better.  Bissell does a good job with "It Ends With A Fall" but at this point I'd rank the Sheff cover a little higher.

Journey Back to the Center of the Record

I love playing records.  Playing them not in the form of a digital download (paid for, of course, well, most of 'em), not in the form of a cassette, not in the form of a CD, not even in the form of an Edison Cylinder.  I like them in a good ol' slab of black (in most cases, black) vinyl with a hole in the middle.  I wanna look at both sides and have this mental anguish of whether to play "side one" or "side two".  Truth be told, I usually play both sides all the way through.

Playing records hasn't always been this way.  I did buy my first records with my very own money in the late 70's with the likes of "Wings Greatest" (I'm at an age where I honestly asked, "You mean Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings?") and then subsequently The Beatles 1962-1966 and The Beatles 1967-1970, better known as the Red and Blue records.  My albums came on red and blue vinyl.  I also bought a batting glove that day, all for about $20 on sale at K-Mart.  I played the crap out of these.  I re-listened to them recently and they do sound surprisingly good despite the (to use today's vernacular) "play counts".  I've always taken good care of my records but more on that in another post.

Most of my early vinyl consisted of what became known as "classic rock".  I built a modest collection of albums up til about 1986.  I didn't buy that many records post 1986 because CD's were really the thing so I figured "Why buy more albums when I'm gonna get a CD player soon enough?"  Inexplicably, I didn't get a CD player 'til 1989.

Once I got the CD player my record collection suddenly became, like for so many others, obsolete.  It had gone the way of Beta video tapes, 8-Tracks, and the powdered wig.  My record player lived in a closet.  I don't think I bought another piece of vinyl 'til 1993 when Pearl Jam's Vitalogy because it was released a week earlier on vinyl before the CD.  The next vinyl release I bought was Son Volt's Wide Swing Tremolo in 1998 for the same reason, it was released on vinyl a week before the actual CD release.  It wasn't until about 2003 that I slowly became converted or that I came back to vinyl "full circle", pun very much intended.  I slowly began to find plentiful slabs of glorious used vinyl!  I sifted through bins at garage sales and what record stores that remained in this world began to stock vinyl again.  I mean stocked records, not just a token few or a milk crate of records in the corner.  Entire sections of the store reverted back to vinyl!  Then artists began to release their new material on vinyl.  It even became hip with the "hipsters" and buying vinyl became the rage with all the kids.  New records come with a digital download for people to still listen to their records on their iPod.  This was the greatest idea in the download era.

To me, listening to vinyl is how music is really meant to be heard.  I've heard all the stories of a "warmer" sound with an actual record and while I can agree with that, I just like the idea of listening to vinyl actually creates a good "listening" atmosphere.  You have to actually spend time with a record, decide on which side, listen, spend time with the liner notes, stare endlessly at the jacket or gatefold, turn the record over, put on another record.  I listened to Led Zeppelin II for the first time in years (FM radio overload kept me from this record for eons), I opened the gatefold and I was transported back to being 17 years old star-gazing at the gatefold of Zep II.  Larger than life, indeed.

It's funny, as I write this first post of the new year praising the spinning of the black circle, I've been listening to all digital music in the form of mp3's on shuffle.  Go figure.   Enjoy your day and best of luck in the most important of life decisions, "side one or side two?"