Observing Ghostland November 10, 2009
I don’t think it’s possible to describe a laser light show to someone who has never seen one, but I’m going to try anyway.
Saturday night was the first time I’d gone to a concert where I had no idea who the headliners were or even really their genre. I didn’t pay for the ticket, which is a plus, but it would have been worth it even if I had. I was a little bored waiting for the show to start, but there was a DJ and it was a woman, which was cool to experience.
For …various reasons, I was pretty apprehensive once the show was about to start. We were right in the middle of the crowd, and I was terrified that the scene was going to turn into a mosh pit and we were going to get trompled and stepped on, and I was going to get sick and hot and miserable. My friends said, “it’s not that kind of show.”
Then the music started, and it became a little more clear that the crowd wasn’t going to be such a problem… but was the music going to be too loud? I was a little afraid that it was going to be a little too intense. My friends didn’t say anything– they were pretty wrapped up in the show, being the ones who actually knew what they were hearing.
Then… the laser light show started. My breath caught momentarily and I got nervous about getting sick again, but then it was too cool to miss by being sick, so I decided not to be sick, and instead to immensely enjoy this new experience.
Ghostland Observatory played for maybe an hour and a half, and it was the fastest hour and a half concert I think I’ve ever been to. I don’t remember being at a concert where I liked the music less, but wanted it to go on more.
It’s not my favorite genre, I must admit. It’s sort of electronica/rock/experimental, which I generally have very little patience with. I’m not sure whether the light show is what made it amazing, or just my state of mind, or what. I got home and tried to listen to the band on eMusic, and I could barely get through one song.
I don’t care. From now on, I have a resolution to broaden my horizons, even if it pegs me as a hipster (which, actually, I take a forbidden pleasure in–and I think that means I don’t really stand a chance of being a hipster anyway).
Are You Onboard? November 7, 2009
I just discovered a great new artist, Eric Bibb. His style is a right-on mix of folk, blues, and gospel, without being boring, too roots-y, or too preachy. I came across his website by way of StumbleUpon, which is another newfound joy that may just deserve its own post later. So the first song I heard, which came up instantly on the website, was “New Beale Street Blues.” It was such a great introduction. It reminded me a little of New Orleans (even though it’s about Memphis).
Besides having a great style, his songs and the album I downloaded (and frankly, the only one I have listened to) are very smooth. Not in a lame “smooth jazz” kind of way, but in a way that flows extremely well. He has a beautiful voice and his guitar work compliments it perfectly.
iTunes categorizes Bibb as Blues, which I would say is correct. I was a little worried that he would be pegged as gospel or Christian, and I don’t think his style exemplifies that slant all the time. Even if this isn’t the sort of thing you’d normally check out, I would look him up on eMusic or just at his website.
I have downloaded “Get Onboard” and “Natural Light,” along with only 9 tracks of “A Ship Called Love,” because I ran out of credits at eMusic (and already bought a booster pack today for the first album. sigh), and I highly recommend all of them so far. I will say that “A Ship Called Love” seems to have a little weird drumwork… a sort of monotonous, Stevie-Wonder-esque new age-y-ness. But other than that, I am very much enjoying it all. Plus, all the song titles are great, and in my book that goes a long way.
Wizard Rock Festival in MO November 4, 2009
If you go to wizard rock festivals, you never know when shallow wizard rock may turn into something genuinely inspired. If you don’t go, you don’t even know if it’s possible. For that reason, I wish I was going to this weekend festival in Potosi, Missouri. I’d love to be there to support the Harry Potter nerdiness.
www.wrockstock.com
boy with a penny July 25, 2009
Almost epic fail of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month, like NaNoWriMo–National Novel Writing Month–but you just have to post every day for a month).
Anyway, Saturdays were/are fiction day, so this is a short piece of fiction I’ve written. Please with all content of this blog, be respectful and do not copy or reproduce it in any way (or without proper citation)! Thank you kindly.
(*)*(*)*(*)
boy with a penny
The boy walked with purpose on the hot pavement, just to make sure even the birds thought he was going somewhere. He clutched his shiny penny in his fist, debating whether to put it in his pocket. If his pocket had a hole in it, the penny would be lost forever… but if he tripped, the penny might fall out of his hand.
He didn’t yet have a reason to distrust most people, but he wanted to pretend he did. If he pretended, it gave more purpose to his walk and more meaning to his penny. And it didn’t have to mean much, but why not pretend about that, also? He walked with even more purpose, with the determination of someone who had something to protect.
The penny dug into his palm, but he liked it. He clenched harder, and it hurt a bit. The boy smiled wryly, thinking that even if he did lose the penny, he would have proof that he had it once. What he needed was a scar, something that didn’t fade. Anyone who cared could look at the scar on his palm and see that, yes, the penny had been there. And it had been important.
A dog barked at him as he passed a yard crowded with someone’s possessions. The boy started, cringing when he saw the yard. Children’s toys were scattered everywhere and there was a line of empty flower pots of various sizes and shapes, perhaps waiting to be filled. The boy’s nose wrinkled at the disarray and neglect, and he made to walk more quickly, but music was drifting from an open window. He looked toward it, barely recognizing traditional negro music. As someone who didn’t listen to music on his own, he didn’t know how he could tell the band had a typical New Orleans jazzy sound, but somehow he recognized it. They played with a washboard and probably a homemade bass—it was live inside the house.
His gaze concentrated on the darkened window. Inside the house, he could just see outlines of dark faces and white teeth inside open, smiling mouths. A sitting man, a standing man, a standing woman closest to the window whose young profile he could see most clearly, and one or two more female voices.
He just had time to think that it was so odd, that these people were playing music in their own home, not for an audience that might pay to come see them, not even for people walking past who might deposit money in a jar (or maybe that’s what the flower pots were for), and that they weren’t just listening to music while they cooked or worked (or maybe cleaned their yard), when the music stopped. The music stopped, but the voices continued.
They rose and rose, and the boy could have sworn that there were ten pitches at a time, when there could only have been five voices at most, and then one of the voices sounded like it was crying, but another one must surely have been laughing.
And then he was sure someone was laughing, because he saw her—the young woman next to the window was turned toward him, and everything up to her eyes showed that she was amused, whether at the fact that he was probably standing and gawking stupidly, at the fact that her dog had barked at him a few more times and he hadn’t noticed, at the fact that he had slowly realized he’d been spotted, or at him losing his footing as he came to his senses and tried to stumble away, dropping something that glinted in the sun before it hit the sidewalk and bounced through the chain link fence into the dirt of the yard.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion. The boy dropped to his knees immediately, reaching under the fence to grapple in the dirt. The dog, who did not seem to be as menacing as his bark, sat down to watch the boy’s struggle.
The creak of the screen door to the house fell on deaf ears, but the black girl’s approaching steps caught the boy’s attention. He vaguely wondered what she was doing as his fingernails dug for the penny. Does she think she can to talk to me? Does she actually think I would respond?
The girl came closer. She was no longer laughing, but the boy didn’t look to see her face. It was traumatizing enough to be kneeling on the ground as she was walking to him; he didn’t need to give her his attention. Especially after he’d paid so much attention before, when she was singing.
She was too close now, still walking, but slowly, at a distance where it would have been awkward to speak, but even more awkward to stay silent. Just when the boy was sure she was going to say something, a finger scraped something hard and flat.
The dog got up to examine it as well, but the boy was too fast. His fingers caught the penny with a fistful of dirt, and he was gone, running quickly but in such a way as to keep his pride.
He couldn’t keep as much dignity when he realized he was lost. But he still had his penny. He looked at it as he slowed in an alley, and was dismayed to see that it was significantly dirtier and more scratched.
If I Could Be Anywhere… July 24, 2009
I brought it to my attention today (since there’s no one else out there to do it) that I haven’t been writing about music enough. Well, that’s because I haven’t been listening to very substantial amounts of new music. New singles from people I’ve never heard before every now and then, but not full albums.
However, I have been doing some YouTube touring, and call it cheesy… but I found something worth reviewing:
A channel belonging to Tom Felton (who plays Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, of course). It’s titled “FeltBeats” for his band, or just his production name, or something like that. He only has 4 videos, but he has an EP that is available on Amazon. And get this… he’s actually quite amazing. Not just saying that because he’s the most well-dressed character in the latest “Harry Potter.” He’s actually quite a good singer, as well as an adequate guitar player (not that I know how to judge guitar playing, but); I thought his playing accompanied his voice and lyrics very nicely. His words were heartfelt and charming; from the 4 songs on YouTube, I didn’t think they were particularly clever, but for debut work? It’s something special.
It’s even more fantastic that he’s seriously considering pursuing a career in/an education in music. It’s not hard to tell that he could easily have a following and new life as a musician, and I think he would also have a good presence as a performer and entertainer. He definitely has the acting background for it, and he has shown comfortability with a camera and in front of audiences, on YouTube and in press conferences and the like.
In case you haven’t checked out the link of Felton performing yet, I’ll debrief you:
The videos begin like many amateurs’ do; you see someone’s arm retreating from the webcam button. The first thing I noticed was the sepia coloring, which I think is a unique touch. Then, the scene [probably Felton's bedroom (ooh)] is revealed, and we see he’s lucky enough to actually have some pretty good equipment… microphones, a couple guitars in the background in addition to the one in his hands… He wears his signature polo or striped shirt/sweatshirt and a smile.
Yes, the sound and picture are a little mismatched in a couple of the videos, but one hardly notices because Felton’s confident-yet-bashful grin would tell anyone that he just.doesn’t.care. He knows when he makes mistakes, but he doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s a testament to his character that he puts these videos up, daring fans to disown him for a few chord errors or the times he almost forgets to sing. Of course, his fans would never do such a thing. If anything, they grow more and more in love with Tom with each amused “oops” smile on his lips.
“If you could be anywhere” would definitely be his single, if he ever released one. he has edited the video and overdubbed himself, so he’s strumming in one layer, picking in one layer, and singing melody in a couple layers (I don’t think he harmonizes with himself). Toward the end, he even adds in a harmonica riff, which he plays passionately well. If I had any misgivings, it would be that this song (or the portion in the YouTube video) is extremely short.
As he fingerpicks his way through the feel-good melodies on all these songs, we think, “Draco who?” The nasty Potter arch-rival is nowhere to be seen–there’s not even much angst in the lyrics, just clear-headed optimism.
Actually, the Feltbeats videos are rather difficult to critique. If it seemed like he were putting himself out there for a reason, as if saying “look, I can do more than act in family movies,” then we might be able to tell whether he was doing a good job. When Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) did “Equus,” the play in London, he explicitly told the media something like, “I want people to know that I can act in different genres, and that I have a future as a different kind of actor.” Admittedly, Radcliffe got excellent reviews for “Equus” (maybe partially just because everyone who went saw him naked, so he may have been mainly praised for sheer confidence in himself… which also goes a long way, but I digress…), but he set out to prove something.
Nowhere have I read anything from Tom Felton that implied that he was making music for any reason other than his own pure enjoyment. And no one can be faulted for that.
If I could be anywhere, I would be on the Feltbeats YouTube channel. : )
[@feltbeats and @TomFelton are both excellent follows on Twitter; look them up!]
Illuminating Ruminating July 22, 2009
[This article was originally a continuation of the post below, TwitterBurger.]
I can’t help it; I love looking at every single one of people’s Tweets. You never know what you might miss, I suppose… and some are really quite profound or inspirational. Take this, for example: I follow Deepak Chopra (if you don’t know who he is…look it up), and he has some really amazing quotes. Today he Tweeted: “We have fallen into the place where everything is music. -Rumi“
I would imagine that this has something to do with Rumi’s general teachings (I had to look this up too): He believed that he had been disconnected from his creator and had begun to think himself above it/him/her, but that he had the ultimate goal to reconnect with his primal roots and restore that relationship.
So at first, the quote that Deepak Chopra Tweeted seemed a little… derogatory, shall we say? towards music. If we have “fallen” to that place where everything is music, it doesn’t seem very positive. It makes me think of falling from grace, or “falling” as a sort of failure. So despite my unconditional love for music, my conclusion was that perhaps Rumi saw music as monotony? To say that “We have fallen into the place where everything is monotonous” would make much more sense, since monotony isn’t really something we strive for, and it could definitely be said that our world has become monotonous (despite all the Twittering).
However, even my extremely rudimentary Rumi research through Wikipedia told me that Rumi was anything but skeptical or pessimistic towards music. Apparently, he wholeheartedly believed that music was one of the best ways to get back in touch with his creator or God.
(At this point I must stress that if you know anything about Rumi, please tell me, because I’m completely at a loss and I’m a little distrustful of Wikipedia sometimes.)
Anyway, Wiki says that Rumi thought poetry, music, and dancing were the ways in which people were most spiritual and soulful. The idea of “whirling dervishes” (which I always thought were a kind of garden ornament) originated around Rumi’s time. They were so invested in the sounds that they would move in whatever way the spirit moved them, which often resulted in spinning. Pretty soon, this sort of dancing became a ritual, during which Rumi believed that the soul was damaged and repaired, and when it was repaired, there was a renewed devotion to God.
From Wiki: “In this journey, the seeker symbolically turns towards the truth, grows through love, abandons the ego, finds the truth, and arrives at the Perfect. The seeker then returns from this spiritual journey, with greater maturity, to love and to be of service to the whole of creation without discrimination with regard to beliefs, races, classes, and nations.”
Honestly, this sounds amazing. I was never one for believing that the soul could have just one point of revelation; rather, it is always evolving and maturing. But for the alternative, it’s an amazing idea. And of course, whether you believe the soul goes through one very powerful transformation or many, I do concur with the idea that music plays a huge part of it.
“Falling into music” is a little bittersweet, and actually I think I was partially right in my analysis of it. We’ve fallen into a place where everything is monotonous, but we can choose to see it as music, because that is all we have. And because music is so powerful, we can choose to make something of it and use it to our advantage, not just in the world but for ourselves, spiritually. And once we change ourselves, we are well on our way to changing the world anyway.
New Directions July 19, 2009
The downside of introducing your blog to lots of people who know you is that then it’s very awkward to actually blog about them.
So in other news…
I changed my desktop background. Boring, no? But it’s a gorgeous picture I took at the Grand Canyon, and it reminds me of the amazing trip my mom and I took last year. Good times.
Went to Caleb’s again today–we sorted and resorted bottles of soda. No, really. It was tons of fun. But of course, if I were with Caleb I’d probably think watching the stock market change was fun, so that’s not saying much. Church tomorrow, and I’ll probably blog about that.
Besides my simple goal of blogging every day, I’d like to develop some trends. Sundays and Tuesdays can be faith days, and if I go to church or something like that I’ll talk about the experience. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are music days. Thursdays are random, things-on-the-street days, and maybe movie reviews, and Saturdays can be fiction days.
Ahhh this is so exciting! I feel like I need to catch up for every week I’ve been blogging and not done this. wow.
Also, I have a few resolutions that are not to be mentioned outside of cyberspace, just in case:
1. Get up earlier. Wake up at 9 and stay awake, even if I do just read in bed.
2. DO more. Get out. See stuff. Maybe take pictures of it or write about it to prove that I’ve gained new insight. ha.
3. Read more. This includes others’ blogs, the magazines I have piling up, and my ever-expanding book list. But mostly the books, I think.
4. Say “yes” more. It may be just because I just finished “Yes Man,” but I want to feel better about trying new things. I thought about shooting a bb gun today at nothing in particular at Caleb’s, but I’ve never held a gun and I’m not sure I want to. And… I suppose there’s nothing wrong with it if it’s just target practice, right?
5. Listen to more new music, and review it.
6. Pick one thing each day to love in my life.
7. Pick one thing each day to think about. (This sounds really dumb, but I like the idea. Some problem to solve, or something to pray about. It can’t hurt.)
8. Pick one thing each day to better something/someone other than myself.
9. Do one thing each day of which I’m proud. It has to be something that I didn’t accomplish on the computer (unless it’s a set of articles or something).
10. Blog about something that has potential to influence others or be meaningful to someone.
I think this is about the time of year where people really do start to slip on New Year’s Resolutions, so maybe it’s time to revamp. What are your resolutions? Are they ones you’ve tried before? Why are they important to you?
Lucky. April 19, 2009
I had this moment of epiphany (among many, the other day) where I realized that this picture I had was of something very different than what I thought it was.
It’s the picture I uploaded for the pic of this site– the peace sign one. That was painted on the side of a building in Laurel Canyon in Hollywood, where many many stars have lived and live now.
It has been my desktop picture for some time now, so I’ve been looking at it for quite a while. And I always saw the white form on top of the peace sign as a white dove, which made sense since they’re the symbol of peace.
But the other day, while I was staring at my computer and shedding more tears over the dumb situation with my parents, I realized it was a hand holding the peace sign… and of course, in my weakened state my whole world came together at an apex at the moment I realized that and what it meant– we all hold peace in our hands, and when we don’t realize that, we keep “waiting for the world to change,” and nothing happens.
I have fewer doubts now that peace WILL spread, as long as individuals take advantage of the power of peace that each holds in his hands.
It’s not a joke that I believe in music so fully. It’s not just because I’m so at a loss for something else to believe in, it’s not just because I’m so lazy that all I do is listen to music anyway, so that might as well be what I have faith in. It’s not just because that’s what I grew up with instead of a religious background, so that’s all I know. All of those things may be true, but in my defense I will say that it’s not for lack of thought that I’ve come to the conclusion that music is the most real and most powerful thing we can believe in.
If I really wanted to go out on a limb, I would proclaim my belief that furthermore, the Beatles have everything one needs to live. Again, my ignorance is “at fault,” because I’m sure many people would say, “well, that’s because you haven’t heard ________.” I realize that the Beatles themselves aren’t the epitome of perfection (though they’re pretty damn close). I realize that they aren’t even very good musicians or musical geniuses, in comparison with people like Hendrix or Santana, or the classical greats like Bach or Tchaikovski. But personally, their music speaks to me more than anyone else I’ve ever heard.
Anyway, can I hear an Amen?! I’m sure there are others out there that have felt music resonate with them more than any sermon or revelation. Maybe not. Can I hear a Nay from the others?
I’m Lucky I’m in love with [the Beatles]. Ironically, I haven’t listened to the Beatles at all today… Jason Mraz (who is also a musical god) has been my soundtrack so far. And yes, I do go some days without listening to the Beatles at all. Just like many people go many days without going to church. It doesn’t mean we’re without worship or recognition of the Greatness.
Quartet for the End of Time April 18, 2009
Today was ironic because it was the date of the publication of the first-ever “Counter Point Journal,” which was created in obvious rebuttal to our formal school newspaper, and this week I designed almost three pages in our Cooper Point Journal.
Today was ironic because I’m writing this paper on faith, and I’m way behind. I figured out that I wanted to work in the idea of music, and that people can ultimately have faith in music. Then, I accidentally uncovered an email that my mom sent me months back that I’d never read, because it was a forward. But it was called “A Contemplation on Music,” and it was a welcome address given to freshmen at the Boston Conservatory by Karl Paulnack, who teaches there. It’s perfect–it has every tidbit I want and need for my paper. But it contains all the sentences I wish I could say. He recommends many classical pieces, one of which I’m listening to right now. It’s called “Quartet For The End Of Time,” by Olivier Messiaen. He was French and lived in the 1940s, when he was captured and sent to a German concentration camp. There, he wrote this piece, that was composed for four musicians– the four he found in the camp, including himself. It’s dark.
Today is ironic because, to couple with finding that paper in my email, I had one of the best classes ever. Our teachers brought in a panel of three other faculty members who could talk to us about faith. They spoke of their experiences and bared some parts of their pasts, which made them very vulnerable. Andrew, one of my seminar leaders, even said that he felt so uncomfortable with it that he wouldn’t have been able to talk like that at the beginning of the year. But now, he said, he trusts us more. I took that very personally, and was thrilled to hear that we were deserving of his stories.
That’s ironic, because I was very excited about my fantastic class time and all I wanted to do was tell my parents. And all I asked was that they be together so they could put me on speakerphone and we could all talk at the same time. But, my mother went to the lake AGAIN (which I don’t fault her for, really) which meant I couldn’t talk to them simultaneously. And I refuse to say everything twice! That always happens, and I hate it. It always sucks the second time and I leave things out and I’m not enthusiastic and it feels like a chore. If I was going to pick one to tell about my class, it would be my dad because he loves hearing that stuff, and he’s intellectual. Mom’s more “spiritual,” I guess (that’s a word that was discussed around faith in our class). But she would absolutely flip out if I only told dad or if I told dad first. And I don’t feel like rewarding their strange behavior that I don’t like with saying things twice or catering to them.
It’s not like they’re “separating,” and they’re certainly not getting a divorce. They’re not like that. And, ha, since my dad’s a divorce attorney, it’s pretty much out of the question. Anyway, nothing like that. But it bothers me that they spend so much time apart. I mean at times, it feels like they might as well be divorced for all the time they see each other. I always talk to each separately, and I always have to text the same things to both. And I KNOW that if I were to talk to someone about this, it would be that stupid talk all children get: “It’s not your fault in any way! Mommy and daddy love you very much, and you’re what holds them together!”
Because that’s exactly what I’m afraid of! I’m not there anymore! It’s like there’s nothing holding them together! And it’s not all about me, but come on… I am the only only only only only child, in a family of seven including me, and everyone else lives an hour away from my parents. I can’t imagine what they DO when I’m gone. All my parents have is work, and the dogs. Maybe the dogs are what is holding them together.
OH MY GAH I wish I could call Shadow up right now and talk to him about this! Then life would be perfect. Actually, if I had a sibling right about now it would make me SUPER happy. Mom always said that the most solid thing that helped her get through her parents’ divorce was her brother. I don’t have one. What now?
After my class on faith, I just keep thinking there’s something I need to turn to, if only I knew what it was. It’s an awful feeling. I racked my brain trying to think of who to call, and all my options were excellent (Rita, Erin, and Caleb), but all I wanted to do was call my daddy. I talk to my parents about EVERYTHING. Usually, even though I hate it, I make the sacrifice to say everything twice because I just always talk to them. When there’s conflict or stress in my life, I almost always call my parents to unload. So it gets horrendous when I have conflict about them, because I’m not ready to speak directly to them yet (and, well, I CAN’T, because I most certainly don’t want to do THAT twice, so I have to wait for them to be in the same room anyway) and I don’t know what else to do but sit and cry. Which I’ve tried.
I feel like I need to wean myself from them, but why? I mean, if (other than this hiccup) we have such a great relationship, why let that drop? I know people who go weeks without talking to their parents, and I don’t think I could do that. I think the longest I’ve gone is a week and a half. I feel so immature. And yet, I feel like there’s something else that I could reach out to to help balance things a bit, but I have no idea what it is. I’ll probably have some revelation where I realize it was God I was searching for all along, but I’m not ready for that yet.
Right now I just want to listen to Beatles and find the comfort I know.
Shine a Light July 18, 2008
I wrote this movie review (of Martin Scorcese’s concert/documentary film of the Rolling Stones “Shine a Light”) for my high school newspaper. I saw the movie in an IMAX theater in Vancouver, BC.
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There are some things about your parents and their past that you just have to ignore or pretend don’t exist. Like the fact that both of them may have worn bellbottom pants and enjoyed disco balls at one time. But you can’t always just write off their music sense… or even lack thereof. I think I can truthfully say that my life changed when I started listening to what my parents said was great music.
Of course, it’s also thanks to them that I’m rather in denial about what decade to which I think I belong.
While they relive their adolescence through movies like “Across the Universe,” all I can do is long for what I missed. And while my parents were able to experience real concerts of groups like the Stones and Queen, I’m forced to only imagine what it could be like to actually sit in Mick and Keith’s audience.
It is, admittedly, a little easier to imagine in an IMAX theater where Keith’s guitar and Mick’s lips are even larger than life.
Martin Scorsese has brought us hits like “Taxi Driver,” “The Aviator,” “Gangs of New York” and “The Departed.” Now, he’s brought a New York stage to mere mortals who haven’t been touched by the sweat of a Stone (metaphorically speaking) or counted their wardrobe changes during a concert. Complete with snippets of black-and-white interviews straight from the 60s, Scorsese’s newest film “Shine a Light” reveals the glory of one of the finest rock groups of the British Invasion.
The main performance footage of the movie was shot at the Beacon Theater in New York City, where the Rolling Stones performed two nights in a row to packed crowds. The audience was varied in age and social status, from your average teenage girl to Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton.
Bill Clinton introduced the group, reminding everyone that he’d had the pleasure of doing so before, and that he still thought the Stones were forever a classic group, one that many generations could enjoy. And when the camera panned over him in the second half of the movie, he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself.
Some say the Stones are at the absolute bottom of their game. They’re still wearing skin-tight leather and hippie-era-jewelry, while their wrinkles are growing and their skin is sagging. But they’re no less talented than when “Satisfaction” was number one on the charts. In fact, they secure their One-of-the-Greatest-Rock-Bands-of-All-Time status when they collaborate with other contemporary artists, like blues guitarist Buddy Guy, Jack White of the White Stripes and Christina Aguilera. These musicians were all featured in the movie in duets.
The Rolling Stones have always had a somewhat questionable reputation. Between the Beatles and the Stones, the Stones were always the “bad boy” band who had supposed drug references and satanic allusions in every song. They are quick to remind critics that it’s all in the interpretation, however.
The band is made up of Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitar), Charlie Watts (drums) and Ron Wood (bass, guitar). All are in their sixties. Their voices are gravelly, their arms are veiny and their hair is thinning. But they’re still performing, with more vigor and enthusiasm than we find in many other artists. They’re still producing music, with more talent and genius than most mainstream contemporaries.
So why wouldn’t you want to experience the closest thing you’ll ever get to seeing the second-best rock band of all time (Beatles still rank number one, of course)? Maybe because the thumping bass is just too thrilling. Maybe because the songs are too familiar and enjoyable. Maybe because otherwise, your parents might just rub it in your face that they got to experience the hype firsthand.
Or, ok… maybe because “Shine a Light” isn’t actually playing in a theater near you, let alone the IMAX. It’s bound to come to our hamlet soon, and if it doesn’t, it will definitely be available for rent. At least invest in some digital surround-sound to make the most of the experience, and watch it with someone who can relive the band’s greatest highlights.
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Zoot Suit Riot July 1, 2008
…is playing, and I just realized my stupidity after the last post. Of course you can change the tagline under the blog’s title. Why didn’t I think of that?
Well, eventually, I did.
But the fact still remains, that the whole blogging thing may just be a Catch-22. There’s little motivation to post anything if there’s no feedback, but there’s no feedback if we don’t post anything.
I could bitch and moan some more, but I’m in a much better mood thanks to all the music I’m putting on my computer. I got an eMusic account (www.emusic.com) yesterday… one of the best things I’ve ever done! I love it! Plus, I got 50 free downloads right off the bat. Could it get any better? The only slightly sad thing is that they don’t have any really mainstream artists. That’s ok, because I’m not that interested in much mainstream music because, frankly, it’s crappy. But I do wish I could get some of the classics, like Elvis… because it’s still way cheaper than a CD… and let’s face it, the mainstream artists don’t need or really deserve all the money we’d be giving them if we bought their CDs. The off-the-beaten-track artists do, and they’re not profiting much from this whole eMusic thing, but it’s better than LimeWire for sure.
I wasn’t against LimeWire until I wrote the article below. Even now, I can’t really pinpoint exactly why I don’t really approve of it. If I need a song and don’t have time to purchase it, I’ll still get it from LimeWire (usually only if the artist is mainstream, or if I already have at least one CD by the artist). Yeah, I guess it’s still a little hypocritical. What can I say; I just love my music and will go to any lengths to get it…
So, I leave for California tomorrow (well, technically Phoenix, and then drive up) and I’m just totally stoked. I just hope all this music syncs to my iPod in time, because it was really slow yesterday. The BEST thing in the world would be to see some celebrities there.
I also can’t wait to go to school. Absurd, I know… but if you only knew Evergreen! It’s fantastic.
I’m out. for now…
