[ Saturday, November 20, 2004 ]
What might that be, Jonathan?
Saw Jonathan Richman last night at the High Noon Saloon (
http://high-noon.com). It was the first time I've ever seen him, though I've been a fan from about 7th grade on. It hit all the right spots for me; being that I'm at the most stressful point in the semester as far as work goes, any kind of show sounds good to me, and this particular show from this particular artist was flying colors all the way. Although it's not hard to tell from his records, some of which are more kookily affecting than they really oughta be, that he's a good-hearted eccentric with a batch of good, strange songs, the show confirmed this for me in spades. Richman has to be the least self-conscious performer I've ever seen (with the possible exception of NRBQ). Not only does he seemingly have no compunction about doing essentially nothing from his popular back catalog (the only true exception last night was "Pablo Picasso," with a semi-exception being "I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar"), but his stage presence is unashamedly silly, with strange dancing, made-up chants and sing-a-longs, and various other amusements. The cool thing is that Richman is talented enough, both musically and as a writer, to back up the lovable-goofball thing. He sang songs in different languages, did a surprisingly poignant song about Mumia Abu-Jamal, and dedicated his last song of the night to the concert's promoter (a move I've never seen before). He's also one of the sweetest and most romantic artists I've witnessed live; all the women in the crowd (and a few gay guys standing near me and my crew) either were already in love with Jonathan, or fell in love by the second song. That's not a bad job...
I did miss a few of Richman's classics ("Roadrunner," "Government Center" and "Since She Started To Ride," in particular), but I was nothing less than fully entertained.
On the box right now: Country Soul Revue, TESTIFYING
Peace...
Dove With Claws [9:02 AM]
[ Thursday, November 18, 2004 ]
Some things
-Something I overheard in the hallway the other day: "All I need is another pair of socks."
-Something I've always wanted to do, for reasons unknown to me: Run into a crowded room, like a lecture hall, scream "Ladies drink free! WHOO!!!" and run out.
-Something I don't understand: why do people keep buying Rod Stewart's records of standards? Apart from the fact that he's only spared from loss of dignity by virtue of the fact that he hasn't had any for some years, the records - from my admittedly minimal exposure to them - are terrible. I fail to see the appeal, on any level. I wish that the literally millions (
millions, for God's sake) of Rod's buyers would, just once, put on EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY and remind themselves of a time when Rod the Mod was legitimately thought of as one of rock and roll's best.
-Something I'm not ashamed to say: Fuck George W. Bush, and fuck his whole fucking cabinet.
-Something else I'm not ashamed to say: The reason the Democrats lost the election was because of
the Democrats. Until we learn how to speak to regular people, the kind of people who are getting fucked by the Bush administration and yet are voting for him anyway, we don't stand a chance. It's time for us to put down the crying towels and get busy on building for the future. So let's do it...let's get busier than a one-armed fiddler with the crabs.
-Something in the way she moves: attracts me like no other lover.
On the box right now: Various Artists, PET PROJECTS: THE BRIAN WILSON PRODUCTIONS. Brian's producing and songwriting efforts, for artists other than the Beach Boys, from his heyday. Some of the weirdest shit I've heard in a long time is on this disc (like "Surfing Down The Swannee River").
Peace...
Dove With Claws [4:38 PM]
[ Monday, November 15, 2004 ]
Who needs drugs?
Things I heard on the Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special:
-"Hey look everybody, it's Little Richard on ice!"
-"All we're missing now is Charo"
-Dinah Shore sings an extended version of "12 Days of Christmas" that includes the verses "20 pounds of fruitcake, 19 C.D. players, 18 bags of nachos, 17 bodybuilders..."
On the box right now: Wu-Tang Clan, LEGEND OF THE WU-TANG. Rest in peace, Ol' Dirty Bastard...
Peace...
Dove With Claws [3:29 PM]
