tigerbeatpoet, xo

2008-10-23T15:31:00.002-05:00

tigerbeatpoet is moving from being a blogger blog to a real, live website... which is still basically a blog. Come visit regularly!

2008-10-05T15:37:00.000-05:00

live it.

2008-09-13T03:05:00.002-05:00

Early Saturday Morning Videofest Safari Adventure

Bear with me...

No, the answer is... Lemmy. Haven't you seen Airheads?

2008-09-01T01:48:00.002-05:00

Note to self:

And other readers who might feel the need to give me an encouraging push if I end up pushing this romantic travel fantasy on the backburner... but I have decided on a very long, yet PERFECT road trip that should be the next epic adventure on asphalt I take.

START: Minneapolis

FIRST STOP/ATTRACTION: Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which I should have already been to at least five times since it opened when I was like - a junior in high school

SCENIC DRIVE: Figuring out the best route through the Appalachians and down to a town that for some reasons calls out to me year after year -

MEMPHIS: Sun Records, Stax finally and the Gibson Factory for crying out loud. Back to the alley of the Rendezvous, even though I am not a huge fan of dry Ribs. There is a possibility I will have more BBQ for brunch the next morning before I roll out of my subconscious Mecca and head to Tupelo, and onto New Orleans before heading up -

HIGHWAY 61: Supposedly Robert Johnson's famous "Crossroads" is somewhere off this storied stretch of road. From these photographic directions I'm thinking this might be a bit hard to find. Myth or NOT it would be a great theme for a trip - and I could stop by the bluesman's grave on my way through Mississippi.

And then of course, that LONG ASS DRIVE BACK HOME... Driving home from roadtrips is sometimes the most excruciating task imaginable!

2008-08-31T14:17:00.002-05:00

Sunday Video Adventure

I Can't Explain:

The La's - Timeless Melody

Man, I just LOVE The La's. Timeless Melody is my ultimate favorite song of theirs next to "Feeling." There was a very neat vhs transfer of them on YouTube of them doing "There She Goes" on Letterman for what was their US TV debut. Very cool.

Ok, I had to include Feeling too. ITS JUST SO GOOD!!!!!

And strangely it led me right to the obvious... Oasis.

Don't Look Back in Anger: Oh how I love this song. And I rock it BIG TIME on Rock Band... Isn't it hilarious how Liam is just sitting there looking coolly bored as hell?

Man - this video is stupid but I LOVE this song. Whatever you want to say, I prefer older Radiohead... But chickens? An IGUANA?

Anyone Can Play Guitar:

And - Ohmygodohmygod - Jarvis. Why skinny, pale Brits do this to me really can't be explained, but I want to run away with him. Even if it is just to pick out his ties or something. At Pitchfork, I was like 300 feet away from the stage and I was still in awe. Favorite line in this song:

And some skinny bitch walks by in some hot pants

Don't Let Him Waste Your Time: P.S. This video is BRILLIANT. Personally, though - I would shit my pants if I got in a cab and Jarvis was driving it. But I would definitely take the relationship advice.

And then I suppose we will go to that Great Moment at Pitchfork

Black Magic:

Hope you enjoyed the installment. Til next time!

Jen

2008-08-12T19:38:00.002-05:00

In researching Welcome to the Cinema, this greeeeeeat band from South Dakota, I saw this little nugget of hilarity... And I am definitely tempted to purchase this affordable package deal. I mean, for real - it comes with chapstick!!

Click HERE to check out some of their tracks on the myspace...

xo

2008-07-21T18:34:00.002-05:00

I have always had a bit of an issue with how much is too much to say on this blog. I compare it to when I think I have spilled entirely too much of my guts to someone whose middle name I don't even know. But such is the nature of online diaries or blogs or whatever you want to call them.

But as does this girl above, I too wear my heart on my sleeve. Sometimes I feel like it makes it easier for me to empathize with others, sometimes I feel like it's my biggest curse, all this saying too much, all of this trying to connect with others in a disconnected world. Sometimes I think I expect too much out of people, and it becomes unfair to them.

I still have a lot of growing up to do, a lot of things to figure out. I've got a big bridge to cross, taking me over some canyon or ravine called "what will people think." I know... that fucking metaphor almost made me puke too.

But I think it all comes down to me not wanting to be nice and polite anymore. Something broke, and I don't even want to fix it. I just want to move forward from here.

I blame both megabus drivers that snapped at me to and from Chicago this weekend.

2008-07-11T00:28:00.007-05:00

This was the first Margaret Keane print that I bought this summer - and I just realized that it's called "Edge of Summer"

What a coincedence - that's where I feel like I am at...

I boarded up the blog awhile back, since I was looking for another cube job to pay the rent and support my red bull and cigarettes habit before my 401K ran out... and now that I have found that coveted day job, the padlocks can come off now...

And speaking of the Margaret Keane and general kitsch obsession that has overcome me in the past month - I bought another old framed print... I'm gonna go get it tomorrow.

I'm never certain if people actually read my blog. However, if you do, chances are you know what I've been up to. But as a joyous return to personal blogging, I figured I'd fill you in on my adventures in unemployment - even if I am doing so in a "Dear Diary" sort of way.

- I cashed out my 401K, as I mentioned before - and I'd like to announce that it's almost gone. So the hourly gig I just landed is really going to come in handy.

- I wrote almost every day, be it for actual work, or full-blown rants and confessionals that are safely tucked away in my computer's memory.

- I went through so many packs of cigarettes and let piles of papers and mail and magazines pile up all over my messy apartment (I will be spending hours and hours cleaning it to grown-up, I-have-a-job-now/I'm sort-of a grown-up perfection this weekend)

- I passively watched a lot of television while spending ridiculous, uncalled-for amounts of time on the internet. I am really excited to get away from that behavior

- I celebrated my three-year anniversary with Jesse over 4th of July weekend surrounded by a panorama of fireworks on North Long Lake, suffering a painful ear popping in nine feet of hotel pool water during an accidental cannonball, and spent many, many hours in the sun, drinking beers and smoking cigarettes while hopefully endearing myself slightly to Jesse's family

- I went back and forth from realizing my calling and contemplated destroying it.

And one super big thing that hasn't happened yet but I am sooooooo excited about?

I'm seeing these guys a week from today:

I might lose my mind. My first time seeing PE, my first time in Chicago. It doesn't seem real!!

And I am seeing this guy once or twice in August - I haven't decided how many times yet...

Can I make it five times in one year??? I wish! It will probably just be KC for me, but I am not ruling anything out.

And one more thing, just as exciting to me as all these other great live music experiences - but I would not be surprized if it was mildly disappointing, but....

JUDAS PRIEST IS COMING TO TOWN!!!! omgomgomg... here, I know this is cheezy, but it's simultaneously perfect.

Ok - so I will stop lamenting the end of my summer break. Cause it surely isn't over...

2008-05-16T17:28:00.002-05:00

I need one of these. I've needed it for YEARS. Literally. I went in to the car-fixing shop today and the Saturn got the all systems go on making the trip up north next weekend for my baby sister's graduation. I can't believe that this is actually happening. She is still just a kid to me. Well... eighteen is pretty much still kid territory, isn't it.

Anyways, bear with me, I am forcing myself to blog because it has been soooo long. A Jen update, if you don't mind.

I am getting laid off from my grown-up job on May 30th

I have already interviewed for the job I really want, and I'm just waiting for them to call me back... pleasepleaseplease

I've been writing... A LOT... I love it. Even though it has left me exhausted. I am really happy with how my writing "career" is going right now. Thank you, Minneapolis.

... and I am already bored with my blogpost.

2008-04-25T18:04:00.001-05:00

I'm still trying to work out the bugs so I can have it right on my blog, but I guess the demand for crossword puzzle blogs just isn't there... but for now you can check your answers HERE...

2008-04-01T00:20:00.002-05:00

Minneapolis was encased in a snow globe today, giant flakes fell in confusing patterns while the wind couldn't decide which way to blow. That is sort-of how I felt all day. I had plans to go out and wasn't feeling it at all - I was tired, yet euphoric over the lovely weekend - buying records and eating food all over town with my sweetheart, watching the gayest musical ever made with my Wondertwin in the time in between, and all the other nonsense that goes on during my weekends.

As much as I bitch and whine about winter, and how I've been feeling so overwhelmingly low during this last blast of it, I am ready to get sunnier. Even if global warming made the earth go super-crazy due to some evil villain's scheme - and it was winter forever from now on. I can handle it.

Truly - I had a moment of clarity tonight. This can be referenced by a Twitter post that I sent while I watched a group of musicians together onstage, catching one singer making "i'm in love with you" eyes at Dan Wilson.

"Fuck you, Winter. I'm back."

Tonight, I begrudgingly dragged my ass out of the house, while exhausting every possible excuse I could. For example: I fell on slush after work and hurt my tailbone again (it really doesn't hurt that bad, even though it should,)or - I don't want to go outside again, or my personal favorite - I have really bad gas pains. I didn't get anywhere with those reasons... so I found myself braving the snowman snow, bribing myself with a sub-par mocha from Caribou while walking to the bus stop with my Wondertwin.

So - how about I explain the photo above. I bet you can pick me out, at sixteen, in my Church Lady t-shirt and cardigan. I can almost guarantee that I was also wearing and incredibly dowdy skirt as well. Who I was at sixteen is not a whole lot different than what I am like at 28. That same dowdy girl, voted "Most Mysterious" by her graduating class, once went to Moondance Jam to see Steve Miller and followed a floppy haired boy who looked like Dan Wilson around... ok, follow means stalked in this circumstance. But I was so obsessed with early Semisonic at this time that I had myself convinced that it was him.

Fast forward to ten years later, I've lived in Minneapolis for eight years and I saw the REAL Dan Wilson for the first time tonight. It was a nice night. Even with the trudging through the snow, the clausterphobia of the Fine Line when it is sold out, I got to sing along to DND, got to hear one of my themes, Free Life. Oh gosh - and that always punches me in the gut, Breathless. I got to stand with my closest friends while being forced into a photograph with Mr. Wilson with my hand on his back. (i'mnotcreepyi'mnotcreepyiswear)

I feel like it's time to put Jen the hermit away. That girl in the photo above, who so desperately could not wait to be "grown-up" a.k.a. out of that house of strangers, would be really bummed out to know that I've been holing up in front of a computer screen chain smoking when I could be out enjoying live music and causing trouble.

I wish I still had that t-shirt.

2008-03-24T19:09:00.000-05:00

ALGEBRA!

moar funny pictures

2008-03-14T18:21:00.002-05:00

Ok - I am not going to blog until I see Springsteen so no more posts about songs so good they make me cry.

NOW LAUGH!!!!!

Have a great weekend!

2008-03-12T17:54:00.002-05:00

I skipped the Bruce Springsteen Hoot last night and that probably wasn't the best choice, but I had some serious bad attitude mojo so I stayed in and got some work done, and that was pretty nice.

Back to Bruce week... last week I put down the songs I want to hear. And while Candy's Room is at the absolute top of my list, I really don't think I'm gonna hear it live. But if I do - you better believe that you'll hear the whole overwhelmed, teary-eyed story - having my first crying at a Springsteen show experience - it was one of those moments (that I have only felt a couple of times) where I've wept because I was HAPPY.

Lately, I can't listen to Darkness on the Edge of Town without getting teary eyed, as the track goes from 6 to 7 and I know I'm going to hear The Promised Land playing next. Then the drums kick in and the harmonica and I'm just goo in some cube somewhere... The first time I saw Bruce, I wasn't all that familiar with the song, in fact I remember someone behind me ask "Is this 'Long Walk Home'?" And now that I think about it, that song itself will definitely be a highlight Sunday and/or Monday.

YouTube won't let me embed... but I really love this video for Long Walk Home... it's my personal favorite off of Magic.

Anyways - I can't help myself, I'm including two versions of The Promised Land today... the first is a better version of him in Paris in '85 (God, wouldn't that have been an amazing show to be at? In Paris. Outside... The second is a newer one captured on someone's phone, probably - in Milan. I couldn't leave that one out because the crowd starts humming and/or whoa-oh-ing the minute it starts and it's just plain glorious.

Paris:

Milan

-and here I am again, all weepy-eyed. Is this crying from Springsteen songs getting too repetative on my blog? Meh. Isn't that what blogs are for?

p.s. Brooke is my favorite on American Idol already.
p.p.s. Chikezie totally killed it last night.

2008-03-08T18:55:00.003-06:00

BRUCE WEEK STARTS RIGHT NOW

One week. Only one week til I am back on the floor at the Xcel enjoying my second Bruce Springsteen show. I will have a fit of joyous insanity if he plays this -

CANDY'S ROOM! (i get chills just hearing the whole crowd sing along...)

On Candy's Room: I have interpretive danced to this song in my apartment a bunch of times and let me tell you it is thrilling!

This one doesn't require me telling you what it is...

I blogged about the effect that this song has on me. Instant weeping upon hearing it live, chills everytime I hear it. There is something so kinetic, so special about hearing his crowds sing in unison, especially in that moment where they join in

Show a little faith, there's magic in the night, you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright...

chillschillschills

And this made me laugh really hard... even if it is Ben Stiller

This is wrong on soooooooooo many levels... Martika? WHAT THE FUCK?

-And I think that is Fergie on the far left. I would stab myself in the ears right now if my second and third Bruce shows weren't coming up.

2008-03-06T14:03:00.003-06:00

This is rough, what the heck do I blog about when I am still sitting around in my candy-cane stripe PJ pants and my five dollar frankie says relax t-shirt and watching cable with barely ANY entertainment value?

Oh - that they just played music from one of the Mario Kart games in this Goldie Hawn episode of E True Hollywood Story.

Anways, the biz with me today:

My Name is Jen Paulson, and I'm an addict.

I think I am addicted to hyper-negative media. And the real culprit, my fix, my rock of crack is Gawker. I can't stop. It's like watching a television show - none of these people seem real to me - well except from the celebs and the terrifying Michael Musto as La Lohan as Marilyn Monroe cover for the Voice, et cetera - wait they don't really seem real to me either - and why the fuck should they, right? Ok - so that's that. A perfectly non-cohesive little rant that again, makes no sense to anyone but me. Please pardon the nonsensical nature of my blog.

---and now, adhd change of subject time-----

I found a fantastic write-up about Gygax over on Slate with Jonathan Rubin's article, Farewell to the Dungeon Master... He says it way better than I ever could. This is probably the weirdest thing to say, but with Gygax's death, I am reminded how much I love my super-nerd boyfriend. He is one of those guys to an excessive degree. He is also a super hero. It's true.

Speaking of Nerdcore - we're going to see MC Chris tomorrow. Fuck, I am going to have this song stuck in my head for the REST of the day.

FETT'S VETTE, MOTHERF*CKER...

and then she goes on a YouTube Favorites BINGE!!!!!!!

I actually miss playing WoW... whatever, haters, that game is fun.

Eye of the Tiger - scene from the amazing film Persepolis

this is, and I've probably mentioned this before, my power song.

2008-03-04T17:43:00.002-06:00

R.I.P. Gary Gygax 1938 - 2008

When I first became aware that there was even such a thing as Dungeons and Dragons, or RPG's in general, I was in the tenth grade. I had just started dating my first serious boyfriend, who was all about that shit. My best friends at the time, were two sweet-as-sugar, wonderful girls named Jenny and Kate, who were twins and lived down the street from me. We had met right away when I moved to Fergus Falls in the 7th grade and became fast friends. Anyways, so while I was figuring out what 'gaming' was, I for some reason got talked into going to some Charismatic Church meeting where the topic of the night ended up being Dungeons and Dragons and other varieties of these games. They talked about how evil they were... see THIS for a version of what we were told... Well, needless to say it freaked me out for about fifteen minutes before I realised how crazy it was.

Anyways - why am I even blogging about this? Because regardless of whether or not I actually play (there was a brief stint in high school) or whether or not it is important to me personally, it is important to a lot of great people that I know. And it really is a sad day when someone who made such an impression on the gaming industry and all the different genres of entertainment that ended up being borne out of it passes away.

Anyways - to invalidate my whole heartfelt post - here's a clip from the classic D&D-is-bad movie starring future superstar Tom Hanks, Mazes and Monsters...

2008-03-03T19:24:00.004-06:00

Man, that Top Ten Rap Songs That White People Like got under my skin... I mean, I'm not really irritated, but maybe I have just had a different experience with Rap music. I've always had a sponge-like, obsessive desire to learn about music. My first introduction to Rap was at my friend Tracy's house when I was in the fifth or sixth grade and we used to listen to NWA before we walked to grade school together.

We lived on a block behind a K-Mart in the Northern Suburbs, I went through a brief period of shoplifting where I stuck mostly to Silly String and candy from the Tom Thumb up the block. Good times, good times... We ended up moving and my Rap connection was severed, and I fell in love with Wilson Phillips or Belinda Carlisle or something freakish like that. Anyways, I guess I just wanted to keep posting YouTube videos and I am super excited because I think I just landed my coolest interview to DATE. So - enjoy the videos, ok?

Local Rapper M.anifest - video from the Best New Bands show at First Ave a couple months back - you can probably hear me screaming on this...

Muja Messiah - Amy Winehouse

Brother Ali - Forest Whitiker (live)

Talib Kweli - Never Been in Love

Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx (yes i realise it's just the album cover for the entire thing, just listen!)

Tribe Called Quest - Scenario

And the joint that makes me go to my happy place...

Ice Cube - Today Was A Good Day

2008-03-03T18:40:00.003-06:00

Link Stolen Directly From Amber Colored Life

Top Ten Rap Songs that White People Love

-- for some reason this list sorta bummed me out.

Well, this is MY favorite (semi-novelty) rap song...

SUPERSONIC - JJ FAD

less novelty, but still one of my absolute favorite rap songs...

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON - NWA

Ok, so my favorite Run DMC song is definitely Peter Piper, but I don't really know why. It just is... but I found this delightful blast from the past on YouTube and considering just how much I loooooooved Reading Rainbow back in the day.... check this...

And in honor of the excitement of Chuck D doing The Current's Fakebook in April -

Give it Up - Public Enemy

So maybe I'm not the average white girl.

2008-03-02T22:39:00.002-06:00

What it is:

Hey, y'all - it's been awhile since I've posted an actual blog about what is going on with me. Seeing that it's a Sunday night and I should be in bed watching the news right now (TMZ) I am blogging instead. I have said this before... just how much I hate Sunday nights, so I'll take my mind off of it by replaying what's been going on with me lately.

I've been writing, a little less than regularly, but I got to see and review the Fine Line Sia show for Spin.com on Tuesday night, and I get to do the same on Wednesday for the Bob Mould show at First Ave. So that's super cool, eh? I gotta cook up some more projects this week - I think I might finally be crawling out of my late winter funk... I went to New Mexico a couple weeks ago and it was great, the weather was beautiful and I had soooo much fun with my girl Shans - but when I came back it was transitional hell, getting back into the swing of things... I don't want to be a hermit anymore...

Went out to the Kid Dakota, Ice Palace and Jeremy Messersmith show last night and ended up standing, in a middle of a PBR tallboy haze, almost right next to one of my least favorite exes. Or as I so lovingly call him, The Troll. The moment of realisation was mildly hilarious as I turned on my heels as faux-calmly as possible and basically darted into the crowd, and (how fitting) subconsciously to the side of another ex (who I am still friends with) to whine at him about my blast from the past. And I felt better. Ok, but enough about that - this isn't livejournal.

So........... the Bruce tour is on again, and in two weeks from today I will definitely be blogging about how he will have blown my mind again, and how I cried over this song or that. And that he played the song I wanted to hear and and how he didn't play one of the songs I wanted to hear. And how excited I am to see him in Milwaukee (which is algonquin for... the good land) the next day. BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!!!!!!!!!!!! (it's gonna be perfect)

My dream list of songs to hear:

Candy's Room
The Promised Land (although he won't play it cause he played it last time when i was unschooled on it's redemptive properties)
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Night
Prove It All Night

I think this might have just cemented Darkness on the Edge of Town's status as my favorite Bruce album, but I am still not convinced

Anyways!

I need to get out more! I need to see more music, be more openhearted, more outgoing, more ambitious, more foxy, etcetera etcetera. I need to figure it out, ahem - find my voice, figure out what i am going to do with my writing. Am I gonna keep going, get better, push forward - I think I better keep it hardcore. If you have any suggestions on who to see, where to go - let me know.

2008-02-09T09:25:00.000-06:00

2008-02-02T20:41:00.000-06:00

Update:

Why am I putting this out for the world to read? I have no idea. But news is news.

I found out today that I have a half brother who is twenty-three and my biological father hasn't been in contact with his family for over three years or something and they don't know where he is.

That is all.

2008-02-02T01:54:00.000-06:00

So much for the song of the day panning out into an actual, DAILY thing...

I have been rocking the multitasking lately, but this has ended up being shorted, eh?

I will admit, as I tend to do late at night, that I feel a bit overwhelmed. Tomorrow I meet for lunch with what might be my only connection to my biological father. I know her from my childhood as a friend of my mother's. Frankly, I don't even remember what she looks like. I don't believe that I have ever met him, and if I did, of course I don't remember. I am completely nervous. I wonder, will I actually get any information, and if I DO, will it be satisfactory data? I don't know if he is dead or alive, good or bad, young or old.

2008-01-22T20:35:00.000-06:00

Song of the Day - Day Two
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye - Leonard Cohen

01 Hey, That's No ...

I love Leonard Cohen and am frightened by him all at the same time. But you can guarantee that I will see him on this next tour, as reported by Pitchfork TODAY...

2008-01-21T21:20:00.000-06:00

Let's Try This:

Song of the Day - Day One

I know there are plenty of David Bowie songs that I love more than this one, but every couple of months this is my favorite.

David Bowie - Ashe...

I love that sexy Bowie falsetto in the first stanza -

They got a message from the action man
Im happy, hope youre happy too
Ive loved all Ive needed love
Sordid details following

I think I love the way he harmonizes with himself at 'I'm happy, hope you're happy too...'

I never done good things
I never done bad things
I never did anything out of the blue, woh-o-oh
Want an axe to break the ice
Wanna come down right now

I always belt out that line like nobody's business, embellish the whoa-oh...

But then again, I'm listening to Diamond Dogs now. And it's already my favorite again.

THIS AIN'T ROCK AND ROLL!!! THIS IS GENOCIDE!!!!

*sigh*
(still smoke free, drinking Guinness at home out of a glass, passively watching anthony bourdain in vancouver,back to the cube tomorrow)

2008-01-20T15:23:00.000-06:00

Long weekend.

So, I slept super late yesterday and wasted an entire saturday, found out my favorite uncle has inoperative lung cancer, finished a pack of cigarettes and decided that now was the time to quit smoking. So, needless to say it's whole day one, even though I am counting it as day two. I just feel like it is rude of me to be smoking when Richard is sick because of smoking. Maybe that's a weird rationale for that, because it doesn't have me actually reflecting on my own mortality that much. Maybe that actually is part of it and I'm denying it. But mostly, I am craving a good smoke right now, but thanks to the weather and my strangely strong willpower (or laziness), I think I might actually last the day...

Will someone bring me a cigarette? Slap my hand, ok?

Today has already been a great day, woke up, started finally reading 'Love is a Mixtape' while listening to the RetroActive (New Wave) channel on my cable while Jesse worked on his character for the RPG he's playing tonight - how romantic - total nerditude, but what's new. We are super nerds, that'll never change. We were introduced because of our collected love/obsession with Star Wars, so this is how these things happen. We had a super tasty breakfast of croissants with some scrambled eggs with chives and a 4 year cheddar and some strawberries... so, yay. For a change I actually cooked breakfast for Jesse while he was on the computer instead of the other way around. I'm very proud.

And I want a cigarette. Crap. Time to go read some more to take my mind off of it.

2008-01-12T23:01:00.000-06:00

I have to say, and I mean this unironically, that this is one of THE MOST entertaining music videos of all time.

2008-01-05T02:15:00.001-06:00

Chalk it Up

Andrea wrote about her current sentiments about Quarterlife here. She had mentioned it to me a while back and I took viewing it into consideration... but just in the back of my mind. So when I was reading her most recent blogpost I accidentally clicked on the link for the show, and it immediately froze up my computer... annoying. But I went back to it... and watched the most recent episode. And then went back and watched the first - and through the, what am I on now, tenth episode... and so it goes - I am addicted.

This show is definitely a grown up My So-Called Life - and why wouldn't it be? It was put together by almost the same people... not the creator - but the producers, the same people who have brought you equally overdramatic, yet touching shows like, Once and Again, Thirtysomething, and correct me if I am wrong - that ridiculously great show that used to be on ABC after The Golden Girls back when I was a kid - Sisters. You know, the one with the sisters that all had masculine girl's names because their father had wished they had been boys or something stupidly clever like that... anyways.

As much as I am addicted to the drama of this show, here is my question... why can't I stop watching it? Why did I crack a beer at two am to smoke at my counter and watch this more... and then write a horrifically long, random blogpost about it? Because while some people watch movies and television and online shows to simply be entertained and/or learn something or acquire information or whathaveyou - I have come to the realisation, and not for the first time - that I watch these things to disappear. I watch, to wrap myself up in something, an experience, moments that are not my own. And yes, this is most definitely not a new concept to anyone. This is not some earth-shattering realisation of just how unique I am in this feeling. It's mostly me being long-windedly introspective, as charmingly and emaciatedly done by the pretty girl that plays Dylan on Quarterlife. But whatever, it's late and I am enjoying a moment of buzzed solitude and it's my blog so I can say what I want...

And it just dawned on me. I'll be 29 in nine months. My quarterlife? Well, I'm past that. But the upcoming eleven years? Let's just hope they aren't too much like Thirtysomething. Because really? I can't deal with that much Peter Horton. But I do recognize that I am entering the stage in between... maybe it'll be a combination of the two - because as much as the coming-of-age shit should be in my dust, I've always been a late bloomer. And I'm still in my, listen to me, listen to me, read my stuff, read this thing I wrote, take me seriously phase. And I still wrestle with the concept of calling myself a "Writer" and I am still mildly crippled by fear every time I sit down to write. But maybe, in my Patricia Wettig Thirtysomething phase, I will embrace it like I have been meant to since I started scribbling furiously on a notebook page, or on the harsh light of a laptop screen in the three-am dark - but until then I will just keep trying and I will refuse to reach for the Xanax when it's time for me to write.

2007-12-23T19:42:00.000-06:00

I watched Seven Ages of Rock and Roll from the start today. AGAIN. It ends tonight with British Indie - something that makes me a bit irritated. Mostly cause I haven't seen it yet and they have been showing the commercial for the past two days and it STARTS with Franz Ferdinand - a band that I think people are already starting to forget. Maybe I'm wrong. Whatever. It still bothers me. Open with The Smiths, motherfuckers.

Anyways, it starts momentarily... I'll probably post a full opinion of the whole darn thing later.

2007-12-19T20:30:00.000-06:00

Richard Hell and the Voidoids – Blank Generation

(p.s. it's just a clip)

There is a big nostalgic story about where I was and who I was when I first heard this song. It was in front of a tv, kind of like I am right now, minus the parents arguing upstairs. But as I watched the round-up of the first three episodes of "Seven Ages of Rock and Roll" on VH1 Classic I got to see Richard Hell read this like poetry and it made me do the RCA puppy head tilt in sheer awe.

Blank Generation
(Hell)
I was sayin' let me outta here before I was even born,
It's such a gamble when you get a face,
It's fascinatin' to observe what the mirror does,
But when I dine it's for the wall that I set a place.

I belong to the blank generation,
And I can take it or leave it each time.
I belong to the generation,
But I can take it or leave it each time.

Triangles were fallin' at the window as the doctor cursed,
He was a cartoon long forsaken by the public eye,
The nurse adjusted her garters as I breathed my first,
The doctor grabbed my throat and yelled, "God's consolation prize!"

I belong to the blank generation,
And I can take it or leave it each time.
I belong to the generation,
But I can take it or leave it each time.

To hold the TV to my lips, the air so packed with cash,
Then carry it up flights of stairs and drop it in the vacant lot,
To lose my train of thought and fall into your arms tracks,
And watch beneath the eyelids every passing dot

I belong to the blank generation,
And I can take it or leave it each time.
I belong to the generation,
But I can take it or leave it each time.

You shoulda been there.

2007-12-19T17:21:00.000-06:00

Well, it is Krush Groove weekend no longer. Shit, I have been hardcore neglecting the old blog. Poor thing.

What it is though, is five days before Christmas and twelve days before this crazy-ass year is OVER. This year, winter hit me like a Mack truck. Work suddenly got freakishly busy, so now I spend my entire workday strung out and by the time I get home all I want to do is stay in and watch cable. It's embarassing. So, yeah - I have barely been getting out to see live music, and have only been writing a minimum amount of copy for anyone. I am in desperate need of some motivation, y'all.

This year I went from having a live-in boyfriend to living alone to having my WT living on my couch to reuniting with aforementioned boyfriend. Life is actually quite good - with the exception of my anxiety issues rearing their ugly demon heads more often than usual. That also explains my total absence in most social situations. But I'm working on it, sort-of. Anyways - Krush Groove Weekend? It's over.

I won't stay gone as long next time. Happy Holidays!!

2007-11-09T17:25:00.000-06:00

KRUSH GROOVE WEEKEND

One of my prized possessions is my Krush Groove poster. I ordered it on eBay, expecting it to be poster sized, but I ended up getting a tiny one-sheet version. I should have known better. It now sits proudly in my dining room on the showcase-y area on top of my cupboard with my Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! lunchbox, the box to the Elvis Costello boxed set I purchased on a whim in the tenth grade that spiraled me into super-fandom, the prettiest dried roses EVER, and the Chinese Checker board from my childhood...

Anyways... in my personal Mix CD Hall of Fame, there is something that I like to call "Inspired by Krush Groove, yo." I dug out the compilation today when I was at work. It is in a gold-plated jewel case, and sits in a case that shines light on it all day so it looks like it's blessed by the gods. Wait, it IS blessed by the gods, and I challenge ANYONE to prove me otherwise. I will defeat you mercilessly...

Anyway... here are some freakin awesome clips I managed to find on YouTube...

I Can't Live Without My Radio - LL Cool J

You gotta love this. A young LL, Rick Rubin before he looked like he was in ZZ Top, Jam Master Jay and DMC -

All You Can Eat - The Fat Boys

I love The motherfuckin Fat Boys. I don't know why. I just do. Just another thing to chalk up to the Apple Jacks defense, deal. This isn't my favorite version of this song, but it IS the part of the movie/commercial for Sbarro. Disorderlies, it ain't... but it'll do.

Krush Groovin' - Krush Groove All Stars

Ultimate Cheese. My opinion is that Sheila E. should stick to being a kick-ass drummer and not rap. I say this out of love. Man, I love Kurtis Blow. A warning - this is really bad. But if you love it, we'll be friends forever. I'll even go down to Claire's or something and get us those pendants where each of us gets a half. But I get the Best part. Don't argue.

Are you wondering about my awesome Krush Groove mix? It goes a little something like this...

(It's not a direct soundtrack, it's slightly close - I put in a couple things that flowed and that's that)

King of Rock - Run DMC
I Need Love - LL Cool J
Candy Girl - New Edition (they appear in the movie during the awesomely bad "talent show" scene of the movie that also features the Beastie Boys)
All You Can Eat - The Fat Boys
I Can't Live Without My Radio - LL Cool J
Human Beatbox - The Fat Boys
**Supersonic - JJ Fad (Unrelated. I this is just one of my favorite old-school rap songs. Fergie should get both of her kneecaps busted for her song Fergalicious, which is a modern, shitty carbon copy of this song)
You Can't Touch This - MC Hammer (Hey, it just worked. Guaranteed)
It's Like That - Run DMC
Krush Groovin - Krush Groove All Stars
Love Bizarre - Sheila E w/ Prince

Happy Krush Groove Weekend, everybody!!!
(how did this post get so long??)

**no I'm telling you. Legendary. Awesome. Listen for yourself, and do not tell me if you don't like it for some reason. Believe me, it's for your own good.

JJ Fad - Supersoni...

2007-11-03T01:51:00.000-05:00

Are there even words??

oh.my.god.

you know, going into tonight, i knew that it would be great. but i still didn't REALLY know what i was getting myself into.

you know, people can fail you, machines can fail you, you can fail you - but MUSIC will never fail you.

we spent the whole day basically at the xcel... our day started at around one-thirtyish when we arrived there, waiting for our wristbands for the lottery, chit-chatting excitedly and a little nervously, and after we got our wristbands a group of us headed over to the Liffey for some drinks and beautiful Bruce chat. one thing that just sticks with me is Martin Devaney talking about... and I paraphrase -

"You know, I just feel bad for the people who don't get Bruce..."

It's a poignant statement that I can't get off my brain.

After that, we headed back to the Xcel, or pardon me, the Roy Wilkins so we could form multiple long lines of excited people hoping to get into the pit. The area in the very front was reserved for a lucky bunch of people (approx 480)... and we just happened to make the cut. It was confusing, because the number that was drawn was a high one, so it rolled over into and past our wristband numbers... so I only really knew that we made the cut when my peeps started screaming and jumping up and down and of course I joined in. It was an amazing feeling. Tell me I watch too much tv - but it reminds me of the end of every episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition when the bus drives away and the people see their new house for the very first time.

Fast forward past the headache, chaos and stress that was getting that second wristband and finally making our way into the X as the very first group of people on the floor... but even that was still amazing, keeping track of everyone while freaking out.

Pardon this blog post, it's gonna be long, it's gonna be babbling, and it might not even make SENSE. But I need to purge...

This show BLEW MY GODDAMN MIND... there was lots of screaming, and there was laughing, mild tearing up and flat out sobbing. I've just never been where my heart went tonight. We were so close. It was un-freakin-believable. Amazing. Elevating. My FIRST Bruce experience, and not to be my last whatsoever. My own Bruce obsession has officially begun. I had an appreciation of Bruce, but all that has changed.

My moments (in no particular order):

*Jones losing her shit at Incident on 57th Street, her favorite Bruce song.

Good night, it's all tight Jane/I'll meet you tomorrow night on Lover's Lane/We may find it out on the street tonight baby/Or we may walk until the daylight maybe

I love the part in the song where he goes -

Puerto Rican Jane, oh won't you tell me what's your naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame...

Jones and myself losing our shit together when he closed the set with Badlands, not even singing, we were SCREAMING - almost savagely. Convulsing with obsessive joy, I seriously could not keep my shit together... I seized with excitement, and I really did not know what to do with myself, because this really is one of the best songs ever written...so I just kept yelling, kept freaking out, and never wanted that night to end.

But that wouldn't even compare to the two song sensory overload in the middle of the encore with Thunder Road followed by motherfucking Born to Run. I wasn't expecting either song, I was satisfied to have Badlands and No Surrender and Radio Nowhere and the always-uplifting The Rising. You know, I like that song, but live... shit, it's just brilliant. It makes your face hurt from smiling, and I kind of just wanted to go around hugging strangers.

Oh yeah - so Thunder Road and Born to Run. The minute I heard that harmonica and the piano, I started screaming like someone had just told me I won a billion dollars in the lottery... I was absolutely overcome with emotion. Immediately, through my wavering, shitty, loud singing, I started sobbing.

Wait - I think I started crying when it started, but the sobbing started here...

Except roll down the window/And let the wind blow back your hair/Well the night's busting open/These two lanes will take us anywhere

So EPIC!

Born to Run, bitchslapped me across the face. It just jumped right out and assaulted me. I wasn't expecting it. I had a goddamn brain aneurysm right there. I was jumping up and down. Jones and I were yell-singing at each other as we were in love with the world. I looked back, at the crowd in it's massive entirety and it literally TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. I screamed harder than I ever have in my whole life. I thought my heart might explode.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDAMN!! and CLARENCE!! OMG. shit. Clarence Clemons you are the man. That's that.

--- so where does a person GO from here? How are shows ever going to be the same? Even when I came home and put Born to Run on, I was crying all over again to Thunder Road. I am here singing to my cat.

I ask - Who the fuck is Bruce Springsteen? How can he be that amazing? How is this even possible? I guess I might not have completely gotten him until today, not a hundred percent. And I'm not even close to a hundred percent, but something fucking clicked...

Listen to this masterpiece... (another hilariously ugly widget)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ...

We busted out of class had to get away from those fools/We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school

SOUND FAMILIAR???!!!

The pinnacle of how deeply I love music, is locked inside this song.

I love everything about it, how it can make you happy when you are sad... how it can keep you SAD when you just want to wallow... how it can push you do to great things, yet sometimes preoccupy you, make you procrastinate, inspire you, piss you off... create great friendships, and sometimes rip them apart...

i am going to go sit on a bench on the greenway and sing Bruce songs badly till the cops come and tell me to go home.

2007-10-30T19:19:00.000-05:00

The Bon Iver Pronounciation Debate:

First and foremost, pardon me if this becomes one of the dumbest blog posts i've put out there. I finally went in for my cough and cold today, and it turns out I have Bronchitis AND a sinus infection... so there are all kinds of gross things going on inside my body. The antibiotic they have me on is making me nauseous and exhausted. I am seriously going to bed as soon as Beauty and the Geek (one of my not-so-secret favorite shows) is over...

However, this means that I haven't smoked for most of the day... it's making me cranky. But maybe it's time to quit? Hmm... if I can make it through the next couple days, I might finally say goodbye to that nasty habit. I found myself being incredibly embarassed when the doctor asked me how long I had been smoking (don't ask).

But what I really need to know IS... how do you really pronounce Bon Iver?? Ok, yes -maybe Justin Vernon means it to mean "Good Winter," but after having my pronunciation corrected the other night, and my four years of sort-of paying attention in high school French has me a bit perplexed and jonesing for some clarificiation. First and foremost, if it's Winter, it's Hiver... Not Iver. So can't I just say "eye-ver" without getting corrected??

I need to figure this out before I finally see Bon Iver (NEXT WEEK) in Eau Claire. I was a week ahead of myself and thought it was today...

nonsensical blogpost over

2007-10-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

Bruce Springsteen ...

Christ, isn't that widget one of the ugliest things you have ever seen?

Well, bear with me. I had a moment with this song last night, as a group of me and what have so recently become some of my closest friends briefly drifted to sleep at the same time. But that was disrupted by my uncontrolled laughter at the unprecedented preciousness.

I'm not a stranger to Bruce Springsteen, but I could puke non-stop for at least thirty minutes over what beauty I have missed, raising myself on radio all these years. So, last night, Darkness on the Edge of Town almost killed me.

I'm going through a wonderful and awful, confusing yet eye-opening time of self-realization and exploration. I'm twenty-eight years old. Am I cut out to be an adventurer? I'm still not sure what I want out of my experience. My life is very much my own - as I share it with some amazing people, and a person or two who I need to say some amicable goodbyes to. For the most part, I am inexplicably happy. And then there are the darker moments, but I manage to keep that at bay with the perfect song and a cup of hot cocoa, which usually puts me right.

I can't decide if I want to run out into the street screaming or if I want to dance around my living room joyously in my underwear with all the shades up. Out of all the emotions that truly hold us back from living life to the fullest (or whatever cliches are out there) - For the most part, I am NOT a cynic. I have the heart of an optimist (in a jar of formaldehyde on my bookshelf), but I am prone to my moments of rampant complaining and ranting. I love and despise some things will all of my being. And somedays the things I love become the things I hate and vice versa. That's just who I am. I am a dealer of extremes. Highs and lows, for all my many moods.

But Christ - it's gonna be a hell of a week that will THRILL and exhaust me. Seriously, as I sit here listening to Born to Run I am having a moment. What is it that makes me fight back tears while listening to Thunder Road? Is it the absolute excitement of even the IDEA that I will be seeing The Boss of Alexa Jones on Friday? I am a sap. You got a problem with that? Well, I say with a smirk - go fuck yourself :)

I guarantee, that on Thursday around 9pm, I will be out of breath, thrashing my hair about and screaming my brains out to MOTHERFUCKING ART BRUT! Oh yeah, The Hold Steady is pretty sweet too...

And of course, a Halloween dance party at the Varsity on Wednesday?? Dance Band, MC/VL? Zombie-a-thon?? How much fake blood can I manage to cover myself in? Only time will tell. Shit, I need to go to sleep or I will be dead by Saturday...

2007-10-25T21:30:00.000-05:00

So...who is going to Chicago with me on the 30th of November to see Hall and Oates??!!

2007-10-24T18:50:00.000-05:00

Yeah, we were there...

So CultureBully, Jon Behm and myself had the experience of seeing GWAR on Sunday night...

This is what I reported...
CultureBully pulls out all the stops and includes VIDEO in his summary...
And Jon Behm took a whole lot of fantastic photos...

2007-10-23T17:25:00.001-05:00

YOU LOVE STOOK!

(Photo by The World Famous Alexa Jones)

Check out Sarah Askari's piece in the City Pages about our man, Stook!

And make sure your ass is at his dual CD release with Dan Israel, also featuring Molly Maher and Martin Devaney at the Varsity Theater this Friday, October 26th...

2007-10-14T23:43:00.000-05:00

Photo by Eric Démoré - click the pretty picture for a link to more of his photos...

I had to take down the Basia Bulat widget because, well... my blog isn't a MySpace page and I can't control how the song starts up right away and breaks my heart... however - here's a link to her CBC Radio 3 page where you can still stream The Pilgriming Vine and a couple others. Have at it!! She's soooooooooo amazing!!

2007-10-14T23:31:00.000-05:00

Who took Aaron Landry's gnome?

Turns out, the little guy decided to go on an adventure. He must have convinced some kindhearted friend to free him from his front yard perch...

Oh lawn gnome, the places you will go...

...and the things you will blog about

with the photos to prove it.

2007-10-13T16:37:00.000-05:00

Great Black Book Article

I'm only halfway through this, but I already have to share. I love Kyle Matteson for forwarding this my way. That guy is a pretty cool dude!

Here's the link to some Ryan...

Primadonna baby bitch or not, I still love his music.

2007-10-13T14:37:00.000-05:00

I can't resist... this is great...

However, I challenge you to watch the whole thing from start to finish.

Thanks for the tip, Chris K.

2007-10-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

More Comedians!

These guys have to come to Minneapolis. I want to go comic book shopping with Brian and Patton and have a threesome after. Um, that's wrong on so many levels. And mostly a joke.

2007-10-11T01:45:00.000-05:00

SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!

Spoon setlist photo by Brody McCoy

Brody over at BritishRockIsAlwaysTop posts pictures from the shows he goes to (ok, Brody goes to every show that's worth going to) LIGHTNING FAST... which is great when you want to relive the performance IMMEDIATELY. So, hooray for Brody, hooray for Spoon and HOORAY for Alexa Jones making shadow puppets on the back of Britt Daniel's white fitted shirt when he was standing right in front of us... Good times, good times...

2007-10-07T18:36:00.000-05:00

Joe Torre to Elmo: Hey little guy, what am I gonna do if this is my last game with the Yankees??

What the hell is happening to me? For the second day in a row, I have fallen asleep unexpectedly on my couch for two hours. I am not really a nap person at all.

Laziest
Weekend
Ever

Hoot One/Season Two

What a great night. I knew how much I missed spending my early Friday nights here, but I guess I didn't know how much. I was there an hour early in anticipation of it being incredibly busy, and got to see THE Elvis Perkins walk into our basement sanctuary, which had been totally rearranged and reorganized for better sightlines and a gallery of Tony Nelson's great pictures had been placed along the walls.

The basement of Java Jacks on Fridays is like a church to some of us, meeting up with old friends, new friends, and the musicians, singers and storytellers. Week after week, we are introduced to new tales, new faces - and are enriched by it. Welcome back, Hoot.

Carl Franzen, Elvis Perkins and Jim Walsh/Hoot One, Season Two

Steve Cohen, documenting it all/Hoot One, Season Two

David de Young got a great picture of the best photographers and nicest guys in town, Steve Cohen, see his Hoot pictures HERE...

Back (from left): John Swardson, Stook!, Martin Devaney, Jim Walsh w. future superstar and one of my personal Hoot faves, Graham Earley in the front/Hoot One, Season Two

Graham is amazing... he closed out the first hoot of the season by leading the crowd in a singalong and playing Ike Reilly's "Put A Little Love in It." Absolutely perfect.

2007-10-06T21:51:00.000-05:00

Two Saturdays * in a row, I have sat on my couch instead of going to shows. I think I like it. For now.

Another weekend, another sweet Rhapsody mix. But this one is personal and not for sharing. Maybe I'll throw out a few as I ramble...

Northern Sky - Nick Drake: I heard the tail end of this on The Current as I drove home from my ill-advised volunteerism that went on before it was even dawn. It was sunny and humid and my ac was cranked in my face as I enjoyed a lovely drive which would spiral into pajamas, naps and movies - among all other sorts of laziness when I arrived home. I did the arm out the window move. Nice moment.

I'm already bored with this blog. I'm going for a walk with the mix and the lake. The couch needs a break from my ass...

*the way it was written earlier, it sounded like I have been sitting at home doing absolutely nothing for the past two weeks, which is totally not true

2007-10-01T17:40:00.000-05:00

I found an awesome new photographer in my quest to find shots to accompany my spur-of-the-moment Arcade Fire review... his name is Aaron Brown, and this is my favorite snapshot he captured last night...

2007-09-30T03:04:00.000-05:00

This (mostly) has nothing to do with O'Shea Jackson

Alright - I'm sorta watching Death Proof off and on for the second time. Watching these sass talking chicks makes me want to make a good ol' mix to cruise around with my girlfriends and be obnoxious and loud to. I have rocked the hell out of plenty of these songs in the car. The truth is, I think the car is one of the most inspired places to listen to music to.

And yes, this IS one of those late-night Rhapsody mixes... the night, it just does this to me.

Cherry Bomb - The Runaways
Chick Habit - April March
Leader of the Pack - The Shangri-La's
Prefabricated Icon - X-Ray Spex
Bad Girl - New York Dolls
Kiss Me Deadly - Lita Ford
(simply for the - Uh-huh... it ain't no big thing... perfect for car singing)
Hot in the City - Billy Idol
So Alive - Love and Rockets*

*this song reminds me of when my friend Mija and I were driving through Kentucky at like, 3 or 4 in the morning, finally out of this scary stretch of the Appalachians that we had to drive through in the deep, dark night. She put this album in and we totally rocked it while Michelle was passed out in the backseat. In the true spirit of my Bad-Ass Bitches Mix, she's the ultimate, so I have to put this in here.

(why I listened to Jamie by Weezer right after this is beyond me. i have no control after these sometimes)

Straight Outta Compton - NWA
(I lied, I had to pull out old school o'shea and solo o'shea with "it was a good day")

At the end of this scene, everyone has been dropped off at home and I'm on my way home. I play... Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf - In just under ten minutes, I have a sore throat from singing too loudly, I have given myself whiplash and I'm spent...

This is what happens when I stay up too late...

2007-09-28T18:17:00.000-05:00

ONE HUNDRED

A hundred posts to tigerbeatpoet. Can you believe it? I didn't realize what I was getting myself into when I figured out it was time to blog.

Alright, so in the spirit of not-so-random randomness, I had to post one of the most precious and cheesiest videos ever for what could be one of the sweetest songs I have ever heard.

The Lightning Seeds - Pure

Confetti flying through the air, watching Ian Broudie through clouds that kind-of look like embryonic fetuses, sparks... does it get any better than that?

Something about the guitar part towards the end of this song SCREAMS Love Vigilantes by New Order to me. Yeah, it's different... but after I hear that part I have to listen to the song immediately after. Anyone up for some live performance footage from the year I turned six? In Japan?

Keeping on the New Order transition, I am posting a link for you to check out if you dare. This might be the single most ridiculous thing I have seen all week... wait, I covered The Wedding Singer at The Orpheum. Nevermind!

Review forthcoming. Ack.

2007-09-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

Song For A Possibly Dead, Hopefully Alive Hummingbird

Break My Stride - Matthew Wilder

The other day, a Hummingbird flew into the window of the office I was having lunch in. It happened really quick – a light thud on the glass and then it fell to the concrete outside the window. Typically this wouldn’t have phased me, I would have probably went right back to eating my lunch if it was a crow or something. But as it lay there, unconscious, some part of me freaked out a bit as it’s long, tiny beak opened and shut ever-so-slightly and it breathed rapidly but didn’t really move otherwise. I had never seen a bird die, especially a bird as tiny and beautiful as a hummingbird. We moved it into the grass by scooping it onto a piece of paperboard, so if it did die, it didn't have to do it right there on the concrete. I went out to check on it a bit later and it was alert, just hanging in the grass. And as I crouched down to stupidly pick it up, it flapped it's wings and before I could even blink it flew away. I hope that hummingbird is still alive. I obviously didn't save it's life or anything, but it was an immense relief to see it fly off. Or maybe it just made me feel better, subconsciously, because it wasn't laying outside the office - possibly dying.

Either way - interesting moment of the week

More about Hummingbirds here...

2007-09-08T12:24:00.000-05:00

I just can't help myself...

I haven't posted here for awhile and since it's the weekend and I am in a fun little mood, I thought I'd give you a fun video to watch.

So Music and Lyrics was a crap movie, but this song/video is hilarious and wonderful and a perfect 80's pop song. And well, I sure do love Hugh Grant.

...pardon the weird Drew Barrymore.org/A&E logos at the bottom, could ya?

2007-08-26T18:54:00.000-05:00

Best Song EVER to have a dramatic moment to:

Something in the Air by Thunderclap Newman

That is – until about 1:58 into the song… and the weird-ass saloon piano jam starts. At three minutes it becomes Polyphonic Spree-like and glorious again.

Eleven seconds in when the singer starts in, is arguably the best moment - perfect for taking one of those dramatic movie sighs and leaning back, either onto your pillow, maybe just the couch... you have to utilize the sigh for full effect. You could use it in a frustrated car slump at night too.

Another suggestion for feeling this song's true glory - Put both of your arms out of an open sunroof , a convertible if you're lucky or car window if you're slumming it. Make sure you are in motion. This moment is least compatable with Wintertime.

My goal before the summer is over – running off a dock into a lake with the song in my head… Anyone want to join in on this with me? I do have a boombox we could use.

(A slightly more intense alternative would be to use Trouble by Cat Stevens – but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re feeling especially sensitive. Another song for another moment, I suppose...)

2007-08-25T10:18:00.000-05:00

Weird Al's First Television Appearance

I found this while obsessing about Monday night's Weird Al show at the State Fair - His first TV appearance on the late, great Tom Snyder's show...

Is he even wearing shoes?? Wow, this clip is just ABSURD...

2007-08-16T00:02:00.000-05:00

This really doesn't have anything to do with anything that I usually post on here, but I just had to share. I think I just had the best birthday ever. I went to Valleyfair with a bunch of my girlfriends. It was so fun to run around in the late-afternoon sunshine and yell and scream and carry on. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Well, except for the fact that those bastards closed Steel Venom early, after I almost sprinted across the park to get a few rides in before they closed. STEEEEEEEEEL VENOM IS THE BEST!! Also, Extreme Swing lived up to my expectations as well.

For the record, that new rollercoaster, Renegade, is super bad-ass. It might not have the same scream-squelching drop that Wild Thing has, but it more than makes up for it in sharp turns, unsurpassed (well, at the smallish park that is Valleyfair) speed, and fast-paced, thrilling excitement.

Best moment: While waiting to get on that old white rickety rollercoaster, we were standing on the platform waiting for the group ahead of us to load on and go. The girl in the front row says to the ride operator...

Girl: Play some music!
Ride Operator: There is no music...
My best friend, Michelle: sing Happy Birthday! It's her birthday! (points at me)

I look away and then look at him and sort-of shake my head, like - please don't sing.

Ride Operator: No it isn't...
Michelle: Yes it is! It's actually her birthday...

He looks at me and asks - "Is it?" I sheepishy say yes. And then he starts singing. And then the ENTIRE group of people that were seated on the coaster and waiting to go ALL START SINGING ME HAPPY BIRTHDAY. And I'm not talking, Minnesotans implored to sing and then just mumble. They sang it clear and loud and with heart. It was so surreal, and really just an amazing moment of my life. Waaaaaaaay better than when they sing to you at say - TGIFridays or something. I probably turned beet red. But even thinking of it now, I just get giddy... All those strangers singing to another stranger on her 28th birthday.

I closed out the night by riding the Scrambler by myself, because it's one of my ultimate favorites from my childhood. It was a nice, calm moment zipping about that little Scrambler pen, and it was a great way to sit and reflect on the great evening I had while gripping onto the handbar of the ride, trying not to fly over to the other side of the car, and thinking that this might have been the best birthday ever.

This is how I started out my birthday around 1am this morning...

The more I think about it, I don't know why I am sharing this with the world. But it's too funny to not. We were taking a bunch of Gossip Girls photos at The Spins and for some reason we were jumping about, and I tripped over the wood ledge of the bocce court and I fell in. So yes, get a good laugh in and go about your business. At least my underpants aren't showing.. but I am flashing a fair amount of lower back, ass fat.

Yes boys, I am single...

Happy Birthday to me.

2007-08-12T14:16:00.000-05:00

Whee!!

I have been writing for HowWasTheShow.com since April of 2003, with some big gaps and some smaller gaps here and there. I've been back in full effect for awhile now. I love having the opportunity to work with everyone and consider it something that I have great pride in. We have lots of fun, let me tell you.

Sooo... they let me book a show for my birthday this year and let's just say that I am pretty damn excited about it. If you read my blog, you are hereby required to show up. Them's the rules, guys. See you Friday!!!

2007-08-05T14:47:00.000-05:00

Everybody's talkin'...

Photo of the City on the Make crowd by David de Young

With a recent feature on Reveille, Andrea Myers featured the bad-ass mofos of City on the Make. I caught 'em at the Nomad with The Kingpin on Friday, it rocked my face off. So, buy the album, read my review, go light it up.

As some of the anonymous posters say over on MNSpeak... just sayin'...

The REVIEW
Andrea Myers' Reveille Magazine feature
City on the Make on the three-headed devil that is MYSPACE
...and the interwebs

Don't just sit there...

2007-08-04T18:55:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I can be a movie freak, so the 30th of July was a pretty sad day for film lovers. The world of cinema lost two of it's most important auteurs with the passing of both Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni.

I used to frequent Cinema Revolution big time when it was on Hennepin. It has since moved over to South Minneapolis, off Nicollet, right by The Bad Waitress and my favorite late-night, cheese-haven - Little Tijuana's. I make no secret about the fact that I am a lazy girl, and have since become a pathetic Netflix devotee. However, Cinema Revolution rocks out beyond belief in terms of selection and it's just a great outfit. They're running a deal for the month of August where they are renting out their Bergman and Antonioni's movies for free in honor of what the directors did for cinema as a whole. This is super cool, kids. So get over there, check them out and rent some great movies you might have missed....

Cinema Revolution's website HERE...

2007-07-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

Hey, hey - time to share, bitches...

MinnieIndie.com is a good resource for finding out what the fuck is going down as far as shows in the city are concerned... (just like the HowWasTheShow Calendar)

Like a total chump, I haven't checked it out for awhile, because while I was AWOL, they started posting weekly videos featuring Steve Barone (no shit, Lifter Puller Steve Barone), Sarah Tukwa and and the tent-dwelling "Other Steve." Pretty hilarious and informative stuff.

Go to MinnieIndie immediately...

Well, after you watch the most recent MinnieIndie #6

Click To Play

2007-07-24T00:09:00.001-05:00

I should be sleeping, but I can never just come home from a show and call it a night. Tonight I saw my first show out at the Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater and it was quite interesting. Now, I have nothing bad to say about Guster, they're great musicians and they write great songs, but I've never been able to commit to listening to them on a regular basis. I was more interested in checking out Ben Kweller, who I am a devoted fan of. He only played eight songs, though, and that was kind of a bummer. I got to hang out by the front of the stage with all my teenage friends... haha... ok, so I felt a bit awkward, but who cares.

On the topic of Ben Kweller. So he announced that he was gonna be signing autographs and hanging out at the merch table afterwards, so we decided to get in line for it. After maybe thirty to forty-five minutes, we got to the front of the line and I geared up to take Stacy's picture with him. The big security guy was hassling me, asking me a million and a half questions I couldn't get my brain to answer at once and we were swept aside to wait for the photo. We waited with a bunch of teenage girls, for about ten minutes, maybe more. It was just weird, dudes.

I guess I never thought of Ben Kweller as the hug-strangers-too-close kind of guy. But I guess he is. And we got to sit back and watch it all.

wow, lame blog post. haha.

2007-07-20T17:30:00.001-05:00

Open Plea Almost Answered...

So Art Brut is coming... to Chicago.

2007-07-20T06:14:00.001-05:00

photo by Stacy Schwartz, edited horrifically on Paint by me.

Five Questions Friday has been off gallivanting around for the past two weeks, and now makes it's triumphant return.

Reveille launched on Tuesday and I thought it would be fun to ask two of its staffers the fabulous five questions. Heads up, music loving friends - they'll continue celebrating tomorrow night at the Nomad Pub over on the West Bank with a launch party, loaded to the brim with Minneapolis' finest bands.

Onto the show...

In your opinion, who are some of the best local bands that maybe not as many people have heard about?

Andrea Myers: My favorites right now are City on the Make, a blues-based punk band with a really unique vocalist who sort of sing-growls his way through the music, and Abzorbr, an indie hip hop group with a jazz improv backbone. I think it's great to see new bands combining different genres and really going out on a limb with their sound.

Steve McPherson: Hm. Opening with a toughie, eh? A nice thing about the Twin Cities is that no worthy band really manages to fly under the radar for long, but a couple that I know of who haven't gotten any major press are Switzerlind, who play instrumental indie rock that's melodic and pastoral, and City on the Make, who'll be getting a write up on Reveille very soon thanks to Andrea Myers.

What is your preferred method of listening to music?

AM: With headphones, for sure. I go between CDs of bands I am reviewing, old CDs I am obsessed with and old stuff on vinyl, and it all gets played through headphones. It's like being in my own little musical world.

SM: I really tend to go back and forth between in the car and on headphones, and you really need both methods. I like the car because, as lame as this is going to sound, the music is soundtracking the changing environment around you, and that can make for beautiful moments. Headphones let you dig deep, though.

What's the best show you've been to in the past six months?

AM: It's a tie between Ryan Adams at the Cedar and Built to Spill at First Avenue. Oh, and every Dance Band show. I can't decide. Can they all be the best?

SM: The Arcade Fire at the Chicago Theatre was definitely one of the best big name shows I've seen in a long time—those guys really know how to work a stage.

If you could interview any musician, dead or alive, who would it be?

AM: Ani DiFranco. That girl blows my mind.

SM: John Coltrane, hands down. My favorite interviews have been with musicians who are really interested in the process of making music, and Coltrane worked tirelessly on challenging himself and taking on new directions with his music. I would have said Miles Davis, except I'd be afraid he'd beat me up.

As musicheads, are there any kinds of music out there that you just totally hate?

AM: James Blunt. Pop country. Mainstream, misogynistic rap. I pretty much love anything that doesn't fall into those categories. And yes, James Blunt is a category.

SM: I was just having a discussion about this with my friend (and co-editor at The Bottle Gang) Max Sparber. I feel like good hip-hop or country or jazz has more in common with good rock or blues than it does with bad hip-hop or country or jazz. Max said he agrees with Oscar Wilde, as do I, that there are only two kinds of art: boring and interesting. At least, I think it was Oscar Wilde.

2007-07-14T17:17:00.000-05:00

Sense of Wonder Only Slightly Used...

I don't know about you guys, but I love The Weakerthans. And I have been waiting quite some time to see them. Well, I only have to wait until September 25th at the Triple Rock. Hope to see you there.

2007-07-11T11:53:00.000-05:00

Photo by Stacy Schwartz

Stacy Schwartz and I covered The Polyphonic Spree for Spin.com last night!

The personal, extended cut:

I haven't been in love with a band this much in a long time. I got this opportunity from an awesome colleague of mine. And while I was delighted to take it, I was a little underwhelmed by the fact that it was The Polyphonic Spree. But in my audio-research, I found that all of their songs weren't as annoying as "Light and Day." My major beef arises from the fact that I used to manage a movie theater, and that song was on the movie tunes that cranked through the building ALL DAY on a 30 minute loop. So you can imagine what it might be like to hear this song, over and over again, during your ten hour shifts dealing with employees and customer service bullshit. Sure, I'll follow the day... I'll follow it right out the fucking door. After I push everyone in my wake to the ground. I don't think this was the desired effect of the song.

But they pulled out all the stops last night... something that I didn't actually note or really think too deep into was how perfect the sound was. I wasn't even wearing earplugs and I could hear all the subtle nuances that you usually DON'T hear when you don't have foam shoved into your ears. Can I quit my cube job and join the chorus? Those girls are my heroes. Maybe I'll get a mic so I can learn the choreography... they're playing three shows in Missouri at the beginning of August if anyone (and I mean anyone) is interested in a Polyphonic Spree road trip. I haven't been this obsessive about a band for awhile. Maybe it's the fact that I took the day off from work, but I have been listening to them since I woke up, watching YouTube clips and yes, dancing.

The frumpy-uniformed movie theater manager Jen Paulson of yesteryear would totally kick my ass if she knew about this. Thank God she doesn't exist anymore.

2007-07-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

Not musical, but might as well be.

Oh my god, I wanna go play arcade games and eat a Philly Cheesesteak right now...

Dara Moskowitz-Grumdahl's recent review over at City Pages about that Dave and Buster's just totally blew my mind.

2007-07-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

All the people who were at the First Ave Prince After-party last night probably went to sleep no less than five hours ago. Turns out he didn't go on until about 2:45 and got shut down by Minneapolis' finest around four. I ended up staying in my air-conditioned, girl-nerd lair and watching Purple Rain. This is what I got out there right now...

Great pre-show, hanging-outside, adventure coverage from Stacy Schwartz over at MoreCowbell.net...

Jon Bream and Chris Reimenschneider's PopLife blog coverage of the evening, one of the only things I can find posted right now with the low-down. Complete with setlists and everything...

2007-07-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, the big ol' 7-7-7. An ex of mine turns 30 today, the only reason I remember this is the pride he took in being born on July 7th, 1977. Prince would appreciate this too - maybe he would make Jeremy part of his entourage as a good luck charm. Maybe Prince also enjoys The Jerk so much that they could watch it every day, but that is beside the point.

Right now there is a line snaking around First Avenue for those lucky people who will see him play there for the first time in about twenty years. (I'm hearing a rumor that Morris Day and the Time will be opening) The rest of us broke-asses will be hiding in the bathrooms after the Har Mar/ZibraZibra show beforehand.

I had the chance to participate in Ross Raihala's blog poll of people's favorite Prince songs. I'm pretty sure when I sent it I spelled "I Wanna Be Your Lover" right, but what do I know? It's a lot of fun, so check it out. I'm sandwiched in between the favorite Prince songs of Afternoon Records cutie Ian Anderson and MoreCowbell.net mastermind Kyle Matteson. Good company, indeed.

2007-07-04T14:31:00.001-05:00

KOBAYASHI DEFEATED!

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

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Track details

I also couldn't help this...

2007-06-30T19:32:00.001-05:00

I had no idea that Jason Schwartzman was putting out a new album. In a way, it sounds like it could be a new album by Ben Kweller, but nope - it's everyone's favorite actor/little guy/son of Talia Shire. I just stumbled upon it, I like it. Give it a listen.

Suggested spins:

Easy Girl
West Coast
Minding My Own business

Rhapsody users, it's in there. Others, try the myspace. Whee!!

2007-06-30T18:52:00.000-05:00

PAGE FRANCE TONIGHT AT THE ENTRY!

Michael Nau of Page France (photo by Stacy Schwartz)

It really shouldn't be missed. These guys are fantastic. Stacy Schwartz took this the night we saw them for the first time. They're playing with Minneapolis' own One For The Team and Starflyer 59 from California.

Doors at 8 - $6 and it's 21+

2007-06-30T16:48:00.000-05:00

An Open Plea to Art Brut:

Photo by JM Luneau of lolitanie.com - Click on Eddie to check out his amazing concert photography

Enjoy your awesome summer of European festival shows. But I am begging you - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come back to Minneapolis. I apologize for not getting into you guys until now and that I missed your show last year at the Entry. I beg of you, don't punish me because of that. I'm hardcore now and must have you back in my town so I can dance like I am having a music-appreciation seizure. I don't mean to put my personal safety into your hands, but if I don't see you guys, I might just die.

It's been known to happen.

2007-06-29T17:11:00.001-05:00

FIVE QUESTIONS FRIDAY
(a little late because i had to work)

This week's special guest: Daniel Corrigan

I found this picture online and it was perfect so if you took it (Robb Long, possibly? Great photo, by the way) please tell me to take it down if you don't want it up on my obnoxiously pink blog...

What are your favorite bands?

It's tough to say just because I get exposure to a lot of different kinds of music. I really like John Koerner's music and I really like Birthday Suits' music. It's hard to even write about them in the same sentence and ranking them against each other is futile. I was a big fan of Cows and went to a lot of thier shows. Some other local bands that I liked alot were Run Westy Run, Soul Asylum, Guzzard and Hammerhead. Bands that I go see now when I'm not working are The Brass Kings, Mike Gunther and his Restless Souls, Gee as in Jesus, and The Tin Star Sisters to name a few.

Is Music Photography your favorite subject, or do you have other preferences? If so, what are they?

I've been an assignment photographer for 27 years now and that is what I am most interested in shooting. I never know what the next one to come in is and I like that. Every day is a field trip. I shoot a lot of music related stuff but it really only makes up about half of my work. The only thing I really don't like shooting is weddings, but I get talked into them as well sometimes. I think my strong suit is straight-up portraiture.

What have been your favorite shows to shoot in the past year? Of all time?

To be honest, they all start to blend together a little bit. The DMBQ show in the entry was super-fun to shoot. Probably my favorite show of all time was the Soul Asylum show supporting "While You Were Out". I toured with the band in Europe for that one and got to hear it twenty times. I still love hearing "Closer to the Stars".

When you are taking photos at a show, do you feel that it takes away from the experience or adds to it?

When I am shooting a show I am so concentrated on what I am seeing that what I am hearing is lost a little. I'm sure I notice things on stage that others don't, so it takes away and adds at the same time. I don't drink when I am shooting, so for sure it is different.

If you had to give one word of advice to the aspiring local photographer who shoots shows, what would you say?

Keep your elbows in and wait for your shot.

A delicious sampling of Corrigan's body of work can be seen on his website. Also, an exhibit of his work - Daniel Corrigan Music Photography: The Analog Years will be at the Mill City Museum until September 30th.

2007-06-28T17:24:00.001-05:00

What happened, Fancy?

Ok, so for some reason I seem to always end up watching Last Comic Standing on Wednesday nights. I am not especially proud of this, but what can I really say in defense of myself? Nothing. It's usually sort-of a trainwreck and last night's episode was the last round of their "International Search For the Funniest Person in the World!!!" So, where did they end up? Minneapolis.

The only person that they actually showed from Minneapolis (well apparently lives in California now) was Fancy Ray. Ok, so Fancy Ray amuses me. Or at least I thought he did. But his shtick at the preliminary cattle-call audition was embarrassingly bad. But he sure has being loud on his side. God - the look on the faces of Ant, Kathleen Madigan and the nice, bug-eyed judge almost made me feel sorry for him - it was that bad.

I will pray for you, Fancy Ray.

2007-06-24T16:17:00.000-05:00

Decided Song of the Day

My Favorite Mutiny (with Black Thought and Talib Kweli)

Yeah, I'm sorry. I can't wrap my brain around how to post mp3's so just click and let this song liquify your brain over on their Myspace.

That, and if you can stand still while it's playing, there is something seriously wrong with you.

2007-06-24T11:39:00.000-05:00

A Brief Wham! Symposium (for Mr. Landry)

Yeah, I have a few obvious favorites from these guys - Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Careless Whisper, and OH HELL YES - Last Christmas. A seasonal song, yes... but it's sad, cheesy satisfaction can be enjoyed on the hottest day of the year as well.

Wikipedia's background on the bubblegum-on-the-bottom-of-your-shoe glory that is/was Wham! (you know I am obligated to put that exclamation point on there, I'm not yelling at you)

Allmusic.com has a good bio, albeit terrible photographs on their Wham! page...

And for your occular cavities -

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
Careless Whisper (live)
And yes...

Last Christmas

2007-06-23T16:45:00.001-05:00

Ah, what better for a Saturday's blog reading than an exciting episode of Link Attack!

Not super musical, but heartfelt just the same...

I have found Craig Thompson's blog online. Thompson is a writer/illustrator of graphic novels and his book Blankets is one of my favorite things ever printed. This blog has all kinds of kick-ass details and tidbits and makes me quite happy in various segments of my brain.

Snap, Snap, Snap...

Alexa Jones gets fine-printed in Vita.Mn!
Her Blog
The Vita.Mn pimpage
Her other fantastical photos on Flickr. Crazy Flickr photographers! you know what I'm talking about, Jonesie...

Listen up, eardrums!

Staciann loves Glasgow over at Cake in 15...

Can you hear that? Baby, it's The Cates, breakin' your <3...

Culture Bully has some neato stuff from the upcoming Yeah Yeah Yeah's EP over on his site, I suggest you get over there and learn yo'self...

Minneapoliscast's Dave Kemp has an interview with Ed Ackerson over there. That Ackerson guy is dreamy. I can say that, right? It's an observation I made.

The Rich Girls Are Weeping have a really freakin' neat "Prelude to Interpol's Our Love To Admire" Mix/Collection of Songs in protest of people leaking crappy MP3's of the tracks. I can stand by this. Start at Part One, make your way up.... and hey - where can I hear those crappy leaked MP3's?

Internets Talk

Mitchum reviews the new Art Brut over on Pitchfork. Ugh, I wanna get my hands on this album! Like, NOW. Eddie Argos kills me...

Oh yeah, speaking of Pitchfork, here's something on Idolator that cracks me up. The title mostly...

That's all for now, ladies and germs. Tune in next time, same tigerbeatpoet time, same tigerbeatpoet channel. There will be espionage! Elegant damsels in distress! And yes... as usual, exquisite tidbits from here and the beyond!

2007-06-21T20:38:00.001-05:00

FIVE QUESTIONS FRIDAY

This week: Troubadour, Scribe and Hero - Jim Walsh

Photo by Alexa Jones

Sorry I skipped out on y'all last week. But this week's will more than make up for it. The Mad Ripple Hootenanny was a staple of many a person's Friday night this fall, winter and Spring. As the Hoot withdrawl gets a little easier to bear, I thought it would be fun to catch up with everyone's friend, Jim Walsh.

What are some of your favorite shows you have attended?

The first one that comes to mind is the cat from Procol Harum, who did “Whiter Shade Of Pale” as part of Ringo’s All-Star Band. I was sitting alone in the second row, reviewing it for the Pioneer Press, and it was really moving. Other than that, I loved seeing all my friends get up and sing with Steve Wynn and Zuzu’s Petals at the Hexagon Monday night. “TV Eye” and “Days of Wine and Roses” and “Final Solution” were highlights, and John Munson is my hero.

When you listen to a record for the first time, do you listen to it from start to finish, or do you listen to parts of each song first?

Start to finish, or I find a song I like and keep going back to that. At the moment I’m listening to Brianna Lane’s “Porchlight” (maybe the best lover-stalker song since “I Just Wanted To See You So Bad”.) , Wilco. “What Light” - the entire White Stripes record, which my Irish fooken fighter pals Brianna and James turned me onto tonight (we actually went to the C.C. to celebrate some good news) along with their very erotic videotape of Jack and Meg’s Hoot on Conan.

I read about a bunch of stuff in MOJO and Uncut and Q when I was in Wisconsin last weekend that sounds good. I’m gonna try and check that out before I start recording in a couple weeks. Also stuck on that song “Life Effect” by Stars (love the line about “now you’ve finally lost me, rest your weary head,” which echoes Jack White singing about cause and effect, which echoes what all the spiritualists say: “Respond, don’t react”, “Be simple, be kind, get your rest”, “Listen to your heart,” “Trust your gut,” and when in doubt there’s “This Is The Sea” by the Waterboys.

I’m gonna buy that White Stripes record for my son.

What is one of your favorite things about the Minneapolis/St. Paul music scene?

All the hot chicks.

Have you seen the Falls? My nephews’ band. Punk rockabilly. They blew the roof off Lee’s the other night, in front of 20 people. They’re the real deal. Good stock, etc.

What is your preferred way to find out about new music, may it be local music or national acts?

My family and/or friends and at the Current. MySpace. I love it when people make me mixes, which doesn’t happen like it once did. I like songwriters. The Hoot is great for that. There’s an amazing amount of talent in this town. It feels like Minneapolis is happening again.

If you were one of the freaks in a circus sideshow, what would your sideshow talent or oddity be?

Hunchback fire-eater/sword-swallower.

Added Bonus Question: In lieu of sitting in the basement of Java Jack's tonight, pick one song you feel would be perfect for listening to while watching the stars on a beautiful summer night.

“Out There In The Night,” the Only Ones. Peter Perrett says he wrote it about his lost cat, but I like to think -- as I do about all good songs—that he wrote it about you and me and everyone we know.

2007-06-20T19:10:00.001-05:00

Busy Bee?

I'm really impressed with myself. I've just finished another review, making this my third one in about four days. This is most definitely a record for me.

While my Ryan Adams review is being edited, please peruse my last two, just to humor me... if anything.

Air Guitar Championships at the Varsity
Fakebook with Laurie Lindeen at The Fitzgerald Theater
Aaaaaand you can see a gallery of Steve Cohen's perfectly captured moments HERE

Enjoy!!

I'm done being productive. It's movie time.

2007-06-18T08:57:00.001-05:00

Ryan Adams Day!!

It is Ryan Adams day in my cube!!! I got almost all of my Ryan discs together, bootlegs and all - including some Easy Tiger action....

Tonight at 8pm at The Cedar, people...

2007-06-09T10:55:00.001-05:00

Well here is the short version -

The Mad Ripple Hootenanny has been a staple of my Friday schedule for a while now. I was intimidated to go at first. And then it became almost like church. A meeting place for friends, a cramped sanctuary in a basement of a coffee shop where musicians would pour their hearts out for us, while the water pipes clanked above and the sounds of heavy things moving upstairs served as percussion during heartfelt ballads. It became busier and busier as people took note as the ringleader, Mr. Jim Walsh brought us all together. There was a marriage proposal and there were newborns - and more often than not, people inconspicuously crying when a song touched the core of them. My moment being during an Allison Rae song where tears streamed down my face and I tried my best to keep it together, or at least go unnoticed.

Friendships were forged or became stronger, and I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that lives were changed forever. And as I sit here with my morning Red Bull, I am forced to think what Friday nights and Saturday mornings will be like without it.

I don't need to be sad about it right now, even though last night was the last Hoot of the season. Because we were treated to a FOUR HOUR Hoot extravaganza. It started out with a whole lot of promise - Our leader Jim, master storyteller& singer-songwriter extraordinaire Stook, Leslie Ball, my first experience with the utterly amazing Cates, and Strange Friends holding court with attitude in the back of the basement. They made the rounds and served up the glory until about 8:30.

That's when I saw my first glance of Marc Perlman, bassist for the Jayhawks and Golden Smog, among others. I had seen that he was at the Hoot before, so I took note, but I didn't think twice. It wasn't until I glanced upon a tall, curly mop of hair that I really did a double take. Gary Freakin' Louris. My heart skipped a beat. Then I spied with my little eye... Kraig Jarrett Johnson. My brain and my mouth spilled out "Oh my God, oh my God..." for who knows how long. All while noticing that Dan Murphy has also walked his way in also. We were about to have ourselves a little Golden Smog Hoot action at our get-together...

Ha, ha... suckers. It was awesome!

2007-06-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

The HowWasTheShow.com 5th Anniversary Party is tomorrow at the Turf Club. Can you freakin’ believe it??

As if I haaaaave to remind you, there will be five-for-five...

Five bands, Five Bucks, Fifth Anniversary… It’s gonna be rocktacular...

The Slats
First Communion Afterparty
Jeremy Messersmith
Mouthful of Bees
Estate

I know there are a bajillion things going on that night, but you know you’ll pretty much HATE yourself if you miss it!

2007-06-08T07:37:00.000-05:00

Five Questions Friday!!

This week's guest is:

Stook!!

I figured it was time to start an actual feature on here. And I couldn't think of a better person to start 'er off than Stook. He and his band The Jukes are currently wrapping up their sophmore effort after the amazing debut "The Soundtrack to My Minneapolis." Stook will be playing tonight at the last Hoot of the season down at Java Jacks in South Minneapolis. It shouldn't be missed.

What’s your favorite Journey song?

I worked at a gas station in high school with a guy named Scott who claimed to be the biggest Steve Perry/Journey fan that ever was. One day he borrowed 5 bucks from me because he was broke on account of his paycheck was being garnished. Apparently he became addicted to some psychic friends 900 number. Last I heard he was going to seminary. His fave Journey song was "Open Arms," so in honor of Scott I will have to say "Open Arms."

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

That would be tough. How about top 5?

1. Any Jayhawks show ever including last Louris/Olson tour

2. Bill Kirchen, The Ark - Ann Arbor, Michigan

3. Run DMC, Club Soda - Grand Rapids, Michigan

4. Tom Petty, Louisville Gardens - Louisville, Kentucky

5. Alex de Grassi, Elco Theatre - Elkhart, Indiana

Who do you think would win in a fight? Gary Louris or Hulk Hogan?

(I'd like to point out that this is not the original question. Stook has modified the question.)

Gary Louris for sure!

What’s the worst thing, musically, that has ever happened to you?

I can't really think of anything bad.

What’s your favorite candy? (Since you have such a notorious sweet tooth)

Probably the fine, delectable Nut Goodie from Pearson's in St. Paul. But Nerds and Nerd Ropes are way up high on my list. Tangy Taffy is way awesome or circus peanuts or Big League Chew or Sour Patch Kids or Ju Ju coins or Charms suckers or Pixie Sticks or Super Ropes also Cherry Chan's or Cowtails. The occasional Peanut Butter Twix is good too. And Runts! The banana ones! And flavored Tootsie Rolls.

2007-06-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

HowWasTheShow on Minneapoliscast.com!!

We're back!! For June we're covering the bands that are playing the HowWasTheShow 5th Anniversary Party on June 9th. Ch-ch-check it out HERE...

This includes the introduction of what might just be my new catchphrase... and some great insights on music and memorable moments from my friends and yours, HWTS founder David de Young, Editors Andrea Myers and Bob Longmore and the popular Pat O'Brien. Hit it.

2007-06-02T11:02:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Sunday, June 3rd. First Sunday of June means Grand Old Day, my friends! And in the evening it means The Rosebuds and Land of Talk at the 7th Street Entry. To those of you who are not in the know - this has been sub-titled "Stacy and Jen's Day of Rock" by the city of St. Paul. Ok, I made that up. Here is a sort-of hard to understand run-down on the day's Grand Avenue events. liiiiiiink!!

This is actually my first Grand Old Day in the eight years since I have moved back to Minneapolis. I missed Guided by Voices in 2004 and The Hold Steady in 2005. That is pretty much unacceptable if you ask me. And heartbreaking.

I am really looking forward to The Rosebuds and their mega-danceable indie rock Sunday evening. I wanted to say mega-danceable indie electropop - but this isn't quite that. And for some reason I have been throwing around the term "Electropop" almost as often as I say "Dude." Ok, that's an exaggeration. I say "dude" a lot.

All my rambling aside, though - tomorrow is just a fantastic day to be out and about if you like music. The next couple weekends are going to be INSANE for local music fans. Next weekend, you've got the HowWasTheShow 5th Anniversary Party on Saturday, June 9th, along with a million other shows that day that I just won't mention out of completely unabashed bias. And the weekend after that you've got the insane awesomeness of the concert stages at the Stone Arch Festival of the Arts as expertly booked by my friend and yours, Stacy Schwartz.

The next couple weeks is gonna be one for the bloggers, baby!!

2007-06-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

Those Pretty, Old-Timey Jams of Meg Ashling

photo of Meg Ashling at the Hexagon (9/30/06) by David de Young

Good Hoot last night at Java Jacks, I gotta say. I especially enjoyed hearing Meg Ashling for the first time. Click on her name to check out some of her songs and her lovely voice on her MySpace page. Just listening to it makes me want to hop in the car and just drive wherever the road takes me... but I got season two of Lost to finish, and that pull is stronger. For shame!

Her next show is at the 400 Bar on June 7th with Gabe Barnett, Jack Klatt & Anthony Newes. Definitely worth a look-see if you ask me, kids.

2007-06-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

Don't look at me!!

Don't look at me when I am throwing a fit of epic proportions. Don't!!!

The Ryan Adams show at the Cedar is SOLD OUT. I never do that wait on hold, go crazy and call at the exact moment tickets go on sale thing. So of course, the times that I have I never get my way... that last Weezer show at First Avenue - nope. I got owned on that one too. I am extremely upset now and must go sulk and cry into my lunch.

and by the way, Ticketweb sucks. First I am on hold for almost twenty minutes, while simultaneously trying to buy tickets online. Their website is slow as hell, and then keeps telling me (after I have waited FOREVER for the pages to load) that I haven't chosen how many tickets I want... about five times. Then I finally get a person on the Ticketweb phone line - he tells me he's sorry, that their servers are down and I should call back. Right away. HUH??? So I do, and for five minutes i press redial... over and over and over and over again while trying my luck on the website. Then that tells me that, even if I choose one ticket, that they don't have enough seats left to process my request. I have finally gotten through on the hotline after this - ten minutes if not more pass until I get a rep on the phone again just to tell me it's sold out.

Dude, Jen Paulson loves Ryan Adams with all her heart, even after all the shit shows she's seen of his. She is not happy. She is enraged and pissed and a whole bunch of other adjectives. Enough of the third person crap.

Over and out, bitches.

2007-05-31T21:35:00.000-05:00

Damn it, quarter.

Truth of the matter is - these days I am in the middle of an epic battle with myself. The shut-in or the social butterfly. I should be at the Dance Band/Best Friends Forever show at the Hexagon. I couldn't decide what to do. So I flipped a coin. And when it came up as the opposite of what I called I was a little bummed, because I was sure this moment of chance would clarify what I should do.

I should choose dancing, cold beer and sidewalk smoking, but due to that damn coin and my day job - I will be playing some Lumines on the PSP and getting a good night's sleep.

2007-05-31T10:56:00.000-05:00

Walking down the street with a Target bag and an Umbrella

The way I say it all now is much more subdued, considering I have a splitting headache. And all the non-sleep I have gotten since has made me incredibly crabby.

Anyhoo - I get a call from the lovely Andrea to see if I want to go along to Dinosaur Jr at the Triple Rock. I'm incredibly tired, and I know I should stay in - but I don't. Because how many times does a person get to see Dinosaur Jr?

So we're walking down the street from the parking ramp. A bespectacled guy with a mop of hair walks in front of us. I spaz like I always do - "God, could it be?" I feel like I'm probably delusional. But I don't let it go, and I think he probably senses that there's some weirdness going on behind him and he turns his head ever-so-slightly so I know that my mind is NOT playing tricks on me and the guy that started walking down Cedar Avenue with us is in fact Lou Barlow.

I am not the kind of person that can keep their cool. I call out... "Sir?" because I don't want to be wrong. He turns around confused probably because I just called him sir. I can't imagine what the look on my face was. I of course started gushing profusely, probably sounding like a real idiot. But I didn't care. I said things like "You're sort-of, kind-of totally my hero." We get closer to the Triple Rock and he asks me if we have earplugs. I blather on about not, but how I had asked Andrea if she had extras earlier because I knew that this was the show to have earplugs at. So we get there, and he goes onto the tour bus and gets me a pair of earplugs. Dude, I kind-of hate wearing earplugs at shows, but I will tell you that I wore those bright orange things proudly.

2007-05-30T16:27:00.001-05:00

Stadium Rock

I darted out of work early to go sit in the Home Run Porch with my mom, brother and sister who came in from out of town. Started out shaky, ended up awesome - with Torii Hunter getting walked when the bases were loaded at the bottom of the Ninth in a tied game. Woo! 7 to 6 - I forgot how much I enjoy baseball, and again, how I have been neglecting to pay attention in the past couple of years.

Dude, who the fuck picks the music at the Metrodome? I have the weirdest feeling this person gets paid a relatively decent amount of money. I get the obvious ones - We Will Rock You, Centerfield, Let's Go, et cetera - even Rock and Roll Part Whatever... You know... sports songs!! But "Milkshake" or that goddamned Glamourous song by Fergie? That's just odd if you ask me. Ok, the word odd just doesn't cut it. However, I thought it was interesting that in the warm-up they were playing that Silversun Pickups song "Lazy Eye." I want to know which one of the Twins requested that song.

2007-05-30T16:13:00.000-05:00

Less than two weeks and counting, people!!

2007-05-29T08:35:00.000-05:00

7 - 7 - 07

ZibraZibra's CD Release is the same night that Prince will be playing across the street at the Target Center. That'll be good for the jaunt, but why, why, WHY does Prince have to play the Target Center when I can finally actually afford to see him?? The sound there SUCKS. Anyway. Prince is playing - tickets go onsale Saturday at Noon. Prices: Not so expensive to Expensive. Who's going with me??

2007-05-28T22:37:00.001-05:00

Absolute Randomness : that I must express to the outside world (aka what's new?)

Ok, so at the point where I usually go to bed on a Sunday night, I'm sitting here having a dance party while sitting on my computer chair. This shit is pure comedy gold. So I'm sitting there and I'm particularly chilled out. That infomercial they play for the soft-rock classics - you know the one with Air Supply came on as I was flipping and it made me feel the extreme desire to listen to the following song -

Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

I listened to it, it was extremely satisfying and then I moved on. Sometimes I have these Rhapsody-fests where I just jump from guilty pleasure to awesome opus to mainstream superhit. The ADHD-induced nature of this activity is undeniable, but who gives a shit. It makes my brain happy.

A happy brain wants to hear Sara Smile. Oh the white-man soul of Daryl Hall. Someone has to stop me. I could easily decline into Adult Contemporary/Light Rock and never return. Only Glam Rock can save this, so it's Virginia Plain by Roxy Music. I wonder for a moment, why the hell didn't I ever get into Roxy Music? I compose a movie trailer in my head to accompany this song. Probably because this has been done, but it was still my daydream story. My mind is a little blown, and I make a bit of an odd choice and segue into I Don't Like Mondays. But I don't mind, mostly because of the appreciation I have for the weird jerky dance the song makes you do and all the pointing I do to the air to make the points that Bob Geldof tries to emphasize. Then I go back to thinking about my incredibly limited knowledge of Roxy Music and proceed to listen to three more songs and they hit it out of the park. I must get to know this band more.

By this time it has occured to me that I could get away with blogging about this. I play Girls on Film by Duran Duran and I fear the moment has passed. And it has. You know it's all downhill after Girls on Film.

*edit* yes, it indeed goes downhill as i play "if you leave" by omd and then redeems itself again by playing "is she really going out with him" by joe jackson which is one of my favorite songs to hear in the car. rock it.

2007-05-27T19:19:00.000-05:00

If you cut me, I would probably bleed Ranch dressing...

For cripes sake - seeing Whitney's Star Wars Celebration coverage over on Pop Candy makes me want to burst out crying and throw myself on the ground kicking and screaming in a HUUUUUGE fit of jealous rage. Frankly, I was fine until I saw the picture of Jabba the Hutt. I will admit that I think all the arty Vader helmets are stupid. The clown one makes me physically ill.

I loooooove Star Wars. I am a nerd. I embrace it.

2007-05-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

Embarassing Confession 105:

Ok, I miss Drive 105. I mean, I didn't listen to it a lot. But it had it's place in my daily car ritual of station flipping. And I loved listening to Homegrown, and frankly, that's probably my main upset on Drive's demise. Because I have an embarassing confession - I sorta like LOVE 105. What the fuck is wrong with me?? Well, I love the Oldies. And KOOL 108 hasn't been doing it for me lately. Because I guess songs even from the nineties have become Oldies now. And that, my blog-reading friends is total bullshit if you ask me.

Well that and I am a total freak. A couple days they played an amazing combo - in my screwed up, all-encompassing music love - Leo Sayer's "When I Need Love" and Elton John's "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters." It was an amazing car sing-along for the tigerbeatpoet. They played some Laura Nyro. Even the oldies stations don't play Laura Nyro. They play Bread. I loooooove Bread. Hearing a Bread song makes me want to frolick in a field of wheat in a seventies flowery frock and fall into a makeout session with someone dreamy. Goddamn, what a scenario!!

Ok... enough. I am going to make it sound like i LOOOOOOVE LOVE 105, when I just think it is a better choice than KOOL 108.

I am a freak, I can handle this.

2007-05-23T12:47:00.000-05:00

Uncle Stevie? ...that's a bit creepy

'Cause we're talking about Stephen King. His "Pop Of King" column in this week's Entertainment Weekly is about his picks for the top 25 Rock and Roll songs of ALL TIME. It's great. I love his monthly piece in there, frankly they should give Dalton Ross something else to do and have King do it every week.

They have an amusingly messy photo gallery display over on EW.com to go with it. I tried to get you the easy-as-pie version, but to no avail. This is super fun. I am so going to make this mix for myself to enjoy. Enjoy!

2007-05-23T08:48:00.001-05:00

My favorite song in the world right now, even if it did come out 17 years ago...

Timeless Melody by The La's

The melody always finds me
Whenever the thought reminds me
Breaking a chain inside my head
The melody chord unwinds me
The rhythm of life unties me
Brushing the hands of time away
If you look in your mind
Do you know what you will find
Open your mind...
Even the words they fail me
Oh look what it's doing to me
I never say what I want to say
It's only a word believe me
If only the world could see me
I promise I'd send the word away
If you look with your eyes
Do you know what you will find
Open your mind

2007-05-18T12:04:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to you.... you look like a monkey and you smell like one too!

What are the chances of a bunch of people you know having the same birthday? Well it is true of THREE people that I link my blog to!

Andrea Myers
Bob Longmore
and that crazy Alexa Jones

if you see them out and about this evening, wish them a Happy Birthday!

2007-05-17T22:31:00.000-05:00

An e-mail that transpired out of my boredom, angst and complacency with my current situation... as corresponded via e-mail to Alexa Jones and Stacy Sandstrom today....

To supplement our lifestyle and get some exercise so we
don't have to get our stomach stapled, we could walk
dogs around the lake. That would be nice.

--- "Paulson, Jennifer J"
wrote:

I think the best job for that would to be get paid for blogging. I thinkof this EVERYTIME I read Pop Candy. It's like - HOW CAN I DO THIS TOOOOOOOOO?????!!!! But I think I would end up so fat I would have to get that surgery where they make your stomach smaller.

I don't care. I am lazy.

This would be my typical day -

Wake up, have disgustingly awesome breakfast involving mass quantities of cheese.
Read magazines and drink overpriced coffee
Blog about reading magazines and drinking overpriced coffee

Watch new episode of awesome tv show or movie that was sent to you
Probably have a snack
Blog about watching episode of awesome tv show or movie that was sent to you and about how delicious your snack was

Take nap

Surf the internet, read other blogs and new internet content while listening to awesome new music or awesome old music
Eat some ice cream
Blog about what you found on the internet, about the
awesome new or old music, and maybe about how delicious that ice cream was

Watch Jeopardy
Blog about Alex Trebek
Watch Extra or Access Hollywood
Blog about Extra and Access Hollywood
Watch Entertainment Tonight
Laugh about how I have the best job ever

Go out for drinks with friends
Go to a rock show
Get crunk

Hang out with friends until like, 5 am
Dance a jig over having the best job ever
Go to sleep

Wake up and write a rock review
And so on and so forth

2007-05-11T17:44:00.000-05:00

New Feature: Jen Learns Hilarious Keyboard Parts

Today's Special - The fun little synth part out of A-Ha's "Take On Me."

Upcoming for Monday - "Jump" by Van Halen

2007-05-07T12:48:00.000-05:00

Dude, awesome....

I got my first feature story over at HowWasTheShow. I am a happy girl. Actually, I'm sorta in my head jumping about.... yay!

Check it out!

Amy Winehouse and Patrick Wolf at the Varsity with kick ass pictures by Stacy Sandstrom!

2007-05-01T12:27:00.000-05:00

Despite the current state of my life, this week is going to be rocktacular -

Wednesday - Amy Winehouse at the Varsity

Friday - About half a Hootenanny and then....The English Beat at the Cabooze

I couldn't ask for more - wait yes I could... but this is most definitely satisfactory... I have been obsessively loving this Amy Winehouse album for months, and cannot WAIT to see how it turns out... I am not expecting her to sound as good live as she does recorded, but I just want a look-see and I want the experience of seeing this spindle of a girl with the old-soul powerhouse of a voice and some gravity defying hair.

I can't skip a whole Hoot at Java Jack's on Friday, that would just throw my whole weekend off. But I am going to have to skip out early so I can dance like a crazy person to The English Beat. Crazy, like insane...