I can't even begin.

Oh no, I don't understand

Datalounge? Craigslist? I LOVE YOU.

So last week was the big Spiritualized show at the Museum of Fine Arts. Rob, Eric and I went and it was pretty good. A whole bunch of other blogs I read [Bradley's Almanac, Drive Blind] were there and they wrote about it just fine, and much more timely. The show dragged a little for me in the middle [it felt 'narcotic', actually] but on the whole it was great and I'm glad I went. Bradley recorded it and Jerad got pictures so all I can add are some rarities:

Shine A Light (Clear Light/Clear Rush) from Fucked Up Inside
I Think I'm In Love (Chemical Brothers Vocal Mix)
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (Original mix)

Did I get the links right? I gotta practice because just like last year I'm gonna power mp3 blog through the 25 records I listened to most this year, courtesy my Last.fm profile.

Also, even though I'm on vacation [I'm only blogging because my World of Warcraft server is down), I actually left the house yesterday! I know, right? Rob and I went to see The Mist, and I give it thumbs up, but NOT A++ POWER SELLER. Seriously, it was real good action with OK drama and only the most depressing ending ever.

I'm on vacation - I haven't shaved in days, I'm watching Designing Women and I'm getting ready to settle into some kind of marathon World of Warcraft session. There's stuff I should be doing, but I'm not.

So there.

Spiritualized Acoustic Mainlines

Let it all come down

I was wondering what I should post, you know, today, when who else comes up on random on the iPod but Morrissey. And I don't even like Morrissey that much anymore, but yo! I always used to like to pretend this song was about me.

One November
Spawned a monster
In the shape of this child

Plan to hitch a ride with the river

Today I got a little upset because I may have forgotten to set the DVR to record Project Runway 4 tonight, and I won't be home. But then I remembered Bravo's probably going to play it every other hour for the next week, and I'd have to be blind to miss it.

IN OTHER TV NEWS, well there hasn't been much exciting this season. Last week's America's Next Top Model, however, was probably one of the top 3 episodes ever - bested only by Elyse's cycle 1 rant, and Tyra's Tiffany meltdown.



I watched it twice. I'm not deleting it yet. There is just something WRONG with her.

It's moving back to the sea

First, via:



YO - it's cute and all, but when I went to copy/paste the HTML, there was a lot of "crap" embedded - you know, awful keywords and URLs to take out before sharing the results with all of you here.

My car is still in the body shop. I had rental insurance and the agency dumped a 2008 Ford F150 onto me ["We'll waive the gas! FREE GAS PLEASE TAKE THIS TRUCK OFF OUR HANDS."].



Really? To cruise around Dorchester in? It was funny for about five minutes and THEN I HIT SOMEONE. It was kind of funny to call them back 10 minutes later to let them know it wasn't going to work out, do they have anything smaller [they didn't] - and that I had already gotten into an accident with it. It was not kind of funny because the last thing I needed at this point was more insurance paperwork to do. I'm in a Ford Focus now. I think it's the car I should have bought last summer.

Also, I got all obsessed again with The Other Family.



You've been warned.

So last night was the big Jimmy Eat World show at the Orpheum. It was pretty OK, I suppose - I mean they played good songs well. I had excellent seats - front and center mezzanine.

Jimmy Eat World 024


The mezzanine at the Orpheum was as nice as I remembered it from when I sat there for Massive Attack [get it?]. However, kids were not jumping up and down for Massive Attack like they were last night, and the whole thing shakes and sways and for the first few songs I thought I was going to die. Then I realized at least I wasn't sitting underneath.

The whole night for me had this overwhelming air of sadness. I had pretty much asked everyone in my phone and email to go with me and everyone said no, except for John, who canceled a few hours before. I couldn't sell the ticket so I just went in alone, which doesn't bug me at all in clubs, but freaks the hell out of me in theaters.

Jimmy Eat World 008


They played "Goodbye Sky Harbor" and "Disintegration" and really, what more could you ask for in a Jimmy Eat World set. It was almost exactly 90 minutes. Still, I mostly felt sorry for myself that no one I know would even want to spend 90 minutes hanging out with me at a show. Terminal uniqueness, I know. I also kept wishing Sam was there since he probably would have enjoyed it.

ANYWAY, the point of the story is that the show was pretty good, I had an OK time. Would I go see Jimmy Eat World again? THE ANSWER IS ONLY IF IT WAS GENERAL ADMISSION!!!

Making better views and close relaxing sounds

You know, only because it's just about that time of year anyway.

My Amazon.com Wish List


Plus, more and more of my meat friends are reading here nowadays - remember years ago when weblogs were strictly for weblog friends?

And actually, there's a lot of rare/OOP stuff on there I'm more than willing to trade for. As long as I have something you want. But not my milkshake.

So last night was the big Bob Mould show at the Paradise Lounge. Rob and I got there about 8:20, and the room was almost full. OK, actually it was full - of folding chairs, which seemed really out of place. I'd never been in the small room before, only the 'main' room [where BLUES TRAVELER were playing - FOR REALZ there were hippies and concealed weapons everywhere]. It was probably the size of the Middle East upstairs only laid out better, unless you fill the floor with folding chairs, then it just kind of sucks.

We were able to find two chairs at the back, and hoped for an 8:30 start, which we didn't get. Instead, I had Bob standing directly behind me, silently, for like 10 minutes which kind of creeped me out and killed any snark I had left.

Additionally, although it was never confirmed, I'm pretty sure "District Line" was playing before the show, adding "listening party" to the night's activities [I couldn't really hear much over the crowd].

Bob came on at 9 and played for over an hour, and you know what? It was really pretty awesome. I burned out on his whole solo-acoustic back in the 90's ["If I never hear 'Wishing Well' again it will be too soon" I could be heard slurring sometime in 1995], but at least last night's rendition had been slowed down some from the assault I remember it being. "No Reservations" still makes me all sad and chunky inside. "Circles" actually sounded pretty amazing acoustic.

I thought it was pretty impressive that a scheduled 30 minute set turned into a 65 minute set. The "Q & A" had been abandoned, because really, he's kind of an open book. He bantered a bit about the new record, and you know what? I think the only thing that bummed me out all night was when he felt the need to immediately qualify to the crowd "Don't worry, it's guitars". Because personally, I think he's pretty much been writing the same song on the guitar for only like 25 years now. Because personally, I find his electronic and pop experiments only a million times more interesting and listenable than the same recycled 4 minute alternative rock songs.

And I guess that actually was my impression of the new stuff - sounds like Body of Song, which sounds like Dog and Pony Show, which sounds like Sugar, which sounds like his solo stuff, which sounds like Husker Du.

After the set he started the DVD and sat out back selling and signing. I bought one and said hey and then Rob and I left [I figured I could watch it at home, and was real glad to make it an early night]. I didn't take pictures because I didn't feel like it.

At the end of it all, Bob gets an A++ for putting on a really nice, relaxed and informal show and sticking around to sell stuff after. It made me nostalgic for the nineties. And even though I've seen him play a billion times, would I go back again? THE ANSWER IS YES!!!

Bob Mould

WER IN YR WISHN WELLLLLLLL