Tuesday, April 29, 2008
there you go...
this is glen hansard doing astral weeks (a van morrison song) from the coachella festival last friday. what an INCREDIBLE voice he has. i can't even begin to describe it. i love him. if he only plays this tomorrow night, i will scream. well, not out loud, but inside.
Monday, April 28, 2008
speaking of songs that make me cry..
if i could open my arms
expand the length of the isle of manhattan...
if i could open my eyes
to see in all directions at the same time
oh what a beautiful view
if you were never aware of what was around you
it is true what you say
i live like a hermit in my own cave
but when the sun shines again
i'll pull the curtains to let the sun shine in
expand the length of the isle of manhattan...
if i could open my eyes
to see in all directions at the same time
oh what a beautiful view
if you were never aware of what was around you
it is true what you say
i live like a hermit in my own cave
but when the sun shines again
i'll pull the curtains to let the sun shine in
i want to rock your gypsy soul
almost everything about this weekend was perfect. the weather was great (80 and sunny on saturday; a little cooler and still sunny on sunday), i found myself able to read my map with very little problems, i was able to figure out how to take BART and buses okay - oh, and yeah, the swell season was AMAZING. but before i get to that, i just have to say that i LOVE san francisco. what a great city. on saturday, i spent the day walking around downtown, north beach, and golden gate park. it was great - i saw city lights bookstore, the bar where dylan thomas and jack kerouac used to hang out, coit tower (with it's incredible views), the windy part of lombard street, haight-ashbury. on sunday, i went to the modern art museum - which i really enjoyed. there was a really cool exhibit by a photographer who took pictures of a place called 29 palms, where people in the army go to train before being deployed to iraq or afghanistan. i also ate at some really good restaraunts - a japanese place in downtown oakland and a chinese restaraunt in chinatown (i guess i had a lot of asian food).
so, the concert. where to start? first thing, glen hansard came out by himself and played say it to me now without using a microphone. my god, his voice is amazing - it totally just echoed through the theatre (i wish i had taken some pictures inside; it was beautiful). this is also when i noticed that the person the girls beside me had been freaking out about seeing ("like, oh my god, i can't believe he's here!") was ben stiller.
after say it to me now, marketa came out and they played a frames song, your face. now i was completely in heaven, because i wasn't expecting this. But if you try again I'll fall
And if you want to save it all
Then all you have to do is give
Give me that look again
Give me that look
in the middle of the song, glen said it's about "making mix tapes for your mate" and then he started singing another song that i missed (but it must have been funny because he laughed and said that was definately never on his tapes) and lost his place. but he found it and finished the song.
this is where i lost track of the setlist. i know that those were the first two songs, but i don't remember the rest of the order. so i'll just list some highlights.
two new songs! these were awesome. the first one had glen singing and marketa playing piano. it was called, i think, your love makes me cheerful. i don't really remember the lyrics, but i do remember that the chorus had some really awesome singing by mr. hansard. (god, i love him. he might give ed vedder a run for the money in the "megan's favorite singer" race).
the 2nd new song was one that marketa sang. this was the first time she spoke i think, and she just started with "hello," and everyone applauded. i also noticed that she had a new guitar - during other shows, she has always played glen's guitar. (i think.. not that i've seen every show). this was also a great song and after it was over, glen said that he wished they could keep playing it over and over. aww... i hope they play these two songs in seattle (on wednesday!!) so i can hear them again without the "oh my gosh, these are new songs!" excitement.
true wow. totally in awe over this one. i know that i've posted videos of this song before because i absolutely love it. this is a frames song from their latest album. on the record, there is a woman singing over glen's voice at the end - it kind of reminds me of the postal service song with ben gibbard and jenny lewis, if you know that one. the woman who sings on the song isn't credited in the album, and i assume that it's marketa, but really don't know. so during the song i was wondering if she would take the backing part, and she did. i wish her vocals had been louder, but it was still brilliant.
I built a wall
I cut you off
Now there's no lies
That's gonna fix this up
what happens when the heart just stops this is another frames song that glen played by himself. before this song, he usually tells a story about a dog who lived in his neighborhood when he was a kid and used to sit in the same spot day after day waiting for something. this time, glen kind of rambled on (and i don't mean that in a bad way.. like eddie vedder, i kind of enjoy hearing glen tell stories on stage) about how your heart and your head are rarely in sync.
fitzcarraldo another frames song (wow, i didn't realize how many frames songs they played). i guess this would kind of be a defining frames song, in the same way that corduroy is a defining pearl jam song. they didn't play this song last time they were in seattle, although i've seen videos of it on youtube, and looked forward to seeing them do it because i really enjoy marketa's piano playing on it.
almost all the members of the frames were there (minus the drummer.. but who needs a drummer anyway? haha... just kidding). i read on the frames website that colm has a solo record coming out sometime soon. that might be interesting - he played a little violin solo that was beautiful. joe sang christmas time in the mountains, which for some reason, makes me cry every time i hear it (kristine, i dare you not to cry if he sings it on wednesday. it's gorgeous).
i bought a canvas bag that says "swell season" in big block letters and has outlines of glen and marketa from the once poster on the back. (can you ever have too many canvas bags?? i think not). there were also t-shirts that said "swell season" on the front and "fair play to those who dare to dream" (from marketa's oscar speech) on the back.
they played for almost two hours. but really, time went by in a flash. that's how i really know it's a great concert - whether or not i look at my watch and find myself thinking about all the things i have to get done.
so, the concert. where to start? first thing, glen hansard came out by himself and played say it to me now without using a microphone. my god, his voice is amazing - it totally just echoed through the theatre (i wish i had taken some pictures inside; it was beautiful). this is also when i noticed that the person the girls beside me had been freaking out about seeing ("like, oh my god, i can't believe he's here!") was ben stiller.
after say it to me now, marketa came out and they played a frames song, your face. now i was completely in heaven, because i wasn't expecting this. But if you try again I'll fall
And if you want to save it all
Then all you have to do is give
Give me that look again
Give me that look
in the middle of the song, glen said it's about "making mix tapes for your mate" and then he started singing another song that i missed (but it must have been funny because he laughed and said that was definately never on his tapes) and lost his place. but he found it and finished the song.
this is where i lost track of the setlist. i know that those were the first two songs, but i don't remember the rest of the order. so i'll just list some highlights.
two new songs! these were awesome. the first one had glen singing and marketa playing piano. it was called, i think, your love makes me cheerful. i don't really remember the lyrics, but i do remember that the chorus had some really awesome singing by mr. hansard. (god, i love him. he might give ed vedder a run for the money in the "megan's favorite singer" race).
the 2nd new song was one that marketa sang. this was the first time she spoke i think, and she just started with "hello," and everyone applauded. i also noticed that she had a new guitar - during other shows, she has always played glen's guitar. (i think.. not that i've seen every show). this was also a great song and after it was over, glen said that he wished they could keep playing it over and over. aww... i hope they play these two songs in seattle (on wednesday!!) so i can hear them again without the "oh my gosh, these are new songs!" excitement.
true wow. totally in awe over this one. i know that i've posted videos of this song before because i absolutely love it. this is a frames song from their latest album. on the record, there is a woman singing over glen's voice at the end - it kind of reminds me of the postal service song with ben gibbard and jenny lewis, if you know that one. the woman who sings on the song isn't credited in the album, and i assume that it's marketa, but really don't know. so during the song i was wondering if she would take the backing part, and she did. i wish her vocals had been louder, but it was still brilliant.
I built a wall
I cut you off
Now there's no lies
That's gonna fix this up
what happens when the heart just stops this is another frames song that glen played by himself. before this song, he usually tells a story about a dog who lived in his neighborhood when he was a kid and used to sit in the same spot day after day waiting for something. this time, glen kind of rambled on (and i don't mean that in a bad way.. like eddie vedder, i kind of enjoy hearing glen tell stories on stage) about how your heart and your head are rarely in sync.
fitzcarraldo another frames song (wow, i didn't realize how many frames songs they played). i guess this would kind of be a defining frames song, in the same way that corduroy is a defining pearl jam song. they didn't play this song last time they were in seattle, although i've seen videos of it on youtube, and looked forward to seeing them do it because i really enjoy marketa's piano playing on it.
almost all the members of the frames were there (minus the drummer.. but who needs a drummer anyway? haha... just kidding). i read on the frames website that colm has a solo record coming out sometime soon. that might be interesting - he played a little violin solo that was beautiful. joe sang christmas time in the mountains, which for some reason, makes me cry every time i hear it (kristine, i dare you not to cry if he sings it on wednesday. it's gorgeous).
i bought a canvas bag that says "swell season" in big block letters and has outlines of glen and marketa from the once poster on the back. (can you ever have too many canvas bags?? i think not). there were also t-shirts that said "swell season" on the front and "fair play to those who dare to dream" (from marketa's oscar speech) on the back.
they played for almost two hours. but really, time went by in a flash. that's how i really know it's a great concert - whether or not i look at my watch and find myself thinking about all the things i have to get done.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
setting forth in the universe
To start, a disclaimer: I have been listening to Pearl Jam since I was 12 (I am 28 now). So it probably goes without saying that their music has been a large part of my life, and has gotten me through a lot of tough times. If someone had told me back then that in 2008 I would be watching Eddie Vedder perform an acoustic version of “Porch” in a 2000 seat theatre in Vancouver, I would have told them they were crazy.
The soundtrack to Into The Wild is one of my favorite albums from last year. So when Eddie Vedder announced that he would be doing a short solo tour on the West Coast, I knew that I had to go. So it was with excitement and nervous anticipation that I took the train from Seattle to Vancouver on April 2nd. I’ve seen Pearl Jam live many times, but I knew that Eddie Vedder solo would be an entirely different experience, and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.
Seeing the first show of a tour is kind of risky, I guess. A lot of the songs are unpolished. The stage setup is new, especially since Ed has never toured solo before. In all the Pearl Jam shows I’ve seen, I've never thought that he looked as nervous onstage as he in Vancouver. No, I guess "nervous" isn't the right word, maybe he was just a little bit unsure of what to expect from the audience and from himself. But he didn't need to be. Right after the concert, I wrote in my journal that “this was one of those rare concerts when, without even realizing it, i was completely in the moment for over 2 hours.” I was leaning forward in my seat, singing along, clapping so hard that my hands hurt. I didn't even pay attention to the people around me.
When Ed walked onstage, it seemed like he was sitting down for an evening with friends. The stage consisted of a stool, a table with a reel-to-reel tape recorder on it, a Corona box, and an open suitcase. Whenever the guitar tech would come out with a new instrument, he wore a white lab coat. (It only occurred to me later when reading reviews of the concert that this was probably an homage to the fact that these shows are an experiment).
The setlist was, as you might expect, a mix of Pearl Jam songs and songs from Into the Wild. But it was, interestingly enough, the covers that were the highlights of the evening for me. Covers of James Taylors’ Millworker and Bruce Springsteen’s Growing Up have hardly left my cd player since this concert. One of my favorite parts of Pearl Jam concerts (and, I suppose now, Eddie Vedder concerts) is hearing their choice of covers, because not only do they pick songs by artists they admire, but I think they also choose songs whose lyrics inspire their own music. The songs that Ed chose to cover certainly, I think, speak to the central themes of identity and longing in Into the Wild.
Seeing this show made me gain an entirely new appreciation for the Into the Wild soundtrack. I adore the album, and as I said, it is one of my favorites from last year. However, my one complaint is a big one - many of the songs seem incomplete. But live, even though they are the same length, they seem to take on an entirely new life. I think the fact that this was the opening night shone through on a few of these songs. Ed completely messed up Guaranteed, stopped, and then people started applauding. With a grin on his face, he said, “You shouldn’t encourage bad behavior.” Then he started the song again, and played it perfectly. Moments like this made the show feel like I was almost intruding on something private.
At the end of the show, Ed said something like, “thank you for participating in this different conversation.” I think that what elevated this concert was not just the music (although that was, simply, amazing), but also the whole atmosphere. From the playbills handed out by the ushers, to the set up of the stage, to the stories Ed told onstage, this was truly one of the best musical experiences I have ever had. After the show was over, all I wanted to do was quit my job and follow his tour all the way down the coast. Alas, I can’t do that, but I have already started planning my next vacation around a Pearl Jam show.
The soundtrack to Into The Wild is one of my favorite albums from last year. So when Eddie Vedder announced that he would be doing a short solo tour on the West Coast, I knew that I had to go. So it was with excitement and nervous anticipation that I took the train from Seattle to Vancouver on April 2nd. I’ve seen Pearl Jam live many times, but I knew that Eddie Vedder solo would be an entirely different experience, and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.
Seeing the first show of a tour is kind of risky, I guess. A lot of the songs are unpolished. The stage setup is new, especially since Ed has never toured solo before. In all the Pearl Jam shows I’ve seen, I've never thought that he looked as nervous onstage as he in Vancouver. No, I guess "nervous" isn't the right word, maybe he was just a little bit unsure of what to expect from the audience and from himself. But he didn't need to be. Right after the concert, I wrote in my journal that “this was one of those rare concerts when, without even realizing it, i was completely in the moment for over 2 hours.” I was leaning forward in my seat, singing along, clapping so hard that my hands hurt. I didn't even pay attention to the people around me.
When Ed walked onstage, it seemed like he was sitting down for an evening with friends. The stage consisted of a stool, a table with a reel-to-reel tape recorder on it, a Corona box, and an open suitcase. Whenever the guitar tech would come out with a new instrument, he wore a white lab coat. (It only occurred to me later when reading reviews of the concert that this was probably an homage to the fact that these shows are an experiment).
The setlist was, as you might expect, a mix of Pearl Jam songs and songs from Into the Wild. But it was, interestingly enough, the covers that were the highlights of the evening for me. Covers of James Taylors’ Millworker and Bruce Springsteen’s Growing Up have hardly left my cd player since this concert. One of my favorite parts of Pearl Jam concerts (and, I suppose now, Eddie Vedder concerts) is hearing their choice of covers, because not only do they pick songs by artists they admire, but I think they also choose songs whose lyrics inspire their own music. The songs that Ed chose to cover certainly, I think, speak to the central themes of identity and longing in Into the Wild.
Seeing this show made me gain an entirely new appreciation for the Into the Wild soundtrack. I adore the album, and as I said, it is one of my favorites from last year. However, my one complaint is a big one - many of the songs seem incomplete. But live, even though they are the same length, they seem to take on an entirely new life. I think the fact that this was the opening night shone through on a few of these songs. Ed completely messed up Guaranteed, stopped, and then people started applauding. With a grin on his face, he said, “You shouldn’t encourage bad behavior.” Then he started the song again, and played it perfectly. Moments like this made the show feel like I was almost intruding on something private.
At the end of the show, Ed said something like, “thank you for participating in this different conversation.” I think that what elevated this concert was not just the music (although that was, simply, amazing), but also the whole atmosphere. From the playbills handed out by the ushers, to the set up of the stage, to the stories Ed told onstage, this was truly one of the best musical experiences I have ever had. After the show was over, all I wanted to do was quit my job and follow his tour all the way down the coast. Alas, I can’t do that, but I have already started planning my next vacation around a Pearl Jam show.
i am a question. mark.
You Are a Question Mark |
 You seek knowledge and insight in every form possible. You love learning. And while you know a lot, you don't act like a know it all. You're open to learning you're wrong. You ask a lot of questions, collect a lot of data, and always dig deep to find out more. You're naturally curious and inquisitive. You jump to ask a question when the opportunity arises. Your friends see you as interesting, insightful, and thought provoking. (But they're not always up for the intense inquisitions that you love!) You excel in: Higher education You get along best with: The Comma |
i don't think this is what i'm like at all, but it sounds nice.
Monday, April 21, 2008
no matter how cold the winter, there's a springtime ahead
i'm going to see the swell season in san francisco on saturday!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
i don't know what to call this post
i'm home "resting my foot" (a.k.a. not doing much of anything) and browsing the internet. how i missed this before is beyond me, but carrie brownstein (formerly - i hate saying that - of sleater kinney) has a blog at NPR. in one post that i found particularly interesting, she writes about musical fandom (is that a word?): Are there any bands you love but whose fans you fear? Is there a band message board you are afraid to comment on because the people on that board are nutjobs? Or, are you or were you one of those fans and do you wish everyone else could just understand?
i don't think i've ever been at a concert where the audience totally ruined the experience for me, but you can't deny that the crowd certainly effects the way you perceive an experience. take pearl jam, for instance. they certainly have their share of jerk fans (although no more than you would find in the general population, i'm sure), but they also have a large percentage of awesome fans. every single person i have ever talked to in line to pick up my fanclub tickets has been really nice. i've traded my extra tickets to people who have sent me videos of concerts, bootlegs and even posters without my asking. pearl jam shows are always, i think, made all the better by people clapping during hail, hail, raising their arms in a v during jeremy, singing the first verse of betterman, etc... but then, there's always the idiot who has to yell something during a quiet song.
every review i've read of the eddie vedder solo shows mentions the audience. and not in a good way. i've never understood that - if you want to have a loud conversation with your friends, why not just stay home? why spend 60 dollars on a concert ticket if you're going to talk so loudly that you can't hear what's going on? it's not just eddie vedder/pearl jam, pick any show, any day of the week, and there'll be inconsiderate jerks in the audience.
on the other hand, a lot of the comments to carrie's original post seem to be suggesting that anyone who is at all emotionally invested in music is, in some way, psychotic. now, that may be true, but it's also evidence of the attitude i have encountered since moving to seattle of "just stand still with your arms crossed and pretend you're not interested." this idea i don't understand either, and it makes me think of my dad, who thinks i'm insane for spending money to go see pearl jam. a little obsession now and again proves that you're alive.
i'm rambling.. sorry. that's what a broken foot will do to you, i guess.
i don't think i've ever been at a concert where the audience totally ruined the experience for me, but you can't deny that the crowd certainly effects the way you perceive an experience. take pearl jam, for instance. they certainly have their share of jerk fans (although no more than you would find in the general population, i'm sure), but they also have a large percentage of awesome fans. every single person i have ever talked to in line to pick up my fanclub tickets has been really nice. i've traded my extra tickets to people who have sent me videos of concerts, bootlegs and even posters without my asking. pearl jam shows are always, i think, made all the better by people clapping during hail, hail, raising their arms in a v during jeremy, singing the first verse of betterman, etc... but then, there's always the idiot who has to yell something during a quiet song.
every review i've read of the eddie vedder solo shows mentions the audience. and not in a good way. i've never understood that - if you want to have a loud conversation with your friends, why not just stay home? why spend 60 dollars on a concert ticket if you're going to talk so loudly that you can't hear what's going on? it's not just eddie vedder/pearl jam, pick any show, any day of the week, and there'll be inconsiderate jerks in the audience.
on the other hand, a lot of the comments to carrie's original post seem to be suggesting that anyone who is at all emotionally invested in music is, in some way, psychotic. now, that may be true, but it's also evidence of the attitude i have encountered since moving to seattle of "just stand still with your arms crossed and pretend you're not interested." this idea i don't understand either, and it makes me think of my dad, who thinks i'm insane for spending money to go see pearl jam. a little obsession now and again proves that you're alive.
i'm rambling.. sorry. that's what a broken foot will do to you, i guess.
sunday morning links...
isn't it funny how you start reading something and then click a link and before you know it, you have 10 windows of your web browser open? one is a review of the death cab show in bremerton, another is a piece ben gibbard wrote for a magazine, another is live from KEXP, another is a review of eddie vedder's last show in san diego...
so here's some of what i'm reading/listening to this morning:
ben gibbard wrote a piece for paste magazine called "the meaning of life." i'm not sure he actually comes to any consensus about said meaning, although he does write about feeling like jack kerouac in on the road. this is the part i found interesting:
With this record, if I didn’t have something to write about that I’ve experienced, if I couldn’t visualize myself in that scenario and really put myself in the shoes of the narrator, then I felt I shouldn’t be writing it.
kim virant i'm not sure how to describe her - country mixed with folk mixed with rock. i would recommend listening to jesse's song.
carrie akre i really like her - in fact i would probably say that she's one of my favorite female singers. check out take this heart.
glen hansard and marketa irglova sing on a new song called one more word for an israeli movie called strangers.
so here's some of what i'm reading/listening to this morning:
ben gibbard wrote a piece for paste magazine called "the meaning of life." i'm not sure he actually comes to any consensus about said meaning, although he does write about feeling like jack kerouac in on the road. this is the part i found interesting:
With this record, if I didn’t have something to write about that I’ve experienced, if I couldn’t visualize myself in that scenario and really put myself in the shoes of the narrator, then I felt I shouldn’t be writing it.
kim virant i'm not sure how to describe her - country mixed with folk mixed with rock. i would recommend listening to jesse's song.
carrie akre i really like her - in fact i would probably say that she's one of my favorite female singers. check out take this heart.
glen hansard and marketa irglova sing on a new song called one more word for an israeli movie called strangers.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
there'd be no distance that could hold us back...
THIS is where i wish i had been last night. death cab for cutie started their tour at a theatre in bremerton. i tried to get tickets, but couldn't - what is it with my favorite bands not playing in seattle (or only playing "surprise" shows)?? (i'm sorry, but the gorge is not seattle. neither is vancouver. i'm talking to you, rem and pearl jam).
wow, ben gibbard is a little nutty with his movements, huh? (boy, that's a weird sentence)
if i could walk, i would have gone to easy street today to celebrate national record store day. they were having twenty percent off everything today. sonic boom was also having a sidewalk sale, plus a bunch of instore performances.
foot update!!! my foot is better today, but still not 100% (probably around 70%). i stayed home and rested today, and am planning to do the same tonight, in hopes that i'll be able to walk normally when i go to san francisco next weekend.
i spent the afternoon looking up bus/train schedules and printing out maps for the places i want to go. i'm usually bad at planning for trips, so we'll see how much of it i actually get done. i can't wait until friday!
oh, and my pearl jam tickets for boston came last week! we're really going, kristine!! yay!
wow, ben gibbard is a little nutty with his movements, huh? (boy, that's a weird sentence)
if i could walk, i would have gone to easy street today to celebrate national record store day. they were having twenty percent off everything today. sonic boom was also having a sidewalk sale, plus a bunch of instore performances.
foot update!!! my foot is better today, but still not 100% (probably around 70%). i stayed home and rested today, and am planning to do the same tonight, in hopes that i'll be able to walk normally when i go to san francisco next weekend.
i spent the afternoon looking up bus/train schedules and printing out maps for the places i want to go. i'm usually bad at planning for trips, so we'll see how much of it i actually get done. i can't wait until friday!
oh, and my pearl jam tickets for boston came last week! we're really going, kristine!! yay!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
they'll toss and turn forever but no rest will they find
i did something really dumb yesterday. i guess i wasn't really watching where i was walking and i tripped over my own feet, twisting my right foot in the process. it was really swollen and painful last night (i didn't sleep well, hence the title for this post. it's also from a song by the frames, but i digress), but seemed to be okay this morning, and i thought i'd be able to go to work, but then it started swelling up again. so i decided to go to the doctor, and she took one look at it and told me that it was probably broken. peachy. but an hour later, she looked at the x-rays and said that it was just a really bad sprain. thank goodness. my foot is still really swollen, but at least now i can walk. kind of.
after i managed to hobble home, i found a pleasant surprise waiting for me: my package from amazon.com. with my swell season dvd and rem album (more about that when i listen to it some more) that i didn't expect until thursday. yay!
i put my foot up, and watched the dvd (which is what i think i'm going to do again after i write this). this particular concert is from a series called "live at the artist's den," which showcases "emerging and established artists" (their words, not mine) at unique venues. the swell season show was filmed last november at the good shepard center in seattle (there was a write-up about this place in the paper a few weeks ago. i think i now will make it my new mission to see a concert there) in the early 1900's, it was a "home for wayward girls" (i.e. pregnant out of wedlock) and now, it has been turned into a really intimate concert venue.
the dvd is great and exactly what i expected and wanted - very simple, just glen and marketa (and colm and joe on violin and bass). almost like being at a swell season concert, although i can't help but wonder what was left out. glen's crowd banter is there, though, as are two unreleased (i think concentric is unreleased, although i guess i'm not positive) songs - concentric and golden. i guess my only complaint is that i wish there were more songs (sleeping and the moon, please)
one of the best parts of the concert is the last song, star star. glen asks the audience to whistle the ending, which they do (although it takes them awhile to warm up to it). he then puts down his guitar, goes to sit by the piano with marketa, and the four of them (glen, marketa, colm and joe) leave the stage while everyone is still whistling. awesome.
(this is not from the dvd. i just really like this song)
after i managed to hobble home, i found a pleasant surprise waiting for me: my package from amazon.com. with my swell season dvd and rem album (more about that when i listen to it some more) that i didn't expect until thursday. yay!
i put my foot up, and watched the dvd (which is what i think i'm going to do again after i write this). this particular concert is from a series called "live at the artist's den," which showcases "emerging and established artists" (their words, not mine) at unique venues. the swell season show was filmed last november at the good shepard center in seattle (there was a write-up about this place in the paper a few weeks ago. i think i now will make it my new mission to see a concert there) in the early 1900's, it was a "home for wayward girls" (i.e. pregnant out of wedlock) and now, it has been turned into a really intimate concert venue.
the dvd is great and exactly what i expected and wanted - very simple, just glen and marketa (and colm and joe on violin and bass). almost like being at a swell season concert, although i can't help but wonder what was left out. glen's crowd banter is there, though, as are two unreleased (i think concentric is unreleased, although i guess i'm not positive) songs - concentric and golden. i guess my only complaint is that i wish there were more songs (sleeping and the moon, please)
one of the best parts of the concert is the last song, star star. glen asks the audience to whistle the ending, which they do (although it takes them awhile to warm up to it). he then puts down his guitar, goes to sit by the piano with marketa, and the four of them (glen, marketa, colm and joe) leave the stage while everyone is still whistling. awesome.
(this is not from the dvd. i just really like this song)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
let's begin again...
i still haven't gotten REM's new album - i ordered it along with the swell season dvd (which comes out tuesday!) from amazon, so it should come next week. in honor of that, here is one of my favorite REM songs with eddie vedder. i would LOVE to see these two on stage together:
Friday, April 11, 2008
picture a cup in the middle of a sea...
do you ever feel like there is some kind of big joke that everyone is in on but you? that's kind of how i've been feeling all week. it sucks.
this will be a somewhat random post.
so, sub pop records is (i've heard) planning a 20 year anniversary reunion show this summer. according to seattle sound magazine, it's going to be july 12 and 13 at marymoor park in redmond (seems to me that that's kind of a small place to have a show like this..) and the exciting part, for me, is that one of the the rumored acts is a reunion of green river. from their myspace page: In 1985, they became the first grunge band to release a record, kick-starting the Seattle music scene and later helping to establish the Sub Pop label. However, Green River are even more famous for the bands that sprang from their breakup: Mudhoney and Mother Love Bone, the latter of which also contained the roots of Pearl Jam. That lineage somewhat overshadows Green River’s actual music, which helped lay out the blueprint for grunge but didn’t necessarily rank among its most transcendent expressions. the festival is apparently going to fill an entire weekend, so i wonder who else they will have play. the possibilities are very interesting.
*the rest of the festival lineup: Beachwood Sparks / Comets on Fire / Fleet Foxes / Flight of the Conchords / The Fluid / Foals / Grand Archives / Green River / The Helio Sequence / Iron & Wine / Kinski / Low / Mudhoney / No Age / Pissed Jeans / Red Red Meat / The Ruby Suns / Seaweed / Wolf Parade
the other night, i saw an interview with a man named randy pausch. he was a professor at a university in pittsburgh who was diagnosed a few months ago with pancreatic cancer (one of the most deadliest cancers). last fall, he gave a lecture at his school in a series called "the last lecture" - you can find videos of it on youtube. he was on oprah a few months ago, and gave an abridged version of the speech. one of the things i remember from it is that he talks about not letting go of your childhood dreams no matter how silly and out of reach they may seem. he says that brick doors are put there for people who don't want things badly enough. after hearing that, i can't stop thinking about my own life and wondering what it is that makes it so easy to forget those dreams and instead fall into a life of routine and of not always following your true passions. maybe that's what being an adult is about, although i sincerely hope not. i used to lay awake at night dreaming about living in a big city, being a famous writer and traveling around the world. i wanted to be a librarian or a museum curator. instead, i am a preschool teacher who is only marginally satisfied with her life on a good day. although i like my job, there has to be something more.. life can't only be about going through the motions can it?
... i have no idea what i'm trying to say. but does it make sense to anyone? maybe i'm having a quarter-life crisis or something. but if so, it's been going on for about three years now. in garden state, zach braff is able to resolve his in less than 2 hours.
in 4 minutes, ed vedder is able to say what i mean:
i feel like i should write something about kurt cobain, since this week marked the 14th anniversary since he died (i can't believe that). i was in 8th grade in april of 94, and i had just started falling in love with pearl jam and, to a lesser extent, nirvana the year before. i remember the exact moment i heard that he died - i was home from school watching a game show on mtv when they cut in with the news. so beginning a weekend of being glued to the television non-stop. i remember watching fan memorials at the seattle center.
mtv's nirvana unplugged is by far my favorite performance of theirs. even more than their albums, i love to listen to this, because there's something about it that is so raw and emotional. i really wonder what my cd collection would look like now if nirvana as a band or kurt in some other form had continued making music.
i'm not like them but i can pretend..
this will be a somewhat random post.
so, sub pop records is (i've heard) planning a 20 year anniversary reunion show this summer. according to seattle sound magazine, it's going to be july 12 and 13 at marymoor park in redmond (seems to me that that's kind of a small place to have a show like this..) and the exciting part, for me, is that one of the the rumored acts is a reunion of green river. from their myspace page: In 1985, they became the first grunge band to release a record, kick-starting the Seattle music scene and later helping to establish the Sub Pop label. However, Green River are even more famous for the bands that sprang from their breakup: Mudhoney and Mother Love Bone, the latter of which also contained the roots of Pearl Jam. That lineage somewhat overshadows Green River’s actual music, which helped lay out the blueprint for grunge but didn’t necessarily rank among its most transcendent expressions. the festival is apparently going to fill an entire weekend, so i wonder who else they will have play. the possibilities are very interesting.
*the rest of the festival lineup: Beachwood Sparks / Comets on Fire / Fleet Foxes / Flight of the Conchords / The Fluid / Foals / Grand Archives / Green River / The Helio Sequence / Iron & Wine / Kinski / Low / Mudhoney / No Age / Pissed Jeans / Red Red Meat / The Ruby Suns / Seaweed / Wolf Parade
the other night, i saw an interview with a man named randy pausch. he was a professor at a university in pittsburgh who was diagnosed a few months ago with pancreatic cancer (one of the most deadliest cancers). last fall, he gave a lecture at his school in a series called "the last lecture" - you can find videos of it on youtube. he was on oprah a few months ago, and gave an abridged version of the speech. one of the things i remember from it is that he talks about not letting go of your childhood dreams no matter how silly and out of reach they may seem. he says that brick doors are put there for people who don't want things badly enough. after hearing that, i can't stop thinking about my own life and wondering what it is that makes it so easy to forget those dreams and instead fall into a life of routine and of not always following your true passions. maybe that's what being an adult is about, although i sincerely hope not. i used to lay awake at night dreaming about living in a big city, being a famous writer and traveling around the world. i wanted to be a librarian or a museum curator. instead, i am a preschool teacher who is only marginally satisfied with her life on a good day. although i like my job, there has to be something more.. life can't only be about going through the motions can it?
... i have no idea what i'm trying to say. but does it make sense to anyone? maybe i'm having a quarter-life crisis or something. but if so, it's been going on for about three years now. in garden state, zach braff is able to resolve his in less than 2 hours.
in 4 minutes, ed vedder is able to say what i mean:
i feel like i should write something about kurt cobain, since this week marked the 14th anniversary since he died (i can't believe that). i was in 8th grade in april of 94, and i had just started falling in love with pearl jam and, to a lesser extent, nirvana the year before. i remember the exact moment i heard that he died - i was home from school watching a game show on mtv when they cut in with the news. so beginning a weekend of being glued to the television non-stop. i remember watching fan memorials at the seattle center.
mtv's nirvana unplugged is by far my favorite performance of theirs. even more than their albums, i love to listen to this, because there's something about it that is so raw and emotional. i really wonder what my cd collection would look like now if nirvana as a band or kurt in some other form had continued making music.
i'm not like them but i can pretend..
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
styrofoam garbage for the ozone layer
speaking of bono.. here's something i hadn't seen before. i love how he just kind of seems to come out of nowhere. that sneaky little fellow.
25 minutes to go...
my vacation to memphis was fun. the highlight for me was sun studio, the place where elvis and johnny cash, among others, first recorded. the tour guide was awesome.. he obviously knew a lot about the history of the place, and told some really neat stories. like that elvis was really shy when he started singing, and that johnny cash was an appliance salesman but he only sold one appliance in his career - to the receptionist at the studio. or that the song some music historians consider to be the first rock song got its distorted guitar sound from newspaper stuffed into the broken amplifier. really, i didn't realize how much music is from memphis.
my mother and i had this running joke about bono and memphis. he seemed to be everywhere we turned. (not the real man, of course, i could only wish for that. sigh..) the first sign of him was a picture in sun studio. apparently, some of the sessions for rattle and hum were recorded there. later, we were at the national civil rights museum, and in a room with pictures of people like martin luther king jr, rosa parks and ghandi, there was bono again! that night, i was reading my dad's guidebook trying to find a place for dinner, and i found this little nugget: "if you're very lucky, you may even run into bono." really???!?
we also went to graceland, the memphis rock museum and the gibson guitar factory (which was awesome, too bad no one could really hear the tour guide since we were in the factory and machines were whirring). oh - another highlight was definitely the ducks at our hotel. about five ducks swim in the fountain of the hotel, and every morning and evening there is an elaborate ceremony to mark their arrival and departure. on sunday, my parents and i happened to be in the lobby at 5:00 to witness their departure for the day (they live on the roof during the night i guess) and it was one of the funniest things i have seen recently. there is this guy called "the duckmaster" (well, that's what my mom called him - i doubt that's what his name really is) who rolls out a red carpet. then they start playing this really loud marching music and the ducks start coming out of the fountain and waddling down the carpet in time to the music. they waddle into the elevator and the doors close. this whole ceremony probably drew at least 100 people to the hotel's lobby. the whole thing was very odd.
here are my pictures
my mother and i had this running joke about bono and memphis. he seemed to be everywhere we turned. (not the real man, of course, i could only wish for that. sigh..) the first sign of him was a picture in sun studio. apparently, some of the sessions for rattle and hum were recorded there. later, we were at the national civil rights museum, and in a room with pictures of people like martin luther king jr, rosa parks and ghandi, there was bono again! that night, i was reading my dad's guidebook trying to find a place for dinner, and i found this little nugget: "if you're very lucky, you may even run into bono." really???!?
we also went to graceland, the memphis rock museum and the gibson guitar factory (which was awesome, too bad no one could really hear the tour guide since we were in the factory and machines were whirring). oh - another highlight was definitely the ducks at our hotel. about five ducks swim in the fountain of the hotel, and every morning and evening there is an elaborate ceremony to mark their arrival and departure. on sunday, my parents and i happened to be in the lobby at 5:00 to witness their departure for the day (they live on the roof during the night i guess) and it was one of the funniest things i have seen recently. there is this guy called "the duckmaster" (well, that's what my mom called him - i doubt that's what his name really is) who rolls out a red carpet. then they start playing this really loud marching music and the ducks start coming out of the fountain and waddling down the carpet in time to the music. they waddle into the elevator and the doors close. this whole ceremony probably drew at least 100 people to the hotel's lobby. the whole thing was very odd.
here are my pictures
Friday, April 4, 2008
rise up...
these pictures are from the seattle times. wow...
this is from, i think, when ed messed up "guaranteed." people started applauding, and he said, "you shouldn't encourage bad behavior." it was funny. i'll encourage anything he does...
he said that since this was his first solo show, he had decided to wear the same shirt that he wore at his first pearl jam show (a "butthole surfers" shirt. remember them?) he said he liked it because it said "surfers" on it, but then he realized that if you were looking at a picture of him all you could see was "butthole" in large letters. hehe. oh ed, i love you.
in other news, i have decided to go see pj in boston this summer. i feel like all of a sudden, i have a life. a wonderful, glorious life. it's awesome. this happens every time i go to a pearl jam concert. i am suddenly consumed by the need to see them more. much more. after the vancouver show, i was ready to quit my job and follow ed's tour all the way down the west coast.
this is from, i think, when ed messed up "guaranteed." people started applauding, and he said, "you shouldn't encourage bad behavior." it was funny. i'll encourage anything he does...
he said that since this was his first solo show, he had decided to wear the same shirt that he wore at his first pearl jam show (a "butthole surfers" shirt. remember them?) he said he liked it because it said "surfers" on it, but then he realized that if you were looking at a picture of him all you could see was "butthole" in large letters. hehe. oh ed, i love you.
in other news, i have decided to go see pj in boston this summer. i feel like all of a sudden, i have a life. a wonderful, glorious life. it's awesome. this happens every time i go to a pearl jam concert. i am suddenly consumed by the need to see them more. much more. after the vancouver show, i was ready to quit my job and follow ed's tour all the way down the west coast.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
"the next song was in a movie. there might be quite a few of those this evening"
eddie vedder in vancouver 4/2/08
(this will probably be a long post; read at your own risk)
happiness is: having 6th row center tickets.
i have been listening to pearl jam since 1992, and if someone had told me back then that in 2008, i would watch eddie vedder play an acoustic version of porch in a 2000 seat theatre in vancouver i would have told them they were lying. so here's a warning: i am completely biased, because pearl jam and i have been through a lot together.
i wonder if ed knows glen hansard. my 2 favorite singers have a lot in common. they both tell charming stories on stage (that sometimes go on too long), they both choose interesting songs to cover, and they both made soundtracks that are two of my favorite albums in recent memory. since february, i have had the days to this concert marked off on my calender, but i didn't start getting really excited until last week.
seeing the first show of a tour is kind of risky, i guess. a lot of the songs are unpolished. the stage setup is new. especially since ed has never toured solo before. in all the pearl jam shows i've seen, i've never thought that he looked as nervous onstage as he did last night. no, i guess "nervous" isn't the right word, maybe he was just a little bit unsure of what to expect from the audience and from himself. but he didn't need to be. this is what i wrote in my journal last night: this was one of those rare concerts when, without even realizing it, i was completely in the moment for over 2 hours. i was leaning forward in my seat, singing along, clapping so hard that my hands hurt. i didn't even pay attention to the people around me. i don't want to read reviews of this show (or, god forbid, see a setlist for TOMORROW NIGHT's show that i can't go to. ugh). i just want to wrap this night up and keep it with me. it was THAT special.
eddie's setlist was really interesting (well, amazing). he played a few pearl jam songs, a lot of cover songs (again, really amazing) and a handful of songs from into the wild. he also told really funny stories and even messed up a few songs and had to start them again. which i found very endearing. heck, what do i care? i'd pay to watch him sing the alphabet song over and over. (sadly, i'm only half kidding)
i'm not going to go through the setlist song-by-song (because most of the people readng this probably don't care), but i will write about my highlights. (ok, sorry, i reread this and i think i lied. but i'm sorry - all the songs were highlights for me!!)
around the bend - this is a song from no code (probably my favorite album). i've never seen this song live, and i pretty much never thought i would. so to see eddie performing it solo was absolutely amazing. this is a beautiful song, sung as a lullaby to a baby. my fingertips they close your eyes. off you dream my little child...
growin up - this is a bruce springsteen song that i HIGHLY recommend looking up. (there are videos of ed performing it on youtube - not at this show, but earlier). before the song, somebody from the audience yelled out, "dewey cox!" have you seen that movie? i haven't, but i do know that it's a parody of walk the line and that eddie appears in it. so anyway, ed responds by saying that there is a line in that movie that really gets him but he doesn't want to say it. so, after hemming and hawing for awhile, he decides to tell us the line, and it was pretty dirty, and then he looked really embarrased. it was actually quite funny. and then he says that a few nights ago bruce springsteen played in vancouver, and bruce would never say such a thing - which, ed concludes, "is why he's the boss and i'm just an employee." ha!
no more - this is a song ed wrote for a documentary called body of war about an injured iraq war veteran. it's a really moving song, and one that i have an entirely new appreciation for after seeing the official video (again, you can look on youtube. man, they should pay me for mentioning them so much). with his heart he's saying no more, with his mind he's saying no more war. that's definately a sentiment i agree with. somewhere in here, he also told a story about how he read in the paper that china is worried about tibetan suicide attacks during the olympics. now, just the mental image of a monk or nun with a bomb strapped to her/him self is enough to make me laugh. yeah.. i don't think that's gonna happen.
man of the hour - this is from the big fish soundtrack. i am ambivalent about this song usually, but ed nailed it last night. his voice just sounded so rich and.. amazing. i'm using that word too much. but it's true. maybe he found some sort of miracle tea or something. who knows. but i think his voice sounds better than it has in years.
drifting - it's not the world that's heavy, it's just the things that you save and i'm drifin, driftin along. that's all i have to say about this song. i love it. and seeing ed play the harmonica? priceless.
you're true and broken-hearted - these are both songs that ed has played before solo on a ukelele. (which he said is a good friend. and then he thought about that, and said that it's better than a friend actually because it doesn't talk back to you. haha!) again, i have to say it, there is something about seeing ed play that i can't even explain. even though he is not technically the best musician in the world (far from it, i'm sure) he pours his heart into every song. he makes me believe what he's singing. and that is the most important thing. i don't care if he messes up a note or sings the wrong lyric. (which he did to many of the into the wild songs).
picture in a frame - a tom waits cover. gorgeous song. again, you can find videos of the original and of pearl jam covering it on youtube.
trouble - a cat stevens song. i was just listening to eddie play this song on tuesday night, and hoping that i'd get a chance to hear it live. i think this was my favorite cover of the evening.
porch - OH MY GOD! i never in a million years expected to hear an acoustic version of this song live. i mean, they've done it before, but i never thought i would actually be there to see it. this was wonderful. one of the things i love about pearl jam (and ed), is that they are able to take old songs and completely re-work them in really interesting ways.
other things worth mentioning: the venue was incredible. a beautiful theatre with great acoustics, and i found a (relatively inexpensive but very nice) hotel literally around the corner. i couldn't have asked for better.
liam finn - he was the opening act. i was really impressed, but i'm not sure how to describe him. check out his myspace page and listen to some songs. it says that he's playing in seattle may 2 (at the triple door, which is a really nice place to see a show).
(this will probably be a long post; read at your own risk)
happiness is: having 6th row center tickets.
i have been listening to pearl jam since 1992, and if someone had told me back then that in 2008, i would watch eddie vedder play an acoustic version of porch in a 2000 seat theatre in vancouver i would have told them they were lying. so here's a warning: i am completely biased, because pearl jam and i have been through a lot together.
i wonder if ed knows glen hansard. my 2 favorite singers have a lot in common. they both tell charming stories on stage (that sometimes go on too long), they both choose interesting songs to cover, and they both made soundtracks that are two of my favorite albums in recent memory. since february, i have had the days to this concert marked off on my calender, but i didn't start getting really excited until last week.
seeing the first show of a tour is kind of risky, i guess. a lot of the songs are unpolished. the stage setup is new. especially since ed has never toured solo before. in all the pearl jam shows i've seen, i've never thought that he looked as nervous onstage as he did last night. no, i guess "nervous" isn't the right word, maybe he was just a little bit unsure of what to expect from the audience and from himself. but he didn't need to be. this is what i wrote in my journal last night: this was one of those rare concerts when, without even realizing it, i was completely in the moment for over 2 hours. i was leaning forward in my seat, singing along, clapping so hard that my hands hurt. i didn't even pay attention to the people around me. i don't want to read reviews of this show (or, god forbid, see a setlist for TOMORROW NIGHT's show that i can't go to. ugh). i just want to wrap this night up and keep it with me. it was THAT special.
eddie's setlist was really interesting (well, amazing). he played a few pearl jam songs, a lot of cover songs (again, really amazing) and a handful of songs from into the wild. he also told really funny stories and even messed up a few songs and had to start them again. which i found very endearing. heck, what do i care? i'd pay to watch him sing the alphabet song over and over. (sadly, i'm only half kidding)
i'm not going to go through the setlist song-by-song (because most of the people readng this probably don't care), but i will write about my highlights. (ok, sorry, i reread this and i think i lied. but i'm sorry - all the songs were highlights for me!!)
around the bend - this is a song from no code (probably my favorite album). i've never seen this song live, and i pretty much never thought i would. so to see eddie performing it solo was absolutely amazing. this is a beautiful song, sung as a lullaby to a baby. my fingertips they close your eyes. off you dream my little child...
growin up - this is a bruce springsteen song that i HIGHLY recommend looking up. (there are videos of ed performing it on youtube - not at this show, but earlier). before the song, somebody from the audience yelled out, "dewey cox!" have you seen that movie? i haven't, but i do know that it's a parody of walk the line and that eddie appears in it. so anyway, ed responds by saying that there is a line in that movie that really gets him but he doesn't want to say it. so, after hemming and hawing for awhile, he decides to tell us the line, and it was pretty dirty, and then he looked really embarrased. it was actually quite funny. and then he says that a few nights ago bruce springsteen played in vancouver, and bruce would never say such a thing - which, ed concludes, "is why he's the boss and i'm just an employee." ha!
no more - this is a song ed wrote for a documentary called body of war about an injured iraq war veteran. it's a really moving song, and one that i have an entirely new appreciation for after seeing the official video (again, you can look on youtube. man, they should pay me for mentioning them so much). with his heart he's saying no more, with his mind he's saying no more war. that's definately a sentiment i agree with. somewhere in here, he also told a story about how he read in the paper that china is worried about tibetan suicide attacks during the olympics. now, just the mental image of a monk or nun with a bomb strapped to her/him self is enough to make me laugh. yeah.. i don't think that's gonna happen.
man of the hour - this is from the big fish soundtrack. i am ambivalent about this song usually, but ed nailed it last night. his voice just sounded so rich and.. amazing. i'm using that word too much. but it's true. maybe he found some sort of miracle tea or something. who knows. but i think his voice sounds better than it has in years.
drifting - it's not the world that's heavy, it's just the things that you save and i'm drifin, driftin along. that's all i have to say about this song. i love it. and seeing ed play the harmonica? priceless.
you're true and broken-hearted - these are both songs that ed has played before solo on a ukelele. (which he said is a good friend. and then he thought about that, and said that it's better than a friend actually because it doesn't talk back to you. haha!) again, i have to say it, there is something about seeing ed play that i can't even explain. even though he is not technically the best musician in the world (far from it, i'm sure) he pours his heart into every song. he makes me believe what he's singing. and that is the most important thing. i don't care if he messes up a note or sings the wrong lyric. (which he did to many of the into the wild songs).
picture in a frame - a tom waits cover. gorgeous song. again, you can find videos of the original and of pearl jam covering it on youtube.
trouble - a cat stevens song. i was just listening to eddie play this song on tuesday night, and hoping that i'd get a chance to hear it live. i think this was my favorite cover of the evening.
porch - OH MY GOD! i never in a million years expected to hear an acoustic version of this song live. i mean, they've done it before, but i never thought i would actually be there to see it. this was wonderful. one of the things i love about pearl jam (and ed), is that they are able to take old songs and completely re-work them in really interesting ways.
other things worth mentioning: the venue was incredible. a beautiful theatre with great acoustics, and i found a (relatively inexpensive but very nice) hotel literally around the corner. i couldn't have asked for better.
liam finn - he was the opening act. i was really impressed, but i'm not sure how to describe him. check out his myspace page and listen to some songs. it says that he's playing in seattle may 2 (at the triple door, which is a really nice place to see a show).
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
randomness
i am so addicted to posting on this thing that it's insane. thanks, kristine, for giving me a new way to waste my time ;)
i woke up this morning to a familiar voice on my clock radio. wait a minute.. could this be ben gibbard? sure enough, it was, because soon he started singing i will possess your heart, which i remembered as one of the song titles on their new cd (out in the beginning of may, i forget the exact date). i always thought that was a creepy sounding title. what if i don't want you to possess my heart? upon first (and only) listening, i was none too impressed with this song - but i guess singles are usually the weakest songs on an album.
speaking of death cab, there is a very funny video on youtube (i am too lazy to copy and paste the link right now) of ben gibbard talking about his jazz band. complete with footage of him playing the xylophone. my brain must be fried from spending too much time around screaming 4 year olds, but i thought he was serious until he started talking about how the drummmer from death cab auditioned for this jazz band 7 times but isn't good enough to get in.
i am reading (well, re-reading) a novel called the true story of hansel and gretel. the author takes the children's fairytale (which is really quite morbid and frightening if you think about it) and re-tells it by setting it in poland during world war II. the story is about a sister and brother who are abandoned (well, that's not the right word - they didn't see another choice) by their father and stepmother in the woods. eventually, the children, who call themselves hansel and gretel, find an old woman (a "witch") who takes them in and feeds them. basically, it's just a really good story about survival, love and hope. and the hatred embodied by the german soldiers. my favorite part about the novel is the way the author describes the setting. it's not often that i read a story where the setting is so clear that i can close my eyes and see it in my mind.
i woke up this morning to a familiar voice on my clock radio. wait a minute.. could this be ben gibbard? sure enough, it was, because soon he started singing i will possess your heart, which i remembered as one of the song titles on their new cd (out in the beginning of may, i forget the exact date). i always thought that was a creepy sounding title. what if i don't want you to possess my heart? upon first (and only) listening, i was none too impressed with this song - but i guess singles are usually the weakest songs on an album.
speaking of death cab, there is a very funny video on youtube (i am too lazy to copy and paste the link right now) of ben gibbard talking about his jazz band. complete with footage of him playing the xylophone. my brain must be fried from spending too much time around screaming 4 year olds, but i thought he was serious until he started talking about how the drummmer from death cab auditioned for this jazz band 7 times but isn't good enough to get in.
i am reading (well, re-reading) a novel called the true story of hansel and gretel. the author takes the children's fairytale (which is really quite morbid and frightening if you think about it) and re-tells it by setting it in poland during world war II. the story is about a sister and brother who are abandoned (well, that's not the right word - they didn't see another choice) by their father and stepmother in the woods. eventually, the children, who call themselves hansel and gretel, find an old woman (a "witch") who takes them in and feeds them. basically, it's just a really good story about survival, love and hope. and the hatred embodied by the german soldiers. my favorite part about the novel is the way the author describes the setting. it's not often that i read a story where the setting is so clear that i can close my eyes and see it in my mind.
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