Danny Doom’s Booze Cabinet

If there was a 21st-century attention-span paradox in having the man who wrote rock operas and concept albums compress his life’s work into 12 minutes — well, Townshend said beforehand that the medley was Daltrey’s idea.

Yeah, that kind of says it all. That review in the NY Times has to be the kindest one I have read. I fully expected the medley and so was not disappointed, but just underwhelmed. They are old now, and Roger can’t sing like he used to. It’s kind of depressing but what can you do? It was still exciting to see them in action, even for such a corporate gig–the biggest corporate gig ever. Well, that’s what they do these days, shill and provide the soundtrack for t.v. shows.

It was never going to be the awesomeness that I saw at the House of Blues years ago, with John Entwistle still alive and me so much closer in proximity than I ever could have imagined. Just amazing that I did it, that I spent $300 I very clearly could not afford (no more today than then), and that it all worked. So I am forever glad about it. Twelve minutes at halftime? Nope, not gonna do it.

Let’s keep it real. I don’t really care who wins the Super Bowl. I want the Saints to win but I believe the Colts will win. But whatevs. The true highlight for me will be halftime, when The Who, as they currently exist, take the field for one of those made-for-t.v. medleys that will no doubt leave me unsatisfied. But still. I’m excited for it. You’ve got to appreciate these guys while they’re still here.

I didn’t watch the Grammys, but I happened to see a few things before I put in the Harry Potter movie (The Half Blood Prince), and so these are my thoughts–actually just one thought:

I don’t think there was ever a time in my life when I would not have thought the Black-Eyed Peas were anything but total garbage. Not the ten-year old me, not the fifteen-year old me, not the twenty-five-year old me…not the little tiny baby me who had no idea what was good or bad. This is just awful, awful, bad “music” and–please–lyrically an affront to all mankind. I can only imagine what a horror it is to be in the audience for one of their shows…the people who pay money to see them? Ah, the taste of our mass-consuming public. Not embarrassed yet?

Waiting For Something – a short documentary about Jay Reatard

Jay Reatard | MySpace Music Videos

Didn’t know much about Jay Reatard but…now I do after watching this. Pretty good doc.

Kristin Hersh’s tweets read like one of her songs after the death of Vic Chesnutt:

he’s gone…so much to go away in a moment / i’m shattered…i loved him so much

none of this is real / the moon’s moving…racing across the sky

it’s like a bad dream / can’t take another step in these funeral shoes

I haven’t had much use for Twitter but I’ve been checking in with her since I heard the news and it has kind of been like being there. I’ve always been a big fan of Hersh since forever, and many years back I saw Vic Chesnutt open up for Bob Mould at Metro. I had no idea they were so closely connected until now though.

the last thing vic said to me was “i miss you so much” the last thing i said to him was “sorry you’re cold”

Sad.

Land of Talk at Empty Bottle this past Saturday. A damn good Canadian band! I’d been waiting for these guys/gal to come back since I saw them open for Film School a while back. I was not disappointed.

Suddenly I’m in a Dewey Cox kind of mood!

Yes, those are my ancient Docs standing guard over a Tecate disguised in a Pabst Blue Ribbon glass. A few stories here. First, the Docs: they have reached their end. It is sad, and I would have kept them on my feet but it was insisted that I replace them with new ones. Insisted. As in, throw them away. They’ve been around since the early 90’s and they’ve seen a lot. Many Lollapaloozas and certainly many grunge-era shows. Too many Pearl Jam shows to count, but also those heady days at Lounge Ax and Metro, when there seemed to be a great show every week, every night, somewhere. But I was still wearing them to the end, just a few holes here and there, what’s the big deal?

So, they have been replaced. Pretty much the same exact shoe, so it’s like they never left. The PBR glass was a gift this year, and a nice one indeed. And while I often turn my nose up at the beer, I found myself drinking it Wednesday night at Liar’s Club, because, well, it was free. Band beer. Cans. What the hell?

No, it did not treat me any better than it normally does, the PBR, but I got through it, and it saved me some dough. At home though, I can put whatever I want into that glass, and it looks just perfect. I am a strange kind of beer snob: I don’t like the shitty beers but I also don’t very much like the fancy schmancy ones either. Not big on microbrews and can’t stand the Goose Islands and Sam Adams. I don’t know. I love Mexican beer. And Belgian beer. And Guinness. Hey, man, what can I tell you? It’s a mystery. And it’s become more about avoiding the hangover now, now more than ever! Damn this alcohol…

You can see why I enjoy Sullivan sometimes:

Kristol, who is always wrong…

You can’t go…wrong…with a sentence that begins like that. Kind of reminds me of a song…oh yeah, this one!

Here’s something different: check out Milk at Midnight’s version of “Planet Telex,” the great Radiohead song off of “The Bends,” streaming here at MilkSpace. If you like it you can buy it here.

This is what I’m talking about. From Bruce’s Giants Stadium show, first of five, he played “Born to Run” in its entirety, but…look how he leads in and goes out:

07 “Working On A Dream”
08 “Thunder Road”
09 “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
10 “Night”
11 “Backstreets”
12 “Born To Run”
13 “She’s The One”
14 “Meeting Across The River”
15 “Jungleland”
16 “Waiting On A Sunny Day”

Yes, he played 29 songs. And many were classic tunes. But man, I don’t like that placement! Let it breathe! Give it some air! That’s all I’m sayin’.

Just reading about Van Morrison’s performance of “Astral Weeks” (listening to it now–genius!) and how he played songs before and then a mini-medley after. “Anti-climactic” in the reviewer’s eyes, that final piece, which I can understand. I saw Bruce play “Born to Run” last week and he did a similar thing, playing a full set before, then the album, and then in true Springsteen fashion going off and playing another 13 songs or so.

Let me just say that hearing “Born to Run” in its entirety, in exact sequence, was amazing. A great album, every song a classic, and performed perfectly. “Meeting Across the River” was especially cool, such a moody and interesting song that isn’t heard much and probably not performed much if at all in concert. Awesome.

After the last notes of “Jungleland” Bruce barely paused to consider the weight of this moment and shifted gears, going into “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day,” which is a song from a recent album (most recent?) and whoa, the shock I felt was huge. Really, Bossman? You’re gonna follow up that masterpiece with this?

There were a few more good songs (“Promised Land,” Badlands”) but as far as I was concerned the concert was over after “Born to Run.” I wished he had either started the concert out with it and then took a break and come back with the second set, or ended with it. The comparison just kills it, putting a lightweight tune after such heaviness and going from there. And the request section, where fans shouted out for old 50’s tunes like “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Rockin’ Robin”? Uh uh. No. We already felt like the youngest folks there but this was like being in a lame-o suburban 60-something nightmare! Not for me.

I am sad to report that we actually left before he played the set-closing “Rosalita,” which may be my favorite of all Bruce tunes. It just didn’t seem like he was going there, and it was Sunday night and well, no excuses, but we thought we’d get a jump on the suburbanites and fly outta there. I never do that, for shows, for Cubs games, never leave early! But it happened. Oh well. Arena rock kinda kills me after a while, numbs the brain.

Well, Thax is definitely alive, I can say that for sure. Had a talk with him at Double Door Tuesday night. He said, “I know what it’s like to be dead, I know what it is to be sad, and you’re making me feel like I’ve never been born.” Well, no, he didn’t say that, Lennon and McCartney did, but you get the point. Anyway, good to see him out and about and at our show.

I’ve been reading Roger Ebert’s Journal the past few days and I had forgotten how much I enjoy his writing. I don’t read the Sun-Times much anymore, certainly not physically and only sometimes online; the Trib has a much better website. But Roger is really great to read, and I’m not even talking about his movie reviews. Today he wrote about his 30 years of sobriety, which is pretty amazing, and at last look had over 600 comments on it.

I’m going on…what time is it? 11? Three hours or so since I had a Tecate with dinner. But that’s all I had, just one. I can do that, which apparently alcoholics cannot. Well, whatever works, that’s what I say.

Double Door had a tap that was dirty or something because a few of us had to send back beers after taking a sip. It tasted like they hadn’t cleaned that thing in years, or as Rick said, “a butterscotch beer.” Gross. I had 4 beers over the course of the night–less than a beer an hour–and I woke up with a hangover that was highly unjustified. I should only drink from bottles from now on. Tell that to AA!

Which reminds me, one final thing: not to make light of sobriety and people who need it and do it, but I’ve only just recently started watching “Rescue Me” and I love it. I have no sense of the timeline or what happened in previous seasons, I just landed on it one night and got into it, and seem to find it on every now and then to keep up with it.

Denis Leary’s character is a fireman and a drunk, and at one point he attends an AA meeting and proceeds to get up and tell everyone how he’s going to go home and pour a big glass of vodka, or maybe whiskey, and drink, drink, drink it up. He basically blasts a hole in their world and leaves everyone stunned and/or craving a drink themselves, and I guess my point is that I found it kind of hilarious, even if it’s supposed to be a little sad too. They also attempt an intervention and Leary ends up getting everyone that shows up to drink with him instead. Well they had the intervention in a bar, for crissakes.

A little unrealistic and overly dramatic? Sure. Anyway, off to bed, sober.

Tonight! Tuesday August 25
FREE Show!
Double Door
1572 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL
9pm 21+
w/Blah Blah Blah, Camera and Dead Dream
MaM plays 2nd, approx. 9:45pm
Did I mention that it’s FREE?!?

Last night was probably one of the few times that I have not gone to see Pearl Jam when they’ve come to town, and by the looks of the setlist and this review, it was pretty solid. Two “Quadrophenia” covers? “Needle and the Damage Done”? Sweet. Surprisingly few new songs, which I would not have minded had I been there. No need to hear “Evenflow” or “Yellow Ledbetter” again. But whatever, as an unapologetic longtime fan, I have not forsaken them but merely found myself unable to pay up this time around for seats. They’ll be back. But I’m kinda bummed I missed what looks to be another good show by the PJ.