My name is Dave. Or David, if you prefer? I want to be a writer. If you know me even a smidge, that should come as no huge surprise. I've been butting heads with my desire to write the great American novel for about as long as....well, it's been a really long time. In order to give that desire the requisite "kick in the ass" it needs, I'm going to get away from it. Which, goes against every credible piece of advice I've garnered or borrowed the last year or so. But, I can't stop writing. That is one axiom that is resolute, non-negotiable. Rather than focus on penning my "Hemingway", I'm going to write "stream of consciousness", or blog about music. Who knows, maybe Hemingway was a closet Nirvana fan? Quick, but amusing side story. A friend of mine(thanks Jen!) forwarded to me a "sort of" application/query for Diffuser magazine who is looking for freelance journalists with a slant towards the 90's scene? Well, I"m an 80's slanted guy, but, intrigue caused me to press on. Ahead of the process involving the whole resume crap, they threw out 3 questions that the ideal applicant should "immediately" know the answer to. The first asked why REM started sounding different in 1998. Well, I didn't instantly know the answer, but after a bit of reflection, it came to me. Ok. I felt qualifed to read on. The second asked about the head of "Third man records"? I'm out. No idea. A familiar name jumped out at me from the third question and I was once again reunited with intrigue. The mini interview concluded with the following "What was the best Stone Temple Pilots release? (This is not subjective)". Sorry Diffuser, I'm out. I didn't and don't care for that tone young man. Implying that there are some wrong answers to liking one of my fave bands releases? Nope, I'm not your guy.
This particular blog is going to twist and turn on you. Let me burst a bubble right now. It is NOT about Prince. I feel like some of you may have been on the verge of, and now are definitely going to jump off?! No, although, the glyphed one is sort of a backdrop? Or kind of the best supporting actor? I've been pondering this subject ever since the day after Prince passed away. And as these things are wont to do, its been eating away at me to the point that....here I am? Now that I've popped the balloon, let me hopefully reel some of you back in. Cause....the whole vibe of this piece is all Prince. Confused? Me too.
I have a confession to make. I'm a tad nervous about making it. Breathe, breathe, breathe...ok, here goes. You see, the thing of it is...I've never been what you would call...a big fan...of Prince. Breathe, breathe...you still there? Now, for clarification, It's absolutely not that I disliked him or his work. I have always held a ton of respect for his place in the musical pantheon, and would hum along to some of his uber hits when they casually came on the radio. But, I just never felt that "thing". Never made the connection that so many millions did. Confession number two. I, like countless others, am jumping on the Prince bandwagon post mortem, so to speak. I may not have been a fanatic, but I am eating up all this coverage. Living here in Minnesota? It's incredible. Everyone, and I mean everyone is recanting their tales of past meetings with the eccentric mega star. There has been a non-stop vigil outside of the Prince compound in Chanhassen, Paisley Park. There have been impromptu parties and celebrations and jam fests, each thrown together for the sole purpose of partying like its 1999? People are even painting huge memorials on bluffs above rivers, and then stirring up the local legislature about the covering up of said memorials, but...that's a diff. blog. The global reaction has been unlike anything that I can recall since Michael? The Eiffel tower ensconced in purple. Las Vegas casinos bathed in it. Nearly every building or structure of note here in the twin cities has been coated in some form of purple. But, being a music head such that I am, I have been easily swept up in the Prince wave since his passing. YouTube and the rest of the social media heavy-weights have been teeming with stuff. Old videos, interviews, skits, and the list goes on and on. I'd buy the music itself, but Prince and his empire have seen an increase in sales of a whopping 4000%?! It's sold out everywhere. I suppose the moral of the story is to not wait until an artist is gone to embrace the work. But, that's not the moral of THIS story.
Mixed in with this sea of positive vibes and tearful memorials and general all round "purple" overload is a wee bit of negative. And one of them struck me deep and it's the sole purpose for my ramblings. One of the other negatives, that I don't care about, is the speculation about drugs and the events leading up to "the event". I couldn't care one bit. I almost kind of just assume that there will be some sort of narcotic angle. But,so what? No one should be shocked by that. Anyone who feigns dismay or angst over the notion that a rock star of the ilk such as Prince just might be taking a drug or two or twenty...just doesn't get rock and roll. I'm not saying its right or wrong, but I"m saying there's no changing it so why give a F? The negative I'm referring to is the folks who have expressed their admonishment of all the attention being devoted to Prince and his passing. I've seen posts and tweets in the arena of "There are hundreds of thousands of people who die on this planet every day, and no one cares". Then there's the very simplistic but ridiculous comparison of the passing of a rock and roll icon and those who have fought and served in our military. Look, there is nothing and nobody who can come out of such a comparison faring well. The military and the incredibly brave folks who serve in it are to be revered and honored and when those folks succumb to the ravages of war and strife and are called on to make the ultimate sacrifice? There is nothing at all that tops that. My fingers tremble even typing it. So, I throw out that notion not just from talking about coverage of a dead rock star, but also when talking about sports, music, politics, religion....pretty much all of it? Here's my point to all those folks who are bemoaning the amount of time and coverage being paid to Prince...It's gonna be ok. All death sucks. Can we all agree on that? Those hundreds of thousands who die every day have sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and family, and for those who knew that person? Yes, it sucks and many times it's tragic and unexpected and even when its just good old age and a life well lived comes to its final breath, we mourn and remember. We feel bad for those left behind. So, why in the hell does an entire city stop in its tracks and prop up the life of one of its own who was taken unexpectedly? Why does the president of our United States feel the need to post a pretty coolly written eulogy to this same artist? Why does the entire globe seemingly feel the need to pay its respects to the purple one? Isn't all this just too too much? No. And i'm gonna tell you why.
These artists aren't just numbers. They aren't just like those hundreds of thousands. There is simply no debating that. And I don't write it to be cruel or elitest, I'm just being real. You can argue about just how high of a pedestal we put them on whether alive or dead, but in the end, I feel confident I'd win that argument. These artists are so much more. Music is all powerful. It transports our souls to other worlds. It's the tie that binds us all together. From here on, I"m not even referring to Prince. We all have our own "Prince". We all have our own music, our own artist that we go to for safety. We all have in our "memory lanes" those artists and that music which invokes the sweetest of memories, the fondest of emotions. Music is there from the beginning. The good and the bad, and yes, even the ugly. But, for today's lesson, I'm mainly referring to the fact that these artists become our best friends, our secret keepers, our soul mates. And losing that? Wow. I'd guess that nearly 99.9999% of the folks "affected" by Prince's death never met the man. At least in person. I'll bet a good many of them saw him in concert. I'll bet many of them fell in love with the music. And I'll bet that once they fell in love with the music, that the music began to craft the soundtrack of their lives. The fights, the break-ups, the loves sought, the loves lost. First kisses, that first time venturing into the back seat. Those youthful and care-free parties where Prince and his masterful lyrics were blaring in the background. Those first drives, with the windows down and the car stereo cranked to max volume as "Let's go Crazy" laid down a dance track to those in and outside the car. Did I mention first kisses? Pardon the french, but that first fuck, and all the sexuality and sensuality that Prince exuded. So....when the guy that was there for ALL that passes away? Pardon me, actually...pardon them...for making it a big deal.
Me? I'm just pissed that I waited so long to fully jump on board. I'll close with this personal snippet. I moved to Minneapolis in January of 2003. It must have been in February of that year that I ventured downtown with one of my best friends and we went to a local band battle thing that was in a teensie tiny hole in the wall called "Seventh Street Entry". Think dark and dank bar with room for a hundred or so to cram next to each other and listen rather intimately to some local music? Anyway, I was then very ignorant of the music scene here in Minny. The hole in the wall bar is located in, and is actually part of another bar. One with a bit more mystique to it....First Avenue. He took me around to the other side and I touched many of the stars painted on the wall, including Prince's, and he took me inside and while I may not have been a Prince fanatic, I wasn't and am not an idiot. I love music history and knew I was standing in sacred and holy ground. I got chills then and have them now even remembering it. I get it. I absolutely get it. We all have our own Prince. Oh yeah....there is currently legislature here in MN regarding an official state color. It seems we have 19 official "things", but a color has never been one. Did I say this wasn't about Prince so much? I need to go find a copy of Purple Rain. See ya.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Did Anybody LiveTweet from Popmart?
Seeing as how its now March of 2016, I figured it's time to put a bow on this self titled "top 5 musical moments of 2015" escapade? How will I ever win one of Aunt Jen's monthly blogging awards otherwise? Technology is awesome. I think we all can agree? I know, I know...it can be scary too. Remember all of our parents and especially our grandparents bemoaning each and every "new thing" as it became the toy of the moment when we were wee tots? CD players? Cable TV? Computers? All of the devil. Right? Well, welcome to the new world and technology is literally advancing faster than I'm currently typing. I think the I-Phone 11 is out now? Bono once besought crowds during the Vertigo tour to "Take out your cell phones...dangerous little devices these cell phones...you can pay your bills, you can..." I wonder if Bono knew what was to come?
May 28th of 2015. I'm sure some, if not most of you already know where I'm going with this. The long awaited "Innocence and Experience" tour was getting its sea legs, so to speak. There had been 8 shows so far. U2 had started in Canada, then headed south. San Jose, Phoenix and then to the city of angels. With each performance, we in U2 nation were growing more and more infatuated with what was building. I'm certain that on no tour EVER in the bands history, had there been so much scrutiny of set lists, hashing and rehashing of how the band sounded, whether The Edge would fall off of the next stage, and most importantly...dreaming of what's next. We were way beyond dreaming out loud. We were dreaming on twitter, on facebook, on instagram, on mixlr, we were dreaming through each other in ways never ever fathomed. Back in the old days....you know, way back yonder when we were yelling in unison with Bono "Uno, Dos, Tres....", we watched the band, loved it and then were beyond jealous when searching out and reading other accounts from around the world as U2 blessed others with their music. Now, I realize I'm not referring to the stone ages. But, it was different. So, so different. U2 lived through bootlegs. Ah, the bootlegs. I myself have a collection that I hold near and dear to my heart. The shows that I've been to, the emotional shows in NY after 9/11, the Lovetown stuff from Dublin, and yes...the show of shows, from Sarajevo. I've done it, as I know each and every fanatic in our family has. We relive those shows. That's just the way it worked? Times have changed my friends. And, oh, how much for the better. Let me get back to May 28th. The happenings of this particular day arent my moment #3, but rather the perfect example of my moment. My moment is actually those first 8 shows. But, again, back to the 28th day of May, one of the most magical days in my U2 history.
I can sum it up with two words. The and Roxy. The Roxy. Word began leaking out that U2 was going to play a show there. I don't know if I could have handled actually being granted the gift of a lifetime and being inside those legendary walls. Now, don't get me wrong, I would have somehow summoned the ability? But, LA is LA and I'm in Minneapolis. May 15th is and was the night that the technology went all "ground control to major Tom". For the first 8 shows of the actual tour, we all were learning all the ins and the outs of these wonderful new "toys" at our disposal. And then The Roxy happened. U2 in a small club. Akin to those REAL olden days. There's not many among us that can carve that notch in the bedpost. Seeing U2 at a venue of any kind other than an arena, a stadium, a festival, or some other means being broadcast to millions. But, certainly not the Roxy. Those first 8 shows introduced us to the insane notion of actually hearing the band....as they played? Live? Are you kidding me? And....talk about next level, but also WATCHING? Rumors were confirmed. Tickets were won. I'm sure there were some large money transfers happening as die-hards in the area scrambled to get inside. Let me set the scene at my house that night. I sat in the very chair I am in now. A non-descript brown leather chair. I had the Iphone on twitter and the laptop was on as well. I had one on so I could monitor for periscope feeds, and one so I could actually listen and watch, and not miss anything? Oh, did I forget to mention "Periscope"? What a wonderful and dangerous little tool, this periscope, eh Bono? Unfortunately we couldn't use periscope on this night, it just wasn't to be. But, how many thousands, maybe many thousands of fellow U2 fans were huddled around computers, hooked up to various phones and devices, as nervous as if they were in the crowd themselves? The U2 family had a true hero in the crowd that night, and subsequently many a night on this epic tour. Our friend from Brazil, Sil. Or, as she's affectionately known, @silrigote. We had our connection. Our sister in arms. I can't compare the nervous energy emanating from this brown leather armchair to the energy when I saw the band for the first time, but damn, it felt close. This was the Roxy?! This wasn't some colossal stone bowl of a venue. None of us had any idea what was in store, and yet we were all in it together. U2 wasn't playing just for the lucky souls inside the Roxy's walls, they were playing to all of us. This was happening. The band started to take the stage, evidenced by the screams and the guitar strings being brushed. Sil uttered the same thing I would have..."Holy shit", and it was ON. U2 launched, maybe a bit softly, into "The Ocean" and we were there?! We were all there and I still can't believe it. This crazy technology which is now already old hat still has me shaking my head. The softness ended and the boys churned into 11 o'clock and all bets were off. Tears, goosebumps, smiles....Oh..my...God. Thank God for U2 and thank God for technology and yes, for our friend Sil. We weren't actually there, but we could feel the sweat, the heat of the crowd. We sang along with the band as they took us back to those early days. We swore and cried along with Sil, as we lived rather vicariously through her. And, we did it while freaking U2 was freaking playing at the freaking Roxy? This night set the tone for the rest of the tour. It quickly became a grass roots movement where friends and neighbors from around the globe checked in hours before the shows, reminiscing about last nights show, guessing set list tweaks, judging crowds, making plans for future shows. Every single night. Was it the same as actually being there? No, but it was pretty damn awesome. I was and am a lightweight. I know there are members in my worldly U2 feed that checked in nightly on this tour. That is the beauty of it. Technology has brought the concert and its spine tingling vibe right to your armchair.
What's next? I can only imagine. But, I'm dreaming. Out loud.
May 28th of 2015. I'm sure some, if not most of you already know where I'm going with this. The long awaited "Innocence and Experience" tour was getting its sea legs, so to speak. There had been 8 shows so far. U2 had started in Canada, then headed south. San Jose, Phoenix and then to the city of angels. With each performance, we in U2 nation were growing more and more infatuated with what was building. I'm certain that on no tour EVER in the bands history, had there been so much scrutiny of set lists, hashing and rehashing of how the band sounded, whether The Edge would fall off of the next stage, and most importantly...dreaming of what's next. We were way beyond dreaming out loud. We were dreaming on twitter, on facebook, on instagram, on mixlr, we were dreaming through each other in ways never ever fathomed. Back in the old days....you know, way back yonder when we were yelling in unison with Bono "Uno, Dos, Tres....", we watched the band, loved it and then were beyond jealous when searching out and reading other accounts from around the world as U2 blessed others with their music. Now, I realize I'm not referring to the stone ages. But, it was different. So, so different. U2 lived through bootlegs. Ah, the bootlegs. I myself have a collection that I hold near and dear to my heart. The shows that I've been to, the emotional shows in NY after 9/11, the Lovetown stuff from Dublin, and yes...the show of shows, from Sarajevo. I've done it, as I know each and every fanatic in our family has. We relive those shows. That's just the way it worked? Times have changed my friends. And, oh, how much for the better. Let me get back to May 28th. The happenings of this particular day arent my moment #3, but rather the perfect example of my moment. My moment is actually those first 8 shows. But, again, back to the 28th day of May, one of the most magical days in my U2 history.
I can sum it up with two words. The and Roxy. The Roxy. Word began leaking out that U2 was going to play a show there. I don't know if I could have handled actually being granted the gift of a lifetime and being inside those legendary walls. Now, don't get me wrong, I would have somehow summoned the ability? But, LA is LA and I'm in Minneapolis. May 15th is and was the night that the technology went all "ground control to major Tom". For the first 8 shows of the actual tour, we all were learning all the ins and the outs of these wonderful new "toys" at our disposal. And then The Roxy happened. U2 in a small club. Akin to those REAL olden days. There's not many among us that can carve that notch in the bedpost. Seeing U2 at a venue of any kind other than an arena, a stadium, a festival, or some other means being broadcast to millions. But, certainly not the Roxy. Those first 8 shows introduced us to the insane notion of actually hearing the band....as they played? Live? Are you kidding me? And....talk about next level, but also WATCHING? Rumors were confirmed. Tickets were won. I'm sure there were some large money transfers happening as die-hards in the area scrambled to get inside. Let me set the scene at my house that night. I sat in the very chair I am in now. A non-descript brown leather chair. I had the Iphone on twitter and the laptop was on as well. I had one on so I could monitor for periscope feeds, and one so I could actually listen and watch, and not miss anything? Oh, did I forget to mention "Periscope"? What a wonderful and dangerous little tool, this periscope, eh Bono? Unfortunately we couldn't use periscope on this night, it just wasn't to be. But, how many thousands, maybe many thousands of fellow U2 fans were huddled around computers, hooked up to various phones and devices, as nervous as if they were in the crowd themselves? The U2 family had a true hero in the crowd that night, and subsequently many a night on this epic tour. Our friend from Brazil, Sil. Or, as she's affectionately known, @silrigote. We had our connection. Our sister in arms. I can't compare the nervous energy emanating from this brown leather armchair to the energy when I saw the band for the first time, but damn, it felt close. This was the Roxy?! This wasn't some colossal stone bowl of a venue. None of us had any idea what was in store, and yet we were all in it together. U2 wasn't playing just for the lucky souls inside the Roxy's walls, they were playing to all of us. This was happening. The band started to take the stage, evidenced by the screams and the guitar strings being brushed. Sil uttered the same thing I would have..."Holy shit", and it was ON. U2 launched, maybe a bit softly, into "The Ocean" and we were there?! We were all there and I still can't believe it. This crazy technology which is now already old hat still has me shaking my head. The softness ended and the boys churned into 11 o'clock and all bets were off. Tears, goosebumps, smiles....Oh..my...God. Thank God for U2 and thank God for technology and yes, for our friend Sil. We weren't actually there, but we could feel the sweat, the heat of the crowd. We sang along with the band as they took us back to those early days. We swore and cried along with Sil, as we lived rather vicariously through her. And, we did it while freaking U2 was freaking playing at the freaking Roxy? This night set the tone for the rest of the tour. It quickly became a grass roots movement where friends and neighbors from around the globe checked in hours before the shows, reminiscing about last nights show, guessing set list tweaks, judging crowds, making plans for future shows. Every single night. Was it the same as actually being there? No, but it was pretty damn awesome. I was and am a lightweight. I know there are members in my worldly U2 feed that checked in nightly on this tour. That is the beauty of it. Technology has brought the concert and its spine tingling vibe right to your armchair.
What's next? I can only imagine. But, I'm dreaming. Out loud.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Musical moment #4. 2015
A week into January. Need to kick it into high gear less I find myself doing my top 5 list for 2015....in 2016? But I digress. I sort of feel guilty about where I have this "moment" slotted. I feel guilty having to answer to my fellow base of fans. Just like there's "no crying in baseball", I suppose there can be no such thing as "guilt in writing"?! In ANY other year, this moment, this band would find itself entrenched solidly at the top. It was just a bad year to try and crack my top 3. I've also lumped a few seperate moments into one great big, defining one. I will simply call it "The Year of Foo".
The year of Foo actually began in November of 2014. Sonic Highways was released. And their corresponding tour was announced and I found myself waiting in the longest serpentine line inside of the Excel center in St. Paul that can be imagined. General admission tix secured, I commenced with my normal holiday warfare inside the mall, then in January sunk into the epic and grandiose album that Dave and the gang dropped on us back in November. I mentioned "moments" that make up the whole. Let me give you a quick rundown of the crazy year as it pertained to the Foo Fighters. Release album. At same time, release acclaimed series/documentary bearing the same name on HBO. Do a series of "flash"concerts in support. Grass roots shows in tiny venues such as "The Cubby Bear" in Chicago. Foo fighters in venues such as these is almost criminal. An assault on the senses. Make no mistake, this is an arena and stadium Rock band. So putting them in small venues is to open your senses for an all out assault. I had the privilege and fortune of seeing them in such a venue before they got huge, and wow. Anyway, tangents aside, the band embarked on an aggressive and well received tour of Australia and Europe. During which, Dave breaks a leg. Literally, and figuratively. I have to mention that Dave finished the damn show?! The rest of the euro dates were unavoidably postponed. We in the states wondered if it meant the cancellation of the US dates as well. I've wondered often how many bands would've continued. In all honesty. How many? It's futile to try and guess, but I don't think there are many. Frontman breaks his leg is a pretty legit excuse for taking a vacation. Well, Foo Fighters and Dave F'ing Grohl didn't take a vacation. US dates on. The birth of the coolest, kick-ass, state of the art rock and roll throne?! The "break a leg" tour was born and by dave's own admission, the boys rocked them out. Some of the craziest and epic shows and Dave was sitting for most of it? Really? Again, how many Rock stars, egomaniacs, would allow us to peek into that vulnerability? Dave is special. He's really really special. Once in a lifetime kind of special. Back to the timeline of 2015. I'll briefly skip August and the show at the X. So, tour winds down. And just as the year is coming to an end, the Foo's decide to release and give away, an EP titled "Saint Cecelia". A very solid release that is a kaleidoscope of their career. Incredibly, the songs seemingly span the 20 years of existence. Each song invokes memories of different "moments" in time. Incredible.
August 2015. A sold out Excel center. General admission with my oldest son, Morgan. Roughy 15-20 feet from the stage. The crowd dripping with anticipation and adrenaline. It's the God damn Foo's for crying out loud. Even though I'd seen snippets of the opening on YouTube, I was still giddy as a kid on Christmas morning as the lights dimmed and that huge "Foo" tapestry began rippling and shaking. That curtain was ripped away, Dave screamed at the top of his lungs from his throne, and the coronation commenced. Remember that scene from "Alnost Famous"? One of my top 5 as it were. Where a drug induced Russell is perched on the roof of that teenage boys home in Kansas? The throng looks up to him with eagerness. With reverence. And he pauses, then utters that famous line..."I am a golden God"!! Well...I was waiting for Dave to come off his throne, scream that he is indeed THE golden fucking God, and assume his rightful place in the messiah-ship. He never uttered the line, but, a golden God all the same.
The year of Foo actually began in November of 2014. Sonic Highways was released. And their corresponding tour was announced and I found myself waiting in the longest serpentine line inside of the Excel center in St. Paul that can be imagined. General admission tix secured, I commenced with my normal holiday warfare inside the mall, then in January sunk into the epic and grandiose album that Dave and the gang dropped on us back in November. I mentioned "moments" that make up the whole. Let me give you a quick rundown of the crazy year as it pertained to the Foo Fighters. Release album. At same time, release acclaimed series/documentary bearing the same name on HBO. Do a series of "flash"concerts in support. Grass roots shows in tiny venues such as "The Cubby Bear" in Chicago. Foo fighters in venues such as these is almost criminal. An assault on the senses. Make no mistake, this is an arena and stadium Rock band. So putting them in small venues is to open your senses for an all out assault. I had the privilege and fortune of seeing them in such a venue before they got huge, and wow. Anyway, tangents aside, the band embarked on an aggressive and well received tour of Australia and Europe. During which, Dave breaks a leg. Literally, and figuratively. I have to mention that Dave finished the damn show?! The rest of the euro dates were unavoidably postponed. We in the states wondered if it meant the cancellation of the US dates as well. I've wondered often how many bands would've continued. In all honesty. How many? It's futile to try and guess, but I don't think there are many. Frontman breaks his leg is a pretty legit excuse for taking a vacation. Well, Foo Fighters and Dave F'ing Grohl didn't take a vacation. US dates on. The birth of the coolest, kick-ass, state of the art rock and roll throne?! The "break a leg" tour was born and by dave's own admission, the boys rocked them out. Some of the craziest and epic shows and Dave was sitting for most of it? Really? Again, how many Rock stars, egomaniacs, would allow us to peek into that vulnerability? Dave is special. He's really really special. Once in a lifetime kind of special. Back to the timeline of 2015. I'll briefly skip August and the show at the X. So, tour winds down. And just as the year is coming to an end, the Foo's decide to release and give away, an EP titled "Saint Cecelia". A very solid release that is a kaleidoscope of their career. Incredibly, the songs seemingly span the 20 years of existence. Each song invokes memories of different "moments" in time. Incredible.
August 2015. A sold out Excel center. General admission with my oldest son, Morgan. Roughy 15-20 feet from the stage. The crowd dripping with anticipation and adrenaline. It's the God damn Foo's for crying out loud. Even though I'd seen snippets of the opening on YouTube, I was still giddy as a kid on Christmas morning as the lights dimmed and that huge "Foo" tapestry began rippling and shaking. That curtain was ripped away, Dave screamed at the top of his lungs from his throne, and the coronation commenced. Remember that scene from "Alnost Famous"? One of my top 5 as it were. Where a drug induced Russell is perched on the roof of that teenage boys home in Kansas? The throng looks up to him with eagerness. With reverence. And he pauses, then utters that famous line..."I am a golden God"!! Well...I was waiting for Dave to come off his throne, scream that he is indeed THE golden fucking God, and assume his rightful place in the messiah-ship. He never uttered the line, but, a golden God all the same.
Friday, January 1, 2016
My "top 5" music moments, 2015. Part 1
Well, the end of another year is upon me. Upon us. This is that time where columnists, wanna-be journalists, and yes, even part time bloggers churn out those annoying "Top 5" lists. I've always been fond of them, myself, thanks mainly to John Cusack in "High Fidelity". A good buddy of mine, Jason Loreti, and I kept up to the minute lists of our top 5 bands. Truth be told, I still do. But....this is not my top 5 band blog. This is a series of blogs, sermons, if you please?! My personal top 5 music moments of 2015. A combo platter of stuff pertaining to me on a personal level, and stuff that's more...universal? My musical "years" are generally nowhere near....legendary status? I don't travel the country, or the globe, in search of the epic show, by the epic band....in the epic venue. Not that I wouldn't mind doing that stuff. I'm definitely envious of some of my u2 family who galavant across the pond and back to see the boys in the Emerald Isle. Or, even the ones who see them not just in their hometown, but the hometowns of like a dozen of our mates? Hats off to them, but I just never have had the means or the right set of circumstances to take the summer or fall off? My aforementioned friend Jason has had years that would summon the term "epic". Bonaroo, huge outdoor festivals, venturing to see obscure bands in obscure places....no, I have to downsize my parameters quite a bit. That being said, 2015 was a pretty solid year.
With no further delay, my #5 music moment or event of the year is.....The Rolling Stones. This will sound crazy, but 2015 was the year I discovered them. Uh, yeah...I just said that. I never really got into them. All the years of musical enlightenment and I just never dug the vibe. Something about Jagger's voice prohibited them from making a dent in my musical pantheon. Fast forward to 2015. The "zip code" tour. And Minneapolis was one of the lucky few stops. My son Morgan, who has even more diverse tastes/loves than I do, badly wanted to go. So, tickets were bought. Muey expensive I have to add. In prep for the show, at "The Bank", on the campus of the university of Minnesota, I dove into the Stones deep catalogue. And, a love affair was cultivated. I listened to, and fell head over heels with the bands early efforts. My father grew up in the hey day of the stones, and listening to Satisfaction, Jumpin Jack Flash, and Paint it Black did what great music does. It took me to that time when my dad was a young and impressionable kid making his way in the 60's. I watched documentaries and was awed by just how big they were. The stones were the devil to the Beatles angel? I was blown away by the magnitude and importance of their shows. Altamont speedway. Wow. Rock and roll should have some edge. Some danger. And the stones personified that bad boy image. I'm sure there were countless parents who were outraged that their daughters were holed up in their rooms blaring the Rolling Stones, all the while entertaining sexual fantasies with Mick and Keith.
When the time came for my Virginal Stones show, I was more than ready. Better late than never? Oh how fun to go back in time and jump into the peace and flower loving fray, but seeing the "nursing home" version would have to suffice. Who doesn't love the spectacle of a rock show. And wow, what a spectacle that we were privy to on a rain soaked summer night. The pyrotechnics, the lights and imagery, the diverse crowd. I saw A veritable history of the band on the backs of the crowd. Tshirts from every tour, motorcycle clubs showing up adorned with stones garb. But, what made the night was the legend that is and will always be mick Jagger. Adam Levine croons about "moving like Jagger"? Mick is mind blowing live. He was everywhere. If I'm feeding myself at 70, it'll be welcomed. Mick held 55,000+ in the palm of his hand. By the time the final song of the night, you can't always get what you ask for, was being sung with the accompanying local choir, church was in session and I was a disciple. So yeah, I discovered some band called "The Rolling Stones" in 2015. I think they have a bright future.
With no further delay, my #5 music moment or event of the year is.....The Rolling Stones. This will sound crazy, but 2015 was the year I discovered them. Uh, yeah...I just said that. I never really got into them. All the years of musical enlightenment and I just never dug the vibe. Something about Jagger's voice prohibited them from making a dent in my musical pantheon. Fast forward to 2015. The "zip code" tour. And Minneapolis was one of the lucky few stops. My son Morgan, who has even more diverse tastes/loves than I do, badly wanted to go. So, tickets were bought. Muey expensive I have to add. In prep for the show, at "The Bank", on the campus of the university of Minnesota, I dove into the Stones deep catalogue. And, a love affair was cultivated. I listened to, and fell head over heels with the bands early efforts. My father grew up in the hey day of the stones, and listening to Satisfaction, Jumpin Jack Flash, and Paint it Black did what great music does. It took me to that time when my dad was a young and impressionable kid making his way in the 60's. I watched documentaries and was awed by just how big they were. The stones were the devil to the Beatles angel? I was blown away by the magnitude and importance of their shows. Altamont speedway. Wow. Rock and roll should have some edge. Some danger. And the stones personified that bad boy image. I'm sure there were countless parents who were outraged that their daughters were holed up in their rooms blaring the Rolling Stones, all the while entertaining sexual fantasies with Mick and Keith.
When the time came for my Virginal Stones show, I was more than ready. Better late than never? Oh how fun to go back in time and jump into the peace and flower loving fray, but seeing the "nursing home" version would have to suffice. Who doesn't love the spectacle of a rock show. And wow, what a spectacle that we were privy to on a rain soaked summer night. The pyrotechnics, the lights and imagery, the diverse crowd. I saw A veritable history of the band on the backs of the crowd. Tshirts from every tour, motorcycle clubs showing up adorned with stones garb. But, what made the night was the legend that is and will always be mick Jagger. Adam Levine croons about "moving like Jagger"? Mick is mind blowing live. He was everywhere. If I'm feeding myself at 70, it'll be welcomed. Mick held 55,000+ in the palm of his hand. By the time the final song of the night, you can't always get what you ask for, was being sung with the accompanying local choir, church was in session and I was a disciple. So yeah, I discovered some band called "The Rolling Stones" in 2015. I think they have a bright future.
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