Did you know "Trapped In The Closet," chapters 1-12, was nominated for a Grammy in 2006?
Shit's weird, I know.
(That so did not stop us that summer when I lived on campus to watch it religiously. VH1 aired chapters 1-6 every night back for a whole week, and we totally parked it on my sofa armed with beer to wash down all those bad puns.)
Once word got out at work today that this used to be my cell phone ring, we started poking around the internet and found out there is gonna be an installment of Chapters 23-32 (yes, you read that right) released this summer. We are so having a screening party for this.
I actually just tried to find his PR agency's information to email them and find out the right date, but then was reminded that he, like, you know, totally messed that up for good. Oops.
No, this isn't some hokey April's Fool joke gone horribly, horribly wrong (or, gone horribly right...ILU Trent Reznor). I just realized I have been a horrible Internet mama and need to nurse my bloggy back to health.
Besides, there's still much to be said about Justin Timberlake, so, you know, priorities.
Anyway, I'm still doing Tripwire stuff, and going a little lighter on Mezzanine stuff, and always with popscene stuff, so I've been a busy bee. I caught Emiliana Torrini on Sunday, and she might be more funny than Bjork. Maybe. (She definitely has the facial expressions.)
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Emiliana Torrini In NYC And SF
I was talking about how when I saw Death Cab last week Becca and I noticed the shaving down of Mr. Gibbard's body, and now I was able to finally see his face. Hello cheek bones! Where are the glasses? The scruff? The...brooding? THE HAIR?
By no means was Ben fat but when you're accustomed to seeing someone one way and love them and then see them when they look like they should be eating corn dogs daily, it's a bit of a trip.
Bonus points for Chris Walla to be wearing the Mister Rogers ensemble though!
Some observations, musings, and notes from this week and more in my musical alliances:
- The Killers were at the NSSN pre-party (of which Cold War Kids dominated), just wandering around to watch the show. Dude Ronnie, what happened to your hair?! Holy receding hairline Batman...
- Saw Brandon Flowers use the bathroom upstairs in the backstage area. I didn't actually see him pee or anything, but watching a rock star go in and out of a bathroom like a regular person is definitely funny. (Plus, everyone I talked to about NSSN all agreed on one thing: homeboy somehow got hot in between '06 and '08 and it showed. Holy tight pants.)
- I got to witness our band send-off when they take stage at Mezzanine; the members line up on the stairs backing the curtains and then shuffle on stage. It was really neat to see both sides of the curtain from where I was standing backstage.
- NSSN: Ben Gibbard, what the fuck?! He lost about a good 70 pounds (picture from RS @ Coachella) and sorta looked like Nikolai from the Strokes from where we were sitting. He's just so...lean now. It was a little odd. As Becca so eloquently put it, "Manerexic!" We both didn't recognize him when he popped up on stage, but Death Cab totally ruled last night. Doing acoustic "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" was a ballsy move at a arena radio show, but it was spot on. And "Cath," of course, was fucking beautiful live. I totally get shattered every time I hear that song (which was playing in this bar Danielle and I went to on Tuesday, bonus points Pilsner Inn).
- Chris Walla also looked like Mister Rogers' son with a orange sweater vest, white collared long sleeved shirt, and tight slack combo last night.
- Hot dude from Music for Animals at the local band competion - come to Mexico with us!!
- I did my end of year lists for The Tripwire on Monday: best albums, singles, videos, headlines, and shows of 2008. We should be running them sometime next week I think. We also had to do a best of 1998 records list, so I obviously employed Wendy to help me out. We sat over sushi in Fremont and lamented how much we used to be into Destiny's Child and Goo Goo Dolls...
- Russell from Bloc Party: why do I still have a stupid crush on you!? Grr...
- Drummer from Franz Ferdinand did our NSSN afterparty at popscene and was super wasted, getting on the mic every so often to whoop to his DJ selections and yell. It was highly amusing.
- Related: Alex Kapranos, still as beautiful as ever! I brushed against him last night while at pop and was struck by his beauty. Seriously, really pretty.
- Speaking of hotness, we got the new glossy flyers for the Scissors For Lefty New Year's Day show, and husband looks gorgeous! I'm bummed Kristin and I won't be here for it, but, you know, we're kinda gonna be in the U.K...
- Tonight I am seeing Alanis Morrissette. Is it weird to be oddly excited about that?
- I realized the other day I have seen wallpaper. nine times this year, the last being for the pop/Mezz Orphan's Ball rigt before Thanksgiving...this is a problem...
Who am I kidding, I still love this video:
All my clips to come next week, now I must somehow pull my brain off the floor and function...fucking three hours of sleep...
Ne-Yo? When did this happen?
Is it weird I am about equally enthused (and ecstatic, mind you) about seeing both Celine Dion and Lil Wayne?
Oh, yeah - I got to see this hotness up close on Friday:
Holy hell.
(P.S. Sweets, I can take better pictures than this. C'mon now. How did this photographer manage to make you completely un-hot? I am convinced I can do much better. And for free. Please call me so I can remedy this.)
You know, I have loads of indie rock crushes. Loads. In general, I have crushes on a lotta dudes. And my friends. And assorted puppies. Anyway, maybe I do have a type when it comes to guys, and I think it started with this guy. Blue eyes, great smile, and amazing hair. And while it's true I think #'s 5, 12, and 27 on my crush list are creatures of near perfection, seeing Joey McIntyre in person on Friday pretty much solidified in my heart that he is the epitome of beauty. He is so impeccably gorgeous, it kinda hurts. Absolutely stunning.
I really don't think I'll get over it.
Anyway, yeah...clip below...I'll swoon some more when I can gather my thoughts on the sheer pandemonium that happened Friday. Thank you for coming back, 1989.
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Live - MSTRKRFT @ Mezzanine | SF
[Photos by J Dubbz]
Why do lots of good things have no vowels – New York band MGMT, myths, rhythm, VCRs? Canadian DJ heroes MSTRKRFT qualify for the category, but do they win my heart like that song "Electric Feel"? Here are my five favorite things from last week's show:
5. Everyone else was denied access to the stage – and we mean
everyone. From the enthusiastic dancers that were swooped off to the
blond who tried to hug Jesse Keeler while he was in the middle of – oh,
I don't know, a concert – they all got promptly shown the stairs down
from center stage. I don't think there was enough room for them and
Keeler's moustache anyway. (more....)
My good friend Abby is having a costume party next weekend, and asked all the female guests to dress up in what makes them feel like a goddess. I inititally said I was going to dress up like Janet Jackson because I fell in love with her when I saw her last month, but I can't fucking forget Bjork. She's an international goddess!
Which to choose, which to choose...
I am still basking in the glory that was this show...during "Lights" lead singer Arnel Pineda asked everyone to hold up their phones, and I remember looking out into the stretches of the lawn, and all of the lights looked like fireflies fluttering together in unison. It was so beautiful.
Thank you to my dad, Stuart, Suz, Steph, Pantea, and Kim for making this experience as gorgeous as it was.
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Live - Journey, Heart & Cheap Trick @ Shoreline Amphitheater | Mountain View, CA
Yeah, you read that headline correctly. In the biggest
collective display of geriatrics on stage since the Rolling Stones, I
had the pleasure in witnessing the greatest bands of our soft rock
generation. And I gotta say – belting out "Open Arms" while eating
Pringles with my friends in between is more or less paradise. (more...)
Where he beats up a tabletop fan and we talk about my Swedish husband-in-same-almost-nearly name Jens Lekman...
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Interview - Jose Gonzalez
Jose Gonzalez is a very unassuming kind of guy off-stage. He lets me sit in the fancy cushy chair during our interview, and he smiles politely after every question he answers.
Performing, however, his quiet energy is heightened and transferred
into his axe plucking. He sincerely looks like he's just on stage
twiddling with his fingers, when in actuality, he's strumming along the
strings of his guitar at such a speed of grace and precision it's hard
not to gape. At his Yoshi's Tuesday night early show, he pops up on
stage unannounced, picks up his main instrument, and starts playing –
no introductions, no greetings. It's not rude so much as just apart of
his methodology that is glossed with being reserved. Gonzalez's playing
power is both quiet and steady, and based on the first show of a four
gig run at the Oakland venue, I'd say his approach is successful. (more...)
