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Music
Comments on music, musicians, live shows, etc. |
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August 30, 2003 |
It being the end of summer, I was having a conversation the other day about 'end of summer' songs. After a thorough review of all the summer songs we could think of, the only one we could come up with was Don Henley's The Boys of Summer. Dear readers, help me expand my catalog of end of summer songs. Don't leave Don in there all by himself.
11:00:34 AM
Music
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August 27, 2003 |
While having lunch with a friend at the Keg, I visited the washroom. On the stall door, in decidedly neat writing, was the following:
SIXPERCENT.COM
My interest piqued, I went home and checked the URL. To my disappointment, they're a band. I hope I haven't embarassed myself by not knowing about some hot, mainstream act, but this Google search suggests I'm okay.
This got me thinking about stallvertising, and whether this was kosher or just stupid. Clearly a band member (or relative or manager or marketing associate) wrote on the stall with the express purpose of advertising. A fan would probably have written 'Six Percent Rocks' or some such thing. They probably would not have included the URL. Isn't this band undercutting its own grassrootsness by marketing itself on bathroom stalls at The Keg?
1:26:14 PM
Music
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August 8, 2003 |
I got an email back from Greg Mercier, the guy who wrote the review of Dave Matthews' concert:
Darren, thanks for the comments. I'm not sure the review is as lacking in commentary on the music as you suggest. I think telling the story about a DMB concert without describing the phenomenon around the band or describing the setting would be incomplete. And the Dave Matthews cover of the Dylan song is called The Watchtower, not All Along the Watchtower. Thanks.
But I appreciate the feedback.
I'm not going to quibble with his music commentary comment--the actual musical content is obivously pretty scant. However, I think he's on crack on the whole 'Watchtower' versus 'All Along the Watchtower' business. My album suggests the latter.
UPDATE: Greg writes to indicate that the Band's (flashtastic, and it don't work too well in Mozilla) official site lists the song as 'Watchtower'. Fair enough, I'll give him that. Mind you, I don't think it's very kosher to rename a song you faithfully cover.
11:49:24 AM
Music The Arts
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I'm afraid the review isn't online, but I was displeased with the review of the Dave Matthews concert. I didn't go to the concert, and the review, I guess, is generally positive. However, the quality of the criticism is shameful. It's hardly criticism at all. I sent off this quick letter to the editor:
A note to Mr. Mercier on his Dave Matthews review: traditionally a concert review involves actually commenting on the music. Mr. Mercier expends three-quarters of his review on merchandising, the band's dress and the audience's antics. While I didn't attend the concert, I'm curious about how it actually sounded. The best he can offer her is a comment on Matthews 'obviously ailing voice' (which was obvious, as the singer admitted this himself on-stage) and 'some spaced-out base work'. He even gives the wrong title to that famous Bob Dylan song, All Along the Watchtower. Your writer seems to have abandoned music criticism, and written an article about being at the Dave Matthews concert. I can only conclude that Mr. Mercier's expertise lies in another genre of music, or another journalistic beat altogether.
If anybody finds that review in the strangeness that is the Vancouver Sun online, let me know.
As a bonus, here's a piece on why there will always be a critic who will stick his thumb up. It's pretty lightweight, but still an interesting read. It reminded me of the excellent Hollywood Bitchslap.
UPDATE: I had a couple of requests for the review, so I got off my lazy ass and slapped it on the scanner. Here it is. There's a nearly-as-naff review from the Vancouver Province here.
9:29:15 AM
Movies Music
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July 30, 2003 |
Right now I'm listening to the final moments of the first evening of Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire. This runs for four evenings over the next week and a half, and brings much of downtown Vancouver to a standstill.
Ever since 1984, I've never had much use for fireworks. I specifically remember being ten years old and watching the closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in LA. They offered something like 27 minutes of continuous fireworks. I was underwhelmed, and have been ever since.
I know I sound like a curmudgeon, but I just don't see the point of this event. It's not bringing tourists to the city. It's not particularly benefitting the local businesses (regardless, they're business that don't need much help). It's certainly not earning the city international prestige. How many times have you said 'man, I really envy that Milan and its kick-ass fireworks'? Mostly it seems like a big tax write-off for a tobacco company.
The title of this entry is from a great Aimee Mann song entitled 4th of July:
Today's the fourth of July
another June has gone by
and when they light up our town I just think
what a waste of gunpowder and sky
10:31:23 PM
Music The Arts Vancouver
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July 25, 2003 |
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My iPod is a constant companion. It comes with me every time I leave the house. Except, until recently, when I'm driving somewhere. The iTrip has changed all that.
This barrel-shaped add-on turns your iPod into a tiny FM radio station. This means that you can play music from your iPod anywhere there's a radio. Using an iPod playlist, you just tune your device to a unused radio frequency, tune your radio to the same frequency and you're radio to go.
The configuration process is a bit finicky, and the iTrip doesn't fit as snugly as I'd like into my iPod, but once you get going, there's no complaints. I've gone on a couple of long drives this week, and it's invaluable. It'd be of particularly use to traveling salesmen (do those still exist?) who drive a great deal. |
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10:30:08 AM
Music Technology
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July 22, 2003 |
I'm not ashamed to admit it, I like a good musical. Tonight I went to Assassins at the Waterfront Theatre. By Steven Sondheim, it tells the story of those who succeeded and failed in killing US presidents. A wacky subject, certainly, but fine fodder for Sondheim's often sardonic lyrics.
In terms of small-scale professional theatre, it was very well done. The voices were strong, the direction clean, the staging utilitarian. There were some hokey lighting effects and some downright stupid projections (who didn't see the Zapruder film shtick coming?) The script is a tad wordy, but generally pretty entertaining. And resonant. When Same Byck talks about hijacking a 747 to crash it into the Whitehouse and kill Nixon, it's got a creepy verisimilitude. The script is also educational, for us Canadians who aren't familiar with lesser presidential assassins, such as Leon Czolgosz or Lynette Fromme.
Johnny Booth was a handsome devil,
Got up in his rings and fancy silks.
Had him a temper but kept it level.
Everybody called him Wilkes.
Why did you do it, Johnny?
Nobody agrees.
You who had everything,
What made you bring
A nation to its knees?
10:49:56 PM
Music The Arts
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July 21, 2003 |
Ain't the Internet great? I just received an email from Peter Breiner, the guy who conducted the excellent Beatles go Baroque. I wrote about this album last month, and recently ordered it from Amazon. He was glad I liked it.
Now, in truth, this may have been some other Peter Breiner who was ego-surfing and happened upon my reference. But I prefer to believe that it was the man himself. Now I'm kind of sorry that I referred to him as kooky.
3:43:59 PM
Music
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