SRKBlog Inc.

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream...

2009-09-09T20:06:00.004-04:00

Whoah. See you in a few weeks after this has all sunk in.

Don't look back in anger

2009-08-28T22:25:00.003-04:00

15 years of greatness. Thanks, guys.

Things I think of while I'm thinking of typing...

2009-05-28T13:44:00.003-04:00

1. It's raining outside. One of the downsides of having a window in your office (especially one that faces west), is that you see the storms coming in. Which I'm well looking forward to, during my first summer at my new job, since thunderstorms in this town can be epic...but on a cold, rainy day like today, looking out the window is depressing.

2. Been back from the UK for about a month now. Doesn't seem like that long. Spent two fantastic weeks in the best city in the world (and Ireland), got a sunburn, saw all my friends (and Roger Daltrey!), and drank a lot of beer. About as good as it could have gone, but now my motivation for being at work isn't really that high.

3. God, I need a girlfriend.

4. Newcastle got relegated. That makes me laugh even a week later.

5. Kasabian album out in two weeks. I suppose I should get excited.

6. It stopped raining.

7. I think.

I suppose I should try harder, but I'm lazy.

More...

2009-04-15T21:56:00.003-04:00

Pete Doherty solo acoustic in London next week. Music when the lights go out, what a waster, and...oh screw it, all libertines songs, please.

Oh, and some guy named Bob Dylan at the roundhouse. Get on that. (!)

Concerts 2009

2009-03-23T11:35:00.000-04:00

So here's the list so far:

Primal Scream - Toronto March 24th
Morrissey - Galway April 29th
Doves - London May 1st
Leonard Cohen - Ottawa May 25th
The Tragically Hip - Ottawa, September 26th
The Tragically Hip - Ottawa, September 28th

Hoping to mix in a dylan show in london in april, but I'm not jinxing anything yet. Maybe some bluesfest shows, and oasis, should they come back to North America before their year-long world tour ends. Here's hoping.

I wish the Eagles had kept Brian Dawkins, too

2009-03-11T14:12:00.002-04:00

Somehow I don't think the government will fire me for this thought, however.

http://blog.mlive.com/benchwarmer/2009/03/eagles_
employee_fired_over_fac.html

Good grief. The poor schmuck was just a gameday employee and voiced his opinion on one of his favourite players leaving town. (It raises the question in my mind what the Bills would do to me if I worked for them and they signed TO. Oh wait...at least one of those two statements actually happened. You know what? 3 days later and I'm fine with it. # 5 will be able to control him. Trent iZ DA MAN!!!!!!!!1111 HE IS DA AWESOME BOMB YO!)

What? Isn't that all these idiots on facebook and twitter talk these days? I can't helps it if it rubs off ons me, dawg.

You know what? I had a point here, and damned if I can remember what it was.

Oh yeah...free speech. Someone get St. Barack on that.

Profound statement du jour

2009-03-09T15:15:00.001-04:00

I have grey hair. I'm 29. Women are killing me.

These statements may or may not be connected. I think it's the former.

Profound statement du jour

2009-02-25T15:05:00.001-05:00

Looking out the window in my office...the sun is really damn bright.

Number 1

2009-01-01T12:43:00.002-05:00

The Verve - Toronto May 1st

The Verve. Richard Ashcroft. Nick McCabe. Simon Jones. Pete Salisbury. The Verve. I'm seeing the Verve. Unbelievable. And the show actually lived up to expectations. To actually be 10 feet away from Nick McCabe while he created the soundscapes on Already there and Life's an ocean...to be right up close to Mad Richard while he sings This is Music and The rolling people...being in the crowd as we sang Lucky man, the drugs don't work and Come on at the top of our lungs...seeing them play bittersweet symphony in the encore and follow it up with a new song that was every bit as good as what came before. To see Simon clearly having a ball playing the bass in the Verve again. Truly amazing. Every bit as good as seeing them in 1997. I saw The Verve. One of the music highlights of my life, unquestionably. Highlights: A new decade, sonnet, this is music, space and time, life's an ocean, already there, weeping willow, sit and wonder, history, the rolling people, velvet morning, the drugs don't work, lucky man, come on, bittersweet symphony, love is noise. Seeing The Verve together.

Number 2

2008-12-30T10:48:00.001-05:00

I thought long and hard about which of the remaining two concerts would be #1***, and in the end, I ended up going with my heart and picking the one I never thought would happen, as opposed to the one that I enjoyed the most at the time.

***This is not even remotely true.

Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band - Giants Stadium, July 27th

So during the day, while I was figuring out how many more record stores I could find on Manhattan Island to spend money in...it started raining. Hard. Giants Stadium doesn't have a roof. Uh-oh. So anyway, my buddy meets me in a pub around 3, we have a burger and a few beers and we're off. Now, the nice thing about seeing concerts at a football stadium in the states, is that people tailgate beforehand like it was a football game. So, boatloads of people are outside drinking, BBQing and blasting the Boss on their stereo. Good times. (Though I think I heard 'loose ends' more in the 4 hours I spent outside over the two nights than I have in the rest of my life combined). Anyway, we head inside, I take loads of pictures...and then that stupid piano/calliope/harpsichord thing (I have no idea what it's called) pops up, the band comes out, and Max starts a drumbeat...and Bruce & Clarence walk out arm in arm. Bruce walks up to the mic "Hello, Jersey. Got a little story for you." 10th ave.! Awesome! I had a list of 6 songs I really wanted Bruce to sing over the two nights:

1. Atlantic City
2. Thunder road
3. spirit in the night
4. 10th ave. freezeout
5. Murder inc.
6. Lost in the flood

and he's crossed one of them off already. And what an epic version it was. The place nearly came unglued when Clarence broke out the "now kid, you better the get the PIC-tuh!" line and picked up the sax after the "and the big man joined the band" line. Awesome. He then proceeded to play an epic 'spirit in the night' a few songs later (that's 2 of 6). Then Max starts a drumbeat for 'summertime blues' and Bruce goes out into the audience collecting signs with requests on them. Way cool. But first he finishes summertime blues, duets with Patti on Brilliant disguise, and then....a slow drumbeat from Max, I immediately turn to my buddy Steve and we exchange giddy white-boy high-fives, "they...blew up the chicken man in Philly last night" ATLANTIC CITY! My favourite Bruce song ever! Paid off the trip to New York right then and there. Just perfect.

The requests portion of the evening gave us "growin up" (nice!) Janey don't you lose heart (meh) and a nice I'll work for your love. But then he follows it up with the reunion tour doubleshot of Youngstown«Murder inc. (That's 4!) Then comes the classic E Street revival lunacy that is Mary's place! "I'm gonna build me a house! (HOUSE!)" Which goes on for 15 minutes, leading to Bruce sliding on his knees all the way across the stage. Working on the highway out in the pit was nice...and then the rest of the set was same old, same old. Encore included an ace Jungleland, and Bobby Jean, of all things. But then during the (supposed) final song of American Land, which I maintain is a lost Pogues song that Bruce stole from Shane when he was drunk one night, the entire band sans Clarence went down and played in front of the pit, while Clarence stayed back and played...the tin whistle. Awesome. So they finish up, the crowd going crazy, leading to:

Bruce: You ain't got it!
(crowd cheers)
Bruce: You ain't got it! *I* still got it. You ain't got it.
(crowd is deafening)
Bruce: I still got it! You still got it? You sure? Yeah? Then let's get it on!

Bruce: A true fairy tale to open the show, a true fairy tale to close it. Steven, would you help me please?

I have to admit I didn't quite recognize the song until Bruce started singing. ROSIE! Hahahhaha, this can't get any better. 9 minute version of Rosalita and they're done. 30 songs, 3+ hours, what a night.

I've said it before, but after having seen two E Street shows in the last year in Ottawa and Montreal, I didn't really get what the fuss was about. I do now. That was an absolute classic E Street extravaganza from beginning to end. I saw Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band in New Jersey. That'll do me. Highlights: 10th ave. freezeout, Spirit in the night, Atlantic City, Growin' up, Youngstown, Murder inc., Bobby Jean, Rosalita

Number 3

2008-12-29T14:22:00.003-05:00

Paul McCartney - Quebec City, July 20th

Live in a field where the english beat the ever-loving shit out of the french 250 years ago, with 300,000 other people, that's why.

Also, because he played A day in the life, too many people, Mrs. Vanderbilt, all my loving, I saw her standing there, and loads of others, that's why.

Also because of the (quite literally) breathtaking sight of thousands of cellphones being held up during Let it be, one of the most awe-inspiring sights of my life, that's why.

Also because of the fireworks during Live and let die, that's why.

Also because it was free, that's why.

Also because there were 300,000 people struggling to see, and not a single one of them wasn't smiling, that's why.

Also because of that stupid instant translation thing that translated George Harrison's first name as "Georges", well, that's NOT why.

Also because he played Midnight special in the soundcheck, that's why.

Also because it was broadcast on PPV in Quebec, and I've got a DVD of it for posterity, that's why.

Also because he's a fucking BEATLE, that's why.

Highlights: Let it be, Mrs. Vanderbilt, something, a day in the life/give peace a chance, Get back, I saw her standing there, blackbird, Jet, All my loving...and many, many more.

Number 4

2008-12-29T10:38:00.002-05:00

And we're back...got a new ipod, got a new PC, got a boatload of albums...good times.

Anyway...

oasis, Paul Weller. Stereophonics - V Fest, Toronto Island, September 7th

This would undoubtedly have been #1 if not for the fuckwit that tackled Noel halfway through the oasis set, as it apparently squelched the possibility of PW coming out and playing on champagne supernova, but anyway...

Stereophonics - Got onto the island and over to the main stage just in time to see them walk onstage. Full disclosure: at the time, I knew about half a dozen 'phonics songs (i.e. I wouldn't believe your radio, Mr. Writer, Have a nice day and the first track off 'performance and cocktails' which I'm too lazy to look up right now), so I wasn't quite prepared for this show. As it turns out, they played 2 or 3 of the songs I knew, and the rest all pretty much sounded the same. They got a pretty nice reception from the audience. Oh, and the audience: if you were wondering where anyone who has any british blood in them and lives in toronto was on this day...here. Highlights: Mr. Writer, a thousand trees.

Paul Weller - One Paul Weller! There's only one Paul Weller! Third time seeing the Modfather, and he's promoting his new album in force...4 of the first 8 tunes were off 22 Dreams, but he interspersed them with (amongst other things), Peacock suit, the changingmaan and Shout to the top, which were all good. The second half got a bit goofy, with a long porcelain gods, and a bit at the keyboards during picking up sticks (!?!?!? Seriously?) and wishing on a star. Then they start up something that I absolutely do not recognize (I'm used to this at dylan shows, but not PW)...Weller not playing any instrument, kind of slow, dub-like..."high tide, mid-afternoon..." Whoah. *Massive* re-arrangement of Wild Wood. Tres cool. And then a nice Town called malice followed by come on/let's go, which I thought was it, since it was getting late. But then...the heavy riff kicks in, I jump about 5 feet in the air and "sup up your beer and collect your fags, there's a row going on, down near Slough. Get out your mats and pray to the west, I'll get out mine and pray for myself." Yup. "HALLO HOORAY, WHAT A NICE DAY FOR THE ETON RIFLES! ETON RIFLES!" Song of the year for me, right there. Still get chills listening to it. Highlights: The Changingman, Wild Wood, The Eton Rifles

oasis: So we're up close at the beginning, and I'd decided that since I'd only seen them 3 days earlier, I'd get the "up close experience" for half the show, since I wanted to see what Noel played on "to be where there's life" and wanted to see Liam sing "Slide away" and then move to the back at the halfway point, so we could get in line to catch a ferry and be home before the year was out. So, the first half was absolutely rockin' and it was certainly headed towards going down as one of the best oasis shows I've seen (this was 6, 7 if you count the Noel & Gem show). So it gets to Morning Glory, and I figure that since they've played it at every single oasis show I've been to, now would be the time to head to the back. So we do, except halfway through, with our backs to the stage, we hear "Welll....what's the story Mor---THUNK!" I turn around just in time to see Andy putting his bass down and walking offstage with a shrug to the audience like "what the hell?" No one where we were had the faintest idea what had happened. "Liam got tackled! Noel fell over! Liam attacked Noel!" Kind of frightening. They're offstage for a good ten minutes with no explanation, no nothing. But then, they all come back out, Liam walks over and says something to Noel, they chat for a minute, and then Liam walks off, and Noel starts into The importance of being idle. Weird. They finish the main set with rousing versions of Wonderwall and supersonic, but then they don't walk off and go right into the encore songs. Noel sings Don't look back in anger and falling down. I look off to the side expecting to see PW come on, as this is champagne supernova's spot in the set, but no...Liam says "this is the last one...I am the walrus". Okay, maybe they're doing a 2nd encore. But as soon as the last words are out of Liam's mouth, and where Noel usually does an extended solo/freakout thing on the guitar, he sets it on a feedback loop and walks right off. So I expect the 2nd encore, which never comes. Everyone walks out at 10:30 feeling gipped, and only later do we find out that Noel suffered broken ribs in the attack, and the fact that he even came back onstage was pretty damned amazing. That said, the fucker that attacked him should get the shit kicked out of him every day for the foreseeable future. Highlights: To be where there's life, The masterplan, slide away, supersonic, all of the songs Noel sang after the attack.

Number 5

2008-12-23T13:10:00.003-05:00

Bob Dylan - Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, November 16th

The old man returns to the top 5 for the first time since...2005? Holy cow, that *is* a while. Especially since I've seen multiple dylan shows every year since. (Which should tell me something. Not sure what, though.) Anyway, caught the show in Kingston the night before, and it was a decent enough show, though the setlist was brutal. (If I never see make you feel my love again, it'll *still* be too soon.) Anyway, there's no one at the 'Bank (I think 3500 people, maybe), but when Bob comes out and starts into leopard-skin pillbox hat...they don't sit down. And they never did. In Ottawa. Unbelievable...it actually felt like a rock concert. So Bob throws out some reasonable efforts at some oldies while centre-stage on guitar, and goes back behind the keyboard for a brilliant Visions of Johanna. Really nice, but then a few songs later, he walks out front with no guitar, just a harmonica and starts singing...something off time out of mind (I was prepared for trying to get to heaven, since he seems to sing it a lot on sundays), but about half a verse in, the lightbulb goes off in my head..."not dark yet"! And he's *singing* it! (The only other time I'd seen Bob sing 'not dark yet' was in New York in 2005...and it was awful.) Anyway, as it went on, you could actually feel the crowd get pulled in, and Bob started to sense that he was nailing it in a way that I haven't seen him nail a song in years...if ever, and he started getting more into it, and it became something like where the crowd (and, it must be said, the band) lifted him up to produce probably the best performance I've ever seen him give. It's funny, that over the years, people have asked me why I keep going back to see Dylan when the shows are so hit-or-miss, and quite frankly, I've wondered that myself a lot (especially after the bluesfest 2007 show), and after paying literally thousands of dollars over the years to see "Bob Dylan andf his Band"...if 22 year old me was standing beside me after that performance asking "if I had to do it all over again, would I?", I would say unequivocably yes. Because only after you have been in the deepest valleys, can you know what it is like to be on the highest peaks.

(Yes, I quoted Richard Nixon quoting Teddy Roosevelt in a review of a Bob Dylan concert. Sue me.)

And then he played tweedle dee & tweedle dum. (sounds of banging head against a brick wall.) Actually, it wasn't that bad for once, and he followed it up with great versions of I believe in you, It's alright ma and Blind Willie McTell. Only downer was he played nettie moore (AGAIN!) and so I *still* haven't seen Ain't talkin'. See you in 2009, Bob. Maybe. SUPER highlights: Not dark yet. REGULAR Highlights: Visions of Johanna, I believe in you, It's alright Ma (I'm only bleeding), Blind Willie McTell

Movin' on...

2008-12-18T15:02:00.002-05:00

three runners-up...

Allen Toussaint - Bluesfest July 5th. Got drunk, had a great time watching an old new orleans musician play a fun show on a sidestage. Good times. Highlights: Fortune teller.

The next two, it pains me to leave them out of the top five, but it was just that good of a year.

Neil Young, The Wilcos and Everest - Ottawa, Decemeber 2nd

Wilco bores me, but they played something off the woody guthrie album, so that's something. Now Neil...Neil took first place last year for the Massey Hall show, which was one of the more incredible shows I've ever seen, and this year was great too, but it was in a hockey arena, which Massey Hall isn't. Anyway, great setlist: a bunch of "hits" I'd never seen him do before, and a few new ones, topped off by a beatles cover. Yeah. That'll do me. Highlights: Hey hey, my my, cortez the killer, cowgirl in the sand, rockin in the free world, a day in the life

Ray Davies & Shelby Lynne- Bluesfest July 11th

I've only recently started getting into the kinks, so when I saw Ray was coming to bluesfest and doing an acoustic show, I didn't know what to expect. So Shelby Lynne is on before him, and she's easy on the eyes and...what's this? JJ Jackson (ex of "and his band") is her guitarist! Ha! I spent a fair amount of time heckling him during the show, which was all in good fun. Then I get front and centre for Ray, who comes out with another guitarist and proceeds to knock out a bunch of Kinks Klassix. Nice. Then he sings "dead end street", which had me floating for a week. Then some new songs (shrugs), and back to the Kinks. But then...he brings on Shelby Lynne's band (including JJ!) for the last two songs...rockin' versions of "you really got me" and "all day and all of the night." Yes! Ray: "for one night, we were the kinks." Awesome. No waterloo sunset though, which was the only downer. Highlights: dead-end street, you really got me, all day and all of the night, sunny afternoon, set me free

Which leaves the top 5. There will be Beatles content.

Hey, another list! (Oh boy oh boy oh boy...)

2008-12-16T15:20:00.004-05:00

Well, there's two weeks left in the year and I don't expect to go to any more shows this year (checks dylan and oasis tour schedules...well, oasis at MSG tomorrow would be pretty sweet, but...) so I guess that means it's time to do the top 5 shows o'the year, innit?

First, a few contenders that didn't quite make it.

oasis/Ryan Adams & the Carindals/some other guy - Ottawa, September 4th

What? oasis in "not top 5 shocker"? Well, kind of but not quite. The show was great, but it was still ottawa, and they ran out of beer after Ryan Adams' set (draw your own conclusions) and Ryan Adams wasn't that great, and....it was still great, but...I dunno. Highlights: I am the walrus, to be where there's life, wonderwall, supersonic, slide away etc. etc.

Brian Wilson - Bluesfest July 9th

We were giddy as schoolgirls naming off all the songs we wanted him to sing, and then we got right up close to the stage...and then he sang pretty much everything you'd want Brian Wilson to sing. Great show. Highlights: the power failure during I get around, Help me rhonda, Sloop John B and Barbara Ann

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Montreal March 2nd

On the list if only for Jungleland, which was 10 of the most thrilled minutes I've ever spent at a concert. More enjoyable than the Ottawa 2007 show, and less enjoyable than what was to follow. Highlights: Jungleland, because the night, the river

The Subways - New York City, July 26th

I was supposed to get into the NYC at around 6:30 and head over to my friend's place and crash, but on a whim I decided to check the listings to see who was in town that night, and lo and behold the subways were playing the blender theatre. Score! Head straight downtown (uptown? I can never get that straight), walk in right as they're finishing their first song, which leads right into "oh yeah!", which happens to be my favourite subways song. Nice one. Great show, great venue, great luck. Highlights: Oh yeah! Alright, Rock'n roll queen

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Giants Stadium New Jersey July 29th

2nd night on the trot, wasn't as good as the first night. Too many songs I don't love in the main set (drive all night? ewwww....) but the encore...oh man, the encore. FINALLY Bruce sings Thunder road for me, and follows it up with a rousing Detroit Medley, Born to run, Glory Days and a wacky version of Twist & shout for the 2nd encore. Great show. Highlights: Held up without a gun, it's hard to be a saint in the city, thunder road, detroit medley

The Tragically Hip - Kingston Ontario February 23rd

Saw them do their warm-up show (earlier in the week in a theatre in Brockville, of all places) for the big homecoming/arena opening gig in Kingston, and I wasn't overly impressed. Too greatest hitsy, and too many songs I'd seen them do before. But then, K-town. Our seats were behind the stage, for starters, which made for some wacky visuals (hey, look at akroyd's bald spot! hey, look how many extra mic stands Gord has!) but once they were on stage, it was great. Plus, Akroyd on harmonica for locked in the trunk of a car, and my first time seeing pigeon camera and 50 mission cap. Yay! Highlights: 38 years old, pigeon camera, locked in the trunk of a car

Radiohead - Montreal August 6th

I wish I could remember more of this, but maaaaaaaaan was I ever drunk. I do remember the fireworks off to the side being pretty cool and being thrilled they played my two favourite radiohead songs. Which I suppose makes more sense than them playing my two favourite rolling stones songs. Highlights: You and whose army, karma police, like spinning plates, lucky

Later: the 2 runners up and then the top 5 shows of the year. Yippee!

People still read this? Awesome.

2008-11-24T12:32:00.002-05:00

Dylan in Kingston - good performance, brutal setlist. If I never see 'make you feel my love' or nettie moore again, it'll still be too son.

Dylan in Ottawa - amazing. Utterly, utterly amazing. To paraphrase Jack White, I could spend an hour talking about how good it was, or I could just say it was splendid. I'll do the latter.

More random thoughts:

1) Saw the grey cup last night. I don't remember any of it, nor do I care to. CFL fever: catch it!
2) YOUR Buffalo Bills are 6-5. I have no confidence in them anymore. So, same as ever then?
3) There's only ooooooooooone Ricky Hatton! Oooooooooooooooooone Ricky Hatton! Walkin along, singing a song, walkin in a Hatton wonderland.
4) New Macca (Fireman) album out tomorrow, getting rave reviews. We'll see.
5) Chinese Democracy in "not terrible" shock. There's some choons on it, there's some filler. So it's a GnR album, then?
6) Condo fees are a bloody pain.
7) No good soup locales near the King's new work locale for the bowlog to review. Had some broccoli soup from the cafeteria last week. 3 "mehs" out of 5.
8) Is John McCain President yet?

Neil Young in a week! Oh, and The Wilcos. Less excited about that, but hey...Neil Young!

Dig oot yer soul-aaaaaaaaaaah.

2008-11-11T22:47:00.003-05:00

So I've had the new oasis album for a month. Probably time to do a drunken review while it's playing on my iPod while I listen to it on headphones, yes?

Bag it up - The first few times I heard it, I thought "this is the best song oasis have done since go let it out...aside from the importance of being idle, of course." Great, great song. Great guitar, naff lyrics, great Liam vocal....classic oasis. 9.5/10

The Turning - I didn't really get the love the first 5 times I heard it. Now: it's the best song on the album. Unquestionably. 10/10

Waiting for the rapture - The first time I heard it, I described this as the white stripes play the white album with Noel singing. Is it any wonder I love it? 8.5/10

The shock of the lightning - Love is a litany/a magical mystery. The most "oasis" song on the album, and the lead single. I've listened to it so many times at this point, I don't know what to make of it. It's better than Lyla, though. 7/10

I'm outta time - Imagine god is a concept where he's a jealous guy singing about Mother and...yeah, early 70s Lennon. For a Liam song, it's a fuckin' choon, man. 7.5/10

(get off your) high horse lady - Noel rules. I don't know where this came from, but I love it. 8/10

Falling down - At least 20 listens, between the itunes single, the chemical bros. remix, the album track and live versions...it's....pretty good, I guess. I like it, but I don't love it. 7.5/10

To be where there's life - The live version's better. Gem's (second) best song yet. 7/10

Ain't got nothing - it's short and rockin'. That's about it. 4/10

The nature of reality - The tune's good, the lyrics aren't. Disappointing. C'mon, Andy. You can do better. 4/10

Soldier on - It's a bog-standard Liam epic. Nothing special, but it's alright. 6/10

Overall, their best album since Be here now. Noel needs to write the whole of the next album, as The Chief has his mojo back. Madferit

Mike rating: 9.5/10 Album of the year.

itunes randomness

2008-06-04T14:05:00.015-04:00

I finally remembered to put the SACD-ish version of Dark side of the moon on itunes the other day, and what did it say it was importing? Why AC/DC's "for those about to rock" of course!

Seriously, WTF?

Also, at what point did Wolf Blitzer become The Count from Sesame Street?

"Barack Obama is 4, yes, 4 delegates from becoming the democratic nominee. 4! A-ha-ha-ha!"

It's going to be a busy summer

2008-04-22T15:04:00.006-04:00

Just when I thought I was out of the concert business, they pull me back in. (Actually, that's a lie. I never thought I was out. My bank account did, though.)

Saw the Hip a couple of times in February, once in a small theatre in Brockville (of all places), which wasn't great, but the show two nights later in Kingston at the opening of the K-Rock Centre (the crock pot?) was ace. Nothing like going home to see the local band blow the roof off the new arena. Plus, Elwood Akroyd was there, so there was that.

A couple of weeks later, caught Brooooooooooooooooooooooce at the Bell Centre in Montreal, which was far, far better than the show I saw in Ottawa late last year. Jungleland, Night, Because the night, The river...all highlights. Just a fun show from beginning to end.

Then I was supposed to go see The Hives in Montreal, but the weather put the kibosh on that (stupid snow.)

Then, for a long time, nothing happened.

Until...The Verve. The Verve are playing Toronto in a week or so and I'll be there. What a weird feeling to be making that particular statement in 2008. The Verve are back. And I'm excited.

Then we have the big Bluesfest announcement tomorrow, which will likely have some or all of the following: Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Aretha...and Don McLean. Amongst others, all playing two blocks from my house. Yay, I suppose.

Then Radiohead in Montreal in August, to cross then off the list. They'd better play Just and Karma Police, damnit.

Then (finally!) oasis come to my town. But they're bringing Ryan Adams with them. Boo!

Then V Fest in Toronto on the Sunday, headlined by oasis and Paul Weller. The two of them on the same bill? In Canada? Am I dead? Wow.

Oh, and maybe Springsteen in Jersey and a few baseball games in New York. Should be fun.

Anyone have any money for me? I'm broke.

Up the Republic

2008-03-17T09:38:00.002-04:00

Random ramblings and thoughts on...oh, I don't know...stuff, I guess

2008-01-29T15:33:00.008-05:00

Now blogger saves your drafts automatically! -? x

Jebus, I haven't done this in a while if I think that's impressive.

Rumours starting to float around about the new oasis album. It's about damn time. I want to hear/read the ridiculous tracklists that the fanboys come up with, until I hear/read the ridiculous tracklist Noel comes up with. "Guess God thinks I'm Abel"? Mucky Fingers? Come on.

Going to see the hip in kingston, springsteen in montreal and the hives in montreal in the space of a week next month. Good start to 08.

Ringo's new album. Unsurprisingly crap.

Please don't let Obama turn out like JFK. Y'know, dead in Texas? That would kind of suck.

Ray Emery is an idiot. Andrew Raycroft sucks. Pick your poison.

Lou Dobbs is a no-talent assclown.

When I was 27, it was a very good year (pt 2)

2007-12-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

Carrying on to the 2nd half of the year (2nd half breakpoint chosen arbitrarily by me as the end of the first weekend of bluesfest)

Buddy Guy - Ottawa July 9th

I had just returned from playing flag football and some friends of mine were going over to see...Final Fantasy (I think) on one of the side stages. I didn't really want to do that and was a tad annoyed I didn't get to see Buddy Guy, who I thought was on at 8, so I decided to call it a night. Just on a whim, I checked the schedule and realized he was actually on at 9. Jumped in the shower, grabbed my ticket and I was off. Got to the Flats just as Jonny Lang was finishing his set on the B-stage. So given that I walked out on his show before the encore in 2001, I believe that means I've now seen one complete Jonny Lang show. Got to the C-stage just as Buddy was coming on. (Yeah, I know. It's called "Bluesfest" and Buddy Guy was playing the C-stage. Go figure.) Anyhoo, great show as always. Mike rating: 7/10

Many many people - Ottawa, July 10th

George Clinton and the PFunk allstars, Randy Newman, Alejandro Escovedo and Los Lobos were all on the schedule on the Tuesday, which meant significant running around and no stopping for long enough to enjoy much of anything. I was a bit disappointed in what I saw of all of them, though. Biggest disappointment of the festival, aside from Dylan. Mike rating: 4/10

Steve Miller Band - Ottawa, July 11th

Damn, that was good. Played most of his hits, brought on Gordie Johnson, ex of Big Sugar, now of some other band who were in the support slot, and closed with one of my all-time favourite songs: Jet Airliner. "I didn't think he was going to play Jet Airliner, but boom, there it was, 2nd encore." Mike rating: 8/10

Blue Rodeo - Ottawa, July 12th

insert "same blue rodeo review I give every year for the last decade" here. Except they played "rain down on me"...which is nice. Mike rating: 6/10

Metric - Ottawa, July 13th

For the 2nd year in a row, I'm seeing Metric at Bluesfest, and for the 2nd year in a row, I couldn't name a Metric song if you held a gun to my head. It was...alright, I guess. Mike rating: 5.5/10

Sam Roberts etc. - Ottawa, July 15th

Last night of Bluesfest (finally) and I walk over in the afternoon to catch Steve Forbert solo in the theatre in the war museum. Not bad, I guess. Walk back over around 6, catch a band called The Deadstring Brothers, who were a surprise highlight. Kind of Black Crowes-ish (which is weird, because I don't really like the black crowes). Anyway, meet a buddy and watch a few minutes of the steve forbert band, which got a big "meh" and so we headed over to the B-stage to catch sam roberts, who, and I was as stunned realizing this as you are reading it, I was seeing for the first time. Pretty solid show. We wander back over to the d-stage to catch Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, who were ace. Great way to end it, even though we had to put up with hearing the disco idiots on the main stage as we left. Mike rating: 7/10

Mike overall rating for bluesfest: 9/10

Then for a long time, nothing happened.

Virgin Festival, Toronto September 8th 2007

I wanted to see Arctic Monkeys this year, and missed them in Montreal in May, so this was my chance. At various times, both the hives and the coral were on the bands list for day 2, but both backed out, so in the end I was only there for one day. Met my friends at a sidestage for a band I have no recollection of, went over to the dance tent to catch Princess Superstar's DJ set...and that's all it was: a DJ set. Boring. I'm off to see the Monkeys. Solid set, nothing inspiring, but nice to see them play Old Yellow Bricks, which was a contender for my favourite song of the year. Next was Interpol, who I desperately tried to get interested in beforehand, but failed miserably. Especially when I realized all their songs sound the same. Meh. Finally the day ended with Bjork, which I can safely say was the weirdest show I've ever seen. Bar none. Didn't really like it, though. Mike rating: Monkeys 7.5/10, Interpol 5/10, Bjork 4/10. Overall: 6/10

The Hives - Toronto, October 3rd

The big one. I've been waiting to see The Hives live for a long time, so when they announced their big US tour to support their new album would be....supporting Maroon 5, I almost had a stroke. I'm not paying big money to see The Hives in a hockey arena and walk out before the main act comes on. But then salvation: on their days off in between Maroon 5 shows, they were going to play full club shows in big cities for....12 bucks a ticket. Ummm...sold? And it's at the Phoenix, site of my favourite dylan show ever. Damn. We arrive early, set up shop near the stage, and wait for at least an hour. Finally, the house lights dim, the neon Hives logo lights up and Chris Dangerous walks out, starts a drum beat, Dr. Matt Destruction walks out, hits the bassline, Vigilante Caerlstrom and Nicholas Arson come out and rip into a niiiiiiice riff, and then Howlin' Pelle is greeted like a conquering hero...and away we go. New song, followed by several classics, followed by new song, followed by several classics etc. Howlin' Pelle brought his A-game, the band were awesome, just a great night. Mike rating: 10/10

Bob Dylan & Elvis Costello - Syracuse, October 8th

Much better. I didn't actually plan on going to this show, but around 2pm, I looked around my condo, realized I could either spend the day cleaning, or I could go see Boby and Nerdlinger. So I did. 3 hours later, meet some friends outside at the bar, go in just in time to see Elvis do his solo acoustic take on the angels wanna wear my red shoes. I like Elvis, but have none of his albums, so I was pleasantly surprised to recognize half of the songs he played, including Alison and Radio, Radio. Good show. And then Bob came out, opened with Leopard-skin pillbox hat, which was a song I'd always wanted to see live, played a beautiful version of Positively 4th street (my favourite dylan song), a couple of new songs I hadn't seen before, a shaky Visions of Johanna and others. He certainly seemed more into it than the last show I saw. And then he finished with a great version of Like a rolling stone. Which was a much nicer way to end things than the crap Watchtower from July. So maybe now's the right time to walk away happy. (Please don't remind of this when I see him 3 times next year and am pissed again.) Mike rating: Elvis 8/10, Bob 7/10 overall 8/10

Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band - Ottawa, October 14th

I was expecting more. It was a good show and all, and I'd probably enjoy it more *now*, since I've purchased born to run, born in the USA, and darkness on the edge of town since, so I'd actually know most of the songs...but still, it wasn't as transcendant as I'd been led to believe. Mike rating: 6.5/10

Neil Young - Toronto, November 26th 2007

Show of the year, hands down. Notwithstanding the nightmare of trying to get downtown from the airport in a (minor) snowstorm (damn Toronto). Acoustic set was remarkable in that you could hear a pin drop at times. Ambulance blues was brilliant. Electric set was pretty good, but the encore of cinnamon girl and like a hurricane was blinding. Except that I really wanted Tonight's the night. That was the only downer of the evening. Plus, I got interviewed on TV the next night. Good times. Mike rating: 10/10

Lovely year all around.

When I was 27...it was a very good year

2007-12-17T14:35:00.001-05:00

Sinatra: he sure could phrase a sentence, couldn't he?

So I saw somewhere on the order of 20 shows this year, give or take a couple I only saw bits of at Bluesfest. Seems like a lot but the bluesfest numbers artificially inflate the numbers, I suppose. Anyhoo, didn't see any of the big 5 this year, aside from Bob Dylan, who I hesitate to even count, since I've seen him every year since 2002. But I did cross a few off my "must-see" list this year, the biggest of which were The Hives and The White Stripes. Which is nice.

Some random thoughts on the shows I saw this year (pt. 1)

The Tragically Hip - Ottawa, February 2nd

They finally played locked in the trunk of a car for me last fall in Montreal, so I didn't really care what they played this night. Me, my buddy and his girlfriend had great seats at scotiabank place, 6 rows from the stage, dead centre. Which is nice. Don't have any major memories except of it being a really good show, they played a bunch off Road Apples, including Fiddler's green (what, again?), three pistols and the unequivocal highlight: they'd been doing a different cover song in the encore every night on tour, and when they kicked it off, I turned to my buddy (also a huge dylan fan) and said: "no way! This can't be..." sure enough: "ooooooooonce upon a time, you dressed so fine, threw the bums a dime, didn't you?" Yup, Like a rolling stone. Pretty cool. Mike rating: 7.5/10

Ricky Gervais - Brighton April 4th

I was struggling to find shows to go see during my two weeks in Europe when my buddy Brian emailed to say Ricky had added shows to his "Fame" tour while I was there. The Bournemouth one would've been better for my itinerary, but Brighton ended up being a far better choice. I don't remember much beyond the "Stars in their eyes" intro and the set, but the "You're fat. Not a disease." line that was repeated over and over was ace. Mike rating: 6/10

Ocean Colour Scene - London, April 5th

And then OCS announced they were doing a charity show at the Hard Rock Cafe in London. Somehow managed to luck into a ticket, because there could not have been more than 100 people in the place. I'd always wanted to see the Scene live since Moseley Shoals came out in 1996, but they rarely come over to our side of the pond. So this was quite a treat to see them in such an intimate venue. I pretty much expected one of their shorter acoustic shows, but once they came out and Stevie C ripped into the riff of 'the riverboat song', all bets were off. A full set, all of the classics, a couple of new ones, and meeting simon and steve. Good night out. Mike rating: 8/10

Bob Dylan - Amsterdam, April 8th

I wasn't going to give in and go to a dylan show, even though he was in europe at the same time as me...I had too much else I wanted to do. But then I realized that Amsterdam was only a 3 hour drive from Vimy (The true reason I went to europe in the first place was for the ceremony of the 90th anniversary of the battle at Vimy Ridge/re-dedication of the monument on april 9th), and that a bunch of my british friends were going to the amsterdam show...I gave in. Went to amsterdam without a ticket, got drunk, managed to score a ticket, got inside the venue, got drunker---scene missing---, saw an ace it's alright ma---scene missing---COME ON, BOBBY, COME ON, BOBBY!---scene missing. Exeunt. Mike rating: I have no idea. It's alright ma gets a 9, the rest probably a 6. The night itself a 12.

Van Morrison - Ottawa Bluesfest July 4th

First night of bluesfest, not a bad way to start. Van came on at 7 sharp for some reason. The only one of the first 7 or 8 songs I recognized was Moondance, got a little bored, but then he brought out the big guns. He was...alright, I guess. Cross him off the list. Plus, he played brown-eyed girl. Mike rating: 6/10

Bob Dylan - Ottawa Bluesfest July 5th

Ugh. As it turns out, alcohol does not necessarily enhance a dylan performance. Bob totally mailed it in. Unquestionably the worst of the 16 (at the time) shows of his I've seen. And what was worse was that since this was a relatively cheap show in the town I live in, all my friends who I've been babbling about dylan to for years went to this one. So now they *really* think I'm weird. Damnit. The feeling I had walking out to the dying strains of all along the watchtower was "that's it. I'm done." Depressing. Mike rating: 2/10

The White Stripes - Ottawa Bluesfest July 8th

As it turns out, alcohol *may* enhance a stripes show. Having only seen one, it's hard to say. That said, this was an amazing show. Jack was pissed about some newspaper article that questioned their blues credentials, and so played a dozen or so blues songs in a row...opening with stop breaking down. Wow. Throw in a killer encore and you have a great night out. Contender for show of the year. Though I have no recollection of them playing Hotel Yorba. Weird. Mike rating: 9/10

On baseball and a youth far in the past (or something)

2007-05-29T10:25:00.000-04:00

I posted this elsewhere a few months ago, but wanted it to have a more permanent home.

(In today's episode, our hero waxes nostalgic about the glory days of baseball...the late 80s and early 90s.)

All of us as sports fans have "our guy"...the one player who might not be our favourite player ever, but if someone else says they suck, either we're spending the next two hours defending them...or throwing punches.

In one of my daily 6000-reply email chains with a buddy to wile away the time in the federal pris----government, he mentioned the Marlins had fired Joe Girardi and how it must suck to be a Marlins fan. The Braves fan in me groaned inwardly and replied that yeah, it must really suck winning 2 world series within the first 10 years of your team's existence. To which he replied but what if those teams were broken up before they even had a chance to wash the champagne out of their jockstraps? Which was a valid point and brought back some long buried painful memories within me. And so our story begins...

As most of you are aware, I'm a Braves fan. And a Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Bills fan. Now everyone who actually knows me knows I'm quite irrational about my love for the Leafs and the Bills...but not so much about the Braves. Despite the fact that baseball is far and away my favourite sport. There's a reason for this: one of my deep, dark secrets is that Braves weren't my first favourite team in baseball. They were always the team I loved because they were dreadful. It was fun watching the Braves on TBS in the late 80s, during the Zane Smith-Ozzie Virgil-Andres Thomas era. They were good for 95 losses every year, but it was still fun to root for them...especially since they were in the opposite league from my real favourite team: the Toronto Blue Jays. I loved the Leafs and Bills, but my devotion to the Jays was something else entirely...I didn't dream of being the goalie on the Leafs or the QB for the Bills...I wanted the ball in the 9th inning of Game 7 of the world series wearing a Jays uniform. Basically, I wanted to be Tom Henke. (Who isn't "my guy", but read on...) I lived and died with that team for 162 games each year, and occasionally 4-7 games in the postseason. My first year really following baseball was 1986, when my family moved to Toronto, and this was of course the year *after* the Jays earned the "Blow Jays" moniker after choking away a 3-1 lead to the Royals in the ALCS. So I grew up watching the lineup of Ernie Whitt at catcher, Willie Upshaw (and occasionally Fred McGriff before he got good) at 1st base, Garth Iorg, Rance Mulliniks or Manny Lee at 2nd, Tony Fernandez at short, Kelly Gruber at 3rd, and the best outfield in baseball: George Bell in left, Lloyd Moseby in centre and Jesse Barfield in right. And of course the pitching staff of Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key, Jim Clancy, John Cerutti, Boomer Wells, Todd Stottlemyre, Duane Ward, Mark Eichorn and The Terminator. Great team.

I distinctly remember the collapse at the end of the 1987 season when the Jays blew a 2 game lead with 3 to play against the Tigers, and I'll hate Bill Madlock til the day I die after he took out Tony Fernandez at 2nd on a double play. (If that doesn't happen, the Jays, not the Twins win the world series that year.) I distinctly remember the last out of the regular season in 1989, when Henke struck out Larry Sheets of the Orioles to clinch the AL east and him pumping his arm and me doing the same thinking "this is our year!"...only to lose in 5 to the hated A's in the ALCS. Then another loss in the ALCS to the twins in 1991 and I started to wonder if they would ever win the big one.

While all this was going on, the Jays were slowly breaking up the team I grew up watching. The first big move was shipping two players I loved: Tony Fernandez and the Crime Dog to the Padres for Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar. Now let me make this clear: I hated this trade. I still hate this trade. I don't like either of the players the Jays got in return for two of my heroes. It bothers me to this day. But it got worse. After the 1991 season, when the Twins beat the Jays then beat my beloved 'crappy yet suddenly terrific' Braves in 7 games, the Jays went mercenary and signed Jack Morris to a contract. Jack Morris, the guy who beat the Jays in 1987, beat them again in 1991, and beat Smoltzie in game 7 later that year. I *loathed* Jack Morris, but figured if anyone could put us over the top, it'd be him. (But seeing him and Dave Stieb in the same uniform bothered me to no end)...then Dave Winfield signed. Dave Winfield? The seagull killer? The Yankee? Mr. May? Was Pat Gillick drunk for the entire offseason? So to sum up, the Jays were fast becoming a team full of players I hated. But I was okay with it because there was still that core of guys who were around the whole time...Henke, Gruber, Stieb, Key, Manny Lee, Pat Borders(sort of) and Cito.

The 1992 playoffs roll around and sure enough, it's the A's again. I was living in Europe at the time, so the games were on at 2 or 3 in the morning. The fact that Atlanta was in the playoffs again was killing me, since I wasn't getting any sleep at all for the entire playoffs. Anyway, we went on a class trip for a few days and a few of us finally found an english newspaper that announced Toronto had indeed slayed the dragon and were in the world series for the first time ever. (And I got home just in time to see Melonhead fail to throw Sid Bream out from second to send the Braves into the series as well. Oh crap.)

So Game one was a 3-1 Braves win where Jack Morris blew it, giving up a homer to Damon Berryhill of all people, costing us the game. Game 2 went well with Ed Sprague hitting a 9th inning homer off armed robber Jeff Reardon (the Braves? Closer troubles? Nahhh...) to win the game. Game 3, the Jays won. Then came Game 4 and the crux of our story.

Jimmy Key was the starting pitcher for game 4 of the world series for the Toronto Blue Jays. Being out of the country (and continent for that matter) meant that we missed a lot of the 'sports business' stories that would've been all over the press in Toronto, so I had no idea he was a free agent after the season. Jimmy Key was the first guy I ever referred to as my favourite player. The first two games my dad ever took me to at old Exhibition Stadium were started by Jimmy Key (a 6-4 win against Texas and a 2-1 complete game loss to Brett Saberhagen and the Royals.) Despite the fact he was a lefty, he was the guy I modeled myself against when I pitched. I wasn't overpowering by any means, but I tried to trick my way through. (Probably why I love Maddux and Glavine too, come to think of it.) I even remember trying to tell someone I once saw one of Key's curveballs snake around the bat of Dave Winfield. To put it succinctly: Jimmy Key was my guy. I might still say that Nolan Ryan or Michael Jack Schmidt (or any of the Braves holy trinity) was my favourite player, but Jimmy was, is and always will be, my guy.

Back to the story...I stumble out of bed at three am to watch the game and the announcers start talking about how this might be the last game Jimmy Key pitches in a Blue Jays uniform. I was stunned. Stunned, heartbroken, devastated. Whatever you want to call it. So of course, Jimmy being Jimmy, he goes out and throws a gem. One of the better games I'd ever seen him throw under the circumstances. So Cito comes out to lift him in the 7th (I think)...and I remember the tears just streaming down my face. (I was 12. Shut up.) The ovation he got at the skydome was unlike any I'd ever seen or heard in Toronto, and when he tipped his cap to the crowd, it was alternately one of the happiest, yet saddest moments of my life as a sports fan. Then The Terminator came in and shut the door, giving the Jays a 3-1 lead. Game 5 had a chance for the Jays to close out the series in Toronto, but Jack Morris (again) blew it, giving up a grand slam to Lonnie Smith (LONNIE SMITH!) and sent the series back to Atlanta. Of course, we all know how this played out, Henke finally running out of gas in the 9th, with the classic Sean McDonough-ism "Maldonado's throw is OVER EVERYTHING!" causing me to stop breathing for approximately 1.5 innings, followed by Mr. May's incredible 2-run double in the 11th and the improbable sight of Bobby Cox sending in John Smoltz as a pinch-runner and Otis Nixon trying to get a bunt single to tie the game and Mike Timlin (of all people) making the final throw to first to Joe Carter (groan) for the final out. The Blue Jays had won the world series. Seeing those guys celebrating on the field after the game...Dave Stieb screaming out of the dugout after the final out, GROO-BAH, Henke, Key, even Manny Lee...what a night. Me and my buddies reenacting the whole game the next day...it's something I'll never forget so long as I live.

Then the offseason happened.

Henke and Manny Lee left for Texas, Maldonado left for the Cubs, Winfield left for Minnesota, Stieb left for the White Sox, rent-a-pitcher David Cone left for Kansas City, Gruber left for the Angels...and worst of all, my guy Jimmy Key left for the Yankees. Seeing him put up 18 wins the next year wasn't very fun to watch. And when I got my first Key-on-the-Yanks baseball card...not good times. Then the Jays went out and replaced these legends with the hated Dave Stewart from the hated A's and Paul Molitor from the hated Brewers. And then halfway through the year, in what was my last straw...they traded for my least favourite player in baseball not named Roger Clemens...Rickey Henderson. It was official. The Jays were no longer my favourite team. Let's go Braves.

It felt like a divorce. They brought back Tony Fernandez and Mark Eichorn, but I felt nothing. I watched Joe Carter touch 'em all at the end of 93 and felt nothing. I knew had the braves not run out of gas against Philly in the NLCS, they would've destroyed Toronto. Me and my dad went and saw a game at Skydome the next year, and felt nothing. It was a clean break. Which was made much easier by the fact that Atlanta was brilliant every year. To make it even better, during this time, they went out and traded for the Crime Dog, giving me even one more reason to cheer for them. Then they won the world series in 1995 and I was thrilled, but it wasn't anywhere near the joy of 1992 (or if the leafs ever won the cup or the bills the super bowl)...it will never be the same. Maybe it's just me getting older, but even now as the Braves begin their descent into mediocrity and I prepare myself to watch two of my favourite players ever, Maddux and Glavine, prepare to face each other in the playoffs on teams not named the Braves, and the Jays continue their ascent back up to the top of the AL East...it's not the same. Jimmy Key took the last of my childhood with him to Yankee Stadium.

And that's probably why I hate the Yankees.

Thunderstorm!!!!!!

2007-05-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

After years of tilting windmills, I finally got me a window cube late last year. Unfortunately that was too late in the year to be able to watch some of Ottawa's epic thunderstorms firsthand. I *did* get to watch some of the snowstorms and the ensuing madness on the street below, but it wasn't the same. Well, today has been the start of some good times at the Mike-cube...thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening thing! Sure it was just a baby-t-storm, but it gave me something to do for the last 20 minutes...which is all you could ask for on a friday at the gov.

I noticed that blogger now saves your posts automatically, and when it does, the 'save now' option says 'saved'...guess I know what album I'll be listening to on the way home. Are you ready? (ready) Are you ready? Get ready.