Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Copper Boom!
"Everybody bring music, but if it's Evanescence, you'll be severely mocked." I caved and watched the excellent second episode of Gilmore Girls, season four. I have to go google Pat Summerall now.
NP: (the sound of guilt)
posted by Hanson |
7:54 PM
Knee Deep
You know I'm busy when I'm at home but yet I'm still taping the new Gilmore Girls. By the end of Friday, I should have 11 hours of taped TV to watch: 5 L&O, GG, Angel (premiere!), West Wing, Survivor, and Joe Schmo.
To quote a figure skater who had a sore knee: "why me!!!"
NP: The Decemberists - Shany for Arethusa
posted by Hanson |
6:13 PM
Monday, September 29, 2003
Rave On, stellastarr*
I must admit, I really didn't have time to go to the Raveonettes/stellastarr* show last night. However, given that I had already bought the tickets, and the fact that I knew it was going to kick ass, I dragged my ass out to Richards for the late Sunday night show. My efforts were rewarded by a couple of great sets.
Opening the show was stellastarr*, whose lead singer sounded a bit like Robert Smith. The band showed their chops in their tight 10-song set, and they left the crowd wanting more. Chalk another one up for the bubbling NYC music scene! Headliners The Raveonettes wasn't a let down either. Although their set was interrupted by the fire alarm going off after three songs, the dense sound translated well on stage. If they weren't so energetic on stage, I'd make a comment here about how they like to gaze at their shoes; their sound would at least fit that description. At times, their songs might've bled together a bit, but overall, it was an entertaining set.
Oh. I remember Priscilla saying something before about how I'm going to like the bassist for the Raveonettes; well, I'm licking the bassist of stellastarr* a whole lot more. While that young Debbie Harry thing the Raveonettes bassist had going on works for her, it was the bassist from stellastarr* that really caught my eye. In fact, I spent a disproportionate amount of time watching her and her bass. Damn it if she wasn't the type that really gets me! No thrills: just plain, good old fashion regular goodness. I don't need no superstar / gimme the bassist for stellastarr*
Now, back to work. CMPT 307 assignment: I will beat you like a red-headed step-son!
NP: The Decemberists - The Chimney Sweep
posted by Hanson |
10:48 PM
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Back and Roughly the Same as Before
It's been three days since I lasted posts, and when I don't blog, you know I've been busy. So a recap:
On Thursday, I spent almost the entire day up at school working on our Brand Wars strategy. I was put on a team with two first years and an accounting major, which made the affair even more challenging. Be that as it may, we gave it our all. A fair amount of hands on coaching was needed to get the team up to speed, and given the tme frame, we did a decent job.
After my HR class and an impromptu BW strategy session, I headed to Richards for the Rooney/ The Sounds/ Palo Alto show. It took me a while to find parking since I got there late, and when I did, I had to fork out $6 bucks. Sucky suck. Val got there early, so I was saved a seat for the wait before the first band started playing. That turned out to be The Sounds, because apparently, Palo Alto had a bit of border trouble and were unable to make the show, which meant the bill was down to two bands.
The Sounds played an energetic 25 minutes. Their lead singer tried her best to get the lukewarm crowd going, but was only partially successful. On several occasions, she posed with the mic as a prosthetic penis, and when she stuck it down her pants, I just lost it. The set was short but sweet, and I suspect if might've been longer had the crowd been better. Rooney was up next, and like The Sounds, their set was too short. Playing just under an hour, they threw in a couple of new songs into their tight-but-encore-less set. Stage banter was nearly non-existent, but who needs that when you have great three-minute pop songs? It was enjoyable, but way, way too short. The free buttons and DVDs did help a little to dull the disappointment.
Friday was Brand Wars. We lost in our group by the slimmest of margins, but considering the hand we were dealt, simply being that close was an achievement. My only major disappointment was that I didn't get to present in front of the industry judges. It would've been nice to strut my stuff in front of Gord too since he's the one who picks the teams for inter-school marketing competitions. There's one at McGill in March that I really want to compete in, and I think that would've boosted by chances. Ah well.
Because we didn't get in the finals, I was able to leave early to go down to the Cactus Club for the Crystal co-op reunion. It was fun seeing and catching up with (almost) everybody again, though like the show on the previous night, I could've done with a little more.
Saturday was Super Quiz Bowl Day, as we had both the second annual BC Bowl as well as the inaugural Singles Action at Wreck Beach Open, a singles trash tournament. SFU's B team, Misogyny For Fun and Profit, came back from being last after the round robin to win the whole thing. The team I played for, SFU A aka Bowling Teenage Cavemen, finished in third despite being on top after the round robin. As for the trash singles, Carlos bested the field by beating me in the one-on-one final. Yeah, he even beat the 40-point spread some people were offering. Oh well. Second isn't so bad. We went to a Mongolian barbeque place afterwards and much meat was consumed, so it was a fine ending to a fine day.
Now, bring on my week of work-infested pure hell, you sons of bitches! This blog will bring you a blow-by-blow account of what will surely be a blood bath....
NP: (the sound of war drums)
posted by Hanson |
4:35 PM
Thursday, September 25, 2003
And the Weary Treads On
Brand Wars is sucking time away from me that I so don't have. But it'll be worth it... I hope.
Rooney is tomorrow. I hope I won't be too tired to fully enjoy it.
It's Jun over Ali 6-1, and now all the other HGs hates both of them even more than before. Is it worth it? Jun's got 500k reasons to think so.
Sorkin-less West Wing just isn't the same anymore. I don't know if it's because I *know* he didn't write it, but the episode felt flat, the dialogue forced and sub-par. CJ asking "how do I look?" after Zoey was kidnapped just hours before? Toby had to *explain* to Will why he wrote two speeches? The opening scene? I just hope the ramp and the shark aren't behind the show now.
There are three hours of TV on tape that I won't be able to watch for a while. I wonder how many hours of those I can rack up?
My posts are getting shorter and less coherent. Is that a function of my lack of free time or sleep? Perhaps both? I'm too busy and tired to think about it.
NP: Dido - Stoned
posted by Hanson |
12:46 AM
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Coolest Lyric of the Moment
"he is decked by a Japanese geisha with a garland of pearls" - Billy Liar, The Decemberists
Colin Meloy: you, sir, are a genius. You've written an album full of these, and for that, I applaud you.
NP: Decemberists - Billy Liar
posted by Hanson |
1:53 AM
Crack That Whip
I've done all my readings for the week. Yay! With Brand Wars consuming mucho time this week, I'm glad I'm finally on top of things. Yes, a dirrty remark could've been made after that, but I won't go there. Anyway, speaking of Brand Wars, it kicks off tomorrow, and it's business casual. Ugh.
The Gilmore Girls premiere was good enough. No Lane or mention of Dave's whereabouts though, which annoyed me a little. Still, I was reminded of how much I love the show when Lorelai and Rory started talking and acting all cute and stuff. Boy I missed them. Also, Joe Schmo and SVU have been taped safely, but I wonder when I'll have time to watch them.
Oh yeah. I might have to start watching Without A Trace now. Poppy Montgomery at the Emmys was a revelation. I mean, I found her attractive enough before, but damn! I must resist though cos I can't afford to take on anymore new TV this semester.
NP: Postal Service - Suddenly Everything Has Changed (Flaming Lips cover)
posted by Hanson |
1:37 AM
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Yet Another One of These
*Sigh*. Tickets for Goldfrapp on Sept 30th are 2 for 1 tomorrow, but because of the insane week heading my way (including Super Quiz Bowl Saturday), I don't think I'll be able to go. Still, I've got Rooney/The Sounds and The Raveonettes/stellastarr* coming up this week, two shows that I really don't have time for but am really looking forward to. I've already missed The Walkmen, and I'm likely going to miss Calexico, The Kills, Damien Rice, and the aforementioned Goldfrapp. *Sigh*. Doing five course, joining a bunch of new clubs, being active in the clubs I've already in, and entering marketing competitions are really not conducive to a life filled with musical indulgences. At least I still have my CDs and mp3s!
Well, all is not lost. Upcoming shows that are strong maybes include My Morning Jacket, Matt Nathanson/Howie Day, Guided by Voices, and Beulah/John Vanderslice. Also, I've already got my tickets for Grandaddy, Broken Social Scene/Stars, as well as a pair for the Death Cab doubleheader down in Seattle at the end of November. Hopefully, things on the school front will be calmer by then so I won't feel so guilt about throwing myself into the bosom of great music.
Onward Ho!
NP: Some Girls - You Don't Know
posted by Hanson |
12:59 AM
Monday, September 22, 2003
Not Wrong to Want More Than A Folk Song
I'm horrible when it comes to keeping in touch with friends that I want to keep in touch with, so imagine my elation when I learned that Gordon has arranged a get-together of a bunch of former co-ops we worked with at Crystal D. Yay! I haven't seen most of these people in over a year (I've talked to a few sporadically over ICQ), so I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder what they've all been up to!
To get to the get-together on time, I'll try to skip out on Brand Wars early on Friday, and I should be able to do it if I don't get into the top three. Hmm... this seems to be a classic case of half-empty-half-full, eh? Poopy.
BTW: I think may have a tiny musician crush on Emily Haines of Metric, even though I haven't seen a proper picture of her :-)
NP: Metric - Hustle Rose
posted by Hanson |
1:38 AM
Sunday, September 21, 2003
Before the Emmys, There's TV
The new TV season begins in earnest on Monday. My first shows will be Tuesday's Gilmore Girls and Law & Order SVU, followed by The West Wing and Law & Order on Wednesday. Thursday will be Survivor, and Sunday will be Law & Order CI and Rob Lowe's new one, The Lyon's Den. Angel, bolstered by the addition of Spike, will premiere next Wednesday. The debut and re-debut of Tru Calling and The O.C., respectively, will have to wait until after baseball is finished. Yup: it's gonna be a busy year, as usual!
Oh. And Val passed this along. Dood! Dood's a dood!
NP: (Emmy pre-game show)
posted by Hanson |
7:42 PM
Saturday, September 20, 2003
More Than Kate In Tight Pants
Go see Underworld. Trust me. It's good. And that $8.5m it made on Friday virtually guarantees the sequel the ending sets up so nicely. Go. It'll be better than you think.
Hehe... a certain vampire's going to be "haunting" my dreams tonight :-)
NP: The Decemberists - Billy Liar
posted by Hanson |
6:00 PM
I Was Meant For the Stage
Yeah, I'll keep referencing Decemberists song titles until I run through all of them ;-)
I wish they'd have a Canadian version of Big Brother so that I can apply. I couldn't be able to do Survivor, but I can do BB, I think. They need to geek up these shows, I reckon, and it'll work with someone like me. Perhaps.
NP: Sarah McLachlan - Fallen
posted by Hanson |
11:08 AM
Friday, September 19, 2003
The Soldiering Life
I did my reading on Tuesday night until 2 am instead of watching BB4, so good won out. I'm still behind, but at least I'm catching up now. Last night, I was up till 4 am working on CMPT 307. I swear, that class is going to wear me out. At least I got to peripherally watch my taped BB episodes. Yay Ali! Although Jun will win the big prize, it's amazing that she's able to get to the final two despite playing as dirrty as Xtina. Good on her for playing the game for all its worth!
Oh, the new Survivor premiere has been taped too. I hope Michelle sans glasses stays as long as Ali in BB without being as backstablicous. She is some kind of yummy, that one :-)
And speaking of yummy, the new Decemberists record is just that.
NP: Decemberists - The Bachelor and the Bride
posted by Hanson |
2:23 AM
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Losing My Religion
Ah!!! I am a chump at coding now! I've lost my skillz, and I gotz to get it back, like my baby momma!
NP: Metric - Succexy
posted by Hanson |
2:53 AM
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Choices
I have 100+ pages of reading to do for tomorrow, about 50 of which I *really* need to read (the others, meh). Should I watch Big Brother or do my reading? Hmm..... cue the appearance of two differently-costumed mini-Ho's standing on my right and left shoulders, respectively.
Who will prevail: good student or pop culture junkie? Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion!
NP: Metric - Wet Blanket
posted by Hanson |
10:38 PM
Monday, September 15, 2003
Too Bad and Other Tales
The Women's United Soccer Association, probably the biggest women's pro soccer league in history, officially closed it doors today. It's unfortunate that this groundbreaking organization won't be around next season, but, really, it isn't that surprising. I mean, in the US, even the top men's pro soccer league, the MLS, is on shaky ground. A women's league, well, that's an even tougher sell.
On to something completely different: today, I met a guy at the Student Marketer's Association meeting that shares my curse name! Yes, there's another "Hanson" at SFU -- another Hanson in marketing, no less! It was weird when people were saying stuff about "Hanson" but wasn't referring to me. Now I know how the Steves, Daves, and Mikes of the world feel!
Oh, and I think I'm obsessed with Metric. I'm giddy when I listen to their album, and that doesn't happen to me... much. Now I'm friggin' pissed that I missed them when they were here a couple weeks ago!
And for all you OC/Death Cab fans: watch tomorrow's episode. I saw it tonight, and a certain band from Bellingham, WA gets major exposure from the mouth and stereo of Mr. Seth Cohen. Hehe... it was the coolest musical TV moment ever :-)
Oh -- I might have an extra ticket for the Raveonettes show at Richards on Sept 28th. Check this blog for updates on the situation.
NP: Metric - IOU
posted by Hanson |
10:51 PM
Sunday, September 14, 2003
Shoulda Coulda
Instead of doing my CMPT 307 homework like a good little boy, I went out and saw Matchstick Men with Ricardo. When I came back, I parked my ass in front of the computer and started looking for news about the recently-down Soulseek. After finding the new website and installing the new client, I've been downloading like it's going out of bit-ness. New Dido, new Decemberists, new Leona Naess, really old Patty Griffin, and other miscellaneous stuff -- all queued up or safely gotten. Life is good.
Oh, and I promise I'll get to that 307 tonight ;-)
NP: Dido - Sand in My Shoes
posted by Hanson |
6:47 PM
Jackpot!
Huzzah! Soulseek is back! Time to find the new leaks. *evil grin*
*searches*
Huzzah! New Dido!! Wahooooooooo! Let those packets pour into my router!
NP: Dressy Bessy - Just One More
posted by Hanson |
5:30 PM
Saturday, September 13, 2003
As My Indie World Turns
I splashed out for The Family Guy Vol. II and Angel Season Two today. Well, it's on my credit card, but my brother's paying for it. He gets Family Guy, while I get Angel as a belated burfday present. That's a good way to spend co-op money!
While at A&B getting the DVDs (hey, that rhymes!), I tried to pick up some CDs as well. Then I released that all the stuff I've been waiting for that comes out today have either been delayed (Dido, The Shins) or are not available there (Quasi, Decemberists). Let me just say that they better have The Gay when I go down to Scratch next week or I'll be mega-pissed!
Speaking of music, in addition to the stuff I've already mentioned, there will be new albums in the next couple months from Patty Griffin (live), Leona Naess, and Shaye, a supergroup or sorts formed by Tara MacLean, Kim Stockwood, and Damhnait Doyle, formerly called the Saltwater Trio (but now named after Tara sister who died in a car accident not long ago). And of course, November 4th will mark the day that Sarah McLachlan's first album of original material in six years, Afterglow, will hit shelves. It only has nine tracks, so they better all be super-duper!
Oh, and have I mentioned I got tickets for both Death Cab shows at Seattle's Showbox in November (21st and 22nd, I believe)? It'll be friggin' fantastic!
The school vice has once again begun its clamping-down. The first crank is CMPT 307 assignment due next Friday, and it is filled with problems that recall MACM and Calculus. Unrolling recurrences, inductive proofs, Big-O, and Big-theta: it sounds positively delightful.
My fantasy baseball team is in the play-offs. I'm leading in my semi-final match, though the scores are still really close. The season will come down to the next couple days.
United won. Watford won. It's a good day!
NP: DMC and Sarah McLachlan - Cats in the Cradle
posted by Hanson |
12:11 PM
Friday, September 12, 2003
Monkey Business
In the tutorial for my HR class today, we had to draw a picture of an animal that represented ourselves and explain to the class why we drew it. Naturally, I drew a mutated-looking sort of stick-monkey, claiming that it represented me because I am uninhibited and enjoyed "monkeying" around. I added a branch to cover up the monkey's private parts, but with its strategically placed bushy leaves and long tree trunk, the addition looked like something obscene. Anyway, it was the coolest thing I've done in a business tutorial :-)
BTW: is it wrong to think your TA has a nice booty?
NP: Rilo Kiley - Glendora
posted by Hanson |
12:27 AM
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Maturity Revealed
At practice today, the room broke out laughing during a question about how liquids were invaginated during pinocytosis. For the record, Meghan was laughing too, so it wasn't just us guys.
NP: Rooney - Sorry Sorry
posted by Hanson |
9:47 PM
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
It's Beginning to Sound A Lot Like Christmas
Nettwerk puts out the coolest Christmas albums. Last year's had Bright Eyes, Phantom Planet, and Ben Folds, and this year, it'll have Rilo Kiley, The Flaming Lips, and Badly Drawn Boy, among other. Hehe. Coolio.
NP: Azure Ray - Displaced
posted by Hanson |
11:42 PM
She'd Be a Diamond
I know she's pure evil, but I can't help being happy that Ali's in the final 3 on BB4. Yeah, yeah, say what you will. By lying her ass off and flipping from alliance to alliance, she's just playing the game the way it's meant to be played. Don't hate the playa -- hate the game!
NP: Azure Ray - Across the Ocean
posted by Hanson |
11:22 PM
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
i++
So this is what it's like to be 23. I feel... hungry? It must be because I am.
NP: (Al Franken on The Daily Show)
posted by Hanson |
11:38 PM
Monday, September 08, 2003
Stealing Profits
I saw a piece on Headline News today rationalizing the RIAA's move to sue people who swap music on-line. The "experts" drew comparisons between file-swappers and those who pirate cable TV or satellite signals, and I was left to wonder why these people are still employed. While cable and satellite pirates don't buy little or any services from their victims, we file-swappers tend to be very good paying customers of the music industry, if not the best. We pump millions, perhaps billions, of dollars every year into the industry, and there they were comparing us to petty criminals who do little more than leech. The analogy they've put forward is both lazy and flippant, and from a business standpoint, it seems completely devoid of any marketing insight.
It's undeniable that what millions of others and I are doing constitutes stealing. I've never denied that, but with the amount of CDs and t-shirts that I buy, along with the scores of shows I go to each year, I don't feel morally in the wrong, especially when I often buy the stuff that I download. I pay for shit and support the music-makers, yo, and I probably buy more product because of downloading. Not only that, I often use downloads to evaluate whether or not I'll go check out artists who are coming to town. If I like what I hear, I'll go to the shows and buy the CDs, which amounts to more money in everybody's pockets -- well, except for mine.
The amount of music I've discovered through this medium is incredible, and I would've never been able to find all that if I were to only rely on radio and magazines alone. So yeah, paradoxically, my stealing has made me a better consumer. Such is life :-)
NP: Azure Ray - If You Fall (something I stole)
posted by Hanson |
11:52 AM
Sunday, September 07, 2003
A Tale of Two Entries
Who's smarter: Joe Millionaire Evan Marriott or Joe Schmo Matt Gould? I caught an encore airing of the premiere of Spike TV's new reality show, Joe Schmo, in which a dude is put into a fake, Big Brother-esque reality show. The twist is that everyone in the house but him is an actor, kind of like The Truman Show. The first episode was all right (not just because it had a porn star taking her top off), even though everybody, including Matt, the actors, as well as the producers, seemed incredibly stupid. Will I keep watching? Maybe. It airs against the OC on Tuesday nights, at least for now, so that might keep me away since I won't be home and can only tape one show. But if they keep rerunning it on Sunday afternoons, there's a good chance I'll follow along.
*insert break*
I need to find a library where I can get Pattern Recognition. Like hell I'm going to pay hardcover prices! Until then, I think I'll re-read The Gods Themselves again. This'll be, what, the fourth time? I think I need to stop reading the same books and authors over and over again, no matter how fucking awesome they are....
NP: Azure Ray - The Devil's Feet
posted by Hanson |
10:17 PM
Saturday, September 06, 2003
School Begins Anew
For the past five-six years, the start of most Januarys, Mays, and Septembers signalled the beginning of a new school term. This September is no different, as I'm once again embarking on a full semester of learning -- this time, an arduous, five-course academic smorgasbord. Now, I've promised myself many times over that I will not succumb to my gluttony and do five course... again. However, dessert was too tempting this time. Along with the three must-takes of CMPT 300 (operating systems), CMPT 307 (algorithms), and BUS 381 (intro to human resource management), I'm taking two that I don't need for graduation: BUS 445 (database marketing) and GDST 200 (thinking about gender).
Since I've already fulfilled all but one of my marketing requirements (I'm taking 442 with Gary in the spring), any marketing courses I take now are just gravy. This one, 445, is particularly interesting because it deals with the use of an emerging technology to augment the old segmentation toolbox of marketers. It is, more or less, a combination of the two fields that I'm studying, and even though the technology aspect will likely be abstracted away, it should still afford me the opportunity to see how business people use this stuff. What makes it even more interesting is the fact that the course is being taught by a senior employee of Telus. This isn't some academic, sitting on the hill, spewing untested theory -- this dude's actually using this shizznit in his day-to-day work! The course should prove rather insightful indeed, perhaps even useful in my future endeavours.
The second "extra" course I'm taking, GDST 200, intrigues me in a much less practical way. I think that every idea or belief, however, fundamental or widely held, ought to be challenged, at least on an intellectual level. Whether it be ethics, the nature of life, or anything else that people assume to be a certain way, if it's solid, it would stand up to scrutiny; if it isn't, then that idea or belief is worth diddly squat, eh? Now, the mainstream has always presumed that the notion of gender is a static and self-evident divide between the two sexes. Assumptions and connotations run amuck when words like "male" or "female" are used, and these ideas are rarely challenged simply because they are such basic components of our belief systems. Even with the progress we've made over the last few decades in terms of our thinking about gender, there still exist deeply held, non-biological beliefs regarding what it means to be either male or female. What are these beliefs? Do they make sense? Where do they come from? Why do we accept them? Are these better ways, more pragmatic ways, of looking at gender? Through this course, I hope to answer these questions and force myself to think critically about something I don't usually think about. Not only that, I want to see how far I can push this "abandon-all-but-the-essential-axioms" life philosophy that I have. Can I unseat some more? We'll see.
Oh. All Tomorrow's Parties has come to an end. Lets just say that I wish it would become book three of a tetralogy.
NP: Azure Ray - The Drinks We Drank Last Night
posted by Hanson |
2:44 PM
Thursday, September 04, 2003
This Is Where the Delerium Profits Will Go
Broken Social Scene w/ Stars and Jason Collett, November 12th, Richard's on Richards! I've seen all three, and all three were impressive. I am so there, BUS 445 be damned!
NP: (nothing)
posted by Hanson |
1:15 AM
How I Became a Scalper
So I didn't end up going to Delerium tonight. Why you ask? Two reasons: I was exhausted and the show was sold out. Let me explain.
I got to the Commodore at 8:45 pm after my night class ended. After a weekend of walking around Seattle Center all day and barely getting any sleep, I was really feeling it -- the fact that my day started at 7:45 am didn't help matters either. Tired as I was, I had paid good money for the ticket (more than usual), so I was going to enjoy myself at the first-ever live performance by Delerium. So I was waiting outside the Commodore waiting for Bruce, Amy, and co. when I heard that the show was sold out. Then it clicked: I could sell my ticket -- for a slight profit!
A scalper was offering to buy tickets, so I approached him. He asked how much. I said $30. He said fine. Then I hesitated. Shitballs! I think I paid about that much for it, so why should I sell it at that price when there was excess demand? So I pulled out. Not long after, this older woman came by looking for a ticket. Stumbling and bumbling, I said I got one if she's got $40, sounding totally like I didn't know what I was doing. She said fine and the deal was made. She was ecstatic, actually, and went on to introduce herself and told me a long story about how she wasn't able to get a ticket -- hell, she even gave me a hug! After the deal went down, the scalper chastised me, saying how I fucked him by pulling out. Well fuck you too! It's the market, bud, and it's not like you're working for the Children's Hospital!
With $40 more in my ticket-less pocket, I waited outside to tell Bruce and them that I wouldn't be going; I didn't want to just leave without letting them know! Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened. After waiting for over half a hour, I left, figuring that they were inside already since the show should've already started.
Standing out there wasn't a total lost though. The crowd at this show seemed a little more, uh, appearance conscious than the regular concert-going bunch. Electronica fans appeared to be more spiffily-dressed than your typical indie geek, and I spotted a fair share of well-attired, pretty pretty pretties standing outside. That's adverb, adjective, noun, if you're keeping track. With my re-enabled eyes, it was a nice view.
So anyway, selling my ticket basically pays for two other shows (think Nov. 21 and 22 at the Showbox in Seattle featuring a band from Bellingham). With the concert calendar in the next couple months being what it is, lets just say that money's going to come in handy.
NP: Sarah McLachlan - Fallen
posted by Hanson |
12:18 AM
Wednesday, September 03, 2003
Mary Lou Overdrive
As you might have surmised, I had a great time down in Bumbershoot. Despite a tiny bout of diarrhea, everything went smoothly. Come to think of it, the diarrhea was smooth too, but I digress.
So, the highlight of the weekend was definitely Mary Lou Lord. She played three sets during the actual festival; on top of that, at the end of each day, she did mega busking sessions outside the festival's main gain, which were fan-bloody-tastic. I mean, seeing her on stage was all fine and good, but it is her street (or subway) busking that truly shines. On stage, she was fidgety and acted as if she were nervous (which was probably the case). However, she seemed completely at ease and in her element on the street, under a big glowing Bumbershoot sign. She took requests, bantered, and looked relaxed.
Her sets during Bumbershoot were roughly 45 minutes long, and her setlists consisted of old favourites like Western Union Desperate and Some Jingle Jangle Morning along with a smattering of new songs; she still played some covers but they were mostly the Nick Saloman songs that she is often identified with, so I wouldn't exactly call them covers in the regular sense. She did do Hard Road by Lucinda Williams during each set though, probably because it was about buskers and she was playing on the oxymoronically titled "Busker Stage." Of course, there were exceptions, like My Own Worst Enemy (Richard Harris, not Lit), which she played on all three days.
Wearing the same oversized sunglasses, grey t-shirt, and green Clash hat on all three days, Mary Lou was funny and engaging. She played fantastic songs fantastically, only stumbling a couple of times, which were probably the results of jet lag and fatigue. The six-year wait was not in vain, and I was certainly not disappointed.
Towards the end of her set on Saturday, she announced that she would be busking outside the Mercer Street gates at 8:00 pm that night. Cue my interest being piqued! I was excited to say the least, being offered the chance to see Mary Lou in her elements. Not long after though, I realized that Kathleen Edwards would be playing at the same time. After thinking for about a tenth of a second, I decided to ditch Kathleen's set, despite the fact that she was, along with Pedro the Lion, tied for being the artists I wanted to see the most at Bumbershoot other than Ms. Lord. And that I did, thereby missing Ms. Edwards for, what, the fifth time? Yeah, something like that. For some reason, every time she plays near me, some reason or another forces me to miss her. Blah. Next time.
OK. So, from the artist ratings of the previous post, you can probably tell that the buskings sessions were much better. And how. They had everything the festival shows had, and then some. Let me count the ways.
First, the song selections were much more diverse. I got to hear her cover a shitload of songs that I've never heard her do -- stuff like The Clash's Straight to Hell, Dire Straits' Romeo and Juliet, AC/DC's Love at First Feel, as well as several from Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. As well, she was much more relaxed, smoking ciggies at will, and talking up a storm, telling us bizarre and hilarious stories. In total, she played 48 songs during that first night of busking! She played most of my requests, including The Bridge (probably my favourite MLL original) and Blimps Go 90 (my fave Guided by Voices tune). Also, there wasn't any noise from surrounding events (no bongo drums for instance, like during Bumbershoot), so her lovely voice came in loud and strong. Yeah, it was an incredible night -- it was everything I could've expected, and then some.
On Sunday night, she had a show in Olympia, so she didn't get back in time to busk. However, on Monday night, she was back. Since I didn't know when she'll be there (she said it was going to be late), I went and saw Pedro the Lion instead (which was friggin' awesome). That show ended after only 45 minutes, which was a full hour and something before the REM show was scheduled to concluded. Since Carlos and Dan were at that, I had some time to kill. Naturally, I headed over to the Mercer Street exit, and lo and behold, there Mary Lou was, playing to a sizeable crowd. I stayed until 10:15 or so, at which time I left to meet Carlos and Dan so that we can drive home. Even though I knew I'd be missing the rest of her set, I considered seeing her on that Monday night to simply be gravy on a fine weekend. Hell, I was only expecting 3 hour-long sets anyway, and just the first busking was a big bonus! No, I wasn't disappointed. Much.
So yeah, that's my Mary Lou story. I'm posting from school during my long-ass break, so this might've been a little disorganized and incoherent. Blah. Whatever. I need to get over my obsession with being (near) perfect anyway ;-)
Oh. And I'm going to Delerium tonight. Hehe... only a couple days after seeing 19 bands, I'm at a show again. Hehe... such is the addiction! And I mean, it's their first show ever, eh? And Kristy Thirsk will be sing! Yeah, that's enough justification. I think.
NP: Visqueen - Lovely Guilty
posted by Hanson |
3:24 PM
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
First of Many About Bumbershoot 2003
First thing's first -- here's the list of bands I saw over the past few days, sorted chronologically. The ratings beside their names are out of 10 and correspond to my personal feelings about the bands only. They ought not to be taken as objective ratings of how good these bands are, although one can probably assume that there exist correlations between the two. If I can be bothered, I might write short reviews for each show at a later point.
Visqueen - 7.7
The Decemberists- 8.3
The Divorce - 6.7
Quasi - 8.1
The Shins - 8.0
Kim Richey - 7.3
The Dead Science - 7.1
Voyager One - 7.5
The Pale - 8.2
Mary Lou Lord, on stage - 8.8 **
Mary Lou Lord, busking - 9.6 **
Dusty 45s - 7.0
Delour - 7.3
Rio Cole - 7.1
MASS @ The Space Harp - 6.5
Rhett Miller - 7.7
Carissa's Wierd (correct spelling) - 7.5
Ms. Led - 6.1
Imperial Teen - 7.4
Pedro the Lion - 8.2
** I will definitely post more about Mary Lou later on
And that was just the music!
The most disappointing part of Bumbershoot was that I missed Kathleen Edwards (for the fifth time!). But the reason I missed her happened to be the *best* part of the festival. Hehe... there's a teaser!
NP: Azure Ray - New Resolution
posted by Hanson |
2:09 PM
Oh Lordy Me!
Just got back from Seattle. Too late to write in detail. Heard/saw Mary Lou Lord play about 90 songs. Literally. Was un-fucking-believable. Will post *way* more later. Man Bumbershoot rocked.
PS: I just couldn't resist checking my email and blogging, even at 4 in the morning.... ;-)
NP: ('puter hum)
posted by Hanson |
4:05 AM
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