Saturday, August 28, 2004
In the State of New Sexico
The rest of the bands included: 36 Crazy Fists, 18 Visions & From Autumn to Ashes. Comin' in all the way from Alaska is 36 Crazy Fists and they have a pretty decent metal-core kinda thing going on. They played for about 35 mins and did manage to win me over. I'd see 'em again. Next up was 18 Visions, the other band I liked other than KSE already. The guys from Cali. didn't disappoint and rocked out with their cock out. The best description I can think of them is that they are STP trapped in the bodies of the Misfits who in turn really like NYHC. They have these catchy songs all gussied up in the trappings of SOIA and early Motley Crue. 18V could also be big if they catch the right breaks. Last (or really, next to last) was From Autumn to Ashes. Never had heard them before even though they seem to have a pretty large following. After this performance the jury is still out but I'm not holding my breath. It seemed very "done" maybe because Poison the Well has and has done it better. Plus, the lead singer is a chubby fuck and if you've got some extra pounds and are in a band your ass better be playing bass. It's a rule.
As far as shows go this one was a winner. I, personally, would have replaced FAtA with Poison the Well or someone like Icarus Line, a band that is weirder than the rest but is still heavy. It looks like KSE will be back w/ Slayer and Mastodon. Did you hear that? I just peed my pants (...again,) after thinking about that line-up.
I dig the Launchpad a lot, as well. Cool club, kinda like the Edge chopped in half (for my peeps back in SoFl.) The only downer is the city ordinance of no "all-ages show" can run past 11 on a weekday. Fuck that. Future shows include: Coverge, Melvins & maybe I'll put my dancing shoes on and go see the Toasters. In bigger shows: Social D is reunited and coming through town, Ministry and Thrill Kill Kult bring the industry, and I read a rumor that Metallica will be coming through town probably some time in the winter.
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So, this past Wednesday I mosied my hiney over to the Launchpad to see my first show in my new home town. Who did I happen to spy but those most heaviest of lads, Killswitch Engage (there were three other bands but fuck them, I'll get to 'em later). What can I say about KSE that hasn't been said by a bunch of syphalitic, homeless, crackheads? But seriously, KSE performed with the intensity & talent of ten Metallicas. These guys exceeded my expectations on so many levels that I would not fail to see them whenever they come back 'round these parts. I can only hope that these guys keep it together because they very well might be the next Metallica. Yes, they are that good. Plus, no Lars. Bonus. Plus, they've got the second coming of Scott Ian, metal god, Adam Dutkeiwitz (sp) who a funny, goofy, wickedly talented sumbitch.
Metal is back and heavier than ever!
The rest of the bands included: 36 Crazy Fists, 18 Visions & From Autumn to Ashes. Comin' in all the way from Alaska is 36 Crazy Fists and they have a pretty decent metal-core kinda thing going on. They played for about 35 mins and did manage to win me over. I'd see 'em again. Next up was 18 Visions, the other band I liked other than KSE already. The guys from Cali. didn't disappoint and rocked out with their cock out. The best description I can think of them is that they are STP trapped in the bodies of the Misfits who in turn really like NYHC. They have these catchy songs all gussied up in the trappings of SOIA and early Motley Crue. 18V could also be big if they catch the right breaks. Last (or really, next to last) was From Autumn to Ashes. Never had heard them before even though they seem to have a pretty large following. After this performance the jury is still out but I'm not holding my breath. It seemed very "done" maybe because Poison the Well has and has done it better. Plus, the lead singer is a chubby fuck and if you've got some extra pounds and are in a band your ass better be playing bass. It's a rule.
As far as shows go this one was a winner. I, personally, would have replaced FAtA with Poison the Well or someone like Icarus Line, a band that is weirder than the rest but is still heavy. It looks like KSE will be back w/ Slayer and Mastodon. Did you hear that? I just peed my pants (...again,) after thinking about that line-up.
I dig the Launchpad a lot, as well. Cool club, kinda like the Edge chopped in half (for my peeps back in SoFl.) The only downer is the city ordinance of no "all-ages show" can run past 11 on a weekday. Fuck that. Future shows include: Coverge, Melvins & maybe I'll put my dancing shoes on and go see the Toasters. In bigger shows: Social D is reunited and coming through town, Ministry and Thrill Kill Kult bring the industry, and I read a rumor that Metallica will be coming through town probably some time in the winter.
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Wednesday, August 11, 2004
I'm surrounded by morons
Here are some sample "questions" gifted to Our Glorious Leader during an "Ask the President" session in the Land of Enchantment, according to CNN.com:
Can I take a picture with you? Can I introduce you to my wife and mother in law? I want you to know that I'm praying for you.
Fuck me with a broomstick people are stupid.
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Here are some sample "questions" gifted to Our Glorious Leader during an "Ask the President" session in the Land of Enchantment, according to CNN.com:
Fuck me with a broomstick people are stupid.
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Thursday, July 29, 2004
Things I'd Rather Do.
READ THIS NOW!!! And prepare for hilarity.
Speaking of comedy:
--Stanhope's new DVD, "Deadbeat Hero," comes out August 24th. Go pre-order it now.
--"It's Not Funny" by David Cross is out now on CD and very good, if not more of the same in his ovure.
--Eat a bullet Ant, you sad fucking hack. I don't hate you because you're gay, I hate you because you aren't worthy to mow Shecky Green's law.
In music news: Mastodon's new album, "Leviathan," drops like an aborted fetus into the waiting ear canals of a desperate public begging for the heaviest of metals. Go buy it on August 31st, you'll be glad you did.
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READ THIS NOW!!! And prepare for hilarity.
Speaking of comedy:
--Stanhope's new DVD, "Deadbeat Hero," comes out August 24th. Go pre-order it now.
--"It's Not Funny" by David Cross is out now on CD and very good, if not more of the same in his ovure.
--Eat a bullet Ant, you sad fucking hack. I don't hate you because you're gay, I hate you because you aren't worthy to mow Shecky Green's law.
In music news: Mastodon's new album, "Leviathan," drops like an aborted fetus into the waiting ear canals of a desperate public begging for the heaviest of metals. Go buy it on August 31st, you'll be glad you did.
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Sunday, July 18, 2004
It's been awhile
Not that you care...Started the new job at AAA as an insurance sales ass. Lotsa other stuff like the opera, binge drinking and t-shirt design have stymied my attempts at posting. Well, that and trying to give a shit about that emptyheaded chimp known as W to his friends. Sometimes I don't.
In other news: my good buddy Floyd has started his own blog, a mixture of tech and politics. Good stuff, Maynard.
Thank Jeebus, Billmon didn't hang it up. After Hesiod took off and both Atrios and Tom Tomorrow have taken a leave of absence I was getting kinda worried that Billmon might have decided to give it a miss.
In music news: Killswitch Engage's new disc "End of the Heartbreak" is great. Unearth's new one is brutal and I am quivering in my booties for the new albums by Shadows Fall and Mastodon. I can only hope that SOAD releases their's before the election. Artists gotta stand up. The New Wave of American Heavy Metal is shaping up to be an actually movement. With bands like the aforementioned Shadows Fall, KsE, Mastodon, Unearth, Lamb of God, Avenged Sevenfold and Poison the Well (reprasent SoFla!) amoung others all releasing new albums this year or there abouts it's easy to see why the kids are excited. This just in: Clutch still rules. More breaking news: the Melvins are coming to town.; two words: fuck yeah.
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Not that you care...Started the new job at AAA as an insurance sales ass. Lotsa other stuff like the opera, binge drinking and t-shirt design have stymied my attempts at posting. Well, that and trying to give a shit about that emptyheaded chimp known as W to his friends. Sometimes I don't.
In other news: my good buddy Floyd has started his own blog, a mixture of tech and politics. Good stuff, Maynard.
Thank Jeebus, Billmon didn't hang it up. After Hesiod took off and both Atrios and Tom Tomorrow have taken a leave of absence I was getting kinda worried that Billmon might have decided to give it a miss.
In music news: Killswitch Engage's new disc "End of the Heartbreak" is great. Unearth's new one is brutal and I am quivering in my booties for the new albums by Shadows Fall and Mastodon. I can only hope that SOAD releases their's before the election. Artists gotta stand up. The New Wave of American Heavy Metal is shaping up to be an actually movement. With bands like the aforementioned Shadows Fall, KsE, Mastodon, Unearth, Lamb of God, Avenged Sevenfold and Poison the Well (reprasent SoFla!) amoung others all releasing new albums this year or there abouts it's easy to see why the kids are excited. This just in: Clutch still rules. More breaking news: the Melvins are coming to town.; two words: fuck yeah.
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Oh come on, you alredy knew this didn't you?
While speaking to a bunch of folks who take their religion seriously, the Amish, Our Glorious Leader uttered this no-prize: "I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn’t do my job." Hey, who knows? He might be telling the truth. Ever read the Old Testament? Courtesy of The Revealer.
Really the only thing that bothers me about this is that I didn't know the Amish were allowed to vote.
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While speaking to a bunch of folks who take their religion seriously, the Amish, Our Glorious Leader uttered this no-prize: "I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn’t do my job." Hey, who knows? He might be telling the truth. Ever read the Old Testament? Courtesy of The Revealer.
Really the only thing that bothers me about this is that I didn't know the Amish were allowed to vote.
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Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Out of the ashes
Looks like the subjects are becoming the verbs. Iraqi artists are starting to tackle the subject of Abu Ghraib. The CSM has the story.
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Looks like the subjects are becoming the verbs. Iraqi artists are starting to tackle the subject of Abu Ghraib. The CSM has the story.
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Friday, June 04, 2004
Wiseblood
Destroyer of complacency, from beliefnet: "No one can say they are not responsible for this current situation (Iraq) even if we oppose our country’s actions. We are still a member of our community, a citizen of our country. Maybe we have not done enough." --Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh
Taking the NthPosition: "The problem here is that, in the post-9/11 world, we have all become Manichean - concerned with a huge confrontation between two empires, two faiths, two ideologies, each with the same vision of each other. In what is shaping up to be a close-fought battle, each sees the other side as inhuman, sub-human, demonic - something to be summed up in simple language and condemned; something to be slaughtered like a sheep in front of a camera, or piled into the simulation of naked orgy and forced orgasm in front of a camera. Those who slaughter and those who abuse see themselves as pure; and they are, after all, only killing and degrading those who are impure. But the way each does it suggests that the pure have an intimate knowledge of what humiliates: to kill someone as if he were livestock, animal; to make mountains of naked flesh out of people who profess a different god - and, in the latter case, to inject into that naked flesh all the sexual fantasies of a carnalised imagination, unable to be enacted by those directing the proceedings, not on camera for friends anyway, but able to be depicted using specimens that have no intimacy with the viewer. It is as if the soldiers, rather than being within a Sodom and Gomorrah of their own fantasies, construct their prisoners into an evidence of Sodom and Gomorrah which, of course, God witheringly destroyed. Finally, each atrocity merely prefigures a God who will win."
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Destroyer of complacency, from beliefnet: "No one can say they are not responsible for this current situation (Iraq) even if we oppose our country’s actions. We are still a member of our community, a citizen of our country. Maybe we have not done enough." --Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh
Taking the NthPosition: "The problem here is that, in the post-9/11 world, we have all become Manichean - concerned with a huge confrontation between two empires, two faiths, two ideologies, each with the same vision of each other. In what is shaping up to be a close-fought battle, each sees the other side as inhuman, sub-human, demonic - something to be summed up in simple language and condemned; something to be slaughtered like a sheep in front of a camera, or piled into the simulation of naked orgy and forced orgasm in front of a camera. Those who slaughter and those who abuse see themselves as pure; and they are, after all, only killing and degrading those who are impure. But the way each does it suggests that the pure have an intimate knowledge of what humiliates: to kill someone as if he were livestock, animal; to make mountains of naked flesh out of people who profess a different god - and, in the latter case, to inject into that naked flesh all the sexual fantasies of a carnalised imagination, unable to be enacted by those directing the proceedings, not on camera for friends anyway, but able to be depicted using specimens that have no intimacy with the viewer. It is as if the soldiers, rather than being within a Sodom and Gomorrah of their own fantasies, construct their prisoners into an evidence of Sodom and Gomorrah which, of course, God witheringly destroyed. Finally, each atrocity merely prefigures a God who will win."
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Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Ain't that America...
Saw this story on Tom Tomorrow's site and thought I'd share. Here's the opening coupla paragraphs:
"After displaying a painting of U.S. soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners, a San Francisco gallery owner bears a painful reminder of the nation's unresolved anguish over the incidents at Abu Ghraib -- a black eye and bloodied brow delivered by an unknown assailant who apparently objected to the art work.
The assault outside the Capobianco gallery in the city's North Beach district Thursday night was the worst, but only the latest in a string of verbal and physical attacks that have been directed at owner Lori Haigh since the painting, titled "Abuse," was installed there on May 16.
Last Wednesday, concerned for the safety of her two children, ages 14 and 4, who often accompanied her to work, Haigh decided to close the gallery indefinitely.
Painted by Berkeley artist Guy Colwell, "Abuse," the painting at the center of the controversy, depicts three U.S. soldiers leering at a group of naked men in hoods with wires connected to their bodies. The one in the foreground has a blood-spattered American flag patch on his uniform. In the background, a soldier in sunglasses guards a blindfolded woman."
I guess as an artist I felt this woman's pain a little more than your average story and I guess especially as an artist who is socio-political in his subject matter (at times), it's very chilling and revolting to see something like this happen. That people would find it nescessary to spit on and punch a woman in the face for displaying a painting in her own gallery is beyond my comprehension to fathom. I don't care if that painting was a frame by depiction of Nick Berg's beheading and you are his old man, you don't under any circumstances, ever, punch that gallery's owner in the face. If you are one of those shitbags who assaulted Haigh you are now the moral equivalent of the prison guards at Abu Ghraib.
All this in that liberal stronghold, San Francisco. Don't believe the hype.
As an aside: I was debating wheather or not to do a series depicting the tradgedy of Iraq. Wasn't sure I should do series on something so current but this story and reading Robert Hughes' bio of Goya just tipped me in favor of doing it. If not me, then who???
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Saw this story on Tom Tomorrow's site and thought I'd share. Here's the opening coupla paragraphs:
"After displaying a painting of U.S. soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners, a San Francisco gallery owner bears a painful reminder of the nation's unresolved anguish over the incidents at Abu Ghraib -- a black eye and bloodied brow delivered by an unknown assailant who apparently objected to the art work.
The assault outside the Capobianco gallery in the city's North Beach district Thursday night was the worst, but only the latest in a string of verbal and physical attacks that have been directed at owner Lori Haigh since the painting, titled "Abuse," was installed there on May 16.
Last Wednesday, concerned for the safety of her two children, ages 14 and 4, who often accompanied her to work, Haigh decided to close the gallery indefinitely.
Painted by Berkeley artist Guy Colwell, "Abuse," the painting at the center of the controversy, depicts three U.S. soldiers leering at a group of naked men in hoods with wires connected to their bodies. The one in the foreground has a blood-spattered American flag patch on his uniform. In the background, a soldier in sunglasses guards a blindfolded woman."
I guess as an artist I felt this woman's pain a little more than your average story and I guess especially as an artist who is socio-political in his subject matter (at times), it's very chilling and revolting to see something like this happen. That people would find it nescessary to spit on and punch a woman in the face for displaying a painting in her own gallery is beyond my comprehension to fathom. I don't care if that painting was a frame by depiction of Nick Berg's beheading and you are his old man, you don't under any circumstances, ever, punch that gallery's owner in the face. If you are one of those shitbags who assaulted Haigh you are now the moral equivalent of the prison guards at Abu Ghraib.
All this in that liberal stronghold, San Francisco. Don't believe the hype.
As an aside: I was debating wheather or not to do a series depicting the tradgedy of Iraq. Wasn't sure I should do series on something so current but this story and reading Robert Hughes' bio of Goya just tipped me in favor of doing it. If not me, then who???
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