Before my career as an AP-er began, I lived in Boston, where I went to grad school. (Go Terriers!) My last semester, I was fortunate enough to snag an internship at WBUR's Morning Edition. It's by far my favorite internship ever. Mostly because of the free coffee. (Revolutionary Blend, baby!)
Anyway, I was an NPR listener before the internship, but spending a few months at the studios cemented my love for all things Public Radio. So I was pleased (and, admittedly, terrified) when I was invited, along with Jason and Scott, to be the guests on Around Noon, a program on WCPN, Cleveland's NPR affiliate.
So yesterday, the three of us talked about the upcoming issue of AP, as well as some of the music coming out this fall that we're stoked for. You can catch the archived program, and listen to our lovely banter, as well as clips from the new albums from Ben Folds, Senses Fail, Dear And The Headlights, Underoath, Plain White T's and more.
I believe in my introduction blog I mentioned that I'm a bit of a college football fanatic. Make that more a college football freak. It's by far my favorite sport to watch (live or on TV), and it's the only team I have a real, unwavering allegiance with. When they're down, I'm down. When they're up, I'm up.
Lemme just clarify a few things real quick for any non-Nebraskans. No, I didn't go to the University of Nebraska for college. No, that doesn't mean I can't be a diehard fan. Neither of my parents went there, either, but that didn't stop them from raising me and my brother to wear red on Saturdays between Labor Day and New Years Day. I have always loved the Huskers as I am a "good" Nebraskan. Also, I enjoy sports in general, and there are no pro-level teams in Nebraska, so... The college football team is the best (or I would argue, even better) thing. Especially when it's a storied program with a winning tradition.
Now, if you're familiar with the sport at all, you'll know the past couple years haven't been so hot for the good old Scarlet & Cream. But we're not even going to talk about that--the evil has been exorcised, and Bo Pelini is in the house! (You may remember him as LSU's D-Coordinator who stomped all over Ohio State in last year's National Championship game--I'm probably gonna get some shit from some co-workers for bringing that up, but yeah...) Pelini has coached at Nebraska before, and we are stoked to have him back.
If you know me at all, you know I take this pretty seriously, so expect updates throughout the season (which starts Saturday, at home, against Western Michigan).
And I will leave you with the sentiment that one of my good friends sent me this morning. Ah, it's nice to be understood...
Yesterday, LeRoi Moore, sax player for the Dave Matthews Band, passed away. Apparently he was in an ATV accident earlier this summer, and died from complications from his injuries. He was 46.
This is the band's official statement from their website:
We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.
Now, I realize AP isn't exactly DMB-friendly. But I bet more of our readers than not like at least a few of their songs, if not having experienced full-blown DMB phases. It may be because I'm 26 and was in high school in the mid- to late-'90s when the band really seemed to be in their haydey (Under The Table And Dreaming and Crash are excellent albums), but Dave Matthews Band were one of the first "main stream" bands that I listened to after growing out of my classic rock/oldies and country phases.
To me, their music embodies a time period in my life that is really special, now that I look back on it. Growing up in rural Nebraska, I really never thought there was that much to do or anything that exciting. I often daydreamed about moving to a big city and surrounding myself with culture. The thing is, though, I've now come to completely respect and cherish where I grew up. And DMB are embedded in the soundtrack of my summers--driving to the lake, heading to the next town over to see a movie, cruising around our two-stop light town with my friends late at night after getting off the closing shift of my waitressing job--DMB were the perfect summer music for small-town kids looking for something. To this day, I can't hear an old DMB song without thinking of the summers before and after my senior year of high school.
Does this make me uncool in the eyes of AP readers and scenesters and music snobs? Probably. But I don't care. When I was a teenager, I didn't worry about mainstream vs. underground. I listened to what sounded good, what made me feel good, and what I liked to sing along to. And really, no one--no matter how much you dislike DMB--can deny the fact that those guys are amazing musicians. I mean, they can effing jam.
I've seen them four times live--the first being a really special music memory for me. It was the summer after I graduated high school, I was about to leave for college, and Dave Matthews Band were playing at Mile High Stadium in Denver, with Ben Harper opening. My good friend and neighbor Courtney and I drove to Denver for the show. It was the first time I'd driven to Denver by myself, and the first huge stadium show I'd been to. They played for three hours and played all the old songs I loved, plus a bunch of "new" stuff (which turned out to be tracks from The Lillywhite Sessions, which is another one of my faves).
I just remember being totally blown away by how big they sounded live, how everyone in the entire place seemed to be in a good mood, and how that saxophonist could really wail. I played the saxophone in high school band, so I always thought it was really cool to hear someone doing something awesome with it, outside of pep band tunes (no offense to the Minden High Marching/Concert Band).
Though I know they've been relegated to a frat boy/stoner kid band in many circles, DMB have made a lasting impact on the modern music scene, and LeRoi Moore will be greatly missed by millions--whether everyone admits it or not isn't really important.
So, I'm currently sitting on my couch, watching my new favorite show (Jon & Kate Plus 8) and waiting for my cab to the airport, which should be here any minute, so this is gonna be quick.
Anyway, I'm headed to Boise, Idaho, this evening so I can meet up with the glorious thing that is Warped Tour tomorrow morning. I'll be on the tour thru the end, which consists of Boise, Seattle (heck yeah for the Gorge!), Portland and five assorted California dates. If you're going to be at any of those shows, you should definitely stop by the AP tent and say hello.
Also, follow along with my (mis)adventures, complete with 30-second video clips straight from the cell phone AP purchased for us here.
I filed away another milestone in life last night. I finally (finally, finally) saw Radiohead live. They played at the Blossom Music Center south of Cleveland (one of the most beautiful venues I've ever been to, and it was sold-out at just a shade under 20,000).
I have wanted to see Radiohead for about eight or nine years now. Every other time I've had a chance to go, something ridiculous has come up that kept me from going. (I was in a wedding the same weekend; tickets sold out too quickly; the friends I would normally go with were off limits because they were mutual friends of an ex-boyfriend, etc., etc.) Having bought my tickets waaaay in advance (while I was on the AP Tour this spring, if you want to know specifics), I was pretty stoked to go.
All in all, they were pretty much exactly what I expected. Awesome. They sound really, really, really effing good live. Being that we're in production week, I got to the show just as they were starting their first song. Because of this, I didn't have seats that let me take full advantage of their light show (see pic for reference), but they still sounded really great.
My only thing? I could've done with more early stuff, particularly from The Bends. I know as a "music critic" (believe me, I use that term loosely), that's not the album I'm supposed to like the most, but it is. But whatever. I realize they have a new album to pimp, and one day, they'll probably be more comfortable with going back and playing "Creep" once in awhile (because hey, even the snobbiest of music buffs have to admit that's a fantastic jam). I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that they'll play "Fake Plastic Trees" next time I see 'em, and just revel in the juicy fact that they ended the night with a glorious rendition of "Everything In It's Right Place." Indeed, Radiohead. Indeed.
PS: Here's the set list for anyone interested: "15 Step," "There There," "Morning Bell," "All I Need," "Pyramid Song," "Nude," "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi," "The Gloaming," "The National Anthem," "A Wolf at the Door," "Faust Arp," "Exit Music (For a Film)," "Jigsaw Falling into Place," "Idioteque," "Climbing Up the Walls," "Bodysnatchers," "How to Disappear Completely"
I had a couple of "zoo" experiences this weekend. Literally, I went to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo today. It is an awesome zoo, and I'm only sad that I have lived here for two years and haven't gone sooner. Anything involving the Metroparks here is really great (at least in my experience), so I'm not surprised that the zoo is really fabulous. But it's cool because it's so tucked away, you would never know there's a zoo right there if you weren't looking for it (aside from all the roadsigns announcing the entrances, that is).
The other "zoo" run-in was more accidental. On Friday night, I went to a little coffee shop in my neighborhood, Bela Dubby, to see a friend of a friend's band play (you know how that goes). Anyway, the band that played afterward were called the Zookeepers (not to be confused with Zookeeper, the band featuring ex-members of Mineral). They're a four-piece from Cape Cod, and they seriously looked like they were about 17 each, though they were drinking afterward--not that that necessarily means anything. The first song was really shaky, and I thought we were probably in for 30 minutes of pain. But the guys quickly got it together and the rest of the set was great--even when they had some mic problems. They had so much energy and kept switching instruments and had two different frontmen, depending on who had written the song. They definitely had this whole Fear Before The March Of Flames meets the Munsters vibe going on. Tons of stage presence and just a touch of camp. They were really entertaining (and the lightning flashing through the windows behind the band didn't hurt, either).
Moral of the story? Don't forget to keep checking out bands who roll through your town and play the little dive bars and coffee shops. Just because they're not billed at the House Of Blues doesn't mean they won't put on a fabulous show. They're working really hard during whatever fragment of vacation they can scrape together to do something they love, and they definitely deserve an audience.
I can't stop listening to the new Ben Folds album. Like, literally, I am addicted. I'm not gonna give you details, because I've got some scruples and the album's not out until Sept. 30 on Epic. But it's called Way To Normal, and it's pretty effing great. And I will say that it's probably the first album Jason Pettigrew and I have completely and enthusiastically agreed upon since My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade. So there ya go.
Anyway, a lot of the songs deal with life change, and they all bring Ben's sharp wit and humor. I always end up feeling like I totally know this guy whenever I listen to his music, which I guess is pretty cool. I have been a big fan of him since I was in junior high and he was part of the Five. I've only ever seen him perform live once, though. I saw him in 2003 in Davenport, Iowa, and Tegan And Sara were opening (sick, sick lineup). I spent an hour on YouTube last night looking for any sort of video from that show, but to no avail. Then I remembered that in 2003, most people didn't have cell phones that doubled as video cameras, so, yeah... Technology. Look how far it has come.
Instead, I'll leave you with some (questionable quality) found video of Ben playing a new song, "The Bitch Went Nuts."
Don't miss this album in September. It will be one of the musical highlights of the year.
