Skyekat

Summers seem to be a hard time for me to keep on top of things. I haven’t updated the blog, or really done much on ThisNext either. I’ve even fallen behind Flickr-ing. I started this post on Friday, and promptly forgot about it for the rest of the weekend as well. But better late than never. The up-side is that I have been having lots of fun out in that place we call the “real world”, so I can’t complain overly much.

Florida was fun, and everything you might think Disney in the middle of July would be: sweaty, hot, long lines and a few rainstorms to dampen your parade. But it was also a lot of fun. I hadn’t been down there in so long, so I got to do some things I never did when I was young, and got to compare things to my memory. The Haunted Mansion wasn’t quite as bad as memory served, I survived Thunder Mountain, and I will never do Splash Mountain again in a million years.

Since getting back, I had a shoot eat up my Weds, took an ex-co-worker out for farewell drinks that night, and saw The Police and Elvis Costello Thurs night. Elvis Costello was as great as he always is. I was kicking myself though, because as we walked into the venue at 7:25 for a 7:30 show, and he was already playing! Damn me and my not getting out of work on time! And the Police were pretty awesome too. They played the hits, and most of my personal favorites. (concert review) I do want to know whose (grand)kid was on stage for the second encore though. Kinda odd, and the kid looked a bit scared. And Sting really needs to cut that beard off. Unless he has joined the hallowed order of the hobos, and is eschewing the tour bus to ride the rails in between shows. In that case, it’s totally fine. Was going for the triple play by seeing The Dark Knight on Friday, but that got moved to Sunday due to a scheduling conflict. Which ended up probably being better (even though I still did not end up seeing it) because Sat was one helluva day.

It started out by me heading to my mom’s, and then we took off for Brookline to get snorkel gear at East Coast Divers. It’s a trek, but they’re really well respected and know their stuff. We got fitted for goggles, grabbed some snorkels, and I’ll grab the fins either today or tomorrow. So we’ll be all set for our trip to the Turks and Caicos over Labor Day. Then we booked it up to Danvers, to a BBQ in honor of her B-Day with people from her work. That was nice, and I got to see a bunch of people who I don’t normally, so that was terrific. Then I rushed down to Woburn to meet the friend who was going to the Springsteen concert with me that night at Gillette Stadium.

Both of us were running late for a variety of reasons, and were really hoping that the show would not start at the given 7:30 showtime. We figured we’d have until 8, based on prior experiences, but as traffic came to a screeching halt we could only hope that the lightening we were seeing in the distance meant that the show was delayed. When the skies opened up and a monsoon seemed like it was descending on us, our spirits picked up. We pulled into the nearest lot about 8:30, and walked as fast as our feet would carry us into the stadium. We were just fine, as the concert started at almost 9:30. We were still disappointed that we would get a shorter show because of the noise curfew at 11…except…we weren’t! He played until about 12:15!! They came out of the gate swinging, and the energy never really dipped. He was incredibly interactive with the fans down front, and even took posters from people and played a bunch of requests. At one point, at the beginning of the encore, the stadium staff turned all the lights on, as a hint I guess, but he just kept playing, not even stopping between songs. Finally, the lights went down for the last song, American Land, but even then, they were cajoled into playing Rosalita, one last song to cap the night. It was an absolutely amazing night. Then we wandered back to the car, getting there about 12:50, and didn’t manage to make it out of the parking lot until about 2:10. Collapsed into bed around 3am, and slept really well… (concert review)

This year I am really enjoying summer. I am fully embracing the warmth and sun and ethos of relaxing. I may not get to re-live the great concert glut of 2006, or the amazing vacation vistas of… damn 2006 was a freaking good year, but I am determined to have fun an enjoy myself as much as possible this summer. I’ve never been a terrible fan of summers, seeing as I melt in any kind of humidity, and burn faster than I can get that spf 50 on my arms, but it was such a hard winter, I really have been enjoying spending time outside, and just kickin’ back.

So two weekends ago, I indulged myself in seeing Pearl Jam and Ted Leo & The Pharmacists twice. If you’ve never seen Pearl Jam live, and get the opportunity, you really should. Even if you’re not a huge fan, do it. I can’t say I’m a hardcore fan; there are plenty of songs they play that I’ve never even heard. But they are such an amazing band live, carrying all the energy and really charging up the audience. Each night is totally different too, which means that you never get bored. Yes, there are some songs that are always there (I’m talking about you Evenflow!), but otherwise it’s a smorgasbord. Here’s the track listings for the two nights I attended. They wanted to play past curfew (it was an outdoor venue) but apparently were told that they’d have a problem playing there again if they did. So they only went a few minutes over on the last night with an extended version of “Rockin’ in the Free World”, complete with Ted Leo and a few Pharmacists coming out as well. That was probably the best version I’ve ever heard them do of that song.

And then there was the TL & RX opening sets… I’ve always like Ted Leo’s music, but again, I’ve never been a hardcore fan. I had heard him via other people over the years, bought the last album and the iTunes essentials, but that was about it. I always felt it was really great summer music though. The music tends to be very popy, sometimes with a reggae backbone. It’s catchy, hooky and energetic. There tends to be a political bent behind a lot of it, but it’s never overwhelming the music, which is important. If you go to his store, there’s a few of the songs up online, if you want a little taste.

Anyways, point being, I liked the stuff enough to watch him open for Pearl Jam, and I am so glad that I did. This is a group you have to see live to truly appreciate. I mean, the albums are good, but live they are totally off the hook. My concert companion had listened to the mix I (ok iTunes) made and was willing to go to the show, but after seeing them open, he was sold too. The energy, the emotion, the power, and that’s when they were playing to a quarter-filled house who were mostly milling about. Now I have to see them as headliners, because I can only imagine that they’re 110% better. We ended up missing half of their set on Sat because… we drove 50 of the 52 miles to the venue before realizing that our grill was sitting in the trunk of my friend’s car. Goddamnit! So I booked it back, grabbed the grill, and the propane, and sped in my little Prius all the way back. We cooked as fast as we could, but it wasn’t fast enough to make the whole set. But I got to hear Me & Mia as I was walking in, which made me interminably happy. On Monday we made sure that there would be no inadvertent forgetfulness and forwent the grill in favor of pizza. We saw the whole set, and aside from the fact I wish they could have kept playing, thought it was amazing as well. We all know I suck at remembering setlists, but I know that they played “Timorous Me”, “Angel’s Share”, “Stove By a Whale”, “Bomb, Repeat, Bomb”, “The Unwanted Things”, “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?”(play), “Counting Down the Hours”, and “Little Dawn” along with some new songs. Since the show, I picked up some merch from their store, and also blew most of the iTunes gift card I got on most of the rest of their catalog. There’s some really good stuff in there, and I really wish I had given them more attention earlier.

(I have no idea what the title means, just saying)

What, oh what, you may ask, has finally pulled me out of my post-writing stupor?! Several things, as you will learn, but firstly…

Psychotic baby bunnies!

Secondly, I am just pointing out that my Twittering is probably more reliable than my posting. It’s me in bite-sized bits. Well, when twitter (and the rest of the internet!) isn’t down.

So onto other things. I’ve seen a couple shows in the past couple of weeks. First, there was The National (most recent album), Modest Mouse (most recent album), and R.E.M. (most recent album). It was the first real concert of the summer, Raconteurs not withstanding as I went by myself. As previously mentioned, I got out of work at 3 for this. The concert was starting at 6:30, but it meant that each act got a decent amount of time on-stage. Unfortunately, everyone in the known world was on the road with us. It took me almost twice as long as normal to get to my apartment, and my friend took another half-an-hour after that. Once we were off, it wasn’t too bad getting down there, but we didn’t hit the lot until 6-something. Not a good prognosis! So I had to curb my plans to see The National‘s whole set, because otherwise there were steak-tips that would have gone to waste!

We did make it in for the second half of their set though, and walked into the venue while they were playing “Mistaken For Strangers”. I wasn’t sure how much my companion was going to like them, but he totally enjoyed it too. Mostly songs from The Boxer, but a few others thrown in as well.

Next up was the Modest Mouse, who were very good and had energy to spare. I wish they could have played even longer, but was happy with what I got to hear. My concert buddy didn’t like them quite as much, which surprised me, as he tends to dig the aggressive thing, and they were being a bit that day. The screaming into the guitar and using it as a mic was interesting! I’m trying to remember what they played, but I know “Satin in a Coffin” made it (and I think was the first song), along with “Dashboard”, “Here it Comes”, “Paper Thin Walls”…and a bunch more I don’t remember! This is why I’m not a rock critic.

And finally, there was R.E.M.. I had heard from a number of people that they’re great live, and they really are. I don’t know a ton of their back catalogue, but they’re engaging enough that it really doesn’t matter. Michael Stipe is one funny individual. He’s up there bantering about something, loosing his train of thought, noting that the current tangent is not germane to the story, and then proceeding on with his tale. And his dancing! I did get to hear “Ignoreland”, which made me happy, and they played “Orange Crush”, my friend’s favorite, so everyone left feeling warm and fuzzy.

Then… I disappeared for two weeks. I mean, not literally. I know I did things, I just can’t think of what they were at the moment… I know there was a fair bit of book reading involved. Finished The Age of Conglomerates (which was decent), and also read, Goodbye, Chunky Rice (now an all-time fav), The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch, The Dangerous Alphabet, and The Labyrinth. All of which are reviewed over at LibraryThing.

I also got a brand new haircut and dye job. It’s much shorter now, but I likes it a lot. And I am going to save my thoughts on the two Pearl Jam and Ted Leo & The Pharmacists show for the next post, as this has gone on long enough!

Mostly good though.

I got my iPod touch (8 gig, not 16, but free’s free). I’ve been playing with it incessantly. It actually finally motivated me to get the wireless internet working at the apartment. (That was a fun chore. A few hours and 3 routers later, it’s up and running) It’s so great being able to check email on it and go online. The downside, not as much room for music, and the fact I’ve been neglecting my laptop (and Flickr, ThisNext and blog reading as a result). I have been Twittering though, and Facebook has a nicely laid out iPhone page, so I’ve been keeping up that way. It’s interesting how quickly we change our habits when we get a new piece of technology. It’s so incredibly convenient for what it does do, that I start not to miss what it doesn’t.

I also saw The Raconteurs this week. They were really great. They sounded really tight and played a pretty long set (almost 2 hours), given that they only have two albums. The guitar and bass playing was terrific, and man, their drummer has a ton of energy! They played almost every song off of their latest album, Consolers of the Lonely, (about the only songs they didn’t play were “Five On the Five”, “Pull This Blanket Off”, and “These Stones Will Shout”) along with “Steady As She Goes”, “Level”, “Store Bought Bones” (done in a *very* different style than on the record), “Yellow Sun”, and “Blue Veins” off of Broken Boy Soldiers. I know I had lamented the harder sound of this album, over the popier vein of the previous, but in concert, it just sounded amazing. About the only bad thing about the show was the *incredibly* long time they waited to come out for the encore. I’m not sure how much longer people would have kept clapping for.

That, and the stupid drunk people behind me who decided that my sweatshirt looked like an ash tray. I had draped it across my seat, not the seat back, mind, as that is questionable territory, but over the seat itself, where my ass should have been. That’s firmly my space, so them reaching over to put their cigarette out on the sleeve of my sweatshirt was totally uncalled for. I didn’t even know they did it at the time, but the next day I saw the burn holes. And it’s my favorite black sweatshirt too!

But otherwise, the gig was good, and the rest of this week has been uneventful. I’m going back up to Ogunquit on Sat, and this time will have a chance to walk around more and soak in some sun!

Which is not news, but it’s been far too long between updates, again. But it is the new year, and it’s always a good resolution to blog more, right? Honestly, I don’t have any set-in-stone resolutions, other than the normal ones are all in play: loose weight, be healthier, be nicer to the earth, get my portfolio together for grad-school…

Looking back on 2007, it was a very good year overall. 2006 seemed a bit cooler, but I think I just settled in a bit in 2007. Hopefully 2008 will see me breaking from habits and moving forward again. I thought I’d compile a few top 5 or 10s of the previous year, just for fun. (And why not go for overkill when you only manage a post a month or so… :P)

I didn’t see as many concerts as I would have liked to, but that’s ok. The top 10 from 2006 would have been hard to choose from, but it’d just be silly trying to figure one out for 2007, so here’s the top 5…

1) 03.24-Decemberists

I regret that they weren’t able to make it around again, as their rollicking folk music was the most revelatory of everything I saw this year. Singing “Sumersong” as it proceeded to snow was great, and “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” was more fun than almost anything.

2) 11.11-The Police-

So much better in the arena than at Fenway. Lots of energy and they played the hits. Stewart Copeland is an amazing live drummer. What I would have never known had they not toured. I also would have had a few more bucks in my pocket, but it was a great show.

3) 05.15-Elvis Costello-

He’s great. He’s always great. Would have been higher on my list had I not seen him play for over 3 hours the summer before. This set was good, but not quite at the same level as when he was with Allen Toussaint. I do have to say, I preferred him with the Attractions to when he went solo and acoustic to open for Dylan.

4) 11.18-Bruce Springsteen-

Magic. Sorry, had to. Great show with the E-Street Band, but it’s not my favorite incarnation of his lately. Good, rock’n'roll fun though. A ton of energy and a few reinterpretations. The new album is solid, which helps, and the chemistry with the band is always great.

5) 07.28-Crossroads Festival-

My first festival. Perhaps not my all-time favorite line up, but it was the first time I heard Allison Kraus and the Union Station. It was a really fun day over all, and a nice trip to Chicago, so it had to make the list.

This year has also seen me try to put a little more effort into looking for cool independently designed goods. I’ve tried to update them to ThisNext as much as I can. Here are a few of the things that I really thought were cool that I came upon this year.

Top 10 products I loved in 2007 (not counting clothing):

(right to left, top to bottom)
1)Helvetica (the movie)

Ok, I know it might seem a bit strange to list a movie about a typeface as the #1 thing I loved in 2007, but it really did seem to be Helvetica’s year. First hearing about this on Veer’s website, and hoping it would be good, then it getting rave reviews when it screened at festivals and selling out every venue it played in thereafter. The film is engaging and well-made, and you don’t have to be a complete typophile to dig it. For such a small movie about such a seemingly esoteric subject, it just was the little documentary that could. Its release coincided with the 50th anniversary of the font, and so screenings turned into birthday parties. How could something as innocuous as a font garner so much interest from so many people? I love the fact that it did reach out t so many people, and its one more reminder about how much culture has taken a turn towards really valuing well designed things.

2)Analogous Jewelry-Razorblade Necklace

Now we’re onto objects of lust for the year. Edgy and subversive jewelry always gets me going, and this necklace does not disappoint. I’ve wanted it all year, and may break down and buy it with some of my Christmas bonus money, but it’s the thing I’ve lusted after the longest and the most this year.

3)Acme Made-The Slim Cargo

Another object of lust, this time it’s the more responsible and stylish side of me. As I’ve started traveling more, the value of a nicely designed bag that will fit all of the necessary electronic accessories has become readily apparent. Yet most of these bags look as utilitarian as they are. On the other hand, these bags have great functionality, but don’t skimp on the style. I love the materials they use, especially the grey felt, but the colors and patterns are trendy without seeming over the top or too this-second to be usable for a while to come.

4)TillyBloom-The Mirror Stage Necklace
5)Paris House-Belief Three Fold Wallet
6)Red Money Design-Ravi Cuff
7)Georgo Phillip Pecenikov-Hunting Trap Cuff
8)Julia Catherine-Pathways Necklace
9)Amy Bengtson Jewelry-Square Grillwork
10)Swizzlet-Branch Cuff

Top 10 clothing items I loved in 2007:

1)Cardboard Robot-Replicant Rabbit

I can not thank NotCot enough for introducing me to Cardboard Robots apparel. Their stuff is funky and edgy, managing to balance a total DIY feel while still creating some quality apparel. This particular shirt is great on a number of levels. It’s incredibly feminine looking, with the style harkening back to almost an art nouveau feel, but the subject is so dark. A robot rabbit reaching the end of its days-beautiful and tragic. There’s also references to Bladerunner, which always gets you points with me. It’s probably my favorite of all their shirts, so totally deserves the #1 spot.

2)Edun-Twisted Tree

Edun is good clothing for a good cause. They’ve really upped their web-presence this year, which finally makes them accessible for most of us. I like the style of the clothing, but most of it is a bit expensive. Their t-shirts are a nice compromise, good quality and mid-priced. You know the extra cost goes to paying the workers a good wage, so you don’t mind so much.

3)Mutagenics-Deadly Game

Mutagenics is a brand new clothing company out of DC. Their stuff is uber-cool and well designed. This is my favorite design again mixing cute and dark in equal measure.

4)Sackwear-Rock
5)Veer-Extra Black
6)Cardboard Robot-Deer Hunter Hoodie
7)Goats.com-Kittens=Pop Tarts
8)The White Stripes Tour t-shirt
9)Disaproving Rabbits site t-shirt
10)Bad Design Kills