OK, so it’s been a while. Sorry. I’ll try and be better at the internets.
ITEM 1:
I saw Henry Rollins a week and a half ago, the same night Elton John was in town. Giant “who cares?” for Elton John, but I digress. Actually, I must continue to digress. Crocodile Rock is possibly my least favourite “classic” song (right next to “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” by Meatloaf) and Sir Elton’s popularity baffles me. Friggin’…”Rocket Man”? “Candle In The Wind”? “Circle of Life”? Like, quick, name one relevant artist from the last ten years who you could safely say was influenced by Elton Friggin’ John (except maybe whoever did that “Gene Kelly” song, but if “Gene Kelly” was my inspirational legacy I’d probably contract some convenient amnesia).
Ahem. So, Henry Rollins! My bruvva Kevin had gotten us both tickets as his Christmas gift to me. Which is a pretty self serving Christmas gift on its face, but it’s worth remembering that he did give me the very first Sno-Cone from his Snoopy Sno-Cone machine that he got for Christmas, so I really can’t complain.
It was non-assigned seating so we got there nice and early (me wearing my WWHRD T-shirt [in the spirit of gratuitous linkage, here's one of my favourites], which my brother said was the spoken word equivalent of wearing a band’s shirt to that band’s show) and were rewarded with third row dead center seating. Rollins hit the stage and started talking at 8 PM sharp, and didn’t stop until 11:15 PM. He covered everything from his home life in LA to his travels to his interactions with other punk legend types like Jello Biafra, Iggy Pop, Captain Sensible, et al.
I’d be lying if I wrote that there weren’t parts that dragged, but those were few and far between. I should also note that the first few rows were all in folding chairs on the floor. Padded folding chairs, but still folding chairs. And since folding chairs are meant to be on a flat surface and NOT the sloped floor of a theatre, by about the halfway point my arse was screaming for mercy. But Rollins was an amazing storyteller and kept the audience laughing or transfixed the entire night. A+, Mr. Rollins!
ITEM 2:
I’m a rock star again! Well, as much as I was before, anyway. I’ve been offered a couple of dates with Critical Mass. The cool part is, they’re both in the States! I do one date in Michigan in April and another in Indiana in May. I get a rider and everything! Forgoet you, life of working drudgery! Forget you for two separate days!
More rock star related news coming for April. Stay tuned.
ITEM 3:
Caleb tried my recipe for Kraft Dinner (boil noodles for 45 seconds, pour minimal milk, add cheese-esque mix, eat) and he liked it. In your face, al dente Kraft Dinner playa-hatas. Also, in your face, Caleb’s gastro-intestinal tract.
ITEM 4:
I’m going to see Tokyo Police Club with Will Currie and the Country French next week! You may remember TPC as being my favourite band over the last year or so. You may remember WCATCF as being the band who we beat in Last Band Standing finals last year, and who have since gone on to sign with Murderecords (Sloan’s label). Yep, we sure showed them. Actually, I loooove WCATCF and am really happy to see them doing well, cause they’re nice people and an awesome band. And maybe if I’m nice to them they’ll introduce me to Jay Ferguson and I can finally ask him if he’s ever going to write another single, cause he hasn’t done that since “Lines You Amend” (useless fact: my friend in high school Phil was in the video for that song). Ah, Jay, I keed, I keed.
I think that does it. I promise to update once a week, unless I don’t, in which case I don’t promise.
END TRANSMISSION.
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16 comments:
A shiny quarter goes to who can guess who Kerry's favourite band will be next year.
Kerry, I think you're forgetting about Benny and the Jets. Ummm, how can you not love Elton for that? You're a piano-rock hater.
and, did you mean the Grace Kelly song?
I meant the one that goes "why don't you like, why don't you like me" et al. What a terrible, terrible song.
And I love Ben Folds Five. And Will Currie and the Country French. All piano rock. All awesome. And no Tiny Dancers.
Awww, I love Mika! Guys who have good falsettos are so sexy. :) And yes, it is "Grace Kelly", good call Kristi.
What about the yellow brick road song? I like that one.
Actually Kerrance, Ben Folds does a cover of Tiny Dancer...so your last statement is false.
(my last one cut off the link, hence the deletion)
And Will Currie and the Country French list Elton John as one of their influences on their
MySpace
"Influences: Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Wilco, The Beatles, Elton John, Puccini, Nico, Steely Dan, Dr. Teeth And The Electric Mayhem"
AND Ben Folds is also influenced by Elton John. So. Hah.
Do you people have jobs?!? :)
Until I see evidence that Ben Folds says Elton john influenced him, I refuse to accept that. Lots of bands cover songs they weren't influenced by -- Folds himself has covered "Bitches Ain't Shit" by Dr. Dre.
I'll concede the point on Will Currie, although the argument could be made that they aren't a "relevant" artist yet. Still, that's only one.
I wasn't necessarily saying that Ben Folds is influenced by Elton, just that your "no Tiny Dancers" comment is false being as he covered Tiny Dancer.
Question: do irrelevant artists get signed to record labels?
And no, I don't have a job, thank you very much.
We have jobs that teach us to check our facts.
Check here under Beyond: Ben Folds... Influences.
LOL. I had no idea that you all were so passionate about Sir Elton (or are you passionate about proving me wrong?) At any rate, those influences were listed by a rock critic at Rolling Stone, not by Folds himself, so I refuse that as proof! REFUSED!!!!!
And as for relevant artists being signed, William Hung has a record deal. and SNAP!
He said so according to this Chicago newspaper:
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/online_edition/article/9974
I am actually not passionate about Elton John. I far prefer Ben Folds actually. However, I don't think Ben Folds could do what he does without Elton having gone before him in popularizing piano based rock. So I think he should at least be acknowledged for that. Even if you don't like him.
LOL Fair enough. Elton John, despite being annoying as hell and writing terrible songs, had some tertiary influence on rock and roll.
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