posturing to gain privilege is not protestations

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Street Scene (pre-saturday)

You know who I'm really hearting now? Cold War Kids. Guys are dope. Good beats, good rhyme, familiar but edgy.

Street Scene 2008 - Friday night

Street Scene is awesome. Can't wait for today's shows.
(this paragraph, was supposed to be at the end, at but don't wanna end with negs so I moved my bitching up were.)
Oh, I almost forgot, the trying to get a drink thing. Like how rosie complained about the beer garden contributing to her smelling more weed. She's right. I know I'm not planning on trying to wait in those lines again. Those lines for drinks (crappy drinks at that, can't order a double-->premixed crap), for all the effort/attention that went into this event(thank god it ain't at Cricket), the drink situation was a total failure. The bar tenders were already drunk and slow as heck when I got there at 5ish(piss poor management), and I knew it was gonna be a long night for anyone wanna booze.

Could SEE every band at every stage, when ever you walked over there (I'm kinda tall so helps) was a testament to thoughtfully set-up, and much appreciated by all in attendance. Caught some Hot Chip, Foals, Franti (Great), and TVONTR (missed 1/2 because I tried to get a drink, I'll get to that later). The show started at like 5PM, and with Hot Chip dropping club bangers at lunch time for most party people, well, it was a hard sell. The time restrictions for the festival don't really lend themselves to a lot of these bands or the audience for that matter.

So during daylight there's like all these AA lala-partiers jumping around to hot chip, foals, diplo.
I'm glad I practiced that at the indy jam, when santogold and the tingy-tings brought the house down at like noon er something, but back to street scene--> and then spoon gets to hit the main stage. Brit and co. came out like they knew the line-up and where they were playing in it like 4 months ago, and had already been putting together thier set. That dude is a master. He reminded me how important a good arrangement is to songs. And I had chills listening to him for most of the set. Not that I don't LOVE to dance and party, but Spoon was really good. No, they were F'in awesome. Justice was next.

I can't blog about justice, it's all been said. They're good. Watched some of them, then headed over for Vampire Weekend, which was enjoyable. Then the Beck had the chance to warp the crowd into the parralel universe that he mutally exists in while sharing it with this one, and wanted to go along for the ride.
But, by the time he came on (not like it was late or anything) I was kinda worn-out, no I was darn-exhausted by the time he came on (I woke-up a 5AM for work, worked, then took care of.., then got ready for SS and got there in time for most of the early.) He still killed it, It's kinda my fault for not being so into it and tired.
There was a party at HOB that I was gonna go to where (Franti?) was playing, and after seeing him at SS I was excited, but even though I had a ticket I went home after beck. I thought I was HC but I guess not, shouldn't have been bangin with all those kids while it was still lunchtime. Whatevs, I spelt good last night.

Bunky's fun!!!!

Seriously, or maybe not cause fun isn't nessesarily serious, I like 'em a lot. Probably cause Rafter's in the band. But they all have good lines in the songs. Many thanks to all the president's who have existed so that I can have a day off from work-work to allow a little fun into this weekend (kinda like answering my request for a 28-hour-day), how cool.

Grand Ole Party is working it!!

I went to la-la land last night to check out foriegn born and St. Vincent and what, but to my surprise, Grand Ole Party is playing upstairs!!! There must be a god. So so much talent showcased last night that I don't even know where to start. I really like bands that can move a song around. If you see where the song's going in the first verse then why even listen to the rest, I like bands that can keep a song together while still keeping the audience on their toes. Is LA like a blackhole of talent to san diego, it seems like there's so much oppurtunity there that if you're anywhere near it you needta get on board, hence my travels there for shows. But gosh do I love coming back to san diego. I was hoping for like some majically energetic crowd up there last night but it was the normal people enthralled with the band, and too busy studing their chops to dance, who flooded the front and stayed there like all night. While I enjoy danceing in the back where there is more room, I think the fans (oughtta, eventually) need to be giving back to the artists/performers. Well, variables beckon.

Transfer at the Casbah 2-8-08

Trasfer absolutelt killed it last night. They've got this thing where you're all-a-groovin' to the melody of the song and then they break it down and crunch-it with a fury. (paying homage to muse a little, maybe?, i don't know, I wasn't exactly sober). And I like it. They can take a song places and it's a fun ride! Unfortunately (for the local SD music-lover's) , it seems like they're going to sharing thier talents with some other scenes. And good on 'em for that. As one with a derth of musical talent, but ironically a gross appetite for live music, (or maybe we're always chasing the unattainable just for the love of the game.) Anyways, thanks to all the musicians who share thier talents with me/audiences, you may not be getting 'paid' to do it but the good karma shared will surely ripple thru your/our universe (maybe not the universe, let's think earth's gravity will keep it here, although Transfer's had a pretty strong play last night, it may be enough to break orbit). Well, I'm wisking I could travel back in time tonite and catch some of what I missed last night cause it doesn't look like much 2 do. After last night I need to decompress a little anyway. It's like that great show you see that just ruins all the other stuff you hear for the next or so. Kinda the same way The Viewmaster's made Gram Rabbit have to play a phenonemal show for any enjoyment.

Audience should do what?

After reading a couple articles on-line today, I remembered how much I hate technology in the audience when I'm at a performance/show. Sure it's a free country and I'm not going to stop anyone from enjoying themselves by any means, unless it's encrouching on my freedom.
When I give in and pay somoe ticket-scalping machine/person/leach, for good seats to a show; or when I take the effort to plan the logistics of eating, then using the bathroom, then bringing a bottle of water with me to try and get near the stage 3 bands before the one I want to see so I can have a nice experience and then there are 50 people up front with picture phones and camcorders, it is gosh darn distracting as hell. I did actually yell at one guy, one time (and appologized shortly afterward); for messing around for an inordinate amount of time with his cell phone while he was right next to me. I said something to the effect "If you payed attention to the show you won't need a bunch of pictures of it, burn it into your mind!" This was after a few other concerts where lots of people where acting similarly and I just had to say something.
Let the venue/band do the lighting. I don't need a freaking cell-phone blue-screen amalgamation. Speaking of let the venue band do it. Most of the time they do, If there's a little corral in front of the stage with a few pro-photogs with buku eqquipment, why the heak are you snapping a cell-phone pic!!!!!!!??????!!!!! Are you so anxious to get into the matrix that you let everyone know everything you're doing all the time, and if this is the case then I think the matrix will reject you do to stupidity. Find out where the pro-pics are and forward a couple to you're friends AFTER the show.
Anyway, what got me started on this was the story about Band of Horses at Canes last summer. I was there and could have have given a rat's butt and didn't even notice her, had there been 20 people filming the show, then yeah, that would have called for a riot. Or 30 people with thier cell-phones in the air for half the show then the mood would have been lost. I think, like my outburst, the artist had just had enough and one person was forced to bear the brunt of acccumulated frustration. Everything changes, even audience habits. But if the music isn't enjoyment enough for you're attention and you feel the need for another distraction, then fine, no problem, just go the heck to the back and do it there, where eager fans won't be distracted.

What's up with Friday Night?

Marc Ford and Transfer playing on same night. Why don't people try to share the wealth over the whole week? Oh darn, and FishBone Why not some SuperConcert where they all play?...@ the Balboa Theatre, San Diego just got another stage, we could sell enough seats there for a show like that. There's wide aisles, it would be awesoome, wait I'm sounding like an old fart aren't I. What ever, I'm hungry.

San Diego Music

Well, I've decided to start chronic-elling my adventures in the SD music scene. The local blog I happened upon a few months ago has inspired me. And it seems like people are freaking talking thru these now. I've seen so many awesome shows lately I don't even know how to start. OK hear it goes.

First of my fav. local albums right now is Rafter's sex,death,cassette. It keeps growing on me. The fact that it's growing on me is creaping me out too, cause I've been such a judgemental prick on music lately that on one listen I've been, like, cool or not.

The proximity of SD to LA is awesome. I absolutely love living in San Diego. Thank you, Thank You, Thank You San Diego for being such a cool place to live.

If you wanna listen to A Scribe Amidst The Lions then go see them live. It sounds like the material from the album has matured a lot since they recorded it.

Transfer is playing tomorrow night(fri) and I'm phsyced. They've got some good tricks, lots of fun.

Eoto played at winston's on saturday night and I wanna give mad props to everyone who helped set it off (sorry I know that sosunds cheesy but I can't think of a sly why to put it.)

Actually now that schools in, this is a terrible time for me to starting a blog cause I won't be seeing a fraction of the shows I did last month.

Oh yeah, Apes of wrath/Pigs of war sounds really good on thier myspace. I'm gonna check them out with trasfer.