Artists You Were Really Excited to See That Turned Out to Be Terrible Live

 Posted by
May 182009
 


Townsperson jeangray, in a recent thread, raised a point that’s worth bringing to The Main Stage:

Perhaps we need to do a thread about artists we were really excited to see that turned out to be terrible live.

Perhaps we do. Thanks, jeangray!

The first artist who came to mind for me was James Blood Ulmer, about 10 years ago. Rather than the charging, repetitive stuff I’d come to love of his, his live show at some Saturnismine-approved alternative rec hall was nothing more than the shambling, out-of-tune noise that our tone-savvy friend Hrrundivbakshi probably hears when he hears the music of James Blood Ulmer. To make matters worse he had the last hippie, flute-playing woman on earth blowing along with this racket. As much as I wanted to like the show, it really sucked. Even more than the one and only time I got to see The Clash, on their Combat Rock tour. That show was merely “humbling.”

Share

Vive le rock?

 Posted by
May 182009
 

I once asked a French cafe owner why French pop music was so bad.

“Bof!”, he replied, “because we did not invent it!”

Great answer.

Yesterday a was given a mixed disc of French music. About the only name I recognised was Charles Trenet. Who was going before Charles de Gaulle stormed the Champs Elysses. But my interest was awaked by this tune by a band called Quidam, a trio who hit me like The Go-Betweens on Gauloises.

[dm]x864tw[/dm]

So what else is worth a listen from the land of 1,000 cheeses?

Share

Tommy (the Movie): a) Good, b) Good-Bad, c) Bad, d) All of the Above?

 Posted by
May 152009
 

UPDATED: FOLLOW COMMENTS FOR CAST OF ROAD HOUSE TRADE CHALLENGE!

Last night, following a very long day of business and pleasure, I got home around 10:15 pm, checked e-mails, confirmed the losing score of the Phillies’ game had not been overturned, and then flipped channels for a spell until I could barely keep awake. Then, just as I was about to call it a day, I saw that Ken Russell‘s Tommy was about to come on! This is one of those train-wreck movies I can’t help but watch whenever it comes on. I was both fascinated and repelled by it when I saw it in the theaters as a kid, and my reactions to the movie have not changed since then on repeated small-screen viewing. I knew from the start that I would pay for staying up an additional hour today—my brain was already starting to throb from overuse—but I rationalized that it had been some time since I saw the opening scenes, with the boy actor as Tommy. Beside, I told myself, it would be good for Rock Town Hall.


I ended up watching through the scenes with the boy and the first, highly influential scene with Roger Daltrey as the deaf, dumb, and blind adults Tommy being taken by his mom, Ann-Margret, to the Marilyn Monroe-worshipping church led by Blooz Minister Eric Clapton. I consider this film highly inspirational on a personal level because Daltrey exemplified what would become one of my most cherished bits of comedy at home: my love for and impersonation of actors acting blind in movies. No offense to our blind Townspeople checking in, but Hollywood really gave you the shaft when it came to a lousy repertoire of approaches to acting blind.
Continue reading »

Share

Catch ’em While You Can

 Posted by
May 152009
 

Hrrundi V. Bakshi was here.

Last night, I drove the 100 or so miles from DeeCee to Richmond, VA to see a band I get kidded around a lot for ’round these parts: ZZ Top.

Some of you might be surprised to learn that this was the first time I’d ever seen the band, given my fan-boy love for almost all things Zeezy, and particularly Gibbonsian. Nevertheless, there I was, at a peculiar, very small outdoor venue (seemed more like a neighborhood park, and there couldn’t have been more than 1500 people there) — and I was frankly surprised how much the band rocked — with a weird, loping groove they seem to have developed in their dotage. I’ve never heard anything like it. If it weren’t mathematically impossible, I’d say that the whole band was playing behind the beat. Billy’s playing was especially stellar — I was worried what I might see, after witnessing some pretty shambolic TV appearances in recent years. No worries there; the Rev was ON.

Anyhow, the show was definitely worth the $20 I paid to see it, and might have even been worth the five-hour round-trip drive. But that’s not why I write!

I’m writing because ZZ Top was on my increasingly short list of “bands I really need to see while I still can/really should have seen while I had the chance.” I’m here to share my list, indicating whether or not I got to see the artists on it — and I hope you’ll share yours. Please note that historical impossibilities are not allowed — but missed opportunities are. Here, then, is my list, in no particular order, to serve as example:
Continue reading »

Share

Your Rock ‘n Roll Mendoza Line

 Posted by
May 152009
 

Here’s an oldie but goodie I thought might be worth revisiting. Please read the set-up closely: the Rock ‘n Roll Mendoza line is meant to identify something more than a 1-hit wonder not even worthy of further consideration as a strong artist. The first time this ran we had some good feedback from a number of Townspeople who’ve been less active of late or checked out altogether. Now that you’re here, feel free to extend this discussion.

This post initially appeared 0/13/07.

You know what baseball’s Mendoza Line is, right? Named after former Pittsburgh Pirates’ light-hitting shortstop, Mario Mendoza, it refers to a sub-.200 batting average, the surest sign of offensive failure in the sport.

Today I’d like to hear about Your Rock ‘n Roll Mendoza Line, that point at which an artist who has at least 1 song that you really like yet has by demerit of the bulk of said artist’s output completely failed in your ears and eyes. Is there a particular band or artist that defines Your Rock ‘n Roll Mendoza line?

Click here to watch Frank Black’s “Headache” video. (Thanks, Viacom!)
Continue reading »

Share
 Older Entries  Newer Entries

Lost Password?

 
twitter facebook youtube