What’s the Hunter Pence Bobblehead Night of Rock?

 Posted by
Aug 242012
 

Mixed emotions.

Last July the Philadelphia Phillies acquired talented, quirky outfielder Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros. His arrival was hailed with all the promise Phillies fans had become accustomed to since the franchise’s revival, which first showed signs of rebirth with the 2004 signing of Jim Thome and fully arrived during the team’s 2008 championship season. Pence was yet another reason for fans to buy Phillies merchandise and hold in going to the bathroom while the home team was at-bat.

The 2012 schedule announced a Hunter Pence Bobblehead Night. What better player to commemorate in bobblehead form than the animated Pence, right?

The only problem with this grand giveaway is that Pence spent the first half of the 2012 season choking on the bit before getting traded to the San Francisco Giants 3 weeks before his bobblehead night. Attendees received their bobblehead with mixed emotions. I was a little bugged that night by having to lug around my box holding a Phailed Phormer Phillies player. I complained about this the other day, while feeling severely frustrated by a recent Beach Boys thread.

Sensing my frustration, Townsman alexmagic offered a recipe for lemonade that I will share with you:

Mod, your earlier comment about going to last night’s game made me wonder if there’s a “Hunter Pence Bobblehead Night” of rock. As in, tours/albums/songs/album covers heavily featuring the image or input of a departed band member (though I think we’d have to rule out recently deceased band members, since they would be kept on in tribute, not weird shame).

I suspect you will agree that this is an important topic to explore. I look forward to your thoughts.

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Please Explain…

 Posted by
Aug 242012
 

I am becoming increasingly comfortable with my middle age-self. My ears don’t work as well as they used to (ie, years of loud music has taken a toll on my hearing) and my body aches more before, during, and after exercise. I like to go to bed on the early side. I listen regularly to NPR. I’ve also come to realize that I am part of the target demographic for Hear Music and have been enjoying a recent release (purchased at Starbucks, natch) called Just Tell Me What You Want: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac.

I also like to cook and bake, and as I’ve aged, I’ve been swapping out my crappy baking pans for items that are a little nicer. Which led me, last week, to the flagship Williams-Sonoma store, in Union Square, San Francisco. This place is four floors of culinary and gastronomic heaven. I get weak in the knees as I cross the threshold. And as I was floating around the pots, pans, utensils, stemware, dishtowels, fragranced dish soap, and table clothes, I realized that the store soundtrack for my reverie was…

The Scorpions. Followed by Def Leppard.

WTF???

Could someone please explain this? What was the manager thinking? Do I represent a new shift in the target audience for W-S? Was this an errant stock boy on a hair metal lark?

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Q & A With E. Pluribus Gergely

 Posted by
Aug 242012
 

Let’s face it, E. Pluribus Gergely had an especially poor showing in the Halls of Rock this summer. He wasn’t alone, but in past years the anticipation some of us have held toward the man’s summer break and expanded schedule for giving (and taking) shit has paid off in spades. Not this summer, though. EPG, we hardly knew you!

Word is he was tied up fending off competition in his side business to attend to our needs. There’s a new kid cutting in on his turf, and he won’t have it. That’s his business, though. Our business takes place right here. Earlier this week I held his feet to the fire.

I’ll be seeing the man tonight. Before the summer slips into fall he has promised to field questions and concerns from us. Either he will answer directly, in the coming days, or I will summarize his responses for you. You may simply have a few words to say to him, not so much a question or concern. That’s cool, too. Don’t miss your chance to engage with this charming fellow before his summer break is over.

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Townspeople Helping Townspeople Cease Feeling Like Idiots About Rock-Related Things They Should Know

 Posted by
Aug 232012
 

On a recent episode of the best show on WFMU, The Best Show on WFMU, host Tom Scharpling made an aside about all the years he’s spent feeling like an idiot for not knowing how to pronounce the last word in The Clash song “White Man (in Hammersmith Palais).” I knew exactly where he was coming from. I’ve loved that song for 33 years, yet despite my pride in knowing just enough French to get myself in trouble by trying to use it when I’m over there, I’ve always resisted pronouncing it “pal-ay.” It’s an actual concert hall in London, I presume, so for all I know the Brits butcher the word, as they seem to do with most French words, and comfortably pronounce it “palace.”

To avoid sounding pretentious I’ve always referred to the song, when it comes up in conversation with friends, as “White Man in Hammersmith Palace—or whatever it’s called.” Folks, I’m tired of feeling like an idiot. Can someone assure me of the proper pronunciation?

If you’ve been hiding your ignorance of some rock-related thing you really should know by now, we’re offering a judgment-free window to pose your deep-seated point of ignorance and stop feeling like an idiot around your rock-nerd friends once and for all.

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All-Star Jam

 Posted by
Aug 232012
 

You know, the All-Star Jam holds universal appeal. Tell us what’s happening in your musical part of the world. Sightings of tonyola and Happiness Stan would be especially appreciated.

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Dark Time Indeed

 Posted by
Aug 222012
 

On the way to the Phils game last night (don’t get me started) we were listening to the classic rock channel. My wife turned to me and said “Rock is dead.”

Although I nodded silently, it struck me how heavy and huge a pronouncement this was. And, I’m sad to say, pretty true.

I know I’m out of it, but I do try to keep up with a lot of music the youngin’s are listening to these days—mostly through my own kids. They’re pretty much up on a lot of stuff—but nothing is what I’d call Rock with a capital R.

I know it’s a broad term—and there are some throwback bands doing all sorts of rock derivatives. I, for instance, like what small amount I’ve heard from The Hentchmen—but they are throwback garage rock.

No, what I’m talking about is Power-and-Glory Rock. Anyone (besides some stuff I’ve heard from Jack White) doing this sorta thing nowadays?

Or is my wife correct? Is Rock dead?

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