I only like comments from people I like, that means if you're trying to get my to buy something I won't pay attention

Well, it's been awhile friends. Finals are over now and I'm finally able to slow down a little bit. After getting back from our PDX Thanksgiving trip I had to bust ass to get everything done. And now, yes, it's time to go back to PDX! We get in on the 21st, and are there until January 2nd. Some news of note: while we're there I will be playing with Tractor Operator at the Towne Lounge on the 29th. Ferocious Eagle is also on the bill...I'm psyched to finally see 'em. On the 30th I'll be playing a little bit with Dan Jones and the Squids (Eugene) at Sam Bonds Garage. We'll be down in Eugene all day...see you at Roma.

Not too much else news, except that now I have to get ready for my first Doctoral recital here at IU, I've got 3 months! I hoping it will be in late March.

Happy Everything!

Saturday

Sitting at the Encore cafe. A nice place to be to do homework, drink coffee, try to keep yourself from buying a piece of carrott cake. It was so nice today to wake on a Saturday and not have to drive to Mooresville for marching band. Kelley and I got to enjoy a somewhat leisurely morning...good for the soul.

Davin brought me some new music last night. The other Neutral Milk Hotel record, something about Avery Island?, which I've listened to a little bit whilst doing other things and I think I'll enjoy when I can pay it more attention. He also brought me a Olivia Tremor Control record. Maybe it will take some getting used to, I'm not immediately drawn to it. 90's music which says "we love Brian Wilson." I'll give it a chance, don't worry.

We have 4 carved pumkins sitting on our porch. A neighborhood cat hissed at me. It gets dark here so early now.

I have to get home so the wife and I can watch Donnie Darko.

Also on a big 'ol Bob Dylan kick right now wich can be attributed to my Mother sending us the companion cd's to No Direction Home. How did she know? No really, she had no idea that Kelley and I enjoy some Bob Dylan. She trusted the word of a record store clerk.
Careful Mom, they aren't always to be trusted.

Can you believe it's almost basketball time?

And I'm out.

Neutral Milk Hotel

How is that you can hear a band once, not really have much of a reaction, and then hear it again two years later and have hit you like a ton of bricks? Dan burned In the Aeroplane of the Sea for me a few years ago. Didn't think much of it at the time. It's pretty heavy in the rotation right now. In fact I might go as far as to say that I really like this record, and it's distracting me from doing my homework. If anyone knows if the Neutral Milk Hotel have any other reccomendable ep's or anything do let me know...and what about the Olivia Tremor Control? I guess thats the band that this guy used to be in?

Christopher Walken is funny

So sometimes concert reviews can be really bland, but we're going to attempt to give y'all a spicy one.

Built to Spill 10/7/05

The vogue (where they played) is a club in Indianapolis. It's a decent size, but not too big. It was definitely one of the more intimate settings I've seen BTS in. I'm just gonna say up front that it was a decent concert. Nothing spectacular, which is going to surprise some of you...since I've been known to kiss the ground Doug walks on.

Ian, the sound guy they usually take on tour with them was there, but didn't quite seem to get the fact that Brett Netson had his guitar turned up WAY too loud. Doug's guitar was almost in-audible. So the sound could have been better. The beers could have been cheaper. hoooo! But the set was good, they didn't seem too road weary. I think I was one of the few people who fully enjoyed the new reggae song. The George Harrison cover wasn't as good as I had hoped, but all of the stuff off of Keep it like a secret was super tight. The crowd was well behaved, almost too much so. They threw up a half sarcastic show of hands when the John Mellencamp line came in "you were right." Hoosiers.

and can I just say that I'm all about early concerts. The show started at 7! We were home, after a 1 hour drive, before midnight. Enough time to eat sweet flavored popcorn (which I'm not all about) and drink a less expensive beer.

jumbled thoughts

We just started a free trial of Netflix. I'm completely enamoured. Its like going to the video store and having the video you're looking for always there. WOW! If you rate movies then netflix reccomends movies to you bases on what it thinks your tastes are. Crazy. What else, how about new music:

the Sea and Cake, the fawn, and One Bedroom, both of them good. I want to expose myself to more rock music that includes electronics, not that the sea and cake epitomize this, but its the kind of think I'm looking for.

Also got the Brian Jonestown Massacre's Methodrone, which I like to a point. Some of the singing kinda bugs me, but overall I enjoy it.

Oh, and did I mention fucking Tractor Operator is coming to town! Holy crap. We're gonna be rolling out the red carpet good and proper let me tell you.

Just finished a big paper for my music education class. We taped the Martin Scorsese film about Bob Dylan that was PBS tonight, I look forward to watching that. Kelley says that the people didn't like Dylan playing with a band. It reminds me of the first time I went to see Elliott Smith and he was with a band, and how dissapointed that made me at first. My favorite Elliott Smith shows were way back when he would mostly do solo shows.

Well whats interesting? Spent my second Saturday in a row this past week at a high school marching band competition. I know my days are numbered for teaching marching band. If I am offered an AI (Assitant Instructor/Tuition Paid!) next year I won't be able to teach at Mooresville AND teach at IU. I'll miss it. I'll miss the kids, the vibe of the whole thing its taken its toal on me though. With me school schedule being what it is, it gets harder to drive up to Mooresville (45 min.) at all to teach. I'll enjoy re-living my high school days for the rest of the season.
Kelley and I are pretty bummed that the Brian Jonestown Massacre cancelled their show in INdy. I was looking forward to seeing them, especially Collin.
 

the fruit bats

So it was a relatively un-productive weekend. I spent most of Saturday at a marching band competition. I get paid for this, but come on there are better things to do with a Saturday. Sunday I auditioned for the sublist of the Lafayette Symphony, which I was added to. I was already on it, but I guess each year they re-audition for the purpose of re-ranking all of the potential folks they could call. So yes. We got our Thanksgiving plane tickets in the mail today! shhhh, I'm supposed to be reading right now.

I have so much reading for my music ed. class, I was supposed to read a couple hundred pages for this week. I'm getting good at skimming for the important material.

Mari, if you're reading this, I'm glad you saw Dig but Courtney Taylor (I refuse to repeat his last name a second time) still annoys the poop out of me. ESPECIALLY the blue undies.

Kelley and I saw the Aristocrats on Friday. It was pretty funny for a documentary.

Everyone go and do something for yourselves today. Buy yourself a fany coffee drink or something.