Get excited friends. FGD has shows coming up on Dec 14 at 9pm and Dec 21 at 3pm. Very likely that our Dec 21 show will be a Christmas Spectacular as we are wont to do. I really just wanted to use the word wont. I love doing our holiday shows, they're full of special guests and surprises.
Come see it!
11.05.2008
10.20.2008
Some Random Baseball Thoughts
Congrats to the Rays and Phillies to moving on to the World Series. My prediction of Rays-Dodgers was oh so close. Granted I made that call two games into the Division Serieses, but hey, could have been worse.
Strangely, AL East has been repping the AL in the World Series a lot in the last decade. And when I say a lot I mean A LOT.
Of the last ten series (1998-2008 (which might be 11 series)) the AL East has been represented in 8 of them.
1998: Yankees
1999: Yankees
2000: Yankees
2001: Yankees
2002: Angels
2003: Yankees
2004: Red Sox
2005: White Sox
2006: Tigers
2007: Red Sox
2008: Rays
That is a lot of AL East. They've won 5 of the 10 that occured.
So yeah.
That is your random baseball thought for today.
Strangely, AL East has been repping the AL in the World Series a lot in the last decade. And when I say a lot I mean A LOT.
Of the last ten series (1998-2008 (which might be 11 series)) the AL East has been represented in 8 of them.
1998: Yankees
1999: Yankees
2000: Yankees
2001: Yankees
2002: Angels
2003: Yankees
2004: Red Sox
2005: White Sox
2006: Tigers
2007: Red Sox
2008: Rays
That is a lot of AL East. They've won 5 of the 10 that occured.
So yeah.
That is your random baseball thought for today.
8.20.2008
The Inevitable Movie Preview Review
Time for another world famous "John reviews a movie based on its preview".
I was trying to avoid this one because it looks so bad, but it would be irresponsible to do so.
This movie is about Aztec Chihuahuas that are going to sing and dance for 2+ hours. In case you were curious, they fully intend to bang each other as was noted by the 50% lover part. I am also assuming that since the Chihuahua has a spanish accent but raps as though he was from the streets that he is based on Gerardo.
Bonus points if you knew who Gerardo was before watching the video. I never realized how filthy the lyrics to this song were.
Please note that in the preview it did not say "Disney Proudly Presents" in the voiceover which is common for Disney movies. Even they know its gonna suck.
The movie posters for this don't help answer any questions at all either. Sorry I link to these instead of posting them here, I just have no idea how to do it without it screwing everything up.
Poster 1
http://movies.about.com/od/beverlyhillschihuahua/ig/Beverly-Hills-Chihuahua-Poster/beverlyhillschihuahuaposter2.htm
OK, I know how big Chihuahuas are. Excellent.
Poster 2
http://movies.about.com/od/beverlyhillschihuahua/ig/Beverly-Hills-Chihuahua-Poster/beverlyhillschihuahuaposter4.htm
This tells me that the Chihuahua wants to fight me or is asking me if I literally want some of him. Which seems strange considering the other poster informed me that he was already little and probably doesn't have much to give.
Poster 3
http://movies.about.com/od/beverlyhillschihuahua/ig/Beverly-Hills-Chihuahua-Poster/beverlyhillschihuahuaposter3.htm
I now know I need to kill myself on Sept 25.
Follow up: Apparently the release date was pushed back a week. Giving me another week to live. Thanks Disney.
I was trying to avoid this one because it looks so bad, but it would be irresponsible to do so.
This movie is about Aztec Chihuahuas that are going to sing and dance for 2+ hours. In case you were curious, they fully intend to bang each other as was noted by the 50% lover part. I am also assuming that since the Chihuahua has a spanish accent but raps as though he was from the streets that he is based on Gerardo.
Bonus points if you knew who Gerardo was before watching the video. I never realized how filthy the lyrics to this song were.
Please note that in the preview it did not say "Disney Proudly Presents" in the voiceover which is common for Disney movies. Even they know its gonna suck.
The movie posters for this don't help answer any questions at all either. Sorry I link to these instead of posting them here, I just have no idea how to do it without it screwing everything up.
Poster 1
http://movies.about.com/od/beverlyhillschihuahua/ig/Beverly-Hills-Chihuahua-Poster/beverlyhillschihuahuaposter2.htm
OK, I know how big Chihuahuas are. Excellent.
Poster 2
http://movies.about.com/od/beverlyhillschihuahua/ig/Beverly-Hills-Chihuahua-Poster/beverlyhillschihuahuaposter4.htm
This tells me that the Chihuahua wants to fight me or is asking me if I literally want some of him. Which seems strange considering the other poster informed me that he was already little and probably doesn't have much to give.
Poster 3
http://movies.about.com/od/beverlyhillschihuahua/ig/Beverly-Hills-Chihuahua-Poster/beverlyhillschihuahuaposter3.htm
I now know I need to kill myself on Sept 25.
Follow up: Apparently the release date was pushed back a week. Giving me another week to live. Thanks Disney.
8.12.2008
Madden Curse Came Early This Year
With Brett Favre going to the Jets, we have (I believe) the earliest fulfillment of the Madden Curse. Usually the injury or fluke circumstance that ruins a season doesn't happen until a couple weeks in. I am glad fate is getting more efficient.
Yes, Favre going to the Jets is a curse. He needs to learn a whole new set of plays, receivers, has a new offenseive line, and will be in a tougher division. I would be shocked if he had a good year. The other side note to this curse is he damaged his legacy. He did. Let's be upfront about that. This whole situation is awkward and has happened too many times for it not to change the way people think about him.
I hope the new Madden is good. So far I have heard good things.
8.10.2008
Quick Note About the Recap Below
There are a bunch of youtube videos embedded here. It takes a little while to load.
4th Annual Lollapalooza Recap/Review Party
Here is my annual recap of Lollapalooza, a 3 day music festival in Chicago. I have gone every year. I have written a recap every year.
First off, what am I writing about. Not just the bands and how they were, but the experience itself. Ergo, there might be some unrelated comments, so just bear with me. I admit I am biased by bands I like vs ones I have never heard, so please consider that and I will note it as needed.
My grading system is schoolish
A = I would actively find when this band is doing another show and pay to see them
B = If someone invited me I would probably go
C = I would probably agree to go see them then flake at the last minute
D = I would simply say “no” if invited to see them
F = I would be so insulted you thought I would even remotely consider seeing them that it is not unlikely that I will punch you in the face and/or end whatever relationship we have
+/- applies in this as well. It’s important to note I am not a big concert person. I prefer listening to recorded albums, so to earn an A you have to be pretty good at something.
For organizational sake I have included the day by day recaps in separate posts below. I had the foresight to post day 3 first so it would appear last.
Me = Genius.
I also put the time someone performed so you can get an idea of how sober/sunstroked I was when I wrote it. This year I included links to youtube or elsewhere so you can hear some samples.
At the end I will close out some thoughts and also provide a list of bands I happened to hear (either because I caught the end of their set waiting for another band or walked by their stage) and want to learn more about.
Live the dream.
Click here to skip to Day 1, or Day 2, or Day 3, or the Closing Thoughts
Lollapalooza Day 1: Time at fest 12:30pm-10pm
See Above for grading meanings. See below for the review.
12:45pm - Already very sweaty. Festival is already very crowded. Already drinking beer. Lollapalooza 08 is a go!
1:15pm – Rogue Wave: A
One of my favorite bands so I am a little biased. These guys sounded great and did a really good set. They started a bit slow but closed it out perfectly with a Lake Michigan – Harmonium one two punch.
Sound isn’t as good on these videos as it was live.
Lake Michigan
Harmonium
They had a weird time slot considering they are popular. Going theory is festival organizers knew they would get people out but weren’t big enough to be insulted by this time slot.
Rogue Wave sez: “Thanks! We redheads need to stick together. Even though we only have one redheaded band member. And one with a cool beardstache.”
2:15pm - The Go! Team: B+
See these guys do a live show. They bounce around like maniacs and demand the audience do the same. Poppy type of music. Even though it was 300 degrees the audience was totally into it.
This is from Glastonbury, but has better sound than any Lolla videos
After this set some older guy (prob 45) who was 5’4”, overweight, balding, and probably a little drunk was talking to anyone around him about The Go! Team and how great they are. He also suggested everyone see CSS. Sorry, buddy, last time I went where a drunk middle aged dude suggested… well, let’s just say the free candy was the only good part.
The Go! Team sez: “That dude weirds us out too.”
3:15pm – Duffy: F-
Sounded awful. Was boring between songs. Really nothing redeeming about her set. I am consciously not linking to anything on her because I don’t want to ruin your day.
Dufffy sez: “Ouch!”
4:15pm - Gogol Bordello: A-
For me they are A- just because I am lazy about going to see shows. For you they should be an A++++ and immediately on your list of bands to see perform live. They play gypsy punk, which is becoming surprisingly popular. Fine by me. I like gypsy punk.
They were energetic, eclectic, and made you feel ok about going absolutely bananas in public. Basically, exactly what a festival band should be.
Gogol Bordello sez: “Rishtag Weeehawg!” or some other indiscernible thing really loudly.
5:45pm – Grizzly Bear: B+
For you I would say B-. I know, what’s the point of this system if I have to keep translating. Here’s the thing: they sound great, they are just more mellow. Not so much so that it sucked, but they are a smaller venue band. So the grade varies based on venue. They can play live. Don’t doubt that. Just know you are getting what their album sounds like. Which is mellow. My first very disjointed paragraph. Yay!
Sorry, couldn’t find any other good live performances
Grizzly Bear sez: “Come on, man. We gave you ‘Horn of Plenty’, which is one of your favorite albums ever. You couldn’t at least give us an A-?”
John sez: “Sorry, Grizzly Bear. I have to be ethical about this. I still love you.”
6:15pm – The Raconteurs: Whoops
I am not sure quite how this happened, but I basically missed their set. Probably because I had to walk across the fest after being guaranteed to miss the first 15 minutes. Then I needed a rib sandwich. Then I sat off to the side behind the stage to take a little break. Then next thing I knew, I had only listened to a couple songs. I will say this based on seeing them before. They are awesome live. Go see them.
Hate to link to such a mainstream song, but best I could find.
The Raconteurs sez: “We don’t care that you missed our set because we hate you as a person.”
8pm – Radiohead: A+
Soooooo, you could argue that OK Computer or The Bends was one of the best albums of the last 20 years and they were both made by one band. Also note their other albums include Kid A, Pablo Honey, and Hail to the Thief amongst others.
That is maniacal.
Some people complained that it was just them standing and playing. I disagree, they had laser lights and other things to entertain your eyes. The other thing is, the music does the work for a band like this. Their songs are so intense that it is hard not to get swept up in their show. See them sooner rather than later. They are an incredible band and sounded awesome live.
A little outdated, but you get the idea of how awesome they are
Also worth noting; there was a guy in the beer line who had a Pablo Honey tour shirt on. He was probably early 40’s. Graying a bit. I have never been so jealous of someone. Can you imagine loving Radiohead that much when that came out then they follow it up consistently with dynamite albums? Not only loving them that much, but being aged enough to truly understand the band and not just have a teenage crush on them.
Bonus video for the Pablo Honey T-shirt guy even though this isn't from the album Pablo Honey but it is one of their best songs and they played it at Lolla.
Radiohead Sez: “Thanks for the nice words. We couldn’t quite hear you because we were under a huge pile of money and women and talent. But we’re sure they were very nice.”
Pablo Honey Tour Shirt Guy Sez: “Some weird dude just cornered me and kept talking about The Go! Team. It was awkward. Oh, and scroll down for the Day 2 recap.”
Better do what he says. He knows how to pick 'em.
12:45pm - Already very sweaty. Festival is already very crowded. Already drinking beer. Lollapalooza 08 is a go!
1:15pm – Rogue Wave: A
One of my favorite bands so I am a little biased. These guys sounded great and did a really good set. They started a bit slow but closed it out perfectly with a Lake Michigan – Harmonium one two punch.
Sound isn’t as good on these videos as it was live.
Lake Michigan
Harmonium
They had a weird time slot considering they are popular. Going theory is festival organizers knew they would get people out but weren’t big enough to be insulted by this time slot.
Rogue Wave sez: “Thanks! We redheads need to stick together. Even though we only have one redheaded band member. And one with a cool beardstache.”
2:15pm - The Go! Team: B+
See these guys do a live show. They bounce around like maniacs and demand the audience do the same. Poppy type of music. Even though it was 300 degrees the audience was totally into it.
This is from Glastonbury, but has better sound than any Lolla videos
After this set some older guy (prob 45) who was 5’4”, overweight, balding, and probably a little drunk was talking to anyone around him about The Go! Team and how great they are. He also suggested everyone see CSS. Sorry, buddy, last time I went where a drunk middle aged dude suggested… well, let’s just say the free candy was the only good part.
The Go! Team sez: “That dude weirds us out too.”
3:15pm – Duffy: F-
Sounded awful. Was boring between songs. Really nothing redeeming about her set. I am consciously not linking to anything on her because I don’t want to ruin your day.
Dufffy sez: “Ouch!”
4:15pm - Gogol Bordello: A-
For me they are A- just because I am lazy about going to see shows. For you they should be an A++++ and immediately on your list of bands to see perform live. They play gypsy punk, which is becoming surprisingly popular. Fine by me. I like gypsy punk.
They were energetic, eclectic, and made you feel ok about going absolutely bananas in public. Basically, exactly what a festival band should be.
Gogol Bordello sez: “Rishtag Weeehawg!” or some other indiscernible thing really loudly.
5:45pm – Grizzly Bear: B+
For you I would say B-. I know, what’s the point of this system if I have to keep translating. Here’s the thing: they sound great, they are just more mellow. Not so much so that it sucked, but they are a smaller venue band. So the grade varies based on venue. They can play live. Don’t doubt that. Just know you are getting what their album sounds like. Which is mellow. My first very disjointed paragraph. Yay!
Sorry, couldn’t find any other good live performances
Grizzly Bear sez: “Come on, man. We gave you ‘Horn of Plenty’, which is one of your favorite albums ever. You couldn’t at least give us an A-?”
John sez: “Sorry, Grizzly Bear. I have to be ethical about this. I still love you.”
6:15pm – The Raconteurs: Whoops
I am not sure quite how this happened, but I basically missed their set. Probably because I had to walk across the fest after being guaranteed to miss the first 15 minutes. Then I needed a rib sandwich. Then I sat off to the side behind the stage to take a little break. Then next thing I knew, I had only listened to a couple songs. I will say this based on seeing them before. They are awesome live. Go see them.
Hate to link to such a mainstream song, but best I could find.
The Raconteurs sez: “We don’t care that you missed our set because we hate you as a person.”
8pm – Radiohead: A+
Soooooo, you could argue that OK Computer or The Bends was one of the best albums of the last 20 years and they were both made by one band. Also note their other albums include Kid A, Pablo Honey, and Hail to the Thief amongst others.
That is maniacal.
Some people complained that it was just them standing and playing. I disagree, they had laser lights and other things to entertain your eyes. The other thing is, the music does the work for a band like this. Their songs are so intense that it is hard not to get swept up in their show. See them sooner rather than later. They are an incredible band and sounded awesome live.
A little outdated, but you get the idea of how awesome they are
Also worth noting; there was a guy in the beer line who had a Pablo Honey tour shirt on. He was probably early 40’s. Graying a bit. I have never been so jealous of someone. Can you imagine loving Radiohead that much when that came out then they follow it up consistently with dynamite albums? Not only loving them that much, but being aged enough to truly understand the band and not just have a teenage crush on them.
Bonus video for the Pablo Honey T-shirt guy even though this isn't from the album Pablo Honey but it is one of their best songs and they played it at Lolla.
Radiohead Sez: “Thanks for the nice words. We couldn’t quite hear you because we were under a huge pile of money and women and talent. But we’re sure they were very nice.”
Pablo Honey Tour Shirt Guy Sez: “Some weird dude just cornered me and kept talking about The Go! Team. It was awkward. Oh, and scroll down for the Day 2 recap.”
Better do what he says. He knows how to pick 'em.
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