I don't believe I've ever been inclined to do anything that requires a steady hand and a blade thus my whole life has been void of me performing brain surgery, scalping, and other activities. Hell, I can't even cut a straight line on a piece of paper with a pair of kiddie scissors (still not allowed to buy the adult ones with pointy tips).
Having said all this one might be able to see the predicament I'm in by attending and participating in a pumpkin carving party this evening. I feel like it will end up looking very asymmetrical and at best like I attacked an innocent pumpkin that was minding it's own goddamn business. I do love the genius idea of having a pumpkin carving party (Thanks Matt and Britney!) so tonight should be good fun. I do feel like the word 'genius' is thrown around too much and it reminds me of the very, very, very, few times I've been called a genius (non-sarcastically) by one of my friends. I always reply something to the effect of "Just because I'm smarter than you, it doesn't necessarily make me a genius, it just means that I'm not retarded'. I wonder why I don't get more compliments, I obviously take them well. I'm not really a big fan of using the word 'retarded' anymore but boy did I ever used to be. An expensive pack of candy or cd or a long line or that weird thing in your hair could have been retarded to me in the past. But not now. I like to think I've grown in some ways.
You're welcome for the tangent - the party should be dope. I'll try to take and post pics.
Have a good one,
The Chairman
Saturday, October 23, 2010
LA LA Love You
Dating In LA
You're just an average, typical, run of the mill, psycho LA girl
Who rides a three inch Jersey piece that claims it's from New York
West of La Brea, you gotta keep that driving short
Instead of complaining, pack up and leave these shores
Please forget the charade of trying to make ammends
Second chances, pitiful glances, and
'Let's be friends'
Let's just be enemies and prepare to defend...
Our allegations, allegories, rambling on about never ending stories.
Time to cut our losses, fire our bosses,
And stop worrying about the fact we're both bearing crosses.
It's just south of simple
What remains in store
A brand new wrinkle
I don't want you anymore
Saturday, October 9, 2010
My Own (end of) Summer...
Hello! I apologize for the delay but it has been an action packed week and a half since I last posted so I'll do my best to recount what I've been up to, mostly so I'll remember and also to catch everyone one up that cares to be caught up...hang on this is going to be a long one.
Outside of the weather, I love Kansas City more and more each day. The weather has been perfect the last couple of weeks actually so we'll save my disdain for it for another post. I have made good on my promise to get out in KC more.
Last Friday I went to Crosstown Station for the first time to see the excellent Cherokee Rock Rifle, I hadn't seen them in months since what I think was their first show and they blew me away with their big rock riffs and their sick lead singer who switched between whiskey fueled yells, growls, and singing - they were just flat out fun and they rocked which I think I was needing to see. I was also blown away and pleasantly surprised by the opening band O Giant Man. They are another local Kansas City band who sang with beautiful harmonies, interesting pop hooks, and they genuinely seemed to be having fun on stage. They even had a song where all of the members played percussion on equally spaced floor toms - truly refreshing and incredible to see. I hadn't even started drinking yet and I liked them. Think Beach Boys meets Gram Parsons meets Beulah meets The Shins. I am convinced that if they lived in Seattle, Sub Pop would have already signed them and they'd be touring the globe with Beach House. They also seemed like good guys, staying the whole show - local bands take note - when bands put you on a bill stay the whole time and support, it's only the right thing to do. The extra six people in the crowd can really make a difference to a performing band's psyche.
I already considered the night a success but it was far from over...we dropped my great friend and roommate Mike Harper off at home and then the equally great Matt Conner and I decided we weren't finished with the night so we went to an awesome bar called the Quaff. It's great if you like at least one of the following: beer, hard alcohol, sports, good people, shuffleboard, food, downtown KC. I'm still completely enamored with downtown KC - it really does have a pulse - I'd love to live there. We also hit the Riot room and the amazing Jerusalem Cafe gyro truck on the way home - it's at least amazing at 2:30AM every time.
The next night was just as epic for different reasons. It was a night my friends and I had been looking forward to for months. We went to the Sandstone Amphitheater (or whatever it's called now) for the BLACKDIAMONDSKYE tour featuring the Deftones, Mastodon, and Alice in Chains. Because of my past in the music industry and some really great people that are still in it, I'm still able to get free tickets to shows from time to time and this was one of these shows. There is nothing I enjoy more than to be able to provide my friends with tickets to a show they want to see. I'm so happy when I can do it for them because of how much they do for me - have I talked about how much I love my KC friends yet? I was able to get 4 tickets and the aforementioned Matt, Mike, as well as my fucking awesome friends Holly, Josh, and Beau all went out there and had a wonderful night - all of these people deserve their own separate post. During the Deftones set we all just stood close to the stage and rocked - the set was flawless: Rocket Skates, Around The Fur, Be Quiet and Drive, My Own Summer, Diamond Eyes, You've Seen The Butcher, Sextape, Passenger, Change, Nosebleed, Engine No. 9, and 7 Words. It was the best sounding show I've been too outside of a Radiohead or Cure concert. I was in awe. The sad thing is that the venue was only half full. Dear Kansas City, you always get mad when your favorite bands skip playing here on tour - this is the exact damn reason they do skip us. Get your asses out to more shows and more shows will come here, I promise. Kansas City is widely known in the industry as a crappy ticket market - let's do what we can to change it.
Anyway - I feel like I've been rambling too much, I'm just glad there's that much to ramble about. If this keeps up I may have to change the title of my little 'ol blog. I can make any situation boring (just ask my friends) so I think I'll keep it for now...More later, I already have another very different post in the works- thanks, as always, for reading.
The Chairman
Outside of the weather, I love Kansas City more and more each day. The weather has been perfect the last couple of weeks actually so we'll save my disdain for it for another post. I have made good on my promise to get out in KC more.
Last Friday I went to Crosstown Station for the first time to see the excellent Cherokee Rock Rifle, I hadn't seen them in months since what I think was their first show and they blew me away with their big rock riffs and their sick lead singer who switched between whiskey fueled yells, growls, and singing - they were just flat out fun and they rocked which I think I was needing to see. I was also blown away and pleasantly surprised by the opening band O Giant Man. They are another local Kansas City band who sang with beautiful harmonies, interesting pop hooks, and they genuinely seemed to be having fun on stage. They even had a song where all of the members played percussion on equally spaced floor toms - truly refreshing and incredible to see. I hadn't even started drinking yet and I liked them. Think Beach Boys meets Gram Parsons meets Beulah meets The Shins. I am convinced that if they lived in Seattle, Sub Pop would have already signed them and they'd be touring the globe with Beach House. They also seemed like good guys, staying the whole show - local bands take note - when bands put you on a bill stay the whole time and support, it's only the right thing to do. The extra six people in the crowd can really make a difference to a performing band's psyche.
I already considered the night a success but it was far from over...we dropped my great friend and roommate Mike Harper off at home and then the equally great Matt Conner and I decided we weren't finished with the night so we went to an awesome bar called the Quaff. It's great if you like at least one of the following: beer, hard alcohol, sports, good people, shuffleboard, food, downtown KC. I'm still completely enamored with downtown KC - it really does have a pulse - I'd love to live there. We also hit the Riot room and the amazing Jerusalem Cafe gyro truck on the way home - it's at least amazing at 2:30AM every time.
The next night was just as epic for different reasons. It was a night my friends and I had been looking forward to for months. We went to the Sandstone Amphitheater (or whatever it's called now) for the BLACKDIAMONDSKYE tour featuring the Deftones, Mastodon, and Alice in Chains. Because of my past in the music industry and some really great people that are still in it, I'm still able to get free tickets to shows from time to time and this was one of these shows. There is nothing I enjoy more than to be able to provide my friends with tickets to a show they want to see. I'm so happy when I can do it for them because of how much they do for me - have I talked about how much I love my KC friends yet? I was able to get 4 tickets and the aforementioned Matt, Mike, as well as my fucking awesome friends Holly, Josh, and Beau all went out there and had a wonderful night - all of these people deserve their own separate post. During the Deftones set we all just stood close to the stage and rocked - the set was flawless: Rocket Skates, Around The Fur, Be Quiet and Drive, My Own Summer, Diamond Eyes, You've Seen The Butcher, Sextape, Passenger, Change, Nosebleed, Engine No. 9, and 7 Words. It was the best sounding show I've been too outside of a Radiohead or Cure concert. I was in awe. The sad thing is that the venue was only half full. Dear Kansas City, you always get mad when your favorite bands skip playing here on tour - this is the exact damn reason they do skip us. Get your asses out to more shows and more shows will come here, I promise. Kansas City is widely known in the industry as a crappy ticket market - let's do what we can to change it.
Anyway - I feel like I've been rambling too much, I'm just glad there's that much to ramble about. If this keeps up I may have to change the title of my little 'ol blog. I can make any situation boring (just ask my friends) so I think I'll keep it for now...More later, I already have another very different post in the works- thanks, as always, for reading.
The Chairman
Thursday, September 30, 2010
F*#king Metal!
I sat down this past weekend to write my first metal song. I initially thought it would take me between 4 and 5 minutes and then I could go on my one song metal world or at least Johnson County tour. The one thing I didn't plan on was the hours reflecting on what metal means to me. Turns out, it means almost absolutely nothing to me but of course you have to give yourself time to reflect, right? I made charts, talked to shamans, wept, delved into my many spheres of influence and nada! But my friends, that is the beauty of metal - you don't have to know anything about it to do it because kind of like punk it's about attitude. In fact, I'd go as far as to say metal is punk without heart. It's anger up to the point right before you realize that it's masked hurt - just listen to the Goo Goo Dolls - they used to be metal and turned into mid-tempo sappy mush rock.
So, to make a long story longer - I've written most of a metal song - it's called "Giving Birth To Death" (way metal, huh?). I was going to call it "Pain In My Assets" and it was going to be about a man's struggle with our horrible economic times but that was way too political for metal, at least my metal, the metal I know and don't love. There will be a youtube video shortly after I throw a couple of fast bar chords behind my sick metal lyrics - wish me luck!
Yours in metal,
The Chairman
So, to make a long story longer - I've written most of a metal song - it's called "Giving Birth To Death" (way metal, huh?). I was going to call it "Pain In My Assets" and it was going to be about a man's struggle with our horrible economic times but that was way too political for metal, at least my metal, the metal I know and don't love. There will be a youtube video shortly after I throw a couple of fast bar chords behind my sick metal lyrics - wish me luck!
Yours in metal,
The Chairman
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
And away we go...
The truth is, I had the name of this blog figured out months ago but am only now getting it going. Excellent starter, horrible finisher - way more hare than tortoise. For those that don't know me, I moved here to Kansas City about 2 and a half years ago after 15 years in Los Angeles, first as a college student, and then a music industry professional. In fact I just came back from an LA trip for one of my best friend's wedding. Trips back home always give me a little kick start and could be the impetus for my finally starting this little blog.
I don't know what I really expect from all of this but anybody that knows me knows that I have a lot to say whether they want to hear it or not. Part of my mission here is to expose the beauty of Kansas City because this place fucking rules, you just have to dig sometimes. I'm doing my best to get out of a rut I've been in for a little while. The other part of of my mission is just to tell and listen to stories from anybody that is willing to tell or listen themselves. Anything worth doing always starts with heart and thought so bring it. Thanks for tuning in - more soon...
I don't know what I really expect from all of this but anybody that knows me knows that I have a lot to say whether they want to hear it or not. Part of my mission here is to expose the beauty of Kansas City because this place fucking rules, you just have to dig sometimes. I'm doing my best to get out of a rut I've been in for a little while. The other part of of my mission is just to tell and listen to stories from anybody that is willing to tell or listen themselves. Anything worth doing always starts with heart and thought so bring it. Thanks for tuning in - more soon...
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