Weezer Gets it Right at the Allstate Arena

Weezer

Almost a week ago I was able to see Weezer when they came to perform here in Chicago.  Weezer brought along both Angels and Airwaves and Tokyo Police Club as their opening acts for this tour.

I wasn’t able to see much of Tokyo Police Club, but I do have comments regarding Angles and Airwaves, who were the second band to perform.  My first impression of this band was that they were a carbon copy of the other emo pop bands.  However, I found some of their songs to be enjoyable, mostly their pure instrumental pieces.  Also, their light show was fantastic.  For an opening band it was astounding work.  Angles and Airwaves were alright but that doesn’t mean that I wanted to see them any longer than I had to.  Weezer was the reason I went to this concert and I was rather impatient for their show to begin.

Weezer’s performance started in top-notch fashion.  They walked on stage sporting white jumpsuits clearly inspired from their “Pork and Beans” music video.  Weezer didn’t waste anytime to begin playing their opening song “My name is Jonas” one of their most popular songs.  The entire Allstate Arena was on their feet singing along, myself included.  There was no better way to open the show for that night.

The setlist for this concert was great and other Weezer fans would agree with me.  They were able to play a variety of their songs from all their albums.  They started with a collection of song from their older albums then they shed their white jumpsuits for red tracksuit which signified the start of the new material from the red album.

The highlights the evening were the covers of Oasis and Nirvana, “Sweater Song,” “Beverly Hills,” “Island in the Sun,” “Heart Songs,” and “Buddy Holly.”

For the highly anticipated performance of “The Sweater Song,” Weezer decided to bring the lead singer of Angles and Airwaves, Tom DeLonge, to start the song.  Rivers Cuomo said that he was going to sit out for this song but I’m sure he just couldn’t resist.  Tom DeLonge sang the first verse and Rivers sang the second one.  In addition, the ending of the song had an outstanding dual drum rendition with Rivers and Atom Willard, the drummer for Angles and Airwaves.

The Oasis cover of “Mouring Glory” was absolutely amazing. It was as if Weezer had written the song themselves.  Enough said.

Nearing the end of their performance Weezer invited a several dozen member hootenanny comprised of Q101 contest winners playing various instruments. Even with the randomness, the vast backing troupe added extra enthusiasm to “Island In the Sun” (complete with an impromptu oboe solo from one of the guests) and “Beverly Hills” (rounded out with a smoldering sax).

It seemed like this grand performance, which encompassed a microcosm of their fans would be a pleasing and more than acceptable encore.  Imagine my surprise when, while I’m shouting for more Weezer, one of the roadies comes onto stage with a portable record player and a copy of Weezer’s new red album.  I almost immediately knew that they were going to play “Heart Songs” a tune about the joys of listening to your favorite music.  Clearly the choice to play the record was a thoughtful and fitting touch for the occasion.

Next, after appropriately giving tribute to the album “Nevermind” in the lyrics of “Heart Songs,” The band comes back on stage, Rivers kicks the record player over and they transition into “Sliver” a Nirvana cover.

Finally, the band says its goodbyes and everyone knows that the next song is going to be the last.  I was happily surprised to hear “Buddy Holly,” a song that I love but seldom listen to.  It was the proper choice though.  Overall, Weezer gave a stellar performance that filled the audience with a warm feeling as they left the Allstate Arena.

Looking back at this concert I realize how much I truly enjoyed it.  The Troublemaker tour is still underway as the band plays tonight in Salt Lake City then goes onto Portland and Vancouver.  For more information visit www.weezer.com No real Weezer fan should miss out on the experience.

99, 100, 101… The Cubs Collapse, Yet Again…

"As Dodgers fans celebrate above the Cubs dugout, Ryan Theriot, Mark DeRosa and Ted Lilly can only watch the end of the 3-1 loss."

“It wasn’t a collapse. “Collapse” is too nice a word. A collapse would mean the Chicago Cubs actually showed up for the National League Division Series.”  This is what ESPN analyst Gene Wojciechowski had to say after the Cubs were swept in the 5 3-game NLDS.  Frankly, I can’t disagree with his analysis.  The Cubs looked as if, they had forgotten everything they had learned about baseball since little league, and showed up expecting to beat a professional baseball team.

Many people will want to call it a choke, but they’d be wrong.  A choke would have been the Dodgers losing Game 4 and 5 in L.A. and then going back to Chicago and losing again.  A choke assumes the team ever had a chance of advancing to the next level (As in 2003, when the Cubs were 5 outs away from their first World Series in decades).  The Cubs never showed really any hope of winning a single game in the series, so we can’t call it a ‘Choke’ either.  So, what do we call it and who do we blame?  The players?  Sweet Lou?  The fans?

Saturday October 4th, 2008 would mark the ninth playoff loss in a row for the Chicago Cubs. Ninth!!  We haven’t won a game since October 11, 2003, five years ago!  The fact is the Cubs have seemed to become as they say, “playoff-irrelevant”.  This post-season, the Dodgers simply eliminated them in 3 games.  Only one of which was even kind of competitive, kind of…  Now, I must congratulate the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Not too long ago, this team was under .500, but the addition of veteran, Manny Ramirez seemed to really turn this team around and they worked harder and made it into the post-season.  Here, they showed up to play, and did just that.  They got the job done.  Congratulations to them.  Sure, the cubs had an amazing season as well.  But, winning 97 games, and having one of the best home-field records in baseball, means absolutely nothing after this performance in the post.

“They’re Cursed” you say.  This post-season collapse had nothing to do with Billy Goats, black cats, or guys named “Bartman”.  This one can mostly be blamed on our players, and their bats.  To start, lead-off hitter Alfonso Soriano batted .280 on the regular season, and was only able to go 1-for-14 in the NLDS.  That’s a batting average of .071!  Embarrassing. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez and catcher Geovany Soto went only 2-for-11!  They were batting .289 and .285 respectively going into October.  Embarrassing.  And of course, Kosuke Fukudome went 1-for-10, and the big question is “Why was he even up to bat 10 times?”  Lou Pinella’s choice to start the slumping, right fielder was an obvious mistake, and may have cost them big-time.  Anyone in the entire franchise probably would have been a better choice to place in the lineup.  Out of the entire Cubs’ line-up only two guys looked like they deserved their spots.  Both second baseman Mark DeRosa and first baseman Derek Lee, were the only two batters to provide any sort of semi-consistent offense.  But, not nearly consistent enough, as the Cubbies were outscored 20-6!  Embarrassing.

The Dodgers scored 20 runs, in only 3 games, two of which were in Wrigley against Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano, who had 2.96 and 3.91 respective ERA’s during the regular season.  And for those of you who aren’t good at math, 2.96 and 3.91 add up to 6.87 earned runs on average.  So was it Rich Harden who gave up the other 13.13 runs?  No, Rich only gave up 3 runs, although he had to be taken out after only 4 1/3 innings.  The fact is, that not a single thing went well for the Cubs, not even defense.  During Game 2, the Cubs had 4 errors, one from each infielder! 4!  And they were costly too, leading to 5 unearned runs, 4 in one inning!

And so it’s done.  Another brilliant season wasted.  Last year, when the Cubs were swept by the Diamondbacks in the NLDS, people were bummed, but also extremely optimistic about ‘next year’.  This time around something is different, that optimism just isn’t there.  The Cubs seriously embarrassed and disappointed their fans, and some may be skeptical to ‘believe’ in their Cubbies again, for a long time.  ESPN writer Scoop Jackson interviewed fans as they solemnly exited the bars of Wrigleyville after Game 3, and it seems some people are giving up on the team all together.  Too much stress maybe.  You can read the full story here.  And it’s true, “Still waters don’t run that deep.”  Personally, I will go into next season with my usual positive attitude, and will continue to do so for every season after that.  Even if I never see the Chicago Cubs win a World Series [knock on wood].  But, if some of you can’t take the pain anymore, I do understand, but I think that is just taking the easy way out.  After all, you are a Cubs fan, hardship seems to be all we know.

“It’s Gonna Happen”

Cubbie Love,

A.K.

Concert Review: The Black Keys

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney make up Akron's The Black Keys

I recently had the pleasure of seeing The Black Keys at Atlanta, GA’s The Tabernacle. I’d seen them before, so I was initially hesitant about going, but for $30 I couldn’t turn down blues-rock of this caliber. I may or may not have had a little to drink before, but I didn’t feel out of place in the younger, mostly college age crowd that seems to make up the majority of the fan base.

The venue was remarkable, and absolutely was one of the better venues to see a concert in the city. I’ve been to a few others, but this one was small, about comparable with the Riviera (in Chicago) in terms of size. It was full to the rafters, but I had no trouble seeing over the people in front of me.

The opener was nothing to speak of, and frankly, it didn’t seem like the crowd thought she was any good. However, when the Black Keys came on at about 9:45, the place exploded. Fans of the Black Keys are a lot more fervant about the band than I thought they would be, and the band did not disappoint. The highlight of the show for me was “10 A.M. Automatic,” which is a piece of blues perfection. The Keys were loud, they were on point, but they maintained a loose, rough feel that is true to their recorded sound. While this concert wasn’t as good as the Lollapalooza show I saw, that can be attributed to the sheer number of people at Lolla. All in all, a great show, and definitely worth seeing on their current tour.

Below is the music video for 10 A.M. Automatic. It’s a little weird at the beginning, but the song starts about 25 seconds in.

You Better BELIEVE It… Swept Away in L.A.

The world's biggest, and now saddest, Cubs Fan...

I’m far too upset and tired tonight to complete this post.  But, I think somethings need to be said.  First off, watching this series was a complete embarrassment.  For the first time, in a long time, I felt ashamed to call myself a cubbies fan.  And don’t get me wrong, I could be an 90 year old man, with terminal cancer, and I would still never turn my back on them, but this was just bad.  Secondly, I know many of you will be wanting to blame a higher, or cosmic force for the Cubs’ fate this post-season, but it would be just another cop-out.  The Cubs didn’t lose because a goat was not admitted into the friendly confines 100 years ago, or because a black cat decided to stroll past Ron Santo as he warmed up on deck.  They lost because almost not a single player showed up to play baseball. Period.  This includes Lou Pinella.  It was as if the Cubs just forgot everything they had practiced and perfected this entire year; all that hard work… gone.  But, lastly and most importantly, if you’re a Cubs fan…. remember that….   This is what we do, and one year we will shine.  I know it’s hard to cope with the fact that we haven’t won a World Series, now in over a century…. But, it will come, we have a good team, and a fearless leader….. and as they say, “There’s Always Next Year….”

Cubbie Love

A.K.

P.S.  if your really feeling depressed, read this article about Ron Santo, it may be one of the saddest things I have ever read.  Click here or on the picture above.

Castle Crashers

Which will you play as?

Castle Crashers is the latest game to hit the Xbox 360’s Live arcade and one of the biggest. Developed by The Behemoth, Castle Crashers is a side-scrolling beat-em-up upgraded with RPG elements to bring it to a new level of entertainment.

Castle Crashers starts rather quickly with the opening scene being the kidnapping of the king’s four daughters by an evil wizard. As the kings knight the duty of rescuing them and defeating the wizard along with his minions falls to you. As for plot that’s pretty much it, but there is nothing wrong with simplicity.

The level design is particularly exceptional in this game. Very clever and imaginatively styled. That is not to say this game is without flaws. While its hand drawn style may provide unique and interesting visuals the screen is often cluttered with the effects from attacks and can be quite an annoyance if you die cause you didn’t know where you were.

My other chief complaints with the game are that it is too short and can be beaten in a few hours. Also, combat, though enhanced by combos and new magic as you level, is pretty much the same throughout the game. Don’t worry I’m not saying that this game is predictable. On the contrary, one must always be on there toes because unexpected events are thrown in at rather irregular intervals. These events can range from being thrown into a chase, finding a mount or new items to power up your knight.  In fact, the shorter game time just entices one to play the game multiple times; unlocking new characters every time it’s beaten.

Another aspect that will ensure its replay value is the multiplayer aspect. Castle Crashers can be played with up to four players either locally or via Xbox Live allowing for friends to either gather or log on and enjoy the thrill of princess saving as a group. The multiplayer runs smoothly and abides by the invisible wall rule of old side scrollers. Multiplayer doesn’t add more enemies like most games, and by that respect the treasure isn’t increased either bringing less cooperation and replacing it with competition. Competition that becomes more prevelant after one rescues each princess. A battle to the death ensues between knights, the victor is rewarded a kiss.

In short, I had a few issues with this game, however, i’m still very much addicted to playing. It is an enjoyable game to play by yourself or with a bunch of friends. Even though it is short, there is still a lot to do in this game. Castle Crashers takes the best aspects of side scrolling beat-em-ups, adds humor and makes a remarkable game.

The Beat

Hopefully this will be a recurring feature, and I hope you like it.

This is some music I’ve had on repeat for the past week.

1. Lil Wayne & Kevin Rudolph- “Let It Rock”- This, frankly, isn’t the best Lil’ Wayne song, but I can’t help having it on repeat. It’s catchy, and the Weezy verse(s) are pretty clever.

2. Marah- “Tame the Tiger”- I just got this yesterday from a friend, but I can’t get it out of my head. It’s Mid-Atlantic style rock, and it’s light enough to fit just about any mood or situation.

3. Radiohead- “Wierd Fishes/Arpeggi”- Another great Radiohead song, this “In Rainbows” track has a guitar riff that sticks with you, and Thom Yorke is his usual haunting self.

4. T.I. feat. John Legend- “Slide Show”- A cut off the stellar “Paper Trail,” this song has smart, soulful verses from T.I. and an outstanding chorus from the always-excellent John Legend. And it doesn’t have the chorus “I had straps in my ride, now I gotta go to prison,” unlike another cut off “Paper Trail.”

5. RJD2- “Good Times Roll, Part 2”- RJ played at Emory a few days ago, and this song puts his DJing skills on full display. The beginning of the song is good, but in the last segment, he puts the turntables through the paces, and I find myself rewinding the song just to hear him again.

6. Marah- “Sooner or Later”- Marah is back on the list, mostly because I just got 5 of their albums and have been slowly but surely making my way through them. This song has more country-sounding guitars, but my no means is it a country song.

7. JJ Grey  & Mofro- “Country Ghetto”- This one is as southern as it gets. Mofro are from North Florida, and the harmonica on this track gives it a down home feel. This is great blues music, and JJ Grey’s voice fits the style perfectly.

8. Curren$y- “Modern Day Hippie”- If the beat sounds familiar, that’s because it is. He takes the French techno song put to good use by Wiz Khalifa this summer and spits verses far more inventive that Wiz ever did. Curren$y first got on the radio with “Where The Cash At” a little while back, but this song simply blows that one out of the water.

9. Tea Leaf Green- “One Reason (Live)”- This song, off TLG’s “Rock and Roll Band” album, is a great introduction to the band that many have called successors to the Grateful Dead (TLG hail from San Fran, too). While not quite as strange as the Dead, TLG are very good live, and this track is no exception.

10. The Black Keys- “I Got Mine”- In my opinion the best track on “Attack & Release,” this is a hard-rocking blues song. The Akron, Ohio duo kill it live, and this song carries the feel of a highly charged performance, all the way through the distortioned mics. A worthwhile listen, and a great way to start listening to one of the better blues bands out now.

Flickr

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The Current Economic Crisis

WE ARE MILDLY FUCKED

more to follow later

Russian Happiness Really Shows

 

Hm.. Why no people dressed in red?

What do you get when you cross a concert and inside information regarding when and where the Google Maps satellite will be taking pictures? Well, if you’re in Chelyabinsk, Russia, and you have a vast supply of yellow ponchos and hats, you put yourself on the map. Literally.

The concert was played in the center of the city, hope of attracting enough participants to make a giant man-filled smiley face.  The smiley face, measuring more than 100 feet in diameter, is the biggest crowd-formed smiley face ever conceived and the only one photographed by satellite.

Google, in love with the international attention was quick to give the Russian city their gratification via almost instantly uploaded satellite photos of the region.

Don’t worry, be Russian.. No, that’s not right.

 

🙂

Sons of Anarchy: FX’s Awesomely-Deadly New Series

Jax is the Man!

Take the motorcycle classic Easy Rider, mix it with HBO’s hit series, The Sopranos, add a dash of dark humor, and you’ve got FX Network’s hit new series, Sons of Anarchy. Ever since Tony Soprano and friends signed off the air in June 2007, I’ve been waiting for something worthwhile to become addicted to, and it’s finally here!  After, the very first episode I was hooked, and rightfully so….

The show follows the fortunes and hardships of the rebel motorcycle club, the Sons of Anarchy, or SAMCRO, a military-like abbreviation, standing for Sons of Anarchy Motorcyle Club Redwood Original.  The series takes place in the fictional, small Northern California town of Charming.  Within the city limits, the club literally gets away with murder, and not to mention a long list of other crimes including gun running, hooker-humping, property blowing-upping, and even taking the law into their own hands to keep Charming, “Charming”.

The club is ‘godfathered’ by Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman), one of the original founders of the MC, a Vietnam Vet, and a regular hard-ass.  Clay’s right-hand man is Jackson “Jax” Teller, played by briliant, newbie-actor Charlie Hunnam.  Jax’s father was also one of the founders of the club, and since his death, Jax has taken his place as one of the leaders of the gang.  Jax is definitely the hero of the series, he has a good heart, and is always looking for a non-violent way to solve things, but don’t take this too seriously….  as he is known to keep a loaded Glock tucked in his waist.  Jax’s mom, Gemma (Katey Sagal), is the queen of the organization, and in fact is now married to Clay, making him Jax’s stepfather.  The gang consists of a lot of other interesting personalities, including “Chibs” Telford (Tommy Flanagan), a Scottish-born hooligan, known for his expertise in hurting people, Bobby Munson (Mark Boone Jr.), a big-fella, who loves to blow-shit up, and Kip “Half-Sack” Epps (Johnny Lewis), who loves to brag about how he lost one of his nuts in Iraq.  He’ll even show you it if you ask.

If you like gory-thrills, this show is for you.  In the first five episodes I’ve seen a pregnant woman, Jax’s ex-wife Wendy, almost OD, a man get an axe lodged in his skull; in a convenience store no less, and a rapist receive the SAMCRO interpretation of the law… I’ll give you a hint, it rhymes with castration (there has been TWO so far!  Not to mention “Half-Sack”).

Needless to say, Sons of Anarchy is a show where the border between the ‘good-guys’ and the bad is less than faint.  After all, those guns the MC runs usually end up on the streets of L.A., tragically killing inner-city kids as they walk to school.  But on the other hand, SAMCRO can be quite noble too; keeping drugs out of Charming, and chasing away big-corporations to keep the locals in business.

You can catch the drama Wednesdays 10PM ET on FX.  You can also watch episodes On-Demand through Comcast, under the TV Entertainment (FX) section or watch episodes with limited commercial interuptions online at www.hulu.com.  I dare you to watch the pilot and not get hooked…. Double-Dog Dare you!  Bellow is the trailer for the pilot episode.  You can also visit the Sons of Anarchy Homepage, to watch more trailers.

Oh… and P.S. rumor on the streets is HBO has its own biker show in the mix.