Here comes tomorrow
(several days later...) Happy 2009!
Busy weekend...
The girlfriend and I went to the Gogol Bordello show in DC on Friday night, and if you get the chance to see that band, go for it. As all my friends told me, they put on a phenomenal show - there are nine people in the band, and they're all over the stage (and, from time to time, in the crowd). Everyone packed the club and there wasn't a single person that wasn't rocking out. The band played for about 75 minutes, then came back for another 20 for an encore, and honestly, I could have listened to another hour of music.
Point of absolute madness: during the encore, the lead singer gets a metal bucket and places it over the mic (which is mounted on a mic stand). He then grabs a pair of drum sticks and starts beating on it. he does this for a while, then takes off the bucket, grabs the mic, and throws it in the bucket. From there, he starts singing in the bucket - no, you couldn't hear what he was saying - before the mic is joined in the bucket by a bottle of wine (which he was liberally drinking from during the show). It was at that point that I knew that those gypsy bastards were crazy as fuck, and I was loving every second of it.
On Saturday, I went to the movies to see "The Wrestler" (the girlfriend went to the screen next door to see "Slumdog Millionaire" - which I'll see in the next few days, but she didn't want to see "Wrestler"), and it was equal parts brilliant and brutal. Mickey Rourke is amazing as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, and I would not be surprised if he doesn't win the Best Actor Oscar in a landside. The movie, directed by Darren Aronofsky (of "Requiem of a Dream" and "The Fountain" fame), is NOT for the weak of heart - it's graphically violent, deals with harsh issues like an absent father and the passing of time, and is painfully tortured. But it's also brilliant, and if you can take the negative aspects, I highly recommend it. Just an amazing movie.
An then on Sunday, we decided to see one more: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The movie was almost three hours, and by the end, you do indeed feel like you've significantly aged because of the movie. But director David Fincher's latest work is magnificent, in cinematography, script, costuming and makeup, and acting. Especially amazing are leads Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette - but then again, neither can really make a bad movie. The supporting cast was also amazing, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Taraji Henson get a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role as Pitt's surrogate mother. I'm not sure if I liked this movie as much as "The Wrestler," but I can see "Button" winning a ton of awards during the next few months.
So that was my weekend - an amazing band, followed by fantastic movies by two of my favorite directors. Man, what a great start to the new year!
Busy weekend...
The girlfriend and I went to the Gogol Bordello show in DC on Friday night, and if you get the chance to see that band, go for it. As all my friends told me, they put on a phenomenal show - there are nine people in the band, and they're all over the stage (and, from time to time, in the crowd). Everyone packed the club and there wasn't a single person that wasn't rocking out. The band played for about 75 minutes, then came back for another 20 for an encore, and honestly, I could have listened to another hour of music.
Point of absolute madness: during the encore, the lead singer gets a metal bucket and places it over the mic (which is mounted on a mic stand). He then grabs a pair of drum sticks and starts beating on it. he does this for a while, then takes off the bucket, grabs the mic, and throws it in the bucket. From there, he starts singing in the bucket - no, you couldn't hear what he was saying - before the mic is joined in the bucket by a bottle of wine (which he was liberally drinking from during the show). It was at that point that I knew that those gypsy bastards were crazy as fuck, and I was loving every second of it.
On Saturday, I went to the movies to see "The Wrestler" (the girlfriend went to the screen next door to see "Slumdog Millionaire" - which I'll see in the next few days, but she didn't want to see "Wrestler"), and it was equal parts brilliant and brutal. Mickey Rourke is amazing as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, and I would not be surprised if he doesn't win the Best Actor Oscar in a landside. The movie, directed by Darren Aronofsky (of "Requiem of a Dream" and "The Fountain" fame), is NOT for the weak of heart - it's graphically violent, deals with harsh issues like an absent father and the passing of time, and is painfully tortured. But it's also brilliant, and if you can take the negative aspects, I highly recommend it. Just an amazing movie.
An then on Sunday, we decided to see one more: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The movie was almost three hours, and by the end, you do indeed feel like you've significantly aged because of the movie. But director David Fincher's latest work is magnificent, in cinematography, script, costuming and makeup, and acting. Especially amazing are leads Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette - but then again, neither can really make a bad movie. The supporting cast was also amazing, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Taraji Henson get a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role as Pitt's surrogate mother. I'm not sure if I liked this movie as much as "The Wrestler," but I can see "Button" winning a ton of awards during the next few months.
So that was my weekend - an amazing band, followed by fantastic movies by two of my favorite directors. Man, what a great start to the new year!