1) The new Freight & Salvage in Berkeley is beautiful, and such an improvement over their previous building. Congratulations to them!

2) Sometimes, I wonder if my obsession with all members of the Wainwright family makes me crazy. However, I think the reaction of some visiting guests who attended last night's show with us proves that the proof is ( Read more... )

Guess what, it's NOISE POP 2009!

First, check out AA Bondy. During his opening set last night, I had the unfortunate thought that he sounded a bit like David Grey, particularly during an acoustic guitar number, but otherwise, I liked his set. He was a bit Chris Cornell meets David Grey meets [insert your fave dude singer/songwriter] in an alt ( Read more... )

As a child, driving in the car with my father, we'd occasionally pass a dead skunk on the road. This wasn't unexpected, after all-- we lived in the country, there were plenty of dumb, suicidal skunks who'd wander out onto the roads and get themselves killed ( Read more... )

A few people in the audience murmured in agreement.

She nodded and asked, “As adults?”

The audience groaned.

“Right, right. Yeah! So imagine that. My dad and I were recently in Australia for 6 weeks, going around and playing, and ah… yeah. But seriously! It was really great! Australia-are there any Australians in the audience?”

A hand shot up ( Read more... )

In October of 2001, I had yet to be hired by [my previous permanent employer], it was barely a month after 9/11, and everything seemed altogether uncertain.

Well, there was at least one thing that was certain: I was nuts about Tori Amos, and she was playing a show in Chicago on the Strange Little Girls tour, and I was going. On a whim while ( Read more... )