I've been a fan of the Brian Jonestown Massacre (BJM) pretty much since High School, after hearing one of their songs "That Girl Suicide" on the local KVHS 90.5 radio station. I had initially thought this was some classic 60's rock band like The Yardbirds or maybe even the Rolling Stones with Brian Jones on lead vocals. But it turns out it was actually a band that actually took it's name from the infamous Stones guitarist and welded it to the famous cyanide Kool-Aid "People's Temple" incident (which you should all know about).
The only problem back then was that it was pretty difficult to get a BJM CD since they weren't signed to any label and you were lucky if you could find a copy in the Indie section of Rasputin Records. So keeping their easily remembered name in my head, nearly an entire year would pass before I got my hands on the album "Thank God for Mental Illness", a great album to say the least. But I was still missing out on something, I'd heard of their live performance antics (cussing out audience members, fights, etc.) so I really wasn't ever motivated to go see them anytime soon.
Fast forward 10 years. In 2005 the documentary "Dig!" was released on DVD which was basically a scrapbook for a two year span of insanity and jealousy within the group and competition with arch-rival/friends The Dandy Warhols. Let's just say I was happy to have missed out on witnessing all that at such a young age. But it wasn't until just recently that I've gotten the courage to go see them.
They played at the Independent on Divisadero St. here in San Francisco. A really small venue/club that actually turned out to have a pretty good sound system and a stage that was of good height so there really wasn't a bad place to stand and watch the band perform.
Initially, things got off to a really slow start. Because of the Bay Bridge's lower deck being closed this weekend, there was a huge backup so the BJM weren't able to make it in time for a sound check. So it took nearly an hour for them to set up their gear and get everything in order. We had to listen to Anton's (lead singer/songwriter) iPod the entire time we waited. At least he had some good tunes on it, and I forgot to ask who some of the bands were that we heard, but ahh well. So again, after an hour of waiting they finally took to the stage and started playing. The last one to get on stage was the fan favorite Joel Gion, the band's long time tambourine player. The guy turns tambourine playing into some form of simian artform, it's a marvel to watch.
They broke right into "Whoever You Are" which is my favorite song of theirs, so I was instantly stoked but also really hoping that this wouldn't be the highlight of the show. The sound wasn't too great because of the soundcheck issues, but they still played great and I was really able to enjoy Anton's interaction or lack thereof with the audience. It was very strange, between songs the entire band would kind of take a 2 to 3 minute smoke/beverage break before then went into the next song. It as kinda cool though, it showed that they weren't just there to play and ignore us, they were talking with the people up against the stage and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Well, that can only be cute for just one hour it seems for some people.
At almost exactly an hour into their set, people started getting restless and yelling "Play!!!" during their little intermissions. Some jerk somewhere in the middle of the crowd started throwing ice cubes at Anton and Joel, and suddenly it was like watching a scene from "Dig!" again. Anton got pissed off and started cussing out the guy and telling us, "If you really care, you'd be kicking the s*** out of that guy right now. Here, how about you guys kick the s*** out of that guy and we'll provide the soundtrack? OK?"
Thankfully though, Anton was able to regain his composure, calm down and play again. Bursting directly into an awesome rendition of "Servo", another of my favorites. After this song, Anton began to rant, as I suppose he still had something to get off his chance. He started bragging about the BJM being one of the best San Francisco bands ever, having more good songs than the likes of Jefferson Airplane (which is very true). Some guy right behind me started yelling "F*** Jerry!", referring to Jerry Garcia of course. Anton responded, "No, it's not a f*** Jerry situation. If you truly believed that, you would have told him when he was still alive. But he would have said, Whatever man, at least you're doing what you wanna do." Which got a good laugh out of the people still in the club.
The amount of people still there had diminished by at least 50% at this point. It was mostly people who didn't know what to expect that left so early, but if you were a fan of BJM and loved everything they stood for, then you stuck it out. And the payoff was great music to go home and reminisce about. When all the dust had settled from all the drama, they went right into "Telegram" which was a perfect way to end the evening and send me home before it got too late for me to stick around any longer. (It was 12:30 am at this point)
I'm glad I finally got to see them live, I'd see them again, so long as they got the chance to do a soundcheck before their set. But one thing I can say, the reality that we're able to experience in the documentary "Dig!" is still somewhat a reality now. Sure, there's probably less boozin', less drugs, and considerably less violence, but the "F*** You" mentality is still there. And it wouldn't be BJM without it.
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Tuesday, September 5, 2006
MTV VMA's 2006 = Lamer than usual
Did anyone notice the utter lack of creative videos that were nominated this year?
It's obvious that the nominees are mainly named by MTV marketing execs who are painstakingly trying to appeal to all generations and genres simultaneously with each category.
OK, well, the VMA's probably matter the least as far as awards go, but how can the year's best video belong to "Panic! At the Disco"? They're not a horrible band, I like their slightly operatic Meatloaf influenced style, but their video was like something out of "Big Top Pee Wee".
Ohhh, who am I kidding, I haven't respected the VMA's since Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" lost to "Lady Marmalade". Not even Jack Black could save it this year.
It's obvious that the nominees are mainly named by MTV marketing execs who are painstakingly trying to appeal to all generations and genres simultaneously with each category.
OK, well, the VMA's probably matter the least as far as awards go, but how can the year's best video belong to "Panic! At the Disco"? They're not a horrible band, I like their slightly operatic Meatloaf influenced style, but their video was like something out of "Big Top Pee Wee".
Ohhh, who am I kidding, I haven't respected the VMA's since Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" lost to "Lady Marmalade". Not even Jack Black could save it this year.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
A picture says a...
...whole frickin' lot. This photo pretty much sums up all my feelings on Concord High School and the quality of education I received there.
STUDENT PROTEST by Larry Keenan
Concord 1967
"I was teaching photography and art at the secondary school level during the early Haight-Ashbury period. Down the hall from my classroom at Concord High School, some angry student blew-up the toilet. I have always viewed toilet destruction as the "original" student protest. After seeing this photograph, the great Minor White wrote to me saying he wished he had made the photograph himself."
At least the Cheese Zombies were good.
STUDENT PROTEST by Larry Keenan
Concord 1967
"I was teaching photography and art at the secondary school level during the early Haight-Ashbury period. Down the hall from my classroom at Concord High School, some angry student blew-up the toilet. I have always viewed toilet destruction as the "original" student protest. After seeing this photograph, the great Minor White wrote to me saying he wished he had made the photograph himself."
At least the Cheese Zombies were good.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
The World's No.1 Laxative Company
You might have grown up thinking that McDonald's was just a fast food joint. Or you may have looked at McDonald's as a company that's really good at hooking their customers at a young age to ensure a lifetime of fast food addicts. Or perhaps you see them as a company that's just extremely good a real estate. Well, how about this one, the #1 Laxative Company in the WORLD!
Think of the last time you went to McDonald's. Can you connect that visit with any kind of intestinal blockage or constipation? Do you even remember how smoothly that food came out on the other end? Probably not, because it was so effortless that you flushed it down the toilet without giving it second thought.
People always associate this characteristic with say, Starbucks. Because we all know coffee is a diaretic, which makes you go. But does it do your bowel movements any good if you're dehydrated by all that caffeine in your system? NO. You need something nice and greasy to oil up your insides so everything is functioning like it should be. And that's where McDonald's comes into play.
Nearly everything on their menu is processed or synthetic in one way or another, therefore making it even easier for our bodies to breakdown and dispose of. Now, I can't condone their health practices, their marketing campaigns or their role in the fattening of America. But I do have to give them respect for making my poop come out easier this afternoon, don't I?
If you doubt my words, just try it. If you're feeling a little backed up in the entrails, just go get yourself a couple things from the dollar menu for dinner and call me in the morning.
Think of the last time you went to McDonald's. Can you connect that visit with any kind of intestinal blockage or constipation? Do you even remember how smoothly that food came out on the other end? Probably not, because it was so effortless that you flushed it down the toilet without giving it second thought.
People always associate this characteristic with say, Starbucks. Because we all know coffee is a diaretic, which makes you go. But does it do your bowel movements any good if you're dehydrated by all that caffeine in your system? NO. You need something nice and greasy to oil up your insides so everything is functioning like it should be. And that's where McDonald's comes into play.
Nearly everything on their menu is processed or synthetic in one way or another, therefore making it even easier for our bodies to breakdown and dispose of. Now, I can't condone their health practices, their marketing campaigns or their role in the fattening of America. But I do have to give them respect for making my poop come out easier this afternoon, don't I?
If you doubt my words, just try it. If you're feeling a little backed up in the entrails, just go get yourself a couple things from the dollar menu for dinner and call me in the morning.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
"I'm not a fighter, but dude, seriously...
...if someone tries to start s***, blah blah blah"
I hear at least one guy say this every Friday or Saturday night. And no doubt, it's usually after some scuffle in a bar where they backed out and are still feeling insecure about their manhood.
In my opinion, the guy who avoids fighting is the "bigger man", but don't try and sound like you're a tough and rugged alpha-male, especially after the fact.
Time to move on
I hear at least one guy say this every Friday or Saturday night. And no doubt, it's usually after some scuffle in a bar where they backed out and are still feeling insecure about their manhood.
In my opinion, the guy who avoids fighting is the "bigger man", but don't try and sound like you're a tough and rugged alpha-male, especially after the fact.
Time to move on
Friday, August 11, 2006
I am "Theatre Hopper"
To end my week off from work I couldn't think of a more fitting way than spending most of the afternoon at my local AMC movie theatre. There wasn't a wide selection of films that I wanted to see or hadn't already seen, but I managed to choose a couple and I'm happy with my choices.
Film #1: "World Trade Center" by Oliver Stone
A couple months ago I saw the trailer for this film, and to be honest, it looked horrible. It looked overly melodramatic, overly dramatized and full of reaction shots of people crying and being shocked at death. But then, a month later I saw the same trailer only this time in the theatre before seeing "Talladega Nights" (a hilarious film by the way). This time the trailer had a completely different effect on my emotions. I guess on my home computer the moustaches and the performances of the actors just looked so cheesy and artificial. When I saw the image of a 35mm image being projected on a 50' screen, it looked completely different and really made me want to see this film.
Like most people, I'm a big fan of nearly all of Oliver Stone's films, with the exception of a few. But all in all, I see him as a very responsible filmmaker with an interesting view on the world, and that perspective always comes through in his pictures. I'm not sure at the moment, but this could possibly be his only non-R rated film, which to some might arouse some skepticism. But for me it mainly meant that Stone wasn't going to be up to his cheap tricks of blood, gore, sex, drugs and violence...and if you know Stone films that's usually something he relies on. But I was interested in seeing what he would be capable of without retreating to his comfort zone.
What we got is a beautiful, reverent, well acted and intimate portrait about the events of that day. He was smart to not replay the infamous footage of the second plane crashing into the 2nd tower (something Michael Moore did in "Bowling for Columbine" just to get a reaction it seems). On the most part, we only get to see and know what the two cops and their families know as the events unfold. And as I was watching this film I was thrown back into feeling the emotions of that day, feelings of confusion, shock and surreality. At one point Officer Jimeno (Michael Pena) screams out "This can't be happening!" Which is something most people were thinking while attentively watching the news that morning.
Nicolas Cage as Sargent McLoughlin was surprisingly good. In most films Cage comes off as more of a caricature than an actual person, but this time around he played it as honest and straight as I've ever seen an actor play a part. Maggie Gyllenhall as Officer Jimeno's wife was the most memorable performance of the film, she stole every scene she was in, which wasn't very hard because she was the focus of all her scenes. But her performance was a filmmaker's dream, you can tell she's really developing more and more as an actress with each film she makes.
I rated this movie 4 out of 5 stars, but the 1 star deduction is mainly for Maria Bello's makeup. They gave her some really awful blue contact lenses, I guess to match the eyes of the real life Mrs. McLoughlin, but they were so distracting and obviously fake that all of her scenes (especially the closeups on her face) totally took me out of the film. But besides that, I highly recommend this film.
Film #2: "Little Miss Sunshine" by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Seeing the trailer should give you enough incentive to go out and see this film. It's hilarious, adorable, heartbreaking and fun all at once. The various personalities that can be found in this film are so extreme that it's a nearly perfect concoction for a "road movie".
We have the preechy, motivational speaker father (Greg Kinnear) who can't seem to keep his mouth shut when he senses any sign of weakness in the people around him. His wife (Toni Collette), perhaps the only "sane" person in the VW bus and the glue that holds the family together. Dwayne their oldest son who has taken a vow of silence until he can be allowed to attend flight school to become an AF pilot. Grandpa (Alan Arkin), the loveable pissed off and dirty old man who you just can't get enough of because although he loves his family and is very opinionated, you can sense the sadness of him being a broken man with a heroin addiction.
Steve Carell plays Toni Collette's suicidal scholar brother who is just released from the hospital after an unsuccessful attempt at "checking out early". Carell perhaps had the hardest part in the film, he was forced to explore the entire dramatic spectrum, from being lowly and depressed to being refreshingly funny and sarcastic, really a jump for Carell's acting career.
And then, last but not at all least "Little Miss Sunshine" herself, Olive (Abigail Breslin). She is so incredibly adorable and innocent that she is the one who is the family's constant reminder of what is truly important, what really matters. She reminded me of Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird", huge changes are going on around her, adult situations veiled by adult ignorance abound. But then here comes this little chubby girl with these granny eyeglasses to bring the story back to its essence.
And then to top it all off, the score was really good with a couple of additions from Sufjan Stevens to really escalate the emotional impact of some key scenes.
Hands down, 5 out of 5 stars.
So that's all I saw today. I've been known to watch at most 5 movies while theatre hopping. Me and Gus used to go to the theatre at 11am on a Saturday and not leave until Midnight. I doubt I have the stamina to ever do that again, but I'm up to the challenge should it arise again. But anyway, I was happy with my theatre hopping experience this day.
Film #1: "World Trade Center" by Oliver Stone
A couple months ago I saw the trailer for this film, and to be honest, it looked horrible. It looked overly melodramatic, overly dramatized and full of reaction shots of people crying and being shocked at death. But then, a month later I saw the same trailer only this time in the theatre before seeing "Talladega Nights" (a hilarious film by the way). This time the trailer had a completely different effect on my emotions. I guess on my home computer the moustaches and the performances of the actors just looked so cheesy and artificial. When I saw the image of a 35mm image being projected on a 50' screen, it looked completely different and really made me want to see this film.
Like most people, I'm a big fan of nearly all of Oliver Stone's films, with the exception of a few. But all in all, I see him as a very responsible filmmaker with an interesting view on the world, and that perspective always comes through in his pictures. I'm not sure at the moment, but this could possibly be his only non-R rated film, which to some might arouse some skepticism. But for me it mainly meant that Stone wasn't going to be up to his cheap tricks of blood, gore, sex, drugs and violence...and if you know Stone films that's usually something he relies on. But I was interested in seeing what he would be capable of without retreating to his comfort zone.
What we got is a beautiful, reverent, well acted and intimate portrait about the events of that day. He was smart to not replay the infamous footage of the second plane crashing into the 2nd tower (something Michael Moore did in "Bowling for Columbine" just to get a reaction it seems). On the most part, we only get to see and know what the two cops and their families know as the events unfold. And as I was watching this film I was thrown back into feeling the emotions of that day, feelings of confusion, shock and surreality. At one point Officer Jimeno (Michael Pena) screams out "This can't be happening!" Which is something most people were thinking while attentively watching the news that morning.
Nicolas Cage as Sargent McLoughlin was surprisingly good. In most films Cage comes off as more of a caricature than an actual person, but this time around he played it as honest and straight as I've ever seen an actor play a part. Maggie Gyllenhall as Officer Jimeno's wife was the most memorable performance of the film, she stole every scene she was in, which wasn't very hard because she was the focus of all her scenes. But her performance was a filmmaker's dream, you can tell she's really developing more and more as an actress with each film she makes.
I rated this movie 4 out of 5 stars, but the 1 star deduction is mainly for Maria Bello's makeup. They gave her some really awful blue contact lenses, I guess to match the eyes of the real life Mrs. McLoughlin, but they were so distracting and obviously fake that all of her scenes (especially the closeups on her face) totally took me out of the film. But besides that, I highly recommend this film.
Film #2: "Little Miss Sunshine" by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Seeing the trailer should give you enough incentive to go out and see this film. It's hilarious, adorable, heartbreaking and fun all at once. The various personalities that can be found in this film are so extreme that it's a nearly perfect concoction for a "road movie".
We have the preechy, motivational speaker father (Greg Kinnear) who can't seem to keep his mouth shut when he senses any sign of weakness in the people around him. His wife (Toni Collette), perhaps the only "sane" person in the VW bus and the glue that holds the family together. Dwayne their oldest son who has taken a vow of silence until he can be allowed to attend flight school to become an AF pilot. Grandpa (Alan Arkin), the loveable pissed off and dirty old man who you just can't get enough of because although he loves his family and is very opinionated, you can sense the sadness of him being a broken man with a heroin addiction.
Steve Carell plays Toni Collette's suicidal scholar brother who is just released from the hospital after an unsuccessful attempt at "checking out early". Carell perhaps had the hardest part in the film, he was forced to explore the entire dramatic spectrum, from being lowly and depressed to being refreshingly funny and sarcastic, really a jump for Carell's acting career.
And then, last but not at all least "Little Miss Sunshine" herself, Olive (Abigail Breslin). She is so incredibly adorable and innocent that she is the one who is the family's constant reminder of what is truly important, what really matters. She reminded me of Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird", huge changes are going on around her, adult situations veiled by adult ignorance abound. But then here comes this little chubby girl with these granny eyeglasses to bring the story back to its essence.
And then to top it all off, the score was really good with a couple of additions from Sufjan Stevens to really escalate the emotional impact of some key scenes.
Hands down, 5 out of 5 stars.
So that's all I saw today. I've been known to watch at most 5 movies while theatre hopping. Me and Gus used to go to the theatre at 11am on a Saturday and not leave until Midnight. I doubt I have the stamina to ever do that again, but I'm up to the challenge should it arise again. But anyway, I was happy with my theatre hopping experience this day.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Reasons why "Angels in the Outfield" rocks...
Okay, yeah, the movie sucks, but for so many reasons that it would require more than one blog to sum it all up. But I just saw it again after not seeing it for YEARS, so to keep it short, here's why the movie is awesome.
1. Most of the games were filmed on location at the Oakland Coliseum...PRE-Davis Mountain! This means the ice-plants and the golden-daisy discs with the green chain-link fence was still comprising the East barrier of the park. The bleachers were still actual bench bleachers and the rest of the seats were orange...ORANGE! I got so nostalgic I almost wept.
2. The cast: Adrian Brody, Matthew McConaghey, Jason Gordon-Levitt, Danny Glover, Christopher Lloyd and the seemingly omnipresent Tony Danza. How could this concoction not smell like a good flick?
3. Carney Lansford's special appearance as Kit "Hit or Die" Kesey. What an awesome sight to have possibly my favorite 3rd baseman of all time cast as the power hitter from the opposing team. Watch for the closeup of him as he spits out some chaw in slow-motion...precious.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tony LaRussa has a cameo when the whole stadium is doing that Angels wing flapping thing. Oh, and if you look REALLY HARD you just might see my family in the stands during the same wing flapping scene. They got to go and be bored at the shoot one night while I stayed home with a broken leg.
Aaaand, that's pretty much it. If you have anything else from the movie that you appreciated, don't hesitate to comment.
1. Most of the games were filmed on location at the Oakland Coliseum...PRE-Davis Mountain! This means the ice-plants and the golden-daisy discs with the green chain-link fence was still comprising the East barrier of the park. The bleachers were still actual bench bleachers and the rest of the seats were orange...ORANGE! I got so nostalgic I almost wept.
2. The cast: Adrian Brody, Matthew McConaghey, Jason Gordon-Levitt, Danny Glover, Christopher Lloyd and the seemingly omnipresent Tony Danza. How could this concoction not smell like a good flick?
3. Carney Lansford's special appearance as Kit "Hit or Die" Kesey. What an awesome sight to have possibly my favorite 3rd baseman of all time cast as the power hitter from the opposing team. Watch for the closeup of him as he spits out some chaw in slow-motion...precious.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tony LaRussa has a cameo when the whole stadium is doing that Angels wing flapping thing. Oh, and if you look REALLY HARD you just might see my family in the stands during the same wing flapping scene. They got to go and be bored at the shoot one night while I stayed home with a broken leg.
Aaaand, that's pretty much it. If you have anything else from the movie that you appreciated, don't hesitate to comment.
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