Wednesday, June 20, 2007
O.J.'s "If I Did It" has leaked
If you've been curious about the book Judith Regan described as O.J.'s "confession" but didn't want to burden your conscience with the idea of throwing any cash at someone who you have believed to be guilty of cold-blooded murder for the past 13 years, you're in luck. TorrentFreak.com reports that If I Did It has leaked as a .pdf file to BitTorrent. You can find it at The Pirate Bay. 485 diggs at digg.com as of now, and more to come, I'm sure. This is going to be one fascinating (and disgusting) read!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Las Vegas vacation with the Police and Roger Waters
Ah, vacation... if only I could have them more often! I just got back from an extended weekend in Las Vegas, where my girlfriend and I got a little burned in the desert sun, lounged by the pool for a bit, and watched movies with her mother. It was a true getaway for me, aside from some brief checking of email and a call to my father for father's day. I turned down a writing assignment for Performer Magazine and slacked on practicing guitar for the upcoming workshop performance, and it was both necessary and worthwhile. I feel refreshed and ready to be productive again. Now, if this feeling can last at least as long as the vacation itself, we may have a minor miracle here.
I probably have reason to believe that it could last longer. After all, the Police did finally patch up their differences after more than 20 years apart to get their current tour together, so I guess anything is possible. It's a tour I didn't expect to happen, yet there I was, in Las Vegas, witnessing Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland performing together as The Police at the MGM Grand on Friday night. And there I was, watching them with my girlfriend's mother -- this was her mother's day gift, as her daughter had seen them once already with me the previous Wednesday. We were seated behind the stage, with a clear view of the audience in the front rows, as well as the band's backsides. All the big hits were played, though most of them were played in fresh interpretations, some more radical than others. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" was a particular highlight, with Stewart playing a wide array of exotic percussion, and Andy adding little melodic guitar accent to follow Sting's vocals in the chorus. Andy's solo in the jammed-out "When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around" was probably my favorite moment of the whole show. Best of all, it was just the three of them -- no background singers, no extra musicians. They really should have been playing in small theaters and clubs for the best effect, but considering the amount of people who want to see them, and considering it's amazing this tour is even happening, I really can't complain.
The next night I was back at MGM with my girlfriend for Roger Waters' performance of The Dark Side Of The Moon. Different crowd (far more smokers, both of the pot and tobacco varieties), different band configurations (Roger retained two guitarists, a keyboard player, sax, three background singers, and a drummer), much heavier subject matter... and even though the music of the Police is much more concise and pop oriented, I found that it was Roger's cynical "Perfect Sense" that couldn't get out of my brain: "And the Germans killed the Jews / And the Jews killed the Arabs / And the Arabs killed the hostages / And that is the news". Which just about sums up 2007, as it summed up 1992. It threatens to overpower the memory of the graffiti-covered pig that was sent out to float above the audience, and the welcome addition of "Sheep" to Roger's set list, the new song "Leaving Beirut" that simultaneously related Roger's experiences traveling through Lebanon as a teenager and chastised the U.S. for its approach to foreign relations in the Middle East... oh, and The Dark Side Of The Moon! It was a great performance, and I think it came off better than the Water-less Floyd's version on their final tour. But it really should have been Waters, Gilmour, Mason and Wright playing it together. Their Live8 reunion gave us some hope that maybe it could happen someday. But again, I can't complain. Waters gives us our money's worth -- a two-part set with a 15-minutes break and no opening act, lasting more than two hours. And $30 less than the Police!
Next show I expect to attend will be my own. There won't be any flying pigs, unfortunately.
I probably have reason to believe that it could last longer. After all, the Police did finally patch up their differences after more than 20 years apart to get their current tour together, so I guess anything is possible. It's a tour I didn't expect to happen, yet there I was, in Las Vegas, witnessing Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland performing together as The Police at the MGM Grand on Friday night. And there I was, watching them with my girlfriend's mother -- this was her mother's day gift, as her daughter had seen them once already with me the previous Wednesday. We were seated behind the stage, with a clear view of the audience in the front rows, as well as the band's backsides. All the big hits were played, though most of them were played in fresh interpretations, some more radical than others. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" was a particular highlight, with Stewart playing a wide array of exotic percussion, and Andy adding little melodic guitar accent to follow Sting's vocals in the chorus. Andy's solo in the jammed-out "When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around" was probably my favorite moment of the whole show. Best of all, it was just the three of them -- no background singers, no extra musicians. They really should have been playing in small theaters and clubs for the best effect, but considering the amount of people who want to see them, and considering it's amazing this tour is even happening, I really can't complain.
The next night I was back at MGM with my girlfriend for Roger Waters' performance of The Dark Side Of The Moon. Different crowd (far more smokers, both of the pot and tobacco varieties), different band configurations (Roger retained two guitarists, a keyboard player, sax, three background singers, and a drummer), much heavier subject matter... and even though the music of the Police is much more concise and pop oriented, I found that it was Roger's cynical "Perfect Sense" that couldn't get out of my brain: "And the Germans killed the Jews / And the Jews killed the Arabs / And the Arabs killed the hostages / And that is the news". Which just about sums up 2007, as it summed up 1992. It threatens to overpower the memory of the graffiti-covered pig that was sent out to float above the audience, and the welcome addition of "Sheep" to Roger's set list, the new song "Leaving Beirut" that simultaneously related Roger's experiences traveling through Lebanon as a teenager and chastised the U.S. for its approach to foreign relations in the Middle East... oh, and The Dark Side Of The Moon! It was a great performance, and I think it came off better than the Water-less Floyd's version on their final tour. But it really should have been Waters, Gilmour, Mason and Wright playing it together. Their Live8 reunion gave us some hope that maybe it could happen someday. But again, I can't complain. Waters gives us our money's worth -- a two-part set with a 15-minutes break and no opening act, lasting more than two hours. And $30 less than the Police!
Next show I expect to attend will be my own. There won't be any flying pigs, unfortunately.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Double feature: Slayer and Minnie Riperton!
Now *that* would be some duet! No... actually, it just happens that both The Complete Idiot's Guide to Minnie Riperton and A Chat With Tom Araya of Slayer were published online this morning on jefitoblog and bullz-eye.com, respectively. The Slayer interview was conducted on May 8 and turned in later that week. The Minnie Riperton guide was turned in last weekend. Now both are available for you to read and enjoy.
So read and enjoy!
Monday, May 28, 2007
30 days till the rock drops; and more updates (always more)
That's right -- on Thursday, June 28, my as yet unnamed workshop band will perform live on stage at the Red Devil Lounge at around 10 p.m. Our set spans twenty years of contemporary rock and pop, with old songs by Prince, U2, R.E.M., and more recent material by Modest Mouse, Queens of the Stone Age, Snow Patrol, Jet, the Arctic Monkeys, and others. We're still a little rough around the edges, but we should be in prime rockin' form in one month's time. Next rehearsal is Thursday...
In other developments, I have nearly completed my third 'Idiot's Guide' for the always entertaining jefitoblog.com. Just a few minor tweaks and it should be ready to go. More on that when I get closer to finding out when it might run.
And, I've started the painstaking process of writing my first ever long-form work of fiction. I have no idea how this is going to turn out, in spite of my rough notes and outline giving me a guide to where it *should* go... I'm subject to changing my mind mid-sentence on this thing. All I will say for now is that I envision it as a philosophical drama with some elements of comedy. I just finished reading Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" and I decided it probably shouldn't be quite as damning of the human condition, but there will be some of that, because the human condition is always ripe for damnation.
No word yet on when the Slayer interview will run. But it will run soon...
In other developments, I have nearly completed my third 'Idiot's Guide' for the always entertaining jefitoblog.com. Just a few minor tweaks and it should be ready to go. More on that when I get closer to finding out when it might run.
And, I've started the painstaking process of writing my first ever long-form work of fiction. I have no idea how this is going to turn out, in spite of my rough notes and outline giving me a guide to where it *should* go... I'm subject to changing my mind mid-sentence on this thing. All I will say for now is that I envision it as a philosophical drama with some elements of comedy. I just finished reading Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" and I decided it probably shouldn't be quite as damning of the human condition, but there will be some of that, because the human condition is always ripe for damnation.
No word yet on when the Slayer interview will run. But it will run soon...
Friday, May 25, 2007
Cruisin' for records, part 2
So I did make my way over to Other Shop II on 327 Divisadero between Oak and Page, where I saw the Open Mind sign hanging across the street from its old location, and discovered that Open Mind has some consignment bins inside. They are planning on reopening "late May" at 2150 Market Street, by Cafe du Nord. If they stay open late, it'll be fun to hang out inside before and after shows at du Nord, which I'm sure must have been the idea of re-opening in that location. I used to do that at In Your Ear in Boston, before shows at the Paradise. It'll be just like old times, except without boxes of 8-tracks to sift through...
Monday, May 21, 2007
Bay to Breakers 2007
I can now officially call myself a San Franciscan, after having run the annual Bay to Breakers 12k race yesterday. It's even more a spectacle than a race, and I've got the photos to prove it.
Starting by the Embarcadero, with the San Francisco Bay Bridge as a backdrop, the race crosses the city, through Golden Gate Park, ending by the ocean, hence 'Bay' to 'breakers.' Along the way...
...tortillas are tossed before the start of the race in a strange, messy ritual that literally smacked me across my face...
...old men get naked, in the process reminding us that the really hot bodies want to get paid to bare it all...
...grown adults dress as all manner of iconic children's characters and other random costumes...
...the not-so-adventurous watch from a safe distance...
...lots of alcohol is consumed (I wish I had thought to photograph the big yellow homebrew stand that provided me with a nice big cup of tasty, amber-colored beer)...
...the religious fanatics forget again that San Francisco tuned them out ages ago...
...we cross the start line (finally)...
...we flood the streets and march up the Hayes Street hill...
...the neighbors come out to party (and treat us to awesome tunes by Herbie Hancock ("Chameleon"), the Gap Band ("Outstanding"), and the Rolling Stones ("Dance Part 2"), among others, not to mention the numerous local live bands that entertained us)...
...bladders and colons empty their contents in posh facilities...
...advertisers take advantage of the 60,000+ audience...
...the news media gives us a fleeting chance to be famous...
...creative minds display homages to their bony shelter...
...the organ donor folks salute their internal engine...
...and their natural viewfinder...
...and we reach the finish line!
...just by the 'breakers.' Good times, but I'm sore as hell.
My stats:
Finished in 1 hour, 42 minutes.
Placed 13,415 out of about 35,000 registered racers.
Placed 8,048 out of all registered men.
Stopped to use the porta-potties only twice.
Starting by the Embarcadero, with the San Francisco Bay Bridge as a backdrop, the race crosses the city, through Golden Gate Park, ending by the ocean, hence 'Bay' to 'breakers.' Along the way...
...tortillas are tossed before the start of the race in a strange, messy ritual that literally smacked me across my face...
...old men get naked, in the process reminding us that the really hot bodies want to get paid to bare it all...
...grown adults dress as all manner of iconic children's characters and other random costumes...
...the not-so-adventurous watch from a safe distance...
...lots of alcohol is consumed (I wish I had thought to photograph the big yellow homebrew stand that provided me with a nice big cup of tasty, amber-colored beer)...
...the religious fanatics forget again that San Francisco tuned them out ages ago...
...we cross the start line (finally)...
...we flood the streets and march up the Hayes Street hill...
...the neighbors come out to party (and treat us to awesome tunes by Herbie Hancock ("Chameleon"), the Gap Band ("Outstanding"), and the Rolling Stones ("Dance Part 2"), among others, not to mention the numerous local live bands that entertained us)...
...bladders and colons empty their contents in posh facilities...
...advertisers take advantage of the 60,000+ audience...
...the news media gives us a fleeting chance to be famous...
...creative minds display homages to their bony shelter...
...the organ donor folks salute their internal engine...
...and their natural viewfinder...
...and we reach the finish line!
...just by the 'breakers.' Good times, but I'm sore as hell.
My stats:
Finished in 1 hour, 42 minutes.
Placed 13,415 out of about 35,000 registered racers.
Placed 8,048 out of all registered men.
Stopped to use the porta-potties only twice.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Cruisin' for records
Back when I used to make the occasional trip to New York City to hunt down elusive vinyl records for my beloved collection, I used to carry a long guide with me that had been posted on a usenet newsgroup back in the early '90s. It was damn near close to comprehensive, and it covered almost every corner of Manhattan. No mean feat.
I've yet to find a similar guide to Bay area record stores, but this article by Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle is exactly how it would be written -- little reviews on most (if not all) of the stores, with contact information and locations. Would be nice to have it organized by location rather than straight alpha order by store name, but hey, it's a start.
It was also incomplete, and Vaziri knew it. It was probably not possible to assemble a complete guide on whatever deadline he was working with, so his readers helped him out with some of the places he missed. Scroll down and you'll see my question about the fate of Open Mind Music, which used to reside on Divisadero by Oak Street in SF. Vaziri did reply to my inquiry, though it was not printed in the Chronicle. Here is what he wrote:
Rent increase. They're looking for a new location.
Thanks,
Aidin
Figured. Rent in this city is ridiculous. I salute all those who take on the challenge of running a small storefront business in SF.
Recently, I spied an 'Open Mind Music' sign above an antique shop across the street from the old location. I have not yet stopped inside to ask what the deal is, but rest assured that I will very soon. You wouldn't expect anything less from me now, would you?
I've yet to find a similar guide to Bay area record stores, but this article by Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle is exactly how it would be written -- little reviews on most (if not all) of the stores, with contact information and locations. Would be nice to have it organized by location rather than straight alpha order by store name, but hey, it's a start.
It was also incomplete, and Vaziri knew it. It was probably not possible to assemble a complete guide on whatever deadline he was working with, so his readers helped him out with some of the places he missed. Scroll down and you'll see my question about the fate of Open Mind Music, which used to reside on Divisadero by Oak Street in SF. Vaziri did reply to my inquiry, though it was not printed in the Chronicle. Here is what he wrote:
Rent increase. They're looking for a new location.
Thanks,
Aidin
Figured. Rent in this city is ridiculous. I salute all those who take on the challenge of running a small storefront business in SF.
Recently, I spied an 'Open Mind Music' sign above an antique shop across the street from the old location. I have not yet stopped inside to ask what the deal is, but rest assured that I will very soon. You wouldn't expect anything less from me now, would you?
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