The Most Important Man in Rock Music Today

Considering the number of great rock bands that have broken up or otherwise imploded in recent years, it is easy to conceive how Doug Martsch and his little group from Idaho could usurp the Indie throne and become the guiding force of real rock music in 2005. Built to Spill has definitely been one of the consistently spectacular touring rock acts to catch over the past decade or so. (Well, if you could get a ticket before they sold out to rabid local fans and loyal tour followers.)

They played here on Thursday May 19, 2005. I am so thankful to Doug and the gang for regularly visiting the Cat’s Cradle here in downtown Carrboro. Needless to say, I had a blast! And it was an opportunity to test out the new camera in low light club settings. Some of the shots turned out really well. And the others are “artsy.”

Click to see the concert picture gallery

Home Girls

That one on the right is too damn happy, but I wouldn’t mess with the mom on the left. She is givin’ you the stank eye. (And isn’t the one in the middle the actress who played Marcy [Al Bundy's neighbor] on Married with Children?)

Now That's What I Call A Mug Shot!

Patrick Tribett rules! I only hope that I can provide nearly as entertaining a mug shot once the Feds figure out that I’m running a farm animal prostitution ring out of my back yard.

Patrick, a nation of paint huffers salutes you! You are fighting for our freedom to huff. WARRIORS!

You Never Post Cool Shit Anymore

So I have come to realize that I just don’t have the time (or energy or dedication) to be a hardcore daily blogger. That’s okay. I never wanted to be a nerd on that grand of scale anyway. I wish I could just post directly from my brain and not have to waste time using a keyboard or searching for old links or whatever. Then again, you might be a bit terrified if I were posting direct via cerebral cortex. Ahhh… We can always dream, can’t we?

I want to see this movie, like, so bad. Even if some big wig movie execs want to squash it. Well, actually because big wig movie execs want to squash it. Stealing Innocence sounds like the kind of movie we should all be watching these days.

I happened upon the movie link while browsing Nina Gordon’s website. If you’re old enough to remember Veruca Salt (the rock band, not the fantasy character) then you may know who Nina is. I haven’t heard her solo record, but now that I know it exists I will be looking for it in my local record shop. Regardless, she offers some sound clips on her site and even a cover version of the N.W.A classic “Straight Outta Compton.”

Okay, my little homies and homettes — Back to my ever increasing stack of books. Sunday is fer readin’.

Good Karma Spam

Today I received one of those endlessly forwarded chain emails. This one was a bit harder to dismiss, however, since it opened with a photograph of the Dalai Lama and some advice for achieving good karma. This “advice for 2005″ looks a lot like advice he has offered in the past, so someone may just have made last year’s words into a powerpoint. But who cares? It is worth reading anyway. And since it told me I had to sent it to 39 people in 39 hours to prevent leper zombie-like maladies from befalling me, then I figured I’d be doubly safe were I to post it to a blog that several thousand people read on a daily basis. Yeah, I should be safe from any sudden zombification.

Looks like Instruction #20 was left off the list. What do you think it would have been?

Happy Independence Day, Y'all!

Hey everybody! Make sure to use those “rights” of yours before the Supreme Court gets around to eliminating them!!