when i was about 14, i was really really into the mighty mighty bosstones. i had the biggest crush on its lead singer, dicky barrett. during this time, personal webpages were sprouting up everywhere,  via geocities and other free hosting sites popular at the time.

wanting my own web presence, my infatuation with dicky was great inspiration for new geocities page: the dicky barrett fan page. i collected pictures, news articles, and other dicky information…all in one convenient place. i manage to attract quite a few visitors, even folks to sign my “guestbook.”

due to my youth, and not having anyone who would take me to a concert, i was content with the idea that by the time i was “old enough” to go to a show on my own, the bosstones likely wouldn’t be around anymore. so my dreams of ever meeting dicky barrett and co. were crushed.

a few weeks ago, i got word that the bosstones were playing at the fillmore in san francisco. without a second thought, i purchased 2 tickets. i brought my good friend, and co-worker, Tim.  (Tim was an ideal choice because he can appreciate my 90s obsession. i was in his car browsing his CD collection once, and noticed a copy of “Let’s Face It.” we immediately became better friends).

upon arrival at the filmore, we headed upstsairs for drinks. the opening acts weren’t very appealing. during the second opening act, a man in his 40s, wearing a preppy, ill-fitting sweater, light plaid pants, and dark rimmed glasses walks past me. thinking nothing of it, i continued sipping my fat tire. (yum.) 5 minutes later, Tim says to me, “isn’t that the lead singer?”

thinking he was referring to someone else, i respond, “no way” and we continue to debate on this point for about 5 minutes (of course, we are talking about completely different people.)

it wasn’t until 45 minutes later, when that same preppy sweater guy left the conversation behind me, did i realize he was dicky barrett. dicky-barrett-was-standing-behind-me-the-entire-time. how did i NOT know this??! (ok, ok. it’s been 13 years since my dicky infatuation, and i haven’t really kept up with the band since so i have NO idea what any of them look like today).

“dude, was that him?!” i yell at Tim.

“I told you!” Tim responds.

“I thought you were talking about someone else!”

“what?! NO! I wasn’t!”

at this point, dicky is leaving to get ready for their set.  it would be completely fangirlish and lame of me to run after him, and insist on a photo op. sigh. dicky barrett was standing behind me the whole time and i didn’t even know it. on a side note, it’s pretty awesome that he hangs out with the fans during shows and just blends in.

i was so dissapointed at myself at this point. i had been waiting for that moment for so long, and it was just a few feet away from me. lame.

i’m lame.

but, i did manage to get quite close to the stage and enjoyed the show very much.

i guess i shouldn’t complain. i got to see the mighty mighty bosstones. and they rocked.

(Dedicated to barelyknittogether).

i just did a “top 5 concerts” on the fizzlebizzle.  i wasn’t sure what to do music monday on, and that seems like a good idea.  now, there are many, many artists and bands i LOVE and haven’t had the privilege of seeing live – mostly b/c i love people who are dead (not in a necro way).  but, i’ve seen some great shows.  i’m not as into shows as i used to be.  senior year in high school, going to see rustic overtones was a weekend ritual.  and in college, hardcore shows were habit.  since then, most of the shows i’ve seen have been of friends.  the “scene” aspect of shows keeps me away, i’m an old fella’ now.  but, i was pleasantly suprised by the crowd when i saw moz, not nearly as hipsterific as i had feared.  i think i’ll try and get back into going to shows.  i kick myself over all the shows i’ve missed in providence out of a “ewww hipsters” attitude.  i missed cursive!  oh well.  so, all that being said, here’s 10 artists/bands i’ve seen live and loved.

starting off, my #1 all-time, u2.  i was about 10 feet from the band (bono is very tiny, btw) and it was just an amazing experience.  best live show ever.  here’s the song they opened that show with, “city of blinding lights”.  

#2 on the list is pedro the lion / david bazan.  i’ve seen bazan x3 (which is a lot less then i probably should’ve, according to the severity of my fandom), and each time has been amazing.  however, the very first time was the most special, particularly considering his encore of my favorite song of all-times, “secret of the easy yoke“.  the last time i saw him he’d officially dropped the PTL moniker and was solo.  here he is doing a song i love to play myself, “of minor prophets and prostitute wives”.  

jeff tweedy is hilarious.  i’ve seen wilco twice (again, i realize i should’ve seen them like a dozen times – what can i say, i’m not hip!), and both times were amaaaaazing.  the first time back in ‘02 was probably my favorite of the 2, but the second time i saw them, in ‘06, the highlight was definately “spiders (kidssmoke)”.  glenn kotche & john stirrat are such an incredible rhythm section.  if you haven’t seen this band, do so.  post haste.

now, my very very first show was back ‘96 and it was the mighty mighty bosstones.  prior to this, i was totally into hip hop, the bosstones were the first band i really got into, my junior year in high school.  and they didn’t disappoint.  from the ’stones i was introduced to hardcore, punk & ska and got into bands like minor threat, the clash and the skatalites.  and i still love dicky barrett.  i sold merch for my friends band back in the ‘03-’05 years, and the best experience i had doing so was when they played with avoid one thing and i got to hang out with ’stones bassist joe gittleman.  side note:  who remembers the jon stewart show?  i do!  here’s “pictures to prove it”.

i haven’t seen anyone who has played more songs or for a longer period of time then willie nelson.  seriously, weed is supposed to make you lazy, but neither that nor his being wicked old kept the red headed stranger from playing about 63 songs in what had to be 3 hours.  dude’s crazy.  now, i’d say the artist who is #1 on my must see list as of now is ryan adams (though i wonder if i’ll experience one of his many tantrum shows), so let’s mix up the best of have seen with the must see list and a song that features willie & ryan, doing jimmy cliff’s “the harder they come” on letterman.

now, the next 5 are not in any specific order.  i have to give love to rustic overtones for being the band i’ve seen the most (friends excluded).  in my late teen years these dudes from portland (MAINE!) were so special to me and my friends.  one of my favorite times seeing them was in nyc opening for run-dmc, and when i went up to dave gutter, the frontman, he had this look of shock that someone there knew him.  very different from playing colleges in new england where everyone treated him like a rock god.  the band got a major label deal, made one record, broke up, formed 2 awful bands, re-united and made an awful album.  but, those late 90’s days will always hold a very special place in my heart.  here’s an “old” song, “iron boots” live in woodstock from last year.

the new england ska festival occurred twice, in ‘97 & ‘98 in mass.  and they were both amazing, so many great bands, so many fred perry polos and so many skinheads.  seeing the skatalites was incredible, but i’d have to say the best band i saw at either was hepcat.  featuring alex desert, who gained some notoriety in the films swingers and p.c.u., but moreso for his recurring role on the show “becker”.  here’s the fellas live doing “ska train”.

during college, i was tim til death, and i attended many a’ hardcore show.  there was simply nothing else like it.  the sing-a-longs, the pile-ons, the floorpunching, the finger points, the release.  it’s something that can’t be recaptured, b/c hardcore is a young man’s game.  but, i have a bunch of tattoos and a much stronger faith b/c of the huge influence the hardcore scene had on me in my late teens/early 20’s.  of all the bands i saw and all the shows i went to, perhaps (i say perhaps b/c i’m sure i’ll think of a bunch more afterwards!) the most memorable was stretch arm strong, opening for the legendary sick of it all.  my college love of 3 years had just dumped me, and my roomie and our boy ryan went down to jerzy to see SOIA and SAS and it was so therapeutic.  i think it’s the only time i stage dived, a few times actually.  i’m a big dude, i was more into the sing-a-longs.  this video is the perfect encapsulation of those old shows – no stage, pile-ons and the shaky camera work.  i miss those days.  here’s “for now”.

the first time i saw bob dylan i was a long haired bob marley obsessed ganja loving 17 year old.  i saw him in bangor, and when he came onstage me and my friend ran up to see him right in front of us.  now, this was a seated affair, and the bouncer shoved me.  i was upset by this.  when we went back to our seats, there were 3 stupid rednecks who had somehow gotten a cooler of cheap beer in, and were yelling at the “hippies” who were blocking there view.  infuriated, i tapped one on the shoulder and screamed “it’s BOB DYLAN!  not alan jackson!”  a few f-u’s were exchanged and then the rest is history.  i saw dylan again in ‘02, this time no fights.  his voice is basically shredded, but it’s still an amazing thing to be like “wow, that’s bob dylan“.  indeed.  here’s “tombstone blues”.

and to end out the show, here’s morrissey.  yes, i finally saw the moz.  and, as many of ye know, i missed the first 5 friggin’ songs!  which included such favorites as “this charming man”, “how soon is now?” and “irish blood, english heart”.  i know, I KNOW!  now, had i arrived in time to witness this, i may not have been so upset that he didn’t do an encore.  basically, i have to see him again.  i can’t really count that show, i must get it all, i must see him walk on stage.  I MUST!  here’s the mozzy one with “all you need is me”.

and, like morrissey, there’s no encore

As a lot of you know, I was on air at Indie 103.1 FM. I created the Gig Guide and was the behind the scenes mastermind of a lot of the local acts programming…that is until I left under dire circumstances. More about this  will be in my upcoming book.

I read this post on their website this morning:

BYE BYE

Thanks to everyone who made Indie 103.1 possible. We love you all.

More information to follow but word has it that they will become internet only.

While it is a sad day for Los Angeles indie rock, it is justice for Dicky Barrett, myself and many others who were duped, or abused by the people that worked there. I always believed in the spirit behind a great Los Angeles radio station, but the reality of what really went on there, and their not so secret, but denied, ties with Clear Channel, would curl your toes.

I feel for the hard working, undiscovered, and up and coming bands out there who are heartbroken, and for the listeners who would rather hear the Indie playlist than listen to KROQ or 98.7. Fear not. Something better will come along for all of you. And remember that you have the power to continue the spirit of good music in Los Angeles. I have made it my sole mission since leaving. If the music is good, it will rise to the top. Believe it.

As the industry changes, old models become obsolete but newer models will appear and I URGE everyone to embrace them. Blogs, websites, podcasts and internet programming are only the tip of the iceberg. I will be involved in a seminar and workshops about this very subject soon and will post details in a later blog.

So don’t look at this as a death, but a birth of something better…and hopefully with better people at the helm.

The power of good music is stronger than it’s medium.

You know that moment a little bit after you find out that two of your friends have ended their relationship — the moment that follows all the sympathy and condolences, the moment of “oh, crap, they were such a fun couple, and now they won’t be having those awesome BBQs anymore”? That’s the way I feel about Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman breaking up. Because in the grand tradition of real-life couples Lucy and Desi and George and Gracie, their union created some hilarious comedy. Though perhaps the nature of the pieces was an early warning sign.

Silverman presented I’m F***ing Matt Damon to Kimmel as a gift in honor of Jimmy Kimmel Live’s 5th anniversary (it was originally meant to be aired in November 2007 during Kimmel’s birthday show, which never happened due to the WGA strike), and uploads of the video quickly appeared on YouTube in a Lazy Sunday-esque wave.

The choice of partners is deliberate, as Jimmy Kimmel has a long-standing joke feud with Matt Damon (culminating in a rage-filled appearance in September 2006), but who knew that Matt Damon could not only rap, but bust out some 90s-dance-crew moves?

And who knew that Kimmel would raise the bar so dramatically with a follow-up featuring Damon BFF Ben Affleck? I’m F***ing Ben Affleck may start off like a cheap rip-off, but soon afterwards ups the ante, both in an artistic and cast sense: the quasi-official YouTube upload lists Robin Williams, Don Cheadle, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Rebecca Romijn, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Dicky Barrett, Christopher Mintz-Plasse a.k.a. Mclovin, Lance Bass, Dominic Monaghan, Meatloaf, Pete Wentz, Joan Jett, Huey Lewis, Perry Farrell, Macy Gray and Josh Groban. Sure, there are no butterflies. But there is a “We Are The World”-esque chorus and Harrison Ford in a convertible. Advantage: Kimmel.

Of course, Silverman and Kimmel didn’t work together on these shorts — both were directed by Wayne McClammy, a Jimmy Kimmel Live segment director who’s parlayed his success into exciting directing gigs. But the established nature of their relationship in the public eye is what gives these pieces the additional kick. What makes “I’m F***ing Matt Damon/Ben Affleck” so much fun is that the humor of the pieces reflect that stage in a romance when all the insecurity is gone, when both partners are so comfortable with each other that they can make these sorts of tasteless jokes. Now that they’ve broken up, it’s just a little sad, to think of the people they are now, um, f***ing.

But maybe there’s a chance they got together for one last breakup music video. Everyone knows those are always the best.

Tyvärr plockas visst allt material med Sarah Silverman bort från YouTube…

Inspirerad av Sarah Silvermans avslöjande – och av Silvermans stora popularitet – gjorde Hillary Clinton en egen film:

Vinner Hillary valet? Blir Hillary fru Obama? Hur tar Bill det? Det får vi kanske aldrig veta. Men Sarah Silvermans exboyfriend Jimmy Kimmel svarade Sarah med samma mynt:

Finns inte längre på YouTube – titta här istället.

Inför inspelningen av videon lyckades Jimmy Kimmel dra ihop ett litet gäng bestående av:

Jimmy Kimmel själv, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Don Cheadle, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Dicky Barrett, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Lance Bass, Dominic Monaghan, Meatloaf, Pete Wentz, Joan Jett, Huey Lewis, Perry Farrell, Macy Gray och Josh Groban