CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  tired

Finally a break in the rain… hallelujah!  My umbrella(-ella-ella) has been working overtime, but at least my car’s clean now.

Hope you all had a nice Valentine’s (a.k.a. “Singles Awareness Day”).  The Reverend show was great… he played a few new songs that I guess will be on the next album.  Some stuff with a slide, with kind of a “Sleepwalk” vibe.  We ran into some friends there, and ended up in a tiki bar down the street with them afterwards.  I have to mention too that the John Cameron Mitchell event on Sunday was amazing.  I knew basically zero about him outside of the Hedwig movie, but it turns out he’s really funny.  And hearing some live acoustic renditions of some of the Hedwig songs was really moving.

The big news of the week, however, is that the new Moz album “Years Of Refusal” was released.  If I can nerd out for a moment, the album’s got some impressive credits.  Guest guitar by Jeff Beck on “Black Cloud.”  Guest vocals by Kristeen Young and Chrissie Hynde (on one of the b-sides, but still).  Mastering by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch, basically the godfathers of digital remastering, having done a ton of such work for Rhino Records.  Five songs by Alain, four by Boz, three by Jesse.  On paper, everything looks good.  So how’s the finished product?

I must say that I’m on the fence.  As a big fan, that’s an uncomfortable thing to be.  The stand-out tracks are all great.  My far-and-away favorite is “Something Is Squeezing My Skull,” and he’s crazy if he doesn’t release that as the next single.  After my first couple listens, I was concerned.  The band is at 10 the whole time, and the drums are at 11.  Lots of plain power chords and the sounds of somebody beating the hell out of their drum kit.  There’s some pastiche, and some questionable moments to be sure, but after having listened to it for the better part of this evening, I’m pleased to report that it’s growing on me.  Some of the vocal melodies took some time to appreciate, but I’m getting there.  I had much more to say about it earlier… my less-than-stellar first impressions of many of the songs… but after sitting with it a while, I think I ought keep my mouth shut until I’ve really had a chance to let it sink in.

On a side note, I swear that a few weeks back, I was reading a Moz interview from a few years back, and the unusual phrase “… after years of refusal…” appeared.  I instantly thought this must be where he got the album title from.  Now I can’t find the interview to save my life.  Oh well.  Moz was on BBC One recently, and thus so were Sus and I!  Look at the blue faces in the top left corner at about 1:51 – 1:53.

OK, it’s late.  From nerding out, to oinking out, I’ll leave you with some news on snack moratoriums.  Do you guys know/like Kettle Chips?  They had a flavor once upon a time called “Cheddar Beer” which tasted exactly like it sounds, and it was fucking delicious.  I guess it wasn’t that popular, because they did away with it last year.  Kettle is still the brand as far as I’m concerned, but another in a long line of foods I loved that have gone the way of the dinosaur.  But I told you that story to set the stage for this one… are you sitting down?  Kellogg’s has purchased the bankrupt Mother’s Cookie brand and all its recipes!  And they expect to be back in stores by June of this year!  And with the backing of the same folks responsible for Keebler, I think we’re in good hands.  Hallelujah, indeed!

“Something is squeezing my skull!
Something I can barely describe.
There is no hope in modern life.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  full

It’s been miserably cold and rainy here in the city.  My nemesis (lotion) has been a necessity due to the dry air of this cold snap.  But it didn’t stop me from making it out to Louder Than Bombs last night.  I can’t say I like going all the way out to the FiDi the same way I liked it in the Mish, but a night of Smiths is a night of Smiths, and LTB is like the Bat-signal in that it brings together disparate friends from all over the area that I rarely see otherwise.  I saw the usual suspects and all, but I ran into Jonee of all people, who I haven’t seen in a couple of years!  The magic of LTB I guess.  And then tomorrow night is that John Cameron Mitchell event.  A screening of Hedwig, some Q&A, and apparently some live singing.  Should be a hoot!

But then what about tonight?  It is Valentine’s Day after all.  Each year, it seems more and more like a big nothing.  Is that happening in general, or is that just me getting older?  I remember perforated cardstock Valentines with this or that cartoon character… making “mailboxes” in class and giving Valentines to all your little classmates.  And I remember buying gifts and going out to nice dinners in my teens.  But every year I get the impression a little more that most people don’t even like this holiday.  That even when you do something romantic for your partner, it’s viewed as expected and cliché… or it could be that I’m just a bitter and jaded old man.

Now, if only I had game like Jesus…

As of 2023, the video I had embedded here has been blocked globally. It was an episode of a short comedy web series called “Modern Day Jesus.” This episode was called “Makin’ Out” on YouTube and “The Date” on FunnyOrDie.com. It featured Jesus trying to pressure his date (played by Dexter’s Jamie Silberhartz) into inviting him inside at the end of an evening together. I believe it was directed by Oren Kaplan. Oddly, this series seems to have been largely erased from the internet, which obviously isn’t easy to do. Maybe it was problematic? Too bad. I did manage to find one screenshot, which I’m putting here in lieu of the actual video.

OK, so what am I doing tonight, you ask?  Well, the Reverend Horton Heat is in town, and that’s where I’ll be.  Maybe I’ll see some of you there?  Gossip’s going on later too… if I’m not totally wiped.

Cheers, my dears…

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  blah

Well, I was unable to rally for New Wave City this weekend.  Seems like everyone was sick or otherwise not into it.  Ended up being a pretty quiet weekend, all things considered.  I did catch the Eagles Of Death Metal at the Fillmore last week though.  Sold out!  The place was as packed as I’ve ever seen it; in fact, I was barely able to squeeze into the main hall!  People were singing along!  Somewhere along the way, these guys got huge I guess.  I still remember the first time I saw them years ago (opening for The Cramps, actually).  I think I was the only one in my party that liked them.  How times have changed…

That reminds me of something else.  I think the EODM did some work with the Bikini Bandits once upon a time.  Back before YouTube, I remember the Atom Films website was the place to go for all sorts of independent film and animation shorts.  Back in those years, the Bikini Bandits were huge, and that shit was hilarious.  Since then, I don’t know what direction that franchise has gone in, but if you’ve never seen them, go check out the site.  (I recommend the Magic Lamp episode.)  I think I even got introduced to a few bands through them… including the now-defunct clown band Greasepaint.  OK, enough reminiscing.

The new Moz album is out soon, and I’m looking forward to it (duh!).  I’ve so far resisted the urge to listen to the leaked album, as I’d rather savor the moments of buying the disc, unwrapping it, and hearing those tracks for the first time in full CD-quality sound.  Now paradoxically, this won’t be news to anyone who’ll care… but Moz was on Jimmy Kimmel the other night.  Some friends (including Booty Lou) were there to see the taping live, including some songs that didn’t air on the show.  Among those was a version of “This Charming Man!”  This would be, I believe, the first time his solo band has ever attempted it.  I wondered if they would ever take that one on… not because I don’t think they could do it but because it’s one of those few Smiths songs that seems so quintessentially Johnny that it would almost be in poor taste for them to cover it.  Does that sound ridiculous?  I mean shit, Moz wrote the words to that song, he ought to be able to play it whenever he wants.  And the irony that I myself play that song live all the time does not escape me.  I don’t know… I’m trying to imagine Johnny playing that tune in particular with anyone other than the Smiths and it just seems like… well, he wouldn’t right?  Oh well, don’t listen to me.  I’m sure it was great, though I hear they put a very different kind of punk rock spin on it.  Hopefully we’ll get to hear it soon.  If you did watch Kimmel the other night, you would have heard Moz give a quick shout out to The Cramps’ Lux Interior, who sadly passed away this week.

Speaking of me playing This Charming Man, don’t forget it’s just a few short weeks until our 25th anniversary weekend when we’ll be playing the whole first Smiths album live in Sacramental and FresYES.  And with a certain other tribute band having followed our lead in Fresno and tried their hand there, it seems like the locals smell a rivalry.  I’ve seen mentions now here, here, and here.  Ridiculous!

I’m about to get tickets to this… anyone else planning on going to see Blue Öyster Cult at Slim’s next month?  They hold a special place in my heart, and they were actually the first band I ever saw at Slim’s.  I’ll happily go alone, but I’d be interested to know who else this interests.

“All I’m selling is these sacks o’ sand.  And this magic lamp.  Up in this mutha…”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  quiet

A little after midnight tonight will mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic Iowa plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper.  Talk about some amazing careers cut short.  There was a lot of music left in those fellas, no doubt.

But to add a little levity here, did you all see the new Moz single sleeve?  Totally unexpected, and yet somehow it fits.  I guess he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve yet.  But before you even ask, don’t expect that pose from TCB on any upcoming flyers.  (Send your complaints via comment to the TCB MySpace.)

I actually had a pretty good weekend, myself.  Saturday night I dropped by that benefit show in Brisbane.  The music was alright, got to see some friends I don’t see too often, and meet some new ones.  Nick, Charlene, and Amy have all documented the night in pictures.  I liked the place too, so hopefully there’ll be an opportunity to go back sometime.  And then as much as I uh… wanted to catch the Superbowl… somehow I managed to skip it completely, and spend the afternoon comparing Smiths riffs with Peter.  It was one of the more rewarding Superbowl Sundays I can remember having, frankly.

Can I just make a quick mention of what is admittedly an easy target?  WTF is with Rod Blagojevich’s hair?  It’s somewhere between Anton Chigurh and Dan White, and that’s not cool even in an ironically hip way (though I’m waiting for this haircut trend to hit the Mission).  Why is it guys like that — and Donald Trump comes to mind too — who have the most ridiculous hair are also the ones who are so protective and fussy about it?  In all seriousness, I don’t trust anyone whose perception is that far off of reality.  If you are that defiantly guarded in the face of overwhelming evidence that you look absurd, well then… I don’t know what to do with you.  Kind of sounds a bit like some of Blagojevich’s other problems recently, eh?

“You’re so square — baby, I don’t care.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  contemplative

I didn’t even think to check it until today, but you all remember that depressing site “Sorry Everybody” where people would post pics of themselves apologizing to the world on behalf of the U.S. for electing Bush?  Twice?  Well now that “change” has come, I think you’ll find the mood of that site a little changed too…

It’s been a quiet week.  I did a little shopping (finally got a cap I’m reasonably happy with… two actually).  Did I mention before that I finally went to this “Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe?”  This was Jamie’s idea, a famous place in the East Bay.  The food was good, and the décor was kitschy.  I can see why it’s a big hipster hangout.  Other than that, yeah it’s been quiet.  I tried to dig into my ~3,000 line “to do” list, and I got into some chunks of it that I jotted down while on the road back in like 2003.  It’s funny to see what notes I was making to myself back then.  And also depressing.  All those great ideas and plans that I’ve done nothing with in all this time.  Again, I’m forced to face the likely reality that I will never get through that list.

A combination of factors and experiences this weekend led me into another existential… breakthrough I guess?  More heavy stuff having to do with mortality.  More on that to come once I get my head around it, but I’m on to a new book in the same vein as Staring At The Sun, which I had gotten so much out of a couple months back.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

And in other makes-you-feel-old news, did you hear there’s a completely unnecessary remake of The Karate Kid in the works?

When I got home tonight, the guitar parts I ordered from the U.K. last week were already here!  This was some hard-to-find shit (hence having to get it from the U.K.), and it’ll all be installed on my Rickenbacker in time for next month’s TCB shows.  I want that Ric in tip-top shape for when I take on the Smiths’ debut album at the Blue Lamp and Club Fred.  Speaking of which, I ran across these kind words about TCB’s last Fresno show, and our fans in general.  I also heard from a few other people who saw a certain rival tribute band at Club Fred over the weekend.  Let’s just say that after both bands playing there a few times each, the jury’s in, and all the evidence points to Fresno being a TCB kinda town.  Which is good, because it also happens to be one of my favorite places to play.  It seems like everybody in the place always has such a good time, and I know I do.  Looking forward to another sold out show there in February!

“Never explain — your friends do not need it, and your enemies will not believe you anyway.”

— Elbert Hubbard

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  sore

Well actually it’s Obama’s United States of Whatever now.  It’s hard to believe that the last eight years are finally over.  I think it’ll take some time to sink in, but wow… it’s a whole different feeling when you’re proud of your government.  I had forgotten what that feels like.

You’ll have to forgive me that I’m not doing cartwheels, however.  As I type this, I’m achy and suspecting that I’m getting sick again.  WTF?  I just got over a cold.  Now what is it?  This whole day has been weird though.  I fell asleep way early last night, then woke this morning from one of the most horrible nightmares I can ever remember having (which we will not be discussing), and then rolled out of bed and directly onto the phone with a guitar shop in the U.K.  I don’t know how many of you have woken up to an Englishman speaking into your ear, but… well, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

The weekend was pretty lax, aside from a packed house at the Cash’d Out show at the Blank.  They were pretty good, but it’s never fun to be in a club crowd that dense.  People were putting their hands on me left and right, squeezing by to and from the bar.  Not generally my idea of fun.  But Nick and Charlene were there though, along with some of their fairer friends.  Never a dull moment, and well worth the trip out to SJ.

And now, for no reason whatsoever…

This last weekend was also the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, which I believe is the largest tradeshow of instrument makers in the U.S., maybe the world?  It’s basically the time when Gibson, Gretsch, Boss, Fender, and all my other favorite companies unveil their latest products and some of their plans for the upcoming year.  Booths set up with all the latest and greatest, on display for the first time.  Usually this means I see a bunch of new toys to drool over, but this year nothing really rocked my socks.  This is based on what I’m seeing online of course.  I wasn’t there.  It’s not open to the public (and even if it were… it’s in Anaheim).  However a certain girl I know was able to get in.  And she owes me pictures!  As it always does, the start of the year means price hikes for all the big manufacturers, which puts a fire under me to make an irresponsible purchase.  But the last thing I need is another guitar, right?  (Right???)  The economy’s in the shitter, and I might need that money this year to, you know, eat and stuff.

Anyway, it’s time to down some NyQuil and hit the hay.  The quote of the week comes from this shirt:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself… and spiders.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  busy

Is this global warming again or what?  We had record cold temperatures over the last few weeks, and then today we had record highs, shattering many of the previous records by noon.  Looks like we’re in for a January heat wave, and a dry month in general.  I guess I shouldn’t complain though.  On my way home tonight, there was an almost warm breeze in the air, a taste of our long-forgotten summer.  Memories of many past summers came rushing back to me as soon as I felt it.  Warm air at night always makes me think of life’s possibilities.  It reminds me of summers with no school, playing under streetlights, staying out late with friends, freedom.

This weekend saw the biggest full moon of the year.  I didn’t make as much use out of it as I should have, but I did see a bit of it.  Pretty amazing.  Celestial events like that, the threat of global warming, and my own recent thoughts about mortality have given me a lot to think about.  The transiency and impermanence of everything.  Literally, everything.  The sun is dying.  The moon is moving further away from us every day.  The earth itself is slowing down a little every second.  No one gets out alive.  It doesn’t matter if you are the most important and famous person to ever walk the earth.  Eventually, you’ll be gone.  Everyone who ever knew you will be gone.  Our civilization will be gone.  Mankind will be gone.  And all life will someday be gone.  Plain and simple, it’s gonna happen.  It’s a tough pill to swallow to think that nothing you do, no monument you erect will be there forever.  It’s impossible.  But it’s forcing me to realize that beauty in the world can’t be dependent on its permanence.  All things will eventually be dust.  All things will change.  So it’s important to enjoy things/people/beauty while they are available to you, despite… or even because they are only here for a moment.  (Whoa, please excuse that tirade — it just came out.)

On to less philosophical topics, I was getting my car worked on last week in Colma.  I don’t spend any time there, generally, but I always got the vibe that there were a lot of cemeteries there.  Like way more than you’d expect.  In fact, it seemed like the town’s whole main drag is graveyards and tombstone dealers.  Seriously.  Somebody at the car lot was filling me in on some of the local legends.  Things like Wyatt Earp is buried there, and some woman was buried in her piano.  I decided I needed to read up on this place, and holy shit, it’s no joke.  This culture of death is no accident, because it turns out Colma’s buried population out numbers the living by thousands to one.  It is quite literally a necropolis, and we live right next to it.  This terrifies me.

Friday night was the return of Louder Than Bombs, this time at the House Of Shields… once affectionately known to Nick as the House Of Pancakes.  It’s a nice pub, and there’s a bit more room there than there was in the Beauty Bar days.  It was good to see all the familiar faces, many of whom I hadn’t seen since the last LTB lo those many months ago.  I got a little dancing in, saw my doppelganger, people-watched, and ended up at Sparky’s with Shel, where we also ran into Beauty And The Beat again!  It was a way late night, and it threw my whole weekend sleep pattern out of whack.  In fact, I was so beat after Friday that I stayed indoors all weekend save a short stint in the Haight, and seeing The Wrestler with Jamie (which was great, by the way).

If I wasn’t already getting enough Smiths this last weekend, I’m also boning up on that first Smiths album in preparation for the anniversary shows we’re playing next month.  It’s always fun to unravel a new Smiths tune.  And it doesn’t hurt to get to play them for people who love this stuff as much as we do.  I was thinking about my favorite TCB moments, and there have been many.  But to me, this video says everything about what TCB’s about.  St. (Steven) Patrick’s Day at The Blank.  Our bassist at the time hadn’t learned this song yet.  Eh, we played it anyway.

Which reminds me… The Smiths (or rather the record company that owns the rights) are finally synching up with MySpace, so some of their fine tunes, and eventually many more I assume, are available here.  Good news if you’re looking to gussy up your profile with some new music.  I’m just sayin’…

Well kids, Obama’s set to be inaugurated in just about a week now.  Here’s hoping this is the new beginning we’ve been waiting for!

“I either want less corruption or more chance to participate in it.”

— Ashleigh Brilliant

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  sick

OK, we both know that’s not true.  But I am sick, and even as I type this, I am recovering from a nasty cold.  It kept me home sick yesterday, but I’m on the mend.  Lots of rest, fluids, et cetera.  Do they even make vegetarian chicken soup?

It’s been an awfully busy few weeks.  The holiday season was as hectic as I expected.  Despite all the running around and stress, there were plenty of good things.  Jared was in town, and I got to see him a handful of times.  It’s unfortunate our visits our just about once a year, but it’s nice that we can pick up again right where we left off.  Part of our visit took place at Nicole’s wedding which went off without a hitch.  The ceremony was at this amazing old chapel in Vallejo, and the reception was in San Ramon where Jeff (The Horseman) got hitched several years ago.  And actually, Jared was the surprise guest at Maya’s going-away party.  It was great to catch up with her a bit before she left the state, as well as see a few of her old friends I hadn’t seen in years.  So, yeah, it was a flashback couple of weeks for me.

As for the holidays themselves, they were tame.  I think I mentioned before that I spent NYE home relaxing.  Christmas Eve was a little more exciting (I watched Hedwig and ate Tofurky with Starla and her housemates), and Christmas day I made it out to Santa Cruz to visit my Grama and my aunt.  All of these holidays were so opposite of how things usually are, but it seemed right for this year.  Trying new things after all, right?

I’m sure you heard that sadly (and somewhat ironically), Eartha Kitt passed away on Christmas day.

There are some great shows coming up in the next few months, including The Reverend Horton Heat, The Eagles Of Death Metal, and Blue Öyster Cult!  Did I mention before that I caught the Dead Souls show at the Blank last month?  They were good before, but now with the addition of Orlando on guitar, the final piece is in place I guess.  That show was fucking amazing, and they brought in a huge crowd, helped by Reptile House (a new Sisters Of Mercy tribute).  Maybe it was just my mood, but I had an awesome time.

Speaking of awesome shows though, TCB sold out Café Du Nord for the third straight time!  It was a packed house, complete with good friends, Choir Boys, and even Moz Krew.  It was a long night, and a lot of it is just a blur of stage invasions and flowers flying.  But I had a good time once things got going, and I think the crowd did too.  My apologies to those of you who were turned away at the door.  Not that I could have done much to stop it, but I didn’t even hear about it until after the show.  Sorry guys!  🙁

I must say, Threadless gets my vote for best Cure-related shirt, maybe ever:

Friday, I’m In Love!  Get it?  That place is awesome.  I hesitated and missed out on this awesome bear shirt, but there’s still time for this one… “Girl Afraid?” Note from 2023, where the latter is a dead link: these were “Call Of The Wild” by Laser Bread and “Stupid Cupid” by Budi Satria Kwan.

The quote of the week was culled from some horoscope or other.  I’m not normally one to pass around generic, feel-good, positive statements, but this one struck me this week, particularly in light of New Year’s resolutions and reflections.  So please forgive my temporary foray into this equivalent of those “hang in there” kitty posters:

“Making an attempt at something new, even if you fail at it miserably, is very important.  Trying is what teaches you the most — far more than success would teach, actually.  So don’t get caught up in looking good.  The sooner you get comfortable making a fool of yourself, the more you will learn throughout your life.  So if your daily routine is all about winning recognition, then you need to make some adjustments.  You won’t grow if you never let yourself take a risk.”

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  contemplative

It’s New Year’s Eve, and I’m staying home.  Let’s be frank.  NYE is amateur night, baby.  This is the night when even the people who don’t normally go out still go out.  And the bars and clubs know it, and they charge ridiculous covers.  And the SF streets are gridlocked with bridge-and-tunnel people.  And drunk drivers.

Not that any of these things have stopped me in the past.  So what’s the deal really?  OK, well let’s be really frank.  2008 was one of the worst years I can remember, and I don’t particularly feel like celebrating it.  But as I did for 2006, 2007, and 2008 (sorta), I thought I’d take a few minutes to wrap up the last year and ring in 2009.  This year, I’ll do it Sergio Leone style, and I’ll also keep it short.

The Good

Well first off, I’m fortunate to be alive and have my physical health.  In this economy, I’m also fortunate to be employed and financially stable.  I’m thankful for all my family and friends, their support, and their health and well-being.  I met several great new friends this year, and I got to spend a lot of time with my friends, new and old.  I saw a lot of excellent bands.  I met Duran Duran.  I headlined Slim’s, and played a ton of other great shows.  I was interviewed and played a few songs live on the radio.  I appeared in one of Morrissey’s videos.  As a nation, we elected Obama.  Bush’s considerable days in office are numbered.  That political nightmare is almost over.  The thing I’m most proud of this year is that I took the initiative to turn my peaceful life upside down in the name of opening my mind, and though I’m still dealing with the fall out of the Pandora’s box I set loose, in the end I think it will have been worth it, and that I’ll be a better person for it.  I’m making progress.

The Bad

There’s no question that the world got darker this year.  Or put more delicately, I’ll say it was challenging.  It was also the fastest year of my life yet.  Maybe that’s good since it was such a miserable year.  But then, it only serves to make me feel all the more that I’m wasting my youth.  I have a lot of regrets.  All those loud shows and practices without ear plugs led me to develop tinnitus this year, which still hasn’t gone away and may never.  I gave up on the original band I started, and I didn’t pick it up again.  In the working through of psychological issues, I made mistakes in relationships and became unable/unwilling to invest in them anymore.  California passed Prop. 8.  And of course one of the biggest stories of my adult life so far is panic/anxiety and how severely it has impacted my day-to-day life for most of 2008.

The Ugly

Mother’s Cookies went out of business.  I will never taste those delicious treats again.

2009, and beyond…

So there you have it.  What am I proud of and what do I regret about 2008.  I’m looking forward to shaking things up this year.  I live in the same place I have for years.  I work at the same job, go to the same restaurants and clubs.  I play the same music at the same shows.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  I enjoy those things.  But I’ve lived that year already.  A few times in a row now, in fact.  When I’m laying on my deathbed, I don’t want to look back on my life and feel like I found a comfortable pattern and stuck with it for a decade.  I want to make sure I’m infusing some new things in there too.  There’s so much to see and do out there.  Why waste year after year doing the things you’ve already done?  Well at least that’s where my head’s at this moment.  We’ll see if it sticks.

Before embarking on all that though, a great TCB show is coming up.  This Friday we’re at Du Nord, and the past two shows there have been a lot of fun, not to mention sell outs!  Get your tickets early, and hope to see you all there!  There’s even a rumor the Moz Krew might show up…

As I said, I’ll be around tonight, doing some serious reflecting on the last year and what I want to accomplish next year.  An exercise to consider… imagine yourself a year from now.  And ask, “what would the future me say he regrets about 2009?”  And now, “what can I do to change what he had to say?”  There’s a lot to think about for 2009, and for the rest of my life in general.

It’s been a bad year, kiddies.  2008: don’t let the door hit you on the way out.  And good riddance!  The quote of the week… er… year… comes from Bill Vaughan:

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.  A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

Watching: “3:10 To Yuma“

[amtap amazon:asin=B000XR9L50]

CONVERSION NOTICE: This is one of 250+ blogs that originally appeared on MySpace. I’ve done my best to represent it with as much historical accuracy as possible, but there are limitations. Read about it in the FAQ.

Current Mood:  bitchy

Fucking cold, that is.  If you’ll pardon the expression.  Baby.

I know, I know.  We’re spoiled in California, this isn’t really that cold, et cetera, et cetera.  But it’s a matter of what you’re used to, and what I’m used to is mild Bay Area weather.  Having to break out my marf (man-scarf) and glerves (gloves).  Having to use lotion (my hated nemesis) on my dry hands.  No me gusta.  Oh, and it snowed in Las Vegas yesterday.  Worst storm in 30 years they said.  So… yeah.  Of course, all the d-bags are saying “so much for global warming, yuk yuk.”  Never mind the fact that global warming is supposed to cause more extreme temperatures, not necessarily just warmer ones.  But no, no, d-bag, I’m sure you know more than all those scientist and meteorologists.  Yuk yuk.

But how about those gas prices!  $1.75 a gallon?  $28 to fill up?  Excuse me, but aren’t you the same fucks that tried to gouge me at $4 a gallon just a few months ago?  And OPEC is scrambling to stabilize oil prices, and we’re giving them the finger.  It’s a beautiful thing, and a preview of the coming decades when we’re onto renewable energy and OPEC becomes irrelevant.  But I’m sure we’ll see that $4 mark and higher again eventually, so I’ll just enjoy this temporary break while I can.

Did I mention I’m stressed out and pissy lately?  Work is getting really busy, and it may cut into my weekend and even holiday vacation!  I have much to say on this topic, but this is going to be a long enough blog as it is.  I’ll save it for another time, but the thought of work causing me to significantly shift my private life around has me seriously on edge.  It’s been making me noticeably irritable to where I’ve been snapping at people, and getting into arguments with people I never argue with.  I can see myself doing it, and I don’t like the person it’s turning me into.  This has never happened before.  It’s unsettling.

Adding to the stress is the holiday season.  All my family’s going to be away, and so I think this will actually be my first Christmas alone, ever.  I’ll see them a few days later, but just the societal pressure of this being a family holiday.  I’m anticipating a depressing few days next week.  When I met them for dinner the other night, my folks gave me one of those fold-out plastic Christmas trees to help brighten my place.  I don’t know if that’s going to make me feel better or worse to have that in the house, but at least I can’t kill it.  (Last year, Jamie got me a little tree… a live one, though not for long.)  Surely there must be some kind of social events going on in the city for Christmas?

(For at least the next couple weeks, you can see the full animated dance that Wally made us here.  Don’t know for sure how long it will be up though!)

It’s been a busy few weeks.  There’s been bad news, such as the passing of Bettie Page, icon-of-icons to half the girls I know.  Then there was more uplifting news such as the deer that mauled a hunter.  The hunter described it as “15 seconds of hell.”  I would describe it as a 15 second preview.  New Wave City and Club Gossip were nice as usual.  Got some shopping done in the Haight.  I managed to sit through the entire Dark Knight.  I had a nice dinner in the West Portal and saw Milk, which was as good as they say.

But  certainly one of the recent highlights came last night.  I had the great pleasure of seeing Bruce Campbell’s new movie, “My Name Is Bruce,” at The Bridge Theatre here in SF.  Now, the movie itself was totally bizarre.  But the real draw was that Bruce himself was there to introduce the film and be interviewed by San Francisco’s own Peaches Christ!  It turns out, he’s absolutely hilarious in real life.  It was great to hear him talk.  He told some stories about how crazy his friend Sam Raimi is, and how Sam’s Oldsmobile Delta 88 has appeared in every one of his movies including the western “The Quick And The Dead” (stripped down to its chassis and covered with a fake wagon).  Bruce also happens to be bent on destroying it, but that’s another story.

But there was an aspect I hadn’t considered.  It didn’t occur to me until it was too late that of course a Bruce Campbell event would attract super-nerds.  Like SUPER-nerds.  A theater full of them,  It reminded me of the crowd at Tenacious D a few years back.  Which is horrifying because then you wonder, “am I one of these people?”  That would have been bad enough, but then the questions they asked him during Q&A were just… so embarrassing.  Did you ever see that SNL sketch where William Shatner is at a Star Trek convention and the fans are asking him these obscure questions?  It was exactly like that.

He was asked questions like, “you remember in Evil Dead 2 when you’re running away and then you go into the bathroom and there’s a secret passageway in the bathroom?  Why was there a secret passageway there?”  So many questions like this.  There was such a fundamental lack of understanding from the crowd that Bruce Campbell is an actor with a real life and cannot possibly know or care about the details of the this stuff the way that you super fans do.  You guys watch these movies over and over and debate them.  He acted in it 25 years ago and has probably not watched it since.  And even then, that’s a question for the writer!  I’m telling you, it was that SNL sketch come to life.  The most cringe-worthy moment had to be when someone in the crowd tried to pitch a script to him!  The funniest thing though was that after this absurd Q&A, the movie starts… Bruce plays himself in the movie, and there’s a part where he’s mobbed by super fans asking him almost the same questions the SF crowd just did.  Priceless.

He seemed to take it in stride, and he had snarky responses for all the ridiculous questions he was being asked.  Jamie pointed out that he must be used to it and works with it, which I think is probably true.  I didn’t bother asking him anything because, while I love his work, what do I really have to talk to him about?  Just the same, I bet he’d love to be asked a normal, adult question once in a while.  It’s a wonder sci-fi and horror b-list celebs like him don’t go nuts from that kind of bizarre attention from cult fanbases.  Although in fairness, I can imagine that’s how it would be if I ever met Johnny Marr.  “Johnny, you remember the bootleg third alternate take of ‘This Charming Man,’ on that second verse were you playing an open D-flat or a fretted D-flat on the Telecaster track?”

The quote of the week comes from an anonymous guy in the crowd last night:

Girl In Crowd: (to Bruce, flirtatiously) Are you into polyamory?
Bruce: What’s poly… polyam… polyamory?
Peaches: It’s for perverts.
Bruce: Wait, if I say “yes,” what am I saying “yes” to exactly?
Guy In Crowd: CRABS!

Listening to: Los Straitjackets – “‘Tis The Season For…“

[amtap amazon:asin=B00006JM99]