Comic Books, Drag Race, & Life in New Zealand
by krisis
OMG, I just realized that I have less than a month to practice RENT before our yearly Christmas Eve singthrough if I expect to perform any better than in prior years (although any practice I do will be mostly for naught, as I think Steve has unquestionably laid claim on the “best male vocals” title in our gathering).
At least I could bring big blown-up lyrics appropriate for blind old yuppies such as myself so that I don’t have to squint at the CD book again.
by krisis
I go through months of remembering I have a Google reader and months that I don’t.
I also went through a summer of talking about The Broken Windows theory of crime, after a re-read of Malcolm Gladwell‘s The Tipping Point. Derek Powazek recently posted a link to an Economist article tidily recapping the theory. Gladwell, by the by, has a new book out this month – Outliers – it was somewhat panned by the NYT book review.
I am not exaggerating when I say that Gina and I have spoken all three of the quotes included in Fussy’s atheist editorial. I can’t take credit for the desert one – that was Gina.
Via the always-read Mark Larson, Austin Kleon captures a sensation that Elise and I frequently experience and discuss in light of our introduction to house-hunting, summarized thusly:
I wonder about this proximity of bodies. I wonder how we will grow in a bigger space, with an upstairs and downstairs. How our changing spatial relationships might alter our story…
What I Learned Today is the blog of an inquisitive woman who, amongst other activities, took the time to look up all of the ingredients listed on her yogurt. After reading them, neither of us plan to eat yogurt again anytime soon.
Our Institution is linking to me; I’m not sure why, but they’re fun to read. Chris Puzak also links to me. I am friends with his wife, and he used to write scathingly hilarious editorials for my college newspaper (which sharply declined in quality after his graduation).
My open mic for tonight was cancelled, so we’re heading to jeweler’s row to pick up Elise’s wedding band! Then I have to learn how to thrash for my extra-special holiday drum rehearsal this weekend with Chas.
by krisis
Hmm.
So, in a bit of Philly surfing the other night I stopped by Philly Future, which featured a link to Fork You, a Philly food blog. And, in checking out the personal blog of its proprietor Scott McNulty – Blankbaby – I found myself thinking, Gee, that names sounds awfully familiar. I wonder how long he’s been around?
The answer to that question is two months longer than me. Which presents a conundrum: is Scott the longest-running blogger in Philadelphia?
Technically, yes – he made 11 posts prior to the launch of this fine establishment. However, said flagship posts were made from Yonkers, New York, not Philadelphia.
Now, let it be known that I am not one to hang on to my tagline via imagination or technicality – after all, that’s why I turned against Ms. Clinton earlier this year. At the same time, I don’t know that it’s fair for any carpetbagger with a long-standing blog to just roll into town and usurp me.
I’m really not sure what to make of this development. Have I been legitimately dethroned? Do we share the title, in different capacities? Have I found my nemesis?
I’m thinking I might have to drop by Fork You Live next Saturday to have a little duel showdown thumb war chat with this “Scott.”
by krisis
As to the rest of my awesome weekend, there was the bit where we moved an entire house of belongings from one place to another in less than 90 minutes of manual lablor, and then there was the bit where I slept for a really long time because I was not feeling super, and then there was Amanda FUCKING Palmer.
(Actually, I skipped the bit where I walked up and down South Street belting out Dresden Dolls harmony vocals to see if I could attract the attention of anyone on the tour who would introduce me to Amanda, which in my opinion is a way more effective version of stalking than most of her fans might undertake. But, I digress).
Elise and I (and many of our other friends) are tremendous Dresden Dolls fans, so we all took the news of Amanda’s impending solo record with several grains of salt. Would it be an indulgent glamour project where she indulged all the inane songs Brian refused to drum on?
In a word: no.
Who Killed Amanda Palmer? is a fantastically layered, nuanced album that runs the gamut from heart-rending ballads to two massive pop blitzes catchier than anything the Dolls have undertaken (and this is coming from someone who has “Backstabber” tattooed on my brain – it’s my #1 most-listened to song in iTunes).
I’d tell you more about the album, but I’m already entrenched about 2500 words deep into my review of it, so it’ll have to wait. Instead, a word on the concert.
It wasn’t a concert.
At least, not in the sense you would typically expect. It was truly a cabaret – songs mixed with spoken word, mime, question and answer sessions with the audience, and unplugged performances on ukelele. It was an interactive, unconcertlike experience. At one point Amanda and The Danger Ensemble did a choreographed dance to the entirety of Rhianna’s “Umbrella” (which I had mercifully escaped hearing up until that point).
If that sounds like a damnation by faint praise … well, only a little. There were definitely points where the act of Amanda got slightly tiresome, and the show visibly bled audience at those points. In the past that blood has been me. But, on Saturday it finally felt like cabaret and not a concert, maybe due to the absence of Brian, and maybe because of how much Amanda chatted directly with the audience – explaining the funding behind her tour, or asking us to send her a text message.
It was much about atmosphere and attitude, texture and taste, as it was about playing all the hits. Case and point, perhaps my favorite song of the night wasn’t any of the ones I was hotly anticipating, but a take on her hilarious collaboration with Neil Gaiman, “I Google You” (explained hilariously via a blog comment chain by Neil), the best bit of which is definitely,
And I’m pleased your name is practically unique
it’s only you and a would-be PhD in Chesapeake
who writes papers on the structure of the sun
I’ve read each one
At the end of the night she came out for an encore of her current single, the hot horny mess of “Leeds United,” slapped onto the record complete with an “Oh! Darling” losing-my-voice single-take vocal. Introducing it (or maybe earlier), she mentioned that her record company didn’t like the video as-is because she looked “fat.”
We’re talking about someone on my list of five famous people I’d sleep with. Fat doesn’t really enter into the equation. Behold:
Right. Fat. Sure.
In any event, I loved the concert, and I’m happy that Amanda is getting the chance to make her own music away from the Dolls. If any of this sounded interesting (even if you don’t love Amanda’s music) I would suggest you check out her mammoth story of recording the record, which is more detailed and frank than any episode of Behind the Music.
(wow, that was supposed to be a short post)
by krisis
Facebook is getting a little too effective at advertising to me about things I’ve never even mentioned or even conceived of liking. Witness:
Cordarounds – horizontal corduroy pants, lined with hot, dorky paisley. If Elise, Lindsay, and Gina were released into a department store containing these pants I believe that they would each independently buy me a pair.
So, um, girls, go to that store and do your thing, because these are $90 a pair.
Rolling Razor – a double-headed, contoured razor. I hate shaving, mostly because I feel like disposable razors are the most impractical means of accomplishing the task. This is much to Elise’s dismay, as she isn’t a fan of stubbly kisses.
When I saw this ad I immediately marched into Elise’s office to show her, like, “See, if I had this I would shave just to kiss you.” (Also, the “evolution” part of the site is awesome.)
Modern Tonic – a slightly gay take on pop culture. They don’t actually say that on their ultra-slick’n’simple site, but I swear that’s what the Fbook ad says. And, hi, could there be a website more geared towards me?
Get out of my head, Facebook.
(But, actually, don’t.)