What You'll Find Here: Music, Movies and Me

Since May 1976, I have written in journals. When I have nothing particularly resonant to say about my own inner turmoil, philosophic ramblings, sexual peccadillos or whining on about the state of the world around me...I have always fallen back on reporting the cultural time consumption that takes up in inordinate portion of my daily goings on.

In the 40+ years since my first concerts seeing Children's Symphony presentations on Sundays at the Pasadena Civic or The Hot Jazz Society's monthly Dixieland romps in an old meeting hall on the edge of the L.A. "River" across from Griffith Park, I have been sold heavily on the magic of live music. As Neil Young so aptly put it, "Live music is better bumper stickers should be issued."

Growing up a few orange groves and canyons length away from Hollywood also contributed greatly to my family's addiction to movie going. From the time I was a small there were weekly trips to the drive-in theaters that dotted the landscape, or the local Temple theater for the Saturday matinees. Once in a while we'd drive the 12 miles into Hollywood and see something in one of the magnificent old movie palaces like Grauman's Chinese, the Egyptian, The Pantages or later the Cinerama Dome. My dad loved Westerns and War movies, as if he didn't get enough shoot-'em-up as an L.A. County Sheriff in his day gig, my mom adored musicals and comedies. My brother and I loved them all.

At SDSU, I played in my first gigging band and began booking concerts on campus as part of the well-funded Cultural Arts Board, kindling for my future life in and around music.

So it's not surprising that my first jobs out of college were working in local video rental places (which were all the rage) or managing a couple of Sam Goody record stores in Mall's on the East Coast where we marveled at the new CD format and sold the first home computers and video games (yes Commodore and Pong and Atari).

So these are really just extensions of all of those journal entries talking about the great new movies I was seeing and LPs/CDs I was listening to.

Though iPODS/iPADs, apps, smart phones and downloads now make music and movies accessible in your own pocket, there is still nothing like sitting in front of a stack of speakers with a room full of people swaying to music created before your eyes. Nor is there anything that works quite so well for me to escape the real world and all of it's pressures just outside than two hours in a dark theater, absorbing the stories flickering across that wide screen as they pull you into their world.

But a really good taco runs a close third...

Saturday, February 23, 2013

OSCAR PICKS

One of the hardest years in ages to pick my own favorites in all of the Oscar categories, in part because my favorite film of the year was only nominated for one major Academy Award and that was MOONRISE KINGDOM for WRITING (Original Screenplay). I think a nomination for Best Picture was warranted for this quirky, funny, moving though little-seen film from director Wes Anderson. Watch for an upcoming column going into my favorite films of the year in the next couple of weeks.

I'm currently up late with last minute prep for ur sold-out show at the Queen Theatre in Wilmington, DE. SHINE A LIGHT ON THE QUEEN is our 2nd annual benefit for the newly remodeled concert hall, a tribute to The Rolling Stones and the vibrant Wilmington music scene. But, again more on that later. Here are my Oscar picks for those keeping score:

Best Picture: LIFE OF PI
Best Actor in a Leading Role: DENZEL WASHINGTON (Flight)
Best Actress in a Leading Role: JENNIFER LAWRENCE (Silver Linings Playbook)
Best Supporting Actor: ROBERT DeNIRO (Silver Linings Playbook)
Best Supporting Actress: ANNE HATHAWAY (Les Miserables)
Best Director: ANG LEE (Life of Pi)
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): LIFE OF PI
Best Writing (Original Screenplay): MOONRISE KINGDOM
Best Foreign Film: AMOUR
Animated Feature Film: BRAVE
Cinematography: LIFE OF PI
Costume Design: LES MISERABLES
Documentary Feature: SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN
Film Editing: LIFE OF PI
Make-Up and Hairstyling: LES MISERABLES
Music (Original Score): LIFE OF PI
Music (Original Song): SKYFALL (Skyfall)
Sound Editing: DJANGO UNCHAINED
Sound Mixing: LES MISERABLES
Visual Effects: LIFE OF PI
Short film: I didn't see any of the nominations i nthis catagory while I did see 98% of the nominees in all other categoreis combined. There was a short film that blew me away this year which I didn't see until I watched the DVD versio of BRAVE and that was the wondrous and unforgettable film LA LUNA.

I will comment more on these later. Let me for now say that the closest races and most difficult categories for me to judge personally this year were the Best Actor (Cooper really was fantastic and SO Philly in his role in Silver Lining Playbook), Best Supporting Actor (Christph Waltz was truly memorable and inventive in Django Unchained), Make-Up and Hairstyling because I believe that the vastly under-rated CLOUD ATLAS was completely robbed of recognition for its major achievement in this category.

I also believe LAWLESS was a spectacular film from top to bottom and sorely ignored by the Academy as was BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, one of the most heartwarming and fun films of the year.

We'll be back after Sunday night's show to see how we did.
 






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Sunday, December 16, 2012

CLASSIC SONGS: "CROSSROADS" REVISITED





I had originally posted this Stills medley because it was just too good not to share with y'all. But a coincidental performance by Eric Clapton on the same day I found this Stills take was too cool to pass up so what we have here is an appreciation of one of the signposts of blues rock, the Robert Johnson song "Crossroads". You can delve into the history of the song here and the strange legacy of the great Robert Johnson has been explored endlessly elsewhere but for today here are some fun stabs at this essential blues rave-up.

First, Robert Johnson's slightly looser version leads the column above. His other version (also from 1936) can be heard here.

Vintage Stills, this solo acoustic version of his medley of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" and Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" is a very different take on the tune, uniquely Stillsian. Circa 1983 from TV's "Rock N Roll Tonight" show. See more of his set from this broadcast here featuring rare duo performances of Stills & Graham Nash.



Most of the electric versions here owe a huge debt to Creams's classic renditions of the song which we'll end the blog with. The version of "Crossroads" below is from Eric Clapton's recent set at Madison Square Garden for the 12/12/12 Sandy Relief concert. See more from his set here.



Here's one from jamband heroes Phish recorded live 12/29/97.



Before shredding was a musical term, the kings of shred. CREAM from the film Farewell Cream Filmed at their final concert at the Royal Albert Hall on November 26, 1968...

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VIDEO: MIKE WATT + THE MISSINGMEN - COVER JIMI, WIRE, MINUTEMEN, ROKY, STOOGES, B.O.C.

Mike Watt + Missingmen on their recent "2nd heapin' helpin' of 3rd opera tour 2012"
have been performing Jimi Hendrix and Band of Gypsys' classic "MACHINE GUN" as part of their encores. Here's it is in a medley with Wire's "106 Beats That", Minutemen's "Glory of Man" both sung by Watson and "The Glory of Man" Blue Oyster Cult's "The Red & The Black" from October 6, 2012 & The Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines, IA.

Mike Watt: thud staff, vocals / Tom Watson: guitar / Raul Morales: drums...I'm not sure who the two guest guitarists are. Sorry. Nevertheless, crusher.


"START A BAND!!!" Word.


This below is cool too...from earlier in 2011 in Seattle with special guests Dave Grohl, Pat Smear  and Eddie Vedder all of whom were in Watt's band in 1997...slamming into Watt's "Big Train" and Iggy & The Stooges "Fun House"...


 also a taste of last week's gig in Pedro courtesy of Skipper Jeff.. first covers of Wire's "Three Girl Rhumba" and below that Roky Erickson's "Sweet Honey Pie"... Watt's got it covered.



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