Spectrum memories

Well, I've heard from a few of you, and here is what you sent back.

From Mike Shaw (both attended Allentown College at the same time. He graduated the following year):

Went back to the Spectrum for the last time a couple of weeks ago to see my very first Bruce Springsteen concert. It was sort of a surreal experience, stepping foot in that building. All the banners were gone from the rafters - except for the Bruce Springsteen Sell-Out banner and, inexplicably, the Canadian flag.

For me, the Spectrum will always be the place that I saw my first hockey game, sat in a luxury box, saw my first concert, and actually got to play a game. In grade school, my basketball team (the team was bad, I was worse) got crushed by St. Joe's Prep (a perennial basketball great) on the floor of the Spectrum prior to a Sixers game. I got to meet Scottie Brooks (a little white dude who played for them), Mike Gminski (a big white dude, who was a bit of an asshole), but not Charles Barkley - who stayed in the locker room until we left the floor, to my extreme disappointment.

I was with you at that Phantoms game and a few others; and it was a truly great time and a memorable experience. I'll never forget the little kid behind us with the foul mouth! I couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. (Jeff Bachman note: This kid had the worst mouth I've ever heard on a six year old. 12 years later and no one has still beat it.)

Whether it was hockey or basketball or a concert or even a circus, the Spectrum holds some great memories - and I will definitely miss it a great deal.

From Rob Roche: (high school classmate. Also, the person who introduced me to Pearl Jam)

To whom it may concern.

My friend asked for memories of the Spectrum to post on his blog. I thought I would share mine with him and the Ten Club. (Jeff note: this is the Pearl Jam fan club.) Please see below.

I had attended many events at the Spectrum, including Sixers’ games, Harlem Globetrotters’ games and numerous concerts. However one event holds a special place in my memory for various reasons. On April 28th, 2003, my brother Patrick and I attended Pearl Jam’s first concert at the Spectrum.

Although they had played larger venues like the Tweeter Center and intimate, Philly institutions such as JC Dobbs, Eddie Vedder expressed to the audience the band’s almost reverent feelings towards the hallowed Spectrum. Noting that the band is made up of huge basketball fans, Eddie commented a few times how special it was to be playing in the same arena where Dr. J. performed his magic on the Spectrum floor.

We enjoyed a typical Pearl Jam concert with rarities, B-sides, famed covers and hits both past and present. During that time period, Pearl Jam began to release bootlegs of all of their concerts to deter outsiders from making money at Pearl Jam’s expense, as well as providing the best possible quality to their fans. I spent most of the following day downloading the bootleg and most of that night listening to their greatness with the music in my ears and the visuals in my mind’s eye.

As a dedicated Ten Club member, I attended many more Pearl Jam concerts but never again with my brother. We lost him to kidney cancer in the spring of 2008 (Jeff note: Patrick passed April 13 at age 27.) It is a loss that I will never fully recover from but as Eddie has said, I am still Alive. I take solace now in the fact that I can relive the concert simply by turning on my iPod. I crank up the sound, close my eyes and know in my heart that my brother’s voice is soaring amongst that Philadelphia crowd. At the time, it was just another concert, but now it is a tangible tribute to a bond that two brothers shared.

Thanks to Pearl Jam, I will always have evidence of the time we shared and know that his voice will live on in more than just my own memories.

Rob Harman (friend and fellow go-kart/open wheel racing enthusiast):

My memorable Spectrum experience was my first time there, which also happened to be my first heavy metal concert. Megadeath (Peace Sells, but Who's Buying?) opened for Metallica (Master of Puppets). I will never be the same after that.

I'm gonna see my friend before it goes away

Halloween Night marks the end of an era in Philadelphia when the Spectrum turns out the lights one last time after the fourth and final show by Pearl Jam. It marks the end of a building that opened in 1967 and has played host to many a memorable event, be it sports or a concert.

I grew up about 90 minutes from the arena, but I attended a few events there as a teenager, the first of which was a Sixers game with my dad in the mid 1980's. The team was in a downward arc after its 1983 championship run, Dr. J was in the last season of his Hall of Fame career and doing the retirement tour thing. It wasn't a very memorable game (I don't remember who they played to be honest, all I remember is they won). I went to a few more games there before I went away to college, and before the arena became semi-obsolete as a result of the opening of the CoreStates Center (the original name of the Wachovia Center) acrosss the street.

With the opening of the new arena, the Spectrum only became used for Phantoms games and concerts for acts that either weren't big enough for the new arena or were going on when there was a scheduling conflict. I attended a few of those such shows and more of my share of Phantoms games.

I remember Phantoms game in particular against the cross state rival Hershey Bears that I went to in 1997 with some friends from college, and we saw one hell of a brawl at the end. Two players ahad to be put into their teams respective penalty box to be kept from hitting one another, andGene Hart, then the PA announcer for the Phantoms, had to finish reading the penalties given to the 11 players involved before getting to the end of game announcements. Neal Little, Phantoms goalie at the time, was the only player not penalized, as leaving his own goal would have got him a penalty and possibly, under the AHL rules at the time, a suspension.

My point is that the Spectrum may be about to die, but it holds a lot of memories for me, and for everyone else in the Philadelphia area. We all have the same sort of story I do, going to a (insert team here) game with their (insert significant life person here). Or it could be a Globetrotter game, Ice Capades or the Circus, but my point is this: the arena is part of us. For whatever reason, it holds a special place for us, just like the Vet does.

There are those that may say it is a dump, a hole, etc., etc. While that may be true, it's ours.

I'll enjoy being there Saturday night, not only because I get to see my favorite band for the fourth time. I also get to say goodbye to an old friend. Will I cry during the show? Don't know.
If anything, I'll end up shedding a few tears, because it's hard to say goodbye, especially to an old friend.

But, that's just me.

It's been a long time....

since I wrote anything, but you are all the benefactors of the evening's lack of sleep. That said, if the post gets a little punchyy, rambling, or something resembling any of those, you all have my apologies.

Since I have gotten to the movies a few times, I do have some stuff to share. That said, here goes.

A few weeks ago now, I was attend a free screening of a movie entitled Black Dynamite, thanks in part to the Tweeting of my friend Mike. We got into a free showing of the film in Philadelphia sponored in part by a couple of the local radio stations. That said, it should also be mentioned that Mike and I were VERY much in the minority in the theater, if you catch what I mean.

I had actually heard about this movie at the beginning of the year, due to it's wild reception at the Sundance Film Festival. Ok, that and a post about it on a movie website I read entitled "Possibly the Greatest Movie Ever." Call me crazy, but a headline like that will catch your attention most times, and this was no exception.

Was it the greatest movie ever? Yes, it was the best WORST movie I have ever seen. Let me explain. Co-written by its star Michael Jai White and director Scott Sanders, it is a parody of 70's Blaxploation films the two grew up watching. I never thought I would be able to say this about a film, but it goes from good to bad, and circles back around near the end of the film again. This movie succeeds where 2007's Grindhouse fails in that it's a movie that knows it isn't great, but, in the same breath, still doesn't take itself too seriously.

Should you see it? In the words of Black Dynamite "You got that right, you got that right."

A few days later, I saw Zombieland with a friend of mine and his sister. A comedy in the vein of Shaun of the Dead, it follows the adventures of four survivors of a zombie plague as they head for California. The movie's soundtrack, if nothing else, comes with well chosen music. The movie itself is smart inventive, and just the right length at just under 90 minutes. Throw in a well-placed, unexpected and downright hilarious celebrity cameo (sorry, that's really all I can tell you without giving too much away), and you have a funny movie that is well worth your time.

Well, that came out pretty well, and not the least bit punchy.

Maybe now I can get some sleep.

See, I'm not dead...

but my computer was.

First, let me apologize. I mean it has been a while, and you are my readership. I realize that it's been awhile (almost six weeks if we're being anal about it), but I want to offer an explanation.

For the first time in recent memory, I had a busy summer. Thankfully, summer ends Tuesday, and my life has finally wound down. As if working the job that allows me to pay the bills isn't enough, I had a summer chocked full of goodness, and personal obligations. Two weddings, and just a bunch of other stuff that escapes me. All I know was that I was grateful to catch a break when a free weekend day rolled out, or gasp, the completely empty weekend.

Then, to make matters worse, the computer I write this blog on decided to take a complete and total dump last week. After to trip to the Geek Squad, I was rewarded for my patience (they took a week. Seriously, you need that long?) with a new 500 GB hard drive. Life is good indeed. With "Backspacer," the new album from Pearl Jam, or as my old friend Rob calls them "the soundtrack to my life," in the background, here is my latest post from the land of blogdom.

I actually did something I haven't been able to do since I was in college a while back---I saw two movies in the space of less than a week. I originally had planned to see District 9 with my friend Bill, but the theater didn't use the times listed on Fandango, so we ended up seeing Gamer instead. I was actually able to catch District 9 at the end of the week.

Gamer. Oh where to begin. It's not a horrible movie, believe me. It does exactly what it sets out to, which is be pure escapism for about 90 minutes, with Gerard Butler for the ladies (un)fortunate to be taken with their dates. The action is very video-gamey, which is good because most of the action takes place in what is supposed to be a real life video game. Also, the performance of "I've Got You Under My Skin" was very clever. Now, on to the other film.

District 9 is the most original film I've seen in a long time. Also, it's one of the first movies in a long time that I can't peg as being like something else. Director Neil Blomkamp has created something very original here, and should rightfully be lauded for it. He got the gig because the studio scrapped his attempt at making Halo a game in what Peter Jackson called in a recent article "pure and simple studio politics." Jackson, to his credit, saw something he like about the director and when Blomkamp pitched the idea for District 9, he jumped on it. Now, the two are laughing--all the way to their financial advisor. The movie is compelling, intriguing, and disturbing all at the same time. It's disturbing in the "humanity could actually be this cruel" sense of the word. Sharlto Copley is a star in the making after his turn as Wikus van de Merwe, a lowly corporate bureaucrat charged with moving aliens from their Johannesburg slum to newer, "better" slum outside of town.

There you have it. Gamer is a rental, and District 9 should be seen in the theaters. And since it is still in Top 5, it won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Sorry, I've been gone so long.

From the Minds Behind...

Mystery Science Theater 3000, comes Rifftrax. Think MST3K minus the figures in front of the screen.

Here's a sample.


http://www.rifftrax.com/ondemand/drugs-are

It's a Dirty Job, but Somebody's Got to Do It.

I know I haven't written in a few weeks, but I wanted to wait till I had something I felt strongly to write about it. That said, here goes.

I saw a movie Thursday night that I think you all need to see called The Hurt Locker. It is a brutal, thundering movie that follows three members of a US Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) unit on a duty hitch in Iraq during the Iraq War. This movie has been rave reviews from critics, paid and online alike (the movie currently has an almost unheard of 98% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website.) After seeing the movie, I can say that I think those rave reviews are well-deserved, and will add my own over the course of this posting.

Marc Boal, whose story also provided the basis for another recent Iraq war film, In the Valley of Elah, contributes a script based on two sources: his experiences as an embedded reporter during the war with an EOD unit, and recently declassified Dept. of Defense documents concerning other of these units. Kathryn Bigelow, whom many people know for her work on Point Break and Strange Days, lends her action film credibility to this film in her role as the director, providing just the right amounts of tension buildup and release to keep the viewer engaged. For a movie about bombs, there is surprisingly little violence. What little violence there is in the film is handled is very tasteful, acting more as a character in the film than a background piece of it.

Jeremy Renner plays SSgt. William James, leader of the EOD team focused on in the movie, joined by Anthony Mackie as Sgt. Sanborn, and Brian Geraghty as Spec. Eldridge. Renner plays the role of James, who upon first impressions as equal parts cocky and ice water in the veins, which I'm sure is what make someone who does that job good at what they do. What I found striking about his portrayal was how well Renner showed the human side of a soldier, calling home to his family and also watching out for a young Iraqi youth who sells DVD's near Camp Victory. He also has great concern for his team, even if in the beginning of the film, both Sanborn and Eldridge feel that he will get them killed, going so far as discussing "accidentally" blowing him up during a disposal mission. Several better known actors make cameo appearances in the film as well, including Ralph Fiennes (who is almost unrecognizable), Guy Pearce, David Morse and Evangeline Lilly, who plays James' wife. They appear in "blink and you'll miss it" roles, as if Bigelow is saying to Renner "I'm putting the movie on your back." Renner more than responds with an award-worthy performance, one that if he does not receive a Golden Globe and/or Oscar nomination, I will be greatly surprised and disappointed.

The only piece of Renner's performance that did not sit well with me occurred near the end of the film, after he finds a dead boy turned into a bomb (insurgents have packed his stomach with explosives, which Renner discovers and deals with in the most wrenching moment in the film). He reacts by going "cowboy," trying to avenge the boy, and continues his quest while investigating a tank bombing. If I say much more than this, I defeat the purpose of you watching the film for yourself.

As I've previously stated, I think Renner's performance should be honored during award season, but he is not the only one. Boal's script and the Bigelow's direction should be honored as well. If Bigelow were to be honored with an Oscar nod for Best Director, she would become only the fourth so honored (The other three are: Lina Wertmuller in 1976 for Seven Beauties, Jane Campion in 1993 for The Piano, and Sofia Coppola in 2003 for Lost in Translation). My reason for thinking she should be nominated is simple--she lets the movie direct itself. It's as if she went to the set and decided "I am just coming along for the ride, I'll let the film speak for itself." That is the best type of director.

Boal and Bigelow have put forth a film that I think will better help the American public understand the mindset of a soldier, and they have done so through the use of one of the more forgotten groups of them by using the EOD squad. By showing what this group deals with in the course of a day, I feel as though, while not being in their shoes daily, we can better understand the life of a a soldier by walking with them over the course of the two hours of the film.

Unfortunately, this film is cursed by the same fate some brilliant movies are left with, meaning no one ever gets to see them till they come to DVD. To be honest, I would have never heard of the film unless I had heard Boal and Bigelow interviewed on a local morning radio show. The fact that this movie is in a limited, but growing wider, release does not help. I almost missed the film, seeing it at the last show of the last night of it's run in my corner of Delaware.

Should you see it? It is the best movie I have seen in at least five years. Those of you who know the amount of movies I watch realize how strong of a statement this is. PLEASE find this movie and see it in the theaters in your area, or if you can't do that, add it to your Netflix queue immediately.

Did Devastator Really Need Testicles?: My Review of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

As we all know, Michael Bay has taken his last movie, 2007's Transformers and more or less decided "I can make it awesomer! More explosions! More robots! More Megan Fox! It will be the most awesome movie ever!" Sadly, I am pretty sure this is the way Michael Bay sounds.

So, did he make it awesomer? Yes. And. No.

What is awesome about this movie is that most of the original cast is back, Megan Fox included. An added bonus is one Isabel Lucas, the blond chasing Sam in the beginning of the film. Without completely spoiling things, I can't really say much more.

A more "bad ass" Optimus is a welcome addition. I guess the darker Dark Knight of last summer inspired the team of Orci and Krutzman (normally they write for this little show called Lost, maybe you've heard of it) to write a more Optimal Prime.

More Megan Fox, running in slow motion. Don't think of me as a pig, I'm just a guy.

All the jokes I make about Michael Bay aside, I was glad they brought him back to direct the second movie. I think when you keep using the same director over and over in a series, you make it consistent, if nothing else. The scattershot Bond offerings of the mid 80's show what kind of bad movies you can make when you keep changing directors.

What did I not like about the movie?

Can someone explain to me why Devastator need to have a pair of what looked like testicles hanging down from the robogenital region. And another thing, while he was at it, couldn't he have...

sucked up those two annoying robot twins? Really, they were a bit annoying, and didn't really add much value to the movie You know they are unpopular when the writers of the movie won't even claim them as their idea.

Also, why did Sam and Mikaela need a plucky sidekick? I think they were doing just fine on their own.

This is I think something only I would notice. Last time I checked the old Bethlehem Steel plant found along the waterfront of that Lehigh Valley city is not Shanghai. Then again, I grew up in the area, so I would notice. My little geographic criticism aside, kudos to the production team for using a vacant factory as a location for a movie. The Steel plant is also where the scene where Megatron threatens to cut Sam open to get the info he needs was filmed at the plant as well.

All in all, for it's major robotic fault, this was not a half bad movie. Take out the two stupid robots, and I actually think it was almost as good as the first.

See this movie, AND waste the $10.50, but not if you're taking a date.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You..

Since one of my readers busted my stones about the recent direction of the blog ("I have to say you've gotten onto a bit of a music tangent. And by music I mean Pearl Jam. And by tangent I mean it's taking over the blog."), I have to sort of drag things back into focus. This wasn't meant as a vehicle for discussing music, but has turned into one as of late, and for that I apologize.

That said, the person who sent me the email containing the previous quote also gave me some topics to write about if I was ever short on ideas. Funny enough, I am. That, and I'm not going to turn down reader ideas.

Three Sheets is Back.

This is the second part of the non basic cable edition of the "Appointment TV" post. You may wonder why it is getting a post all its own. It's because the show is back.

That's right, Three Sheets returns on July 20th at 10pm. on the Fine Living Network. Check your local listing to find the channel number in your area. The show will air nightly, with new episodes airing Mondays at 10pm, which if you read the previous post will cause me issues because that show is on at the same time.

Right after I got digital cable, I discovered this show and liked it because it had a very simple premise: Travel the world and get to drink doing it. Like I've said before, I like to have a beer (or two) in my free time. It aired on Thursdays on a channel called Mojo HD, which the cable companies established as a showcase for HD programming.

Last December the channel went off the air as a result of cable systems adding a large amount of HD programming to their channel lineup, leaving the show homeless. After a few pub crawls to save the show, it has reappeared on the Fine Living Network.

Like I said, the premise of the show is simple. Host Zane Lamprey travels the show and drinks, and also discovers the local hangover cure at some point in the episode. Sounds wonderful, and such a simplistic idea if you think about it. There is also a brief piece about the local history of the place as well as its alcohol.

Without a doubt, my favorite segement of the show is the appearance of Pleepleus, a stuffed monkey who randomly appears throughout the course of the episode. Also, the show has a drinking game (rules to appear below). I'm not advocating playing it by mentioning it, but I will say, I know the rules and have observed that one could get a little drunk watching.

Luckily for viewers of the show, they had already shot the fourth season of the show when Mojo HD announced they were closing up shop.

As I mentioned, here are the rules. Please watch and enjoy.

1. When Zane drinks, you drink.
2. The first person to spot Pleepleus the monkey, makes someone else drink.
3. When Zane mentions his friend, Steve McKenna, everyone drinks.
4. When Zane or anyone burps, the last person to give the "Good Burp" sign (thumb on your forehead, pinky in the air) drinks.

My appointment television, the non-basic cable edition

I forgot to name two shows previously when doing the appointment TV post, mainly because they are not on a major network. The other one will the post piggybacked to this one, for reasons that will make themselves clear shortly enough.

During the Writers Strike of last year, I was tiring of watching the same reruns and decided to use the digital cable to find something else to watch. I ended up on the Travel Channel, which for those of you who know will elicit something like the following response ("Jeff, you do know that there is no sports or concerts on that channel right?"). What I found was a show called No Reservations, hosted by author, chef, and big time Rachel Ray hater Anthony Bourdain (which is what even drew me that far up the dial in the first place. I'm not going to lie, I can't stand that women or her voice. And, end tangent.)

The show is about food and eating, which runs a close second to having a beer on the list of things to do with my free time. It's a simple concept, Tony sees the sights of a particular area of the world or U.S., and dicussed the local cuisine with a friend he has there, or with a connection of someone else he knows. If nothing else, watching the show will make you hungry. Oh, and the sarcastic wit of Bourdain will keep you entertained.

By far my favorite episode of this show was the one about Lebanon. Tony and his crew went there to film a show about the cuisine of the ecountry and how it is rebounding from its crippling civil war of the 80's. Unfortunately, their timing sucked, as right around the time they arrived, Israel started bombing Beirut in retaliation for a Hezbollah raid on the border with Israel. This led into a month long war between the two and a forced evacuation of all American citizens ordered by the State Department. A show about food quickly turned into a show about getting out alive.

New epsiodes of the show start again on July 13, and the show's normal time slot is Monday nights at 10pm on the Travel Channel. Repeats air every weekday at 1pm. All Times Eastern. Check with your cable or satellite provider to find out what channel they carry it on in your area.

In response to Doug again

In his comment to last night's post, Doug asked me:

"If I were to give Pearl Jam a chance again after 15 years, but had to base a take or leave decision on just one (original) song that was produced after Vitalogy, what song would you suggest?"

I would like to thank my old friend for giving me a question that I have been ruminating on all day to find an answer for.

I must admit that I can't actually come up with just one. I've been trying to think of reasons to eliminate one, the other or both all day, and I can't come up with anything that I can process into a full-on elimination.

That said, here is my answer to question:

It's a tie between to on the most recent album, the last two tracks on the most recent album, the self-titled Pearl Jam, "Come Back" and "Inside Job."

Why?

Both songs involve the writing of Mike McCready, who is credited with the music for the former and music and lyrics for the latter. Why is this important? Mike has never contributed the lyrics to a song, incidentally it's one on which he sings background vocals. So what? Well, for fifteen years up to this point, all he's ever done is contribute music, having done so most notably for "Yellow Ledbetter." Depending how well, you know me and my opinion on Mike, you'll think I am being biased (for those of you who aren't aware, I think the sun and the band rises and sets around his guitar work.)

I will now attempt to refute those claims of bias.

These two songs are what Pearl Jam was, is and is evolving into.

Let me explain the "was" part first. This group has built a reputation on great guitar work, and neither of these songs disappoint, namely through McCready's guitar work. They both feature power in the Eddie Vedder's vocals. If that were to ever to disappear, it would be time to hang it up. Pure and simple. Now to the "is."

Pearl Jam is a band that's been around for almost twenty years, and over the course of time, anyone with half a brain learns things. These guys are no different.

First off, they added a percussionist to the mix, Boom Gaspar. Though only officially a touring member of the band, he represents an evolution in their sound. Be honest, Doug, did you ever think you would hear a piano in a Pearl Jam song back when Ten came out? I know I sure didn't. I also know I didn't like the addition of Boom during Riot Act. I didn't even come around to it for four years, till I saw the at the Tweeter in Camden in 2006. It was then I realized that Boom adds a dimension to the band that they were lacking--emotion. Let me explain. Before Boom, for the most part all a Pearl Jam song really was at its core was Vedder vocals, screaming guitars, and hard charging drums. I love them to death, but they played pretty elementary stuff. Gaspar, and OK, maybe age and maturity brought in emotion. How else can you explain the emotional, gut wrenching pleading coming from Eddie in "Come Back?"

Secondly, the band is much more democratic than used to be. Back in the Vitalogy era, to be frank, it was a bit of a dictatorship, with Eddie running things. Over the years, I think he's realized that he isn't the only one who comes to the table with song ideas. That is where Mike comes in.

I think if someone like him, who is not and has never been very lyrical comes to the table with lyrics that are good enough to get Eddie to lay vocals down for, Pearl Jam is worth your time to take a second look at.

They aren't the band we grew up with in high school and finding ourselves able to identify with for whatever angst-ridden reason. What they've become is a mature rock band who is often imitated, but never duplicated.

They are still relevant, influential, and worth your time. They are punk, rock, slow, fast, ballad, disciple and leader. They are solo artists, side projects and a group that plays every show like they are trying to win you over for the first time all over again. They are the girl who is your first love, your serious girlfriend or your spouse: You may fight, and leave, but you will and you always should come back.

So, please, Doug, they'll be here. Come back. Come back.

Embracing my inner Rob Gordon

Thanks to my friend Doug for providing the idea for the blog tonight. On my Facebook page, he asked me to "give me the top 5 Pearl Jam albums, in order. Explanations would be nice, but not necessary." I think that is simple enough. Channeling the protagonist of High Fidelity, here goes, from 5 to 1. Keep in mind that the answer may change following the release of Backspacer in September, if the album is as good as everyone seems to think it is.

5. Pearl Jam (2006)—This album is also known as "Avocado" among fans, so named for the piece of fruit on the front. It was an album of new beginnings in many ways: a first album after their contract with Epic Records had expired, a return to making videos and the top of the album charts. This album makes the list because it’s just a good record. There really isn’t a bad song on the album, and it marks the first album where everyone contributed lyrics to the song. Oh, and Matt Cameron sings backup for the most of the record. It’s the group at their most artistically sound and mature.

4. Live at Benaroya Hall (2003)—Before you go any further, I didn’t break any kind of rule. Doug asked for the best five albums. This is the product of a show played for Seattle area charity YouthCare at the home of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. It’s a 2 and ½ hour show done acoustically that spans the bands career. It provides some funny moments (guitarist Mike McCready thought the Kiss song said “I wanna rock and roll all night and part of every day”), but also an amazing version of the song “Black.” To be honest with you, the rest of the album could suck completely, but based on that version of the song alone, I would still have this on the list.

3. Vs. (1993)—The second album, the one set sales records that stood for years. If you thought this would end up at #2, you were wrong. It’s a great album, showcasing a band coming to terms with blowing up overnight, and just beginning to realize their full potential. It’s also the first one recorded out of the shadow of Mother Love Bone. Don’t get me wrong, if you were looking for a continuation of Ten, you won’t be disappointed. The song "W.M.A." also marks the start of the band making political commentary through their music. A consistent effort.

2. Ten (1991; remastered 2009)—Please contain your shock. I know that everyone thinks this is the no-brainer #1. Well, you are all wrong. I’m not saying I don’t think it’s a classic album, because I do. I would argue it’s one of the seminal albums of my generation. It’s just not the best. It’s a band in their infancy, trying to find their way together, as a band, after the death of Andrew Wood. In fact, the whole album sits in his shadow. Eddie is trying to prove he’s no Andy, and the band is trying to prove they can make it without him. Yes, the songs are classics, but it’s just a first album. If you want to listen to a better version of this, check out the 2009 remastered version. It’s producer Brendan O’Brien’s take on things at the band’s request, done with reverence and really not providing too drastic of an overhaul.

1. Vitalogy (1994)—I know what all of you are thinking. How did this album make it to #1 on the list. Easy, it was recorded when everyone was getting pissed off at one another. Over the course of the recording of this album, drummer Dave Abbruzese began the path followed by many successful musicians: getting to big for the band, and ultimately getting the boot. Also, Stone has said in more than one interview, that the tension between the other members of the group almost lead to it being their final album. What comes out the sessions for this album as a result is some good music. Also, it marks an artistic left turn for the group, as they began to experiment a little more with their songs, a trend that would continue on later albums. The fact that the band would have the courage to potentially throw it all away for the risk of evolving puts this album at the top of the list.

Well, I hope this answers the questions and as a bonus, provides a little insight.

Go see The Hangover!

Do not pass go, do not collect the $200, just go see The Hangover.

Todd Phillips has outdone himself. In making this movie, he has outdone anything he put out there doing Old School.

The movie was hilarious. I actually came around on Zach Galafanakis as a result of this movie. I will admit that I really didn't like him till I saw this movie. He steals the movie from Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper. Not that either of those gentleman don't put forth a good performance in the film, Zach just steals it from them.

That said, Mike Tyson and his cameo are well worth the price of admission as well.

I would love to be able to say more about this movie, but quite frankly all I can remember about it is how muh I laughed. I think that itself should be an endorsement for this movie.

What a drag it is getting old.

Hello loyal readers, I have returned. Sorry, but I was not able to do the blogging thing Friday night, as I was seeing a band play in Newark, and then I went home to see my mom and dad for a dual fold visit. Fold One: Seeing Dad on Father's Day. Fold Two: Yesterday was my 33rd birthday.

I apologize for not blogging at any great length lately. That's not to say that I haven't had anything to say or share, because I have. I just really haven't felt that what I had to share should be accompanied by a page long post. I hope you all don't mind.

Just a heads up: I am trying to finalize plans to see The Hangover by the end of the week with some friends. If I do see it, I should have a review up by the weekend.

Ein, Zwei, DIE!

So, like I was saying. Oversexed teenagers, snowmobiling, and gold found in a ski cabin in Norway used by the Nazis during World War II.

What could possibly go wrong?

If you like horror movies, you won't mind having to read subtitles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-KQh87_V2Q

My appointment television

Even though the ratings for a lot of TV shows have gone down for whatever reason (be it the use of a TiVo or other DVR, or just a decline in the quality of television overall) over the past several years, a lot of people still have what they call "appointment television." In other words, shows they will not miss, and if they do have to miss, they set up the DVR, or if you're old school like me, the VCR.

I have four of these shows, even though I have to catch up on the back episodes of the most recent addition.

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation--this is the longest running of the "appointment" shows, holding down a spot since its Thursday night debut in 2001. I subsequently was able to catch up on the part of the season that aired in the hell known as Friday night. I'm not going to lie, I like this show a lot. I think it is a smartly written, well acted show. If I had to pick a favorite episode, it would be the two hour finale to Season 5, where Nick gets buried alive and the team must find him. Directed by Quentin Tarantino (also a personal favorite), the episode had everything you could want in good drama, including pulling the rug out from under you just when you think everything is safe (fire ants in the coffin anyone?).
  
  I will admit to even geeking out a bit on this show, as I created an episode guide, with summaries of each episode, and footnotes that cover major events in the series history. Please stop laughing and continue reading.
  
  Other likes: Warrick, after they got rid of his gambling problem, Nick's sarcastic wit, Catherine because she's attractive, Grissom and the Grissom-Sara romance. For the record, sad to see Warrick get killed off, Sara leave, but happy that her and Grissom ended up together, and also the Miniature Killer of Season 8.
  
  Dislikes: Louise Lombard's horrid attempt at an American accent for Sofia Curtis, the attempt to compete with Grey's Anatomy during the season where it got its butt kicked by that show by adding way too much plot.
  
  Also, I like the addition of Laurence Fishburne as a main character, but still miss Grissom. I think when he left the show earlier this year, a show already experiencing a slight decline in quality over the past year has seen that escalate a bit. The decline in quality coincides with this falling out of my "Favorite Show" spot.
  
  
• Lost: It occupies the "Bow to the Majesty which is JJ Abrams" spot. I will admit that I discovered this show in the process of watching another appointment show, Alias. For a while at the beginning of its run, Lost served as the lead-in to Alias. In an effort not to miss any of Alias, because to be honest, you really couldn't, I would turn on ABC a few minutes early. I was always impressed by the last five minutes of Lost during its first year, and so in the midst of the second, I caught up on it by buying it on DVD. I will admit that the show at times has frustrated me (I find my self screaming at the TV at least once an episode trying to figure things out), and I have thought about giving up on watching it for that reason. JJ has left the show in very capable hands (going on to do movies and finish up Alias) turning it over to Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who are leading the show towards its end in 2010. If nothing else at this point, I have given enough time to the show that I have to know how it ends. At this point, it holds the mantle of "Favorite TV Show" as well.
  
  Likes: After a few years of not, Sawyer. I disliked him very much during the first season or so because quite frankly, he was a huge prick. Charlie (why, o why, did they kill you off?), who I will admit to bawling over when he was killed off. I think the fact that he was flawed appealed to me for some reason. My favorite couple, Sun and Jin. Locke and Ben, sometimes. The mystery that is Richard Alpert and his eyelashes. Also, just having to figure out the giant puzzle that is the plot.
  
  Dislikes: Jack and Kate. I find them both increasingly whiny, and for that reason I think they belong together. Locke and Ben, sometimes.
  
  All my disagreements and yelling aside, I will miss this one when it's gone.

• Bones: I picked this one up during the Writers Strike last year, because quite frankly, I was getting tired of reruns and poor quality fill-ins. To be honest, I had wanted to check it out for at least a year, but just never got around to it, and also didn't want to deal with the shuffling around the show endures as a byproduct of American Idol.
  
  Likes: The relationship between Bones and Booth. Please don't let them actually sleep together. That is what makes the show appealing. They aren't a couple, but you root for them to get together. The fact that the show is highly technical in its dialogue. Watch when they explain how someone was killed sometime if you don't believe me. The fact that TNT now shows reruns every weeknight, so that I can get caught up on things. David Boreanaz and his local connections. For those of you who are not aware, his dad is Channel 6 weatherman, Dave Roberts. The fact that I think the show is a steady Thursday night resident for next season.
  
  Dislikes: Those same reruns, for one reason. One of the major characters colluded with a cannibalistic serial killer. When they show these episodes, it's hard to watch him examine the evidence knowing what he has done. The aforementioned American Idol related movement.

• True Blood: The most recent addition, this one occurred purely by accident. I was visiting friends on Memorial Day, and since there was nothing else on, including the race that was supposed to be broadcast in the evening from Charlotte, we ended up watching a recap of the first season of the show on HBO. I am trying to find something to replace Lost when it ends next May, and have been for a while, not finding anything that appealed to me. Needless to say, what I saw in the recap did. I am currently watching the first season of the show online, but am contemplating just breaking down and going to Blockbuster so I can catch up faster, especially since the second season started last night.
  
  Likes: The large amounts of sex. Seriously. I'm not going to lie. It makes the show a bit more watchable for me, and also serves as the means of (no pun intended) sucking you in. When it does suck you in, you find a well-written, tightly focused show.
  
  Dislikes: The fact that two of the main characters look a bit alike, both having dirty blond hair, which they similarly style. Honestly, right now that is pretty much it.

So, there you have it, these are the shows I actually try and be home to watch, or in the case of True Blood, try and catch up on, at least for the time being.

Link time...

I had a couple links to some things I wanted to put out there for all of you.

1. This is a link to an article about some asshole suing the Oakland Athletics because HE didn't get the Mother's Day giveaway last year. And lawyers wonder why people hate them when they do something like this. The link goes to writer Rick Reilly's "Life of Reilly" column for this week. In the words of my high school Physics teacher, Mr. Brylewski, "some call it nerve, some call it audacity, but I call it balls." http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=reilly_rick&id=4247723&sportCat=mlb
   
2. A documentary opens on August 14 in NY and LA called It Might Get Loud. If you like music, or at the very least artists (in this case, Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White) talking about their craft, you may want to give this a shot when it comes to your area. For more information, check out the official site for the movie at http://www.sonyclassics.com/itmightgetloud/.

Hello, faithful readers

I hope that you haven't been experiencing blog withdrawal since I haven't posted anything in the past two days. To be quite honest, I've ended up asleep before I've gotten to post something, so I just didn't. Please don't take it personally.

Also, I've talked a few of you, my loyal readers, lately. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for reading this in the first place, but also for your praise and/or constructive criticism. It is all appreciated.

To be quite honest, another reason I haven't written lately is that I really haven't had anything I wanted to discuss. I do have one CD recommendation for all of you however.

It's the self titled debut of a band by the name of Chickenfoot. It features people from a few bands you may have heard of--Van Halen, in it's "Van Hagar" phase (Sammy Hagar and guitarist Michael Anthony), the Red Hot Chili Peppers (their drummer Chad Smith) and guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani.

My review: It's just a great record all around. Great sound, great playing, great everything. Pick it up on either iTunes or like I do, go out and buy the damn thing at a store. Actually you should do that. The packaging is printed with a heat sensitive ink that changes appearance when above or below 84 degrees. If nothing else, it's cheap fun to put your fingers all over the case.

Rollins at the Grand

Initally, my Sunday was going to be used to recuperate from the NIN/JA show if I needed to. Hey, I'm not as young as I used to be, so i figured it was a distinct possibility. That was, until my friend Mike asked me if I wanted to see Henry Rollins at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington. I was, to borrow a baseball term, being asked to pitch hit for the previous holder of the ticket, who decided they did not want to go.

The Grand is a very non-descript looking venue in the heart of downtown Wilmington. When we walked up to the building I realized how many times I had driven past it before while in the city.

Special thanks to the poseurs behind me for making me remember all of this, but Rollins is one of those people who has done pretty much everything. He started out as the singer of influential punk band, and through a "sure, I can do that" sort of attitude, moved into acting, spoken word performances, hosting his own show, documentary making and writing and publishing his own works.

After being fashionably late, Rollins performed for over two hours without even a break for so much as a drink of water. During that time, he touched on a wide variety of topics, including the recent shooting of abortion doctor David Teller, the state of the GOP, traveling to Iran, Syria and other hot button countries, seeing the Killing Fields of Cambodia, Marilyn Manson and his relation to the shootings in Columbine, the Transportation Safety Administration, acting with Cuba Gooding, and what is the most unlikely one of all to me, being a commencement speaker at Sonoma State University in California.

Rollins is a contradiction. Let me clarify. His buffed up, tattoed physique is not the kind you would expect to hide such a brilliant intellect like the one on display tonight. The talk was thought provoking, and due in part to his dry sense of humor, extremely funny. And, like any truly good speaker, he made the time fly.

To be honest, he threw enough stuff at the audience that I am still processing, and the show ended about three hours ago. But, I will say that I was blown away.

NIN/Jane's Recap

First off, I owe all of my loyal readers an apology. Sorry, but I didn't really feel like posting at 2am Saturday morning. Quite frankly, I just wanted to go to bed. Then yesterday, I crashed at about 8pm. I somehow managed to avoid the crash from the concert till yesterday. Well, better late than never. For the crash and the blog.

Friday night was the Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction concert, which sounds like it should be taking place in 1991, and not 2009. This tour is preceded by the scuttlebutt that it will be Trent Renor's last for a while for whatever reason. I've heard marriage, that's he quitting, you name it, I've likely heard it.

Anyway...

Before the NIN set, the opening act, former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's new project, Street Scene Social Club performed. I was not impressed. First off, someone should tell them you don't have to curse to be entertaining. It seemed as though the amazing guitar work of Tom Morello, which I will admit made the set worth it on its own, was put to waste by crap lyrics. And to be honest, I'm being a bit kind. It doesn't help that the lead singer kept being sure to mention that the group was "more than a band, we're a social club." I don't care if you are the second coming of Christ, if you have amazing guitar work and horrid lyrics to go with it, I'm not going to be impressed, and I wasn't.

Aound 815, I got hammered into the person directly in front of me, and moved about a foot to the left of where I was standing, which was next to my friend Mike who I went to the show with and then slammed into the new person in front of me. Why did this happen you may ask? That would be one of the hazards of being in the pit at a NIN show. I will be honest, I had to look up the setlist before I started writing this. I had an idea of what they played, but the fact that at some point I was more worried about being able to breathe, I just wanted to get my facts straight. Trent played a few covers (Gary Numan, Saul Williams and Adam Ant), and played a lot of material from the last few albums, but also trotted out some of the old reliables from back in the day, namely the pleasant surprises "Heresy" and "Mr. Self Destruct." I was very happy getting slammed into the person in front of me, and belting out the words, all while on a few occasions realizing that I couldn't breathe because I was getting crushed.

That said, I wouldn't trade any of those 90 minutes for anything. My shirt was covered in sweat, and I can say I don't know how much of it was mine.

After the NIN set, there was a small break before Jane's came out. Mike and I took the time to go outside and recover. I had made it through my first experience in the pit. I may go back into the pit, but I don't think I would for a NIN show.

At Trent's request, Jane's Addiction was the headliner. I will admit that I had to be convinced to stay. I really didn't care if I saw them or not. And then, they played the song "Three Days" and I was blown away by the guitar work of both Dave Navarro and Eric Avery. What was even more impressive is that during his playing, Navarro was able to pick out a girl to meet him backstage after the show. Mike and I both saw it happen, although Mike saw the whole thing, I just caught the second half of things. They played for about an hour or so, before walking off stage before the encore, but not before bringing out the old hits such as "Ain't No Right," "Mountain Song," and "Been Caught Stealing." They saved "Jane Says" for the encore.

All in all, the trip back to 1991 was fun. The only thing I would change is no pit.

My long history with Pearl Jam, Part Two

Anyway, when we last left me, I was telling you that because of Pearl Jam I also boycotted Ticketmaster.

Well, they released Binaural in 2000, and I really wanted to see them in concert if they came around, even if it meant having to deal with Ticketmaster. Around the time I headed to the Exton Target to grab the new album they announced a tour, with the evil giant, and they were playing in Camden. I had a shot.

Thankfully, I was dating a smoker, who incidentally went to get smokes around the time tickets went on sale. She came back to the apartment we lived in and told me "if you want tickets, you better get somewhere fast, they added a second show."

Note to all of you out there: Boscov's have TicketMaster windows.

Thank God, she was a smoker, and that the Coventry Mall Boscov's was so close to the apartment.

Got there in time, and waited for the guy in front of me to get tickets to Chicago (seriously!). I got a pair for the second show of the set in Camden. Now I just needed someone to go with. I asked her to go, and she gave me the same answer she gave a friend of hers when they mentioned Pearl Jam to her at lunch at college: "Yeah, I used to like them, but then I graduated high school. "

For the record, I went with a friend of mine from college. Also, things between us (the girl and I) continued to slide south until she moved out about a year later. We lost touch, and I couldn't even get a hold of her to break up with her officially till 2004. Not that her answer aboout going to the show caused the break up, but it didn't help.

The concert was awesome, and I was so happy to actually see them in concert that I could barely contain myself. The fact that they started the bootleg program with this tour came in handy too because I could buy the show, even if I managed to lose it for years (I'll explain later). Hell, I didn't even care that I got lost in Camden trying to find my friend an ATM before going back across the bridge. OK, I lie. That part scared the shit out of me. Big time. Have you ever been to Camden? Enough said.

Thankfully, they built a Target in Oaks, which is much closer than running to Exton, and that is how I snagged Riot Act and Lost Dogs, the album of b-sides. Also, around this time, they came back and played the Spectrum. I had a co-worker who was also a huge Pearl Jam fan, who went and made a copy of the show, which managed to get me in trouble one train ride home.

On Vs. , there is a song called "Animal" and it features the line "I'd rather be with an animal." Well, long story short, back then, I had a habit of singing along to the Walkman, and apparently, the fact that I sang that particular line freaked the young lady next to me out.

The group also helped me to break a rule I have about movies, thanks to providing a song in Tim Burton's movie Big Fish called "Man of the Hour." I usually don't buy I a movie if I haven't seen it first, but I figured what the heck. Who knew it would be that good? The Golden Globe nod was well deserved.

Things with the group were quiet for a while until the beginning of 2006, when I heard the buzz that a new album was coming out, just not on Epic. They also put out a video. Who were these guys? Guys that were touring and damn it I had to go, that's who! And I almost won seats ahead of time. Except....

that my damn cell phone gave out. Let me explain. WMMR, the local station, was giving tickets away, provided that you could identify the songs in a sentence made from song lyrics. I could, and I was able to get through. Sadly, the phone died as I was starting to give my answer. I could hear them, but they couldn't hear me. I still got to go.

By the time tickets went on sale, I had made the Target run to Oaks for the CD, and was digging it. The show went on sale on a Saturday, and the girl who was my girlfriend at the time recommended that if I wanted to get seats, I might want to go stand in line at the Exton Strawbridge's for her and I, and my friend Mike, also a big fan.

Before I go any further, I just realized that I had to explain that I lost a cd of the Camden 2000 set. It was around this time that things were getting serious between the new girl and I, which meant I spent a good chunk of my free weekends at her place in Bear, DE. More of my cd's started to find their way there, including the one in question. Long story short, I lost the second cd of that set for about two years, until she found it after I had moved out, and she came across some things I manged to have left behind.

In case you're wondering, I did get up and get to the store and stand in line to get led back to the Ticketmaster window. Tenth in line to be exact. Around the time tickets went on sale, someone from the store came out and informed those of us standing in line, who by this point had to be around 75 people, that they would do a drawing to see who got first place in line at the box office. We were given a number based on our place in line, and the person with that number would be first, and all those behind him would be next in line, with those before him/her at the end. While not exactly fair to the early crowd, I sort of saw the point. So, they get this little kid to draw at 945 (tickets went on sale at 10), and give you one guess what number she drew--mine! I couldn't even get the word "Me" out when they asked who had number 10, the guy behind had to speak for me.

Needless to say, getting tickets was easy. I went and informed the girlfriend of the luck I had, and also thanked her for pushing me to get out of bed and get to Strawbridge's, especially since I really did owe her.

As for the show, I wasn't big on it at the time, but after getting a copy of it recently, I realized something. The show actually was really good, since it was a band clearly at the height of their powers leaving everything they had on the stage.

Side note: The girlfriend and I later got engaged, but ultimately ended up breaking up early last year, not because she didn't like Pearl Jam (she actually liked them more because of being with me, or at least that is my impression), but simply because things between us ultimately fell apart.

Since I mentioned my friend Mike, I should make a note here that he got me at least one of my rarities, thanks to independent record store collections. He is the reason I scored Live at Easy Street, an EP of a show played for an independent record store meeting in Seattle. Also, through a friend, he is the reason I scored the copy of the Camden show in 2006 recently.

I mentioned the girlfriend (and later fiancee) who went to the 06 show with me, and I bring her up because she figures into my getting to go again last year to see them in Camden again. She got me the tickets for my birthday, since they were playing two days before it in June, but we broke up between when we got the tickets and the show. Needless to say, it was hard for me at that point to go with her, mainly because I think I was still emotionally raw, but I had fun, thanks to her friend Chrissy. She had bought tickets for us, not realizing that we had gotten our own. Thankfully, I sold the tickets my now ex bought to a friend of mine I knew would love to go, and I hung out with them for most of the night.

I got to buy the show again, and also got one for free. Let me explain. The Camden venue was known as the Tweeter Center till early last year, when it became the Susquehanna Bank Center. When I received the Camden show in the mail, I actually received the Tweeter Center show from Massachusetts. I called the Ten Club, which I actually finally joined at this point (only took 17 years), and they told me just to keep it, and they would send me the Camden show. Pretty damn cool.

Then, recently, in an effort to make me feel old, Pearl Jam re-released Ten. OK, maybe not to make me feel old, but to celebrate the fact that is going to be out for almost 20 years.

I listened to it in its remastered form, and the effect is still the same. It still blows me away, much like the group did the other night playing "Get Some" on Conan.

A lot of things have changed in my life, be it the girls I date, the year of school I'm in, or the town/state I live in, but one thing has remained a constant--Pearl Jam. They have been there through the good, the bad, the ugly. The good breaks, and the painful ones.

They are truly, the soundtrack to my life. And that makes me proud to say that I have been having a love affair with them since 1991.

My long history with Pearl Jam, Part One.

As I have said before, I like Pearl Jam. A lot. Anyone that knows me for any length of time knows that they are my favorite musical group. There isn't even a question as to whether or not I like another group more. It's been this way for almost twenty years.

I remember sitting in cafeteria at lunch during the second part of my sophomore year of high school talking with some of my friends, one of whom could not stop talking about a group named Pearl Jam and their new cassette Ten (what? They were still the dominant medium when I was 15) and he recommended buying it. Thankfully, I got paid to serve weddings at my church and had spare money to spend. I picked it up at the Wall to Wall Sound and Video (it's FYE, about two name changes ago, with electronics and TV's) on MacArthur Road in Whitehall, just outside of Allentown.

I took it home, put it into my crappy little stereo and got blown away. If I were to make a movie reference that even comes close, I would choose the scene where the central character in Almost Famous discovers the copy of Tommy his sister leaves behind after she ran away from home and he and gets that dumbfounded look on his face after putting the needle to the wax. I can't put into words what the album said, but I can honestly say, that it spoke to me. Something in those songs just jumped out and grabbed me. I don't know if it was the influence of the death of Andrew Wood on the proceedings, or the fact that I was a teenager, who looking back on it, was probably in my serious and brooding phase. Who knows?

Anyway, the album opened my eyes to the world of rock and roll, since my musical tastes I am ashamed to say before that had run the gamut of the popular stuff of the time from Taylor Dayne to Paula Abdul and those sorts of artists (and I have the tapes packed away somewhere to prove it), but I digress. The debut album held me over till near the start of my senior year, even though I got close to wearing the tape out.

They were also a part of history, as I had mentioned before in this blog. I moved into the world of compact discs, giving my mom money (they had dropped me at a school dadnce and were going to kill time at a newarby mall till it was time to pick me up) and a piece of paper with the title of the soundtrack to the movie Singles written on it. Among the other songs on the CD were two from Eddie and the boys, "Breath" and "State of Love and Trust."

In October 1993, I had gone on a college visit on Monday I had off from school (apparently Mom did not want me to blow the perfect attendance record). I went to see the campus of Moravian College in Bethlehem and get a look at their English program. On the way back home, we stopped at the MacArthur Road area, for what I don't remember, but I think my mother wanted to buy something. I, on the other hand, had to go to Camelot Music, and buy something--Vs. It had come out the previous Tuesday, and was selling like crazy, with over 950,000 units sold in the first week. I had moved into Cd's by this point, and actually own a hard to find version of the album--the Eco-Pak. Think the cardboard cases used by some bands today, combined with the traditional jewel case.

Again, I was blown away, and to be honest, I don't think the album came out of the cd player until sometime after New Year's. Pearl jam had put me through two or so years of high school, and now we would face the rigors of college together.

The rigors of which would be made easier by a welcome friend in early December 1994. After waiting the two weeks after it was released on vinyl to my CD version, I hit MacArthur Road one more time, this time at the Wall in the Lehigh Valley Mall, to get Vitalogy. It sticks out in my mind for one major reason--it looked different. The CD wasn't in the traditional jewel case, instead looking like a small black textbook. Incidentally, the version that was released isn't the original version of the book, since some of it was still under a copyright.

Another reason I remember this CD was that I eventually had to get it "replaced" by somewhat defrauding The Wall. If you lived in PA before Best Buy came in, you remember the stickers The Wall put on their Cd's so that you could replace them if they ever went bad. Well, I scratched mine up pretty bad taking it out of the packaging to put it into my stereo. Oh, and I made it worse by running up and down a cinder block wall, a fact I neglected to tell the employee at the South Mall in Allentown when I went to replace it. It was also around this time that a friend of mine actually helped me out by giving me Ten on CD for Christmas . At this point it had fallen a bit by the wayside as the group had more albums, and I sort of stopped using the tape player.

We had both done some growing up at this point, me heading towards graduation, them into a influential and increasingly political band, by this time starting their boycott of Ticketmaster. I was young and didn't care too much about that, because I had a new album called No Code to keep me happy. An album my friend Dave and I stood in line for at a local record store the night before it went on sale to be the first to get it. If I think about it, it was the first of many times we did that, but then again we were kids with nothing to spend our money on but music and that is exactly what we did. The album was also unique for it's packaging, which contained nine Polaroid photos with the lyrics to the songs on the back. That was also the night I got the Pearl Jam poster I had for many years. The store gave them away with every copy of the new cd purchased.

The boycott of Ticketmaster meant that they wouldn't be coming east, which made me a bit sad, but it also was the first time I decided to do something influenced by someone popular-- I too boycotted Ticketmaster, not attending a show they sold tickets for until 2000.

I'll tell you tommorrow who played that show.

Pearl Jam on Conan

Here is the performance from last night, courtesy of Hulu.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/75484/the-tonight-show-with-conan-obrien-musical-performance-pearl-jam#x-4,vclip,1

I've Got Some if You Need It.

If you've known me for any length of time, you know that I like Pearl Jam. Ok, so maybe I'm understating that a bit. Some. OK, a lot. A look at my CD collection will confirm that. Through a quick (and rough) estimation just now, I figured out that about 15% of my collection is Pearl Jam, be it studio, b-side collections, concerts, special editions, you name it.

Even with all the changes that occur over the course of a lifetime, they have been a constant in my life for almost 20 years. They were part of the first cd I ever bought was Singles, the soundtrack to the Cameron Crowe movie they had two songs on, and Jeff, Stone and Eddie cameoed in as part of Matt Dillon's band, Citizen Dick. To borrow a phrase from a friend of mine, they are the soundtrack to my life. I can find one of their songs to fit almost every mood, or help me get back into a good frame of mind.

One indication of how big of a fan I am: I can spot the Pearl Jam reference in Almost Famous, and I know that Mike McCready played the lead guitar parts for Stillwater in the movie as well. How do I know that you ask? Well, you know what, just ask me and I will tell you.

I salivate at even the thought of new material, and I have since I heard they were making a follow-up to Ten. It was called Vs., and sold over a million copies in the first week, maybe you heard of it. Since I heard they were recording a new album I've been waiting (I'd say patiently, but I would lying) to hear the songs. I found out recently that I will get the chance on The Tonight Show.

I have to hand it to Conan O'Brian, he certainly set the bar high, as far as musical guests go, having Pearl Jam as his first musical guest. Even more so, considering they don't do much in the way of network TV, or even TV performances for that matter (and they usually play on Dave).

With the new songs, I will try and be objective, especially since one of my readers pointed out to me "they could sing the ABC's and you would rave." Disclaimer fully in place, here's my thoughts. I also offer the offensive language disclaimer here. Sorry.

Holy Fucking Shit! The song is called "Got Some," but I will go with "Buzzsaw." It was about two and a half minutes of unbridled hell. Also, it's catchy, a word I know I have never used to describe a song by the group EVER. Not that I should be shocked by this, but Mike absolutely shredded the solo in this one. I honestly had to go jump around like a dork for about five minutes outside of where I'm living, so I could calm down enough to write this post in the first place.

If this is any indication, I will be a very happy man come Sept. 20, holding a copy of Backspacer, walking out of Target with a stupid looking, shit eating grin planted all over my face.

Friday Bonus Funny Blog Post Time!!!

I know some of you have kids, and/or don't normally make it to the the 1130 late night show, let alone the 1230 one. I've become a bit of a sleep deprived person lately, and so have made it far into the Late Late Show as of late.

My Late Show of choice is The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He took over the spot occupied by Tom Snyder (think Charlie Rose with a combover) and Craig Kilborn in early 2005. He actually auditioned for the slot in late 2004 while I was unemployed and kept hours that kept me awake until 2am. He made it to where he was one of the four finalists, and I thought he was funny, and so I started watching him after they hired him. I mentioned that I thought he was funny to several of my friends, who sort of brushed it off, till they got the chance to watch and ended up agreeing with me.

Does music sound better live?

I decided to write this post after listening to a new CD I just by Davd Gilmour, entitled Live in Gdansk, which is the result of a concert the former Pink Floyd guitarist gave to end his European tour, and honor the anniversary of the Solidarity movement founding in Poland. It is a 2 cd set that mixes both songs Gilmour is famous for from his Floyd days, as well as songs from his most recent solo album, entitled On an Island. My friend Mike, who is the music encyclopedia version of my movie knowledge, made me a copy of that album shortly after its release. (Shamless plug: If you are so inclined and like music, he hosts a radio show entitled Progscape Radio, from 8 to 11, every Tuesday night. You can get more information at http://www.progscaperadio.com/). I enjoyed it, and listened to it a few times in the car, and then to be honest with you, I forgot about it for a while.

That is, until I was listening to the new Gilmour live cd. Incidentally, I was reminded of the performance thanks to a showing of the concert on one of the digital HD cable channels (Thanks, Comcast.). I decided to pick it up the next time I hit the local Best Buy, which I had done earlier this week. I realized how much better the songs sound in concert. I always thought Floyd was a band that is better live. I also sort of went through a bit of a Floyd phase in college (then again, who didn't?), and ended up picking up the live album Pulse as a result. I always liked the 2 cd set for one reason--it had a blinking light, which I could always see reflecting off the walls of my dorm, making me think the smoke detector in the room was on the fritz a few times, but I digress.

The answer is a quick yes, and I offer an example that should come as a shock to approximately NONE of you who know me well. (Please contain your surprise) Pearl Jam is easily one of these groups. I've seen them three times in concert and I think that they are a group that spreads its wings in front of an audience. To be more specific, the wisdom of the addition of organ/keyboardist Boom Gaspar is proved over and over during the course of a live show. I must admit that I had my doubts when they brought him in for the Riot Act album, but then I actually saw him play as part of the band in 2006 in Camden. His playing adds another layer to the music and brings out more of the subtleties in the playing of the other musicians in the group. Furthermore, as a group, they leave it all on the stage over the course of a show, and as a fan, that is all that we can truly ask from a band. My heavy handed bias towards the group aside, they do sound incredible live.

Does this hold true for other groups? Yes, Dave Matthews Band and U2 come to mind as specific examples. Dave and his band seem to spread their wings in a manner similar to Pearl Jam, but have more a free flowing power. Plain and simple, U2 blows your ass away. No other words are necessary. Also, Rush is awesome live. In fact, seeing them live is something I think everyone should do at least once. It does their talent justice to see them play live. I became a convert as a result of seeing them last June.

Some groups do not sound that great live. Jack Johnson, I am looking at you. I think the group running around playing under the name Everclear fits into this category as well.

How do you know how good/bad a movie is?

Well, actually before I go any further, the purpose of this blog at this point is currently the discussion of movies. In the future, I do plan to discuss other stuff, but right now, I am tackling the cinema. Some of you asked, and I wanted to address it.

Now that I have that out of the way, I am going to address something I mentioned last night in my blog. Using the critics and the reviews you see in the commercials, is there a way to tell if a movie is good or bad. I say yes there is, and I am going to tell you how. It's very simple.

1. I have a group of critics that I use as my point of reference. The more of them that like the better, the more likely it is that I will like the movie. In no particular order, they are: Roger Ebert, Peter Travers (from Rolling Stone), David Ansen (from Newsweek), Richard Corliss (from Time Magazine), and Entertainment Weekly's two headed reviewing monster, Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum. Be aware though, Corliss and Ansen's duties at their respective publications have evolved into more of movie columnists than reviewers. They count as a 1/2 vote each.
2. A corollary to that rule of thumb is this: The more of the other major major media outlets that like it, the better. By major, I mean New York Times, USA Today stature stuff.
3. What does the Philadelphia Inquirer think? If Stephen Rea and/or Carrie Rickey like it, I won't, and if they hate, I'll like it. I haven't agreed with either of those idiots for 15 years. That said, this rule doesn't only apply to those in the Philly area. If you still read the paper and they review movies, insert the name of a critic you usually disagree with here and apply it.
4. I don't trust Ben Lyons. He is a tool, and his father is a much better critic. Talent skipped a generation. Besides, he LIKES everything, and it's annoying.
5. The more obscure the review on the ad, the worse the movie is. If they are using a review from the film critic in Bumblefuck, Iowa, chances are it might not be all that great of a film. Also, the smaller the print, the worse the source. Don't believe me, "The Spirit" had very obscure good reviews in small print, and it got savaged at the box office and by the critics (ex.: one critic actually used the phrase "there's two hours of my life I won't get back" in his review. )
6. Don't trust the blogs or their reviews, with one exception which I will get to in a second. Movie blogs such as Ain't it Cool News, Dark Horizons, etc. usually get catered to a bit, so I don't know if they are the most unbiased people out there. I think the one site I would give any credence to is Rotten Tomatoes, since they have a critic rating that averages the reviews of all critics together.
7. Pete Hammond likes everything too, and he seems to see more movies that Ben Lyons.

If you choose to follow these simple rules, you may find that you are seeing better quality movies. Case in point: Out of those in the top five with reviews of Drag Me to Hell currently posted (Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly), the praise is unanimous in favor.

How I Might Spend my Summer Movie $

Since summer is my time of year to hit the movies harder than I do during the rest of the year, I've been giving some thought to what I would like to spend my $10.50 on at People's Plaza, my usual theater of choice.

Here is what I am thinking so far, and what I am on the fence about. I think I'll go in order of release date (also listed in parentheses. Dates are current as of today. If the studio changes them, don't you come bitchin' to me.)

• Drag Me to Hell (May 29)--To be honest, I could use some opinions on this one. It looks scary, and it's Sam Raimi returning to the horror genre that gave him a name. On the down side, it's scary, although as far as that goes, I have a pretty high scare threshold. If anything, it may be a matinee. You know, so I come out of the theater into the daylight. That might be a little less scary and minimize my need to have a "Brownstain moment" (think about the meaning, and you should be able to figure out how scary I think this might be. I can't actually take credit for the term though, it's actually courtesy of my friends Shane and Alley).
  
• The Hangover (June 5)--just because it looks freaking hilarious. I mean, the movie has Mike Tyson air drumming to Phil Collins. Oh, and Bradley Cooper's in it. We've been tight since his Will Tippin days on Alias. I won't get into too much detail in my little tangent here, but there are times I view myself as that character in a few respects.
  
• The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (June 12)--I've got to be honest with you, I don't want to see this one for John Travolta or Denzel (ok, maybe him just a little. He IS a good actor). To be honest, this one makes my list on director alone. Tony Scott has become a great filmmaker in the past few years, and I am curious to see how this turns out. I would say that he and his brother are easily my favorite directors out there right now, but the nod would go more to Sir Ridley. Oh, and a screenplay by Brian Hegeland (L.A. Confidential, which is in my personal top 10) doesn't hurt either.
  
• Public Enemies (July 1)--this is actually a definite for a few reasons, namely Michael Mann. I am a fan of his visual look of his films, specifically his use of digital cameras (to find out what I mean watch Ali or Collateral sometime), as well as his music choices in movies. I would even go so far as to say, he is the best director in terms of being able to choose music or a movie (sorry Cameron Crowe, but you run a very close second.) Oh yeah, and the movie features Christian Bale and Johnny Depp (t, who unlike the vast majority, who like them for their looks, are great actors. They are on my "Read the Phone Book" list. In other words, if you made a movie where they read the phone book for two hours, I would watch it. Oh yeah, and (another of my favorite actors) Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover doing some horrible accent that I doubt Hoover had. It's going to be fun watching the three of them just act the hell out of things.
  
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (August 7): I must admit that I am very much on the fence about this one. Let's see how many reasons I can come up with. We'll start with that it is really like the cartoon. That's fine, since I don't expect it to be, but I would like it to look a little like the damn show, and not just like every other damn action movie involving military out there. Secondly, Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Mummy Returns, Van Helsing) is directing. The man is a hack. I would go so far as to say that he makes Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious, XXX, Stealth) look like Sir David Lean (he directed Lawrence of Arabia. If you haven't seen it, stop reading and go spend four hours watching. This movie is where the term epic originates from), and I think Cohen is a bit of a hack. If Sommers would stop trying to be Michael Bay, his films might not be half bad. Oh, and now for the most important reason: the trailers for this film leave me underwhelmed. At the risk of giving too much information, when I saw the trailer for Iron Man, it gave me a bit of a chubby. I saw that movie the night it came out and loved it a lot. The trailer during the Super Bowl left me pretty much not caring and not being very impressed. I think I thought it actually didn't look very good at all.
  
• District 9 (August 14)--aliens are kept in prison camps in South Africa. I must admit that I am curious about this one based on the trailers alone. The fact that people who have seen the movie are raving only whets my appetite even more.
  
• Inglorious Basterds (August 21)--mixed reviews from the premiere at Cannes aside, I want to see Tarentino's take on World War II. That, and quite frankly, Eli Roth looks he is getting off beating up on Nazis with a baseball bat in the trailers. Oh, and the fact that Quentin has a headlining actor still at the height of his powers career wise (Brad Pitt) in this movie, I am curious to see what he does with him.
  
• The Boat that Rocked (August 28)--this is about as "art house/indie film" as I go during the summer. The movie talks about the pirate radio that pervaded Britain in the late 60's/early 70's. The fact that Nick Frost (Simon Pegg's cohort in Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead) is in it doesn't hurt either. To be honest, it's an ensemble cast that might just make things work well, because of the direction of Richard Curtis, who did the ensemble thing quite well with Love Actually. Yes, I actually just admitted that I like that movie.
  
• Pandorum (Sept. 4)--depending on your definition of summer movies, this might not fit, but since it opens on Labor Day, which generally is regarded as the end of summer, I put it in anyway. In the movie, two crew members on a space ship, played by Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster (Tangent alert: see 3:10 to Yuma, not for Bale or Crowe, but for his portrayal of psychopathic outlaw Charlie Price, is as fucking brilliant as I've seen anyone play psychotic in a long time. The fact that he didn't get nominated for acting awards for this role is a travesty), who wake up in space with no memories of who they are. Director Paul W.S. Anderson does well with space. His last movie set there, Event Horizon, scared the absolute shit out of me, when I saw it in the theaters. And yes, I went to a matinee showing of that.

There you have it. A look at the movies I will take a gander at, after I consult my list of reviewers. I think I will talk about that in the next entry, whenever that may be.

A Tuesday morning funny. Or at the very least I find it funny. And it's my blog damn it.

Only a few of you might know this, but I am a huge fan of racing, more specifically the open wheel kind. In other words, the cars that run in the Indy 500. I also like to watch the Formula 1 cars that race in mainly in Europe. Heck, I even get up at 7:30 on Sunday mornings to watch the races live (I am NOT hardcore enough however to stay up to watch the races from Asia that start at 1:30 am or later. I tape those since I'm one of the five people who still don't have TiVo or a DVR .)

My favorite Indycar driver is Dario Franchitti, who incidentally is married to actress Ashley Judd, who is in my opinion a sports lovers dream wife, in that she will go and support her man at the track, but is also a season ticket holder at the University of Kentucky and a rather vocal fan. Vocal enough in fact that I've heard if Dario goes with her, he sits several rows away.

I guess being married to an actress has rubbed off on him though. The link below is for a commercial that ran during the 500 on Sunday for Indy Downforce, the official fan club of the circuit. I found this funny enough that I almost choked on my soda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYcA3t2VgB0

Fu**king Amateur? No. Fu**ing Good--Surprisingly

“You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.”— The Matrix

I have got to be honest with you, the quote above is how I have felt lately when it comes time to go to bed. I lay there, and at a point in the day where it is completely normal to wind down and get some much needed rest, my mind is still rolling along like an Indycar stuck in 5th gear and headed towards the wall—out of gas with no way to stop. It’s like my brain is telling me that there is a lot of creative things rolling around inside it, and that they need to get out. If nothing else, maybe doing this will help me sleep better at night. Or at least I hope so. I write for a living, and I am coming to the realization that I am good at what I do. A few of you have told me that I should write more, so this is for all of you. See? I finally got off my butt and sidled up to the keyboard. Are you happy now?

That brief intro out of the way, who am I? To the great majority of you, I hope I am a friend, or at the very least acquaintence, and it’s likely that we met either at work, or school.

A few of you see me as your “movie guy.” If you want to know if a movie is good, or what date a film comes out, you come see me. I also possess a “Rain Man”-like ability to know who is in what movie with whom, and what other movies they’ve been in, and with who.

Hey, if nothing else, it comes in handy at parties. I may have been the co-worker who took his PTO and went to the movies (Spiderman and Star Wars Episode 2 are specific examples that come to mind, but I’m sure if I gave it some thought, I could come up with a few more). In case you can’t tell, I like movies.

So, let’s to the reason I really started to write this blog post in the first place. Let me start by saying that I put myself out on a limb for all of you. As we are all well aware, the nation’s economy has taken the crap of most of our lifetimes, and so, to say the least, we all think a little harder before dropping down our hard earned coin.

With movie prices in my neck of the woods at $10.50 for a non-matinee, non-IMAX show (depending where you live, your price may vary up or down), I try not to spend my money on crappy movies although it DOES happen (e.g. I went to see The Soloist on its opening weekend, and disliked it so much, I walked out of a movie for only the second time ever). With that said, I think enough of all you out there to that I would like to provide you with a service—telling you what you should spend your hard earned disposable income on at the local cinema. I like you all enough to feel OK with making that sacrifice.

My first such sacrifice: Terminator: Salvation. As I am sure we are well aware, this movie has gotten publicity for all of the wrong reasons, including on set meltdowns, (Christian Bale, I am looking at you. Oh, and thanks for the help on the title of this post.), and that constant fanboy need to second guess.

There are some who feel McG should not have been selected as the director for the latest installment of the venerable franchise, despite the personal endorsement of one James Cameron (he directed the first two movies in the series, and this other independent movie called Titanic. It won 11 Oscars, maybe you heard of it.). To some, these two factors, and the dearth of negative reviews that preceded the movie top of the list of things not to like. On the contrary, there are a lot of things to like about this movie.

I will start with the performance of one Sam Worthington, who, in my opinion is pulling a Hugh Jackman with this movie. That is, he is using a big-budget vehicle to show that he has star power. I really do feel that this movie is Sam’s breakout role. In a nutshell, on one level, the movie is about him, and his quest to “see the wizard,” if you will. In this case, the wizard is SkyNet. He takes the role of Marcus Wright, a Terminator in denial, and humanizes it, literally. There are scenes in this movie that Worthington actually made me start to well up watching. Also, his subtle love affair with resistance pilot Blair Williams (played by an underused Moon Bloodgood) also adds another dimension to an already dense movie. Worthington oozes an emotional intensity, best displayed in the scenes he has with John Connor (played by Christian Bale).

Despite his blow up on the movie set during filming, and whispers that it may not be an isolated incident, Bale continues to prove that, if nothing else, he is the most versatile actor of his generation (for crying out loud, he’s gone from Batman, to John Connor, and will next play an FBI agent in the upcoming Public Enemies). He brings intensity to any role he plays that cannot be denied. It is this intensity that gives moviegoers pulse pounding intensity for their movie dollar. Without giving too much away, a scene where he tells the Terminator ready to “go ahead, just do it” (kill him), comes to mind.

Bale’s intensity is helped along by the subtle use of special effects. Not to say that are no special effects used in the film, but their use is very subtle and understated, which seems to be a recurring theme throughout the movie. This is one of the positives for me as far as a reason why McG is a great choice to direct this film. He used the effects to further the story, not to just blow his wad and make noise (Michael Bay, I’m looking at you. Pick a movie of his and you will see what I mean).

Overall, McG has crafted an excellent film, one which fills in the gap created by the time travel in other movies (for example, the one that explains how Connor meets Kyle Reese, a real motherfucker—literally. Think about it). That said, while it doesn’t hurt to know the back story of the Terminator saga, it isn't a necessity either, making for an accessible movie for devotee and novice alike.

Should You See it: Yes, blow the $10.50, if you are going by yourself. If you are taking a date, I leave the choice to see a matinee up to you.

What’s Next: Not completely sure, but I think it might be a movie that is one of the trailers that accompanies this film, The Hangover, the latest effort from the director of Old School.