Dan Deacon

March 27, 2009
Bromst is brilliant. It is hysterically good and unlike anything I've heard before. Spastic and Euphoric, Propulsive and Hypnotic. I saw him perform a few years ago and it is truly a carnal awakening to surround him in a crowd of primal dancing. The album composition is a rollercoaster flowing from long buildups to steep drops to fast banks and insane loop-dee-loops and barrel rolls and free falls. Wow.

Chip Chip

March 25, 2009
Good news for fans of Spring: bird activity is humming in Greenwood Cemetery. It is a haven year-round for our feathered friends, but Springtime always brings new life to the area. I took a walk last week and spent some time with the Monk Parakeets that inhabit the gothic entryway and the flock of geese in the big pond and also saw Robins, Starlings, Woodpeckers, Hawks, Jays and Cardinals. Conveniently, it is directly across the street from my house, so I don't even need to leave my balcony for some hot birding action. Today was loud. Usually the sparrows who…

Billy Elliot

March 25, 2009
Wow. I am blown away by this Broadway production, based on the movie about a boy who just wants to dance. His story is woven tightly into the story of the 1984 British Miners' Strike, which consumes his family and community. The battles fought on all fronts are emotionally devastating and Elton John's music is beautiful; combined they create a deeply stirring experience. Struggles can end in victory or defeat but either way, they define our character more than anything else. There are three boys playing Billy, and last night we saw Trent Kowalik, who was phenomenal. Besides being a…

Stoweravaganza

March 24, 2009
There are a few annual parties that I look forward to all year. One is The Land (June 19-21, 2009!) and one is Blake's event at Stowe, VT. Every year, both get bigger and better and funner. Après the great skiing that occurs daily, the crew pulls it together for festivities that take us into the next morning, which is then recounted on the lifts hours later. Music is a staple at these events, and I relish the opportunity to be a part of the DJ crew. This year also featured my VJ stylings and a live band, The Toughcats,…

Bailout

March 17, 2009
A bail is a container used for extracting water from a flooding boat or a payment for extracting a criminal from jail. As a verb, it is to abandon a perilous situation. Bailout means using financial leverage to aid a failing industry. Any of these situations are bad, but the problem is that a bail is not a solution. Why is the boat flooding? Why is the criminal in jail? Why are we in such a perilous situation? We can scoop water out of the boat as fast as we can with the biggest bucket we can find and unless…

Mad at Money

March 13, 2009
As far as fall guys go, Jim Cramer makes a great one, and he took a major crash down the basement steps last night on The Daily Show. Clearly, he has said some questionable things and has questionable motivations, and Jon Stewart did not let him escape the truth that financial reporting should be objective and perhaps even investigative. He claimed that people lied to him and certainly they lied to everyone, but with a bit of thought it would have been obvious what was really going on. Of course, everyone wants the money no matter where it's coming from,…

Fluffhead

March 12, 2009
And they're back! The band that dominated my life like none before or since, after vanishing from the stage to live as a ghost on thousands of hours of audio recordings, has returned to create new live experiences. They are truly exceptional at what they do and they have altered millions of lives. I went to New Rochelle five years ago to watch their "final" show simulcast at a movie theater, and I just downloaded (free!) their first show back. They closed their last show with "The Curtain" which felt perfect then and they opened with "Fluffhead", which feels perfect…

Dutch Treat

March 10, 2009
From yahoo answers: "Along with "Dutch treat," which originally implied "cheap," other insults once popular included "Dutch courage" (liquor), "Dutch defense" (a retreat), "Dutch headache" (a hangover), "Do a Dutch" (commit suicide), "Dutch concert" (a drunken uproar), and "Dutch nightingale" (a frog, which seems an especially low blow)." Tonight the meaning of the phrase was an amazing baseball game in which The Netherlands beat The Dominicans in the 11th inning in the WBC. This was the second time they beat them in this tournament, but this time it was advance or be eliminated and this group of minor leaguers came…

Hank’s last night

March 8, 2009
Here is a video of the video from last night's show. Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed themselves. Hank's Saloon 3.7.09