It Ain't Cool Being No Jive Turkey So Close to Thanksgiving 2008

So, I started this around Turkey Day, but have been really busy, so it is coming up a little late. (That's what she said.) This has been a year of ups and downs for most people I know. We have seen several new arrivals while saying goodbye to loved ones way too soon. While the world has been weaving it's web round us, I have to say that the people that have gotten me and others through it all have been the best friends and family that a person could ask for. The small amount of people that are devoted to reading my missives are more important to Mar and I than I can put into words. Thanks for being there and I hope you all know that we have the best friends EVER. Now on to the additional thanks and happy thoughts:

• Turkey Bowl- By my count, this was the the fourteenth edition of the annual affair. Although we were a little light this year in regards to participants, this is a tradition I hope never ends. LVP goes to Brian J. 
• The Chicago Cubs Playoff Run- For the second year in a row, we made a great run. I had the good fortune to go to the best regular season game that I have ever attended. Rami's grand slam to win the game in the bottom of the ninth was exhilarating. I have never experienced that type of electricity at a ballgame. In my heart of hearts, I know that 2009 will be the year. 
• Radiohead- Now that I think about it, I don't think I have told you guys that I went to go see Radiohead this summer at Lollapalooza. BEST CONCERT EVER. Radiohead is my favorite band and their music has been inspiring me since 1997. This year, I had the good fortune of finally attending one of their concerts. It was on a sunny, hot day in Grant Park, and I made the trip solo, as most people I know do not know how to appreciate the world's greatest band. To make a long story short, it was  a truly mesmerizing evening that I still think about. The show was perfect in every way and I am grateful that I just had the chance to experience the magic. 
• Frank the Gnome- Frankie has been a very welcome addition to our little family. He watches over us and the cats with his enchanting smile and showers us with good thoughts and feelings. 
• The Wisconsin Trip- Our little trip up to the Northwoods was a lot of fun. The cabin was beautiful and we had a lot of fun with the people that joined us. 
• The Battlestar Mid-Season Finale- Totally breathtaking. The best show on tv did not fail to deliver with a near perfect episode. I still cannot believe how it ended. 
• The Mist- As I have previously mentioned, this delicious beverage brings me joy every time I taste it.
• My New Team- I recently met my new water polo team and cannot wait to start the season next March.
• My Kids- My eyes are opened in new ways every day and show me why I chose to do what I do.
• The Bouncing New Additions- As I mentioned, we have has several new arrivals this year. Welcome to each and every one of you. You all have great parents that will shower you with love and attention. I can only hope that you will soon know the joy of a Cubs World Series Championship.
• Mr. President-Elect- We did it folks. By no means will he wave a magic wand that will fix the mess we are in, but I think he will give us a fighting chance.
• My Family- They have always been there and always will be. Thanks for putting up with me.
• Marilyn- Thank you for saying yes. We have been at this little game for quite awhile, and August 1st cannot come soon enough. You have made me the person that I am today and brought me nothing but joy and love. Seeing you walk down the aisle will make me the happiest man in the world. Our lives are just now beginning and you are the only person that I can imagine spending the rest of it with. 

NPR Is At It Again!!

This is a great day for all connoisseurs of fine music. Our beloved NPR has done a great thing and made the final show of Radiohead's North American tour available for all of us to download. The show was recorded at the Santa Barbara Bowl on August 28, 2008. It goes without saying that I have already downloaded the podcast from iTunes and have listened to the majority of the show. Actually, this reminds me that I might be overdue for mentioning the Radiohead show I saw this summer in Chicago. It was fantastic. To be honest with everyone, it is the single best concert that I have ever been to. The show that NPR is making available is very good as well. After listening, I would have to say that the highlights for me have been "Talk Show Host" (this song was a standout from the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack), "Jigsaws Falling Into Place", "Body Snatchers" and "There, There." 

Who am I kidding? The whole set is awesome and if you have never given the modern masters a chance, I suggest that you give this set a whirl. Here is a link to the site that allows you to stream the show.

You can also download the podcast via iTunes. Just go to the npr homepage and look for the show All Songs Considered. Lastly, if you have not purchased In Rainbows, please do so. It really is a masterpiece. Every single song breaths with life and I truly believe that it will be considered one of the greatest albums of the first ten years of the 21st century when it is all said and done.

What Would You Say

Now it is time for the second part of the Dave Matthews Band concert at Alpine Valley on Saturday, August 9. Simply put, the show was awesome. The best concert I have ever been to. Just kidding. Nothing will ever surpass Radiohead. Unless Radiohead decides to be the house band at our wedding. Speaking of wedding, I forgot to mention that the Radiohead concert was on Aug. 1, exactly one year before our wedding, so how could it have been bad. Did I mention that the Radiohaed concert was the best show I have ever been to? Well, in case I didn't, it was great. The show was in Grant Park during the first night of Lollapalooza and they played a sparkling two hour set. But alas, this story is about the Dave show.

A rather unfortunate incident happened to me during the first song, which I detailed in my previous post. The first song was a "Dancing Nancies", a personal favorite. The next song was "Seek Up", which I mostly missed as I was washing off my foot. Unlike previous shows in the last few years, the Band seemed to dig deep in their catalog and played old jam after old jam. This set included "Crush", "Halloween", "Ants Marching" and covers of Pink Floyd's "Money" and the Talking Heads "Burning Down the House." The personal highlight for me was "Spoon", a rare deep cut from Before These Crowded Streets. It really was a great show and here is a link to the set list if you are interested.

Radiohead Redux

I am figuring most of you did not read my some what lengthy post on Lollapalooza, so here is my second attempt. It was the best concert that I have ever been to. If you did read the post, you know that Radiohead is my all time favorite band, and really the only reason that I went to the show. I made the trip solo and, after a long, hot day, they came on at precisely eight o'clock ready to entertain the crowd of 75,000 that were anxiously awaiting their set. The set was awesome and the evening was gorgeous. They played all of In Rainbows and other gems from their catalog of classics. The personal highlight for me was "There, There" and the "Fake Plastic Trees", which was accompanied by fireworks. If you have any interest in more details, you can read my previous post that describes more of the show.

Everything In It's Right Place

One of my dreams came true on Friday, August 1, 2008: I saw Radiohead in concert. Please do not laugh at this statement, but it really has been a dream of mine to see them in concert for several years now. For those that do not know, Radiohead is my absolute favorite band in the world, period. No band really comes close. I know that I was partial to Counting Crows and Pearl Jam in high school, but that all changed one fateful afternoon.

It was a Sunday in the winter of 1997 and I was with Megan and Laura. I doubt that either of them would remember this particular day because it was just another afternoon that we spent together at Fox Valley Mall after a trip to the Kitchen. Well, we happened to stop by Best Buy and I purchased OK Computer after reading the sparkling reviews that it received. I got home, spent an annoyingly long time taking the plastic off of the case, sat back and heard music that shook me to the core. Yes, I know this sounds dramatic, but is the truth. Every song on that album is a masterpiece and I have been an ardent fan ever since.

Well for some reason, whenever they come to Chicago, I miss them. This has been the case for the last ten years, and I was going to be damned if I missed them this time. So, on Friday, Marilyn dropped me off at the Naperville train station and I began my solo trip to fulfill one of my dreams by seeing Radiohead at Lollapalooza. All I had with me was a book, blanket, two bottles of water and a Ziploc bag of grapes.

After arriving at Union Station, I had to catch the Red Line to Wrigleyville to pick up my ticket. Yes, I was an idiot and did not expect the concert to sell out, so I had to pay a premium to purchase a ticket from a broker. To my defense, this is the first time that Lollapalooza has ever sold out. Well, as I was walking to the Red Line, I had a chance meeting with one Jack White. That's right, Jack White of the Raconteurs and the White Stripes. He was standing with a fellow Raconteur waiting to cross Jackson Street. This was quite a thrill for me as I am a huge fan of both bands. No one around us knew who he was, so I said hello and wished him luck with the Raconteurs set. He thanked me, told me he would play a great set and wished me a good day. It really was surreal.

I eventually made my way to Wrigleyville and stopped by the ticket broker, which was located inside Harry Caray's restaurant. As excited as I was to finally have my hands on my ticket, I really wished I could have have stopped and attended the game that was being played at the Shrine. However, a Cubs game and Radiohead in the same day might have been sensory overload, so it is probably better that I got back on the train and headed towards the Loop. Well, after arriving back in the downtown area, I started heading towards Grant Park, the site of the festival.

After reaching the gates, I looked around in awe as tens of thousands of people gathered for a day of great music. There were a total of eight stages set up throughout Grant Park, with the north and south ends housing two large stages that were set up primarily for the headlining bands. In addition to Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, Wilco and Kanye West were the major artists that performed this year. This was easily the largest music event I had ever been to and couldn't wait to see my first band, the Black Keys. I won't go into to much detail, but this band totally rocks. They are a simple duo, just a guitar and drums, that hail from Ohio. If you are into the bluesy sound of the White Stripes, you will dig this band. They were really good, and I was glad I had to opportunity to catch their set.

Next up was Cat Power, led by female songwriter Chan Marshall. They played their set on the stage right next to the Black Keys, which was very convenient. Once again, Cat Power played a good set and as soon as they finished, the Raconteurs started playing on the stage vacated by the Black Keys. Since I bumped into Jack White earlier that day, I was excited to see them. However, their set finished only forty-five minutes before Radiohead started, so I left about half way through their set so I would be able to secure a position for the main event. I would have loved to hear them play "Salute Your Solutions," but Radiohead was waiting.

After making my way across the park, I started a push to stand as close as possible to the stage. As I mentioned, I was by myself, so it was fairly easy to wriggle my way to a decent view. I have not mentioned it yet, but that day was hot as blazes, and everyone was baking under the sun. Thankfully, but the time the main event came to the stage, the sun was going down and the temperature was a little more tolerable. Well, it was now eight o'clock and the hour had arrived for Radiohead to take the stage.

I could barely contain my excitement as the elaborate lighting system illuminated (pictured above) the stage as the band began to play their first song of the night, "15 Step." As soon as they started to play the crowd went wild and with just cause. The start was awesome, but the best was yet to come. By this time, the sun was almost down, and the backdrop of the city was breathtaking. After "15 Step," they went on to "Airbag" which was a total surprise for me. This is the lead song on OK Computer, and is one of my favorite tunes on that album. The next song was the highlight of the show for me. Even though I don't think Hail to the Thief is their
strongest effort, it contains of of my favorite songs, which is "There, There." As soon as I saw guitarist Ed O'Brien roll out a separate drum kit, I knew "There, There" was coming, and boy was it fantastic. O'Brien played the hell out of the separated drum set and it was totally awesome.






As the show continued, I watched in awe as they played most of the cuts form In Rainbows with other classics sprinkled in between. Other highligts included "No Surprises", "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" and "The Bends." The next truly breathtaking moment came when the band started playing "Everything In It's Right Place." This is the opening tune on Kid A and is also featured in the movie Vanilla Sky. The song on it's own is awesome, but the thing that took it to another level was the fact that fireworks started playing during the middle of the song. As it so happens, the Chicago Bears scrimmaged that night at Soldier Field. Well, to help celebrate the event, they set off fireworks that happened to coincide with the Radiohead set. The fireworks were the perfect touch and proved that everything was indeed in it's right place. Following "Everything In It's Right Place," was "Fake Plastic Trees" from The Bends. This is a very mellow song and the fireworks accented it perfectly. As the song came to it's climax, the final barrage of fireworks let loose for a truly unforgettable scene.



The set continued with further gems, like "Paranoid Android" and "Optimistic" and the set closer "Idioteque." After the show was over, I was couldn't believe that I had the go good fortune to have attended that show. It was the single best concert I have ever been to, no questions asked. I understand that most people will roll their eyes when they hear me say that, but that is the truth. My passion for their music is unequaled and has more meaning to me than any other group out there. Being able to see it live has been the second biggest highlight of the year for me, with number one being our proposal. It was something that I will not soon forget and hope that everyone can have a similar experience at some point in their lives, whether it be from music, reading or otherwise. What a show.

Grammy Review

Herbie Hancock for album of the year? Who the hell could have called that? Oh well, I have not listened to his recored, so I cannot make a judgment against him. Personally, I would have given the award to Kanye West. As I mentioned before, his record is and A++. I know that some people find his personality to be too abrasive, but the guy is supremely talented. Now for those of you that may question my acumen for reviewing rap records, I try to keep my eye on genres other than rock (except for abomination that is country music), which includes rap and hip-hop. Not all music from these genres suit my tastes, but I do not automatically turn a deaf ear to the artist's efforts.

As far as the best performance is concerned, it was a toss up between Kanye and the Foo Fighters. I thoroughly enjoy both of these artists, so it was tough for me to choose one. If I had to make an absolute decision, it would be Kanye due to the poignancy of his performance following the death of his mother. His rendition of the song "Hey Momma" was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Another solid performance was Alicia Keys who was joined by John Mayer. I was not a huge fan of Miss Keys when sher first burst onto the scene. Feeling that she was just a product of crafty producers, I dismissed her first album as nothing but a manufactured effort of the corporate music scene. Obviously, I was mistaken. Keys has s great voice to go along with her stellar writing, which has produced several top notch albums. If you have not given her a try yet, I highly recommend her MTV Unplugged album from 2005.

So, back to the awards themselves. As I mentioned, my one big complaint would be Herbie Hancock winning the nights biggest award. But, I also mentioned that I have not heard the album, and if his contemporaries agree, he must have deserved the recognition. The rest of the night was fairly predictable, at least as far as the predictions that I read about. Amy Winehouse cleaned up, and deservedly so. Even though she is wrestling with her own personal demons, the girl has a set of pipes and knows how to put them to use. Her Back to Black album was stellar from start to finish, while bringing a fresh sound to contemporary music.

Let's all hope that this coming year will bring lots of great music, because we all know that the industry has been lacking as a whole these last few years. Of course, that request is moot thanks to the fact that we already have Radiohead's latest masterpiece to chew on.