John Wesley Harding's Mix Tape

I found this site where John Wesley Harding provides the track listing and comments on his latest mix tape. So we are not alone in our quest to keep compilations alive. I can't imagine I'd like much of what is listed but it's semi-interesting anyway.

Wes' first novel 'Misfortune' is available damn near everywhere. The reviews are good but I've struggled to finish it. Below is a link for more information.

http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0535/050831_music_cdrgo.php
http://www.wesleystace.com/

Guntarski's Heavy Rotation (Week of 8/29/05)

Ben Folds - Songs For Goldfish
Ben Folds - Sunny 16
Ben Folds - Songs For Silverman
Ben Folds Five - The Unathorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five - Whatever And Ever Amen

Concerts I'd Like to See

Below are show's I plan to see (or wish I've seen)

1) Tom Waits
2) Nirvana (pre shotgun blast)
3) Sinatra
4) Kings of Leon
5) Elvis (circa 1956)
6) Elvis (in the 70's)
7) The Who (with all four original members prior to any reunion tour)
8) Queen
9) The Kinks
10) The Beatles

Memorable Concerts

Best (in no particular order)
1) Violent Femmes (circa 1986 - my first concert)
2) Hitchcock at the Vic (highlighted by acapella version of Kung Fu Fighting)
3) R.E.M w/ Camper Van Beethoven at Northern IL
4) Sex Pistols Reunion Tour (I guess Sid was dragging them down)
5) Ben Folds at the Cajun House
6) H.O.A.R.D.E. at the World (Morphine, Beck, Ben Folds Five all rocked)
7) White Stripes at the Mesa Amphitheatre
8) Morphine at the Double Door (shitty girlfriend couldn't ruin this gig)
9) Jonathan Richman at Lounge Axe (multiple times during my Chicago days)
10) Social Distortion at the Celebrity Theatre

Lamest Shows
1) Morrissey at the Riviera (The Mope-Master walked off the stage after one song feeling too sick to go continue. Thanks God the tickets were free!!)
2) The Outfield and Starship at the IL State Fair (Starship fuckin' did 3 versions of 'We Built this City')
3) Tori Amos at the Dodge Theatre (she made the mistake of having Ben Folds open up for her. He stole the room, making her depressing musings more self-indulgent than ever)
4) Ronnie Milsap at Six Flags in Missouri (Nothing better than an hour plus of bad country and blind jokes)
5) Lilith Fair at Cricket Pavillion (I dig chick singers but even Liz Fair couldn't save this festivas)
6) EMF in Chicago (Free tickets bite me in the ass again. I should have listened to Nancy Reagan and 'Just Said No')
7) New Order, PIL & The Sugarcubes at Poplar Creek (I missed the Sugarcubes but was bored to death by New Order)
8) Rick 'Fucking' Springfield at the Celebrity (my wife wanted to go...and she thought the show was horrible too)
9) Lollapalooza (the last one before they started back up - The Ramones were cool but everything else seemed forceably alternative)
10) Red Hot Chili Peppers at Northern University (see Tori Amos #3 - they made the mistake of having Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins open. The Beatles themselves would have struggled to top the vibe generated by these two opening acts).

Honorable Mentions
1) The Replacements at Grant Park (this was their final show and they didn't really give a fuck).
2) Eleventh Dream Day at Lounge Axe
3) The Lupins at the Elbow Room
4) The Polyester Icons at Here & There Records
5) The Bad Examples anytime.
6) The Lemonheads at the Riviera (Dando ralphed after three songs but sucked it up and went on...not like fuckin' Morrissey)
7) John Wesley Harding at Schubas
8) Cracker Van Beethoven at Stinkweeds
9) Squirrel Nut Zippers w/ Ray Condo.
10) Detroit Junior at the Wonderbar.

Best / Worst

Here's a question to ponder - out of all the concerts you've seen, which were the best, most memorable, or exceeded expectations the most? How about most disappointing? For me, the best shows I've seen are AC/DC (they are incredible live - anyone who's seen them will know what I mean), John Cougar Mellencamp, and Green Day. The Black Crowes are also tremendous live. I saw Jane's Addiction and The Dead Milkmen put on awesome shows as well. I didn't really care for The Cure, but then again I was kind of dragged there...

Forgotten Band of the Day: The Dead Milkmen

I used to groove to the Milkmen all day long throughout the 80's. Yes, they were somewhat vile and immature...but so was I. There are plenty of MP3s available at the below link.

www.deadmilkmen.com/

Up For It

If you dig Rollins' talking shows, you need to check this out. You can buy it at 21361.com or rent it from netflix.com. With his 25 Years of Bullshit Tour kicking off in Phoenix this September, these DVDs are the perfect way to get motivated for the show.

Ozzfest Review

I saw the show Thursday evening in Phoenix and Saturday evening in Devore, CA. Actually, I saw Iron Maiden. I read online that they had been stealing the show throughout the tour, so my expectations were high. I got there about 90 minutes before Maiden took the stage, and saw Mudvayne. Holy crap did they suck. They played this aggressive style of rock that today's high school kids like. The singer didn't even sing, he just shouted into the microphone in a deep, aggressive voice. The kids near me knew the lyrics though. Anyway, after Mudvayne they set up the Iron Maiden stage, which took about 15 minutes. Maiden came onstage with a flourish, opening with a song I never thought I'd hear them play - Murders in the Rue Morgue, a song from their 1981 album "Killers". After that, they played nine more songs - The Trooper, Phantom of the Opera, Revelations, Run to the Hills, Hallowed Be Thy Name, The Number of the Beast, Iron Maiden, Running Free, & Sanctuary. It was a very good set (though abbreviated due to the festival itinerary), encompassing their first four albums, 1980-1983. After Maiden, Black Sabbath came on. I'd read that they were also going to play 10 songs, but I left after five, because Ozzy needs to be in a rest home, not onstage. All in all, it was a great Iron Maiden show. They never disappoint.

But on Saturday, Sharon Osbourne tried to change things. Apparently she had been feuding with Bruce Dickinson, so in order to be the bitch she is, she planted people in the front of the crowd with eggs and tomatoes to throw at the band when they came onstage. When that didn’t stop them, she actually pulled the plug on their PA on three separate occasions, rendering them silent. After the concert was over, while Bruce was trying to apologize to the 45,000 fans that had come to see them, Sharon pulled the plug on his microphone, and he waved and walked off the stage, frustrated and angry. She then came on the stage and called him a “prick”. At least it was a memorable show, and Maiden was able to get past the distractions and turn in a good performance.

KABOTD: The Gun Club

Last night at the White Stripes concert, the pre-show songs blasting over the PA were by predominately by the Gun Club. I used to listen to these guys all the time (back in the Iconz days) and have several cassettes buried in boxes somewhere in the house. Anyway, its a great band you should check out.

http://www.thegunclub.net/

White Stripes at the Dodge

The show last night was outstanding. The opening act was the Greenhornes (http://www.greenhornes.com/). They sound like a garage band out of the 60's. Their 30 minute set was the perfect primer for the White Stripes. Below is the setlist from the Stripes:

1) Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
2) Black Math
3) Blue Orchid
4) Passive Manipulation/Listen To Me
5) Wasting My Time
6) Jolene
7) Hotel Yorba
8) Forever for Her
9) Hard to Love
10) We are Gonna Be Friends
11) Denial Twist
12) Instinct Blues
13) John the Revelator
14) Nurse
15) Ball and Biscuit
16) The Doorbell
17) I Don't Know What To Do With Myself

Encore

1) I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonley Yet)
2) Same Boy You've Always Known
3) Pretty Good Lookin' (For a Girl)
4) Hardest Button to Button
5) I Think I Smell A Rat
6) Seven Nation Army
7) He's Looking For a Home

There were ton's of blues riffs intertwined between the songs. Since I didn't know the names to most, I didn't list them above. Bec thought the show was rushed compared to their Mesa show but I didn't mind the cappuccino-enhanced pace of the show (which clocked in at a little over two hours).

Get Behind Me Beelzebub

Just got back from Vegas. Not much interesting stuff to talk about as this was the rated PG family version. We did get to see most of the city. Tom Jones was playing somewhere but we did not get tickets. Tonight, I'll be heading over to the Dodge Theatre to see the White Stripes. If the concert is anything like there last show here at the Mesa Amphitheatre, it should be top notch. I'll give an update on the show later tonight or tomorrow.

July CD maestro, Tom Jones, is off to CA to hit his second Ozz-Fest show this week. Hopefully, he can post something about those shows.

KABOTD (That is no Longer Around)

Morphine was one of a handful of bands that I continued to collect every album released. Unfortunately in 1999, the lead singer, Mark Sandman collapsed on stage in Rome, of a massive heart attack, and died shortly thereafter. If you have not listened to them, you should. A year or so ago, there was a Sandman box set released called "Sandbox". I've not heard it yet but I understandand it drifts further towards his jazz roots

Minutemen from 1985

The below link is for a 1985 Minutemen concert. You can download the MP3s, cover art and photos from the show.

http://corndogs.org/minutemen%2011-15-85.html

EOI - How are you putting in the links on your posts? I tried to do this and it's not working.

What's New Pussycat?

I've seen (but not heard) the track listing from Tom Jones' July CD. This may be the first compilation in history that contains tracks from the Beatles and Iron Maiden. That's the kind of shit I'm talking about!! I would never have thought to put those two bands together. I've got several compilations in the works that may need to see the light of day before my next rotation. Hope everyone has a good week. I'm out of here bright and early tomorrow to go on my Vegas Family Vacation.

Lame-Ass Band of the Day

If somebody told me, that this band's tired songs would be played this much, I would have bought satellite radio.

www.thekillers.co.uk

(Somewhat) Breaking News

As of this past Wednesday, my wife, Becca and I found out we have a little one on the way (due date is early March). With that in mind, attached is a link to the only child-oriented music I can stomach.

http://www.ralphsworld.com/

Regarding post content, we should try to keep it about the music as much as possible but the occasional off-topic discussion can't hurt. Speaking of off content, the miserable excuse for a baseball team, known as the Cubs, have won two straight games after I officially wrote off this season

Finally, what happened to Daniel and the Fish? Everyone else has accepted the invite and posted.

July CD

I am sending out July's CD today. I was November, but Andrew and I are switching. Happy listening.

Pre-Sale on Rollins Tickets

Henry Rollins is pleased to announce online Fan ticketing for select U.S. Tour dates for his upcoming 25 Years of Bullshit Spoken Word tour.

Henry Rollins Direct Ticketing allows you to buy tickets online, directly from the artist for upcoming shows, in an effort to reduce the high surcharges from other online ticket vendors, and to offer a more convenient ticketing option.

You can buy tickets to select shows before they go on sale to the general public through www.henryrollins.musictoday.com. Buy tickets before they are available to general public!

Henry Rollins 25 Years Of Bullshit Tour


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2.13.61
7510 Sunset Blvd., #602
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Phone: 323-969-8791
Web site: http://www.henryrollins.com
E-mail: two1361@aol.com

Bleeding in Denver?

http://www.nme.com/news/113292.htm

July CD

I just received word that the Andrew CD will be finalized by early next week. Please forward your address to Andrew so he can mail them out.

Links

I added some links of interest to me. If anyone wants me to add a link (Nick, your band?), let me know and I will update the blog.

Also, if anyone has any feedback (positive or negative) about the June CD, please post.

Kick-Ass band of the day: http://themooneysuzuki.com/

This is the virgin post on this blog. I hate the word blog but I guess it will work. The Danilewicz mix is nearly finalized and if it reflects the CDs he has at work, it will be solid. Next up will be the Nick Kelly August Extravaganza. Based on Nick's eclectic collection, this will be worth it's weight in cheap-ass CD plastic. Once I figure this blog shit out, I will find a way to post the schedule.