I just saw the preview for the Beastie Boys movie.
I mean, what the fuck?
4.07.2011
4.06.2011
The world has turned and left me here
April 5, 1994 was a Tuesday. I was sitting in the old school gym waiting for play practice to start. That year I was playing the lead in Black Angel. We were probably getting ready for our Area performance on our way to State.
I was going over my lines when Josh Cohagen walked in and told me Kurt Cobain killed himself. I immediately dismissed him. Kurt wouldn't do something like that. It must have been a hoax or publicity stunt. But then I started thinking, Kurt wouldn't do something like that either. This was before a lie could speed around the world in seconds. Josh saw it on TV. He wasn't one to spread base rumors. A story like that must have some backup!
But then Mr. Gonzalez started a run-through of the play so I stopped thinking about it for the moment.
I called you as soon as I got home.
me: Hey, it's Starr. Did Kurt Cobain kill himself?
you: I've been watching MTV all afternoon. I can't believe it.
or something like that. I went over to your house and watched MTV for the rest of the day and into the night.
Now I knew what my parents felt like when Kennedy killed himself.
I was also bummed because Nirvana was set to headline Lollapalooza that year. I drove down to Houston to visit my friend Kasi and see that show. I ran into Lara too, but I didn't get to talk to her much. All the bands were bumped up in the order they had been in. So Smashing Pumpkins moved to headliner with the Beastie Boys right before them. Which was still awesome. That was my first concert. Breeders and George Clinton also played and that's where I fell in love with Shonen Knife. I got dehydrated and almost passed out during the Pumpkins and later puked out the car window on I-10 on the way back to Kasi's place. So basically, I had a good time but I was really looking forward to seeing Nirvana.
I remember saying "Now the media is just going to turn him into a god." Then I cut out any image of him from Spin and Rolling Stone and stuck them on the wall behind my door at home. It's still up to this day, btw. I tore down every other poster except that collection. I remember you got a little annoyed when you saw it and questioned me on it. But I've always admitted to being a little hypocritical.
You were already listening to Nirvana before they broke. But I didn't get hooked until I saw them on Saturday Night Live.
I read later that G.E. Smith, SNL's Band Leader, was really impressed with Kurt's playing.
I'm sure I woke Mimi up that night. She never liked me watching SNL anyway. I would always take my VHS copy to youth group at the Methodist Church on Sundays to share.
I am always impressed with how Pat Smear went from the Germs, to Nirvana, to Foo Fighters (again). I hope I'm still rockin' at 51.
These are all I have now.
I always get a little mad when people dismiss him as a junkie rock star that killed himself. From what I've read, friends said he'd finally cured his stomach pains that had turned him to heroin in the first place. He felt confident of going to rehab. He was divorcing Courtney Love. He was doing a lot of non-suicidal things. But something strange happend that day and we may never know the real truth. So who knows where he would have gone with his career. What songs he would have written and played. Had he lived, who knows where you or I would be. What concert we would travel to on a 24-hour round trip? What song is playing when a new girl walks through the door.
I owe almost all my musical tastes to Nirvana. Why do I like the Beatles? Because Kurt Cobain did. He liked Zeppelin. So do I. Throw some Pixies in there. That's why I like Weezer so much. Rivers Cuomo is the biggest Nirvana fan. Ever. The first songs I learned on guitar were Nirvana. And when playing those songs, I did my best to perfect the Cobain Sway. I'm no Dead Head, but in the right mood, I will watch Nirvana concert videos online for hours on end. In fact, the 5 albums I'd take to a deserted island are some combination of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pixies, Nirvana and Weezer! That's it. Why would I need to listen to anything else?
I could go on.
I was going over my lines when Josh Cohagen walked in and told me Kurt Cobain killed himself. I immediately dismissed him. Kurt wouldn't do something like that. It must have been a hoax or publicity stunt. But then I started thinking, Kurt wouldn't do something like that either. This was before a lie could speed around the world in seconds. Josh saw it on TV. He wasn't one to spread base rumors. A story like that must have some backup!
But then Mr. Gonzalez started a run-through of the play so I stopped thinking about it for the moment.
I called you as soon as I got home.
me: Hey, it's Starr. Did Kurt Cobain kill himself?
you: I've been watching MTV all afternoon. I can't believe it.
or something like that. I went over to your house and watched MTV for the rest of the day and into the night.
Now I knew what my parents felt like when Kennedy killed himself.
I was also bummed because Nirvana was set to headline Lollapalooza that year. I drove down to Houston to visit my friend Kasi and see that show. I ran into Lara too, but I didn't get to talk to her much. All the bands were bumped up in the order they had been in. So Smashing Pumpkins moved to headliner with the Beastie Boys right before them. Which was still awesome. That was my first concert. Breeders and George Clinton also played and that's where I fell in love with Shonen Knife. I got dehydrated and almost passed out during the Pumpkins and later puked out the car window on I-10 on the way back to Kasi's place. So basically, I had a good time but I was really looking forward to seeing Nirvana.
I remember saying "Now the media is just going to turn him into a god." Then I cut out any image of him from Spin and Rolling Stone and stuck them on the wall behind my door at home. It's still up to this day, btw. I tore down every other poster except that collection. I remember you got a little annoyed when you saw it and questioned me on it. But I've always admitted to being a little hypocritical.
You were already listening to Nirvana before they broke. But I didn't get hooked until I saw them on Saturday Night Live.
I read later that G.E. Smith, SNL's Band Leader, was really impressed with Kurt's playing.
I'm sure I woke Mimi up that night. She never liked me watching SNL anyway. I would always take my VHS copy to youth group at the Methodist Church on Sundays to share.
I am always impressed with how Pat Smear went from the Germs, to Nirvana, to Foo Fighters (again). I hope I'm still rockin' at 51.
These are all I have now.
I always get a little mad when people dismiss him as a junkie rock star that killed himself. From what I've read, friends said he'd finally cured his stomach pains that had turned him to heroin in the first place. He felt confident of going to rehab. He was divorcing Courtney Love. He was doing a lot of non-suicidal things. But something strange happend that day and we may never know the real truth. So who knows where he would have gone with his career. What songs he would have written and played. Had he lived, who knows where you or I would be. What concert we would travel to on a 24-hour round trip? What song is playing when a new girl walks through the door.
I owe almost all my musical tastes to Nirvana. Why do I like the Beatles? Because Kurt Cobain did. He liked Zeppelin. So do I. Throw some Pixies in there. That's why I like Weezer so much. Rivers Cuomo is the biggest Nirvana fan. Ever. The first songs I learned on guitar were Nirvana. And when playing those songs, I did my best to perfect the Cobain Sway. I'm no Dead Head, but in the right mood, I will watch Nirvana concert videos online for hours on end. In fact, the 5 albums I'd take to a deserted island are some combination of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pixies, Nirvana and Weezer! That's it. Why would I need to listen to anything else?
I could go on.
1.21.2011
Trust me, I know what I'm doing
Let's talk about some music!
So I was glad to hear the other day that MCA drop the beat down on his cancer, but then doing some more research I found a statement from him that he's still recovering.
http://pitchfork.com/news/41139-beastie-boys-mca-beats-cancer/
This is another reason I'm in favor of health care reform. I wouldn't mind my taxes going to help the Beastie Boys live as long as they can.
And then I finally heard about Fight for Your Right Revisited. This is another reason I wish I was more successful and well known as an actor.
I still stand by my own casting choices of me as MCA, you as Ad Rock and Daniel as Mike D. Maybe at our 20 year reunion we can film our own Beasties video. Maybe weave it into a third Spanish video. (Friends reading this, feel free to ask me about the Spanish video next time you see me.) (Alan, we should get that transferred to the net soon.)
In other music news, I got a iTunes gift card for Christmas and decided to re-buy some albums that I either never had or only had on tape:
a) It's a Shame About Ray by The Lemonheads
I think this album is one of my biggest musical influences. I should have brought back the song book I own from Texas last I was there. The iTunes version included some acoustic demos of most of the songs. I still wish I had the tape my brother gave me of them playing in New Orleans back in the 90s from that album tour. One side was the Lemonheads and the other was Juliana Hatfield. I loved the contrast between the studio album and the live set because the albums has a heavy country feel with all the steel pedal fills throughout but live it was just drums, bass, and Evan with a guitar and distortion peddle. I love the moment of realization that Hannah & Gabi could also be a punk song and hearing Alison's Starting to Happen in all its glory. I'm sad I missed him on tour recently. I was keeping my eye on it but then something else came up that night.
b) Doubt by Jesus Jones
I forgot how fucking awesome this album is. I'm on a little Brit-rock/dance phase right now and this album certainly helps fuel that need. The iTunes version also included remixes of some of the more popular songs (Who? Where? Why?, Real Real Real, and International Bright Young Things). Now my question is, should I add Liquidizer?
c) Unbelievable by EMF
I only bought this one song from the Schubert Dip album. I listened to the other tracks and decided that I'd probably never want to listen to them. I like Lies but decided against it. But I did pick up the Ralph Jezzard mix of Unbelievable also which was always my favorite and church camp and band camp dances.
I almost bought Groovy Train by The Farm. Even though I really loved dancing to that song in 8th grade, it's really not that good. I mean it's fine, it just didn't have the same kick for me as it did then. And the rest of the album is pretty horrible. I was reading some reviews and it seems like they were just riding the current craze of Brit-dancepop that was everywhere during the early 90s. I'll just add them to my grooveshark favorites.
d)Mother Mother by Tracy Bonham
I don't know how well you remember this song but I'm sure if you heard it you'd go "oh yeah, that song." She's got that voice and angst of similar artists like Juliana, Courtney and Liz. But what I especially love about the song is when Tracy starts screaming "Every thing's fine!" I love nothing more than a woman screaming with a distortion filled backdrop of sound. I heard the song the last time I was in Texas driving around listening to satellite radio and instantly transported back in time.
In other music news, I have some friends in bands that I keep meaning to tell you about. I've done theater with the friends in these bands which proves a point that (maybe) all actors want to be rock stars and vice versus. I once had a conversation with Wally Pleasant after a show he played in Norman, OK and I told him that I always wanted to be a rock star and he told me he always wanted to be an actor. I told him we should make a movie where we trade places with each other and no one notices and live out that dream. But of course that never happened.
The Electric Mess: 60s style garage rock. They got some pretty awesome songs and some awesome musicians playing those songs. My friends at Piper McKenzie made a video for them that is also pretty awesome.
Ladycop: I'll call them sprawling prog-rock except easy to dance to. My friends at Charred Oak Films made a video for them that's pretty awesome. I was asked to be in it but I went to DC that weekend to visit my brother.
Supermajor: Excellent pop rock. As far as I know, none of my friends have made a video for them. That should be amended.
And in even more music news, I keep talking about getting a band together. A couple friends from the improv world play bass and drums and a buddy I've done some theater with plays guitar. I keep postponing when we're gonna jam. First I need to get an electric guitar. I regret giving my old Fender Squire to Croteau's kid years ago cause I don't think he's playing it or anything. But I've got my sites set on the Danelectro '63 guitar style.
Except the one I'm looking for has all the tuning pegs on the top of the head. My search continues.
But when that happens I'll be dusting off a lot of old songs with these guys including a healthy amount of Lemonheads and other obscure covers.
So I was glad to hear the other day that MCA drop the beat down on his cancer, but then doing some more research I found a statement from him that he's still recovering.
http://pitchfork.com/news/41139-beastie-boys-mca-beats-cancer/
This is another reason I'm in favor of health care reform. I wouldn't mind my taxes going to help the Beastie Boys live as long as they can.
And then I finally heard about Fight for Your Right Revisited. This is another reason I wish I was more successful and well known as an actor.
I still stand by my own casting choices of me as MCA, you as Ad Rock and Daniel as Mike D. Maybe at our 20 year reunion we can film our own Beasties video. Maybe weave it into a third Spanish video. (Friends reading this, feel free to ask me about the Spanish video next time you see me.) (Alan, we should get that transferred to the net soon.)
In other music news, I got a iTunes gift card for Christmas and decided to re-buy some albums that I either never had or only had on tape:
a) It's a Shame About Ray by The Lemonheads
I think this album is one of my biggest musical influences. I should have brought back the song book I own from Texas last I was there. The iTunes version included some acoustic demos of most of the songs. I still wish I had the tape my brother gave me of them playing in New Orleans back in the 90s from that album tour. One side was the Lemonheads and the other was Juliana Hatfield. I loved the contrast between the studio album and the live set because the albums has a heavy country feel with all the steel pedal fills throughout but live it was just drums, bass, and Evan with a guitar and distortion peddle. I love the moment of realization that Hannah & Gabi could also be a punk song and hearing Alison's Starting to Happen in all its glory. I'm sad I missed him on tour recently. I was keeping my eye on it but then something else came up that night.
b) Doubt by Jesus Jones
I forgot how fucking awesome this album is. I'm on a little Brit-rock/dance phase right now and this album certainly helps fuel that need. The iTunes version also included remixes of some of the more popular songs (Who? Where? Why?, Real Real Real, and International Bright Young Things). Now my question is, should I add Liquidizer?
c) Unbelievable by EMF
I only bought this one song from the Schubert Dip album. I listened to the other tracks and decided that I'd probably never want to listen to them. I like Lies but decided against it. But I did pick up the Ralph Jezzard mix of Unbelievable also which was always my favorite and church camp and band camp dances.
I almost bought Groovy Train by The Farm. Even though I really loved dancing to that song in 8th grade, it's really not that good. I mean it's fine, it just didn't have the same kick for me as it did then. And the rest of the album is pretty horrible. I was reading some reviews and it seems like they were just riding the current craze of Brit-dancepop that was everywhere during the early 90s. I'll just add them to my grooveshark favorites.
d)Mother Mother by Tracy Bonham
I don't know how well you remember this song but I'm sure if you heard it you'd go "oh yeah, that song." She's got that voice and angst of similar artists like Juliana, Courtney and Liz. But what I especially love about the song is when Tracy starts screaming "Every thing's fine!" I love nothing more than a woman screaming with a distortion filled backdrop of sound. I heard the song the last time I was in Texas driving around listening to satellite radio and instantly transported back in time.
In other music news, I have some friends in bands that I keep meaning to tell you about. I've done theater with the friends in these bands which proves a point that (maybe) all actors want to be rock stars and vice versus. I once had a conversation with Wally Pleasant after a show he played in Norman, OK and I told him that I always wanted to be a rock star and he told me he always wanted to be an actor. I told him we should make a movie where we trade places with each other and no one notices and live out that dream. But of course that never happened.
The Electric Mess: 60s style garage rock. They got some pretty awesome songs and some awesome musicians playing those songs. My friends at Piper McKenzie made a video for them that is also pretty awesome.
"She Has a Funny Walk" (official video) by THE ELECTRIC MESS from Piper McKenzie on Vimeo.
Ladycop: I'll call them sprawling prog-rock except easy to dance to. My friends at Charred Oak Films made a video for them that's pretty awesome. I was asked to be in it but I went to DC that weekend to visit my brother.
Ladycop "Idea Maker" from Charred Oak Films on Vimeo.
Supermajor: Excellent pop rock. As far as I know, none of my friends have made a video for them. That should be amended.
And in even more music news, I keep talking about getting a band together. A couple friends from the improv world play bass and drums and a buddy I've done some theater with plays guitar. I keep postponing when we're gonna jam. First I need to get an electric guitar. I regret giving my old Fender Squire to Croteau's kid years ago cause I don't think he's playing it or anything. But I've got my sites set on the Danelectro '63 guitar style.
Except the one I'm looking for has all the tuning pegs on the top of the head. My search continues.
But when that happens I'll be dusting off a lot of old songs with these guys including a healthy amount of Lemonheads and other obscure covers.
11.11.2010
Celeb Sighting
On the subway the other day I saw Adam Duritz of Counting Crows.
I wanted to walk up to him and say "Fuck you Mr. Jones!" and punch him in the face.
But he got off on the next stop before I could think of an escape plan.
I wanted to walk up to him and say "Fuck you Mr. Jones!" and punch him in the face.
But he got off on the next stop before I could think of an escape plan.
6.24.2010
Twin Conspiracy
Just so you’re not confused:
Jeremy London was in Mallrats and Party of Five. He’s the one that was apparently kidnapped recently and survived to tell the tale.
His twin brother Jason London was in Dazed and Confused and Out Cold. Jason is a bit skeptical of his brother’s story.
But according to IMDB they both did episodes of Outer Limits and 7th Heaven. So maybe they are the same person and there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
Jeremy London was in Mallrats and Party of Five. He’s the one that was apparently kidnapped recently and survived to tell the tale.
His twin brother Jason London was in Dazed and Confused and Out Cold. Jason is a bit skeptical of his brother’s story.
But according to IMDB they both did episodes of Outer Limits and 7th Heaven. So maybe they are the same person and there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
5.13.2010
Ooooo Baby! Don't You Want Me?
My friend Tony Smith from Lindale that I met at band camp at SFA has a brother named Todd. Below is Todd's band he had in college at UT in the late 90s and this is a clip of them singing my old song Ooo Baby, the one you co-wrote with me. Todd's the one on the far left playing the Les Paul.
Makes me still wish I had my electric.
Makes me still wish I had my electric.
3.20.2010
worm
At my current temp job I get a lot of free books. I need to buy a new book shelf in fact.
One of my favorite finds is Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It came out in 1990 and after reading I was mad at myself that I hadn't discovered it before. Did the library in Overton not carry it? Did Paul, Graham or Chase not know about it? Questions that have no answers. I recommend picking it up if you haven't already read it.
I recently finished I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn. It's a fictional, romantic take on what could have happened to her and her navigator Fred Noonan on the flight where they disappeared over the Pacific. When I found it at work I noticed that they previous reader had folded the corners of certain pages as a book mark. I cursed their name. I hate when people do that. I unfolded the corners but the damage was done. Get a fucking book mark. Memorize the page or something.
With all the new technologies coming out, I like to read a physical copy of a book. Plus I'm always hoping a cute girl on the subway sees my old-fashionedness and walks up to me. Only in dreams.
One of my favorite finds is Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It came out in 1990 and after reading I was mad at myself that I hadn't discovered it before. Did the library in Overton not carry it? Did Paul, Graham or Chase not know about it? Questions that have no answers. I recommend picking it up if you haven't already read it.
I recently finished I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn. It's a fictional, romantic take on what could have happened to her and her navigator Fred Noonan on the flight where they disappeared over the Pacific. When I found it at work I noticed that they previous reader had folded the corners of certain pages as a book mark. I cursed their name. I hate when people do that. I unfolded the corners but the damage was done. Get a fucking book mark. Memorize the page or something.
With all the new technologies coming out, I like to read a physical copy of a book. Plus I'm always hoping a cute girl on the subway sees my old-fashionedness and walks up to me. Only in dreams.
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