Get your tour dates here

- Bob Dylan & Elvis Costello are teaming together for some dates this fall. I've saw Mr. Dylan and his band a few years ago and can't say I was too impressed. It instead made me wonder what it would have been like to be at one of his concerts back in the day. I've heard good and bad things about Elvis Costello, although I think he's playing solo during this tour.

- The Boss and the E Street band are heading out to support their upcoming release, Magic. I can wait to see what the ticket prices are for this. And I'm sure Ticketbastard isn't going to be shy with their service fees. Yeah that's right, I'm Mr. Brightside.

- Keeping with the ridiculously expensive tickets prices theme, Van Halen has kissed and made up with David Lee Roth and are planning mucho dates. I say planning, because you never know how long the love fest will last, especially with someone as annoying as DLR. Tickets have already gone on sale for some dates and some are already sold out.

- Okkervil River's new album, The Stage Names is getting mixed reviews. I'm still undecided, but am leaning towards some of their earlier efforts. Their tour starts tonight and runs till Dec.

- The Cure have postponed their tour till April/May 2008 because they haven't finished their new album. New dates TBA.

To protect and serve brownies?

I don't know which is funnier - the 911 call or the anchorwoman's reaction. Is that a snort I hear in the background?

NOTE - You can stop watching after about a minute. I couldn't find a shorter clip that was good quality.

Just give it a tappy tap tap

Earlier this week, a co-worker and I were discussing Senator Larry Craig's arrest in June for "lewd conduct" in the men's bathroom at the Minneapolis Airport. When we found out that he apparently was giving a "signal" to the gentlemen in the next stall (who turned out to be a cop) when he tapped his foot, we both had the same reaction - tapping your foot while on the crapper means that you want to have sex?? What if he was bored... just waiting for a highly anticipated (and long overdue) bowel movement? Then I wondered, have I ever tapped my foot while dropping a deuce?? If I have done so, let me assure you that it will cease... directly.

Apparently, this foot tapping in the bathroom thing is nothing new. According to a Washington Post article it's been going on since at least the 1960s. I wonder at what point it became enough of a problem that the police started setting up sting operations to catch these characters? Maybe it was to haze the new officers of the department. Can you imagine hanging out in a bathroom stall all day, just waiting for someone to tap their foot? Excuse the pun, but what a shitty assignment.

For any restroom-sex aficionados out there I apologize, but I just don't understand the excitement in this. I go into a bathroom stall for one reason... and you probably don't want to be anywhere around when I do.

This week's late night TV lineup

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - Feist
• Wednesday - Against Me!

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Thursday - Nellie McKay

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Tuesday - Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
• Wednesday - Mat Kearney
• Thursday - Wilco

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Tuesday - Okkervil River
• Thursday - Eisley
• Friday - Scarlett Johansson (yeah I know she has nothing to do with music, but she's hot as hell!)

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Wednesday - Deerhoof

Is that pepperoni on your pizza or are you just happy to see me?

Next time you're in Canada, swing through Winnipeg and bring your appetite. Just make sure you don't get up from the table too fast. Last month, entrepreneur Corey Wildeman opened up Porno Pizza which serves up piping hot pies on top of piping hot pies. Don't get it? Read the CBC article.

Why can't I think of ideas like this? Damn you Corey Wildeman!!

Hooray Friday!

- Gotta start off with the National. Aquarium Drunkard has a bunch of live tracks posted. RatBat Bear is correct - if you don't check that blog out on a regular basis, you are missing out on some musical gems.

- Radiohead alert! Check out the leaked track from their now 2008 album at Product Shop. Impressive, although all this really does is make me want for the new album more.

- The HBO show "Flight of the Conchords" kind of jumped up and bit the LOML and I on the boo-boo. We think it's the tops! Music for Kids... has an interview with the band manager, Murray Hewitt. At the bottom of the post are 2 of the bands songs, including our favorite, "Business Time".

- I am fuel... has posted some Dave Grohl demos from when he when back to his roots and rocked the drums again for the QOTSA album, Songs for the Deaf. I should have learned how to play the drums... or the bagpipes.

- I haven't been a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen's last few efforts. I'm all for artists experimenting, but I felt like the Boss was holding something back. My tune may be changing though if the first single from his upcoming release, Magic is any indication of what's to come. I am fuel... has posted the link to "Radio Nowhere" here.

Get your tour dates here

- Well, it looks like the Cold War Kids subscribe to Gus "R" Us and read my thoughts on their concert with Muse a few week back. I should have been a band manager when I grew up. They're hitting a few smaller venues at the major cities in Nov/Dec. That is after they're done whoring themselves out as openers for Muse & the White Stripes (just kidding fellas).

- Jose Gonzalez is touring this fall to promote his new album In Our Nature. Dates and his new single here.

- Spoon was supposed to be hitting up some smaller venues again this fall, but then a little band called the Shins asked them to open for them. I know Spoon has cancelled their dates at the 9:30 Club because it conflicted with the Shins at Merriweather, so I'm assuming they're doing the same with the rest of their tour. Shins dates here.

- For anyone who has not sunk their teeth into the newest Cloud Cult album, The Meaning of 8, you are truly missing out. They have started announcing dates beginning in September (October/November dates TBA). Unfortunately, I don't see a DC area venue on there as of now.
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- Queens of the Stone Age are giving no love to DC this time around. They'll be hitting up B-more, but it's 2 days before I'll be up in that area for a night of debauchery (read Bachelor Party). Dates here.

- Bright Eyes anyone? Dates are hot off of the press.

Say hello to Steely McBeam

Can you guess which is the Pittsburgh Steelers' new mascot, Steely McBeam and which the construction worker from the Village People? While I find Mr. McBeam pretty f-ing amusing, what's been even funnier is the reaction from the media and fans. Some highlights:

• It sounds like "a porn star' name" - Tony Kornheiser of The Washington Post and ESPN's Pardon the Interruption
• "I guess 'Tod the Rod' didn’t test well in focus groups." - Comment on Balloon Juice blog
• "I wanna play in Pitts – burgh, P.A." - Comment on same blog, in keeping with the whole Village People theme (hey, it could be the new Steelers fight song)
• "Seriously, do we really need to name the mascot the way an 8-year-old names his hermit crab? Look, ma! It's Pinchy McShell" or "Look, it's Hermie McCrab!" - from Kissing Suzie Kolber blog

and my personal favorite:

• "That's not such a bad name, although I would have gone with Sir Craven Dicken-Balz."

Thanks to Deadspin for the side-by-side comparison.

The top 20 party schools

How do I get to be a judge for this one? The Princeton Review released their annual list of top party schools in the country so kids know where to apply and parents know where not to let their kids go. This seems like a much more scientific (and fun) study than the one conducted by The Sporting News. Champagne corks are popping all over West Virginia University this year, ousting last year's #1 party school, University of Texas-Austin (which was ranked #3).

The school that I have a vested interest in, Penn State, slipped a bit this year to #6 (ranked #2 in 2006). Kids these days... it's quite obvious that they just don't take pride in their school anymore. We used to have standards when I went there, and slipping 4 spots is completely unacceptable.

The rankings are "based on a combination of survey questions concerning the use of alcohol and drugs, hours of study each day, and the popularity of the Greek system." You know, what every upstanding school should be focused on. Somehow, I don't think you'll find this distinction on any of the schools' websites.

Raise your glasses for the top 20:

1. West Virginia University
2. University of Mississippi
3. University of Texas @ Austin
4. University of Florida
5. University of Georgia
6. Penn State University
7. University of New Hampshire
8. Indiana University @ Bloomington
9. Ohio University
10. University of California - Santa Barbara
11. Randolph-Macon College
12. University of Iowa
13. Louisiana State University
14. University of Maryland
15. University of Tennessee
16. University of Illinois
17. Arizona State University
18. Florida State University
19. University of Alabama
20. State University of New York @ Albany

This week's late night TV lineup

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - New Pornographers
  
• Wednesday - Velvet Revolver

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Monday & Tuesday - Jeremy Fisher


• Thursday - The Cliks

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Friday - Eldar

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Wednesday - Blonde Redhead


• Friday - Mando Diao

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Thursday - Lily Allen


• Friday - Black Light Burns

What a catch...

from one of yesterday's Little League World Series games. This kid's dad is probably saying to him, "You're my special little guy!"

Hooray Friday!

- Radiohead fans might not like this one. According to Spin.com, the new Radiohead album may not come by the end of the year. Thanks to RatBat Bear for the heads up.

- Live videos of some artists from Lollapalooza are posed on Blender (PJ, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Daft Punk, Amy Winehouse, etc.). Check out Ultra8201 for the specific links.

- Check out a remix of Interpol's "Heinrich Manever" at Ultra8201 as well.

- There's a new Pearl Jam live DVD on the horizon, this time from Italy. Presale begins Aug 22, the rest of the world can get it on Sep 25. Some of it was shot in HD so unfortunately, I'll have to crash someone's house to watch it. The trailer looks pretty cool. More info on I am fuel...

- The newest Nine Inch Nails album, Year Zero will be remixed, although small details such as release date are still TBD. It also sounds like there's the possibility that the album may be adapted into a film. That's an itneresting concept, making a soundtrack before making the movie. Leave it to Trent to put the cart before the horse. I wonder if he also puts on his undies after his pants. Stereogum reports.

- Amy Winehouse is in rehab. That's surprising...

His momma must be so proud!

I'm sitting here, looking at this picture thinking, "At what point did this guy think this was a good idea?" Kasey Kazee, a 24-year old brainiac from Kentucky did this to himself before he robbed a liquor store. What ever happened to a ski mask? Or pantyhose?

This story is so intriguing... time to play a little "Good, Better, Best"

GOOD - One would think that he'd put himself through this for a huge payday. Unfortunately, he only made out with 2 rolls of change from the store - that might not even pay for the duct tape!

BETTER - In an interview after the incident, he denied being the robber. So you duct taped your melon just to walk around town? I guess he thinks everyone else is as stupid as him.

BEST - Besides his ego, do you know what's going to hurt the most? When they pull the duct tape off of his upper lip - I'm sure the police aren't going to be too gentle. Yikes!

Read the story here.

John from Cincinnati cancelled

I never got into this show (which is to say I never watched it), so I can't say that I'm heart-broken. HBO is on somewhat of a bad run as of late. First the whole "Deadwood" fiasco, which is still unresolved. Then "The Sopranos" finale, which pissed off some people enough that they cancelled their HBO subscription. And now this - the show that was supposed to be the next big thing doesn't even make it past the first season.

Luckily they still have "Entourage", "Big Love" and the sleeper hit "Flight of the Conchords" (although even the fate of that has yet to be determined). And I'd be remiss if I didn't give some love to the "Real Sex" and "G-string Divas" series as well as some of the crazy documentaries. Don't cancel that subscription just yet. Wait for 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 AHHHHHHHH!!!

This week's late night TV lineup

I actually did this yesterday, but for some reason it never posted...

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - White Rabbits
• Tuesday - Smashing Pumpkins
• Thurday - Teddy Thompson
• Friday - Andrew Bird

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Friday - Augie March

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Monday - As Tall As Lions
• Friday - Editors

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Tuesday - Clap Your Hand Say Yeah

Hooray Friday!

- Nominations for the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards are out. While I don't normally care too much for the awards themselves, I normally tune in to see the performances. However, Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around..." is nominated for Best Video starring hotty-boom-botty Scarlett Johansson. So hot... want to touch the hiney.

- Eddie Vedder did the soundtrack for the upcoming movie Into the Wild, based on the John Krakauer book and directed by Sean Penn. Release for the soundtrack is Sept. 18, while the movie opens on the 21st. Thanks to Metro D for the heads-up.

- Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan's side project, Puscifer is getting ready for the release of their debut album "V is for Vagina" on Oct. 30. More info at Billboard here.

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Sorry to cut this short, but I'm off to hang with RatBat Bear for the weekend armed with a bottle of Tullamore Dew. Hopefully, I'll return in one piece.

Muse & Cold War Kids - Patriot Center (8/9/07)

Metro D pretty much hit the nail on the head. What a concert!

Yesterday was an eventful day and the concert almost didn't happen for me. At about 10am, a water pipe in the office busted, creating a Niagara Falls-like atmosphere for almost 30 minutes. Since the pipe was part of the HVAC system, the A/C had to be shut off. And for a man who sweats a lot (me), that is something I never like to hear - especially when the DC-area is in the middle of a 100+ degree heat wave. My overactive sweat glands were given a reprieve though, as we were allowed to leave early.

Fast forward to the evening. I had a nice little night planned. I was going to take off for the concert a little early and stop at a used-CD shop on the way (I had already purchased a few CDs in my mind). I also wanted to make sure that I arrived at the Patriot Center in plenty of time since I didn't have a ticket and wanted to see the Cold War Kids open. Unfortunately when I headed to my car to begin my journey, it wasn't where I had left it earlier that afternoon - illegally parked in an apartment complex parking lot. After scrambling for a few minutes I found out my ride was towed but luckily, the impound lot was only a few blocks away. Dropped a Benjamin to get my car back and off I went - only a 1/2 hour behind schedule, but no time for the CD store. Traffic wasn't bad and I arrived at the Patriot Center a little lighter in the wallet, but in plenty of time for the concert.

I had visions acquiring a ticket for below face value from a desperate last-minute seller, but it was not meant to be. Instead, I picked up a surprisingly good seat from the box office (saving the $9 Ticketbastard fee) and headed to my seat just before the CWKs took the stage.

The CWKs were good, but I think the venue might have been a bit too big for them. I'd love to see these guys at the 9:30 Club or Black Cat - I think that would be a perfect size for them. They tested out quite a few new songs that sounded pretty good and played their f-ing hearts out for about an hour... you can't ask too much more from a band.

Then came Muse. To say it was a concert would be an understatement. It was more like an experience. Light shows, smoke, balloons filled with confetti, large video screens and a huge sound. I think the only thing the show lacked was pyro/fireworks (and that was probably because the Patriot Center didn't allow it). There are some bands that use all of the extra visual "stuff" to take your attention away from something - most of the time it's a low-energy performance where the band just stands around (i.e. the Cure and Tool). Muse does it to enhance their concert - there is no lack of energy in these guys. They came to rock and they did a damn good job of it for almost 2 hours.

And people wonder why Philly fans are so bitter

Last week, The Sporting News came out with their annual "Best Sports Cities" list and after looking it over, I call BULLSHIT! The "expert" Bob Hillie who concocted this list needs to ease up on the wacky tabacky and get back to reality.

#1 went to Detroit and you honestly can't argue with that. I mean the Pistons, Tigers, Red Wings and Wolverines (yes, Ann Arbor was included in the Detroit area) all had good seasons. Hell, they should be at the top, or at least near it, every year.

Philly came in a respectable, but underrated 9th. I don't really have a beef with the list until #'s 7 and 8. Denver? Phoenix?? How can you diss a city in which 20,000 fans attended the 1st day of Eagles training camp last Friday? It made me even happier when I had to scroll down all the way to #83 to see State College, PA - home of the Nittany Lions. I don't think so Bob... no thank you.

The top ten are listed below. You can see the complete list and article (to include suspect ranking criteria) here.

1. Detroit (incl. Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti)
2. New York
3. Dallas-Fort Worth
4. Chicago (incl. Evanston)
5. Los Angeles
6. Boston
7. Denver (incl. Boulder)
8. Phoenix (incl. Tempe)
9. Philadelphia
10. Minneapolis-St. Paul

This week's late night TV lineup

Sorry about being a day late on this one...

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Wednesday - Hot Hot Heat

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Tuesday - Modest Mouse
• Wednesday - Teddy Thompson

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Thursday - Eastern Conference Champions

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Friday - Flight of the Conchords

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Thursday - Nellie McKay

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Thursday - Public Enemy
• Friday - El-P

File this one under "no thank you"

I can't believe this guy is still alive. If he knows what's good for him, he won't even look at a skateboard ever again. Something tells me that won't happen.

Happy 30th!!

The LOML turned the big 3-0 today. She's taking it like a soldier - which is a lot better than I expected. We're currently recovering from last night's bash and thinking about heading out for round 2 tonight. Our livers are hoping that we don't though.

Greece revisted

I almost forgot that I took this picture. This was a little lesson in fatherhood for me while we were in Greece.

See this classy lady grinding away on a table at an Irish bar on Santorini? Thanks to some good investigative reporting by the LOML, I found out that she and her younger sister were vacationing by themselves in Greece. NOTE: Her younger sister was just to the left of the picture (she was standing at ground level), making out with some other guy. Apparently, they weren’t happy because their dad wouldn’t let them vacation at Mykonos (it’s known as the party island). Good decision dad!

Although I found this extremely amusing at the time, upon further reflection I’d like to change my feelings please. This makes me not want to have a daughter. And if I have one, it makes me want to lock her in the house… forever.

Horray Friday!

I've been slacking a little in the research area this week because of the crack-like game that RatBat Bear posted last week. I also unexpectedly lost the free internet at my place on Wednesday, which was quite a bummer.

- I am fuel, you are friends is a Pearl Jam freak. If you're ever looking for some PJ goodness, check her blog first. She recently posted some unreleased demos here.

- For all of you Pink Floyd fans out there, Aquarium Drunkard posted some diddies from the Zabriskie Point session here. What's a Zabriskie you ask? Sorry, I'm not enough of a Floyd fan to know... or care.

- Same blog, different topic. Johnny Depp has signed on to tackle the role of Hunter S. Thomson again in the adaptation of Thompson's first novel The Rum Diary. That should be a hoot. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" came out when I was in college and I remember how cool and crazy I thought it was. My friends and I always talked about doing our own "Fear and Loathing" trip at some point. Luckily we never got around to it. If we had, you probably wouldn't be enjoying this blog. Read more about Depp as Thompson here.

- Check out some new Jose Gonzalez ear candy on his MySpace page. His new album In Our Nature comes out on Sept. 25 and has already scheduled a handful of tour dates.

- Can't do Lollapalooza in Chi-town this weekend? Me neither. BUT, the AT&T blue room is here to help, streaming acts all weekend. Check out the schedule on the above link, but beware... air times are in Central. Looks like there are some good ones on tap.