What's New With You? I Can't Hear You!

Since we last spoke, I've been officially diagnosed with migraine headaches, attended numerous concerts, watched numerous crappy movies, and handed in what have got to be the most accurate, precise answers to a mid-term in history. The wife was pretty much up to the same, except without the migraines.

Let's recap the opportunities I've had to lose my hearing:
3/7 - Mogwai - Skipped the show due to the fact that Baltimore is too far away for a weeknight drive, and having a baseball team in DC rocks.

3/18 - Matt Pond PA and Youth Group - Got there just in time for the start of the show and got a decent view of the stage on the bottom floor of the 9:30 club. Youth Group has decent songs, but are boring for the most part. Lead singer wins the award for Worst Imitation of Kramer Hair Ever. Matt Pond PA, beard and all, did an admirable set of about 15 songs, and you could tell he was happy to see a packed club cheering him on singing the lyrics. You can see how much he liked playing for us here.

3/19 - The Go! Team, Medications, Talkdemonic - Really, this was a really mish-mashed bill, but somehow it all worked. Talkdemonic is a cool, Postal Service-type joint hailing from Portland, OR. I think they could have done more with the live set, like incorporate more of the live instruments from the background track. Still, the drummer and violinist (I think it was actually a viola...what do you call those people) put on a good show. I won't question the drummer's failed attempt to play the world's smallest accordian while walking through the assembling crowd. Still couldn't hear it, dude. Medications are the current Kings of D.C., even having two albums on Dischord. This is the second time I've seen them, and you have to be in the mood for math-rock, and I remember definitely NOT being in that mood the first time. These guys rock, and you have no idea where songs are going, and you can't wait to see what happens next. The Go! Team were just the peppiest group of stoners I've ever seen perform. Based on the crowd, I don't know if their next career move would be the next Powerpuff Girls theme song or a collaboration with Kanye West and Common, but I think they could fit in either role. JC and I had a "We're 26 years old and shouldn't be near the stage" event when the undeniable energy in the crowd resulted in close quarters (for only $9.95, you can get the Weekend at Bernie's reference), thus prompting us to head to sparsely populated territory. For those keeping track, the lead singer is an Afro-Brit (is that the right term?) and that's TWO Asian girls (twice the estimated population).

One addition to the concert calendar:
5/12 - Pinback - Black Cat

Cheers!

It Speaks!!! I'm Lame

Ever buy tickets to a concert for a band who rarely plays in the U.S. (but you did see them in 2001), but the concert is at least an hour drive away and you got up at 5 for work and were just butt-tired at the end of the day? Sad to say that's happening tonight. Sorry, Mogwai, you were going to rock our world tonight...but you should have planned to rock it in D.C., not Baltimore!!!!

And while we're at it...quick record review. Mogwai's new album, Mr. Beast, is a snoozer. For a band that has made lots of money lulling people to sleep and then jolting them out of bed, their new record is boooooring and un-challenging.