RADIOHEAD @ Hollywood Bowl
Friday night, September 26, 2003
My friends, Radiohead live is awe inspiring. My writing would only detract from the reader's appreciation of last night's performance. Therefore, allow me to list some descriptive words that the reader might utilize in their own imagination. The reader can then say to himself (I assure you) "Wow, that was awesome".
chills
brilliant
unbelievable guitar sounds
analog
angelic vocal quality
professionals
top-notch
pride inducing
punctuated
decisive
visually captivating
connection
funny
ground breaking
historic
splendid
triple drums
harmonic
dancing
xylophone
tight
organic
"hella cool"
Allow me to close with a comment from a man who is paid to be critical of music and musicians
By now it's well-established: There is rock and there is prog-rock and there is art-rock and there is what the music press has termed "new rock" – and then there is Radiohead, embodying all of them, beholden to none. Love 'em or leave 'em. ~~ Ben Weiner, O.C. Register
interesting cases
The study of law has proven to be extremely interesting in many ways. One of the ways I least expected to be intriqued was from the reading that I am required to do. Case after case after case. Yet, to my grateful surprise most of the cases that we have read up to this point are actually quite interesting to read.
I thought I'd share some of the more dynamic cases I've come across thus far.
Four survivors of a shipwreck were adrift in an open boat, a thousand miles from land, and dying of hunger. Three of them killed the fourth, a boy, and ate him. They were held criminally liable for his death.*All of the above are actual cases...only the final sentence was a result of my creativity. The case itself was real however. Hackbart did sue for the reasons given. You decide for yourself. Was my creativity unfair?Plaintiff, a 15-year-old girl, consents to intercourse with a 50-year-old man. Most courts have held plaintiff's consent to be ineffective as far as a defense was concerned on the man's part
A competent adult woman claimed in court that through the "overpowering personality" and "extraordinary powers of persuasion" she was seduced and then consented to sex with the defendant. The court found that such a defense was bogus.
Defendant calls on plaintiff, a woman with an artificial leg, in her house. Representing himself to be a doctor, he induces her to remover her dress, expose her person, and to permit him to touch her. He is in fact a doctor, but of theology.
Plaintiff is in a bar, so intoxicated that he does not know what he is doing when he agrees to "Indian Wrestle" with defendant [he presumably gets beat up pretty bad]. Court found that even though he consented to wrestle, his consent was ineffective because he was incapable of expressing his will.
Defendant hugs a co-worker who suffered a sharp pain in the back of her neck and ear, and sharp pains into the base of her skull. As a result she was paralyzed on the left side of her face and mouth. She sued for battery. She lost because the court found that the man could not have reasonably forseen that such bizarre results would happen from his hug.
When a creditor came to the house of a woman seven months pregnant and screamed profanity, abuse and accusations of dishonesty in the presence of others and she suffered severe emotional disturbance which resulted in a miscarriage. She was allowed to recover damages.
During a regular season NFL game, Denver Broncos' defensive back, Dale Hackbart, was the recipient of an injury from a blow by Bengals' offensive back, Charles Clark. Hackbart sued for battery. Court found that Hackbart, the Bronco, was a wimp, and told him to go home and cry to his momma.
I think not. Any self-respecting man would agree.
Katherine has Joined the World of Blogs
Marriage to Kate has been a blessing in many ways. Not far from the top of the list is the fact that Kate is a great cook.
Now she's taking her talent in the kitchen and combining it with her talent at the word processor to create a blog on cooking. You can find her cooking pot here. Bon Appetite!
Great Writing Advice
When writing, consider this:
Perfection is not when there is nothing more you can add, it's when there is nothing more you can take away.~~Quoted by one of my professors during a recent lecture.
The Sword of Damocles
One of the cases I'm reading for Civil Procedure mentions the "Sword of Damocles." Here's at least one version of the story.
The Doors...Depeche Mode...and Now...Radiohead plays the Hollywood Bowl
One of the most anticipated concerts of my life: Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl, Friday night September 26th. Though Kate and I have been Radiohead fans for years this will be the first time either of us has seen them live. I've commented to friends that normally I'm the type to really go wild at a concert, but this time I intend to go stand, enjoy, and just absorb the show.
Memory Lane
Here's some pictures to look at. I was married to my beautiful wife in December of last year, so I thought I'd share some of those too.
Kate and I working the cameraGreatest runningback who has yet played the game
The New Website
For those of you interested you can check out my band's new website (although it's still very much under construction):
www.lifeafterdarla.comTo hear a 30 second clip of most of our songs just click on "the music" tab. Then click on the individual song titles that you'd like to sample (remember to have your sound turned up).
Want to hear more? go to
www.mp3.com/lifeafterdarlaThere you can hear at least three of our songs in their entirety. I recommend "Today" for newcomers to LAD's music.
Enjoy
Douglas Coupland's Newest Book
I believe that what separates humanity from everythingThis taken from the first paragraph of Douglas Coupland's newest novel Hey, Nostradamus.. Its sounds like he's been reading some Dostoyevsky, and perhaps a little bit of the Bible too. Kate and I have been fans of Coupland since his brilliant Generation X (yes, he coined the term), and have been pleasantly surprised by what seems to be a very real movement from a sort of quasi-fatalistic, agnostic outlook to what you just read above. In one of his last novels in the last chapter he says something to the extent of "I realize now that I need God, and that He is what I've been missing..."
else in this world-- spaghetti, binder paper, deep-sea
creatures, edelweiss and Mount McKinley-- is that humanity
alone has the capacity at any given moment to commit all
possible sins. Even those of us who try to live a good and
true life remain as far away from grace as the Hillside
Strangler or any demon who ever tried to poison the village
well.
So, with all proper ado may I recommend to you his works.
New Music
I’m really excited about a couple new bands. First is Eisley. Named after the infamous city on Tatooine where Luke and Obi-Won Kenobi contracted the aid of Han Solo, Mos Eisley. Eisley is three sisters a brother and a best friend who all live together and write music. The result is pretty awesome. Look for the release: Laughing City.
The next band that’s caught my ear is The Mars Volta. You gotta hear it to believe it. Great stuff.
Each and every member of Eisley and The Mars Volta have their inspiration in Radiohead, which leads me to talk about one of my favorite topics: just how great Radiohead is. Here you go, my top ten:
1. Can you count how many bands have been influenced (if not solely influenced) by Radiohead? (didn’t think so)If you have yet to wrap your ears around Hail to the Thief, try listening in this fashion: tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 till end. You’ll love it. I went so far as to burn myself Hail with only those tracks.
2. Can you name any bands who after years of “commercial success” continue to produce cutting edge material? (didn’t think so)
3. Listen to track #7 on Hail to the Thief, tell me, can YOU do that with your vocals? (didn’t think so)
4. Can you think of a band who is as often cited as “their favorite band” by bands both new and old, indie and pro? (didn’t think so)
5. If you could sing like anyone would it be anyone other than Thom Yorke? (didn’t think so)
6. Can you make a list right now of five other bands whose unreleased tracks are so good and so numerous that two full albums of unreleased tracks could be released to world wide success? (didn’t think so)
7. Are you going to see Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl? (didn’t think so) Kate and I are.
8. Is there a band more apropos to the saying “pearls before swine”? (didn’t think so)
9. “nude”, “true love waits”, “I will”, “2+2=5”, “you and whose army?”, “how to disappear completely”, “just”, (need I say more?) (didn’t think so)
10. Is there a better alternative pop/rock band? (didn’t think so).
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On a somewhat related note, if you’re interested in Life After Darla (also influenced by Radiohead) check out these sites:
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/lifeafterdarla
Download music: http://www.mp3.com/lifeafterdarla
Merchandise: http://www.cafepress.com/lifeafterdarla
Enjoy!