Monday, October 20, 2008

Did you see that?

Neither did I.

Friday, October 17, 2008

headache from hell

Today, my brain literally hurts. Someone make it stop.

I get horrible migraines. It's always the same thing: pain through the neck and back of my head that feels like it's piercing my eyeballs from behind. The pain is excruciating. If I lay down, recline, or tilt my head back in any way, it hurts even more. Nausea, feverish waves, chills...sometimes I even puke...all from a goddamn headache. It's a good thing I only get about 6-8 of these per year, because I'm basically incapacitated when this happens. These things knock me on my ass.

Today was awful...12 hours of hell. It's still lingering even now. Why does this keep happening? I know that ongoing sinus problems exacerbate the problem, but I don't know the triggers.

Well, here's an interesting theory (posited by my Mom): my headaches are triggered by the full moon. Utter lunacy, right? I thought so, but here's the weird part: this is my third consecutive maddening migraine to occur during a full moon. Whoa. The worst one in recent memory occurred on New Year's Day, which was within a few days of the full moon.

A cursory internet search revealed that there are others with similar theories about lunar-induced migraines. What's more, a number of homepathic websites actually recommend, for "prevention of migraine headaches", to "take walks during a full moon."

Bullshit? Maybe...but you can bet I'll have my guard up the next time the moon is full.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

addendum on the 97s show

While watching Ken assault the guitar with aggressive tremolo picking, I realized what an influence he was my playing style...especially when Bolus left the Hat and I had to fill more space.

Besides providing a soundtrack to years of my life, the 97s have profoundly affected how I write songs and how I play them. I honestly think that I'm a better writer/player because of them.

That's "player"...not "playa"...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Old 97s in Detroit on Saturday

Last weekend ruled. Two great shows, and (!!) I got to eat at Lafayette Coney Island, the mother of all Motor City roadfood. Two coney dogs with everything and cheese fries...that's how I roll.

As for the Old 97s, I don't what I can say about these guys that I haven't already said. I'm running out of superlatives to describe their awesomeness. Such an incredible live band. It was nice to see them in Detroit again; I hadn't been to St. Andrew's in years. Charlie Louvin was fun, too. I've seen the 97s rock no less than 7 shows - all great - but this was the first time I saw a legitimate old-school country traditionalist on the bill with them. Pretty cool. After the show, I hobnobbed with Murry. He was gracious, as always. Everybody loves Murry. Then, in a slightly more surreal and unexpected exchange, Ken and I discussed the rudiments of a Chinese basket job.

It was that kind of night.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The Ergs live in Toronto last Friday

Amazing. The Ergs are probably the best punk band on the planet. Their sound is difficult to pin down...think early Replacements playing the entire SST catalog, except with better hooks and songwriting. I hadn't seen them in 5 years, and they've only gotten better. They tore through a frenetic set of all their "hits", pushing the limits of the puny sound system. There are few bands out there who can manage this kind of raw energy, let alone make it sound listenable. And here's the thing about the Ergs: they can flat out play. Not only do these boys write fantastic songs drawing on an encyclopedic array of classic influences, they also have the chops to play the shit out of anything. Watching this hyperactive trio hitting on all cylinders was electrifying. My only complaint: I wish they played one of their country tracks (the Tupelo-influenced "Country Skronk" is one of my favorite songs of all-time. Go listen to it right now. C'mon, it's like 99 cents on itunes, and it's so fucking good. Go!).

The bad news: the Ergs are breaking up. As sad as this is, I can say one thing with great certainty: this band is leaving at the top of their game.

Well done, Ergs. I'll miss you guys.