February 23, 2011

Old and Jaded: The Good Guys in the Movie Called Him Smeagol, and I’m a Good Guy, So…

I write this under great duress.

The tyranny of allergies has tightened its iron grip around me — my skull mostly -– and I do not know how much longer I will last. To be quite honest, I am not even sure this letter will find you.

Dramatics aside, I feel like utter shit. I get really bad allergies, and today I’ve got them bad. One time I even got a shot of steroids in the ass to combat a sneezing fit I had.

Sneezing fit. Geez, I sound like I’m Macaulay Culkin in My Girl. Next thing you know, I’ll get killed by stupid ass bees and Anna Chlumsky will be screaming about my glasses.

My Girl funeral scene reference? Check.

Last week, Sean was sweet enough to run my interview with the leader singer from The Famine, even though it was the longest interview ever of all time. Please be a dear and peruse all four parts if you haven’t done so. A lot of good reading is to be had, if I’m to believe those who left comments. But they’re probably tricksy, wicked, false.

Smeagol reference? Check.

This week’s “Listen to This, You Dumb Asshole Award”* goes to Josh Hagquist. Mostly because it was only he and Kyle U who suggested anything — and I refuse to be party to any ego inflating Kyle might have on account of controlling my new musical conquests.

So Gates it was. They are kind enough to provide their debut EP, The Sun Will Rise and Lead Me Home, for free download, and you should definitely take them up on their offer. And maybe even buy the limited-edition CD version. It’s only $5 and totally worth it.

Really good emo with spacey guitars and vocals that don’t overpower the music. Even my Pink Floyd-loving GF liked it. I want to take this EP and send it with a memo to all local bands that says, “Hey, stupids! This is how you utilize two guitars in a band!”

I made a few New Year’s resolutions this year. One was to lose weight, the most cliché of them all. But I had my first kid in 2010, and I gained some sympathy weight along with mama. OK, I gained enough weight for a few kids, but that’s beside the point. I want to be able to wear the Buzzgrinder brain shirt Sean was sweet enough to give me. (Seriously, the dude is a doll!)

Two was to read a book a month. So far, I’m doing OK. I read Patton Oswalt’s Zombie Spaceship Wasteland last month (awesome, by the by) and am reading the infamous Ball Four this month.

Three was to attend at least 10 shows in 2011. I can count on one hand the number of shows I went to last year. I saw Sufjan Stevens in October and The Famine a couple of times. That’s it! Granted, I was expecting the aforementioned baby shit factory, so that put a damper on most social engagements. But really that was just an excuse to avoid doing something I really started to hate.

At my age, going to shows is the worst. OK, maybe not the worst, but pretty high up there. If you manage to get me off my ass and into a venue, pat yourself on the back because you deserve some kudos. I just can’t be bothered to stand in a club for hours on end to sit through bands I either A) hate or B) have never heard of.

That’s got to change. So I’ve made a commitment to 10 shows this year. I even went to Pollstar and jotted down in my planner any shows that piqued my interest (how lame am I?). Norma Jean is coming through tomorrow, but I’m broke so that’s probably a no-go. The Seedy Seeds and Dashboard Confessional are both next month.

One is down the street from me, and the other will provide a much needed catharsis from internalized teenage angst. Oh, does she like me? Will she call? It doesn’t matter. In five years, you won’t even remember her real name and will have to address her by her AOL screen name in conversation.

Oh, and Akron/Family is at the end of next month, too. If you count South by Southwest — which I will be at for a couple of days helping out my man-crush Sean Cannon — that’s four shows by April. That ain’t too shabby!

Any bands that will be touring in the next year you guys think I should check out? I know Manchester Orchestra has a new record out in May, so they’ll probably hit the road. Anyone else?

Alright, you pumpkin pie haircutted freaks, make with the listening suggestions and I’ll make with the listening.

Dumb and Dumber reference? Check.

*name still pending

10 Responses to “Old and Jaded: The Good Guys in the Movie Called Him Smeagol, and I’m a Good Guy, So…”

  1. On 02/23/11 3:14 PM, sammy said:

    How old exactly are you? All you keep referencing is Tooth and Nail and Solid State bands from the late 90s and early 2000s.
    Alas, I’ll just go through the letter M (that’s what I’m currently in on my iPod): Made Out of Babies, Madvillain, Make Believe, Marnie Stern, Maserati, Meatjack, Midlake, Mono, Mount Eerie, Mouth of the Architect, Murder Construct.

  3. On 02/23/11 3:34 PM, Sergio Hernandez said:

    I’m on the crankier end of my 20s.

    So back when T&N/SS was the titties, I was of the age where almost all income was disposable and every show was a “must-see.”

    Also I was working at Hot Topic at the time but if you tell anyone, I will deny this conversation ever took place.

  5. On 02/23/11 4:22 PM, Ben Pike said:

    I subscribe to Pollstar email notification’s for every venue within 100 miles – beat THAT level of lameness…

  7. On 02/23/11 4:27 PM, josh hagquist said:

    i got my second buzzgrinder shout-out. if only they counted for scene points…
    good post. glad you enjoyed Gates…one of the best new bands I’ve heard in a long time…and good call on the 2 guitar thing. Radiohead has 3 and can’t do shit with them…
    also could relate to the “going to shows” bit. i tire after a few songs…and it takes U2 or the Smashing Pumpkins to hold my attention for more than 20 minutes. most bands in SD have “local band syndrome” where they play for 55 minutes as the opener since their friends came out. horrible…
    keep up the good work old balls…

  9. On 02/23/11 5:33 PM, Brandon Day said:

    When you’re at SXSW, check out The Head and the Heart. New buzz band on Sub Pop. Good stuff.

  11. On 02/24/11 9:56 AM, Bryan Patton said:

    I hit up a couple shows in 2010 but I’m making in effort to see more in 2011 as well. I have three lined yp for March (Emery, GY!BE, and Your Memorial). We’ll see if the trend holds.

  13. On 02/24/11 5:31 PM, Jamison said:

    I got married last year, so I had a similar year when it came to going to shows. I only went to three (Sufjan being one of them too). School/work/wife have me tied down pretty good but I was able to get out to see Wovenhand in January and The Velvet Teen are playing a local cafe in March. That will be two by the end of the first quarter and I’m only aiming for five. Speaking of The Velvet Teen, they released an EP at the end of last year called No Star and it comes with my recommendation.

  15. On 02/25/11 10:08 AM, sammy said:

    Do none of you guys go out to see local bands in your towns? I probably see a couple of local shows a month, on top of bigger shows I go to. Of course, I don’t have a wife or kid to use as a lame excuse.

  17. On 02/25/11 10:34 AM, Luke said:

    i used to go to local band shows all the time when i was younger. now that i’m married and turning 30 this year i just don’t have the time for local bands. i barely have time to see bands i actually like. it sucks when halfway through the show i start complaining about my back hurting or how i’ll regret being up so late since i have to be up at 6am for work. growing up is annoying.

  19. On 02/25/11 11:13 AM, Patton said:

    I try to hit up local shows but I bitch and complain if I have to drive more then an hour for a show (which is normally the case)

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