Best. Uniforms. Ever.

Last Thursday, the AAA Phillies affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, donned what may very well be the greatest uniforms in the history of sport. In honor of Ballpark Wedding Night, where two fans got married on the field before the game, the team busted out the first ever Tuxedo T-Shirt threads. Talk about staying classy! You'd be hard pressed to find any team that is more well dressed or with a better sense of humor. Huge props to the IronPigs.

doublewhiskeycokenoice

I'm hosting a little partay with some of my friends tonight and will be live blogging the shitshow as it occurs. It may seem antisocial, but I'm going to need some breaks for how drunk I am planning on getting tonight. Here we go...

8:33 - While waiting for peeps to arrive I just poured a mix of Red Stag (3 Shots) and Cherry Coke into my brand new goblet I got at Crate & Barrel yesterday. It is a tasty concoction of alcohol that I think I'll have to indulge in more often

9:13 - Time to whoop Jason's ass in beer pong...

9:33 - Svengully arrives looking like a man who has just drank feverishly the last few nights. What a champ...

10:18 - Emma is here and I'm really glad. i missed her a lot. and she looks great.

10:50 - Me and Kat just got hosed in pong. Such is life. Time to drink a little more...

Picture of the Day 7/14: Filthy Wook-Rat

Check out this fucking hipster! Here we have another example of why Wookies are straight up ridiculous. I'm convinced they were put on this earth to both entertain us and piss us off simultaneously. I can't wait to go to Phish on August 14th to get to see some of these filthy creatures in the flesh. Image courtesy of http://www.passedoutwookies.com

New 3eb: "Don't Believe A Word"

After a long 6 year wait, Third Eye Blind will finally be releasing a new studio album, Ursa Major, on August 18. Take a listen to their hot upcoming single "Don't Believe A Word" right now!



"Gimme back my photos, will you? You fucking whore I'll kill you!"

Entourage: Drive (Season Six Premiere)

After almost 8 months, the boys of Entourage are back and I couldn't be more excited. When last we left Vinny Chase's crew, E finally started to see independent success as a manager, Turtle had started a relationship with the beautiful Jamie Lynn Sigler, and Drama had, well, stayed the same. The biggest development to come out of season five was Vince landing the starring role in Martin Scorcesse's re imagination of The Great Gatsby. While it seemed overly convenient plot device, this premiere episode shows that it was a necessary kick in the ass for Vince, the entourage, and the show as a whole. The premiere made it apparent that everything we knew about Entourage finally seems to be evolving. One of my complaints with the show in recent years was that it followed a formula that was getting stale. It was always a back and forth over Vince not being able to do a project for various reasons and then eventually getting what he wanted in the end. (This reoccuring phenomenon was hilariously lampooned in this video) Although Vince being pulled from the doldrums to star in a movie by one of cinemas greatest directors seemed like a stretch, it is going to allow the show to explore new and exciting territory. What better way to spice up the show than getting to see what life is like for the boys when they actually have their own lives?

A lot of the premiere was typical Entourage, but with a stronger focus on certain plot aspects. E's love life has always been easy to poke fun at for the guys, but it is always a thrill to watch him deal with the plethora of hotties in his life. However, with Sloan back in the picture it doesn't seem that E will be playing the field for long. **Side Note: How hot is Emmanuelle Chriqui (Sloan)? She was stunning in this episode, and I officially want to marry her.** I wonder what her motives are with E at this point? Is she just trying to be a good friend or is she trying to turn him into the man she always wanted him to be by separating him from the pack? I get the feeling she will definitely be around for a good deal of this season and that is far from a bad thing. Not only is she great eye candy, but her and E have great chemistry and their dynamic makes for great intrigue.

Turtle seems to have plans for the future but it was clear that he felt a little guilty about being away from Vince. These guys are so used to being together as a group that they all have some sense of separation anxiety when they're not together. Jamie Lynn seems to be the catalyst this time around for Turtle. With her being around I feel like he'll be pushed to be more active and make something of himself. We know he won't have to be Vince's driver anymore after Vince "passed" his driver's test. The test scene was particularly hilarious, with Vince hitting a ton of cones and then subsequently bribing the instructor with premiere tickets. I loved the scene on Leno where Vince told the story as well. Although him being on Leno's show seemed surprisingly non topical for this show, it had a very natural feel and seemed like a real Tonight Show interview. We also learned during that segment that Vince's next project will be a bio-pic about Enzo Ferrari, which I'm sure will factor strongly into this season's plot.

Drama and Loyd represented polar opposite characters in this episode. While Drama is perfectly content with his job and lifestyle on Five Towns, Lloyd pushed Ari for a promotion after three years of intense harassment and bitch work. Ari, in typical dick fashion, made Lloyd sit out on his stoop for three and half hours before proposing that Lloyd be made a Junior Agent if he serves Ari's every need for 100 days. This should lead to some great scenes in the future and I'm confident that Lloyd will come through. Seeing Lloyd as an agent will be great. The few times he has taken charge have proven to be great entertainment, and anybody who can stand up to Ari has got to have what it takes to get the job done.

A couple of funny/interesting things that stood out in this episode:

- Lloyd's comment about the Mad Men characters having liver disease and lung cancer by Season 4 was comical

- Despite the great commeradery and interaction between Ari and Andrew (Gary Cole), I get the feeling that the partnership is going to hit a rough patch this season. I think Andrew has a drinking problem and it could come back to bite Ari

- Turtle seems to have lost a lot of weight. He looked much slimmer this episode than seasons past. I guess being with Jamie Lynn on screen and off will get you to pull your shit together

- That last scene set to "Lucky Man" by The Verve was a great touch and shows that there will be a little more depth to the show this season. I wonder how Vince will handle a more independent life.

- Finally, what's up with Lloyd's new haircut?

Overall, I though this was a great premiere episode. It set up a lot and gave us a taste of what we'll be experiencing this season while still providing a good number of laughs and typical Entourage moments. I'm very interested to see how the dynamic of the crew will change (if at all) by the personal growth of each member. Either way, I'm sure it will be entertaining, and it represents a great step in the right direction for the show.

Picture of the Day 7/9/09: Dog On A Pony

Classics: Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Each week I'm going to be taking a look back at one of my favorite albums, movies, or TV shows in the portion of the blog titled Classics. This week's inagural edition will be examining Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the most well known and preeminent rock bands in the world today. They've sold millions of albums and toured in front of huge audiences in addition to earning enormous critical acclaim for over 20 years. They've made a number of great records, ranging from the grand return to form Californication, to the melodic epic Stadium Arcadium. None of their other efforts match up however with their career pinnacle, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It is an album that exudes an heir of cockiness and pure energy that is hard to touch from most bands live, nonetheless on a studio recording. Produced by the legendary Rick Rubin, BSSM's 17 song tracklist is packed with classic Peppers tunes that range from raunchy, funked out jaunts to slow, mournful ballads. This disc is the Peppers at their absolute best and has been a personal favorite of mine every since I first heard it in its entirety.

Track by Track Analysis

1) The Power of Equality - This song starts the album off like a swift kick to the nuts. John Frusciante's unique style comes through at the start before Flea's classic bass tones drive this song to great heights. With a tight, locked in rythym section, Anthony Keidis spits biting rhymes with his classic rap/sing approach to being a front man. Instrumentally this song bring some serious funk and lyrically displays a great deal of angst towards the lack of acceptance and equality in our country. This is just an overall great song and a fabulous way to kick off an album.

2) If You Have to Ask - This track keeps the funk going, albeit at a bit of a slower pace this time. Frusciante plays a chunky guitar line over a smooth Flea line and Kiedis practically speaks the unique lyrics to this one. It's a good example of a quick fun song, that leaves an impression without being as crazy as some other cuts.

3) Breaking The Girl - An acoustic guitar drives the rythym to this track and represents a bit of a change in style from the first two songs. Departing from the funk and showing their diversity as they do so well on this record, keeps the listener engaged and flexes the band's songwriting chops. Good song.

4) Funky Monks - Did you miss the funk after "Girl"? Well it comes back heavy in this tune. As the title indicates, this song is funky as shit. The groove is tight as hell and we get some great vocal back and forth from Kiedis and Frusciante. The song chugs along until it builds into a classic slow-funk interplay between Flea and Frusciante. Another stand out track. What is shocking to hear is that this was only played live once between 1991 and 2006. Umm what?

5) Suck My Kiss - The title to this one always makes me laugh. But the song itself is no laughing matter. One of the heavier numbers on the album, Suck My Kiss is the type of front to back rager that makes you want to get drunk and punch someone in the face.

6) I Could Have Lied - Some songs hit you hard upon first listen. This is one of those. A complete 180 from what the Peppers had ever done up to this point in their careers, this song is a beautiful acoustic based number that shows Kiedis in a regretful mood about a blown relationship. This song has the "it" you look for in any form of music. Great lyrics and music, that includes wonderfully melodic electric guitar work in the middle and end of the tune. An underrated classic in their catalog.

7) Mellowship Slinky in B-Major - Not much to say about this song other than that it is another great funk number that invokes thoughts of Sly and the Family Stone mixed with Run DMC. This song shows how good the band is at mixing genres together to come up with a track that has a little bit of something for everyone.

8) The Righteous & The Wicked - One of the more underrated tunes on the album from fans, Righteous embodies the classic Peppers sound of this era. After being too raw and immature in the late 80's this album was the band finding it's perfect mix of their youthful energy and the mature songwriting that they'd go on to be more known for. This tune has great guitar and bass interplay, which is the key to the band musically, as well as a powerhouse performance by Chad Smith who drives it home on the kit.

9) Give It Away - What can you say about this song that hasn't already been said? A definitive RHCP song, I'll never get tired of Kiedis' quickfire delivery and Flea and Frusciante's almost circus like bass and guitar lines. Give It Away withstands the test of time and will always be one of their better tunes. People tend to underrate great radio songs because they get overplayed, but even if this has been spun too many times the song will always kick my ass.

10)Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Fucking Awesome comes to mind whenever I hear this song. Once you hear the drum beat kick in to start things off followed by the fantastic guitar riff I get amped. I also love Kiedis' deep, sexually charged vocal delivery on this song. It's got such a dirty feeling to it but it can't help but get your blood pumping. It's no surprise this was chosen as the title track because it captures the essence of the album very well. Amazingly well written lyrics, sing-a-long hooks, and powerful energy. Classic.

11) Under The Bridge - I can listen to this song on repeat and never get tired of it. It is that good. Probably the most well known RHCP song, this song is so honest and sincere that you can't help but be moved by it. You feel Anthony Kiedis' pain and yearning in this song. It is such a mournful, yet hopeful song that has everything a great slower song needs to be a classic. And although Kiedis wrote this in regards to his growing drug problem, it is a song that I can relate to and use as motivation or a pick me up. Everybody has experienced hard times and vow to themselves to not sink to the low level every again. This is such a remarkable song and it will be listened to long after we're all dead and gone.

12) Naked In The Rain - After slowing things down, the album picks up very quick with one of Flea's more insane bass lines. This song as a whole is not one of my favorites on the album but it does have some great instrumental work in the middle that makes it noteworthy. Following Under The Bridge is a tough act and this song does a good job at being a transitional tune to move the album back into it's classic sound without being to overbearing or too stark of a contrast from the previous tune.

13) Apache Rose Peacock - Yet another slower, funk heavy song, Apache Rose incorporates some good background horns and really showcases Kieis' vocals well. There are some really good little rap lines and rhymes sprinkled throughout and it's yet another strong number.

14) The Greeting Song - This bad boy starts off with an almost Incubus like guitar line and finds Kiedis again spitting angrily over some intense drum and bass rhythms. Overall it is a good quick tune that, while not particularly memorable, is far from filler.

15) My Lovely Man - This one is a tight jam. The band really shines with a number of different musical changes. Starting with a classic rock sounding guitar and bass interlude, it settles into an ambient outro that almost reminds me a bit of Venice Queen which would come 10 years later on By The Way. This song is the highlight of the run of songs that happen post Under the Bridge, which I feel may be the weakest part of the album. Of course, weak on this album is amazing compared to other music. My Lovely Man really just sets the table for one of my favorite 1-2 punches to end an album ever that starts with...

16) Sir Psycho Sexy - Good God, could this song be any more perfect? The short answer to that is no way. Flea drops bombs with some distortion and a wah pedal while Frusciante settles into a Hendrix like rhythm, but the really highlight to this song are the ridiculously awesome lyrics. Used as a way to show the voracious sexual appetite and exploits of Psycho Sexy (Kiedis), this tune is downright nasty, definitely something you don't want to play at your local coffeehouse. However, that is what makes it so damn fun to sing along to. You couldn't ask for a better last full track on an album filled with funky gems. This song takes the cake for raunchy and raw RHCP songs.

17) They're Red Hot - The album finished off with a lightning fast version of Robert Johnson's old blues tune. This is just over a minute long, but it's a very fun way to finish off the album and shows off RHCP's propensity for being humorous throughout their music well and most of all it leaves you with a big smile on your face. Just the way it should be when you listen to music.

Perspective

This is a really special, once in a career type of album. While I love a lot of the Pepper's catalog, this one will always have a special place in my heart and I strongly feel that it is their best work through and through. Thankfully, their recent outings have showed that they haven't lost their song writing chops, but Blood Sugar Sex Magik has a youthful exuberance marked by an intense energy that they will almost certainly never be able to recapture.

Mike on Fire: Revisionist History

In light of the barrage of celebrity deaths in the last couple of weeks, I wanted to touch on a subject that has bothered me for quite some time. Why does a person's death all of the sudden make them a picture perfect person who always "brought a smile to everyone's face"? I am so sick of every single person being completely glorified once they die. Now before I delve into specific examples of this, I want to clarify that I'm not saying that some people do not deserve the praise and mourning after their passing. Obviously people are not going to talk ill of someone else right after they have passed, but there needs to be some sort of line that exists between mourning and remembering a person, and just making shit up about them. I've always found it funny to read obituaries or experience the reaction that a person's death garners from others. I don't think a death has ever passed that I can remember without the ridiculous cliches being spewed from those who knew the person. My favorite of these gems is when somebody says a person "Always had a smile on his/her face and brightened up the room every time they entered no matter what mood everybody was in". Bullshit. I know a great number of wonderful people who are destined for heaven and not a single one of them fits this criteria. No matter how good your spirits are, everybody has down days and dark moments. Nobody is squeaky clean and a picture of happiness all the time. It's impossible to maintain any sense of sanity without being an asshole every now and then. You need to be allowed to be in a bad mood, as long as you are a good person overall you will be remembered fondly. My problem lies with the fact that some people are strongly disliked during their lifetime for a number of reasons and are then viewed as some grand human being upon their passing.

A perfect example of this case is the recent passing of Michael Jackson and the shocking reaction nationwide that followed. Let's establish a background about MJ's life first in order to gain a better understanding of the public's perspective of him. Michael was beloved as a child in the Jackson 5 and created the definitive music of the 80's. He was a worldwide sensation as an entertainer and made an insane amount of money. Michael Jackson was an icon in every sense of the word. However, for the last 10 years he was nothing but a giant punchline. Years of plastic surgery and bizarre behavior caused him to become a polarizing figure and fueled his subsequent disappearance from the public eye. Charges of child molestation ruined his image and reputation and his inappropriate antics were lampooned almost nightly on the likes of Leno and Letterman. The man was barely recognizable from what he once was. In the early 80's he was a handsome and charismatic black man who empowered many people within his race as well as other cultures. By the 2000's he was shell of his former self in appearance and stature. Here's where things get interesting. In the midst of making a comeback attempt, MJ tragically died at the young age of 50. All of the sudden, all of those people who had turned their their back on him and were mocking him for the last few years are in deep mourning at this loss. Don't get me wrong, it is sad to hear that he has passed on, but the reaction is on par with what you would expect if he died after Thriller, not after years of being a social pariah and the brunt of others criticism and humor. The news coverage was extensive, the outpouring of love was suddenly overwhelming, and the funeral was held at a packed out Staples Center with celebrities and fans alike. His funeral was at the fucking Staples Center, for Christ sake! All of this just makes me chuckle because it shows how hypocritical society is. Where were all these people when Michael was in legal trouble, had financial issues, and really needed the support of the public? They were shitting on him for being a weirdo. But now that he's dead he is again looked at with reverence and treated like an entertainment deity. I guess my overall point to this rant is that, yes, Michael Jackson was an unbelievable and revolutionary performer. And yes, he should be remembered for that aspect of his life and the lives and careers he impacted. But let's not forget the fact that he had been known for years as Wacko Jacko and how he alienated countless numbers of fans with his inappropriate and possibly illegal behavior. There is a good and bad side to every person. And while Michael may have had a tough time in his life because of his lost childhood and meteoric rise to super stardom, that doesn't mean we should neglect realizing that he had plenty of detractors as well as well as supporters. At the end of the day, Michael was a great performer and a very bizarre, polarizing figure. With him and with others, death should not make people lose perspective of what someone really was during their lifetime.

Picture(s) of the Day 7/8/09: Das Boot

Here we have myself and a bunch of good friends with Das Boot. I think I can safely say that this is the best $20 that we have ever spent.

These pics was taken at the after party for our show at The Funky Monkey on July 13th and as expected, the night was a wonderful shitshow.

Greatest Competition Ever: Wife Carrying

Competition has reached a new level of greatness. The Finns took the 14th Wife Carrying Championship recently in what could only be described as one of the most remarkable success stories in athletic competition in recent memory. I can only hope that one day I too can compete in this prestigious event.



The best part about this is the grand prize. The winner receives their wife's weight in beer. Hopefully the winner had a heavy woman.

Picture(s) of the Day 7/7/09: Horny Babies

Friend Profile: Stephanie Barone

This is the first edition of my new weekly expose entitled Friend Profile. In this segment I will give a short profile of some of my good friends and share some fun memories that we've shared over the years. For the first edition of Friend Profile I have chosen to go with somebody I've known for quite sometime now. This P.Y.T. is a good friend of mine named Stephanie Barone. Steph and I have been acquaintances since our days at Norton School. I say acquaintances instead of friends because only recently did we actually get over the hump of actually conversing in a civil manner and with some sense of interest in one anothers endeavors. You see back in elementary school, Stephanie had a big crush on yours truly. Despite her strong attraction, I was not very nice to her. It is important to note that even at such a young age I was already developing into the asshole that I am today. I caused her great trauma when I flipped her off on multiple occasions and I often made disparaging remarks to her. Now usually when kids do this is actually a sign that they like the other person, especially if it is a boy doing it to a girl. But for me I must have just enjoyed upsetting her. Despite going to the same middle school and high school, Steph and I grew apart for quite some time. It wasn't until late in Senior Year that we started to forge our strong bond of friendship. Graduation parties and mutual friends brought us together and ever since we've chatted on the reg and hang out frequently. Friendship rating between myself and Steph is currrently: Strong.

A little bit more information about Steph. She goes to Bryant College where she has a group of bubbly friends, some of which have a scary Dave Matthews obsession. She is an extremely outgoing person who often says what she is thinking without using her mental filter, which is very appealing to somebody like me. Another thing we have in common is a strong lack of patience. As I am writing this right now she has twice berated me for not being finished. She enjoys country music and Sex and the City. She works a 40 hour a week boring internship and frequently goes barhopping after long days at the office. She is a very fun person to be around and does not enjoy people who don't like to do things. Her and Lauren St. Jernquist are the bestest of friends, they are quite inseparable. She has a very fun family and a mother who finds me to be quite an astounding person. She likes boys who she vacations with to Australia. And most importantly, she is a loyal fan and supporter of 10-Nine! Overall, Steph is a great all around friend and I highly recomment getting to know her if you do not already. That concludes the first edition of Friend Profile, check back next week for another round of half praise/half subtle jabs towards somebody I'm close to.

Repo Man Gets Kicked In the Taint

This video was brought to my attention by my good friend Matt Zucker. Watch and marvel at this Michael Jackson (RIP) wannabe who dances like crazy before kicking the man trying to repossess his car in an unfortunate spot.



"All I'm askin' is for you to take a picture of me and my car...one last time"

10-Nine: The Summer So Far

For those who are not aware, I play bass in a band called 10-Nine with 4 of my best friends. Last summer we recorded a 6 song EP entitled "What Lies Ahead" that is now available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes. The month of June was a very busy and productive time for us as we inched ever closer to worldwide super stardom. It all started off with a rousing 10 minute set at open mic night at the nationally renowned venue The Space in Hamden, CT. There we played the old classics Set Me Free and Marathon. The show was highlighted by not only tight performances, but a stellar job of bantering with the packed house of 18 people from our lead singer Stephan Juergensen. In all seriousness, this was a great little ice breaker for us to start off the summer. We had only played one official gig as a band at this point and to get to play in a place that had an actual concert hall type feel to it was very fun and very special, even if it was only for a short period of time. From there we prepared for our second show at The Funky Monkey in Cheshire. We previously played there last summer and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Due to external forces, we had to play indoors this year as opposed to being out in the courtyard like last summer. While we were initially dissapointed, this turned out to not be such a bad thing. The Funky Monkey is fairly small, so it was nice to play in what was essentially a packed house. We had put in some serious practice for the show and were somewhat exhausted, but definitely ready to shine. We knew this would be our first show where we were selling CD's and we expected a good crowd so it was important to bring our 'A' game.

The show turned out to be a great success. The turnout was phenomenal and we actually sold alot of our CD's. We busted out 5 new original songs that we are pretty excited about, and played them all with a high level of energy. The upbeat funk/blues rocker "Floozy" is a particularly exciting song that we really enjoyed playing. Our drummer Dan Shidler gets to really let loose on it and show his chops behind the kit. Another new one that went over well was "Wasted", a song I wrote in late May of this year. I was really nervous to play it because I was on guitar as opposed to bass and sang lead vocals. Once I settled into the reggaeish groove though any worries I had disappeared and we really nailed it. It was so cool to see the crowd getting really into a bunch of songs that we had never played before. We also used the show as a chance to bust out some new covers that we recently added to the catalog. We played "What I Got" by Sublime, "Take The Money & Run" by Steve Miller Band, "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers, and "Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly & the Family Stone all for the first time. I felt like we did a strong job of covering songs that appealed to our age group as well as the older groups such as our parents and other relatives. When it was all said and done we played for just shy of 2 hours and it was such a rush to perform in front of people again. Their is such a strong excitement you get from seeing people's reaction to your music and sharing the moments with the audience is definitely something I cherish. Our crowd ranged from high schoolers to grandparents and all of them were respectful to the music and enthusiastic about our playing. We were all very grateful to be able to pull in such a great crowd for that show. After the show a bunch of my good friends came over and we drank and reminisced about the night. I always enjoy spending time with our great group of friends. It was a perfect way to cap off a fantastic day.

During our practices for The Funky Monkey show, we were able to secure a Saturday show at Side Street Grille in Hamden just two days before Stephan would have to go back to Tufts for the month of July. Needless to say we were pretty psyched to 1) get another show in before we took a little break and 2) have a show at a bar. While we feel we are a good band, we know that everything is just a little bit more enjoyable when alcohol is involved. We opened the bar show, appropriately, with our new Black Keys-esque song "Half Hearted Bar Bet", which we're having alot of fun with. It's much heavier than our normal fare, and has a really cool stripped down rock feeling to it. Due to the show being only 2 weeks after The Funky Monkey, we didn't have a ton of time to learn more new material, but were were able to fit in a few new cover songs for this show. We did versions of "Funk #49" by Joe Walsh, "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" by The Beatles, "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band, and easily the most ridiculous cover we've ever attempted, "Lollipop" by Lil' Wayne. "Lollipop" really had the crowd growing and was a surprise that worked on a humorous level and I felt was actually good musically as well. The look on Stephan's mother's face when he uttered the line "She licked me like a lollipop" was priceless. That made the performance completely worth it. The show overall was a great time for both us and the crowd. We had some issues in the first set performance wise that may have slid under the radar to those in attendance, but they were somewhat dissapointing to us as a band. I was terribly out of tune for a few songs and we had a few minor fuck ups here and there. I felt like we really pulled it together towards the end of the first set until the end of the show though. It was so great to see some faces in the crowd that we did not expect in attendance, and the turnout was again solid. We're feeling very lucky as we start to see some good support locally. Afterwards we hit the bar and bullshitted with old friends over some drinks. I probably could've done without the Jager shot and the 3 drinks I ordered at last call, but what the hell, you only live once. So now we're on a little break while Stephan takes care of his business up at school, but I'm very proud of what we've been able to do. I think that we have a bright future locally and can do some good things in the next couple of years. We're very much looking forward to going back into the studio next summer to hopefully lay down a full CD. No matter where we end up it's just a thrill to be a part of something like this with my best friends. It really is a rewarding experience and is so fun to share our music with our other friends and see what they think of it. Big props to all the band's family members for their support, specifically the Shidlers, who let us practice in their home night in and night out. Our friends Kat, Brit, Matty C, and Katie have also been big supporters who come out to our shows and talk us up to others. Hopefully there are big things in the future of 10-Nine. So that is the summer so far for the band, check back on this blog or http://www.myspace.com/10nine for news and information in the future. I'll leave you with YouTube audio of the lead track off of What Lies Ahead, "Reason For Rain". Enjoy!

"Is this what you want?!?!"

If you haven't seen this yet, it is a must watch. A kid freaks out over his mom canceling his World of Warcraft account. It's probably fake, but it is still some funny shit. Enjoy!



I wouldn't want to be that remote!

Concert Review: Dave Matthews Band - June 6, 2009

Night 2 of the DMB bender up in Hartford was a beautiful Saturday with the sun shining and a nice summer breeze. On this night I rode up with my good buddy Matty Cesca, my bandmate Steve-o, and Matt's younger brother and his friend. The ride up was a great mix of pounding brew dogs and shooting the shit while listening to some good tunes. When we arrived at the dirt lot we set up a nice tailgate with a grill, a cooler full of man sodas, and some blaring music. It was a perfect day to be outside and for a solid 4 hours we drank and talked with a number of people, both friends and strangers alike. It was awesome to run into some girls from high school we hadn't seen in a long time in addition to making some new friends along the way. On this night me and Steve-o were seated towards the back of the pavilion, and we snuck in our boy Matty to highten the awesomeness. The legendary 3-man Vic House crew at a DMB concert was a guaranteed recipe for a good time. On to the show...

While we knew N1 was a tough act to follow, we still expected big things based on the past N2 shows in Hartford. We were late to our seats due to a log jam at the entrance and we walked in half way through the opener, Funny The Way It Is. The song is the band's new single and is a catchy, radio friendly tune that has broad appeal to both hardcore and casual fans alike. It worked well as an opener, setting a good laid back mood. Next up was one of my favorite cuts from Dave's solo album Some Devil, the mournful Stay Or Leave. This was a pleasant surprise and it was played spot on. The crowd was into the first two songs, but Ants Marching at number 3 got everybody off their asses and dancing. This version was smoking and immediately got everybody into the show. They followed it up by debuting Lying In The Hands of God from the new album, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King. This song features great LeRoi sax on the album which was duplicated very well by Jeff Coffin on this performance. Then came the Carpe Diem rarity Pig from BTCS. This was a great chance for Boyd to shine and boy did he ever. His wonderful fiddle lines danced through this often overlooked tune and made it a highlight of the show. Spaceman and Why I Am, repeats from Night 1 came next and kept the energy level high.

My all time favorite DMB song, #41, followed and was the showstopper of the main set. Clocking in at almost 17 minutes, the song showed off everything that is great about this band. From the unique intro with beautiful sax and violin, to the amazing lyrics and vocal delivery the song was pitch perfect. What really took it to the next level however was the jam that followed the composed section of the song. Coffin soloed over a ridiculous groove by Carter and their interplay was astounding. It was as if they were both trying to outdo each other while working in tandem to create something truly special. To cap it all off Tim Reynolds took a typically amazing solo before the end of the song that put it into the category of being one of the best versions I've ever heard. After a strong Alligator Pie repeat, I was treated to my first Jimi Thing, another long, loose, and jammy performance. The soloing was top notch and the crowd was singing amazingly loud during the verses of the song. Dave even threw in a little Sexy MF outro by Prince as the song was winding down. Beautiful versions of So Damn Lucky and Squirm followed and a late set cover of the Talking Heads classic Burning Down the House kept the energy level high. The live debut of You & Me was very well received and it should be a crowd pleaser for years to come. This segued into the set closer of Two Step, which absolutely blew my mind. Two Step has never been better than it is right now, and that is truly saying something. The amazing lyrics lends well to the show ending position, and the music on this song is pure bliss. Timmy soloed at lighting speed before Carter tore the roof off the place with an amazing drum solo. I've never heard this song so jammed out, while remaining so punchy and focused. By the end, I needed a change of pants. It was that good.

The encore to this show put it over the top and gave it the honors of show of the weekend. It was a total screamfest with the new Pearl Jam-esque rocker Time Bomb seguing directly into their brilliant rendition of All Along the Watchtower. Dave screamed his head off through both songs and the energy in the room was palpable. Watchtower featured the solo from Stairway to Heaven by Tim and ended the night on an amazing high note. You could feel the crowd still buzzing about what they had just seen as we were leaving the theater. The band truly owned the room on this night and capped off yet another memorable weekend at the Meadows. This was possibly the best of 7 shows that I have seen DMB perform. Hopefully next year will continue the trend of great music and even better times.

June 6, 2009 Comcast Theater, Hartford CT

Setlist

Funny The Way It Is
Stay Or Leave
Anyone Seen the Bridge ->
Too Much (Fake) ->
Ants Marching
Lying In the Hands of God
Pig
Spaceman
Why I Am
#41
Alligator Pie
Jimi Thing
So Damn Lucky
Squrim
Burning Down The House
You & Me ->
Two Step

Encore:
Time Bomb ->
All Along The Watchtower

Concert Review: Dave Matthews Band - June 5, 2009

With a good new record out for the first time in what seems like forever, the Dave Matthews Band returned to Hartford and the famed annual shitshow that is the Meadows. Despite the venue having yet another new name, now the Comcast Theater, the spirit of underage drinking, shirtless douchebags, and overall debauchery remained the same for the annual two night stand in the state's capitol.

I shall begin with Night 1. In recent years, the Hartford shows have followed a very straighforward pattern: Night 1 sucks, and Night 2 kicks ass. This year however broke this trend. While Night 2 was the overall better show, Night 1 finally gave fans their moneys worth and helped make this the best two night stand in Hartford in recent memory. It was a rainy day (shocking!!) but the weather didn't dampen the mood of all the fans and the tailgate. My very gracious friend Kat offered to drive my friends and I to the show despite her not planning on attending. She shuttled myself and my friends Katie and Stephan, as well as Katie's college roommate. The ride consisted of some good laughs and road sodas and that carried over into the rainy tailgate. After tying on a pretty strong buzz we headed into the concert for what we hoped would be a memorable show. I sat with Stephan who unfortunately was seated next to an older woman that had an insane obsession with Dave and a knack for letting it be known frequently.

As the lights lowered and the crowd cheered, the band erupted into the classic opener of Pantala Naga Pampa->Rapunzel from 1998's Before These Crowded Streets. The performance was on fire and set the tone for the whole weekend. The band kept up the energy with the groovy new song Spaceman and it segued directly into the raunchy crowd pleaser Cornbread. Dave danced like an absolute fool while Tim Reynolds played a blistering guitar solo over the country flavored jam. Another new one, Seven, followed and it was absolutely filthy. One of my personal favorites on the album, Dave was able to belt out the lustful falsetto and the band nailed all of the tricky transitions. One Sweet World was a nice surprise midset and was followed by one of the few good Stand Up songs, You Might Die Trying. YMDT featured a huge jam with new sax player Jeff Coffin raising doubts about whether or not he is in fact a human being. One of the highlights of the show was Dancing Nancies, which is always good, but was particularly spectacular on this night. After the typically long and joyous Boyd solo, Carter kept up the beat and the band unleashed a 3-4 minute 'evil' sounding jam that set the house on fire. The only dissapointment was the major blue balls it gave me when it did not segue into Warehouse. However, a Nancies that hot is perfectly fine on its own. The rest of the set was very strong featuring a number of new tunes including a racous Alligator Pie, fantastic version of Why I Am, my personal favorite, Squirm, and a version of Time Bomb that caused Dave to turn a deep shade of red from his intense screaming. The other two highlights of the main set were the always welcome gem The Dreaming Tree, which featured an amazing flute solo by Coffin, and a blistering Crush in which Timmy and Coffin dualed along with Carter's propulsive groove. It was really something else.

The main set was closed out with a solid Grey Street, and Dave came out along for the encore to play the old standard Rye Whiskey. Despite the difficult vocals, Dave handled it very well and played a very tasteful version. This song does however feature one of the most perplexing and hilarious lines I've heard in the context of a song, which is "If the ocean were whiskey and I were a duck/I'd swim to the bottom and never come up". Awesome. On paper the encore of crowd pleasers Everyday and Stay (Wasting Time) does not seem that strong, but it was a fun upbeat way to send the crowd home. Overall N1 was surprisingly satisfying and a show that stood strong on it's own as well as in the context of the two night stand.

6/5/2009 Comcast Theater, Hartford CT

Setlist

Pantala Naga Pampa ->
Rapunzel
Spaceman ->
Cornbread
Seven
One Sweet World
You Might Die Trying
Funny The Way It Is
Dancing Nancies
Alligator Pie
Where Are You Going?
Why I Am
The Dreaming Tree
Squirm
Crush
Time Bomb
Grey Street

Encore:
Rye Whiskey*
Everyday
Stay (Wasting Time)

*Dave solo

Back Like Cooked Crack

After almost a year and a half of inactivity, I randomly decided to give this blogging thing another shot. I've had a busy summer and it has given me some inspiration and stories that I'd like to tell to whoever is interested. In order to give the blog a better shelf live this time around I have decided to implement some weekly features that will hopefully be recurring throughout the summer. Each week I will give my review/perspective on a a classic album, movie, or television show. I will also post reviews of any new movie or album that I am exposed to as well as weekly episode recaps for certain TV shows. Concert reviews will become another staple of this blog, along with random silliness ranging from my summer drinking escapades to funny YouTube videos. Hopefully this will keep my lazy ass occupied and also make for an entertaining read. Here goes nothing!