That's Amore

Sergio!

2010-02-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since I've posted, but I'm going to try and get That's Amore up and running strong again. To kick things off I give you a hilarious Digital Short from last week's Saturday Night Live. The short, entitled "The Curse", stars Andy Sandberg as a businessman who has a hex placed on him by a hobo. Whithout giving too much away, the curse involves the sudden appearance of greased up Jon Hamm with long hair and a tenor saxophone. And so begins the legend of Sergio...

3eb at QU: Concert Review

2009-10-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

After a string of ridiculous rap concerts, I was elated that Quinnipiac could bring in an act such as Third Eye Blind. Not only are they a band that I have always enjoyed, but they are a group that has a mass appeal amongst college students. I didn't really hear any complaints about them being chosen to play the Fall Concert; in fact there was actually quite a buzz surrounding their performance. Playing up at the TD Bank North Sports Center would certainly make for a lively atmosphere and a strong pregame up at the new Yorke Hill campus. When it was all said and done, the full experience was an eclectic mix of good, bad, and retarded.

I got the festivities started with the "That's Amore" radio show at 5, where myself and co-host Bob Talbot (Talbot Talks Sports) discussed the upcoming NFL games while enjoying some Vodka heavy mix drinks. "That's Amore" soccer correspondent London Joe called in for a hilarious guest spot where he proceeded to call QU's soccer coach "a stupid wanker who must have sat on a fat one". After a condensed 45 minute show filled with irreverence, Bob and I hitched a ride from my parents over to Ray & Mike's to get a couple of boner-inducing steak & cheese subs. We needed to get a ride from my parents because the notoriously prickish QU security would not allow any non-Yorke Hill students to bring their cars up to the campus. (I think I speak for all of my fellow students when I say that all of QU Security can all fornicate themselves with an iron rod.) Once we arrived at Yorke Hill, we went to our friend Alyssa's room to pre-game while we waited for the rest of our friends arrived. I had acquired a copy of the show's setlist from a friend and passed it around the room. Reaction was mixed to say the least. While most of the classics were on there, the band was planning on playing a ton of new stuff, and the QU favorite "Crystal Baller" was nowhere to be found. Despite some minor disappointment at the time, the excitement remained high for everybody. Some more familiar faces entered into the room as I threw back some man-sized swigs of Jack Daniels. After some more drinks and bullshitting over sing-a-long background music, we decided to make the short trek over to the arena.

Once inside, I settled into a good location on the floor with a group of my friends. Unfortunately we had to endure the last few songs of the shitty emo band that opened, but with the buzz I had going it didn't seem like too long of a wait. Finally, after about a half hour set change, the lights went out and 3eb was ready to come on. They began with a crazy techno instrumental song complete with strobe lights and glow sticks. The dancing silhouette at the top of the stage chucked the sticks into the crowd, and I was able to wrestle one away from the person in front of me thanks to my drunken will power. With the crowd energy hitting a peak, the band launched into "Can You Take Me", the opener on their new album Ursa Major. It worked well as a quick uptempo number to get people into the show, even if a lot of them had no idea what they were hearing. After the rapturous applause for the opener, the band went right into the classic "Losing A Whole Year". Always a favorite of mine, myself and many others screamed out the lyrics to this rager with pure joy. Two more great older songs followed, "Faster" and "Wounded", and it was evident that the show was rolling along very nicely. After the stellar new song "Sharp Knife", the crowd pleasing "Never Let You Go" made an appearance, much to the delight of my buddy, QU soccer star Kevin Nunes. The next four songs saw the two best new songs, "Bonfire" and "Water Landing", and two of the best old songs, "Motorcycle Drive-By" and "Jumper". "Jumper" particularly was a highlight if only to see the whole arena singing in unison to the amazingly catchy chorus.

Up to this point the show and experience were stellar. However, things would slow down considerably in the middle of the show. The road crew rolled out a couch for a small acoustic set and the band began the set with arguably their worst song, the new "One in Ten". They then followed it up with the little known "Palm Reader" from 2003's Out of the Vein, which coincidentally was one of the weaker songs on that album as well. The acoustic break ended on a high not with the popular "How's it Going to Be" from the self titled album in 1997. Despite everybody knowing the last acoustic song, I began to sense that the crowd around me was losing interest in the show. I assumed getting back to the electric sound for the rest of the show would bring everybody back into it. However, 3 of the next 4 songs were new tunes, and it certainly made some of the crowd a little restless. Perhaps it had something to do with everybody's buzz wearing off by this time, but it's also not fun for people when you don't know the songs being played. "Graduate" was wedged into the run of new songs and it featured a kick ass drum solo sandwiched in the middle of it. The restless crowd exploded when the band finally launched into their most well known song "Semi-Charmed Life" as the last song before the encore. It was a great performance and even featured a small tease of "Ride Wit Me" by Nelly, which was quite bad ass. That song finished a strong, if not slightly predictable and uneven main set.

By the time the band came out for the encore a good deal of the crowd had poured out of the arena. They came back out to the same encore I've seen them play every time I've been to one of their shows. It began with the lyrically haunting "Slow Motion" and finished with the beautiful "God of Wine". Unfortunately both of these songs are slower and most people around me didn't know them well, so there was some palpable dissatisfaction from some people at the end of the show. It was compounded even more by the fact that our fervent "Crystal Baller" chants were left unanswered. As a side note, it was clearly evident at this concert that lead singer Stephan Jenkins epitomizes the height of douchery. He said some of the most ridiculously corny things I've ever heard from a band at a concert. "We're going deep tonight guys!!!" Please, Stephan spare me the bullshit and just play music. Despite his lameness, I thought it was a very good show. Nothing I hadn't seen before, but a good time on a Saturday night nonetheless. I would've loved to have heard some more old tunes such as "Blinded", "Thanks A Lot", "Wake For Young Souls", "Crystal Baller", or "An Ode to Maybe", but I can't complain about a $15 ticket to see a band that I've always loved.

We capped off the night at Dick's in Hamden with a mix of Jameson shots, Irish Car Bombs, and a whole lot of beer. As I reflected on the night later on at home in my inebriated state, I was reminded why college is such a great time. You just can't beat a weekend night where everybody comes together to share a bunch of drinks and listen to some great music together. In the end, it was all really about the social scene and hanging out with your good friends for a night. Third Eye Blind was more or less in the background.

New Lows: NFL Week 3

2009-09-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

"This can't be happening". "They'll get back in the game". "Any minute now, I'm sure we're going to shatter their hopes again". These were just a few of the lines being echoed by myself and my family of Redskins fans on Sunday afternoon as we watched our beloved team get worked over by the Detroit Lions, losers of 19 straight games....

(Full Post Coming Soon!)

Album Review: State Radio - "Let It Go"

2009-09-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

State Radio is back with their third studio album "Let It Go", and it is time for rejoicing. Coming on the heels of two very strong albums "Us Against the Crown" and "Year of the Crow", my expectations were very high for this follow up. Thankfully, the band has answered the call and put out a disc that features their trademark variety in style and lyrical content. This album reaffirms my thought that former Dispatch member and State Radio front man Chad Urmston can do no wrong. Let It Go is a musical exploration of style that covers every style from reggae to ska to just plain balls out rock. Overall is a fantastic listen and measures up with some of their best work in the studio. On to the song by song analysis.

1) Mansin Humanity - This cleverly titled hard rocker (get it? Man's Inhumanity) is a blazing way to kick off the album. With intense guitar riffs and vocal cord shredding screams, it establishes right out the gate that State Radio is not messing around with this effort. The melodic verses are a good compliment to the heavy instrumental breaks and cause this tune to hearken back to the Dispatch classic "Even". The raw production style we are introduced to on this track (and subsequently the whole album) manages to capture a live feel that the band hasn't been able to quite get right in the studio. Great opening track. 9.5/10

2) Calling All Crows - Things get a little lighter on the second track with this catchy reggae number. Lead singer Chad Urmston belts out lyrics about rebels and revolutionaries in an infectiously singalong manner. Some cool studio effects such as a background melodica add to the mood of the song and compliment the smooth bass groove from Chuck Fay nicely. Overall, Crows is a nice catchy number that, although not mind blowing, keeps the album moving along in an effective way. 7.5/10

3) Dr. Ron, the Actor - Holy. Shit. This toe-tapping ska number is a huge highlight here. Beginning with a recorded voicemail from the mentally challenged man it was written for, Dr. Ron begins slowly and then explodes into a catchy rager that you can't get out of your head. The song has a little bit of everything; great lyrics, a soulful guitar solo, and a fantastic rythm section performance. You won't be able to stop singing along and lines like "Even if you're bleeding/never stop believing that we all live free or die" will stick with you for some time. 10/10

4) Arsenic & Clover - This song brings a bit more of an angst ridden edge to it, not much unlike the songs on the band's last album "Year of the Crow". Riddled with interesting lyrics such as "Thou shall not want all that is within me", this one reminds me alot of a song like "Uncertain" and it fits in strongly with the rest of the album. There is alot of energy in the recording and Chuck Fay once again kills it on the bass. 8/10

5) Bohemian Grove - This straight up reggae number is different from many of State Radio's other forays into the genre. Instead of being upbeat like "Right Me Up" or "Calling All Crows", it is decidedly darker, much like "Legacy of Margaret Brown". Featuring some of the more politically charged lyrics on the album, "Grove" plots it's way along slowly as it builds towards a soaringly melodic chorus. It's definitely a good song, but I feel like there isn't enough going on at times. The slow pace and lack of musical changes bring it down a bit for me despite the very strong lyrical content. 7/10

6) Knights of Bostonia - A straight up ball of energy, "Knights" follows the path that was paved by bands such as the Pogues or Dropkick Murphy's. It feels like a great irish drinking song and it is amazingly fun to listen to. It's the type of tune that might not have amazing replay value on record, but it is still fantastic. While I doubt I will listen to the studio version much unless I'm in the mood to rage while throwing back whiskey shots, this song will undoubtedly be a blast in the live setting, much like "The Diner Song". 8/10

7) Let It Go - The title track of the album is a very intriguing song. It feels like a constant build up during the verses and then explodes with a chorus that simply repeats the desperate plea "Let It Go" over and over again. It is a quick song that has its place on the disc, but isn't the most memorable song you'll ever hear. Lyrically however it is classic Chad and I can certainly see why the band thought that the song's content would be worthy of gracing the album's cover and title. 7.5/10

8) Evolution - Another completely reggae song, this one is very soulful but missing something. It isn't as musically diverse as alot of other State Radio songs and almost feels like a work still in progress. I don't hate it, but I don't think it is all that good either. Definitely the weakest song on the album. 5/10

9) Held Up by the Wires - There is only one way to describe this song: A fuckin' TEN. After missing the cut on the first two albums, "Held Up" shows up in stellar form. Being one of State Radio's oldest songs, I have heard many live versions before hearing the studio cut. I thought a studio version was bound to dissapoint in some manner after such a long wait. Boy was I wrong. Everything about this track is perfect. The heavy handed lyrics, the dark and haunting feel, the huge guitar sounds, and the stunning vocal performance make this track a killer. This is without a doubt the best track on the album, and one of the best songs the band has ever recorded. 10/10

10) Blood Escaping Man - Another older song that has been played live for a number of years, "BEM" is a strong highlight on the record. The track exudes energy and also features a very nice harmonica part from Chad that serves as a good musical break. The subtle lyrical references to The Odyssey are clever and very thought provoking. I had high expectations for this recording, considering I have loved this song for quite sometime, and it did not dissapoint me. Very good song and a very energetic studio cut. 9/10

11) Still & Silent - Being one of the few songs that I had not heard before the album's release, I was very interested in taking a listen to this one. I have to say that it was better than I ever thought it would be. Starting with a slow piano intro, the song builds up to a great wailing climax that concludes with powerful vocals from Chad where he poses the question "How can we stay still and silent". It is a very fitting way to finish a great album and leaves you wanting more State Radio. 9/10

12) Reggae Indian Moon - Ask for more and you shall receive. This hidden track is a very loose alternate take on the powerful acoustic number from "Us Against the Crown". It is a fun and different interpretation of the song, but it is nothing to write home about. As a bonus track, it is an uplifting and pleasing way to finish listening and will be something I'll give a spin every once in a while. 7/10

Overall, "Let It Go" is an album you will want to listen to over and over again and will surely withstand the test of time. There are a number of classic tracks on here and practically no filler. State Radio has proved once again that they are one of the best bands around today. If only more people were aware of their greatness...

The Yankees Are Back In The Playoffs!

2009-09-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Although it was going to happen soon regardless, it does not make it any less sweet. After missing the tournament a year ago, the New York Yankees became the first team in baseball to clinch a playoff spot by beating the Angels last night!

Changing of the Guard: NFL Week 2

2009-09-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Sunday perfectly characterized why we all love the NFL so much. Filled with stunning upsets, dramatic finishes, and an audacious new stadium, Week 2 showed that the 2009-2010 NFL season will follow the same path of unpredictability and unmatched excitement that the league has become known for in recent years.

Perhaps the biggest story to come out of the weekend was the potential changing of the guard in the AFC East. After talking alot of smack during the week, the New York Jets walked the walk with a dominant 16-9 victory over the Patriots at the Meadowlands on Sunday. Having never beaten a Tom Brady-led Pats team at Giants Stadium, this win marked a huge step forward for the re energized franchise. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez showed great poise and presence, but it was the stifling defense that impressed me the most. The Jets were relentless in their pursuit of Brady, and although they failed to register a sack, they constantly pressured him into making poor throws and decisions. The Jets defensive scheme and execution in this game hearkened back to what the Giants did to the Pats in the Super Bowl a few years ago. By not allowing him to ever get comfortable, the Pats offense could never get into a good rhythm and in turn was only able to muster up 3 field goals. I have to say that I am loving what new Jets coach Rex Ryan has brought to that team. He exudes a confidence that borders on arrogance, and his team follows suit. You get the feeling that after only 2 games this team truly believes that they have what it takes to make a run at it this year. Whether or not they continue on this pace, the Jets franchise has certainly had new life breathed into it by a group of hungry players and a coach who really seems to "get" the modern NFL player. It's been quite some time since I've been able to say this, but I am now looking forward to watching Jets football and think that rest of the AFC East has been put on notice: These Jets are for real. Now onto some thoughts on each Sunday game...

Atlanta 28 Carolina 20

The big guns showed up for the Falcons on Sunday. Matt Ryan tossed 3 scores, Michael Turner rushed for 100 yards and a TD, and new addition Tony Gonzalez grabbed his second TD in as many weeks. He's already proving to be an excellent addition.
Jake Delhomme looked remarkably better this week than he did in week 1. I guess he had nowhere to go but up, but it is still a good sign for Panthers fans

Vikings 27 Lions 13

This type of game will become very familiar to Lions fans this year. There will be flashes of improvement and brilliance from the team as a whole and Matthew Stafford, but reality will ultimately come around to bite them in the ass the majority of the year.
Favre's 2 touchdown passes this year have both been short swing passes to Percy Harvin. I expect him to be much more of a game manager than he has in the past b/c he has other guys who can do the heavy lifting.

Bengals 31 Packers 24

Wow, this was quite the surprise. Cedric Benson ran wild, Antwaan Odom went off (5 sacks!?!), and the Bungals pulled off the first big upset of the season. Coming off of last weeks heart breaker, this was a fantastic rebound for Marvin Lewis and co.
You got a heavy sense of deja vu at the end of this one didn't you though? All I was thinking when Green Bay recovered the onside kick was how if the Bengals managed to blow that one, they'd never be able to recover
It looks like the Pack may not be as good as the pundits believed they were going to be. Barely beating the Bears despite 4 interceptions, then losing at home to a embattled Bengals team.

Cardinals 31 Jaguars 17

The Cards finally win in the eastern time zone!
I like the guy, but Jack Del Rio is on really thin ice in Jacksonville. You can't go from being very competitive one week at Indy and then lay an egg like this in the home opener. His team have been terrible underachievers the last two seasons

Raiders 13 Chiefs 10

It's a good thing these teams play each other b/c I'm not sure they'd win otherwise
KC out-gained the Raiders 409-166 and lost. Pathetic. Where do you even begin if you are Todd Haley?

Saints 48 Eagles 22

It wouldn't have really mattered if Donovan McNabb played in this game or not. You'll be hard pressed to ever win when you give up 48.
Drew Brees is insane. At this rate he is going to put up astronomical numbers.
Quite the interesting start for Philly. A blowout win on the road followed by a blowout loss at home. What's next? Perhaps a close game?

Redskins 9 Rams 7

Sigh....really Washington? 5 red zone appearances and no touchdowns is just unnacceptable
This game actually speaks volumes about how bad the Rams really are. The Redskins practically wanted to give this one away but St. Louis couldn't get the W.
As ugly as it was, a win is a win. As a Skins fan I'll gladly take the victory and just pray we don't lose to the Lions on Sunday.

Texans 34 Titans 31

A surprise shootout and surprise victor in this one. I wrote the Texans off after being pounded by the Jets, but I was impressed with them in this one.
Tennessee has big issues when it comes to pass defense
Andre Johnson will do that to you though. What a great receiver. I think his hands are doused in stick-em
Chris Johnson shows up and goes completely off in this one. As much as a 0-2 record hurts, I think the Titans are still a good team.

Bills 33 Buccaneers 20

Buffalo rebounds nicely after the MNF debacle at New England
Typical T.O. effort. Drops a sure thing touchdown but catches another
It's going to be a long ass year for Tampa Bay

49ers 23 Seahawks 10

Frank Gore went crazy in this one with two huge TD runs. I can't believe the 49ers didn't give him the ball more in the second half. He had 203 yards rushing with over 25 minutes to play. Talk about a blown chance to potentially break a record
Patrick Willis destroyed Matt Hasselback and may have seriously damaged any playoff hopes Seattle had.

Bears 17 Steelers 14

Party animal kicker Jeff Reed cost Pitt this game, plain and simple. If he makes even one of those two kicks in the 4th quarter, the Steelers would be sitting pretty at 2-0
Jay Cutler looked significantly better in this game, and Bears fans have be feeling great relief after that big win

Broncos 27 Browns 6

Booooooring. Cleveland is awful and Denver's 2-0 record is an illusion

Ravens 31 Chargers 26

The good for Baltimore: They all of the sudden are an offensive juggernaut
The bad for Baltimore: The vaunted D gave up over 400 yards passing to my boy Phil Rivers
All time great play by Ray Lewis at the end of this game. He burst through the line like a bat out of hell to blow up Darren Sproles and the Chargers hopes of winning
Norv Turner sucks. Terrible play call on 4th down. How he ever got another job as head coach is beyond me.

Giants 33 Cowboys 31

This game felt like more of a large showcase or a circus than it did a football battle.
The G-Men should send Tony Romo a fruit basket as thanks for handing them this game
It is always amazing to see Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips dissapointed. They want to be good so badly, but they're not even half the team they think they are

Colts 27 Dolphins 23

Miami dominated this game TOP wise yet still managed to give it away
For my money, Peyton Manning is still the best QB in football, regardless of what anyone else will tell you.
Donald Brown is going to be a big time player for the Colts. Nice to see a UConn alum in an impact position in the NFL

That wraps up my coverage on another great week of football in the NFL. While the matchups coming up in Week 3 are less than intriguing, I'm sure some crazy, unexpected shit will happen as always. I'll try to actually remember to make my pics sometime later this week, but at the very lease I will be previewing the games on the "That's Amore" radio show. Until then, you stay classy San Diego...

That's Amore: The Radio Show

2009-09-19T01:25:00.000-07:00

Starting one week from today, September 26th, you can catch my brand new radio show on Quinnipiac's radio station WQAQ 98.1! The show will air from 5-6 PM weekly and will cover a wide range of topics, not much unlike this blog. To listen to the show, simply visit http://www.wqaq.com/ and click "Listen Now". I encourage you to call in to the show or send me any requests you have that you feel would improve the program. Hope you all tune in and enjoy!

The Eternal Pessimist: NFL Week 1

2009-09-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well the NFL finally returned this weekend and I couldn't have been more excited. That is until the Redskins took the field at Giants Stadium. Needless to say the outcome of that game did not leave me a happy camper, although it was not completely unexpected. I've been told that as a Redskins fan I am the eternal pessimist, but I prefer to think of myself as more of a realist. Having low expectations actually cushions the blow of the (frequent) tough losses that come with being a fan of the Skins. While I'd usually throw a shit fit after the type of performance showed at the Meadowlands, I'm not getting too worked up over this one. Week 1 is a time of hope and joy as a football fan. Everybody has a clean slate and anybody can go the distance. But it also breeds a great deal of overreaction from fans and media alike when things don't happen as they were expected to. The Redskins drew one of the worst opening day match ups that you could get, yet they managed to only lose by 6 points. Granted the score was a lot closer than the actual game but it could have been much worse. A year ago, they got beat like a government mule on the season opening Thursday Night game against these same G-Men and everybody left them for dead. Low and behold 7 weeks later they were a cool 6-2 and the trendy pick to win the division. I'm just going to pretend the season ended at that point...

The point is, week 1 is your first real exposure to each team and it causes a lot of snap judgments to be made. Some concerns will turn out to be very real but many will undoubtedly be erased as the season goes along. It's a long year and you're never out of it until your mathematically finished (as witnessed by the Skins late season runs in 05 and 07), so it's not worth getting your panties in a bunch over one week of play. That being said, here are a bunch of things I took from this weekend. You'll notice I don't really follow anything I typed above...

Steelers 13 Titans 10

Pitt is going to have a really tough time winning this division if they can't run the ball. Willie Parker looked like shit against the Titans
Tennessee doesn't look like the miss Albert Haynesworth too much. They got great pressure on Ben all night...except when they needed it down the stretch

Jets 24 Texans 7

Mark Sanchez for president.
Fuck the Texans. I'm so sick of them being the chic pic to make the playoffs. It was wonderful to see them get their comeuppance from a hungry Jets team.
I think Ryan's boys have a great shot when they host New England this Sunday

Ravens 38 Chiefs 24

Flacco looked great throwing the ball, but this game was way closer than myself (or anybody else) thought it would be
Baltimore gave up 24 points to the Brodie Croyle led Chiefs....yikes

Falcons 19 Dolphins 7

The battle of the two teams with big resurgences last year turned out to be a dud. This game made Miami's dream season a year ago look like a fluke.
I think both of these teams will struggle this year now that they have a target on their back.

Eagles 38 Panthers 10

Jake Delhomme was in playoff form on opening day...and that's not a good thing.
Seriously, has anybody ever had a worse two game stretch at home on a generally good team? 11 turnovers combined the last two outing. You have to wonder what Carolina is going to do with him, because they can't keep parading him out there with god awful performances like this
What a surprise, Donovan McNabb got hurt. Just in time for Michael Vick's reinstatement and thus a signing of Jeff Garcia. There is going to be some QB chaos in Philly and I love it.

Broncos 12 Bengals 7

What can you say? The Bengals just had shit luck in this one. Just when you thought they had it won, Brandon Stokley makes a miracle tip drill catch to break their hearts...Child please!
So Kyle "Neck Beard" Orton is 1-0 while Jay "Bitch Boy" Cutler is 0-1. Maybe Denver made the right call......nah

Vikings 34 Browns 20

This game showed why it was completely unnecessary for Favre to come back. All Minnesota needs to do is just hand off to AP and let him penetrate the defense like a grizzled inmate does to fresh meat.
It doesn't matter who starts at QB for the Browns because they suck regardless. That's what you get for actually wanting Eric Mangini to coach your team.

Colts 14 Jaguars 12

These games are always close, not surprising to see the Colts come out on top.
Nice new threads for the Jags though

Saints 45 Lions 27

I'm pretty confident that Drew Brees is not human. Rather he is a fantasy football machine that will have a legit chance to break either the TD record or yardage record in a season
As bad as it is to be a Skins fan at times, it must be slit-your-wrists depressing to root for the Lions.

Cowboys 34 Buccaneers 21

T.O. is gone and Romo has a career day, all is peachy in Dallas, right? No. Just another case of Mr. September coming through when it matters least
I can't wait until the Giants give the Cowgirls a rude homecoming in their obscenely Gaudy new stadium next Monday

49ers 20 Cardinals 16

Looks like the Cards may have a Super Bowl hangover that's worse than my whiskey hangovers at the Vic House bar
I'm pretty sure Mike Singletary physically abuses his players
Michael Crabtree are you serious? Take the goddamn money and sign you selfish baby

Seahawks 28 Rams 0

There is nothing worth mentioning about this game.

Packers 21 Bears 15

Cutler looked pathetic in the first half and most of the game, yet somehow Chicago was in position to win. That's one positive to take out of a game where you played like shit and lost your defensive leader (Brian Urlacher) for the season
Great play call on 3rd and 1 to have Rodgers throw the bomb and win the game. I think Green Bay could be a real threat in the NFC

Patriots 25 Bills 24

Is there a team more snake bitten than the Bills in NFL history? I'd really like to know because I don't think it's possible. All I can say is one thing: 4 straight Super Bowl losses...
This was one of those games that makes you think football is rigged sometimes. The Pats had no business winning yet you somehow knew that even before the kick off to McKelvin they would pull it out of their ass somehow

Chargers 24 Raiders 20

The Raiders should have won this game, but they are the Bills of the modern era.
Jamarcus Russel may have a huge arm, but he looks fat and unintelligent to me
Is LT ever going to get on the field when the Chargers need him? Sheesh, that was deja vu all over again.
I love Philip Rivers, but his less than stellar showing caused me to lost my match up in fantasy....shit

Overall it was a very eventful and exciting first week. I'm just so glad that we have football back so we can fanatically overanalyze everything and drink alot of beer while doing so. Check back later this week for my Week 2 picks and then on Tuesday for my ranting and raving on the week that was. Until then remember, always stay negative...

Album Review: Phish - "Joy"

2009-09-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

Before I jump into this review, it is important to establish one thing about Vermont jam legends Phish: They are not a studio band. Phish has earned its reputation and its money as an amazing touring act that puts on one of the most mind-blowing concerts you will ever see. That being said, the band has released 10 studio albums throughout their illustrious career. I personally enjoy a good number of these albums (specifically A Picture of Nectar and Hoist), but they are by no means studio masterpieces. For their 11th studio effort (and first in 5 years), Phish turned to Steve Lillywhite to try and capture the lightning in a bottle of their live show in a studio setting. Lillywhite previously produced the very strong "Billy Breathes" in 1996 which gave Phish some mainstream attention. While he and the band have crafted a solid album with "Joy", they once again fall short of making a truly great studio album. Phish is a band that cannot be bound by the limits of the studio, and this album is a strong reminder that the true magic from this band comes on the stage. On to the song by song analysis:

1. Backwards Down the Number Line - Opting to open the album with this upbeat and happy tune was a good choice. Number Line is a fairly basic tune for the most part, featuring a simple arrangement by Phish standards. I personally get a great vibe from the happy lyrics and the catchy chorus, which is eventually punctuated by a nice long solo from guitar god Trey Anastasio. Overall, Number Line is a nice way to ease into the album and a very easy to listen to, accessible song. 7.5/10

2. Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan - Bad. Ass. This song is probably my favorite from the new recording featuring a classic Phish sound that hearkens back to the album "A Picture of Nectar". Trey is on fire throughout, showing off classic tone over a great rhythm. The lyrics are also some of my favorite on the album as they include a sure to be trademark Phish line: "Got a blank space where my mind should be". Great new song. 9/10

3. Joy - The album's title track is a quiet, acoustic number that would probably have fit in well on Billy Breathes. It's a really pretty tune with nice guitar and lyrics from Trey. I especially enjoy the melody and words to the chorus. It's simply a nice breezy tune that shows the band can do more than just jam out. 6.5/10

4. Sugar Shack - The only song sung by bassist Mike Gordon, Sugar Shack shows a shift into the funk that the band experimented heavily with on "The Story of the Ghost". The bass and drums are great and supplemented by some cool reggae riffs from Trey. The first couple of minutes are great, but the song meanders into redundancy and ends up just being o.k. when all is said and done. 7/10

5. Ocelot - Another nice breezy tune, this one is extremely influenced by the jams of the Grateful Dead. It's got some solid lyrics and good music, with a nice melodic Trey solo, but it isn't all that memorable. Like many songs on Joy, it is nice, but not anything particularly great. This type of song will improve greatly in the live setting when the band can cut loose and go on a bit of an excursion with it. 6.5/10

6. Kill Devil Falls - They might as well have named this song Chalk Dust Torture, Part 2. One of the better songs on the album, this number is extremely similar to the "A Picture of Nectar" classic. Although it doesn't come close to touching Chalk Dust, it is still a very strong song that rages pretty hard. I feel like the band really settled into a nice groove with this one and were able to capture a good live feel with it. 8/10

7. Light - This is just a very cool song. I feel like it will be a beast in the live setting. Like many Phish songs, the studio cut is simply the foundation in which they build off of when the song comes to the stage. I'm looking forward to hearing this one in concert because I feel like it has strong potential to go places. The ambient sounds and harmonies throughout should make for a great live song. 8/10

8. I Been Around - Nice try, but not a great song. At least it is very short. This is trademark quirky Phish but it just does not do anything for me, and I usually really like Paige songs. The lounge style playing is just too cheesy for me. 4/10

9. Time Turns Elastic - This 13 minute progressive rock opus allegedly took 278 takes for the band to nail in studio. I'm still not sure what to make of this tune. On one hand I really appreciate the band's ambition and recognize that this is definitely the biggest risk taker on the album. On the other hand, I just don't think that the song is all that great. The foundation of it is solid, but it seems like it could have either been alot shorter, or been alot more dynamic at its current length. I'm going to go with an undecided rating on this one until I listen to it a few more times.

10. Twenty Years Later - This is a strong way to finish out the album. The intro lyrics from Trey feature some great word play and I feel like the song overall is very strong. This is yet another one though that will be much better on the road. It seems like a good start, but something is missing from making it a great track. 7/10

Overall, "Joy" is a solid, but unspectacular album. Phish is known for being extremely unpredictable and taking major risks in their live shows, however that has simply not carried over into the studio. Most of these songs feel too safe and not as exploratory of new sounds as they should be. I think they will benefit greatly from concert treatment, but as they stand on Joy they are just decent. Lillywhite again proves his mettle as a great producer, but he still wasn't able to coax that great live feel out of Phish in the studio. I would recommend this album for big Phish fans only. If you want to start getting into the band either go with an earlier album or preferable a live disc. I will be interested to here the second disc from these sessions, "Party Time", to see if it has more risk taking and trademark "Phishiness" to it. I definitely feel joy that Phish is back from their hiatus, but "Joy" does not elicit the response that it's title would suggest.

Back to School & New Beginnings

2009-09-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

August has come and gone and that means one thing: School is back in session. Now that I've begun my senior year at Quinnipiac, my blogging schedule is going to be slightly modified. Since I'm going to be pretty busy in the next few weeks I'm not expecting to make too many posts. I will however try to make at least one post a week throughout the semester in order to keep some sort of rhythm going with the blog. Despite my suddenly busy schedule, the next few months will feauture some cool new aspects of the blog that will allow you guys to get a better sense of my crazy self as well as provide you with some good old fashion entertainment.

The biggest offshoot of the blog will come later this month when I debut my hour long radio show, also entitled "That's Amore", on WQAQ 98.1. You will be able to listen to this show anywhere through the internet and I'm very excited about its prospects. More information to come on this show in the next few weeks.

In addition to the radio show, I'll be adding some new sports sections to correspond with the upcoming NFL season. As many of you know I am a die-hard Redskins fan and the end of the football off season has made me go from six to midnight. Check back weekly for some of my blunt, controversial, and hopefully humorous opinions on all the doings in the National Football League this season.

All in all, this is an exciting time for the blog and I ask you to be patient with me as I get my feet under me in terms of the academic year. I promise some big things in the next few months and I hope you continue to come along for the ride with me. Until next time...

LeRoi Moore: 1961-2008

2009-08-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Today marked the one year anniversary of the death of Dave Matthews Band saxophone player LeRoi Moore. We'll always love and miss you LeRoi. Forever dancing with the Groogrux King...

Brett Favre is a Fucking Choad

2009-08-18T11:16:00.001-07:00

Fuck Brett Favre. Now that he has decided once again that he cannot take being out of the spotlight, I'm going to have to endure weeks and weeks of ESPN's bullshit coverage on the legendary "gunslinger". I'm sure Chris Mortensen and John Clayton collectively came in their pants upon news of Favre's return, to the Minnesota Vikings no less. I clearly do not share the sentiment of excitement. What I really want to know is this: What makes Favre any better than somebody like T.O.? He is incredibly selfish and inconsiderate of his future teammates as well as disrespectful to the fans that supported him over the years. He is clearly harboring a grudge against Packers GM Ted Thompson for not letting him come back to Green Bay (It was after you already retired, you fucking idiot!). I just think that we've reached a point where he is actually affecting his legacy negatively at this point. A whole new generation of football fans will mostly remember Favre as a a declining player who didn't know when to quit. By deciding to play for the Vikings he has also essentially ruined any good will he had left with the Packers organization and their fans. It's really a shame that it has come to this.

As terrible as it is to wish this, I hope a karmic injury is in store for Brett this year so I never have to hear about his nonsensical behavior again. Either that or I would like him to suffer through a 4-12 year with 29 interceptions. That's how deep my disdain runs for him at this point. I would bet my life that if Brett Favre was a black man with a DUI or two he would not only not get the media attention he's getting now, but no team would even debate signing him. Despite the fact that he's a selfish asshole who was addicted to pain pills, he's treated as some sort of football demigod by the media and many football viewers. The most unfortunate thing is that the media and us as the viewers often feed the beast by even paying attention to some of these things. If we just ignored the Brett Favre's of the world, we would side step the annoyingly speculative reporting and the painful waffling that has come out of this situation. All I can do now is voice my displeasure and express my condolences to Sage Rosenfels. Unfortunately, it just seems like being an NFL starter is not in the cards for you buddy. I don't quite know what to make of this whole situation at this point, but I know what teams I will be rooting for in the NFC North this year and I can tell you this: They won't be wearing purple.

Album Review: 3eb - "Ursa Major"

2009-08-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's been 6 long years since Third Eye Blind's last album, Out of the Vein, hit store shelves. That excruciatingly long wait finally concluded today when the band put out their 4th album entitled Ursa Major. A collection of tunes that have been played on the road for the last 3-5 years, U.M. showcases a number of great and well developed songs, as well as some numbers that probably should have remained out on the road. With the band's new generation of feverish fans comes a high level of expectations, and this album for the most part delivers the goods. However, despite being a very good record overall, little moments of Stephen Jenkins douchery sprinkled throughout the album prevent it from being great. On to the song-by-song analysis...

1. Can You Take Me - One of my favorite tracks on the album, this tune brings back the raging angst you get when you listen to such classics as Graduate and 1000 Julys. It's got a solid riff from guitarist Tony Ferdinelli and features Jenkins really singing out with some edge. A perfect example of 3eb's ability to write powerful, punchy rock anthems, Can You Take Me is the perfect choice to open the disc and is essentially a "welcome back" from the band. 9/10

2. Don't Believe A Word - The album's first single is yet another very upbeat song. Buoyed by a strong "The Who"-like intro, the song setles into an almost punk like groove with Jenkins spitting out lyrics in his signature rap/sing style. The lyrics are cheekily political and at times a bit cheesy, but you can't help put want to punch something (in a good way) when Jenkins snarls, "Gimme back my photos will you, You fucking whore I'll kill you!" 8/10

3. Bonfire - Having heard this song twice in concert, I had a feeling that this would be a special track. My favorite on the album, Bonfire has all the elements of a classic 3eb song. A wonderfully melodic guitar lick is supplemented with a catchy chant throughout as the song settles into a bouncy groove that eventually folds into a classic alt-rock chorus. It's just a breezy tune that is perfect for a summer night when you're reminiscing about the days of yore. Jenkins keeps returning to the refrain line "Everything's changing now...", which is a wonderfully relatable line for any person at any time in their life. Wonderful song. 10/10

4. Sharp Knife - Yet another great song, this tune rounds out a great 4 song run to start the album. A brooding guitar intro from Ferdinelli drives the song until a typically explosive and catchy 3eb chorus where Jenkins sings about escaping from all time lows. This song is the Wounded of Ursa Major and without a doubt a top 3 track on the album. Lyrically it is very strong (aside from a bizarre reference to an mp3 being out of juice)and musically it shines in showcasing a more moody and melodic side of the band. Another classic tune. 10/10

5. One in Ten - This is where the album takes a bizarre turn. One in Ten really has no place on this album or in music in general. A short acoustic-y number, here we see Jenkins lamenting the fact that the girl he wants is a lesbian. Filled with cringe inducing lyrics such as "What's the difference when it goes down?/If it's a girl or a guy, can't you just close your eyes?" Awful. After 6 years there had to be something better than this to put on here. 2/10

6. About to Break - Alright now we are back to good music. This song starts off slow and features a somewhat political message before bursting into an anthem-like chorus. Overall just a very strong tune with some great lead guitar work, About to Break is a very nice bounce back from One in Ten. There is however another puzzling lyric from Jenkins about lesbians that actually detracts from the song unfortunately. 7/10

7. Summer Town - Sigh. This song represents the biggest missed opportunity on Ursa Major. The main portion of the song is great. It has a great rhythm, an insanely catchy chorus, and strong lyrics about lamenting winter time in a summer town. Unfortunately, Jenkins felt it necessary to add a short unrelated intro, and an unforgivably aimless "rap" for the last minute and a half that brings the song down. This is a perfect example of Jenkins over thinking things and just being generally cheesy. Frankly I'd be embarrassed to play the end part of this song for my friends. Luckily there are programs like Audacity that make it easy to edit the intro and outro right out of the song. Middle part: 8/10 Overall song: 4/10

8. Why Can't You Be - Not much different than the Red Star EP version, Why Can't You Be is another strong acoustic based tune on this album. There are definitely some questionable lyrics about masturbating with a water massager and blowjobs, but it is still a very solid song overall. 7/10

9. Water Landing - Definitely the hidden gem of this album, Water Landing features some fantastic lyrics from Jenkins. He ingenuously compares the end of a relationship to surviving a plane crash with a string of fantastic metaphors and wonderful imagery. The line "She uses boys like bandages, but the wounds remain the same" may be my favorite on the album. Musically and lyrically it is a great 3eb song and it fits in wonderfully with the better material in their catalog. 9/10

10. Dao of St. Paul - This is another great song, but marks a point where the album begins to feel a bit repetitive. There are too many songs that begin with Jenkins singing over a basic acoustic guitar progression. Nevertheless, the melody is top notch and this song builds to an amazingly powerful ending with a choir repeatedly chanting "Evermore, rejoice". It is yet another very strong track and the lyrics are once again very strong. 8/10

11. Monotov's Private Opera - Another acoustic-y song?!? Yes, but it is another good one. This is a quieter tune but again features the choir at the end. This song sort of lulls you to sleep in a good way, and is a strong close to the album. It remains one of the more unchanged numbers that the band had played on the road, and I'm sure hardcore's will be pleased with the way that it turned out. 7/10

12. Carnival Barker (Instrumental) - This track is pointless. Having heard the full 7 minute version demo, putting 1:30 of the song on here seems unnecessary and it isn't even a good part of the song. Allegedly this will be the first track of Ursa Minor, lyrics and all. We shall see...

Overall I really enjoy this album. Although it is probably Jenkin's worst album lyrically, the music is great and he puts forth a great effort in some songs. I would say that it rivals Out of the Vein as the band's third best album (Self Titled and Blue are untouchable). Although it might not be their best album, it is a very strong effort and honestly somewhat better than I expected with all the delays it went through over the last 6 years. Here's to hoping that we won't have to wait another half decade for a new album from this great band.

Picture of the Day 8/18: Bullshit!

2009-08-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Apparently this bull got a little too excited. Chalk a victory up to the guy in the pink pants.

Concert Review: Incubus 8/2/09

2009-08-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking pretty hardcore on this blog so I'm going to try and get it going again with some regularity. What better way to start things back off than with a review of me and my friend's awesome night at Mohegan Sun a little over a week ago? Thanks to my awesome mother, me and the guys in the band (sans Stephan) got hooked up with tickets to the Sunday Incubus concert at Mohegan Sun, as well as 2 connecting hotel rooms for the occasion. You couldn't have asked for a better set up going in, and the night did not disappoint.

We arrived at the casino at around 2 pm and went to one of the VIP lounges (also courtesy of my mother) to get started with some drinks. After a few quality beverages (Goose, Tangeray, etc.) we headed off to the casino floor to gamble a bit while we waited for check in to the rooms. I quickly lost $40 in the slots while Sean came close to blowing his whole wad at the roulette tables. That lucky bastard Dan however put one $5 bill into a $5 slot and hit $100. Asshole....good for him. At around 4:30 the room was ready so we got our shit together and god situated in our new digs for the night. We were well stocked with alcohol, having around 20 beers, a fifth of Patron, and a liter of Jack Daniels at our disposal for the night. After filling up our buckets with ice, we were ready to start getting a buzz going. We reorganized the room to make it pong friendly and played a couple of games. Here I got to experience how painful it is being Sean's teammate in this game. Thanks to some margarita mix and the Patron, I overcame the disappointment. While we were pounding the tequila, we were able to get hooked up with a couple of pizza pies from the brand new Frank Pepi's Pizzeria in the casino. Needless to say, it satisfied our appetites. At this point we were feeling pretty good and we decided to head into the show. This was going to be my first time seeing the band so my excitement level was at a fever pitch.

Having greatly enjoyed Incubus's two live DVD's, Alive at Red Rocks and Look Alive!, I had high expectations for this show. Thankfully, the guys did not disappoint. Fitting of a show from a tour promoting their greatest hits (Monuments & Melodies), the setlist was packed and they came out on fire with blistering versions of Pardon Me and Nice To Know You. It's hard to ask for a better 1-2 punch to open a show. They continued strong and uptempo with Anna Molly, Stellar (one of my personal favorites), Megalomaniac, and a kick ass Circles. This opening run was probably the best part of the concert, as the band immediately sucked everybody in the audience into the show. The middle of the show slowed down a bit to showcase some of the band's more melodic material. Following Love Hurts and Just a Phase, they played a short acoustic set that contained the huge hit Drive, Talk Shows on Mute, and a remixed version of the wonderful tune Dig. This group was heavy on the radio songs and the crowd ate it up. They came out swinging after the acoustic portion with a kick ass version of Redefine from the album S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (which was poorly represented at this show) with lead singer Brandon Boyd rocking the didgeridoo on the intro. Crowd favorites Warning and Quicksand->A Kiss to Send Us Off followed and both were great, especially Warning. The main set finished with two very "chill" songs but it worked really well. Wish You Were Here is always a crowd and personal favorite so it was nice to hear. I thought it would end there, but then they pulled out the hypnotizing Aqueous Transmission to end the main set. Wow. Great way to close out the show.

The only thing that was somewhat of a disappointment for this show was the encore that followed. The main set was so packed with great songs that it deserved an awesome encore. I was hoping they'd pull out something like Vitamin, Sick Sad Little World, Pistola, A Certain Shade of Green, or The Warmth for the ending, considering they had been playing these songs sporadically this tour. Unfortunately what we did get was slightly underwhelming. It started off with Punch Drunk, a Light Grenades B Side that was also featured on the greatest hits album. While it's a good song, very few people in the crowd knew it and it felt like a time killer in some ways. Then A Crow Left of the Murder came out, which surprised me. It's a good song, but I would've preferred a different one from that album such as Sick Sad Little World. Oh well, the closer will be awesome I though, right?? Eh, not so much. The only cover at this show, Let's Go Crazy by Prince, finished off the show. They do a pretty cool rendition of the song, but again nobody in the crowd knew it and it was a bizarre choice to close such a great show. In the end it didn't greatly detract from the show however. I was very pleased with my first Incubus experience. They performed fantastically and Boyd's voice in a live setting is breath taking. I would definitely see them again and recommend them to anybody looking for a great high energy show.

After the show we met up with Sean's cousin and some of his friends and preceded to gamble and drink the night away. I woke up the next morning with very little recollection of the night post-concert, as I had drank myself into a stupor in which I apparently spit on myself (Way to go bub). In the afternoon we grabbed a kick ass Bobby Flay Burger Palace lunch and then made the trek back to Cheshire. Overall, it was a very memorable day with my good buddies that I'll certainly remember for a long time. Except of course for the spitting.

Set List

Pardon Me
Nice To Know You
Anna Molly
Stellar
Megalomaniac
Circles
Love Hurts
Just A Phase
Drive (acoustic)
Talk Shows on Mute (acoustic)
Dig (Remix)
Redefine
Warning
Quicksand ->
A Kiss to Send Us Off
Wish You Were Here
Aqueous Transmission

Encore:
Punch-Drunk
A Crow Left of the Murder
Let's Go Crazy

Best. Uniforms. Ever.

2009-07-21T05:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-07-13T00:42:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-07-12T23:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-09T13:45:00.001-07:00

Classics: Blood Sugar Sex Magik

2009-07-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Friend Profile: Stephanie Barone

2009-07-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

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?!?!"

2009-07-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

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!

One For The Ages

2008-02-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl XLII is in the books and it may have been the greatest one of all time. In a stunning upset the New York Giants outplayed the previously unbeaten Patriots to take home the Lombardi Trophy. Being a huge Redskin fan I am not pleased to see one of our arch rivals hoisting the silver football. However, being an even bigger fan of the game of football I can't help but be thrilled at the history that was made. This game showed how nobody is perfect and why the NFL is the greatest sport in the world. No other event can bring the unbelievable drama and tension found in the NFL playoffs and with the exception of maybe the Titans longest yard in 2000, no other big game was more nerve racking than XLII.

The Giants in the end were truly the better team. New England had the zero in the loss column, but they were the inferior team on this day. The G-Men overwhelmed Brady with a relentless pass rush and made Mr. Clutch look amazingly human. Big props to Eli Manning who has been an enigma in the last 4 years but he truly matured and delivered the performance of a lifetime tonight. The way he avoided multiple sacks and found David Tyree for a circus catch on the game winning drive was a thing of legend. That will go down as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history. And how fitting for Plaxico Burress, the man who predicted a victory, to catch the game winning score. There is not much more I can add to this game other than a congratulations to the Giants and their fans. I am especially happy for my grandfather to get to see another ring while he can still appreciate it.

I am quite shocked and blown away at the way this game played out and was extremely impressed with the Giants. I am sad to see the football season end but it is definitely a satisfying conclusion to the 2007-2008 season. Now we get to enjoy the major sports lull that is February, but I'm sure we will have the memory of this classic upset still entrenched in our minds. Until next time...

There Will Be Blogging

2008-02-01T08:37:00.000-08:00

I've hemmed and hawed for a good week or two about how to start off my blog. There are 6 unfinished posts sitting in my archive folder right now, each one beginning with promise only to slowly turn into an uninspired mess. I now remember why I was never a big fan of English class. With no direction in sight I was ready to give up on my blog. That's right. I was going to quit. Before I have even put out anything to read I was going to put the kabosh on "That's Amore". (For the record "That's Amore" happens to be my official Chris Berman nickname and the title of my critically acclaimed Cheshire Rampage series a few years back.) I was disappointed with my lack of ideas to say the least. I was then hit with some advice from a fellow blogger and good friend of mine, Matt Zucker. Matt told me to just be patient and something will come to you. While this is a very simple idea it rang true to me. Surely I have enough interesting things occur in my life that would be good fodder for one of my classic profanity laden rants or humorous musings. Well so far the well is still dry. But I happened to get an idea from good ole mother Zucker's latest post on his blog. I'll give you some reviews of things I've seen lately and I'll delve into the sports world a little bit. So here goes nothing:

Movie of the week: There Will Be Blood. Never have I left a theater with as much mixed emotions than after this sweeping oil epic. I mean seriously what the hell happened in that movie? There Will Be Blood was at once brilliant, frustrating, compelling, ridiculous, funny, and just plain fucking weird. Daniel Day Lewis turned in a memorable performance that I still cannot shake. His portrayal of oil man Daniel Plainview is extremely disturbing and should net him an Oscar. That being said I enjoyed the performances and characters more than the movie itself. Trust me when I tell you this film is all over the place. I'm never quite sure what the tone of the movie is supposed to be. There are times when it is haunting and unnerving. But then 10 minutes later it is almost hilarious. Is it worth seeing? Certainly. Is it the bold masterpiece that critics are hailing it as? Nah, it's just a good movie. It wasn't as good as No Country For Old Men and left me very perplexed with a morbidly funny ending that almost needs to be seen to believed. At over 2 and a half hours There Will Be Blood is worth a matinée viewing if only to catch it before the big awards ceremony, but don't expect to be blown away.

Album of the Week: "Sticks And Stones" by moe. "Sticks And Stones" marks the first album of completely new, non road tested songs by venerable jam band moe. I became a moe.ron. after attending a September concert at the Oakdale in Wallingord. I was immediately drawn in by the throwback sound powered by the two amazing guitarist Chuck Garvey and Al Schneir. It was really unlike any show I had ever seen before. Filled from beginning to end with long mind blowing jams and smooth and surprising segues, the show was like a carnival of music. Traditionally moe. has a very loose rocking sound. That being said the new album shows a more mature softer side of the band. Filled with melodic grooves like the opening "Cathedral" and the somber "Darkness", the album is a bit underwhelming but shows that moe. can bring a variety of different sounds. Much like "Stadium Arcadium" was a departure from the Chili Peppers classic funk, "Sticks And Stones" abandons the long jams and crazy guitar solos for a more mainstream rock sound. There are no significantly long songs but rather much more tight and focused numbers that shows a new level of song writing for the group. "All Roads Leads To Home" is an unmistakable Rolling Stones homage and one of the better tracks on the album. "Queen of Everything" best exemplifies this new sound with a good batch of lyrics and a great laid back feeling. This album is much different than past moe. efforts but is definitely worth a listen. While it doesn't have the raw energy of "No Doy" or the brilliant song selection of "Tin Cans and Car Tires" it is a worthy new addition to the band's catalog.

Note: I'm listening to "Who Are We Living For?" by Dispatch as I write this article. Damn this is a good album. Maybe their best and that is saying something. The Zimbabwe show last summer was one of the most memorable nights of my life and I can now relive it everyday with the DVD. You couldn't possibly understand the full sense of joy and euphoria at that show unless you were present to be a part of it. Amazing.

Sports News of the Week: Being Super Bowl week and all I will touch on a bunch of different topics that have peaked my interest in the sports world right now.

I think the Super Bowl will be a great game. The media intentionally tries to portray the Giants as some huge underdog. Don't buy that hype. The G-Men are playing better than anybody going into the game and have a new found confidence. This will not just be a Patriots coronation ceremony. If they want 19-0 they are going to have to earn it.
That being said my prediction: Patriots 28 Giants 24
How ridiculous is the two weeks between the conference championships and the big game? It is just a means for the media to overhype a game that doesn't need the buzz to begin with. The Super Bowl is always the most watched event of the year. And it should have happened last week.
Are the Minnesota Twins serious? They might as well given Johan Santana up for a bag of Doritos. What a steal for the Mets.

On a side note, even though I am a Yankee fan I think it is good for the game that Santana went somewhere other than the Bronx of Boston. There needs to be constant reminders that the MLB extends outside of New York and Massachusetts

My beloved Redskins are starting to really make me worry. After the surprise retirement of legend Joe Gibbs a good month ago the team has yet to name a head coach. They have however assembled a whole coaching staff. Congratulations to owner Daniel Snyder for continuing to do things ass backwards. I can only hope that this wait will be worth it. I'm not sure it will be if Jim Fassel is the guy.
Tiger Woods is unstoppable. He is actually bigger than the game of golf. Can you ever take a tournament serious if he doesn't compete?
The NBA bores me.
So does college basketball. Wake me up when it's March and I'll be interested. The regular season is so insignificant knowing that the majority of big teams will just be ousted by some no name within the first three rounds of the tournament.
Why does congress give a shit that Chuck Knoblauch took steroids? Don't we have some issues in this country that are a little more pressing than a washed up second basemen sticking a needle in his ass? Maybe we should be a little more focused on the economy which is falling faster than Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign.
There is no bigger ass on television than Skip Bayless. What a pompus, arrogant, self centered jerk. He is contradictory and represents the growing negativity that is prevalent in sports media today. I secretly wish that somebody would hit him in the head with a hammer every time he opens his mouth.
The sporting dead zone begins immediately following the Super Bowl with a month of nothing to look forward to. Damn you February.

Watch to Watch this Week:

The Wire, HBO, Sunday @ 9. The best show on TV. If you aren't watching it you're missing out big time. It's the last season so it's time to catch up.
Lost, ABC, Thursday @ 9. Solid premiere episode last night. It should be really interesting to see where this season goes.
Nip/Tuck, FX, Tuesday @ 10. What a wacky show. They keep coming up with disgusting things I never thought I'd see on television. Hats off, keep it going.
Family Guy, Peterotica. If you have the DVD's this episode is a must. Hearing Peter's erotic novel's title's and content almost bring me to tears ("Catcher in the Eye", "Captain Leroy Hotdog Zanzibar and Gina from my work totally did it, and if I was there I would have been like, awesome.")
Super Bowl XLII, Sunday 6:30. Duh.

That concludes this blog. I hope you enjoyed it and please comment and leave me feedback. Lord knows I can use all the help that I can get. Until next time....