back
to neckdeep
l Monday - September 30 - 9:35am l
The fact of the matter is that I may need to buy
a second car.
Do I want to? No. In fact just looking at cars this weekend was an awful
experience. You would think that the salesmen know that their whole overbearing
approach is hated. Nope. We were attacked from the moment we parked our
car. It was a nightmare. Add the fact that I'm not really excited about
any cars out there right now...and throwing down that much money for something
I don't want makes my stomach turn.
I'd also have to sell my motorcycle. After watching Bike Weekend on Discovery
I just want to suck it up and get a new bike then make the ride from SF
to Sunnyvale each morning. Forget the fact I'm scared to death and see
close calls each morning. Jesse James would make the trip...so I should
roll the dice. Pussy.
I hope to get some MP3s up in the Playlist section
soon...but I've been damn busy with this whole 'work' thing. I need to
get my priorities straight.
l Thursday - September 26 - 8:30am l
Thursday
Three
1) What was the first concert you attended?
Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill Tour (Public Enemy opened ) in 1986 WITH
MY DAD. Yup, I begged to go and he took me. If you remember the tour was
quite contriversal at the time with the large inflatable penis brought
on stage, and frat type beer spraying. I can't believe my Dad sat through
it. To this day he still get mad street cred for seeing not just the Beasties
in their youth, but P.E. before they blew up large...S1Ws with uzis on
stage and everything. My Dad kicked it old school before you knew what
old school was...punk.
2) What was the most memorable (life changing) concert you ever attended?
Why?
So many. Hardcore shows changed my entire life. Here are two that really
stand out...
- 1990 -
FUGAZI at the Punk Percussion Protest Rally, protesting the Gulf War on
the White House lawn. In the pouring, pouring rain FUGAZI played with
so much energy and conviction I truly felt I was part of political change.
- 1991-
World's Collide, Shelter, Device at Sanctuary Theater. World's Collide
started playing the intro to their first song...their first show ever.
As the first line of the song started the singer ran from off stage, leaped
over the drum kit grabbed the mic and flew into the crowd as he screamed
the first line. I had never seen anything so amazing and uplifting.
-
1991-
Turning Point, BURN, Device at Sanctuary Theater. Turning Point's last
DC show ever. More people on the stage than on the floor. The mic being
gone the entire time, with the crowd singing all the lyrics. The grand
finale was a stage dive contest with my friend Tom cartwheeling his way
to first and walking away with the hand-written playlist.
Any show of that time with Born
Against, Avail, Into Another, Four Walls Falling, 1.6 Band, Turning Point,
the list goes on...
More recently I would would say Dillinger
Escape Plan blow me away every time (10/7 in SF!) and Converge always
make the hardcore blood flow again.
3) Do you feel ticket prices for the concerts you attend are fair?
Most shows I go to are priced fairly. I'm not an arena guy...or even close.
I'm now the old guy at the hardcore / punk shows. Even though I enjoy
their music I will not pay fifty bucks to see Radiohead. Nothing is worth
that. We should all give it up to FUGAZI for staying truely punk rock
and ALWAYS playing five dollar shows.
l Wednesday - September 25 - 9:45am l
The man is a fucking idiot. Watch
this now.
(and by all means send me your emails with Pro-Bush comments...I'd love
to see how you get him out of this one.)
l Tuesday - September 24 - 9:38am l
What can I say...I'm very, very busy.
Not too busy to pay a visit to the new Berkeley
Skatepark Sunday morning. The best concrete skatepark
in the Bay Area hands down. Great flowing
street course and a nice mini-ramp type pool. The new Sunday morning spot.
As a bonus I watched Ron
Allen (yes, H-Street
king Ron FUCKING Allen) pop a huge gap ollie ONE FOOT. I instanly
thought of Milton...R.I.P.
And then there's Lindy Three.
l Friday - September 21 - 3:48pm l
A few interesting George
W. Bush links:
"Bush wants to divert attention from his domestic problems. It's
a classic tactic. It's one that Hitler used."
Why Trust George
W. Bush?
Bush
Sends Troops To West Nile
l Thursday - September 19 - 5:15pm l
I think the reason Thursday
Three isn't catching on is because the questions are too difficult.
You can't just blow through these...
1) What makes a person a hero? I don't know. I suppose the definition
varies depending who you talk to. I have people who may be close to that
status that some would call poor choices or even criminals. One thing
is for sure...I don't approve of this 'hero culture' lately. The media
is calling everyone a hero. Everyone who wears a uniform is a hero. Some
people feel if you turn in your neighbor for certain un-american acts...you're
a hero. Hero. Hero. Hero. Heroes are few and far between. The word has
almost lost all meaning.
2) Do heroes play an important roll in your life? If so, when are they
the most helpful to you? No. Not anymore. Believe in yourself and
your own values. Human beings make mistakes...it's not good to put too
much value in other people's actions. Although there are many, many people
who inspire me. The list is too long.
3) If someone was looking to you as a hero, what
would be the top three values or characteristics you would emphasize?
I can't even begin to answer that. I would first advise an individual
to follow their own path. Be creative. Value all life. Make sacrifices.
"Be water my friend..."
Next week we tackle religion...and ask how to stop
war and poverty. Until then...
l Wednesday - September 18 - 9:10am l
I got the new HECKLER magazine in the mail yesterday.
It features skater Scott Bourne on the cover, which I designed. It is
certainly the best issue in a long time...with Scott's interview being
very good (insane photos by BK
as well) and some solid music pieces. The stand out is the '616 Words'
editorial by my friend and founding editor Sonny Mayugba. I won't re-write
it here...just go pick it up. Highlights include: "I think snowboarders
who don't skate are just fucking skiers going sideways" And this
quote from ex-TWS editor Dave Spypniewski
"If you're getting paid and you walk away when the money stopped
coming in, then you're a jock."
This will be the last HECKLER issue I contribute to. Sonny has decided
to leave HECKLER as he disagrees with the direction management is taking
the mag. I've been doing music reviews and design for HECKLER for over
four years...but if Sonny goes, I go. I was always grateful to Sonny (and
John) for allowing me to be a small part of his mag and always allow me
complete creative freedom. I valued the fact that in a sea of corporate
magazines and dollars signs HECKLER was truly created for skaters, riders
and music fans. The mag may go on...but the soul is gone.
Pick up this last issue (58), then go buy Declaration
of Independents.
l Tuesday - September 17 - 8:17am l
Last night Jason Lee was on Conan O'Brien promoting
his crappy
movie with Tom Green. Amazingly Conan asked him if it was true that
he was a pro skateboarder. He then proceeded to act quite arrogant about
it...saying he was known for having the best style ever and then talked
about inventing the 360 kickflip. Jason Lee has always been on my top
five skaters of all time list...but this acting thing seems to have screwed
him up. I mean, he's now a Scientologist.
That alone should bump him out of the top five. But his part in the BLIND
video always pushes him back up...
After seeing Axl on the 2002 Video Music Awards, this
video isn't too far off. Hang it up Axl...your voice sucks and it
ISN'T G'n'R without the band.
l Friday - September 13 - 9:14am l
Watch the Triumph
video pop-up. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
l Thursday - September 12 - 10:41am l
This
is quite insane. Something about truth being stranger than fiction...
l 10:41am l
Thursday
Three this
week.
1) Do you feel online sources covered the story
better or worse than mainstream media? What are some sites you visit for
"alternative" news coverage? It's tough to say. I certainly
don't trust the mainstream television media as most have to answer to
both advertisers and parent companies (NBC owned by GE as an example).
It's hard to know who to trust in terms of news. The
New York Times and Washington
Post seem to do a pretty good job. I have to admit, I used CNN
to follow the first few days of September 11th. I also will check out
BCC News online…but I will always
check out Alternet as well. It's
also important to me to get opinions from Michael
Moore and Noam Chomsky.
I certainly value their views.
2) If you could say something directly to the terrorists, what would
you say? Would anything make a difference? I doubt it. Their religion
has made them unstoppable. My guess is nothing I could say or do would
change their minds or influence their actions. It blows me away that these
people actually believe that inflicting suffering will grant them a place
in 'heaven'. That's religion for you. Still, maybe I'd try insult their
god or something…anything to get a rise out of them. Actual reasoning
would be lost on them for sure.
3) Do you approve or disapprove of George Bush's push to go to war
with Iraq? How do you feel this relates to the events of Sept 11th?
The facts just don’t sit right with me. We have been bombing Iraq
since George Sr. was in office. Why the big push now to heighten the conflict?
Was there a time Hussein wasn't a threat? What’s the real motive
here? I also feel like Bush is really trying to focus away from problems
here in the U.S. Stock market crumbling? Hey, look over here…WAR!
Enron and big business cheats in, and around, the White House? *Snapping
fingers* War!…war about to happen here! Like his father Bush wants
to run around and be a bully there's trouble at home. The relation to
September 11th is that Iraq is part of Bush's good old 'Axis of Evil'.
Any action again the 'Axis'is justified. He is also playing on the fears
of the American people. Hussein might have weapons of mass destruction…but
he has for years. Right now most people are at the point where they can
look past the horror of war and see it as a type of justified 'payback'.
It's a shame. The bottom line is that I like to see myself as a citizen
of the world, and not just the U.S. The opinion of one nation should not
dictate what's right and wrong across the globe.
Man, I'll write some easier questions next week.
l Wednesday - September 11 - 9:08pm l
View page.
l
Monday - September 9 - 2:35pm l
Sparta
last night at Slim's were...average.
I suppose I'm old and jaded, but just playing the album isn't enough for
me. If I'm not completely blown away by the album (and in Sparta's case
I wasn't) I have to see some extra effort on stage. Jim Ward had some
strong vocals and the sold out crowd was into it...but something was missing.
Not to compare, but when you saw At the Drive In live you were blown away.
At a Dillinger Escape Plan
or Ben Folds performance I am taken
beyond just the songs on their albums and to another level of intensity
or emotion. That didn't even come close to happening last night.
I left before the last song.
l Friday - September 6 - 10:39am l
I'm really excited about the snowboard season this
year. Maybe it's because I no longer work for the industry. Maybe it's
because I can actually afford to go this year. Either way...I'm ready.
On that note...Shaun
White has the skills of bothTerje and Tony Hawk crammed in a 16 year
old body. His videos have my jaw on the floor. Nosepress to 270 off the
hard way! Alley-oop backside rodeo; McTwist; Frontside 900! Oh. My. Goodness.
(I've added a song by legendary DC hardcore band
Device to the Playlist.
Anyone who knows this band will be stunned that this demo / rare 7"
track was found as an MP3. Thanks to Al
Contrast for creating this stuff and posting it. When I found this
I literally jumped out of my chair.)
l Thursday - September 5 - 8:16am l
Thanks to Brad for launching Thursday
Three last night. We are now the proud parents of what we hope will
be a lasting part of the Web Blog community (whatever that means). Please
visit and contribute (you don't even need a blog).
Ladies and gentlemen, my first 'official' Thursday Three:
1) Is the 7% drop in CD sales over the last year
a result of people downloading music? I doubt it. Maybe it’s
due to the amount of crappy music out there. But there has always been
crappy music even before NSYNC and Backstreet Boys…hard to believe
but true. I do think that people copying CDs may have reduced sales a
bit. One person buys a CD and half a dozen copy it. Guilty as charged
on that front.
2) How much music do you download per month? How much do you buy?
I only download Metallica albums.
I’ll download maybe four CDs a month (props to Frank)
and buy AT LEAST six. I mostly use MP3s are they were intended to be used.
I download a song and if I like it, I go buy the record. I rip my store
bought CDs for use on my iPod. I will always buy music. I enjoy the artwork
as well as having the actual CD in my hands. I do refuse to pay fifteen
bucks for a CD, but since most stuff I listen to is independent, I have
no problem paying twelve and under for a full length CD. (As I write this
I’m listening to a downloaded copy of the new Sparta full length
on my iPod…but I did shell out money for tickets to their show Sunday
so you do the math…)
3) Do you copy CDs for friends? Do you ever feel guilty about it?
Sure I copy CDs for friends. I even post MP3s on my site. I feel no guilt
at all. In fact, I happen to know that my MP3 postings have prompted multiple
album sales. In middle school my heavy metal mix tapes fueled the record
industry's profit machine as well. So my question is…where is MY
check? The way I see it Sepultura and Iron Maiden owe me.
Now go to Thursday Three and add your three.
l Wednesday - September 4 - 12:26pm l
More on the Greek gaming ban here: ProjectNeo.
l 8:26am l
As unbelievable as it may seem, video
games have been banned in Greece. It's against the law to own or play
any game with 'electric mechanisms or software'. This is just amazing
to me...and I can't believe it's real and not some internet prank.
I've been slacking on my playlist...sorry. In the meantime go to Jeans
and a T-Shirt and download some songs from Brad's
Monthly Mix. It's pretty close to what I'm listening too...well, maybe
not Bruce Springsteen...but you get the idea.
l Monday - September 2 - 12:15pm l
Mushroomhead?!
Seriously...fucking Mushroomhead? What the hell is going on with so called
'extreme rock / metal' these days? I'm watching
a Mtv2 'preview' and these goons in Spawn meet Slipknot stupid ass masks
are playing the worst shit I've ever heard in my life. Don't kids know
there is GOOD metal to be found? Is it that hard to find Pig Destroyer,
Nile, or even Converge? What's this world coming too...
l Sunday - September 1 - 6:45pm l
Mellow weekend so far. Visited the Oakland Antique
Fair and scored a cool 60's Weltron
8-Track player. Now I need some Sabbath 8-Tracks.
The teaser page for Thursday Three
is up. We hope to launch in a week or two. Yeah, we're serious about not
only improving on Friday Five but showcasing some killer sites as well.
It's on. If you are interested in being featured on Thursday Three drop
me an email.
( big thanks to blanksurface
for posting TT this week...)
Listening to so much on the old iPod right now...the new Coldplay, the
Sparta LP, Queens of the Stone Age, and the new Idlewild (Japanese import).
