Lately, I've been emerging from my cave in a big way and despite a few ill-advised late nights, it's been a lot of fun.
The most awesome thing to happen to me last week was getting a midday IM from Kate on Wednesday asking what I was up to that night. I had vague plans to meet up with the prodigal Alex, but was focused on trying to get through a shit afternoon at work. She let me know about a private Man Man show going on about 3 blocks from where I work and I was on that like white on rice. I hadn't seen them perform since last summer/fall and to say it's like a new band now would be the understatement of the year. So, I was stoked! I was wandering about the party, a-chattering with Kelly and Kate and Alex and randoms. The saddest news was hearing that I had missed out on an intro to my favorite writer ever. I've been joking since that it would've been a headline worthy event: "Blogger Shanks Critic MacGyver Style With Hairpin."
I wasn't sure what I thought in the moment of the show and all the new elements. I was trying hard to hear everything fresh instead thinking "X wouldn't have been done that way before." The new drummer is the shit as advertised and the present band member interplay is really tight and awesome. My overarching thoughts were that apparently guys in Philly look like lost cast members from Napolean Dynomite and that the group was even louder and noisier now, something I didn't think was possible. I got the new record (yay!) and I was really kinda bewildered on the first listen, but now I really love it. I can compare it in my mind to how I felt about Mama's Gun after Baduizm or One Word Extinguisher after Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives: they did something I wasn't expecting soundwise and once I stopped looking for the carbon copy of what I loved before, the shining moments came out. But, enough of that. In a nutshell: beer hall + Psycho Beach party = the shizz. One of my fave new songs: "Tunneling Through The Guy."
Post-show, I ran into Aaron and friends on the street and made a detour to wandering the town with them before heading to the special version of Pure Fire, a party I've been meaning to check out for a while now. I was semi-bumbling and I propped myself up near the bar and drank water, while watching Poltergeist play out on a screen and chatting with some dude about the randomness of watching Poltergeist at a party. In writing my email address down to get on the mailing list, I realized I was probably drunk and stupid, and also since I haven't written print in so long that my former calligraphy class honed handwriting was looking kinda chickenscratchy. Bah. And I'm lame because the first thing that popped in my head to request at a grime party was "Pow." Le sigh. Would "Stop Dat" have been better? I dunno. After I left, I was thinking of that song though. I met and chatted with Chris about the podcasts that I hadn't been listening to until this past weekend...because my throwaway comment about being an iTunes hater got me shouted out in the weekend newsletter. Fuck iTunes(!), but those podcasts are great. One of them has "777-9311," one of those classic songs I always forget I adore until I hear it and the stars align...or you know, something.
But you know what I haven't done in the past week? For one, get a good night's sleep. But most importantly, not go to the Battles show. I just broke and tired all last week and couldn't do it. I heart Battles though and I would heart them more if I could magically find a Battles bag for sale like on their site or something. Ahem.
Wow, it's Valentine Day...just another day really. I plan to run straight home after work and curl up with the one I really love today: Helga. Happy VD!
ETA a special exchange with Alafairnadia:
Jamirakid: eww i'm chatting with the boy now
Jamirakid: i refuse to mention VD
Jamirakid: bah humbug to that shit
Alafairnadia: hehehe
Alafairnadia: VD?
Jamirakid: you know
Alafairnadia: er
Jamirakid: it's officially the 14th....
Alafairnadia: oh oh
Alafairnadia: I was like vin diesel?
Alafairnadia: sorry. I already anti-celebrated. I'm done.
:) I bought myself some chocolate covered strawberries for lunch.
Posted by: alafairnadia at February 14, 2006 03:06 PMAnd I had myself a big old drink with dinner. Just another day to me!
Posted by: Candicissima at February 14, 2006 07:59 PM