Fighting words

This is from a press release for a band I know here in Nashville:

"Celebrity has cancelled their remaining dates on the Hopesfall/Every Time I Die tour as a result of injuries sustained during an altercation at last night's (4/29) show at The Junction in Salt Lake City. During headliner Hopesfall's set, members of Celebrity tried to calm a group of 30-40 audience members that were beating up kids in the crowd all evening unchecked by security. After having words with the group, Jesse Fine was ambushed by several people as he turned around to walk away. Band members Ryan Parrish and Lance Black were also assaulted as they tried to break up the fight. The band members were admitted to an area hospital following the attack and released later the following morning."

This should have never happened. What is the world coming to? I am not a violent person, but this kind of action makes me want to throw it all down and kick some tail...

Rock 'n' roll solidarity

The Blindside show was all I hoped it to be and more. I have been so tense the last couple of weeks at work, so much so that I went home just about every day with a dull ache in my head and just felt...worn. I was even frazzled driving to the show, a Mickey D's cheeseburger in one hand, trying to grab the wheel and my cell phone at the same time. The picture of every over-worked American under the sun.

I'll skip the gory details of the opening band. I can't even remember their full name because it was too long, 12 Volt something other. Just a little too much manly strutting, trying to be a hard rock band, but appealing to the baser male grunting and such, rather than actually having something to contribute to the world of music. The Kick was much better. Sort of a Strokes meets Springsteen, which resulted in a teriffic performance. Reminds me of a local Nashville guy I saw recently named Taylor, only louder. I likes. Whoever said rock and roll died is an idiot. See Keith Hoerig of Five Iron Frenzy rant about that very thing here. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shout amen like I did. Major dis to the Nashville crowd though, who stood with their arms crossed waiting to be impressed.

And now the moment everyone has been waiting for...Blindside takes the stage. Pure explosion, just as expected. I'm not one of those fans who remembers every song in order, but I don't really care. Miss a word, play the wrong chord at the wrong time? No problem. The audience was living rock 'n roll. We responded, and the foot of the stage was swamped with bodies leaning forward, clinging to Christian Lindskog's every word, fists thrust in the air in solidarity. A truly amazing moment came when Christian paused for a moment to play the title track from their new album Silence. The crowd was hushed as a prayer was lifted in rare fashion from a band that usually rocks hard. "...Our hearts speak the same word..." Blindside even dug deep to pull out songs for those of in the crowd who have been listening to them for a few years. I was even impressed with Pitiful, which is not my favorite cut from the new disk, but is getting mad play on the airwaves. Rolling Stone rated this album a three star out of five. If that numb-skulled reporter had seen the Nashville show, he would have had to dig in his pocket and pin up another star. This band islive performances. I walked away feeling better than I have in weeks, which is the way a show should make you feel. Why can't all shows be this way?

Speaking of that, stay tuned in the next few days for a very important public service announcement about dumb kids at shows...

"What's with today, today?"

It's really sad when you live out of your car. Last night I carefully pressed two, count them, two sets of clothes, then carefully laid them in the back seat of my lived-in Explorer. I rose before the birds, the worms AND the chickens this morning to work at Starbucks. I put on a third set of clothes and dutifully trudged to work. Don't get me wrong, I love working there, but who really needs coffee at 5:30 a.m.?

After slaving away at the coffee pit, I promptly moved on to the copy editing pit, changing from togs that reek of coffee grounds to more suitable jeans and a striped shirt...Looking down, I have just come to the realization that I slightly resemble Waldo of "Where's Waldo?" fame, minus the dorky hat. Red-and-white striped shirt...check. Blue jeans...check. Yup, close enough.

Anyway, I'm awaiting the highlight of my day. Blindside is just coming off a tour with Linkin Park, and they are doing a club show here in Nashville. They have been doing shows in front of huge crowds, but like most bands, they long for that crowd intimacy. So I'm expecting an explosion! So that third set of clothes, my "cool" clothes is waiting in the back seat. The clothes I wish I could wear all the time. It's been a long day that began well before sunrise, but the end is well worth the means.

Little pieces of paper

There's a little side bar on this blog that says "Sundry notes on little pieces of paper." If you saw my purse, you would understand why. Never one to waste, I am constantly jotting things down on whatever random scrap of paper I can find at the moment. No napkin, gum wrapper or business card is safe from my wrath.

There they sit, awaiting that momumental day when I reach in the bottom of my purse and instead of pulling out, say, a piece of gum, I retrieve a well-worn reciept with an indecipherable inscription. "Good to Great, Jim Collins" the paper reads. Where in the world...? Wait, wait, I know where that came from. Breakfast meeting with that lady who helped me out. Right, got it.

The same goes for all the trivial thoughts that come to me during the day. I'll be doing the standard thing, just copy editing and plugging away, when suddenly one of those scraps falls from its hiding spot and lands in my lap. Now I get the opportunity to share them with the world.

"Saucer of cream, table two!"

Have you ever run into one of those girls who watches her boyfriend like a hawk any time a female steps within a one-mile radius of their beloved? She sniffs the wind, and claws come out. Okay, okay, maybe that's a bit exaggerated. But she just can't resist cutting her eyes at you and getting in a little verbal jab just to make you squirm. Frankly, I really don't know the girl, and I barely know her boyfriend. All I wanted to do was tell him I enjoyed the music. Next time I'll invest in body armor and catnip.