Author: tim

del.icio.us Links

Daily load of links from del.icio.us

» The Pavement Tapes A Pavement album is a series of small labyrinths. The pleasure of the maze matters more than finding a way out.
» Pavement live at E-Werk, Cologne, Germany, June 26, 1996 
» Top Ten Reasons Why “Bizarre Love Triangle” > “Blue Monday” My high school band played BLT at our talent show (circa 1984) and showed our crappy suburb just how backward-ass they were.

Just Watch Me Now

This song thoroughly rocked me on the way to work this morning. I’ve bolded my favorite parts.

Sweet Jane
(The Velvet Underground, 1970)
written by Lou Reed

Standing on the corner
suitcase in my hand
Jack is in his corset, Jane is in her vest
and me, I’m in a rock ‘n’ roll band, huh
Ridin’ in a Stutz Bearcat, Jim
you know those were different times
Oh, all the poets they studied rules of verse
and those ladies they rolled their eyes

Sweet Jane, woh
Sweet Jane, oh-oh
Sweet Jane

I’ll tell you somethin’ that Jack, he is a banker
and Jane, she is a clerk
And both of them save their monies
hah, and when, when they come home from work
Ooohhh-wah, sittin’ down by the fire, oh-wah
the radio does play a little classical music there, Jim
“The March Of The Wooden Soldiers”, all you protest kids
you can hear Jack say, get ready, ah

Sweet Jane, ah, come on baby
Sweet Jane, oh-oh-oh-ah
Sweet Jane

Some people they like to go out dancing
and other peoples they have to work, just watch me now
And there’s even some evil mothers, haha
well they’re gonna tell you that everything is just dirt
You know that women never really faint
and that villains always blink their eyes, ooohhh
And that, you know children are the only ones who blush
and that life is just to die

But anyone who ever had a heart
oh, they wouldn’t turn around and break it
And anyone who ever played a part
oh, they wouldn’t turn around and hate it

Sweet Jane, oh, wow-woh
Sweet Jane

Sweet Jane, Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane, Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane, Sweet Jane

The Joys of the Music Industry

For the past three years, I’ve been booking all of the musical entertainment at the Grant Park Festival. I happen to know a lot of musicians and so it isn’t too painful for me to line up a decent group of bands (check out this year’s lineup). It can still be a logistical nightmare, sometimes, trying to schedule the lineup, create a logical flow to the music and not step on egos. I think I manage alright. The bands still return my calls, so I think they are relatively cool with how I work.

Bands live complicated lives, though, so every year people will have to cancel on me. It’s no big deal; I usually have extras lined up to fill in the vacancies. This year has been about par for the course with 2 or 3 bands having to either cancel or play at a different time. Like I said, no big deal.

Well, get a load of this email I received yesterday, a mere 3 days before the festival starts. It’s from a guy playing a small food and wine event at the festival (and is actually one of the few paying gigs). 

Tim,

Yesterday evening I set my classical guitar on top of 
my car and the wind blew it off and it broke. I am 
sorry but I have to cancel on the agreed upon date. 
Sorry

Xxxx Xxxxxx

What an idiot. Is that the only acoustic guitar in Georgia? You don’t have any friends you can call to borrow a guitar? Hell, aren’t there going to be about 100 musicians at the festival who might have something you can play? Have a little backbone, dude! I mean, it sucks that your guitar broke, but don’t let that bring you down! Pull yourself up by your boot straps!

I’d hate to be this guy’s boss.

Dear Boss,

This morning as I was getting ready to come into 
work, I spilled coffee on my brand new shirt.  I 
don't have anything else clean so I'm not going to 
be able to come into work today.  Sorry

Xxxx Xxxxxx

Needless to say, this guy has been replaced and will not be playing the festival.

So, if you want to come hang out at a cool festival, come on down to Grant Park this weekend! My wife will be showing her jewelry and I’ll be hanging out all weekend enjoying the music (and beer).