text:
Kent's batting average in All-star games is .400.
Kent played 159 games for the Giants in 2001.
In 2005, Kent won the NL silver slugger award.
In 2000, Kent won the NL MVP award.
Kent is 6 ft. 2 in.
Kent has 161 At-bats in the postseason.
Kent played 140 games for the Mets in 1993.
Jeff Kent has hit more than 500 doubles.
Jeff Kent had an AB in 900 games for the San Francisco Giants.
Jeff Kent went to California College.
Jeff Kent has turned more than 1240 double plays.
Jeff Kent throws right-handed.
Jeff Kent's Major League debut was on 04/12/1992.
Jeff Kent bats right-handed.
Jeff Kent played in 175 games with the Houston Astros over two seasons.
Jeff Kent played 498 games for the New York Mets over 5 seasons.
Jeff Kent has played with six different teams, the Mets, Blue Jays, Indians, Giants, Astros, and Dodgers.


text:
Best Western
Sweet dreams
Tab Panel
There's over 4,000 unique and independently owned Best Western hotels in 80 countries. Every single one is different from the next and crammed full of personality giving you a whole host of choices. Some things don't change however, like each hotel's commitment to the quality, value and standards of service that every guest receives.
Earn miles, 1 of 3
How to book, 2 of 3
Terms and conditions, 3 of 3
Tab Panel
Our lowest fares
Planning to escape? Check out our amazing low fares.
More partner offers
Receive bonus Flying Club miles and other extras with our partners.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Half Baths
|3,500 sq. ft.
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|3 nights
To all my Friends and new Acquaintances a Warm welcome to my Palatial Home of Intimate Dreams. Trust me choosing my Home is far better Quality than staying at a public and Generic Hotel Chain. Whatever interests brings you to Atlanta do it in Style and Class, I'm here for you and it's my pleasure to be your Concierge and Host if need be. Allow me the Honor to manage your entire Experience in Creating a luxury Stay of Tremendous Value.
PLEASE NOTE: Without Special Consent and Arrangements by the Owner No Parties Allowed, No Celebrations or Events Etc.... It is Prohibited at this Home. This Home is EXCLUSIVELY for True Vacationers and Business related Accommodations Unless Agreed Upon and Contractual.
Thanks see you soon
Eddie Anderson Jr.
**Our rates may increase depending on the number of guests, special events, or additional services for your stay.
We travel often for our business, so we're looking for guests who will take care of our home.
Edmund Anderson purchased this house in 2007
Our home is truly a home away from home. Whether you're looking for a weekend away, a vacation rental, or corporate housing, we're happy to accommodate your stay.
Our beautiful home will provide you with a luxurious stay in the most exclusive neighborhood in Buckhead.
BEWARE: I stayed there with my family for 2 weeks in Dec/14 and the owner has still not refunded the $1000 bond we paid.
We had a great stay and enjoyed the property. But I am really annoyed and disappointed that after 6 months trying to get my bond money back, he still has not made the transfer. We left the house in perfect condition, just as we found it. His real estate agent has vouched for us. And yet, I've not received my money still...
This is truly one of most beautiful homes in Atlanta. Very exclusive, decadently furnished, and truly a home away from home. My husband and I wanted a much-needed vacation (away from our busy work schedules), and we found this incredible home. The pictures will not prepare you for the true beauty of its interiors and the hospitality of the owners was comparable to any 5-star hotel. The overall presentation was very impressive (the meticulous cleanliness and preparation of our beds to the way the kitchen was organized).
Thank you Edmund and Pam, we will most definitely be coming back for our next getaway!
I recently had the good fortune of staying at this incredible home in Buckhead and had an awesome time. Spacious, well-decorated, and located in a very exclusive neighborhood, the home truly exceeded expectations (and my expectations were high from the beginning). I can't imagine a comparably priced hotel room that would offer the feeling of relaxing at home while also comfortably enjoying the space that the 4 floor (or 3 1/2 if you're picky) home provides. Highlights of the home would definitely be the Master Bedroom and the Basement that has been converted into a magnificent theater room complete with a bar (including 2 televisions), full restroom, cable, surround sound, and multiple televisions (including a huge tv that is great for entertaining or watching movies). Although the home, itself, is accommodating and would be great for hosting friends, parking spaces are limited and the neighborhood, a quiet gated community, is not be ideal for that purpose. The home is still undergoing some renovations, but, this will not encumber your stay at all and in my time using the homeaway site for the purpose of travel, I'd say that this has been the experience from which I walked away the most pleased. I would definitely stay again and here's to hoping that my review of the place doesn't cause you to book it... at a time when I want it, again. Haha. Happy travels.
|Deposit (refundable)
|Cleaning Fee
|Refundable damage deposit
$600 rate applies to 3 day minimum only. We accept only bank wire transfer for this moment. Charges can increase on short term and large group reservations. We are flexible and more than happy to work out an ideal vacation package that fits your budget along with reasonable compensation of our quality services. Hopefully we will see you soon at the Buckhead Chateau.


text:
|13 Jan 2014
BSOD - Driver Power State Failure
Hey Everyone,
If anyone could take a look at this and see why I got the BSOD for Driver Power State Failure, I would greatly appreciate it.
There are a few .dmp files in the attachment, but the only one I am concerned about would be the most recent one and may be the one before, since they are both related to Driver Power State Failure.
Thanks in advance.
|My System Specs
|14 Jan 2014
Windows 10 Home 64Bit
Welcome to the forum.
Microsoft (R) Windows Debugger Version 6.2.9200.20512 AMD64 Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Loading Dump File [C:\Users\USER\Downloads\schniederzero\SF_13-01-2014\011314-25708-01.dmp] Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available Symbol search path is: SRV*C:\SymCache*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols Executable search path is: Windows 7 Kernel Version 7600 MP (4 procs) Free x64 Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS Built by: 7600.16385.amd64fre.win7_rtm.090713-1255 Machine Name: Kernel base = 0xfffff800`02c0b000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0xfffff800`02e48e50 Debug session time: Mon Jan 13 07:54:00.000 2014 (UTC + 6:00) System Uptime: 0 days 6:48:39.771 Loading Kernel Symbols ............................................................... ................................................................ ................................................................ . Loading User Symbols Loading unloaded module list ............... ******************************************************************************* * * * Bugcheck Analysis * * * ******************************************************************************* Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information. BugCheck 9F, {3, fffffa800c7ec4d0, fffff8000437c518, fffffa802b34e540} *** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for VBoxNetAdp.sys *** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for VBoxNetAdp.sys Probably caused by : VBoxNetAdp.sys Followup: MachineOwner --------- 0: kd> !analyze -v ******************************************************************************* * * * Bugcheck Analysis * * * ******************************************************************************* DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE (9f) A driver has failed to complete a power IRP within a specific time (usually 10 minutes). Arguments: Arg1: 0000000000000003, A device object has been blocking an Irp for too long a time Arg2: fffffa800c7ec4d0, Physical Device Object of the stack Arg3: fffff8000437c518, nt!TRIAGE_9F_POWER on Win7, otherwise the Functional Device Object of the stack Arg4: fffffa802b34e540, The blocked IRP Debugging Details: ------------------ DRVPOWERSTATE_SUBCODE: 3 DEVICE_OBJECT: fffffa800e161050 DRIVER_OBJECT: fffffa800e211e70 IMAGE_NAME: VBoxNetAdp.sys DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 52b1c9a9 MODULE_NAME: VBoxNetAdp FAULTING_MODULE: fffff880044e6000 VBoxNetAdp IRP_ADDRESS: fffffa802b34e540 CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1 DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: WIN7_DRIVER_FAULT BUGCHECK_STR: 0x9F PROCESS_NAME: System CURRENT_IRQL: 2 TAG_NOT_DEFINED_c000000f: FFFFF80004382FB0 STACK_TEXT: fffff800`0437c4c8 fffff800`02cebe23 : 00000000`0000009f 00000000`00000003 fffffa80`0c7ec4d0 fffff800`0437c518 : nt!KeBugCheckEx fffff800`0437c4d0 fffff800`02c88fa6 : fffff800`0437c600 fffff800`0437c600 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000000 : nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+0x29330 fffff800`0437c570 fffff800`02c88326 : fffff800`02e2b700 00000000`0017fbba 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiProcessTimerDpcTable+0x66 fffff800`0437c5e0 fffff800`02c88e7e : 00000039`16ec2929 fffff800`0437cc58 00000000`0017fbba fffff800`02df99c8 : nt!KiProcessExpiredTimerList+0xc6 fffff800`0437cc30 fffff800`02c88697 : 00000011`249513c1 00000011`0017fbba 00000011`2495132e 00000000`000000ba : nt!KiTimerExpiration+0x1be fffff800`0437ccd0 fffff800`02c856fa : fffff800`02df5e80 fffff800`02e03c40 00000000`00000000 fffff880`010914c0 : nt!KiRetireDpcList+0x277 fffff800`0437cd80 00000000`00000000 : fffff800`0437d000 fffff800`04377000 fffff800`0437cd40 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiIdleLoop+0x5a STACK_COMMAND: kb FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: X64_0x9F_3_POWER_DOWN_IMAGE_VBoxNetAdp.sys BUCKET_ID: X64_0x9F_3_POWER_DOWN_IMAGE_VBoxNetAdp.sys Followup: MachineOwner --------- 0: kd> lmvm VBoxNetAdp start end module name fffff880`044e6000 fffff880`0450e000 VBoxNetAdp T (no symbols) Loaded symbol image file: VBoxNetAdp.sys Image path: VBoxNetAdp.sys Image name: VBoxNetAdp.sys Timestamp: Wed Dec 18 22:13:29 2013 (52B1C9A9) CheckSum: 0002ADD5 ImageSize: 00028000 Translations: 0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4
AVG contributes to BSOD's. Please remove it for testing purpose. Use Microsoft Security Essentials.
Recommended from a strict BSOD perspective, compatibility & stability compared to other security software:
Microsoft Security Essentials - Free Antivirus for Windows
Malwarebytes - Free
Good and Free system security combination.
Reduce items at start-up: Startup Programs - Change
Perform a clean boot: Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup
Scan with Kaspersky TDSSKiller:Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller
ESET online scanner: Free Online Virus Scanner | ESET
Run a System file check (SFC): SFC /SCANNOW Command - System File Checker
Run Disk Check on your Hard Drive(s): Disk Check
Keep us posted.
|My System Specs
|14 Jan 2014
Thank you very much for the response!
Interesting that virtual box did that.. since I just installed that a few days ago, it makes Me wonder what the previous BSODs were about..
I'll get a different virtual program and see how it performs, along with the other suggestions at the bottom.
You're amazing! Thank you.
Will update in the next few days.
|My System Specs
|Thread Tools
|Similar help and support threads
BSOD Driver power state failure
Hi, My laptop has been having the following issue: Sometimes when I put my laptop into hibernate it experiences a blue screen of death and states that the problem is due to a driver power failure. I have a: Dell 1745 500GB HDD
|BSOD Help and Support
BSOD Driver power State Failure
Hi my Dell Inspiron N5110 laptop has been having the BSOD issues, these days if I shut the lid down, the laptop does not hibernate, even though the power settings are such. I have got the blue screen a number of times, I have also restored the laptop to an earlier restore point, but it has not...
|BSOD Help and Support
BSOD Driver State Power Failure
Intermittently I get this blue screen. The latest crash occurred as I was typing so i don't think it has anything to do with sleep mode as someone suggested. I have not installed anything lately other than adobe photoshop and lightroom updates. Any help would be appreciated.
|BSOD Help and Support
BSOD Driver power state failure
I am having this BSOD since 14 days , my laptop HP dv6 6165 tx is new and a month old and i play games on it for almost 2-3 hours daily it has OEM windows 7 64 bit installed on it. I have attched the mini dump report files and the perform/report files in the attched file zip folder ,please help...
|BSOD Help and Support
BSOD Driver Power State Failure...Please Help
Hello, this is my first time posting, so I hope I have met all the requirements. I have ran into the ole' BSOD caused by a driver power state failure. Just to bring you up to speed with what I have done thus far...I started with a system recovery after making a second copy of discs, thanks to...
|BSOD Help and Support
Driver power state failure BSOD
I updated my HP Pavilion from Vista to Win 7 and since then have experienced a Driver Power State failure crash on a regular basis. System Specs are: 3 GB Ram, 32 OS, Intel Quad Core 2.3 ghz I have hopefully attached the dump files that will help in diagnosing the problem. Any help...
|BSOD Help and Support
|Our Sites
|Site Links
|About Us
|Find Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:45.


text:
Toggle Nav
QF Schools
QF Schools
About Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation Entities
Visit Qatar Foundation
About Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation Entities
Visit Qatar Foundation
Search Our Site
Qatar Academy Sidra
December 30, 2015
To apply to our school please click here:Register Now!
Co-educational, English medium school, Preschool 3 to Grade 8, Arabic, Arts, English, Islamic Studies, Math, Physical Education, Sciences, Technology, Humanities/Social Studies, Foreign Language.
Qatar Academy Sidra is a private, non-profit, co-educational, international school aligned with Qatari values and the IB philosophy. Qatar Academy Sidra prepares students to contribute to a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable world. Through the development of critical thinking skills, reflection and service learning we will nurture student creativity and develop inquiring, compassionate world citizens.
Courses and Curriculum:
Qatar Academy Sidra offers a rigorous curriculum that is influenced strongly by the beliefs and curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Programme, as well as recognized educational research institutions such as AERO and leading institutions in literacy, mathematics etc. As a Primary years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) candidate school, our program is growing to encompass the IB learner Profile as a foundational piece of our curriculum. What we expect students to learn, know, understand and do is achieved through a student – centered approach to learning, with a focus on thinking, an emphasis on interaction, a concentration on character and a culture of inclusion.
Courses include Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Qatar History, Music, Art and Physical Education.
What Makes Your School Unique?
Qatar Academy Sidra is one of the newest Qatar Foundation schools and it is a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate (IB) World School Programme, offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MPY) and the Diploma Programme (DP). There are more than 4000 IB World Schools in the world. These IB programmes are recognized by the best universities in the United States, Canada, and Europe (http://www.ibo.org/benefits). The IB programmes aim to develop students who are inquirers, knowledgeable, and caring young people who are motivated to succeed.
The IB Diploma Programme (DP – Grades 11 & 12)) that we will offer once authorized at Qatar Academy Sidra is designed for students who want a well-rounded education. All DP students choose six courses that they will study for two years. Three of these courses will be Higher Level courses that are very rigorous. If students do well in these courses they can count as first year university credit courses.
For the 2016 -17 school-year our goal is to offer the following IBDP courses: Language and Literature English, Language and Literature Arabic, Acquisition Arabic, Spanish ab initio, History, Biology, Environmental Systems and Societies, Visual Art, Mathematics, and Mathematical Studies. We have small classes, well trained teachers, and a university counselor for helping students choose a career path and apply to universities.
All of these three programs; the PYP, MYP and DP enable students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience. It provides opportunities for self-determination and collaboration with others, fostering a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from their work.
Students who thrive in a demanding learning environment do well in IB. If your child is strong in English and wants an excellent high-quality education then Qatar Academy Sidra's Programme would be a good fit.


text:
Related Articles
- Different Countries, Different Cultures, Different Women = One World & One Purpose. Thomas, Charlotte // SWE Magazine;Fall2004, Vol. 50 Issue 4, p38
The article features the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES). INWES is a global organization that was formally created at the twelfth International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists conference in Ottawa, Ontario. It aims to establish a clearing house of...
- Somerset House petition calls for action. Turcotte, Bradley // Capital Xtra (Ottawa);10/11/2012, Issue 248, p8
The article offers information on an online petition created by Centretown Community Health Centre's Jeff Morrison who is urging the City of Ottawa in Ontario and TKS Holdings Inc. to come to an agreement regarding the derelict Somerset House.
- Clorox warns customers about scam. // Clarendon Enterprise (TX);2/15/2007, Vol. 18 Issue 9, p8
The article presents information on a warning issued by the Clorox Company regarding a scam about a letter from the International Clearing Commission House in Ottawa, Ontario, claiming that the receiver has won the American Lottery Sweepstakes and asking the person to send money to cover lottery...
- Conference on the Dental Management of Cancer Patients. . // Journal of the Canadian Dental Association;Sep2000, Vol. 66 Issue 8, p413
The article offers information on a conference on the dental management of cancer patients to be hosted by the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus in Ontario on October 4, 2000.
- The spray way. Wilson, Harry // Canadian Geographic Travel;Fall2012 Supplement, p13
The article offers information on the House of Paint Festival to be held in Ottawa, Ontario from September 13-16, 2012.
- Can a virus fight cancer? // Biomedical Market Newsletter;8/1/2012, Vol. 21, p1
The article presents information on the innovative approaches by the researchers from Ottawa for the improvement of virus-based cancer therapy with the funding from the Cancer Society of Canada.
- Fiserv, Earthport in Payments Deal. Stewart, Jackie // American Banker;5/4/2012, Vol. 177 Issue F317, p5
Brief information is given about the partnering of Fiserv and Earthport payments companies to create an international ACH (automated clearing house) payments system.
- Population of Ottawa . // Horizon Canada (English edition);Jan2001, pN.PAG
Provides information on the population in Ottawa, Ontario.
- Allemande left, do-si-do. CRUIKSHANK, JULIE // Capital Xtra (Ottawa);9/11/2014, Issue 271, p13
The article offers information on the Ottawa Date Squares dance performance in Ottawa, Ontario.
- CHAPS. // International Dictionary of Finance, 4th Edition;2003, p43
Information about CHAPS is presented. It refers to a clearing house.


text:
Spring is in full bloom and it's finally time to pull on your sandals and take a stroll to your favorite farmer's market. In honor of the sunny weather on the way, today we are bringing you a DIY on the ultimate green tote bag to take home your farmer's market finds. Not only is this bag reusable but its up-cycled from some of you favorite t-shirts.
What You Need:
a tank top
fabric scraps cut into strips
a pair of scissors
a safety pin
What You Do:
1. Lay tank on a flat service and using a plate as a guide cut a half circle out of the neck of the tank.
2. Cut 4 one inch wide strips from each of the fabric scraps and stretch, each should be about 7" long.
3. Snip 8 slits evenly along the bottom hem of the tank, 3 in front, 3 in back and one on each side
4. Attach the safety pin to the end of one of the strings and starting at the left side of the shirt, thread the string through two sections so that both ends of the string come out from the left hem of the shirt.
5. Repeat step 4 on the right side.
6. At the middle slit, thread the 3rd string through the section closest to the left side, under and over the 1st string and through the opposing section.
7. Repeat step 6 on the other side with the 4th string.
8. Pull each section tightly, tying the strings into double knots.
Your tote is all done! Be sure to check out our new tank section here! It has great spring tanks to wear or tote any of your favorite things.
DIY & Photos Via Honestly WTF


text:
I've always wanted to be Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap. Ever since I've moved to the wine country, I've searched for that quintessential moment, the one where she's driving to her dad's estate in Napa for the first time. Pulling up to the Castello di Amorosa for the Festival del Sole brought back so many memories of that scene: a valley of grapes rolling before the father-daughter pair as a playful wind dances through Dennis Quaid's Range Rover, a nanny with laugh lines coming to greet them when they park in the driveway.
Okay, so there wasn't a well-tanned nanny in an easy-breezy denim tunic waiting for me and my fellow Bohemian writer Caroline Osborn as we pulled up to Dario Sattui's neo-Medieval castle, but the winding, vineyard-lined road that led to Sattui's architectural wonder brought me back to those fantasy-laden days when I thought I could be the next big child actress.
The castle sprawled over a large hill, reveling in the fading rays of the afternoon sun. After traversing the surrounding moat via drawbridge, my mind took another sojourn back in time to children's books I had read of 15th-century Medieval lore, where dark, twisting turret staircases and wrought-iron doors were the order of the day. I may be over-dramatic, but believe me, this castle exudes intrigue. Which makes it a fantastic host venue for Festival del Sole, a 10-day musical pastiche of well-established artists from around the world.
The location certainly wasn't lost on Nikki Yanofsky, the 16-year-old jazz sensation from Canada. Last night, performing in the castle's courtyard, the singing phenom virtually bounced onto the stage in a jean jacket and simple white dress, which was—strangely enough—not unlike the garb of Lohan's Hallie. She said she'd never been in a castle before, and that she "felt like a princess"—a comment that produced coos from the mostly gray-haired audience.
But as cutesy as Yanofsky may sound, or appear, her voice certainly marked her place on the castle's stage. She scatted, snapped, and moved her shoulders, bringing her accompaniment and the star-struck audience along with her. The songs she sang spoke of the toils of metropolitan public transportation, unrequited love, and even "The Heart of the Matter," in a way that sometimes unsettlingly contrasted with her age. Not like she doesn't have time, anyway. The vivacious vocalist signed CDs after the show like she'd been doing it for ages. And she probably will.—Anna Schuessler
While the set was heavy on Wings tracks and his recent work (including tracks from electronic project The Firemen), the Beatles songs were of course the highlights. Notable this time around was the debut of the White Album gem "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "I'm Looking Through You" from Rubber Soul, the classic rocker "Daytripper", and a rollicking take on Let It Be's "I Got a Feeling". McCartney didn't fight the consensus, with tributes to deceased band mates George Harrison (a sufficient "Something") and John Lennon (a truly exhilarating "Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance").
Despite his tightly mapped-out show, McCartney did inject a bit of improvisation into the mix, first by way of his rainbow piano malfunction ("I like this one better anyway") and a charming run-through of "San Francisco Bay Blues".
Along with the psychedelic & Warholian imagery and personal Candlestick '66 remembrances from the mostly 50+ crowd, the amazing songs made for a genuine 40th anniversary of the Woodstock era. Conversely, the state-of-the-art, endorsement-drenched ballpark and ticket prices to match (ranging from $49 to $250 a piece) illustrated where much of that 1960s idealism went. Last Saturday's show was certainly light years from the primitive Beatles' early stadium gigs, especially the pyrotechnics during "Live and Let Die", a reminder that in a venue, big gimmicks are a necessary to a certain extent.
The explosions were also a much-needed late-show jolt before the set-closing "Hey Jude" and non-stop Beatles cuts that followed. The back-to-back "Yesterday" and "Helter Skelter" were the finest reminders of McCartney's songwriting range and his importance in music history. When it comes to vital veteran performers, McCartney's no Stevie Wonder but he's absolutely worth seeing live…if you can afford it.--David Sason
Venus And Mars/Rock Show
All My Loving
Letting Go
Got to Get You Into My Life
Let Me Roll It /Foxy Lady
The Long and Winding Road
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five
Let 'Em In
My Love
I'm Looking Through YouTwo Of Us
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs. Vandebilt
San Francisco Bay Blues
Eleanor Rigby
Sing the Changes
Band on the Run
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Back In The USSR
I've Got a Feeling
Paperback Writer
A Day In The Life / Give Peace a Chance
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude
Day Tripper
Lady Madonna
Get Back
Helter SkelterSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) /The End
Many a suburban kid (myself included) learned about social injustice via Public Enemy back in the late '80s and early '90s. The Long Island quintet galvanized hip-hop's golden age with revolutionary rhymes, militant theatricality, the Bomb Squad's groundbreaking dense production, and of course charismatically clownish hype man Flavor Flav.
While no longer packing arenas like their hey day, the group is more active than ever in multiple musical projects, political causes, and a touring schedule to rival Bob Dylan's. Always innovators, the group is the first major artist to seek investors via Sellaband, which raises recording funds for musicians in exchange for shares in the finished album. On the 20th anniversary of their landmark album Fear of a Black Planet, we chatted with PE#1 Chuck D about timeless albums, the changing music industry, and of course politics in the age of Obama.*
DS: On Fear of a Black Planet, you explored many themes like black images in Hollywood. 20 years onward, how do you feel about the progress regarding these issues?
Chuck D: We set out to make records that stood the test of time, being inspired by What's Going On and the great Beatles albums, you know, Abbey Road. We grew up in that period. It first started out in the rock world, then the soul world had great albums. Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, and albums had themes and the themes, well, people would put their whole lives into the themes of albums. When we started recording the '80s, rap music had from a singles medium…and was thrust immediately into being this album medium only because the major record companies at that time only mainly operated from a profitable album standpoint.
We understood the magnitude of what an album was, so we set out to make something not only that epitomized the standard of an album, but would stand the test of time by being diverse with sounds and textures, and also being able to hone in on the aspect of peaks and valleys, so we set out to do that. And here we are, later on. The album was a statement because it actually took a college professor's theory and turned it into a rap record, which was kind of over-the-top, but reflected where we were at, at that time and especially at that stage and our age, because we weren't kids. I was a postgraduate college student. It wasn't like I was 22 or 21. I was 30 years old.
DS: I was thinking about the title of the album, and I couldn't help but think it's more relevant than ever, what with the "birthers" and the reaction to the Obama administration.
Chuck D: Yeah, because all you have to do is take the "E T" off of it (laughing). It's funny because E.T. was the extraterrestrial. You take off the "E T", you have "Fear of a Black Plan" (laughing).
DS: That's true. A lot of them are the same exact Bush plans, but for some reason…How would you rate Obama's performance so far?
Chuck D: I think, number one, I tell people when I get tired I think about him and I get this energy, because I know he can really say that he's tired. He reminds me of a kung-fu fighter who's getting kicked at from 90 different angles, fending off kicks, and where does he get a chance to actually forward some of those promises? But obviously he knew what he was getting into better than most people. So he's trying to figure out how to pace himself. I tell you this, he's got the biggest broom in the history of mankind (laughing), cleaning up all that past shit.
DS: I definitely want to talk about the next album and the Sellaband model.
Chuck D: I not going to talk about Sellaband for more than two minutes, because it's a 2011 record and the model was definitely influential as early as 2006 when I met Johan [Vosmeijer, co-founder] at an international music conference. It was a great model that worked in Europe. I would say, let's see if we can work this in North America the same way, and finally I put my group up as an example that I was really putting my mouth wear my mouse was, as a believer. Really, it's like, we can make albums in our own digital studios just like anybody can, but the thing that would make it different is somebody can invest in something that will be a uniquely different Public Enemy record, with each song brought to the table by a collaborator.
We had to present something different. We're not going to raise some money and go back in our home studios and give you what we do for free anyway. It's not like that. We're trying to show that the system can work. Somebody can go, what does this mean, you guys are requesting $75,000. Well that's just the cost of somebody investing in the 33% that's available on the revenue end as being an investor. If somebody comes along with $15,000 after the fact, they can't invest, so it has a cap on it. Somebody could come along with $3 million, but it's not…it's the process and the system that we're trying to prove works.
DS: Well, it's really inspiration what you guys are doing, and we're definitely keeping track of that. You guys, especially you Chuck, are pioneers in digital music the past 15 years or so. Even longer, I think, because I remember the last track on [1994 album] Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age, where you're talking to Harry Allen…
Chuck D: Yeah, I heard that track the other day for the first time in about 10 years (laughs).
DS: Yeah, it's such a trip, huh?Chuck D: Yeah, it's a trip.
DS: What do you think about the death of the music industry and all the things that are happening in our time? There are benefits, like the direct link between artists and fans, but also there's a loss of revenue. Can I get your opinion on the state of the music industry, in general?
Chuck D: I think the state of the music industry…it's always going to be somewhere. It's always going to be morphing into someplace. I think the biggest issue is that some of the people who have been on one side – have they jumped to the other side or are they still raking in people to expend their dollars as being the pied pipers of the other side of the industry? (laughs) So, the music business is healthy; the record is not, because it's still kind of holding on to old models.
But people like recordings. They might not collect albums like they used to. They might not even want an album. Today's demographic may not think an album really has the same appeal, like sitting back in 1977 and having a pair of headphones and lounging back on your seat and envisioning what they possibly could not see unless at a concert or on an appearance on a variety show. But now, there's so much sight to the sound that our definition of what we think is the main configuration is totally distorted by everybody's point of view. So I think it's an interesting time. I don't think there's any domination in this space of music except for maybe cell phones and maybe, in the near future even more so, Apple.
DS: I see a lot of veteran acts hesitant to the times. Why do you think you have embraced all these changes?
Chuck D: I had no other choice. I was done with the major system, so I was thinking there's got to be a way I can deliver art to the masses without having the people at my company stop my own music or my own art. I would shoot videos and at the same time here my company comes telling me I got to change a logo in my video, which is going to me $10,000 in order for MTV to possibly consider it.
DS: Which video was this?
Chuck D: It was any of them. You had to make adjustments. So many rap videos had to make adjustments in the mid'90s, it got stupid. It's like I got to fade out this logo, because they don't want me wearing this Cincinnati Reds logo because they think I'm promoting the Reds and they're not getting a piece, and you guys, at my record companies just in cahoots with them, saying well, fuck it, if you don't change they're not going to play your video, so it's going to cost you $10,000 more and we're not going to put this video out until you make this change because we'll be wasting our time and wasting our money sending it to a company that's not going to play [the video]. So I got tired of all those dynamics. I was like, fuck that, I got to go straight to people. That was the thing that set fire under my ass.
DS: I can't help but think of your classic "By the Time I Get to Arizona". I'm sure a lot of people have been asking you about it recently. When you documented the struggle to get recognition for the Martin Luther King holiday in that state, did you see any parallels with what's going on there today with Arizona SB 1070?
Chuck D: I wrote this song that's going to be on my solo project coming out this month called "Tear Down That Wall". I had talked about just the one-sided bias of that U.S.-Mexico border madness, not only in Arizona, but also in Texas, New Mexico and Southern California, that that whole policy was being funded into the billions and one of the sloppiest, misunderstand reasons in all the country. A lot of people didn't know what went on. So when Arizona enacted this racist, racial profiling, Gestapo law, this song was already done. This had already been the sentiment along that borderline.
DS: Are you guys participating in any type of boycott?
Chuck D: Not that I know of. I'm participating in the boycott virtually. We don't have anything scheduled in that area of Arizona. Maybe in October when we allow ourselves to do a West Coast run, we'll see where we are. The seven legs are already set in stone for this Fear of a Black Planet tour.
DS: Are you going do the album in its entirety, like you did for It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back a few years back?
Chuck D: We were trying to, but I think there will be places where we'll do it and places where we'll not do it. Sp we're doing like 70 or 60% and meshing it with Nations and some new cuts. It depends on where we're at, because a lot of times there's time restraints.
DS: Yeah, it's a long album.
Chuck D: Yeah, it's a long album. Fear of a Black Planet comes into play in the area of medley and other stuff, so we rip through the first 40 minutes of it, then we drift off and come back to it, so… Nations is an up-tempo record, so it works from beginning to end, the way it comes at you. Fear has peaks and valleys, for a great album's listening sake, but live you have to position it…or act really well within it.
DS: Many fans, including me, are wondering you're ever going to tour again with only the turntable accompaniment. I know you guys have had the live band setup for years now.
Chuck D: Maybe if I do it by myself, like a solo rendition with DJ Lord or DJ Johnny Juice. We have components that are able to do that. After a while I get bored of it. Back when we were doing it in the Terminator X days, the biggest that we have was skipping (laughing). We had so much movement on the stage that the record would jump, so it was like the most frustrating thing ever, man. I was like, we have to figure out a way to have prerecorded music with the turntables, and that was kind of what we latched onto. Prerecorded music, turntables and the band to give differences variances of sound. But if you do it the pure way, you just can't have a lot of movement. Most rappers don't have a lot of movement.
DS: So do you enjoy opportunities for improvisation?
Chuck D: Yeah, of course. Flavor's good at it. I'm good at it. I enjoy it.
DS: It was exciting to have you appear at the Green Festival recently.
Chuck D: Oh yeah, I had a good time there.
DS: How long have you been working on environmental issues?
Chuck D: About three years. A group of mine I brought out there three years ago, Crew Grrl Order, who just completed a video for an album called Go Green which is apropos for what is happening in the Gulf. It's on SlamJamz [Chuck D's record label] and their video will debit in another week or two.
DS: What are you and other environmental activists suggesting that people like me do in response to this terrible spill and its ongoing ramifications? People kind of feel helpless right now. What would you suggest?
Chuck D: I would just say keep spreading the word about what people can do to take care of their own environment. Maybe that's the best balance. Look around you and try to do the best that you can. That's my best advice.
*For more information on Chuck D and Public Enemy, please visit:www.publicenemy.comwww.slamjamz.comwww.hiphopgods.com
Occasional contributor and former Boho intern Lindsay Pyle sent this to us two weeks ago! We've finally had the time to put it up. One woman's impressions of the fest.By Lindsay Pyle
I'm not sure I am going to do the last 72 hours of my life justice. I sit here on Monday evening in the San Diego airport, covered in Indio desert dust, and still smelling like Friday's sweat, waiting to amble onto my flight back home to San Francisco, so that I may fall into a cathartic sleep. I just read an article that described the Coachella Valley Music Festival, held every year just outside of Palm Springs, as something like falling into a rabbit hole… and obviously, still stunned I am, wide brimmed hat in hand, unable to read a book or even listen to my ipod, I agree.
This is my fourth year in a row braving the sometimes treacherous, occasionally aggravating, and always stimulating experience known as Coachella. Every year is good. For those that go, the weight of the desert heat, the constantly evasive meet-up spots, the running around from stage to stage, all hold a special place in the forever changed heart of the Coachella go-er.
Since this year was the first year that the event only sold three-day passes, rather than single day passes like previous years, it is not a shock that the festival sold out. Unfortunately, on account of this, it was seriously overcrowded… For acts like La Roux and Miike Snow, both of whom performed in the smaller tents… I could only peak a view and hear the sound from the outside. For those of us that have been to Coachella in years passed, and cherished the often intimate performances from some lesser known bands in those little tents off to the side, this was probably Coachella 2010's greatest disappointment.
However, I would argue, that you don't really experience Coachella until you go all three days. By day three, the desert has broken you. You know better than to fight with her at this point, because she is an awful bitch, and she will always win. While on the first day, it may feel worth it to complain about the heat, or the lines, or the wait, or the walk from the car, by day three, you may realize that all the complaining is in vain, and furthermore, no one is listening. So rather than fight with mother Indio and her Coachella festival… you just comply.
By day three, the walk from the car to the festival is mapped, measured, well-traversed. Traveler beers, drank from the car to the venue gates, are courteously finished as glass is not allowed on the grounds. The bag-check is systematic as we remove all large items from bags to show the volunteers in yellow shirts all the way to the bottom. Water is drank before dizziness ensues. And we simply do not mess with the sun: we find shade, we wear hats, we carry sunscreen.
But being broken by this vast and unforgiving desert, is a right of passage. By day three, shoes come off freely, so does clothing, and the hips and joints are well greased and the muscles are broken in so that dancing feels more natural than sitting still. Joints are passed freely, so are water bottles, and your ears ring in the anticipation of music when it all stops. Plus, by day three, there are certain things you wait for… the hunger that only comes when the sun goes down, the desert winds that blow after dark, the twinkling lights that decorate the palms surrounding the field that glisten and dance beneath a smoke and rose sky.
Going any less than three days would never allow you to experience all of this. Without time to wander, without time to lose yourself, and everyone that you came with, you might never really get into the rabbit hole. Without the full three days, I would have never found the Lucent Dossier experience in the dolab— a show that I would describe as cirque du soleil meets DJ Shadow in a Nickelodeon act of fire and water. I would never have found the best slice of hot pizza pie— cilantro, onions, jalepenos, cheese and chili flakes. I would never have danced with a man in a head to toe light suit, or played the 100 foot organ, or watched the tube of fire, or put on that woman's large bear hat. But once the desert has broken you, you learn to survive, and life in the absence of a dire need for survival suddenly feels very carefree.
Even the hippest of the hipsters, who deck themselves out in this season's "most blogged" cut loose. They realize that by day three, nothing that they're wearing feels as cool as a smile and a good dance break, and all of their urban outfitters uber-retro clothing is as useless as one of those beer bottles we tried to sneak in on day one.
As usual, the talent was up to par. Out of about 90 bands, I got to see around 40… and this was with some considerable running around. Thom Yorke playing with Flea would be a definite highlight, along with Fever Ray, Phoenix, and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Jay Z's Friday night performance will live in infamy, as he began his set with a remix of "Wonderwall" which had every face in the crowd beaming and singing along. Probably more noteworthy, though, than Jay Z's performance onstage, was his presence offstage. It became a game to find Jay and his wife, Beyonce, in the crowds of the indie rock acts in the smaller tents over the next two days. I saw him bobbing his head to the British duo "The XX" on Saturday, and I caught wind that he was also at Yeasayer on Friday.
There is something very refreshing about that. Where the newest, hippest, smallest, most obscure Indie rock bands are bookended between some of hip-hop's most revered talent (like De La Soul) and contemporary bluegrass (like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) right behind a long list of djs (like Dangermau5 and Tiesto). The list is so diverse, I ended up seeing an mind-blowing performance by Les Claypool that I actually thought was going to be a DJ set by some people called "Flying Lotus". When I realized that I was in the wrong place, I didn't care because he was actually slapping a stand-up bass in a top hat and sunglasses in the dark of the night behind a cool, blue light. I heard "Flying Lotus" was good, but they'd be hard-pressed to top that.
But this happens from day one all the way until the end. You hear of groups by word of mouth, or you end up in the wrong place, or you forget which stage you're supposed to be going to, or you just get too tired and give up on getting there and stop where you are to catch an ear of something new. Often, I use Coachella as a jumping off point for finding new music. The reality is that the sets are too short to really enjoy bands you love, besides the headliners, and even still, I always leave feeling like I could have taken just a hit or two more. But with that comes the promise of new music and new life that has been once again breathed into my lungs like a hot shot of smoke, and I am ready to begin the summer festival season with fresh outlook… ready to tackle the rosters and see every one I missed last time around.
Anyone feeling like getting Coachella'd??
Saturday marked the third annual Record Store Day, the international holiday to preserve, promote and honor independent record stores (and physical music products in general). This year's exclusive release list was the biggest yet, with over 100 limited run singles and LPs from everyone from Elvis Presley to TV on the Radio. Big sellers locally were rare offerings from Dave Matthews, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Strummer, John Lennon, and the Rolling Stones. Among the elusive were the Joy Division box set and the reissue of Soundgarden's first single on SubPop. Judging from the smiling vinyl-heads and steady traffic throughout the day, this year seemed a definite success.
New acquisitions: Bruce Springsteen 10" single, Boz Scaggs"I think [Record Store Day] is a good thing. It's a way to get the albums back out there. Too many young people are buying it online. They don't get the physical property anymore, and I think that's kind of sad. I just enjoy collecting vinyl and playing it; it's just a nicer sound."
New acquisitions: Gorillaz and Them Crooked Vultures 10" singles"Probably 10 years ago I just started buying [vinyl]. The sound's warm. It's just a much fuller sound than the CD. I love Record Store Day. It brings a lot of much needed attention to the local record stores."
Employee of Watts Music
Recent acquisition: Man is the Bastard / Capitalist Casualties split single
Posing with: Ratt, Out of the Cellar"I came here in middle school and was addicted. Then I came in every day. I bugged [manager] Darin so much that he was like 'sweep or something!'"
Playing in store: Iggy Pop, Lust for Life (on vinyl, of course)"Record Store Day last year was huge, and this year looks like it's going to match it. They're our busiest day of the year now. Last year I got a ton of new customers. I get a lot of people from outside the area. My best customer today came from San Mateo."
Drabek: "We opened at 11, and there were tons of people here, just excited. It felt like that scene in Clerks. I just wanted to walk up and be like 'hey, is this guy not open yet?' Business has been great today."
Stephen Morris is so affable and naturally gleeful that it's hard to believe he was in Joy Division, the mythic Manchester band with distinctively bleak post-punk songs like "Dead Souls"&"Atrocity Exhibition". While Joy Division became New Order by way of singer Ian Curtis' suicide in 1980, the latter group's demise was awkward, with bassist Peter Hook's very public unilateral insistence that his departure was the definitive deathblow.
Thankfully, Morris (above, right) has returned as part of Bad Lieutenant, along with New Order brethren Bernard Sumner (left) and Phil Cunningham, Jake Evans (center), and Alex James of Blur fame. On the eve of their first U.S. tour, the drummer/keyboardist chats about revisiting his youth, putting a new spin on classics, and how being in a band really is like marriage.
DS: I definitely want to talk about Never Cry Another Tear, which is a tremendous album. But the last few years, you guys have been everywhere revisiting your past through two excellent films about Joy Division [2007's dramatization Control and rockumentary Joy Division]. Are you surprised that there's still so much interest?
SM: (laughing) It's a bit weird, really. There's been three films made about Joy Division. The first one was the Michael Winterbottom, 24 Hour Party People, which was a bit of a romp, really, because it was a comedy thing. It was quite funny.
DS: With Steve Coogan.
SM: Yeah, it was a bit of a laugh. And then Anton [Corbijn] made Control, which is really a story about Ian, and it's a completely different film. It's not funny really (laughing).
DS: Yeah, that's one of its strengths, I think. I remember when I saw it I was astounded by the one near-laugh being the line "I don't like hot dogs" -
SM: Oh, that's right! (laughing)
DS: - And I was like, "what a brilliantly dark film", because even with the one near-laugh, you feel guilty if you laugh about it, because it was a mentally challenged guy who said it.
SM: Yeah (laughing). No, Anton did a great job. The trouble with doing a film that's based on someone's life is that it's a film, it's entertainment, it's not...Okay, it's fact, but it's not the whole thing, it's not the whole truth. You know, if we put the whole truth in the film, it would be incredibly long and very boring. But it's still very weird seeing your life portrayed, well Ian's life portrayed, but the events you took part in, being made into a film. Very weird indeed.
And I never thought 30 years ago that that'd happen. I never thought 30 years ago that Joy Division would be as well-respected and as popular and influential, really, as they are today. I mean, I think it's fantastic. My own theory is it's because there hasn't really been...there isn't that much of Joy Division. There's three albums, well two albums and Still. There isn't that much, and I think we're kind of one of these bands...when I first got into music, it was like The Velvet Underground. You went around to someone's house and they said, "here's a record." You'd get turned on to a band, and then you'd have to find out about them for yourselves, because it's not all over the show, not widely known. It's great that Joy Division has still been kind of "cool", which is fantastic. And it's just kind of carried on without us doing anything.
DS: Was the documentary Joy Division a cathartic experience for you?
SM: Um...a little bit, a little bit, because it was all going on at the same time. They were making Control. And it was really odd to sit down and having to relive your life again for the benefit of the viewing public. I like the documentary. I think it works really well as a sort of sidepiece to Control. It's more about the band, and it fills in a few gaps that got left out of the film Control. Anyway.
DS: I think your Velvet Underground comparison is great, because both groups were subterranean, and through word of mouth it's a great discovery for the people. Did Ian Curtis have any idea about Joy Division's appeal before he died?
SM: Well, the thing was we all kind of knew it was going somewhere. Everything that we did, it was going somewhere (laughing). That was really part of the problem with Ian. I think, as we said in the documentary, that it really couldn't have carried on. It really couldn't.
The best thing we could've done was to say "right, just let's stop it now" and not carry on. But you can't do that. You can't. I mean, you can say that with the benefit of hindsight. But when you're four lads embarking on a journey and it's all you've ever wanted to do in your life, not doing it is the last thing you want to think about. So, yeah, I guess Ian...we well knew we were going somewhere, but at the same time, it was never going to happen, really.
DS: This is kind of a broad question, but can you compare the transition from New Order to Bad Lieutenant to that from Joy Division to New Order?
SM: (laughing) It's completely different. For me, it's completely different because Bat Lieutenant is basically Bernard and Phil and Jake, and they kind of wanted to do the album. I wasn't that involved for one reason or another. It wasn't that I didn't want to be involved. There was just a lot of personal stuff going on, so I wasn't really around that much while they were writing stuff. We did a couple tracks here at my studio, but I've more or less been brought in the album's been written. In some cases, the parts have already been played and everything, and it's like learning somebody else's stuff and changing it a bit.
DS: Do you think you'll be more involved with the next Bad Lieutenant project?
SM: Oh yeah, yeah. I would've been more involved, but I just had personal stuff I had to do.
DS: Do you guys write songs on the road? I know you're about to embark on a short U.S. tour.
SM: I'm looking forward to it. Writing is a funny thing. You see, in the early days, the great thing about Joy Division is that we wrote as a group. Songwriting was a cooperative affair. It was a bit of jamming, but we kind of got away with writing songs that kind of worked for everybody. And that kind of had to stop when we became New Order, because it really wouldn't work anymore. We didn't want to be "Joy Division Mark Two" or "Joy Division Lite", so we had to find a new way of writing, which is a little bit contrived but we managed to hit on something that worked again.
But as time's gone on, it's not a group thing anymore. Someone will have an idea, like Phil will have a guitar riff, and we'll all get involved and craft it. It's kind of become a long, drawn-out process, whereas with Joy Division it was a bit like doing a photograph, a Polaroid photograph. It all happened very quickly. What we've ended up doing lately with New Order and Bad Lieutenant is like taking a photograph, taking it and getting it developed, then putting it in Photoshop (laughs)...you know, that sort of thing. It's a process.
DS: What has your wife Gillian [Gilbert, former member of New Order and The Other Two, a duo with Morris] been up to? I know a lot of the longtime fans miss her. How is she doing?
SM: Gillian's fine. The reason she left New Order [in 2001] was because our daughter was really ill [from Transverse myelitis], and she had to look after her. But she's fine, she's actually (laughing)...with The Other Two's back catalog, well it's not a back catalog, it's just two records made and are being re-released. And she says she's going to sing on somebody's record, but she's been saying that for years. So I have a stick to...not actually beat her with, but I try to lure her into the studio to do a bit of work. But yeah, she's been quite content.
DS: So the first time you embarked on a New Order tour and said "Okay, I'll see you later, honey", she wasn't envious at all?
SM: Oh no, she was very envious. It's the worst thing in the world when something that you've been part of for as long as Gillian was...as soon as she was out of school she was in the ban...then when you can't do it anymore, you want it to stop, you want everything to stop, but it doesn't, and that's really, really hard, like, I don't know, some awful type of divorce. (Laughing) It's not a divorce, because she'd come and see us and everything, but it was very, very difficult for her.
DS: I imagine. Are you guys going to do another The Other Two album?
SM: (laughing) I think we might, yeah. We've got a load of soundtracks and stuff we haven't used for anything. And with some of the other ideas, it sounds like an album, so we probably will do another one.
DS: Any timeframe on that?
SM: Well, Gillian's been getting drunk and telling people it'll be finished in October, even though she hasn't done a stitch of work. (Laughing) It's good to have a deadline.
DS: You guys have always been so honest in the press, which I think is part of the appeal of Joy Division and New Order. You guys present yourselves as you are, just regular folks.
SM: Yeah.
DS: And the whole Peter Hook controversy was definitely weird, but also unique when compared to other bands' in-feuding. You personally, Stephen, do you still speak to Peter? Is he still in the circle socially?
SM: Well, we've never really been big social animals, except within the group. We don't really see each other outside of the group anyway. But I try not to fall out with people. There's no point in falling out with anybody.
DS: So you don't know if he's heard the new Bad Lieutenant album or anything like that?
SM: Well, I actually would that he would've heard it (laughs). Um, yeah, I don't know. I don't really know.
DS: That's got to be incredibly weird, something you've spent all these highs and lows with, and how that relationship evolves. Would you consider band mates of this tenure to be like a marriage, like you said earlier about Gillian? Would you say that's an apt analogy?
SM: It is really. It is. I was reading a book by Bill Bruford the drummer for Yes and King Crimson. He's done an autobiography [entitled Bill Bruford: The Autobiography] and it's great and very funny, if you have a chance to read it. His take on it is, it always hurts when bits fall off bands. He's got this great thing about when bands fall apart, it's always heartache and harder than any divorce. It's hard to explain, really, but you are really, really involved in it, and there's no way it can not be painful.
DS: I imagine. How would you compare this new record to the last New Order record, which was [2005's] Waiting for the Sirens' Call? I've heard it described as a true "Manchester Rock" album.
SM: I think with Jake on board singing, being a singer, has helped a lot. And it's a bit weird having three guitars (laughing). We've got more guitars than you could shake a stick at. But Jake is really good, and he's got a lot of his own ideas and he's not afraid to let you know. Some people would be a bit in awe, I think, of Bernard, but he doesn't seem to be.
DS: You guys are still thriving and trying new things and are really vital, which a lot of veteran musicians cannot say. Do you think you guys just adapt to tragedy or changing circumstances better? Many musicians would've been disheartened after Ian's suicide and the loss of that momentum, but you guys kept going and you keep going now. What do you attribute that to?
SM: I can only speak for myself, really. My take on it is there's always something to learn, always something you haven't done. As long as it's still enjoyable, then there's a reason to do it. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, then there's something wrong, you're doing the wrong thing. Thankfully, being in Bad Lieutenant is quite an enjoyable thing. I've certainly enjoyed it thus far. I get to play the drums in a band. It's a very familiar environment (laughing). I know the singer quite well! But it's fun. We really do genuinely enjoy it.
DS: One last question, Stephen, and I thank you again for taking the time. What can we expect at the San Francisco show setlist-wise? You guys have so much material.
SM: Well, Bernard's thing about Bad Lieutenant live was he wanted to do a cross section of songs from his past, which was fine but he wouldn't tell us what they were (laughs). So we had to learn a lot of songs, which was really interesting. We did some Electronic songs [Electronic is Bernard Sumner's group with Johnny Marr]. He likes "Tighten Up" best, off the first album. And then I said "well, why don't we do 'Out of Control', that thing you did with the Chemical Brothers."
DS: Oh, wow. That's a modern classic.
SM: So we'll be doing that one. Some Joy Division ones, some New Order ones. It's about 50/50. Half of it is Bad Lieutenant. But we kind of reworked them, when we've gone back to a Joy Division song or a New Order song. We sat down and were like, "we have been playing this a long time; can we find a way to make it a bit more interesting for us?" I think the latest one that we've done that's had that treatment is "Atmosphere", and it works out really well. You shouldn't really mess with "Atmosphere", but...it's quite subtle what we've done to it, but it works really well.
DS: You mentioned the three guitars. Are the songs more heavily guitar-oriented?
SM: Yeah, that's the trouble. It's a bit of challenge when you do those sorts of things. You've got songs that weren't really written for three guitarists (laughs). And we can't have you just standing about doing nothing, so we'll have to think of something. The bits that we've come up with, they do kind of work.
DS: It must keep the songs fresh.
SM: Yeah, yeah, it does.
DS: Well, thank you so much, Stephen. We're looking forward to the San Francisco show. Give my regards to your wife-
SM: I certainly will.
DS: -and I'm looking forward to hearing some more The Other Two material.
SM: (laughing) Yeah, don't hold your breath. It won't be out in October, I don't care what she says!
DS: Last question, where are you calling from London? Do you live in London?
SM: NO, no, no, no, not in London. I'm just outside Manchester. In the hills outside Manchester.
*Bad Lieutenant will perform at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco next Friday, April 16. Run Run Run supports. Tickets are still available. *UPDATE FROM BAD LT.'S MANAGEMENT:Bad Lieutenant, scheduled to kick off their U.S. concert debut tomorrow night at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, have been forced to cancel the date due to this morning's volcanic eruption in Iceland that closed British airspace. The band members - Bernard Sumner, Phil Cunningham, Jake Evans, Stephen Morris and Tom Chapman - who all live in the UK, had been scheduled to travel today into San Francisco. When British airspace was closed this morning and all flights were cancelled, they were able to get last-minute bookings for tomorrow on a flight that would have put them into San Francisco late in the day; but just moments ago, American Airlines announced that that flight has also been cancelled.Bad Lieutenant is extremely disappointed in this bizarre turn of events as they had been very much looking forward to coming to the Bay Area. The band's management is doing everything it can to make an alternative flight itinerary for the remaining dates.Refunds will be available for ticket holders at the point of purchase.
Review & Photos by David Sason
Although their recurring "Face 2 Face" concert is by now one of the biggest grossing tours of all time, it's still impressive to see Billy Joel and Elton John onstage together. Piano-playing pop stars are still a rarity, and these two icons showed Oakland on Saturday night why their joint jaunt is such a smash (and one of the few tickets worth the hefty price).
Starting a little after 7:30 and wrapping at 11pm, the marathon run was a nonstop extravaganza of HITS, HITS, HITS. From opening classic "Your Song" through "My Life" and "Rocket Man"– which led the mostly middle-aged crowd excitedly rushing the stage – it was difficult to find a good bathroom break (even the album cuts were from their most celebrated albums). Joel & John traded couplets back and forth in a seamless survey of Billboard hits of the '70s and '80s. Nearly EVERY song of the night was instantly familiar from decades of radio and video play, and the sellout crowd gleefully sang along all night.
While classics like "Bennie and the Jets" and 'Tiny Dancer" suffered from Elton John's aged, deeper voice, his catalog undoubtedly shone the brightest that night, even forgotten 1980s numbers like "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues". The crowd compensated for the high notes anyway.
While his discography has never approached the sublime melancholy of "Daniel" or "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", Billy Joel's showmanship was astounding. Unlike John, he actually engaged the crowd with jokes, revolved his piano in an egalitarian gesture, and worked a snippet of Vallejo's own "Dance to the Music" into the middle of "River of Dreams". He also apologized for postponing the show originally scheduled for last November before celebrating the serendipitous Valentine's Day Eve replacement date. The throngs of lovers in the house cheered in agreement.
But even Joel can only do so much while sitting down. To really connect, Joel picked up a guitar downstage for a faithful "We Didn't Start the Fire" and tried his best mic-stand acrobatics for the perennially relevant "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me". Joel also introduced each member of his backing band throughout his set (something else Elton John sadly forwent, even with longtime guitarist Davey Johnstone bopping alongside him).
The showcase ended as it began, with John & Joel alone, sans backing band. The appropriate closer "Piano Man" brought a final frenzy with its slightly modified final verse: "You're a pretty good crowd for a Saturday, and the manager gives me a smile; because he knows it's been me you've been coming to see, to forget about life for awhile."
Mission accomplished. Thanks, guys.--David Sason
SETLIST (Thanks to Jim Harrington)
Billy Joel and Elton John:"Your Song""Just the Way You Are""Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me""My Life"
John:"Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding""Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting""Levon""Madman Across the Water""Tiny Dancer""Goodbye Yellow Brick Road""Daniel""Rocket Man""Philadelphia Freedom""I'm Still Standing""Crocodile Rock"
Joel:"Angry Young Man""Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)""Allentown""Zanzibar""Don't Ask Me Why""She's Always a Woman""Scenes from an Italian Restaurant""The River of Dreams""We Didn't Start the Fire""It's Still Rock and Roll to Me""Only the Good Die Young"
Joel and John:"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues""Uptown Girl""The Bitch is Back""You May be Right""Bennie and the Jets""Candle in the Wind""Piano Man"
A New Perspective on Clouds, the Circus and How to Throw a Party (Grammy Weekend in L.A.)By Linda Ferro
So, I thought it would be nifty to take advantage of my membership with the Recording Academy and buy some tix to attend the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in L.A. (Folks in the industry refer to the Academy as "NARAS," which stands for the "National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.")
I was completely and utterly (which is a lot) sleep-deprived on the day I was to fly down there, since I had to set my alarm for 4 AM to make a 6:30 flight. As a musician and life-long nightowl, I'd much rather stay up till 4 than rise at that time.
Once in the plane, I was in a dreamy state from the droning sound of the engines (uh, propellers). Just after we climbed up out of the blanket of cloud-cover (one of my favorite things to do), I had a moment with a cloud. Yes, I did. There was a moment when I was flying eye-to-eye with this random piece of fluff. I pondered this perspective in metaphysical detail, and realized that I'm only accustomed to looking up at clouds or down at them when a plane rises above them. This whole thing really entertained me for a lot longer than it should have, and because I am prone to excessive anthropomorphism, I also assumed this cloud was traveling to L.A. just as I was!
As we flew on—me in an early morning stupor and the pilot hopefully not—I saw the most magical scene outside my porthole: Behind the plane was the almost-full moon in all its splendor and ahead of the plane was the muted crimson aura of a sunrise about to happen. I had trouble deciding which show to watch. (I probably looked like I was watching a tennis match!)
The rest of the flight was uneventful, until I got scolded by the fight attendant for not putting away my laptop quickly enough as we prepared for landing. In my defense, I had just bought my new Mac Pro and it was literally about the second time I had done a power-up/down. I hardly knew what I was doing, in terms of closing screens, making sure I had things saved, and navigating my way around the touchpad. The worst part about this mishap is that the attendant scooped up my coffee cup with my last sip that I was looking forward to. I know this doesn't sound like such a big deal, except that I stopped drinking coffee a year ago and treated myself to just this one cup, so I'm thinkin' that I had a pretty pathetic look on my face as the cup dropped into the garbage bag never to be seen again (at least not by me).
Fortunately, I soon had something else to ponder as the plane started to make the most incredibly steep bank to the right (my side of the plane) which, of course, made my head tilt accordingly, and as I looked out my window down at the ground, I was pretty sure that the entire perfectly symmetrical grid of square blocks of houses was dangerously close to sliding right off the face of the planet. Probably a good thing we'd be on the ground soon.
Maybe if I'd had that last sip of caffeine I wouldn't have dropped the handle of my luggage as I was wheeling it to the baggage claim area. It kinda slammed down dramatically, my sleepy hands letting go while the bag stayed on the floor behind me, a pace or two back. Good thing I wasn't trying to look cool or anything.
Got my bags without incident. Found the shuttle to get to my hotel. Also without incident. After the driver stopped to pick up more passengers, I got a little sampling of just how musical this weekend would surely be. One of my co-passengers began to whistle. That part was ok, except that the radio was on, and try as I may, I couldn't find any of the notes he was whistling to be anywhere within the song on the radio. Couldn't tell if he was indeed trying to whistle along to that song (the one we all heard), or if he had another one in mind. My ears gave up and I resolved to be happy for him that he was so cheery at 8 AM.
I had the rest of the day to scout around, get some requisite pampering, find a cool café, and meet up with producer/engineer friend Lenise Bent. Spent that last part of the evening enjoying my 12th floor corner window room, writing and pretty much resting-up for the BIG EVENT the next day.GRAMMY DAY: (sounds like some holiday for parents of parents….)
The Pre-Telecast Awards started in the afternoon and were presented in the West Hall of the L.A. Convention Center. It was an exciting and beautifully-produced awards ceremony, which featured nominations in 99 categories not covered during the telecast! It was in this room during this part of the Awards that Taylor Swift accepted her first Grammy of the evening. Most of the "big stars" didn't come to receive awards here because, as we were told, they were preparing for the events later that evening. One of the presenters in particular was certainly hoping Beyonce would appear to receive her awards, but sadly, that was not the case.
After the 3 hours or so of the Pre-Telecast awards, I made my way over to the adjacent Staples Center. I was not happy to discover that the monitor for the section I was seated in was completely blocked by one of the main stationary cameras. So, I have to say this: If you watched the Grammys on TV then you got a better view than I did. Alas, next year I will pay even more to get better seats, because it is definitely worth it to be down closer to the action.
That being said, the entire evening was an incredible, almost overwhelming display of pulsing/flashing/glowing neon, dramatic contrasts of light and dark, and thumping live audio that I can only refer to as "galactic." Sensory overload. It's almost impossible not to get a thrill when so many favorite artists walk out onto the stage and are present. It was truly magical to be in the same room (if you can call the Staples Center a "room") with such a glorious roster of entertainers. I absolutely loved watching the actual production of the show, seeing the awesome camera-folks racing around for the best angles, and watching the over-the-top set changes (one of the advantages of being up higher in the arena).
Where else but at the Grammys could you observe a dazzling pop star twirling and dripping water high above, listen to a dashing blind Italian tenor and a New Orleans Jazz quartet, and witness 5 award-winning bandmates confess to being wasted on national TV – all under the same roof? Nuff said.THE CELEBRATION: (The After-party, Which You Didn't See On TV)
After the last award was presented at the Staples Center, we all headed for the exits and were corralled down the sidewalk back to the West Hall, where the Pre-Telecast awards had been presented. We all mooed and/or marched toward the entrance, drawn by the enticing glow of neon and the unmistakable sound of this party gettin' started.
During the time that guests had been inside the Staples Center, the airplane-hanger size West Hall had been transformed into a dazzling 3-ring circus. Hard to imagine I had just been in this same building. I feel like I'm about 6 years old – like the "child within" really needed to go to a circus!
At the entrance, I am greeted enthusiastically and invited in (with full drama) by a circus "barker" sweeping his arms around in wide gestures and calling out from high above on his brightly lit platform.
A full-spectrum of color had been splashed everywhere since I had last been inside. Enormous "big top" canopies arched high above, creating a colossal carnival vibe. In the performance rings, which were strategically located, were clowns, aerial artists, weighted oversized hoop artists (I'm sure there's an official name for this amazing performing arts form, but sadly, I know it not), contortionists and mimes in action.
Roaming about this insta-circus, are people-creatures hopping about on all fours, classic stilt-gents, as well as various an' sundry rogue, rambling characters of all designs. (I learned later that this fabulous journey thru whimsy was designed and produced by "Along Came Mary Productions.")
Somehow, I hadn't managed to eat before the Awards ceremony and didn't want to leave while it was still going on, so I'm now on a mission to find food. Don't have to look far! There are so many banquet tables set up that the lines for this multitude of partiers aren't long at all. The lavish, organic foods of Asian, New Orleans and American flavor have all been prepared by chef extraordinaire Wolfgang Puck. (Dang! What a gig for him!) Serving-dish upon serving-dish filled with fresh, organic delectables, too many to mention. However, what MUST be mentioned are the two 8-ft banquet tables in the building that are literally piled high with fresh cracked crab and prawns, all chillin' on a bed of ice. Gotta take a picture of this. Crab is truly beautiful, although I must admit I prefer to see my crustacean brothers and sisters whole and swimmin' rather than chillin'. (Speaking of parts of food, you'll be happy to know, as I am, that all unused/leftover food would go to "Angel Harvest" in L.A., distributed through various programs. That's beautiful and so right.)
With all the sensory stimulation I'm succumbing to, I'm not surprised that I am compelled to respond in Pied Piper fashion to a booming voice announcing the arrival of performing artist Ne-Yo to the main stage. We're talkin' R&B sensation, here: three-time Grammy winner. The Gentleman. He's absolutely mesmerizing, sliding along from one side of the stage to the other in a flash. Workin' us – workin' the band. Being real.
He asks the audience: "So, any couples out there tonight? You know, like boyfriend/girlfriend, or husband/wife?" He looks out at us, and seeing the small show of hands, he responds with a wry grin: "Oh right. This is L.A." He is so defining "smooth."
Jamie Foxx just happens to be in the neighborhood and joins Ne-Yo onstage, reminding me that the former can really SING. (Definitely worth checking out YouTube postings of this show if they're out there.) Jon Batiste Band, Soul Legend and Grammy winner Sam Moore (of Sam and Dave – you know, "Soul Man" and "Can't Turn You Loose") were so polished as they delivered hit after hit. I feel honored to get to hear such an iconic performer such as he, and his voice is still simply amazing.
The band is, well…let me say that at one point I'm lookin at a six-piece horn section, and seven keyboards, so you get the picture.
So guess who else happens to be in the neighborhood? Brenda Russell comes onstage and puts her heart out there singing with Sam and then performs the song she co-wrote: "None of us is free! (when one of us is chained)." So powerful!
Now then, here's where the people-watching fun begins:
I'm on the dance floor moving and writing and all caught up in the production – mind and body transported by the music – when a gal next to me taps me on the shoulder, points and says with alarm, "That guy is PEEING!!"
Sure enough, Mr. "Bad apple" is standing right up at the base of the main stage right below Sam Moore and he decides that this moment, with glamour-gals dancing all 'round, is a really great time to pee. Or, more likely, he didn't think at all. Seems like the gal next to me and I are the only lucky ones to witness this. I decide right then and there that there should be some word much stronger than "disgusting." Okay, it's Grammy night. "It's L.A." Anything can happen.
Fortunately, I can get over it, and as the show is ending, Sam Moore's manager calls out to him, 'They want some more Sam Moore, Sam Moore!"
After the encore, I decide to walk off the pulsing dance floor (okay, the floor wasn't pulsing, but the sound was bouncing off the walls, and so were the dancers. Ok, maybe they weren't….)
I venture out into the hallway to check out the adjacent Petrie Hall venue that is turned into an authentic Jazz Club ala clown fun-house. So slinky and smooth and classy. This is definitely an alternate form of feel-good. Had a nice chat with a gal who was going skydiving the next day.
I check out the dessert table, and, lo! and behold, of all the awesome forms of sugar offered, my hand automatically reaches for the Rice Krispy Treats. Had to text my son Dave in Portland who had given me a Rice Krispy Treats cookbook for Christmas. (My addiction to them is legendary.) I am in my happy place with one in hand on the way to mouth.
After enjoying the Jazz and the vibe, I return to one of the performance rings in the main building. In the center of the ring, I see a forlorn-looking clown dressed in brown rag-clothes. He is on his knees looking up longingly at the nymph hanging by her ankles by long cloth ribbons hanging from the suspension apparatus high above. (I have heard this referred to as "Aerial Silk.") The clown rises to his feet and with grand, exaggerated arm movements, throws fairy dust up at her as though he just might be able to transform himself into her celestial world, or bring her to him. Alas, he resigns himself to following her around the arena, fanning her with giant white feather plumes – worlds apart.
I turn away from the clown for a few moments to try to see what the crowd at another ring is cheering about. When I look back at the clown, he is suspended just a foot or two above the ground on his stomach, held around his midsection by the draping cloth cradle. He is flapping his wings furiously, trying his best to impress us. The look on his face tells me he knows he's failing miserably. Just a shtick, but it was actually pretty poignant. (Or the Passion Martini was kicking in.)
As is usually the case at any event, there is never a shortage of entertainment provided by the people watching the show. Case in point: Across the ring from me, a pretty young brunette just grabbed both her breasts and lifted/shifted them. Looking down at herself, she seems pleased with the results.
I wander over to the Hard Rock Café memorabilia tent, and host Carlos sees me taking notes. He shows me around a little. My eye catches a most dramatic entry on display: a custom-made blue and white feather outfit worn by Charles Neville during 2 Mardi Gras parades in the 90's. Then there's a display case housing a black shirt worn by Jeff Beck "during many stage performances." Oh, and a light blue jean shirt worn by James Taylor.
Moving from famous shirts to no-shirts, I wander over to one of the other performance arenas and see a half-naked, whole-graceful young lad hanging from his ankles by the silks. He has sparkles all over his body. Even his feet are sparkling! I absolutely can't help but stare at his body (which, of course, I'm supposed to do). I notice a tattoo on his ankle and try to figure out what it is. Can't tell. Looks like a blue blob. Have to go look at it when he dismounts from his perch. I CAN make out the prominent rather large star tattoo on his back, which flexes with his twists and turns. Every muscle in this young man's body knows precisely what to do. Every one of mine hurt just watching him!
As he dismounts, I walk over and ask about the tattoo on his ankle. He shows me a planet earth (that explains the blue blob I saw) in its galaxy. How perfect for a guy who sparkles and flies around in the sky.
Okay, so not everyone is having a good time here. I am staring at an older woman who is slouched in her chair, arms hanging limply at her side, chin to her chest and deeply asleep. I imagine snoring, but can't hear anything over the booming music bouncing around the room. I remember that I saw her just like this quite some time ago. She's having a very nice nap not more than twenty feet from the stage.
In stark contrast to the apparently comatose figure in the chair, I see a vibrant woman in a wheelchair spinning around and being spun by her friends on the dance floor. Pam is simply radiant and full of joy. When she wheels back over to her table, I follow her and give her a high five with a big appreciative grin. She holds onto my hand briefly, and we wordlessly communicate about our perspective on life in that single moment. I tell her she is beautiful. (She senses, accurately, that I am not drunk!) She tells me that I am beautiful too and bids me farewell with "God is great!" I notice that she is holding a lavender hydrangea from the gorgeous floral centerpiece on her table. Pam tells me I should pick a rose out and take it home with me, which I will do.
When the bands are finished, DJ extraordinare Mick Boogie relentlessly stirs the dancers up into a frenzy. Or a froth…or something like that. I flail around for a while myself, but then decide that it's time for another sampling of spirits. I find a table and a final snack. It is right there and then that I decide that I could die happy here, if I could just freeze-frame this moment when I have music in my ears, mango margarita on my lips and fresh cracked crab under my fingernails.
Absolutely, without a doubt, the best party ever!
Leaving the circus, it seems fitting that at the end of the evening, I should offer a report from the ladies room. I just closed the door on the stall and the next thing I know, an earsplitting, panicky young voice screams, "Where's the f_____ toilet!" Nuff said about that, too.
Me, I'm just grateful to be in good-enough shape to remember which little round silver floor-number button to press in the hotel elevator….
Once in my room, I have a moment of panic as I realize that I had needed help from a housekeeper to zip-up my dress earlier that evening. I am truly grateful I can still feel my fingers, and hope that I could actually exit from the dress on my own. Mission accomplished. Soon, I'm more than ready to turn out the light, pleased to see one more time, on the nightstand, the circus-colored rose from Pam's table.
Photos & review by David Sason
A couple days before my first Toots and the Maytals concert experience, a friend told me "when you see Toots in concert, you forget he has so many good songs; you hear a song and you're like, 'oh yeah!'". For me, this moment occurred halfway through the show, when the 63-year-old Jamaican legend and his crack band launched into "Sweet and Dandy", the divine Harder They Come soundtrack classic. Needless to say, I – and the sold-out, packed-to-the-rafters, all-ages crowd – went apeshit. Thus went the entire brilliant show, which kicked off with the apt "Do the Reggay" and the soulful and (synth) horn-heavy "Pomps and Pride", before leading into the especially timely "Time Tough". Though the group hasn't been "The Maytals" since 1981, the concert was a testament to the enduring talent of Mr. Toots Hibbert, from his rhythmic acoustic guitar mastery in tracks like 2007's "Don't Bother Me" to his pristine voice, which still packs enough gruff (an incendiary "Funky Kingston") and grace (a spot-on rendition of Otis Redding's "I've Got Dreams to Remember") to record those classics all over again, and wielded an endless series of Freddie Mercury-worthy call-and-response moments. While he didn't move around onstage much, Hibbert's stage presence was enthralling, with a formidable positive energy that kept him smiling widely and professing love to the crowd non-stop throughout the 90-minute performance. A touching moment was when Hibbert – who is widely credited with coining the term "reggae"– invited a boy/girl middle-school band onstage during the encore. They were too shy to approach the mic, but Hibbert beamed like a proud grandfather when he announced "They play reggae music!", which was met with warm applause. Thankfully, so does Toots.––David Sason
For more info on some of the most SOULFUL, life-affirming music ever made, visit www.tootsandthemaytals.com.Setlist
Do the Reggay
Pomps and Pride
Pressure Drop
Time Tough
Reggae Got Soul
Bam Bam
Funky Kingston
Don't Bother Me
Take Me Home Country Road
Sweet and Dandy
Never Get Weary
[You got me feeling?]
Monkey Man
Encore: I've Got Dreams to Remember
Love Gonna Walk Out on Me
54-46 That's My Number
The crowd was hushed and somber as we entered the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Joni Davis sat at a piano, her voice washing over the audience like a piece of warm red velvet, as she swooped through the last song of the Reverent Sister's set, a new project made up of Davis and Faun Fables' Dawn McCarthy. Definitely an act worth getting to the show on time to see, which I unfortunately did not. Hopefully they will be around these parts again sometime soon!
After a short break, we took our seats before a stage that resembled a child's playroom. A Fisher Price pull-a-tune toy, tiny handmade guitar, sticks, rocks, a pink plastic microphone, an old record player and a vinyl copy of "Solitudes," are just a few of the artifacts that surrounded local composer Jesse Olsen as he sank into a set of songs inspired by and recorded during a year-long sojourn in the high desert of New Mexico.
The high desert is a notoriously elusive environment to capture in tangible form. Thomas Merton, Georgia O' Keefe, N. Scott Momaday and Sherwin Bitsue are only a short lists of artists, poets and writers who have attempted to encapsulate the mythical/mystical sensation of that landscape.
Olsen's artistic interpretation, described as "fragmented songs, minimalist soundscapes, and lo-fi tape experiments," is an intriguing addition to that canon. A bit Gastr del Sol at moments, the thoughtful jerky turns of expression, the playful interaction between words and silence made for a thought-provoking and emotional night of music. Alternating between guitar, casio keyboard and music-box, Olsen played sweet little bubbles of pop loveliness like the song "Snow Day" and followed them with forays into meandering repetitive lullabies, odes to desert sunsets and studies of the interplay between silence and expression. On "Riperian Habitat," he sang about "relaxing into the cottonwood and sage," later singing "I would be substance," with the ethereal yearning that long stays in the desert seem to inspire, as one truly begins to feel the reality of being a tiny speck in a humongous universe.
Later in the set, Olsen was joined by Peter Bergquist, Maxwell Church and Ben Gustin, for rollicking songs like "Buckeye Jim," which could have been taken straight from a late nineties Will Oldham album, all galluping fun country rock sing-a-long. The addition of mandolin, piano, and horn to the set added a welcome liveliness, a reminder that even in a sparse landscape, life still breathes and pulses.
By the end of the night, the floor was littered with the children's toys, microphones, sticks, musicbox, cotton cloth and even a pair of socks that the barefoot Olsen discarded early in the set. There is a sense of catharsis in the crowd, as though we have all been on a journey into another place, and now back, we are surrounded by the collected detritus of the trip. It is a lovely feeling, a reminder of the ancient existentialism of certain environments, the strange hope that comes from realizing that in the scheme of it all, we are nothing but a collection of socks and sticks.


text:
Vintage Corgi Classics 08004 Hampshire Police Set
Sold for:
Start Free Trial
or Sign In to see what it's worth.
- Sold Date:
- Source: eBay UK
This auction is for a Corgi set as pictured which I don't think has ever been played with or even out of the box but this does show slight wear and has a sticker to the plastic which just needs soaking off as can be seen . Please see our other auctions for more unusual items and to combine postage. We dispatch items every Wednesday and Friday without fail but due to family comittments can't guarantee being able to get to the post office on other days although we often will be able to - if you are in a hurry for the item please let us know and we will help wherever we can.


text:
At the launch of Sky Atlantic – a channel founded on a core of high impact if niche HBO dramas — director of programmes Stuart Murphy displayed a chart to explain the strategy behind BSkyB's new subscription service. It purported to reveal a Bermuda Triangle of programming provision in the top right hand corner of the chart where older, upmarket viewers are apparently abandoned, unserved by digital pay-TV.
Murphy said Sky Atlantic was aiming to attract people with Freeview "who have never considered paying before".
"There's a big gap, we're aiming at Freeview audiences, people who have never considered paying before, and say there's nothing on Sky for them. That's where Sky Atlantic comes in," he added.
"It's the last piece of the jigsaw. We want them, Freeview viewers, to reappraise Sky. If this doesn't do it, we don't know what will."
Murphy said that Sky had found in recent years that acquiring series such as 24 and Lost, which were first broadcast in the UK on free-to-air channels BBC2 and Channel 4, respectively, had driven devoted fans to take out subscriptions.
The issue now is whether the entire back catalogue of HBO shows such as The Wire, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, or Curb Your Enthusiasm will do the same trick, alongside the next and fifth series of AMC's Mad Men, formerly broadcast on BBC4 and acquired in a deal with producer Lionsgate.
Sky Atlantic's schedule will make 9pm on Saturday nights a key time for first run new HBO series and films, right against The X Factor, a marketing tactic taken from the US cable channel.
Also on at least one night a week, Tuesday at 10pm, there will be a top new series, such as Blue Bloods, the CBS Tom Selleck NYPD cop drama.
Six times a year Sky Atlantic promises to broadcast the entire catalogue in one hit via the red button: in April all of The Sopranos and in June, Six Feet Under.
About 40% of the channel's output will be sourced from HBO, following a five-year deal worth in excess of a £100m, struck last year for all its back catalogue and new series.
Sky Atlantic will also ensure that the UK transmissions are as close as possible to the American ones. "When we simulcast Lost [with the ABC finale in the US] I was surprised at the reaction, people loved it," said Murphy. "My inclination is to run it as fast as the US."
Murphy declined to estimate the number of potential new pay recruits out there. But Sky Atlantic, launching on 1 February, represents a new bolt-on addition to the Sky entertainment pay package, currently costing just under £20 a month.
It is also the latest ruse in BSkyB's ongoing mission, to be cherished for more than sport and to a lesser extent, movies.
Sky Atlantic will play a marketing role in the final countdown to 2012 digital switch over, in a nation delicately split, half and half, into pay and free camps.
BSkyB achieved its corporate goal of 10 million subscriber homes last autumn. No new one, or target for average revenue per user, has been set, as it cruises towards more than £1bn annual profit.
But Sky has been forced by Ofcom to offer two sports channels to rivals such as Virgin Media and BT at reduced wholesale prices. So it needs to hold onto loyal customers, who might be tempted to spin down to Freeview in tough times, or eventually be wooed by extra free choice via video-on-demand service YouView, due to launch later this year.
Dawn Airey, a former managing director of Sky Networks who tried to do a HBO output deal when she was with the company, said the move to launch Sky Atlantic was "entirely right, well planned, and exciting".
"But they have to be patient, and start investing in original drama too, alongside acquisitions. Do what HBO did, invest in intelligent, original dramas. The key to this is getting people to subscribe, whether they go on to watch a lot or not," Airey added.
There is frustration built into being a Sky executive because, despite reshuffling movies and entertainment, and high-profile marketing and investment in Sky Arts, its overall share languished at around 6.7% last year. But Sky's audience share will be boosted by adding former Virgin Media channels including Living and Challenge to its portfolio.
The new launch also coincides with a significant reshaping of Sky's electronic programme guide to bring its three main entertainment channels – Sky 1 HD, Sky Living HD, Sky Atlantic HD together at adjacent slots 106, 107 and 108 on the EPG.
Sky1, is to be focused on family entertainment, and will continue to air The Simpsons, Modern Family, House, Thorne and Got to Dance, plus four or five new dramas a year, and between six to eight new comedies.
If you are paying an extra £10 a month for Sky's high definition service, the three channels will automatically appear in HD, rather than requiring a move to a separate channel — a move designed to increase the sense of value for money.


text:
All Categories
Bookstore Categories
Item description for NASB Giant Print Refer/Personal Size-Burgundy Bond by Zondervan...Overview
This all-new reference edition of the updated NASB combines the readability of giant print type in an easy-to-carry size.
Publishers Description
- Center-Column Reference System---with references based on key words, phrases, and concepts.- Large Print---clear, readable type.- Two-Column Text in Paragraph Format---for easy reading and comprehension.- Full-Color Maps, Study Helps, Book Introductions, and Concordance.- Words of Christ in Red.
Promise Angels is dedicated to bringing you great books at great prices. Whether you read for entertainment, to learn, or for literacy - you will find what you want at promiseangels.com!
Item Specifications...
More About Zondervan
Product Categories
Christian Product Categories
Bibles > NASB Bible > Reference > Large Print
Bibles > NASB Bible > Reference > Personal Size
Similar Products
Reviews - What do customers think about NASB Giant Print Refer/Personal Size-Burgundy Bond?
Write your own review about NASB Giant Print Refer/Personal Size-Burgundy Bond
Ask A Question or Provide Feedback regarding NASB Giant Print Refer/Personal Size-Burgundy Bond
Add This Product Widget To Your Website
Looking to add this information to your own website? Then use our Product Widget to allow you to display product information in a frame that is 120 pixels wide by 240 pixels high.
|Order toll-free weekdays 10am thru 10pm EST by phone: 1-888-395-0572 (Lines are closed on holidays & weekends.)
|Customer Service | My Account | Track My Orders | Return Policy | Request Free Catalog | Email Newsletter


text:
According to media reports, Oshima Yuko will be suspending her work activities for the time being so as to realise her dream of going overseas. When asked about these reports, Oshima's agency confirmed that she had always wanted to go overseas for a while and decided to do this before she turns 30. However, as this is her private matter, they will not be releasing any details regarding when she is due to depart or how long she will be away. Oshima recently hinted at her plans to take a break from work during a fan event held at Sendai on 2 July which was met with warm applause from her fans. The events will run till the end of this month at various locations nationwide so it is expected that she will begin her break after that.
Oshima started as a child actor before she joined AKB48 as a member of its second batch in 2006. She won the top title in the 2nd and 4th AKB48 elections and left the group in June 2014. Since then, she has appeared in a number of movies and dramas. During the days when she was in AKB48, she had traveled extensively and also went to places like Iceland, Spain and Mexico for the shooting of TV programmes, photobooks and calendars.
Source: Oricon


text:
Bielsa pleased to see six
By Andres Garavaglia
Last Updated: 01/01/70 1:00am
ARGENTINE coach Marcelo Bielsa met up with six of his European based players in Rome this week to begin match preparations for their international friendly against Libya on Wednesday.
Marcelo Gallardo, Fabricio Coloccini, Luciano Galleti, Facundo Quiroga, Diego Placente and Bernardo Romeo all arrived at the La Borghesiana training camp to be put through their paces by professor Luis Bonini.
The six were given permission by their respective teams to travel early, much to the delight of Bielsa.
The South American coach expects the arrival of several other players including Santiago Solari, Pablo Cavallero, Juan Pablo Sorin, Aldo Duscher, Juan Roman Riquelme, Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola within the next day.