Concert Etiquette

I go to a lot of live shows. Why? Because I love live music. Sadly, there are way too many people going to shows now for reasons that grate my nerves and I'm fed up with it. Not long ago, a concert was a group experience. You were not only IN the crowd, you were A PART of the crowd. Now, it's more about ME ME than US US.

First off, the "look at me's". I realize there is a big crowd of people and you are attention starved, but could you stop being an obnoxious jackass long enough for those of us who want to see the band can enjoy the show? We got stuck next to a whole group of these jerks at the Foo Fighters show in DC. They discovered the bleachers were loose and they could shake our whole row by jumping up and down. Even after several comments from others, they continued to make everyone around them feel seasick and blur any attempted pictures.

Next, the "I deserve a front row spots". These people don't seem to understand how a General Admission crowd works. If you want a spot by the stage, get there early and stay put during the show. Don't show up an hour late and think the crowd is going to part like the Red Sea so you can take your place by the stage. Why do you deserve a better spot than anyone else who got there on time? And if you leave your spot to get beer, food, etc. you lose that spot! There are no assigned seats in a standing room only venue so stop thinking you can just plow through the crowd and your little patch of floor will still be vacant with your name on it.

I realize a concert is an exciting experience, especially if it's a band you are truly passionate about. But next time you're rocking out, try to consider the people around you are there to have fun too.

The Issue of Reissues

I just got my copies of Smashing Pumpkins' reissued versions of Gish & Siamese Dream and it got me thinking about reissues in general.

In years past, I've blasted some bands for reissuing albums. Although I'm a big fan, 30 Seconds to Mars is a great example. They released 3 or 4 versions of the album A Beautiful Lie. Each one had new tracks or a DVD added in but why didn't they just release it all at once? Turns out they were trying to fill contract obligations, but that's neither here nor there.

Recently, bands like Slipknot, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, and Ozzy have released remastered versions of their classic albums. This, in my opinion, is how to reissue an album. Each of those mentioned waited a decade or more (Slipknot did 10th Anniversary editions) to reissue. To me this makes sense. Technology has progressed to allow for better recording/mastering quality. Plus it brings the album to the attention of younger generations who may not have heard their older material.

I'm not against reissuing an album, but don't just crank them out to keep selling albums.

Fed Up With Food Service

Over the years a mix of hectic schedules and laziness have kept me eating out pretty regularly and have noticed a pretty disturbing trend that has spread like a virus through our food industry.

That virus is apathy. I remember working at Burger King back in high school. Not the most glorious job but as a 16 year old with a brand new driver's license and a desire to be more independent, it was very exciting. I wasn't excited about flipping burgers or coming home smelling like a grease trap, I was excited to have a job and my own money.

Even back then, I could see from some of my own co-workers (as well as other establishments I frequented) that a good percentage of fast-food workers were unhappy with their current situation. Maybe they were embarrassed to be working in fast food. Maybe they felt they "deserved better". Hell, maybe they were just lazy.

Years have passed and now it seems more and more you see this apathetic attitude in food service. Not just in fast food, but also in your "sit down restaurants" as well. I get that it's not a great job, I get that it's not fun or even rewarding most times, but it is YOUR JOB.

I'm not one of those "be glad you have a job" types (although I do realize they are not easy to come by these days). My mindset is that if you don't like where you are, use that energy to better yourself and your situation. Don't half-ass my meal or service because you feel like you deserve better, be the best damn worker you can be and use that mindset to aim for your next set of goals.

Basically what I'm trying to say is take pride in what you do, regardless of what it is. If you want better, bust your ass and get it instead of moping around waiting for someone else to fix things for you.

I Do... Or Do I?

This is probably the one and only time you'll see me say anything about Kim Kardashian that isn't accompanied by a picture of her wearing something slutty. Actually...

There, that's better. Now on to my point, for those who don't own a television (or manage to actually avoid all the celebrity blah blah) Kim recently married NBA player Kris Humphries after a very short dating and engagement period. I had a feeling the wedding was a big publicity stunt or a scheme to get richer... and it seems I was exactly right.

After only 3 months, Kim and Kris have filed for divorce. Now Kim's version of the story is that she got caught up in the moment and should have ended it sooner. She claims there was no plan to end things so quickly, which may not be a total lie but I doubt it's completely true.

I think the plan was to put Kim in a wedding gown and stand some semi-celebrity next to her in a tuxedo and make a special episode of Kardashian "Reality" TV. Although I have to say, the thing that really bothers me about this is how many families allow this crap in their homes.

Shows like South Park and Family Guy are hated constantly for pushing boundaries that some see as "inappropriate" and "negative influences on kids" but watching a porn star (in case you forgot, the whole family got famous after Kim had sex with Ray J on home video) use marriage as a money making publicity stunt. What does that teach kids? "Honey, it's ok to marry someone you don't like as long as you're getting paid a shitload of money."

I would like to think this would open peoples eyes to how fake "reality" tv really is but sadly I doubt it. Maybe one day people will remember that reality is what happens outside your front door every day, not what's coming on tonight on E!

And one final thought to really stir the pot: How can people stand behind the ideology that we as a country must ban gay marriage to protect the "sanctity of marriage" when a heterosexual couple like this make a joke of it in front of the entire nation? Chew on that...

Halloweenies

It's always been a close race but I have to say Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays. As a kid you get to dress up and walk around the neighborhood asking for free candy. As an adult, you dress up and walk around downtown asking for free booze. It's a pretty awesome concept!

One of my favorite things about Halloween is the people who can't handle it. It's a time of scaring and pranks and a little good ol' fear. Most people, like myself, enjoy it. The little rush you get when something jumps at you in a haunted house, the chill down your spine when the door creaks after a scary movie, etc. Of course, there are always going to be people who just don't "get it".

Take for example, the person in Salisbury, NC who called the cops on their neighbors decorations. This guy has a riding mower setup with a straw filled "body' underneath like someone got mowed over. As was intended, it looks pretty real at first glance.

Well, instead of checking on their neighbor, someone decided to skip Step 1 and go ahead and call 911. Luckily, the cops knew about the prop and expected calls already.

Although, my favorite unnecessary panic thus far this year has to be the family who called 911 because they were LOST IN A CORN MAZE! Now, this is no ordinary maze. It's a 7 acre maze that was designed a little more difficult than usual this year. Here is an aerial shot:

Getting lost is no fun, but there are 3 funny twists to this story. The first being that it was only 6:30pm when they called. Really? It probably wasn't even dark yet! Second, there is no fencing around the maze. They could, at any time, have just picked a direction (maybe towards the sound of the traffic on the street nearby) and walked straight to safety. Third, and definitely the funniest, they were less than 25 feet from the end when they were found (it took the cops less than 10 minutes to find them).

I'm not saying to not be alert this Halloween season, just make sure you're freaking out over something real and not being a Halloweenie who just became the butt of the joke.

Hypocrites and Homophobes

Two words that I feel perfectly describe the Westboro Baptist Church. I have avoided even mentioning these people for a long time, mainly because I didn't want to give them any publicity, but by now most everyone has heard of these people.

For those who haven't, the Westboro Baptist Church is a group centered in Topeka, Kansas who try to market their extreme stance against homosexuality by protesting and picketing anything they feel promotes or accepts homosexuality. Most of us here in ENC got wind of these idiots when they started protesting MILITARY FUNERALS right here in our own backyard because since the military doesn't discriminate due to sexual orientation, the WBC takes that to mean they are actively promoting homosexuality.

Basically, anyone who isn't outwardly anti-gay is bad in their eyes.

Now they have focused their attacks on Steve Jobs and are planning a picket at his funeral. The leader of the WBC's daughter posted on Twitter that Steve "had a huge platform, gave God no glory, and taught sin"... using her iPhone! Does that make her a lesbian according to WBC ideals? I'm not sure. Honestly, I'm not even sure THEY know what they are protesting anymore.

If you want to see something fun involving the WBC, hit the videos on my DJ PAGE at 995thex.com and watch the Foo Fighters making fun of them in song before a FF show they were picketing and watch the tools trying not to smile. Even they know they are a joke.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

Yesterday we got to hear the first track from the Metallica/Lou Reed project, Lulu, titled "The View." If you haven't heard it, CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY DJ PAGE and give it a listen.

Before I move ahead, let me say I am a HUGE fan of Metallica. I was never into Velvet Underground but I didn't dislike them either, just never listened much one way or the other.

Anyway, I was very excited about a Metallica concept album hoping for another S&M. Sadly, doesn't seem to be the case. The riffs are very Metallica and the brief parts where James sings sound good, but the song as a whole is crap. It sounds like beatnik poetry read over Metallica riffs.

So back to the title. Back in 2003, Metallica released St. Anger. As a rock album, not bad. As a Metallica album, I hated it. The drums sounded odd and there were NO GUITAR SOLOS! Not one! Now I am all for a band growing and their sound growing with them. Some of my favorite bands like Incubus and Korn sound worlds apart recently from their original sound. But those changes happened slowly. Album by album. Not 20 years of one style then a sudden shift into something completely different.

If bands want to put out an "experimental" album, I say go for it, but don't lead fans to believe it's the sound they know and love. Green Day did this by putting out an album as Foxboro Hot Tubs. Same members, different sound and style.

If you're not growing over time as a band and want to try something different, at least admit to the world that it's an "experimental" or "concept" album so we know what to expect.

The Calm Before The Storm

Growing up in Eastern North Carolina, hurricane season was always a strange time of year. It was always a pretty safe bet that each year at least one or two hurricanes would make their way up here and dump a ton of rain and some decent winds on us. Some years we were lucky and got the edge of the mess. Other years, I remember the eye passing directly over us. Either way, preparation was key.

The strangest thing was, the calmness of it all. My parents grew up in the area too so to all of us, every summer/fall meant hurricanes. If we lucked out one year then yay, but that was rare. Everyone just knew it was coming and what needed to be done to get ready. No panic, no chaos, just a little preparation and patience.

As an adult, whenever a storm is coming I see everyone whipped into an immediate panic. Grocery stores are wiped clean of essentials (toilet paper, water, bread, and Natural Light), gas stations are backed up as people fill up their cars, generators sell like hot cakes, etc. I guess it's all perspective. To me, it's just another big storm but to many (especially those who have moved to ENC) it's terrifying!

It's not a bad thing to be alert and prepared when a hurricane comes, but the key is to not panic. Stop, think, and try to stay calm.

Movies That Rock Pt. 2

So I had intended to do one of these a month but I kinda got slack on it. There have been a ton of great movies this summer so far so I'll try to hit some of the highlights.

After Transformers 2, I had low expectations for Transformers 3. It seemed like they were heading down the same road as The Matrix (great first movie, ok sequel, terrible 3rd) but it didn't. Transformers 3 was freakin awesome! Very rich story line, lots of emotion ranging from fun to very dark and sad, and the hot chick was a halfway decent actress this time! If you skipped part 3 because of part 2, catch it on DVD!

A movie that really caught me off guard recently was Source Code. The previews made it look like a time travelling love story but it was far more. The movie centers around Jake Gyllenhall's character who is an army pilot who wakes up 2 months after a helicopter crash to find himself knee deep in a secret military program that can actually look into the past in an attempt to find the cause of train bombing and stop future attacks. A good bit of sci fi, lots of action, great acting, and a touch of a love story make this a must watch!

On the humourous side of things, stoner comedies are the way to go this summer. On DVD, Paul (written and starring the guys from Shaun of the Dead) follows 2 British geeks on trek after Comic-Con to visit UFO hotspots who meet an alien named Paul and end up trying to help him escape the people who have been holding him captive for years. Still in theaters, 30 Minutes or Less is another instant comedy classic. 2 spoiled losers sponging off their parents decide to use a bomb vest to force a pizza delivery boy to rob a bank for them. Not a very deep story line here, think Superbad meets Crank. Lots of funny, lots of action!

There have been plenty of other good flicks this summer but those are the ones that really stick out to me.

The Quarter Life Crisis

I was reading an article the other day that shows that people are more likely to have a "crisis" in their mid to late 20's nowadays instead of their 40's as in the past. Could it be true?

Most everyone has heard of, or even used the phrase, "mid-life crisis". Usually a male, but females experience it too, in their 40's or 50's who suddenly tries to "find their youth". This leads to things like purchasing new vehicles (i.e. convertible sports cars), dating much younger, and things of that nature. Basically, things that make them feel young. This was more of a celebration than a crisis. After spending half of their life chasing a dream, it makes sense that many cut loose and "play".

Well, this new "quarter life crisis" is a different thing entirely. Many people are getting into their mid to upper 20's and are crumbling under the weight of... real life! Kids have had more and more spoon fed to them over the years and it's gotten to a point where people have no idea what "real work" is when they get out of school. I'm not talking about actual manual labor (most would die from exhaustion). No, these kids are falling apart over 40 hour work weeks and having to be responsible for their own work without someone coming behind to powder their ass and fix whatever they screw up.

So the "quarter-life crisis" seems less like a personal crisis like a "mid-life crisis" and more like a disturbing social trend.

Summer Unity 2011 Recap

Last night was one of my favorite concerts of all time! Not only was the show outstanding, but the whole evening was just one smile after another.

Last night was the Raleigh stop on the Summer Unity 2011 Tour featuring 311 & Sublime With Rome. For those who don't know, this is Sublime With Rome's first tour since the passing of Bradley Nowell, the band's original singer. I went in somewhat skeptical, I was always a big fan of Sublime and I was interested to see what the new kid was bringing to the table. I was blown away! Rome brought a whole new life to the band. At 23, he is nearly half the age of Eric and Bud which definitely added a lot of energy to the show. Not to mention the kid is talented! Shredding guitar solos, silly on-stage antics, great crowd interaction, and a voice that just won't stop. They played all the big Sublime hits (with a big "REST IN PEACE BRADLEY" in the chorus of What I've Got) perfectly mixed with tracks from their debut album, Yours Truly.

Between bands I ran off to spend way too much on water (almost $5 a 20 oz., ugh) and bumped into an old radio buddy I hadn't seen in ages. We got caught up chatting and next thing I knew 311 was cranking up on stage. I took off to get back to my seat and, as always, got rocked! I've seen 311 3 different times and each show was better than the last. They played the big hits each time but always mix up the rest of the playlist so you're not seeing the same show over and over again. One thing I'm always impressed by is how tight they sound on stage. Hearing the album, one would think they use a lot of studio tricks and effects but anyone who has seen them live knows that's not the case. Mix in a thunderous drum solo from Chad Sexton, P-Nut's bass shredding solo, and the full band percussion breakdown and you've got yourself a 311 show.

Thinking the fun was done we started heading home. While fighting through traffic in the parking lot I caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Turned out, it was a couple of friends I haven't seen since Unk's in Greenville closed (for those who don't know what Unk's was, you missed out) which was over a year ago. After some quick catching up (and a dash back to my buddy's car) we headed home. Today I'm sore from standing, tired from lack of sleep, and would turn around and do it again tonight if I could!

Royal Canadian Mounted Douchebags

Growing up I always had this really heroic vision of the Canadian Mounties. Even comedic portrayals like Dudley Dooright or twisted views like Ren & Simpy's Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen painted a picture of heroism and valor. Apparently that's not always the case.

Today I saw a story in the news that genuinely made me sick to my stomach. This guy in Manitoba was speeding en route to the hospital. His wife was going into labor and had had complications with her first pregnancy so although he was speeding (105 mph) it was understandable, and they were pulled over by a mountie.

You would think they would get an escort to the hosipital right? Wrong. They got a $1000 ticket, which sadly isn't the bad part. They also got a 15 MINUTE LECTURE!! While the poor woman is in the car in labor! It gets worse...

Instead of escorting them to the hospital, the douchebag phones ahead to ANOTHER MOUNTIE who pulls over AGAIN and made them wait another 15 MINUTES for an ambulance to arrive and take them to the hospital. No info on the condition of the mom or baby but the husband has already had a court appearance and lost his license for 5 months.

What a couple of douchebags!

3D Or Not 3D... Is It Really A Question?

So last night I finally made my trip to the theater to see Transformers 3. Being a big fan of Transformers since I was old enough to remember, this trilogy has been a dream come through, but that's not why we're here. We're here to discuss this 2nd wave of "3D madness" that's ruining movies everywhere.

I personally am young enough I don't really remember when 3D was big back in the day. I remember a magazine or two as a kid but that was about it, no movies or TV shows. Well, a few years back, I guess movie companies decided with current technology where it was, it was time to bring 3D back. The first movie I remember seeing was the My Bloody Valentine remake. The movie was classic B horror (which I love) but the 3D was terrible. Lots of unnecessary things being thrown at the screen or stabbed outward to "show off" the 3D aspect.

A lot of those first 3D flicks put more thought into "what can we have poke out of the screen" and less into "is this movie worth making in 3D"? Luckily, over the past few years the craze seems to have died off some and less and less movies are getting the 3D treatment and the few that are are using it more wisely.

Now we're seeing 3D technology slowly invade our homes and game systems but will it last? The TV's cost a fortune and some require special glasses to watch or sitting in a certain spot to see things. Not to mention that converting 2D video into 3D looks terrible. I personally think it's just a fad like last time and in 10 years we'll be laughing at 3D movies again. Or, it could open the door to the next step in visual entertainment. Guess we'll just have to put on our 3D glasses and watch and see.

Changing of the Seasons

Summertime was always my favorite time of year as a kid. Obviously, no school was a big part of it. For me, though, the beach was what it was all about!

I grew up walking distance from the river and a pool so it wasn't uncommon for me to spend 3-4 days a week at one or the other during the summer. Then there was vacation time! Anywhere from a weekend at Atlantic Beach to a week trip to somewhere random like St. Simons Island there was always at least one trip to some beach. Add in summer camp and I pretty much lived outdoors all summer.

Sadly, that has not been the case in a while. Summertime is super busy in radio land so it's rare that I actually have time or energy to make that 45 minute drive to the beach. Not to mention so much of the fun has been beaten out of it now. You have to pay to park, most of the putt-putt and fun stuff like that has been stripped out, and this year it's super hot and smokey all the time!

I finally did make it to the beach 2 weekends ago and despite all the "problems" I had convinced myself of, it was awesome! Not a long day, just a few hours in the sun and playing in the surf but it was perfect. I had forgotten how relaxing it was to just lay back and listen to the waves crash. Or how fun it was jumping over waves and trying to body surf. All the magic and splendor the beach held as a kid came rushing back like they never left.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, as you get older and things you enjoy change, it might be you and not them that's actually changing and sometimes just you have to stop looking for a minute to see it.

Stay Classy San Diego

This past weekend I got to make my first voyage to the left coast and it was AMAZING!

I was invited to a music conference called Sunset Sessions Rock! which is an event where radio people, record labels, music producers, artists, and basically anybody who has anything to do with music in some form is invited to come take part in discussion panels and watch performances by up and coming new bands.

This was the first year of the event and it was held in San Diego. I've never been further west than Minneapolis so it was a whole adventure for me. Travel was surprisingly easy and even the traffic in San Diego was not nearly as bad as I expected. There were almost 30 bands there but some of the ones that really jumped out at me were Redlight King (who you can hear on The X), Dead Sara (Flyleaf-esque but not a carbon copy), Drive A (pre-Dookie Green Day style punk), Sons of the Lawless (solid rock featuring Jake Busey on drums), Kopek (Irish rock trio), AWOLNATION (trippy prog-alternative), and One Less Reason (Saliva style adrenaline rock). There wasn't a single band who was "bad" but some that I wasn't a fan of the style for varying reasons. Another band that really caught my eye was GIVERS from Louisiana. They had a very energetic live show and a female ukulele/xylophone/drums/tamborine player who also sings (and yes, she played all of those in EACH song!).

It was also my first chance to meet up with our very own Full Metal Jackie and Mic Czech and Malcolm from Skratch 'n Sniff (who are all 3 from southern Cali). They all mentioned the emails and social network love from the Xaholics so keep that coming!

All in all, it was one of the most fun weekends I've ever had. I learned things, met lots of great people, made some great business contacts, some awesome friends, and finally got to see the Pacific Ocean with my own eyes. Can't wait for Sunset Sessions Rock 2012!

Movies That Rock Pt. 1

Since this will be a recurring theme in my blog posts, I figured I'd give my movie reviews a title of sorts. I'm not sold on "Movies That Rock" so if you have suggestions, email me! Three movies to get through this time so let's jump in.

First up is Scream 4. I am a big fan of the Scream series but, like any avid movie watcher, I'll admit 2 and 3 were nowhere near as good as the original. 4, on the other hand, takes the franchise back to glory. In true Scream fashion, it starts out by making fun of how cheesy movie intros are lately BY DOING THE SAME THINGS! The premise of Scream 4 is that Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is trying to put her bloody history behind her with the help of her first book about surviving the Ghostface Killer and the celebrity status that she gained from it. All the favorites are back (SHERIFF Dewey Riley (David Arquette), Gail Weathers (Courtney Cox)) plus plenty of new faces like Alison Brie as Sidney's younger cousin, Rebecca, and Hayden Panettiere, as her friend Kirby. It's all the campy horror you expect from a Scream movie with a solid story and more twists than the first 3 combined!

Next on the list is The Collector. The movie centers around Arkin. They don't go into much detail but at some point he served time and is a master safe cracker. At the beginning of the movie he is working as a locksmith working on the new home of a rich family. In need of money, he decides to steal a large diamond from the house while the family is on vacation only to discover something sinister. The family is being held hostage by a masked psychopath. Arkin has to decide whether to take the money and run or save the family from certain doom. Excellent camera work, building suspense, and plenty of SAW-esque gore make this a must see for any horror fan.

And last on this edition, THOR! Finally got around to seeing this one last night and it was great! Thor is the Norse god of thunder. On the day he was to be named king, enemies invade the castle and due to Thor's overreaction his father is forced to strip him of his power and banish him from Asgard to Midgard (the realm of man, or Earth). We then find the attack was no coincidence and Thor must find his human side before he can regain his power and save both his world and our own. Not a ton of fighting but plenty of awesome visuals and a very solid story. I saw the movie in 3D but I feel like 2D would have been fine. (Geek Info: This is another piece of the Avengers saga that began with Hulk and Iron Man and will continue with Captain America).

So there you go, a slasher, a psycho thriller, and a Marvel hero flick. All three great in their own ways.

Rebellion Revisited

First off, just by reading my last post it's been a LONG time since I've blogged. Most things are the same, so I'll just jump back in head first.

Carolina Rebellion was AMAZING! Every band brought their "A" game and rocked it out on those HUGE stages. While everyone was rocking out, I was busy learning a very important lesson about staying hydrated.

We spent most of the day in the "Media Tent" where we could post pics and whatnot on Facebook and interview some of the bands. Well during all the chaos I apparently didn't stay up on my water intake and got dehydrated... bad. Luckily I caught it before it got to the point of needing assistance but I spent most of the afternoon with a pounding headache and achy muscles. Lots of water, some food, a bit of vomit, and a lot of resting later and I was able to rock out to the last handful of bands.

Learn from my mistakes and drink LOTS of water at big, all day shows like Carolina Rebellion. And if you're drinking beer alternate them with water. Trust me, dehydration SUCKS!