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.