Chunk from Goonies...

knows more about computers than I do.

So I spent roughly $2,500 on recording equipment 2 weeks ago. The bulk of it arrived last week. The main components are a Digidesign Digi 003 Rack Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) featuring Pro Tools LE 8, a Hewlett Packard Pavilion PC with 22" 1080p HD monitor running Windows 7, 2 TB external firewire hard drives, and a Behringer EURORACK UB1202 Mixer.

So, on Friday, I got home early and started getting it all set up. I powered up the computer and installed the monitor driver, the USB wireless network adaptor, and both hard drives. I was now ready to install the Digidesign stuff (or so I thought). Insert install disk. Half an hour later, find out you needed to install QuickTime in order to do anything. System Restore. Install Quick Time. Re-insert PT install disk. Half an hour later, BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). System Recovery. Install monitor driver, USB wireless network adaptor, hard drives, and Quick Time. Look online to find possible solutions to problem. Actual Digidesign site worthless. Find message board that looks somewhat helpful but is poorly organized. Get pissed that you've spent $2500 on something and no one helps you get it working. Partition external firewire hard drive; realize you are in over your head. Insert install disk; BSOD with different error message. System Recovery. Install monitor driver, USB wireless network adaptor, hard drives, and Quick Time. Look online to find possible solutions to problem. Actual Digidesign site worthless. Find message board that looks somewhat helpful but is poorly organized. Get even more pissed that you've spent $2500 on something and no one helps you get it working. Futile attempt to switch firewire port to "Lecacy Mode". It is now Sunday at 9pm. Pick up hammer. Realize you are acting like Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction when he finds out she forgot the watch. Put ad on Craigslist offering to pay someone to set this shit up for you. Go to bed angry.

So that's where this is at. I've got 2 promising emails from people who seem to have the skills to help me. What's another couple of hundred dollars?

Children Get Older...

So I turned 30 on Saturday. Birthdays, like New Years, are a natural time of reflection, so I pretty much spend every January on the philisophical tip. Real quick, a band update: Keith and I are still practicing pretty much every week. I have the $ for all the recording equipment we need and plan on making a purchase in the next 2 weeks. Then hopefully we can record over the next few months and have a record of our efforts. You all will be kept in the loop during this process.


Here's a thought I had: American generations are defined by the attitudes of their upper middle class. Poor people and rich people pretty much act the same from one gen to the next. But from decade to decade, the middle class is what changes and leaves their mark. The 50's kids were defined by their #'s (Baby Boomers), the 60's (The Hippies) by their drug use, the 70's (Disco) by their music, 80's (The Yuppies) by their ambition, the 90's (Generation X) by their lack thereof. I feel like my generation (which falls somewhere between Gen Y and whatever comes next) is defined by their unrealistic expectations of adult life. We went to college, got out, and realized that life from that point forward was nothing like we expected, in a bad way.

Advice from a dude who just turned 30, or things I would tell my 18 year old son if I had one:
-Putting yourself in the right situation is the most important factor in success. Set yourself up to succeed and the road will be much easier.
-Make good grades. Most likely, what you'll sacrifice to do so is just excess, whether it be excess laziness, partying, or work.
-Always give yourself something to look forward to.
-On women: if you find a good girl, marry her and treat her right. The older you get, the fewer there are. On the other hand, always know that the right girl is out there waiting for you to find her; don't let her down by settling with the wrong one. Never EVER get back together with a girl more than once. And don't waste time stewing over the ones that didn't work out. Move on quickly; don't ruminate.
-Learn how to save money. Debt can be crippling.
-Take risks. As much as you can, take your fear of failure out of the decision making process.
-Every time you type or upload something, go ahead and assume that everyone in the world is going to see it.
-Never ever ever be afraid to ask for help. You'll be surprised how much you can get just by asking for it.
-Give more than you take. You'll feel better that way.
-Never cheat on a girlfriend or spouse; it's just not worth it.
-Don't let positive things go unsaid. You never know how much other people appreciate it, and giving sincere compliments is an easy win win.
-Form good diet and exercise habits early.
-Don't buy a house unless you're absolutely certain you're going to be living there for at least 10 years.
-Anytime you are truly enjoying life, take a moment and let it burn into your memory so you can always know those times exist.
-Stay in touch with people from your past; the relationships you've maintained the longest are the ones that bear the most fruit.
-Try not to worry so much.

2010

Happy New Year!

I hate New Year's Eve. It never ends well for me. This year's New Year's Eve featured a 101 degree fever, an at-fault car accident (2nd one in less than a month), paying a $60 cover to get into a bar surrounded by douchebags, and being in bed by 11 pm.

I've figured out that I love to anticipate shit. So today I made a spreadsheet of what my weekends and weekdays look like for the entire calendar year. Here's the breakdown:

10 weekends will be spent in Port O'Connor.
10 weekends wlll be spent attending or revolve around watching a UT Football game.
5 weekends will be spent attending or revolve around watching a UT Basketball game.
5 weekends will be spent on Lake Austin or Lake Travis.
5 weekends will be spent as holidays (my birthday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's) around family (most likely in Victoria).
5 weekends will be spent working on my house.
5 weekends will be spent travelling (counting annual trip to Dallas, which doesn't count against 10 weekends of UT Football).
5 weekends will be spent attending Astros or Express baseball games.
2 weekends will be spent going back to Victoria to visit family.

I realize that it's impossible to plan out an entire year's worth of weekends like this, but I'd bet if you had a record of how last year went for me, it wouldn't look much different.

Between March and October, Mondays will be spent in my volleyball league. Thursdays (all year) are for music/band practice. By summer I expect to enroll in either an MBA program or an alternative Teacher Certification program, which will take up my Tuesday and Wednesdays.

I made a New Year's resolution to change my diet this year. I'm giving up all fried foods and sweets. It has not been easy this 1st week. I love chocolate. And Chic-Fil-A Chicken Sandwiches and Waffle Fries. But it's only been 10 days since I've implemented the restrictions and I've lost 2 lbs. I was amazed at how low most ideal weights are. I'm 5ft 9.5 in and I figured I was a good weight at 165. Not so. My range is from 125 to 170, but my ideal weight is about 150. It's amazing how once you start adding pounds, they come so quickly and unnoticeably.

I love anticipating shit. Life's more fun when you have something to look forward to.

Hope 2010 rocks y'all's socks.

Running Blog from 311 Concert

I went to see 311 with a few friends. The ticket was free. I hate 311. The opening band, State Radio, was actually pretty good. I had tried to keep an open mind about 311, but once they came on and I looked around at the smattering of tools, turds, douches, skanks, and wannabes in attendance, I knew there was no hope of me enjoying myself. So, I got out my iPhone and kept a running diary of my random thoughts during the show.

If all the turds go missing I know who stole them.

Elevendouche with state radiohotts.

I didn't know Allan sang in 311.

I've literally died and gone to hell.

Nice vocal effects, frampton.

Tiny Mexican douche on the non-contributor tip.

Sir, I hate you...over and over again.

Is this a play? Because it sure isn't music.

I seriously need to change my life.

You guys make me want to gouge my ears.

Nice wristbands, calidouche.

These $4.50 beers are the least shitty thing here.

Cool, I know this song...and I hate it.

Can I ask for my money back even if I didn't buy the ticket?

I've never wished cerebral palsey on someone, but I'm about to.

Quick, get drunk before we realize what's become of us!

Is he actually pretending to play guitar??!

'Come original'?! WTF.

One of these dudes' dads better be a record executive.

Now i know how jihads start. Middle easterners equate us with 311.

Acnedouche with grubbyhotts.

Did that dude bring his 6 yr olds here? I'm calling CPS.

Late 90s douche with naivetehotts.

I saw a cover band once at bennigans that made me want to kill myself. They were better than 311.

Hating aside, I do respect the gaggle of whores just offstage.

Poor lead guitarist. He can actually play. he must be on heroin. It's the only way he could do this. Like how they kidnap those Croatian whores and feed them heroin and send them to Dubai.

Am I really Smelling old spice?

Scentidouche with stupidity hotts.

There's always that one old ass dude dancing like a motherfucker but you wonder if he's even aware where he is or if he just didn't survive the 60s. I'd rather be him.

Librarianhotts with beerguzzlebag.

Ok. I admit it, their drummer is badass.

A member of your band is named dj esse Martinez. That's really all that needs to be said.

Laker jerseydouche with tinyhotts.

Bathroomdouche with skittishhotts.

A lot of people are here just because that dude is Mexican. A lot.

If I hooked up with a hot chick here, I'd do her. Then murder her. For liking 311 and all.

Jerzdouchenbass knows scales. Good for him.

You know how Beavis and butthead felt about gwar? I feel the opposite about 311.

I wish it were 2012 so these turds would get covered in molten lava.

I may evict my roommate based only on the fact that he reminds me of the lead singer of 311.

How can so many beautiful women like such a horrible horrible thing?

Badtastenhotts with luckendouche.

This guy bumped into me. He goes 'sorry'. I go 'do you like this band'? He's all 'hell yeah'! I go 'let's fight'.

Cowardouche with disappearing hotts.

A new holocaust? This is as good a place as any.

Asparagus eatendouche with stinkygoldenshowerhotts.

A dude with downs syndrome is having the time of his life. It's the first time I've ever thought someone with downs needed to be punished.

Militantdouche with luckyformepacafisthotts.

If gary Coleman had a bad dream, the soundtrack would be 311.

I have no idea what that means.

Alternahotts with whatthefuckendouche.

Band Practice 12/4/09

Despite my misgivings, here's some audio from Friday's practice.

The first clip is of the first 8 minutes of practice, which featured "Waste My Time", the 1st song we ever wrote, followed by "Tyler", a Toadies cover requested by Sarah. The clip ends with me flowing Tyler into "Where is my mind", a Pixies cover Keith and I really like. Before you listen, please know I realize a few things: I can't sing, my guitar is out of tune (this is because the strings are incredibly old, not because I don't know how to tune my guitar), and the vocals and bass notes are muffled because the iPhone mic was pointed away from the instruments (this is part of the reason the drums sound pretty dang good imo).

The 2nd clip is from the 2nd half of practice, which lasted about an hour. The iPhone only lets me email 8 minutes of audio at a time, which is plenty. This clip starts with "Not Too Late", an original, followed by the first part of "Colleen", another original. For this 2nd clip, we turned the mic towards the instruments, which is why the vocals sound clearer, but during louder parts it blares or 'clips' out.

I think posting the audio from practice will help us get better. So far I've learned 2 things from this exercise: I need to pay more attention to detail (tuning, notes, vocal changes, etc.), and I need to get out of the bad habit of making up lyrics as I go along. (i.e. on Not Too Late, a song we've been playing for over a year, I still change the lyrics everytime. I've got finalized lyrics written down, I'm just too lazy to remember them and practice the song as written. The same thing happened with "Colleen"; luckily in this instance most of them are unintelligible because of the audio quality.)

Again, this was all recorded on a cell phone mic. It took me less than 10 minutes to get these files emailed, converted, and posted. Everything is so amazing.

November 2009 Update

re-edit: So I figured out out to email the m4a from my phone, convert it to mp3, and post it here via Badongo. That's awesome because it means if we ever record something cool at practice, I can post it here on the blog. My drunken songs were too cringe-inducing to make public, but I will try to get something decent the next time Keith and I practice.

edit: Keith came over and we practiced last night; I took some pictures of the studio with my iPhone. Then I went out and got drunk. I got back home around midnight and went to the studio and played piano for like 2 hours. I realized my iPhone has a podcast feature and I used it to record a few songs I played on the piano. They sound terrible, but I'm so fascinated by the technology that I may post them here anyway.

Well, I figured it's been a long time since I've posted anything, so here goes. The reason for the lack of posts is valid; absolutely nothing has been happening with the band. We haven't even practiced in like 3 weeks (due to my encounter with Swine Flu). Keith may come over tonight to knock some of the rust off. There just hasn't been a lot of motivation to play.

The band (and music in general), just like most things in life, comes in waves. Re-reading old posts, you can tell that Keith and I get after it for a little while, then sort of take a break, then get after it again. This is usually precipitated by some sort of breakthrough (i.e. getting new equipment, getting a gig, recording, etc.). That's why I've always thought the key to making it as a rock band is a steady gig. If you can count on playing somewhere on a weekly (or even monthly) basis, then there's always something on the horizon. Otherwise, you're just drinking beer at your house and there just happens to be guitars and drums there. Any musical group performs 2 basic functions: recording and gigging. So that should be the goal: record and gig. Both of those things, especially when you're just starting out, take a lot of time, energy, and perhaps most importantly, money (at least recording does). Between our jobs and social calender, the band is a distant 3rd, and there's no way it's going to move forward under that pretense.

This isn't to complain; I still love jamming with Keith, and if it never goes any further than that, it's still a really fun, relaxing hobby. That said, the goal for 2010 is simple: gig and record.

Rhett Miller concert review, I bought a piano and I play the drums

So Friday night I didn't have much to do. My roommate was going downtown for a buddy's 30th birthday, but other than that, most of my friends were staying in (due to the weather I guess). I was in a bit of a weird mood, so I decided to get on Pollstar and see if there was any good live music playing. Lo and behold, my own idol Rhett Miller was playing a solo show at Antone's. I hurriedly got dressed and hauled ass downtown.

Going to concerts by yourself is a lot like going to the movies by yourself. For someone like me, it makes me feel like a loser, even though it probably shouldn't. I mean, watching a concert (or a movie) is not really all that social of a thing. Your attention is fixed somewhere else. Anyway, my experience Friday was marred by the fact that I was by myself.

I'd guess I've seen Rhett Miller in concert a dozen times, so I know a lot about his style. Anytime I go to a rock show, I tend to fixate on the front man, and this is especially true with Rhett and the Old 97s. Up to now, it's been hard for me to figure out why I like him so much. I mean, he's not all that techinically sophisticated of a guitarist (he only plays rhythm), he doesn't have a classicly trained voice, and his songs are very simple. But at this show I realized that is exactly WHY I like him so much. He gives someone like me (who isn't technically sound on his instrument, sings out of tune, and writes simple songs) hope. He's mostly "it" factor, and I don't see that as a bad thing. His good looks and the way he works the crowd are more important to his success than his sense of melody and rhythm. On top of that, his lyrics are very catchy. He's had exactly the level of success I'd want (successful enough to draw a crowd and earn a living, but not so famous he can't have a life with some semblance of normalcy--although he did marry a supermodel, so his life probably doesn't have much normalcy). He's exactly who I try to emulate, whether I'm in my room by myself, practicing with Keith, or playing in front of a group of people.

Here are some things I noticed:

-he makes a LOT of eye contact with people of the audience.
-he mostly uses his 1/2 Townsend windmill strum deal on an open G chord
-most of his songs use the same 5 or 6 chords; he employs a capo to get songs in different keys
-I watched him before the show in the VIP lounge, and I've had a short introduction to him before at an earlier gig, and he genuinely seems like a nice person
-I had a short conversation with Salim Nourallah, who produced the most recent Old 97s record. I went up and introduced myself and told him thank you for writing this article. Turns out, he didn't write it, the lead sound engineer Rip Rowen did. He corrected me, but was very gracious about the whole thing. That article has been an excellent resource for me since I've been trying to gather recording equipment and learn the processes.
-Even though I was by myself, I still enjoyed the show; that said, I REALLY wished I'd had a pretty girl with me.

On a side note, remember when I posted a few weeks back about 2 songs I wrote? Well, I realized that one of them ("This is My Life Without You") was just me unconsciously copying one of Rhett's new songs ("Haphazardly"--it's linked at the top right of this page so you can hear it). I must've heard it at the last Old 97s show I went to, forgotten it, then somehow twisted the chorus when it came back up while I was f'n around on the guitar. I suspect that happens a lot, and not just with me. I've read several interviews with Kevin Griffin (from Better Than Ezra) and one of the things I like about him is how candid he is about his songs' influence. He's not ashamed to admit 'ripping off' a melody from someone else. You could probably take every song I've ever written and find a song that songs exactly like it that I heard somewhere before.

So over the last few weeks I've taken to the drums. I think this stemmed from Keith and I getting a little bored with the same ol' thing when we practice. Also, we both think it would be a cool gimmick if we switched instruments in the middle of a set. Not to mention Keith is a badass on the guitar. I've progressed to being able to keep a beat, albeit with no fills or complicated switches. Friday night after I got home, I was HAMMERED. So my roommate, his buddy and I went into my studio and I hopped on the drums. I don't remember it all that much, but apparently we played a LONG time. Like, non-stop for like 3 hours. I have painful blisters on every. single. one. of my fingers. On both hands. I don't aspire to be Dave Grohl, but I do think it would be cool to be able to jump on a drumset and keep up.

Finally, I bought a piano yesterday. It's an antique (1800s I think) Wurlitzer upright. I got it for $175. All the keys/pedals play and it has all the original (albeit yellowed) ivory. 3 of the keys stick intermittently. I hope to have this repaired when I have it tuned after it's moved (happening today).

A lot of my favorite songs are piano based. I grew up listening to a lot of Elton John and The Beatles, Billy Joel, etc. I don't aspire to be concert style, but just like with the drums, I think it'd be pretty f'n pimp to be able hop on a piano and bang out a tune or be able to write piano based simple chord songs. Plus, chicks dig dudes who can play piano.

Pearl Jam Rocks

I went to the Austin City Limits Festival last night. I originally had a 3 day pass, but sold it so I could go down to Victoria for my cousin's birthday party. Well, this girl I have a crush on was there and wanted me to meet her, so I made a few calls to see if I could get a ticket for Sunday. Turns out a girl I used to work with had a ticket, but it wouldn't be available until like 5pm. So, I got in right as Jack White's latest project, Dead Weather, was playing. Jack White is hard. During the set he played all 4 rock instruments (drums mostly, but also played guitar, bass, and sang). The band was good, but they had a chick sing all the songs Jack White didn't sing. I'm not much for chick rock singers. After they were done, Pearl Jam took the stage. They ROCKED. I've always liked Pearl Jam, but wouldn't have put them in my top 5 bands. They're there now. Eddie Vedder is hard. Their set was perfect. They played Daughter, Elderly Woman, Even Flow, Oceans, and several others. Their encore started off with Evolution, then they brought out Ben Harper for a song. Then Perry Ferrell (the fruit from Jane's Addiction who basically invented the modern music festival by starting Lollapalooza) came out and sang a Jane's Addiction song with them (Mountain? I'm not a JA fan.) Then they closed the show with Alive (top 5 guitar solos on any song ever) and Keep On Rocking In the Free World. It ruled. They were so awesome I didn't even care that the girl I was with wasn't interested in me (at least until after the show).

It's amazing; every time I see a badass concert, it makes me want to lock myself in my studio for like 5 years.

I sold my Jeep

I sold my Jeep last week. Sweet. The list of things I want to do with the money is extensive. One of the things on the list is to buy recording gear. This ranks #1 in "want to do", but dead last in "should do". My patio needs a new roof. My emergency fund is at about 50% of where I want it to be. I need to get rid of my roommates. I need to landscape my yard. My car needs body work. *sigh*

Keith and I didn't practice last week, but I did play a lot of guitar by myself. I have all the songs I've written (or started writing) saved on my computer. I went back and played a lot of them. Some of them are songs I wrote almost ten years ago. It's interesting to see how my style has changed. It's also weird how many songs I've written. There are over 50 songs saved. I'm half convinced that I should go into full on hone mode and not write anything new, just work on polishing what's already there. Didn't Bob Dylan say something like nobody should ever write anything new?

Bored At Work

I wrote 2 songs last week. In hindsight, they're pretty bipolar. The first one was called "This is My Life Without You", which is about what happens every time I end a relationship, which is to seek distraction in all the wrong things (draw your own conclusions). It sort of sounds like Jack Johnson's melancholy acoustic stuff, but I think it would sound best as just a piano/vocals deal. Who knows if I'll ever take it that far. The 2nd song was a complete 180 from the 1st one. It's an upbeat pop tune called "You Are A Miracle" (I don't like that title, but that's essentially the chorus so it is named that by default). It basically breaks down the statistics of what it takes for two people to end up together. I really like it. I think it's the 2nd best upbeat song I've ever written, next to "Getting Busy", which is along the same emotional thread.

Other than that, not too much going on. Keith and I probably won't practice this week, since we're heading down to POC on Thursday to go fishing, but we're sure to pick it back up next week. Still waiting until I sell one of my automobiles before I can buy recording gear. Incidentally, I've got several peices of extra gear for sale if you know someone who would be interested:

-Brand New In Box Electron Blue Standard Mexican Fender Telecaster (with gig bag)- $350
-Unknown brand 1970s 15 watt bass/PA combo with 15" speaker- $50
-Trace Elliot 200W 2 X 10" guitar amp- $150

I'd like to be able to trade these for either an upright piano or a Sennheiser 421 microphone. Maybe Craigslist can come through for me.

Also, I've added a LaLa embed on the sidebar, so each post I'll probably link a new song. This one's is "Scotty Doesn't Know"; it always makes me laugh, especially if you've seen EuroTrip, where Matt Damon does this song at the graduation party. Enjoy.

USAIN BOLT IS A BAD MOTHERFUCKER

100 meters in 9.58 seconds. That is all.

Long Overdue Updates Accompanied by Random Opinions and Observations

So, I'm bored at work and figured I'd waste some time blogging.

Stevenson Road Status Update
So not much has been going on with the band. We got offered a gig at a bar in Livingston, but I don't know if we're going to take it. Livingston is a long way away and I doubt anyone we know would be willing to travel that far to see us. The bar has more of a Texas Country vibe, so I don't know how many fans we could convert, even if a lot of people did show up. I would like to do some solo stuff there if possible (more on that later).

Keith and I have been practicing about once every other week, so we're still alive. Just no gigs or records lined up. The current (ever changing and rightshifting) plan is to get recording gear once I'm able to sell my Jeep and have a quality demo by the end of the year.

Last practice we wrote a new song that I'd really like to finish out. It's kind of like a Vines/Killers song. Hard barre chords in successions with lots of starts and stops and an open chord chorus. We'll see what comes of it.

The last two practices my roommate Derrick has come out and plugged in the bass. He's never played before so it's slow going, but it is nice to hear a much fuller sound.

Solo Career?
I really enjoy playing with Keith. He's awesome. But like a lot of people doing something creative that they care about, I'm sort of a control freak. I like the songs that we've written together, but they're definitely not songs I sit around in my room playing over and over again. Our music is rock. My aspirations have always leaned more to the singer-songwriter style. So I've been thinking a lot about writing a set of songs that I could go play on my own, just me and my geetar. Not only would this let me play the music and write the songs that I really have always wanted to write and sound like, it would let me try and go get gigs and record without having to clear the logistics with anyone else. The bottom line is I want to be Rhett Miller and unfortunately the band is more Seven Mary Three than Old 97s.

Counting Crows
I went to see the Counting Crows on Monday. It was weak. This was the 4th time I've seen them, and each time was progressively worse. I do believe they have gotten the last of my money. In 1994, there wasn't a person in the world I idolized more than Adam Duritz. And while he still has my respect for banging both Jennifer Aniston AND Courteney Cox, he's kind of a tool. He has worn fake dreads for 15 years. He is a dick to his fans. And he's very self-important. Anyway, the show was at Austin Music Hall and they did this bunk format where they came out at the beginning with the 'opener' (Augustana) and played all at once and then the 2 bands sort of traded 3 song sets a few times. Weak. I didn't pay $40 to see f'n Augustana (not that they were horrible, the were actually quite good, but they weren't what I paid to see). I paid $40 to see Counting Crows; not only that, I paid $40 with the understanding that I would see Counting Crows play their hits, as I expect to hear them. So, I was really disappointed in the format and set list. I mean, so I saw the lead singer of Augustana sing "Omaha"? Weak.

Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, and Willie
On Tuesday I went to see the 3 above at Dell Diamond with my older brother llogg.

I'd seen Willie once before so I pretty much knew what to expect. He's good, but a lot of time his voice isn't timed with the music. And the main thing I love about Willie is his crooning. I think he's just too old to croon because his voice didn't have that wavering desperation or carry out the long notes on Crazy or Blue Eyes Crying. But he did have a good energy and put on a pretty good show. It was bloody hot too, so you gotta give his old ass props for hanging tough. He didn't play 2 of my favorites (Red Headed Stranger and Pancho and Lefty), but he did have a pretty good set list overall. I give him a B.

I didn't expect much from Mellencamp. My parents like his stuff, so I'd heard a lot of his catalog, but going in there weren't any songs (except Jack and Diane) that I was thinking would be awesome to hear. Well, he was really, REALLY good. Great energy, good set list, the whole package. He did probably the best a capella I've ever heard (not saying much, but still, it was badass) on a song I can't remember right now. He rocked. I give him an A (more on why he didn't get an A+ later).

Bob Dylan's first song had me thinking he'd be better off dead. He vocals were completely unintelligible and had ZERO melody. I had sort of known what to expect and went in thinking it would be pretty bad, but the way he sang Rainy Day Women to open his set was ridiculous. He got a lot better as the show went forward, but he only played 4 songs that I knew, 2 of which came in the encore. He didn't utter a single word between songs. Not one (I still haven't decided whether or not this is cool). Strictly business. He came out for the encore and started with Like A Rolling Stone, one of my favorite songs ever, but it was disappointing because to me the thing that makes that song so awesome is how he wails on the line "how does it feeeeeeeelllllll". Well, needless to say, there was no wailing. I mean, the dude is over 70 years old, so I guess my expectations were too high. He closed the show with All Along the Watchtower, which totally rocked. Charlie Sexton shredded. I think that song was so awesome because it's not the type that is dominated by the vocals. Since Hendrix redid it everyone sees it more as a guitar song. Dylan would have gotten an F had it not been for at least attempting Rolling Stone (up to a C) and kicking ass on Watchtower, so he ends up with a B.

I truly thought that when Dylan left for the first time that all 3 of them (Willie, Cougar, and Dylan) would come out for the encore. I mean, imagine the three of them trading verses on Pancho and Lefty, Jack and Diane, and Like a Rolling Stone. How fucking AWESOME would that have been?! That would have made for an excellent (A+) show. Either way I had a really good time if for no other reason than I got to hang out with just my brother for 3 hours, and he's fucking hilarious. And, I got to see all those guys before they're dead. Bonus.

Short Side Rant: Musicians not playing their hits sucks and it's bullshit. I fully understand that you get sick and tired of playing the same song thousands and thousands of times. I get that. But that's what everyone is there for. If you don't want to play Jack and Diane, don't play big shows. Don't trick people. Give them what they paid for.

Well, that's enough for now. Have a great weekend.