April 2006

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On Gandhi, American Inventor, and The Seeger Sessions

My son and I watched Richard Attenborough's Gandhi last night, and it was as good as I remembered it from when I saw it in the theater 20 years ago. Basically, it's why Allah created Netflix, and remains the ultimate story of the ultimate man of peace -- a brilliant lawyer who changed the world by using nonviolence, fasting, and a vow of poverty to get Muslims, Christians, Hindus and the rest of the world to listen to his message of unconditional love.

It's timeless, and I could somehow see it showing up on a double bill with the symbiotic 'V' For Vendetta one of these strange days.

Anyway, as we watched, I learned anew the lesson of being, not doing. At one point, Gandhi (Sir Ben Kingsley, currently bit-parting as himself in The Sopranos) excuses himself from an important meeting about the future of India to help a child put a mudpack on a goat's sprained ankle. At another, he teaches Life magazine photographer Margaret Bourke-White how to spin fabric with the same attention to the moment as he would give to a speech or writing. Nothing else to report here; the simplicity of the acts themselves are the lesson.

In the background of all this last night was Thursday's installment of American Inventor, my son's favorite show. We have never once watched American Idol and we stopped watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition when Ty became too obnoxious and the sponsor-saviors formula wore thin. I try to keep my curmudgeon comments to myself when it comes to American Inventor, though, because I generally think the idea of working hard and having a dream are important.

But I'll tell you what I hate it about it here. I hate the hat-in-hand please mastah can I have the big money dynamic that the show is built on. I can't decide which I hate more: the questions from the judges that go, "What would winning this round mean to you?" (i.e., "Get down on your knees your knees and beg") or the responses from the inventors, who well up and shake and sweat and say things like, "It would change my pathetic life and I would be indebted to you and your producers' purse strings for the rest of my humble horrible days").

And there I was, a willing participant, wondering who would get to the next round. And the next night, there I was, watching Gandhi, when it occurred to me that the most popular entertainment of our day encourages us not be satisfied with the achievement at hand, but to constantly crave the NEXT and the BETTER. It takes us out of the here and now and tucks us in at night with not a feeling of peace, but a false longing for what comes next. I'm all for what Joe Strummer said ("the future is unwritten"), but these shows are no celebrations of pull-up-your-bootstrap DIY hard work; this is mass ennui being sold as the American Dream.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but we are a nation so unsatisfied with the moment and ourselves that we are constantly looking to get to the next round. As a result, all this "winning" is rendered meaningless. What a stupid way to live.

Which brings us to We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, Bruce Springsteen's beautiful new album. I was skeptical, because I am no Kool-Aid drinker when it comes to Bruce. I didn't trust the genesis of The Rising, because it felt like Springsteen was taking requests from the cheap seats ("We need you now," said the post-9/11 guy, goes the fable; "We coulda used you all through the '90s, when materialism, boy bands, and corporate greed was already choking your beloved homeland," said I), and I don't even know if I own Devils and Dust. He kicked my ass at the John Kerry fundraiser in St. Paul, put me to sleep at the Xcel with Devils and Dust tour, and I skipped his last show here -- a first for me.

I'll be at the next one. I love this record, and the DVD that comes with it. Sure, I'd like a statement record of originals, but who's to say this isn't it? To me it's all about being here and now; the "playing of music versus the making of music," as Springsteen poignantly puts it in the DVD interview.

For the listener, it's an equally rich experience. More important than the organic folk music history lesson that never weighs it down, we hear chemistries between the players being forged on the spot, drinks being had, and love and happiness staving off darkness on the edge of town.

There's a great clip on YouTube making the rounds amongst some of the Twin Cities Springsteen faithful. It's "10th Avenue Freeze-Out" from the St. Paul Civic Center in 1980, back when Bruce would tear around the stage in a suit jacket and jeans, flapping like a complete nutcase, and it was only us, singing along, having a party, being in the moment, before he and the rest of the world turned him into Jesus With A Telecaster. I sent it to my sister, who replied, "I miss the jacket."

Hey, sis. The jacket's back. Dude's happy. Horny. Singing. Celebrating his roots and the moment with fiddles and acoustic guitars and joy to the world.

I gotta go. My son just popped his head in and told me the NFL draft is coming on. "O Mary Don't You Weep" is playing. He watched the DVD with my wife and I last night, and I kept waiting for him to say he hated it because it's not Eminem or Green Day, but he just said it's his favorite song.

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 29, 2006 11:05 AM | Comments (3)

 

"Let's Impeach The President": Neil & Bruce & Bri

Hell, yes.

Photo: Tony Nelson

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 25, 2006 11:10 AM | Comments (1)

 

Spring Fever Mix II: This One's For The Ladies

(And the men who love them and the women who love men)

1. "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone," Sleater-Kinney.

2. "Robert Deniro's Waiting," Bananarama.

3. "Johnny Depp Day," Huffamoose.

4. "With David Bowie," Veruca Salt.

5. "Steve McQueen," Sheryl Crowe.

6. "Gimme Keith Richards' Blood," Smokin' Dave and the Premo Dopes.

7. "Yeats' Grave," The Cranberries.

8. "Marc Chagall," Ellis Paul.

9. "Montgomery Clift," The Clash.

10. "Don Juan," Pet Shop Boys.

11. "I Love James Brown," Cynthia Manley.

12. "Proust," The Jazz Mandolin Project.

13. "Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings," Lucinda Williams.

14. "Alex Chilton," The Replacements.

15. "Johnny's Gonna Die," The Replacements.

16. "Waiting For Brad Pitt," John Hanlon.

17. "I Think Patrick Swayze Is Sexy," Kane Holder.

18. "Casanova," Roxy Music.

19. "WWW (Marquis de Sade Mix)," Virtual Alien.

20. "Superman," R.E.M.

21. "Baldwin Brothers," Majik Most.

22. "Michael Jordan," That Dog.

23. "Billy Jack," Curtis Mayfield.

24. "Misha," Cirque du Soleil.

25. "Christ For President," Woody Guthrie, Billy Bragg, Wilco.

26. "Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down," Uncle Tupelo.

27. "Lance," Mickey Hart.

28. "Frank Sinatra," Cake.

29. "Never Lend Money To Keanu Reeves," Cortex Bomb.

30. "Jerry Lee," Didjits.

31. "Falling For Lancelot," Three Weird Sisters.

32. "Johnny Cash," Sons and Daughters.

33. "Eros," Tortoise.

34. "Hey Jack Kerouac," 10,000 Maniacs.

35. "Prince," Twitch.

36. "I'm In Love With My Computer," Dottie Burman.

37. "It's Raining Men," Weather Girls.

38. "I Wish I Was Him," Ben Lee.

39. "James K. Polk," They Might Be Giants.

40. "Woody Guthrie," A3.

41. "Clint Eastwood," Gorillaz.

42. "Brian Wilson," Barenaked Ladies.

43. "Roy Rogers," Elton John.

44. "Dancing With Joey Ramone," Amy Rigby.

45. "My Boy Elvis," Janis Martin.

46. "Jesse James," The Osbourne Brothers.

47. "Claude DeBussy," Dylan Hicks.

48. "I Love Mickey," Teresa Brewer.

49. "He Was A Friend Of Mine," The Byrds.

50. "What Would Willie Do?," Bruce Robison.

51. "Muhammad Ali," Tom Russell.

52. "Song For Woody," Bob Dylan.

53. "I Don't Think Hank Would Have Done It This Way," The Blue Chieftans.

54. "Paul Cezanne," Five Chinese Brothers.

55. "Pablo Picasso," Jonathan Richman.

56. "Pretty Boy Floyd," Woodie Guthrie.

57. "Joe Strummer," Cowboy Mouth.

58. "Encyclopedia Brown," Carp 18.

59. "Buddy Holly," Weezer.

60. "Andy Warhol," David Bowie.

61. "I Want To Be George Clooney," MO'Drums.

62. "Basquiat," Otto.

63. "Marlboro Man," Disneyland After Dark.

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 22, 2006 12:21 PM | Comments (10)

 

Spring Fever Mix: This One's For The Fellas

(And the women who love them and the women who love women).

1. "Jean Arthur," Robbie Fulks.

2. "Ingrid Bergman," Woody Guthrie, Billy Bragg, Wilco.

3. "Natalie Portman," Ozma.

4. "Nancy Sinatra," Bottle Rockets.

5. "Halle Berry," Dizzy Miles.

6. "Amy Grant," Young Fresh Fellows.

7. "Venus," Steve Wynn.

8. "Angel Of Harlem," U2.

9. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge," Nirvana.

10. "Diane Arbus," Weba Garretson.

11. "Joan Jett Of Arc," Clem Snide.

12. "Isis," Bob Dylan.

13. "Flannery O'Connor," Simon Joyner.

14. "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem," Peter Murphy.

15. "The New Ronnie Spector," The Breakup Society.

16. "Emma Goldman," Adam East & Kris Deelane.

17. "Frida Kahlo," Rachel's.

18. "Lucinda Williams," Vic Chesnutt.

19. "Take, Take, Take," White Stripes.

20. "The Secret Life Of Emily Dickinson," Robert Deeble.

21. "Call Kim Gordon," Bunny Brains.

22. "Katarina Witt," Social Unrest.

23. "Grace Kelly Blues," Eels.

24. "Dreamworld," The Leatherwoods.

25. "Bonnie Parker's Ballad," Laura Blackley Band.

26. "That Bangle Girl," Robbie Fulks.

27. "Sylvia Plath," Nineteen Forty-Five.

28. "Who Killed Norma Jean?," Pete Seeger.

29. "I Wanna Fuck Britney Spears," The Springfields.

30. "June Carter," The Jesus Chords.

31. "Jackie Onassis," Human Sexual Response.

32. "Anne Sexton," Jenn Lindsay.

33. "Nancy Drew," Bruce Rundman.

34. "Song of Bernadette," Leonard Cohen.

35. "Patti Smith Math Scratch," Thurston Moore.

36. "Sinead O'Connor On TV," Alice Donut.

37. "Amelia Earhart," Freakwater.

38. "I Danced With Kate Moss," Baskervilles.

39. "I Bow Down To Every Woman I Meet," Chuck Prophet.

40. "Who Killed Marilyn?," The Misfits.

41. "Condi, Condi," Steve Earle.

42. "Natalie Portman," Ozma.

43. "Loretta," Neko Case.

44. "Miss Williams' Guitar," The Jayhawks.

45. "Mata Hari Dress," Marlee Macleod.

46. "The Mary Martin Show," The New Pornographers.

47. "Ana Voog Is Sleeping," Rank Strangers.

48. "Cindy C.," Prince.

49. "Bette Davis Eyes," Kim Carnes.

50. "Stevie Nicks," The Hold Steady.

51. "Joan Crawford," Blue Oyster Cult.

52. "Maria Bartiromo," Joey Ramone.

53. "Donna Summer Song," New Duncan Imperials.

54. "The Power Of Mariah Carey's Pussy," Vasoline Tuner.

55. "Mary Magdelene," Patty Larkin.

56. "Annie Get Your Gun," Squeeze.

57. "Joan Of Arc," OMD.

58. "Philadelphia Freedom," Elton John.

59. "Rosa Parks," Outkast.

60. "Cleopatra," Adam and the Ants.

61. "Lady Madonna," The Beatles.

62. "St. Teresa," Joan Osborne.

63. "Candle In The Wind," Elton John.

64. "Crackle and Drag," Paul Westerberg.

65. "Isabel," Unrest.

66. "If Shania Was Mine," Cletus T. Judd.

67. "Mary," Langhorne Slim.

68. "Song For Nico," Marianne Faithful.

69. "Myrna Loy," The Minus Five.

70. "Judy Garland," Big Ditch Road.

71. "Anna Kournikova," Tin Hat Trio.

72. "Isadora Duncan," Vic Chesnutt.

73. "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee," Less Than Jake.

74. "V," Golden Smog.

75. "Doris Days," Tom Leach.

76. "Pam Grier," Dizzy Miles.

77. "Julie Newmar," 40 Watt Moon.

78. "Cameron Diaz," Bitter Little Dutchboy.

79. "Why Winona Why," The Kennedys.

80. "Aretha Sing One For Me," George Jackson.

81. "Erica Kane," Urge Overkill.

82. "A Girl Like Emmylou," Southern Pacific..

83. "Marie Provost," Nick Lowe.

84. "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child," Mojo Nixon.

85. "Red Headed Woman," Bruce Springsteen.

86. "Claudette," The Everly Brothers.

87. "Rosanna," Toto.

88. "Roller Girls," The Soviettes.

89. "Angelina Jolie," Cord Stone.

90. "Marlene On The Wall," Suzanne Vega.

91. "Joanie Loves Johnny," Screaching Weasel.

92. "Jean Harlow," Led Belly.

93. "Natalie Portman," Ozma.

94. "What Holds The World Together," American Music Club.

95. "Oh Yoko," John Lennon.

96. "Pocahontas," Neil Young.

97. "Lana Turner," Murray Head.

98. "Patty Duke Y'all," Patty Duke.

99. "Julie Christie," Sunshone Still.

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 19, 2006 4:42 PM | Comments (29)

 

Two A-Lists I Wrote For Two Good Gigs But I Missed The Deadline Because I Am Lame

Dedicated to my fallen brethren in blurbage Robert Christgau and Chuck Eddy

Friday 21
Rhett Miller
I didn't love Miller's solo bow The Instigator or the Old '97's most recent outing Drag It Up; both had the sounds-good-no-songs malady that thankfully is not the case on Miller's perfectly lovable sophomore stomp, The Believer. It kicks off with "My Valentine," a sex-during-wartime anthem for lovers of love and spring flingers everywhere. From there it bleeds into "Help Me, Suzanne" (the best "S"-song since St. Leonard's "Suzanne") and a whole bunch of tunes about love, sex and the universe that sound especially rich and fertile in this, the fecund season. For instance, on "Meteor Shower," the honeycomb-throated singer pines, "Love gets you in the gut/Takes the top off of your head/And makes you wish that you were dead." Sure enough, but with tunage like this to die along to, it can also make you feel mighty glad to (still) be alive. With Garrison Starr. $15; 8 p.m., First Avenue, 701 N. First Avenue, Mpls.; 612.338.8388.--Jim Walsh

Tuesday 25
Ike Reilly and Phil Karnatz

Reilly's band the Assassination is back home in Chicago after a tour of the East, Southeast, and Southwest. The fivesome's stop in Austin, Texas included a three-hour post-bar jam on the IRA tour bus with partyboy and massive Reilly fan Lance Armstrong on vocals and tequila. Look for a similar slapdash vibe tonight, as Reilly and guitarist Phil Karnatz takes a solo turn in support of his new online acoustic release The Last Demonstration, before heading into the studio to record a new record which Reilly reports will go for a decidedly punk-soul vibe. Openers to be announced. $15; 8 p.m., Turf Club, Snelling and University, St. Paul. 651.647.0486--Jim Walsh

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 19, 2006 9:25 AM | Comments (0)

 

Barack Obama, 4/8/06, St. Louis Park, MN

"The audacity of hope."
--Amy Klobuchar

"Have you had it with the okey-doke?"
--Barack Obama

A big Mark Kennedy fan.

Henry, Helen, Barack.

Danny!

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 8, 2006 10:09 PM | Comments (4)

 

Mates Of State

Filed under: This Week's Wordage

This is such a beautiful thing.

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 8, 2006 9:40 AM | Comments (0)

 

Rosie Thomas, Turf Club, 4/5/06

Photos courtesy of Clown Lounge Dave:

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 7, 2006 9:42 AM | Comments (0)

 

The Rosie Thomas Summer Of Love

Filed under: This Week's Wordage , This Week's Wordage

"Jesus Christ."

That's what I said to my friend Dennis, who'd bought me a ticket to see Rosie Thomas at the Turf Club earlier tonight, one song into her set. From the first notes it was apparent that Thomas was something like a descendent of Emily Dickinson whose sparse lyrics and angelic voice said more about love and the world we live in than any late-night beer-soddened blogger could ever hope to.

I said the "J.C." invocation a few more times, but not that many, because the Turf was quieter than I can ever remember it being and no one wanted to break the spell. She spoke in a high-pitched voice that I'm sure has been compared to Olive Oyl in the past, but all I could think of was that she must be shy and that she's had to get over all that to to sing like she does, like a shaman.

Which is what she is, nothing less, and which is what I called her when I was taking a piss in the Turf bathroom afterwards. Another barfly broke our pissing silence by saying, "'Good' doesn't even begin to do it." I said she was a shaman, and I never say that about anyone because I think those people are sacred and special and I do not toss that word around lightly.

Rosie Thomas sang about love last night and asked if she was the only one who isn't a cynic. I always think those are worthy things to sing about, and worthy questions to ask. Matt, a guy whose opinion I've always trusted (we both skipped Maria Taylor for Rosie Thomas tonight) put it this way as I was getting in line to buy a T-shirt: "One out of 50."

Meaning that one out of 50 shows you see are that transcendent, magical, meaningful, powerful, soul-shaking, etc. And quietly so. Best of all, quietly so. You had to be listening. You had to be paying attention. "I love people, and music," she said late in the night, and that much was evident.

I looked around the bar several times during the hour-long set, and saw people slumped in their booths and chairs, as if they'd been sucker-punched by a TRUTH, or the memory of someone they'd loved and lost. (All the while she reminded me of Keith Harris's Gogol Bordello A-list, which said, "Live, the band's ecstasy and anarchy generate a delirium that your life will be immeasurably poorer for not experiencing")

In fact, all the songs Rosie and her band played seemed to be about lost love, or idealized love, but not in a mopey-dopey way; rather, in the "I miss you and you were the best I ever had but I had to move on because you wouldn't be with me" way.

Which is to say she's tough. She's learned some shit. She said she's coming back in the summer. Here's to the summer of love and here's her tour itinerary. Drop everything:

Date Location Venue Comments
2006-04-05 St. Paul, MN Turf Club W/ Luke Temple
2006-04-06 Madison, WI Cafe Montmartre
2006-04-07 Chicago, IL Schubas
2006-04-08 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College Fine Arts Center
2006-04-09 Detroit, MI Magic Bag
2006-04-11 Cambridge, MA The Lily Pad 7pm sharp....early show!
2006-04-12 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
2006-04-13 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
2006-04-14 Vienna, VA Jammin' Java Early show, Rosie on at 7:30 p.m.
2006-04-15 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe Live
2006-04-16 Newport, KY Southgate House - Parlor
2006-04-18 Springfield, MO The Belmonte
2006-04-19 Kansas City The Record Bar
2006-04-21 Denver, CO Hi-Dive
2006-05-13 Seattle, WA Triple Door

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 6, 2006 1:53 AM | Comments (2)

 

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 5, 2006 9:41 AM | Comments (1)

 

Loving Chuck Berry and Best. Graffiiti. Ever.

I've been listening to Chuck Berry almost exclusively over the last few days. It's like a new/old (BIG DUH) discovery -- cat's a genius songwriter and guitarist, and the sound of those records are so fun and crazy-haunting; from a time when underground music truly was underground. Yum.

I'm proud to say I danced with the man on stage one night -- 1978, at Thumper's in Coon Rapids. We'd been waiting all night for him to come on, and he finally showed up at the club's side door, guitar in hand, hired band churning away on stage. He got up and did 35 minutes or so, and invited "one boy and one girl up here."

I was with my brother, so I grabbed the hand of the nearest girl I could find and jumped up there. He was doing "Reelin' and Rockin.'" I promptly ditched the girl and danced with Chuck. He played that beautiful red hollow-body to me, making that beautiful Chuck grimace-smirk the whole time. Lucky me.

Hey, speaking of great Chucks, Chuck Lofey and I (read our interviews here and here) will be filling in for Tommy Mischke this Thursday (5:30 -- 7:30) on KSTP-AM, if you're interested. I want to talk about last night's Sopranos episode, which veered into an existential bent that I believe Chuck will have much to say about.

This week's 20:

1. "Reelin' and Rockin'," Chuck Berry.
2. "Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller," Chuck Berry.
3. "Around and Around," Chuck Berry.
4. "Maybellene," Chuck Berry.
5. "Thirty Days," Chuck Berry.
6. "Sweet Little Sixteen," Chuck Berry.
7. "Carol," Chuck Berry.
8. "Let It Rock," Chuck Berry.
9. "No Particular Place To Go," Chuck Berry.
10. "Little Queenie," Chuck Berry.
11. "Johnny B. Goode," Chuck Berry.
12. "Thirty Days," Chuck Berry.
13. "Rock and Roll Music," Chuck Berry.
14. "Memphis," Chuck Berry.
15. "Bye Bye Johnny," Chuck Berry.
16. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," Chuck Berry.
17. "Almost Grown," Chuck Berry.
18. "Back In The U.S.A.," Chuck Berry.
19. "Come On," Chuck Berry.
20. "Nadine," Chuck Berry.

Took this picture last night:

Linden Hills basketball court, South Minneapolis. April 2, 2006. http://www.vampirefreaks.com

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 3, 2006 12:11 AM | Comments (6)

 

Green Day To The Rescue

Green Day to the rescue.

Posted by Jim Walsh at April 1, 2006 9:16 AM | Comments (1)

 

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