Weird Al Yankovic, an idol of mine since 1984’s “Dare To Be Stupid” album, is releasing a new single on iTunes tomorrow…a parody of a song that is currently #1 on the charts.
According to his Myspace blog, this is a first for Al, as he typically must wait a couple years to release a parody on an album that takes many months to record, mix, master and release. Thanks to modern technology and his recent “White & Nerdy” video being a HUGE Internet smash, he got this whole project done (from permission to release) whittled down to an insane two weeks.
Musicians claiming to be losing money because of the Internet are now considered lazy in my book.
Toadies are some hard-rockin’ Texans, and could technically be classified as a 90’s alt-rock one-hit-wonder. They’re only legit hit (”Possum Kingdom”) is a staple amongst mix tapes depicting that era, and is now enjoyed by nerd-fans on the earlier levels of Guitar Hero II. The song is the fourth track on their album Rubberneck, which was released in August of 1994, right when I started my Senior year of high school. I think it’s safe to say that album is tied for first (along with Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream and Pearl Jam’s .vs) in the number of minutes spent in my CD player around that crucial period in my adult development.
I’ve seen Toadies twice in concert. The first time was when they opened for (Dave Navarro-era) Red Hot Chili Peppers at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. I drove from Susanville to Sacto with my friend Nathan, his GF (now-wife) Shawna, and Nathan’s mom Sue. We got a decent motel room and proceeded to get literally smashed in the roughest pit I’ve ever experienced. Toadies’ pit…not RHCP’s! If rock n’ roll could cause destruction, the cleanup bill would be sent to Toadies. They don’t sound too harsh on their albums, but their live guitars just shred beyond belief.
The second time was at the Crystal Ballroom in 2000 or 2001. I got tickets from their record label (college radio hook-up) and took two fellow KSLC‘ers who didn’t follow the band like I did, but I’m sure they appreciated the free trip from McMinnville to Portland and back on someone else’s dime. Again, Toadies rocked so hard they knocked out one of my contact lenses. (OK, so maybe that was caused by some douche-tron in the pit, but I like my version better.) Toadies were now 2-for-2. Sadly, they broke up right after this tour.
Present day: an era of rock reunions hell-bent on proving that most of today’s music is awful and fans are willing to pay good money to see the bands they loved way back when. Toadies released their new album No Deliverance this week on a small indie label and are touring this fall. They’re coming to Portland on September 20th @ the Hawthorne Theater. Will this band go 3-for-3? I’ll be sure to blog about it here if they do.
For those readers who need a refresher on this band (most likely Tracy’s co-workers, who are probably too young to have even heard of this band), watch this:
PS–I’m not trying to earn rock points or show my age here. If it makes anyone feel better, I also bought the Katy Perry album today. Any points earned are now lost.
Some random thoughts and plugs before we head to the urban stronghold known as Vernonia for the weekend.
1. Tragedy: An All Metal Tribute to the Bee-Gees
It’s exactly what it you would think it sounds like, and it’s every bit as awesome you want it to be. Combine all the best parts of AC/DC, Dio and Black Sabbath, throw in some gold chains and jumpsuits, and there you go! I’ve been listening to them for a few weeks now and I can’t stop. Get their music on iTunes.
2. Portland to bid for an MLS team.
As members of the Timbers Army, we would love to see Portland get a 2nd pro sports team. We’re not big enough to support NFL. Baseball is years away. Hockey can’t draw flies. And Portland just happens to be a soccer town. I’d call it destiny. Timbers owner Merritt Paulson announced today that he is submitting a bid for one of two MLS expansion teams to begin in 2011. Hopefully the community will come together and show MLS that Portland is exactly what they need.
3. Oregon Brewers Festival recap
It was PACKED!! I only made it to the South Tent this year. Missed out on a lot of good beer. I volunteered as a pourer on Saturday, and determined that this was no place to be while sober. Add about 10K drunken frat boys (with no interest in the beer, only its effects) to the mix and I was miserable.
You guessed it. We did more work on the house this weekend. But it wasn’t just the new bathroom getting all the love. As you probably know by now, we laid down the concrete board (a.k.a. Wonderboard) for the new tile. We also finished the drywall by running it through a hopper and air-hose combo that is incredibly messy and hardly a one-man job.
Jim in our ”workstation” (driveway) deciding which tool is best for the next round of creation / destruction.
Cutting the wonderboard…it’s dusty. ’nuff said.
Kids…always be safe with your tools.
The 2nd bathroom as it sits today. Primer and paint going on later this week. Tile and vanity in two weeks.
Since some jobs in the bathroom were better off being completed by one person, Jim introduced me to the magical world of installing trim. I gotta say…I LOVE it! It’s easy, and it comes with instant gratification. Jim had already put new trim in the entry way many moons ago, so now it was my turn to put it in the kitchen and dining room.
Look carefully and you can see the ugly pink color that used to coat the entire wall. Ugh!
Captain Harry Armsmith dismantles the old trim.
New trim in place on the pantry and kitchen door going into the laundry room.
New trim on the kitchen window looking into the back yard.
While Jim and I slaved away inside, Tracy and Georgia did some shopping for vanities, fixtures, and other random stuff (and groceries since Tracy and I can’t seem to do that ourselves during the week). They also did some outdoor work thanks to the lack of rain.
I don’t know the name of this flower, but it’s in the front yard near the hose.
Yeah, I don’t know the name of these either. And since Tracy doesn’t blog, your stuck with my lack of knowledge.
Since the ladies were tending to the yard, the guard gnomes decided to take a make-out break.
Tracy gets all arty and crafty at times. She was inspired to make this piece for the Spring.
Our neighbor’s dog sneaks a peek to see how the progress is…uh…progressing.
Finally, I left around 11:30 on Sunday for Seattle to see my favorite band (and former employers) The Vandals. It’s rare for them to tour anymore outside of Southern CA when they’re not on the Warped Tour. But they got an offer to tour Australia with Pennywise in April, which means large venues and lots of fans wanting a professional show, not a band who hasn’t played in a long time. So The Vandals decided to do some short weekend tours around the country for a few weeks as a warmup. The closest one to me was last night in Seattle, so I decided to take a day off work and make the trip. The place was packed and ready to be entertained.
My former boss (and current morning radio host on LA’s Indie 103) Joe Escalante plays bass and is normally the quiet one on stage.
There were signs in the venue that said “No Stage Diving” and “No Crowd Surfing,” but I guess kids in Seattle can’t read.
By the end of the show, the fans were obviously very pumped.
I took this video of the end of the show, when singer Dave and guitarist Warren traditionally switch duties. They’re covering of of the better Queen songs “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Always a great closer.
This weekend started with us and Tracy’s folks tackling the entry and soon-to-be bathroom. With limited workspace space thanks to a garage full of trim, tools and 2X4’s, not to mention the rain, I got to break in the new mitre saw (with adjustable LASER!) with excellent results.
After knocking out a space for a door in the entry way, we started installing wainscoting in there. Jim (Tracy’s Dad) and I cut the pieces and nailed it to the wall, followed by Tracy and Georgia (her Mom) painting. Thankfully the pieces were already primered, saving us a day on painting.
We also tore down the sheetrock in the garage bumpout / makeshift office, created for some unknown reason by either the previous or previous-previous owners. This will be converted into the new bathroom soon. We can’t wait because we’re not used to having only one shower available to us, so we’re very motivated for this particular project to be done.
Now onto the photos!!
Entry Way: Before
Top: New paint color (some kind of tan or light brown).
Bottom: old paint color (some kind of awful).
Bottom-right: Wainscoting (just white primer, soon to be just white paint).
Entry Way: Paint on the top, a rug, a panel of wainscoting, a mirror, and my shoes.
Behind the wall: cutting out the door from the future bathroom into the entry.
HOT WOOD-CHOPPING ACTION!
Looking from the living room, Jim and I installing panels.
Tracy painting some panelling.
Those hard-working Forresters.
Entry Way: After #1
Entry Way: After #2 (better view of the new door)
After a full Saturday of sawing and nail-gunning, I was lucky enough to be offered a free ticket to see the semi-reunited Van Halen at the Rose Garden. My pal Aaron and I got a head-start at the Widmer Gasthaus (where they have a dessert beer that’s not too bad) prior to the show. Diamond Dave and Eddie Van Halen appear to be getting along fine. If they aren’t, then they deserve Oscars for their on-stage demeanor. Dave can’t spin-kick as high as he used to, but the dude’s in his 50’s, so I’ll let it slide. Alex Van Halen looked old in the 80’s, so I can’t really say he’s aged all that much. Eddie is off the drink and drugs, so he looks healthy and can still shred as if he was born with a guitar in his arms (his poor mother!). The big surprise for me was Eddie’s 16-year-old son Wolfgang on bass. Once thought to be irreplaceable for superb bass-playing AND background vocals, kicked-out bassist Michael Anthony does have an equal out there, and it’s purely coincidence that he just happens to be named Van Halen. Despite being an awkward teenager playing in front of leather-clad hot moms with their own teenage kids in tow, Wolfgang proved he really is more than capable of filling some very big shoes. And with a name like Wolfgang Van Halen, how could he not be?
View of Van Halen from the 300’s:
Next week: probably some work on the new bathroom.
