#Ethan Eubanks

[youtwitinmyface]

MIKE (Tyson) on Hulu

MIKE (Tyson) on Hulu

Written by Steven Rogers, Keisha Zollar, Darnell Brown, Karin Gist, Samantha Corbin-Miller, Mando Alvarado, Anthony Sparks Directed by Craig Gillespie, Tiffany Johnson, Director X Airing on Hulu, MIKE is a miniseries consisting of 8 half-hour episodes detailing the life and times (and crimes) of Iron Mike Tyson, the former professional boxer once known as the baddest man on the planet. I grew up…

[fictionz]

New Fiction 2024 - March

Dark Disciple by Christie Golden (2015)

I couldn't binge SW without going to the library like the old days to grab one of the recent EU novels. This one continues the Asajj Ventress arc that was cut from the final Clone Wars seasons, and I'm ambivalent about the course of events. But it looks like I chose the perfect time to read it because the final season of The Bad Batch will address things that annoyed me about the ending.

Cathedral by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels (2002)

It was feeling a bit shaky in the previous novel (This Gray Spirit) with a lot of time spent on less interesting nuance, but this novel saves this short series by trimming off the expositional fat and keeping up the pace. The cliffhanger ending was fantastic and I've been jittery waiting until I can move on to the next one.

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville (1851)

Herman, pal, I know what you were going for with the middle 2/3 of this book, but that really should've been a standalone expansion. Tolkien (or maybe his editors) knew to leave that to its own thing. In any case, WHAT A BOOK. How is this from the mid-1800s? Great beginning, great ending, interesting middle for those who can get through the instructional texts on whales and whaling.

"leave your laundry on the floor for them" by Pocketss (2024)

It's good to recycle.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor dev. Respawn Entertainment (2023)

I miss some of the more alien environments from the first game. They definitely borrowed spaghetti western cues from Mandalorian for this, and you see below how much I gripe about that show's influence. Cal's still kind of a dud. But it's great overall. What a fun, huge, expensive-looking game. How does any SW developer going forward beat this?!

Drive-Away Dolls dir. Ethan Coen (2024)

It's reaching out toward those 90s crime comedies the Coens had going, but just kinda falls short. I can't put a finger on what exactly is missing. Maybe it doesn't go far enough?

Madame Web dir. S.J. Clarkson (2024)

One of those laugh-at-the-dialogue-that-isn't-meant-to-be-funny affairs.

Perfect Days dir. Wim Wenders (2024)

I've over the moon for this movie. Just perfect in every way. I felt it in my bones, watched it ten times at theaters all over the area as I chased down showtimes, and I'll gladly watch it again.

The Peasants dir. DK Welchman & Hugh Welchman (2024)

Holy crap, I missed Loving Vincent but this makes me wanna go and check that out, because this animation technique is gorgeous. All of the performances were great, too.

Stopmotion dir. Robert Morgan (2024)

Stopmotion, puppets, horror, madness. It's a perfect combination.

The Taste of Things dir. Tran Anh Hung (2024)

I haven't seen food shot this beautifully since Food Wars.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training dir. Haruo Sotozaki (2024)

Never watched an episode before and I can say that was a helluva fight.

Maestro dir. Bradley Cooper (2023)

Man, I mean, he did it, he sure damn did it, but should he have?

Land of Bad dir. William Eubank (2024)

When the shit hits the fan.

Imaginary dir. Jeff Wadlow (2024)

I was in from the get-go, but it did need a certain something. Maybe 25% more creepy toys.

Love Lies Bleeding dir. Rose Glass (2024)

You'll think you know where it's going but it does not go there.

The American Society of Magical Negroes dir. Kobi Libii (2024)

Justice Smith and An-Li Bogan did amazing work in The American Society of Magical Negroes. Everyone in the cast and crew, really, but they portrayed a lot of complicated feelings and fears with aplomb and also had a really sweet romantic scene that got to me like no romantic scene in recent memory. I fell for Bogan’s character just like Smith’s character did. (And they respond to that by the end.)

Shayda dir. Noora Niasari (2023)

Scheming and plotting to convince my higher-ups to cast Zar Amir Ebrahimi in any of our projects because I just wanna see her cast in more stuff.

One Life dir. James Hawes (2023)

More than most of us.

Problemista dir. Julio Torres (2024)

When there's no choice but to suffer and no one will understand.

Luca dir. Enrico Casarosa (2021)

Oh, this is just The Little Mermaid retold (affectionate).

Late Night with the Devil dir. Cameron Cairnes & Colin Cairnes (2024)

They needed more insanity and a higher frequency of it.

Immaculate dir. Michael Mohan (2024)

Whoa BUDDY, props to Sweeney for going for it in the end.

Exhuma dir. Jang Jae Hyun (2024)

I feel like I'm missing a critical cultural understanding here to get past my tepid response.

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 dir. Rhys Frake-Waterfield (2024)

I didn't need to do this again.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire dir. Adam Wingard (2024)

Closing in on minimal humans and maximum giant monsters.

The Bad Batch - Season 2 (2023)

Yep, nailed it. They have great character moments here and it continues the tradition of "oh the clones are more interesting than most everyone else."

Andor (2022)

First half is two thumbs up, second half is one shaky thumb up. Big Mandalorian vibes with the whole return from whence you came narrative arc. I'd like to see them break away from Favreau's influence (I unfairly pin the live action ups and downs on him).

The Mandalorian - Season 3 (2023)

It's getting weird with the father figure thing. And it's befuddling when one has to catch a different show to understand key beats in Mandalorian and Grogu's story. Hype status for more seasons is low.

Ahsoka (2023)

The get-togethers are fun, but it meanders a bit and the ending was a headscratcher. Great combat and Star Wars-iness though. I'd come back for more with a hopeful glint in my eye.

Star Wars Resistance (2018-2020)

They could've had something good here, but they really whiffed most of season 1. It starts to get good at the end of s1 and maybe through half of s2, but then they seemed to tie things up hastily when they knew they were getting cancelled. Can't recommend. :(

Tales of the Jedi (2022)

Anthology Star Wars?! Anthology Star Wars!! They make me care about characters from the movies that meant nothing to me, as is Filoni and co's way.

Star Wars: Visions (2021-2023)

MORE anthology Star Wars?!! And "Screecher's Reach" in the second season kinda wrecked me. Just typing this out makes me think of it again and the tears well. It's from the Secret of Kells studio and it's just a phenomenal short. Both anthology shows are must-watch.

The Outer Limits - Volume 2 (1964)

I'm surprised how little of this first season carries through to the 90s revival that I love so much.

[celtalks]

February 2024’s Most Anticipated Hollywood Films: A Preview of Cinematic Delights

As January draws to a close, the anticipation for captivating stories on the silver screen intensifies. Hollywood aficionados are gearing up for a month brimming with diverse cinematic experiences. From spellbinding thrillers to heartwarming dramas, February 2024 promises an array of blockbusters that are bound to enthrall audiences worldwide. Let's dive into the lineup of February 2024’s most anticipated Hollywood films, each offering a unique journey into the realms of imagination and emotion.

Argylle: Unraveling a Twisted Spy Thriller

Matthew Vaughn's latest creation takes audiences on a rollercoaster ride through the intricate world of espionage. In "Argylle," the lines between fiction and reality blur as author Elly Conway finds herself entangled in a web of real-life espionage. With a star-studded cast including Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, and John Cena, this peculiar spy thriller is set to hit theaters on February 2, 2024, promising an adrenaline-fueled adventure like no other.

Lisa Frankenstein: A Wicked Tale of Love and Horror

Prepare to be spellbound by a wicked love story like never before in "Lisa Frankenstein." Directed by Zelda Williams and penned by Diablo Cody, this horror comedy transports audiences to 1989, where a teenage girl's unconventional crush takes a terrifying turn when her beloved Victorian-era corpse comes to life. Starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, this twisted tale of romance and horror is slated for release on February 9, 2024, promising thrills and chills in equal measure.

Madame Web: Marvel's Psychic Superhero Takes Center Stage

Marvel Comics' iconic character Cassandra Webb, aka Madame Web, leaps from the pages to the big screen in this highly anticipated superhero film. Directed by SJ Clarkson and starring Dakota Johnson, "Madame Web" follows Webb as she navigates her psychic powers to protect three young women with extraordinary futures while confronting a cryptic enemy from her past. Set for release on February 14, 2024, this action-packed adventure is a must-watch for comic book enthusiasts and moviegoers alike.

Bob Marley: One Love - A Tribute to a Musical Legend

Reinaldo Marcus Green's heartfelt tribute to the legendary Bob Marley chronicles the inspiring journey of the Jamaican singer and songwriter. With Kingsley Ben-Adir portraying the iconic musician, "Bob Marley: One Love" promises to celebrate Marley's enduring legacy and musical genius. Set for release on February 14, 2024, this biographical drama is a testament to Marley's impact on music and culture worldwide.

Land of Bad: An Action-Packed Thriller Set in the Philippines

Director William Eubank's pulse-pounding action thriller takes audiences on a high-stakes mission in the "Land of Bad." Starring Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, this adrenaline-fueled adventure follows a USAF drone pilot tasked with supporting a US Army Delta team in the Philippines, only to encounter an unexpected threat that sends the mission spiraling out of control. Set for release on February 16, 2024, "Land of Bad" promises edge-of-your-seat excitement and suspense.

Drive-Away Dolls: A Comedy Road Thriller with Unexpected Twists

Director Ethan Coen delivers a wild ride with "Drive-Away Dolls," a comedy road thriller packed with unexpected twists and turns. Starring Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan as two girls embarking on an impromptu road trip, this uproarious adventure takes a dramatic turn when a car exchange gone wrong entangles them with a group of criminals. With a star-studded ensemble cast including Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon, "Drive-Away Dolls" is set to keep audiences on the edge of their seats when it debuts on February 23, 2024.

Ordinary Angels: A Heartwarming Tale of Compassion and Community

Jon Gunn's touching drama "Ordinary Angels" brings to life a true story of compassion and community in 1994 Louisville, Kentucky. Starring Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson, this uplifting narrative follows a hairdresser named Sharon Stevens as she extends a helping hand to a widower and his daughters in their time of need. Set for release on February 23, 2024, "Ordinary Angels" promises to inspire and uplift audiences with its message of kindness and resilience. As February approaches, cinephiles eagerly await the release of these diverse and captivating films, each offering a unique cinematic experience that promises to entertain, inspire, and resonate with audiences around the world. From heart-pounding thrillers to heartwarming dramas, February 2024 is poised to deliver an unforgettable lineup of Hollywood blockbusters that are not to be missed. Read the full article

[azharniaz]

Happy Birthday to you | Gift for your birthday | Ethan Eubanks l

[daikenkki]

US Open 2023 - Men's Singles Draw

Carlos Alcaraz (1) (ESP) vs Dominik Koepfer (GER)

Lloyd Harris (PR) (RSA) vs Guido Pella (PR) (ARG)

Botic Van de Zandschulp (NED) vs Jordan Thompson (AUS)

Daniel Elahi Galan (COL) vs Daniel Evans (26) (GBR)

Tallon Griekspoor (24) (NED) vs Arthur Fils (FRA)

Jason Kubler (AUS) vs Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)

Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) vs Yu Hsiou Hsu (Q) (TPE)

Alexander Shevchenko vs Cameron Norrie (16) (GBR)

Alexander Zverev (12) (GER) vs Aleksandar Vukic (AUS)

Daniel Altmaier (GER) vs Constant Lestienne (FRA)

Andy Murray (GBR) vs Corentin Moutet (FRA)

Alex Molcan (SVK) vs Grigor Dimitrov (19) (BUL)

Tomas Martin Etcheverry (30) (ARG) vs Otto Virtanen (Q) (FIN)

Stan Wawrinka (SUI) vs Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN)

Nicolas Moreno De Alboran (Q) (USA) vs Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)

Yannick Hanfmann (GER) vs Jannik Sinner (6) (ITA)

Daniil Medvedev (3) vs Attila Balazs (PR) (HUN)

Max Purcell (AUS) vs Christopher O'Connell (AUS)

Kei Nishikori (PR) (JPN) vs Felipe Meligeni Alves (Q) (BRA)

Sebastian Baez (ARG) vs Borna Coric (27) (CRO)

Nicolas Jarry (23) (CHI) vs Luca Van Assche (FRA)

Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs Alex Michelsen (WC) (USA)

Yibing Wu (CHN) vs Dusan Lajovic (SRB)

Timofey Skatov (Q) (KAZ) vs Alex De Minaur (13) (AUS)

Karen Khachanov (11) vs Michael Mmoh (WC) (USA)

Facundo Diaz Acosta (ARG) vs John Isner (WC) (USA)

Radu Albot (MDA) vs Jack Draper (GBR)

Marc-Andrea Huesler (SUI) vs Hubert Hurkacz (17) (POL)

Ugo Humbert (29) (FRA) vs Matteo Berrettini (ITA)

Diego Schwartzman (ARG) vs Arthur Rinderknech (FRA)

Taro Daniel (Q) (JPN) vs Gael Monfils (PR) (FRA)

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) vs Andrey Rublev (8)

Casper Ruud (5) (NOR) vs Emilio Nava (Q) (USA)

J.J. Wolf (USA) vs Zhizhen Zhang (CHN)

Rinky Hijikata (WC) (AUS) vs Pavel Kotov

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) vs Sebastian Korda (31) (USA)

Adrian Mannarino (22) (FRA) vs Yosuke Watanuki (JPN)

Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs Fabian Marozsan (HUN)

Sebastian Ofner (AUT) vs Nuno Borges (POR)

Learner Tien (WC) (USA) vs Frances Tiafoe (10) (USA)

Tommy Paul (14) (USA) vs Stefano Travaglia (Q) (ITA)

Roman Safiullin vs Marco Cecchinato (ITA)

Ilya Ivashka vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG)

Marcos Giron (USA) vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (21) (ESP)

Alexander Bublik (25) (KAZ) vs Dominic Thiem (AUT)

Pedro Cachin (ARG) vs Ben Shelton (USA)

Aslan Karatsev vs Jiri Lehecka (CZE)

Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) vs Holger Rune (4) (DEN)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (7) (GRE) vs Milos Raonic (PR) (CAN)

Dominic Stricker (Q) (SUI) vs Alexei Popyrin (AUS)

Quentin Halys (FRA) vs Benjamin Bonzi (WC) (FRA)

Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) vs Christopher Eubanks (28) (USA)

Lorenzo Musetti (18) (ITA) vs Titouan Droguet (Q) (FRA)

Jakub Mensik (Q) (CZE) vs Gregoire Barrere (FRA)

Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) vs Juan Pablo Varillas (PER)

Steve Johnson (WC) (USA) vs Taylor Fritz (9) (USA)

Felix Auger-Aliassime (15) (CAN) vs Mackenzie McDonald (USA)

Hugo Dellien (PR) (BOL) vs Borna Gojo (Q) (CRO)

Jiri Vesely (PR) (CZE) vs Enzo Couacaud (Q) (FRA)

Zachary Svajda (Q) (USA) vs Francisco Cerundolo (20) (ARG)

Laslo Djere (32) (SRB) vs Brandon Nakashima (USA)

Sho Shimabukuro (Q) (JPN) vs Hugo Gaston (Q) (FRA)

Bernabe Zapata Miralles (ESP) vs Ethan Quinn (WC) (USA)

Alexandre Muller (FRA) vs Novak Djokovic (2) (SRB)

[mytastessuck]

Dred Foxx (feat. Ethan Eubanks): Toasty Buns

Parappa The Rapper 2 is better than the first Parappa. Fight me.

Need evidence? Take the above song where a dog boy gets in a rap battle with a ghost in a kitchen. Show this at the Source Awards and everyone will lost their damn minds.

Song Score: 1758/10

[musicveinuk]

Review: Sunny Ozell - Driving Highways

Review: Sunny Ozell – Driving Highways

Sunny Ozell takes everyone to church with ethereal, gospel-tinged track ‘Driving Highways’, from forth-coming album ‘Overnight Lows’ due out in 2020.

The album, written by Sunny and a community of New York Village musicians, Andy Hess and Ethan Eubanks who worked on her debut as well as Adam Levy and Jason Blynn with sounds inspired by Dr John, Harry Nilsson and The Staples Singers.

There’s…

[texasdeath]

“I’m sorry, I did love you”

Oh the past tense hurts

[channelrat]

Hyper’s Mid’summer RPG + Text Posts

Everyones favorite ot3

[mendokayalways]

....and we are left with nothing but melted Cheese

LOOK HOW PLEASED HE IS WITH HIMSELF

[shoomdle]

you don’t leave this as you came...

[egotisticalee]

okay but ethan knows at least a little bit about tiktok cause of mika so he had to have known what he was doing by showing mark tyler brash (and honestly idk if that dude is being ironic or not but either way he's hilarious) like cmon ethan! where's my nikolas nadiro? my benkro?? my caleb finn? whERE'S NOEN EUBANKS???

[mostlysignssomeportents]

#1yrago EFF and McSweeney's collaborated on a publication: "The End of Trust"

The End of Trust will be McSweeney's issue 54, the first-ever all-nonfiction issue of McSweeney's, with more than 30 contributions on "surveillance in the digital age."

Contributors include Edward Snowden, Cindy Cohn,  Myke Cole,  Joanna Howard,  Bruce Schneier, Madeline Ashby,  Trevor Paglen,  Gabriella Coleman,  Virginia Eubanks,  Julia Angwin,  Douglas Rushkoff,  Ben Wizner, Ethan Zuckerman (and me!).

The issue was guest-edited by EFF staffers (and a few contractors like me), and is a thought-provoking, challenging, and incredibly smart collection on a subject of real urgency.

The whole issue will be released on Nov 20 under a permissive Creative Commons license, and will also be instantiated as one of McSweeney's unmissable gorgeous physical publications (pre-order here).

https://boingboing.net/2018/10/02/the-end-of-trust.html

[theloniousbach]

50 Years of Going to Shows, Pt. 9: Jazz in St. Louis

I am in the middle of my fourth year of attending shows at Jazz at the Bistro and it is a great joy to have this formative music back so centrally in my life, to make this my go to music, to think about music in jazz terms.  From that first Johnny Winter blues jam, I’ve always been drawn to virtuosic playing.  Certainly rock and ur-jam band guitarists were a start.  But I saw Norman Blake flat pick amazingly in those early years and later Celtic fiddlers and box players amazed me.  Chamber music but also Irish sessions have an intimate conversational aspect.  But it’s jazz that has it all.  I sensed that in the early 70s and it’s where I’ve come home to now.

I kept my eye on jazz before the Bistro, particularly through Webster University’s wonderful jazz faculty and their performances.  I would return to tried and true recordings, starting with Miles, Monk, and Mingus and Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard.  I knew I couldn’t miss Sonny Rollins when he played UMSL’s performing arts center in 2009 and had even better tickets for a return a few years later that he had to cancel.  He was vital, transforming from a tentative, slightly stooped old man into a flurry of ideas dancing lightly around the stage delighted in the choruses he unfolded for himself and others.  He had a guitarist (not a pianist), a trombone, drums and percussion, and Bob Crenshaw.  Standards and Ellington.  But it was a bit of a one off.

It has taken season packages at Jazz St. Louis for four years now to get the engagement and focus that I now have.It’s fitting that the first one was Bill Charlap and his trio.  That configuration is where I’m glad to start, going back to Oscar Peterson when I was 8.  I’m almost too vociferously anti-musical theater, except jazz musicians have done wonderful things with and burnished the Great American Song Book.  Charlap is one of our key curators.  But these aren’t museum pieces in his hands; they are a dynamic legacy kept alive by use.  There’s taste, drive, invention in tradition.  Just like that Johnny Winter concert in early fall of 1969, there was something I had to have more of.Next up was Vijay Iyer, also in a trio.  A different aesthetic but he worked a jam into Epistrophy, so tradition prevails.  And the piano trio’s elasticity continued to win me over.  The Bad Plus begins the year in St. Louis and we were where the rebooted when Orrin Evans replaced Ethan Iverson.  I saw them once with Iverson, couch toured that opening run of BP2.0, saw them last year and plan to see them next in January.  I started to get them seeing them live, seeing how the compositions work and how they work them.  I think they’re a little warmer and organic with Evans, just as smart and clever but grounded.  I’ve seen Benny Green swing hard and Cyrus Chestnutt do so as well but then throw in a good chunk of French Impressionism.  Emmet Cohen’s band was the foundation for an odd mix of horn players I wanted to see:  Marquis Hill and, for a second time, Melissa Aldana.  The five of them didn’t quite jell, but the Cohen trio is a working band I would see again.  Kenny Barron was a monument of taste and command and Chick Corea was impish, a grand old man of the music in spite of himself.  There were standards but also a glorious exposition on Paco de Luca’s Zyriab, pulling together the Arabic roots of Flamenco.  So, piano trios always with the Bad Plus, Christian Sands at the Sheldon Concert Hall down the street (where I saw Eliane Elias with Marc Johnson do wonderful Brazilian stuff but also some superb jazz evoking Bill Evans), and Connie Han ahead.

Now, we’re Miles Davis’s hometown and folks know that.  The SF Jazz Collective came to the Bistro in 2017 with a program of his music (wide ranging—Tutu and Bitches Brew as well as Nardis for an acoustic ensemble) as well as compositions from band members in the ensemble.  It’s a grand concept—a four horn front line with vibes and rhythm section, with some general stability but it’s morphed over the years.  Everyone composes and arranges and they celebrate a composer each season.  Our band was Sean Jones, David Sanchez, Miguel Zenon, Robin Eubanks, Warren Wolf, Edward Simon, Matt Penniman, and Obed Calvaire.  They return to the Sheldon this year for an In a Silent Way tribute with mostly the same folks—so anther chance to see Sanchez and Zenon who were particularly impressive.  Russell Gunn evoked Miles’s Blackhawk set with Jimmy Cobb holding down the drum chair very capably at age 90.

After piano tours and Milesiana, there are tenors.  So I couch toured a conversation and partial set with Benny Golson—not quite in the room with a legend but a vivid experience.  I am intrigued and enthralled at the playing of Melissa Aldana who crafts vivid lines that fill space quite fully (she has some great trio work) with ideas rather than tone.   Her own quartet had over active drumming from Tommy Crane whereas the Emmet Cohen show pulled her in multiple directions (blusier, mostly) than she quite fit.  She is a star in Artemis, but shares the front line with Anat Cohen and Ingrid Jensen, but she is one star among many.  So I haven’t quite heard the ideal Aldana show.  But I am glad to keep trying.

I’ve been able to see Joshua Redmond twice.  As great as his tenor invention is, his band (with Aaron Goldberg) was what impressed me most.  The way longstanding bands like this (and Branford Marsalis’s with Joey Caldazzaro) think together is very special.  Marsalis and Caldazzaro would magically complete one another’s thoughts and both tenors took great delight in what their bands could do, soloing all the better because of it.  In these bands, but most of them, including the trios, I an struck with just how good drummers have become, really playing music beyond rhythm.  Allison Miller has a Jazz Night in America video on “melodic drumming,” so it was a treat to see her with Artemis, listening so hard but happily to inflect the music so well.  She was almost the one to keep one’s eyes on, except that Anat Cohen exudes such unbridled joy at all times.  Her quartet show was a real highlight of 2018-2019.  I am so glad she and Ben Goldberg are making the clarinet a modern jazz instrument.

Joe Lovano came through with the brilliant and adventurous John Scofield who plays with Phil Lesh and Warren Haynes.  I find myself shying away from jazz guitar preferring the piano.  But that was quite a show as was Scofield again with Jack DeJohnette’s Hudson project which jammed out originals and The Band/Hendrix/Joni Mitchell very well.  DeJohnette has quite a palette of drums and especially cymbals.  We were 4 rows back on his side so we had a literally ringside seat for that magic at the Sheldon.

I have made a point to hear the likes of Marquis Hill, Robert Glasper, Stefon Harris, and, most recently, Terence Blanchard to hear how hip hop is being incorporated into jazz as funk was in my youth and rhythm and blues was in the ‘50s.  My younger generation didn’t bring that music home, so I don’t have that sensibility.  But I would be an old fart in extremis if I didn’t welcome those influences.  That said, I am more intrigued with how SFJAZZ takes the essence of electric Miles into acoustic music than vocoders and loops and reverb.  But, every time these newer shows have lots to delight in, including drummers who move the beat around and are not confined by any strictures.

The music is supposed to grow.  And I get to watch it.

--------------------

This entry is the last one of this 10 part series this Fall celebrating the 50th Anniversary of concert going, marked by my second one from 11/4/69 with Led Zeppelin.  Yes, this is part 9, but, rather like the Beatles releasing Abbey Road before Let It Be (actually, not like those monuments at all), I have already posted a part 10 about the shows I didn’t see.  But, wrapping up with jazz makes a certain amount of sense.

[upslapmeal]

So on Monday I went to Rachel Bloom’s concert in London which was honestly so much fun, and I said I’d make a post about it so here are the Hot Deets™

Rachel talked between songs, a significant proportion of which was done in an accent that would make Dick Van Dyke proud, and I’m not going to be able to remember everything so I’ve made a list of the songs (minus whichever ones I’ve inevitably forgotten) in (roughly) the order they were performed and I’ll just mention any notable things I remember. Oh and it was 6 years ago to the day that Rachel and Aline first met!

Period Sex

a strong opener, of course

she changed macys.com to primark and everyone lost their minds

‘primark sounds like a brand of pregnancy test’

Oh My God I Think I Like You

‘that was barely a song, we wrote that in about 20 minutes so here’s an actual song’

We Should Definitely Not Have Sex Right Now

this was based, naturally, on Rachel and Adam Schlesinger’s electric chemistry

I’m A Good Person

she preceded this with a hilarious story about how when she and her husband were in London for the first time, she got him to watch Mary Poppins which he hadn’t seen before, and all he took away was that Mary Poppins spent the film gaslighting two children

‘the way they talk about it being real after all in Mary Poppins Returns is EXACTLY how people talk about repressed memories of that time uncle Bobby had a little too much to drink’

this had the seamless link to the song of her saying that she may have ruined our childhoods but she had something to tell us, except she misread the planned song order so the band started playing........not I’m A Good Person

♫ say it, tell me I’m a good person wait no not yet I have a whole bit I wanted to do ok say it or I won’t stop making fun of your accent: ‘I’m from the north’ ‘I’m from the south’ ‘and I’m from the fucking SEEEAAAAAAA!’ ♫

Feeling Kinda Naughty

Sexy French Depression

‘this is a song about Europe, which you may not be part of any more?’

I was going to stick a video of the story she told beforehand here but I can’t work out how to without uploading it to youtube

but basically it was the story of her husband trying to get takeaway soup from a restaurant in Paris that refused to give him takeaway

..........it was funnier than that sounds

Friendtopia

they bought on two audience members to sing the Heather/Valencia parts and Kat Burns taught them the dance!

Kat was a sweetheart and checked we all understood what y’all meant

we got her ‘have a good show!’ before they started the song

We Tapped That Ass

Adam and Ethan Eubanks (the drummer) sang this while Rachel and Kat danced

Rachel, sitting on stage putting on her tap shoes while everyone else waits: ‘you know I really should have worked this into the act’

then at the end she got Kat to help her with a bit she messed up during the song until she got it right 

What’ll It Be

unlike putting her shoes on, taking her shoes off was worked into the act in the form of Adam singing this

it was the first of several times the audience all shone/waved our phone torches

It Was A Shit Show

full video of this here

‘if anyone wants to sing this to someone tonight then go for it, you know they’re not the one’

The Math Of Love Triangles

Pete Gardner and Scott Michael Foster appeared to sing the professors’ parts and the audience lost it, all the people I could hear near me clearly had no idea they would be there and it was the first song to get a standing ovation

Jazz Fever

if there was just one of Rachel’s pre-CXG songs I wanted her to perform then it would have been this so I was delighted

I Love My Daughter

Let’s Have Intercourse

sung by Scott ‘I may have drunk too much last night so can you all sing the high notes for me bc there is physically no way I can hit them rn’ Foster

at the end he put a condom on one of Rachel’s fingers and she gave it to someone in the audience

except apparently it was drenched in lube which was then all over Rachel’s hands, making getting the mike off the stand for the next song trickier than it should have been

‘it turns out that lube makes a great cuticle cream’

A Diagnosis

Gettin’ Bi

the bi flag flown high was, in fact, a union jack

Scott was (not played, was) the saxophone solo

I Go To The Zoo

either they got the volume wrong at the start or they wanted it to feel like we were in an actual club but it was so loud at the beginning you couldn’t even hear Scott sing

Rachel and Kat were the animals, Pete was Ron and not-Susan

Fuckton Of Cats

Sports Analogies

Pete sang (mostly - there were definitely a couple of lines that should have had words but came out badadabumdapdaadaa) the Josh lines

naturally they added a final line about how football isn’t soccer

The Darkness

another time the audience all shone/waved our phone torches, apparently the first time that had happened for a performance of this song

‘singing about the darkness to an audience that’s literally giving me light is pretty fucking moving’

Ray Bradbury/Stacy’s Mom Mashup

I knew they’d performed Stacy’s Mom at some of the other concerts they’ve done but it wasn’t until this concert that I made the connection with Adam Schlesinger

this was the ‘‘‘‘last song’’’

‘I need to tell them there will be an encore, Adam! IF I DIDN’T THEY MIGHT LEAVE’

You Stupid Bitch

all the little side comments in this song work so well with it being an actual song performed live to an audience

we did know this one! we did sing with her!!

honestly what better way to close the show

Towards the end Rachel, Kat, Pete and Scott posed for photos based on themes suggested by the audience - zoo, horny angry tango, and group hug:

And that’s about it! Afterwards everyone except Rachel (at least while I was there) popped out to spend a bit of time at the stage door but the group I was with was too far back in the queue to say hi. I did, however, get my Broom Darryl pin passed up the queue to Pete when he came out so he got that and put it on his hat. But the whole thing was just such a Good Time, 10/10 would recommend if Rachel Bloom performs anywhere near you. Or even not that near, I can confirm that it’s worth the flight.

[jeremythejirachi]

Jeff Rosenstock, Motion City Soundtrack, HUNNY, More Cover Songs By Adam Schlesinger For Tribute Album

Jeff Rosenstock, Motion City Soundtrack, HUNNY, More Cover Songs By Adam Schlesinger For Tribute Album

As some of you might be aware, Fountains Of Wayne bassist and lyricist Adam Schlesinger passed away from complications related to COVID-19 back on April 1.

To honor his legacy, indie label Father/Daughter Records (Diet Cig, Tasha, Who Is She?) have crafted a massive 31-track tribute album called Saving For A Custom Van. The album features songs from his expansive career in film, TV, and with his…