The 5 best shows WEEKEND witnessed
(10/05/09 3:14pm)
Top five Bonnaroo shows.
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Showstoppers
(10/05/09 3:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was a four-day carnival on acid that just happened to feature some of the biggest musical and comedy acts on the planet.It can be hard to focus on the music amid the nonstop parade of sights and sounds, but the 80,000 music lovers who descended on Manchester, Tenn., for four days this past weekend did their best. Festival-goers raged on from noon Friday until past 4 a.m. Sunday, despite an unrelenting Tennesee sun that made it nearly impossible to sleep past 9 a.m. The combination of heat and exhaustian made Bonnarees feel like they were running a marathon, but Lilly Allen summed it up best in her performance, singing, "Sun is in the sky. Oh why oh why would I want to be anywhere else?"The festival, which in past years included mostly jam bands, featured more mainstream and indie rock acts than in the past. When one panelist at a press conference pointed that out, comedian David Cross retorted, “You mean it’s better.”He didn't seem to welcome the crowd that the festival traditionally attracts. Cross expressed his hatred of hippies at every opportunity, especially when they interrupted his story about how his dog jumped on him while he was sleeping and he ended up getting off before the dog did.Fans stood in line hours before some shows, but the longest lines were consistently at the comedy tent. Big name comedians like Lewis Black, Dave Attell, David Cross and Demetri Martin drew two-hour lines before they went on stage, even though each had four sets throughout the weekend. Martin offered a few suggestions for popping the question to a girlfriend, like feeding your dog the ring and then asking your future fiancee to walk it. But his funniest idea was to break your girlfriend’s finger and have the doctor set the cast with the ring on it. When she gets the cast removed, he reasoned, you’re already three weeks into your engagement. One idea he didn’t present was having Jack White of The White Stripes stop his band’s performance halfway through to allow a fan to propose to his girlfriend in a way that didn’t involve dog poop or a broken finger (as far as we know).It's hard to argue whether the festival was better or worse than the past, but it was as diverse a group of artists as Bonnaroo has seen. Ranging from hot newcomers like Allen and Girl Talk to veterans like The White Stripes, The Flaming Lips and Tool, to rock 'n' roll icons The Police, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead. There's no right or wrong answer when trying to figure out who the musical highlights were. It completely depends on who you ask. For some, it was the mind-blowing light show and theatrics of The Flaming Lips, who supplied the audience with thousands of laser pointers. For others, it was the Super Jam, the closest thing possible to a Led Zeppelin reunion concert, as Ben Harper and Questlove joined Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones for a midnight show. For five-time Bonnaroo attendee Jessica Thurman highlights included the songs former Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello played with Tool, The Police reunion show and John Paul Jones joining Ben Harper for their second rendition of "Dazed and Confused," a song Thurman called a theme of the festival.Tough decisions had to be made by music-lovers as bands fought for attention. Tool, Widespread Panic and The Police were the only acts to play unopposed. Saturday evening, for example, festival-goers had to make the difficult decision between seeing Ben Harper, Franz Ferdinand, Spoon, Ween and Keller Williams, who all played at the same time. One of Bonnaroo's biggest appeals -- the plethora of bands that perform in such a small amount of time -- is its curse, as well. But with five main stages, a comedy tent and enough sideshow attractions to fill a circus, it's conceivable for a group of people to never see the same show and have an incredible experience at what is becoming the premier U.S. rock festival. And of course, if one show wasn't a fan's cup of tea, there was always another stage to check out. Bob Weir played a great cover of The Beatles' "Come Together," The Black Keys got rave reviews for their blistering blues rock set, Wilco had a warm reception and DJ Shadow, Galactic and Girl Talk had fans dancing late into the night. Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips entertained at every opportunity, using the soundcheck as a chance to play a rousing cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" an hour before they went on. And once they hit the stage, it was a never ending feast for the senses.Jon McCarty, who lives within a few miles of the site, has been to every festival since 2002. He said a lot has changed over the years since the early days when "people would sneak in under blankets in cars." The bands that come through have changed considerably, McCarty said. A few years ago, he said, he never thought The White Stripes or The Police would ever play Bonnaroo. "You never know what you're going to see. You never know what's going to happen. It's great."
Dazed and Confused
(10/05/09 2:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The festival technically started when Ryan Shaw took the stage Thursday evening, but things didn't really heat up until The Roots took to the main stage Friday. From there, literally everything just kept getting hotter and hotter.After performing with The Roots, Questlove took the stage again that night with Ben Harper and John Paul Johns from Led Zepplin for the evening's Super Jam. The trio set the stage on fire for more than two hours, and the weather took notice, climbing into the 90s the next day. People kept cool by attacking the water stations, splashing around in the center fountain or just seeking every square inch of shade that was available. By the end of the weekend, the seats below the bleachers were in higher demand than those on top of them. Saturday brought a fat stack of music, including an afternoon set that featured Ben Harper, Franz Ferdinand, Ween and Spoon – all at the same time. When the sun set and the heat subsided, The Police lit up the earth while The Flaming Lips aimed for the stars. By Sunday, the thousands in attendance shared one common sensation: exhaustion. Bodies littered the festival grounds with more frequency than garbage. The Decembrists and Wilco had to play to half-dead crowds, but The White Stripes help rejuvinate the atmosphere as the sun set on the final day.In the end, the combination of heat, lack of sleep and Zepplin jams left everyone dazed and confuzed.
Comedy Caravan celebrates 25 years
(01/24/08 5:00am)
One of the biggest shows in comedy is celebrating 25 years in Bloomington. Jan. 21 was the silver anniversary of Comedy Caravan's two shows a night every Monday at Bear's Place. \nComedy Caravan commemorated its anniversary at Bear's Place with Etta May, winner of ABC's American Comedy Award for best nightclub comidienne, as the headlining act Jan. 21. Big John Richardson was the opening act.\nThe celebration continues this Saturday with Tim Cavanagh, "the one-minute song guy" who has made many appearances on local radio station WFBQ, a.k.a., Q95. The shows at Bear's Place with Comedy Caravan have made the venue "One of 10 great places to sit down and watch stand up," and "Best one-nighter in comedy," according to USA Today. \nOf the top 10 comedy clubs on USA Today's list, Bear's Place is the only one that functions as a one-night-a-week comedy club, while the others operate full-time. \n"We have the finest nightclub comedians -- the same comedians you would find in Chicago, Detroit or Dallas," Comedy Caravan President Tom Sobel said.\nComedy Caravan has been bringing comedians to Bloomington since 1983. Comedians such as Ellen DeGeneres, Tim Allen and Sinbad have performed at Bear's over the 25-year span of Bear's and Comedy Caravan's partnership. \nSobel has noticed many changes in the comedy business during his 25 years with Bear's Place.\n"Comedy was a lot bigger in the mid-'80s and '90s," said Sobel, who has been the president of Comedy Caravan for 32 years. "Things like 9/11 have been a distraction for some."\nSobel also said that at one time there were more than 500 full-time comedy clubs in America. Now there are only around 200. Despite the changes over time, Sobel said that Bear's Place is the longest running one-night-a-week comedy show in America.\nSobel said one of the reasons Bear's Place has had successful comedy acts for 25 years is that the room has a good layout for comedy.\n"Even though it's a small room, everyone has a perfect view," he said. "There's just no distractions."\nHe also cited the quality of the comedy at Bear's as a reason for its success. \n"They have had first-class talent there from day one." \nMore than 200,000 people have bought tickets to the Monday-night comedy shows at Bear's Place, Sobel said.\n"This is Bloomington's biggest bargain, with tickets only $5, except special events," Sobel said. "In Louisville, it's $17 to hear Etta May give the same performance."\nWhile those in attendance are usually a mix of young and old, Sobel has noticed a recent trend at the shows.\n"The early show in recent years has tended to draw mainly townies, people with a serious interest in comedy," he said. "But the late show is still the thing to do in Bloomington on Monday night."\nSomeone who has never seen a live comedy show may not think it would be an interesting experience, but Sobel begs to differ.\n"Until they experience comedy in a club, they don't know what it's all about"
Nature calls
(11/08/07 5:00am)
"The call of nature." We use it to describe an irrevocable need to be at one with our surroundings and to return to our inner selves in light of the influence of the way of the world. Director Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" is the true story of a man driven to isolate himself from the demands of society and live his life with the companionship of no one else, alone in the wilderness of Alaska.\nChris McCandless (Emile Hirsch) is a recent college graduate who comes from a broken home and has money to burn. But Chris isn't interested in a career. Instead, he leaves one day, telling no one, and intends to live off the land until he can reach the Yukon Territory and complete solitude. Changing his name to Alexander Supertramp, his journey takes him far and wide, meeting many people and eventually ending in the winter world of his dreams.\n"Into the Wild" is a true story, investigated and reported on by John Krakauer, who wrote a book of the same name about McCandless. That is the biggest problem with the film. Its words are beautiful, its ideals insightful and its lead character undaunted and lovable. \nBut like so many other books that have touched the big screen, "Into the Wild" was better left to black-and-white print and its readers' imaginations. While the story is indeed compelling, it gains little in film form. That said, Hirsch does a great job with the role of the natural-born hero with saintly attributes, and Vince Vaughn appears in his usual comical role to add a little flavor, which makes this unnecessarily long film more bearable.\nIf poetry is what film fans are looking for, "Into the Wild" is their kind of movie. I, on the other hand, would find it more beneficial to read Thoreau or even Krakauer than take in Penn's rendition of McCandless' life.
best of bloomington: Best of nighttime fun
(11/08/07 5:00am)
Best Local Drink\n1. A.M.F.\n2. Hairy Bear\n3. Upland
Joni Mitchell ain't dead
(10/04/07 4:00am)
While her contemporaries Bob Dylan and Robert Plant have lost their\nvoices, Joni Mitchell seems to have traded hers in. Years of abuse\nhave made Dylan barely comprehensible at times and Plant sounds like\nhe took an eggbeater to the throat, but they still sound like\nthemselves.
Online only: Ringo Starr Photograph: Very Best of Ringo Starr Grade: C-
(09/06/07 4:00am)
When I heard that former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was putting out a 20-song best-of album, it brought me back to a rhetorical question I asked when "Saturday Night Live: Best of Chris Rock" came out. What are they going to do for the other hour and twenty minutes?\nRingo is first and foremost an underrated drummer in the greatest band of all time. He is often talked about as the guy who was merely in the right place in the right time, but while he wasn't flashy like Keith Moon of The Who and didn't tear the house down like John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, he played his part quite well and The Beatles were lucky to have him.\nNow, when it comes to songwriting, Ringo not only fails in comparison to his former band members (who wouldn't?) but also fails in comparison to pretty much anyone. He has written one song I deem worthy of putting on my iPod and even the covers he chooses for his best-of album are, at times, laughably bad.\nMost of the songs are fine, easy listening soft rock with Ringo's charming voice, but there's no real substance to them. The deepest he gets is saying he doesn't drink whiskey or do coke anymore because they make him (and watch this rhyme) sleep on the floor and fail to reach the door. \nHis cover of "Hey Baby" (a song you don't know you know -- the lyrics are "Hey, baby … I wanna know if you'll be my girl" repeated incessantly) makes it painfully clear: Ringo belongs on the drums only. Why cover a song if you have less than nothing to add? His duet with Buck Owens on "Act Naturally" is almost as bad as the fact that Ringo's cover of it made it onto an early Beatles album.\nThe only song of note is the endearing "I'm the Greatest" in which Ringo sings of how, even when he doubted himself, people have been telling him his whole life how great he is, and how at 32, "all I want to do is boogaloo." \nFor all the Marge Simpsons of the world who grew up idolizing the big-nosed Beatle in the back, Boogaloo on. I personally wish he'd stick to the drums.
The Simpson's Movie (PG-13)Grade: A-
(08/04/07 4:00am)
After opening the movie with a hilarious preview for an "Itchy and Scratchy" movie, Homer laments, "I can't believe we're paying for something we could get for free on TV. If you ask me, everyone in this theater is a big sucker, especially you."\nSorry, Homer; it was worth every penny. From Ralph singing along to the 20th Century Fox theme music to Bart skateboarding naked through town to Otto lighting one up as the end of Springfield seemed imminent, every minute of "The Simpsons Movie" is an absolute joy. \nAs with most "Simpsons" episodes, the plot doesn't matter nearly as much as the jokes, but here it is: After repeated warnings, Homer dumps enough waste into Lake Springfield to cause it to become so toxic the town has to be quarantined in a bubble (think "Bio-Dome"). The whole town, including Marge and the kids, turns on Homer, and he tries to save the day and win back their trust. \nThe movie feels like one long episode, but unlike the show's last few seasons, you'll want to savor every minute. The one-liners are rapid and hit consistently, especially in the first act. \nThe dialogue was strong, but a surprising amount of enjoyment came from the movie's beautiful animation. In shots where the camera moved past the angry Springfield mob, it was incredible to see how crisp and vivid they looked on the big screen. \nOne of my biggest complaints with the movie is that while we get to see a lot of the towns, some of the best characters are underused (no scenes in the school or at Moe's, for starters.) Even more irritating, while Tom Hanks and Green Day work quite well in their brief appearances as themselves, Albert Brooks' Environmental Protection Agency character hogs up way too much screen time. \nSpeaking of hogs, that Spider Pig seems to have captured the hearts of fans who haven't even seen the movie yet, and Homer trying to kiss the pig when things get awkward is classic "Simpsons." Homer and Bart get most of the screen time, and deservedly so. The two subplots of Lisa falling for a smart new Irish boy and Bart wishing he were Flanders' son went mostly undeveloped, but who am I to complain? What was in the movie was exciting, fun and made me love "The Simpsons" again. \nMore than anything, I'm relieved that the movie turned out as well as it did. After dedicating an entire issue to it (and several months of my life to the show), it was gratifying to be in the theater for a movie that received applause at the end. It felt as warm and gooey as the inside of a donut. Hmmm. Donuts.
If I ran Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
(08/04/07 4:00am)
It's a heady time for plastic guitar lovers. "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s" came out on PS2 last week and gave us 30 reasons to roll up the sleeves on those bright shirts, throw on a white sport coats and show 'em what we got. \nHighlights are "I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister, "I Ran (So Far Away)" by Flock of Seagulls, "Heat of the Moment" by Asia and "Radar Love" by White Lion.\nIt's fun, but much like the decade itself, the '80s game is a bit of a letdown. Thankfully, half the songs for "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" have been revealed, and they rock quite heavily.\nThe new songs include "Even Flow" by Pearl Jam, "My Name is Jonas" by Weezer, "Paint it, Black" by The Rolling Stones, "Rock and Roll All Nite" by Kiss, "Sabotage" by Beastie Boys, "Slow Ride" by Foghat, "La Grange" by ZZ Top, "Suck My Kiss" by Red Hot Chili Peppers and "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses. The YouTube video for My Name is Jonas got me giddy.\nIt's a pretty solid "who's who" of guitar rock, but I can't help feeling like a number of the all-time heavyweights got snubbed. Led Zeppelin, The Who, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Phish and Frank Zappa have yet to appear in "Guitar Hero" (probably due to financial concerns), but in my fantasy list, they all get their shot. \nThe '80s game is just an encore, so it's understandable that there aren't any new features. This version is just a quick fix of songs to master until "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" lays down the gauntlet this fall. According to Wikipedia's game summary, there's a multi-layered battle mode which sounds incredible, new guitars and venues and a boss mode where you get to play Slash. Here are 20 songs I'd turn my amp up to 11 for:
5 favorite Simpsons seasons
(07/26/07 4:00am)
Remember the good ol' days? when "the simpsons" aired two or three times a day? those times have long since passed, but that doesn't mean you can't still relive your childhood. Here are five dvds most worth your d'oh. \n Season 4: Best Episode Marge V. The Monorail \nAny episode that features the entire cast breaking into choreographed song automatically trumps the rest (think "Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart?" from season five and "Spring in Springfield" from season eight). "Monorail" even begins in song with a little Flintstones parody, so we know it's good.\nAfter Mr. Burns pays the city $3 million for illegal toxic waste dumping, the town comes together to determine where to spend the money. Marge's campaign to fix the roads is interrupted by the fast-talking, Music Man-esque Lyle Lanley, voiced by the late Phil Hartman. Lanley easily convinces the town with a catchy tune, and the entire town is struck by Monorail fever -- including Homer, the conductor-to-be. \n Marge discovers that the monorail is a corrupt get-rich-fast plan and must act fast to save its passengers. One of the more memorable episodes from the early years (certainly one of my top five), "Monorail" is filled with funny one-liners and memorable moments. (Duh, it was written by Conan O'Brien.) \n Other notable episodes include "Mr. Plow," in which Homer buys a plow and temporarily rules Springfield, and "I Love Lisa," in which Lisa breaks Ralph Wiggum's heart on Krusty's anniversary special. DVD extras include commentary on every episode, deleted scenes and animation clips.\n Season 5: Best Episode Homer's Barbershop Quartet\nI picked this season in the same way Homer got picked to go into outer space in this season's masterpiece "Deep Space Homer." Two words: De. Fault. I let everyone else pick their favorite season and said I'd make a case for the leftovers. \nIt's a big season plot wise, as Marge shows her darker side, and Homer shows his Forrest Gump-like ability to be in the right place at the right time as he ends up in college, outer space and in love with Michelle Pfiffer. Marge grows a lot this season, as she goes on the lam and gets a new job -- a slot jockey. And Homer will never let her forget it, because "youuuu have a gambling problem." \nThe season starts beautifully with my favorite episode of the season, the heavily Beatles-influenced "Homer's Barbershop Quartet." The all-star band of Apu, Homer, Skinner and Barney beats Dexy's Midnight Runners for a Grammy, plays their last show on the roof top, a la the Beatles, and Homer has one simple question for George Harrison: "Where did you get that brownie?"-Zack Teibloom\nSeason 6:\nSeason six of "The Simpsons" was a ridiculously good year for the show. Of the 25 season episodes, I counted 13 to be shows I considered classics. Thirteen! And those were just my personal favorites. Maybe the entire season should be considered classic. Anyway, my list of notables includes: "Bart of Darkness," a spoof on the Hitchcock film "Rear Window," where the Simpsons get a pool and Bart breaks his leg. "Treehouse of Horror V", a classic "Treehouse of Horror" featuring a Shining spoof, Homer time-traveling, and the school cafeteria cooking students; \n"Homer: Bad Man" where Homer is accused of sexual harassment; "Bart's Comet" where Bart has a comet named after him that is heading toward Springfield; \n"Homer vs. Patty & Selma" where Homer has to turn to Patty & Selma for money; \n"A Star Is Burns" where Springfield holds a Film Festival and invites The Critic (voiced by Jon Lovitz); "Lisa's Wedding" where a fortune-teller looks into Lisa's future; and the cliffhanger season finale "Who Shot Mr. Burns?". \nGood storylines, clever writing and an abundance of fresh jokes make season six one of the best "Simpsons" seasons, if not the best. \nCommentary side note: Matt Groening shares how the Northridge earthquake affected the writing process for season six. -Joe Livarchik \n Season 7: Best Episode Lisa the Iconoclast\nEveryone is always asking, "What happens when you combine babies and firearms?" Simply watch the first episode of season seven, the dramatic conclusion of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" \nThis season has a lot of musical ties, guest-starring Paul and Linda McCartney, The Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill, Sonic Youth, Peter Frampton; and the namesake for the favorite band of many a 16-year-old girl. Fallout Boy is the sidekick of the comic-book hero Radioactive Man, played by everyone's favorite blue-haired geek, Milhouse.\nRight behind the episode where Homer wears a dress, "Lisa the Iconoclast" is the most cromulent episode of the season for its take on our warped perceptions of history and the soothing voice of Donald Sutherland.\nSpringfield was founded when pioneers set out for New Sodom after misinterpreting the Bible with their leader, Jebediah Springfield.\nLisa discovers a secret confession of Jebediah admitting he was actually a murderous pirate, but the curator of the Springfield Historical Society (voiced by Sutherland) doesn't want her badmouthing the town hero. Homer also steals the position of town cryer from Flanders proclaiming that he suck-diddly-ucks.\nAnd if you don't like history, you can watch the episode where Troy McClure (allegedly) has sex with fish.-Joanna Borns\n Season 9: Best Episode "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson"\nSeason nine premiered 10 years ago and, episode for episode, is the last great Simpson's complete season.\nBoth the show's writers and animators are at their best in "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson." Homer had a bad experience in NYC before (he was robbed, had trash dumped on him, and chased by a pimp) and is similarly beleaguered in this outing. \nLandmarks and buildings are drawn with such excruciating detail and the streets are alive with so many extras you forget New York is the setting of the episode, not a character. In one tragic sequence, the World Trade Center is the setting for a couple of seemingly good humored jokes. In the episodes commentary track (Groening is noticeably absent) the writers offer an apology and lament the episode getting pulled from sydication. \nOther season highlights include Homer buying a gun in "Cartridge Family" and a Simponized telling of Lord of the Flies in "Das Bus." Matt Groening said the season finale "Natural Born Kissers" is one of his top ten favorite episodes. \nHey, Marge and Homer shaggin' in a putt-putt course windmill and running home butt-nekkid cracks my top 10, too.--Brian Hettmansperger
The Simpsons are going to caricatures
(07/26/07 4:00am)
There used to be a time for young television watchers when life revolved around syndicated episodes of "The Simpsons." Fans knew where they were going to be at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. It became a part of everyday life, a passion, even sometimes an unhealthy obsession. Fox tried to make us cut back our "Simpsons" intake by taking away one of those time slots but quickly learned that wouldn't fly. The public outcry was so loud that the cable area we grew up with even ran a commercial apologizing for cutting down the show's airtime to one hour a day. We demanded our healthy doses of "Simpsons" episodes like crackheads geeking out as they search for drugs in the alley. And it wasn't just us. In the late '90s, it seemed as if everyone was collectively in love with "The Simpsons."\nYet in 2007, amidst the hype of "The Simpsons Movie," there is apathy. There is lethargy and listlessness. Some fans have become jaded, weary and indifferent. "The Simpsons" stronghold has weakened, and by 2007 the movie's arrival is 10 years too late. \n"The Simpsons" approached and reached its zenith in seasons three through eight. A young, fresh cartoon sitcom with talented writers, the show had room to breathe and ground to cover. With the aid of syndication, people everywhere were able to catch on to the show's clever writing and it quickly gained a network of diehard fans. There was merchandise -- lots and lots of merchandise. The show had parity and pop culture down to a science. In fact, it was more than a show. It was a pop-culture phenomenon that was built to last, raising the comedic bar higher with each passing season.\nAs years passed, the show remained consistently funny, but also became its own worst enemy. How do you top great writing year after year? \nArguably the funniest and most influential cartoon sitcom of all time, "The Simpsons" preceded "South Park" and "Family Guy" and paved the way for the offensive family dynamic. America's favorite family has earned 23 Emmys and a star on the Walk of Fame and has been named Time magazine's best series of the 20th century. But has it lost its cultural appeal in the 21st? \nEven diehard fans like us wouldn't put it in our top 10 favorite shows currently running on TV. We don't even make it a point to watch it every Sunday. So what went wrong with the show we loved?\nIn the past few years, they've replaced rich dialogue with an overdose of cameos and the horrifically repetitive "The Simpsons are going to ... (Africa, South America, England, Tokyo, Scottsdale)" bit. They went from being fresh and edgy counterculture comedy that scared your mom to caricatures of themselves. It's not so much that there was a big backlash or falling out, but our generation moved on. How long can a family stuck in their own time warp continue to hold our attention? \nTo be fair, "The Simpsons" hasn't completely gone to hell. The show is still clever and witty, just in a different kind of way. The jokes are still funny, in a faster comedic rhythm and without the staying power of old episodes. There are good pop-culture references, whether it be something modern like Homer becoming a Metrosexual or something classic such as incorporating "The Godfather" and "Casablanca" into the shows. But does anyone quote recent episodes?\nSo who really knows what to expect from "The Simpsons Movie"? It will still be a huge draw and do well at the box office. Maybe it will even surprise a few skeptics. Even so, one can't help but wonder what a Simpsons movie would have been like 10 years ago.
Live from Springfield
(07/26/07 4:00am)
"The Simpsons" has been host to some of the best rockers of all time: Three former Beatles, Mick Jagger, The Who, The White Stripes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, etc., but some of the series' best songs were sung by the cast themselves. \n5. "The Garbage Man Can"\nHomer's reckless spending as sanitation comissioner is portrayed here in a montage so delightful that I temporarily forgot how much I hate Bono.\nKey line: "The sanitation folks are jolly, friendly blokes. Courteous and easy goin'. They mop up when you're overflowing and tell you when your ass is showing." \n4. "We put the Spring in Springfield"\nAn angry mob comes to burn down the burlesque house where Bart works and the ladies of the house have to convince the mob not to burn them down.\nKey Line: "We're the highlights in your hairdo, the extra arms on Vishnu."\n3. "Flaming Moe's"\nHomer invents an alcoholic drink using cough syrup that flames when lit on fire. It becomes so popular, this little ditty gets written about it.\nKey line: "Where liquor in a mug can warm you like a hug. Happiness is just a Flaming Moe away."\n2."We Do (The Stonecutters Song)"\nAt a men's club where they get drunk and play ping pong and have a bad ass theme song. \nKey line: "Who holds back the electric car? Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star? We do."\n1. "Monorail"\nConan penned this gem of an episode where Springfield gets conned into building a shoddy Monorail.\nKey line: "The ring came off my pudding can. Take my pen-knife, my good man."\n-Zack Teibloom
Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
(07/19/07 4:00am)
Backstage at the Bluebird in March, Spoon's front man Britt Daniels made a bold claim about this album. He said, "It's my favorite Spoon record, and I didn't say that about the last two." He's right. Their sixth is arguably their best album -- a tight, 10-song disc perfect for summer driving and porch chilling.\nSpoon flew relatively under the radar in and around Austin for a few years, but they've been growing steadily both critically and in popularity. Through constant touring and recording, it would be hard to not have heard of them the last few years, with their big single "I Turn my Camera on" and "Way We Get By," which was featured on the "Stranger than Fiction" soundtrack.\nStarting strong with "Don't Make me a Target," Daniels shows off his strong lyricism, with thoughtful lines such as "He smells like the insides of closets upstairs, the kind that nobody goes," resonating over his rhythmic guitar.\n"The Ghost of You Lingers" falls victim to the "Eleanor Rigby" syndrome at track two. It's a beautifully haunting song, but early in any album I prefer a faster, more upbeat song. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga gets going again on the horn-infused, falsetto-driven third track "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb." It would be destined to be a single were it not for the 20 seconds of dead space at the end. \nThe next few songs are solid, and there aren't any worth skipping. However, it took a lot of restraint not to press the repeat button anytime "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" came on, and I was constantly rooting for "The Underdog" at track seven. Smartly chosen as the first single, "The Underdog" is a grandiose tribute to the little guy. It bursts with horns and a constant feeling of crescendo. It's helped greatly by being the only song produced by Jon Brion (known for working with Kanye West) who gives the song a Phil Spector-esque wall-of-sound feel. \nI typically find myself listening to the track after my favorite song on any album because it ends up getting played often by association. Luckily on this album, the song after "The Underdog" is the rhythmic guitar, layered-vocal treat "My Little Japanese Cigarette Case." \nThe album stayed in my car a week and I'm still Ga Ga over it.
Quick Hits: Music DVD's
(07/12/07 4:00am)
1. Led Zeppelin -- Highlights: Jimmy Page taking a violin bow to the guitar for "Dazed and Confused" and John Bonham's epic, eight-plus-minute guitar solo on "Moby Dick" where he pounds every part of the kit, including the stand, and throws the sticks aside for a bare-handed explosion. \n2. The Who -- The Kids Are Alright -- It's got everything from an early "Smothers Brothers" performance where excessive dynamite in the drum kit caused Pete Townshend to go deaf in one ear to videos of a drunk Ringo Starr and Keith Moon to live arena anthems "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Reiley" perfectly remastered. \n 3. Weezer -- Video Capture Device: Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002 -- A nice set of videos we grew up with such as the Spike Jonze "Happy Days" inspired video for "Buddy Holly" and the brilliant one-take "Sweater Song." The videos are bolstered by extras. like the band goofing off in their hotel room lighting things on fire, an alternate video from "Island in the Sun" and live footage.\n4. Pink Floyd -- Dark Side of the Moon -- A fascinating deep study of the intricate layering of the classic album. The producers and musicians open up the vault and get back in the studio to strip down the songs into their unique parts.\n5. Wilco -- I am Trying to Break Your Heart -- From great live concert footage to the intimacy of the film, this documentary showcases the enduring spirit of rock 'n' roll as well as what's wrong with the music industry these days.
ROCKIN' DVDS
(07/12/07 4:00am)
Only a handful of things in life are better than being at a great concert. But even if you were at a show, you probably never experienced it from the angles where a professional film crew had access. Getting a deluxe-packaged DVD is as close as you can get to wading through the mud at Woodstock, riding a drug-fueled train with The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin in "Festival Express" and seeing David Byrne dance with a lamp in "Stop Making Sense."\nSince this was the weakest week for DVD releases since the week after "The Matrix" came free with your DVD player because it seemed to be the only DVD coming out, we decided to dedicate as much space as we could to our favorite concerts captured on film. We set our reviewers loose to send in their reviews of what they consider to be the most memorable concert DVDs, and we were overwhelmed by the response. We got everything from a collection of the best artists around in "The Complete Monterey Pop Festival" and "The Last Waltz" to DVDs that highlight one band in their prime (The White Stripes, Radiohead, My Morning Jacket) and a bunch more we had to cram onto the Last Word page. As with any list, there were several we had to leave off (We didn't include any footage of The Beatles), but these are the most complete packages we could find in our collections. \nThe DVDs are all solid A's, so we didn't bother with grades. Turn up the surround sound and wish you were here.
Stop Making Sense
(07/12/07 4:00am)
There's a reason that my go-to karaoke song is anything off this album. David Byrne is a feast for the eyes with his head-smacking, body-wiggling, perpetual-motion-proving and erratic dancing. I'm sad I seem to be the only one who still dances like him in public. \nWe open on the eccentric Byrne alone on stage accompanied by only a boom box for "Psycho Killer." Then we build and build like the cocaine high everyone on stage is clearly riding, adding members until there are a dozen performers on stage, held in check by ringmaster Byrne. \nTheatrical highlights include Byrne dancing with a lamp during "This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)" and later running laps around the stage. This film, beautifully directed by Jonathan Demme, is the reason most people remember Byrne in an oversized white sport coat. A special feature of Byrne interviewing himself on the DVD is a must-watch. Even when he asks and answers the questions, he doesn't make sense.\nThe film is so crisp it's hard to believe it's a concert. And you gotta love that big suit.
Online only: Instant Karma
(07/05/07 4:00am)
Tribute albums typically aren't well-received. The target market is fans of the original versions, so covering them is like trying to hook up with your best friend's ex. You've heard how great it is and you want a piece, but you both know she's comparing you to him the whole time. \nWith a smorgasbord of artists from giants such as U2, Green Day and R.E.M to fresh faces like Matisyahu, Avril Lavigne and Regina Spektor there's something for everyone. \nIU rock music professor Andy Hollinden put it best when he said, "If this album helps the people of Darfur, great. And if it also sends some people toward the John Lennon albums all the better, but I think anybody who just relies on this album is doing themselves a disservice." As he listened to Avril Lavigne's painful rendition of "Imagine," he said, "I love a lot of these songs, I don't love a lot of these artists."\n--Zack Teibloom
Quick hits:
(07/05/07 4:00am)
All five of these songs are top flight on their own, but the covers made them their own and gave the songs a new identity.
Showstoppers
(06/21/07 4:00am)
It was a four-day carnival\non acid that just happened\nto feature some of\nthe biggest musical and comedy\nacts on the planet.\nIt can be hard to focus on the\nmusic amid the nonstop parade\nof sights and sounds, but the\n80,000 music lovers who descended\non Manchester, Tenn.,\nfor four days this past weekend\ndid their best. Festival-goers\nraged on from noon Friday until\npast 4 a.m. Sunday, despite\nan unrelenting Tennesee sun\nthat made it nearly impossible\nto sleep past 9 a.m.\nThe combination of heat\nand exhaustian made Bonnarees\nfeel like they were running\na marathon, but Lilly Allen\nsummed it up best in her\nperformance, singing, "Sun\nis in the sky. Oh why oh why\nwould I want to be anywhere\nelse?"\nThe festival, which in past\nyears included mostly jam\nbands, featured more mainstream\nand indie rock acts\nthan in the past.\nWhen one panelist at a press\nconference pointed that out,\ncomedian David Cross retorted,\n"You mean it's better."\nHe didn't seem to welcome\nthe crowd that the festival\ntraditionally attracts. Cross\nexpressed his hatred of hippies\nat every opportunity, especially\nwhen they interrupted\nhis story about how his dog\njumped on him while he was\nsleeping and he ended up getting\noff before the dog did.\nFans stood in line hours before\nsome shows, but the longest\nlines were consistently\nat the comedy tent. Big name\ncomedians like Lewis Black,\nDave Attell, David Cross and\nDemetri Martin drew twohour\nlines before they went on\nstage, even though each had\nfour sets throughout the\nweekend.\nMartin offered a few suggestions\nfor popping the\nquestion to a girlfriend, like\nfeeding your dog the ring\nand then asking your future\nfiancee to walk it. But his\nfunniest idea was to break\nyour girlfriend's finger and\nhave the doctor set the cast\nwith the ring on it. When\nshe gets the cast removed,\nhe reasoned, you're already\nthree weeks into your engagement.\nOne idea he didn't present\nwas having Jack White of The\nWhite Stripes stop his band's\nperformance halfway through\nto allow a fan to propose to his\ngirlfriend in a way that didn't\ninvolve dog poop or a broken\nfi nger (as far as we know).\nIt's hard to argue whether the\nfestival was better or worse than\nthe past, but it was as diverse a\ngroup of artists as Bonnaroo\nhas seen. Ranging from hot\nnewcomers like Allen and Girl\nTalk to veterans like The White\nStripes, The Flaming Lips and\nTool, to rock 'n' roll icons The\nPolice, John Paul Jones of Led\nZeppelin and Bob Weir of The\nGrateful Dead.\nThere's no right or wrong\nanswer when trying to fi gure\nout who the musical highlights\nwere. It completely depends\non who you ask.\nFor some, it was the mindblowing\nlight show and theatrics\nof The Flaming Lips, who\nsupplied the audience with\nthousands of laser pointers. For\nothers, it was the Super Jam,\nthe closest thing possible to a\nLed Zeppelin reunion concert,\nas Ben Harper and Questlove\njoined Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones for a midnight show.\nFor fi ve-time Bonnaroo attendee\nJessica Thurman highlights\nincluded the songs former Rage\nAgainst The Machine guitarist\nTom Morello played with Tool, The\nPolice reunion show and John Paul\nJones joining Ben Harper for their\nsecond rendition of "Dazed and\nConfused," a song Thurman called\na theme of the festival.\nTough decisions had to be made\nby music-lovers as bands fought\nfor attention. Tool, Widespread\nPanic and The Police were the\nonly acts to play unopposed. Saturday\nevening, for example, festival-\ngoers had to make the diffi -\ncult decision between seeing Ben\nHarper, Franz Ferdinand, Spoon,\nWeen and Keller Williams, who\nall played at the same time.\nOne of Bonnaroo's biggest appeals\n-- the plethora of bands that\nperform in such a small amount\nof time -- is its curse, as well. But\nwith fi ve main stages, a comedy\ntent and enough sideshow attractions\nto fi ll a circus, it's conceivable\nfor a group of people\nto never see the same show and\nhave an incredible experience at\nwhat is becoming the premier\ntea, there was always another\nstage to check out.\nBob Weir played a great cover\nof The Beatles' "Come Together,"\nThe Black Keys got rave reviews\nfor their blistering blues rock set,\nWilco had a warm reception and\nDJ Shadow, Galactic and Girl Talk\nhad fans dancing late into the night.\nWayne Coyne of The Flaming\nLips entertained at every opportunity,\nusing the soundcheck\nas a chance to play a rousing\ncover of Black Sabbath's "War\nPigs" an hour before they went\non. And once they hit the stage,\nit was a never ending feast for\nthe senses.\nJon McCarty, who lives within\na few miles of the site, has been\nevery festival since 2002. He said\na lot has changed over the years\nsince the early days when "people\nwould sneak in under blankets\nin cars." The bands that come\nthrough have changed considerably,\nMcCarty said. A few years\nago, he said, he never thought\nThe White Stripes or The Police\nwould ever play Bonnaroo. "You\nnever know what you're going\nsee. You never know what's going\nto happen. It's great"
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