First and Last Lollapalooza

On Friday, Mordecai and I got daring and we went to Lollapalooza to see New Order, The Killers, and Nine Inch Nails. I'm not interested in crowded outdoor concerts, nor the culture of Lollapalooza or music festivals, but these were bands he and I wanted to see. I had never been to a Lollapalooza (Mordo has back in the day when it toured) and figured I may try it out with at least two bands I'd want to see; plus, who knows what the future holds that may or may not be commensurable with outdoor summer concerts. So, as I said on Instagram, we went, and the kind of crowd was a bit much for me, but I was glad we went.

I don't know how people do Lolla all day long, for three days long, and with alcohol and/or drugs. I was exhausted after waiting for New Order, waiting for The Killers, standing for The Killers (damn the people around me, who I thought wanted to just chill and sit on the side, but in fact were just waiting for the opening guitar riff of "Mr. Brightside" to begin the set so that they can jump and scream and sing along, thus forcing me to stand up to see anything). I was so tired this morning I couldn't even ask Blathers to assess my fossils for me so I could at least see if I had to donate any of them to the museum or if I could just sell them. When I can't bring myself to continue playing Animal Crossing, that means means I am tired. Ooh wee!

If you don't know, I'm big on pop music, with a penchant for big voices and R&B sounds. I basically grew up on Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, and production by Babyface, LA Reid, and Jermaine Dupri, and later Diddy. (Now that I think about it, Mariah's divorce and thus venturing away from her innocent pop star image and towards R&B and hip-hop influenced my tastes a great deal. Perhaps I have Da Brat and their friendship to thank for this, or Tupac winking at her that one time or whatever it was.) I largely avoided "alternative" music throughout the 90's and beyond. (Oasis was an exception, and I'm only a little better now thanks to Rock Band.) I encountered cable at my grandmother's in late grade school (a.k.a. junior high in other regions) and I would get so angry that MTV and other channels (and people--remember The Box?!) would waste my precious cable time airing videos of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and basically any other band made of white men with guitars. So, two relevant things here--one is that I did not care to see NIN (I am now fully aware they are not really a band, and that his sound far from relies on guitars) and so I thought it was better for me to see The Killers, and the other is that even though New Order has a dance-y quality to their music (I guess it's called "new wave"), their music seems largely centered on instruments I don't historically care for. Put another way, I don't know if the elementary school Kei would approve of or could accept older Kei loving New Order and demanding them to produce the soundtrack of her biopic.

I don't know a whole lot about New Order (I know how they formed--good premise/story!), but I read that their old bassist Peter Hook either quit or was asked to leave the band as of late, and that they continue to bicker amongst each other. In some interview, Hook described the current formation of New Order as a mere "tribute band," pandering to the masses by just playing old hits. Whether this was a mere "tribute band"or not, I loved hearing the hits live, my physical body completely enveloped and saturated by the music, reminding me that music is not just meant to be heard but also physically felt, as though you could put your hands out towards the speakers and touch what comes out. I'm so not used to live music that I sometimes wonder if I might literally be blown away or moved by it. Bernard Sumner sounds just like he does on the records, but his voice doesn't really match the power of the music. It's like another instrument, and I think this is what makes their music soundtrack-like and what I like about it.

New Order performed at 6:15, The Killers at 8:15. I wanted to be closer to the stage for New Order, so we were in what might be the third row if there were such civilized things. We got there around 5 or so, after eating chicken tenders, ice cream and a big donut, so people must have been there since the prior band (Crystal something). It rained that morning, so the grounds were muddy.

Mud tries to suck you in! We were next to a big mud pit, behind two guys who were clearly there to see New Order. (Older, crabbier.) I'm sure there were other New Order fans up there with us, but a lot of the people were there to see The Killers. Their plan seemed to be to stand and wait possibly more than four hours to see Brandon Flowers up close for another two hours during the show. There was a young crowd fine, even happy, to be in the mud next to us, but they got a little rambunctious during some of the most popular songs like "Blue Monday." Among the rather mellow crowd (either because New Order fans are relatively so, or because Killers fans don't care for New Order or their music), one drunk and wild girl started flinging mud in the air, which landed in some people's faces. Her boyfriend was more aware than she was and tried to do some damage control, but he was at least two or three selves short of the job. At one point they yelled, "It's Lollapalooza, people need to lighten up!" which was probably true, but still, "read the air," as we say in Japanese. No one else wants to dance with you and have mud in their faces on your account. They got a warning from the bouncers, who were obviously born to bounce. But during "Temptation"--the soundtrack to all great moments in life whether you're an active participant or not--she flung a little mud in the air again and the people got upset again and got the bouncer to bounce for real this time. She and her boyfriend were lifted above the barricade and were escorted out, to I don't know where. I felt kind of bad for them--my guess is that they were there for The Killers (dunno how that blasted girl was going to make it another few hours)--but this ain't no Woodstock. On the other hand, I don't know what the crabby folk were thinking, coming to an outdoor concert with a lineup of New Order and then The Killers. I was so mad that the two older guys in front of us left after the girl was escorted out! One of them was particularly pissed because he got a decent amount of mud on his face (I almost gave him my towel to wipe his face off but...but...it was a Yokohama Baystars towel...I shoulda done it...but...maybe next time I'll be a better person...okay there will be no next time, sorry, sir). They should have stayed but I guess they were out of patience and tolerance. Perhaps they were there longer and had to endure other tests and were low, whereas I had just gotten started and was high on patience. I got some mud flung on me, and I was honored since the girl was removed, but I was most of all amazed that I only got a few specks of mud on my white skort (yes SKORT, get one here! As seen on Fashiontoast!). I'm almost thirty and can wear white! I can do it!

Even from where we were standing, they were pretty tiny. The keyboard lady looked like a bored substitute teacher. The bassist seemed to be proud of his role in the music and perhaps his relatively new job. Bernard did a little footloose-type dance during "Bizarre Love Triangle"! 

Melodica! (Sorry about the hat. But I remember it was a Detroit Tigers hat!)

Whoever performed on the Red Bull stage got a nice view of the city's famous skyline. You can see the Sears Tower, also know as the Willis Tower, or also known as the "Williams Tower" according to tourists who asked us on the street how to get to it. Mordecai said, "The Willis Tower?" "The Williams Tower." "Oh, okay, just walk down a few blocks to Adams, then turn right and walk down a few more blocks, you'll see it." 

Mordo and I split up afterwards so he could see NIN and I moved over to the side where civilization resumed. I had a far but decent view of the stage; I was mostly concerned with seeing the screens because there was no hope in trying to see little people on the stage. A group of kids, who I initially thought were in the 8th grade or so but turned out to be at least 15 or 16 suddenly appeared and I heard too much of their non-interesting conversations. They were more talking at or to each other rather than with, though I suspect many 12 to 18 year olds do this to varying degrees. One girl, Bridget, got some beer from some older friend who was not part of the group; once the older girl disappeared, the redheaded girl within the group immediately asked Bridget "what that was all about?!" So they were quite innocent, which I could tell by their system of protecting their cash and iPhones in Ziploc bags. Jake wouldn't stop talking about awesome he experienced first hand, including the best concerts he had attended where he was in the VIP section for Phoenix? (is that the Sophia Coppola husband/baby daddy band?) and it was his 15th birthday, it was so awesome. One girl was upset about not being able to enjoy some performance because nearby people were rude, so she had to leave. "I can't even talk about it, I'm so upset about I'm about to cry." That was sad to see, more so than the people who were upset at Mudflinging Girl, maybe because Rude People weren't called and kicked out.

This was the best shot I could get; you can't even see Brandon Flowers clearly on the screen. He had a short-sleeved collared shirt on; I think it was a royal blue-ish color with white stars of varying size on it. He looked tan and fit and moved around a lot on the stage. 

These kids loved The Killers, and so did the solo guys around me who seemed to be lounging but suddenly got up, cheered, and recorded from their iPhones when "Mr. Brightside" started. The Killers just performed old hits, which I guess upset some people on Twitter who go to concerts for new music, but the sublimely huge crowd seemed to love it. Brandon Flowers' voice traveled well with the music through eight softball fields. He also seemed cordial, amicable, in his bantering to the audience. I realize it's part of the act, but he seemed appreciative of the gig. He sang "My Kind of Town"; I then realized I had never heard the song all the way through. And you know I thoroughly appreciated that he shouted out both the Cubs and the White Sox when he switched up the lyrics to the song! He also brought Bernard Sumner back out on stage for a cover of a Joy Division song. Today I revisited some of their music videos and forgot how much I loved "When You Were Young" (featuring bucktoothed GACHAPIN), which was their last song of the setlist.

Some Friday and Saturday shows seemed interesting: 2 Chainz, The Cure...2 Chainz...The Cure...I don't really recognize any other names. But no, practically never again. I don't know who would have to be performing or headlining at Lollapalooza for me to go again, to put up with the outdoors and unruly people. I prefer seats, everyone sitting down and golf clapping, a clear view, appreciating sounds and stage presence from a safe distance. Maybe I should go to more concerts in Japan. I know some people go to shows to dance and sing and stuff; I am not opposed to all of that, but at a live show, I would just like to see the performance and observe. I am turning into Steve Harvey: "You ain't gon work my ass half to death! I came here to enjoy the show."

Day Thirteen

Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?

Mariah Carey, because she wrote and provided hit after hit throughout my childhood, adolescence, and into my adulthood; because she's got a way with words ("dem babies" were finally born today); because she has a strong sense of self (even if it's crazy--aren't we all crazy? oh we're not? oops); because she appreciates us lambs; because she's got the greatest voice ever in the history of pop music.

Day Eight

Day 8 – A song to match your mood.

I don't know that either of these songs 'match my mood' but they have been in my head for the past week. Dan gave me Adele's '21' album, and I've been listening to it in the car nonstop. I keep forgetting to bring it in and copy it onto my iTunes so that I can pass the good shit on to Emily. I like to listen to the songs and arrange the lyrics to Mitsu's circumstances or personality. "Rumor has it...rumor has it...rumor has it Mitsu has some tummy troubles~" "There's a fire, burning in my dog!" And so on. 

Bonus factoid: Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" was actually written for the only real "little monster" who belongs to no one but herself--Mitsu. I imagine she sings the song with amended lyrics when, say, the vet says to me and Mordecai that we're raising her well. "It doesn't matter who my real parents are...or who my human parents are...I'm putting my paws up...Ms. Vet, I was born this way! I was born this way, I was born this way...My name is Mitsu Scheckter, I was born this way!"

Playing now

It's taken weeks, maybe a couple of months, but I'm finally playing this up to speed. Obviously not with wisdom, knowledge of much beyond what keys to hit when, or with the kind of emotion that lifts me from my piano bench. I remember when this song came out in Japan back in the day, when it dominated the mainstream charts despite having no vocals or lyrics. I think part of the appeal was its promotion in a commercial for an energy drink or something, but also that it soothed many overburdened, stressed out Japanese souls. There is indeed something soothing about the melody, like menthol, but there's also something catchy, popular, dare I say "easy," too, like candy.  Basically, what I'm saying is, this song is a good cough drop. As with all other non-Beethoven pieces I play, Mitsu is not interested, so there are no videos of us jamming together on this one.

Mitsu x Beethoven Collaboration

Last week, I was playing the piano, and Mitsu starting vocalizing when I played the theme to Beethoven's 7th. I've been playing this piece, a Nodame Cantabile version, for about half a year now so it's become the one-trick-pony piece I play when I feel like playing something but not really practicing. At first, I thought Mitsu was telling me to shut up, and then I thought she had to go outside. But then she sat and lied down by my bench, so I continued playing. When I started a section that involved a crescendo, Mitsu joined in by howling. Her face, looking straight on, is super cute when she stretches her howls out. I started to give her treats when she would sing along to my crescendos, and she performed for Mordecai a couple of times. I was finally able to capture all of this on camera tonight with minimal mistakes on my part. She doesn't seem to care for any other pieces I play, so I like to think that she and Beethoven are basically best friends.

You kind of have to wait for her to hear the howls clearly. She warms up a little throughout the song, misses my conducting cues in the middle, but then comes through at the end (~1:00 mark)!

This is our one hit wonder, guys! We won't be coming on tour near you! You might hear about a comeback 10 years from now! Good night!

Damn French Horns

Last night Mordecai and I saw a Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance of some Mozart, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. (I recommend taking advantage of their "student ticket" system.) I've been into classical music lately, but only to the extent that this all pertains to "Nodame Cantabile." (I saw the two movies, which left me with so many questions, but settled the main ones between Nodame, Chiaki, and music.) There were two reasons why I picked Thursday's concert: 1) Jonathan Biss, the pianist performing Beethoven's concerto, looks like a snooty Mordecai, and 2) I recognized the beginning of Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony from the Nodame soundtrack. 

We went to a pre-show lecture on Mozart's Symphony 23, Beethoven's Concert no.2, and Mendelssohn's Symphony 4. The woman-encyclopedia talked for 30 straight minutes about the three composers, what they were going through when they composed the pieces, and how they all related to one another. It was like a human Wikipedia article but somehow more trustworthy. What was most helpful for me was her explanation that the fourth movement of Beethoven's concerto had a rondo structure of parts: A, B, A, C, A, B, A. ("Music students say it as a word, 'abacaba.'") I had been listening to the concerto before the concert, but never really listened for any patterns beyond the first movement, so when Biss performed, it was nice that I could locate the A parts ("like the refrain in a pop song") and anticipate the different B and C parts. Prichard had also explained that the last movement of Mendelssohn's symphony was going to be aggressive, so I looked out for that as well, having never heard that symphony beyond the first two minutes of the first movement.

If you can't tell by now, I've had problems in the past trying to get into classical music. I need something to notice, pay attention to, or else I will get bored and start thinking about random things, or I will just doze off. Even if I am familiar with the music (this past summer, we went to see Beethoven's 1st and 7th symphonies; it was pretty AWESOME to see Nodame's theme music live!), the performances are so ephemeral, not loud enough in my opinion (I want it all to go BOOM in my ear!), and it's all just so different from being able to press << and listen to or see it all again.

Mordecai's advice to J-Biss: Don't comb your hair back.

So aside from some superficial familiarity with the music, I had one more thing to my advantage, which was what Jonathan Biss looked like. We were in the upper balcony, so it was hard to tell exactly what he looked like in person, but he seemed super tall, lanky, even gangly. It looked like his wingspan was such that he could play two concert grand pianos if he wanted to. My guess is that he can reach an octave-and-a-half or more with one hand. His feet looked huge as well, like Sideshow Bob's. Anyway, it was hilarious to see a Mordecai-look-alike sway during the orchestra's parts and wave his head around while he played his parts. (It's even funnier if you imagine Mordecai in this pose, or this one. Maybe I can imagine this better, or find this funny, only because I get front row seats to his comedy acts.) I have no way of  providing a serious judgment of his performance, but it was nice to have a view of the keyboard live, instead of just hearing a version through headphones, or getting a straight-on view of Mitsuko Uchida's ridiculous facial expressions during her performance.

And then came the french horns. Mendelssohn's Symphony 4, or "Italian" Symphony, has two french horns, and they have a pretty prominent part throughout the whole thing. They keep a kind of bass line going while the strings are doing their main-melody thing in the beginning, and Mordecai's claim was that they were way too loud.  This seems to be a complaint not so much about the horns, but the conductor, Antonio Pappano. (I said maybe Pappano's Italian heritage was responsible.) And later, Mordo says, the horns themselves messed up when they had the spotlight. It was as if something was caught in their reed thingamabob (that thing that collects the spit), or as if they didn't blow enough air, or, figuratively, as if the horns' voices cracked. I think that I heard what Mordecai heard (he has more sensitive ears than I do), but I wasn't confident enough to say that this sounded effed up to me. When the concert was over, there was the usual clapping for five minutes so that the conductor could come out three times, but some people left immediately. I thought this was normal especially since it was getting towards 10PM and there were tons of old people whose bedtime was probably when the concert started (you know, like how people leave early or right after a Sox game to avoid parking lot traffic!). Mordecai said he assumed everyone else was mortified by the horns, which I thought was funny. (Does everyone assume that others are like them?) I had no way of gauging whether others found the horns to be shameful, and I wished more than ever that Twitter could be useful for this reason. But alas, 95% of the audience was over 70, so what could I do. I checked, but of course, no one tweeted about Jonathan Biss, the CSO that night, or about those pieces. One person tweeted that they were going, but nothing about their thoughts on the show or french horns. I suppose I could've gone to the ladies room after the concert and eavesdropped, but that only occurred to me right now. Although, I didn't think about checking Twitter for french horn complaints until I was in bed. See, it's not always about "the good old days" vs. "kids these days." I'm just slow!

ETA: Two reviews (here and here) confirm a number of things. The french horns are probably unable to sleep at night; there was a strange buzzing sound during the Beethoven piano concerto; Mozart's symphony was faster than "usual" (at least, faster than the recording I bought on iTunes); though born and based in London, Pappano is, let's just say, "unapologetically" Italian.

Angels Advocate Tour @ Chicago Theater

Chicago Theater marquis; celestial rays emanating from the Aura of Mariah

This past weekend, Mariah Carey blessed Chicago with her regal presence and whistle notes. I've been to her other concerts but they were at larger venues, so I was curious to see what her show at the smaller Chicago Theater would be like. My original theory was that she can't sell like she used to, so they chose a more "intimate" venue over the United Center or the Allstate Arena and of course, jacked up the prices. But then they added a second show "due to popular demand," so maybe there were other incentives or explanations for the venue change. Anyway, I loved the theater; I've never been so close to her before. I think her personality is crystallizing into something like youthful (obviously) and playful, and she's not taking herself too seriously, so it's nice to see her seemingly comfortable and happy.

There were some awkward audience moments that I could've done without, though. The security was tight on cameras, so while Mimi was belting out "Touch My Body" or "Shake It Off," I also had to listen to a young woman behind us getting berated and asked to step outside (I think she was able to return). Another awkward moment was when a coconut-smelling, lonesome cougar was standing and dancing in the aisle, obstructing our view when we were seated. She was eventually asked to go back to her seat, but instead of doing that, she just stepped back a few feet and crowded up next to Mordecai, which is how we came to know that she reeked of coconuts. I couldn't tell if she deserved pity or praise for being such a hardcore lamb, so into everything but so alone also. I just know that I don't want to be like that when I'm 40 or so! I'm running out of people to go with, so...I feel sorry for my future child(ren)!

The crowd was pretty much the same as those of previous tours: groups of jubilant gay men, a variety of women, bored boyfriends and husbands, and some small children. But like the population of Japan, the audience is not getting any younger. Perhaps for this reason, she did a mashup of her own "Heartbreaker" and Diana Ross' "Love Hangover," a stone groove which seemed to please Mordecai. Her overall set included a lot of the classics, including "Emotions," "Always Be My Baby," "Honey," and "My All." She added a number of more recent singles: "Shake It Off," "We Belong Together," and "Fly Like a Bird." She only sang a few songs from the "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" album, so I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to hear "H.A.T.E.U." which I finally warmed up to, or "Candy Bling," though I know no one else in the world cares about that song except for me. I'm still puzzled over the encore choice, "Hero," because she's confessed that she finds the song a little cheesy, but sings it anyway because so many people have told her that the song has changed their lives for the better.

GQ Ryda!!!

I'm going to have to take a minute here to talk about the opening act, "RydazNrtist," a 3-man group signed to Nick Canon's record label. (I grant you permission to smirk here, but read on.) I thought they were artists who "ride," as in "ball" or "hustle" or something of that nature, but apparently, the name is supposed to sound like the phrase, "writers and artists." Their performance was professional, and I have to admit that their song "Sorry Ass Apology" is appealing. I mean, they confess to being "fornicating fools" and admit to the pathetic nature of their pointless apology. It was almost a little too real, but I appreciate and value honesty. When the concert got out, at the exit, I noticed three men handing out glossy flyers for something, and I realized that "GQ Ryda," the Left-Eye of the trio, was one of them, standing next to me. I asked him to take a picture with me, and he was more than happy to, so Mordecai snapped a photo with my iPhone. Mr. GQ Ryda noticed the New Era hat sticker on the back of my iPhone, which Mordecai was still holding, and said, "Oh, hat man! Let me take a picture with him!" Little does Mr. GQ Ryda know that I'm the "hat man," that I have the sticker on my phone to help me remember my hat size for my big skull for when I buy hats for the opposing team at Cubs games. Anyway, not that he's not worth taking a picture with, but it's a rare moment when a stranger asks to take a picture with Mordecai. I love RydazNrtist.

The Shephard has arrived!

When the concert got out, we walked by the alley right next to the theater and noticed a gathering crowd of lambs. A Queen Lamb was yelling about some Mimi promotion and singing (he was good!). It seemed to be the theater exit for performers, and indeed, after about half an hour, we saw band members, dancers, and backup singers (Trey Lorenz!) walk out towards SUVs and the tour bus. I was more or less willing to freeze my toes off, and Mordecai was supportive (was he even personally interested in seeing a fellow Long Island-expat in the flesh?), so we waited about an hour. Then we realized that Mordecai's car was in a parking structure next to right next to the alley, so we warmed up in the car and drove down a few floors to get a good view of the exit area, and then we waited for the screams of lambs.

When Mariah came out, the lambs indeed screamed, lunged on her car, jumped up and down, and I saw the Queen Lamb run away hysterically after getting what he wanted--maybe an autograph or a photo or a handshake. Security opened Mariah's car door immediately, but she stepped away from the door to sign photos, shake hands even though the bodyguards seemed very reluctant about this, and waved. I've heard that she is relatively generous when it comes to greeting her fans, so I was glad to see evidence of this in person. I'm not sure I could've handled the crowd of crazy lambs, so I was fine to be at a distance. If I ever get to meet her, I'd prefer a more manageable environment, though I'm not sure I could keep myself composed enough to do anything besides stare, cry, laugh, and possibly faint. Mariah Carey is my Michael Jackson.

Life is juicy juicy

• Recently visited Richard's beloved Metropolis Cafe. At least I think he's praised it before.

• I found this article via Alicia Keys' Twitter. It's interesting to hear the background story of her latest album, "The Element of Freedom." Here's a little snippet of an interview with recording engineer, album coordinator, and studio designer Ann Mincieli:
  

What do you think Alicia got out of expanding her palette with so many new and different synths? Was that inspiring for her as a songwriter?

Yes! It allowed her to paint a picture. We have class before every album. On this album, we decided that instead of trying to learn the synths while we’re on sessions, like we did on As I Am, we spent two months with the manuals, figuring out how everything worked — and by doing that, it unlocked all these sounds, and inspired her to write certain things she would have never come up with.

Two months in Alicia's custom studio "The Oven" just playing around with instruments that come with manuals! Sounds like heaven. Also, I like Alicia's hair here--it looks so fresh and clean. I think I might mimic it next Wednesday. My hair is long, but horribly damaged.

• Thanks to my "Legacy" status in Honey B. Fly, Mariah Carey's fanclub (I think it just means my membership has been renewed automatically for at least 3 consecutive years), I was able to acquire decent tickets at an indecent price to Mariah Carey's concert in February for the "Angels Advocate" tour. I almost hesitated, almost, but...I'M A LAMB FOR LIFE. And I'm making Mordecai escort me. I went to a Skinny Puppy concert once. He hasn't seen Mariah with me. Therefore, he must escort me before she starts a family. QED.
  

• The kotatsu is back, so I nest in the living room, nurturing a paper, my progress in Assassin's Creed 2, nailpolish, and some baseball cards. I got a couple of 2009 redemptions from Topps (not 2008 Stadium Club): Gordon Beckham and Andrew McCutchen red hot rookies. Finest redemptions are supposedly going to be shipped soon, so hopefully Dexter Fowler's autographed patch comes soon. No photo of the kotatsu right now; the nest is too much of a hot mess.
  

• On repeat in my head: Lea Michele's/Rachel Berry's rendition of "Don't Rain On My Parade" from the fall finale of Glee. I can't watch "Sectionals" without getting all choked up! I've been meaning to go over Kurt's wardrobe but...I have until the start of next season in April. I must see Lea Michele perform live once before I die.
  

I'm the press conference, you a conversation

I hear that these Yahoo! streams are counted towards songs' chart position in Billboard, so I feel it is my duty, as a member of her official fan club Honey B. Fly, to post this on my blog. "This" being the video for Mariah Carey's latest single, "Obsessed," from her upcoming album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" due at the end of August. I can never remember whose memoirs they are and I'd prefer that they were those of an imperfect angle, but whatever. She looks good and happy as her music continues to, let's just say, evolve. I would like to see her get her 19th #1 single and destroy the silly Beatles' record in her lifetime and in mine, so...CHECK OUT "OBSESSED" BELOW!

The 90's, part 2

Or "Borrowing Things, part 2." My dad gave Mordecai this sweater for Christmas, which I appropriated today to channel Kurt Cobain. For some reason, when I see long-sleeved stripes, I think of him. I was never into Nirvana or alternative music in the 90's, but Rock Band and a general interest in reviving the 90's is changing that, bit by bit. Unfortunately, I found Gus Van Sant's "Last Days" disappointing, but my respect for Kurt Cobain increased. I did like that one scene where the dude sings a song and goes nuts on the drums.

So here I am in another reenactment, with Mordecai's (heavy metal) guitar (while actually listening to Biggie's "Big Poppa"). Initial attempts to appear mopey resulted in laughter (above left), but after being instructed to think about dead kittens, I could at least try (above right). Damn, I need a haircut.

The 90's

For Christmas, Mordecai gave me "My So-Called Life" on DVD. I watched all 19 episodes in about a week before school started. Plaid was so serious back then--Angela's closet overflows with oversized plaid shirts. Doc Martens were also prominently on display, and I saw Rayanne rock some cut-off jeans. Of course, not everything from the 90's and MSCL were fashionably glorious: the Chases' floral print wallpaper was...geriatric; Sharon's Cherski's hair and clothes were embarrassing; and Brian Krakow's grandfather cardigans were no good, no matter how you thought about it.

Today for some reason I was listening to 90's Amuro Namie--"Chase the Chance," "Don't Wanna Cry," "You're My Sunshine"--when genius-but-now-incarcerated Komuro Tetsuya was behind her music. I got all dance-y and channeled both Angela and Rayanne with Mordecai's Sears flannel shirt, my fake beaver vest, cut-offs from last summer, Hunter boots + red inserts, and my semi-destroyed Uniqlo "Warm-Up" tights. One must maintain warmth and optimism in the dark and cold winter somehow.

Lately in J-Pop

Some recent noteworthy things in my J-pop radar:

• Crystal Kay posted about a recent shopping excursion with her mother at the Landmark Tower. I'm sure she still lives in Yokohama...I think I'd die if I saw her there (again--I think I saw her walk off the same train I was on at the Yokohama station in the summer of 2002). Anyway, I love her blog, low quality pictures and all.
  
• Utada Hikaru posted about another English-language album from Island Def Jam on her blog, which led me to her MySpace. My initial reaction was, "MySpace?!" I suppose there's some marketing value to this. Anyway, she has a single up, "Come Back to Me," which I think sounds much more radio- and American mass-friendly than any of her electronic, ecclectic, pop-experimental stuff on her first major English-language album, "Exodus." It seems like the thing that was missing from "Exodus" was that drum machine snare fill that appears in every recent R&B/pop ballad. I'm curious to see who, if anyone, helped out with this song, and I still wonder about the strength of her voice.
  
• BoA is I guess trying to cross over to the States as well. Joe messaged me the other day about a song of hers out in America, and I remembered that I had seen a BoA video on this blog I frequent, Lulu's, who for a period of time was obsessed with the drop-crotch pant. BoA is wearing some mild drop-crotches in this video. The song, "Eat You Up," is entirely in English, and it's kind of smart in that it forces BoA to enunciate every word she says in the verses so that you understand her (she still has what sounds to me like a strong accent in some interview videos, not that you can't understand what she's saying). So this sounds possibly promising as well.

All of this leads me back to Crystal Kay. Why isn't she attempting to cross over? Maybe she and her team are watching her contemporaries test the waters first, especially after seeing Amerie appear on the R&B scene only to pretty much disappear. I suppose this is the low risk path...or maybe it's just the stay-in-Yokohama path. Hmm. 045 is the best area code to have, and "Yokohama" is the best regional license plate registration. Can't criticize that route.

Sebastien Tellier @ Schubas, 12/9/08

I don't know how people find out about weird musicians like Sebastien Tellier, but I discovered him through American Apparel. I guess one could have found out about him through Eurovision as the failed French entry last year, given the super catchy song, "Divine." Since American Apparel is openly obsessed with sex, I guess they allied with Sebastien Tellier to sell his latest CD, "Sexuality," in stores. The store and musician also came up with the "Sexuali-Tee," which is basically an oversized t-shirt made of slightly sheer viscose. The tag says machine washable, but there was a sticker on the shirt that said "Dry Clean Only." Not sure which to believe, I layer it with other shirts and go the dirty hipster route by not washing it at all.

Sebastien Tellier is a strange man. He was much older than I expected, had a saggy gut, and is losing the hair on his head. When he spoke in English, he had a strong French accent, so perfect I thought it was an act. Then I realized he's just being French. His in-between-song-talks were hilarious, though it wasn't clear if we were laughing because of his accent, his foreignness, his age, or because we found him to be inherently funny. But he talked about how fat his mom was; how Jesus was in him as he banged on the piano; how the holidays are about family family family; how he loves his water, by which he meant his wine; and he threw in a "thanks to Chicago for the bisexuals." He had some mid-song antics as well. Towards the end of "L'amour Et La Violence," he stopped playing the piano and continued to sing but while laying belly-down on the piano. He got intimate with the microphone for the encore, "Sexual Sportswear." It must be a lot easier to act this foolish at such an age when you can hide behind a full-blown beard + mustache, long wispy sweaty hair, and signature thick sunglasses.

Anyway, it was a fun, if bizarre, concert, and I'm very glad I went. The only photos I have are Nik's from his iPhone (above), since my camera is undergoing minor repair, and Mordecai classically forgot his at home after I told him to bring it and checked with him to make sure he had it and he said yes. The only proper photo I have is of myself in my Robin's Egg Blue Sexuali-Tee. I was mad no one else wore their Sexuali-Tees to the concert! I was expecting everyone to look like American Apparel models, but there were only tons of beards and normal people. And four French people in our corner taking pictures and recording the concert.

I've been wearing the Sexuali-Tee, which looks quite unremarkable in this photo, with a long-sleeved shirt underneath for warmth (and dirt protection). This post is also a means to show everyone my new fur vest. My inspiration comes from two sources--the most recent being the Beaver Man from the Turkey Testicle Festival, and the other being Rachel Zoe. I watched all her shows online, and started to realize that her excessive style is not necessarily a bad thing. However, I did not hunt down beavers or browse a vintage designer store, but I happened to come across this thing at Forever 21. It came with some stringy thing to tie around the waist, which I am not interested in using. It's very warm and the acrylic fur is surprisingly soft. It also protected me from looking like the ultimate nerd for wearing my Sebastien Tellier Sexuali-Tee shirt to the Sebastien Tellier concert. That's like wearing a Mariah Carey concert t-shirt to her concerts, something I have yet to cross off my "To Do List Before I Die."