MURS' album "MURS for President" comes out Tuesday, and the Living Legends mc will be playing a free show up in Boulder tomorrow, 9/29, at b.side lounge, 9 p.m. First come first in. They'll pack in about 200 people. After that, he's stopping by Independent Records on Colfax in Denver. 11:30 p.m. -ish to sign stuff. Check.it.out!
He's like Obama. Dropping back in Colorado once again after a stop during the DNC. Which by the way, if you hurry to Obama's campaign offices in Golden and Thornton, you can get free tickets for Obama's appearance tomorrow in Westminster.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
McCainiacs vs. Bro-bamas
We watched the Obama-McCain debate w/ Drinking Liberally at the Skylark. It was a packed house, standing room only, and the first time I've watched a debate where people were cheering at the TV screen for things like health care and policy in Afghanistan. You can watch future debates at the Skylark if you missed this one. Get there 15-30 minutes ahead if you want a seat. And here, the Debate Watch Drinking Game from last night (DL adapted it from TheSeminal.com):
_ Every time John McCain mentions his POW experience, praise his courage and drink
_ Every time Obama says change drink
_ Every time John McCain tries to associate Barack Obama with an unsavory character, take a sip
_ Every time someone says bailout you have to finish your drink and pour another
_ Every time John McCain says "my friends," spit out your drink and shout "I am not your friend" at the television
_ Every time "eveil," "evil doers" or anything with evil is mentioned, drink a sip of French red wine
_ Every time John McCain threatens Iran, drink a savage car bomb or cherry bomb
_ Everytime Barack Obama ties John McCain to George W. Bush drink a sloe gin fizz and wish for better days
_ Every time John McCain displays how hopelessly out of touch he is drink an old bastard
_ Every time John McCain refers to the USSR or any other nonexistent formerly communist country get ready to ride the red tide
_ When Georgia is mentioned, drink a fuzzy navel
_ Every time John McCain mentions Sarah Palin, drink a white Russian. After all, if Sarah Palin is around there must be a Russian nearby somewhere
_ Every time John McCain smiles creepily drink
_ If anyone mentions a golden parachute, pound some goldschlager
_ Every time John McCain makes an appeal to states' rights, lean back and take a sip of that sweet Southern Comfort
_ When NATO membership is mentioned, clink glasses with everyone around you and attack anyone who refuses to clink
_ If John McCain doesn't show up, lock yourself inside and sip Jack Daniels all night
_ Every time John McCain mentions his POW experience, praise his courage and drink
_ Every time Obama says change drink
_ Every time John McCain tries to associate Barack Obama with an unsavory character, take a sip
_ Every time someone says bailout you have to finish your drink and pour another
_ Every time John McCain says "my friends," spit out your drink and shout "I am not your friend" at the television
_ Every time "eveil," "evil doers" or anything with evil is mentioned, drink a sip of French red wine
_ Every time John McCain threatens Iran, drink a savage car bomb or cherry bomb
_ Everytime Barack Obama ties John McCain to George W. Bush drink a sloe gin fizz and wish for better days
_ Every time John McCain displays how hopelessly out of touch he is drink an old bastard
_ Every time John McCain refers to the USSR or any other nonexistent formerly communist country get ready to ride the red tide
_ When Georgia is mentioned, drink a fuzzy navel
_ Every time John McCain mentions Sarah Palin, drink a white Russian. After all, if Sarah Palin is around there must be a Russian nearby somewhere
_ Every time John McCain smiles creepily drink
_ If anyone mentions a golden parachute, pound some goldschlager
_ Every time John McCain makes an appeal to states' rights, lean back and take a sip of that sweet Southern Comfort
_ When NATO membership is mentioned, clink glasses with everyone around you and attack anyone who refuses to clink
_ If John McCain doesn't show up, lock yourself inside and sip Jack Daniels all night
Chewie
Chewbacca Bukkake played the outdoor patio at the Meadowlark last night. Awesome venue at the corner of Cornstalks and Sunflowers on a great autumn night that felt like summer, and a fun, fun band. You've got the vocals of fashionista/bingo caller/front chickie Brandi Shigley, the best whistling this side of Larimer from Johnny Morehouse, a string bass, turntables and that's just for starters. Way more fun live than their MySpace page might suggest. Look for them again Oct. 29 at the Hi-Dive with Popwreck and Love Like Fire for $6.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Christo & Jeanne-Claude
Notes on Christo and Jeanne-Claude:
_ Their greatest outdoor works have been temporary. Then people who come to see can say they were there, and it's a precious moment. But The Mastaba, which is a work in progress, will most likely be permanent because it will cost an estimated $500 million. Very rough estimate. But it's supposed to be about 500 feet tall and involve 400,000+ stacked oil barrels
_ C+J have people help them erect their grand outdoor art pieces. But the helpers aren't volunteers. They don't use the 'V' word. Because you can't get workmen's compensation for volunteers, for one thing. So all their helpers are paid and given a meal. For The Gates in Central Park, their team found hundreds online.
_ The deaths with The Umbrellas: freak accident. At least the one in California. There were 90 mph winds, and the umbrellas were tested for 60 mph, or about the highest winds that had been recorded there previously
_ Their greatest outdoor works have been temporary. Then people who come to see can say they were there, and it's a precious moment. But The Mastaba, which is a work in progress, will most likely be permanent because it will cost an estimated $500 million. Very rough estimate. But it's supposed to be about 500 feet tall and involve 400,000+ stacked oil barrels
_ C+J have people help them erect their grand outdoor art pieces. But the helpers aren't volunteers. They don't use the 'V' word. Because you can't get workmen's compensation for volunteers, for one thing. So all their helpers are paid and given a meal. For The Gates in Central Park, their team found hundreds online.
_ The deaths with The Umbrellas: freak accident. At least the one in California. There were 90 mph winds, and the umbrellas were tested for 60 mph, or about the highest winds that had been recorded there previously
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Forecast
_ TONIGHT, 9/18: Christo and Jeanne-Claude (put hundreds of umbrellas up in Tokyo and California, and also hung a curtain across a highway in Rifle here in Colorado; next they want to hang 6 miles of fabric over the Arkansas River) give a free lecture tonight @ Denver Performing Arts Complex/Buell Theatre. 5:30 p.m. You need tickets though, and they're all gone, so good luck finding someone who can't go at the last minute. Lurk outside
_ 9/21: Left Hand Brewing Co. celebrates its 15th anniversary! $2 beers. Cash only. 1 p.m.-8 p.m. 1265 Boston Ave in Longmont.
_ 9/27: Brain Farm's snowboard movie featuring Travis Rice, "That's It. That's All," plays @ the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. 8 p.m. $10. It's a Saturday.
_ 10/29: David Sedaris speaks at CU, Macky Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. $42+. Buy tix thru Boulder Theater
_ 9/21: Left Hand Brewing Co. celebrates its 15th anniversary! $2 beers. Cash only. 1 p.m.-8 p.m. 1265 Boston Ave in Longmont.
_ 9/27: Brain Farm's snowboard movie featuring Travis Rice, "That's It. That's All," plays @ the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. 8 p.m. $10. It's a Saturday.
_ 10/29: David Sedaris speaks at CU, Macky Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. $42+. Buy tix thru Boulder Theater
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Flobots :: outtakes
With four shows and numerous appearances at rallies during DNC week, Flobots were everywhere, and they were gracious in taking photos with fans and talking to interviewers. Random quotes from the week:
BRER RABBIT:
_ Before the Iraq Veterans Against the War protest march: "I'm not looking to be arrested at all. I've spent a good part of my life trying not to be arrested. When I turned 25, we celebrated that I wasn't arrested. Just because the statistics for African-Americans..."
_ Only time he's been tear-gased: After the Broncos won the Super Bowl, the first time
_ He turned 30 on the road, in Minnesota.
_ Flobots started out as a high school project with something like 8 MCs. The first album was a cassette tape called "Masters of the Universe," "Which I refused to be on," he says. "All the cats had a jam session. I missed it because I was doing something responsible like homework. They came up and they were like, we came up with the best name ever. FLOBOTS! I said, That's the dumbest thing I ever heard of in my life! I refused to be involved because I was bitter."
Jesse talks with a bud:
_ They've gone in to Northglenn high School to work with kids on music. Also Denver Children's Home.
_ Their ascent: KTCL-FM started playing "Handlebars." It made the local rotation. Then in a contest, that song was one of the ones up for people's vote. Nerf at KTCL said the phones rang off the hook asking about the song. He'd never seen a reaction to a local song like that before. It was the same story around the country as stations would play it. "It's the people that made the difference in us blowing up," says guitarist Andy.
JONNY 5:
_ There's a Langston Hughes poem, "Let America be America Again." It says
"Let America be America again / Let it be the dream it used to be."
We're not going to wait for America to be America again. We're going to build a different kind of country...
_ On his vision for a different America: Imagine if the U.S. were seen as a resource around global peacemaking. We've invested a lot of resources toward war. What if we invested in a department of peace. It sounds weird but ...
Sunday, August 31, 2008
DNC recap
_ 8/27: Rage Against the Machine, The Coup, State Radio and Flobots played the Tent State Music Festival to End the War for 9,000 people @ the Denver Colisuem. Tickets were free if you won some from Tent State University in a lottery, but on the day of the show, the people at the door weren't really checking tickets, so pretty much anyone who decided to give it a whirl and walk in could get in.
Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys served as one of the MCs in between sets. "I can't believe just how undemocratic the Democratic Party is," he said during one break before Flobots came out. "Do you know how much money they spent on security?" ($50 million, was the budget, btw) "They could've spent it on building houses for homeless people." Another mc led the throngs in a chant of, "They're our brothers, they're our sisters, We support war resisters."
Ron Kovic (the guy Tom Cruise played in Born on the Fourth of July) got cheers when he took the stage. "This is our country. They're not going to take our country from us," he said.
Flobots took the stage. Brer Rabbit did some break dancin moves and also did the man splits.
Before Rage came out, with a black cloth hanging from the back with a red star on it, veterans came out and said some words. Rage saluted the vets. By this time, it was about 2 p.m. The crowd on the floor pushed toward the stage, and some people flew down the stairs of the coliseum stands down to the floor. Hey, it's a Rage show. It was all dark inside, and Zack de la Rocha even said, "Good evening, I mean, good afternoon." No liquor was served, so that may have saved everyone. But anyways, they came out and played Guerilla Radio, Testify and Pocket Full of Shells. Wayne Kramer (MC5, who played at the national convention in Chicago in '68) joined Rage for "Kick Out the Jams." He had on white jeans, a white button down and a T-shirt from Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Backstage, Kramer was saying that in '68, they were protesting the Vietnam War, which he says the U.S. was lied into and now we're in Iraq, another war we were lied into. Things have changed in terms of protests though. "Trying to use the tactics of the '60s, while I'm sure they are exciting for those involved, are ineffective," Kramer said backstage. "Authorities have learned their lessons well. They control information better than any time before. ... They know how to control crowds. They have a lot of high tech equipment and they can't wait to use it. The old paradigm is ineffective now. We need a new way to exercise our rights as set out by the framers.
"Change starts from the bottom up. Barack Obama is not going to be the messiah. He's not going to save us. We have to save ourselves. Change has to happen in our own neighborhoods, our own workplace, our own schools. It literally is power to the people."
He said he's no different from 40 years ago. "I'm still critical of contradictions and abuses of power. I'm still a champion of human rights and of peace and justice in the world. How could I ever change that.
"This is a struggle that will never end. All any of us is trying to do is move the country forward."
Immediately after the show, Flobots and The Coup frontman Boots Riley marched in the Iraq Veterans Against the War protest from the Coliseum to the Pepsi Center with an estimated 3,500-4,000 of the concert goers and other protesters. Brer Rabbit, Jonny 5, Jesse and Andy were spotted near the front, plus a couple members of Rage Against the Machine for a short time. That march is a nearly 4-mile route, folks. And they had no permit, but police worked with protesters, keeping them safe and blocking traffic in way of the protesters' planned route. No reported arrests. People from businesses along the route came out to look. Some left ice cubes and water, some sold water to the protesters, because it was sunny and HOT. Plus, you figure everyone just came from sweating their butts off during the 4-hour music fest, ending with Rage Against the Machine. Some (including Flobots) hadn't had anything to eat and only a little bit to drink. Funny side note: an anti-porn group's truck on its way somewhere else somehow got stuck in a line of police vans trailing the protesters and couldn't get out, so they ended up following the protest marchers. (all ended peacefully...can read more on the protest here)
That evening, outside Manifest Hope Gallery on an outdoor stage at the corner of 30th and Larimer was Unconventional '08. I missed it on account of I was still recovering from the march. But I caught up with it for the VIP party inside the gallery. The organizers handed out VIP tickets earlier in the week, but looks like most of the people who got in early were Denver hipsters who knew someone who knew someone who could get them inside. That meant a long line of people with VIP tickets having to stand in line outside on the off chance anyone inside decided to leave. Doors were at 9, and Shepard Fairey was DJing, with everything from Mariah Carey to 80s rap. But I don't think Sarah Silverman took the stage til 11p or something. On John McCain, she said, He may be a war hero, but not of this war. She also talked of going to a Barack fundraiser, seeing Obama and trying to come up with an intelligent question to ask. So she went over to ask the question. "He said something really interesting. He said, 'I'm Kanye West.'" Ben from Death Cab for Cutie and Zooey Deschanel sang. Anyway, among the folks attending were filmmaker Qasim Basir (who filmed the Yes We Can shorts on YouTube that support Obama), Christy from ManiaTV. Ben was just playing on acoustic guitar, and with the mood quickly switching from hobnob-with-drinks-and-art to lullaby time, and people started cuttin' for the door.
Graffiti artists were busy in Denver. You know those billboards the Republicans put up around town that said MLK was a Republican? DUring the week, at least one was written over with MLK was an Obama man. Then overnight Wed into Thurs, they were painting an Obama portrait onto the brick wall on 20th and Stout
Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys served as one of the MCs in between sets. "I can't believe just how undemocratic the Democratic Party is," he said during one break before Flobots came out. "Do you know how much money they spent on security?" ($50 million, was the budget, btw) "They could've spent it on building houses for homeless people." Another mc led the throngs in a chant of, "They're our brothers, they're our sisters, We support war resisters."
Ron Kovic (the guy Tom Cruise played in Born on the Fourth of July) got cheers when he took the stage. "This is our country. They're not going to take our country from us," he said.
Flobots took the stage. Brer Rabbit did some break dancin moves and also did the man splits.
Before Rage came out, with a black cloth hanging from the back with a red star on it, veterans came out and said some words. Rage saluted the vets. By this time, it was about 2 p.m. The crowd on the floor pushed toward the stage, and some people flew down the stairs of the coliseum stands down to the floor. Hey, it's a Rage show. It was all dark inside, and Zack de la Rocha even said, "Good evening, I mean, good afternoon." No liquor was served, so that may have saved everyone. But anyways, they came out and played Guerilla Radio, Testify and Pocket Full of Shells. Wayne Kramer (MC5, who played at the national convention in Chicago in '68) joined Rage for "Kick Out the Jams." He had on white jeans, a white button down and a T-shirt from Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Backstage, Kramer was saying that in '68, they were protesting the Vietnam War, which he says the U.S. was lied into and now we're in Iraq, another war we were lied into. Things have changed in terms of protests though. "Trying to use the tactics of the '60s, while I'm sure they are exciting for those involved, are ineffective," Kramer said backstage. "Authorities have learned their lessons well. They control information better than any time before. ... They know how to control crowds. They have a lot of high tech equipment and they can't wait to use it. The old paradigm is ineffective now. We need a new way to exercise our rights as set out by the framers.
"Change starts from the bottom up. Barack Obama is not going to be the messiah. He's not going to save us. We have to save ourselves. Change has to happen in our own neighborhoods, our own workplace, our own schools. It literally is power to the people."
He said he's no different from 40 years ago. "I'm still critical of contradictions and abuses of power. I'm still a champion of human rights and of peace and justice in the world. How could I ever change that.
"This is a struggle that will never end. All any of us is trying to do is move the country forward."
Immediately after the show, Flobots and The Coup frontman Boots Riley marched in the Iraq Veterans Against the War protest from the Coliseum to the Pepsi Center with an estimated 3,500-4,000 of the concert goers and other protesters. Brer Rabbit, Jonny 5, Jesse and Andy were spotted near the front, plus a couple members of Rage Against the Machine for a short time. That march is a nearly 4-mile route, folks. And they had no permit, but police worked with protesters, keeping them safe and blocking traffic in way of the protesters' planned route. No reported arrests. People from businesses along the route came out to look. Some left ice cubes and water, some sold water to the protesters, because it was sunny and HOT. Plus, you figure everyone just came from sweating their butts off during the 4-hour music fest, ending with Rage Against the Machine. Some (including Flobots) hadn't had anything to eat and only a little bit to drink. Funny side note: an anti-porn group's truck on its way somewhere else somehow got stuck in a line of police vans trailing the protesters and couldn't get out, so they ended up following the protest marchers. (all ended peacefully...can read more on the protest here)
That evening, outside Manifest Hope Gallery on an outdoor stage at the corner of 30th and Larimer was Unconventional '08. I missed it on account of I was still recovering from the march. But I caught up with it for the VIP party inside the gallery. The organizers handed out VIP tickets earlier in the week, but looks like most of the people who got in early were Denver hipsters who knew someone who knew someone who could get them inside. That meant a long line of people with VIP tickets having to stand in line outside on the off chance anyone inside decided to leave. Doors were at 9, and Shepard Fairey was DJing, with everything from Mariah Carey to 80s rap. But I don't think Sarah Silverman took the stage til 11p or something. On John McCain, she said, He may be a war hero, but not of this war. She also talked of going to a Barack fundraiser, seeing Obama and trying to come up with an intelligent question to ask. So she went over to ask the question. "He said something really interesting. He said, 'I'm Kanye West.'" Ben from Death Cab for Cutie and Zooey Deschanel sang. Anyway, among the folks attending were filmmaker Qasim Basir (who filmed the Yes We Can shorts on YouTube that support Obama), Christy from ManiaTV. Ben was just playing on acoustic guitar, and with the mood quickly switching from hobnob-with-drinks-and-art to lullaby time, and people started cuttin' for the door.
Graffiti artists were busy in Denver. You know those billboards the Republicans put up around town that said MLK was a Republican? DUring the week, at least one was written over with MLK was an Obama man. Then overnight Wed into Thurs, they were painting an Obama portrait onto the brick wall on 20th and Stout
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
unconventional '08
Stop by the Manifest Hope Gallery @ 30th and Larimer today, check out Obama-inspired art by Shepard Fairey, Ron English, Mac, Van Taylor, CRO and others, and pick up free tix to the street party this evening w/ Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Silversun Pickups, Cold War Kids, et al, special appearance by Sarah Silverman.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
DNC music, celebs, parties, entertainment
Places to be, people to see during the DNC (partial list, more to come)
8/23: _ Flobots play the media welcome party at Elitch Gardens (invitation only)
_ Rock the Bells
8/24: _ Green concert at Red Rocks (invitation only) with Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow,
_ Opening night reception commemorating Hurricane Katrina recovery (invite only)
8/25: _ Rock the Vote bash (sold out!) with Wyclef Jean, NERD, Fall Out Boy. 10 p.m.- midnight
_ Rock the Vote after party (for VIPs), Grant Chambers salon, with Nick Cannon. Midnight - 2 a.m.
_ Cinemocracy Rocks (film festival winners) @ Red Rocks with Okkervil River, Jill Sobule, Apples in Stereo. $20
_ Jill Sobule, Michelle Shocked @ Codepink event, Cuernavaca Park, 6:30 p.m. FREE!
8/26: _ Willie Nelson @ Red Rocks, $55
_ James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Ani DiFranco tape an e-town show, $50-$85
_ Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright, Melissa Etheridge at the Fillmore, $98-$500
8/27: _ Rage Against the Machine, et al, (see post down below) FREE, if you win tickets in a lottery (details below)
_ Moby @ the Church. $30. Part of proceeds go to Obama's campaign
_ Unconventional 08: street party and invite only VIP party, Silversun Pickups, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Jenny Lewis, Zooey Deschanel, Sarah Silverman @ 30th and Larimer
_ Hot IQs play FREE @ Floyd's 99 Barbershop (16th and Champa). Free appetizers
_ Black Eyed Peas, Fillmore
8/28: _ DJ Jazzy Jeff @ the Church. $15
8/25-8/25, from 4 p.m - 9 p.m., show a business card proving you work downtown and you get $1 domestic draft beer at the Magnolia Hotel bar (normally Harry's Bar but renamed because the Vermont and W.V. delegations are staying there). 17th and Champa
8/23: _ Flobots play the media welcome party at Elitch Gardens (invitation only)
_ Rock the Bells
8/24: _ Green concert at Red Rocks (invitation only) with Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow,
_ Opening night reception commemorating Hurricane Katrina recovery (invite only)
8/25: _ Rock the Vote bash (sold out!) with Wyclef Jean, NERD, Fall Out Boy. 10 p.m.- midnight
_ Rock the Vote after party (for VIPs), Grant Chambers salon, with Nick Cannon. Midnight - 2 a.m.
_ Cinemocracy Rocks (film festival winners) @ Red Rocks with Okkervil River, Jill Sobule, Apples in Stereo. $20
_ Jill Sobule, Michelle Shocked @ Codepink event, Cuernavaca Park, 6:30 p.m. FREE!
8/26: _ Willie Nelson @ Red Rocks, $55
_ James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Ani DiFranco tape an e-town show, $50-$85
_ Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright, Melissa Etheridge at the Fillmore, $98-$500
8/27: _ Rage Against the Machine, et al, (see post down below) FREE, if you win tickets in a lottery (details below)
_ Moby @ the Church. $30. Part of proceeds go to Obama's campaign
_ Unconventional 08: street party and invite only VIP party, Silversun Pickups, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Jenny Lewis, Zooey Deschanel, Sarah Silverman @ 30th and Larimer
_ Hot IQs play FREE @ Floyd's 99 Barbershop (16th and Champa). Free appetizers
_ Black Eyed Peas, Fillmore
8/28: _ DJ Jazzy Jeff @ the Church. $15
8/25-8/25, from 4 p.m - 9 p.m., show a business card proving you work downtown and you get $1 domestic draft beer at the Magnolia Hotel bar (normally Harry's Bar but renamed because the Vermont and W.V. delegations are staying there). 17th and Champa
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
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