The Greatest Show On Earth (or The Blog Without Photos)
Okay, so I still haven't gotten off my lazy behind and posted the pictures from the R.E.M. show at Lakewood, and since I may or may not have an internet connection through the weekend, I wanted to at least post the set list.
Seriously...it could have been the best show I have ever seen (and trust me, that's saying a lot).
It was heavy on old stuff and heavy on new stuff. Not a lot in between. They pulled out one of my two favorite songs in their catalog in Harborcoat. Nicole got her favorite in Nightswimming. They played four songs from my favorite record - 1984's Reckoning.
When we saw them at Phillips Arena in 2003, they encored with the entire Chronic Town EP. And I'm not sure much can top that. But hearing half of Reckoning was pretty terrific (especially considering one of the four tracks wasn't even So. Central Rain, the only real "single" from that record).
Six tracks from the new record. And a lot of other classics like, Driver 8, Orange Crush, and Auctioneer (Another Engine) - Are you kidding me?
I'll try to post pictures when I have time, but frankly, I'm not sure they are good anyway. You probably aren't missing much.
Here is the setlist:
Setlist
1) These Days 2) Living Well Is the Best Revenge 3) So Fast, So Numb 4) What's The Frequency, Kenneth? 5) Time After Time (Annelise) 6) Driver 8 7) Man Sized Wreath 8) Walk Unafraid 9) Hollow Man 10) Ignoreland 11) Houston 12) Electrolite 13) (Don't Go Back to) Rockville 14) Auctioneer (Another Engine) 15) Harborcoat 16) The One I Love 17) I've Been High 18) Let Me In 19) Bad Day 20) Horse To Water 21) Orange Crush 22) I'm Gonna DJ
Encore
23) Supernatural Superserious 24) Losing My Religion 25) Pretty Persuasion 26) Nightswimming 27) Fall On Me (w/Johnny Marr) 28) Man on the Moon (w/Johnny Marr)
Absolutely unbelievable, if you ask me. Watching Michael sing Nightswimming to Mike Mills as Mills played the piano was one of the greatest concert moments I have ever experienced. I mean, two guys who have been writing music together for nearly 30 years. They never had any real fights or splits, and they've been playing that song for the better part of 16. There they were alone on stage almost as if no one was watching. Then, they shared a little fist bump at the end. I wish I had a recording of the performance.
The people that criticized this year's City Stages festival in downtown Birmingham either didn't go or they don't know music (likely both). And I don't fault them for either, because the fact remains - this year's festival, booked by the same group that books Bonnaroo, didn't boast a lot of star power. Recent years have seen acts like Poison, Snoop Dogg, The Black Crowes, The Killers and more. This year saw headliners like Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals and the Flaming Lips (granted, there was some star power for an older crowd - in Diana Ross and Al Green, though I saw neither act).
But what this lineup brought was a much more tame crowd, a relatively incident free festival filled with people that were there to see the show and not just drink beer at an event. And having missed just one since 2000, this may have been my favorite thus far. In fact, it was the first I spent the entire weekend at since the turn of the millenium.
This was Friday night's set from Muscle Shoals own Jason Isbell. I never really fought my way too close, as I had that opportunity at his set at Workplay in December. One of my favorite artists playing music today and one of my favorite records of the decade.
Another rather fuzzy picture, this one from the Old Crow Medicine Show set after Isbell on Friday at the Legact Stage. I've heard a lot of their stuff, but I became a bigger fan after seeing them live.
The Dexateens, from Tuscaloosa, went on the Miller Stage at 3:00 on Saturday. It may have been my second favorite set of the weekend. Their new record is available for free download at their website. It's produced by Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of the Drive By Truckers. I spoke with their drummer who told me they'll return to Birmingham soon as headliners at the Nick and as openers for the Whigs at Sloss. Check them out.
More from the Dexateens.
Ingrid Michaelson on the Legacy Credit Union Stage on Saturday. Nicole and I had an opportunity to meet her at Bottle Tree last month. I didn't get to stay for the whole set this time, as some in my party wanted to migrate to the Buddy Guy show. I wish I had stayed for Ingrid's entire set. While I enjoyed Buddy Guy, I was rather beat, and I actually dozed off for 10 minutes or so during the Guy set. He was solid, but I prefer Ingrid. Maybe I'm strange (or probably).
So at 9:30 or so on Sunday, a group of dudes in construction outfits took to the stage to set things up for the Flaming Lips. Stagehands began to shower the crowd with glowsticks. Beachballs began to be tossed. Balloons were flying. Lead singer Wayne Coyne oversaw the whole process. It was the beginning of the most bizarre thing I have ever seen on stage.
So Coyne rolls off the stage in this bubble, rolling over everyone as they pass him around. Meanwhile...
Thirty people in Teletubbies costumes take to the stage as streamers shoot from cannons and balloons fall from the sky. A guy is playing the bass, somewhere in this photo, in a skeleton costume.
I've never done acid, but I would have to assume this is what it feels like. There were the Teletubbies, the skeleton, the giant ball, the glow sticks (which, at one point, Wayne asked everyone in the crowd to throw at him in unison), the gong (which never really seemed to serve a purpose), the giant video screen behind the band showing shots of B-movies and distorted images of naked people. The only way I can remotely describe this show to someone that's never been is that it is Cowboy Mouth on acid. And that's not even fair. I only draw that comparison because of how highly interactive it was. It was a set that asked a lot of its' audience. And these people, some which traveled from many miles away, obliged.
Oh, and there was this giant caterpillar, wearing a king's crown, who joined the Teletubbies.
Actually ended up pretty close for this one. We left the Shooter Jennings set early to get near the front. Worth it.
Another highlight? I was actually kind of impressed with Fake Blind Melon. The dude they got to replace Shannon Hoon looks like Scott Stapp without steroids and sounds like Hoon. The new material was pretty good, and the old stuff sounded as good as it could. I also enjoyed the set by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, who i think are opening for Dave Matthews this summer.
In short, you missed a whale of a show. And as Eric pointed out to me, this year's lineup (again, booked by the same crew that books Bonnaroo), featured six of the top 30 or so acts from last's year's Manchester festival. Now, I don't expect to see Pearl Jam or Metallica next year, but if the Raconteurs or Vampire Weekend show up on the bill? It'll be another great festival.
- What was the deal with Kevin Garnett tonight? You won the championship. You didn't see the face of God. Why are you speaking in tongues? And why did David Stern compare the Celtics to the Highlander? I get it, David. There can only be one champion. Did you have to phrase it that way?
- So I got this new Neti Pot. It's absolutely the nastiest thing in the world, but it works. Well. In short, you pour stuff in one of your nostrils and let it drain out the other side. It's like $13 at Wal-Mart, and had I known then what I know now, they could have actually asked me for 13 actual blocks of gold and I would have broken into Fort Knox to find some. My head, which has been in constant pain for a year, hasn't felt this clear in a long time, and I've used it just twice thus far. Claritin D never worked for me. Advil Cold and Sinus never worked. The only thing that worked was Drixoral, and they stopped making the stuff. Desperate times call for pouring stuff into your nose. I'm almost thankful pill production forced me to make a desperate move.
- Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is friggin' awesome, and I think Guy Fieri is the coolest guy on the planet.
- Guitar Hero is friggin' awesome. I found out today that the Aerosmith edition will be released on PS2 soon. Bad news? On Tour won't be, and the Aerosmith version may be the last on PS2 as they will begin phasing out PS2 games.
- I'm heading to Atlanta Saturday to see the greatest American rock band of all time. I couldn't afford pit seats, though I had a chance through my fan club membership. Nonetheless, R.E.M. will be amazing on the lawn.
Photos From the Regions Charity Classic (or Things I Should Have Posted the Last Two Weeks)
Well, well, well.
I've had some internet issues of late, and I was at the lake for the better part of four days. Those things have made it rather difficult for me to find a moment to post anything new here. So before I get to more recent issues, I'll clean up some dead wood.
If you didn't notice the new photo album I put up from the Regions Charity Classic (and if you are reading this from www.dandbradio.com, you likely didn't), I will offer up a few photos from the rain shortened event. Unfortunately, I'm not in any of the shots, as I am the guy behind the camera:
Heisman winner Bo Jackson with Jim and Ryan at the Regions Charity Classic on Wednesday.
Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher joins the guys.
Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden with Jim and Ryan.
And this was my favorite moment of the abbreviated tournament. I was standing behind Coach Bowden as Steve Spurrier literally came over and introduced himself. "Don't know if you 'member me, coach...we played a lot of games against each other...we're two of the greatest coaches in the history of our sport...first name's Steve..."
Okay, that's not how the conversation went, but the rest is true. Pretty awesome.
Joe Theismann joined the guys on Thursday, but I stayed back in studio with rains on the way.
Whenever I last blogged, I posted a picture of myself with musician Amy Lavere. She was scheduled to take up residency at the Bottle Tree in the month of June, but a MySpace bulletin notified me today that this has been postponed due to her hectic filming schedule.
Filming schedule?
Yeah...sure enough she's an actress too. And she has some pretty solid films to her credit, though I've only seen one of them and I don't immediately remember her. She was in Walk the Line which I've seen, and Black Snake Moan with Sam Jackson, which I've wanted to see and haven't had a chance.
Anyway...just found that to be an interesting tidbit.
Jo Jo Reyes tossed the game of his life tonight and came away with a loss to show for it. Unbelievable. Pitching isn't the problem in Atlanta, hitting on the road is. To have that much talent in the lineup, and not be able to come up with one stinking run against Jeff Suppan in Miller Park? Un-freaking-believable.
Eleven one-run losses on the road now. And still, this team sits just 2.5 games out of first in the NL East.
The effort by Reyes solidifies my point: I think 3-4 good innings out of Smoltz in relief is going to be much more beneficial than 4-5 starting. Tim Hudson would be a Cy Young candidate if Arizona hadn't gotten an expansion franchise. Tom Glavine and Jair Jurrjens have been very good (though Glavine doesn't have the wins to show for it - again, not his fault). And I think Jorge Campillo is serviceable, though I haven't seen him throw much. But they aren't going to have to go to a five-man often until September, so living on Hudson, Glavine, Jurrjens and Reyes is pretty solid. Perhaps then Smoltz can return to the rotation.
And you know, I'd love to raise some cain about the Brian McCann strike. I mean, the home plate umpire telling the Brewers to pitch while McCann is out of the box? Bush League. You clearly got the call wrong, the least you can do is let the guy calmly say his peace. Sure, he may have gotten some foul language in there, but he wasn't in the guy's face...he wasn't being a problem. And Tex had just been robbed in the prior at-bat (Tex clearly cursed). But what are you going to do? Was that the difference in the game? In a one-run loss, possibly. But again, the Braves are just 2.5 out, and as Jim often says, you are going to lose 54 and win 54...it's what you do with the other 54. This was just one of the 54 that got away. Maybe they avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon.
So I guess the Association accomplished something by admitting the foul on Brent Barry should have been a foul? Today, the NBA acknowledged Barry should have been given two foul shots, which would have tied the game had both been made.
My question: if the league isn't going to punish Joey Crawford or the rest of that crew...if they aren't going to replay the last :10 of that game...what did this accomplish? Further upsetting Spurs fans? Rubbing it in their nose that their series is over and there's nothing they can do because the league wants the Lakers in the Finals?
It's dirty, man. I've never seen a league so hell-bent on getting two teams in the Finals. Soon, you'll get your wish David Stern. Soon.
Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles (or Night By Myself)
So Langhorne Slim is from New York, and the dude named his band the "War Eagles." That was, like, the third coolest thing of the night.
Coolest thing? I saw one of the best sets I've seen in years at one of the best venues I've ever been to. There couldn't have been 40 people, including staff, in the building. And I feel priveledged to have been one of them.
Nic is out of town tonight, so while I tried to talk myself out of $3 Pabst Blue Ribbon and a free concert, nothing could convince me it was a bad idea. What was I going to do? Lay on the couch and fall asleep watching basketball? Sure, I had to waste a couple of hours hanging out at the office, but I got some things done, and I got to see most of the Celtics game. Plus, I got to steal from Subway again (that ought to teach you to include the Chicken and Bacon Ranch on the $5 footlong menu, suckers).
Seriously, I've seen a lot of music this year, and the only set I can think of that was better was the Foo Fighters. I guess Jimmy Eat World, who opened. But, come on, it was the Foo Fighters and Jimmy Eat World...two of my favorite bands...and two of the best bands of this decade.
The first thing I thought of when I watched Slim was this:
This is what Jack White would have sounded like if he had grown up in Muscle Shoals.
It was everything I knew as a kid. It was loud. It was raw. It was dirty. But it had soul. And tonight, I think I found one of my new favorite artists.
Again, the Bottle Tree is Birmingham's best kept secret, and if you missed out on this set...I'm sorry. My biggest disappointment? I didn't have anyone to share it with. I was completely sober...mooching water from the bar...and I was alone. But I had the time of my life.
Amy Lavere opened and I was satisfied before the headliner even hit the stage. She is brilliant. My first thought when I saw Amy? Perhaps it's an obscure reference, but:
This chick is the love child of the Pine Hill Haints, Ingrid Michaelson and Alison Krauss, if three people could breed.
Lucky for you, she is going to be playing every Monday, I think, in June. At the Bottle Tree. Definately worth checking out.
Amy is from Memphis. Totally worth checking out while she is in town.
My Name Is Earl may be back. I really enjoyed the season finale. Oh, and Scrubs said "Season Finale" on my info button while NBC teased it as "Finale." Hmmmmm........
So I'm watching Idol last night and a commercial pops up for Extra. First, explain to me how you are making enough money selling $0.35 cent packs of gum to afford airtime during Idol. I'm not saying Idol has Super Bowl rates, but they have to be pretty expensive, right?
The spot says something to the effect of, "Go from 'Fat Gut' to....'Nice Butt.' Extra. The five calorie snack that will help you reach your weight loss goals."
I may not have the words exactly right, but the message is clear - Don't eat, just chew. GUM IS NOT A SNACK! It's a breath freshener. Who are the ad wizards that came up with this? Better yet, if they sold this to Extra, why don't they sell it to straws?
"Straws. The no calorie snack that keeps you thin!"
I guess I was wrong about the Jazz. We spoke to Charles Barkley in February and he sold me on this team. I never got to see a lot of them in the regular season, but after watching them handle the Rockets, I was buying it. I guess fundamental basketball is a thing of the past (Hello, Spurs!). We'll talk to Charles again soon (probably when he is in town for the Regions next week), and I'll find out who I am supposed to think is good now. I think it's the Hornets. Yeah, they look solid.
Has anyone noticed NBC's promos for tomorrow's finales? 30 Rock is called the "season finale." In most cases, when a show is ending, it's labeled the "series finale." But not Scrubs. They are simply calling it the "finale." Hmm...could it be that the series is moving to ABC?
I'm a little surprised they are going to keep the series going. Who would have ever thought it would last eight seasons, 150 plus episodes? It's been in danger of being cancelled, what, seven times? And now another network is going to pick it up? Good for ABC. Still a lot of things unresolved. J.D. doesn't necessarily have to hook up with Sarah Chalke's character, but he has to find love, right? Isn't that sort of an important part of the show?
Several blogs have posted the pictures of Elisha Cuthbert (who I am still not sure why is famous) prancing around some beach with some guy (lucky for her, there is no cougar trap...how could Jack Bauer find her to save her?).
Another long weekend...another delayed blog recap. I went down to the Crawfish Boil on Friday and caught Seether, T-Pain and Three Doors Down. Nic couldn't go, as she was a little busy doing important things, so I made my way over to our Citadel side stage and enjoyed an alcohol free weekend of fun (surprisingly, not an oxymoron). This was an early view of what turned out to be a terrific weekend crowd.
Again, I say this is the biggest crowd the event has had since John Mayer played four or five years ago at the old Railroad District locaction. Last year was a far superior lineup, with Barenaked Ladies, Papa Roach and Collective Soul, but the new location and parking availability may have helped.
This was during the T-Pain set on Friday, with two of the best techs in the business, Johnathan and Brian. T-Pain sang a lot of hooks, a lot of covers, and his one song. People cheered.
On Saturday, Joey and I made our way over to Legion Field to catch the U.S. Women's Soccer team play Australia. This was during the Australian national anthem, a happier time when Cat Reddick-Whitehill wasn't scoring goals for the wrong team. To recap, in the last month, I have seen the U.S. Women's Softball and Soccer teams. Pretty cool actually. If the Williams sisters would play a match in town, and Annika Sorenstam would play 18 at Ross Bridge, I will have literally seen every great female athlete on the planet.
We ended up winning 5-4, in front of this city's most embarrassing crowd of the weekend. But it was a great event, and the first time I think I have ever seen soccer in person.
Somewhere in the middle of all of this is a girl getting arrested, rather early on Saturday, for underage drinking. The part that was a little unsettling is that it seemed her mom was with her. Oh well, I guess that cuts out the awkward, "Mom, I have to tell you something," conversation.
We watched a lot of arrests, fights and related trouble-making activities. Two major fights of note: one guy absolutely got pummeled. It was ugly. His face was dripping with blood, he was all cut up. And the whole time, all I could think of was the conversation the next morning -
"Dude, what happened to your face."
"I got in a fight at a Fergie show."
Really? You got your tail kicked at a Stacey "Fergie" Ferguson show? The chick from Wild Orchid? Kids Incorporated? Ms. Josh Duhamel?
How does that even happen? And the girls passing out and having to be dragged over the security barrier just got stupid after a while. PACE YOURSELVES. It's a marathon, not a sprint. The first aid area was right behind us, so we witnessed a lot of the aftermath first hand.
The most uncomfortable moment of the day came during Corey Smith's set as he played a tune called F--- the Po-Po. As he performed, a man in uniform was under our tent. I mean, what do you do?
I just looked at him, as our eyes met and said, "For the record, I disagree with everything this song stands for." He laughed.
Gavin DeGraw came to our little side stage during his set. The crowd roared its' collective approval.
Here he is whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
Listen, her music isn't for me, but Fergie put on a very entertaining show. It was very energetic, and she has a pretty good voice, which as best as we could tell, was her own. I counted three wardrobe changes, but we bolted as she began Glamorous.
She did a surprising number of covers, including Barracuda, which she performed with Heart on the Idol Gives Back show. She did everything from Black Dog to Santeria. Here she is doing Start Me Up.
She did a little montage of her hook from Black Eyed Peas tunes. A full version of My Humps followed by several other samples, including Where is the Love?
On Sunday, Nic, Joey and I went to the Ingrid Michaelson/Josh Ritter show at Bottle Tree. I've really enjoyed Ingrid's work that I have heard, and Nicole has become somewhat of a fan, so we were there to see her. I've listened to a little of Josh's stuff and enjoyed it all, but I was extremely impressed with Ingrid's set. Just announced today - she will be back for her fourth visit to Birmingham during City Stages. She plays at 5:40 on Saturday on the Miller stage, before Ben Harper.
Me and Ingrid:
Click here to watch video from Ingrid's set, courtesy of www.al.com. Click here for video from Josh Ritter's set.
1. McDonald's has taken the Double Cheeseburger and the McChicken off the Dollar Menu. So what is the point anymore? The single cheeseburger? The fruit and yogurt parfait? That menu stinks now. Winner in the deal? The Wendy's Value Menu.
2. Who is the genius stoner that invented the Crunchwrap Supreme at Taco Bell? Really, it may be the best fast food invention since Sonic's Big Cheese (and people actually like this one). Another one people seem to like? Burger King's BK Stacker.
3. Years of medical advancement and we still can't figure out how to allow a horse's broken leg to heal. Seeing Eight Belles put down is truly heartbreaking. I'm no animal activist, but I hate seeing that kind of thing.
4. The Hornets may be the real deal. No one can stop Chris Paul. And, for now, I'm sticking with Hornets/Jazz in the Western Conference Finals, with the winner taking it all.
I've spent the better part of 48 hours trying to catch up on sleep. Last Thursday was of the "Thirsty" variety down at Regions Park. Saturday, I spent about 13 hours out, getting in bed just after midnight and waking up at 5:00 a.m. to head to Talladega. And now, on Tuesday evening, I think I have begun to recover from it all.
So this was the scene on Saturday afternoon as Alabama beat Auburn 5-4 at the Joe in Tuscaloosa. Auburn looked absolutely miserable in the 7th, throwing a ball to third away and letting a shallow fly ball to right fall harmlessly to the ground. Mike Bianucci belted one about 430 feet in the 8th to close the gap, but the damage had been done.
I did have one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten. I couldn't tell you how to get there, as I still don't know my way around Tuscaloosa. But Muggshots makes a fine burger. And they know no limits on shot combinations. I'm not really "hip" to the Tuscaloosa scene, but we had a great time with some great spirits at 2:00 on a Saturday there.
Nice seats on Saturday night to the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss show...and what a show it was. You can read more about the show here.
There is something absolutely captivating about Alison Karuss, and when a musician with no mainstream hits can outshine one of rock's greatest living legends, it's amazing. Her rendition of Down to the River to Pray from the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack was brilliant. Although, it took the mood away a bit when some lady shouted from behind me, "Hey Robert! Take your shirt off!"
The two did some Zeppelin songs, including Black Dog and When the Levee Breaks. I had wondered how that would be handled. In retrospect, it seems this album may have been thrown together in an effort to launch this tour. Don't misunderstand, the record is terrific, but it's hard to translate the record to stage without doing a lot of other things, like each other's catalog. And that was the real show.
Interesting things I learned from the above linked Birmingham News blog: Alison is only 36 and Robert is only 59. I mean, hasn't Alison been at this for twenty years? Hasn't Robert been at it for forty? They both must have started young.
So Talladega, despite many fears, went off without a rain delay. The COT is getting boring, but the trip to Talladega isn't.
Tommy Tuberville took the Pace Car for a spin five hours or so before the green flag dropped (this photo courtesy of AP). Several spectators in the paddock area began migrating to the area near Victory Lane where Tuberville's transportation awaited.
This is Tommy's ride around the track. Check out those rims! Check out the seats! Dude knows how to roll.
Before heading out, Coach Tuberville took a moment to pose for a photo with Nic and I. Dude still couldn't wipe the grin off of his face from driving the Pace Car. He seemed to really enjoy the ride.
The view from the top of the Allison Party Deck.
Most of the crew that stood atop the deck for the duration.
So that's the bulk of it, in photos. I had a few libations, we got lost on the way home and I am just now at a point where I can hold my eyes open. But it was a terrific weekend. This weekend may not slow down much, with another Thirsty Thursday just two nights away, Crawfish Boil going on Friday and Saturday, Santana playing with Derek Trucks on Friday, the U.S. Women's Soccer team in town and the Josh Ritter/Ingrid Michaelson show on Sunday. I just hope I can find time to mow the lawn soon.
Oh, and the Mavs suck. Avery Johnson is basketball's answer to Bobby Cox. It's really aggravating. I just don't know if this team will ever have postseason success under Avery, and it's a shame, because I really like him.
I'm pretty happy with the Cowboys draft. I think it may have been a smarter move to take Rasard Mendenhall with the 22nd pick, but Felix Jones will be fine. I didn't understand unloading Fasano and taking another tight end in the second round, but I guess you need a backup there. Personally, I think they should have taken a wide receiver there and picked up a free agent tight end in the event Witten goes down. I mean, this new kid is never going to play unless Witten gets injured.
Congratulations to Quentin Groves, Pat Lee (second round, really?!), Pat Sims, Johnathan Wilhite and King Dunlap. It's rather impressive that Dunlap, a guy who couldn't beat out a freshman, got drafted. And that Lee, a guy who only started his senior year was drafted in the second round. Make no mistake, this senior class was not the most talented, but they still managed to represent Auburn well in the draft. Carl Stewart, Cole Bennett, Eric Brock and a couple of others have signed free agent deals. Are you kidding me? Eric Brock?
Congrats to all of them. I didn't get to see a lot of the draft, but enjoyed what I got. I saw the first few picks as I had a burger at Muggshots, and I caught some more at Fox and the Hound before heading to the show on Saturday night (did you know Fox and the Hound makes amazing fish? Who knew?).
Once again, this blog is disjointed and doesn't have a very nice flow. But I wanted to make the much anticipated post that everyone (undoubtedly) was disappointed to not see on Sunday night. There.
The Unfair Image of the NBA (or Draft Fever...Catch It!)
When did Michael Irvin become the Pope? Why do athletes suddenly feel the undying urge to confess their sins to a Hall of Famer on his Dallas radio show?
Today, Josh Howard went on Irvin's radio show and admitted to having smoked marijuana in the offseason. And oddly, Stephen A. Smith summed this whole ordeal up best during halftime of the Mavericks v. Hornets game tonight. Paraphrasing, he said, "Listen, I don't question Josh Howard's character because of this. I've never known him to be a bad person. I question why he chose to say these things publicly and hurt the image of others in the league. This league has had a hard time with it's image, and this doesn't help. The character of others will come into question because of Howard's statements, and that's unfair."
And he's 100% right. The league's image is unfair, anyway. The players in the Association are, on the whole, much more educated, much more articulate and much better people than other professional sports leagues. But because of crap like this, people want to label the league as "a bunch of thugs." It's stupid, really. Josh Howard is a good guy. He has a lot of great team mates. But because he chose to come public with his private life, many will again throw an unfair, blanket label on the league. The NFL has a steroids problem that will never be corrected. The Cincinnati Bengals have had more guys in jail than the entire NBA. Major League Baseball is so corrupted by performance enhancing drugs it has lost a generation of fans. But now, because some guy smoked some pot, the NBA image is further tarnished.
Who friggin' cares? I'm not saying what Howard did or said was right, but he hasn't hurt anyone, he hasn't done any performance enhancing drugs and he's a decent person. His biggest mistake was opening his mouth.
Besides, without pot, we'd have never had the Black Crowes, Dazed and Confused or Cheetos. Think about that.
On a somewhat related note, did you notice who the studio broadcast crew was for the game tonight? Jalen Rose and Stephen A. Smith (oh, and some other dude). Seriously. Jalen Rose? It's not like Chris Webber is busy! I mean, Jalen Rose brings as much to the broadcast as Jesse Palmer does to college football broadcasts. I, for one, am a Stephen A. Smith fan. It's a shame so many people hate him, because the dude knows him some NBA. Maybe they can find him a better sidekick on the next go around.
And the crew doing tonight's game? I like Mike Breen. I think Jeff Van Gundy is very underrated. But does Mark Jackson speak? I'm not sure I ever heard him. This guy is a candidate for the Knicks job! Why?! Has he ever coached? Is this not one of the top three jobs in the NBA? Why in the name of all that is pure would you hire Mark Jackson? Is Chris Jackson busy? List of guys who are available and a better hire: Paul Westphal, Del Harris, umm...the guy sitting next to Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Byron Scott (yes, he'd leave New Orleans for New York), Bobby Knight...anyone but Mark Jackson. Hiring Mark Jackson is not an upgrade from Isaiah.
Speaking of Byron Scott, Jerry Stackhouse laid into him on 105.3 in Dallas last night on their show Above the Rim. Stack, in short, said, "Yeah, I'd have a ring too if I was playing with Magic, Kareem and Worthy." Do the link for the audio. Solid stuff, and nice to see a Maverick show a little attitude in this series.
St. Louis Rams...you're on the clock...still. Yeah, an anticlimatic draft gets underway tomorrow at 2:00 on the worldwide leader. I found it funny, though, that Dr. Z has already blown his forecast and the thing hasn't begun.
I got my Sports Illustrated yesterday and opened it to find that Dr. Z had projected Vernon Gholston to go first to the Dolphins. Hmm...too bad the Phins took Jake Long on Tuesday. Apparently, there is no "Stop the Presses!" lever at SI. I mean, most people receive their SI on Thursdays, and the pick was made two days prior. How does their printing work?
For whatever reason, the Cowboys traded back into the fourth round today. I don't have a problem with it, per se, as they only had to give up Anthony Fasasno (whom I never understood why they drafted anyway) and Akin Ayodele (who I'm not sure I could pick out of a lineup). I still believe that Jason Taylor is a Cowboy by tomorrow, and that the Cowboys take Felix Jones with their other first round pick. A secondary with Terrance Newman, Pac-Man Jones, Roy Williams, Ken Hamlin and Jason Taylor (or some combination of them) would be pretty terrific.
Has My Name is Earl jumped the shark? I still like the show, but the whole "Earl in a coma" storyline was boring. Luckily, they brought it to a merciful end last night. I hope the show improves soon.
Speaking of television, check out Hulu. Tons of great shows and movies there to watch anytime. Free.
While you are busy linking, also check out South Park Studios to watch any episode of South Park ever made. Free.
Birmingham Southern came up just short of a winning season in their first back in baseball. The Panthers moved to Division III, took a year off, rebuilt a team and still managed to frighten SCAC foes and earn a lot of respect on their way to a 20-21 record. And they just missed. Won game two. Lost game one, in twelve innings, by one run. There is a lot of talent on this team and none of it graduates. I look forward to what Coach Weisberg and company will bring us in 2009.
I was out for Thirsty Thursday at Regions Park with the Barons last night. Birmingham hosted the Montgomery Biscuits. It was the worst farm league in baseball against the best, and the best prevailed, despite having a worse record. It comes highly recommended. I had a great time, and I spent $3. Come early, though. Lines get wicked long.
Tomorrow, we're heading to the Joe for Game Two of the Alabama v. Auburn series. I never thought the first game I would attend in a Tuscaloosa venue would be baseball, but some tickets fell into Nic's hands, so we're going.
Then, we'll drive back to Birmingham for the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss show. We'll wake up at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday to head to Talladega. It's going to be a long 36 hours, but I'll try to recap it (with pictures) on Sunday. Hopefully.
Conspicusously, I didn't write anything about the Mavericks latest choke job on Saturday. I had a double header at Birmingham Southern on both Saturday and Sunday, so I haven't been able to watch as much basketball (or Braves baseball, for that matter) that I would like.
I saw the Mavs halftime score and thought it was safe. How do you not only blow a 12-point lead, but lose by 12 as well?
A lot has been made of Dirk getting "slapped" by David West. I didn't think much of it, personally. We don't know what was being said there, so let's not jump to conclusions. Dirk's still soft, and he will fold like a chair at some point in the postseason, but let's not get ourselves worked up over that "slap" (that was actually a lot more like a "touch").
From what little I've seen, though, I'm beginning to believe the Jazz can win the Western Conference. Deron Williams is the best player you haven't seen any of this season (well, assuming you've seen some Chris Paul). They've owned the Rockets, and while some will suggest that this team doesn't have Yao, it's still the same team that reeled off 22 straight just a few weeks ago.
And while the Spurs/Suns series is the best first round series in the history of the postseason, the Celtics/Hawks may be the worst.
Here's to hoping I have more time to watch more playoff basketball and offer insightful and witty commentary on it. The NBA is back. For me, it never went away, but America cares again. And that's pretty terrific.
A preemptive complaint about tomorrow night's broadcast of the Mavs/Hornets Game 2. Awful Announcing has announcing pairings up for the playoffs, and apparently, Cavs/Wizards is more worthy of a top notch team than Mavs/Hornets. They get Marv Albert and Reggie Miller. We get Matt Devlin, Mike Dunleavy and Pam Oliver. Even Celtics/Hawks gets Dick Stockton, Mike Fratello and Cheryl Miller. Awful. I don't even know who Matt Devlin is.
Great news for poor people, alcoholics and hobos! No, AmTrack fares aren't being slashed. You can now enjoy world-class beer taste on the bottom shelf of your local package store cooler!
The 2008 Brewers Association World Beer Cup winners are out, and your winner for Best American-Style Light Lager? Old Milwaukee Light. The silver medal goes to? Lone Star Light, also brewed by the Pabst brewing company. The bronze? Natural Light.
If that weren't enough, the gold medal for American-Style specialty lager goes to Steel Reserve. The silver? Busch Ice. The bronze? Mickey's Ice.
I mean, really. I've been getting it all wrong. When I buy my cheap beer, I generally go Pabst Blue Ribbon or Miller High Life. But apparently, I should have been going with Beast and Natty Light. I mean, who knew?
Brad's boy Clete Thomas has made quite an impact in his short stay in the bigs. In fact, the Tigers seem to think he is a part of their long term plans. The Detroit Free Press did a great feature story on he and his wife Susie. A lot of sacrifice goes into making big league dreams come true, and it's nice to see a paper like the Free Press recognize Clete for his efforts and for being a great guy. Worth a read if you have a few.
Back to Birmingham Southern for a moment - the Panthers swept a double header from Spalding on Sunday, one day after taking down Maryville. The wins bring the Panthers to 19-20 on the season, with a double header against Methodist College remaining on Wednesday. If they can win both, they will have finished above .500 with a team full of freshmen. Just one year after having no program because of the move to Division III, and losing their entire squad and starting over, they will have taken 23 or so freshman, a couple of sophomores and one senior to a place among the elite in the SCAC.
The lone senior was honored before Sunday's double header. He has never played collegiate baseball, but tried out for the team before the season. He pitched just six innings or so this season, but was honored with the start in Game two. He didn't get credit for the win, but he did a fine job and left to a standing ovation.
Congratulations to Drew Morris on his Rudy moment. It's the sort of thing everyone dreams of, and his came true on Sunday.
It's stories like the one going on over at Striplin Field that we sometimes overlook in the media. This team will never get the attention it deserves, and I'm sure there are many more stories like it. I'm proud to have been a small part of what Coach Weisberg, Coach Shrout and Coach Briese are doing over there. It's going to be something special.
Clean Up on Aisle Six! (or Random Links and Stuff I Haven’t Yet Posted)
It's now been over a week since I last blogged, and somehow, I still can't manage to find much to say. So I guess I'll clean up some dead wood.
First and foremost, I would like to offer a (somewhat) public expression of my thanks to Brian Davis and the people of the Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation department. They hosted the U.S. National Softball team at Liberty Park on Tuesday in an exhibition contest with Alabama. Brian asked me to help out with the P.A., and it was an honor. I mean, I was actually able to say things like, "Now pitching, Jennie Finch," and sure enough, she was, and just a mere 50 feet or so in front of me. Finch, Cat Osterman and starter Monica Abbott combined for a no-hitter in a 7-0 victory over a very good Tide team.
One of the most unbelieveable catches I've ever seen came in centerfield when the U.S. stole a homer from the Alabama girls. Girl runs though the wall, taking spectators out and managing to hang on. Video can be seen here courtesy of ABC 33/40. And it should make highlight reels.
Here is the Birmingham News story from my friend Dennis Victory.
Again, congratulations to Brian for hosting a terrific event and thanks for letting me be a small part of it.
The Times Daily did a nice piece on outgoing Lauderdale County girls' senior Kiara Young. She's headed to Louisiana Tech in the fall. Best of luck to her and to Coach Llewellyn as he tries to find her replacement.
Georgia State is starting a football program and Mr. College Football, Tony Barnhart, mentions Auburn offensive line coach and former half of The Nallminger Experiment, Hugh Nall as one of four candidates to build the upstart program. Seriously, why can't these upstarts leave Auburn position coaches alone?
Alabama can't spell. It's true. Antoine Caldwell had his name cemented in error at Denny Chimes. More disturbing? The portion of the piece referencing the new "Got Recruits?" shirts that are for sale at Bama Fever.
The spelling error will be corrected. It was an honest mistake that could happen anywhere. But the shirts, as I wrote about a few weeks ago, can't be undone. Someone is walking around in one right now.
We played the audio from this earlier this week, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I mean, I get it was a joke...but if you are going to make the joke, at least get it right. Condolezza Rice - War Eagle Fight!
Apparently, this sign sits in the LSU coaches office window. Pretty strong motivation, if you ask me. And...well, well, well...whose name is this? Demetrius Byrd? Demetrius "I caught the miracle touchdown against Auburn" Byrd. Interesting.
Hey! It's me and Bobby Bare Jr. at his show last Sunday at Workplay! He opened for Son Volt. Pretty solid stuff.
Nice Link here at a Drive By Truckers fan site that includes some links to great Shoals music. My friend Gary Nichols is on there, along with some great artists like Jason Isbell and Lauderdale. Check some of them out sometime.
Also on the site, I found this video featuring two good friends of mine, Zach Gooch and Gary Nichols when they were together in a band called Gulliver. Gary is singing - Zach is on trumpet. Solid.
Bill Self Doesn’t Give A Crap About Oklahoma State (or Getting the Monkey Off His Back)
Funny thing about predictions - they’re like opinions and noses. Everyone has one and they all smell.
When these brackets came out, no one gave Memphis a chance. I, for one, had them losing their second round matchup to Mississippi State. And the Bulldogs came close, utilizing the same strategy Bill Self used in tonight’s game - foul early.
Somehow, when this little Conference USA team found itself in the title game, everyone thought they would walk away with it. Some even said, "It could get ugly."
What a difference three weeks makes.
I had absolutely no rooting interest in this game. I think I leaned a little to Memphis early on, but when Chris Douglas-Roberts got away with what should have been a technical foul late, I began rooting for Kansas. CDR should have been called for slamming the ball down, and as Jim often compains, the crew didn’t call the last minute like they did the first minute.
When it all ended, it all came down to what America had said all along - free throws. Free throws could have won it in regulation, but the Tigers are terrible at the line.
People have complained for three weeks that this was the worst tournament ever. But was it? We had buzzer beaters and first round upsets (Western Kentucky and San Diego). We had a rising star become a household name (Stephen Curry). We had a solidified star improve his draft stock (Derrick Rose). We had a coach, doubted from the day he was hired, defeat the guy he replaced and win the first title his school had seen in 20 years (Bill Self). And we had One Shining Moment when Mario Chalmers nailed the 3-pointer with under three seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.
Just three times in my life has a championship game been decided in overtime. Just seven times in the game’s history, since 1939.
I’m not convinced that, in hindsight, this may not have been one of the best tournaments ever. It’s moments were memorable.
As I watched this matchup early on, I couldn’t help but be taken aback by the intensity, the aggressiveness with which these two teams played. This was "big-boy" basketball. And I don’t think anyone in our beloved SEC, even Tennessee (who earlier this year defeated these same Memphis Tigers) could hang in this game. I’m not entirely sure that half of the NBA’s Eastern Conference could have matched the intensity displayed tonight just off the Riverwalk.
Once again, a Braves starter goes unrewarded for a terrific pitching effort. And Tom Glavine, who is old enough to be my grandfather, happens to be the unlucky soul on Monday. Gramps threw almost seven full shutout innings, and the runner he left on didn’t score. Somehow, the Bravos managed just ONE run against Aaron Cook and the Rockies, while middle relief managed to give up a two-run shot to Holliday in the eighth.
Glavine has a friggin’ 0.79 ERA right now and nothing to show for it! He’s 0-0! I’ve been riding this team for not supporting Hudson, but holy, holy cow...
This guy comes home, responsibly takes every pill in his pill box every day and you can’t give the old man a warmer welcome?
When I was a kid, my parents forced me to watch reruns of Andy Griffith every time the cable went out. It caused me to develop an intense hatred of the show. I was too young, and black and white made things boring.
Over the past few days, I’ve watched some of the show on TV Land, and I’ve begun to become a big fan. Forty years later, this show had some of the most original storylines and writing we’ve ever seen. No concept since has been close.
Take Me Out to the Ted (or Things I Did This Weekend)
At 11:30 on Saturday morning, I was fully prepared to spend the day at home. I’d have a couple of beers, watch the Final Four games...you know...just kind of take it easy. I hadn’t done that in weeks, the rain seemed like a good reason to stay in.
We had tickets to the Atlanta v. New York Mets game, and on Friday, they had been rained out, meaning we were going to get the scheduled starters from Friday, Tim Hudson v. John Maine. But it was still raining when I woke up on Saturday morning, and it just didn’t seem smart to drive over and face a rain out. So for the better part of five hours Saturday morning, my friend and I debated the drive. At 12:30, just two and half hours before first pitch, we decided to head on over.
Smartest decision ever.
I saw two things I’ve never seen: Kotsay trapped a fly ball and converted a double play. The play was overturned, and the Mets were given a run. Bobby Cox was nearly tossed. (It should be noted, I missed the actual play because I was getting beer. But the ensuing argument was awesome.)
Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Kelly Johnson hit a pinch hit grand slam. I know I’ve never seen anything like it. And to verify its’ rarity, I did a little Wikipedia research. The record for most pinch hit grand slams for one batter is three (Rich Reese, Willie McCovey and Ron Northey are tied) and the record for most pinch hit home runs is 20 (Cliff Johnson). It just doesn’t happen every day.
The grand slam itself is rather remarkable, considering I’ve seen a lot of baseball in person, and I’m not sure I’ve seen one in person until last week’s Auburn v. Samford game. Now I’ve seen two in two weeks.
We sat in the cheap seats for a while with McCann’s Cans. As I saw them break for the bathroom, I couldn’t help but wonder...how do they do it? Just pull up the can like a skirt? Anyway, these guys totally beat Jurrjens’ Surgeons for degree of difficulty. I mean, the Jurrjens’ guys win for creativity, but how difficult is it going to a game in scrubs?
We later eased into some seats behind the left field wall (unlucky choice, the Johnson slam was to right), and sat in the rain watching the Bravos win a big one. Tim Hudson got the win, and for once, run support. It’s amazing what happens when you help the guy out.
I’m sure I would have a lot of great pictures, but the decision to go ahead and make it over was so quick, I left my camera. Perhaps Joey will help me out with some photos soon. I didn’t even get to have a Tomahawk Ale, as we didn’t arrive until the middle of the second, and were much more concerned with getting all the baseball we could. You see, the only place you can get the Tomahawk Ale is at the Chop House, and the joint looked crowded. So I had to settle for the cheap stuff. You know, the $6.50 sixteen ounce bottles of Miller Lite.
If you ever have a chance to get into the Chop House and get the Tomahawk Ale, it comes highly recommended.
After today, is it not completely clear that the Braves need to lock down Teixeira now? I keep hearing talk that he’ll be gone before season’s end. Today, the guy bails Kotsay out and makes a great catch to save a double play, he hits the two-run homer that ended up being the difference and he bails out Soriano by making a miracle catch along the first base line. Incredible game for Teixeira, and had the guy not made the play for the final out, a great Smoltz pitching effort would have gone unrewarded.
It seems like this team can be special. Sure, the middle relievers are shaky on a good day, but the bats are terrific. If they can throw 5-7 guys a game and get 10 runs, they’ll be terrific.
Nice day of sports today. I catch the Braves semi-sweep of the Mets, then I get to see Dirk actually come up clutch. Dude actually looked like an MVP for the first time in a while. Maybe the injury snapped some sense into him. Dallas doesn’t beat Phoenix today without Dirk’s play down the stretch, and this win was big.
With five games to go, the Mavs now have a two game lead on the Nuggets and Warriors, with two games against the 18-win Sonics and one game against the sub-.500 Traillazers. They’ll have a tough contests against Utah and New Orleans, but both games are at home.
I don’t think they have trouble getting in now, but can they do anything when they get there? Their seeding likely won’t improve, so they are staring down New Orleans or San Antonio, as it is, in the first round.
Oh well. They can’t do any worse than they did last year.
Oh, and don’t look now, but the Hawks are going to make the playoffs. The Hawks! This team holds the eight seed by three games with five to go. And in those five, they’ll face the Knicks and Heat. Sure, they’ll lose to the Celtics and Magic, and the Indiana game will be tough, but the other two are layups. Knock off Indiana and you lock it up.
I’m not sure if it says more about this franchise’s improvement or how awful everyone not named Boston, Detroit, Orlando and maybe Cleveland in the Eastern Conference are.
Props to former Auburn Tiger Clete Thomas for making his shot count. Guy makes the 25-man roster in Detroit because of some injuries and hits nearly .500. I’m sure he’ll be sent down when Granderson comes off the DL, but it was a lot of fun to see him tonight.
Now, the Tigers suck, but congrats to Clete anyway. We have a mutual friend, and, well, he’s sure excited. I hope Clete can find a spot on someone’s roster. Here’s to the beginng of the official "Trade Kotsay for Clete...Straight Up" campaign. I’d love to see him in Braves red. Or gray. Or blue with no red bill.
That’d be awesome.
I actually watched some of the Women’s Final Four tonight as well. Great finish on the Tennessee/LSU game. Too bad that one wasn’t for the final. Also too bad? Stanford upsetting UConn. I know, I know. Fans of the sport probably loved it. But the rest of America? The part of America that isn’t hip to the thrills of the jump-stop layup? They wanted Auriemma v. Summit.
People hate the team at the top. But this is one case where I can’t. I’ve always had a lot of respect for Coach Summit and her program. I grew up in a place where women’s basketball was very important, so I was always exposed to Tennessee’s program. I hope the Vols make it two in a row.
Funniest thing I saw in the Women’s Final Four? A lady was holding up a piece of printer paper during the Stanford/UConn game that read "Stanford Can....UConn’t." I mean, the phrase itself is just stupid, but stupider? The lady apparently used Photoshop from 1993 to create the graphic. I’m guessing she had to tear off the perforated edges when it printed out. Maybe then she watched an episode of Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper while chilling out with a nice bottle of Pepsi Clear.
Hey lady...splurge! Go buy a Sharpie and a piece of poster board. Wear a funny outfit. Upgrade your software.
Also caught the Carl Edwards win in Texas today. Pretty vanilla race. Only 11 cars or so finished on the lead lap. I had Kenseth, Truex Jr. and Gilliland in the pool, and man, my picks were looking sweet until Truex blew his engine with eight to go. I guess during the selection process I forgot that DEI is still DEI, with or without DE.
I really enjoyed the documentary History Channel aired tonight, King. Narrated by Tom Brokaw, it was a two-hour look at the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Just a few interesting things I learned in the piece:
- I’m not sure I ever realized how important LBJ’s role in Civil Rights was. Following JFK’s assassination, there was a fear that all of the work done by Kennedy to integrate America would be lost when a Southern president took office. But LBJ continued the efforts began by JFK and took them to another level.
- I never knew that Condoleeza Rice was a kindergarten classmate of one of the four little girls murdered in the 16th Street bombing.
- I never knew that while our city was disgracing itself on national television, other cities (namely Chicago) were doing worse. Dr. King himself said that he had been in Mississippi and Alabama and the mistreatment of African Americans there wasn’t as bad as what he had seen in Chicago.
- I never knew that Dr. King delivered his own eulogy. He had spoken about what he wanted to be said at his funeral, and at the service, they played that tape.
- I have re-enacted the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and I have spoken to survivors of the fight for suffrage, so I am well aware of the stories from Selma, but I am not sure I had ever seen some of the video included in this documentary.
If you didn’t catch it, I highly recommend you set the Charter DVR for next Saturday at 4:00 p.m. It’s a very moving film, and likely the best Civil Rights doc I have seen since Spike Lee’s Four Little Girls.
Supernatural Superserious (or Rocking-est April Fool’s Day Ever!)
Today was a huge day for R.E.M. fans (pun intended). I awoke this morning to my wife letting me know that she had set our Charter DVR to record Today as R.E.M. was on promoting its’ new album, Accelerate. When I finally dragged myself out of bed (in time for the concert presale), I found Matt Lauer interviewing the guys, reading them some of the outstanding reviews that the new record has received. They then played Supenatural Superserious, the new single. They also played (as I found through technology) Losing My Religion and Hollow Man.
I then used my fan club password to purchase tickets to the June 21 show that will wrap the North American leg of the tour at Lakewood Amphiteatre in Atlanta.
I was fortunate enough to see the band on their last tour closing show in Atlanta at Phillips Arena. Then, they encored with the entire Chronic Town EP, which was really cool. I hope for something similar this summer. I know Modest Mouse and The National will open, which seem to be better opening acts than Pete Yorn, which we got last time. I liked Pete, but he’s no Modest Mouse.
So on my way home, I stopped by Best Buy and picked up the new record. And while I love it, let’s all settle down with the reviews. I mean, Lauer read a review from Rolling Stone calling this the greatest R.E.M. record ever.
Ever?! I mean, this is the same band that put out Murmur, Reckoning, Life’s Rich Pageant, Automatic for the People, Monster and New Adventures in Hi-Fi. It seems that the consensus amongst critics is that this is the band’s best work since Automatic. I think even that is unfair. I mean, Monster and Hi-Fi are some of my personal favorites. And I thought Up was pretty strong. Reveal was really the only record I wasn’t a fan of in that 16 year span.
Don’t mistake my lack of enthusiasm for the record not being terrific. I LOVE it. Couldn’t be happier. But it’s not the best work since Automatic and it’s certainly not the best ever.
It does likely have the catchiest lead single in Supernatural. The only other singles I can think of since Automatic that are in the same Top-40 realm are Bang and Blame, Imitation of Life and The Great Beyond. Bad Day had that potential, but it was never realized. What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? was the biggest single in that time, but it wasn’t Top-40. E-Bow the Letter, Strange Currencies and Daysleeper are personal favorites, but they weren’t big hits.
The record is louder than recent work. It’s part old-school R.E.M. and part Monster-era. A song that has popped up in live shows and, I think, the live record that recently came out, I’m Gonna DJ, makes the cut. Great track.
It’s also short. I took in eight of its’ eleven tracks in the 30 minute drive home from Fultondale.
It’s clear that they want to push Hollow Man as the second single, but I’d opt for DJ or possibly even Houston. Not sure why, but on first listen, those two tracks stood out. I’ll offer more opinion on the record as I have more time to digest it.
But if you are a casual fan, I highly recommend giving the band a try on this effort. The reviews aren’t wrong, I just want to temper your expectations. This isn’t Dark Side of the Moon or something. It’s just great work from the best American band ever.
Funny story, though. I thought I was sort of odd, in that two of my favorite artists of all time are R.E.M. and George Strait. Coincidentally, both came out with a new record today, and both had a nice price at Best Buy, so I picked them both up. The young lady at the register says to me, "So what’s the deal with these two cds? I’ve rung up, like, eight people buying both of these cds today."
"Umm...I was actually thinking that’s an odd combo, but whatever," I said.
There is a site, I think Live Black Crowes.com where you can pick up a studio quality copy of a Black Crowes live show for free. Just be one of the first 10,000 people to register. I haven’t had a chance to listen to my copy yet, but it’s sure to be great, as everything else I have from them that is live.
Also, Tuscaloosa’s own Dexateens have their new album available for download from their website. I believe the record is produced by Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers. Definately worth checking out, and worth checking out when they come to the Nick later this month.
Jason Isbell and 400 Unit will be at City Stages. Don’t miss it. Best new artist, hands down, and a Shoals boy.
And while I have littered this thing with Athens ties, I may as well say...Did you know the B-52’s released a new record? They were promoting it on Leno tonight. First one in 16 years. And it was actually...good. Kate Pearson is still oddly attractive, though the blonde girl looked a little rough. Fred, well, dude still looked the same. Anyhow, I may have to pick it up. Came out last week...Funplex.
Okay, I have a lot of thoughts on what became a very full weekend, and it’s nearing midnight on Sunday. So this blog may become my own version of "Blake’s Shorts," or a blatant ripoff of Jim’s blog, in it’s fast paced, quick thought style.
It was great to see new alternate Auburn mascot, Moo-ie, at the baseball game. The competition with Aubie will certainly be stiff, but his relevance to Auburn’s agricultural past will certainly elevate him to a new fan favorite.
Apparently, a guy in a large "barn outfit" just wasn’t in the cards.
Zing!
When I walked in the stadium at, oh, 12:20, this was the first thing I noticed. New play clock? No problem. The :40 clock didn’t seem to change anything. In fact, it may have cut down on delay of game penalties, though I don’t think that is something that will be a problem in the Tony Franklin system, seeing that there are no huddles. Still, the sight was bizarre.
Speaking of the huddles, in a brief overview, here were the most noticeable things for me on A-Day:
- No Huddles.
- Just one penalty. An illegal shift that came with 8:00 remaining in the game. (It should be noted that Tommy Tuberville gave the crew explicit directions to ignore chop block penalties. "We teach that here at Auburn," he said. "If there is one thing we’re gonna do," he continued, "it’s cost someone a chance at a national championship. I’m still mad about 2004."
Double Zing! (That’s two thus far, Shooter.)
- Just one turnover. A pick-six that came in the fourth from third-string quarterback Neil Caudle.
- No snaps under center.
Okay, we’ll start with my quick thoughts on Auburn’s annual spring football extravaganza. It should be noted, now, that this is just one guy’s opinion. I’ve been wrong many times before:
- I was disappointed that Auburn couldn’t get 92,000 in the stadium. Still, with just 35,000, they still managed to have the game.
- Both units were in very basic sets. Very basic. The defense didn’t blitz. The offense didn’t run a scholarship running back beyond the third or fourth series.
- I thought Chris Todd looked better at quarterback. Everyone was raving about Kodi Burns, and while he looked good (at times), I thought Chris was more the more consistent of the two. Tony Franklin summed it up pretty well in today’s Charles Goldberg story in the Birmingham News. Paraphrasing, he said, "They both looked bad at times, and they both looked great at times." After the first four series or so, I thought it was going to be a long year. But both settled down and played pretty well for the final three quarters. The stats aren’t exactly right, but I think Kodi was 14-of-21 for 142 yards and a TD, while Chris was 18-of-27 for 190 yards and a touchdown.
- Jay Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser has really said it better than anyone in his blog. Essentially, there wasn’t a lot of separation. But Kodi’s stock is improved by his running ability, and that ability is difficult to measure in a scrimmage situation in which his jersey is orange and his escapability is hampered by tackling restrictions. We know this: Chris Todd can’t run. Neil Caudle can run better than Chris Todd. Todd will aggravate Auburn fans for his Brandon Cox tendencies. Todd can, at times, hold on to the ball too long. He stands confident in the pocket, but doesn’t move much, and won’t throw the ball away.
- With the orange jersey in mind, it was my opinion that there is a much smaller gap between the second and third string quarterbacks than there is anywhere else in that depth chart. I thought Chris Todd was number one. I thought that Kodi Burns is number two. And I thought that Neil Caudle is much better than people think or than his stats
