he told us not to blow it

16Dec09

Man, this is really shaping up to be a great week.

Had a pretty epic Tuesday, and tonight is one of my favorite holiday parties of the season. Did you download that Macklemore x Ryan Lewis record yet? You should, it’s totally free and so great.

Real honest work from those guys, and that Irish Celebration banger will make you super happy. Kings will, too. Giant tune. Early Christmas. Already on my top ten of 2009 list, just in the nick of time.

I like it.

Raindrophustla got it for you here. Plus, a pretty great photo.

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stand like a man, move like a legend

14Dec09

I know I talk about these knuckleheads all the time, but it’s hard not to. We’re busy with a lot of great stuff right now, and they are a huge part of my life. I talk to them and see them more than I do my own mother.

And she lives in Ballard.

Plus, they are doing such a fantastic job, I can’t help but sing their praises. It is satisfying when work is productive and rewarding.

Ryan Lewis took that photo the other day. He and Macklemore are out playing shows for the release of The VS. EP, and Mad Rad opened for them in Olympia and Bellingham. It’s a pretty stunning bill.

I went to the show up north. Ben and Ryan have won my heart with this record. Some really big tunes.

Nikole drove. Wild Buffalo was an appropriate name for the venue.

It has been just over a week since we packed out the Crocodile with Go! Machine. Those two nights are easily two of the best of 2009, and I am not just saying that. The shows received a lot of accolades, for good reason.

I use the term a lot, but there is no denying that Go! Machine was epic. I sincerely hope that everyone involved takes that energy and overwhelming sense of community and moves forward with it.

I’m old enough to have lived through a major musical and pop culture movement within my own city. Not just live through it, but be intimately involved with it. I feel blessed to have had that experience, and the many ways it has enriched my life.

It may only be rock and roll, but I like it.

Hip hop in Seattle feels like it is ready to go. Unstoppable. Like a machine. I am paraphrasing Larry here: look out, softbeards. Hip hop is stealing your lunch money.

It has been building solidly for years, and finally receiving some long overdue recognition. Two consecutive Crocodile nights at capacity? Without a major record release or significant label support from a single one of the players involved?

I know this sounds bold, but I believe it to be true: the independent DIY spirit of local music has not felt this strong or exciting since Nirvana days. The internet has leveled the playing field, and mashed up all sorts of musical genres and cultures. It is awesome.

The best beaches have a lot of waves, and a constant threat of sharks. The best music is made by the people, for the people, with one eye on success, and the other on community.

I dare you to watch this video and not feel it. Seriously.

Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, and Mad Rad sold out the show in Bellingham Friday night, with 450+ through the door. Mack ended the night with Irish Celebration, an anthem I can’t seem to get enough of.

The Go! Machine video ends on the same note. You are really blowing it if you don’t watch all the way through.

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tidings of comfort and joy

13Dec09

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you told me you was high class

11Dec09

Today marks the day that Big Mama Thornton was brought into this world. She was born in 1926, died in 1984, and left a catalog of work that is more than deserving of your attention.

Like many black artists, particularly of her time, she got the short end of the stick. I bet you’ve heard this song before. Big Mama was the first artist to record it. A few years later, that white boy from Mississippi did the same.

Big Mama’s version is far superior. Plus, she got Buddy Guy.

Willie Mae got her start singing in the church choir. Now that’s the kind of entertainment that could get me to kick it in the lord’s house on a Sunday.

Back in the Grunge Years (TM), I developed a bit of a gambling habit. It was hard not to. My boyfriend’s dad was a bookie, running his action out of Abruzzi’s pizzeria down on Pike, and our house was a spot of frequent all-night card games attended by a cast of characters I still can’t believe.

We would bet on everything. Pitching pennies on the curb, the next red-headed motherfucker to walk into the bar, whether or not someone could drain a pint in a certain amount of time. Life was one big wager, it seemed.

Mike’s brother Charlie was working as a waiter at Lofurno’s, and I was a barista at Uptown on Queen Anne, back when it was just a little storefront. As a result, we both always had cash on hand, which married well with our love for the racetrack.

We would find any excuse to head out to Longacres, to spend the day drinking beer and betting on horses. Sometimes we’d be flush with winnings by the day’s end, other times were not so profitable. No matter what, we always had a blast.

My biggest day at the track started slow, with a couple of painful hits to the pocketbook. Somewhere around the fifth or sixth race, a nag caught my attention in the paddock. The horse looked strong and ready to go, with shiny dapples and wild eyes. The odds were astronomical. I had no choice but to bet it to win.

That day, as Charlie and I stood at the rail, waiting for our horses to come in, I experienced the thrill of a big win. That wild-eyed horse ran that track as if it’s life depended on it. There was nothing sweeter that day than the sound of the announcer declaring and it’s allllll Big Mama.

I can’t remember what I’m A Big Mama paid that day, but I do know that I cashed a ticket for $600 and some change. That was a lot of money to me at the time, and I’ve always blamed it on Big Mama Thornton.

You should explore her catalog. You will not be disappointed.

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try not to think

10Dec09

I was thinking that maybe a picture of my Christmas tree from last year would inspire me to get one up this week.

Nope. I’m just not feeling it. Christmas still seems too soon. Maybe next year.

This seems more my pace right now. The video is an abomination, but the song is epic. Right up there with the Pogues Fairytale of New York.

The Murder City Devils will close out this year with a show on December 30, at the Showbox. The one at the Market. You are a fool to miss it.

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