If you have it, add me on Last.FM (another Rick recommend...from four years ago? ha).
PS Jonah is in Colombia. I'm not sure if he's supposed to be back yet. I think I'll start worrying next week if he still doesn't show up.
Yep, mind still messy.
p.s. I'm STILL trying to catch up with the internets.
OBSESSED!! It's amazing. CUTED OUT. Go see it. Now.
I'm in Connecticut for the weekend with Erica, Kells, and Jesse. We're at Erica's aunt and uncle's house, along with more of her family, in order to continue the celebration that is her birthday. I needed a super-relaxing weekend, and here it is. What's next on the agenda? Margaritas, video games, slip-n-slide, and the usual debauchery. More to come.
Dear Jessica,
I know it's been a couple of months. Sorry. Remember, man? I'm dos years in the future!! My life is insane right now. I would tell you more, but then I'd have to send a message to 2008 me, freak him out, but tell him to seek you out and destroy you. Wait I...am... confused now. That happens when I write too fastly.
Whatever, again sorry I can't come to the wedding. I know you are jealous because I went to Robert Downey Jr's wedding - yeah, in Long Island - but RDJ and I go way back, girl. That dude and I got down in the early 90s. With River.
Why are you so surprised my name is the only name on the Day the Earth Stood Still poster??? So what if Jennifer Connelly's won an award? SO WHAT? I don't care about that "The Academy" hogwarsh. You think River cared? Nope. So I don't. Also, I dominated the MTV Movie Awards in the 90s. Look it up.
Regards,
Keanu Charles Reeves
P.S. Sorry I got angry.
It's sure to be a week-long celebration, due to tomorrow night's Trainwreck fiesta and this weekend we head to her aunt's house for a summer weekend of suburban debauchery. Yay!
There's also plans for every night this week (even the weekdays are taken!) and next week Jesse's bestie (haha) Jason gets here to experience Nueva York! We have a jam-packed weekend planned from the 1st through 4th of July weekend. Another yay!
I should calm down.
Random:
Is it better to be a male that a) non-ironically, via myspace admits to watching both One Tree Hill and Two and a Half Men or b) have no television interests at all ?
The answer is B!!! Always B!! Okay, I'm not usually a taste snob, but these two shows with their "ratings" have always baffled me. Apparently fans exist...I'm trying to demonstrate to one of my friends [a nicer television watcher, of course] that this could be a dealbreaker, as it may or may not be a sign of immaturity and/or early-onset senility. Otherwise: the guy's okay, whatever.*
In sad news, RIP George Carlin. :(
I enjoy watching tennis. I'm excited for Wimbeldon.
Jiscilla was at one time in her past a....camp director. As in the woods, wildlife, bugs, etc. I'm having troubles adjusting to this image too, don't worry.
Jesse's gotten me into The Wire. We're on season one, and though I'm only a halfsie, I'm quite enjoying the slow-building storylines and well-developed characters. We find time for the episodes on trains and planes of our travels.
Lauren's Ryathalon is going well. She bought Heartbreaker and cried to "In My Time of Need." Well done, lady, well done indeed.
I absolutely love when my friends start blogging. PERRY! KATIE! Check out more funsies on my friends list to the left :)
My Google Reader is SO backed up. +Infinity articles to read. :/
And with that, it's back to work, and My Scheduled Life.
*My apologies to any men reading this who are legitimate fans of these shows. You women: you're smarter than that, c'mon! Just kidding...kind of...but really: explain yourself fans! Explain it!
We all know that I'm a huge Ryan Adams fan. He's just really tops for me. Because of this, friends sometimes ask me to "introduce" them to Ryan's music when they've heard a song they like (most likely culprit: "Come Pick Me Up" - but, to be sure, one of his best songs). Anyway, Ryan's prolific nature leads him to produce far more music than can be handled in a simple recommend. So, I usually tell my inquiring friends to buy his album Gold and leave it at that - if they are so into that album (his most commercially viable) that they want more and ask for it, that's when I'll geek out on them about my beloved D.R. Adams. But nobody's asked.
Until now!
Lovely little Lauren listened to Ryan's Easy Tiger and she wanted more. So she came to me. Her enthusiasm for certain tracks and the fact that she had listened to his billionth album first, led me to take on her Ryan Adams Education.
I'm going to catalogue it a bit here - so I can remember my suggestions for Lauren, and if anybody wants to follow along and get deep down with the Ryan Adams love, you has a place. Lauren and I will obvs be more in-depth via other communication.
So, Lauren's already listened to Easy Tiger and she digs. It's almost a throwback to his first solo album Heartbreaker, but it infuses some of the jam-ness of his Cardinals work. Therefore, I wanted to start Lauren on a clean slate, and basically, where I started: one very sad song. My life with Mr. Adams began when my bestie Amber sent me a few songs, and highly recommended I listen to "In My Time of Need." I cried (admitted), and then I was hooked. Obviously any artist that offers me catharsis upon first listen deserves more attention.
Lauren's first assignment: download and listen to the song "Dear Chicago." One of Ryan's saddest, thus my reason for starting there. It's on Demolition, but was meant for Heartbreaker. It still gets me teary, even after eight million listens. It's a winter song; sometimes I swear I get colder listening to it. Do not listen to it if you've just had a break-up. It's a break-up song, but it will make you wallow wallow wallow. And it's beautiful. This morning:
Lauren's second assignment: buy Heartbreaker, listen thoroughly, and we'll discuss the tracks; they have stories and women and hidden sounds and etc. behind them. Can't wait!
Rob Hitt, Justin, Perry, and I worked diligently on this flyer for two weeks. My main contribution was LOLspeak editor, obvs. NEXT WEEK! [DAGGER] PARTY!!!
[Stephanie Tanner would say...]
Jesse grabbing some shade. He's there.
Jesse grabbing some air.
See the waterslides? :)
Jesse and I had some great fun over the past five days. I'll tell you alls about it asap, but for now, it's sleepy time !
-- via hip back in bk top
Erica and I came home to catch Motion City on DeepRockDrive.com last night, and besides the technical difficulties at the beginning of the show, it was great. It's an interesting way to present live music and it's highly interactive. At the same time, the sound itself was fabulous, along with the music. Erica and I got geeky and sent in a couple of "shout outs" to Jesse, who definitely saw one, and raised his arms in excitement. Yay!
In about two and a half hours I'm heading to LaGuardia to head to LAS VEGAS! I'm going out for the remainder of the Honda Civic Tour, which ends on Saturday in Anaheim. Then Jesse and I are taking a few days in southern California to relax. And I need it. And sleep. And Jesse :)
I've never been to Vegas, and while I don't think it'll be my fave city, I'm excited. We're staying at the Palms, his mother is also flying in, and we're seeing the Cirque de Soleil's tribute to the Beatles show. YES! The fianz knows how to do it right. And the best part? Next Tuesday when I fly back, he'll be right next to me. YAY! I'm really glad this tour is over: it was RIDICULOUSLY long. He's been gone since April! If it was long for me, I can't even imagine how long it must feel to him. But now I get him back, and for those three weeks, we already have a full itinerary. It's called FUN.
I'm stoked.
As Justin explains above, tonight you can see Motion City Soundtrack in concert! FREE! Get a free seat for this show via the interwebz at Deep Rock Drive HERE and tonight you can watch them in Vegas, change the camera angles, send them messages whilst they play, AND vote on the setlist! Jesse's been practicing their entire catalog to get prepared...what ever shall I vote for? Hmmm...I'd actually really love to hear the ender for their last album, "Even If It Kills Me." Also from their first, "Shiver" and "Perfect Teeth." But I pretty much like all their songs (always have!) and I think it will be an interesting experience. It's going to be different than actually seeing them live, obviously, where you have a crowd of energy and all the sensory feelings of a live show...but Motion City usually brings the energy, no matter what. Check out my fianz on the keyboards!!! The show starts at 7pm pacific, so 10pm here on the East Coast. I know Erica and I will be singing and shaking our hips tonight in our living room!
Last night was Christy's last Trainwreck :( Christy's moving from Manhattan to Austin, TX and it's her last week. I'll be writing a post just for her, one of my bestest friends, because this truly feels like the end of an era. When Erica and I moved here two years ago, we came together with Kelly, Christy, Jiscilla in a bond that will be for all time. Anyways, before I start getting teary, I'll stop! Last night was a lot of fun, and Christy fully enjoyed my going-away gift, which will make little sense to anybody outside of the five of us, but it was a commemoration of the foundation of our friendship, and all five of us coming together. It's also an assured way for the four of us to call her: I gave her The Source. Today after work is another hurrah for Christy, and my final with her, as I leave for Vegas tomorrow and by the time I get back, she'll be gone. (Oy, tears, stop!)
It's been a ridiculously busy and jam-packed week, and it's only Wednesday! The heat just really kicks it up that extra notch, too. Yesterday I bought an extra fan for my room and I was struggling when I got off the subway because I had to keep my arm at a 45 degree angle so the box didn't drag, and my arms, well, they were hurting. A young gentleman saw me struggling and offered to help. I usually don't take up these offers - ask Jesse, ha - but I gave in (la tee da). He introduced himself as Jesse, and I go, "That's my fiancee's name!" and that he was in a band, "So's my fiancee!" Haha...he made fun of me for asking if he'd heard of Motion City, as in, he obvs had, but I don't know, hipsters in Brooklyn bands aren't exactly MCS' usual demographic. He then stared up at my apartment building and asked if all of MCS lived there. Mmm, nope, Jesse's the only one that lives in this city, but fanx for the haul! Coincidence, coincidence.
Okay, STILL effin' loving the new My Morning Jacket. Also, Empires. ALSO - thank you Rick and Lindsay the podcast recommendz, as I've suscribed to the This American Life podcasts, and so far, I'm digging. Does anybody have any other podcasts I should suscribe to? I'm enjoying them in the morning as opposed to my usual three choices on the subway: read a book, listen to music, or seethe at the collective annoyingness of not having any viable media at hand and the crowded train of commuters.
Tonight it's Christy's bash, the concert (who's joining?!), and then I have to pack for VEGAS and California this weekend. More on that later!
This morning, Erica, Kells, Lauren, and I were walking to brunch and reminiscing on another weekend of accomplished fun.
On Friday, I picked Erica up from work and we got our eyebrows threaded. It was my first time, and I'm not sure if I'll do it again because a) the woman didn't get all mah hairs and b) I told her not to go above my eyebrow and she did, and I got the subsequent rash of red bumps I always have when I wax and c) I was reaching for my change, and then she just grabbed it back, thinking it was her tip. I wasn't going to leave a tip. Lame. Erica and I then headed to Trader Joe's to stock up for the next day's ROOFTOP BBQ! Then we went home and ate a lot of guacamole and drank Sparks and watched Dylan McKay do his special brand of richboy rebel on 90210.
Once we had done our pregame ritual (fashion show! fashion show!) we rocked it out to Hanger Bar where DJs Ultragrrrl and Karenplusone bestowed their 90s hits upon the dance floor, and we danced accordingly. Actually, as Erica and I were walking down Avenue A, we ran into Sean and Furman and decided they should join us as well. Meik was taking pics along with Jiscilla, Chris Black has moved to New York, and then Ben, Aaron and Joe showed up and I was so happy! Ben's been living here for a few months and I've seen him far too little. Anyway, my feet started hurting after a while, so I had to bid adieu to the party-ers as they headed to another bar.
My feets, they hurt / Ben and Jessica and our hair
The next day I woke up Erica by crawling into her bed and we discussed preparations for our (second annual!) Rooftop BBQ. Then we stepped outside. Oh hai, 95 degrees and with heat so thick I felt like I was using muscles to push my way through it. As you could probably tell from the pictures, all of our lovely friends showed up and the day's glories fed into the night. We even had people arrive early - leave it to Jonah Bayer. Our invite said four, and at 3:30, Jonah strolls in with Meg and Steven (from Steven's Untitled Rock Show). The early BBQ-ers and us stayed in the apartment for a while because of the age old air-conditioning vs. heat stroke debate. When other guests started arriving, we headed to the roof and enjoyed food and a small breeze every five minutes or so that cooled our perspiring faces for .2 seconds.
By 7:30, some people had other engagements to go to, and we're down to about six people, when a second wave of our party came. HA. We were sitting there enjoying the lightening in the far, far distance when all of a sudden the wind picked up to a gale and then immediate downpour. It was incredible how quickly the weather changed. After about half an hour in the apartment playing Wii and discussing certain people's crushes on MSNBC anchors, the weather was back to heartbreakingly humid and we started a game of celebrities on the roof which led to a lot of screaming about Tom Cruise and Condaleeza Rice -- you don't want to know, trust me.
We winded up the night after everyone left with a girls-only sesh in my bed consisting of Erica, Kells, and Lauren and we basically talked about the fact that we had just partied for twelve hours straight, there had been some making out (always a sign of an epic party), some treachery, some tallying, sharing of background info, and the rehashing of many a hilarious moment, including one that took many many hours of deconstruction, even through our brunch this morning.
Do I need to say this again? MY FRIENDS RULE.
I spent the rest of today cleaning, trying not to sweat, and, you guessed it, watching more 90210. And now, I typed this whole long thing to bide time while Jesse finishes playing. The west coast is not conducive to healthy sleeping habits.
