Small Things Stupid Packages

Bongo: 1992-2008

Bongo, my nearly 16 year old Australian Cattle Dog, died yesterday. I had her put to sleep at home with the help of Dr. Karen Kelly. She spent her last day in bed with me eating steak, turkey bacon and strawberry ice cream while watching Animal Planet. She loved watching Animal Planet, and there happened to be a show about bulldog rescue, and she totally enjoyed barking at the TV. It was a beautiful ending to a long, amazing life, one that touched so many people.

Bongo was in pain. In July, I had X-rays taken of her, and her back and hips were severely arthitric. I was referred to Dr. Nancy Scanlon. Dr. Scanlon and I started a weekly regimen of acupuncture, Chinese herbs and massage. After about six weeks, I started noticing small differences in Bongo's gait and general attitude. Over the next few weeks, she showed dramatic improvement; she wanted to go on longer walks with me, went back to her old way of following me everywhere I went and displaying the obnoxiousness that all who knew Bongo had come to expect from her.

But the recent, cold, damp weather proved to be too much for her. Often, she didn't want to go outside for a walk. She began having muscle spasms near her shoulders. Dr. Scanlon believed her sciatic was paining her. So, I knew the time was near.

Last Saturday, I decided to take her to the beach. Here in Los Angeles County, our only dog friendly beach is Leo Carillo, so I loaded her up and took her to Malibu. It was a beautiful day, and the drive was a scenic wonder. We parked and I helped Bongo out of the car.

Something was wrong. Her hind legs were not functioning. She also had an odd tilt to her head. I carried her down to the sand, and we sat there for about an hour. I held her close to me, and told her it was time for me to let her go.

I've gone through some crappy things over the last few years. I'd rather not go into them, and I'm sure that you didn't come to my blog to read about them. The point is, Bongo was my rock through all those times. People always say it's a mistake to project human thoughts and feelings onto pets, but fuck 'em, they're wrong. Bongo held on for me. She knew I was unhappy and struggling, and she wasn't going to leave me until she was sure I was ok.

And you know what? She saw me through it. My life has taken a dramatic upturn over the last few months, and Bongo knew that. I've had many people tell me they've never seen a bond between a dog and their master like the one Bongo and I shared, and I guess I have to believe them. Especially once I met Kelly, Bongo knew that I had found someone who loved me as much as she did and knew that Kelly would take care of me.

Her last memories were of me holding her and eating strawberry ice cream. That is to say, she was eating the strawberry ice cream, not me. That wouldn't have been much of a last memory.

This is a music blog, so I suppose this is were I post the sad song about passages of life. So I'll do that, but then I want you to listen to something that was the single funniest moment of my life with Bongo.

This is from The  Beatles Anthology 3. It's the demo to the title song of my favorite Beatles solo album.

All Things Must Pass

Ok, if that didn't totally suck the life out of you,  here's something completely different:

In 1997, when I was living in Texas, Bongo and I took a trip to Houston. I had just bought the new John Hiatt album, Little Head. On the ride back to Austin, Bongo was riding in the back of my 1991 Acura Integra. With the back seats down, she was right in my rear view mirror. So I pop the CD into the stereo, and the title track starts. Immediately, I notice Bongo is tilting her head back and forth as far as it possibly could to the wah wah guitar lick that runs through the song. On the beat. She didn't like to be laughed at, so I somehow controlled myself from bursting into hysterical laughter. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. When the song was over, I played it again. Same thing. After that, she refused to play along with my little game. She realized she was being made sport of, and whenever she heard the song she barked angrily at me.

I'm hoping that wherever she is now, she won't mind me telling this story on the internets. I hope she's looking back on her life, and knowing how deeply I loved her. Enjoy this, and if you wouldn't mind, think about her whenever you hear it.

Little Head

Road Trip 2007: An Unexpected Turn Of Events

Indiana Wants Me- R. Dean Taylor (buy at Amazon)

The great magic of road trips is the unexpected turns they take. Sometimes they play out exactly the way you thought they would; Other times, strange, beautiful things happen, and they change your life.

I had planned this to be a blogging road trip. Me, Bongo, my ipod and lots of music. I thought it was probably the coda to my life with Bongo, the best 15 and a half year old Australian Cattle Dog on the planet. My last post, some 14 days ago, was about the terrific care Bongo received from a vet in Rockville, Indiana. I had planned to follow that up with a post about the Terre Haute Sound, of which there is none. But I have to now admit I had spent the trip in a state of extreme distraction, a distraction of the best kind.

A couple of days before I left Los Angeles, I began emailing Kelly, a girl I met on Nerve Personals. We formed an instant bond and began writing each other every day. My plan at the outset of the trip had been to write about the music I listened to in the car, and make post playlists of whatever inspired me along the way. Instead, I found myself stopping every night, getting a hotel room and first thing, checking my email to see if Kelly had written. Then I would write her back, both of us pouring our hearts out to one another in a way I never had before. By the time I reached Terre Haute, I was seriously infatuated with Kelly. The daily email became twice daily, and then we exchanged phone numbers.

Hometown Blues- Steve Earle (buy at Amazon)

There isn't a whole hell of a lot to say about Terre Haute, anyway. It's an armpit. No good music has ever come out of there, unless you count "On The Banks Of The Wabash", Indiana's state song, and I'm not sure I do. There is a great record store/head shop called Headstone And Friends, which I've been going to for about 30 years. I swear, the people behind the counter haven't changed that whole time, and I'm pretty sure the store uses the same stereo they did in 1977. Let's see, what else....Terre Haute was the World Headquarters of the KISS Army in the 70s because of the rabid reception the band got in the Haute when they were starting out. Elvis was supposed to play Terre Haute but he choked on his own vomit instead. That about sums up Terre Haute. Haven't been there? You aren't missing anything, trust me.

So on Thursday, November 30th, I head down to Nashville for some business meetings. Kelly and I, at this point, are talking several times a day and planning our first date when I return to LA. It's become clear we're seriously into one another. The time I thought I would spend blogging instead becomes hours of talking to Kelly. This is a good trade, on the level of, say, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale for Joe Barry Carroll. We talked late into the late Thursday, and had woke up tired but happy Friday morning with a full day ahead of me.

First up was a trip to the Country Music Hall Of Fame. I didn't have time for the full museum thing, but I did take an awe-inspiring tour of RCA's Studio B, where from 1957 to 1977 an incredible string of hits were recorded- stuff like Roy Orbison's Only The Lonely, Elvis' Are You Lonesome Tonight, and Don Gibson's Oh Lonesome Me. There's a Steinway piano that has lived in Studio B throughout it's existence. Elvis would play piano and sing gospel with The Jordanaires for hours, mostly in the wee hours of the morning. I don't get the shivers much but if that doesn't send a chill up your spine I'm not sure what will.

After the tour my friend Dave drove me back to my hotel. I left my phone in his truck, so when I got up to my room and IMed a quick hello to Kelly. The next thing I knew, with absolutely no processing from brain to keyboard, this exchange began:

Me: Want to fly out to Nashville tonight and drive back with me?
Kelly: I would do that in a second

And just like that, she booked a red-eye, getting into Nashville at 9:03 Saturday morning. Soon, reality set in and her friends and family insisted that I hand over my Social Security number, drivers license number, license plate, favorite Beatle and paper or plastic preference, all of which I happily did.

Give The Girl A Kiss- Bruce Springsteen (buy at Amazon)

Kelly was waiting at the curb Saturday morning at the Nashville Airport when I drove up, with Bongo along for the ride in the backseat. I stopped the car, got out and damned if we didn't have the most absolutely cinematic kiss the Nashville Airport has ever seen. I don't know if you've ever had a total movie kiss at a Southern airport but I highly recommend it.

That night we went to hear some excellent Nashville singer-songwriters at The Listening Room in Franklin, a terrific place to hear songwriters in the round (they also serve up some tasty steamed subs). After the show we walked down the street for drinks and dessert with my friends Doug and Jonelle and the excellent Fred and Megan. Fred regaled us with tales of Intern Fear Factor and Meghan revealed her predilection for Torture Porn. Megan asked us how long we had been together. "This is our first date," I told her.

Blank stares.

"Yeah, we met on an online dating site, exchanged emails for a couple of weeks, exchanged phone numbers four days ago. Kelly took a red-eye all the way across the country to drive back across country with me, a man she'd never met. She slept all day and this is our first date."

The looks on their faces were priceless. What is there to be said about such bad-ass rock star-like creatures as Kelly and I?

Memphis In The Meantime- John Hiatt (buy at Amazon)

The next morning, after the kind of breakfast that can only be had at Cracker Barrel, the three of us hit the road for Memphis. This was Kelly's first trip to the home of The King. We got a room at the Graceland Days Inn (I know, a man with a little class would've sprung for The Peabody, but try getting a room at a decent hotel when you travel with a dog named Bongo) and set out for Beale Street. Nice dinner and some good blues at the Rum Boogie Cafe and then Pomegranate Martinis at The Peabody.

A Big Hunk O' Love- Elvis Presley (buy at Amazon)

Monday could only mean one thing. The Graceland gift shops, by far the densest concentration of Elvis memorabilia on the planet. We walked into the first gift shop, I took Kelly by the hand and told her I loved her. The ensuing scene of making out in the presence of The King's staff was for the next hour the talk of Graceland. Everywhere we went the cashiers smiled at us and patiently listened to us tell our story of cross country romance, proclamations of love and the purchase of an Elvis lunch box that our future adopted African child would proudly take to school. Basically, we are to be Brangelina, except much cooler but with less tattoos and hair.

Next stop was Austin. A bit out of the way, but it had a two-fold purpose: First, I wanted to take Bongo back to the spot where she and I had so much fun in our past life, Bull Creek. She and I used to play frisbee in the creek for hours at a time; I'm certain it's her favorite place on Earth. I wanted her to see it one more time and to remember her youth and the happiest times of her life. Second, I needed Kelly to help with an exorcism. See, I love Austin dearly but my last visit had some bad, bad, mojo to it. I needed a new last memory of the town to shake off the bad vibes of my past. Kelly agreed to all this, and I will always be grateful to her for it.

The next day we set out for home. Kelly heard Born To Run for the first time. I got a ticket for doing 88 in an 80, and, inexplicably, driving in the passing lane. I was having such a good time with my new girlfriend and old dog I didn't much care.

San Berdoo Sunburn- Eagles Of Death Metal (buy at Amazon)

Thursday night we drove through the rain in San Bernadino and saw our road trip draw to a close. It was the best week of my life, the best road trip of my life. Today is our one month anniversary of our first email. In a few minutes, I'm going to go across the street to Matsuda, pick up some takeout sushi, open a bottle of champagne and drink to our future with our new Graceland champagne glasses. Somewhere, The King is looking down and smiling at us, or shooting up a TV- either is fine with me.

Next up: Road Trip 2008!

Girl U Want- Soundgarden (buy at Amazon)

Road Trip 2007: Go Ahead, Go Back To Rockville

For the last 12 weeks, I've been taking Bongo to an acupuncturist, and it's really helped her. She has some pretty serious arthritis in her back and a nasty case of hip dysplasia. When we started, Bongo was in a bad, bad way- she was having trouble simply getting around, and I feared the worst, the worst being that she just wasn't having fun anymore.

After 6 weeks of acupuncture, the old Bongo began to re-emerge; obstinate, willful, offended by the most slightly perceived slights. Around 9 weeks, she was a new dog- still obnoxious and contary, but willing to humor me in matters like playing our old games, if only briefly. In short, the Bongo had returned to her eyes. For this, I will always be grateful to Dr. Nancy Scanlan at Sherman Oaks Veterinary Clinic.

So then Bongo and I went on this road trip. 3 weeks without acupuncture didn't seem like the best idea, so I did a little research. Turns out, about 35 miles north of Terre Haute, in Rockville, there's a vet who practices acupuncture! I make an appointment, drive north with an old, mouthy dog in the backseat and soon enough there I am at West Central Veterinary Services.

Dr. Julie Anderson is a woman who knows Australian Cattle Dogs. She has 5 of them, and she and her assistant, Karla, treated Bongo like the Little Princess she is. I was so impressed with there kindness of spirit towards both me and my dog, who they must surely assumed they would never see again. Karla sat on the floor and held a bowl of water for Bongo and fed her liver treats. Dr. Julie spent more time with us than I would have expected, and showed such a pure love for my dog that I will never forget it. If you are ever in the area, and you need attention for your pet, don't hesitate to call them. If they have a website, I can't find it, but you can reach them at: (765) 569-3210. They're at 1472 S US 41 in Rockville.

You may recall a little group called R.E.M. Mssrs. Berry Buck Mills Stipe had some choice words about a town called Rockville. I'm going to ask that when you listen to this song, substitute "Do" for "Don't". For the animals.

(Don't Go Back To) Rockville (Live)

Best Wishes To Phantom Dan Federici: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Live At The Agora, 8/9/1978, Part 3

Sad news from Planet E Street this week. Danny Federici, Springsteen's longtime organ-accordionist is taking a leave of absence from the Magic tour. Danny is undergoing treatment for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Danny has played with Springsteen since the late 60's and along with Roy Bittan has been an anchor of the E Street sound. So many of the highlights of Springsteen's music can be traced back to Danny. The accordion in 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy), the glockenspiel in Thunder Road and Born To Run, the outro to Racing In The Street, Kitty's Back and most recently, a terrific solo on Livin' In The Future. When I saw the band at the Sports Arena a few weeks ago, one of the most surprising highlights of the show was Danny and Roy front and center on dueling accordions on the last song of the evening, American Land.

The European Leg of the Magic tour starts tonight in Madrid.Filling in for Danny will be Charles Giordano, who played in the Seeger Sessions band. Best of luck to Danny Federici, who's given me many hours of great music. If you would like to learn more about melanoma, check out the Melanoma Research Foundation.

Here are the encores of one of the best bootlegs of the epic 1978 Darkness On The Edge Of Town tour, Summertime Bruce. Many more great Danny Federici moments in Part 1 and 2, also.

4th Of July Asbury Park (Sandy)/Born To Run/ Because The Night/Raise Your Hand/ Twist And Shout

DOWNLOAD PART 3 AS A ZIP FILE

Road Trip 2007: Like Pilate I Have A Dog

Over the years, I have driven cross country so many times I have lost count. For the last eleven years, my co-pilot has been Bongo, my 15 and a half year old Australian Cattle Dog. She is extremely smart, sweet, obnoxious, bratty and has a magical charisma. I have never seen people react to a dog as they do to Bongo. I could live to be 1000 years old and never have another like her.

Last April, Bongo was poisoned by tainted pet treats. I had been giving her the treats for a couple of weeks and she became extremely ill. She was diagnosed with kidney failure, and her vet told me she had a few days to live. The next day, the treats were recalled by the F.D.A. Once she stopped eating the treats and getting I.V. fluids every day (which I still give her), she recovered and today she is a happy, healthy old dog. Bongo and I took a road trip last May; at the time, it looked like her last. I called it "Bongo's Farewell Tour", a fitting tribute to a Rock Star-like dog.

Today, we are in Terre Haute, Indiana, visiting my parents for Thanksgiving. We started out on the road last Friday, and finished the 2100 mile drive on Monday. I love road trips, partly because I love spending the time with Bongo, and partly because I love the experience of seeing the country while blasting my ipod.

I have rules for road trips; actually more like traditions. There are certain things that are mandatory listening on this leg of the trip.

• When driving west to east, Johnny Cash's American Recordings must be played at least once. It needs to be started just before the sun rises. While I'm not a religious man, I have to say it was a profound experience to hear "Why Me Lord" as the sun peeked over the horizon.
• Bob Dylan And The Band's The Basement Tapes must be played first thing in the morning, direction optional, preferably on the third day of the road trip, optimally just before dawn.
• When driving through Springfield, Missouri, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin must be played.
• Within 100 miles of the Terre Haute, Kings Of Leon's Youth And Young Manhood must be played in it's entirety. I'm not sure why.
• Within 50 miles of Terre Haute, Born To Run must be played. You must try to sing along with the entire album, even though you are hoarse by Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.

One thing that can absolutely not be done is to play Green Day's Jesus Of Suburbia while driving through the Eisenhower Tunnel (about 60 miles west of Denver). Bongo will give you holy hell for this, for reasons clear only to her.

This week I'll be paying tribute to the musical legacy of Terre Haute. This will be difficult, as there is no musical legacy to Terre Haute.

Why Me Lord- Johnny Cash

Odds And Ends- Bob Dylan And The Band

House Fire- Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Red Morning Light- Kings Of Leon

Fight The Power!: A Mixtape For The Writers Guild Of America

Louis B. Mayer once said that the movie industry was the only business where the assets go home at night. Jack Warner used to refer to writers as "schmucks with Underwoods"

Here in Studio City, I live across the street from CBS-Radford studios. Picketers from the Writers Guild of America have been on the street here all week. It's a grim time in the Film/TV business. Negotiations between the WGA and the AMPTP have broken down and become increasingly bitter. The main issue is how to divvy up the profits of New Media- internet downloads and streaming video. New Media is destined to be the successor to DVD, and has been for some time. Yet the studios insist that they haven't found a way to make New Media profitable, so it would be presumptuous, in their eyes, to make a deal with the people who create content to share profits that supposedly do not exist. Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, always good for a laugh, says that if anyone is really to blame it's Steve Jobs, and that if the strikers should be picketing anyone, it's Apple, because they continually outsmart the studios with their crafty itunes deals.

So there you have it. Creative people cannot possibly hold the studios to the standards that Steve Jobs has set, so it is unjust to expect to share profits that the studios are too stupid to make. Thanks for clearing THAT up, Michael!

Or, as Indiana University professor Mark Deuze (more intelligently than I) puts it: 

In a way, writers and producers are increasingly disempowered by developments in the digital age and the increase in runaway production. I'm thinking about the parties that are involved in the conflict: directors, producers, writers, actors (and through them a wide network of affiliated businesses): these are all creative laborers, the talent that makes the media work. What I am arguing is, that this conflict and its framing perhaps is a reflection of a deeper unsettling trend in the industry: the increasing irrelevance of talent as a major source of investment throughout the media industries, as the economy shifts to consumers (instead of mass media-era producer-driven markets) and thus power shifts to those who control the pipelines rather than the content (cable companies, telco's, access providers).

In the meantime, thousands of crew members, assistants and those in businesses related to the industry have been laid off. These people, who stand little to gain regardless of the outcome of negotiations, will be hit the hardest of all: A long strike will impact them the hardest; these are, by and large, not affluent people. Many live paycheck to paycheck, and will lose their homes, cars and health insurance.

And what am I going to do about it? Make a mixtape. This is the only way I know how to show support for the striking writers, and I hope that it makes a decent soundtrack for the struggle against the corporatization of America which is at the heart of this conflict.

You can find the best  coverage of the strike at Nikki Finke's excellent Deadline Hollywood Daily.

Fool Me Once- George W. Bush, Moron-In-Chief

Know Your Rights- The Clash (buy it at Amazon)

2+2=5 (The Lukewarm)- Radiohead (buy it at Amazon)

Here's Your Future- The Thermals (buy it at Amazon)

Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe- Okkervil River (buy it at Amazon)

Rebellion (Lies)- Arcade Fire (buy it at Amazon)

The Big Payback- Bruce Springsteen (buy it at Amazon)

Sixteen Tons- Bo Diddley (buy it at Amazon)

Gimme Some Truth- Pearl Jam (buy it at Amazon)

21st Century Rip Off- The Soundtrack Of Our Lives (buy it at Amazon)

I Won't Back Down- Johnny Cash (buy it at Amazon)

Kicking Television- Wilco (buy it at Amazon)

The Revolution Starts....- Steve Earle (buy it at Amazon)

I Will Survive- Cake (buy it at Amazon)

The Underdog- Spoon (buy it at Amazon)

Even A Dog Can Shake Hands- Warren Zevon (buy it at Amazon)

Mr. November- The National (buy it at Amazon)

The Star Spangled Banner- Jimi Hendrix (buy it at Amazon)

The Hold Steady And Art Brut Want You To Call Them Sunny D....: Live At The Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, 11/7/2007

...Because they've got the good stuff kids go for!

After the first song in Art Brut's set, Eddie Argos announced "Ok, that's all the singing I'm going to do tonight!" Not only was he not kidding, it was last singing by anyone on the stage of the Henry Fonda theater last night. And it was a fantastically good time. Argos and The Hold Steady's Craig Finn are idiosyncratic lead vocalists- there is not a single thing pretty going on here, but the two of them are so dedicated to having fun and sharing that with the audience that I found myself smiling throughout the whole night.

There is so much good humor in Art Brut, they make an ideal opening band for The Hold Steady. Argos has a wonderful lunatic quality about him. He's like the guy at a party telling you funny stories that are so pointless and off the wall that you'd grab him, shake him and yell "WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS?!?" if you weren't laughing so hard. As likable as their set was, I had the same reaction I have listening to their CDs- really enjoy the first few songs, then the joke starts to get a little old. But that's makes them such a good opening band- they're gone before it becomes truly stale. I don't mean to damn them with faint praise; they play smart, fun, slightly punky guitar rock, and I'll be really curious to see where they take their act from here.

The Hold Steady was everything you'd hope; big, anthemic rock songs with crunchy guitars, brilliant lyrics performed with great joy and positivity. Like Bruce Springsteen at the Sports Arena last week, they play with such infectious enthusiasm that whatever mood you showed up in, you WILL pump your fist, you WILL shout those big choruses. What Craig Finn does can't exactly be called singing; in fact, most of the singing came from the crowd, fueled up on Newcastles and extremely receptive to bellowing out the chorus to "Massive Nights", play air guitar on "Stuck Between Stations" and sway precariously to "Your Little Hoodrat Friend". This was my first time seeing them, and I couldn't believe how likable and joyous they are. I don't know exactly how long they played for; maybe an hour and a half, but they could've kept going for a lot longer as far as I'm concerned. They made you feel glad to be alive.

I've been so lucky to go to some great shows over the last several weeks: Springsteen, Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem, The National and now The Hold Steady and Art Brut. What a great time to be a music fan.

THE HOLD STEADY LIVE AT LOLLAPALOOZA 2006 (available at emusic)

Stuck Between Stations

Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Massive Night

ART BRUT LIVE AT SCHUBAS, 11/15/2005 (available on emusic)

Formed A Band

Moving To LA

Bang Bang Rock And Roll

Neon Bible Or Funeral? Follow-Up Album Smackdown, Pt. 1: Arcade Fire At The BBC, 6/28/2007

London Calling or Sandinista? Sticky Fingers or Exile On Main Street? The Transformed Man or Has Been? (Gratuitous Shatner Content...I'll come back to that later this week). Whenever a band is at the height of their powers, on a great creative roll, fans always want to debate the merits of the new album versus the old. This is the first in a series highlighting some of this year's best new releases, and how they compare to their previous work.

In the case of Arcade Fire, I don't think there's a correct answer; I find both Neon Bible and Funeral to be uniformly excellent. Neon Bible lacks the element of surprise of Funeral. When the latter album was released in 2004, it was startling because it just didn't sound like anything else. It has a manic energy that Neon Bible can't quite attain, perhaps because it is so deeply personal and heartfelt. But Neon Bible aims for bigger things- The opening cut, "Black Mirror" suggests using a clairvoyant's skills to avoid the atrocities of post 9/11 America. "Keep The Car Running" can read as either a touring band's numbness to the road or a terrorist's attempt to  console his family. It's bleak stuff, and it doesn't let up until "No Cars Go" ,  which describes a utopia  where everyone is welcome and safe from the horrors of the modern world. It may not work as a unified whole the way "Funeral" does, but you have to give Arcade Fire credit: This is the sound of a band going for it, swinging big and almost fully connecting. It strikes me a savage indictment of life in Dick Cheney's America.

I love both records in their own way. If you want to choose between the two, go get your own blog. Or, if you'd like to spare yourself the expense and aggravation, leave a comment and tell me which you prefer, and why.

Here's a BBC show from last June that showcases what's great about both "Funeral" and "Neon Bible".

Arcade Fire Live At The BBC, 6/28/2007

Intro/ Keep The Car Running/ No Cars Go/ Haiti/ Interview Pt. 1/ Black Mirror/ Neon Bible/ Interview Pt. 2/ Intervention/ Antichrist Television Blues/ Interview Pt. 3/ Neighbourhood No.3 (Power Out)/Rebellion (Lies)

DOWNLOAD A BIG HUNKA ARCADE FIRE LOVE AS A ZIP FILE

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, LA Sports Arena, 10/30/2007: Scary Good

Setlist: Radio Nowhere/ The Ties That Bind/ Lonesome Day/ Gypsy Biker/ Magic/ Reason To Believe/ Night/ She's The One/ Livin' In The Future/ The Promised Land/ A Town Called Heartbreak/ Tunnel Of  Love/ Devil's Arcade/ The Rising/ Last To Die/ Long Walk Home/ Badlands...ENCORES...Girls In Their Summer Clothes/ Kitty's Back/ Born To Run/ Dancing In The Dark/ American Land

3:45PM: King Dork and I leave Studio City for the Sports Arena. I am in something of a blind panic. We need to be at there by 5PM to get wristbands, so we can have a shot at being one of the lucky 500 to get into the pit. We've gotten off to a late start and, with two major accidents tying up the freeways, there is no way we'll be there by 4:30PM, when Andy is meeting us there.

4:15PM: We make the strategic decision to get off the 101 and take surface streets. We exit at Vermont.

4:40PM: Good move! We're at the Sports Arena! Let's call Andy and find out where he is! He's not answering his phone. Uh-oh.

4:50PM: We get in line. Still no answer from Andy. He's not going to get a wristband. Uh-oh.

4:55PM: We get wristbands! Andy calls! He's stuck in traffic. A lot of traffic. He's not going to be there for an hour and a half. And I have his ticket...I have wristband # 739. King Dork has #740.

5:10PM: We need them to draw #239 or higher. They have a 5 year girl draw a number from a glass jar. She draws #228. I shoot death rays from my eyes at the little girl. We're not getting in the pit.

6:10PM: They start to let the pit people in. Still no Andy.

6:25PM: They line the rest of us up by wristband number. Andy shows up, I give him his ticket. But he can't get in line with us because he doesn't have a wristband. He goes to the regular general admission line. Bummer.

6:30PM: They let us in. Unfortunately,ahead of us, they let in a group of General Admission folks who had NOT BEEN WAITING FOR TWO HOURS!!!! Well played, Sports Arena staff, well played!

6:32PM: We reach the floor. Second to third wave of people back from the barricade despite being tenth in line. That is what is call a Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. Drag.

6:33PM: Here's Andy!

8:15PM: A vendor who does business with Andy calls him. Does he need pit passes? Great! He can get a couple....but we need 3.....

8:20-8:30PM: I'll skip the details, but suffice to say there was subterfuge, threats of arrests and ultimately, the additional pit pass is obtained, but I am informed that security will be keeping an eye on me and if I give them one more problem I'LL BE GOING TO JAIL!!! J-A-I-L!!!!!

8:30PM: I spot Jon Landau, Bruce's manager and start chatting him up. Bruce is working up a Halloween bit for the opening, he tells me, but Bruce isn't sure he if wants to do it. Given Bruce's legendary indecisiveness, this struck me kinda funny, seemed kinda funny sir to me. I ask him if there are going to be any B-sides coming out from the "Magic" sessions. He says there are only a couple extra tracks, that it's not like the old days when they would have a bunch of extra songs. Also says they'll be coming back through on the second leg of the tour, and might play the Sports Arena again. "Bruce likes this old barn", he says. Nice guy. Friendly, enjoyed talking to him.

8:40PM: A coffin is carried out. Little Steven sadly shakes his head, as if nothing can be done. He hands a guitar down to the coffin. An arm shoots up takes it, the coffin is tilted up. Out comes Bruce. (watch the video, y'all!)

This was the first time I've ever been lucky enough to be in the pit, and it was spectacular. I have never been so close to the stage for a Springsteen concert. Highlights? "Reason To Believe", with a new "LaGrange"-like bluesy rave-up arrangement. "Gypsy Biker", another blistering Bruce-Little Steven guitar duel. "Night" straight into "She's The One". The entire encore- "Kitty's Back", are you kidding me? And the closer, "American Land" was better than I ever could have imagined, with both Roy Bittan and Danny Federici up front wailing away on their accordions, to the extent that it is possible to wail on an accordion. A tight, flawless performance by a band playing at an extremely high level, and having a great time doing it.

Andy emerges the M.V.P. of the evening, King Dork a close runner-up (he bought all the beer). I ultimately avoided imprisonment.

If you somehow made it through that tale of heartbreak and triumph, here's your reward: Part 2 of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at the Agora Theater, Cleveland, 8/9/1978:

Paradise By The C/ Fire/ Sherry Darling/ Not Fade Away/ Gloria/ She's The One/ Growin' Up/ Backstreets/ Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

DOWNLOAD DISC 2 AS A ZIP FILE-PREPARE TO LOSE YOUR SOCKS!!

 

Tom Petty: Runnin' Down A Dream

Last night I watched the new Tom Petty documentary, "Runnin Down A Dream" on the Sundance Channel. Four hours of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers! Not how I had intended to spend my evening, but well worth it if you're like me, meaning you've bought every album he's ever done. "Runnin' Down A Dream" was directed by Peter Bogdanovich (Paper Moon, The Last Picture Show, and Dr Melfi's shrink on The Sopranos!) and it is an exhaustive review of Petty's career. My favorite part was the period leading up to and including the Traveling Wilburys. There is some terrific footage of Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne working out the lyrics to "Last Night" (from the first Wilburys album) and hanging out at Dylan's house. As a rock fan, here's what I love about this: There once was a universe where those guys actually hung out, had dinner, had some drinks and made music. They didn't come in on separate days, record their bits and leave; they were real people who had as much fun making the music as I have had listening.

Other segments show that much of the Heartbreakers work life wasn't quite as much of a blast. The tensions in the group are talked about in great detail, and how their massive drug intake fueled those tensions. Petty's solo albums also exacerbated the problems; the entire group, with the exception of Petty and guitarist Mike Campbell, were so paranoid and insecure about outsiders like Lynne and Dave Stewart that they constantly feared for their jobs. The question asked over and over: How does any band stay together?

Four hours is a lot to ask of a viewer, but it flew by and the only false note (to me anyway) was the section on 2002's The Last DJ. No amount of lipstick will make me kiss that pig. Oh well, 31 years of recording and one stinker. That's quite a legacy.

The Sundance Channel is replaying "Runnin' Down A Dream" October 31st at 3AM (Eastern). This is what Tivo is for, people!

Here's a mix I put together a while back. These are from Petty's excellent box set, "Playback".

Heartbreaker's Beach Party- Potato Salad!

Gods Gift To Man

You Get Me High

Travelin'- Great road trip song!

Casa Dega- "Damn The Torpedoes" outtake

The Image Of Me

Big Boss Man- Remake of the Jimmy Reed classic

Waiting For Tonight- Great back-up vocals by The Bangles

Ways To Be Wicked- GIven to Lone Justice for their first album

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around (Demo)- Petty's demo before Stevie Nick's vocals were added

Turning Point

You Come Through- Lenny Kravitz on bass and vocals

Come On Down To My House- Dave Grohl on drums- this one rocks really hard!

Here's the trailer for "Runnin' Down A Dream"