It’s Matt again
Hi everyone. After a few weeks off, I’m back. I hope you all enjoyed my wife’s lists, but this week I’m back to my standard, random mishmash of recordings, live shows, TV, food and whatever else comes to mind. A few of these entries will have comments this week while others won’t.
David Cross with Todd Glass – Merriam Theater (Philadelphia, PA) – October, 20, 2009
Although I haven’t seen any musical performers this month aside from TV CASUALTY (see entry #10 below), David Cross was the second major comedian we’ve seen this month (see my mini-review of PATTON OSWALT‘s recent show at the Keswick here) and in both cases, it was the first time we’d seen either of them. Also, in both cases, they were hysterical in similar, almost two hour or so performances. However, although both of them are paragons of the so-called “alt-comedy” scene that also includes burgeoning stars like EUGENE MIRMAN and AZIZ ANSARI, in certain ways they couldn’t be more different. Though Cross is hysterical, I don’t feel like we really get to know him through his comedy. Instead, his comedy is based on observing others and on general political and social commentary while Oswalt dissects his own private life and uses it generally for his banter. That’s not to say, of course, that Oswalt’s takes on the teabaggers and religion aren’t prime material. They are. But in his case, it’s the stuff about being a new father that hits closest to the bone.
Cross also incorporated opener Todd Glass and someone posing as both a sign-language interpreter and a comedy blogger into his act as well, not to mention a very young boy playing a young Cross.
The Comsat Angels – Sleep No More (Polydor/Renascent)
The Comsat Angels – Fiction (Polydor/Renascent)
Mad Men (AMC, Sunday)
We’ve only made it through season 1, so we’re still playing catch up, but wow what an incredible show!
Zingerman’s Deli and Roadhouse BBQ
We spent last weekend in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan. Among the many highlights (including visiting a park where THE STOOGES and MC5 once played at in the late ’60s) was eating at these two OUTSTANDING restaurants. I can’t say enough about them, especially their bread. If you’re ever in Ann Arbor, make sure to stop there.
The Damned – The Black Album (Chiswick)
Visqueen – Message to Garcia (Local 638)
The Velvet Underground – Loaded (Atlantic)
Gray Matter – Food for Thought (Dischord)
I just picked up the vinyl reissue of this incredible 1984 album yesterday. Oddly, the digital version (you get a digital download code with your purchase) doesn’t include their incredible cover of THE BEATLES‘ “I Am the Walrus”, though I have no idea why as it’s on the Lp. The sound is absolutely incredible (it’s almost like hearing it for the first time) and it hasn’t aged a day. This, and not the also great RITES OF SPRING Lp, might the record that inadvertently invented “emo”, but don’t blame them. Just rejoice in the absolute splendor of this melodic DC punk, pre-Revolution Summer classic.
The band recently reformed for a one-off show in Washington, DC last year to perform their 1986 EP (and career zenith) Take It Back, which will also get the reissue treatment on November 24th. I can’t wait!
TV Casualty – Kung Fu Necktie (Philadelphia, PA) – October 31, 2009
TV Casualty is, as you may have guessed by the name, a one-off MISIFTS tribute band with TED LEO (playing GLENN DANZIG circa the early ’80s with devilock, black shirt and all) on vocals, guitarists ATOM GOREN (from FRACTURE and later the Atom of ATOM AND HIS PACKAGE) and BRIAN SOKEL (also formerly of Fracture) along with bassist ANDY NELSON (PAINT IT BLACK) and drummer CHRIS WILSON, who plays with Ted in TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS. They played two sets (one for the early singles and Static Age era and another for the Walk Among Us and Earth A.D. material) on this evening, though we only saw the first one. It was absolutely incredible to hear such faithful recreations of Misfits classics like “Bullet,” “Teenagers from Mars,” “She,” “Horror Business,” “We Are 138” (which featured DAN YEMIN, also from Paint it Black, guesting on additional vocals) and many more.
The DJs (including MIKE MCKEE of the England Belongs to Twee parties and a bandmate of Goren’s and Yemin’s in ARMALITE) were also incredible on this evening, playing a wide range of ’70s and ’80s U.S. and U.K. hardcore, punk, 2 Tone ska, new wave and post-punk.
