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Summer Goal [Aug. 16th, 2009|01:54 pm]
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Book Update:
One book a week during the summer. [[Sixteen books]]

Finished:
Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut- April 29
The Red Pony John Steinbeck- May 2
The Roots of Desire Marion Roach- May 7
Girl, Interrupted Susanna Kaysen- May 8
The Autograph Man Zadie Smith- May 14
Anthem Ayn Rand- May 17
Post Office Charles Bukowski- May 17
{{Constantine Hellblazer- May 15}}
{{The Sandman: Season of Mists Neil Gaiman- May 19}}
{{A Game of You Neil Gaiman- May 20}}
{{The Sandman: Fables and Reflections Neil Gaiman- May 21}}
Siddhartha Herman Hesse- May 22
{{Brief Lives Neil Gaiman- May 23}}
{{Worlds' End Neil Gaiman- May 24}}
{{The Kindly Ones Neil Gaiman- May 25}}
{{The Wake Neil Gaiman- May 25}}
Sellevision Augusten Burroughs- June 13
Sex, Time, and Power: How Women's Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution Leonard Shlain- June 19
This Side of Paradise F. Scott Fitzgerald- June 29
Tortilla Flat John Steinbeck- July 8
Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey Chuck Palahniuk- July 15
The Best American Science Writing 2008 edited by Sylvia Nasar and Jesse Cohen- August 4
Diary Chuck Palahniuk- August 10

In Progress:
Palm Sunday Kurt Vonnegut
Catch 22 Jospeh Keller
Player Piano Kurt Vonnegut
The Double Helix James Watson
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
On the Road Jack Kerouac
The Island Robert Creeley


[[EDIT:]] All graphic novels are recorded but not counted.
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(no subject) [Aug. 14th, 2009|04:04 pm]
August 13th at Chaosome, Lexington, KY
Joe Mangum, Madeline Ava, Pink Houses, Vision of a Dying World, and Andrew Jackson Jihad

Wow. Just the trip was soooo much fun with my boy and three good friends.

Chaosome is an all ages converted house venue in Lexington, KY. No AC, but who needs it when you can just open the doors and windows and jam.




Joe Mangum was just a fun chill opener. He and Madeline Ava have a split and tour together from time to time. Madeline is a hometown favorite and quite earns the title of "cuddlecore". Very positive and I'd suggest you listen.

So I gave up after the very first set on trying to get pictures because I'm short and the flash was being messed up. Still, I'll provide a photo of the sign in which I accidentally got the back of the head of the lead singer of Pink Houses.





I really dug these guys. I'll admit I had never really listened to Defiance, Ohio (members are in Pink Houses) before last night but I'm glad because I had no bias either way about this band. Very different sound than the other acts but awesome. Thumbs up.

The Vision of a Dying World was good. The most traditional kind of sound but beautiful. He sang "Barges" which is a favorite song of mine especially from a camp I used to attend and work.

So it was more than worth the five hour round trip to Kentucky to see Andrew Jackson Jihad. They are one of my favorite bands and the show did not disappoint. I have a bunch of videos on youtube so I'll link them instead of just embedding them.



They played a really good set including some songs off of their recently released album.


But it was just amazing. I REALLY, REALLY recommend checking them out as soon as possible.




Troy took my picture with the guys, which he said was payback for having him meet Thurston Moore.


Wanna listen?
Joe Mangum
Madelina Ava
Pink Houses
The Vision of a Dying World
Andrew Jackson Jihad
AJJ- People
AJJ- Cigarettes
AJJ- Personal Space Invader
AJJ- Powerplant
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OMGG!! [Jul. 16th, 2009|01:04 pm]
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July 10th at the Bijou
SONIC YOUTH!

So this show was fucking amazing. Like super crazy amazing. Second row then RIGHT UNDER THURSTON. Yeah, it was good. And I was also super excited when they started out with a song, "Tom Violence", from my favorite album EVOL. I also learned that I want to be as bad ass as Kim Gordon when I'm 56 years old. Holy crap.


See?



Thurston was glowing.



And Lee rocking the fuck out of that guitar.

All you need to know about the show is GO AND SEE THEM [if you ever have that chance]. GO GOGOGO.


And for the funny parts:

Troy and I had two [kind of] run ins with the band before the show. Between the opening band and the main set, we ran to the car to drop off a shirt and grab a sweater. Right in front of the Bijou, in the crosswalk, we almost get hit by a guy on a bike. Troy turns to me and said, "Now you've not only seen the drummer for Sonic Youth but the original drummer for the Crucifucks." Yup, it was Steve Shelley.

But earlier that day was much more exciting meet. We went to the Book Eddy, off of Chapman Highway next to the Disc Exchange, around six thirty. Troy and I split up, he to poetry then records and me to science then art. I was almost done and wanted to see what he was up to so I went to the back of the store. Troy was standing near the edge of the section looking at some 1950s recording with this weird look on his face. I look at who he's looking at and see a GIANT man in a plaid shirt and glasses. Before I can look again, Troy kind of scurried out. I follow, and he grabbed me, "That was Thurston Moore!"

We went to the Disc Exchange and Troy was very... excited. After ten minutes, I told him I wanted to go back to the Book Eddy to see if they have a book on Mucha. As I was looking and asking, Troy ran out to his car and grabbed his copy of The Enternal. He walked up to Thurston and said, "Thurston, I don't want to bother you but could you sign this for me?" And he did. I'm still surprised that he didn't hyperventilate.
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Farmers' Market Cooking Date [Jun. 24th, 2009|09:05 pm]
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Today was the local Farmers' Market so Troy and I went on down to check it out. Not only did we find a wealth of produce but it was an intense fight to even buy them. Still, even the shopping was a lot of fun.

The side dish was Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Chives from the AMA's Type 2 Diabetes cookbook.
( Potatoes! )

The main dish was Fettuccine with Spring Vegetables also from the same cookbook.
( Pasta! )



There was even room for a dessert of fresh berries and vanilla ice cream.
( Berries! )
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(no subject) [Jun. 19th, 2009|05:15 pm]
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June 16th at the Pilot Light
Fecal Japan and Holy Fuck

I'll be honest. I really only saw Fecal Japan's set and about two songs of Holy Fuck's before leaving. I felt the rest of the set because I was on the roof making fun of the hipsters, though.

Still Fecal Japan was awesome. Experimental music as to be expected but a very enjoyable set. With lots of feedback and beer breaks. There weren't too many people in the crowd for them but suddenly, during the set, the place filled up super fast. And the crowd was comprised mainly of hipsters. When the next band started up, they were good- but very, very dance. Great dance music but I wasn't there to dance. The guy in the cape, however, certainly was. From my spot in the back, it looked as if he was stuck in a potato sack and trying to work his way out.
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(no subject) [Jun. 1st, 2009|12:17 pm]
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May 29 at Dishaus
Some scene band, Brain Wrecked, Sarah Impalin', and Dance Machine

We got there after the first band had played, but according to everyone it was something to be glad about. Brain Wrecked was pretty good. Nice show, just nothing mind blowing. I was outside for Sarah Impalin' but Smiddy's vocals have improved.

And Dance Machine was Dance Machine and many clothes were shed.
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(no subject) [May. 2nd, 2009|09:08 pm]
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April 20 at Dishaus
Dissociative Rhythm Machine, Think Twice, Kontatto, and Dance Machine
So I go to shows all the time and I need to commit to keeping track of them. I went with Troy and about two minutes after we pulled up, we knew it was going to be rough. At the last house show we went to, this group of kids started shit and were just generally assholes. They and a few more came piling out of Charlie's car. The minute they saw Troy, they started shouting stupid shit. Big surprise.

Still, I was very excited for the show and ready to blow off some steam. The first band, Dissociative Rhythm Machine, started off awesome then shit went down. Someone latched onto someone else and they went down. People broke up fights and then were targeted by the instigators. Finally after a few tense songs, they got kicked out. We got a call from Charlie, who was trying to drive them home, that the two biggest assholes kept jumping out of the car. When they tried to start shit directly with him, he made sure they didn't get back in the car. I also stayed inside for the rest of the set which was good if not still tense.

There was a second band but I stayed outside fuming with Josh, Troy, and everyone else.

Think Twice was their usual awesome selves. Things started to loosen up even if reports of the two guys waiting to jump cars and/or people leaving later.

Finally, Kontatto was up. An Italian crust punk band stopping in Knoxville. Nice. I have to say this: epic. Words fail to describe what it was like. So if you get a chance to even just listen to them, jump on it. Afterward, we were buying an LP and whatnot when someone just starts singing Bohemian Rhapsody. I now have seen Italian crustpunks, in their broken English, sing
Bohemian Rhapsody beautifully.

Dance Machine was as Dance Machine does. Awesome.
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(no subject) [May. 1st, 2009|09:11 am]
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April 30 at the Catalyst
Peelander-Z

New(ish) venue and a band I've never seen before. Both were good, band was awesome. The crowd seemed dubious when we walked in as the collection of people looked more at home in the pit at a metal show but once it started, holy shit.

Very highly entertaining, the set was super interactive. Not just one song but rather during "Mad Tiger" they gave people masks and bread tins and drum sticks to join them on stage and later in the set, they set up their instruments in the middle of the pit so we could circle pit around them. Totally worth $8 and totally awesome.
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(no subject) [Apr. 26th, 2009|01:37 pm]
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April 25 at Longbranch
Rough Rimmers, Cooter Punch, Dirty Works, Lucky Bastards, and the Murder Junkies

Awesome. Surprisingly, it was the first time that I've seen a Longbranch show start within half an hour or so of the posted time. Usually it's an hour or more. Knowing more than half of the members of the first band just made it all the funnier as the male lead was in briefs, a bra, and high heeled boots. They played through their set twice in an attempt to not only fill time but get people moving. While it was only their third time together as a band, it was a good first showing. Cooter Punch was interesting although there wasn't too much crowd reaction. I think this was at least in part to the performance of the first band and the dramatic shift in the audience. I had heard a little bit of U.S. Policestate which all or most of the members were in but I wasn't expecting a blow out. Still it was enjoyable. Dirty Works were quite fun and the Lucky Bastards really picked up the pace. During the Murder Junkies set, I smashed up my nose but it was all in pursuit of a good pit. The moshing was alright for the venue considering at least 80% of each pit was comprised of large men. Overall, it was a really enjoyable show with no drama.
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Goals [Dec. 31st, 2008|02:27 pm]
[mood |resolved]

Obviously this is a pretty common type of post but I'll put them down here.


  • Read at least two books a month


  • Wake up by 10 on weekdays


  • Lose 10 pounds by Spring break


  • Go to as many shows as possible


  • Start saving up for a car/study abroad


Well I'm giving it a shot.
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Dropkick Murphys [Dec. 31st, 2008|02:25 pm]
November, 2008 Valarium- Knoxville, TN

Blew. I mean it could have been worse but by now all I remember is the shitty bits. I did get to see some friends and that was by far the best part.
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(no subject) [Nov. 9th, 2008|12:39 pm]
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Well, this update is a tad overdue. So now, instead of just the two shows I promised, I have another to tack on.

October 29 at a secret location
One local band, a folk punk group from Chicago, and a chick with a uke
I love this venue. I've been to one other show there, but it's existence is on the DL due to dicks who ruin things and upset neighbors. Still, I love it. The show was on a Wednesday night, so there were only about 30-35 people including the two bands. My friend had told me about the show and promised it would be a good one. I had no clue what to expect.

That said, the two groups were wildly different. The first group was..noise. The drummer was very good but there was no direction or cohesive playing. The second group was amazing. It was just two guys, one on banjo and one with a stand up bass, and I was blown away. It's difficult to describe because the songs they played were both humorous and depressing yet it all made me happy and about half of them made me want to dance. I did dance once when a girl grabbed my arm and spin me around. Then I hit my knee on either the wall of someone's knee and I was out. Still, this was more than worthwhile and once I get the name again, I'll add it to this group.

As for the chick with the uke, it was a nice little ending note. She was part of the house staff and apparently had done this a lot before yet she was very out of practice. Still, it was a nice get together moment when everyone sat down on the floor to hear her play.

[[(MAY 1, 2009)EDIT: The first band's name was Think Twice and they play quite often in Knoxville and the second band was Al Scorch and the Cold Dead Hands.]]

November 1 at Dana's House
The Hits
Oh, the Hits. This was a combination house show/house warming/Halloween party. With a keg of PBR, a band, and costumes, it was all of the above. This one was rather small as well with about 30 people milling about at a time, including drunk neighbors who wandered in. The band was sent up in a dining room area and the crowd stood in the living room, so there was a bit of an arch in the way, yet still effective house set up.

It was the usual Hits. Same awesome songs and same guys, just in costumes. So I had a good time. Not too much about that, just other stuff at the party such as: the drunk neighbors, mentioned above, kept shouting, "PLAY LEFTOVER CRACK!" Awkward since they were shouting a band name instead of a song. As I went to go outside, I slid on my jacket, which is a Leftover Crack hoodie, and they freaked out. I have rarely been in a more awkward yet humorous position at a party.

November 8 at the Pilot Light in Knoxville's Old City
Royal Bangs with Desolation Wilderness and Lake
Wow. I've seen the Royal Bangs twice before and this is my favorite show yet. The opening bands were good, but Desolation Wilderness comes in behind Lake. Lake was filled with odd instruments and a heavy rotation of who was playing what. I'm definitely checking them out some more.

The Royal Bangs were awesome. Just radical. The beginning of the set was newer stuff which wasn't as danceable as stuff off of We Breed Champions but it was great. When things started to pick up dancing-wise, I did have an issue with one guy, who apparently was the band's former bassist. He was drunk as shit and whipping around wildly. I gave him some warning elbow, but by the end, I just had to punch him in the head for him to move away from me. Still, the end was beautiful with "New Scissors" and then, my favorite, "Handcuff Killa".

If you have not heard the Royal Bangs, do it right now. Seriously.

Well, another show tonight, although it's a national tour at the Valarium: Dropkick Murphys. Eh.
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Resurrecting this bitch as a.. [Oct. 31st, 2008|02:50 pm]
show blog.

I've started to think that if I don't start keeping track of the shows I go to, I will never be able to remember them all. So I'll do a quick run down for October.

October 15 at the Valarium in Knoxville:
Girl Talk with Grand Buffet and the Hearts of Darkness
Fucking crazy. Not awesome crazy but just crazy. I had a blast but the crowd was so fucked up. I myself was a bit tipsy, but that was the lightest end of it. I'm willing to bet about a quarter of the crowd was rolling and another half super drunk.

Still, the music was interesting. The two opening groups were wildly different: HoD sucked so hard, I'm leaving it at that, and Grand Buffet was awesome, again. I'd heard a little bit of Girl Talk before but this was great. I got on stage in less than 30 seconds into his set and stayed there for the full hour and a half, dancing like I've never danced before in my life. Most of that time was a blur of sweat, confetti, lights, and intense dancing. The next day, my quads and abs ached, so I'd do it again, but not my favorite listening.

October 25 at Toad's Place in Richmond, VA:
NOFX with Dillinger Four, The Flatliners, Fake Problems, and Teenage Bottle Rocket
Just awesome. Holy shit. So obviously this entailed about a seven hour road trip to and from the venue and it was quite worth it even though the crowd was mainly comprised of drunk bitches and assholes.

The first band, Fake Problems, was pretty good. Not mind blowing but worth checking out. The pit wasn't too bad during this set but nor was it really fun. Not a bad warm up.

While we thought the next band was going to be some random group, the Flatliners came on. I saw them two years ago at Ska Weekend, the ska festival in Knoxville, and fell in love. Even though we had gone upstairs to relax and get a drink, we got our asses down there for some of the best pits of the night: people weren't totally trashed but it wasn't just a little walk in the park either. I did get punched in the face, although not too hard, by a guy strung out on what appeared to be meth. This was about the time I realized that my height in this crowd was bound for more punishment, so I hung back after this set.

The third band sucked. Teenage Bottle Rocket sounds like a wannabe Ramones with every sound sounding the same. We stayed on the upper floor for this set, sitting and relaxing before the real action started.

Dillinger Four was highly entertaining. From the first song, it was obvious that Paddy, their singer, was drunk as shit and he then proceeded to strip down to his underwear on stage. Still, very funny and great music.

By the time NOFX was getting on stage, the assholes had really come out to play in the crowd. Right before they started to play, I had this woman who kept falling on me. I assumed she was drunk and was having issues balancing in the crowd so I pushed her up a bit in order to reclaim my space. Apparently, she took offense, grabbed my wrist and started to shake and threaten me. Did I mention she was really drunk and about 6 inches and a 100 pounds larger than I am? Holy shit. But drunk bitches aside, the set was pretty good. I say "pretty good" because Fat Mike kept forgetting verses and stopped halfway through "Dinosaurs Will Die" and didn't continue. Still, they played "Bob", "Perfect Government", "Seeing Double at the Triple Rock", and "Louise". More will probably come to me, but basically, it was a really awesome show. I'd do it all over again, except I'd be ready to punch that drunk bitch if she grabbed me again.


I'll have more Sunday about the folk punk house show from Wednesday and a ska Halloween house show tomorrow night!
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(no subject) [Dec. 21st, 2007|11:41 pm]
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UT Knoxville buzzes with energy, ideas, and optimism. Great professors and students from throughout the world live and work in a friendly, safe campus community located in scenic East Tennessee. The campus and its signature "Hill" lure students with green space, nearby lakes, and vistas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Students enjoy provocative speakers, great entertainers and artists, a first-class research library, a technology-rich infrastructure, great local music and recreation, nationally competitive athletic teams, and abundant opportunities for community service.

The university is a co-manager with Battelle of the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Faculty and students experience unparalleled research and learning opportunities at the Department of Energy's largest science and energy lab.

UT Knoxville prides itself on adding value to Tennessee — by educating its students, doing research and creative work that improves quality of life, and reaching out to share expertise with Tennesseans. The University of Tennessee stands in a class by itself as Tennessee's flagship institution and one of the United States' great public research universities.


Tuition (room and board added): $12,000 per year.

Current Scholarships: $8,000 per year for four years
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(no subject) [Dec. 1st, 2006|07:56 am]
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Now is the time and here is the place to match your talents and passions with over 100 undergraduate, 60 master's, and 11 doctoral programs. East Tennessee State University is Northeast Tennessee 's only four-year, comprehensive university. We offer you a world of opportunities to learn from faculty who are leaders in their fields, to connect with students from all over the country and world, to embrace a rich cultural life set in one of our nation's most beautiful mountain regions, and to build the foundation for your future. It's all here, waiting for you, at ETSU!

Tution: $4,636 per year

Vanderbilt University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in Nashville, Tennessee.

Vanderbilt was founded in 1873 with a gift of $1 million by shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt who, despite having never been to the South, hoped his gift and the greater work of the university would help to heal the sectional wounds inflicted by the Civil War. Today, Vanderbilt enrolls around 11,000 students in ten schools—four undergraduate and six graduate and professional. Also affiliated with the university are several research facilities and a world-renowned medical center, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), which is the only Level I Trauma Center in Middle Tennessee. Vanderbilt is one of North America's top research institutions and is a member of the Association of American Universities, to whose membership Vanderbilt was elected in 1950.


Tution: $47,302 per year
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(no subject) [Aug. 26th, 2006|10:49 pm]
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Untitled
Taken at the Alexander Inn by my dear friend
The Guest House Historical Marker
Manhattan Project visitors to Oak Ridge stayed in this early Inn. Secretary of War Henry Stimson was among the dignitaries staying there. It continued to operate as the Alexander Inn for a number of years in Oak Ridge.

However, it is now in a sad state of disrepair. Vandalism is rampant and deterioration is fast taking the potential for restoration away from us.

This old remnant of a once stately and impressive Guest House is in need of a sponsor and benefactor. It is a shame to see it continue to fade as the elements take their toll on the old structure.
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