Unyielding Commissioning Doesn't Fear the MSM

It's not just me anymore. In February, I ranted about my disdain for the current trend regarding horror flicks (the trend being that we have three new ones each week). The Trib's Michael Phillips says this week that the box office for such pictures is starting to drop precipitously. Perhaps everyone else is getting worn out as well. Let's hope.

It's also not just me anymore. A while back I was planning to write a posting titled, "I'm sick of going to the movies," but then I had a couple better experiences and backed off. Mark Caro addresses some of the issues moviegoers are forced to face every time they watch a film. My biggest problem is all the other a-holes who you have to deal with. Perhaps I'll get to this eventually. I actually haven't gone to the theaters since March. Netflix and a good stereo system tend to keep me in and on the couch...

Acting! Thankyouuu! Spinner has put together their list of ten rules for proper concert etiquette. Instead of simply writing them out, they have some dudes acting out what not to do. It's at least amusing, but they missed a bunch. Like don't tell people "I deserve to see this band more than you!" Or perhaps don't "Take the tray from the waitress and menacingly threaten to smash her over the head with it." Or the favorite, "Don't try to shoehorn a mosh pit at shows where it's clearly not gonna happen." And of course, "Don't sit there yammering away with your friends during the slower songs." I've had to deal with all of these issues this spring at shows. I'm working on a longer posting about this issue, but if you dig improv humor, check it out.

Greg Kot a few months behind. In early spring, it seemed like coming out with lists of the "best covers" was all the rage. USA Today had a feature, as well as various other publications. The Trib's Greg Kot has made is own list, and I have to say that it's easily the most accurate and impressive I've seen. Kot knows what he's talking about and probably gave this a lot more thought than most people. I certainly agree with his criteria: "They radically reinterpret a song and improve on it, or they draw attention to the previously underappreciated original." He's also put his e-mail address on there in case you want to chime in to him. Any list of this kind is inherently an exercise in personal preference as there's no way to judge "better" when talking about music (unless Jimmy Buffet is involved - everyone else is better). My quick, from the gut list of recorded covers:

Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan)
Marvin Gaye - I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Gladys Knight & the Pips)
Aretha Franklin - Respect (Otis Redding)
Quicksand - How Soon is Now? (The Smiths)
Dinosaur Jr. - Just Like Heaven (The Cure)
Alkaline Trio - Exploding Boy (The Cure)
Fishbone - Freddy's Dead (Curtis Mayfield)

My list of covers I've seen performed live:
Anthrax w/ Al Jorgensen - Supernaut (Black Sabbath)
J. Mascis + The Fog w/ Mike Watt on vocals - T.V. Eye (Stooges)
...man there are a ton more, but I'm going to have to give this a longer think.