Power to the People!!! Please Go See Chicago 10 This Weekend

Last night I went to the screening of Chicago 10, a half animated, half archival footage documentary of the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests. I really didn't know much about this time period other than the fact that Martin Luther King Jr got assassinated and racism and segregation was tearing the country apart. People were calling for an end to war and to bring the troops home.

After seeing this movie, I want to reiterate the parallels of war time today with George W. Bush in Iraq with the war time back then with Vietnam and LBJ. The difference? There are no Yippies today. Where are all the protesters? I think most people are at home worrying about their own life and their declining economic status, not whether or not there are larger conspiracies going on in our own country.



I have to say I am disappointed in myself and the rest of my peers for being kind of lame, but I think we are a product of a lazy, spoiled generation that has been systematically trained to have no hope against fighting the "big" government (reference that Michael Moore doc Sicko). We are not protesting through actual action and marches. Instead we are joining Facebook protest groups and sending around seemingly pointless email petitions and YouTube viral videos. There are no 15,000 people protests at the national conventions of either party.



It seemed that media coverage back then was more on the side of the radicals. Today, it seems the opposite. Media coverage is swayed to the major players and their campaign managers, not to the people of America. When was the last time you saw the news interview people like you and me about what we think of the candidates running for President? And what are we doing to make sure our voices are heard? Young people today (including moi) are more complacent, but I think we have become the very thing that Yippies like Abbie Hoffman feared would be the future if they didn't stand up and make their voices heard... It was the very thing that the protesters in 1968 wanted to obliterate when they risked their lives to fight a scary political machine. It was a war on American territory, a civil war, and it scared the shit out of me to watch this film. I cried at the end because it echoed the hopelessness I have been feeling about the role of the American people and its stodgy, behind-closed-doors government.



One of the most moving scenes was when Bobby Seale was bound and gagged for demanding his constitutional right to defend himself. I was tearing at the thought that Judge Hoffman thought he could so awfully infringe on a man's right, especially a black man's right -- in an era where race relations were on fire.

Since this is a music blog of sorts, another thing I'll talk about is the movie's soundtrack -- full of Rage Against the Machine, Black Sabbath, Eminem and Beastie Boys -- it was an attempt to make the scenes from yesterday connect with viewers today. It was aggressive and charged with good intentions, but sometimes I felt the soundtrack disrupted the power of what was on the screen. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Nonetheless it left an impact. This movie is worth your time. Tell me you aren't moved by the ridiculous insanity of the recreated/animated courtroom scenes. I was in shock when watching the transcripts unfold. It is a good reminder of what these Yippies did to try to free us, and how we have somehow become captive again. Maybe it's time to break free again? Say it with me... "What do we want?" Revolution! "When do we want it?" NOW!

Watch the trailer below and go see this movie -- opens in theaters tomorrow.

Writer's Tick-Tock

Last night at around midnight I had an urge to start writing the book that I have always wanted to write. I always said I never really knew what I wanted to say to the world, but all of a sudden clear ideas were popping into my head and finding their way into my TextEdit. Wherever that burst of writer's energy came from, THANK GOODNESS.

It was exactly what I needed to make myself feel a little better this month. I love that I finally had the courage to quit the cubicle a year ago in favor of pursuing some of my deepest loves... but as with anything, there are sacrifices and trials along the way to keep me guessing and questioning. It keeps my life unpredictable.

But what a fucking horror of a month it's been! I know all of life has ups and downs, but February not only boasts the shortest number of days (despite the leap year, I may add) it can also add to its list -- the first snow storm of the year in New York, my first time actually working on Valentine's Day, various personal struggles and the brokest month of my life since quitting my full-time job and forging on to freelance life. I know in the end these growing pains will pay off (one can hope, eh?), but what a fucking ride, dude.

In all honesty though, I'm thriving off the whole goddamn thing. I'm not all complaints. There were a lot of bright moments, too, thanks to my lovely stable of close friends. I am thankful for having a great support system to keep me breathing in the city. THANK YOU!

Life in Pictures

I don't always get to capture the important, memorable moments of my life, but sometimes I get lucky and actually take the camera out for a quick snap-snap. Here are some of my favorite recent moments...

The Big Sleep @ Mercury Lounge

I can't remember the exact year that I met Danny from The Big Sleep. It was definitely well before they played Vicious at Sin-e. It was before DTL booked them for a show with the Helio Sequence at North Six (I suggested them after Dirty on Purpose couldn't do the show). I may not remember when, but I do remember where. He was part of an art collective called the New Humans (who I think still perform here and there) and the group was performing at an abandoned storefront in Chinatown. The New Humans had quilted together a big sheet, put some stark lighting underneath and then proceeded to perform the entire show under the huge blanket they had created from scratch. It was pretty magical. If you look back in my archives, I even posted about them playing with Cheeseburger once. Crazy I don't even remember that one! I wish I had been there.

From the start, Danny was an energetic force. I was instantly drawn to him and his talent. I went to see The Big Sleep a lot after meeting him, which led me to befriending his wife Sonya, who is so lovely and stunning. It was at that moment that I realized I saw her in another band, The Hong Kong, because I remember thinking she was so beautiful. I think Danny was also in that band for a hot minute. But I'm SOOOO glad they left to form their own band with drummer Gabe. I remember they had tried to add a female lead singer to their mostly instrumental trio, and I remember thinking they should really keep it to a three-piece. Sonya has a good voice and a magnetic mysterious quality about her and Danny acts as a foil, belting out some feeling in his singing. Gabe is the rock that keeps those two solid. The combination is... yes, magical.

I saw them at Mercury Lounge the other night for their record release show for their second French Kiss album, Sleep Forever. It was a sold out affair, and the energy was high. We had most of Treats Club in effect (where the hell was Glick?) and it was one of the best Big Sleep shows for me (and trust me, I've seen them soooo many times). Their songs and vocals have grown so much from their last record, Son of the Tiger, and I was totally entranced throughout the entire set. So big ups to the Big Sleep!! The only sad part was that Gabe wasn't drumming because he had broken his arm during a bike collision. Damnit, Gabe!

Look for the Big Sleep on tour with Minus the Bear!
Feb 27 - Messiah College Larsen Student Union Grantham, Pennsylvania
Feb 28 - Black Cat Backstage w/ Statehood Washington,, Washington DC
Mar 1 - Great Scott w/ Say Hi Allston, Massachusetts
Mar 5 - The Boot w/ Say Hi Norfolk, Virginia
Mar 6 - Local 506 w/ Say Hi Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Mar 7 - Drunken Unicorn w/Say Hi Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 8 - Bottle Tree w/ Say Hi Birmingham, Alabama
Mar 10 - Hi-Tone Cafe w/ Birds of Avalon & The New Mary Jane Memphis, Tennessee
Mar 12 - SXSW - Mohawk (FRENCHKISS SHOWCASE) Austin, Texas
Mar 13 - SXSW - Red Eyed Fly (NoisePop Party) Austin, Texas
Mar 14 - SXSW - Beauty Bar Day Party Austin, Texas
Mar 14 - SXSW - Guero's - Boxing Lesson CD Release Party Austin, Texas
Mar 15 - SXSW - Saxon Pub (Outside Distro Party) Austin, Texas
Mar 18 - Blue Bird w/ Old Time Relijun Bloomington, Indiana
Mar 19 - AV-Aerie w/ Parts and Labor Chicago, Illinois
Mar 20 - Ravari Room w/ Wax Fang Columbus, Ohio
Mar 31 - Blind Pig ** Ann Arbor, Michigan
Apr 1 - Opera House ** Toronto, Ontario
Apr 2 - Club at Water Street Music Hall ** Rochester, New York
Apr 3 - Lupo's ** Providence, Rhode Island
Apr 4 - Black Cat w/ Les Savy Fav and the Dodos Washington, Washington DC
Apr 5 - TLA w/ Les Savy Fav and the Dodos Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 6 - Paradise Rock Club ** Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 7 - Webster Hall ** NYC, New York
Apr 9 - Recher Theatre ** Towson, Maryland
Apr 10 - Satellite Ballroom ** Charlottesville, Virginia
Apr 12 - Bogart's ** Cincinnati, Ohio
Apr 13 - House of Blues ** Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 15 - Blue Bird ** Bloomington, Indiana
Apr 16 - House of Blues ** Chicago, Illinois
Apr 17 - Club 770 - U of W ** Madison, Wisconsin
Apr 18 - Blue Note ** Columbia, Missouri
Apr 21 - Boulder Theater ** Boulder, Colorado
Apr 22 - In The Venue ** Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 23 - House of Blues ** Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr 29 - Bimbo's ** San Francisco, California

** w/Minus The Bear & Portugal The Man

RSVP to Filter's "Chicago 10" Screening

I've heard good good things about this movie, Chicago 10... RSVP to go see it for free!

Watch the trailer...

Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine

Some of you may know that I am a little obsessed with illustrator and writer Adrian Tomine. His stories are so captivating and remind me of myself -- I guess a lot of his stories have to do with Asian American life. Feeling a need to connect with his stories of alienation and modern culture, I went out and bought Shortcomings, which is basically Optic Nerve #9, 10 and 11 all together in one book. It's an easy, quick read and the illustrations are better than ever... very moving and has the characteristic style that has made him a popular New Yorker contributor.

I decided to get the panel pictured above as a tattoo because I loved it so much.

Thanks For Last Night

Thanks to everyone who came out to the show last night. Thanks to Jelly NYC. Thanks to Dirty on Purpose. Thanks to Band of Horses. And thanks Josh Hartnett for letting me walk him to the bathroom. That was funny. Thanks to Kip. Thanks to Mike for doing merch for me. Thanks to my sis. Thanks to Inland Empire. Thanks to Jedd. Thanks to the exotic mood modifiers. Basically, thanks to y'all.

Check out Brooklyn Vegan for pics from the show.

Happy Valentine's Day

Now I am not a believer in Valentine's Day in particular. But I am a romantic. I woke up this morning to find that the boyfriend had gone out to get me coffee and a special "Valentine's Day" bagel from the hip hop bagel shop (yeah The Bagel Store on Bedford).

It was a white chocolate and strawberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese. Doesn't the thought make your tooth ache? It made me heart go flutter flutter. I love surprises!! On top of that, the boyfriend got me a Sam Cooke biopic and greatest hits. Somebody's been paying attention!!

My little sissy is coming to town today to help me work at the Dirty on Purpose/Band of Horses show tonight. She's been a great person for me to lean on lately so I'm thankful to have her around, especially during the stressful times. It's so romantic to work on V-day, ain't it? It will be a lovefest among everyone involved -- plus, I went out and bought three bottles of Lambrusco yesterday. I'm ready for the bubbly red wine! Get it awwwn.

I'm actually really excited about the concert tonight. I think it will be one to remember for a while. East Village Radio is broadcasting the show (their first live broadcast ever!) so if you didn't snatch up tickets, you can listen on the radio. Technology is amazing, eh?

PS. Thanks to Caroline Stanley from Gen Art, I am obsessed with this "Dear Friend" Caroline Hwang print on her Gen Art V-Day Gift Guide. (It's pictured above) It inspired a tattoo idea!! Check out the entire gift guide for last minute ideas!

ALSO... here is a special Valentine's Day Songs widget from Haystack.com, which features Dirty on Purpose's song, "Always Looking." This is the "I Don't" playlist of songs for those who are a little lonely on V-Day.



They also have an "I Do" playlist as well here...

Sparkling Wine, Flirty Conversation

Hey ladies and gents

I got a new favorite drink. Lambrusco. Sparkling red wine. It's Italian. It's got a spark. It dazzles. Get yourself a bottle for V-day and get laid.

That is all.

Please Vote for Tom & Colleen! They Need Our Help!

UPDATE: Thanks to all of you who voted. Tom and Colleen totally won the contest! Check out Colleen's thanks on her blog, BaRou is the new Bklyn. The power of friends and the Internet!

Hey Friends,

My friends Tom and Colleen just got engaged and entered a contest to win a wedding photography prize. The contest is between three couples who are making their wedding a "green" wedding. Read their story below and vote for them in this contest. It ends today so please go over and vote! It literally takes like one second and you don't have to register or anything. Just point and click!

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From Colleen:

I entered this contest to win free photography for our wedding next year ($5K value). Whomever is making the most innovative plans to green their wedding is supposed to win. Right now all of our plans (except the antique engagement ring) are all just that--plans--but we made it into the finals anyway.

Right now we're losing, so please click to vote for us! You can learn the not-so-romantic but very modern tale of how the finace originally stumbled upon my profile on MySpace. I'm not sure now why I included that. I think I was trying to gain sympathy with laffs, but this contest seems to be more about getting all your buds to vote for you.

Yep, pimping out those precious moments. Times are tough.

Flashback to 2003

I am overwhelmed right now with memories of 2003 through my old old old fotolog. This is the year that I really got into rock in New York, and I'm really thankful that it's all been documented so well. Here are some of my favorite moments...


vivian = mommy


sweet divestar


vicious grrrl


modest mint!


my sex and the city pose.


the air, up there. luxx, brooklyn.


corner shots. eben and deron rule the club.


my favorite part of the night was when they played nirvana`s "smells like teen spirit", and the entire room started to mosh and jump around. classic.


just call him mike d...fa!


pink trucker hat with a pink fuzz ball on top. metal band patches on a sleeveless denim jacket. AND a fanny pack! whoa, man. [ed note: i didn't even mention the camo.]


woo hoo! muscles!


self portrait 2


people love les savy fav. a lot. including moi.


"ooooh, a flashlight!" says tim harrington from les savy fav!


love.


jeannie of the seconds started to bug out on the bass last night. it was one of the coolest things i`ve ever seen on stage. that girl is the ultimate of tough chicks who rock new york. bow down, mofos!


these twins sat across from anna and i on the subway the other day. we suspect it was some kind of statement on the socialization of america, and perhaps the hell train. they even had the same back pack and were playing some type of game. i wish i had asked them what was up with their get up!


right before getting on the wonder wheel at coney island. we got on a sliding car... that was scary at first, but after a while it was just kind of fun. too bad i didn`t get a photo of the dog that rides the wheel all the time.


the sun against the wonder wheel at coney island... right before the modest mouse set.


naf kicks it like a rock star. check out those shades, yo! [ed note: i miss naf. he used to record shows and give them to me on CD.]


dancing makes the parking lot full at the brooklyn museum of art.


yeah, man, neckface strikes the williamsburg bridge!


walking over the williamsburg bridge was sort of a triumphant task for me. i felt like i finally entered the borough the right way, like a nomad on her way to her tribe`s latest digs.


bishop allen live in this building near bushwick/williamsburg where they have this vast rooftop space overlooking the borough and into the city. quite amazing. i felt calm and surreal.


cameron and kat. soooo cooool!

Love Songs

Love songs are my favorite. I swoon. I get carried away. I sigh. And because I love all of you, here is a special "Love Songs" playlist that I made for you on imeem. Click here or just hit play below... explanations below the player.



1. Cupid - Sam Cooke
This has become a new karaoke favorite of mine. It makes you want to sing it from the heart. So powerful and whimsical at the same time.

2. Is This Love, or Isn't It? - Jaymay
The more soulful side of Jaymay's vocals makes me feel sassy.

3. Soft Rock Star - Metric
I love this song. It's so airy and beautiful. Emily Haines illuminates the song with her delicate vocals.

4. Tired of Being Alone - Al Green
A classic.

5. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
Another feel good classic.

6. I Would Die 4 U - Prince
I love declarations of love because if it's real, you will risk anything for it. Prince is intense.

7. Rescue Me - Aretha Franklin
C'mon, you can't go wrong with Aretha.

8. Build Me Up Buttercup - Temptations
I remember this song came on at a party once and some guy took my hand and swung me onto the dance floor. It was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life.

9. No One's Gonna Love You - Band of Horses
The beauty of this song is awe-inspiring.

10. Leaving - Dirty on Purpose
The first time I heard this song, I thought about how connected couples can be, especially the ones that aren't used to being apart and how hard that can be sometimes.

11. Carry Me - Jealous Girlfriends
Love love love the Jealous Girlfriends. Holly's voice is haunting and seemingly effortless.

12. AT&T - Pavement
Not many people think of Pavement as terribly romantic, but this song warms up my heart. Oh that Malkmus.

13. Just Like Heaven (Acoustic) - The Cure
This may be my absolute favorite karaoke song. I know it's a little dirty, but it's also very emotional and blissful.

14. Engine Heart - Mirah
I love her nerdy nerdy heart.

15. Pleasurehead - Seafood
This song gives me pure joy. I wish disco lights would shimmer when it kicks into high gear. Listen, you'll hear what I'm talking about.

16. When You're Away From Me - Favourite Sons
This song has one of the best and boldest opening lyrics I've heard in a while, and the genius is sustained so sincerely.

Somebody Ease My Troublin' Mind

Let's take a moment to remember the wonderful music of Sam Cooke. I just want to get lost in his music today. Listen to the three songs on my imeem player above...

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

My friend took me to see a screening of Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay last night. I don't know about y'all, but I really love the first one so I was pretty excited about this.

Let me tell you, the movie did not disappoint. It was just as good as the first one, and actually even bolder and grosser and wittier. John Cho and Kal Penn are perfect together in this buddy comedy as they play off of one another -- John Cho has that knack for funny expressions that speak a million and Kal Penn has that unadulterated mouth that spouts the most unexpected ridiculous awesomeness. Neil Patrick Harris comes back for a fantastic cameo... And Rob Corddry plays the bad gov guy. But I guess that's all I will say for now. Go see this movie when it comes out in April!

Watch the trailer here.

The Weekend & Monday Shenanigans

I'm sitting here in front of the glow of my laptop, and I feel like the weekend has breezed past me once again.

First off, I had two shows for Cheeseburger at Maxwell's and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday and Saturday night. I found that I had such a dilemma at the shows because I have gone from being one of their fans to their manager. Usually during a CB show, I would be up front, singing along and whipping my hair about into a sweat. This time around, I had to be networking and talking to people and such... although at Maxwell's I was totally up front and singing with all the other fans. (Sometimes I just can't help myself!) Maxwell's was a pretty rad show and they totally gained some fans in the Jerz for that one. There were dudes there doing the hardcore dance.



At Music Hall (dudes, did you see the new rad marquee the venue has upfront? it rotates from the outside and the inside!!), I was so happy because so many of my friends showed up -- but that also meant I was running around the venue chatting it up as much as possible. The band played a couple new songs that really thrilled me. And of course, I absolutely love the tiger costume! They kept that a surprise from me until soundcheck. They played both shows with this super-group from Boston called Bang Camaro who are like the heavy metal Polyphonic Spree.



Pre-show we actually went to hang out at GPT (typical Cheeseburger style if you listen to the "Gang's All Here" which is about GPT), where apparently the bar made special GPT t-shirts with the boys' names on the back of the shirts. They decided to wear them to the gig. It was genius.

However, after the gig, we all headed over to Coco66 in Greenpoint. Greenpoint is steadily becoming my favorite place to hang more and more. I want to move there! This was Saturday night, and it turned out that Jeremy from Autodrone was DJing (I believe he does every Saturday). Honestly, I had never seen him DJ before -- but I found out that night that he is one of the most awesome DJs ever! Everyone in the bar was dancing, girls were getting up on the benches and grinding the wall, it was pretty funny. He was playing all of the hits, and I adored it. I definitely have to go dancing there more often. I want him to DJ my birthday party... too bad that's like 10 months away. HA.