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Friday, September 28, 2007

the beastie boys... and the lull of life in their set

It was a slightly chilly night. As people swarmed in to see the Beastie Boys play Northerly Island, it got warmer with bodies and anticipation.

Suddenly, they come out - and play a few rockers and do what the beastie boys do.

Then they played new songs. Instrumental mind-numbers (it's actually a plural form of numb - not numbers, the things you add) that invoke hippy-esque crap that was boring and tedious to see live.

I thought the idea here was to play the old stuff - do the fun tour along with the instrumental tour. The Riviera show was for the instrumentals - what the fuck?!?!

This could only have increased the amount of pot being smoked all around us. At lollapalooza, people were smoking it all over the place, and I would catch whiff of it, but then it would go away. IT WAS CONSTANTLY AROUND ME!!! I couldn't even TAKE it.

Then, to top it all off - we were in a spot in which people were constantly walking away from the concert. It was annoying as hell.

Overall, I'm glad I went and saw them - they have some good songs and they played a few good songs. I wouldn't go see them again, but hey - whatever. They were big in my formative years - and I hadn't listened to most of those tracks in about 8 years, so it was a nice diversion.

Now, back to the grind - Hope all is well out there...

xoxo

posted by grey as mike @ 10:06 AM 0 comments

Thursday, September 27, 2007

life... in all it's complicated fucking stupid...

Last night I went to an ex's (of sorts) house to see the new condo recently purchased. Nice place, nice decor... it was nice.

I also got information about a new boyfriend moving in - after a very brief long-distance dating period. Worrysome, but I'm happy for them nonetheless...

About a month ago or so, I got an email from an old roommate from boston - Sheri. She's SUCH a sweetheart and I loved living with her. In the last 5 years, she moved to the country somewhere out east, got married and had a couple of kids.

This is the year of my 10 year high school reunion. I haven't really seen or talked with anyone from that place in at least 6-7 years. I'm a little weirded out by all this. And here's why...

I feel like I've accomplished nothing. I started out strong, working and making good money for my age and going to school, working on music - really trying to make a name for myself and what I was doing.

But then I got complacent. I've been in entry-level jobs ever since. I JUST finished college over the summer, when people 3-4 years younger than me had already finished their masters degrees. My music is coming along better than it ever has before, but it's stalled - just like it always does right on the precipice of a recorded breakthrough (of sorts).

And why, you ask?

Cause I'm stupid - I'm more interested in what the nice job and cool hobby brings than actually having the nice job and finishing the music.

This has been on my mind since I finished school. Cause now I look for a job - another entry-level deal with no job security and try to figure out if I'll ever record all this music that I know is good, but just needs studio time to come to fruition.

And what of my career? I know I have the portfolio to get ahead, and I know I have the ability to know and learn all kinds of new programs and things about it.

A job is the first step, for sure... Money is really needed for all of this, and it's in SHORT supply right now. I'm doing varied freelance jobs here and there, and i'm AMAZED that they're all web-based. What's the deal with that? It's great experience and learning and work for my portfolio, but it's like - I say that I'm a graphic designer, and people don't think of identity and print, they go directly to website and digital. It's odd - and showcases how the industry is changing and evolving.

I don't know... Lots of things go through my head. J is someone I talk to and hang out with a lot, and forget about most of this stuff (even for just a second) when we hang out.

Hopefully that lasts for a while longer... Fall will be a bitch this year if I have to go it alone....

xoxo

posted by grey as mike @ 10:38 AM 0 comments

Monday, September 24, 2007

hi... or something...

A few notions...

1) New foo fighters album. Meh! MEH!!! I should be screaming with joy about how good it is. Instead... meh.

But why? I don't understand - Are my expectations too high? Are the songs just not as accessible and they need to grow on me? I don't understand. Somebody please make me like it when it comes out in October (don't ask me how I heard it, though).

2) New Jimmy Eat World album. Good times... oh yes, it's good. I only have the demos, which are all over the place. However, if the album lives up to the promise of the fairly high quality demos, then I'll be a happy camper for sure. It's more reminiscent of their "Bleed American" days. Good times.

3) Get It Together is the best Beastie Boys song that exists. Period.

4) Dinner parties are fun. I should have them more often.

5) Job Searching sucks. I'm not having any part of it. Actually, I'm having a HUGE part of it, but I don't like it! It's an incredibly HUMBLING experience. Some people just won't like your work. We'll see how job searching goes.

6) Websites can be fun to make... or a complete pain in the A@@. Fun times, or Not fun at all, but whatever. They pay well, and I like working in an interactive medium. When you work on paper, it's all about how people look at your work. When you work on a website, it's all about how people navigate through it, and keeping them in it to want to keep navigating. It's definitely a challenge I like...

7) 30Rock is hilarious. So is Family Guy. Awesome.

8) The Barry Gibb Talk Show is one of the funniest skits on SNL ... EVER!

9) Cheesecake is delicious - tell your friends...

10) There is no number 10 - get away from me already...

xoxo

posted by grey as mike @ 4:37 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

furthermore...

fall playlist:

broken social scene - 7/4 Shoreline
glen hansard - say it to me now (from the Once soundtrack)
the national - guest room
maritime - peril
maritime - love has given up
death cab for cutie - marching bands of manhattan
pinback - AFK
pinback - good to sea
the thermals - power doesn't run on nothing
third eye blind (i know, i'm even shocked at this one) - graduate
death cab for cutie - your bruise
sharks keep moving - try to sleep
a minor forest - the dutch fist

xoxo

posted by grey as mike @ 2:16 PM 0 comments

Monday, September 03, 2007

updates are for pussies... you pussies!

I guess a lot of stuff has happened in the last 3 weeks. Yet nothing has happened at all.

I got more moved in and setup in my new place. That's going well. 98% done - the last 2% will kill me, but whatever.

I interviewed for a job that I got, then immediately was told i didn't get because of a client technicality. Depression...

I hung out with my friend John a lot. He's cool...

I wrote some songs and started some lyrics. This is just not a priority yet - and hasn't been for years. Anger...

I got some new albums by some bands i like - problem is the albums haven't come out yet, and most of you that would like them already either have them through me, or gave them to me. More later for the rest of you.

I went to the Chicago Botanic Garden.

I went to the Gay Rodeo.

I went to see The Sound of Music in Grant Park.

I went and saw Superbad.

I went to Ikea in Bolingbrook.

I saw the movie ShortBus. Gratuitous nudity...

Fall is approaching. I'm excited and depressed and scared and optimistic and a whole bevy of stupid. I live alone for the first time ever, really (I lived alone for about 3-4 months when i first moved back to Chicago in 2003, but this time it's different). For the first time in 2.5 years, I don't have to go back to school. Mixed emotions...

Overall - i think i'm just having a meloncollie (I know i butchered that spelling) evening - but those are the evenings when i'm most honest. And tonight is that evening. Lucky you guys...

Outie!

xoxo

posted by grey as mike @ 9:31 PM 0 comments

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Name: grey as mike
Home: Chicago, Illinois, United States
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