I Told You So...

These are the four little words I have been dying to say when it comes to one thing in particular: The Boxer Rebellion. For five years now, I have stuck their songs on mixes, posted links to videos on Twitter and Facebook, blogged about them on this here digital soapbox of mine, and generally begged friends to JUST LISTEN TO THEM. JUST ONCE. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. I've had limited success, convincing a few people (including at least one stranger on Twitter) to buy Union while it was cheap last year, but all in all, I have been a failure as their self-appointed U.S. Ambassador.

Starting next month, I may not have to beg and plead any more. Why? Because they are finally getting some major exposure that can't be ignored, thanks to the new Drew Barrymore/Justin Long flick, Going the Distance. Not only are The Boxer Rebellion in the trailer and on the soundtrack, they are in the movie. And not only are they in the movie, they are a major part of the storyline. They perform parts of three songs, all with their name hanging gloriously behind them, just screaming at people to look them up when they get home from the theater. Justin Long's character, who works for a music label, rants about how the band worked hard for three years to make their latest album, all while unsigned (all of this is true of their 2nd album, Union). He wishes aloud that great bands like this got recognition instead of *generic Jonas Bros rip-off band*.

(Did I mention I saw them at the Apple Store last week too?)

How do I know all of this? Well, I attended a screening earlier this week, though the actual film doesn't come out until the end of August (no, no, scratch that...as I'm writing this, I am finding out that it was pushed back to September 3). The director, Nannette Burstein, was also there for a post-screening Q&A. Someone asked her how The Boxer Rebellion were chosen to be THE band in the film. No, it wasn't me, surprisingly. I can't remember exactly what she said, because as she was discussing the fact that Warner Brothers loved them so much and just knew that she would think they were perfect for the part, my inner monologue was going something like this: "But, but...but...if Warner Brothers loves them so much, WHY DON'T THEY SIGN THEM?"

But really, who am I to know? They may be in talks. They may have an offer. They may not be interested. The band has done pretty well for themselves without a label, so do they really need one? I don't know. The music industry as we know it is changing so much these days. The Charlatans are on yet another label in the U.S. for their forthcoming album. I think this makes four so far? I'm beginning to think that the way things are going, true talent and building a solid, loyal fan base may be more important than having industry backing in the future of the music business. Hey, a girl can dream, right? Oh, look, here's an article about the band to highlight this very point.

So how was the freaking movie, Alissa? Phew, I got a little sidetracked there. Sorry. The movie was good. It was described to us beforehand as being one of the filthiest rom-coms in recent years. While I don't know if it quite lived up to that bold proclamation, it had its moments of edginess and filth. If you know anything about me as a person, you know I hate the term rom-com and I generally avoid any film that is billed as one. It wasn't sappy, though. I didn't want to strangle the couple in it and I was even sort of pulling for them.

As I'm sure you know, YOU GOSSIPERS, you...Drew Barrymore and Justin Long were a couple during the filming of Going the Distance, which is pretty obvious. They have real chemistry. They make out a lot. The supporting cast is brilliant. Two words: Jim Gaffigan. Would I recommend it to friends? Yes. Is it a good date movie? Yes. Is it a good movie to see "with the girls" on the weekend? Sure! In short, I am saying I enjoyed the time that the film was all up in my face.

Perhaps my favorite part of the experience, though, happened as the movie was ending and the credits began to roll. The two friends I was sitting with turned to me and said, "That band was really good."

I squealed a little inside.

I. Told. You. So.

I Knew Things Were Going Too Smoothly

North America tour

The Charlatans are sorry to announce the cancellation of their forthcoming North American tour. This is due to drummer Jon Brookes' longstanding shoulder complaint. He has been strongly advised by doctors against undertaking 23 concerts in 28 days as this could cause severe damage to ligaments in the affected area. He will start a course of treatment starting in September and in the coming months to rectify the condition.

Once again the band wish to apologise to people who have purchased tickets and those that had made travel arrangements We are as disappointed as you are, due to this unavoidable situation.
Many thanks.

[via]

A Whole Lotta Lolla

And on the first day, it rained...

On the way to Grant Park, Jon, Dan (who was visiting from Florida) and I stopped to pick up ponchos. Turns out, everyone else had the same idea many hours earlier, so they were sold out. We probably should have planned a little better, but tons of people had already assured me, "It never rains at Lollapalooza."

I can't lie...I was grumpy. I didn't deal well when I came to the realization that I was going to be wet and cold and sticky for the next nine hours. The final straw came when I noticed that I'd forgotten the camera battery at home. I was outta there. Luckily, the three-day wristband allows for re-entry and we live a fairly short walk (about a mile) from the park. I decided that there was no way I was going to miss getting pictures of Depeche Mode, because who knows when I'll get to see them again?

I went home, dried off, changed from jeans into shorts (rookie mistake with the jeans), spent a few minutes of quality time with the cat, put on some more comfortable shoes, grabbed an umbrella and remembered the battery this time around. I was really surprised that they were even allowing umbrellas into the festival, considering their unwieldiness when it's windy and the fact that they would clearly get in the way at a concert, but I suppose it's a good thing they did.

Ever worn glasses in the rain?

And so, Friday began with a drizzle, continued with a slight downpour and ended with the parting of clouds just in time for Depeche Mode. I was alone in the crowd for this one, as Jon, Dan & Nick wanted to check out Kings of Leon first. Fine with me, as it's easier to make your way towards the front if you're only one person. The crowd around me was surprisingly polite and in so many ways the exact opposite of the Flaming Lips experience at Pitchfork.

DM played a good set...I would have liked to see more old stuff in there, but I understand that they have an album to promote. It's not that I dislike their latest work, I just don't know it as well and am obviously not as emotionally connected to it. Regardless of what they played, I thought they sounded great and Dave Gahan was as much of an entertainer as always. I saw them about 10 years ago and I couldn't find any sign (performance-wise) that they'd aged a whole decade, which says a lot.

Jon and Dan had tickets to see the Arctic Monkeys' aftershow (or pre-show, considering they played Lolla on Saturday) at the Metro later that night, so I took the opportunity to head home, clean up, and go to bed somewhat early. I'm glad I did, because I've now been to two Arctic Monkeys' concerts with Jon, neither by choice, and the audience is always 80% dudes, and rowdy dudes at that.

Saturday and Sunday were, in two words, hot and sticky. There were lots of ladies in bathing suits and shirtless men, which made for a sweaty mess when you're standing in the middle of hundreds of them. The lines for the water fountains were longer than the lines for the toilets and on Sunday, they even began giving out water bottles for free around 2-3pm (when the day was at it's scorchingest).

While I forgot the camera battery on Friday and vowed to be more careful next time, I somehow managed to forget my memory card on Saturday. At least we had two cameras, so Jon took his and I was left to roam without one for a while. I spent a lot of Saturday by myself. This may sound sad to some, but I really relish being able to find a little bit of solitude in the middle of all the chaos. As is typical, when I find myself alone at Lollapalooza, I tend to migrate over to the dance stage. I don't know why this is, since in my everyday life I listen to very little dance music, but for some reason I love it live. Talk about sweaty masses...everyone at this stage is jumping and grooving all day long, no matter the temperature. The crowd seems to pulse with the repetitive beats coming from the stage, merging and becoming a sea of glistening bodies, with surfers riding the waves of hands to shore.

If you've never spent time alone at a music festival without a camera, these are the sorts of things you notice and think about. It's poetry, really, and there is no way to capture it in words or images. I say try and check it out for yourself if you get the chance one day. I've been to festivals in England by myself before and it really does change everything about the experience. It's amazing how much more you remember about the day when your focus is more on the event and less on the individuals around you. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy my time with Jon, Dan, Elisa, Nick and anyone else I spoke to on any of the days. On the contrary, I think I was able to enjoy the conversation and company more once I separated myself from it for a while. Everything is better with a little bit of balance, isn't it?

Speaking of Elisa, I spent a good amount of time on Saturday and Sunday with her and I must say it was really really nice to be around someone who is so interested in and knowledgeable about all types of music. She seemed to run into a ton of people she knew as well, which I always find odd in such big crowds (I did hear from one of my co-workers that he saw me there, though, so I guess it's possible even for people like me, who don't know a ton of music lovers in Chicago).

I met up with her after Glasvegas and we got some frozen kefir (Starfruit), which was somewhat flavorless but refreshing and absolutely necessary on such a hot day. She was with me for my favorite moment of the weekend, which I posted last week, and actually took that picture of me with Glasvegas, which makes me smile every time I think about it. They were really nice and I got a kiss on the cheek from James after gushing about how much I adore them and how excited I was to see that they were playing Lolla. I joked with Jon afterwards that the first time we saw them I got a kiss on the hand, and the second time I got a kiss on the cheek, so he better watch out for someone trying to make out with me the next time we see them! I make this promise right here, right now, and you can hold me to it. Every time Glasvegas are playing here (or in any future city I live in), I will go see them. They are that good.

I'm not going to get into details about everyone I saw. That would take far too long and would bore the pants off of me and anyone brave enough to read through all of it. Instead, I will try do Twitter-sized reviews for the major ones:

@Band of Horses: Continuing to play opposite the festival headliners & organizers for 10-15 minutes takes major balls! See you @ Pitchfork next time ;)

@Lou Reed: Causing Band of Horses to go on 20 min late b/c you're a "perfectionist" loses you cool points in my book. Good to see u still kickin', tho.

@The Killers: You sounded better last time I saw you, but your energy made up for it. Too bad the drunkies around me didn't like your stories.

@Perry Farrell: Really? Your "special guest" was your wife? Really? Or was it her obscenely short dress? Cos *that* was actually pretty special...for dudes.

@Ben Folds: I'm sorry I didn't fully enjoy you because of my dreary mood. Next time, I promise!

@Kaiser Chiefs: I heard you were the highlight of the weekend for many. I feel bad now that I was so far back & couldn't see. I'm a hot weather wimp.

@The Hood Internet: Way to blow up the dance stage, guys! Seriously. Local boys represent!

@Tool: I wouldn't say I was ever a fan of you, but you sounded amazing. How is Maynard so soft-spoken with pipes like that?

@Prophit: You were certainly energetic and entertaining, but I liked you more before I found out you were Perry's nephew.

So if for some reason you haven't yet seen my hundreds upon hundreds o' pictures from the weekend, I give you the official Lolla photo roundup (The Facebook sets include some of the ones that are on Flickr, but Flickr doesn't include a lot of the ones that are on Facebook...get it?):

• Days 1 & 2 on Facebook
• Day 3 on Facebook
• Depeche Mode on Flickr
• Depeche Mode on YouTube (just a short video I took during "Home")
• Glasvegas on Flickr
• Kaiser Chiefs on Flickr
• Arctic Monkeys on Flickr (I wasn't there for either Arctic Monkeys show because I'm not really a fan, but Jon's pics are definitely worth a look.)

The best news is that we already have tickets for next year thanks to Jon, Dan and the $60 SUPER early bird sale last week. I'm buying a poncho in advance (and maybe an extra camera battery)! See you there?

Paper Heart

We just got back from a screening of Paper Heart, a half-documentary, half-film about love. While that may sound cheesy, it's really not.

Charlyne Yi and Jake Johnson were on hand for a Q&A after the screening and they were just as funny and adorable in real life. Jake is actually from Chicago as well, so a few members of his family were there to see it along with us. I don't like recommending films that I think some people may not like, but I have no hesitation when it comes to putting my stamp of approval on this one.

It's sweet, quirky, funny, honest, charming, and pretty unique. If you're one of those people who doesn't like Michael Cera because he always plays himself, though, you definitely won't like this. He literally plays Michael Cera. Everyone else, enjoy!

Bowie's in Space

(Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

Jon and I were lucky enough to see a screening of Moon on Monday. I'm going to talk about it, but don't fret, I won't spoil anything for you. In fact, if you're going to go see this film, I would suggest not letting anyone spoil it. Don't read the reviews (except mine, obviously!). Don't even watch the trailer. Throw down your $8 and check it out if:

1) You trust my taste

2) You don't need sex scenes, explosions, or high-speed car chases to enjoy a movie

3) You like films that make you think (and give you a bit of a mindf*ck)

4) You're not opposed to something that could reasonably be classified as sci-fi

5) You enjoy watching really fantastic acting

Moon stars the versatile Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell and the voice of Kevin Spacey as Gerty, the robot who wears his emoticons on his sleeve. It takes place on the moon (surprise!) and it is fascinating in its simplicity. It starts out slowly and quietly, with the pace of the film and music perfectly conveying the monotony of everyday life away from Earth and completely alone. Part of the reason I enjoyed Moon so much was the acting of Rockwell. You feel for him when you see how the life of solitude is affecting him and you root for him to get back home and back to his wife and daughter.

Then things start happening. This is the stuff I won't give away, but I assure you, you will think you see what's coming, and you will only be half right. There is no Armageddon-style heightened drama, but it is dramatic.

Moon is the brainchild of Duncan Jones, sometimes known as Zowie or Joey Bowie. Yes, he is David Bowie's son and yes, from what I can tell, he inherited a few of his dad's odd sensibilities about life, space, and the universe. This is his first film and I can't wait to see his next.

There is the weird sci-fi mix of artificial intelligence, science gone wild, questions of right and wrong, uncertainty about what is real and what is imagined, the unknowns of space, and the mysteries of the human mind.

It wasn't like Donnie Darko, where I left the theater questioning what I saw and wondering how it all fit together, but the next day I was definitely still thinking about it. I kept remembering little tidbits here and there that I might not have fully appreciated at the time. I had a few "Ah-ha!" moments and came to a few realizations about what I think he meant by some of the choices he made with the storyline. I may have overthought some of it (as is my style), but with movies I enjoy trying to wrap my mind around the "bigger picture."

So have I convinced you yet?

Tomorrow: Public Enemies screening after work. Very excited about this one as well!

Major thanks to Gapers Block for the screenings, as usual. If you're in Chicago and don't read the site or follow them on Twitter, you're missing out!

Y Control

Currently watching the hot mess that is I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here and loving it already. I thought I remembered watching the original season, which was years and years ago, and after reading this on Wikipedia, I'm certain of it. This is where my dislike of Melissa Rivers began, in fact:

The first season of the American version was originally aired by ABC in 2003. John Lehr was the host, and the ten contestants were Cris Judd, Melissa Rivers, "Stuttering" John Melendez, Bruce Jenner, Tyson Beckford, Maria Conchita Alonso, Downtown Julie Brown, Nikki Schieler Ziering, Alana Stewart, and Robin Leach. Judd won the series, with Rivers in second place, and Melendez placing third.

But I won't talk too much about the show, because you're either watching it too or you don't care. As far as what I've been up to lately, I'll work backwards, because that's about the only way I can think right now. I just literally spent the entire weekend in bed and on the couch. I had a minor cold, but a major backache. I don't know what I did to it, but it hurt to move...at all. Friday was the final straw for the back. It felt progressively worse as the day wore on, but I still had the Doves concert that night. Maybe the worst thing I could've done (standing around for 6 hours and trying to dance/sway with the music), I did. And then I paid for it all day Saturday and all day Sunday. Thank god for heating pads and ibuprofen. I'm feeling a bit better now, though, so it was worth it to take it easy (ie. waste my entire weekend).

(More photos here)

So back to the Doves concert...I enjoyed it, but...it was really hard to forget about how much pain I was in. I feel like I would've liked it more had I been feeling better, but you can't always have everything the way you want it all the time. At least I got to go, right? They're a band that I never thought I would see live, so it was a nice surprise. They played a pretty tight set. Not too long, not too short. They gave us a little bit of banter, and they seemed in good spirits. Doves don't exactly play the sort of music that would make you jump around too much, so it was a much more mellow crowd than I've experienced lately. We also made a new acquaintance with great taste in music and talked with some cool people. 

In fact, we ended up hanging out in front of the venue until after midnight talking with James, another Gapers Block staffer and friend of Jon's brother Matt. This inadvertantly led to us getting the opportunity to shake hands with the band and take a few photos as they left the venue. They were actually headed to Sheffield's after the show and I totally wanted to join them but it's probably for the best that we didn't. It would have been creepy to follow them and as I said, I was barely able to hold myself upright.

We got to see the new Pixar film, Up, on Wednesday. I feel like I enjoy each Pixar film more than the last and this was no exception. It was touching, funny, colorful, fun, sad, and much much more. From what I've read, lots of people agree, so if you haven't seen it yet, it's a pretty safe bet that you'll dig it. But if you can see it in 3D, please do.

Tuesday, we went all the way back up to our old hood to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Aragon Ballroom. The crowd was young. Really young. It was a little intimidating, considering that I'd worked a full 8-hour day and was still wearing my business clothing. I felt a bit old and a bit tired, but as soon as the music started that all went away. As if Karen O. weren't already the main event, the rest of the band were hidden in smoke for a good part of the show. She was all over the stage, though. It was the Karen O. show all the way, and she put on a damn good one. Her clothes, as always, were as loud as the music.

There was dancing, there was moshing, there was sweating like I've never experienced before. I was drenched head-to-toe when I left, and so was everyone else. Besides almost getting my hair ripped out of my head at one point, it was a really great time. The YYYs only played for a little over an hour, though, due to the all ages show and the two opening acts. I guess the curfew was 10pm, which is good, considering it was a week night, but also extremely limiting. As a side note, if you don't have their newest album, It's Blitz!, you should check it out. It's really excellent.

What did we do last weekend? No, seriously...I can't remember that far back. That's what I get for not blogging, eh? We didn't do anything on Monday, due to the rain and the fact that Jon was pretty sick. Oh, I remember! Patrick's (one of my co-workers) birthday was on Saturday (meaning two Saturdays ago, I guess) so we went to an awesome pub called Galway Arms. The place was pretty big, there's a huge patio, and GREAT music. That might be my new hangout place when I need to schedule a get-together.

I need to get ready for bed (this seems to be a theme in my posts...perhaps I should try to write faster and get this thing done earlier than 10pm), but I have one last piece of news that made me really happy this week. Warn the masses, THE CHARLATANS ARE COMING! That's right, my favorite band of all time will be making an appearance in Chicago this September. Now, while that seems like a really long time from now, I bought my tickets for the show this week. I could not be more excited! Not only are they playing at a teeny tiny venue (which holds about 550 people), this is the first time I won't have to travel to see them. First Reading Festival in England, then Orlando, then back to England at the Hammersmith Palais, now home sweet home Chicago at the Double Door. Tickets still available at the moment.

What more could a girl ask for?

Somewhere Only We Know

Keane came out swinging last night and by the end of the evening, had knocked us all out. I'm always surprised when I remember that they only have three albums, because the sheer number of memorable, catchy, beautiful songs in their repertoire trumps some bands that have been around for ages.

(Check out Jon's amazing photos and videos here)

It was, by far, the loudest show I've ever been to on this side of the pond. I can't even think of a close second. I'm going to generalize here and say that I've noticed American crowds (as a whole...there are always pockets of enthusiasm, usually towards the middle-front) just aren't as "into it" as most British crowds. This probably has a lot to do with the (mostly British) bands I choose to see, but it's what I've encountered. Chicago crowds are a bit better than Florida crowds, though. Sorry, Florida! Anyway, for the first time, I didn't necessarily feel like I was in America while I was at a concert. Somewhere in the middle of their set, lead singer Tom Chaplin, who was fairly chatty throughout the night, proclaimed:

"I think it's fair to say that this has been the best show of our tour so far."

[After about a four minute applause break]

"Now I just have to figure out a way to shut you all up so we can sing the song!"

You can just tell when a band enjoys a show. To say that Keane were appreciative of the audience would be an understatement. They gave us back all the love we gave them and more. Chuffed is the best word I can think of to describe their mood. Something that's always fascinated me is the way that concertgoers and bands play off of each other, because I think every band is different in that respect. I've been to gigs where you can tell that the artist would put on the same exact show no matter what the audience's reaction was. Then there are times like last night, where you can see that the band is feeding off of the reaction of the crowd and their energy actually builds and the show becomes even better than anyone ever thought it could be. This was the perfect synergy (Perfect Symmetry?) that we all experienced at the beautiful Aragon Ballroom. The room that Tom said made him feel like he was "at Disneyland"...which, of course, makes it the happiest place on Earth.

There was a sad moment when Tom made reference to some issues that had prevented them from coming back to Chicago sooner. Keane, of course, had to cancel their last U.S. tour because of drug problems, which he didn't specifically address, but the implication was obviously there. He looked good. Happy, energetic...I always want to use the word sprightly to describe him, but that's just because he's so darn adorable. Keyboardist Tim was also all over the stage and headbanging in his sparkly shirt. They were so much fun to watch. I must make quick mention of how sweaty Tom was by the end. It was really incredible. Literally head-to-toe.

So although I was tired as HELL from my early morning and hours of working out earlier in the day at the SELF Magazine Workout in the Park (which I will write about soon, because that was #2 on my list of things I need to put in my blog), I had no problem finding the energy to rock, thanks to the band and the crazy crowd. This was my second time seeing Keane, but my first time seeing them with Jon, so it was extra special. If you don't know their music, you can check out some of their stuff on YouTube, including a song that has quickly become my workout jam, Spiralling. I would love to embed a video here, but I'm finding more and more that the function has been disabled by the record companies. I don't really understand the thinking behind that, because either way, people are hearing about their bands and checking out their music, but what can you do? They're worth a little clicking around, though.

Something to smile about

This, my friends, is a beautiful thing:

And it reminds me that spring is indeed around the corner. It's amazing how different 40 degrees feels in February than it does in October. The snow is beginning to melt and only a few man- and plow-made icebergs linger in the corners of parking lots. This may be the first weekend in a long time that I don't feel like hibernating, and that's a good thing, because we are going to see the lovely Maria Bamford and local comic Dan Telfer at the Lakeshore Theater tomorrow night. The best part? It's free! The Lakeshore is always a good time, and there is nothing I would rather do on a Saturday night than go to a comedy show or concert.

In other Chicago comedy news, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts today at work (well, I listened to a few goodies, but I have something to say about this one in particular), and I felt the need to post about it on *GB*. I'm always happy when I can post about something I love on the site and if it turns even one new person into a listener, I will be beyond thrilled!

Comedy and Everything Else is a weekly comedy podcast featuring Todd Glass, Jimmy Dore, and Stephane Zamorano. I started listening because when I was a young, impressionable 24-year-old, I watched Todd Glass on Last Comic Standing and thought he was the shit. He was the only person on Seasons 2 and 3 that I found even remotely funny (sorry, Ant!), mostly for his straightforward and sort of goofy (in a good way...playful may be a better word?) persona. When I found out he was starting a podcast, I was on board immediately.

30 episodes in, I still love it and am a loyal listener and fan. The "comedy" is not anyone doing a written set of jokes, mind you (though there is a little shtick thrown in sometimes). It involves a lot of talk about early days in their careers, being on the road, good and bad comedy clubs, heckling, heroes in the biz, and a tiny bit of industry gossip. The "everything else" includes politics, religion, infomercials, marriage, gay rights, raising children, education, smoking cigarettes, smoking pot, pop culture, and much much more. Sometimes controversial, always funny, I like that they aren't afraid to say some of the things that I would like to say if only I had the balls. I almost always agree with them, too...and sometimes, I even learn.

The episodes are all a bit long compared to most podcasts, usually hovering somewhere around the two hour mark, but I always feel like it's worth the investment to listen to the whole thing. They also have amazing guests (in my opinion), from Doug Benson to Jimmy Pardo and Jeneane Garofalo to Jen Kirkman. Ok, I didn't intend for this entry to be a plug for anything, but there it is! Get me going and I can't stop! I like spreading the word about things that give me joy, even if it is to only one or two people. I'm not saying that my cup of tea will be everyone's, but it can't hurt to throw a little love out there into the universe, right?

Snowing like a mother!

It's been coming down all day. It has to be about 6 inches total. I know a lot of people had 2-3 hour commutes to only go a few miles. 3.5 hours according to one friend on Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, I added these pictures and a few more to my Winter set. I just don't think it does them justice, though. Seriously, just click on any of the ones below to see them full-sized. The "Night Landscape" function on my camera is so weird. It makes everything look like a yellow/orange-tinted version of daytime. They do come out pretty clear if you balance it on something, though. Not too bad for a little pocket Kodak in my opinion.

These were taken on the roof of our apartment building. There's a little park up there where dogs are not allowed, so we figured it was as safe a place as any to roll around in the snow and not get a poopy surprise on our boots or coats.

Anyway, I'm off to bed. Happy Mid-December everyone. Can't believe I have at least 3-4 more months of this! Ack.