It's Over

OK, so I got to work today and you know what I did? Yep, I threw away all my Arts & Ideas programs, our story budgets, my Ideat Village press releases ... just about everything from the last three weeks.

I went to a lot of things during this year's Arts & Ideas/Ideat Village season. In fact, I think I went to more events than I have in any of the previous three years I've been here. I saw a ton of good stuff, but whenever these festivals come, my life becomes hell. There's so much to do, so many stories to write, so much prep work that goes into coverage. So when it all ends, I feel great, like the happiest person in the world. OK, that's a huge overstatement, but it's still a good feeling.

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In other news, the photo at the top of this blog is my new favorite thing published in the Register. If you remember, for a fleeting moment in 2006, I was able to call Mike Church "skip." You know, because he was my manager for a few hours during the Cutters' open tryouts in May of 2006. Mike seems like a great guy anytime I've talked to him, so it's kind of fun to see him all riled up. In other news, the next Thirsty Thursday is July 5. I can't wait.

Another wrestler is dead. I mean, we talk a lot about the dangers associated with NASCAR, and people constantly complain about baseball players taking steroids. I know it's a little different since wrestling is fake and most don't die in the ring, but at some point people need to really have a discussion about why so many young wrestlers die every year.

Haven't we all wanted to baptize someone? Why does this dude need to go to jail?

Lindsay Lohan's crazy-ass mom says her daughter will spend more time in rehab. Well, mommy should get there quickly, too.

I always have hard time reading stories that call Richard Belzer a "comedian." I mean, he's Detective Munch. That's it. I used to have a photo on my fridge of him with all these dogs because it looked so damn weird. Does that make me weird?

So a "Real World" obsessed friend of mine sent me this story about Coral enjoying her "lesbian qualities." Too good.

I think that's about it. I mean, the Red Sox lost to Jeff Weaver last night and that makes me sad. Not to mention, my softball team had its two-game winning streak halted. I cried into my beer for hours last night. Talk soon, OK?

The Advocate And Me

OK, so it's happened. I've been here at The Register for more than three years, and for the first time, I think, I've been blasted in the Advocate, sort of. It's kind of fun. The blog Arnott on the Arts didn't like my column on Ideat Village and Arts & Ideas. Damn.

Take a look at Chris Arnott's blog entry here for the full post. It's really just full of pithy, creative quoting, not much else. He says I "utterly trash a $3.5 million festival of which (my) employer is a key media sponsor." I wish I knew where I "utterly trashed" the event. Here's my original column; let me know where the trashing begins. He says I have a disdain for all arts other than local music. Yeah, clearly.

You would think that a writer as opinionated and usually upfront as Arnott would find it refreshing that I give an honest opinion about not liking dance. Sorry, I don't like it and I'm not going to pretend I do.

Is dance all the "other arts?" I love Ideat Village and what it does for the city. Sue me for making my opinion known in a space dedicated to publishing my, um, opinion.

If you've followed Chris' coverage of the festival, you know he's been incredibly supportive of it. Incredibly. He loves all the dance. I, on the other hand, understand why the festival directors filled their program with dance, but that doesn't mean I have to talk lovingly about it in a column.

I could liberally quote from his piece and write about why he's just grasping for things here, but that would be too long and I have too much work to do. I'll give you my two favorite examples, though. Here's Chris' comment about me linking A&I with Ideat:

Considering that many A&I events involve tickets and reservations, and that Ideat is a low-budget affair that doesn't even pay its participants, you wonder why anyone would even mention them together, let alone choose the oft-seen local bands over therare international visitors.

Why would anyone mention them together? Oh, I don't know. Maybe because Ideat was started as a reaction to A&I? A second festival going on at the same time as, arguably, our city's biggest event would seem like something to compare. But, hey, what do I know?

And here's a quote from Chris' entry about my piece on the seven things I was most looking forward to at A&I (again, another purely opinionated story):

He says he's doing this "for folks like me who can appreciate the way great dance is coming to the city, but actually doesn't want to see any of it" — then makes a modern dance piece, the Headlong Dance Theatre's Cell, his number one choice.

Chris then goes on to say that I clearly didn't do any research and just took a cursory look at the program. He says I could have read his piece on "CELL" and learned more about it. I did that. And, you know, I also happen to sit next to another arts editor who wrote a great piece on "CELL," so I knew very well what the event is about.

His obvious point is that I've made my opinion quite clear on dance, yet I still choose a dance event as the thing I can't wait to do most. Oh, and he did an article that I could used for reference so I really knew what "CELL" was about.

Well, you see, the problem is that I've experienced "CELL" (and I loved it), and there's little dance, as I knew. This whole thing is about letting your inhibitions go and experiencing the unknown. It's about what you think is going on around you, and what really is happening. At least that's the best I can describe it without giving away any details.

I could have told Chris all these things, but, you know, he didn't call me for a quote or anything.

Cat Power And Other Tidbits

Well, Cat Power's "The Greatest" won the Shortlist Music Prize. It's a deserving record that truly gets better with each listen. Good for Chan, huh? Of course, this disc made the Register's Top 20 of 2006 list. Of course.

Um, do you feel the need to know what Horseshack is up to?

I think this article might be a couple of months too late, but it's still an interesting read. Music fans shouldn't be able to get enough of this triumphant Dinosaur Jr. reunion. Woo-hoo.

Kelly Clarkson's never been in love. That's what she says in this piece. Poor, Kelly. I know a lot of people who love "Since U Been Gone," including Ted Leo. I remember when I last wrote about Clarkson, she was touring with the Graham Colton Band and dating Colton himself. Obviously she couldn't have loved him because he makes some real soulless music.

You want to hear the new White Stripes disc? Go here.

So most people I know didn't care for the finale of "The Sopranos," calling it a real cop-out. You know who loved it, though? That's right, Journey. And what a ratings bonanza for HBO.

That's it on this end. My team won our first softball game of the year after starting 0-3, so I'm happy about that. I promise to update more and get out of this early summer malaise. I'm going to try at least, OK?

Goodbye Jeremy

Jeremy Simmons, guitarist for The Tires and a few other local acts, is moving to Philadelphia as I write this. Let's all wish him well.

This is a photo taken by Golden Microphone Dave Kelsey at Jeremy's going-away party last week. That's me and him — he's the one with the red eye, I'm wearing the blue.