Monday, June 21, 2010
simon & the giant head
Simon & Garfunkel recently announced they would be canceling their summer tour due to Art Garfunkel needing more time to recover from surgery. I feel bad for their fans who had purchased tickets. They will miss one of the best shows they may ever see. I caught them live back in 2003 and it was one of the best (and most expensive) shows I have ever been to. But it was worth it. S&G is really one of my favorite acts of all time.
Of course, it wouldn't be a post from me without some unsolicited commentary though, haha. When I saw this picture of them it described everything there is to know about this duo without a single word. I love the very different way each of them is acknowledging the crowd's adoration for them. Paul Simon has that "aww shucks, you shouldn't have" grateful, genuine look on his face. His whole body shows it. On the other hand, you have Art Garfunkel. Like a warrior just returned from bloody battle. Like a leader basking in the riotous cheers of his minions, he stands, proud, arm extended, soaking up the assuredly (in his mind anyway) well deserved accolades. He has that sort of "yes I am a genius and you are right to shower me with praise" feel about him and it frankly disgusts me. As much as I love his voice and love their music, I'm sorry Art, you aren't curing cancer here. It made me recall how seriously he took himself the whole show. And it seems somehow even more ridiculous when you know that it's Paul Simon writing all these songs. Even if Art may be credited as a songwriter, who has had the long, successful solo career since they parted ways? I just find it interesting. I can see why they had a falling out all those years ago simply by looking at this picture.
Posted by soft rock star at 9:14 AM
Monday, June 14, 2010
Nada In Cincinnati
Nathan and Meridith had raved about a Mexican restaurant they went to when they were in Cincinnati recently called Nada. Their tortilla chips are unbelievable. Thickly layered, crispy, warm... they separate when they are fried so there is a pocket in between the layers. And the salsa is absolutely delicious. I had the vegetarian tacos too and they were just wonderful. I really liked the way the restaurant looked too. Very trendy and very cool.
I'd never been in downtown Cincinnati. Nada is definitely in a great location and if you are ever there for some odd reason, do yourself a favor and go there!
Posted by soft rock star at 11:43 PM
Colin Hanks, You Are No Tom Hanks
I just got done seeing Colin Hanks on Letterman and I have to say... he comes off as one of the most phoney 'celebrities' I have seen in a long time. He looks like a younger version of his dad and he sort of talks and acts just like his dad. Only thing is, you can tell Tom Hanks is being silly and it (although sometimes annoying) is somehow endearing. But with his son it just seems so fake. It's like he never had a chance to be a normal person. Growing up in 'show business' seems to rob kids of any sense of authenticity. I found him to be annoying and polished in a gross, very off-putting way.
Posted by soft rock star at 11:33 PM
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Connor!
Since my little hiatus I got to go home for a visit and meet and spend time with my little 7 week-old (at the time) nephew, Connor. He is just the cutest, most precious little thing. It was amazing to get to feed him a bottle and have him sleep in my arms for hours a time. Really made me yearn for one of my own honestly, though I also got a true glimpse at the shear time and work involved in taking care of a baby. It's no wonder so many kids grow up to become messed up adults. If there are reckless, selfish young young people having kids because they are too lazy to use birth control I just can't imagine how they give proper attention to their babies. It's a constant job. But I also can't think of anything more rewarding either.
Not being able to just create a life with the person you love is probably the cruelest thing about being gay. It's frutrating that some stupid, immature girl can get herself knocked up and have a baby and two people who love eachother and would shower a baby with love and attention have to pay tens of thousands of dollars just to adopt one. I guess no one said life was fair!
It really must be an amazing gift to see yourself in a sweet little baby. To know you have this life you get to have a hand in raising and shaping. I'd love to have that opportunity one day. Just don't really see how it's gonna happen at the moment. Anyway, it's cool to at least have this little guy around, if if he is so far away.
Posted by soft rock star at 9:27 PM
Cool Songs
The lead singer of Bloc Party, Kele Okereke, has a new solo album and this is the first single... a nice dirty slice of electro pop.
I just got to hear Kylie's new CD (her 11th) yesterday and it's amazing. Sooooo many awesome pop songs. This is one of them! Fun video too.
The Joy Formidable is sort of how the Yeah Yeah Yeahs would be if they made better music, haha. I've liked some YYY songs but they can be hit or miss. I don't care how crazy a band is if the songs are actually good. The Joy Formidable deliever.
I have to admit, this is sort of a dumb video... ok, it just plain IS a dumb video. But I LOVE this song. Talk about a hook! The Futureheads know how to write some great ones ("Decent Days And Nights" anyone?). This song will not leave your head once you hear it. And that's a good thing :)
I love me some Robyn! This is the first song from her new album. I was surprised how straight forward this video is after the bizarro stuff from the last album. This girl can write a pop song!
Posted by soft rock star at 8:55 PM
Splice
We went to see Splice this past weekend. It's crazy that the last movie I saw in the theatre was Kick Ass. Usually by this time tons of films have come out for summer movie viewing that I have wanted to see. Not so this year. There is simply awful stuff out. And I don't think I'm alone there. Box office receipts are apparently their worst in a dozen years. There doesn't seem to be an original idea to be had (Robin Hood, Sex And The City 2, Nightmare On Elm Street, Iron Man 2, Shrek 56). Splice seemed intriguing from the previews. And although I did enjoy it, those previews were totally misleading. It's not a horror movie at all really... more a science fiction. It made more sense that actors like Sarah Polley and giant-beaked Adrien Brody would be a in 'horror movie' when you see that it really isn't. But it was enjoyable.
Posted by soft rock star at 8:45 PM
Celebrity Deaths
It's been ages since I last posted... which I'm guessing no one really cares about, haha. But I felt mildly inspired to catch up a bit and one of those areas is celebrity deaths. They have just kept plugging along. The saddest one to me was Rue McClanahan. I loved me some Golden Girls and they all seem to be dying so quickly now! I hope Betty White isn't going anywhere soon. Rue was a wonderful actress with impecable comedic timing. I think my favorite scene from Golden Girls was when the little man Rose was seeing came to dinner and Blanche freaked out and kept saying stupid things. It was classic. 
Others that have passed away recently include legendary singer and actress Lena Horne, who was the first black actress put on contract by the movie studios. Sadly it was at a time when all she could basically do was do singing cameos, but she is a legend. I sadly remember her more for being a guest on the Muppets but that says more about our society and where a gifted performer like her could get work than her talent. Neat lady. 
There was child actor turned pathetic, messed up adult, Gary Coleman. I choose to remember him in happier times since the older version of him sort of just made me sad. Actor Dennis Hopper: I'm not sure I liked the guy (might have more to do with the smarmy roles he played, though he just seemed sort of smarmy for real too, haha), but you can't deny his talent or contribution to film. And then there was the lovely & gifted Lynn Redgrave... another blow to a family that has experienced far too much death lately.
So yes, always sad to see more people that made an impact in little (and sometimes big) ways die.
