Cheap Trick Rocks

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The missus was feelin' a might down yesterday. So, after work, we did the 15 minute drive to the beach (a trip that we do not take nearly enough). Figured, the sea air, the sand and some of these would put a smile back on her face.

Which it did.

But not as much as discovering that the amphitheatere in the distance was featuring one of those odd combo-bands nites. Cheap Trick, Poison and Def Leppard.

CHEAP TRICK!!!!!!!!!!

Somehow, the winds were right and we had perfect audio clarity for the music.

The crime of course was that Cheap Trick was the opener, instead of the closer. But that worked out nicely for us, as we enjoyed (did I mention the perfect audio clarity???) a nice set of classic American Power-Pop featuring just about everything that you and I would want to hear (except they didn't play "He's A Whore"). Plus they did a sweet take on the Beatles "A Day In The Life".

And the beer ran out just as Poison was taking the stage. Which worked out fine, since Poison is effing awful (and sounded it) and this gave us a perfect excuse to vacate the beach and head for sudsier pastures.

Here's a great performance from the late 70's:

Toonage:

Cheap Trick - He's A Whore

Cheap Trick - Surrender (alt version studio outtake)

Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me (alt version)

Cheap Trick - Oh Caroline

Amerikkka's Sweetheart

Me loves me some Sarah Palin! She's stepping down from her Governor-Ship to "help America" or some other crap.

I am personally hoping she does a girl on girl vid with this skinny, soul-less, evil skank.

So, we get to look forward to the next couple of years of Palin's "punditry". No doubt, by the end of the summer she'll have her own show on Fox News (you know - the "fair and balanced" station); and then of course, the 2012 Presidential run.

Bottom line is; if Obama can pull off what he's trying to do (and I pray he can), Jesus H Christ himself couldn't win for the Repugnikkkans in 2012.

To keep with this "patriotic" theme, a couple of days late and a dollar short, here's a "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" selection for the Fourth Of July. Or something.

Toonage:

The Clash - I'm So Bored With The USA (live Manchester 1978)

Pissed Jeans - False Jesii Part 2

Guitar Wolf - Summertime Blues

The Offspring - I Got A Right (Stooges cover)

Summertime Booze

We have one of those extended "vacations" due to the economy. You know, the kind in which you get to take the days off, but they don't pay ya!

So the next few days will be spent playing loud shitty rock n roll, drinking beer and lazing about the pool.

Or, I can paint the living room and the kitchen, as I promised.

Screw that!

After all, if you're not wasted, than the day is!

I heartily recommend checking out the following tunes. Just trust your pal Nazz on this one!

Toonage:

The Tiganauch Players - Green Door (Cramps cover)

Anarchy 6 (Redd Kross) - Drugs Aren't Great

Flipper - Brainwash

The Fugs - Boobs A Lot

Teengenerate - 1979

Television Personalities - Part Time Punks

Code Blue

I dismiss the "celebrity death's come in three" concept; since these daze, EVERYONE is a celebrity.

However, I find it interesting on the parallels and paradoxes on the madness of Farrah, Sky and Jacko.

Each responded to their early celebrity in such iconic ways:

Farrah Fawcett- Could have been completely chewed up ala Marilyn Monroe in the Hollywood bimbo machine. Yet she became a serious, award winning actress. Sure, she got a little loopy in her later years, but no one can say she didn't redeem herself. Cancer fucking sucks, and the way she courageously (and publicly) fought it should not be forgotten or underappreciated.

Sky Saxon - Teen 60's dream Tiger Beat hit-dom. And then a descent into obscurity and most definitely counter culture alt-dom. Ironically, he was about to tour again.

Michael Jackson - Is it even possible to seperate the man from the circus freak? Has anyone besides Elvis ever been as completely twisted by early fame as him? Think of the 10 year old lighting up the stage, not the twisted man-boy of the last 20 years.

Rest In Peace

Toonage:

The Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard

Jackson Five - ABC

The Vandals - The Day Farrah Fawcett Died

Elvis Costello - This Year's Girl (live 10-22-77)

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Now playing: Elvis Costello - Pretty in Pink (live)
via FoxyTunes

The Whole World Is Watching

We are all hoping for peace to come to Iran.

If you are on Twitter, set your location to Tehran and time zone to GMT +3.30. It screws up the Iranian security forces tracking of protesters.

You can follow the latest atrocities on Twitter via
#iranelection
#tehran
#mousavi
#neda

The whole world is watching and we are powerless to stop this madness.

Regardless of religion, nationality or political philosophy, our prayers and best wishes are directed to the citizens of Iran.

Toonage:
John Lennon, Stevie Wonder & Friends - Give Peace A Chance (live One To One concert)

Posterity

Weapons of Mass Destruction

We busted our cherry last nite and left a musical legacy. Caterwaul Of Sound hit the recording studio. We laid down the tracks for our soon to be hit single The Love Theme to Kids Go To The Woods, Kids Get Dead.

Most of the band, being noobs to the studio scene, were fascinated with the process. Scratch tracks? Overdubs? Multiple takes???? Crazy man, crazy.

And the biggest debate took place over what the "secret backwards message" would be. One hint... we actually didn't make it (too) satanic!

Next step is to shoot the video.

One more page for the scrapbook of madness!

Here are some more unlikely themes...

Toonage:

Redd Kross - Overture From Tommy (The Who cover)

Husker Du - Theme From The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The Jam - Batman Theme

The Slickee Boys - Theme From Exodus

Weezer - Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard

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Now playing: Kiss - Deuce
via FoxyTunes

Bartleby Was Right!

I am currently writing in agony due to the stupid hubris that entailed me playing in a company softball game that has re-injured my back. I should have known better, as I have herniated disks and I was sore during warm-ups. But instead of course, I figured it would loosen up and proceeded to play extremely hard for the full game, diving and sliding on several occasions.

So, the past three days have been a steady procession of severe agony followed by pain pills which have left me somewhere orbiting the planet "head-nod".

I hate taking pharmaceutical drugs for medicinal purposes. Vicodins are supposed to be for recreation, not curative reasons!

The lesson of course is, when asked to play, I should have said "I prefer not to".

Meanwhile, Nazz Junior finished up his Little League season kicking ass and taking names.

On the rock n roll front, Nazz Junior decided that he would do a Bartleby The Scrivener trip on his teacher. He's graduating grade school next week and has decided that he would prefer not to sing the graduation theme song with his class because "It's lame and it sucks". The teacher is not thrilled about this; as he is the only kid in the graduation class exercising his rights. We have reached a compromise in which he has promised to lip-sync and fake it.

That's cool. I'm so proud.

Even cooler is that he is not going to the graduation dance party; since he decided that his graduation present should be to go see Aerosmith and ZZ Top that nite.

5th grade, and he's already the coolest kid in school!

Toonage:

Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic (live NYC 8-29-75)

ZZ Top - I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

Cat Stevens - Father And Son

Die Toten Hosen - If The Kids Are United (Sham 69 cover)