We forego this past week’s Five for Friday and punch up the monthly notes a quarter-month late. Ah, yes, school must be back in session.
Show, Dandy Warhols: What’s up when one of your favorite bands plays a full, two-hour set, frontloading the show with three of your favorite cuts in the first five tracks played? And even do so at a volume that allows for occasional conversation? Joy! So fun to see the Dandys about a decade after their last show here, especially when they pass through town and also offer up the gift of a sweet sessionwith the local radio station. Thanks, Dandys!
Additional live performances, KDHX: After two weeks, sets by L.O.V.E. and Devon Allman are in the books. Upcoming on Silver Tray are shows by: Person X (9/11), Danny Liston (9/18) and Old Lights (9/25). Have not heard so much as a note of music by the last band, so they immediately move to the top of my curiosity list.
Site, Berger’s Beat: This must be a sign of… something. Jerry Berger’s online. Cah-ray-zee.
RFT covers, Bill Chott: Yo, I know this guy.
Local business that cares, The Firebird: Just today, Mike Cracciolo of the club came in on a Sunday, just hours after the leaving the business, to observe the venue during a six-hour film shoot. He didn’t have to do that and the venue didn’t have to allow the space for no charge. But the space was offered and accepted and that, folks, is so often the rule around town: people giving their time, money or access at the drop of a hat. When you spend money and time at the Firebird, you’re dealing with good folks. That’s right.
Beverage money waster, Vitamin Water: Delicious. And the product’s site is wacky.
Sports teams, SLU Billikens soccer: Yikes, 1-2-0 in the first three games. I’m jumping off this bandwagon. Tell me when the nightmare’s over.
Strange gigs, wedding DJ: Have just completed my second wedding DJ gig this year and it was a lovely affair. Enjoyed the company, the ceremony, the evening. But there’s that eternal feeling that no matter what crate you pack, no matter how loaded the iPod, no matter how liberal the happy couple might be with song choice, there’s always going to be missing music. And, man, how that always winds up true. Need some ’50s/’60s pop hits is this round’s lesson. As in, even a few cuts of that stuff. Yikes.
Intersections, Damen & Milwaukee, Chicago: Fifteen years ago, I would’ve spent mad money on clothes, books, records and accoutrements in this corner of Chicago and, damn, if it didn’t just happen again. Somebody hook me up with some freelance so I can blow more money in Chicago, please.
Challenges, ghost peppers: Watched, with a mixture of fascination, respect and horror as local man Brant Sextro ate an entire ghost pepper at lunch recently, mixing the fiery bad boy with a Mangia lunch sandwich and gallons of soda. Amazing, stupendous and worthy of inclusion in “Our Own Oddities.” Hat’s off to the champ.
Money grabs, Missouri unclaimed property: Looks like Mr. Clint Zweifel has some presents for me, but I’m inherently suspicious of this state service. Who’s cashed in, or cashed out, as the case may be? Or is this a trap to catch me for some long-forgotten crime?
Fish, trout: Three cheers for the trout being sold at Local Harvest. Absurdly good.
Book, Millenials Go to College: William Strauss and Neil Howe have made a pretty good living by predicting generational trends and shifts, themselves now well into their second decade of combined work on this social science. Found a copy of this work sitting on a random hallway table at Webster U., devouring it in couple of reading sessions. Though the book’s pretty chipper about the best characteristics of the millenial generation, there’s a tremendous amount of valuable digging down by the pair, who pretty well peg the curiosities and quirks of today’s collegiate attendees. Well worth reading by anyone spending time on a college campus.