Upcoming shows of note:

Doug Fir:

Wed July 22: Optigonally Yours (opening)
Thu July 23: Micachu and the Shapes
Fri July 24: Themselves
Thu July 30: Starlight Mints
Sun Aug 2: Warlocks
Sat Oct 3: Loney Dear, Asobi Seksu, Anna Ternheim
Wed Oct 7: Rosewood Thieves

Roseland:
Fri July 24: Slick Rick
Aug 6: (my birthday!): Amon Tobin
Aug 23: Dead Weather

I can't go to all of this, of course.

edit:

Crystal Ballroom:
Tue Sep 1: George Clinton and Funkadelic

Musicfest NW Sep 16-19 (various venues)
Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros, Team Dresch, Beach House, Viva Voce, Frightened Rabbit, Mudhoney, Bad Brains, Girl Talk, Dirty Three

I think wyrdwad will want to skip this one...

I can't not talk about the Palin resignation speech.

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I can't really say too much except I am pretty sure the following is
A. A good song.
B. ENTERTAINMENT.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fictional memoir of now aged 'veterinarian' who joins the circus after terrible life events. Love, sex, violence, the Great Depression, death, circus lingo, performers, exotic animals, hobos, murder. All in here. Great pacing. 350 or so pages, and I would bet you I took under 4 hours to read it. I would not say this is a great work of literature, but it's still one of the best books I've read in the last year. It isn't hard to read, but it isn't dumbed down either.

Once again, not for the little ones, I think, but you could do worse than let a thoughtful eleven year old read this.
View all my reviews.

Foreskin's Lament: A Memoir by Shalom Auslander

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

This American Life contributor Shalom Auslander's memoir about growing up in a dysfunctional Orthodox Jewish family. Most of the humor springs from his hysterical (in the mental health sense) and narcissistic God persecution complex, which is part and parcel with the abusive alcoholic father that he grew up with. Very angry, funny book, and some sort of poignant but incredibly immature bits about male teen sexuality. Notable (to me) passages on why shoplifting from adult bookstores is hard, and on how and why to fictionalize your girlfriend.

This is not really the same as David Sedaris' writing, although Auslander's speaking voice is strikingly similar to Sedaris, and some of the subjects covered are similar... but I would say, even more than Sedaris, Auslander is really, really, REALLY not for little kids.

You will hate this book if you cannot take someone pretty much endlessly railing on God. You may also not agree with or like his decision to cut his family out of his life.

View all my reviews.

I know, I know. But now I'm feeling better and I need to share the awesomeness of Sunday night with headphones on.

The original awesome version of the Happy Mondays signature song...



Awesomely awesome!

Where God Was Born: A Daring Adventure Through the Bible's Greatest Stories by Bruce Feiler

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars

Feiler's journey to modern day Israel, Iran, and Iraq, viewing Old Testament history through his current day experiences. Interesting if you want to find out more about Biblical history and the roots of the big three religions (but mostly Judaism and OT Christianity.) This book took me a LONG TIME to finish, and I've already forgotten most of what's in it. There were definitely interesting parts about Zoroastrianism, David, and Cyrus. Also, now I know enough about Purim to feel ambivalent about it.

View all my reviews.

Shopgirl: A Novella by Steve Martin

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars

A story about Mirabelle, a depressed and disconnected shopgirl who sells gloves at Nieman's and her experiences with Mr. Ray Porter, a fifty-ish rich guy. L.A. anomie a plenty.

This book could have been great. Martin has a keen eye for observtion and mood. But the main character, UGH. She cannot and does not exist outside of the eye of the man who idealizes her. I can to some extent take this in stride if the writing is stellar or at least the story is bizarre or interesting (see Philip K. Dick). Shopgirl is really more of a character study than anything else. The whole point here seems to be that the characters are very 'surface-y.' And not very likeable. Although this is a short book, I have no desire to finish it.

The thing is:
A. I can recognize a lot of the weaknessess in my own writing here.
B. Martin's other novel(la) 'The Pleasure of My Company' is a much better book. I suggest you read it instead of 'Shopgirl.'

View all my reviews.

This seems to be working in lieu of painkillers, though. Not really, but let's pretend.

HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT HALO BENDERS?

Before B-Movie-age with terebi on Saturday afternoon---

30TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING OF ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL FEATURING Q&A AND SIGNING WITH PJ SOLES. See http://www.moviemadnessvideo.com/ 6$

Yes. I meant to use the ALL CAPS. I'M YELLING.

WHOA. I actually got the scanner up and running, thus KNITTING POST. I am actually getting a totally cromulent nonexpensive, but nice digital camera sometime soon.

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A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed by Jon Atack

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Highly critical history of Scientology and its abuses, biography of L. Ron Hubbard, and outline of the type of 'auditing' that the author has experienced. Written in a journalistic style, it can be difficult to slog through, but is fascinating if you are interested in the material. Of particular interest is the information about Hubbard, who reminds me of basically any character from Philip K. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly." (I am not kidding.) In a way, I can also now see why Scientology is attractive in the initial stages where it can build the confidence of memebers. I don't believe the rank and file Scientologist is neccessarily a bad person. I do believe that the leaders have been and have perpetrated systematic abuse both of memebers and critics, and at its core, the whole thing is a scam. I'll stick to reading the Buddhist stuff for myself.

View all my reviews.

Lady Sovereign (w/DJ Annalyze), Chester French, Hollywood Holt (w/Million Dollar Mano) -- Doug Fir Lounge 2009-05-23

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A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian: A Novel by Marina Lewycka

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars

Older Ukrainian man living in England falls for and gets taken avantage of by young Ukrainian hussy. Antics/family drama ensue.

There are at least 3 quotes on the cover of this book by well respected English publications claiming that this book is funny. My guess is that a majority of people who grew up in the US will not find the humor here. Old guy humiliated in love by younger woman who is not really interested in him is, actually, *the* comic opera plot. (Hey, you learned something.) A 36 year old woman hitting an old frail guy is not funny to me. I also don't like Punch and Judy, so am fundamentally missing some part of English humor.

This is more in the vein of family/immigration/war drama than humor. The history, where it comes through, was very well done and very personal. I enjoyed the parts about the past. I didn't really enjoy the parts about the present day family drama all that much, which is about 90% of the book. I don't know if the point is really to enjoy the book... maybe you are just supposed to understand where the differences between people come from. I did, at the end, see this (similar to my experience reading 'The Joy Luck Club' all those years ago.)

It is also difficult not to compare 'Ukrainian Tractors' to Jonathan Safran Foer's 'Everything is Illuminated' (if you have read both books.) Foer's book is more literarily ambitious. It's funny and sad and I loved reading it. There are people who really hate Foer's narrative style. They may enjoy this book more than I did.

I don't think 'Ukrainian Tractors' is badly written. It's just not my thing.

View all my reviews.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Roach takes a smart, funny, fascinating, and stomach turning look at the history of body snatching, dead body research, cremation, burial, embalming, ecological funerals, what it takes to get skeletons out of bodies, organ donation/transplants, cadaver medicine, urban legends, forensics, cannibalism, and practically everything else related to dead bodies. This is probably my favorite non fiction book since 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' (a smart, funny, scary book about the development of non-lethal weapons by Jon Ronson-- READ IT.) That being said, you either need to have a strong stomach, or at the very least, curiosity greater to or equal to your queasiness. Good stuff.

View all my reviews.

Also Roach has a book called 'Bonk' which is definitely on my to read list.

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Also I made red velvet cupcakes. They are pretty awesome, but I think red velvet is not my favorite flavor. P really digs them though.

Brightblack Morning Light, Kurt Heasley, My Bloody Valentine - WaMu Theater, Seattle, 2009-04-27

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The bootleg copy of Ecstasy and Wine that I have that I got in the 90s was probably the best thing I was able to hornswaggle based on my looks. You know, besides MY HUSBAND.

Home Movies 10th Annivesary (panel: Ron Lynch, Brendon Small, Melissa Galsky, Loren Bouchard) Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Bagdad Theater 2009-04-26
also the tail end of Nick Kroll interview, Blitzen Trapper (Sound of Young America event)

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I feel happy. MARK YOUR CALENDARS. I am walking around smiling and junk. It is ridiculously nice out, and I was driving around today in a car that is worth appx. $50,000, or one third to one half half of the value of my house. (Not my car.) I wish I could tell you I don't have my ego wrapped up in driving a nice car, but seriously. That would be a great big lie. I love that kind of stuff.

I'm going to grab a cold beverage and head out to see if the neighbors are fixing their car again.

♥
S.