Monday, April 27, 2009

The Get Up Kids



I'm hosting my own little mini-celebration this week. It's mostly in my head, partially on my blog. So therefore, if you're reading this, you're officially part of it. Thanks for joining! In case you couldn't tell already, the celebration is in honor of a little five piece emo-outfit from Kansas called The Get Up Kids.

Their second full length album, 'Something To Write Home About' was the first record I ever bought... well, okay, not counting 'Green Day - Dookie,' but that's like a pre-requisite for life, in general (not the MxPx album... but, yeah, that too.) But I suppose it all started when my friend Karen lent me a tape of an MTV program called 120 minutes back in Junior year of High School. It was on that very tape I caught their video for 'Action & Action'... couple that with the existence of the original Napster, and boom! My life has never been the same.

On friday I am going to see the Get Up Kids for the first time since the Guilt Show tour of... I'm going to throw out the year 2004, but I could be wrong. So, as long as five years! In honor of this tremendous occasion I am listening to every TGUK record in sequence. One a day for the next four days. I started yesterday with the Woodson EP, so I'm sorry if I started without you.

What are you waiting for? You know you have at least one of their CDs. You're not fooling anyone.

-Mo

P.S. oh, and if you're one of those 'everything after 'something to write home about' is crap' kind of people, well then, I don't know if I want you celebrating with me.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

3:47:45 AM

About twenty minutes ago I was awoken and summoned into the city to take care of a friend who appears to be having a bad brownie experience.

Here's somethings on my mind:

1. I had planned on sleeping through the evening and waking up at 6AM and writing ALL DAY. This plan only seems delayed, though, possibly ruined:

"At least you'll have something to write about" my friend mused, between coughs, and statements like "I just wish this wasn't real life."

2. I was checking orders at work and I had a moment. It was so enlightening that I had to write it on a post-it:

"Remember: 4/23/09 10:45AM... ish. The same day TMNT turned 25. Coincidence?"

What it signifies is the first time in almost eleven months that I thought about my life in the present tense, and didn't drown in "what-ifs."

My buddy Paul told me grief is like someone un-spooling your ball of yarn. It takes forever to wind it back up. It's not as climactic when you get it back together, but try not to feel satisfied. After he said this, he admitted it was not his own, but that of a pamphlet he found at a funeral.

3. Yesterday was the 25th Anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Complete with an outdoor screening of the original motion picture, as part of the tribeca film festival. The actual turtle-mobile was there, with a museum of 25 years of memorabilia: original action figures, and comics etc. I have pictures... just not here.

4. It's almost 4:00AM now. In about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6....

5. I really hope I don't have to be here till 5:00AM

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Hell Has Frozen Over

I've been waiting for this mickey-fickey dvd set for almost 12 years now.



Let's all get milk-faced and hum like rabbits.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Album Review: Here, Here and Here


I got drunk yesterday. Like, really drunk. On the scale of 1 to 10 (1 being tipsy and 10 being blacked-out on stage with Steel Train playing the drums) I was at like 8. I didn't realize I was at 8 until this morning, but if anyone saw my facebook wall, or... well, me, would know I was fantastically well last night.

I already did this review last night, in a sense, over the phone, drunkenly, to Meg Frampton, the songstress, the elder of the Meg & Dias. I believe it went something like this:

Me: "Megan!" (Meg isn't short for Megan... it isn't short for anything)
Meg: "Mo! How are you?"
Me: "Oh, i'm fine... sorry to bother you (apology one) but I... I know you're home with your family, so i'm sorry (apology two) but I already called your sister, and your boyfriend, and I felt weird calling all of you back to back to tell you... i'm sorry (three) if that's weird, it made more sense yesterday. I was just calling to tell you how much I love your record"
Meg: "Aw, thanks, Mo. That's so nice, especially coming from you."
Me: "It's so good!..." Here I go into a strange amount of detail about the guitar tone on the second track, and how much I loved the intricacies of the record, juxtaposed with their pop-sensibilities still in tact. I tell her that I think she and her sister have done a wonderful job of creating a unique sound, and brilliantly delivering on the promises made in their past efforts, but still being surprising at the same time. "I fucking loved it!"

I'm sober now... but as eloquent as i'd love to be, that pretty much sums it up. And for those who would say I cannot be critical because of my relationship to the band, are right, in theory. This assumes the fact that one has to like their friends' bands. Of course I liked all of my friend's bands. But now not only do I like Meg & Dia, but after this record I am also a huge fan.

When Meg first played the demo for the title track of the record "Here, Here and Here" for us in a hotel, somewhere, the location escapes me now, it was envisioned to be the opening track to a series of songs she was preparing for a number of reasons: To silence her detractors; to please her super-fans; to propose a hypothesis to skeptics, make her family proud, and to pay tribute to her favorite artists (writers and authors.) This is no easy task... To fulfill any one of these goals is impressive, from the perspective of anyone who has aspired to create for anything other than self-satisfaction... some would say it was a bit of a long shot for her, and the troop that loyally vowed to support her, and her eclectic garage band demos.

That was over a year ago, and I've heard bits and pieces a few times. I heard "Black Wedding," and a few others in car rides with Jonathan, their bassist, and liked what i heard, but never put them into context. They were unmastered, and to me, much more importantly... unsequenced. I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to album sequencing. It can make or break a record. Coldplay X&Y? Worst track sequencing of all time. You try reorganizing that record, I guarantee you will like it so much more. Anyway, one thing led to another, and it finally got a release date, and I went to see them on the Take Action Tour, my first time seeing them live since I quit working for them in March of 2008.

Something was off: New songs aren't supposed to translate as well as these did. But songs I never heard before stuck out, and now I had expectations of the record. In my opinion, this is a sure fire way to disappoint yourself. But, I did, and when I saw them a second time on the tour, I looked forward to the new songs, and it only made me want to hear the record more (what new songs are supposed to do, i assume) So, I finally put on the record, with high hopes, and preconceived notions, not only of what it should sound like, and what it represented, and who the people were, and what the live energy will manifest itself as... Some would say it was a long shot for me, to be satisfied with small headphones on at my job in a cubicle... You know, as a fan.

So how is it?

The first thing I noticed was that Here, Here and Here was the last track on the record, and I had to check other websites to make sure I was listening to it in the right order... This was the only disappointment to be had. From beginning to the title track Meg & Dia managed to create a steadily paced, emotionally driven, dynamic, and catchy record that fulfills every promise made in their past. It takes huge leaps of faith, and with every hook lands gracefully each time. It is pop, but is rock, and I mean rock like, with rich textures and thoughtful lead guitar driven composition... it's accessible, but not simplistic. It's warm, and nice, but heavy and abrasive. It is memorable, and distinct. Such a success is so rare these days, it made me jealous. Maybe it was seeing the process from idea to conception but this, this project, this epic undertaking, is a success on all accounts, and I want to know what i feels like, so bad, to hold that success in your hands and stare at the finished product.

In the past I feel like I've wanted to know everything about my favorite records, and I finally got my wish. I thought touring had ruined some of that for me. Because knowing too much can dilute the mysticism of art that is supposed to represent a time and place, and a feeling. It's hard to regain that, and I thought that's why I love less and less records these days, that don't belong to musicians I haven't been a fan of for years. But, still, I love this record. And I know lots of people will love this record, for a variety of reasons. even if only for it's lyrical content (for which Dia has managed to knock out of the park, as well) which is anthemic, and heart-felt, and sincere, but for me it's more than that. There is something incredible going on with these musicians, and I cannot wait for the world to know what I know. If that isn't fandom, I don't know what is.

It seems I have succumbed to the derivatives of my favorite bands, and grown to appreciate the newer applicants, all from the inside, so you'll have to understand this is a breath of fresh air. Even though it will all be new to me from now on with M&D, it's an experience I am looking forward to surprisingly, but I am so grateful to have been a part of it. And if anyone experiences even a portion of what I have with this record, you will be in for a pleasant surprise.

Mo Shafeek
Ex Tour Manager.

RIP PRS



If you can imagine, this specimen, one of NYC's most eligible bachelor's of 2009 (according to the NY Post.) is my best friend.

There is quite a meticulous effort on his part to place a dark shadow on his previous incarnations: The one that I fell in love with was wearing orange UFO pants, a superman T-Shirt, and had bleach liberty spikes. But, there he is, my bestie, my hero, almost ten years after the first time I met him.

Rest In Peace Punk Rock Steve. We hardly knew ye'

read more:

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Meg & Dia - Black Wedding

Some of my favorite people in the world made a music video. It premieres today on mtv all day. Check it out. Their new album "Here, Here, and Here" comes out next week.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Fishsticks + Me = Gay Fish



This will probably be down any minute now, but until then...

**Edit** Thank god for southparkstudios.com. Please watch every episode of South Park on there. You'll be a better person for it, I promise.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Adventureland



First, let's start off with the idea of expectations. I always feel it's fair to explain the variables involved before surmising a critique, positive or negative. Adventureland is a product of many promises made by past experiences of mine, something which can be said of almost anything, but the reason I bring this up is because they stir a wide range of emotions. Let's start with the first thing that pops into my head, before, and after, having seen the film, when I think of the film: Kristen Stewart.

I saw Twilight, like so many would have liked me to, with a friend who subsequently apologized about subjecting me to such a disaster. I didn't mind the story, it was on par with the Harry Potter series in its escapist, creative, albeit juvenile, appeal, in the way that I wanted to know what happened to the characters, even if I would never want to subject myself to seeing a grown man sparkle in the woods ever again. The most forgettable thing about such a horrible movie was the lead actress, in appeal, in talent, in making me feel sympathetic for a teenager in such a compelling situation. I guess I had seen her before. Someone would remind me of the girl in Panic Room, a film I loved, but now a brunette, and a leading actress. Okay, I bite. But, it wasn't until I saw the trailer for Adventureland that I found myself completely drawn to this woman. Maybe it was the way she was presented to me, girl-next-door, with a sexual undertone, exhibited only in private quarters, romantic, and understated... I don't know, these are the things I got from the trailer, but I was sold. I was going to see this movie, solely for this woman, and this woman alone. I'll get back to this later.

Jessie Eisenberg? "I loved Squid and the Whale" a co-worker blurted at me at the mere mention of this film, and the only reaction I could conjure was "Oh, that's where he's from." when I really wanted to say "Ugh." I will not be quick to dismiss the good qualities of TSATW but I will hastily say, for the sake of time, that I thought it was entirely over rated, but not bad. But, I didn't realize the charm of this movie was found in the leading role, it was almost jarring, but then I saw Kristen Stewart on the poster and forgot all about it.

Next there's Bill Hader, and Kristin Wiig. Up and coming character actors of SNL fame. They stole the shows in their small parts in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Knocked Up, and put them together as a wacky couple! Sold!
Next, it's made by Greg Mattola, the creative force behind one of my favorite comedies in the last few years (Superbad.) Throw in Ryan Reynolds, someone who I've always found underestimated, and constantly charming. I even sat through the movie 'Just Friends,' at the behest of my girlfriend-at-the-time, just to see Ryan Reynolds in a fat suit get the girl. Like anyone would ever believe such a preposterous notion... Finally, Martin Starr, Freaks and Geeks. Enough said.

So, what's this movie about?

I don't know.

I mean this on a deeper level than boy-gets-shitty-job, boy-falls-love, back-and-forth, boy-gets-girl. I really tried to get a grasp on, you know, the why it was necessary to tell this story? I've had some time to mull it over, and unfortunately I have nothing to provide, more than, it was possibly a script that Greg Matolla's has been holding onto since he was a college graduate, and his way of coping with being a nice guy in a world where the bad guys always get the girl.

I've written that story too, in my head, and on paper, when I was 17. It had a similar outcome, of course: The good guy eventually gets the girl, after the girl realizes she should've just opened her eyes a little wider, to see eternal happiness exists in the form of the guy (me, or jessie eisenberg) who would do anything for her (kristen steward, or... every girl i met from the age of 16-21) It's not a bad story to tell, but was it worth the expense of such a great cast? I ask this because it's not even me being a cynic about the fleeting emotions of such a dynamic, because these characters are supposed to be college graduates, but i'll let that slide, but because there was little to no consequence to any of the principle cast members. Considering the timely predicament of telling the story 'Love in the time of Recession' everyone's greatest hopes and dreams (losing their virginity, acceptance, happiness, succeeding) are given to us at face value as if these themes are so transient that the mere mention of them is enough to make the audience empathize.

So there's a kid who can't go to his Ivy League school because his parents hit an unfortunate snag financially, so he get a shitty job, which isn't really that shitty, you're just told it's really shitty... even though he immediately gets along with everyone, and has fun every day that he's there. Then there's girl who is already going to an Ivy league school, who's just home for the summer. Her dad has since moved on after losing his wife, her mother, and she's mopey about it. She gets a shitty job even though her family hasn't been effected by the economy and starts sleeping with a married man. The married man is nice enough to her, and she meets a kid who absolutely adores her, but for some reason it's cause for some big moral conundrum. All of these things would be excusable if they didn't pull the punches on the really socially interesting problems they present... whether it's the lead character's, now, completely inexplicable, way of telling the same stories to different people, and where that gets him with each different character type. Or, his dad's drinking problem, or that grim look on Martin Starr's face every time Jessie says he loves Kristen Stewart or the popular girl's desire to be with someone nice for a change, or the married man's on going lie... these all seem to be common threads to a story of the things we tell ourselves and how they reflect what we tell everyone else, but for some reason they never quite come to a head. Everyone stays the same, even the principle characters. No one changes in this movie. They all go through something that could potentially make their lives, or at least they way they project themselves to the outside world different, but instead they all go about their lives, except they decide to hook up with different people... like I said, the moral of the story I wrote when I was 17. The idea that all it takes for a person to get over their insecurities and change for the better is having the love of different person in their life doesn't even translate that confidently, it dissolves in a scene when Jessie and Kristen meet in NYC at the end and she says more-or-less "sorry i didn't tell you I was screwing a married man, and didn't let you love me" and he says "it's okay, I can love you now, because even though you liked me and screwed a married man, you're still a good person, and that's good enough for me," which is fine, totally fine, but what did they learn? I didn't learn anything, that's for sure, and she learned she should probably be with someone who likes her (duh!) and he learned... nothing, he was just persistent and finally got a girl to like him, that's all.

Ugh. That said, it was still enjoyable. I think I am absolutely in love with Kristen Stewart, only because it reminds me of every girl I ever fell in love with when I was younger. I doubt she's like that in real life, but if she wasn't acting, or as bad an actress as she was in twilight, then I might just have my first celebrity crush in over five years (move over michelle branch) I was just disappointed by the promise this story had with all it's interesting characters, and actors. If you noticed I didn't mention Hader or Wiig, because... they are completely useless characters. It's not that much to ask for that if you are going to set up something pay it off. Don't do things inexplicably, just teach us something about love, or life, or at least present an interesting philosophy on youth, or understanding, or the recession, or passion, or something! Of course they are going to get together! At least make it an interesting ride to get there.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

I'm a loner, Dottie... A Rebel!



Achieving a rapid rate of success with the most trivial of things...

Yesterday, I aspired to return some sneakers from H&M and with the refunded income, purchase a secondhand (thus cheaper) copy of The Venture Bros. Season 3. I went to Academy Records, my little secret, favorite store in all of New York City, and not only did I find a SEALED copy of VB3, but I also found a sealed copy of Spirited Away... one of the five missing pieces of my sanity... I'll explain some other time.

Today, I sat on the live nation website, sweating nervously at the horrifying idea that for some reason I would not be able to purchase tickets to see The Get Up Kids on May 1st, for their first show in NYC since their break up a few years ago. It was possibly the most nerve racking twenty minutes of my adult life... Goes to show how much little actual drama I go through in my life. Needless to say, I got the tickets (thank TGUK for making it WILL CALL ONLY,) and I can finally see my favorite band of all time play another show, after missing their last show due to working on the road.

I am a late bloomer with technology, but not for lack of trying. I have been coerced into joining Twitter, but I will have to be dragged in kicking and screaming... You see, I am currently tackling the, geriatric to most, new to me, phenomenon of PODCASTS. They are free (for the most part) and incidentally the average length of my walk to and from work. Now I learn for about an hour a day, instead of listening to the same 16gigs of music I have been listening to since Summer 2008.

See, it's all about the little victories!

I say this because I haven't written a page in almost two weeks, and I has done something very interesting to my perspective. It seems my experiment to recharge my creative battery has only proved to me that I am pretty reliant on this whole writing-a-book thing i've been doing as a source of identity. I don't really like not having a goal, or a direction. I've never felt anything like it, possibly a side-effect of the doldrums of the 9-6 job, or...I don't know... something more abstract.

I don't know where I was going with this, but, I am getting back to work tomorrow. That and I think I need to go outside more often. How do I go about doing both exactly?