3 posts tagged “qotd”

What are five things you take for granted? 
Submitted by meowkitty.

1. My head not exploding Scanners-style.
2. A nuclear device not going off in my basement.
3. Cancer-free privates.
4. Gravity.
5. All the matter in the entire universe not collapsing into a Cinnabon-sized ball of pure energy.

What are the 10 most memorable music performances you've seen? (Remember, "memorable" may not be good.) 
Submitted by Bill. 

* Public Enemy w/ Sisters of Mercy @ J.L. Knight Center in Miami, 1991 -- PE played for 40 minutes, and when it was done I was exhausted, even at tender 17. Best show I saw in high school, and still the gold standard for on-stage energy.

* Polvo @ Eclectic House, Wesleyan University, 1994 -- I don't remember what was so awesome about this, just that it was awesome.

* Hole w/ Magnapop @ Toad's Place in New Haven, 1995 -- The crowd was mostly high school boys, and when Courtney dove into the crowd, she was somehow surprised and furious that they got gropes in.

* US Maple @ 9:30 in D.C., 1998-ish -- They sucked. They sucked. They sucked worse than the suckiest suck that ever sucked. It was the first time I ever got a "You suck" chant going. (They were opening for Pavement.)

* The Dismemberment Plan @ 9:30 and Black Cat in DC and @ Slim's, GAMH, Bimbo's, and Bottom of the Hill in SF, 1998-2004 -- I don't know why I saw them six times, and I don't know how they stayed fun all those times.

* Mix Master Mike & Rahzel @ 9:30 in DC, 1999-ish. It was a little jarring to see a guy voice-mimic a DJ right after seeing MM Mike, but I still remember the noise.

* The Roots, Mos Def, Slum Village, Dead Prez @ Maritime Hall in SF, 2001 -- Three hours of glory.

* Kool Keith @ Slim's in SF, 2002-ish -- The wife got us tickets for a birthday present for me. The jokey opening acts droned on and on, obviously killing time as we waited and waited for Keith. Keith never appeared, and the show suddenly ended after one of the openers announced Keith had been "arrested with a prostitute on Mission Street." Then they strong-armed the owner of the club for the cash box and fled.

* Bishop Allen @ Edinburgh Castle in SF, 2005 -- The hipster crowd was lukewarm until the band broke into a cover of Fugazi's "Waiting Room." It was a dead ringer for the "Rawhide" scene in The Blues Brothers.

* Grandaddy @ 1st Ave in Minneapolis, 2005 -- Great band with great songs, great stage set, great club. It made me want to quit my job and move into a cabin in the Sierras with nothing but an axe and a laptop.

What are some charitable causes that you support or would like to support?

Doctors Without Borders, the greatest NGO on planet Earth: Immunizing the poorest people, helping refugees survive, going to the dreariest places on earth and making lives better.

For our wedding, we made a donation to Medicins Sans Frotieres in lieu of party favors that our guests would just intentionally forget in their hotel rooms.

Please donate if you're feeling it.