Entourage & Curb, a Tale of Two Finales By Tom Ruff September 12, 2011
This weekend HBO aired two finales, the 8th season conclusion of "Curb Your Enthusiasm", and the series finale of "Entourage".
For "Curb", a lackluster season filled with ups and downs, concluded with a brilliant 30 minutes of Larry at his finest... at war with Michael J. Fox over what shaking is and isn't Parkinson's related, getting basically tossed out of NYC by Mayor Bloomberg, and teaching a potentially gay 7 year old about Hitler and swastikas. This season has differed from most of the series is that it had no through-line to a big resolution (i.e the restaurant, the Producers, the Seinfeld finale) Instead, it featured Larry getting himself driven from two cities, first LA, and then NYC, in almost exactly the same manner, and a slew of references that carried from city to city. In many ways, ending the series with Larry calling a Parisian driver a "pig parker" made the whole season end on a high note. For the first time years there didn't seem to be any reason to think this will be the last "Curb" season, and for that reason alone, I almost feel like it could have been. If it was, the series definitely ended on an appropriate high note, even if the season overall wasn't one of its best.
"Entourage" on the other hand, came to an end with a mediocre episode that resolved the characters' story in a rushed and lackluster way. If you simply read a paragraph recap of the episode, you might be fine with the predictable comedy series ending... Ari quits his job to be with his wife "Melissa", E and a pregnant Sloan get back together with the aide of the rest of the group, and Vinnie does something impulsive - running off to get married, in typical all-or-nothing Vinny fashion. I'm sure the marriage won't last, but the fact that he did it was right up his alley. While I had no issue with the episode's major plot points, I still found it to be a terrible conclusion to the series. Guest appearances were thrown together, and seemed completely disjointed and low budget (Mike Ditka?). Backup characters were forced into other scenes (Lloyd and Ari's goodbye, Scott Caan at the airport, Terrence's phone calls with E and Vinnie, and Ari's post credits job offer).
The way I see it there were two major faults with this finale. The first is that they simply waited too long in this final season to really begin to wrap things up, and as a result, had to cram everything together at the very last minute. This show could have benefited from having been an hour, doing one, not two, episodes about how the guys all stick together, and worked Turtle and Drama's resolutions into the finale. The other is allowing a potential film keep them from really doing a great resolution episode. "24" made the same mistake last year, effectively ruining the series by leaving it open to a film that will probably never be made. The movie that may never happen, but by assuming it will they simply produced a typical season finale that didn't really feel like the end of a series. At the end of the day it's just a TV show, and one that has never been all that well written to begin with, but a little more planning and it could have been great. It's a shame, because overall the season was pretty good, and the characters and fans deserved more.
Review: The Dave Matthews Band Caravan The Gorge Amphitheatre George, WA Sept 2-4, 2011
When the Dave Matthews Band decided to take their first year off in two decades, they realized they still had to find a way to mark their 20th anniversary. This culminated in four three-night, multi-band festivals, in which DMB headlined every night. This past weekend the Caravan stopped at the band's annual labor day stomping grounds of "The Gorge", a picturesque venue overlooking a giant canyon in central Washington state. The band has been playing here since the mid-90s, and for most of the past decade has made three nights at "The Gorge" a late tour labor day tradition. Every year the band is known for bringing their A-game, and filling sets targeted at these most hard-core destination fans stand out, and 2011 was no exception.
9/2 The three night shows were also televised live via full video webcast, and in full disclosure, I only managed to attend nights 2 and 3. Night 1 was a solid opener to the run, in which the band played a lot of their more recent material, including much of 2009s Big Whiskey & the Groogrux King. Highlights of the night included the live hardcore favorite "Shotgun", the jam heavy "Lying In the Hands of God", and the surprise return of 2005s "American Baby intro and American Baby", which, although a little sloppy, was a welcome return to the repertoire. Dave also played the newly and beautifully written ukelele tune "Sweet", written for his son who is learning to swim.
DMB - Friday Sep 2 2011: Don’t Drink the Water Squirm Proudest Monkey > Satellite Seven Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel Sweet * Out Of My Hands + Lying In the Hands of God Shotgun American Baby Intro > American Baby Funny The Way It Is Stay Or Leave Crush Shake Me Like a Monkey Tripping Billies __________________
A Whiter Shade of Pale * Time Bomb Grey Street
Show Notes:
* Dave Solo + Dave, Carter, Stefan and Tim
> indicates a segue into next song
9/3 The second day of the Caravan kicked off with an energy driven performance by Tim Reynold's TR3, a predominately instrumental rock power trio. Highlights of that set included a melody driven but powerful rendition of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir, the classic driving ballad "Radar Love", and several songs from TR3s "Radiance" album, a recent DMB pre-show house music staple, and an excellent rock album.
Day 2 also featured a phenomenal perforamnce by the Warren Haynes Band, still touring in promotion of this summer's acclaimed Man In Motion album. The set featured such highlights as "Sick of My Shadow", and the album's title track, as well as Haynes' popular anthem from his other bands, the Allman Brothers Band's classic "Soulshine". DMB's Rashawn Ross set in on several songs in this set.
The final opener on the main stage was the Roots, who managed to tear themselves away from Jimmy Fallon's stage long enough to tear it up for the crowd. Their exciting set blended hip hop, rock, and jazz to perfection as they played to a near capacity crowd while the sunset began. Unfortunately there were another 5-6 bands on the two side stages I was not able to check out.
DMB took the stage about 8:25, and for the next three hours played one of the more memorable shows in my 15 years of touring. The show opened with the haunting "Big Eyed Fish" > "Bartender" combination, in which Jeff Coffin killed on the sax and penny whistle. The set blended fan favorites from throughout the band's career, and included a few 2011 debuts - the return of #27, and a stellar surprise cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". The highlight of the show was one of the most intense performances of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" ever played. This long time DMB guest favorite, featured the return of Warren Haynes to the stage, who spent the better part of twenty minutes dueling vocals with Dave and lead guitar licks with Tim Reynolds. Haynes' sax player Ron Holloway came out to join the band for Jimi Thing, another stellar performance, and several other members of his band joined on backing vocals for the crowd pleasing "Stay (Wasting Time)". Other highlights included a killer #41, a slightly retooled "The Maker" by Daniel Lanois" and the 1-2 combination of So Much to Say > (Anyone Seen the Bridge) > Too Much. Overall this show was arguably the best of 2011, and the crowd left wondering how it could possibly be topped.
DMB - Saturday Sep 3 2011: Big Eyed Fish Bartender One Sweet World You Might Die Trying #27 Write A Song Spaceman > Corn Bread (#40) Dive In #41 The Maker Cortez The Killer + So Much To Say > Anyone Seen The Bridge > Too Much Jimi Thing * You and Me Stay (Wasting Time) ~Ä __________________
Some Devil 5|| (Dont Fear) The Reaper Two Step
Show Notes: * Ron Holloway + Warren Haynes ~ Alecia Chakour Ä Nigel Hall 5|| Dave Solo
(song name) indicates a partial song > indicates a segue into next song
9/4 The final day of the caravan featured a few more weekend highlights. Josh Ritter entertained the crowd with his blend of country pop, before Dave and Tim played an acoustic set on the side stage. The short Dave and Tim set featured the typical blending of Dave storytelling and excellent stripped down versions of DMB tunes. Dave made a lot of jokes about his expensive pajamas, and sat there watching in awe with the audience as Tim played his solo song. The flawless performance featured non-stop highlights, and Dave and Tim doing what they do best - making big complex layered sound with just two guitars and one voice. In an era of DMB that is so rock/electric driven, it's also nice to see these shows where Dave's unique guitar playing is not only heard, but featured again, and this set was perfect. ; Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds: Sunday Sep 4, 2011: Grace Is Gone Save Me So Damn Lucky Little Red Bird Old Dirt Hill Tim Solo Oh Eh Hee Dancing Nancies
The final "opener" on the main stage was the reformed Dispatch, who put on one of the best show's of the weekend. Opening with their classic "Here We Go" and featuring an added guitar player and percussionist, the trio bounced around between a full band sound and a tiny three person acoustic arrangement. They played songs that spanned their career, including highlights "Bats In the Belfree" and "The General". This band is at a new peak, and the crowd seemed highly engaged in their performance. They also seemed elated to finally be performing on the picturesque and famous Gorge stage.
When DMB finally took the stage at 7:30pm, they were going to have a tough time topping Saturday. Opening with the crowd pleasing "Everyday", had tens of thousands of people singing along to kick off the night. This set was all over the place in terms of era, flow, and intensity level, but although somewhat awkward at times it was full of highlights. A near 20 minute Seek Up was dominated by near everyone in the band, Carter Beauford crushed drum solos on the classic "Say Goodbye" and "Gravedigger", and Boyd gave his all on an epic "Lie In Our Graves" - Left open in the main set and with the reprised outro revisited in the encore. Other highlights included the Busted Stuff fan favorite "Raven", which has been retooled to start with Dave solo and escalate into something big and bold, a Tim Reynolds dominated cover of Led Zeppelin's "Good Times Bad Times", the work in progress wall of sound "Black Jack", and the rarity "Halloween" which seems to have been played more frequently at the Gorge then any other venue. This show definitely had a higher "rarity value" then the other two, and also featured standout performances by Rashawn Ross and Stefan Lessard. A side note on this show, would be the glowstick war that escalated throughout the weekend, culminating on fans building a near football length glowing chain that gradually made its way down to the stage during the second half of the show. Before the encore, Dave commented at how awesome it was, and how it shows what people can accomplish if they work together. Night three definitely had a more jazzy and mellow feel to it, but certainly had its rock moments, and although slightly below Saturday, was a solid and memorable show in itself. The band closed the weekend with Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" as the crowd continued chanting the signature lyric all the way to the parking lot.
This weekend completely lived up to the hype, and the travel expense, and the Gorge is definitely everything people say it is. The view and sunset alone made the trip worth it, and every band brought their A game. DMB/Dave alone played 70 different songs over the course of the three nights, with no repeats. I only wish I could have seen the 15 or so other bands over the three days that I didn't get a chance to check out. I also commend DMBs management for doing such an excellent job of making the grounds organized, inviting, and easy to navigate. This was a very well run festival, and everyone seemed to have the time of their lives. The DMB caravan concludes next weekend at New York City's Randall's Island, a rain date weekend to replace the Irene cancelled Governor's Island dates from late August.
DMB - Sunday Sep 5, 2011: Everyday Seek Up Why I Am Alligator Pie Crash Into Me Say Goodbye Digging a Ditch Warehouse Raven Gravedigger Lie In Our Graves Loving Wings Good Times Bad Times Black Jack Granny All Along The Watchtower __________________
Baby Blue * Lie In Our Graves (reprise) > Halloween Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
Show Notes: * Dave Solo
> indicates a segue into next song
Oh, and check out the highlight of the weekend here:
GRATEFUL FOR THE DEAD:
"THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED" DVD FILM REVIEW
By Tom Ruff
August 29, 2011
One of the forgotten films of 2011 is a moving little picture by Jim Kohlberg and based on the Oliver Sacks essay "The Last Hippie." In "The Music Never Stopped" an estranged father and son, torn apart by Vietnam and a devestating tumor, attempt to reconnect through the music of the 60s nearly two decades later.
The film stars J.K. Simmons as Henry Sawyer, a father in 1986 whose son Gabriel (Lou Taylor Pucci) suddenly appears in a hospital nearly 20 after a Vietnam related fight caused him to run away. He and his wife Helen (Cara Seymour) are informed that Gabriel has been living on the streets, his brain devastated by a large and benign tumor, and with a form of amnesia that has left him with no long term memories from after the early 70s.
Henry comes across an academic study by Dianne Daley (Julia Ormond) who believes that music can help people with similar conditions communicate and build new memories, as the emotional reaction is tied to a different part of the brain. Gabriel's dad undertakes the task of learning all about the music of his son's youth, the very music that he blamed for his son's drug use and failures. As the film progresses, we learn about their family history through a series of flashbacks tied to Gabriel's response to the music of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, and most importantly the Grateful Dead. It becomes Henry's biggest goal in life to right the wrong of his son's youth, and take him to his first Grateful Dead show in New York City. As Henry becomes more and more immersed in the music of the 60s, he finds himself not only rekindling his relationship with his son, but also understanding just what the music of that era meant to Gabriel. A sweet and heartfelt side plot involves Gabriel's emotional connection to a woman named Celia, who he is able to remember because of the similarities of her name to the song "Cecilia". All of the subtle nuances of the plot focus on one central theme - that music, unlike anything else out there - has the ability to make everything make sense.
While this film isn't perfect, it is beautifully shot, and is able to capture the essence of how music is able to connect with people on such an emotional level, and how it is so intertwined with the Vietnam generation. The scene in which Henry and Gabriel attend the Grateful Dead show kicks off one of the most moving and emotional uses of music as a plot device in recent memories, and while implausible, the fact that "Touch of Grey" enables him to build his first new memory in decades - of he and his father attending a show together - will make you smile. The acting is fantastic, the soundtrack is excellent, and the film will make you laugh and cry. For anyone who truly appreciates music, and truly has a deep connection with the bands that they love, this movie is for you.
Film Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
By Tom Ruff
August 12, 2011
In recent years it's become increasingly common for film studios to relaunch or "reimagine" classic franchises, with new plots, new characters, new origins, and new takes by writers, producers, and directors who have nothing to do with the original intent of the creators. Just ten years after an already attempted relaunch of the "Apes" franchise, in which Tim Burton failed to win over fans, critics, or audiences, many people were asking why this series needed a reboot. The original film which spawned four sequels, and two failed tv series, has gone down in history for one of the greatest film endings ever, a slew of catch phrases, and a commanding performance from one of Hollywood's biggest legends. The first reboot was a failed attempt at turning a 60s distopia series into a simplified action film, with flawed storytelling, unimpressive characters, and a lack of standout performances from its cast. Director Rupert Wyatt and writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver had a huge challenge in front of them in making this film, and they rose to the occasion.
This new film is neither a sequel or a prequel. It is a reimaging of the ideas explored in the "Apes" franchise, starting in a whole new place, but with the understanding of what made the original series captivating to multiple generations. The "Apes" films (and the original novel by Pierre Boulle), at their core, were never simply action films, or sci-fi films. They were morality tales on the ethical treatment of animals, and cautionary tales about the dangers of science run amok. They were also responses to the great fears of the day... that the cold war would lead to the nuclear annihilation of mankind. The great ending of the original film, and backstories in the sequels show us that man would ultimately destroy itself, and that our fears over the unknown could ultimately lead to those very fears coming true.
This film explores many of those same ideas, but updated for modern times. In the post cold-war world, "Rise" explores the conflicts between the desire for scientists to save lives, and the motivation of big pharma to rush results for profit. James Franco plays Will Rodman, a scientist doing Alzheimer research on chimpanzees in a race to find a cure. His company is motivated solely by profit, and he is motivated by the desire to save his father who is rapidly deteriorating from the disease. After a chimp named Bright Eyes shows side effects of a stark increase in intelligence, but also lashes out and runs wild at a shareholders meeting, all the apes are ordered to be put down and his treatment declared a failure. When one of his colleagues refuses to put down the infant offspring of Bright Eyes, Will takes him and raises him as a son, only to discover that he has inherited the treatment from his mother. This chimp, appropriately named Caesar by Will's father (played by John Lithgow), grows up to be the smartest ape who ever lived, with intelligence rivaling humans, and the ability to learn anything put in front of him. As Will's girlfriend (Freida Pinto) would point out though, chimps also should be feared, as they are inherently wild, and can be very dangerous. After Caesar attacks a neighbor in defense of Will's father, the courts force him to be relocated to an ape preserve, where he finds himself caged, mistreated, and surrounded by other apes who see him as being different. Caesar is not human, but he is not quite ape either. As the film progresses, the mistreatment of the apes leads Caesar to bring his "people" together, and lead a revolt, in which he ultimately steals the treatment that made him intelligent, and gives the other apes the intelligence that he had acquired. The apes run amok as they attempt to flee the city and setup a new civilization in the redwood forests where Casear had played as a child. By the end of the film he has learned to speak, and tells Will that he is home in his new environment.
As a major subplot of the film, the treatment that Will had engineered had the side effect of creating what may be a super virus that threatens to wipe out humanity. No doubt the writers used this mechanism to setup future sequels. In the original franchise, it was nuclear weapons that wiped out human civilization, but in the 21st century, biology dominates science, and this change is topical and appropriate. For fans of the franchise, there are also several references to the original series, including a scene in which trappers chase apes through the jungle (a reversal of the scene in the first film), and references to the Icarus shuttle en route to Mars being lost (Col. Taylor's ship? that will wind up in the future where apes rule). In an homage to the fourth film, Caesar's first word ever uttered by an ape is "No".
Perhaps what made the film most fascinating was watching Andy Serkis' motion capture portrayal of Casear, who with almost no dialogue becomes one of the most captivating characters of 2011. For a film in which so much of the plot is carried through visual effects, sign language, and facial expressions, it is phenomenal at how moving the story is. The motion capture technology of the apes is as much of a leap forward in technology as the original ape makeup was in 1968. The film captures all of the philosophical debate, metaphor, and symbolism that made the originals so interesting, but also replaces much of the 60s/70s "cheese" with darker story telling and more action. If there is one critique, it would be that the story development of the first hour could have been dragged out a little longer, and the action events of the second hour could have been a little shorter. I can't wait to see what they do with the next film, and whether they stay in this general time period chronicling the battle for the planet, or skip right to the future where apes are in control. Either way, I trust this team to be the right group of people to get it right, and I can't help but think that Roddy McDowall would have agreed. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is in theaters now.
Falling Skies: Season One Finale Recap
by Tom Ruff
August 10, 2011
On Sunday, the highly anticipated first season of TNT's sci-fi alien drama came to a close, with a two-hour episode that no doubt took some direction from some of it's genre predecessors.
In this two-hour finale, Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) dealt with fears over Captain Weaver's (Wil Patton) ability to lead a massive coordinated attack on the alien structure located in Boston. As the coordinated attack was being planned, the aliens prepared to attack the 2nd Mass's position at the high school, and Rick and Ben tried to cope with figuring out what was happening to them, who they were, and where they belonged.
In the first part, Mason staged a mutiny after learning that Weaver had been abusing pills and may not be fit to lead their insurgency. After being locked in the boiler room, he escaped, and used his reasoning skills to convince Weaver that they had to work together, and that this attack, which would likely result in casualties, needed to be a group decision. Also in the first part, Mason learned that the skidders were also harnassed, like his son Ben, and may not have always been as they appeared. As he feared that Ben might be transforming before his eyes, the boy also continued to sense changes within him, but unlike Rick, he knew how important it was to remain human. Ex con pope continued to assemble his explosive devices and machine piercing bullets, while Mason's youngest son defied his father by helping.
In the second hour, Weaver led an army of volunteers off to Boston to attempt to rendezvous with other militias and blow up the structure. At the same time, Mason prepared the civilians to move out and hide in a new location, as they learned a skidder attack was inevitable. Ben learned that his connection to the aliens could be used to his advantage as he helped to track down a radio frequency that could disrupt all alien communication. This would later force the aliens to retreat from the high school and regroup. After Rick attempts to sabotage this effort, he runs away and tells one of the harnass kids all of the 2nd Mass's plans in hopes that the aliens would accept him back, but they leave him behind, and Mason convinces him that his place is with the humans. After driving the aliens away from the school, Mason drives out to Boston to meet up Weaver's forces, only to learn that they have been defeated and the strike on the tower has failed, and the other militas never made it. In a final Hail Mary attempt, he fires an RPG at an alien ship, which crashes into the tower, causing a massive explosion. It doesn't destroy the tower, but clearly does some damage. The episode ends with Mason and Weaver being stopped by an alien ship, and his oldest son's now harnessed girlfriend, who tells him that the aliens never expected resistance to this level and want to negotiate. They tell Mason they will take Ben back if he doesn't go with them, and he joins her and one of the aliens in walking onto their ship.
The finale, and in many ways the season, felt in many ways like it had followed the LOST formula. An incredibly serialized plotline, a very short time span, a focus on characters and emotions, and just a sprinkling of mythology filled with more questions then answers over the course of the first season. The finale itself resembled so many early season finales of LOST, with half the group preparing an offensive, and the other half of the group preparing to run and hide, and at the same time defend themselves. In fact, there were so many similarities to the general episode structure, that at numerous points throughout the episode I half expected Tom to quote the famous "Live together, die alone" line.
Overall, I loved this first season. It doesn't have the intelligent dialogue or big budget action that some people might have preferred, but it does have a focus on characters, and a slow peeling off the outer layers of a back story and mythology that draws me to shows like this. I also love the way the writers have replaced flashbacks with history lessons of past wars, specifically the American Revolution, as a metaphor that carries the narrative along. Setting the show in New England, the birth place of our nation, really works for the show. While I don't expect to see any Emmy nods, I definitely look forward to learning more about the "who" and the "why" next season, and can't wait to see what happens when Mason goes inside that ship.
Concert Review: Phish @ the Hollywood Bowl
August 8, 2011
By Tom Ruff
It will be hard for many to understand it when I say that I've considered Phish to be one of my favorite bands since around 2000, and yet for over a decade, seeing them live has managed to elude me time after time.
This might be an absurd concept to some, especially those who knows my love of going to shows (In full disclosure I have seen DMB 41 times, and various offshoots of the modern Dead about 15 times), but there are very good reasons for how I ended up at this point. First of all, by the time I was ready to go to my first show the band went on the hiatus. When they came back I had moved to LA, a city where they played less frequently, and found myself missing every show I had an opportunity to see. When the band announced the permanent breakup in 2004, I worked through virtually every show in the tour and thought I had missed out forever. For years I had to live off my vast collection of live releases, official bootlegs, DVDs, and audience recordings, and the occasional visit from various Trey solo bands (the 70 Volt Parade, the Undectet, and finally Classic Tab) When the band finally came back in March of 2009, I knew I would finally get my chance at some point, and yet the band chose to avoid LA like the plague for the next 2 1/2 years. They did play Festival 8 at the Coachella site, a 3 night stand that I did have tickets to, but once again working forced me to have to miss the event. It's true that there were east coast shows I probably could have traveled to, but being freelance makes it impossible to plan sometimes, and so it took until last night, one night at the Hollywood Bowl, well over a decade after I first started listening to the band to finally make it to a show.
I went into this show with my usual pessimism about all things Hollywood Bowl, expecting a casual fan friendly set filled with songs like Sample In a Jar, but equally excited just to be seeing the band in person. The first set opened with rocker Down With Disease and continued through 13 songs that explored the band's more rock side. Less jamming, but all intense, well-executed, and exciting. Personal highlights were Possum, Tube, Back On the Train and a killer Split Open and Melt. I was also very excited and surprised to see the Frank Zappa cover Peaches En Regalia, and the Talking Heads cover Cities. It was also fun to see Page McConnell take the mic and walk around the stage, carrying the room in true Sinatra lounge singer fashion, during Lawn Boy.
Set two was a little more experimental and more jam heavy, opening with a rendition of Carini and continuing on through a non-stop segment that included an epic Crosseyed and Painless, Twist, Mike's Song, and a Weekapaug Groove section that saw Trey take over seemlessly for John Fishman on Drums, who then proceeded to move to a smaller drumset that had been set up at the foot of the stage, where he then stole the show with his rendition of Paul Simon's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. This cover segued seamlessly back to Weekapaug before the band closed the set with the crowd pleasing Character Zero and Bob Dylan rocker Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn).
The encore consisted of a personal new favorite, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, and the crowd pleasing Julius. The show clocked out at just under three hours of music time, and far exceeded expectations for the often lackluster Hollywood Bowl. As I've already said, I have a vast collection of live shows, and while this wasn't one of the best shows I've ever heard, it was excellent. What it lacked in extended "type II jamming" it made up for with rocking intensity and fun. I also was unprepared for just how blown away I would be by the lighting show, and truth be told, I don't think I've ever looked less at a projection screen at a show where I was that far back. If I have only one complaint, from the back of the venue I felt that all of the vocals, but Trey in particular, were way too low, but I am going to chalk that up to the overrated Bowl acoustics. This was countered by Mike Gordon's bass, which was so well mixed, I found myself paying a lot more attention to his playing then usual. I don't know how other people would rate this show, and I didn't want to bring myself down by looking, but for a Hollywood show, and for my first show, I couldn't have possibly left happier. Phish will be playing at the Outside Lands Festival this weekend, and I only wish I could go.
SET 1:
Down With Disease, Cavern, Possum, Cities, Peaches En Regalia, Kill Devil Falls, Lawn Boy, Tube, Back On the Train, Wilson, Axilla I, Split Open and Melt, Backwards Down the Number Line
SET 2:
Carini > Crosseyed and Painless > Twist > Piper > Mike's Song > Joy > Weekapaug Groove > 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover > (Hold Your Head Up) > (Weekapaug Groove), Character Zero
ENCORE:
Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Julius
Final Comments on the Debt Ceiling Debate by Tom Ruff August 2, 2011
I want to make it very clear that if I had been my own member of the House or Senate, I would have absolutely voted for the debt ceiling compromise. I also want to make it very clear that I think it's a bad deal. It makes cuts to vital programs, and doesn't do anything to increase revenues. That being said, I don't envision any scenario in which the president would have gotten any thing better.
There are plenty of reasons to be annoyed at Obama's handling of these negotiations. There are also plenty of reasons to praise his efforts to build a bipartisan consensus. The fact of the matter is, there was no way the Democratic Party was going to get anywhere, and we had a great deal more to lose then the Tea Party. The far left, specifically people like Keith Olbermann, can be as angry as they want to but it doesn't change the reality that the Tea Party really did hold all the cards in this debate. Their very idealogy seems to imply they didn't care if we defaulted, and they were willing to "throw the baby out with the bath water" to get what they wanted.
Here in lies the difference between the governing style of Democrats, and the governing style of the Far Right. The far right is willing to let everything fall apart, rather then actually solve any problems, and Democrats know that the country is far too important to take such a dangerous stand. We had to compromise, we had to let them have their way, and we had to get the debt ceiling raised. The harsh reality is that the GOP will always have the public relations advantage with the American people. When your entire position is "I don't want to take your money, they do." you will always win. When your position is "we need your money to make other people's lives better, but don't worry it will also make your life better" right or wrong you lose people at "we need more money". What people who support the far right don't seem to understand is that the government isn't a business, it doesn't exist for profit, and doesn't exist to live by a bottom line. The whole purpose of government is to provide necessary services for its citizens. The other area on which we differ is on the definition of "necessary services". To those of us on the left, this includes quality education, healthcare, fire and police services, roads and infrastructure, jobs, air and food standards, military protection, unemployment insurance, etc. Those on the right will argue that much of what I just listed is a "want" not a "need" and therefore shouldn't be covered with taxpayer dollars.
The truth is Democrats do as a party do have a lot more to lose because we do know the value and importance of government. This makes it tremendously hard for us to govern. The bigger truth is that until the majority of Americans start to see the value of teamwork, cooperation, and a purpose that is greater than ones self, Obama can promise all the change he wants, but he's never going to be able to deliver, and neither is anyone else. I don't know what it will take for some people to understand that shared sacrifice is essential to recovery... quite possibly a much deeper bottoming out... or quite possibly nothing could ever change the mentality in this country. It may be that the president is thinking to the repeal of the Bush tax cuts as being the second half of this process. It may also be that he decided once again that he couldn't win, he could only lose or tie, and took the best outcome he was dealt.
I'll close in saying this... I don't know for sure what will happen in next November's elections. I don't know if Obama will be reelected or not... and contrary to some opinions nobody else does either, it's still more than a year away. What I do know is this... I will proudly continue to support a president who is willing to keep trying to fight the good fight, but also knows the importance of living to fight another day. The President could have followed through with his threats and bluffs, but that wouldn't have benefited anyone. We as a nation should take a lesson from the president, and focus on our areas of agreement. We should continue to try and support people who want to make the world a better place, even when we it seems like they can't succeed, because unlike games, there are no winners, and we all can lose.
George Harrison and the Concert For Bangladesh By Tom Ruff August 1, 2011
If you've been on any number of entertainment news sites, or even itunes in the last few days, you might have seen advertisements for the 40th Anniversary of The Concert for Bangladesh. Held on August 1, 1971, this charity event was organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, and also included Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, and Billy Preston. The event was actually two concerts held at Madison Square Garden on the same day, and became a concert film and live album. It was held to raise money following a cyclone, and to help refugees affected by the Bangladesh Liberation War.
In honor of the 40th anniversary, the film is being streamed live and for free today, and is a must see for any fans of Harrison, classic rock, or landmark events. Watching the video, you get to see him at the top of his game, just after the breakup of The Beatles. It also comes on the heels of All Things Must Pass, an album critically acclaimed and arguably the best post-Beatle album by a former member.
The film is beautifully shot, the performance is flawless, and the lineup is an amazing combination of some of the best musicians of the era. That it was thrown together so quickly makes it all the more impressive. Notable absences are John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who were asked to participate but chose not to attend.
The film includes compiled highlights from both shows, including fantastic renditions of the Beatles classics While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Something, a cover of the Stones classic Jumpin' Jack Flash sang by Leon Russell, Harrison's My Sweet Lord, and the Bob Dylan classics A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, and Blowin' In the Wind. The film also includes an opening set with Ravi Shankar led Indian sitar music.
Harrison's career declined in the subsequent decades, but this concert footage shows him at the top of his game, and reminds you of how significant his contributions to the Beatles truly were. The show blends so much of what made him unique, placing a heavy emphasis on his spirituality, and the influence of Indian music. This event also showcases how positive an impact artists can have when they come together through music to benefit those in need. It also shows a metaphorical snapshot of an era in which the legends of rock were writing the history books with every performance. The Concert For Bangladesh is now available on iTunes, and can be streamed today at GeorgeHarrison.com.
There's nothing like seeing some of the most iconic music of your youth turn twenty to remind you of just how fast you're getting older. If you weren't paying attention this week, you might have missed a story that Facebook was allegedly removing pictures of the quintessential grunge album, "Nevermind", by Nirvana for violating its terms of service. The album, which features a naked baby boy on the cover, will be hitting the big 2-0 in September. "Nevermind" was easily one of the most important albums of the early 1990s, helping to launch the grunge movement into the mainstream, and helping to establish a new golden age of rock that would be seen throughout much of that decade.
Nirvana's breakout second album isn't the only big musical anniversary happening this year. In a few weeks Pearl Jam will be celebrating its twentieth anniversary with a three-night stand at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin. Pearl Jam will also be the subject of a Cameron Crowe documentary entitled "PJ 20" being shown in select cities on September 23rd. The trailer is available at pj20.com, and features never-before seen footage exploring the band's twenty year history. As a longtime fan, I can't wait to see this, and am looking forward to reading the accompanying book as well.
Also celebrating their twentieth anniversary, is my personal favorite, the Dave Matthews Band. Although arguably founded in late 1990, DMB began performing live in 1991, gradually building a grass roots fan base locally in Virginia, then in East Coast college towns, then nationwide until their first independent album and major label studio releases would be released a few years later. DMB is celebrating twenty years of relentless touring, by interrupting their first ever down year with four three-night multi-band festivals, colorfully known as the Dave Matthews Band Caravan. DMB has changed a little in the last few years, with a much heavier rock sound, and a somewhat revised lineup, but the essence of the band's shows remain the same.
On a side note, just for fun, I thought it might be interesting to take a quick look at some of the other events that happened in 1991:
- Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won their first of six NBA championships in the decade. The Minnesota Twins (MLB) and New York Giants (NFL) were also World Champions that year.
- "Silence of the Lambs" won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing
- "Terminator 2: Judgement Day", arguably one of the greatest action sci-fi films ever was released. Twenty years later the franchise has produced two additional sequels, with a third on the way, and a TV series that ran two seasons.
- Kentucky Fried Chicken officially changed its name to KFC.
- The Soviet Union fell, and Boris Yeltsin became President of Russia. The arguable end to the Cold War came with the dissolving of the Warsaw Pact.
- The World Wide Web project was announced by Tim Berners-Lee.
- Super Nintendo was released.
- Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton decided to run for the Democratic nomination.
- Magic Johnson announced that he had HIV.
- Sonic the Hedgehog was released giving Mario a legitimate rival in the mascot world.
- Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Cheers, Home Improvement, Full House, Murder She Wrote, Major Dad, and Coach, were all in the top ten most popular TV shows.
If there is anyone out there who still remembers a little show called LOST, that ended with one of the most controversial endings ever last year, this past weekend the creators of the show brought a never before seen "deleted scene" to Comic-Con. This "deleted scene" was actually a tongue-in-cheek clip compiled of footage from the season one finale, and new footage shot with Mark Pellegrino and Titus Welliver (Jacob and "The Man In Black"). In the clip, Locke and Jack are debating the idea of destiny as the prepare to enter what would become the Swan hatch for the first time, as Jacob and MiB watch from the bushes and discuss what the Lostaways will encounter throughout the remainder of the series, including the button, time travel, the candidates, the death of Locke, the light of the island, and that "cork metaphor".
I recently watched the entire series again in its entirety, and while I may be in the minority I still stand by it as one of the best TV series ever. I also stand by my great appreciation for the show's finale. They tied up the story lines of the series' characters, and they left you with some questions to discuss afterwards. At the end of the day what always made LOST so great for me was the discussion about the mystery that viewers could have with each other. Answers were nice when they came, but nobody was ever going to be happy, and trying to figure out what it all meant made the show much more interesting then actually finding out. I liked the fact that answers always led to more questions, and I liked trying to decipher what it all meant, even if 9 out of 10 times I was wrong. It doesn't matter to me if they had a plan all along, or made it up from season to season, because it doesn't change the way I enjoyed the show. At the end of the day the best fiction to me is that which makes you think, and LOST always made you think.
If you weren't happy with the ending I suggest giving the series as a whole another shot. When you watch it again knowing the ending, the pieces really fit together. If you haven't seen the show before and are considering it, go in with an open mind.
Seeing this clip, shows me three things... A) that Damon and Carlton stand by their product; that they aren't making apologies for how the series ended... B) that they have a great sense of humor when it comes to how other people reacted... and C) that even after a year this tiny little "joke clip" can still make me want to talk about this show, and for that I say Thank You... oh, and I liked the cork metaphor...
Mark Sanchez: A Model For America? by Tom Ruff July 27, 2011
I want to make it very clear that I know the title of this entry will right off the bat earn some ridicule, but I want to make a case for how Mark Sanchez should be a model for how the debt ceiling crisis... and politics in general... gets handled.
Just hours after the end of the 130+ day NFL lockout, the 2011 free agent frenzy kicked off, and the New York Jets found themselves scrambling to put their team together. Mark Sanchez came out almost instantly to make it clear that he would be willing to restructure his contract in order for his team to sign and resign the best possible players. You might be asking yourself, why would any player voluntarily offer to give up guaranteed money, but the answer is simple... he wants to win a Super Bowl. Whether or not the Jets take him up on his offer remains to be seen, but up against a decreased salary cap (thanks to the new CBA) and with 16 unrestricted free agents, Sanchez has shown fans that he is part of something bigger then himself. He's part of an organization that has the best chance of success if "me, me, me" doesn't factor into decision making. Coming off a lockout, and with so many athletes making record money, it's refreshing to hear this attitude coming off a major franchise's quarterback.
And this brings us to politics and the debt ceiling crisis. People who are disengaged, or uninformed can argue all they want that there is no difference between the two parties, but the fact of the matter is that one party is the "party of we" and the other party is the "party of me". The biggest debate going on now is that the Democratic Party, as flawed as it is, does believe the governments job is to improve the lives of its citizens, and the Republican Party does not. Obama and the Democrats are more willing to compromise because they know they have to. The GOP and the Tea Party have no interest in compromising because they protect only the interests of the people least likely to be hurt by a bad economy. The rhetoric in this country is out of control, and the fact that so many in Congress would rather let the U.S. default, and risk a depression, then compromise on any level, really shows how different the two philosophies are. Obama has made a great deal of mistakes in the last few years, and has alienated a great deal of liberals by compromising too much, but the fact of the matter is he recognizes that he has so much more to lose by not compromising. It's easy for Republicans to keep saying "no" when all they care about is protecting the nation's most wealthy. It's easy to win public opinion when your entire argument is "we promise no taxes", but that doesn't make their position right... no pun intended.
As for how this relates to Sanchez and the Jets; the real argument Obama should be making now is that its time for the American people to focus on more then just themselves again. Kennedy, FDR, and so many others recognized for America to prosper, everyone has to contribute, and when America is prospering, everyone is better off. Obama needs to call on all Americans to start rebuilding our country, to make decisions based on how everyone will be effected, and to think more big picture than "my personal tax rate". Everyone stands to lose if our economy doesn't get back on track, and everyone stands to lose big if we don't find a way to get this all-or-nothing thinking out of our government. For us to get out of this vicious cycle of decline, we have to start thinking about how our actions impact everyone... only then will we find our nation winning again...
BREAKING BAD: THE HERO DILEMMA By Tom Ruff July 26, 2011
After what seems like an eternity, the fourth season of AMC's award winning drama "Breaking Bad" is underway, and the action picked up right where the show left off. As the show starts, Walt and Jesse are having to deal with their actions at the end of the last season, and viewers are left wondering, who are we supposed to root for in this show?
Don't get me wrong, the series is one of the best shows on television, with some of the best writing and acting in the business, but one of the aspects that makes the show so unique is the lack of any traditional protagonist. When the series began Walter White was a married high-school chemistry teacher, working a second job at a car wash, and trying to raise a disabled teenage son and a baby on the way. White was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and chose to use his professional skills to make and sell crystal meth as a means of leaving his family a nest egg. While his actions seemed unconventional, there was something admirable about a guy who would do anything for his family. As the show has progressed though, we have seen a fundamental shift in Walter's character, as his willingness to do anything to become a drug kingpin paints him not so much as a man protecting his family, but a sociopath who used cancer as an excuse to let his dark side out. Although Walt is currently in remission, he has continued to pursue his new found "career" and escalated his role from drug-making chemist, to underboss who has committed murder (and ordered murder) stole and laundered money, lied so many times that his marriage is completely ruined, and put his family at so much risk that they are worse off then they were when he was first diagnosed with cancer.
The second episode of this season was very interesting, as Walt made it very clear that his intentions are to murder drug boss Gus, and take over the business himself. Although he continues to rationalize to other people that his emphasis is on self-defense, its hard to believe that when he is buying guns with filed off serial numbers and making it clear to Mike the bodyguard that he intends to kill Gus. A very telling scene happens outside Gus' house, when Walt puts on his fedora, almost transforming himself into his alter-ego "Heisenberg" in what can best be described as a Jekyll and Hyde homage. Looking back at the entire series now, it seems much more likely that Walt entered the meth business not to raise money for his family, but to cure his life of boredom and regret. I think he made the choices he made because he had a dark side that he wanted to let out, and cancer became his excuse and his crutch.
So if Walt isn't the hero of the series, then who is? At this point everyone seems morally bankrupt and nobody is black and white. Walt's wife threw him out over his lies and criminal actions, but now she's laundering and spending the money. Hank, the DEA brother in-law was the victim of a horrible tragedy last season when he was shot and left paralyzed, but its hard to really make the case that he has ever been anything but an obstacle to the show's leads. This leaves Jesse, Walt's partner, and possibly the most interesting character. Whereas Walt has shown himself to be the bad guy, Jesse is much more ambiguous. In his character you see a guy who is nothing more then a train wreck who got into drug dealing because he didn't know better. Jesse loves to call himself a bad guy, but he is the only one who seems to show true remorse over his actions. Early this season, Jesse is desperately trying to deal with his murdering Gale, an action he clearly did for self-defense, but one that is tearing up his character from the inside out. It will be interesting to see if Jesse can use this event to get himself off the downward spiral or not.
It will be interesting to see how the writers continue to develop the show's characters going into the later part of the series. A lot of comparison will be drawn to "The Sopranos" as a great deal of fans will want to see Walt brought down, and others will want to see him come out on top, but the difference between the two characters is that Tony was born into a system he never had a real shot at escaping, and Walt made the choice to become the villain. It wouldn't surprise me to see the close tight "partnership" between Walt and Jesse dissolve in future episodes, and I could envision a situation in which Jesse ends up working with the DEA to bring him down. It's equally possible that the show ends with Walt getting the better of everyone... a kingpin with his family at his side and all the money and power he clearly seems to want… or maybe it ends as it began, a sad and pathetic guy desperately trying to avoid dying of cancer. "Breaking Bad" airs on Sundays on AMC.
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM… "PALESTINIAN CHICKEN" by Tom Ruff July 25, 2011
For the last several seasons, I have really felt like HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" has been headed downhill, losing track of what made it good in the first place… Larry David's lack of self-awareness getting him into trouble. Instead, the emphasis and focus has been more oriented towards shock value, and an increasingly meaner Larry, who has become more and more unlikeable. I don't know if the change in direction is the result of LD's bitterness towards his real life divorce, or just what happens as shows get older. "The Office" was doing the same thing to Michael Scott in season 6 with the Scott's Totts episode, and don't get me started on the "hit or miss" of "South Park" in recent years. What I do know that I've found less and less episodes of Curb smart and funny in the last few years.
In the third episode of this season "Palestinian Chicken", the show seemed to get back to its roots, while also making a political statement about the 2010 mosque/NYC controversy. The plot finds Jeff and Larry stumbling onto an anti-Semitic chicken restaurant, and they are more then willing to check their Jewish heritage at the door in order to enjoy epic chicken. Meanwhile, Larry's friends plan to protest the chain opening a new location next door to a Jewish deli, putting LD literally in the middle of his people and his chicken. Without giving the entire episode away, side plots include Larry being asked to become a "social assassin" when a friend's wife is guilty of annoying "verbal textingLOL" instead of just laughing. The story also features a golf tournament, cheating married friends, blackmail by a teenager, and newly devout Funkhauser overhearing Larry having sex with a Palestinian.
The plot seems to be derived in part from the classic Kenny Rogers Roasters episode of Seinfeld, in which Kramer has to choose between his hatred of a bright red light that is making him crazy, and love of chicken, but takes it to a whole new level as only Larry David can do. These days, it's hard to know which Curb will show up from week to week, but if the remainder of the season focuses on this style of irony and awkwardness, then I can't wait to see what happens LD takes Manhattan. "Curb" airs Sundays on HBO.
Entourage & Curb, a Tale of Two Finales
The way I see it there were two major faults with this finale. The first is that they simply waited too long in this final season to really begin to wrap things up, and as a result, had to cram everything together at the very last minute. This show could have benefited from having been an hour, doing one, not two, episodes about how the guys all stick together, and worked Turtle and Drama's resolutions into the finale. The other is allowing a potential film keep them from really doing a great resolution episode. "24" made the same mistake last year, effectively ruining the series by leaving it open to a film that will probably never be made. The movie that may never happen, but by assuming it will they simply produced a typical season finale that didn't really feel like the end of a series. At the end of the day it's just a TV show, and one that has never been all that well written to begin with, but a little more planning and it could have been great. It's a shame, because overall the season was pretty good, and the characters and fans deserved more.
