Rufus Wainwright : Mandel Hall : University of Chicago : Chicago, IL : October 28, 2005

Flier design for Chord Magazine party: front & back

FRONT OF CARD


BACK OF CARD

virago

virago \vuh-RAH-go; vuh-RAY-go\, noun:
1. A woman of extraordinary stature, strength, and courage.
2. A woman regarded as loud, scolding, ill-tempered,
quarrelsome, or overbearing.

Cadenza's "C9"

1 minute and 22 seconds of "Ouch!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYONDAI BRAXTON!

Squeeze's "Goodbye Girl"

The hum of synthesizers lay underneath layers of keyboards with a steady beat - the melody almost Tropical. It's like The Beach Boys' "Kokomo" tried to be as satisfying as this songs feel but failed miserably. Talk about pale in comparison - I just insulted myself for typing that sentence... The lyrics tell a story about a one-night stand in where the narrator suffers a robbery. After going up to this hotel with the goodbye-girl, he wakes up in the morning with his keys, money and other belongings gone. To which he compares the situation to his wife having moved to Jersey, "so luck is not the word." Such a happy, upbeat song to go with such an unfortunate turn of events.

Can you love Squeeze subconsciously? I turned on VH1 one night and they were playing Squeeze after Squeeze video. Mostly horrible ones, mind you... but I was so excited. They even had Glenn Tilbrook talking in-between songs. It was the closest I've ever dreamt of coming to being "there." You see I never had the chance to be there when it came to Squeeze. I didn't even realize how much I loved them until 1998. Sometime during my two-week attempt at having a "2nd job" at Cheapo Discs on Lake in Minneapolis, I loved "Take Me I'm Yours" - which my mother listened to a lot when I was growing up, and so I decided to pick up a Squeeze record. I didn't pay it much attention after taking it home, it kind of just sat there ignored on my desk underneath countless band bios and 8x10s beside the Indigo Imac. Then one day, I sifted through the mountain of paper and promotional CDs and had the mind to actually play the disc. I loved every single song on the record. Top to finish. Talk about underrated. I think I'll spin one of their hits when I DJ the party at Rodan on 11/13... Hmm...

Most of my friends' Squeeze-knowledge starts and ends with "Tempted" on their Reality Bites Soundtrack, burned forever in their minds. That ruins me. Squeeze is usually a tough sell because of this. But most their songs that I adore sound nothing like this re-hit. So, yeah - thanks music director for Reality Bites. Thanks for making me repeatedly defend Squeeze to my peers saying, "No, no... they really don't sound like that all the time. Yes, yes... I know they wrote the song but..."

Hey, if The Decemberists cover Squeeze - that means they're retro-hip, right?

from the last Voltage show @ the Empty Bottle

Det Gamla Landet's "Hemfärden"

Sometimes you just can't deny liking a band. Because of bad decisions and life's funny way of teaching you lessons - I found out about this band... Well, let's just say that I detest thinking about how I came to learn about DGL's existence. I do, however, like that I do know they exist - because they are truly inventive, sensitive and intuitive to feelings in a way that they don't need lyrics to invite you into listening to why their songs emote. This song is about two minutes and six seconds long. You can dissect all three (and then later on six?) layers of what makes up "Hemfärden," yet you can't understand why they can take your carefree mood and make it contemplative in 2:06 flat.

This particular song isn't featured, but you can listen to their other tracks. Buy the record, one of the label owners is a fabulous new-ish dad!

Big Star's "Thirteen"

Luckily, it's about 15 years too late for anyone to dedicate this song to me. Aptly timed, it could have very well been the song to ruin me for life.

"Won't you let me walk you home from school / Won't you let me meet you at the pool / Maybe Friday I can / get tickets for the dance / and I'll take you / Won't you tell your dad, "Get off my back" / Tell him what we said 'bout 'Paint It Black' / Rock 'n Roll is here to stay / Come inside where it's okay / And I'll shake you. / Won't you tell me what you're thinking of / Would you be an outlaw for my love / If it's so, well, let me know / If it's "no", well, I can go / I won't make you"

It's an incredible song. Moves me when ever I hear it. And lately, I've heard it being played many places making me hush conversations as I'm swept away but the acoustic guitars dancing around each other from left speaker to right. It's a ghost song. But ghost of what? It's not a marker of some sweet and tender time in my existence like "September Gurls" is. But in Thirteen's lyrical simplicity and romanticism is mirrored in its guitar and vocal arrangement. Makes me swoon everytime.

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