Boston 2007

Ok, you can all stop yelling at me now....


My trip was great, if not a bit too short. I flew in Friday night and with a minor inconvenience aside the flights were fine. We stopped in Atlanta and the plane was supposed to continue on to Boston, but they changed that and failed to tell the flight crew. Myself and the other guy going to Boston had gotten off and I happen to ask the lady at the gate if the plane was going to Boston and she said no that's been changed so I had to go back and get my suitcase. That was a bit annoying, but I had an hour so it was ok. Oh and is it a rule that if you connect in Atlanta your connecting flight has to be in a totally other concourse? That happened both ways.

My hotel was nice. It's one of the original hotels in the area, Copley Square/ Back Bay, and is across the street from The Boston Public Library and a Lords and Taylor. When I got off the train, I was a pulling my suitcase trying to find my hotel, but I couldn't stop looking around at everything. Definitely the right area. It was very beautiful, as you'll see from the pictures, really top notch.

It rained Saturday morning, so I didn't get out as much as I wanted, but I did walk around the Back Bay area and see the shops and the lovely brownstones the next block over. It was all very nice.

Hannah came down from New Hampsha around noonish and we spent most of the rainy afternoon catching up and eating at some bagel place that was home of "the bagel buzzsaw". Basically, whenever someone order a bagel, they dropped it on this conveyor belt which carried it to this big saw looking thing and sliced it in half and shot it down to the people who put on your toppings. You know, whatever tofu you were having. It was kind of fun.

We left for the show and thought we knew where we were going, but kind of didn't. Basically, we went right when left was the order of the day. We saw all of the theater district though, so that was nice and Hannah accosted some poor little punk kids trying to find a club themselves. After 15 different directions given (that were all wrong), we found it.

The show was great. Always a great crowd, except there were some people from Buffalo who kept chanting "Lets go Buffalo". I know, what the fuck is in Buffalo? Weird. The lady behind us was originally from Canada and was married to an American briefly and now was with the guy she was sitting next to. I know all of this because when I came back to my seat between sets, Hannah and her were talking. Girls do that. Strike up conversations with random people. She liked Hannah's shirt and Hannah liked hers. Again, something else girls do. She was cool. It was her fifth Hip show and her favorite song is "Gift Shop" which they played and that's cool. She was also very hot, but that's unimportant. By the time the show was over the weather had broken and we walked home through Boston Common and that was lovely, even in the dark.

Sunday was a completely different day weather wise. It was sunny, crystal blue skies, windy and about 50 degrees. Perfect. We walked down to Fenway Park, which was about 2 miles from the hotel. Great day to go. The Red Sox were set to win the World Series that night and there was buzz around the park. We took the tour, which was fun and you'll see some of the pictures henceforth.

I came home Sunday evening. I realized something on the way home; at 30,000 feet at night, every city looks the same. We could have been flying in a circle for two hours and I'd have never known the difference. We got to Atlanta and were delayed from our original departure time to Tallahassee of 10.30 to 11.50 because they didn't have any pilots for the flight (Ah, welcome to the New Delta) and had to call some in. We didn't get to Tally until 12.30AM and I didn't get to my house until 1.30.No worries, totally worth it.

All in all it was a great trip, I only wish I would have stayed longer like I had planned, but I will be back at some point to catch the things I missed. Harvard, the Charles river, Freedom trail all that crap.

Special thank you to Hannah for coming down. It was great to see you again after all this time and thank you especially for coming with me to Fenway. Baseball is a very important thing to me and Fenway is one of its cathedrals if you will. It's a link to the past as the tour guide said all the greats have played there. It was a place I'd always wanted to go and it fulfilled a small dream for me. Thank you for sharing that with me.

Also, thank you for lifting the curse. I"m sure that will help.

Ok, so here are some pictures. I didn't get to take as many as I'd like with the limited time and the rain on Saturday, but I'll be going back.

Want:Need

No even ashamed of it, but I want this very much bad.

NMT #7

I'm back from Boston and it was a wonderful trip. I'll post more about that later and I have some pictures that I will post somewhere. Boston is beautiful and I plan on going back when I can spend more time there. Anyways, as I said, more on that later.

This week our New Music Tuesday comes from a selection given to us from our New Hampsha delegation.

Her name is Colbie Caillat and she's from Southern California. Her dad was Fleetwood Mac's producer from Rumors on. I'm sure if you have a radio or have been in an airport or a supermarket in the last few months you've probably heard it. I think it was even used in this years League retreat slide show, but I haven't had conformation on that yet.

It's a nice song, very upbeat and fun. She's cute too, perhaps a little too blond, but cute all the same. Anyway, enjoy it now, got a feeling you'll be hearing it a whole lot more very, very soon. God forbid we don't run everything into the ground.

Colbie Caillat - Bubbly



Bonus Tracks:

These guys opened for the Hip Saturday night. They were really good and I'll probably be picking up some of their stuff soon. This is apparently a big hit in Canada right now, because the Canadians went bat shit when he played it (Hannah, this is when you went to smoke). It's a good song and has a bit of a Buddy Holly feel. This video is taken from a Canadian awards show. The opening is done by the guys from The Trailer Park Boys.

Joel Plaskett Emergency - Nowhere with you



Your random pick:

Since House is on tonite, I thought we should look back and remember to a time when Dr. Cameron was hot, which she no longer is. Mormon Girl knows what I'm talking about. Someone put this video together with a cover of The Hip's Courage done by Sarah Polley which was on the soundtrack to The Sweet Hereafter.

Sarah Polly - Courage (featuring the formerly hot, but now not at all hot, Dr. Cameron)

Opening shots

I made it to Boston in one piece. Flight was ok. Had a little confusion. The plane I was on was supposed to continue on to Boston from atlanta, but they apparently changed that plan. Riding the subway in, they had a problem with one of the tracks so they had one train going in and one out. That delayed things, but I got here ok. So far it's cold, but I'm across the street from the Boston Public Library which is this beautiful old building.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow, which sucks, but I'm sure we'll make the best of it.


Oh and quick congratulations to our Mormon Girl. She was this years Runner-up for Employee of the Year at the League. We're all very proud of you Mormon Girl.

Here's a quick shot of the Bay (I think) as we landed. We passed over a cruise ship as it was headed out. That was kind of cool.

NMT #6 - Boston edition

Our pick this week isn't actually from Boston, but they do mention it in the song. I think they're from California by way of Illinois, but I don't know.

Anyway, this is another request from Amanda and then Little Red Haired Girl wet herself at the mention of it, so I think it'll go well. I don't know too much about any of it, but it's a good song and I'm headed to Boston in three days.

Amanda and LRHG, prepare to squee:

Augustana - Boston



Bonus Tracks - In honor of the trip, some bands actually from Boston (you won't be hearing any of the band Boston for they suck BIG ole monkey balls).

I pretty much had an early 90's indie crush on this girl. This was and still is one of my favorite records. This is for all of you with older sisters. (also note this video is taken from 120 Minutes. The greatest show MTV ever had.)

Juliana Hatfield - My Sister.


If you like Nirvana in any form, you are pretty much contractually obligated to like this band. Cobain said once he would quit Nirvana and join them if asked.

Pixies - Monkey Gone to Heaven



And for our final going to see The Hip moment (yes, Kg, it's almost over). If I've given you a cd in the last five years, you have this song. Not live, but a great song.

The Tragically Hip - It's a good life if you don't weaken

Helpful advice

One of my favorite shows is "Weeds". It's on Showtime (which means I have to wait for it to come on DVD since Magic Cable doesn't have Showtime) and stars Mary Louise Parker...mmmm....Mary Louise Parker...as a recent widow who lives in this affluent suburb and turns to selling weed to soccer moms to survive (yeah, I think it was originally on the BYU channel). It's very funny and you should put it in your Netflix cue. You won't be disappointed, This I Command!

This is a scene involving Mary Louise Parker's...mmmm...Mary Louise Parker..youngest son how has recently discovered, um, how to, you know. Well, he's apparently been flushing his socks and it's stopped up the plumbing. She tries to talk to him about it resulting in a funny yet highly awkward for the both of them exchange. It doesn't go as planned so she tell her brother-in-law to talk to him about it.

Incidentally, the brother in law and Mary Louise Parker...mmmm....Mary Louise Parker...were both in Angels in America together. If you've ever seen it she's the wife married to the Mormon who realizes he's gay (swear I'm not making that up) and he plays the guy with AIDS whose boyfriend leaves him as he's dying. And actually every one in the story becomes connected as the Mormon has his first gay thing with the boyfriend who leaves.


Anyways, she asks him to talk to her son. This is what he comes up with. It's hilarious and the euphemisms he comes up with are brilliant and it's so well delivered.

Please come to Boston

Going to Boston on Friday and I am Super Psyched! It's going to be F-U-N! To honor that moment here's is a funny skit. I was going to do a whole week of things, but there's no way I can pay attention that long.

According to our New Hampsha listeners, these are called, "Massholes". (Yes, people from New Hampsha are kind of Surly...but pretty :) A favorite T-shirt shows an outline of the state with the words, "New Hampshire. Go away and leave us alone" )

Anyway, Sully and Denise see Bruce Springsteen-It's wicked pissah'!:

New Music Tuesday #5

Just a quick note before we start. To the New Girl in the office: If you're going to wear glasses, you cannot wear your hair up. It's too much. Thank you.

Biggest New Music Tuesday ever! Well, because the R.E.M. Live album comes out today.

Ok, this week's choice was brought to us by Amanda. I'm sure our Top 40 Queens (Atlanta & Austin) already knew and have grown sick of this song, but I hadn't known of it until Amanda asked for it.

The band is from Villa Park, IL, Chicago basically, which was the home of the Ovaltine chocolate factory. That's all I know.

So, remember to drink your Ovaltine and enjoy:

Plain White T's - "Hey Delilah"



Bonus Tracks:

Continuing with our Richard is going to Boston to see this band program:

In the middle of this song he starts to sing parts of other songs he hasn't written yet. He does this a lot. He writes passages of songs and then works them in the show. If you listen closely at the end, some of you may hear a passage that might sound familiar.

Tragically Hip - "New Orleans is Sinking(W/Westwind/Cookie Factory, Ahead by a Century & Springtime in Vienna) "



This weeks random pick:

Seriously, what the hell?

Mormon Girl, what in the hell is this? This was in Rolling Stone:


HOT CALENDAR: Mormons Exposed

Thanks to Big Love and Mitt Romney, Mormons are already sexy. Now, because of Chad Hardy, they're also half-naked. The Las Vegas resident, a self-described "open-minded" Mormon, has put together a steamy 2008 calendar featuring bare-chested former missionaries. And they're selling quickly to both women and men. "So many people look at Mormons as being very backward or non-accepting of other lifestyles, but here's a group of guys who are saying, 'We're not that way,' " Hardy says of "Men on a Mission," which he sells on his Web site, MormonsExposed.com.

After screening the models to make sure their families approved, Hardy shot them in locations including a Latter Day Saints temple. "I was waiting for lightning bolts to come down," Hardy says.

Though some conservatives have expressed outrage over the shirtlessness, some former church members say they might not have strayed if they'd known other Mormons like Hardy. And he's doing his best to live up to that respect: Hardy is already planning his next calendar, which features Mormon women. "It's not what people expect," he teases. "It's going to be pretty stinking funny.



Well, if you want to see more, and I don't know why you would-it's just more shirtless, freakishly hairless guys. It's kind of gross, but here you go.

NMT #4

hey, this is the 100th post. It keeps track, I don't.

This weeks selection is one of those I have a band name, but really, it's just me things. You know, like Nine Inch Nails, Bright Eyes, Britney Spears, that kind of thing.

Name of the Band is Bat for Lashes. I don't know much about her, other than she has an English mother and a Pakistani father, she's from Brighton, England, she was a free Discovery download on iTunes about three months ago-which is where I heard it and her album is called "Fur and Gold" and she's kind of cute (but I didn't know that until I found this video this morning. had nothing to do with the selection). She has a myspace page if you want to find out more.

It's a little eccentric, but in that Tori Amos-there's a great song underneath all the weirdness-sort of way. This is a live performance from a British Awards show, but it's very close to the studio sound. What first caught me was the catchy Harpsichord riff in it.

So, here you go, from the land of Mary Poppins:

Bat for Lashes - "Horse and I"



B-sides:

If I haven't told you yet, I'm going to Boston at the end of the month. I am going to see the Tragically hip on Saturday night and in honor of this, I'm going to show you what that's like. That way if you're coming to the show with me, you'll know what you're in for. Allison will attest, he's probably on crack and he keeps that up for 2 hours.

Tragically Hip - "The Lonely End of the Rink (live in Barrie, Ont)




Your random pick of the week:

NMT #3

Before we start, I wanted to address this comment from last week:

Lynniechan said...

Me like the music recommendations. Keep 'em coming. I may have to keep the precedent going on my site.

Thank you and please, by all means do it. I encourage you all to do the same. No matter what is is, if you like it tell someone. They may not like it and that's ok ( yeah, as weird as it is to hear me say it, it's even weirder to actually be saying it), but they might. They might even find a new favorite band or at the very least a song or album that touches them and changes their life.

Yeah, or just something they can listen to when they get bored with what they already have.

Share it all and you never know when someone might say, "Hey, that Severed Heads band is pretty good".


Now on with the show:


Our band this week is from some far off, desolate place that human beings rarely dare venture too: Austin, TX. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of reason to visit this place, since-as I have been told...numerous times- no one ever seems to. No one cool lives there, cause I think Matthew "dude, just play Wooderson and put a shirt on" McConaughey has moved.

However, it does call it self the live music capital of the world (which seems a bit....egomaniacal, but hey). It might be true since not only does it host the SXSW conference (sort of the Sundance for independent music, but you know, still relevant) and the Austin City Limits Festival every year, if you look up concert listings for Austin, they have more on a weekend then we do in two years. which isn't hard since I could play two live albums in a row in my living room and make that claim. As usual, I digress.

Anyways, this week's band from Austin, TX, home of: Univ. of Texas, SXSW, good BBQ and something else.....I can't remember, not important. This is from their current album "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" (it's official, all the good names have been taken), which I have if anyone needs it.

Spoon- "The Underdog"

Bonus tracks:

Speaking of Austin City Limits: Here is a clip from this year's festival. The band is Blue October. Sorry about the sound, it's a bootleg video, but you get the idea. If you listen very closely you can hear Little Red Haired Girl screech in delight as she's in the crowd somewhere.

Blue October - "Hate me"



Something Random: