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June 29, 2007
Celebrex May Lead to Death, or Just Tripping Out
This may be the weirdest commercial I've ever seen. I just saw it for the first time last night during Olbermann, and I was dumbfounded. It's apparently a spot for Celebrex, and I had to look it up afterwards to find out that it's a pain reliever, because I was so hypnotized by the visual effects I had no idea what was going on. First, there's the weirdly creepy "all the lines turn out to be text" effect, which you don't notice right away. It's very cool technically, and quite beautiful, but kind of has "Big Brother/Matrix" overtones, like, "everything in the world is made of fine print!" Then, out of nowhere, the voice-over gal says something like, "Celebrex may lead to heart attack, which can lead to death." Death? What?! That's bad, right? Is that in the fine print somewhere along the side of the coffee cup? But, thankfully, there's a lovely ambient acoustic guitar soundtrack—reminiscent of, I dunno, Air's "Cherry Blossom Girl" (link NSFW)—that lulls you back into a state of tripped-out bliss. Look at all the bubbles.. they're made of words! So pretty! And it goes on... and on... and on... for two and a half minutes. Did I dream this, after some bad salmon? No, it's on YouTube:
June 28, 2007
Live Review: The National at Bimbo's, SF, 6/27/07
I admit it, I’m lazy. I’m like a four-year-old, shiny things get my attention. So I like bands with style, gimmicks, "bits." We only wear red, black, and white! We have crazy fake wings and giant sunglasses! We sound like we’re from the 80s! It grabs me, so I tune in. The National don’t care. They are not those bands. And so: six middle-aged Brooklynites in Ross Dress For Less shirts shamble onto the Bimbo’s stage and ease into "Start a War," an understated track from their new album Boxer, and I’m searching for a way in. Are lead singer Matt Berninger’s half-sung half-spoken lyrics a reference to greats like Leonard Cohen, or is he just sleepy? Are the chiming, open guitar chords reminiscent of U2, or just simplistic? Suddenly, the singer steps back, and the guitars hit a strange, surprising note; the song jumps up a notch, to somewhere more haunting, more disconcerting. These are the moments the National seems to live for, and a key to understanding the band: "Stick with us," they seem to say, "and you’ll be rewarded."
The show isn’t perfect. Their second song, "Mistaken for Strangers," seems underwhelming, kind of like "Interpol Lite," and I wonder why the drums are so quiet. Right on cue, somebody shouts "more drums!" when they finish. But maybe that guy and me are wrong: the National don’t want to be Interpol. They want their brooding, subtle songs to creep up on you, not bash you over the head, and if that means the drums are kept a bit down in the mix, so be it.
Who’s that kooky guy with the violin? Padma Newsome, who isn’t technically in the band, and you can tell: he jumps around the stage, plays his violin ukulele-style, and bangs a tambourine like his life depends on it. It’s an interesting counterpoint to this most thoughtful of bands; almost like, well, something shiny to grab your attention. Either way, the National deserves it.
Upcoming US tour dates and some videos after the jump.
The National on tour:
Thu 6/28 – Berbati’s Pan, Portland
Fri 6/29 – Richard’s On Richards, Vancouver
Sat 6/30 – Neumo’s, Seattle
Sun 9/16 – Austin City Limits Festival, Zilker Park, Austin
"Mistaken for Strangers"
"Start a War" (Live)
June 27, 2007
Amy Winehouse Crying Out for Help to Spin
UK sensation Amy Winehouse has grabbed headlines worldwide with a self-mutilating incident during an interview with Spin magazine. The singer reportedly carved "I love Blake" (referring to new husband Blake Fielder-Civil) into her stomach with a leftover shard of broken mirror from the Spin photoshoot. Apparently Mr. Fielder-Civil was hanging around too, and caused his own controversy when he threatened to "slit the throat" of a bystander who said he looked like actor Ethan Embry. Winehouse brushed it all off during the interview, saying "I don't care about any of this... I write songs because I'm f***ed in the head."
Wikipedia explains self-injury as a dissociative mechanism, separating the mind from feelings that cause anguish, a phenomenon most often seen in women, although statistics are unreliable since self-injurers tend to conceal their injuries. Not this time.
Winehouse's current single, "Rehab," climbs from number 10 to number 9 on the Billboard Top 10 this week, with her album remaining at number 10; one can only wonder if her American success has proven too much for her to deal with. See my previous post for her upcoming tour dates.
Coming Soon: Beck Beer, TV on the Radio "Staring at the Sun" Brand Tequila, M.I.A.’s Super Premium Hard Lemonade?
Anybody thirsty? Billboard.biz reports that Interscope Records has just entered an agreement with Drinks Americas to "develop various drink products" with Interscope artists. The oddly-named Drinks Americas (I guess they’re including Central and South?) currently produces tasty beverages like Donald Trump’s Super Premium Vodka and Willie Nelson’s Old Whiskey River Bourbon, and I can't imagine buying either of them. Okay maybe Willie's whiskey.
Now, we’ve already seen a hot Bay Area hip-hop style get its own energy beverage, but the mind reels at the co-branding opportunities that could emerge from this deal. The label’s roster includes mainstream hitmakers like Fergie, Enrique Iglesias and 50 Cent, as well as critical favorites like Feist, Wolfmother, and even Simian Mobile Disco. You can find their complete list of artists here; post your own ideas for artist-themed beverages in the comments, and if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll see them soon at your neighborhood 7-11.
American Film Institue Releases their Top 100 Films of All Time
Last week, the American Film Institute released their latest top 100 American films of all time. While it is arguable that the list is a marketing ploy since it is accompanied by promotions from AOL, Best Buy and Moviefone, it at least brings attention to some great films that younger generations have yet to see.
All my favorite critics weighed in with their takes on the list with Jim Emerson celebrating the arrival of Nashville on the list, Keith Phillips over at the A.V. Club pointing out that the list "kinda sucked," and Roger Ebert stating "lists like these cry out to be disagreed with." So, in the spirit of dissent, let me jump into the fray of film geeks with opinions.
What bothers me most about this list is that the ballot of 400 movies from which to select is predetermined, and although I have combed AFI's website, I still can't figure out who gets to decide which movies make it onto the ballot. But, despite making it onto the ballot, even great movies like Fargo and The Third Man were bumped as lesser movies (as far as this film geek is concerned) such as The Sixth Sense arrived on the list.
Notably absent from the list were any movies by David Lynch, The Coen Brothers, Jim Jarmusch, or Terrence Malick, all directors who have made films essential to gaining a complete picture of American cinema. But the list isn't all bad. This year, the list includes more silent films, which were mostly ignored in the first list AFI put out in 1998. All critique aside, the AFI's top 100 serves a purpose — it makes me want to go home and watch a movie, but if you are looking for a must-see list to get your cinefile on, I recommend this one. It is far more wide-ranging and (gasp) even has foreign films in the mix which the AFI list lacks as it limits itself to American films. Unlike every other comparable national film institution, the American Film Institute restricts its focus to films of its own nationality.
Go here to check out both the 1998 and 2007 lists and let your inner film geek out and tell us what you think about them!
—Martha Pettit
Neato Viddys on the Intertubes
No Top Ten this week since I was back home in Nebraska for the weekend (I'll have a posting on a snazzy new Omaha music venue later this week), but in the meantime enjoy some new music video clips, and one that's not so new but still very good.
Kanye West – “Stronger”
In which Kanye West invites Daft Punk (whose “Harder Better Faster Stronger” is sampled prominently) to watch him emerge from a weird EKG-looking machine in bulge-enhancing briefs, and then dance around in a denim vest and louvered sunglasses while Japanese subtitles explain it all
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Rockers to Swallow”
In which a leotard-sporting Karen O performs the band's new song (from Is Is, out July 23rd) in front of funhouse mirrors to an appreciative crowd, filmed by what appears to be surveillance cameras
Watch on Yahoo! Music here
Ali Love – "Secret Sunday Lover"
In which the young British singer (featured on the new Chemical Brothers single, “Do It Again”) imagines himself in a kind of campy spy-slash-disco movie. He even gets the girl at the end
Interpol – “The Heinrich Maneuver”
In which director E. Elias Merhige portrays a surreal, slowed-down (and possibly reversed) Los Angeles street scene (apparently referencing the song's bitterness towards a West Coast ex-lover) complete with eye-rolling “surprise” ending which almost ruins it
Sonic Youth – “Teenage Riot”
The original video, in which the band perform the “hit” from their just-rereleased masterpiece Daydream Nation. Also featuring, um, everyone from Pee Wee Herman to Sun Ra
June 26, 2007
MCA Pimps Bad Brains
It's only fitting that MCA of the Beastie Boys (Adam Yauch) pumped out the newest and ninth full-length Bad Brains' punk album, Build a Nation, which hits record stores today. The Beastie Boys first dabbled in punk before riding the rap genre all the way to stardom and, for years, Yauch has claimed that the Bad Brains were a huge influence on his music.
Bad Brains is a band often credited with originating the hardcore sub-genre of punk rock. All four members were African American, and they mixed reggae with punk music. Some say they should have picked one or the other. I say they were, and still are, um...bad ass.
The album is pretty damn good but it's not breaking any new ground. Much like their previous recordings, there are songs that are lightning fast, as well as slower, dub reggae ones. Lyrics float between themes of Rastafarianism and social commentary. It's a time capsule for fans of a band that, by mixing reggae and political themes with aggressive and loud music, influenced a huge chunk of what we call alternative music today.
—Gary Moskowitz
June 25, 2007
The Incredible Shrinking News Media
The San Jose Mercury News recently launched yet another round of editorial cuts -- This makes three in just the last 18 months, a cut of nearly 17 percent that will leave the paper with 200 newsroom positions, down from a peak of 400 just seven years ago.
With the San Francisco Chronicle's recent announcement of its own staff slicing, coupled with major regional media consolidation, the Bay Area is starting to feel like the incredible shrinking news area.
But the Bay Area is not a case in isolation. Media consolidation is plaguing media outlets across the nation. In our March/April 2007 issue, Mother Jones found that equity-chasing investors and the FCC are key players in the incredibly expanding media mess. Wall Street, the Bush Administration and technology are all in the mix, too.
—Gary Moskowitz
June 22, 2007
Indie Publishing Takes a Big Hit
Any bookish type will tell you that some of the most interesting and innovative copy in bookstores and libraries often comes from a small independent publisher that is willing to take a chance on an author. So when PGW (Publishers Group West), one of the main distributors for these scrappy DIY publishing houses, got put on the chopping block back in January, it was looking like rough waters ahead for indie publishers.
When PGW's parent company went bankrupt, all of its assets were frozen, which meant that publishers were not paid for any sales from the last quarter of 2006 (which includes December, the most profitable month for any retailer). Eventually the company did get taken over, but publishers only received 70 percent of what they were owed. Being a bookish type myself, I have been following the ongoing drama via Shelf Awareness for the last six months, but you can get the full story over at Salon.
Some small publishers folded, others were bought out, and among the indie houses still standing, many are struggling. Included in this list is one of my personal favorites, author Dave Eggers' publishing group McSweeney's, which lost an estimated $130,000 in actual earnings. They're having a big sale on their website in an effort to raise money to offset their losses. Keep one of my favorite publishing houses alive by buying some cool stuff. My personal recommendation? This shirt.
—Martha Pettit
June 21, 2007
Sopranos Finale Goes On and On and...
Is this a sign maybe David Chase was onto something, the fact that nobody can stop talking about the thing, almost two weeks after it aired? Here's some updates, fallout, and more parodies:
- The accompaniment to the finale, Journey’s 1981 hit, “Don’t Stop Believin'," has surged back into the charts in the wake of the show’s publicity, reports Billboard.biz, up 371% in digital sales (currently residing at #26 on iTunes), with their Greatest Hits album up 111%. Grab A+D’s freestyle mix of the track for your next party: “Don’t Stop Believin’ In Planet Rock” (mp3)
- Wanda Sykes gave her theory about the show’s ending on Conan O’Brien last night: “He whacked his family. The son’s annoying, whining all the time, the daughter can’t park… he just whacked ‘em.” Alternately, for evidence supporting the “Tony is dead” theory, check out, ahem, tonyisdead.com.
- Hillary Clinton’s spoof video drew over 500,000 hits to their website, according to her people, beating the day they launched the freakin' campaign. Even Giuliani brought it up, saying “I still prefer my 'Godfather' imitation, but you know, I have a lot more practice at it." Whichever random Clinton aide thought this thing up, give them a damn raise.
More parodies after the jump.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates are getting in on the act, with a little less success than the Clintons:
- Ever wonder what the Godfather would have been like, directed by David Chase? Well, now you know:
June 20, 2007
Webcasters Counting Down to Day of Silence
With just over four weeks until online royalty rates are set to increase, internet broadcasters and the people who love them are starting to get nervous. I wrote about this back in March, and amusingly, it looks like “Save the Streams,” the organization set up to help stop the rate hike, got my message about their icky name and folded themselves into a new group: SaveNetRadio. Whew! Anyway, these new rules would reportedly increase fees by up to 1200%, putting many broadcasters out of business, and on Monday, the SaveNetRadio people held a concert outside of the Capitol to raise awareness of the issue. Unfortunately, nobody had ever heard of the bands who performed: Yugo, Nadir, and, um, The Mother Jones Band. Talk about royalties -- shouldn’t we get a dollar every time they sell a T-shirt? The new rules are set to go into effect July 15th, and actually sound pretty unfair, the most troubling aspect being that the same rates are applied to both commercial and public broadcasters. And thus, next Tuesday, June 26th, a coalition of webcasters are participating in a “Day of Silence” to protest the new rules, and yes, that means no KCRW for 24 hours, unless you actually live within range of its 39 (or so) actual FM transmitters! Gulp!
I’m not sure how seriously to take all this, considering it has all happened before, five years ago to be specific. Additionally, SoundExchange (the company that actually collects the money) says that the ten largest webcasters account for over 80% of internet royalties, and that SaveNetRadio is just a “front” for profitable webcasters like Yahoo! and AOL, who can easily afford the higher rates. Hmm. Oddly enough, the proposed replacement bill (now sponsored by 118 representatives) applies a flat fee not only to internet radio, but also to that musical distribution system at the forefront of modern technology: the jukebox. Well, if jukeboxes unite in a day of silence, you'll know we’re really in trouble.
June 19, 2007
iPoo? Really?
Well, the time has come. The latest iPod stereo dock is out, the iCarta, designed, and refined, to hold toilet paper. The product comes with docking materials, collapsible tissue holders that can be used as the stereo dock and you guessed it — moisture-free speakers.
In honor of this ground-breaking invention, here is a list of actual products relating to iPods that you may not have heard about but are popping up all around the Internet.
—Anna Weggel
Nan Kempner the Anti-Paris Hilton: Classy, Dignified, Relevant
Nan Kempner grew up in a wealthy family, and she married rich. Like many women of her generation and background, the socialite occupied her time with charity work and fashion, but no one could accuse her of dabbling. Over thirty years, she raised $75 million for cancer research. In many ways, her collection of designer clothing and accessories is even more impressive.
Kempner, whom Diana Vreeland famously called the one chic American woman, had an eye for detail and she knew how to make the most of her body (flat chested, flat bottomed, leggy). She got her first couture dress for her debutante ball in 1949 and never really stopped shopping. She liked Dior and Valentino; she loved Madame Gres and Yves Saint Laurent. Chanel bored her.
A small portion of Kempner’s Imelda Marcos-sized collection has traveled from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute to the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Arranged by Harold Koda, "Nan Kempner: American Chic" opened June 18 and closes November 11.
—Ellen Charles
Amy Winehouse Sets US Tour Dates, Hits Top Ten
It wouldn’t be surprising if you missed British R&B singer Winehouse the last time she came through your town; most of the venues were booked long before her recent, extraordinary rise to fame in the US, and thus were too small for the crowds. This time she’s planning ahead: booking, for instance, two nights at the 3,000-capacity Warfield in San Francisco. However, with “Rehab” rocketing 38 slots (!) to land just inside the Billboard Top 10 this week, and her album, Back to Black, selling over 560,000 copies in the US to date, those dates will probably sell out fast. If you’re a fan of Winehouse’s neo-soul (and I wasn’t at first but I have to say it’s really growing on me) get your tickets soon.
Dates and some videos after the jump.
9/12 - Central Park SummerStage, New York
9/13 – Tower Theatre, Philadelphia
9/18-19 – Wiltern, LA
9/21-22 – Warfield, SF
9/24 – Orpheum, Vancouver
9/25 – Paramount, Seattle
9/28 – Stage Theatre, Minneapolis
9/29 – Aragon Ballroom, Chicago
“You Know I’m No Good”
“Rehab”
"Back to Black" (live)
June 18, 2007
Top Ten Stuff 'n' Things: 6/18/07
Ah, time off, when you can do things you don't usually do, like rent a car and head for the desert and eat fast food and not think about stuff. I'd say the Top Ten this week is influenced by what sounded good on the stereo while driving through the immense, desolate landscape around Joshua Tree, but, turns out this atmospheric electronica and groovy hip-hop really isn't that different from what I usually listen to in my little apartment. Go figure.
10. Stateless – “Inscape” (from the self-titled album out tomorrow on K7)
(MySpace, mp3 via Get Weird Turn Pro)
“How did it get so cold out here?” asks vocalist Chris James in this downtempo number from the UK combo’s debut album. Well, here’s an idea: maybe DJ Shadow-style beats and Portisthead atmosphere isn’t exactly a recipe for turning up the heat, Stateless. Jeez.
9. Blue Scholars – “North by Northwest” (from the new album Bayani on Rawkus)
(MySpace, iTunes)
The Seattle hip-hop duo gives their rainy region some love on this track from their just-released sophomore album. Politically aware hip-hop is kind of uncool right now, and nobody wants to be preached at, for sure. But it’s the jazzy, surprising backing beats, reminiscent of Dilated Peoples or A Tribe Called Quest, that keeps the project on track.
8. Maps – “Back + Forth” (from the new album We Can Create on Mute)
(MySpace, iTunes, YouTube video of live performance)
Much has been made about how UK producer James Chapman created this electronica-inflected album in his bedroom without the use of computers, laying down everything to good old 12-track tape. I’m not sure if I can tell how this affects the music, but whatever floats your boat, Jim, especially if it helps you make ethereal pop this good. “Back + Forth” ends up sounding a bit like Leisure-era Blur, of all things.
7. People reacting to a first taste of Pepsi Ice Cucumber, now available in Japan
Just say that a few times: Pepsi. Ice. Cucumber. Pepsi. Ice. Cucumber.
6. Bitman & Roban – “Answer 2 the Beat” (from The Chicas Project on Nacional)
(MySpace, iTunes)
This various-artists CD (accompanying the reality TV show) provides an quick fix of contemporary Latin music, most of it united by a mellow, summery vibe. Of course, I gravitate towards the strangest track: a Groove Armada-style instrumental with what appears to be a Speak ‘n’ Spell doing some lyrical stylings.
5. Wiley – “My Mistakes” (from the new album Playtime is Over on Big Dada)
(MySpace, video via Pitchfork)
For a guy who’s apparently retiring, he sure does show up on a lot of TV screens in this video. The 28-year-old rapper is apparently over the UK grime scene he helped create, but this track, with its dramatic strings and skittering beat, makes me hope he’ll reconsider.
4. Brief (rejected?) clips of tracks from the forthcoming Radiohead album
Just hearing a few seconds of that guitar work, and a fleeting scrap of vocal, even if it’s from bits and pieces of songs that producer Nigel Godrich has edited out of the work in progress, is enough to make it into my Top Five. How geeky is that.
3. Simian Mobile Disco – "I Believe" (video, from the forthcoming album Attack Decay Sustain Release, out this week on Universal / Wichita, import only)
(MySpace)
Not quite as, ahem, sexy as their last clip (link probably NSFW), this video sees a more accessible track from the UK duo lip-synched by what appear to be some extras from Borat.
2. Alan Parker – "Grey Clouds" (from Annie Nightingale presents Y4K on Distinctive) (mp3 excerpt here)
The Orb’s now-classic Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld was kind of like Pink Floyd’s The Wall for the techno generation: i.e., the soundtrack to a lot of collegiate pot-smoking. Ah, those were the days. While the single “Little Fluffy Clouds” was already kind of a parody, using quotes from an infamous Rickie Lee Jones interview in a way that was both amusing and hypnotic (not to mention unauthorized), this new version by the British comedian Simon Munnery is straight-up hilarious, replacing Jones’ loopy reminiscences about Arizona sunsets that were “purple and red and yellow and on fire” with irritated mumblings about “grey, monotonous” skies of... Watford.
1. White Stripes – "Conquest" (from Icky Thump, out tomorrow on Warner)
(MySpace, iTunes, but no free mp3, since the label is a bit jumpy)
Just a few weeks ago, I put “Icky Thump,” the title track from Jack & Meg’s new album, at #1 on this list, and I hate repeating myself, but this Patty Page cover is just blindingly great and fascinatingly strange. It’s interesting that Jack takes on these classic female-sung laments (if you could call “Jolene” a lament), and I’m not sure what’s going on there. But like their version of “Jolene,” this is a straight-ahead, irony-free cover, intent on accessing the same dramatic intensity as the original, even if it means Jack going against his own purist recording tendencies to multi-track vocals for Bohemian Rhapsody-style harmonies. A standout track from a very interesting album.
Winner for the 'Man Takes Crap' Headline of the Day...
Headline: "Dallas Elects Businessman As Mayor"
Lede paragraph: "Choosing a wealthy retired businessman over an openly gay city councilman, voters elected Tom Leppert as Dallas mayor Saturday by a wide margin."
Duh.
June 15, 2007
Ripened Yet Rocking: Young @ Heart Chorus Keeps it Real
I thought my grandma was cool because she uses e-mail. Little did I know the only reason she uses it is because my parents tricked her into thinking Web TV isn’t the real Internet.
But Internet-using grandmas aside, there exists a set of elderly folks in their 70s to 90s that are possibly cooler than that. Not only do they go on tour and dance choreographed routines, they have the musical taste of hip 25-year-olds.
Singing songs by Radiohead, Coldplay, the Clash and Outkast, the group, called Young@Heart, has been around since 1982. The members range from once-professional musicians and actors to those with virtually no experience.
Check out the group’s heart-wrenching live version of Coldplay’s "Fix You".
—Anna Weggel
June 14, 2007
Geek Love -- The Long Awaited Follow-up
After 17 years, fans of the cult (and personal) favorite Geek Love by Portland-based author Katherine Dunn are finally getting their wish for a follow-up. Knopf, Dunn's publisher, will release Dunn's second novel, The Cut Man in September 2008. Back in 1989 Dunn told The Guardian, "'The cut man in boxing is the person who stops the bleeding in a boxing match. The new novel is about boxing and serial killers."
In the meantime, you can get your Dunn fix here, where Dunn is guest blogging for a bit. Be sure to check out the comments section below posts where the host blogger asks her questions about her life and writing. She gets into the nitty gritty of how the writing process works for her.
She is especially interested in the sound of the human voice, writing yesterday, "I keep trying to remind people that the hen scratches are just symbols for the sounds of the human voice. That it's the sound that communicates. You've got to hear this stuff as you read it. It's gorgeous, this process. Alone in a room you hear the sounds and note them down in silence and they go out to others who read them in silence and hear the sounds again."
Her first post on the blog is the essay "Just as Fierce," which was originally published in the Nov/Dec 1994 issue of Mother Jones.
--Martha Pettit
So Long, Farewell, We Say Goodbye With an Obit
Okay, so this is a little strange. The San Francisco Chronicle's Executive Editor Phil Bronstein is writing short, eloquent posts remembering former colleagues let go because of the paper’s downsizing.
The paper announced this spring they were laying off 25 percent of the newsroom by end of the Summer, and readers can now learn tidbits about folks who were let go. For example, one former Style editor was a "renaissance guy with broad knowledge of jazz, literature and other subjects," and one editor was able to deconstruct complicated stories and reassemble them as mini-masterpieces every day.
What's odd is that the blurbs say things like "Her departure after 32 years of faithful, professional service represents an irreplaceable loss," which sounds more like an obit. But sensitive remembrances don't make good on the fact that many talented journalists are going jobless. As the Project for Excellence in Journalism points out in its 2007 State of the News Media report, two important journalistic pursuits — monitoring of local governments and regional issues — are losing out to newsroom downsizing. (Other Bay Area news staff reductions get frequent updates here, and MoJo's "Breaking the News" investigation digs even deeper.)
If news companies do not assert their own vision and take risks, the PEJ report argues, their future will be defined by those less invested in and passionate about news than the heroes being eulogized by Bronstein.
--Gary Moskowitz
You Can Go Home Again
Last night I relived my childhood. I saw The Police in concert. The sound of Sting's voice filling an open-air stadium (this time in Oakland) really took me back—though the biggest Proustian moment came when I saw Police posters for sale. Posters!
The performance was fantastic. Sting can still sing gorgeously. He's still got a winning little twist to his mouth as he does it, and if my ass and biceps look as good when I'm 55, I will be seriously, seriously happy. (I'm not sure if it was an ironic note or not, but the band revisited its 80s look, headbands, sleeveless shirts and all.) The really great thing about the show was seeing the band feeling free to delve deeper into their influences. Sting got a little scat into "Roxanne," which might have been borderline cheesy in a solo performance, but with Stewart Copeland there to reign him in, it was amazing. There is obviously still some interpersonal tension, but, damn, hearing them let their songs get a little abstract and airy, but then—POP!—bring them back down to earth, made me really wish they had been able to make that compromise as a band. In my younger years, I would send a dozen roses backstage for Sting at every concert. Last night, I thought the roses were for Stewart. (Andy came across as a man with ample skills but little soul.)
One disappointment: There was no political statement or undertone. Correction: During "Invisible Sun," a song about the bleakness of the industrial age, the video monitors showed footage of what might have been Iraq. But, come on, "Bombs Away" was an obvious follow-up:
The President looks in the mirror and speaks
His shirts are clean but his country reeks
Unpaid bills
In Afghanistan hills
Bombs away
But we're O.K…
"Walking in Your Footsteps" also begged to become a song about exploding the carbon bomb instead of the atom bomb (Hey there mighty brontosaurus / Don't you have a message for us? You thought your rule would always last / There were no lessons in your past. … / If we explode the atom bomb, / Would they say that we were dumb?).
Nonetheless, the songs revealed their well-craftedness as the band turned some major chords minor, filled up some places that had been emptier, and emptied out some places that had been fuller. The Police aren't just the pivotal band of my youth; they're also a band that has earned a significant place in musical history.