This is more about the chain of events, how things were, and how they are now. I’m trying to remember how I first heard that Randy was in the hospital, which was the initial report. I know I saw it come through some information stream which I cannot recall, and promptly sent that story to Miriam (living in Belgium, she would have seen it sooner or later, but I knew she would want to know sooner). Miriam and I have been friends since the mid-80′s. We started talking to each other after a show one night, after seeing each other at show after show after show of the same kinds of indie rock bands, on the Maxwell’s “circuit” (if you will – there were other clubs, of course, but the idea is, the types of bands who played Maxwell’s back then were in one group, and everything else was in the other).

Then, not long after that, the notice that he had passed started coming through. I should have timed the filter from the old-school PR guy or rock journo I surely got it from, until it hit, oh, say, Brooklyn Vegan.

I compare this to when D. Boon died, when I got an anguished phone call in the middle of the night, from someone in South Jersey who had heard the news – which was still an unconfirmed, but very reliable rumor – on a college station. It could have been WPRB, it could have been one that only broadcast at night and doesn’t exist any more. In a few days, we had the information confirmed – I believe even MTV picked it up – but the chain of information was slower.

I look at the quantity of people writing about Randy and I wonder if they ever saw Pylon or had been old enough to have seen Pylon. Not that the latter disqualifies you – it’s not my fault my parents had sex before yours, as a friend of mine says – but the volume seemed out of place compared to the proportion of Pylon’s importance in the large Music circle. In my group of friends, it would have ranked another late night phone call, but I wouldn’t have expected someone working in Tower Records, say, to have known or cared. I look at some of the younger music bloggers posting about Randy, and I think, “Are you doing this because you genuinely feel this loss somewhere or because everyone else is posting about it?” I will honor the former. I deride the latter. I read those blogs and think, You know, people who know and care about this will have found out in some other way besides your blog, and the people who read your blog do not know or care, and your inclusion of this here as just another thing to give you traffic or make you look smarter cheapens it, and does not give you any more credibility or authenticity.

Irrational? Maybe. Selfish? Probably. Elitist? Quite likely. So fucking what.

Maybe I am bothered because it is just so easy now, to find out about a random band in a random town, without having to dedicate any effort to it. You don’t have to go to a record store, you don’t have to send carefully-wrapped dollar bills in an envelope to a P.O. box in St. Louis or Minneapolis or Austin or somewhere in the places inbetween those dots on the map in order to get back a photocopied fanzine where there might be an article about a band you heard about but have never seen or heard (but want to). If you want to find the other people who care about the same music you do, you get online and go to whatever blog or MySpace or Facebook or a message board and voila. You’re not special ordering records (and I do mean records), you’re not staying up late and jury-rigging your antenna to pick up stations left of the dial (there’s a reason behind that song title, it’s not just a pretty turn of phrase).

I guess this is the place I turn into a cranky curmudgeon. It is all so fast. It is all so much. And I am not entirely sure it is better. In fact, I am pretty sure it is not. There is so much I love about the internet, so much it has given me. There is no way I would have pursued writing about baseball in any other way, and no way I would have had the kind of success I have had as a sportswriter without the internet. It would be so much harder to get my photography in front of people. It would not be so easy to stay in touch with friends, although I wonder sometimes if we weren’t better off with the phone and the parameters of watching long distance charges on phone bills. But I do not know about what it has done to music. It is probably 50-50, but the 50 on the other side just kills me sometimes

All of this sparked by Randy Bewley’s death, because the days I loved and cared about Pylon were those days when you found out about it because Michael Stipe mentioned them or someone brought home a copy of Flagpole from a trip to Athens or someone in a record store was playing the single when you came in. I remember hearing them on WNYU back in the days of the New Afternoon Show (I would sit in the parking lot at the end of my after-school job and listen as long as I could and prolong the drive home, since I got the best reception in my mother’s VW Rabbit).

I will stop right now by saying that I wish his friends and bandmates my deepest sympathy, and may his journey thrive.

If you liked randy bewley, and reminiscence you may be interested in my novel, "B-sides and Broken Hearts": http://www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com/

The profile is the best:

The excerpts of his autobiography are over at www.petetownshendwhohe.blogspot.com, to make things more confusing. Comments on here.

What’s the Vegas line as to how long these will last, before some egomaniacal freak ruins the party?

If you liked he’s at it again you may be interested in my novel, "B-sides and Broken Hearts": http://www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com/

Espec. given the fact that I am well aware things are quiet around here, but jg.com is not supposed to be a “blog” per se, just using the blogging software to have my writing online, I sort of apologize for the lack of updates but not really. Kind of stuck in the fictional world right now. And writing my EMP proposal. But more anon, I swear.

If you liked the muscle shoals sound you may be interested in my novel, "B-sides and Broken Hearts": http://www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com/

My friend Joel (who scoured the Los Angeles area to find a garden gnome to put onstage at a show two days after George Harrison left this earth) beats me, hands down…as evidenced by his recent great contribution at Pitchfork.

Personally, I would have put something from Venus & Mars on there, and probably would have had a hard time figuring out what to pick from Band On The Run (there is no album in the entire history of music that is more of a time machine for me that that one).

No matter what, though, the presence of “It Don’t Come Easy” on there validates the whole thing (and ensures we will not engage in endless argument over this subject in future).

Joel plays guitar and bass and keyboards and egg shakers in Earlimart, who are going to play some more shows in your backyard soon (May 6 at Bowery Ballroom in NYC).

If you liked joel’s 10 favorite songs by ex-beatles you may be interested in my novel, "B-sides and Broken Hearts": http://www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com/

But the real reason for this post is the new song he’s been doing (which of course isn’t on any record) called “When The President Talks To God.” And in a stroke of absolute, utter genius, you can
download it for free at iTunes. It’s a great, biting, eloquent talking blues, in the spirit of Woody and Arlo and Steve Earle. Writing a song like this is tough to do, it’s not just the lyrics that are important, it’s the tune and the performance and the delivery, and it’s freaking masterful.

Conor Oberst has gone so far past his original image that it amazes me that people can’t see it, and can’t let go of their vitriol and preconceived notions. I touch on this in my review, but he’s pretty much allowed himself to grow up, both personally and artistically, in public. To me there was always a visible progression evident, and I guess I’m the rare bird who never expects (or wants) an artist to remain static and in the same place making the same kind of record or music for their entire career. I thought he carried himself extremely well on the Vote For Change tour, and have been thoroughly in love with I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning since I got the advance back in October (when I interviewed Conor).

When The President Talks To God

when the president talks to god
are the conversations brief or long?
does he ask to rape our womens’ rights
or to send poor farm kids off to die?
will the president reccomend an oil hike
when the president talks to god?

when the president talks to god
does he ever think that maybe he’s not?
that that voice is just inside his head
when he kneels down in the presidential bed
does he ever smell his own bullshit
when the president talks to god?

If you liked obligatory bright eyes entry you may be interested in my novel, "B-sides and Broken Hearts": http://www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com/

First, I guess I have to apologize for being so non-trendy and unhip that I care about seeing U2. I had gotten worn out with the hype, but then I went to Brooklyn, for old times’ sake, and it was actually brilliant. They could still play, just the four of them rocked it out hard.

Yes, I am such a fangirl that I will pay $40 for a fan club membership. I had a Propaganda membership years and years ago, didn’t keep it up. But for priority ticketing, yes, I would pay $40. This isn’t the Rolling Stones fan club, they are going to do this right. I expect the Rolling Stones to take as much money from me as they can. I don’t expect this from U2.

Or so I thought.

At least 90,000 people joined the new Propaganda (this according to several reports of people who talked to Fanfire, the merchandising arm of Sony Entertainment, that handled the fulfillment of memberships). There was no way they could accomodate 90,000 memberships, but yet, when they sent out the tour date announcements, they made sure to mention that members as of the night before the presale would be eligible for tickets. That should have been my first clue that something was very, very wrong.

Or maybe my first clue should have been what a trainwreck the official web site, U2.com, ended up being. I don’t have much faith in any band’s official web site, but somehow, stupidly, I thought this band might actually do things differently. The fact that it was buggy and crashed constantly when it went online – why test it? it’s only music fans. who cares if they have a bad experience? it’s not like they are valued customers or anything like that – and that you couldn’t sign up for a membership if you wanted to, and then when people did, they got charged double – no, none of that mattered.

I had hopes that there would actually be exclusive content that I cared about, that maybe a lesson was learned from other band web sites, that U2 would embrace the web and be pioneers, that their site wouldn’t be an embarassment, like most official musician web sites are. But instead, there’s one bad screensaver and some photos. The promised web mail doesn’t work. Fans put together better video compilations – which, again, doesn’t surprise me, but I paid $40 for a membership. $40 x 90,000 is a lot of fucking money.

Now we move to the presale. I can get tickets to pretty much anything I want, not because I’m a journalist that can get on a guest list, but because I’ve been playing the game so fucking long that I know how to play it. As a recent example, while most of the world bitched about Springsteen playing a club in Asbury Park, or didn’t even try to get tickets, I managed to get tickets to both shows. I am not a child. I am not a newbie. I know how to do this.

By 9:59 a.m., the Ticketmaster (why TM? Why not Musictoday?) server was swamped, and not only were there no GA’s, there were no tickets to speak of within 9 minutes, 10:09, when the error message said that there were no tickets left.

From the U2.com FAQ:
Q: What are the benefits I receive when I become a U2.com Member?

A: A special introductory gift – a U2.com members card metal key chain. Priority ticketing for the 2005 tour. You will be able to buy two tickets for any indoor U2 show or four tickets for any outdoor U2 show during your membership term.

Not “a chance for tickets,” not “the opportunity to purchase tickets,” but You will be able to buy two tickets for any indoor U2 show. Bad language on their part. Very bad.

This should be a scandal, it should hit the media, but it won’t. Because it’s “just” fans and it’s “just” a fan club and they’re such a big band, we should know better. If this were a sporting team, this treatment would never be tolerated, but music fans let themselves get walked over time and time again.

I am done being a U2 fan. I will not buy tickets, I will not go, and I took all their music off my iPod earlier today. I know, it’s childish, but I can’t stand listening to them now, and I don’t know when I will. I feel utterly jaded, and stupid, and foolish. My faith has been tested, and tested hard. I still *had* faith in this big crazy thing called rock and roll. I am a big proponent of artists being able to make money, tons of it, even, from their art. But this is just a ripoff. And from the depth of the response all over the world (see the links at the bottom), many people feel the same way, and are sending many faxes to Principle Management (212-765-2372, if you care).

“Have you ever had the feeling that you’ve been cheated?” Johnny Rotten asked the audience at the end of the Sex Pistols US tour, almost thirty years ago.

Yes.

Other links:
U2 Page.com: An Open Letter To U2
U2log.com: How to Dismantle a U2 Fan
@U2.com: Money Changes Everything
@U2.com: An Open Letter To U2

If you liked “have you ever had the feeling that you’ve been cheated?” you may be interested in my novel, "B-sides and Broken Hearts": http://www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com/

There is someone out there willing to pay over $1k for this agony? After all those years of avoiding talking to him at the JAMPAC pool tournaments?

Okay, honestly, I shouldn’t give him such a hard time, and I know that I take for granted the ability to view An Actual Member Of Nirvana In The Flesh after living in Seattle for 9+ years. And yes it’s for a good cause. Krist should have and could have done a lot more than he has done, he’s a smart guy who has a lot of people willing to listen to what he has to say.

Funny story revolves around him busting me and a friend, years ago, for videotaping his band at a show at the First Avenue Theater. We were actually wanting to tape Satchel and Hovercraft, had tape left over, and just ran it. He sent a flunky over to take the tape away from us – keep in mind that this was an all-ages punk rock DIY type venue, and not exactly the Kingdome, where one should shuttle out the sole member of your crew to take a tape of your band (that, I’ll point out, no one cared about then and no one does now).

(While we’re here: Is there a reason I need to buy the Nirvana box set? Anyone?)

If you liked i could not think of anything more excruciating you may be interested in my novel, "B-sides and Broken Hearts": http://www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com/

ORIGINAL POST:
“RYAN STEALING FROM NIRVANA

The guitar part in I’M COMING OVER–”hey, wait, I gotta new complaint” from Nirvana in HEART-SHAPED BOX. try to deny it ”

Response #1: “Oh please… *rolls eyes*”

OP: “listen to it”

#2: “…and of course Nirvana never nicked anything from The Pixies, Killing Joke, Black Sabbath, etc.”

OP: “that’s not the point. listen to it and quit hedging”

#3: “I’m not doubting you, I just don’t see the point of bringing it up…”

OP: “I think it’s COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RYAN stealing from the greatest rock band evah!”

#4: “Greatest rock band ever? I guess you are entitled to your opinion, but……
ummmm…. The Stones?”

#5: “and nirvana made a pretty good replacements album when they came out with nevermind…”

OP: “the stones can suck it. nirvana rocks”

#6: “aaawwww… struck a chord…”

OP: “i’m sorry, i really didn’t mean that. :(
they dont suck but are no nirvana”

If you liked truth is stranger than fiction you may be interested in my novel, "B-sides and Broken Hearts": http://www.bsidesandbrokenhearts.com/