June 30, 2011

#141. Another Stereolab shirt.

June 29, 2011

#140. I truly, deeply and sincerely love Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.  OK, when I was in my teens, I might have thought something was wrong with him.  I mean, really.  Could he really be that sincere in his sweater and laceless shoes, running around the Land of Make Believe.  But yes, I believe he was.  It struck me how much he meant to me during the 2003 Rose Parade when he was a Grand Marshall.  I actually got choked up.
Sadly, we lost Fred Rogers less than two months after the parade.  But his show lives on for future generations, and as much as I like to think it’s funny, You Can Never Go Down the Drain

June 28, 2011

#139. Although KISS still tour, and even are recording new music, this was a farewell to the classic line-up.  I really don't care for KISS with Fake Ace and Fake Peter, but Sonic Boom was actually a good album.

This farewell show was a nice set but probably most memorable for the staging issues that night that left both Gene and Paul literally hanging.

June 27, 2011

#138. In 2003 there was a benefit for the USC/Norris Cancer Center at the Knitting Factory, and it was a musical tribute to Elvis Costello.  So many great musicians came out to support this cause and specifically Greg Dwinell who was the founder of eggBERT Records.  Greg soon lost his battle with cancer, but I'm sure he was happy to see such a great turnout in his honor.

Set list from that night 

June 26, 2011

#137.  Probably haven't played this game since I was in the single digits, but I still love the artwork.  And I bet if I had the chance to play, I would still love it.

June 25, 2011

#136. I love this band's music and to make it more attractive, they always have stunning artwork.  Bonus points for the Futurama connection, having had their version of Scott Walker's 30th Century Man used in Bender's Big Score and in return, they have Fry worked into the artwork.

June 24, 2011

#135. Picked this up on my 3rd (and most recent) trip to New Orleans when I went to see Radiohead in 2003.  Just did a little research and see the store is still there.

June 23, 2011

#134. Maybe not the greatest burger in Los Angeles, but places like this need to be preserved.

This little stand in West Hollywood has been threatened by development, but right now it looks like it might be around for a while.  Stands like these were great ways for entrepreneurs to own a business and not have to rent too much space.

Irv's Burgers is probably most unique for the lady who takes the orders.  She is as friendly as can be, and personally designs each plate to order (see her handiwork for my burger)

Sadly another Hollywood burger shack, Molly's on Vine, wont be around any longer.  They served their last burger last week and is now set for demolition :(

June 22, 2011

#133. Modern day psychedelia from Wales.  There are some amazing albums in their collection, and I would have to say my favorite is Rings Around the World.  However, I just realized I don't own their most recent album Dark Days/Light Years so that could change after my shipment arrives.

June 21, 2011

#132. Another shirt by one of my favorite bands.  There are a few more Wilco shirts to go.

June 20, 2011

#131. A little Tibetan Buddhist gift from Michael Gillin.  Picked this up at the shop next door to the Tibet-Nepal restaurant in Pasadena.

June 19, 2011

#130. One of my older shirts.  Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was quite the kick ass band in the 90's.  If you don't already know this, pick up Orange.

My retired shirts usually end up as pajamas or gym shirts.  I went for a walk around the Rose Bowl today and figured this would be a good shirt to wear.

June 18, 2011

#129. Not only my favorite new band, but as of today their debut album is my favorite album of 2011.  If you like good harmonies and sunny melodies, somewhere between Loggins and Messina, Simon and Garfunkel and the self titled Fleetwood Mac album from 1975, this band is for you.

June 17, 2011

#128. I don't mind change.  I'm OK with the future.  But damn it, I hate the dismantling of the music industry and more importantly the independent record stores that have been a home away from home for me and my friends.  R.I.P. Aron's Records.

June 16, 2011

#127. From the wonderful pair of Flaming Lips shows at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.  Night one saw the Lips play what is regarded as their greatest album, The Soft Bulletin.  Night two was the Lips take on what many regard as the greatest album of all time, Dark Side of the Moon.

A Flaming Lips show is like no other.  Wayne Coyne sets out to make it an unforgettable experience, and does everything he can to make the audience feel like part of the show.  And it works.  

I'm actually not the biggest fan of Dark Side, but Wayne made it their own and maybe even made night #2 a little better than night #1.

June 15, 2011

#126. As a music lover, one of the more interesting stories to me was the Smile saga.  After The Beatles released Sgt Pepper, which in Brian Wilson's mind bested their classic album Pet Sounds, the competitive spirit in Brian (which was also fueled by chemicals and untreated depression) set about to make the ultimate trip of an album.

Volumes have been written about this album, which eventually was scrapped and began Brian's long descent into a deep dark place where he all but retired from the music business.  Brian resurfaced a few times, and finally conquered his stage fright enough to actually appear to enjoy himself on stage.  But the biggest surprise came in 2003 when word came out that he was digging out Smile and was finally finishing it.  Not only did he do that, but he triumphed on stage with the tour of Smile, of which I saw the Disney Concert Hall show in 2004.

Now i hear Capitol Records is putting together a release from the original sessions.  I'll believe that when I see it.  But then again, I never thought I would see the day where Brian would have completed Smile.

June 14, 2011

#125. Picked this up at the Rough Trade record store when I visited London.  But I can guarantee you at least one person I see when I wear this will assume it's from the Rough Trade store in Silver Lake.  I should really throw them off and wear chaps the next time I wear this shirt.

June 13, 2011

#124. Perfectly enhanced image of trip inducing Flaming Lips.  Wearing this on the eve of their pair of concerts at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

June 12, 2011

#123. I never saw Siren Six.  By the time I met the members of the band, they were transitioning into Big City Rock, which I saw a few times.  Their drummer, who gave me the shirt, ended up playing in Phantom Planet.  Phantom Planet are "on hiatus", but the roots of their drummer lives on this shirt.

June 11, 2011

#122. The design on this Rolling Stones shirt is from the 1978 tour poster.  Today I wear it in honor of my friend Paul Serchia as I welcome his brother Mike Serchia in from doing his first AIDS LifeCycle.  Anyone who knew Paul knew he was a major Stones fan and also knew his love of riding his bike, and of course the AIDS LifeCycle.

June 10, 2011

#121. Lead singer Joel Gibb has referred to The Hidden Cameras as "gay church folk music" and that describes it better than I could.

Sometimes the dense arrangements make the songs difficult to penetrate.  I always find multiple listens to be more rewarding than they are for other bands.  I've only seen them once at the Echo, which is where I picked up this shirt.

June 09, 2011

#120. Not only do I share a birthday with Johnny Depp, but I also share a “birthday” with a certain duck who made his debut in The Wise Little Hen in 1934. 

This shirt was a gift from a friend who also happens to be the daughter of Clarence Nash, the original and defining voice of Donald Duck.  What better day to wear it than on our birthday.

June 08, 2011

#119. I have to admit, I fell out of favor with the Red Hot Chili Peppers after Blood Sugar Sex Magic, and I've never seen them play a concert I like. Plus it seems like they have some sort of contract with KROQ to play their songs at least once ever 45 minutes. But this is an eye catching shirt.

June 07, 2011

#118. I haven't seen band, which mixes classical elements into some dark pop songs, in quite a while.  I can't remember where I first saw them.  Maybe playing with another local band like WACO.  They gave away these shirts away at their performance at Amoeba.

June 06, 2011

#117. I don't wear my old Ren & Stimpy shirts too much these days, but they really get some great attention. 

When R&S premiered, I was already an adult.  But it's really cool to watch the reaction of people who must have been kids when it first came on.  Kind of like the reaction I might have had if I ran into someone with an HR Pufnstuf shirt.

The reverse is just as cool as the front, maybe even more so since you get the bums of Powdered Toast Man and Mr. Horse.

June 05, 2011

#116. Bob Dylan in concert can be a dicey affair.  The first time I saw him was on the Slow Train Coming tour, and he didn't play any old songs.  Bummer.  The second time I saw him was in the mid 80's, and he only played old songs but they all sounded the same and you couldn't tell what song it was until he started spitting out the words.  I decided then and there that, as much as I loved Bob, I would never see him again.

And then he played the El Rey Theatre in 1997 on the Time Out of Mind tour and all was forgiven.  Excellent band, great new songs and a true love of the material he was playing.  This is the Bob I always wanted to see.   I ended up regretting only going to 1 of the 5 shows, but I'm lucky to have been at the show I was at since the capacity was under 1,000.

I've seen Bob many time since.  He has played some amazing shows, and released an album that I might even rank in my Dylan top 5 ("Love and Theft").  But his shows have been slipping again to the point that, once again, I'm boycotting Bob.  Lazy, phlegmy, gravel voiced Bob is no fun for me.

June 04, 2011

#115. This shirt has clearly seen better days.  I wore the hell out of this shirt when I bought it in the mid-90's, and it got lots of attention.  Once it faded, I sort of forgot about it.  But it gets to live forever in my shirt blog.

June 03, 2011

#114. This is the year Wilco played, making up for the cancellation the year before.  It was also the year Cocteau Twins were supposed to play, but they canceled and have yet to reschedule.

Other highlights in 2005-New Order playing Joy Division songs, Arcade Fire clearly playing too small a stage for them (they would make up for that soon), Futureheads and Bloc Party showing that some of the most exciting music was coming out of England, Gang of Four showing where Bloc Party and Futureheads stole a few riffs, and Peter Murphy signing Bela Lugosi's Dead hanging upside down.  That last one I missed, since stupid Secret Machines played a little late and even stupider me didn't tear myself away from their stage in time.  Got to the main stage only to hear the last notes of Bela and to also hear from everyone what a cool spectacle I just missed.

June 02, 2011

#113.  True San Gabriel Valley boy here.  Born near Alhambra.  Grew up in San Gabriel.  Lived in Pasadena since 1990.  Showing my local pride.

June 01, 2011

#112. Prior to this 1999 show at the Anaheim Pond, I had only seen the Stones in mega venues, playing the Coliseum, Rose Bowl and the dreaded Dodgers Stadium.  If I recall correctly, The Stones decided to postpone some European dates in 1999 because of tax reasons, so they did an arena swing through the states, their first since the late 70's.  I don't know if it was the relative intimacy of the Pond (which, compared to the arenas they would have played the last time, wasn't very intimate), but at the time it was my favorite Stones show.  It was great to see such an iconic band stripped down to just the musical elements, and totally deliver. 

Forget the trappings they need to play a stadium, the Stones are a great band.  Period.

May 31, 2011

#111. When I heard Van Halen were reunited with David Lee Roth, I was ambivalent. I mean, I completely hated the Hagar years and only cared about the VH albums with Roth, but Roth's voice is not the instrument is used to be. However, I did see a solo Roth show a few years before, and found him to still be quite the showman.

Then I heard Michael Anthony wasn't in the band, and I knew I wasn't going to go. Besides being one of rock's greatest bassists, he is also one the more important background singers in rock. I don't know how many people realize it, but his background vox laid a similarly strong foundation to the VH sound as did his bass playing. Not only was Michael Anthony out of the tour, but Eddie Van Halen's teenage son Wolfgang was filling his shoes. NOT INTERESTED.

And then the day of the show, my friend called me and said he had an extra ticket that was mine if I could drive. And that's how quickly I will sell out.

I'm glad I went. The show did kick ass. The Roth-era Van Halen songs are still some of the best in rock. And Eddie's guitar playing was perfect. It was so good, I bought a shirt.

May 30, 2011

#110. Who would think that the best album from a Beach Boy would have come from Dennis Wilson? Even though Brian has released some fine music since he parted ways with the band he founded, younger brother Dennis released Pacific Ocean Blue in 1977 and surprised everyone who gave it a chance. Sadly, most people didn't give it a chance and it faded away and poor Dennis never got it together to release a follow up album. After being out of print for years, there was a nice CD reissue a couple of years ago. Get it.

May 29, 2011

#109. If you don't what this is, you are probably not yet 40 years old. However, on my 45th birthday I could think of nothing better to do than to get this image tattooed on my leg.

May 28, 2011

#108. One of my favorite albums ever, and also one of my favorite album covers. It's one of those albums where the cover and the content really work as one.