The Wrath of Grapes

Dana’s been after me to write about wine for awhile now. I’ve been sorta reluctant, honestly, mostly because I know enough about it to know that I know nothing about it, if you follow me. No? Lemme put it this way, then – if a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, I am a small, unauthorized nuclear device when it comes to wine and wine-related topics. Be that as it may, when we found out we’d won tickets to “Taste Washington”, the annual wine tasting event here in Seattle, I figured I’d give it a go. So, without any further ado, here it is:

Silver Jews @ Webster Hall, 3/18/05

As I said the other day, I'm an anxious person. I am averse to discomfort. And I worry. I worry about a lot of things, but this week I've been worrying about being in a room with 250 1,500 (really?) people, all of whom have paid $20 to see an agonizingly bad performance. Now, as with all of my fears, this had only partial basis in reality. But then there was fear of the six-dollar beers, which were an absolute certainty.

Preliminary reports of Jews shows in other cities were a mixed bag, with some saying great things and others feeling a bit let down. Pretty much everyone reported some semblance of discomfort during the evening. Still feeling a bit under the weather, around Thursday I contemplated saying fuckit and selling my tickets.

But then I chewed on it--I mean, here's one of my favorite bands ever, who've been around for 16 years and have never toured, and may never tour again. Don't pussy out on me, Marvin, Reason said. How bad could it be, anyhow?

The Stooges, Mudhoney @ Memorial Stadium, Seattle, 9/5/05

So. The Stooges. Well, they rocked. Duh.

Let’s go back to the beginning of the day so’s I can sorta make some kind of sense out of my reactions. For those of you unfamiliar with Bumbershoot, it’s a yearly music festival (they call it an arts festival, but 99% of the folks there are looking for music) held over the Labor Day weekend. It’s something of a big deal here in Seattle.

Kings of Leon @ Roseland, NYC, 8/8/05

The Kings of Leon are really good-looking. There's no question. And the story about how they are brothers or cousins and they traveled the South with their evangelical dad is a gold nugget for the press release.

Kinski, Master Musicians of Bukkake, Charming Snakes @ The Crocodile Café, Seattle 7/23/05

Ah, The Croc. I was working a benefit show there last summer, when an obvious tourist came up to the guy at the door and asked him if this was the grunge club and if so, could he look around. We laughed at the poor shmoe, but in a way it was indeed the grunge club, along with the OK Hotel, RCKCNDY, The Offramp, The Vogue, etc., etc. (I personally have seen both Mudhoney and Pearl Jam there, although both shows took place long after the g-word had been dead and buried and the grave danced upon.)

A Timely Reminder

Hey kids – time is running out on the amazing Sleater-Kinney give-away, so get your entries in ASAP. For those of you unaware, or too shy to pull the trigger until now, let me recap: send in your very best Sleater-Kinney story, in 250 words or less, to willreview4foodATgmailDOTcom by 12:01 AM (Pacific Time) July 9, and you could win a copy of the band’s new album The Woods, which kicks large amounts of ass without breaking a sweat. What is a Sleater-Kinney story? Maybe it’s about the time you got mugged and Corin provided first aid and let you use her cell phone; maybe it’s about how Carrie pulled your kitten out of a tree; maybe Janet co-signed your school loan. Could be anything. I hereby give you carte blanche to go nuts. Make shit up, I don’t care. I’m giving away a free CD. I will pay the shipping. You have nothing to lose, and an hour’s worth of great music to gain.

Sell my clothes, I'm goin' to heaven!

Gather ‘round, chilluns, because we have a treat for you. It’s the First Ever (So Far As I Know) #1HS Giveaway Contest! Step inside for details.

Dispatches From the Front: Wired NextFest Opening

I don't really consider myself a "techie" (and in point of fact, I'm sure that marks the first time that I've ever used that word publicly. Kill me.), but when I was offered a chance last week to go to the Chicago Wired NextFest opening reception, I couldn't say no. Or I didn't at least.