Notes from a Genius

Sunday night, I got to see ZZ Ward again (for the 3rd time in I believe 3 years). I discovered her when she played a show at Port City Music Hall a couple of years ago. I had not heard of her, but I saw she was playing in Portland and the show was only like $10. Then, I saw her at the Paradise in Boston. Now, she's prepping for a brand new album, but still playing small venues. This time around she played the Royale, again in Boston. Put the Gun Down   Til the Casket Drops   If I Could Be Her   OVERdue   Cinnamon Stix   Got It Bad   Lonely   Ride Or Die   Rescue   Chains   ( Nick Jonas  cover) Charlie Ain't Home   Lil' Darlin   Marry Well   Criminal   Move Like U Stole It   Blue Eyes Blind   Encore: 365 Days   LOVE 3X   ...............................................................................

Finally, Death Cab for Cutie came back to Portland, after needing to reschedule their original date at the beginning of May. And, the wait was worth it. They played a great mix of oldies and good new ones (from their latest album, which is a great break-up album, by the way). I've seen them multiple times over the years, beginning with a couple of basement shows at the Middle East with my sister, back when they were just starting out (perfecting their emo sound). Then, I saw them open for Pearl Jam at the once-named FleetCenter (and the crowd was awful for them, very unappreciative). This time around, as the headliners, they blasted through their songs, but took their time to slow down when necessary. I got to hear two of my favorites (What Sarah Said and the closer, Transatlanticism) and everything else in between sounded great. Ben Gibbard played "I Will Follow You into the Dark" solo, acoustically, and I couldn't help but think of my first girlfriend during the son...

"The Hole" starring: Keira Knightley, Thora Birch, Desmond Harrington, Baniel Brocklebank, Laurence Fox, Embeth Davidtz directed by: Nick Hamm This British film never really saw the light of day back when it was originally released in 2001, at least here in America, because it's the same year that Keira Knightley became a young actress to watch thanks in large part to her role in "Bend it Like Beckham" which came out the same year. "The Hole" is a darker role for her, and Knightley flashes her breasts in this film (I wonder if she regrets it nowadays, since she's a huge success with many other deeper roles to her credit). And this film did not really help launch her career. It's one you can cast aside as a misstep. It's the end term of at a prestigious British prep school. Liz (Thora Birch ) and her friend Frankie (Keira Knightley ) skip the school's field trip to Wales and spend the weekend in an old bomb shelter with Mike (De...

I saw Zella Day back in June at Port City Music Hall, because it was $10 and a short walk from my apartment. After that show, I was hooked on her. She is an incredible performer, with a powerful voice and a great sound that reminds me of the 1970s- with a new flavor mixed in. She played at the Sinclair (another small venue, but this time in Boston) and it was a cheap show, again ($12) and pretty short (her set lasted just about an hour). But, she was awesome, yet again. Jerome   High   Ace of Hearts   1965   Sweet Ophelia   East of Eden   The Outlaw Josey Wales   Shadow Preachers   Jameson   Time of the Season   ( The Zombies  cover) Hypnotic   Compass   ( Zella Day performed in audience ) Mustang Kids   Seven Nation Army   ( The White Stripes  cover)   ( Zella Day solo ) ........................................................