Archives: October 01, 2006

Here comes my man

Thursday, 26 October 2006 01:59 PM

This has been a whiplash month for Pixies fans. This week we heard from NME that in January the Pixies will be going into a studio to work on a new album. Frank Black said so.

"We're rehearsing in January, if we can persuade Kim (Deal, bassist) to come out of her house," he told NME.COM. "We offered to go to her but we figured if we book the rehearsals she'll show up.

"Since we got back together we've played almost everywhere we can. I know we like playing and everyone likes touring together, so to keep doing that and not record anything is kind of like being a county fair band. We don't want to do that, so the only thing we can do is become a vital band again. So it's just a matter of doing it, I guess."

But last week's Onion AV Club featured an interview with Black in which he makes it clear he's tired of being asked when the Pixies will make a new album -- so much so that now he's just messing with us.

AVC: Are there any specific plans for future work with the Pixies?

FB: Not that specific, no. When we've got something to say to the world, we will. I'm really happy that people are interested. "So, what's up with the Pixies record? So, what's up with the Pixies record?" One guy just kept asking me and asking me in an interview, and I kept saying, "I just got done telling you no, there's nothing to report." Finally, he brought it up in some other way, and I was like, "Yeah, actually, June 15 of next year, it's coming out." So sure enough, I started seeing publications: "June 15, the new Pixies record's coming out!" I told him 10 times, "We've got nothing on the books, and I've got nothing to say," and I finally just was being obviously flippant with him. I'm not complaining, that's just the way it is.

(NME link via WYEP's Music Blog.)

Frank Black is touring now to support "Fast Man Raider Man." They'll be at Mr. Small's in Pittsburgh this Friday.

Pat Patterson at the Carnegie Museum

Thursday, 26 October 2006 01:52 PM

Patricia L. Patterson, Butler artist, was named the Floyd F. Chaney Award designee in the upcoming 2006 Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annual Exhibit to be held at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh from October 27, 2006 to January 14, 2007.

Patterson, whose primary medium is oil paint, studied visual arts at Chatham College and recently received her Master of Fine Arts degree at the Art Institute of Boston through Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her works include portraiture resulting from an ongoing exploration of appropriated identity and the cultural assignment of gender-specific characteristics.

The Carnegie Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and Patterson will be present at an opening reception, to which the public is invited, on Thursday, November 26, 2006 at 6:30 PM and will also be at the Museum to speak about her work on Sunday, November 19, 2006 at 1:00.

Patterson is currently represented by LaFond Gallery, 1711 E. Carson Street in Pittsburgh.

A picture every day

Thursday, 19 October 2006 10:54 AM

In lieu of creative content from me, please enjoy this burst of inspired video from someone else.

(Link via Valleywag.)

Suggestions for enjoying "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"

Monday, 16 October 2006 09:50 PM

Let's be clear: There's a lot to scoff at in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Here are my two biggest problems with the show:

First, it takes itself way too seriously. I could make a list of the ways it takes itself seriously and the ways that seriousness is a problem, but Heather Havrilesky of Salon has already written a thorough and delightfully snarky analysis.

Second, and more significantly, Harriet, "the most gifted member of the cast of the 'show-within-a-show' and an ex-girlfriend of the program’s new executive producer" and thus the main love interest of Chandler/Matt Albee/Matthew Perry, is a dud. She's pretty, and she seems nice, but I can't see any appeal in her. The fact that Chandler/Matt seems truly wowed by her demonstrates what a really good actor he is.

Despite these significant obstacles to my suspension of disbelief, I find myself addicted to the show. This is because I'm a sucker for behind-the-scenes looks at the entertainment world. I adored "Sports Night," and I keep hoping this will suddenly become as good as it was.

I also don't mind watching 40+ minutes of Matthew Perry, Steven Weber, and Bradley Whitford each week. Apparently I'm drawn to guys with receding hairlines and easy smiles who talk in rapid fire bursts. So sue me.

Incidentally, one of the show's story editors is Mark McKinney, my favorite of the Kids in the Hall and a past cast member/writer for Saturday Night Live. This would seem to bode well for the "show within a show" skits, but so far has not proven at all helpful.

I need to watch the show, and I need to ignore its inherent silliness. How to manage my cognitive dissonance?

The Studio 60 Drinking Game.

Take a sip when:

* Someone makes a thinly veiled reference to an actual NBC show.
* A cast member of either West Wing or SportsNight guest stars or cameos. (Bradley Whitford does NOT count.)
* The camera completely circles any characters talking to each other.
* Amanda Peet calls someone by the wrong name.
* Anyone carrying a clipboard gives exposition.
* The “director” yells some technical jargon to a flunkie.
* Any character starts to drink an alcoholic beverage but puts it back down.
* There is a TV on in the background showing something else happening.
* Anyone makes snide cracks about bloggers or the internet.

Drink the whole bottle if:

* A real cast member, past or present, of Saturday Night Live is name-checked.
* Anyone says “bing” in any context.
* A major religion or a political figure is ridiculed.

And check into rehab whenever:

* A character struggling with a substance abuse problem falls off the wagon.

If you're up to the challenge, there's an episode coming on in a few minutes. And you can catch the most recent past episode online.

Let's make this clear: If you undertake to follow these rules, you will have a very difficult next day.

Another year, another novel

Sunday, 15 October 2006 03:54 PM

Today I discovered a recently deceased mole in my dining room.

I don't know which of my two cats dispatched the little guy and brought him inside. The mole is actually fairly big for a mole, being about three inches long and medium plump. This was not as gruesome a sight as you might think. There was no blood or sign of trauma, and the body was still warm. I might have thought he was just sleeping, but he was well and truly dead.

I was very pleased to discover the dead mole. Oh sure, a little of my happiness was pride toward my intrepid feline hunters, protecting my yard from underground diggers and practicing their hunting skills. But mostly, I was excited to already have an unusual plot point to include in the novel I will be writing next month.

Once again this year I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo to those in the know. Starting November 1, I and thousands of other writers worldwide will commence to writing novels of at least 50,000 words each.

Will they be good novels? It depends what you mean by "good." Here's how the NaNoWriMo site explains it:

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

Last year I wrote most of my novel in the final two weeks of November. The extra compressed schedule forced me to drop all inhibitions and write anything, no matter how awful. And make no mistake: I wrote real crap. But it was interesting crap, stuff I've never written before. On the final day in particular, in the course of trying not only to reach 50,000 words but also to wrap up the key plot lines in the book and truly conclude the story, I created a new and interesting character and discovered a unique situation for the heroine -- stuff that I could create only when I lowered my expectations and took a chance, as my desperation forced me to do.

This year I aim to acheive that rare open kind of writing earlier in the process -- maybe even on the first day.

I'll be posting about the novel-writing process throughout the month. If you're up for the NaNoWriMo experience too, visit the official website and sign up. Let me know you're participating, and we'll egg each other on.

In the meantime, here's to unexpected discoveries in my dining room, and everywhere.

A symphony is no joke

Wednesday, 11 October 2006 11:06 PM

When you think "symphony," what do you think of?

Speaking for myself: I think "Leopold!"

By which I mean this:

Like anyone who was a child in the 70s, I learned about much of life -- including the practice habits of professional musicians, the existence of the Hollywood Bowl, and much more about classical music -- by watching Looney Tunes on Saturday mornings.

This knowledge has stood me in good stead over the years, but it turns out that it was incomplete. For example, just today I found out that the Leopold parodied in the cartoon was Leopold Stokowski, the child of a Polish father and Irish mother. (Polish/Irish: my kind of people!) Mr. Stokowski spoke with a vague Eastern European accent even though he was born and raised in London. (Strange affectations to create an air of mystery and intrigue: my kind of people!) He was a grand showman, and was key in creating the "pops" style of symphony concert.

Even though I didn't know much about Stokowski before today, I could easily have guessed what he looked like:

He also, famously, conducted without a baton. But of course, you may already have guessed that.

I bring this up because on Sunday I attended a performance of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, along with several other culturally-inclined local bloggers, at the generous invitation of the Symphony, via their charming Artistic Planner Jonathan Mayes. The concert was of works by Dmitri Shostakovich, and featured the engaging and talented Vassily Sinaisky as conductor, Vladimir Feltsman performing a heart-stopping, nearly show-stopping piano solo, Charles Lirette delightful in the unusual trumpet solo, and the orchestra in its best form.

While all of it was marvelous, I most enjoyed the Suite from The Bolt. This suite features revised movements from what must have been a bizarre ballet. From the program notes:

The main problem with [Shostakovich's] second ballet, The Bolt, was its hopelessly bad scenario. Shostakovich described it to a friend: "The content is very topical. There's a machine. Then it breaks down (a problem of wear and tear on the equipment). Then they fix it (a problem of amortization), and at the same time they buy a new one. Then everyone dances around the new machine. Apotheosis. All this takes three acts."

The stage production of The Bolt closed after just one performance.

As horrific a ballet as it sounds, the music from it is amazing. Shostakovich pulled musical phrases and elements from all over -- folk tunes, tango, polka that never quite gets going, frenetic machine-sounding bits, marching bands, whatever -- and integrated it into a fluid whole. (Of course, as the production notes suggest, "One really must forget that the drama involves a broken machine if one is to keep a straight face.") It's fantastic, frightening, melancholy and happy, melodic and atonal, big and small, each in quick succession and sometimes all at once. It made me wonder why I listen to so little classical music.

It reminded me, actually, of the music of Raymond Scott, an American 20th century composer and eccentric band leader. Even if you think you don't know Raymond Scott, you would probably recognize at least sections of "Powerhouse," which many people -- Soul Coughing, They Might Be Giants, Rush, others -- have sampled. Check out this excerpt of the fast bit from "Powerhouse."

"Powerhouse" is what popped in my head just after The Bolt concluded. It was written in 1936. Shostakovich's The Bolt was performed (once) in 1930 and the revised Suite was published in 1934. Interesting, no?

And more music history: "[I]n 1943, Scott sold the rights to his music to Warner Brothers, where music director Carl Stalling was a Scott fan. Warner Brothers purchase of Scott's music publishing rights allowed Stalling to quote the music extensively in his cartoon scores." Including -- you guessed it -- Looney Tunes.

So maybe my cartoon-based music foundation wasn't too bad after all.

Incidentally, if you'd like to read more about Sunday's concert and reactions from other bloggers -- many of them blissfully free of my little Chuck Klosterman-style pop culture references -- check out the Symphony's nicely-done blog page.

Bonne anniversaire

Sunday, 08 October 2006 10:03 PM

As of today, I have been around the sun 40 times.

Certain circuits have been more enjoyable than others. This new trip bodes to be great fun.

Plus, as of right now the Steelers seem to be preparing to give me a win for my birthday. Which is a lovely and thoughtful gift.

UPDATE: Despite that this post could be construed as having jinxed the team, I do not believe that I had any hand in the Steelers loss this week. I prefer to believe that the team is somehow thinking that an eventual second-in-a-row Super Bowl win after a season of turmoil will be a more dramatic, thrilling birthday gift for me, several months delayed though it would be. I wish to inform them that a solid, winning season, followed by a Super Bowl win, would be better for my heart and mood. Let's just get back on track, boys, shall we?

Whenever you're near me I hear a symphony

Friday, 06 October 2006 10:04 AM

What: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra "Blogfest Bonus" Concert -- Shostakovich's Centennial ("heroic, patriotic and blazing")
Where: Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave.
When: October 8 -- THIS SUNDAY -- at 2:30 PM
How Much: FREE for up to 30 Pittsburgh Bloggers!!

The catch: Only bloggers listed with Pittsburgh Bloggers are eligible for complimentary tickets. Additional tickets are $19 per person and up.

To get your tickets, e-mail blogmanagers (AT) pittsburghsymphony [dot] org and insert the word BlogFest in the subject. Please provide your name, zipcode, and blog name as listed on PghBloggers.org.

In addition to the FREE entry, blogger delights include a pre-concert hosted by music writer and former Wall Street journalist Greg Sandow, a backstage tour before the concert, and a post concert blogging party, making the most of the available WiFi access and enjoying the company of the Symphony bloggers and other fine fellows.

There's a limit of 30 tickets to be given out. Tickets are first come, first serve. The deadline for registering is Friday (TODAY!!) at 2 P.M.

Special thanks to Jonathan Mayes and the Pittsburgh Symphony for hosting this event.

Official details on the concert are available at the Pittsburgh Symphony website. Enjoy this article in the Post-Gazette previewing the concert.

Copyright © 2004 – 2007 Cynthia Closkey