Quit while you're ahead.
They say that in show biz you should:
A) leave them wanting more and
B) never follow a kid's act
what I'm finding is that option A never really happened, and I have officially walked into the middle of B. Of course, I'm referring to my son Liam and his infinitely-more-popular-than-mine
blog.
They say that as a father you will eventually be overshadowed by your children. You can see my son doesn't mind as he's apparently trying to literally and figuratively top me, even by climbing up my beard.
It's somewhat like having siblings. I can remember that in high school I started out as Matt's little brother, only to then become my own person. Then my younger brother Steve was seen as my little brother for a brief moment until I became "Steve's older brother."
So once again, I have been surpassed in popularity. So don't expect much out of this blog as I am now putting myself out to pasture and turning into a fan of my blogging child prodigy
Liam Morrissey. I should have known that giving him that middle name would turn him into a star. Burn brightly little star...
before boy eats drum machine...
(AKA: there once was a Benjy who had (some) hair)
so long before the band boy eats drum machine, i played with jonny in a rock (make that rawk) band called stereo crush (to save my life i still can't remember if it's spelled as one word or two).
this is an ancient picture that
BethInPortland dusted off and sent my way from one of that band's photo shoots.
i really have no idea what to say further, other than to leave it open for comment. wow. band photo shoots are funny... or something.
wow! i'm so behind...
well, life sure seems to be going by fast. it seems just like yesterday that i was blogging about by eats drum machine and my illustrious musical career. now, i'm proud poppa to a one-month-old and realizing that i have failed to update my online readership.
so here's to you, yes you, the ONE who reads this blog. in true tag-team new parenting fashion, i'll simply ask you to navigate to mrs. googoo's blog to get the skinny on our lives over the last several months. be sure to check out the little tot named Liam Morrissey, he's pretty cute:
reesarick
new ink
Today I spent about four hours under the needle getting some work done on a new half sleeve. The new
Scapegoat is a sweet space, with more room, bigger booths, fresh paint, and a warmer overall vibe. Not to mention the presence of a three neighboring vegan establishments:
sweet pea bakery, the mystery clothing place, and the unrelenting
food fight grocery that (seemingly) started it all. Once again,
Ryan is off to a great start, and this piece is looking rad even in it's incomplete state. We took a break about half way through to see the free show at food fight that
no age was putting on, and then realized that we could hear it all just fine through the wall. A quick rice milk chai latte later, and I found myself in more sweet pain. I am looking forward to finishing this piece and then will probably start dreaming up my next tattoo. After watching the TiVo'd first half of the state of the union address, I'm thinking that a Bush-themed tattoo might be in order. Now if only I could think of a place on my body to tattoo a Bush.
Hmmm...
u2 3d
After viewing the sensory overload that is the spectacle of U23D last night, I'm feeling compelled to spread the promising word. Having grown up watching, no, make that consuming, U2's "Rattle and Hum" figuratively millions of times with my brother, I was going into the 3D revamp with a bit of skepticism. Certainly the visual experience would promise to offer far more than the flat, two dimensional film from the late 1980s, however, there could be now way that U2 could recapture the passion and gene'se-qua of the band at what seemed to be the height of their career.
I guess it is simply time for me to stop judging U2 by their supportive undergarments, bloated stage personas, and leathery faces, because once again, they surpassed my expectations. The three dimensional U2 movie was simply said, a unique experience, and moreover, it couldn't be pulled off by any other band. There is a unique partnering of rock ego and high definition, three dimension to which only musicians named Bono and the Edge could bring justice. Or to put it simply, only Bono's ego can make a high definition, three dimensional movie that runs 83 minutes work on every level. As much as I love the Arcade Fire and Radiohead, I'm not sure that either band could do 3D like U2 could. There was something eerily familiar about seeing Bono's face up close and clearly defined with every laugh line and empty follicle there in plain view. It was like having my own personal moment with the rock star of my youth. It is hard to say that I would want to see Thom Yorke that clearly.
In any case, I was expecting the film to be another chapter in the later, boated U2 era, nothing more than another celebration of a once great band. Yet several hours later, I'm still compelled by several of the film's visuals and an experience that was truly unique if not a little more sincere than expected.
Here is a list of what I took with me from the film and what should prove as a rationale for a repeated viewing:
* Three dimensional drums are the coolest thing ever.
* It is rather odd, finding yourself head-bobbing and foot tapping in a movie theater.
* A kiss between band mates is always charming, and between Bono and Adam Clayton it reaches the level of sweet, quite even dear.
* For some reason, 3D crowds jumping up and down at the front of the stage reminds me of Helm's Deep.
* An opening scroll down to the back of a 3D drum kit rules (see #1).
* While I usually watch a concert DVD so that I don't have to see the back of someone else's head, three dimensional backs of heads are awesome!
* Larry Mullen Jr. has a mullet, a three dimensional mullet.
* Watching a Latin American concert crowd incorrectly count from 1 to 14 is rather humorous, even if a little tongue-in-cheek.
coolest thing all year!
I know that the new year is young, but I may have already done the coolest thing that I will do all year long...
