Happy Halloween!! Today is my favorite day of the year! I'm the only one who wore a costume to work today.

Speaking of costumes, these poor pups are not too enthused to be dressed up, but oh man, are they cute!!

ASSSSCAT at NY Comedy Festival!

My favorite fully improvised live show, ASSSSCAT, is going to be performed at Irving Plaza as part of the NY Comedy Festival on November 11th! For this special performance, I believe the original hot shots of the Upright Citizens Brigade, will be among the players, including Horatio Sanz (UCB/SNL), Amy Pohler (UCB/SNL), and Matt Besser (UCB). I've got my tickets, but you have to go to ticketmaster to get them for this show, unlike regular UCB shows. Be aware, Irving Plaza (Filmore East) is standing room only, so if you plan on coming wear comfy shoes and no skirts in case we all decide to sit on the floor!

Who likes free beer?

Green River Reunion

Wow, this must be the time for all my Pearl jam boys to really sew their non-pearl jam oats! With Eddie's first solo album in stores, and Stone tearing it up Brad-style recently in NYC and Seattle, the only logical next step is a Green River reunion, and Rolling Stone has confirmed that it will happen in 2008:

"Green River, the proto-grunge group featuring Peal Jam's Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament,and Mudhoney's Mark Arm and Steve Turner, will reunite next summer for a concert celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Sub Pop."

One can assume that the show will be in Seattle, which is home to Sub Pop, the first truly successful and most famous indie label (which is now owned partially by Warner). Green River was originally formed in 1984 and named after a notorious serial killer. I love reunions!

Update on the DeNiro and Pacino in Brooklyn

My mom just emailed me this photo from People.com. Its DeNiro and Pacino outside the 78th Precinct in Brooklyn (Park Slope). Thats across the street from me! See, I don't lie!

PAIR OF ACES
"It's a Hollywood hot shot reunion! Robert De Niro and Al Pacino make a fearsome NYPD duo on the set of their new movie, Righteous Kill, outside the 78th precinct in New York on Thursday. The two actors last costarred in the '95 drama Heat."

Righteous Kill

So, last night I was walking home from the subway after work, and as I got a few blocks from my apartment I noticed the Haddad trucks parked all over the street. For non-New Yorkers, Haddad is the name that is printed on all the trucks and trailers whenever a film crew is shooting around the city. When you see a white truck with "Haddad" written in blue lettering on the side, you know something's being filmed nearby. Anyway, I saw all the trucks around the block from my apartment, then I saw the kraft services table, then as I rounded the corner to my apartment (I live right on the corner) I saw a cameraman in a cherry picker with a spotlight right directly in front of my front door!

For a quick second, I thought that maybe I had been chosen for extreme makeover, or maybe my friends had nominated me for some Super Fan show and I had won, based on my Pearl Jam freakness. Alas, the hoopla was not for me. Wiggling around big black boxes of camera equipment to get inside the door I asked one of the many crew members littering the sidewalk, "what's goin on here?"

The friendly young guy, with dark framed glasses and knit cap, moved a little closer and confided that it was a movie set. It's called Righteous Kill, and it stars- get this- MARTIN SCORSESE, AL PACINO, AND ROBERT DENIRO!! Also, 50 Cent and Donny Wahlberg are in it too! Whoa baby! That's a loaded cast, huh?

The Plot: Two Veteran New York City Detectives hunt a vigilante who may be one of their own.

I quickly changed for the gym, of course pausing momentarily to call John and my mom and inform them of the awesomeness outside. I walked through the set 4 more times last night, hoping to see someone famous, although the crew member had told me the stars had already gone home for the day. Sarah and I had a brief encounter with the director, Jon Avnet, when we went to the store for cookies at 10pm. He ordered his crew to "let them through, they're civilians!" So cool! Unfortunately they're not planning on coming back to Brooklyn for any more filming, but I will definitely see the movie when it comes out and shout "I live there!" when I see my apartment! ;)

Avnet's directed tons of movies including The Starter Wife, Brave New World, Up Close and Personal, Mighty Ducks, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Risky Business.

I love New York!

The Hills is fake! Duh.

This photo is from the shoot where Lauren first met Gavin (thats him behind her)

Yeah, we've all probably heard about the nail polish scandal which MTV let slip this week, revealing that the "reality" series, The Hills, may not actually be reality (in one shot LC has red nails, then in the next shot, supposedly just a little while afterward, she has clear nails).

Anyway, Best Week Ever has an inside interview with Gavin, the model that took Lauren on the infamous date in this week's episode, that gives us all some bubble-bursting insight into The Hills.

What-evs, its not like I'm gonna delete it from my DVR list, that's just crazy talk!

Pearl Jam to play Bonnaroo in 2008???

Its all hearsay at this point, but a fan posted a long message on The Pit recently about Jeff Ament (bass player for Pearl Jam) giving an impromptu presentation during a class at the University of Montana. Apparently, during the course of the Q&A session, Jeff confirmed that Pearl Jam had booked Bonnaroo for 2008.

I dunno, I'd like to believe it, but its waaaaay too early to give any real cred, ya know?

Anyway, read for yourself. The rest of the highlights from the Q&A with Jeff are pretty interesting too (all hearsay from this lucky student).

Stuff to do

I have funny class tonight and a maybe broken-ish foot, but here's some stuff you could do tonight and tomorrow:

Tonight:
Stephen Colbert from The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (pronounced repore) will be doing a reading from his new book, I am America (and So Can You!), tonight at 7pm at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. I heart him.

The Shins are playing at Terminal 5 tonight. Doors at 7pm.

Tomorrow:
The Shout out Louds at Bowery Ballroom. Doors at 8pm.

KRock Creepshow, featuring Coheed and Cambria at The Blender Theater. Doors at 7pm.

Crank That

Ring tone rap? I dunno. Soulja Boy has started an epidemic, and unless you live under a rock (or just the midwest) you've seen the soulja boy dance and wish that you, too, could crank it!

Just last weekend I was in a private room in the back of Zanzibar for a birthday party when two young guys out on the sidewalk came right up to the window outside and, in unision, with synchronized ipods, did the Soulja Boy for our entertainment! It was pretty awesome, and I have vowed to, as soon as my soccer foot heals, master the Soulja Boy Crank!

I don't care who you are, it has become blatently apparent that you are not quite cool enough until you can crank it!

After the Jump Party on Saturday

What are you up to this weekend? My friends at After the Jump have a CMJ event planned for Saturday October 20th at The Yard in Brooklyn. Doors at Noon. $5:

click image to enlarge

Eddie Vedder no longer doing Bridge School gig

Eddie Vedder was slated to perform for the 21st Annual Bridge School Benefit in California but his performance has now been officially cancelled.

The official Bridge School website provides a "revised lineup" which now includes My Morning Jacket, along with the following announcement:

"SAN FRANCISCO, CA - October 16, 2007 - Eddie Vedder's performances with Jack Irons and Flea at next week's Bridge School Benefit concerts have unfortunately been canceled due to a personal family matter with one of the band's members. The band apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause."

I hope everything turns out ok for everyone and their families. I'm sure there will be alot of disappointed fans, but hey, MMJ rules and the rest of the lineup aint half bad!

Revised Lineup:

Neil Young

Metallica

Jerry Lee Lewis

Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet

John Mayer

My Morning Jacket

Tegan & Sara

Regina Spektor

Saturday, October 27th at 5pm

Sunday, October 28th at 2pm

Shoreline Amphitheatre

Stuff you might want to check out tonight

Fenway Recordings CMJ Showcase at Crash Mansion, featuring Foreign Islands.

RSVP (at) newyorkunderbelly.com

Full Line up: Friday - Oct. 19This Car Up 7:00 PMZambri 8:00 PMHouse and Parish 9:00 PMWild Light 10:00 PMForeign Islands 11:00 PMMGMT 12:00 AM

CMJ shows worth checking out tonight

Here are some CMJ show's worth checking out tonight:

1. Tiny Masters of Today at Bowery Ballroom- this duo consists of a brother (13) and sister (11) from Brooklyn, who have a write up in the current Rolling Stone Issue. Apparently they're cool enough to have Karen O. from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs make a cameo on their album. I always like watching kids rock out. They'll also be playing a free Brooklyn Vegan Showcase tomorrow at Pianos.

2. Mates of State at The Annex. Also playing Joe's Pub tomorrow.

3. 1990s at Hiro. This is the last CMJ gig for these guys.

Woody Guthrie Benefit for HDSA at Webster Hall

Ok, I guess 4 hours of sleep is cool. I AM a robot, and isn't that what coffee is for anyway? Last night I attended the Woody Guthrie benefit concert for Huntington's Disease at Webster Hall. Can I just tell you that I have never experienced folk music rock so hard! The event was hosted by Tim Robbins, with proceeds being donated to HDSA in memory of the late Woody Guthrie, who died of Huntington's.

The show started off with a quick set by The Tangents, a band fronted by none other than Tim Robbins' teenage son, Miles, and backed by a group of his friends. With songs like, Danny from my baseball team, these young'ns rocked the stage with the passion and talent of full grown men!
















Next, Tim Robbins played guitar and sang a few Woody Guthrie songs himself, before being joined on stage by the members of Brad, with special guest AGAIN, Kevin Wood.
















The Brad set followed, and again included a Stone solo on Roll on Columbia.
















Next was Steve Earl, who brought up the political energy a few notches and demanded that we sing along with him "one of these days I'm gonna lay this hammer down!" and sing we did....
















Last but not least Billy Bragg hit the stage, and left us blushing as he covered Woody Guthrie's song, Ingrid Bergman, which he explained was chock full of sexual innuendos.























For the grand finale, the Night Watchman (Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine) brought everyone on stage for the most rockin version of This Land is Your Land that anyone has ever heard! These guys put on an incredible show, and for a good cause.

















UPDATE: I have received video! Thanks, Larry! :)

The night ended with all of us at the after party at the Pour House, where we discussed land conservation with Stone and cab driving with Kevin Wood- both VERY cool guys!....what a night!















Big ups to all my peops both new and old (you know who you are), I'll see ya at the next show :)

Woody Guthrie benefit

Tonight's show was so much fun! I am too tired to go into detail now but I'll let you know a few things before I fall asleep at the computer: #1 No, Eddie didn't show up, #2, Yes, I got to talk to Stone and he was even cooler than you'd imagine, #3, Yes, Tom Morello was there and totally commanded the stage.....ok, thats all I can do for now before I go to sleep.

Stay tuned for more photos and details when I awake!


Oh, special thanks to Carin and Paul for the VIP hookups! AccordingtoTalia thanks you!! :)

More of Stone...

Check out the website for 92.3 Krock in New York for more pics and video of Stone and his bee bee during an interview in studio yesterday. He changes a diaper on the air! You can't see it, but there are actual cartoon hearts flying out of my head right now!

Also, I caught wind of more details on last night's Brad show: Apparently there was a guest guitarist, Kevin Wood, of the band Malfunkshun (of which Brad played a few covers last night). Kevin Wood is the brother of the late Andy Wood who was the original lead singer for Mother Love Bone in the early 90s. Without MLB, we wouldn't have Pearl Jam!

Thats all for Grunge History today, kiddies!

Stone Gossard and Brad at Highline Ballroom

Tonight I saw Brad at Highline Ballroom. As you know, Brad is the band that Stone Gossard, of Pearl Jam fame, has been playing with in his non-PJ time since the 90s. I have to admit that I had not listened to Brad's music before getting the ticket, but I am devout to Stone, one of the best guitar players I have ever heard, so I went, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Singer, Shawn Smith danced around and talked with the crowd between songs, pausing a few times throughout the set to give props to Stoney on his solos! The band played mostly original songs with a few covers, including Stone singing and playing solo on Roll on Columbia by Woody Guthrie. The show was great. It REALLY was. Luckily Brad will be playing a set Wednesday night at Webster Hall as part of the Woody Guthrie Benefit show for HDSA.

I took a short video of Stone singing Roll on Columbia, which I've posted below with some pics and the setlist.
EDIT: I added a second vid. Sorry they're so short. I'm still figuring out how to record them!

Bruce and Win sitting in a tree...

Oh boy! If you've ever seen an Arcade Fire show, or even listened to their music, especially Keep the Car Running from Neon Bible, you've realized just how much inspiration lead singer, Win Butler draws from Bruce Springsteen. To the amazement of concertgoers at last night's Springsteen show in Ontario, The Boss covered Keep the Car Running, while joined onstage by Win Butler and his wife/ bandmate Regine Chassagne! Prior to KTCR, Bruce and Win joined forces to duet on State Trooper. Check out the vid below. See Stereogum for the story.

Bruce Stringsteen and Arcade Fire - Keep the car running
Uploaded by trendwhore

Radiohead is giving a big F-YOU to the greedy record distributors of the world by letting fans name their own price to purchase the band's latest release, In Rainbows, exclusively online! I havn't downloaded it yet myself, but I plan to do so for about $10 USD. Thats how much I pay for full albums at the Virgin Store in Union Square, and I think it's pretty fair. Way to go Radiohead for putting faith back in the fans.

I'll be curious to see the stats on the average price people are paying for the album, and how many shit heads are taking advantage of the vote of confidence. Many radio stations, including Left of Center on Sirius, are playing the album already, and from what I've heard so far, Thom Yorke's vocals are spell binding as usual. In Rainbows is a history-making must have, for sheezy!

Rumor has it that other bands such as Jamiroquai, NIN, and Oasis plan to follow Radiohead's novel example for releasing their next albums.

While I'm talking Radiohead, does anyone else think Mute Math's Typical sounds a hell of alot like Radiohead's Optimistic? (about 33 seconds into this fan video on YouTube of Optimistic, the similarity becomes glaringly apparent)

Will Eddie come out to support Stone in NYC?

With two upcoming shows in NYC next week for Stone Gossard's side band, Brad, it's only natural that we'd start wondering whether Eddie would come out to support his buddy.

Well, today, I was listening to Alt Nation on Sirius when the DJ hinted not so subtly that Eddie might just be making an appearance at the October 17th benefit concert at Webster Hall. Yeah, I yelped a little. We shall see...

EDIT- I goofed the other day and accidentally said the benefit was at IP but obv from the poster, its at Webster. Sor, Char.

Immagine in Cornice at #1 on Billboard

Immagine In Cornice, a DVD chronicling Pearl Jam's 2006 European Tour has debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Music DVD chart!

Holla :)

GH III

I was just reading Rolling Stone over my lunch break, and was super excited to discover that the new Guitar Hero III, which hits store shelves on October 28th, will be available for Nintendo Wii! This is exciting for me because I love playing GH at other people's houses, but I would never spend the money on a compatible game console. However, when the boy room mate moved in, he brought a wii, so now all I have to buy is the game, which, although not cheap at $89.99, is still far cheaper than an entire game system- totes doable!

I also read that GH III is going to feature a bunch of original tracks as opposed to the reproductions found on previous versions. And, because the masters for Nevermind the Bullocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, were lost, the people at RedOctane got the Pistols to reunite for the first time in decades to re-record some jams! Pretty f'n cool right?

Unfortunately, Guitar Hero's arch nemesis, Rock Band, which comes out in November, won't be available for Wii :( Rock band adds vocals and drums to the mix, to make you and your friends feel like you're all in one awesome band (or not awesome, depending on who you hang out with).

Yahoo for Guitar Hero on wii!

About a Son- a film narrated by Kurt Cobain

About a Son is a 92 minute experimental documentary, directed by A.J. Schnack, produced by Michael Azerrad, and narrated by none other than Kurt Cobain himself. In the early 90s, Azerrad accumulated over 20 hours of Cobain on tape, responding to interviews which inspired the Azerrad-penned authorized biography, Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. With these valuable and candid audio clips leftover, the film makers set Cobain's words to scenes from the pacific northwest to correspond with the subject matter.
SOURCE

About a son premiered in the U.S. last March at the Cleveland International Film Festival, and was most recently featured at the Toronto Film Festival (Wonder if Eddie saw it while he was there with the fam???)

From the excerpts I've seen on YouTube, the film looks pretty great, the audio is clear, and the emotion is real and unusually unabashed for Cobain, who was known throughout the publicised part of his lifetime as an introvert. This is a must-see for any music fan that didn't spend the 90s in a coma or a monestary (roughly similar)!

CLICK HERE to see Rolling Stone's picks for the Top 25 Music DVDs of all time.

Official About a Son Trailer

UPDATE: I found a schedule of upcoming About a Son screenings on the Film's official Myspace page. New Yorkers can see the film now through Oct 16th at the IFC Center!

Wallet Friendly Brad Show Added!

Some of you may have already heard about the charity gig that Brad (the band that Pearl Jam guitar-god, Stone Gossard, has been playing with in his non-PJ time for years) will be playing in New York on October 17th at Webster Hall. Tickets start at $75 a piece, and proceeds benefit the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA).

BUT, what you may NOT know about is a second, much cheaper Brad show in NYC on October 16th at the Highline Ballroom. Tickets for this warm-up show are a steal at just $10!! Luckily, my soccer game that week falls on a Monday, so I'll def be hitting up Highline to see good old Stoney Baloney!

My eager pal snagged tix to both shows, so I may end up at the Webster Hall benefit too, if I can justify parting with the $75.

Crazy ears

For someone who works in copyright infringement, I often erroneously conclude that two songs are very similar when, in reality, they are completely different. My latest crazy connection is between Homecoming, by Kanye West, and featuring Chris Martin from Coldplay, and Cherry Blossom Girl, by Air! Yeah, I know how crazy it sounds but I can't listen to one without thinking I'm hearing the other in some weird way. Do you think I'm nuts?

Of the two songs I MUCH prefer Air, so I've included the video for Cherry Blossom Girl for you below. You can hear Kanye and Chris here.
CAREFUL, THE VIDEO GETS NSFW AT THE END. VIEW WITH CAUTION!!