One of the coolest moments in last Sunday's Dillinger Escape Plan show at the Paramount Theatre in Brooklyn was when they played "Tearing" from Rollins Band's 1992 masterpiece The End of Silence.
There's a great write-up on Dillinger and Dead Guy's three-night stand over on Brooklyn Vegan, a site I used to love and frequent a lot more before they succumbed to the same pop-up ad malarky all sites seemingly succumb to now.
Watch:
K and I caught the new Tom Hardy movie The Bikeriders at the theatre. What is it with recent movies that are fantastic but have terrible names? Underwater? Bikeriders? Come on.
Ultimately, I won't give the film too much shit, because it was fantastic. Tom Hardy gives another nuanced performance and Austin Butler just nails the "Brooding, silent bad boy" archetype. Jodie Comer is essentially our lead character as the window into the world of Chicago's Vandals, and she also turns in a great performance. Then, we also have Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Emopry Cohen, Karl Glusman, and - maybe the best surprise - Damon Herriman; known to Justified fans as Dewey Crowe! It's an ensemble cast and a lot of damn fun, so I'd say if you can, catch it in a theatre. Plus, you get to see the Robert Eggers' Nosferatu trailer on the big screen.
This is another recent trailer that gives absolutely nothing away but still fills the screen with sounds and images that make me super excited to see this one when it releases this coming December. Now, if I can just manage not to see it more than once or twice before then...
Playlist:
Ghost - Infestissumam
Protomartyr - Under Color of Official Right
USSA - The Spoils
Tubby Hayes Quintet - Down in the Village (Live at Ronnie Scott's Club, London 1962)
Calexico - The Black Light
Forhist - Eponymous
Jim Williams - Possessor OST
Joseph Bishara - Malignant OST
Valkyrie - Fear
The Ravenonettes - Sing
Night Sins - A Silver Blade In The Shadow EP
Thou - Umbilical
Justin Hamline - The House With Dead Leaves
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Four of Cups
• Eight of Cups
• XX: Judgement
Emotional stability through the transformation of emotions during a pivotal sequence. In other words, we choose how we are going to interpret and let things make us feel. You can take things negatively, or you can put some kind of positive spin on it. Obviously, some things are just awful and can't be "spun" any other way.
This is definitely not for me today, but someone I know.
Sunday morning I flew into LaGuardia airport and met up with my good friend Dave, who flew in from Chicago. We hired a car into Brooklyn, checked into the Brooklyn Hotel for two nights, and headed out to the Paramount Theatre to see the final of three shows that The Dillinger Escape Plan played here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of 1999's Calculating Infinity. This was the seventh time I've seen the band live since 1999, and the second time with original lead singer Dimitri Minakakis. Almost as big a draw for me was a reunited Deadguy, a band I found in 1995 as a writer for then-Chicago music magazine Subculture (how I miss you!). I had somehow gotten to be the magazine's dedicated reviewer for everything then new label Victory Records released. The problem was that I didn't really like most of what Victory put out. Deadguy was one of the few exceptions to that rule because, holy shit, did I LOVE Fixation on a Coworker from the moment I hit play.
Before the show we grabbed a bite and a few drinks at a local Brewery/Restaurant called Sound + Fury. Great stuff. I started with a Kölsch I didn't love - I think the barrel was low or the lines were off - but found much better results when I switched it up to their Quality Control Pilsner. I ended up drinking way more Pilsners on this trip than I normally do, but it was hot and I was bloated from general travel unease, so a thinner beer seemed the better option. Also, I'm on a total ban of IPAs at the moment, as they've just completely worn out their welcome for me.
The entire bar at Sound + Fury was populated by folks in Mr. Bungle, Ween and Melvins shirts. we struck up a little conversation and briefly met a couple from Chicago who, like us, had jumped on this show the second it was announced, fearing it would be a one-and-done. Doors were set to open at 5:00 PM I think, and by 6:00 PM, pretty much everyone there for the show had cleared out. We stayed behind; I hate to be that guy who only watches the bands I came to see, but also, I'm fucking 48 and I'd been awake since 6:00 AM - standing on a hard floor for four bands' set times felt... intimidating. Eventually, around 6:30 PM we headed over.
There were supposed to be two opening bands, the names of which I will withhold because I don't like to talk shit. But man, I did not like either. I also didn't like the third opener they added. There's something about metal that makes people think they can just base their band around decibels and blast beats, throw up the horns after every song, and the crowd will accept them.
Not this guy. Nope.
A couple hours into the show, the night was not going great. I was happy to be there with my friend, don't get me wrong, but I was getting drunk and I was getting tired. Then Deadguy took the stage. They played fantastic for a band that hasn't been a band in 30 years, however, the sound for them was the worst of the night. I mean, it was "Fire your sound guy now" bad. I was a little crushed.
When Dillinger took the stage the sound continued to be an issue. This was unbelievable; I mean, we're watching Bill Rymer hit his snare and not hearing it. Could hear the fucking kick drum loud and clear, though. Again, I don't like to talk shit, but there is a penchant in the live sound community - especially at metal shows - for sound techs to focus on the drum kit and forget everything else, or at least dial it in slowly. That's pretty much what happened, as the sound did get there eventually, but it took about four songs into Dillinger's set. Fine, whatever. By this point, Dimitri had worked his way to the back of the house and was delivering the refrain from Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" from atop the soundboard. I actually found myself wondering if the sound guy thought Dimitri had come back to kick his ass, and that's why the sound suddenly improved.
The show was fantastic, and by the end completely blotted out the travesty from earlier in the evening. Dave and I hung around outside the Paramount for a bit and ran into that Chicago couple again. Rob and Jax. Great folks and it blew my mind to find Rob was also a graduate of Columbia College Chicago's Sound Program. What's more, he's actually using his education - he's the head sound guy at Chicago's United Center! We walked over to a dive someone online had recommended to Dave, The Brooklyn Inn and I instantly fell in love; a long space instead of wide, only a few quiet souls on hand, low lighting and jazz on the speakers. This was the second highlight of the evening. Rob and I talked about Columbia for quite some time, and I was thrilled to find he had studied live sound with one of my favorite teachers there, Jack Alexander. Jack was nuts, one of the most no-bullshit guys I met at the school, and I was bummed to find both he and another favorite, Jim Nudd, had passed away. Rob regaled me by explaining how the year Jack died, the sound crew at Lolapalooza - which he was on - peppered images of their mentor on the giant digital screen during the festival. I raised several glasses to that.
We ended up closing the place, I think. We scored some extremely salty Pastrami sandwiches at a little all-night bodega on the corner, then went back to the hotel and passed out.
On Monday, after a slow-moving morning, I heard Jazz or Hip-Hop everywhere we went in Brooklyn. Without any real destination, we had breakfast at a neighborhood place called Pearl's, then just walked around Brooklyn for a couple of hours. I always feel that's how I get to know a city—by walking. Later, we had dinner at a place called The Canary, then walked across the street to watch a jazz quartet at Drink Lounge. These guys were fantastic: Kit, Upright, Guitar and Alto Sax. Once they wrapped, we hiked a couple blocks down to a Jazz Vinyl Bar we'd passed by on the way to dinner - Kissa Kissa. The wall of vinyl in this place has to be seen to be believed:
We ended up closing this place, too, as the bartender Meno was a damn cool guy and our meandering conversations with him touched on everything from the state of the world to wine to music to Tennessee. The evening just melted away. A half-dozen pints of Night Shift Brewing's Nite Lite helped on this end, as well as the bottle of 2018 Loli Casado Jaun de Alzate Crianza Rioja Dave bought that I nipped at here and there. Wine is largely lost on me, and I'm fairly certain I have a tannin allergy, but it just felt right.
After closing out Kissa Kissa, Dave and I walked back to the hotel, and I realized I was kind of in love with Brooklyn Walking reveals so much of a place; I've been to NY two other times and have never been in a hurry to return. After this trip, Dave and I are already talking about when we can come back, maybe bring our girlfriends for two days and just haunt this wonderful borough.
I'm not normally a huge fan of Chris Bachalo's art, but this cover is creepy AF. I've been a little disappointed in this Darkhold series, mainly because it wasn't a series at all, but an Alpha Book - which I dug - followed by a series of one-shot character books, i.e. The Darkhold: Spider-Man, The Darkhold: Iron Man, etcetera, none of which I was ever going to read. That means tomorrow I'm returning to the tale for the Omega issue, not really expecting much. I really thought there would be more Doom in this one. I guess I'll have to try another book dropping this week to get the Doom fix I was hoping for when I picked up the Alpha issue two months ago. That book?
I'm not following the Wastelanders books, but again, I've been in the mood for some Dr. Doom, so hopefully this will satisfy the craving.
OH MY GOD I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS FINAL ISSUE OF INFERNO!!!
Here I was thinking that there were going to be five issues of this series, and instead, Hickman brings his run on X-Men to a close this week with Inferno #4. I was late to this and I'm bummed it's ending, so I can only imagine how people who have been reading the entire time feel. I guess the big question is, will I stay on after. Well, the newest X-Men book - I feature issue 6 farther down on this list - is a keeper for the time being, but what about anything else? I mean, I'm not currently reading any of the other titles, and several are ending, but there's been solicitations for at least two books slated to launch over the next few weeks. X-Men: Red is one I'll definitely give a chance to, simply because it's being billed as a sequel to the recently ended S.W.O.R.D. book, which I read and loved. But I'm on the fence with Immortal X-Men, which although is said to focus on all the agendas in the mutant ruling body known as The Quiet Council, features Kieron Gillen as writer. I loved what I read of Gillen's The Wicked and the Divine, but ultimately it didn't hold me. Also, his recent take on The Eternals was definitely NOT for me, and his plans for the X-Men kinda sound similar.
We'll see. The trap I'm trying to avoid here is what I have long referred to as "fan inertia," where you dig a book so much, you keep reading it even after the writer who made you love it leaves.
Often, not a good idea at all.
Another badass cover. This second arc of Two Moons has really been throwing curveballs, can't wait to see where the story goes next.
I really have no idea what to expect from this book anymore, so I'm happy to just go with the flow.
Cast:
The latest issue of A Most Horrible Library went up on all podcast platforms yesterday. In it, Chris Saunders and I discuss, among other things, Jeff Lemire and Doug Mahnke's Swamp Thing: Green Hell, which I absolutely LOVED.
Good to see a return to all-out Horror for a Swamp Thing tale.
Playlist:
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Disassociation
The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us is the Killer
Another song from the forthcoming first solo album from former Dillinger Escape Plan/current Black Queen frontman Greg Puciato. Child Soldier: Creator of God is out October 23rd, you can pre-order it HERE.
Watch:
Saturday night, K and I checked off a box and watched Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland. Man, I remembered this one being way better than it is. While it's hard to fault any slasher that uses a garbage truck for its first kill, Teenage Wasteland is mildly entertaining, but essentially little more than a perfunctory set-up to deliver a series of mostly uninspired kills.
Yeah, it kinda all goes downhill after the garbage truck.
Friday, we did John Wick 3, and I continue to be amazed at how much I like these movies. The location scouting is unbelievable, and everything in the series, from the costumes, to the lighting, to the choreography, only helps establish a very unique and opulent atmosphere for unparralleled levels of violence to unfold within. Hell, not even Halle Berry - who is almost always a "No" for me, did a fairly good job.
Playlist:
X - Los Angeles
The Clash - London Calling
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
The Babies - Eponymous
Low Cut Connie - Hi Honey
Boy Harsher - Careful
Brand New - God and the Devil are Raging Inside Me
Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
X - Wild Gift
Windhand - Grief's Infernal Flower
Ainoma - Manhunter
Ainoma - Necropolis
Card:
Referencing the importance of maintaining a clear head, especially when confronted with or analyzing former setbacks. This is a huge nod toward my thought process this morning in the car, where I kind of went over a previous project I'd let wane due to a reluctance on my part to bond with what I and a collaborator had come up with for an entry point to the story. Tossing that key point aside, respectfully, I think I have a much better idea. I just need to be careful how I explain that to the collaborator.
How's that for a relaxing Sunday evening, eh? I've been hung up on a Dillinger binge again. This album... this freakin' album, I've been listening to it for almost twenty years, but I still don't think I fully grasp it. So gorgeous, and mind-bending, and dangerous. Speaking of Mindbending...
Two nights ago, I re-watched Shane Carruth's Upstream Color. Jesus, what a film. I remember the first time I put it on I instantly became spellbound. There's a fluidity to the storytelling that makes me think of it as a cinematic poem. I won't pretend I 'get' a lot of it, but after watching it, I dug around online for a while and arrived at some pretty interesting 'answers.' We need another film from this man. The Modern Ocean has been listed on his IMDB for a while; let's hope we get that sooner rather than later.
Playlist from 1/26:
Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch - Concerning the White Horse
Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch - Only Lovers Left Alive OST
Pinebender - Working Nine to Wolf
Cold Cave - Cherish the Light Years
Boy Harsher - Country Girl EP
Boy Harsher - Yr Body is Nothing
