Rock N Roll "Cage Match" - I still don't like Billy Joel

Today is Record Store Day! Kids, records stores were the iTunes back in our day, but rather than being able to download an infinite number of songs at a moments notice, you had to actually go to a store. It was also difficult because if you didn’t hear what the name of the song was when the DJ announced it, you were stuck trying to hum it to a guy who really didn’t know it, but was going to point you in the direction of some shelf to keep you from talking to him.

           

I joke, but Record Stores were places where people could get together and enjoy music. It was more than just a place to buy music, it was a community.  It was a different time. Back then, Nicki Minaj was called “Lil’Kim”, the boy bands were boy bandier, and no one was quite sure what a Simon Cowell was and he wasn’t responsible for 40% of the Karoke contests on television.

In honor of Record Store Day, The Island and I wanted to discuss what music means to us. These aren’t necessarily my favorite songs, these are the ones that mean something to me. So here they are. They aren’t in any particular order, unless you’re paranoid and you want to see something in it. Maybe it spells out the name of where I buried the treasure.

1.  “River of Dreams” by Billy Joel. I’m a huge Billy Joel fan, and I could name pretty much any Billy Joel song that he’s ever written. I’m always saddened that he doesn’t seem to get as much respect as he deserves. Listening to Billy Joel is like listening to history. (Fact: He wanted to be a  History Teacher, and it shows in the music he writes. Yep. Writes. Not comes out of the compu-writer 7000) But “River of Dreams” was the first Billy Joel Album I owned. It was the first song I heard of his that I discovered on my own. I’d heard other Billy Joel that my parents listened to, but this was different. This was one that I heard. It was my song. I couldn’t get enough of
2. “Nicole’s Song”/”The River 1873” by the Virginia Coalition. I’m doubling up! Yes, I’m cheating on someone else’s blog! These are from the same album, VACO (as the cool kids call them)’s very first. I was given the pleasure of reviewing their first album for my college paper. I really enjoyed it, but these two songs just really affected me.” The River;1873” is a work of art. It’s a story within a song, and I’ve listened to it a million times and I just can’t wrap my brain about it, and I keep wanting to enjoy it.“Nicole’s Song”, I discovered much later, but it just evokes so much perfect emotion. It’s a beautiful, devastating song about love. One of the best love songs that’s out there We’ve all had feelings for someone but the timing just doesn’t work out for whatever reason. We’ve all felt like in another world, another time, if just something would work out... we could be together. It’s a devastating, haunting, beautiful feeling.
3. “Birdhouse in Your Soul” by They Might be Giants. How can any life changing list exist without They Might Be Giants? Blue Canary in the Outlet by the Lightswitch/who watches over you... Fantastic lyrics, fantastic fun that hides a deeper meaning. They Might Be Giants taught me that you can do something deep... but hide it in something amazing. 
4.  “Vienna” by Linda Eder. You’d expect more musical type songs from me, who’s a musical type, and while this song isn’t from a musical it’s got that “musical” quality. It’s a story song, written from the point of view of a lover that is looking back on better times. A lot of songs look back at better times. A lot of songs look back on former lovers. This one manages to combine it into a coherent story. And it’s not a musical. It’s just an amazing song that needs to be experienced, not really listened to.
5. “Cineplex Carmex” by My New Mixtape. My New Mixtape isn’t so much a band as is an experience. It was started by a member of the Virginia Coalition, and features a lot of different local artists. While again, they have a large stable of excellent songs, but I picked this one because the first time I heard it, I had to listen to it about seven or eight more times to make sure I got it. It’s another relatable song... it’s about a first date. But the whole thing is done with a robot voice. (They joke that it’s a robot love song.) But the robot voice forces you to focus on the words... (Words are important!) I dare you to listen to this one just one.
6. “Cologne”/”Best Imitation of Myself”/”Evaporated” by Ben Folds/Five. I picked both eras, where Ben Folds was solo, and back when he was with the trio of Ben Folds Five. At any time, he is still one of the best songwriters in the world. I could go into a lot of detail on this, but again, it comes down to the words. These are some of the best written songs that have ever been written, particularly the wordplay of Cologne and Evaporated. Evaporated was one of the songs that got me hooked on Ben Folds. Both can be torn down to their essence and enjoyed. The greatest is still “Best Imitation of Myself” which again, speaks to me at a certain time. Sometimes the hardest thing we can do is be ourself. But sometimes we have to wonder if we make the face until it stuck.
7. “1000 Goodbyes” by Captain Tractor. What? You mean you don’t listen to a lot of Canadian Celtic Folk Rock? 1000 Goodbyes. It’s a song about being leaving, and being terrible about saying goodbye. Who hasn’t done that? As a military brat, I’ve done it a lot.
8. “Hail Mary” by Eddie From Ohio. I have to include EFO on here, which again is a local (ish) band. But this song speaks to me as well. It’s a retelling of the Prodigal Son story, but in a way that anyone can relate to. Plus, just try not to enjoy a line that says, “I’m a buck twenty five from being broke and a Hail Mary shy of redemption.” It just breaks things down in a way that I hadn’t thought of before.

Yes, there’s more than 10. I cheated. I’m priceless. I hope you take this opportunity to download and listen to some of these songs.

The Island responds:

Happy Record Store Day! I hope that you take the time today to go out to your local record store and buy some music. Music is the great connector and places like record stores create communities of people that probably wouldn't be if left to their own devices. There's a great book, Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon, that tells this exact story (read it-you'll love it). If you love music and your local record store, you should be out today enjoying the day and basking in the music nerd love of RSD. I'll share my RSD experiences later this week.

Onto the list. I would like to point out that Bad Shakespeare cheated - there are more than 10 songs on this list. But in the spirit of RSD and because music makes us all do crazy things, I'll let this slide. I'm cool that way. The other thing that you have to realize is that there is no winner - both of our lists are perfect. They're perfect because music is a very personal experience. Even when you're at a concert with hundreds or thousands of other people, you're still connecting to the music in a personal way. This is one of the many reasons I both love and hate sharing music with other people - I know how I feel about it and I love hearing their reactions. But I also get a bit paranoid and possessive - I really don't want them to ruin the song or band for me. I'm fine if they hate it but I don't want my experience to change because of their reaction. This is all part of the musical journey that we take and why I don't talk about music on first dates.

Has Bad Shakespeare convinced me that Billy Joel is the greatest? No, he has not. But I would never begrudge or judge his love of the Piano Man. I think his experience with "River of Dream" is very similar to my experience with "Little Earthquakes" or "Thirteen"; these were songs I discovered on my own and became foundations for the way I think about and approach music. I always thought Billy Joel's music was my parents' music (even though neither of them listened to Billy Joel). Billy Joel is a hugely talented musician but his music has never spoken to me the way it does to Bad Shakespeare. So I will not be purchasing a Billy Joel album or CD today as I enjoy RSD. I will, however, stop rolling my eyes when someone tells me just how much they love Billy Joel.

What's awesome about this list is that I haven't heard the vast majority of it until today. I love They Might Be Giants (saw them in concert recently) and Ben Folds Five. Ben Folds is an exceptionally good songwriter and I am putting my name into be the next Mrs. Ben Folds. I've heard Eddie from Ohio before but never got into the band. I've never heard songs by Virginia Coalition, My New Mixtape, or Captain Tractor (I didn't even know Canadian Celtic bands were a thing). While Bad Shakespeare hasn't changed how I feel about Billy Joel, he's given me some new bands to listen to. To me, that's a win.

Head over to Bad Shakespeare to see my list and read his response to my songs. Happy Record Store Day!

In a monument state of mind

"The Washington Monument is big, and I supposed it could be also be classified as impressive or noble or something along those lines; symmetrically presidential might be the ideal term. But what is this 550-foot masonry structure supposed to tell me? What is is supposed to make me understand?"
                                           -Chuck Klosterman, Killing Yourself to Live

Chuck goes on to discuss whether he's supposed to think about George Washington, the nation's capital, and compares going to the Grand Canyon to seeing the monuments. Ultimately, the monuments do nothing for him and he concludes that "It's just...tall."

Oh Chuck! You know that I love you and your books but I just don't agree at all. I love monuments and historical sites and historical markers. Monuments and historical markers give us the sense of the historical "us" of living in the US. How else would we know about all the random things that happened right outside our doors or along the way to visit famous rock and roll death sites (like Chuck)?

Honestly, my ideal road trip across the US would involve stopping at every historical marker that I saw along the way (and it would culminate in going to Frontier Days in Cheyenne, WY). That road trip just screams awesomeness. I could start by driving just around Virginia; I probably wouldn't make it 10 feet without finding one. In fact, I saw a school group walking around my neighborhood a few weeks ago checking out the markers in the area. Maybe I'll start there.

My family moved to Virginia when I was in the 7th grade.  I've been to all the monuments, the Smithsonian museums (and the zoo), the National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, the White House, the Capital, the Supreme Court, and a lot of other historical places and spaces multiple times since every single family member and several of my parents' friends came to visit us over the years. I was a tour guide at the Newseum before I moved to California. The DC area appeals to the history nerd side. I love a plaque on the side of a random building and I love telling people the bizarre historical facts I've collected over the years. Fun fact: Wok and Roll in Chinatown is in the building that was Mary Surratt's Boarding House (yep, where the Lincoln conspirators met). Enjoy that food and check out the plaque next time you're in the area.

My friend Amy is in town this week. Amy is an ideal partner in crime - up for adventures, having fun, and a good laugh. She hasn't been to DC since the 8th grade so we decided to spend Saturday visiting the monuments. The National Mall is one of my favorite places. When I was an information desk volunteer at the Freer & Sackler Galleries, I used to cringe every time someone would wander in and ask where all the stores were located. The National Mall is not that kind of mall. It's an English mall - meant for walking and promenading (and picture taking, so much picture taking).

If you exit at the Smithsonian Metro station and you walk to your left, you'll eventually come to the Washington Monument. You can't really miss it - it's a 555 foot tall obelisk. It's the tallest building in DC and it's sort of sad to see all the fencing up around it. The monument sustained damage in the 2011 earthquake and it not currently open to the public. You can at least take pictures and bask in its awe-inspiring glory. Fun fact: the monument is different colors because of construction delays (due to lack of funds and politics as usual) and the inability of later builders to find stone from the same quarry. Amy and I heard some people criticize the different colors today as we were walking back. Researched that one for you, Island readers.

As you walk past the Washington Monument and cross the street, you enter into the World War II memorial. This is a newer addition to the monuments opening in 2004. There's construction going on around the World War II memorial and the Reflecting Pool. It's not as nice and tranquil as it normally is but I guess that's progress or something. We made our way along the Reflecting Pool and heard a mom say to her son, "Remember that part in Forrest Gump when Jenny ran across the pool?" The mom said Jenny exactly like Tom Hanks in the movie. Amy and I laughed about this throughout the day especially since I had also mentioned the movie but without the flourish of a Forrest Gump impression.

We finally made it to the Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln is my favorite. I probably bored Amy to death with my random Lincoln facts (more to be shared later on when we went to the American History Museum and I mentioned embalming and the fact that there was a challenge in transporting the President to Illinois for burial). I loved Manhunt but haven't seen the new Lincoln movie yet. You can read both the Second Inaugural Address and the Gettysburg Address while visiting with Abe. The Lincoln Memorial screams presidential to me. You can't help but think of the awesomeness of the job of the President and the challenges Lincoln faced while in office. I'm also sort a Civil War nerd too so I read about Lincoln a lot. I can't even imagine being the President and daily thinking about what was happening on those battlefields and across the country. Lincoln is also beautiful at night. Hollywood occasionally gets something right when they film here.

We also went to the Korean War Memorial (which I had never been to before) and to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. These two memorials are the most difficult to view (I think). I've seen people at the Vietnam Memorial overcome with emotion. It's one of those moments you don't want to see but you totally understand. Amy was able to find the name of her relative who was listed as MIA in 1970. It's was an emotional end to our memorial/monument tour.

What I find most interesting about all the monuments is that they're all controversial to someone. Whether it's the design or the location or the exclusion or inclusion of one group or another, no one is ever happy with a monument. It's disheartening to think about that when you're actually standing in front of the monument or memorial. How does one even decide who gets to be memorialized?

Here are a few tips from Amy and I about truly enjoying your day on the Mall. Ladies, let's discuss footwear. I don't know about you but when I walk at least two miles (the distance from the Smithsonian to the memorials and back), I don't want to wear high heels. I barely wear high heels in my normal life but really? We saw countless women in very high heels walking along the paths to the Vietnam Memorial (which is partially cobblestone) and up the stairs (so many stairs) to Lincoln. This is more than likely why fashionable tennis shoes were invented (I can't be certain of this but it's a pretty good guess). Even if you drove over to the monuments and parked, I don't want to be you at the end of the day.

Also, let's discuss decorum at and around the monuments/memorials. I will give you your space if you are protesting something or whatever, but driving past the Vietnam Memorial is not a time to blast really loud music (rap in this case but it would apply to any music) while stopped at the light. Show a little respect for the people on that wall and turn the music down or off. It's not that hard to know when you're right there - you can see it from your car.

And how did we finish our day? Discussing First Lady fashion and seeing the flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner and of course, seeing the dinosaurs. What trip to the Mall would be complete without seeing the dinosaurs? And the Hope Diamond (we did that too).

So Island readers, especially those of you in the greater DC area, get out and visit our lovely city. Go see a monument or two. Go visit your favorites at the Smithsonian or the National Gallery of Art. It's another thing you can do to be a good citizen without being political. We have so many amazing opportunities here to see so many great things and we never do it. Or we only do it when the company is in town. There's nothing wrong with being a tourist in your own town. I'll help you plan your day if you'd like. I'll even throw in some unnecessary historical facts so that you can impress (or bore) your friends and family. Because I care.

Love, death, and jazz hands

I've recently been rereading some stuff I wrote immediately before and after Hurricane Katrina. This was on of the pieces I thought was interesting (even after 7 years). Enjoy! 

July 5, 2005—West Side Story rehearsal

I’m sitting in a theater waiting for the final run through of West Side Story to begin. I would prefer to be at home waiting for Tropical Storm Cindy to come, hopefully getting me out of work tomorrow. If that happened, I could stay at home reading Chuck Klosterman and being mad at him for beating me to the deconstruction of Lloyd Dobler while I fall more in love with him (Chuck, not Lloyd). I know he will never be Lloyd Dobler and I’m totally okay with that.

Instead I am waiting for West Side Story to begin. And considering how bad the weather will be when I leave the theatre and wonder why rehearsal wasn't canceled. What if a tree falls on my car? I wonder who'll drive me home if that happens.

As I wait, I return to thinking about Chuck and realize that he has it all wrong. It has nothing to do with Lloyd Dobler and everything to do with the musical:

           

            Tony & Maria

            Anita & Bernardo

            Nellie & Emile

            Maria & the Captain

            The Camelot love triangle

            Fanny & Nicky Arnstein

            Mimi & Roger
            Collins & Angel

            Sarah & Sky

            Adelaide & Nathan
            Millie & Jimmy

The list goes on. Love is at its height in a musical. Characters fall in love within minutes and SING about it. Amazing. When I was younger, I dreamt of finding my Tony (not that I wanted him to die) or Emile, the older, wiser Frenchman. One of the first productions I worked on at this theatre was a production of South Pacific. I could listen to Emile sing “Some Enchanted Evening” every day of my life. This love was eventually replaced with a full on love affair with Lou Reed that has never ended. A leap but a worthy one.

          
Musicals give a false sense of security in the notion of true love. Musicals are formulaic. You know that the lovers will be together forever by the end of the first song. Like fairy tales, happily ever after tends to rule in musicals. Even in many tragic musicals there’s still a glimmer of hope before the lights come up. At the end of West Side Story there is a hope that the divide between the gangs will be bridged following Tony’s death and Maria’s emotional exit (did I ruin it for you?). We, as an audience, don’t know what really happens but we can hope.

          
And that, Chuck, is why it’s all about the musical. Lloyd Dobler is a hip man’s Tony (without the whole death thing). Remember he and Diane are from two different worlds. Her father doesn’t think Lloyd is good enough. Lloyd doesn’t want to “buy, sell or process” anything as a career. That has musical potential written all over it.

I guess my point is that no one will ever be Tony or Lloyd or Emile. We can hope for it, but most of the time we settle for Joe and write 67 songs all about him. And that has to happen too. Because when Joe breaks our heart we can always return to Tony and Lloyd and feel better about ourselves. We'll wait in a darkened theatre for the first song to begin and hope that this is the time that love triumphs all.