|
Archives: |
foureyes presents:
drivelogue
ON
HIATUS! ________[06.12.2007]_________________________________ Spent Memorial Day in
Oshvegas. Big ups to Hecubus for inviting me to throw down a set at OblioÕs
with him. Twas heavy of duty and definitely fun having MC
Balance on the mic.
It was equally terrific to see so many familiar, bright, and smiling
faces Friday evening. WeÕll definitely have to do it again sometime. Many
thanks to the LaskyÕs for hosting us once again. Courtney did an admirable
job of protecting a bottle of J&B in the bar, though I was sad not to see
the bev-cart make an appearance.
The LaskyÕs throw what has to be one of the rocking-rollinest Memorial
Day parties. The band was
outstanding, the drinks were delicious, the company great looking and prone
to putting up with me, and the badminton tournament was terrific except
Joshua Herman totally cheated.
Check out the photos of all the fun: (photos) Went to Grand
Old Day and saw Tapes nÕ Tapes, which was very cool. We had
never been before, man what a chachfest! Seriously. The only thing it was
missing was some fratboy with a hat made out of an empty case of Busch Light.
I did get to see Bob though. Bob is awesome. Additionally, there were many
tight shirts regardless of gender. If you are into tight shirts, go to GOD.
IÕll probably go again next year as it was actually pretty fun. It reminded
me of Mifflin Street Block Party if my parentÕs had
thrown it. Afterward we went to Sample Room and hung out with Sally and drank
organic wine. (photos) Last Thursday Dre and I
both took off work to enjoy the day. We walked downtown from our place
snapping photos of crap we see everyday but never take photos of. Gold Medal
Park is very nice...I look forward to seeing it at night. We had a pint at KieranÕs
in honor of Gerg & Marie. If you donÕt recall, it was WICKED windy
that day, even more so downtown. We enjoyed watching people walk to the ends
of blocks into the wind tunnels of the streets and practically being blown
over. We saw the umbrella in front of Masa get picked up and blown around,
also funny. (photos) NE Block Party was last
Saturday and appeared to be a resounding success. Many thanks to Kim for
making it happen, it was a great time. God damn! I love ChooglinÕ!
I wasnÕt loving the $4 cans of Premium or whatever it was, nor the expensive
SchellÕs either. ÒBlock partyÓ doesnÕt generally mean Òbend overÓ prices on
otherwise cheap beer, hopefully theyÕll be able to lighten-up a bit next
year. Luckily I lived 20 feet away and had deep pockets for part of the
night. (photos) This weekend is jam-packed
with terrific events. Friday is Brewers v TwinÕs at the Dome, Walker After Hours, and late night MOTOR! Saturday evening at the Nomad, Home is bringing in Lars Behrenroth
with Ack opening, and all weekend long is the Stone Arch
Arts Festival on St Anthony Main, I will be at the game, followed
by the Motor show afterward as I am a big fan of the new LP. This will be the
first WAC afterhours weÕve missed since either of us moved here (old and new
event), but the motor show is worth it. Please do not forget this Sunday is
FatherÕs Day. We continue to plan for
Jenny and BrianÕs event in Tahoe and look forward to partying on the lake. Italy itinerary is done,
flights and rail are booked, if anyone wants to meet in Rome for dinner, let
us know (IÕm looking in your directing Pope). Park & Rec and the
Walker announced the music and movie lineups for movies in Loring Park. Movies in StevenÕs
Square has begun and with some fun fun movies this year. Sadly Bring It
On! Was the first film and we missed it. NE Movies
in the park has kicked off as well, happening Tuesdays in the amphitheater at
Edison High this year. How Starship Troopers is a family oriented movie, I am
not sure. Perhaps it is the edited version. The city is doing a
symposium/info meeting regarding the rollout of the municipal wireless system Thursday evening at
the Central Library, Gerg and I are going I believe. Finally, in place of WAC
afterhours, I think Andrea and I will be going to this event as we love the MIA and StevenÕs
Square/Eat Street. Consider going. They have drinks IÕm told. ________[05.21.2007]_________________________________ It would appear I have been tagged. While I find this to be the weblog
equivalent of a chain letter or email forward, I will never shy away from an
opportunity to talk about myself.
So there you have it. If my teeth fall out of
my head, or I put french fries on my sandwiches, or punch you in the face
after pouring my coffee from too high a heightÉyouÕll know why. Ok, short but sweet goings-on: Surly is debuting their new brew, CynicALE next
Tuesday. Be there. MichelleÕs Fashion show was a hit. Saw some
people IÕd met during the semester at happy hours and evenings out, did not
recognize them. (movie) Bryn and Mike are getting married, still. How
did they get these photo if they havenÕt had a wedding yet? Practice. Art-A-Whirl. Art-A-Fun! Went out with Marie
Greg, and their friend whose real name I am not sure of. Hit Fox Tax Gallery,
MCP, 331,
Peacock Lounge,
Vita.mn party @
the Casket Arts building, then home. Saturday I did gym, a gallery
run by some people we met at our neighborhood association meeting, then Jana
and I hit GrumpyÕs NE for their annual bash, which had to
be the highlight of the weekend as I got to see a bunch of friends, some
great bands and the bottom of a few PBRs. Chooglin is the best band in Minneapolis. Forget Tapes &
Tapes, forget The Hold Steady (even though they donÕt even live here anymore)
it is all about Chooglin.
Mark told me they were terrific and now I believe. Went home after Gee is for
Jesus who were also quite good and took a nap. Woke up 2 hours later, walked
outside (to head to see DO at Heliotrope at the Ritz)
and was slapped with the fact that it was now 30 degrees cooler then when I
went inside. Dallas
Orbiter was awesome, as was the proceeding band. Went out for a
whiskey after, went to bed. Sunday: NKB,
Bulldog, California Building, MichelleÕs post graduation
BBQ, bed. Fun weekend. (photos) Jana is organizing a game of pirate kickball.
Call her. Jay Demerit will be in town this week. Gerg & Marie are going to Ireland next
week. WeÕll be in Oshkosh for the Lasky affair this
weekend (come to OblioÕs Saturday night to see Hec and I burn
the mixer and piss on the records, MC Balance back on the microphone. Check.
Check-it.) ThatÕs it folks. Listening to: Feist: The Reminder Battles: Mirrored Hot Chip: DJ Kicks Hall & Oates: Daryl Hall and John Oats Olivia Newton John: Anthology Watching: Nashville Mean Streets The Harder They Come Broadway Danny Rose ________[05.06.2007]_________________________________ 145 years ago yesterday, a
contingent of the French Army was defeated mightily at the Battle of Puebla
by a group of handsome Mexican cobblers lead by General
Ignacio Zaragoza Segu’n, a banjo playing shoemaker from
Jalisco, using nothing but garden spades and limes. A common misconception is
that Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of Mexican independence, which it isnÕt
(Mexican Independence Day is September 16th Wiki tells me). Funny
story though, 5 days after the MexicanÕs defeated the French Army at Puebla,
the French Army returned and took Mexico City installing a puppet Emperor. So
Cinco de Mayo is a total sham. Anyway, we plan on celebrating with our
neighbors and some work friends by watching the De La Hoya/Mayweather fight
and drinking XX. Last week, the DemeritÕs
invited us to a fun and fried food filled evening watching the Twins. We had
a terrific time, the weather was lovely under the dome, and the seats
provided a great view of the action. Prior to the game we ate the greasiest
meal of my life at Grumpies that included fried mac & cheese, wings, and
skins. It was AWESOME good and made me feel exquisitely shitty the next day.
It might have been comforting if Santana had gotten a win. Next time. Friday was Òparty like
idiotsÓ day. Big ups to Tim & Megan on the new house (NORDEAST!) and for
throwing such a bomb-ass pre-house-warming party. First-rate idea. My deepest
apologies to the fianceed couple for putting my foot through the storm
window. My foot did not technically go into the glass, but I am guilty
nonetheless. Charades were played, ridiculous amounts of good cold beer was
consumed, and tasty iced cream sandwiches were munched upon sloppily. Having
smashed the damn window though, I know just what to get the couple for a
housewarming gift. (photos) We went to the Living Green Expo
at the State Fairgrounds Sunday morning. It was very cool, we met some great
people, learned about some new and exciting processes, received terrific
info, and most importantly I saw ClanceyÕs make sausages. We wish we could
have stayed all day, but we made the most of our few hours there. (photos) Andrea had a photo shoot
today for MichelleÕs senior show. Mrs. DeMerit will be graduating this month
from St Kates, and as a fashion student she is responsible for a senior
collection to be exhibited at a fashion show next weekend. I will post some
photos here shortly from the photo-shoot. Considering the locale and the fact
that Todd and I were the only males there, I felt like I was keeping a
haremÉa harem that was about as disinterested in me as could be possible in a
harem I suppose. (photos) Here is a video of the Pearsons and Demerits rocking out
to Justin Timberlake. (big ups to cameraman Todd) ________[04.14.2007]_________________________________ Sorry for the lapse folks.
It's been a nutty and relatively thrifty month, but I've finally found some
time to write up some schtuff. Despite March's insistence
that spring had sprung, mother nature is a dirty liar and we've gotten the
usual backhand from her here in the Midwest. Seems only weeks ago it was
sunny and 85 damn degrees (oh yeah, it was). I hate wearing coats, though I
do appreciate being able to rock my handsome collection of scarves for a few
extra weeks. At this point, my skin is just super-thirsty for sunlight. Andrea and I celebrated our first wedding
anniversary this past Thursday by working long hours and giving each other
thank you cards. It was adorable. Thanks to everyone who sent cards, made
phone calls, sent emails and well wishes! This weekend looks to be
boss weather-wise, but there is a list sitting on the kitchen counter Andrea
has yet to present me with, though I know she is biding her time. I see such
events as "buy dress @ j. crew", "get eye shadow from
MAC", and "get patch for jeans from Tatters." Noticeably
absent are, "buy scotch for husband" and "give husband
suggestive backrub". Me thinks that iteration of the list will not
materialize until my own list including "stop giving wife hell about not
shaving her legs" and "give wife foot-rub she's been asking for for
6 years" is written. Tonight we're going to The Loop
to celebrate with Magroo, Guillermo, and The Brit. Should be fun to see all
the aBters. Our goal is to retire early from that event to relax this
evening. Tomorrow we are hitting the Science Museum with Tim and Megan, checking out
the Wild Music
and Race
exhibits using the previously mentioned Museum
Adventure Pass. I hope to make it over to Little
Szechuan for some of the most talked about food in town afterward. Following a little UWO Alumni
happy hour in St Louis Park, I was able to get Craftsman
off my list of must-try spots with some dinner with Gerg and Marie, and while
the meal was not disappointing, it was also not what I had hoped for. I love
venison in all its forms, and the cut of leg I had at Craftsman was very
good, however the accompanying caramelized onions had far too much vinegar in
them, completely overpowering the dish. The yams were there, and pretty, but
likewise under-flavored if they were expected to compete with the onions. Oddfellows
(RIP) keeps its crown as best venison preparation I've had in the cities.
Marie had the polenta, which I tried and was very good. Andrea ordered an old
fashioned that was watered down, and generally not very good (Town Talk
still smokes the competition in the old fashioned department). A great room
with prairie-style accents and craft features that I love. I will give it
another chance; I figure they were just having an off night. Alex
Roberts, head chef and part owner of Alma
(and 2007 James
Beard Nominee), announced his intention to take over the old Bikes
& Bun's locale in NE next to Wilde Roast, installing Brasa Rotisserie. His interview on the Strib
podcast was very good, I recommend it if you can find it. Rhiannon has
started working at Alma, which I hope will help me get a part time job
working at Alex's new place. Speaking of the Wilde Roast,
they have a new breakfast menu that is pretty similar to their old one and
still looks delicious and they plan on rolling out a new lunch menu later
this month. I've been exchanging emails with Kim Bartmann and she has asked
that those of us that live in the area show up at the public hearing to
determine the fate of her new NE supper club's liquor license. Since you
can't have a supper club without a Manhattan,
this is vital. I will post once we get the notice in the mail. This week is Twin Cities Original's Restaurant Week the
proceeds of which will go to the Minneapolis Public Library, so you know
we'll be helping out. One last note, if you are in the neighborhood on a
Wednesday, stop into Mairin's Table on 1st Ave NE for the ribs. They
only have them on Wednesdays and they are unbelievably good. Dry rub, meat
isn't all lacquered in a too-sweet sauce than makes your teeth hurtÉvery
good. Andrea, Jenny, and Brian
ran in the Trailbreaker half-marathon in the quaint burg of Waukesha
Wisconsin two weekends ago. The
Trailbreaker, I was told from those waiting with us at the finish line, is
one of the 20 toughest runs in the U.S. (due in part to the 100 ft bell tower
one is expected to ascend and descend on the course). This was AndreaÕs first
distance run and she was magnificent (as were Jenny and Brian). Finishing 13 miles in just under 2.5
hours, she now has a mark to beat. Dre was exhausted at the end of her run
but was able to muster a smile and throw back a couple beers. Yes, along with
trail mix and popcorn and other blood glucose boosting foods and drinks, they
served beer (a passable carbohydrate). 6 barrels of beer. I love Wisconsin. I
will say this; nothing will make you disinterested in running distance runs
faster than dudes crossing the finish line with bloody nipples. EGAD! Check out these photos from the race. I was finally able to see
Children of Men recently and can honestly say it is the best movie I have
seen in the last 6 months that wasn't a documentary. In the days following
the viewing, I have caught myself daydreaming about the movie, it's
characters, and the frightening similarities to current events that could
make that reality our reality (drug resistant clap). We watched Babel last
night, and while good, I did not feel it had the passion of Amores Perros. If
you've not seen Amores Perros, go get it and thank me later. PS. Both of
these movies were about a thousand times better than Crash (the newer one), a
movie I found to be lame. We also watched Stranger Than Fiction, and while
the script seemed to have an agenda in some elements, it was well written,
well acted, and well filmed. We've been watching Planet Earth on the
Discovery Channel the last three weeks, and it is outstanding ammo in my
battle to get an HDTV mounted in our living room (and more importantly a Wii
attached to it). Speaking of Wii, many
thanks to John and Paula for having us over on Easter to hunt for Easter
eggs, eat goodies, and play Wii! We had a terrific time as always. Andrea and I were lucky
enough to host Jenny and Brian on a weekend visit to Minneapolis this weekend
past. Always great to have guests, and we love these guys so it was fun as
heck to have them here. Friday night we took it relatively easy, having a
couple beers at NE Bulldog then some cocktails at Nye's.
Saturday we really tore things up starting with a trip to Eat
Street for some bloodies and small plates at Azia followed by a
skip over to the MIA
to see the new wing, the new design galleries, and the psychedelic photo and
Peter Max concert poster exhibit in the photo wing. Followed that up with a
trip to uptown for a drink with a shark in it and beers at the Independent
(also a little bit of getting my ass handed to me in darts). Rolled back to
NE for a couple pizzas from Punch, some gussying up, then off for cocktails
at Temple
with Brian's homeboy from Elementary school, Reven: a solid dude. Introduced
myself to "Girl
Friday" Alexis who pitched Temple's new happy hour, so we'll
be back for that. Rolled over to Masa for margaritas and dinner with the
DeMerits. Oh the Bohemias
and mezcals
were flowing. Dinner was very good, though I will need to try something other
than the steak one of these days. After dinner drinks were had at Brit's
including shots and something and something and things get really blurry
during Brit's.
I remember a dart game falling apart and a photo I took of a beefeater-shaped lamp reminded me that I'd made
out with it. Reven saw where this was going and high-tailed it back to SLP
and somehow we arrived at Jitters where we met up with some of Michele's
friends whom I have about 600 photos of for no reason. The band playing was
terrific and we drank many a Stella it would have appeared. I seem to recall
shots at the end of the bar with Brian and then...the Front. Andrea loves The
Front. I like the Front. I know we went to the Front, but I can't say I
recall being at The Front. What I do remember is paying to go into Ground Zero and walking into another world I
never knew existed just a few feet from our place. It was incredible. We were
the only people there not in leather. Industrial music lives on apparently.
We stayed for about 2 minutes. At some point Jenny and Andrea got kicked out
of the Front, much to Brian and I's surprise, so we went to Bulldog, didn't
order a thing, I got yelled at by the bouncer for having poor control over
the shuffleboard puck, the entire crew of us walked back to our place,
apparently I gave beers to people that didn't like to drink beer
as I found full ones in the living room the next morning (and an empty one in
front of our building...Andrea), and at some point I went to bed. The next
morning I had a fantastic brunch at Spoonriver,
still drunk. The waitress knew it, the owner knew it, the entire riverfront
knew it. Great smoked salmon omelet. Rolled to the Southside to hang with John,
Paula and a grip of peoples. Rhiannon showed up dressed as Jesus, which was totally hilarious. Damn, I
love playing Wii.
Did some Thai takeout for dins and loafed like no one has ever loafed before.
I don't think any of us moved more than 10 feet the entire evening. Such a
fun weekend. I haven't had that much booze in me since two NYEs ago, when I
quit drinking for 4 months following. As much as I love you guys, Jenny and
Brian, my liver has asked you not visit again for at least 2 months so it can
heal. Checkout these photos from the weekend. On the music tip, I have
fallen in love with The Field. I pulled it down after Pitchfork
gave the record a 9.X (is anyone else perplexed by all the Pitchfork love for
electronic music? I suppose it started with Boards of Canada, but they should
probably go back in time and rate some great records they ignored). The first
time I listened to The Faith I couldn't decide if the sound was glitchy on
purpose or was a bad rip. The more I listened the more nuances I heard and
loved. This record along with Motor's new one are the hotness for workouts
lately. Also bought the new Junior Boys remix EP
which is also very good but nowhere near as good as the last two original
records. Great to hear a Hot Chip remix though. LTJ Bukem show coming up this Wednesday @
Foundation. Do not miss it. Saint Paul Saints
Season begins soon, catch the fever. Movies in the park is just
4 months away! When is Dinosaur Jr
playing here? ________[03.16.2007]_________________________________ March! Hell yeah. Spring
is so close I can taste itÉMmmm melting grime gutter-piles. Had some spring-like
weather last week, getting into the upper 60s and feeling downright tropical
around here (thanks to the humidity generated by the melting snow). Felt very
nice to walk around and smell the odd smells of no snow and no green things.
It basically allows one to smell any restaurant within a mile, which isnÕt so
bad. Benzito, Tony and Molitor
made it up here safely, and partied like 20somethings. I was not able to make
it out to Foundation for Derrick May, however the stories will become
legend. IÕve heard a certain
trip-hop (the intelligent jungle of rap) DJ was responsible for mayhem of an
impressive order; pulling a notoriously ÒseriousÓ DJ from behind his tables,
taking a nappy-poo in the club, and spilling drinks all about. I might have
some of that wrong, but soon it will be legend, so who cares. Had a fun time
watching the hung-over winces at the breakfast table the following morning at
the Springer. Rolled down to Robot Love for some shopping and picked up a
couple t-shirts, a calendar and a very cool print. Followed that up with a
quick jaunt down to MacyÕs (Jason got some very nice sunglasses and Ack a new
jacket) then to the Local for beerses. Dinner at The Loring
followed by a lot of sitting-around and talking about the good old days at
the Kitty Cat
Klub. A fine evening and was sorry to see the weekend end. Hope
those guys come up for another visit soon. Last weekend Andrea and I
joined John and Paula at the new St Michael IMAX to see 300. Cool theater.
You can drink in the theater, which is nice I suppose, but people can also
bring in stinky fried food, which is not so cool. So anyway, the movie was
very good on the huge screen. Big action, great sound, and the Oracle had
really pink nipples. I donÕt know if IÕd have watched it on a smaller screen,
but it was fun on the big one. Last Sunday, Dre and I
tried to have dinner at around 8pm and were rebuffed twice in two attempts.
Our original plan had been to go to Punch, but we decided to save that for
the following weekend. First, we
walked over to the Springer as I was in want of wings. As we left the house,
Dre stated she was not going to have any drinks. We walked in, sat down, and
were told the kitchen was closedÉat 8Éon a Sunday. ÒUgh.Ó we sighed, and
ordered a beer, and with our waitresses unspoken suggestion, a shot. We drank
our beers and ordered two more because our waitress assumed we were paying
cash and paid for our drinks out of her pocket. It wasnÕt until later we
realized she was insane. We ordered a couple more beers and pulled out our
computers to lookup info on Tahoe. Our waitress then came over and told us
about this great email she had about winter...the season. ÒHere, log into my
email.Ó as she turned my machine toward her. She proceeded to pull down a
giant PowerPoint presentation that showed pictures from some snowstorm in the
Alps. ÒWow.Ó we said, trying to
sound sincere. ÒDo you hate George Bush?Ó she asked. ÒSure.Ó we replied,
unenthusiastically. ÒI have all these great George Bush emails about how heÕs
dumb, you should give me your email address and I will send them to you!Ó she
continued. Andrea then gave her a fake email address and we tried to book it.
As I made my way to the door, the waitress stopped me and opened her arms for
a hug. What do you do in that situation? Well, apparently you hug your crazy
waitress and so does your wife. We made it out, still unfed. We walked over
to NE Bulldog, as I now wanted a burger. Our regular bartender was back,
having been on vacation for a couple weeks. ÒHey guys. WeÕre out of food.Ó We
looked at eat other and laughed, partially due to the absurdity of it all,
and partially because we were half-drunk by this point. ÒDara is a whore.Ó I
said. (Dara from City Pages had reviewed the place the week prior and it had
been packed all week with interlopers and carpetbaggers who ate all our
food.) So we sat, had a couple 8% alcohol Belgian beers, listened to the, quite
pleasant, bluegrass band, then shuffled home. We ended up eating polish
sausages with kraut and mustard in our living room at 11pm, drunk. As of yet we are without
plans for St PattyÕs, other than Andrea has to work until 5ish, and we have a
few invitations around town. Since buses are free tomorrow, methinks we might
end up in St. Paul with some old aBt peeps as they put out the first
invitation. We also want to hang with Pat and the DemeritÕs as we miss those
guys and have not gotten to hang as a group since the Walker party (though
hanging with Deedot a couple weekends ago was boss. I got to wear his
sunglasses). Speaking of DemeritÕs, Jay
was just called-up to the US National team. Congrats Jay! Best of luck, and see you at the World
Cup! IÕm sure IÕve posted this
a thousand times, but go download this mix.
Aaron SpectreÕs music makes me wish I were Aaron SpectreÕs fatherÉonly not as scary. He makes
Gein sound like carrousel music. Here is a page full of AaronÕs music. I can only hope grind/breakcore fans
in MPLS-STPL fall in love with this shit so it makes sense for me to bring
him hereÉto Club UndergroundÉto drink high lifeÉand play a 10 hour set.
Listen to the mix sets on his pageÉthen share with friends. Please let me know if you
are interested in joining me at Jazz at the Library. I will be there for most
of the lectures hopefully and would love some company. Listening to: Sean Lennon: Friendly Fire ________[03.03.2007]_________________________________ So we made it to see Dylan at the Weisman with Brandi, Mark, Gerg
and Marie. Terrific exhibit, but if you go, go on a weekday as there are many
multimedia stations that you will not want to miss. Also, while the Weisman
is free, the parking is not. You can use the Museum Adventure Pass for free parking, SCORE!
Afterward we made a jaunt back into NE for some lunch at Wilde Roast.
I like coffee. Andrea was in Arizona last
week for JennyÕs bachelorette party. The Fabsome Foursome appeared to have
had a blast from the pictures. Unfortunately Dre is still learning how to use
the camera, and focus, light levels, and appropriate shutter speed and, uh,
hand-stillness are skills weÕre still working on. CanÕt wait to see all those
folks in Tahoe
in a few months. While I had the place to
myself, Forrest and I threw down records for a few days, recording a tag-team
set and Forrest recorded a mix. We also began to goof around with a track.
Very techy. 180bpm. Rough. Forrest is currently designing the flyers for Konkrete
JungleÕs Wednesday night weekly: KONTEXTÉwhich look terrific. Speaking of KONTEXT, I
went to the RAW show two Wednesdays ago and was very
impressed with his tracks, format, and style as well as the turnout. Great
energy, and some very cool people. Karen showed up later soaking-wet
following a devastating broomball loss and gave my ass a ride home, which was
good as it was too late to catch a bus. WeÕll be back again next week for
Breakage. Keep an eye out for an interesting occurrence coming to KONTEXT
03/21 – a DVS1 Drum & Bass set. Mashit mix courtesy on Mr. Blentwell.
Good shit for making-out to. Check Out Green Maven. So we got a little snow
here last week, which was both fun and tiring. Since Andrea was in Arizona, I
got a double workout of digging out both
cars. Mine was rather easyÉI dug a runway for DreÕs. Good back and shoulder workout and a
surprisingly excellent cardio push! Benzito, Molitor and
Pretty Tony are in town for party-time this weekend. More on that after the
shenanigans begin (actually, stories tell me they already have). Always great
to have these guys here. Andrea and I are doing all
we can right now to conserve bread as we gear-up the fund for our upcoming
trips to Tahoe and Europe, which means a diminished entertainment budget.
With that in mind, we came up with a list of must-try ethnic/inexpensive
restaurants to try in place of our usual parade of places that cost too damn
much. Chowhounds
and ZimmernÕs
blog have been instrumental in helping compile this bad-boy. Peep the list
and let us know if you have any suggestions! Quang Jasmine Deli Little Tijuana Pho79 LITTLE SZECHUAN Ecopolitan Jerebek's True Thai King's Rice Paper The Vegetarian Craftsman Koyi IÕve put together the
music for three new mixes and have two rough-takes that sound passable but do
not yet get the seal. Perhaps I will post them for feedback. I can say it was
a lot of fun playing through my old laid-back drum & bass records. There
are a bunch of b-side gems in there I never knew I had. Have records that
arenÕt house records? Bring them over and letÕs play. More to come! Sharing: Fugazi: Repeater Menomena: Friend & Foe Arcade Fire: Neon Bible Bloc Party: A Weekend In
The City Amon Tobin: Foley Room Unknown Seville
Recommendation/Share ________[02.14.2007]_________________________________ Last Thanksgiving (2005)
Andrea and I saw Walter ÒFritzÓ Mondale shopping at KowalskiÕs in Uptown. He
might have been helping out at a soup kitchen, or hosting MANY people at his
home as he was buying gobs of pumpkin pie filling and other assorted
Thanksgiving fixinsÕ. IÕm not sure what made me think of it, but I think it is
that he was wearing a fine woolen coat with sweatpants and I went out
similarly attired this evening for our romantic night out at the Bulldog.
Andrea beat me in shuffleboard by a pointÉagain. Tomorrow night I have a
date at the MPL Central so that Andrea and I can look for
hobbies. While there, weÕre most definitely going to check out this little
gem: The Museum Adventure Pass. Such an awesome
find. You, very basically, can Òcheck outÓ a free, 4-person pass to most of
the museums in the Twin Cities.
On top of free admission, the pass also offers discounts on merch and
ÒmembershipÓ. We intend to use it Sunday to see the Dylan exhibit at the Weisman. Friday night will see the
opening of a more extensive Kara Walker exhibit at the Walker with Walker Afterhours. For those who have been in the
Walker, you will recognize KaraÕs work as the grotesque/racist/iconographic
silhouettes from the permanent collection. Anyway, I believe Marie, Andrea, Gerg, Todd, Michele, and
I will all be stopping in for a cocktail, see the exhibit and say hello to Marsh
who will be throwing down. LBV Lounge before, but we better be there early
to beat the rush. Mmmmm cheese. The Original
Mark Edwards will be at the Varsity
this Saturday. I have seen OME several times, but not with a backing band, so
I am expecting to be impressed. CityPages has an article on the new album here, and you can download a new track here. Early show Saturday so be there early for
the pimp seats. Spun downtempo records
with Hribar Tuesday for a few hours, which was lovely. Downed a few High
Lifes and dug through each otherÕs wax. Ben has an upcoming show with the Attitude City boys next Friday February 23rd
at Foundation. Next on the tag-team plate, Forrest Bash will be coming over
to throw down some riddims, hide your daughters (and liquor). Watching: Amadeus Listening to: ________[02.05.2007]_________________________________ All the love I have to
Clay, Ava and their family. Clay
is the strongest man I know. We love you Ami. I love this photo. Young Ian and young Henry rocking out
during the east-coast hardcore heyday. How about young Glenn Danzig rocking the Goleta Valley Community Center in
Õ83? Milo looking angry? All these and more here. Most good icons of 80Õs American punk
rock here
as well. Sunday: Jon, Gerg, Marie,
Andrea and I made a trip out to the Como Park
Conservatory. An annual event, I have been going to the
conservatory on cold Minnesotan weekends since moving to Minneapolis. As
Marie mentions, the first thing that strikes me is this feeling that there is
more oxygen in the air. My eyes seem to open a little wider and I just feel
awakened. The humidity is refreshing and the smells heady. Since last year,
they have completed the new fern room, the tropical garden, and added what appear to be
more event spaces. One of coolest things to see is that they are using photovoltaic for at least some of their
power. Anyway. Here is the photoset. Rocked the
Superbowl-watching with Deedot, Gerg and Marie @ the NE Bulldog. While I am
still not in love with the food (the fries are good) the service has gotten
steadily better since opening. They appear to have gotten down to about 10
fulltime staff, including a bartender who hooks us up on Sundays, and an
adorable cocktailer whom we always seem to get. Todd and I played some darts
with an embarrassing ending, although I did prevail, it took me all of the 3rd
quarter to hit 3 bullÕs-eyes. Reconnected with an old
friend Ryan
Beringer, the man that introduced me to NoFX and the west coast 3rd
wave punk-rock movement when I was loving bands that no longer toured
(Descendents, 7-Seconds, Black Flag, Germs, Bad Brains, JFA, etc). Check out RyanÕs
incredible photoset at Flickr. Having found Ryan, I also found some photos he had taken of
another great old friend, Brian Sweeterman. Brian is one of the most
kind-hearted persons I have ever been lucky enough to know. The crazy thing
is that they are sharing a house in Carbondale right now. Both have made big
impacts on my life. Bless them. Hopefully weÕll get out there this year to
visit. Great Ryan and Brian stories in subsequent posts. Dre takes off for a week
in the desert soon for a girlÕs weekend with the fab-4. CanÕt wait for her to
get back with the photos. Look for updates and photos of complete mayhem. Listening to: Junior Boys: Last Exit Prince at Halftime DJ Kicks – Daddy G Progression Sessions Vol.
6 Watching: Beerfest ________[01.31.2007]_________________________________ Quick post today. Dara has written an outstanding article on whatÕs been on
everyoneÕs mind. She mimics most of the sentiments already conveyed on
Chowhounds and Chow and Again, including my big one, the disparity in median
family income within the city proper compared with NYC and San Francisco. Finale of Top Chef last
night with Ilan winning the big prize. (Hope you already saw it). I will not
go too into how ridiculous I find his win; however it was a fun episode to
watch. I will say this; why would you ever pick Mikey to be a sous chef? For
more conversation, I have been posting
in this thread. Yesterday I got caught up
with all the scandal that apparently erupted with Matt Bartel took over
(well, after Tom Bartel bought the site and gave it to Matt to edit I guess) MNSeak
from Rex. I had met Rex once when he worked with Gerg and we went to his
place for an after-party in Kenwood following The WalkerÕs Rock the Garden. I
recall talking to him about David Foster Wallace, then drinking his beer and
watching LoganÕs Run in his media room. Anyway, it was quite the scandal. New mix is being put
together, called: ÒDevil In The DetailsÓ. I had some technical issues while
recording last night that will precipitate a trip to radio shack this weekend
to buy a smaller soldering iron than the one I have.
________[01.28.2007]_________________________________ Weekends should last
forever. Huge amount of stuff to
cover. Last weekend, our good friend Courtney stayed with us, as a friend of
hers was in town with 18 other girls for a bachelorette party. Yeah. 18. 18
girls. We decided to make it a
gastronomically rich weekend and started a little early by going to La Belle Vie
for some late-night noshing and cocktails in the lounge Thursday night. I had
the lamb burgers, escargot, and cheese plate. Dre had the truffled fondue w/
baby vegetables and prawns; Courtney had the croque-monsieur and fries. The
best meal we had all weekend truth be told. The only let down, if you can
call it that, was the fries. They were, at most, the 5th best in
the TC. The high point was the cheese plate, made even better by the poor one
I had at 112 several nights later (more on that). Friday night, Andrea went
with the grip of girls to Cosmos (either of our first visit since Stephen
Trojahn took over the kitchen). She had the diver scallops, which she
declared better than 112Õs, and the tenderloin with braised oxtails, which
she said, was Òsuper-awesomeÓ. Saturday, while I ate a ribeye at Erte, the
girls did tapas at Solera. The visiting ladies apparently loved
it, letting the server choose the plates, however Dre noted that they did not
bring out some of our favorites; the golden beat salad, oxtails or braised
rabbit. Sunday night Courtney, Andrea and I joined Todd and Michelle Demerit
at 112
for dinner. Now here is where things get scary; my meal at 112 wasnÕt
great. Andrea concurred that
hers was also not on par with earlier visits. First of all, our service was only adequate. IÕll get over
it, but having the comparison from LBV a few nights earlier where the service
was impeccable, it was quite a let down. Overall, Andrea and I agreed that
the food just didnÕt seem like anyone was taking pride in it. Her scallops looked bored, as did my
lamb scottadito. The entrees presented the same problem. While delicious, it
just didnÕt feel right. The cheese plate I had for desert was downright bad.
After a trip to the restroom (through the kitchen) I think I know why.
Neither Chef Becker nor Nancy were in the house running QC. Perhaps IÕm
right; perhaps IÕm way off. Lord knows weÕll be back to find out. This past week, Andrea had
her first day at her new part-time job at MairinÕs Table
and said she had fun and enjoys those she works with already. MairinÕs is a Moroccan/American
bistro in St Anthony West about a block from our place.
This Saturday they are having a Moroccan party with belly dancers and passed
food. Should be interesting! This Friday past, as Andrea worked her little
heart out, I met up with Lizard, Karl, Ben and Forrest for the Dan Monick
(formerly of MPLS supergroup Lifter
Puller) and KOZYNDAN opening at the SooVac. Ben
and I talked DJ shop and setup a time to get together and thrown down. Liz
told me all about her harrowing evening of karaoke the night before. Forrest
hooked me up with the new Konkrete Jungle flyers and he and I made plans to
throw down some drum & bass. Then, Marie and Gerg showed up! Awesome.
Talked about the weekend and made plans for later in the night. I took photos
of photos: ( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11) After Dre got off, we met up with Jana, Gerg, Marie, Megan, and others to celebrate JasonÕs birthday. at the Peacock Lounge at Erte. Marie
mentions the dŽcor and paint-job in her weblog
this week, which is funny because Tim, JayPee, Todd and I were making the
same comments last week as we sat their drinking beers. Saturday we started the day at the gym as
usual. Andrea is training for a half-marathon sheÕs running in Milwaukee in
March with Jenny Moore. She is running her little butt off 4 days a week and
cross-training 2 days a week. We are also now doing spinning Friday mornings,
which is fun. Thanks to AndreaÕs regimen, I am now doing about twice my
regular cardio per day just so I donÕt end up standing around waiting for her
to get done. So weÕre both benefiting. After the gym we headed off to Winter
Carnival to see the ice sculptures and snow carvings. Here are some pictures: ( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ) Andrea sat on the ice throne because she is a princess. We had planned on going to A Rebour
for dinner since we were already in St Paul, but because of the parade in
Rice Park, and JT playing at the Xcel, we couldnÕt get parking. So instead we
headed back to Minneapolis, did some shopping at MacyÕs and enjoyed cocktails
and snacks at Firelake. You never see Firelake on the Òmust
tryÓ restaurant lists, but we like it very much. The lamb ribs were smoky, a
little spicy and delicious. Went to Candyland. Why would you tell people these are sucker prices? Oh. After the snack we hit the Redbox at
LundÕs and rented Beerfest and The Devil Wears Prada. Then we headed for
dinner at Masa.
Every time we go to Masa it gets better. I had a mezcal margarita and a
Bohemia (my favorite Mexican beer).
Dre had the sopes for dinner and I the ribeye with a glass of the
Mexican Barolo, which was surprisingly nice. We followed dinner with a beer
run and busted-ass home to watch movies. If you have not seen Beerfest, buy a bunch of beer and
watch it. I loved Super Troopers however, so if you donÕt like Broken Lizard,
you might want to rent Pirates of the Caribbean or something. |
