Don't Forget Me If I Go

Congratulations to Mrs. Katrina Kincaid for correctly naming "Backwards Down the Number Line" by the one, the only, Phish as the Tuesday Song of the Day.

I realize that this blog offers only a limited platform to put forth my viewpoints and opinions on subjects far and wide, but hopefully those of you who read this will heed my words and pass them along to your loved ones.

For the love of all that is good and holy, please, please, please stop making the "Hitler goes off on (insert team here)" video with footage from the movie Downfall. You all know the clips I'm talking about here, don't you?

• Hitler the Dallas fan goes off on the Cowboys after Romo (literally) throws away another game.
  
• Hitler, the Texas A&M grad. spews vitriol over the Aggies losing to Baylor at Kyle Field.
  
• Hitler, the USC season-ticket holder, chastises his fellow Trojan backers for calling for the ouster of Pete Carroll after losing to U-Dub last Saturday.

I get it, ladies and gentlemen. It's funny that this guy who master-minded the deaths of 12 million people is now yelling about Romo constantly throwing picks instead of promoting genocide. That's funny, right? RIGHT?

Of course it's funny, but it's much like constantly eating pecan pie. Sure, it's good for the first few days. Okay, okay. It's good for the first few weeks.....but after a while, the enjoyment begins to fade. After that 53rd slice of pecan pie, or after the video of Hitler, the curling fan, screaming about how Finland came in third in last year's Curling World Championships, you realize that you need something new.

So, for the sake of all mankind, please do what you can to give these videos a mercy killing. Friends don't let friends make Hitler videos.

I Ride a G.S. Scooter With My Hair Cut Neat

A few notes on a Monday evening...

The rumors are true. I asked the lady friend to marry me on Friday night and before you ask the next question, she did in fact say "yes".

We're going to be getting hitched next April (most likely) in Music City, U.S.A. so anyone and everyone who has ever dreamed of seeing Phish play a wedding reception, please feel free to attend.*

Current Reading

The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars by Joel Glenn Brenner

*The aforementioned choice of reception entertainment has not received approval from the lady friend and will almost certainly not pass her muster.

Be Sure to Leave All the Lights On

Congratulations to Obi Wan Richtobi for correctly naming "Crosseyed and Painless" by the Talking Heads as the Saturday Song of the Day. Of course, I'm partial to Phish's cover of the song, so that's what I'm giving to you, the dear reader.

Last night I gave you my favorite shirt that I saw in Mexico, but tonight I'm giving you my favorite road sign. As we were driving through the Metroplex, I noticed the following sign along one of the interstates:

REPORT HOV VIOLATIONS
817-312-HERO

Really, TXDOT?

I hate to besmirch the good name of my father's former employer, but you're going to use the same word to classify those who report HOV violations that people through the years have used for people like, oh say, Sully Sullenberger, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Susan B. Anthony, and Gandhi?

"What's that, vigilant citizen? You saw a single guy driving in the HOV lane? And he was trying to trick the good people of Texas by using a blow-up doll in the front passenger seat? You, vigilant citizen, are only one thing: A HERO."

I Could Never See You Depart Us

The Lone Star State will always hold a dear, dear place in my heart, but if there's anything I've learned in the past twelve months, it's that special things tend to happen in the 16th state to enter this glorious Union, Tennessee.

This past Sunday night, on a farm outside of Manchester, TN, two of my favorite musical worlds collided when Bruce Springsteen joined Phish for a 3-song sit-in as Phish closed out the 2009 edition of Bonnaroo.
The first song of the collaboration was a 10-minute cover of Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" with Bruce on vocals followed by two songs from Springsteen's 1984*-album "Born in the U.S.A.", "Bobby Jean" and the always enjoyable "Glory Days".

Here's video from "Mustang Sally":

Here's great footage of "Glory Days", which Trey absolutely destroys, but then again, what else did you expect from THE MASTER?

*1984: Good year. Well, except for the whole George Orwell thing, but I digress.

Oh, Life is Bigger, It's Bigger Than You

Congratulations to Mr. Joey Halbert for correctly naming "Lift" by Flickerstick as the Tuesday Song of the Day. I must admit, my choice of "Lift" was inspired by Lance's post last Friday, which may be the first blog post to ever combine references to Tecmo Bowl, R.B.I. Baseball, and Lady GaGa. Hopefully it will also be the last, because Lady GaGa needs to be sent to Gitmo, and as far as I know they don't have recording studios there, but I digress.

I may not be a fan of the Boston Red Sox, but when Phish plays the hallowed confines of Fenway Park, you just know that combination is going to present some outstanding photo opportunities as evidenced below:

Photo:© C. Taylor Crothers

Head on over to Phish's "On the Road" section at Flickr to see the rest of the great Fenway photos.

Some Things Are Too Hot to Touch, The Human Mind Can Only Stand So Much

It's been a bit heavy 'round these parts lately, and I think I've set a record for the most consecutive days with a military-related photograph, so on this beautiful Friday in late April, I'm giving you something that brings me a great deal of happiness.

When people ask me about my favorite band, I often feel as though I'm forced to promote Phish like a doctoral student conducting a thesis defense in front of a panel of experts. In the end, the music can be long, it can be rambling, and it can certainly be maddening. But when Phish hit the right portion of the jam on a song like "Down With Disease", it makes all of the minutes spent listening prior to that moment worth it.

Here's some instructions:

1. Watch the video embedded above of "Down With Disease" from Phish's recent reunion show on March 8 in Hampton, VA.
2. Click the HD button on the video for the proper effect.
3. Listen to all 10 minutes and 1 seconds of the above video.

If you complete steps 1 through 3 and still want to tell me you could never understand how I could enjoy Phish, I understand.

If not, well, I guess we have what the Captain in Cool Hand Luke might call "a failure to communicate."

He's Never Heard the Song Before, but He Still Got the Metaphor

It was great to see so many good friends last night at the Trek fund-raising dinner at Memorial Church of Christ in Houston. Trek means so many things to so many people, and I have been privileged just to be a part of that ministry/experience. My goal now is to do what I can to make sure that others are able to have such an experience.

After writing my own version of War and Peace yesterday, today I'm giving you entertainment of the visual variety. If I told you that in just one video I could give you an acoustic version "Everyday" by the Dave Matthews Band, "Bathtub Gin" by Phish, and a series of weird antics from Trey Anastasio, would that interest you? If so, I have just the video for you, my friends.

Enjoy.

I Write You In Spite of Years of Silence

Congratulations to Ms. Katrina Kincaid for correctly naming "Bathtub Gin" by Phish as the Friday Song of the Day.

I'm laying low right now on the blogging front, but do not fear my friends, come next week I will return like Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines.

Prepare yourselves.

I will not, however, have a corn-cob pipe like the one being used by the General in the photo above. Popeye already cornered that market.

I'm on the Pavement, Thinking About the Government

If the world seems just little bit better tomorrow night around, say 7:30 on the East Coast, this might (I say might) be the reason:

Phish can’t be the same band it was. It’s no longer the sole outlet or commitment for the band members, who are maintaining solo projects and raising families. But onstage at the coliseum Phish savored the once familiar sound of the band they had grown up in, echoing off arena walls. Hearing those reverberations again, Mr. Gordon said after rehearsal, “was like a door opening.”

Phish, it's good to have you back, my friends.

For that reason, I'm giving you (free of charge) their spectacular cover of "Rock and Roll" by The Velvet Underground. Take it away, boys.

The Sun So Bright It Leaves No Shadows

My thoughts exactly...

"Phish to Reunite" from The Onion's American Voices section.

Virginia Walton,
Systems Analyst
"Oh man, there's no way I'll be able to score mushrooms, gain 20 pounds, and move back in with my parents by March."

Larry Moore,
Waiter
"This is like a dream come true! If only all my dreams were this inconsequential."

John Kihn,
Closet Organizer
"Wait, they were broken up? Who the hell have I been following around the country for the past few years?"

I Said I Don't Know If I Was the Boxer or the Bag

Congratulations to Mr. Ben Grant for correctly naming "Mexican Cousin" from the Phish album Round Room as the Thursday Song of the Day.

A few notes on a rainy Friday night in Waco:

Speaking of Phish, you just have to love the following video of "First Tube", if only for the priceless documentation of Caucasian dance moves. Take notes and learn from the masters, my friends.

Today, Liverpool wrapped up a 4-year, 17 million pound deal with Argentinian midfielder Javier Mascherano. You know what this means, right? Yes, you didn't spend all of that time in vain learning to sing "Ja-vi-er Masch-er-a-no" to the tune of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army". Not hearing it? Just sing it in your head. Duh-duh-duh Duhhh-duh-duh-duh. I hope that gets stuck in your head as well. If not, here you go:

Oh, Semi-Pro came out today? Man, I really have a hankering for a new deodorant in my life. How's Old-Spice? I really wish they had a more effective marketing plan.

From the Churches to the Jails, Tonight There is Silence in the World

Those of you who know me well are aware that the music of Phish holds a special place in my heart. For those of you that don't know me well, that's not because I'm a closet (or open) pothead or aspiring to become a hippie ne'er do well, but because whenever I listen to Phish, I hear the notes that are being played, but more than that, I hear the sheer joy that the four members of the band receive from doing something that they love.


One of my favorite pictures of Trey Anastasio features him not looking into the camera or at the audience, but up into the lights, simply lost in the moment. Some of you might argue that look is a result of Trey's substance abuse, and you might be correct, but I think it's something else.

It's the look of someone who has no concern for posturing or posing. All he knows is that the music is taking him to a place that nothing else can and he is merely along for the ride.

I don't come across those "looks" very often, but in my recent foray into the world of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, I came across this clip of "Jungleland" from the Hammersmith Odeon concert in 1975.

If you choose to watch the clip (which I highly recommend, otherwise I would not have taken the time to place it in this precious space) just watch Bruce when Clarence Clemons kicks into his famous solo. It may appear a bit more contained than Anastasio's reaction when the music takes over, but it's the same thing and that's why it's special.