Doug Van Pelt

My cat is staring at me thru the glass door

I'm getting lots and lots done these past several days -- surviving SXSW and documenting / reviewing it; writing; transcribing; selling ads; tweeting about my progress; laying out articles; but blogging is not one of those things.
I feel bad about it.
I'm sorry.

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While you are sleeping, there is an agent of HM Magazine lurking about on his computer, devising ways to make this next issue great. Here's to accomplishing that task!

SXSW.09

The last full day of SXSW always comes with a sigh of relief. There's one more full day of parties and concerts and hanging out, but it's at the end of at least three days just as packed in a row preceding it. It's an endurance contest of sorts. There is a fun softball game/BBQ party between portions of the industry (like print media, marketing, artists, clubs/talent buyers, agents/managers, record labels, radio/online, SXSW staff, and mixed media), and even a couple more showcases on Sunday night, but it winds down for a lot of folks with Saturday's last show. One of the fun things I appreciate about events like this are the panels.

WOODSTOCK: Untold Stories
This star-studded panel was fun to watch, as luminaries from the legendary event were there to tell stories. One of the panelists began his recollection with the comment that: "Anyone that says they remember something at Woodstock wasn't there!" After showing clips of the remastered, touched-up version that is coming out on DVD this summer with loads of bonus footage (including some never-before-seen artists, like Creedance Clearwater Revival), Wavy Gravy reported that he runs a camp with kids and, on its last day, they wake the kids up with the Jimi Hendrix version of "The Star Spangled Banner" and "they all have a giant pillow fight -- with no head shots."

Organizer Michael Lang sat up there, looking younger and brighter than any of his contemporaries, told the story of what led him to put on the festival. He ran a headshop in Miami in the late 60s, had started doing local shows, and went to the Monterrey Pop Festival, which inspired him. He put on the Miami Pop Festival in May of 1968, with rotating stages and other advances they used later at Woodstock. Jimi Hendrix played and this inspired him to do the bigger event after moving up to Woodstock in upstate New York. He neglected to take out rain insurance on that Miami Festival, due to the lovely sunshine in Florida and little sign of rain, but they were poured upon on the second day. This probably helped prepare him for the unexpected stuff that went on at Woodstock, like a change of locations right before the fest, which is a factor that kept stage lights from being featured at Woodstock. They had several local shows in the area in the year preceding the fest, called "Sound Outs," with local artists jamming. One of those local artists that would often show up was Van Morrison, by the way. He told the audience present that stories like this were included in his new book, The Road to Woodstock, which comes out in July. Legendary producer Eddie Kramer told a few stories of how he recorded all the acts at the three-day festival. "Recording it was three days of drugs and hell," he commented. Turns out, it was so far away, that there was no communication with the stage from their recording trailer.

Gregg Rolie, the vocalist and keyboardist for Santana (later joined Journey, by the way), related his story of flying over the crowd in helicopters, because the cars driving up to the festival started parking on the highway, jamming it up for access. "The people looked like ants," he said, "but it was lost on me." Other panelist described how it was just another show, but at various times it hit them how large of an event it was. Stu Cook of CCR described how the backstage area was stocked and how all the musicians hung out and enjoyed themselves. They performed, however, with no real stage lights. At one point in the show he heard someone yell from the darkness that was really 500,000 people, "We're with ya!" At that point, he said, "Okay, that's the guy the concert's for," which gave them direction and a goal amidst the darkness.

Other interesting tid-bits I picked up were details like: Santana didn't even have a record out when they played Woodstock. They were a West Coast band playing on the East Coast for pretty much the first time. This gig and their place in the movie (the drum solo by Santana's Michael Shrieve) really put them on the map. A band called Quill, who were one of the local bands in the area spreading the good intentions of the festival promoters prior to the event, got their chance to perform as a way of saying "Thank you" for their help in the local area. The new version of the DVD boxset will include some of their music. "We wanted to keep politics out of the festival," said Lang, "because the fest itself going off was the biggest political statement we could make."







FRODUS
Frodus is an unusual band and I would have really liked to have seen them. I entered the club a few minutes before their 4:35pm set time, ready to stake out a good spot. This performance had some hype and buzz for it and I was excited to take notes and document this rare reunion. The Radio Room was where Viva Voce had played a couple nights earlier, so I had some good ideas on where to stand. When the previous band finished, the crowd completely thinned out, so I got right up front in the center. I even sat down while they cleared the stage and set up for Frodus. I couldn't remember exactly what the guys looked like, because I had spoken to one of them on the phone and talked via email, but I think it'd been years since I'd seen them. The main guy setting up looked familiar, but there was an outside chance this venue had two stages. I waited and waited, getting impatient, because a flawed schedule can mess up plans further on down the road. When they finally took stage, I stood up from where they had been sitting and I saw the most fascinating and creative introduction to a show. They played a relaxation CD over the sound system, with a soothing, female voice telling the listener to allow their muscles to completely relax, starting at the top of the body, going down the shoulders, and so on. The band stood there as if they were meditating and relaxing. Then they all struck two power chords in quick succession. Complete rest. The soothing voice was at center attention, going on about floating and being at peace. After about 20 long seconds, they did it again. Full stop. Another 20-30 seconds. And again. The blast that disrupted the silence was so stark and intense that it made for fabulous dynamics. They did this about 8 more times. It was a crazy start. I was glad to have seen that. The songs didn't sound as mathematical as I'd remembered Frodus. And there were four guys in this band! The second or third song was downright melodic! The keyboardist was dancing during one intro... Wait a minute! I looked at the poster and noted that Cursive or Milemarker were supposed to start at precisely at 5:15, which is when these guys finished setting up and actually started playing. I went to the back of the club and asked if there was another stage. Guess what? There was. Frodus had just finished, as did The Van Pelt. So, two mysteries of SXSW '09 were not witnessed by this reporter. I did what any grieving reporter would do: I went to the Woodstock party and got some BBQ before my interview with Superdrag's John Davis. John and I sat down for a good two hours, which was awesome, interesting, and relaxing.







ANBERLIN
In my self-imposed duties as a HM Magazine writer, I try to cover as many bands and a good cross-section of the bands we usually cover. It is rare, because of this goal, to ever see a band twice. But, as I often say on twitter.com, "I heart Anberlin." Here was a chance to see their official showcase, which would likely start on time, be run through a perfect sound system, and be well attended. Their show at 9pm Saturday night sounded SO much better than the previous morning's 2:30am performance. The goosebumps didn't happen during "Breaking," though. It was nice to hear "Adelaide" tonight, too. During "The Resistance" there was extra percussion from three extra guys armed with drumsticks. It sounds even better and brighter live than on record. One thing I noticed again, and it's been bugging me for awhile the last few times I've seen the band is how Stephen Christian's vocals seem to fade in and out while he's moving around the stage. I appreciate seeing his onstage energy and I like how it adds to his stage personality, but the volume of his fantastic voice suffers when he's moving. This makes listening to their albums a little bit sweeter of a musical experience than the concert. There was a fun and brief death metal growl for one short verse in "Godspeed" by Stephen the last two nights. Guitarist Joseph Milligan handles some nice toggle switch action during "Feel Good Drag," which they saved for the end again. Instead of throwing his bass down on the ground this time, Deon Rexroat launched himself into the crowd to churn out the final few chords before getting back on stage.







THE SHACKELTONS
I had one more show to catch before SXSW '09 was over for me. It was this last issue's "Declaration of Independants" artist, Mark Redding and his band, The Shackeltons. It was a great finale for me, as the band was just amazing. Redding was holding flowers above his head, but that wasn't the only thing that made me recall the first few times I'd seen mewithoutYou. This guy had the same charismatic and riveting personality onstage as one Aaron Weiss. "Thank God for Otis Redding," the frontman announced. "We yearn to make you dance deep inside." He introduced a song called "The Ache" and said, "We want you to shake your heart a little bit." Midway during the song he fell to the ground to shake. When he jumped up, at times he sucked his thumb with palm open and clapped that hand with the other. The band flavored the show with almost a constant, danceable beat. "You raided my island, but I've asked for no rent," he cried after a song that he introduced with a dedication to pirates. Later he asked everyone in the audience to hug someone next to them. It was kind of awesome to hug and be hugged and see it going on almost all over the room. This band is now a new entry to my "amazing" and "special" lists.

SXSW.08

Why is SXSW such a successful event? The planning is great. It's managed well. And it's staffed and visited by people that are friendly and polite. People love a party atmosphere, and that's one of the major things that the organizers must realize. This third day of the music portion of the festival once again featured gorgeous springtime weather that invited everyone to get outdoors and mingle. I purposefully scheduled in some visiting time to hang out with friends and acquaintences for the start of this day, which turned out to be quite fun. I first headed into the Austin Convention Center for one of the many sideshows to the main event -- Flatstock. It's a trade show/convention/flea market for rock poster artists and vendors. There I was able to catch up with Lonny Hurley, who left his job at HM Magazine five years ago to pursue art school. After graduating he scored a killer job as a graphic designer at Abercrombie & Finch. An avid poster art lover, he's now also doing a killer job with that. Here's a shot of him manning his booth.







I paid my annual visit to the SPV Records party to mingle with some of the folks that keep the metal coming into the US market, as well as eating some killer BBQ and catching up a little with Dug Pinnick of King's X, who happened to be there with his manager (not pictured) and a few friends.












ANCHOR & BRAILLE
I headed a couple doors down from SPV's metal party to see the last couple of songs from Anchor & Braille, which is a solo project of sorts by Anberlin's Stephen Christian. His voice sounded golden, as usual. It was just two guys (Christian McAlhaney and Stephen) sitting on barstools with guitars in hand. Stephen's voice opened up so huge to indicate that he needs no amplification.







Each portion of the SXSW Festival/Convention features a trade show, and the music one is always fun, as several vendors, publications, service organizations, and manufacturers from around the world have booths set up. I noticed that Dez Dickerson had an interview at the trade show, as well as a book signing. I was able to catch him at the Barnes & Noble booth, where he was chatting with folks and signing his book, My Time With Prince.







SHINY TOY GUNS
These guys played inside the Austin Convention Center in one of two rooms that Direct TV dressed up as two giant sound stages disguised as venues. Perfect lighting and a killer sound system accompanied any band that played live for the satellite TV channel. I was anxious to see how the new vocalist, Sisely Treasure, sounded along with Chad Petree. With great care and timing, they always make songs that are energetic feel super fast; while epic tunes like "Shaken" stretch out for effect. The echoed cries of "I didn't plan for the fall when I was running from it all..." always remind me of a riveting performance by Pink Floyd out of The Wall. Other parts of the show, however, seemed to be treated with an even keel by the performers, talking with a nonchalant attitude of, "This is our next song," sort of non-energy. It makes for an interesting dichotomy to the show. The drummer was flailing around his arms almost constantly and the new girl moves around the stage with a pretty good presence. I wondered when they'd play their big hits, and "Le Disko" came in as the fifth song of the set. It was easily the most lively and energetic song of the concert thus far. I noticed they edited their lyrics in the second verse, where Sisely sang, "...gonna rough up your ego..." At one point Chad quipped, "This is fun," almost as though it were not. Weird. Maybe they weren't feeling the expected energy from the crowd. The chorus and verses in the song "Poison" featured biting vocals by both Chad and Jeremy Dawson that soared high in the mix. Dawson constantly towered over his twin banks of keyboards when he was not playing bass. They introduced "Rainy Monday" as a love song. "Waiting" plodded along very slow and then exploded in volume, which sounded great. "Don't Cry Out" was another powerful moment in the show, and I noticed Sisely emoted the feel of the song and seemed to get in the mindset like an actress by straining her face and bringing her fists to the side of her head, as if she was ready to burst with emotion. I like to see that sort of thing at a rock show -- even if it's manufactured. The band finished with a rousing rendition of "You Are The One," which sounded ever more like a love song from God.

"...God knows his faithful...
You are the one
You'll never be alone again
You're more than in my head
You're more..."







METALLICA
Okay, so Metallica is not HM material. Well, since this is my blog and not the literal print or digital magazine, I thought I'd share a few of my photos with you. It was a rumor that I heard the week before during the Interactive part of the festival. 'No way?! Really?' was my reaction. No one was confirming this report officially, but to launch the new Guitar Hero Metallica video game, the band was going to show up and play. On the schedule was a "Guitar Hero Metallica Madness Competition," which might've been four dudes competing with their game controllers ... but the two hours given to this event seemed a little long (and boring) for an on-stage video game competition. The rumors persisted. It looked like it might actually happen. I had a big two-hour window in my schedule, so I hoofed it on down to Stubb's to wait in what I was expecting to be an inhumane and long line. Turns out my timing was perfect and, with my SXSW credentials, I only had to wait 15 minutes before a group of us were allowed in.







I couldn't believe my eyes, but here they were, bringing the metal in a major way. "We thought we'd join your party," a gleeful James Hetfield announced after the first between-song pause.







The band kept playing more and more encores, so I jettisoned my plans to see Tyrone Wells, who was performing at other times during the weekend. I figured I'd make that one up. One show I couldn't miss, though, were the cover boys from the latest issue of HM -- The Devil Wears Prada. With a torn maniscus (bum knee), I took every painful step with the double reward that I'd just seen Metallica and was about to see TDWP. When I got into the tent, the previous band (A Day To Remember) was just finishing up an energetic set. Much of the crowd cleared out, which I figured might be normal for fans of one band to vacate to see another and this band's fans would soon flood in. I got in the second row and started a conversation with some fans. I had a copy of the new issue and I pointed at the cover and asked if they liked them. "Didn't you hear," this nice gal told me, "they cancelled. The singer woke up sick today." Not what I wanted to hear. Rats!!! I wish I would have known this before I left Stubb's, because I could have walked half a block to see the Wovenhand show, which I trust was another amazing performance by David Eugene Edwards. Now it was too far and too late to crawl back over there only to make the last song or two. I resolved to stay for a late Anberlin show instead. If only I'd have known then how late it was going to be!







ANBERLIN
After a torturous wait until 2:30 am, Anberlin hit the stage. Their drummer, Nathan Young, was going ballistic, slamming down a solid beat that stayed consistent all through their set. When the band hit the song "Breaking" midway through, it was a goosebumps-all-over situation for me. Not sure why exactly, but it was a joyous moment. The audience really came in on the "Whoa-oh's". The band saved "Feel Good Drag" for the end, which is still the current single from New Surrender. Something must not have been going right at the very end, though, because bassist Deon Rexroat seemed real angry, throwing his bass down and marching off at the end.

SXSW.07

I need to remind ya'll that an event like South By Southwest is just perfect for Twitter. Where or how else are you going to get real-time instant text messages (on your cell phone from other cell phone users) of cool or unusual events at a huge thing like this? So, if you'd just like to see what I "tweeted" throughout the past 9 days, it'll add some details to the review I'm blogging about. You won't have to join or anything to do that. Just visit twitter.com/dooglar and you'll see the many little 140-word posts (and photos and video from my phone, too) there. It really is fun.

It's funny how I approached the SXSW music festival this year. While technological advances abound that allow me to carry the music schedule on my person (via cellphone text messages, an online calendar in a phone, iPod, or PDA), I spent the typical hours beforehand figuring out who I wanted to see, but then just wrote it down on four sheets of paper, which I carried in my pocket. As old school as that was, I never got lost or confused (at least very much).







FLATFOOT 56
Thursday was packed with lots of daytime showcases and parties that various organizations put on. My 13-year-old daughter wanted to see a local band really bad, so I brought her with me. Our first destination was to see the ever-popular Devil Wears Prada at an all ages show at Emo's. Turns out several hundred other people had the same idea and we couldn't get inside. Darn it! I pulled out my paper schedule to look up the next band to see: Flatfoot 56 at an outdoor stage called Texas Rockfest. The band sounded nice and loud, which catered to their lively and rambunctious energy -- even in the Texas heat. The crowd was mildly enthusiastic at first, but soon warmed up to the band's Irish sounds. In true celtic punk fashion, soon two guys skipped around in front of the stage arm in arm during "Battle Of The Bones." Very appropriate for a St. Patrick's Day week gig. They announced that they'd been holed up in a studio in Houston, recording its new album. More than likely, they built more anticipation from new friends and fans that looked turned on to the band's fiery music.







INVISIBLE TARGET
This local band played in a tiny old club on the East side of town, which is slowly but effectively expanding the live music district beyond the city blocks downtown. The first thing I noticed about this very young band (most if not all are still in high school) is that the frontman, Josh Flores, noncholantly walked through the crowd and coaxed the audience to sing their pop punk anthem with them. He already had some really good experience and confidence in being a frontman. I was impressed. Fellow sibling and drummer, Caleb Flores, wore a nice Japanese rice farmer's hat, making a nice fun fashion statement. He showed much merit at one point in the show when his snare stand broke. He cradled it with one arm and played it with the other. Not getting side-tracked by technical malfunctions is a big lesson that these guys apparently have learned already. Kudos! The high point might've been the band's fun pop song, "Waffles," which feels like a love song until you realize it's an ode to the breakfast treat. They followed up this light-hearted moment with one of their heavier tunes, "A Choice To Make."

The sonics and tones were a tad raw, the vocal sound and musical performance show enough promise to hold on. "Again" has a nice plucking guitar intro, but the song's slow timbre doesn't cater to the vocalist's strengths. I found myself thinking, though, that, 'If these kids get to where their potential points, they'll look back to this formative period as being just that: rough, raw, and growing.' They ended with a tune that featured those creepy movie trills in it, which dropped out for the slow, thoughtful verses. Then it was a fake encore of "TNT." It was kind of a dry cover of the early AC/DC classic







BROOKE WAGGONER
The hype on this little energetic singer/songwriter is legit. She played to a packed Gibson Guitar Room at Maggie Mae's on 6th Street. Her playful tunes stood out and were buoyed by a string section that offered building crescendo's, lifts and drops like a classic Beatles song, but with a petite-yet-strong female voice. In addition to the strings, there was an additional vocalist friend that stood behind Brooke and her piano, which were very helpful in adding a nice touch. During one or two songs, the backup singer refered to a lyric sheet to help her with the mouthful of verses. I've been told she doesn't need the string section to fill the room with beautiful sound, and I believe it after hearing her soaring voice and her fingers hitting keys on her keyboard that sounded like plucking violin notes. Most of the showcases are run like clockwork, so her set got the axe when she went over time, but the crowd really protested and she was given time for one more song.







HE IS LEGEND
While this band was kinda mistakenly refered to as a "Christian" band in its early days (and their start on Solid State), they don't disappoint in the realm of pure riffage, sounding part Pantera and part Maylene. Tough, gritty muscle comes screaming out of their cabinets, while singer Schuylar Croom proves to be a modern day frontman extraordinaire in the vein of Jim Morrison. One dirty joke aside, he was captivating and hard to ignore. In the middle of the "China White" song he dipped into Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" song for a few lines ("players only love you when they're playin'...") They announced a new album coming in June, which pleased the capacity crowd at Spiro's. They tried one of their new ones out on the audience. "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it -- 'Party Time.'" It had more of the great snarling guitar riffs that these boys know how to dial in. Very heavy.

SXSW.06

The photo above is my uncle, Alan Haynes, who is always playing blues clubs around Austin, other Texas cities and parts of Europe. For your information: If you'd like to check out the "of interest" list of bands playing SXSW, go here. For some on-the-spot updates, follow me on twitter or facebook (Doug Van Pelt). I'm using my mobile device to post pictures and the occasional low-res video.

The first night of music at SXSW was absolutely fantastic -- and I know that I just tasted a small amount of the total offering. I actually skipped at least one hour of official music showcases, because I had to start my night with a heavy metal concert documentary movie.







IRON MAIDEN: FLIGHT 666
Before the movie began, the narrator and co-director of Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (Sam Dunn), introduced the impetus for this film: "There's been many great bands that have had multiple documentaries made of them (The Rolling Stones, etc), but we thought they deserved a film of their own." What they documented was amazing. This old school metal band consistently packs out STADIUMS around the world without radio airplay or media support. And to top that little detail, they are travelling around the world in six weeks in a Boeing 757 jet -- piloted by lead singer/commercial airlines pilot Bruce Dickinson! They had some beautiful exterior flight and takeoff shots of the plane, piloted in a "chase plane" by Skip Holmes in and around Southern California. The fan reaction in India, Central and South America, Australia (I kept looking for shots of a headbanging Steve Rowe in the crowd of the Melbourne show) was over the top enthusiastic. The crowds sang and chanted along like they were at an international soccer match. It helps to have someone that loves Iron Maiden on the directorial team, as the shots captured were all the views that an Iron Maiden fan would want to see in a concert film. During big hit songs, like "Run To The Hills," "The Number of the Beast" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" were punctuated in the Paramount theater by a couple of lads up front that stood up, pumped their fists and waved their instantly disrobed shirt. Too fun!

Afterwards, the directorial team of Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen fielded questions (two by me, he he). They revealed that they used 7 cameras for each show, shot 500 hours of film, and most of them all shot during the shows. And the next documentary on their list: Rush. I suggested to Scot McFadyen that they should maybe consider the huge niche scene of Christian metal for coverage. He said they almost featured it in Metal... He said they might do a series with VH-1, so who knows...?







THE ELMS
This band sounded and came off much better than being the butt of a joke from the movie Saved! (for those that don't remember, Mandy Moore's character punished a friend that wasn't walking "Christian" enough by forcing them to do something like listening to "7 hours of The Elms on her iPod"). They entertained a packed tent across from Emo's. I heard a brand new song that they'd just written in Nashville, which had a heavy guitar anthem and singer/songwriter feel to it ... in a country sort of way. Sounded good.







ANATHALLO
I heard a really good set by Anathallo. I'm not sure how visually appealing it was, though, because I was stuck in a 5-deep line that wrapped around a small bar outside the room the Mohawk stage is in. Good thing they took out a giant part of the wall and made a window behind the end of the bar, so you could get a small glimpse of the band -- kinda like snooping on a neighbor over your fence, but with moving bushes in the way. The band sounded a little more bouncy and melodic than I've heard 'em live in the recent past. The long pauses in between songs were hard to take, especially with the multiple layers of conversation going on, but it's all good. Anathallo deftly filled the room with their energy.







THE RISING SOUND
I don't know anything about this band, except that they're real friendly and they're not Twenty-Four64, who I thought I was watching, due to the scheduled performance time. Turns out the schedule was off, I missed any band intro's, but when I spotted them later in the night at the Seabird show, I asked about their name. So, instead of falsely giving a review of a 2464 show, I'll share my notes on The Rising Sound. They play a little old school rock, with big 4/4 beats. "Natural Girl" was a real strong song with a good hook. Other songs reminded me of soulful 70s rock, a la Faces.







THE LEE BOYS
I knew this would be a good, spirited performance, but I had no idea I was about to be treated to some real greatness. I was successfully club-hopping my way through a great SXSW night, and then I but a pause to my movement so I could digest all that was going down here. They were tearing up the joint with a full band that featured some pedal steel guitar and a huge 7-string bass whose bottom fret board I could not even wrap my hand around. The place was hopping. Roosevelt, "The Doctor," was picking the strings on his pedal steel bench with pick/slip things on his fingers. They invited The Travelling McCourys up on the Smokin' Music Lounge stage with them to jam. They seemingly improvised bluegrass and gospel standards (like "Let's Ce-le-brate" and "I Wanna Be Ready (Walkin' in Jerusalem Just Like John)") and welded their styles together for a fresh fusion of energetic music that turned the crowd on its ear.





It was interesting to see the violin trade licks with the pedal steel. The Dr. would point to the guy on mandolin and let him riff, then point to violin, then jam himself. Wow. This was a special performance.







VIVA VOCE
They packed out the Radio Room on 6th. The Portland, OR, band seems to have expanded since I last saw them. They have a new girl on guitar (Karina) and a drummer. The set started out rocking, got slower in the second tune, and then picked up again with some beach style (only faster) drumming. Anita's lead guitar playing featured some cool bluesy trills in the chorus (reminding me of Hendrix's "Little Wing"), and the song had some nice, heavy drumming. It wasn't the only song that Anita showed off her cool lead guitar chops. This guitarist is just plain good. The fact that she's a petite beautiful woman only makes this fact cool and rare. Her husband Kevin mostly played bass and he introduced a new kinda surfy but wide and full sounding song from their new album. It'll be called Rose City and releases on May 26th. To end the set Karina hit some pads with drumsticks for a cool, hollow, almost industrial sound. Kevin switched to a guitar, which changed the lineup to two percussionists and two guitars going after it. Very cool.







SEABIRD
While the band was just warming up on the small postage-stamp-of-a-stage, Aaron Morgan's vocals stretched and filled the room with his distinctive vocal style. By the second song, "Apparitions," the piano tinkling its big, organic rock sound had the audience's full attention. The narrow room was slowly filling up, and it belonged to Seabird, and their relaxed performance sounded great. Aaron gave a shout-out to the Pomegranates, who were playing here this week. Cries of "not alone" rollicked along in their cool style. Aaron introduced "Rescue" and explained that it was used on a "tweenie" show recently. It's a killer song. "I'm pushing up daises, I wish it were roses..." A nice way to end the evening.

SXSW.05

Interesting random thoughts on SXSW, part 2:
People-watching is a great past-time, and SXSW doesn't disappoint. Last night was the Film Festival Closing/Music Opening Party at Maggie Mae's, and there were lots of people from movie companies, press, and music companies there.

I overheard some guys discussing the momentum that Twitter.com received in a large part to last year's SXSW. Even though I've only been twittering for a year now, I feel like one of those kids that got into a cool band before the whole world discovered them. By the way, big, multi-layered events like SXSW are what twitter was made for. You can read up on text messages on your phone from other fest-goers at other locations/gigs, etc.

THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
This movie was part of the midnight movies of Fantastic Fest, which began with the lights growing dim and the silhouette of a speedo-covered-by-kilt clad viking with a giant, twisted shofar horn gripped firmly in both hands. After a giant thunder clap that reverberated over the large sound system, a cloud of smoke appeared and this guy delivered a long blast. Another guy dressed as a Greek dignatary walks up with a microphone and introduced the night, touting the horn blower, David Story, as "the ambassador for everything that is good in your life..." The Director Peter Cornwell was briefly introduced on stage, who they coerced into a beer chugging contest between Australian filmmakers and American movie buffs.

The movie is "based upon the true story," which begins with a harried mother (Virginia Madsen) taking her sick son to and from their place to a hospital for cancer treatment. The long trips take their toll, so she rents a house nearby and the family sans dad (Martin Donovan), who visits on weekends. Well, turns out the house used to be a funeral home, where they did heinous things with the bodies, running a seance/pyschic/medium service of necromancy. The tormented souls begin to bother the residents and ... well, you can guess the plot from there. The sick son (Kyle Gallner) is so close to death that he sees the spirits and begins to interact with them, trying to help their "situation." A minister experienced in exorcisms, apparently, is brought in to add assistance. He turns out to be very helpful and cast in a positive light.





After the film the Director took the stage again, and the real-life mother from the story came upon the stage. She was quite friendly and astute, as if she had experience in the film business. Turns out she does computer tech stuff. Anyway, it was most interesting that she stood up on stage clutching a rosary. When she watched the World Premiere, she remarked how great Virginia Madsen and Kyle Gallner did. She said, "It was like it was happening again." She fielded as many questions as the Director. Later she concluded that "the message is paramount (and what she wants to stress) that -- You may think you have power when you mess with this stuff ... you don't!"

SXSW.04

ANVIL
This movie had the makings of a modern day This Is Spinal Tap, making the audience wonder the whole time, 'Is this for real?' and 'Is the band (Anvil) in on the joke?' Turns out it's really a for-real documentary on one of the first big bands that were part of the heavy metal awakening that blew up, thanks to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in 1980-1982. These guys are from Canada, so they don't quite fit the NWOBHM tag, but stylistically, they were right there, if not near the top of the pack of that revolutionary musical movement. The movie starts off gloriously with stadium show footage in Japan, followed by lots of interview cameos (Slash, Tom Araya, Lars Ulrich, Lemmy). They never quite got the breaks that a few of the metal bands from around that era did (Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, even Saxon), and they kind of slid into obscurity ... but they never stopped playing.

"It can't get any worse," states lead vocalist/guitarist Lips, who appears fully nude with his guitar in one still image, "but if it does get worse, at least it's all been said and done." The cameras are invited up close and personal to follow Steven "Lips" Kudlow and his bandmates, including drummer Robb Reiner, and various family members. We see their daily life and we see them dealing (or not dealing with) the inevitable end of the band. The hopes of the band's future get put into a studio recording with legendary producer, Chris "CT" Tsangerides (Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Tygers of Pan Tang) at his home studio in England. Interviews with one of his sisters shows the "they should give it up" camp; while others, like wives and an older sister that loans the band 13,000 Pounds for the studio recording, are of the supportive side. The band goes on a rough tour of Europe, where all sunder of things go wrong. There's fights between Lips and Robbo, labels keep turning the album down for a deal, but they somehow get invited to a nice-sized festival in Japan, and the film gets a nice bookend beginning and ending.

Some profound quotes get uttered by the band in the movie's end:

"Life flies by."
-Robb Reiner

"The most valuable things are relationships, people you know, and experiences you've had."
-Lips

This last quote inspired me to play hooky from SXSW the next day and spend it with my family, which turned out to be real good.

SXSW.03

Today was a mid-to-late start to my SXSW experience, as I headed downtown for a 2pm screening for the Film Festival. The Trade Show had a "Happy Hour," where most of the vendors gave away some sweet prizes, including a Vespa scooter, iPhones, Wii systems, and specialty services, like a brand package. Lots of cheering and laughter took place at the Web Awards, as top websites in various categories were honored (like "experimental," "games," "mobile," "amusement," and six others) with a cool etched glass trophy. It's cool honoring the top-notch work we see on the web each year. A couple of my favorite finalists for the "Amusement" category were Pixton's animated online comics; and the UPS "ReGifter."





WAKE UP
I had a funny feeling this would be a good one (from reading the synopsis online and in the program), and boy, was I right. Wow. It was a supernatural journey that this guy (Jonas Elrod) went on after he started seeing angels and demons and other weird, supernatural stuff. The torment took him back to his past as an enthusiastic young Christian, where he was raised in Georgia; to several metaphysical teachers and gurus. He went to Rome to photograph the energy in the room with him when he meditated; the prints of which he helped convince his girlfriend of the incredible ordeal he put her through with his strange experiences. It's a fascinating look into the supernatural. He says he leaves Christianity behind and he comes to a universalist type conclusion (of all religions pointing one direction, to the same god). There's lots of interesting background to the story. It's a 90-minute feature and Jonas admitted that they shot some 400 hours of footage, but there's lots of interesting background throughout the flick. There's a Radiohead song has good placement towards the beginning; and there's a church sign that says, "God answers Knee Mail" that gets flashed up on the big screen. Part of the tormented journey takes him to psychologists for evaluation, who state that he's not showing signs of insanity or other disorders. He's nervous during some of the filmed interviews, which he honestly admits to feeling, "self conscious, because people will think I'm a freak." One of his spiritual friends that has had similar experiences scores rosonation points with Jonas by admitting how "special" he feels when these supernatural events happen, which he describes as "sad," because "we're not special. Our (bleep) stinks like everyone else." Another spiritual advisor seen along the way, JZ Knight, states that some 70% of the population in the US believes in the extraordinary, who are neither religious or atheist, "but they're just waiting for something that represents them." There's a breakthrough for his girlfriend, Mara, who attends a Buddhist retreat with him near Santa Fe, NM, where she tells a Buddhist there that she's reluctant to tell Buddhists her name, because Mara is the name of the temptress that talks to the Buddha by this tree. The Buddhist explains that Mara was a male, who asked the Buddha, "Who told you you could do this," to which Mara breaks down and has a moment, realizing that this is how she has been treating her boyfriend. For her, it was like one of those "God moments," where unexpected events happen at just the right time to move us. It's a personal experience that is documented intimately in the film, making it one of those things that's hard to argue with or belittle. Lots and lots of Q&A happened after the film, with Jonas answering questions and people opening up about spiritual things in the audience. Even Mara stood up and responded to a question about dealing with the unexpected with her boyfriend, explaining about her love was almost an instant commitment to journey through life with the moment they met. Quite an eye-opening movie that leaves room for lots of discussion.

SXSW.02

Day two of this fantastically busy experience started late for this guy. I came into the Austin Convention Center in late afternoon to rub shoulders with some of the folks from Adobe, who make the great Creative Suites software program that we use on a daily basis to produce the magazine (InDesign and PhotoShop, especially). I got a good look at the Trade Show, where I ran into folks from YourBrandsSuck.com (a pro branding/imaging firm); Unite.BlogCatalog.com; the mind-blowing (and hard to follow newsgroup process of) Giganews; one of the founders of MusicSkins.com (who we'll probably be working with for HM-related skins for all kinds of electronic devices, from iPods to Guitar controllers. They turned me on to a skin for The Devil Wears Prada, who they work with); Noteworthypr.com (a publicity firm that turned me on to a new Christian band caled The City Lives); and, if you've ever been to an event like this, you know that was just scratching the surface.




TRIMPIN















This documentary was a must-see for me, because it showed this musical genius that invented new instruments that were works of art. The guy thinks on another plane. Trying to follow along and read/understand his musical scores look pretty impossible. The child-like joy he gets from sound and his unabashed enthusiasm to pursue his dreams is quite fun, entertaining, inspiring and mind-expanding to behold. After the screening, which Trimpin and the filmmaker, Peter Esmonde, explained, was the world premiere, the mad inventor said, "I was blown away." He was refering to the sound editing and production of the film, as this was the first time he'd seen it with a proper theater sound system, etc. James LeBrecht was congratulated at his feet with the sound design. James sat in a wheelchair, which might explain the large number of "wounded warriors" that were present in the audience. It was neat to see them get a standing ovation before the film started, these movie-goers just wanting to show appreciation for all they've done for this country. The Experience Music project and building and museum in Seattle commissioned Trimpin for a giant sculpture with 32 playing and self-tuning guitars. The 78-minute film is full of other magnificent works and experiments he's done, inclucing a concert with the Kronos Quartet. They also show him in his homeplace of Germany, where his dad inspired him with many simple and fun outdoor experiments with sound. One thing that occured again and again was the capturing on film of spontaneous discoveries of various objects and the sounds they make. It helped you experience the wonder of sound right along with him. Bravo!


It was interesting to learn after the showing, with a Q&A with the artist and filmmaker, that Trimpin has not always made his living with his art. He's resorted to being a commercial fisherman in Alaska, as well as a Christmas tree salesmen. He's impressed with other composers, like Harry Partch, and he's very fun-loving and full of humor. He suggested that the stickers they were giving away afterwards could be applied to many places, like notebooks and computers (because they say "This is a musical instrument" on it), to which Trimpin added, "or police cars." The guy has no fondness for recorded music, although he said perhaps the sound of tonight's showing might be changing his mind. He does not have a website. Someone asked him afterwards, "Now that you're famous, will you get a website?" He said, "No website." The filmmaker confessed that just talking him into making this movie took some convincing. We are certainly the better for it. If anyone is coming to SXSW (or already here), you should check out the exhibition that Trimpin has on display in the State Theater on 719 Congress Avenue for the rest of the week, from noon until 8pm. Trimpin will be present there most of the time. I plan on checking that out.





Additions to our "List of Interest":
Ever since posting our list of interest, I've rec'd a few more tips about bands we might all be interested in. They include:


Corey Crowder
Mar 19 2009 8:00P
@ Giddy Ups (SXSW)


"You should definitely look up David Tamaoka at SXSW and Twentyfour 64. David Tamaoka was formerly in Pennylane. www.myspace.com/davidtamaoka www.myspace.com/twentyfour64 Both are Christian artists."
-Brandon from Hundred Year Storm


"You should check out one of our MN comrades at SXSW: 'the spirit of 76'."
-David from Children 18:3

SXSW.01

Last night was a fabulous way to start off this 9-day film-interactive-music festival. Thus far I've watched two movies, stuck my head into the Screenburn arcade, and watched two other "screeners" of films. Throw in some mingling and people watching, and it's a good start.



























NEW WORLD ORDER
The film I saw first I watched a screener of last week, actually. It's an IFC flick called New World Order. It documents the efforts of Alex Jones, who hosts a talk radio show on the globalization of our country and the ominous "New World Order" conspiracy that is supposedly run by an elite group of uber rich called the Bilderberg group. I watched (and reviewed) another movie of Alex's, called End Game, which focused primarily on the clandestine and bullying nature of this group's rare global meetings. While some of what he talked about in that film was intriguing and had a hint of compelling truth to it, I had to conclude that he was a crackpot when he went off about the government's use of flouride in our water supply being a purposeful decision to help with massive public mind control. This fairly well-edited documentary starts off with JFK's speech about "secrecy" and its unwelcome place in a healthy democracy. There's a few brief moments that discuss the JFK assasination, but there's also some personal profiles of this conspiracy-fighting group that express diverse views. One Southern guy appears to be a Christian, who does a lot of protesting and handing out of literature in the New Orleans area. Another guy from the New York City area could care less about who killed JFK, but is just upset about the idea of a group of elites controlling the masses and stripping away the unique DNA of our republic. All the profiled members of this group rally around Alex Jones for a 9/11 commemorative rally at Ground Zero. Their shouts of "9/11 was an inside job!" echo throughout the film at several events they attend. While the notion they propose is troubling, I have to give them props for showing a discussion between the Southern Christian guy handing out flyers and a military man who directly challenges his notion, urging him to choose carefully what he devotes his life to. Not every group would show a reasonable critique of their efforts in their own documentary.




I LOVE YOU MAN
This movie was flat-out hilarious! It was so funny, the laughter in the audience was boisterous and almost out-of-control. The plot, which involves Peter Klaven (played charmingly by Paul Rudd), who is freshly engaged to the lovely Zooey (Rashida Jones) and discovers that he's always been a "girlfriend guy," who doesn't really have any guy friends. With a wedding ceremony to fill out (with groomsmen to match the bride's maids), as well as the paranoid desire not to be too clingy as a husband, Peter sets out to find and bond with a guy friend. As you could have guessed, there is lots of "guy" humor in this film, as well as slapstick, sight gags, and the usual and realistic modern day goofy dude stuff. The underlying questions behind the film, like fidelity, commitment, and a healthy marriage, are sometimes hidden behind the projectile vomit, references to urinal cakes, the big "M," and farting. Due to the funny scenes with Zooey and her friends, it might be balanced enough to make this a date movie, but the laughs will come most easy for unhibited guys.







EXTERMINATORS
It's almost unfair to watch several films in a row at a film festival (much the same way as it is a good music festival), because seeing two exceptionally good films back to back always wears away at the memory of the previous movie. Such was the case with this hilarious flick about several women that were involved in rage therapy with a counselor. These women bond and it shouldn't be surprising that their common experience of not being able to control their anger very well starts to bear some dangerous fruit. Alex (played by a goofy, nerdy Heather Graham with way-too-large glass frames) finds herself employed as an accountant by one of her rage-challenged friends, Stella (Jennifer Coolidge, from Legally Blonde), who runs an exterminating business. One thing leads to another and these women find themselves solving several "men problems" by channeling their pent-up anger and creativity. Suddenly, a rash of men that abuse their wives are winding up dead in and around Austin, TX (where the film was shot). One of the investigating detectives that questions Alex following the first death starts to fall for Alex, and vice-versa. This brings an extra amount of tension into their relationship as the rash of sudden deaths becomes a growing investigation ... and then there's the snooping around by a seedy IRS guy, deftly played by a swollen lower lipped Sam Lloyd. This was was just insanely funny. Amber Heard shines as one of the stars, with her little goth girl style making her a perfect replacement for Pauley Perrette's character (Abby Sciuto), should NCIS ever need a replacement.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF JESUS
There's a short little documentary on the vast arachives at Getty Images, where lots of high speed editing and fun computer-assisted cut/pasting accomanies the narration about the uniqueness of all the jobs in and around this library of photographs. People have asked for photos of Jesus, as well as the Yeti, Hitler at the '48 Olympics in London, and all kinds of strange requests. Very well done and quite educational.

Random thoughts and highlights:
I'm impressed. Prior to the screening of Trimpin, there was a standing ovation for several "wounded warriors" that were in attendance.

One band or company stood out with a "sign of the future" insertion into the registration bag. It was a micro sim card with the logo Astral Werks. Nice going!

One thing I LOVE about SXSW is, not only is it a thoroughly planned out event, but some of the thoughtfulness is so compassionate! One of the organizations that promotes itself here is Road Recovery, which reaches out to people to help them with addictions and other road bumps they might face in and around rock and roll. This is an organization we're only too glad to promote (and check out that little SXSW profile link above, where they reference Danielson Familye as one of their "guilty pleasures"). Another thing I see at SXSW every year are well-placed flyers and signs that announce various 12-step meetings. It's no secret that a lot of musicians have succombed to the addictive power of alcohol and other drugs; and attending an event like this could be very hard for them, being that they're bombarded with parties everywhere with alcohol freely flowing. Hats off to this organization for caring about their fellow man and helping provide support for those that need it.

Doug Van Pelt on Trial

I had my day in court today. I was alone in a courtroom with a prosecuting attorney against me, a deputy, a court clerk and, of course, the judge and the baliff. I was sworn in. I was able to cross-examine a witness. I took the stand. I testified. It was the real deal. Part of me was beside myself, taking it in as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was totally surreal.

First, some background will help:
I was sent a letter from Williamson County (four years later) after an auto accident I had on Sunday evening (6pm), May 22, 2005. I arrived early and waited (and waited, and waited) for my turn inside the courtroom. The baliff called my name, held the door open for me and told me I'd have to remove my backpack (a full pack, decorated with skulls all over it). I asked if it'd be safe in the back and he told me, "You're the only one in the room."

I was given a letter instructing me what to wear, how to address the judge, etc. I was informed of my right to an attorney, but this court date was to dispute a traffic ticket that I did not want to pay; so there's no way I'm going to hire an attorney that would easily charge me as much as or more than my court costs if I lost.

I was travelling on Hwy. 79 way back in 2005 when the auto in front of me peeled away to reveal a stopped vehicle turning right. I couldn't stop in time and hit the packed vehicle. It was not a good scene. I was ticketed later that day for "Failure to Control Speed." I wanted to dispute it, so I called the court and requested a court date.

A friend at our old church had told me that he represented himself in court many times, arguing his way out of traffic tickets, etc. I understood that many times the policeman that wrote the ticket may not show up on the trial date and he'd win by default. So, I was surprised to see Deputy Kelly and an attorney for the State of Texas behind a small table to the right. My table was empty, waiting for me.

I had gone before a judge in the same building before, when I was issued a traffic ticket for speeding. I wanted to get it dismissed by taking defensive driving; but, when I was filing for my driving record and all the things you do in order to get this kind of infraction dismissed and I discovered that there was a timing technicality in my filing too late, which disqualified for ticket dismissal, but I went before the court to see if they'd show me some leniency and mercy and dismiss the ticket. I showed up at that building, signed in, and waited for a baliff to open the doors and allow us all to enter. Over the course of an hour or so, the room filled up with people. One by one people went up before the judge's stand, standing behind a counter and made their case. Everyone in the room could sit and eavesdrop on your business there. I brought my notebook in there with me and was working away on the magazine. Eventually, they called my name and I went up there. I spoke at a high enough volume to be heard by the judge, but not so loud that everyone could hear. At that time, I showed my paperwork, that I had taken the defensive driving already and was only disqualified from dismissing the ticket by less than a month. The judge instructed the clerk to dismiss it for me and that was that.

I remember reading on the informational letter that if I did not hire an attorney, that the court was not required to inform me of the etiquette and procedures during the trial. It stated that my failure to represent myself properly could cost me my case. I was kind of intimidated, I admit.

The whole scene was kind of surreal. I was to remain standing after I arrived and the proceeding was announced: "The State of Texas versus Doug Van Pelt," or something like that was announced. I thought to myself, 'Wow! I'm really on trial here.' Here was this attorney, presenting a case that very forcefully and as persuasively as possible, painted the situation as a drop-kick easy decision: "Doug Van Pelt had clearly failed to control his speed." The deputy was the first (and only) witness that was called up, sworn in, and asked questions. The attorney was asking him about his work experience, establishing that he had the knowledge and experience to assess auto accidents and accurately place blame, etc.

I had not rehearsed what I was going to say ... at least, not until this particular morning. I hand wrote some notes to come up with a clear and simple plan on what my case was based upon. I even used legal words I'd picked up on from Hollywood, like "on the grounds of..." and I had the word "reasonable" written down in my statement twice. I was planning on keeping the result and damage of the accident out of the conversation. In fact, I was hoping that the ticketing police officer wouldn't show up and the judge would dismiss it on a technicality.

Maybe I should have brought up the lack of a "speedy trial." 3.75 years is a pretty long time to hear nothing. I believe I received the letter announcing my court date on or after February 9th, so I had a month at best to prepare. That was kind of weird. Granted, I only spent about 30 minutes (at best) preparing for this trial. I was kind of expecting it to be a crowded room, with a bunch of disgruntled people that had written bad checks, gotten traffic tickets, been evicted or what have you -- like the last time I was there. Not even close. This was the real deal, and I entered the court nervous, but trying my best not to let my nerves throw me off or inhibit me in what I needed to do.

I apologize for not describing this more eloquently. I think this is really a better story than I'm making it out to be, I think. Anyway, it was so surreal, I kept finding myself tempted to fold one leg over the other in a relaxed position, just to listen and take it all in. I kept myself from doing that, of course, because I realized that this sort of body language would hinder my chances of winning. I was seriously thinking about how cool (but stupid) it would be to whip out my camera phone and videotape some of this for posterity. That would not have flown in this situation.

Having to face the ticketing officer was one obstacle I had not anticipated. I figured, 'Four years...who's going to remember that?' Part of me felt guilty, too, knowing that this officer and this attorney was spending part of his valuable day on this court case.

While the deputy did not act entirely as if he was on the side of the prosecuter, his testimony was damaging towards me. He described the accident aftermath well, stating that the car had rolled. I don't feel that this helped my case, because any time a car rolls it must be going a fair amount of speed. One of the reasons why I probably did not come across as persuasive as I'd hope to was because I wasn't convinced myself of my innocence.

I understood the principle that, if you run into the rear portion of another vehicle, by default you are going to be held responsible. In my case, I wanted to argue that it was reasonable to assume that I had no choice in my situation other than what I did. The car in front of me peeled away, revealing a stopped Suburban turning right, while I was at highway speed (between 55 and 60 mph), only about 40 feet away. I looked in my side mirror and saw a car in the left lane. I determined that I did not have enough time to stop. I turned into the driveway before the other car did, hoping that I would either beat the car into the driveway or that it would see me and not make the turn. As I was finishing up the turn, the Suburban was in front of me at an angle. I glanced into its passenger front door and we both went off the driveway into the ditch. Because my wheel was turned full right from the turn, when my vehicle landed, it first hit a tilted wheel, giving it no "leg" to land on, so I rolled over immediately one time. The Suburban blew its right front tire in the process, too. There was a family inside from Houston that was visiting Hutto Baptist Church to watch a play their relatives were in. A young girl in the family started crying and I faced the grim truth that I could have easily injured one of these people. At the time, I thought I had done about everything possible I could do to avoid the collision.

If I had a do-over, I would have slammed on the brakes. Unbeknownst to me at the time, anti-lock brakes can really bring a fast-moving car to a quick stop. I grew up driving in the 70s and, for a long time, drove a 65 Mustang. These older cars would skid if you slammed on the brakes. That sort of knowledge is what formed my instincts. I was impressed that the car made that sharp a turn at that high a speed; but I would have been more impressed if I would have trusted the anti-lock brakes. I still have yet to test that kind of modern braking system at high speed (because, who wants to possibly ruin or wear down a good set of tires?), but I have taught myself from reading that anti-lock brakes are a helpful tool that I should use if ever presented the opportunity.

When I was up on the witness stand, I looked at my notes and presented my case. It went something like this: "My plea is not guilty based upon the grounds that a reasonable explanation of the context and description of the accident will show that the conclusion that I failed to control my speed was unreasonable." Yeah, it was almost that stupid. If I ever have to go to court again, at least I'll better know how to act and I'll feel more comfortable and relaxed. That would have gone a long way today (that and actually preparing).

When I look back on the accident, there are things I would have done differently if I had the chance, but given the extraordinary and stressful conditions, I can't imagine many people would have done much different (turning to the left likely would have got me in a high speed collision that might've knocked me into oncoming traffic. Plowing into the car in front might've proved fatal to me and hurt the people in front. And having to stop a car going 60 in 40 feet or less in order not to hit a stationary object doesn't seem too easy.

After Deputy Kelly testified as an expert witness and the ticketing officer, I took the stand. I was cross-examined by the prosecutor. He took notes on my story and asked me what my previous car was (to cast doubt on my claim that I wasn't familiar with anti-lock brakes) and he asked me how long I lived in Hutto (so he could make a claim that I should have been familiar with cars going in and out of Hutto Baptist Church's driveway on a Sunday evening. I was able to make a final statement; and I kind of fumbled through a repeat of my earlier story, adding that this particular Sunday did not show a lot of people coming into their driveway. Then the judge stated that she was ready to render her verdict.

"Guilty." And she slammed her gavel down.

Immediately afterwards, she asked me about what I did and showed some interest in HM Magazine. We exchanged some pleasantries about Christian music and then I left to pay the fine.

And looking back on the trial, of course, there's things I wish I would have said and brought up. It's a bummer to have to pay $300 in fines. And I might get into that with another blog, but one of the bottom lines with both of these experiences is I have to move on. Get past it. Let it go. Give it to God. That would be good.

The Love Dare.12

Wow, this one is a good one. It drives straight at stubbornness and looks at its opposite, which is willingness. Giving in to the other spouse...

Wow. I've been a vicarious sympathetic ear to a friend my wife was talking to. This person was afraid to let go of something for fear of being taken advantage of and being a "welcome mat" and getting "walked on."

This would have been an opportunity for that person to take a chance and let willingness take charge. We'd probably be amazed at what would happen if we didn't always insist on having our own way. Just maybe that selfish pig we are married to would see our example and realize that they can do the same for us. This is kind of what can happen when two people try to "out-give" one another. The loving response of being loved is often to give or not insist on our way, and it multiplies and benefits us.

Today's Dare:
Oh boy! This is a tough one. Practical. Simple. But tough.

Demonstrate love by willingly choosing to give in to an area of disagreement between you and your spouse. Tell them you are putting their preference first.

The Love Dare.11

I have regretfully slacked this past week in blogging. I made a decision yesterday to change the way I do things. I've been watching a video today called Inbox Zero, which is based around checking and processing my email twice a day. I'm looking at 11am and 3pm. Hopefully, two hours spent per day can process all my email. I get 300 to 500 emails per day. More than half of it is junk mail. I have trained those around me that I respond to emails immediately, so I've devised a new signature that explains my situation. I'll keep that as my default signature for about a week. Here's hoping I can organize my life and get my most important stuff done every day.

I read the entry for The Love Dare.11 on Wednesday, but never got around to blogging it. Here are my thoughts on it:

It's called "Love Cherishes," and it talks about our value and devotion to our spouse. I like the analogy of the car vs. the broken hand scenerio. We should treat our spouses as an invaluable part of ourselves and care for an nurture it without a second thought.

For example, if Led Zeppelin were to ever reunite for a tour, I would go to extraordinary steps to see a show. It's a given.

The guy that finds out his older car is going to take a lot of money and energy will, in many cases, get rid of that car. The guy that hurts his hand will immediately rush to care for it and rehabilitate it. The Bible talks about us caring for others like we care for our own body. The Apostle Paul gives some great marriage advice in Ephesians 5:28-29: "Husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it."

It's a given how we love ourselves. When Jesus told us to love others like we love ourself, He assumed that we know how to love ourselves. I think sometimes we have found weird, funky ways to hate ourselves or not love ourselves and respect ourselves like we should, but surely the human default is to love ourselves. Loving my wife like myself would be an improvement over how much I love her now. It's easy to love someone when things are going good; and sometimes a crisis makes it easy to love when things are going bad; but the day to day grind can easily lead us to a default of laziness and caring-for-number-one mode. I'd like to tweak my mind and allow God to change my heart so that I see my spouse as #1.

When you look at your mate, you're looking at a part of you. So treat her well. Speak highly of him. Nourish and cherish the love of your life.

Today's Dare:
What need does your spouse have that you could meet today? Can you run an errand? Give a back rub or foot massage? Is there housework you could help with? Choose a gesture that says, "I cherish you" and do it with a smile.

It's getting hard with our busy lives to check off the dare duties each day, so I'm finding a surplus or debt of dares that I want to catch up on...

You too can be band of the year

I was in a band that recorded a fairly scathing song towards U2. It was mostly unanswered questions aimed at the band, but I've never doubted who the band was or ever really wavered in my appreciation for the band and my admiration for their music. It was a band thing. Stanley wrote the words, Gene sang them. Good thing we never recorded "Gonna Miss You, Steve," which was the same for artist Steve Taylor. What was Stanley thinking? What a lot of believers with certain presuppositions about music and the label "Christian music."

Anyway, I thought I'd blog a tad about the new U2 album. I listened to it in its entirety on their MySpace page a week or so ago. I was apprehensive, because I heard so many sharp and negative reactions to the three or so songs people were hearing. After half of a full listen, I was like, 'Where is the Pop or Achtung Baby or Zooropa?' I was still hearing ...Behind and ...Atomic Bomb. I love it.

Buying and listening to a new U2 album is like a defining moment or a landmark in many people's lives. It is often that way with me. Buying the new U2 album is a special event. I'll never forget hearing that girl from the third floor telling us about this new band called U2 that played at Austin's Clubfoot club on what must've been their October tour. Man, I wish I would have ventured out for that. Then I was away for the summer when U2 and The Alarm played at Southpark Meadows on the War tour. Oh my.

I remember seeing the videos for "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" over and over again on MTV, as well as watching the Under A Blood Red Sky concert video. Then there was that trip to Russia, where our group was booked at a huge five-star hotel, with tv monitors in the lobby, cranking MTV Europe 24/7, and hearing "Mysterious Ways" over and over again. I have a Russian imprint on my memory of that great (Achtung Baby) album.

I wonder what your U2 story is?

I wonder if there really are many lasting memories based upon acquring the new U2 album. They are like the Beatles, Stones, or Zeppelin of our generation. You know, there hasn't really been a band to carry a mantle like that after the 70s ended ... until U2. And they are the only one, really.

So, what's your U2 story? How has your "special time" with their new album been?

The Love Dare.10

I can't believe I didn't name the last post "Love Potion No. 9." Oh well. I really dug a New Wave of British Heavy Metal cover of that song by a band called Tygers of Pan Tang. They had it going on with their Cage album. I remember writing a letter to the editor about that one into Campus Life Magazine. I was a backslidden prodigal son at the time (we're talking 1982, but who's counting?), as they had printed a negative review of the album. I wish I had that letter in front of me, just so I could groan at my immaturity. I took the time to rant about backwards masking, which I referenced the "Stairway to Heaven" claims by these anti-rock ministers as subtly saying, "My sweet Satan," which I thought sounded more like "use cyran wrap." I don't think they ever printed my letter. That's funny and embarrassing.

Day 10 here will signify one-fourth of the Love Dare. Today's chapter is about love being unconditional. It mentions what some husbands might say if asked, "Why do you love your wife?" And what some wives might say of the same question about their husbands. The guys might mention her beauty, her sense of humor, her inner strength, her kindness, how good of a mother she is, etc. The wife might bring up her husband's good looks, his personality, his steadiness and consistent character, his generosity, etc. But the question is posed, "What if, over the course of years, if your spouse stopped being ALL of those things? Would you still love them? Based on the previous answers, the only "logical response" would be no.

The only way love can last a lifetime is if it's unconditional. The truth is this: Love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love.

This made me realize that the vows of a wedding ceremony that most of us have memorized - "...for better, for worse, in sickness and in health..." - are an imprint of the Bible's principles of love upon our culture.

If someone chooses to love unconditionally, then there is no "falling out of" that love. This chapter goes on to state how, if a marriage is built (or rebuilt) on "agape" (unconditional) love, the the responsive love of friendship and such will likely grow and blossom as a result.

Today's Dare:
Do something out of the ordinary today for your spouse - something that proves (to you and to them) that your love is based on your choice and nothing else. Wash her car. Clean the kitchen. Buy his favorite dessert. Fold the laundry. Demonstrate love to them for the sheer joy of being their partner in marriage.