Musical Monday Edition | Show review: Amy Millan at Pike Room

Keeping true to my obsession with semi-obscure Canadian independent music, last week I was lucky enough to find myself on the guest list for one of my favorite alt-country/folk artists, Amy Millan, when she was in town at the Pike Room, a swanky dive upstairs from Pontiac’s Crofoot Ballroom. Now, it should be said that playing in the Ballroom downstairs that night was this angry-guy band that sounds like every angry-guy band — extremely loud, obnoxious, and with a cool sounding name like Five Finger Death Punch, which was was so loud that we could both feel and hear it over our nice, intimate, folky show of about 60 attendees.  Oddly enough, in my Harley Davidson jacket I could have easily slipped into the other show and not looked out of place, but any band whose name sounds more like a concoction prepared by a goth mom at a Halloween party and whose album is entitled “War is the Answer” can safely be assumed to be the very antithesis of the very Canadian, very folky music that I love and came to see.

Opening the show was an interesting fellow named Afie Jurvanen, who also goes by artist/band name Bahamas, for what reason I have no idea except to perhaps convey sheer irony in being a Finnish guy from Canada. I was pleasantly surprised, however, as he opened with a beautiful ballad called “Hockey Teeth” and instantly won me over. His drummer was missing, but his goofy demeanor and commanding stage presence made him make going solo look easy. His vocals are reminiscent of Jack Johnson but he can play a mean stratocaster.  Always one to support the opening act, I bought his CD, Pink Strat (affiliate link), and encourage you to check him out and support him, too. He’s really, really good.

Now, onto Amy Millan. The best way for me to describe her sound is the bastard child of musical Williamses – Dar Williams, Lucinda Williams, Victoria Williams, and Hank Williams – somewhat folky, somewhat breathy, somewhat twangy, somewhat depressing, but everything she plays sounds instantly classic. She opened with a strong “Losin’ You,” the lead song off her first solo record, Honey from the Tombs (affiliate link), followed by a steel guitar-infused cover of Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.” From there she played a mix of songs old and new, this tour to promote her latest album, Masters of the Burial (affiliate link), which has a slightly sad tone but is nonetheless beautiful. 

Any band who can play live with a steel guitar, an upright bass, a mandolin, a ukulele,  and a trombone and make it sound AWESOME earns MAD RESPECT in my book. (The only thing that could have made it better would have been a successful accordion accompaniment, but they can’t all be like Cowboy Junkies.)

Highlights of the show had to have been a spunky version of her Rolling Stone acclaimed hit “Skinny Boy,” and a bluesey, almost-jazzy “Bruised Ghosts,” which is her first single off the new album. For her encore, she played my request of the song that made me first fall in love with her music years ago, a very country-esque “He Brings Out the Whiskey in Me,” that rings like a classic country song a lá Hank Williams or Loretta Lynn.

Having been disappointed with my new iPod Nano video’s lack of ability to record well in loud, dark spaces, I decided to try shooting some video with my BlackBerry instead, and surprisingly, the quality wasn’t too bad, save for my obviously-shaky hand. Below is my shaky capture of “Bruised Ghosts” from Amy Millan at the Pike Room, October 15, and you can find a few more at my YouTube channel.

uwemp releases EXCLUSIVE Seth Godin interview!

A while ago, I wrote a post about a side project I’m involved in called uwemp – you | we | me | empowered — which is an open-source, reader-directed magazine focusing on learning from the journeys of others and redefining journalism as we know it.

Moments ago, we released what I’d been biting my tongue about for a long time — an exclusive, one-on-one video  interview with uwemp founder Jordan Wolfe and none other than The Bald One himself, best-selling author/entrepeneur/marketing genius Seth Godin. (He’s also the guy who started this interesting little site called Squidoo, you may have heard of it.)

So, what are you waiting for? Why are you still here? Go watch the exclusive interview with Seth Godin now!

(And while you’re at uwemp, be sure to check out our uwemp/UPIU National Student Journalism Writing Contest. If you’re not studying journalism in college right now, you probably know somebody who does, so share it with them. Thanks!)

Real Men of Genius: Social Media edition

(Real men of genius!)

Tonight, I salute YOU, Mr. “I-Sync-My-Twitter-and-Facebook-Accounts”!

(Mr. I-Sync-My-Twitter-and-Facebook-Status!)

Yes, you sir, are oblivious that your Facebook friends really don’t care about your every move & your Twitter followers are a) mostly the same people, and b) annoyed as hell.

(Absolutely, completely oblivious!)

It’s imperative that you tell EVERYONE POSSIBLE about that ham sandwich you had for lunch, or that you are happy it’s football season, because you are just. that. important.

(I’m big on the internet! I’m big in Japan! Germany loves me!)

So go on and open a Ping.fm account, Mr. Twitter-Facebook-Syncer, because YOU are a REAL MAN OF GENIUS.

(Inspired by the Bud Light “Real Men of Genius” radio commercials, you can hear all of them here.)

Guest Post | STOP THE PRESSES! I barked up that tree too soon!

Oh hai, it’s Reina again.

I was so excited when  I posted that last post about Yappy Hour with the Michigan Animal Rescue League that my drool got in the way of my weather iPhone app that told me how cold it was going to be on Thursday. But luckily, the folks at MARL were paying attention because apparently it’s supposed to be rainy and so cold you that if they held it, anyone that might have needed neutering wouldn’t need it anymore if you know what I mean.

Well, because the hoomins at MARL care about all our parts and don’t want any of them to freeze off, they’ve decided to postpone it until spring. It will still be held at the Royal Park Hotel and we’ll have a new date confirmed soon.  If you already donated and purchased tickets, be on the lookout for the MARL hoomins to contact you soon, you can either have your monies back or get a FREE VIP upgrade for the spring event plus a prize for your pooch. (I suggest the latter, and I’m not just saying that because I like new stuff to chew on.)

I was really looking forward to seeing everybody and having puptails but I appreciate them looking out for us, and now I’m so excited for springtime I could PEE!

But don’t wait until then to look into rescuing a four-legged friend. We need you TODAY, and if you can’t adopt somebody, at least think about volunteering some of your time to bonding with hoomins’ best friends. Go here for more information on how you can help save a life and make a new friend or family member, Michigan Animal Rescue League (and rescue dogs like me) love you for it.

kthxbai

Guest post | I’m So Excited For Thursday, I Can’t Stop Drooling!

Oh Hai!

So as you can guess, it’s not Stacy writing this post. This blog has gone to the dogs, maybe for just one time!

I’m Reina, (follow me on Twitter @reinathedoggy)  and I pawed by to tell you about this Thursday’s Yappy Hour to support the Michigan Animal Rescue League. See, I’m a rescue dog – and hoomins gave me a second life when I used to roam the streets.

I know what it’s like to find your new forever home and how much I love the noms and lovins, and of course, my favorite command, “Snuggles!”

I want every dog to have the same love I get… and in order to help make that happen, the hoomins at the MARL need your help Thursday in Rochester by attending.

But you just won’t help my friends, you can haz “Puptails” from Zodiac Vodka, hoomin treats (“Hound-d’oeuvres”) all on the vewwy nice Royal Park hotel lawn. It’s the nicest lawn I’ll ever have been on. Oh, and there’s dog treats too as well as music by Robin Horlock for the people.

I loves clothes, and I’ll be bringing my pink coat because there’s a best dressed competition, and I’m gonna get a picture with my hoomin. But of course, I’ll be the better looking of us

Follow this link to get your ticket for you and your best friend – it’s from 6p-9p Thursday in Rochester. I’m looking forward to wagging my tail when I see you there!

Reina is the dog-daughter of Jeremiah Staes, President and Chief Online Navigator of Portage Digital Media.