Ars Nova Ant Fest

In midtown, there is this very interesting club that puts on really weird and neat shows. Maybe they aren't as weird or interesting as Ultrabunny or Haunted Pussy, but they're weird and interesting in their own ways. They have lots of "gay" shows, and other undefinable show topics.

It is called, "Ars Nova," and right now, a festival is going on there called the Ars Nova Ant Fest which features tons of crazy wacky shows. Music, bands, plays, dirty perverted folk songs --- wait a minute, did someone say dirty perverted folk songs? That's MY show!

That's right, my show is in the Ars Nova Ant Fest. Tickets are $10, which is not super cheap for those of us on a holiday budget, but if you buy your tickets in advance online, you get a free drink at the show, and $10 for a show and a drink isn't so bad. You can order your tickets RIGHT HERE.

I've toured this show across the US and UK, this past summer in Scotland, Ireland and England and as part of the Reading & Leeds Festival, Latitude Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and more. These songs (and I) were publicly denounced by the Catholic League. This is one of the last times I'm going to perform this collection of perverted, twisted songs live, as I've been doing them for a few years now and I'm getting ready to retire them and move them on to something different. Of course, I will keep you posted about that project when it is ready.

Show info:

Thurs Nov 12 @ 8 PM
Jessica Delfino's Dirty Folk Rock
Ars Nova ANT FEST!
511 W. 54th St.
With her lewd songs and unconventional instruments (rape whistle!), Jessica Delfino is a self-described brunette Britney Spears--with balls.
Tickets: $10
For tickets: http://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/691205
SPECIAL OFFER: If you buy a ticket online to my show, you get a free drink at the show (which nearly covers the cost of the ticket!)

AFI is back!

After a long wait, AFI is finally back with its eighth CD, Crash Love. Decemberunderground came out way back in June 2006, and though the band toured heavily in the interim, it still seems like ages since we've heard from them. The new CD is once again a departure from their past work, something AFI seems to specialize in; they never seem content to stay with one 'sound'. At first listen, Crash Love seems poppier than previous efforts, but that's just a first impression. The songs grow on you, as good music does, and more and more layers open up on further listens.

Of course, AFI never shines as much as when they're onstage, and that hasn't changed one bit. AFI shows may be short (usually just over an hour) but they're packed full of energy and sincere showmanship. Davey Havok seems totally at ease and confident, chatting with the crowd as if they're old friends. And most of them are. For the kickoff of the Crash Love tour, AFI played Minneapolis on October 2nd. Davey mentioned playing the same city way back in the 90's, and an audience member immediately professed to having been there. AFI is the kind of band that attracts diehard, devoted fans. Fans who will line up for hours in cold, miserable weather in order to be front and center. For their efforts, they'll get crushed by fans behind and abused by crowd-surfers, but to them its well worth a close-up view of Davey, Jade, Adam and Hunter.

I attended three shows in two weeks: Minneapolis, Sayreville NJ and Pittsburgh. The setlist varied a bit, but was heaviest on Crash Love (of course) and Sing the Sorrow. At least one very old song was included in each show ("Ny-quil", "Half-Empty Bottle") and of course their MTV hit "Miss Murder". All in all, the crowd seemed extremely pleased, singing every word as loud as Davey.

The stage and the band were resplendent in black and gold; they look great and sound better. If you get a chance, check out AFI when they come to a town near you. They're touring the US and Canada for the rest of the year, then they'll be off to Australia in early 2010. Then they'll likely hit Europe, and then come back for another swing through the US. Here are the announced dates:

10/17/2009 Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Hampton Beach, NH

10/19/2009 The National Richmond, VA

10/20/2009 Gallery of Sound Scranton, PA

10/21/2009 Scranton Cultural Center Scranton, PA, United States

10/23/2009 Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia, MD

10/25/2009 House of Blues Boston, MA

11/3/2009 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa, OK

11/4/2009 The Pageant St. Louis, MO

11/6/2009 Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO

11/7/2009 Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL, United States

11/9/2009 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI

11/10/2009 The Sound Academy Toronto, ONT, CA

11/12/2009 Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA

11/13/2009 Roseland Ballroom New York, NY

11/15/2009 House of Blues - Myrtle Beach North Myrtle Beach, SC

11/16/2009 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA

11/18/2009 Pompano Beach Amphitheatre West Palm Beach, FL

11/19/2009 House of Blues Lake Buena Vista, FL

11/21/2009 Verizon Wireless Theater Houston, TX

11/22/2009 Stubbs Austin, TX

12/15/2009 Winnipeg Convention Ctr. Winnipeg, MB, Canada

12/16/2009 Prairieland Park Saskatoon, CAN

12/18/2009 Shaw Conference Center Edmonton, CAN

12/19/2009 Big Four Building Calgary, AB, CAN

12/21/2009 Save On Foods Centre Victoria, BC, CAN

2/20/2010 Soundwave Festival Brisbane, AU

2/21/2010 Soundwave Festival Sydney, AU

2/26/2010 Soundwave Festival Melbourne, AU

2/27/2010 Soundwave Festival Adelaide, AU

3/1/2010 Soundwave Festival Perth, AU


Please check out http://www.afireinside.net/ for more info, and go buy Crash Love!

J

girls, gore, robots and geishas, and geisha robots!

American movie trailers have the baritone voiceover guy going for them, and generally not much more.

The voiceover guy here is pretty lame, BUT the movie certainly seems to make up for it.

RoboGeisha (Japan 2009 coming soon)

VNV Nation Review and Pics

VNV Nation has been around since 1990 in one form or another, and now, 19 years later, Ronan and Mark prove they've still very much got it.

Saturday night's LA show (6/27/09), was the kickoff of their tour to support their newest release, Of Faith, Power and Glory. The venue was packed with goth, alt, and rave types, and just plain fans of one of the best-known electronica bands in the world.

The energy was palpable, and the crowd threw themselves into the songs just like the band did. Though this tour is for the new CD, Ronan didn't skimp on the crowd favorites, even going back to 1999's Empires for Darkangel, to the audience's delight. The crowd favorite had to be Beloved, though, with Perpetual a close second.

Though the CD just came out on the 23rd of June, the audience seemed to have no problem with the lyrics and dance moves to the new material. The new tracks are pure VNV, and I predict "Sentinel" (misspelled on the album cover, FYI) will be the next big track. Introspective, emotional, yet uplifting; somehow VNV manages all of it while still being danceable, and not overdramatic. Quite a feat.

VNV is touring heavily in support of the new CD: North America in July, Europe in September, and a promise by Ronan to be back in the US late fall.

Check out their website www.vnvnation.com for tour dates and more info. Also please see my interview with Ronan Harris, coming up soon!

Prima Donna Review and Photos

I recently caught the band Prima Donna at Hollywood's historic Knitting Factory. When the band first struts out onstage to the accompaniment of some severely retro riffs, you'll wonder if you've stumbled into some sort of 80's time warp. Lycra, animal print, and lots of big hair and guyliner will make you feel like a virgin again. Or maybe not. At any rate, these boys know what they're doing, and they're ready to rock your face off. They work together like a well-oiled machine; singer Kevin has all the moves to win over the ladies, and Aaron doubles on keyboard and sax to give the music its unique blues-inspired feel. David wails on the drums, and the combo of Erik and Daniel on guitar and bass work together perfectly.

They just got back from a tour across the USA, and they're doing some SoCal shows in the next month or so. Catch them if you can; you won't regret it!

http://www.myspace.com/primadonna
www.primadonnarocks.com

Interview with Tiger Army's Nick13

Tiger Army is probably the most well-known band in the modern psychobilly scene. They've been at it for almost a decade, and through numerous lineup changes they're still going strong.

Tiger Army formed in early 1996, and played their very first show at the legendary 924 Gilman in Berkeley, CA, where bands such as Green Day, AFI and Rancid honed their skills. They opened for longtime friends AFI and actually borrowed their drummer Adam Carson for the gig. After hard work and local shows, the band hooked up with Rancid frontman and Hellcat Records co-founder Tim Armstrong. The band's self-titled debut was released in late '99. Tiger Army essentially introduced the psychobilly subculture to the USA.


When founder and frontman Nick13 agreed to answer some questions for me, they were working on a followup to their well-received III: Ghost Tigers Rise album.


Hello Mr. 13! Jade from PunkRockBitch.Com here... thanks so much for taking the time to answer some questions.

How do you see the psychobilly genre... is it growing, or changing significantly? Are the changes good or bad for the scene?

When Tiger Army started, there was no scene in America. For most of the band's existence, we tirelessly promoted the genre. People now are aware of it to an unprecedented extent here, so what we set out to do has been accomplished in that respect. That being said, the scene is largely a disappointment to me. Many of the older Euro bands are completely washed up and just tailor what they do to their idea of the American "market" -- zero artistic credibility at this point. As for younger bands from the States, too many are content to deliver poor imitations of bands they like rather than take artistic chances and do something new, which is both boring and a letdown. I think fans of the music deserve more than that.

What do you think the differences are between the US and European psychobilly scenes?

The European scene is older & frankly there's a better understanding of what the music is. Some kids here seem to think it's thrash metal with a stand-up bass. It's a little hard to say since it's been awhile since we've been there. We still get festival offers from Germany and hopefully we can make that happen.

What are some of the early bands you have tried to emulate? What one band do you think influenced you most?

Probably the Meteors. They were the first psychobilly band and always one of the best. Was always a fan of the Quakes, Long Tall Texans... my writing was also influenced by the songwriting of a little-known band from England called Sgt. Fury.

You've gone through a lot of lineup changes... can you tell us about the new members?

Well, they're not that new at this point as they've been in the band for over and year and played well over a hundred shows, but the stand-up bassist is Jeff Roffredo and the drummer is James Meza. Both have played in a number of different psycho bands and both are some of the most talented musicians at their respective instruments that I've ever had the privilege of playing with. As far as playing goes, I don't think the band has ever sounded better. I can't wait to make a record with these guys!

(Note: since this interview, original member Geoff Kresge has rejoined the band on stand-up bass)

Why did you start a band initially? Was it something to do, or what you really wanted to do with your life?

When I was young, it was something to do. As time went on, I realized that there was nothing in the world I cared about as much as the band, so I knew that I'd rather spent all my time trying to be a musician, even if it meant failing, than succeed at something else.

When you were a teenager and dreaming of starting a band, you must have pictured it a certain way. How does what you pictured compare with what it's really like?

Really, it's beyond my wildest dreams that I'd still be playing music and doing it for a living at this point. Tiger Army is 10 years old next March and there's no end in sight.

You started your first band in '91 at age 17, Influence13, with Jade Puget and Geoff Kresge. What was it like back then for a band starting out? Why did that band break up?

Things were harder then, it was so hard to get any kind of a recording out. There are many more labels now and more resources to promote your music, like the internet. As for breaking up, well, probably different musical directions and difficulty keeping a drummer were two big ones.

We hear you're working on a new CD... how's that coming?

I'm in the middle of the writing process now and I've got several songs that I really like. We've been working them out in the rehearsal room. I'm really excited about this album, the lineup, everything. I think it has the potential to be the best thing we've done yet and I don't want to settle for less! No date is set for the studio yet but it will be out in 2006...

What is your songwriting process like? Do you get random ideas while you're stuck in traffic?

Traffic would probably be too distracting, but I've definitely gotten a lot of ideas on long drives, both on & off tour! Many of the lyrics for "Rose of the Devil's Garden" came to me on a drive on CA's 1-5 from LA to the Bay Area. I had to pull into a gas station and scribble them down on paper napkins!

What non-psychobilly bands would you like to tour with?

Morrissey and AFI.

Do your parents/family like your music?

They do, which is really cool. My parents have always been supportive of my music. I had an opportunity to play our CD for my Grandma who lives in Australia this past spring when we were there on tour, she seemed to genuinely enjoy it! But it's probably just because I'm her grandson, who knows...

Have you ever gone to a high school reunion?

No. I hated high school and the people in it for the most part! I'm in touch with most of the people I want to be from back then so a reunion would just involve those that I don't care about or never liked.

What kind of music do you listen to for your own enjoyment? Do you ever worry it will influence your own music?

I listen to all sorts of things from 50's hillbilly to current industrial/ebm. Also a lot of pop, Morrissey, Depeche Mode, etc. Drawing on different styles is what makes music exciting, so no, I don't worry about things influencing me. On the contrary, I welcome it.

Do you have a favorite venue to play?

There are many I like, but if I had to pick just one, perhaps House of Blues, Los Angeles. A friendly and knowledgeable staff and a cool room that holds a decent number of people but still feels intimate.

And now a few requested questions from my readers:

What about the rockabilly/psychobilly scene made you decide you wanted to be part of the whole genre?

I was always a fan of early punk, as well as 50s rockabilly/rock'n'roll. The more I listened, the more connections emerged between the two, although on the surface they might seem to have nothing to do with each other to some people. When I discovered psychobilly, it seemed like I could have a combination of everything I was into in one band! That's still true, for the most part.

What do you think of people who only like Tiger Army because of their relation to AFI?

I don't know of any such people. I know of many people who discovered Tiger Army through AFI, but that's always the way it is, I got into so many bands when I was younger because of connections with other bands I liked. I'd imagine the majority of AFI fans to be drawn to original, exiting music, so I see no reason why they wouldn't genuinely enjoy both. If there is someone who's just into Tiger Army to seem cool to someone else, well, I don't know what to say, that's pretty far away from my world.

What is your pre-show ritual?

A little bit of vocal warm-up, maybe a bit of hot honey & lemon drink, some stretching maybe... whatever I think I need. Mostly it's about focusing and getting in the right head space to go out and do it.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which five people would you want with you and why?

Probably just my girlfriend. It'd be cool to have some friends there as well, but I wouldn't wish them to be stranded on a desert island just for my amusement!

What kind of deodorant do you use?

Old Spice "Original" scent. Perhaps a bit too much time on the hands, whoever was wondering about that. ;-)

www.tigerarmy.com
www.myspace.com/tigerarmy

Patrick Wolf show Review and Pics

I was lucky enough to catch Patrick Wolf in his only US acoustic performance this year. Entitled "An Evening With Patrick Wolf," the show was held at La Poisson Rouge in New York City on May 6th, 2009, a tiny, intimate venue. There was much disorganization in crowd control, whereby people who'd been waiting all day weren't let in first. I can't say much for the staff's organization and consideration, but that's not what this review is about. It's about Patrick Wolf, and he definitely gave it his all.

Patrick spent as nearly as much time talking as playing, and while you might think the audience would resent that, they loved it. It was a true give and take, as if we were truly spending an evening with Patrick rather than watching a performance. He gave the audience background stories about the songs he sang, the instruments he used, his past experiences on tour, and his life in general. He seemed totally at ease with himself and the audience, taking requests and responding to comments. He even introduced his aunt, who was attending the show, explaining that he was trying to be a bit more modest in this show as he had family present.

Indeed, Patrick kept his stylishly outlandish clothes on the entire show, apparently a rarity for him, and went from piano to violin to dulcimer with unconscious ease. You knew you were in the presence of rare musical genius. He pours his heart into every note he plays or sings, and the audience was entranced.

Patrick performed songs from all his releases, sounding in top form. His music is quirky and different; if he chose to go 'mainstream' he'd clearly have no problems achieving success. But Patrick Wolf is unique, to say the least. He plays what he wants, and his fans love him for it.



I attended another Patrick Wolf show, this time in Hollywood at the Roxy on June 9th 2009. This venue is even smaller than La Poisson Rouge, but with a much different, less intimate feel. The crowd was standing room only, and Patrick was there with the Nylon Magazine Summer Tour. He played last, and came out an hour and a half later than the announced set time. I don't know what the issue was, technical or otherwise, and no explanation or apology was offered by anyone. The crowd was understandably restive (and damn sweaty) by the time Patrick went on, but as soon as he took the stage dressed in a black and white version of the Union Jack and a great deal of glitter, all was forgiven.

This was a much different show than the NYC show. Patrick's full backing band was there and plugged in, and Patrick was clearly ready to rock. He threw himself into every number, singing his heart out to the rapt audience, making eye and hand contact constantly.

The audience sang along to every word, gazing up at Patrick with clear adoration, and he ate it up. He sweated as much as the audience, strutting and stalking around the stage as if he owned it. Patrick's confidence and his musical brilliance is compelling, and it's hard to take your eyes off him.


Plugged or unplugged, acoustic or electric, Patrick Wolf is something special. He's making a go of it without major label support and I for one hope he succeeds.

PS122 Benefit TONITE

As a long-time friend, supporter and performer at PS122, I'll be working for this event tonight. It is going to be super fabulous and I'm so excited. Over the years I've seen great performances at PS122, including their always titillating Avant-Garde-A-Rama series, the thrilling "Charlie Victor Romeo" show consisting of the reenactments of real life airplane black-box distress calls starring the super talented Nole Dineen, Schoolhouse Roxx presented by Travis Chamberlain who is now running the works over at the New Museum, and much more.

The benefit tonight is based on "Dancing With The Stars" and calls itself, "REAL dancing with the REAL stars". More info is below:

http://www.ps122.org/performances/gala_2009.html

PS -- They needed 2 last minute ushers so if you're interested in volunteering in exchange to see the show, email jessdelfino@yahoo.com asap and I'll try to hook it up!

Fucking fascinating -- that's the only way to describe it. Of course, there are skeptics that think it's all fake, but still, fake or not, I want one as a pet.

http://gnokr.com/general/feral-children/#comment-1301

THIS IS NEWS!!!

Fun!

Revillos!

Undoubtedly the most awesome band ever, The Revillos came from Glasgow Scotland in 1979 and bridged the punk, retro and pop genres to form the perfect rock band. FYI, Singers Faye Fife and Eugene Reynolds (originally of equally amazing Rezillos) are still doing their twangy rock thing in 2009 playing the occasional Rezillos show and writing some new songs. And drummer Rocky Rhythm has a new tell all autobiography out! I saw The Rezillos played their 30th anniversary tour in New Jersey a few years ago and it was a joy to behold. Now if only The Revillos can play NYC (they havent since 1981 when I first heard them interviewed on WNYU radio and became an instant fan) then I can die happy.

Check out the videos below, and at bottom is a BBC documentary about Faye and Eugene and their experiences fronting both Rezillos and Revillos.

go to the Official Revillos Website for complete information and lots more Revillia and check the Revillos myspace page too

X Ray Spex

FUN EVENTS FOR TONITE, TMRW

Hey! You! Are you looking for a few fun things to do tonight and tomorrow? I dunno, maybe you have relatives in town or just have an inkling to see something different and fun tonight. Well, I did your dirty work for you. You're welcome.

TUESDAY (tonight):
Alison Grillo's JOKES N GENDER @ Underground Lounge
107th and West End Ave
showtime 7:30 PM sharp
ABOUT THE SHOW: Comedians ruminate on gender issues!

AND WED (tomorrow):
Nick Ferris's REGRETS @ a gallery in Tribeca just 1 block south of Canal on Broadway
6:30 - 10 with an after party at Madame X
ABOUT THE SHOW: A mixture of photographic, short films, poetry and sculptures on the theme of Regrets.
with comedian Lori Chase, live models, DJ -- very different from your standard gallery opening, and
it's to raise money for charity. Visit www.nickandrani.com for more info.

AND ALSO WED:
SKITS'N'TITS! @ Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery
10 PM, $5
ABOUT THE SHOW: This mad party is truly a whimsical delight! Comedians Murray Hill, Kevin Allison (The State), Seth Herzog and Mike Amato bemuse, hot burlesque dancers tantalize, and sketch group "FFF" (or Funny Filthy Floozies) offers a new video and 2 new sketches, one about...dun-dun-dun...STAR TREK!

Don't miss ANY of these shows. Or you will get swine flu.

Hey buddy, can you spare a dime?

A dime could actually buy you something at one time.

Here's a menu from Woolworth's lunch counter from the 1950s

Sound cheap?

Well it is!

Let's see exactly how cheap by comparing 1950's dollars to 2009 dollars.

Using this table and generously assuming the menu dates from exactly 1950, and also adjusting for inflation since 2007 when the calculator was made, we get the following prices:

Egg Salad Sandwich  $2.75

Triple Decker Sandwich  $5.75

Super DeLuxe Ham Sandwich  $3.59

Two Scoop Malted, Milkshake, or DeLuxe Sundae  $2.19

Slice of Pie, Cake or a Cup of Cocoa  $1.49

King Sized Coke  89¢

So it's not JUST inflation at work here.  It's the current trend of overcharging for basic staples and comfort foods.  You would think that in an age of advanced farming, transport, manufacturing, food preparation and marketing, that basic foodstuffs would be cheaper now than in the past when it was harder work to make such things.  But apparently modern business philosophy dictates the necessity to squeeze larger and larger profits out of everything.  Too many comfort food establishments will easily charge you 2x or 3x more than the prices here and still offer you subpar food (as you'd get from woolworth but without the friendly waitress) but we still love our retro chic restaurants despite the crappy food and high prices.

Think about that next time you buy a $4 coffee, a $12 burger and a $6 milkshake.

sucker.

-bb

SIGN THE ARTS PETITION

...to have President Obama create an "Ambassador of the Arts" position. I've been performing over seas
for years and making a living at it. In other countries, they pay performers good money to perform and
there is money in the government to support arts easily accessible. Why shouldn't America treat its'
artists the same way??

Sign here!!

JESSICA DELFINO'S TAKE ON WATCHING THE INAUGURATION

After watching tons of political peeps promenade out in a never ending parade which included Bush Sr and Jr, Michelle Obama and the Obama girls, a collection of foddy dod senators and other old geezers, finally Obama strolled out to an overwhelming applause.

Aretha Franklin sang "My Country Tis Of Thee" and actually made the song sound like a cool hit instead of the stodgy old jam it normally is. Her hat was funny.

Biden was so excited. He very politely thanked the justice who swore him in at the end of taking his oath. What a nice fellow.

Obama slipped up on his oath -- he was probably a *little* nervous!!

His speech was however, poetic, 'articulate' and metaphorical. I took notes on the speech and I have some comments on it. Here are the pieces of his speech that I could type as he spoke:

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear...we remain a young nation but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things...In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given; it must be earned...it has been the risk takers, the doers, the makers of things, some celebrated...for us, they packed up their few worldly possessions...endured the lash of the whip...for us, they fought and died...time and again, these men and women sacrificed and worked until their hands were raw...this is the journey we continue today. We remain the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services, no less needed...our capacity remains undiminished...everywhere we look, there's work to be done...we will act, not only to create new jbs but to lay a new foundation for growth...we will restore science to it's rightful place...we will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories...all this we can do...all this we will do...now...there are some who question...for they have forgotten what this country has already done...those of us who manage the publics knowledge will be held in account...only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government...without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control...and so to all the other peoples and goverments of people who are watching today, know that America is a friend of each nation and every woman man and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity...and we are ready to lead once more...our power alone can not protect us, nor does it allow us to do as we please...we are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more...we will begin to responsibly lead...with all firends and former foes we'll work tirelessly...we will not apologize for our way of life...we say to you now that our spirit is stronger...you can not outlast us and we will defeat you...for we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength not a weakness...we are shaped by every language and culture...we can not help but believe that the old hatreds will someday pass...that our common humanity will reveal itself...to the muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect...know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you can destroy...know that you are on the wrong side of history but we will extend the hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. To those nations like ours who enjoy relative plenty, we can no longer endure suffering...for the world has changed nad we must change with it...at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is this spirit that must inhabit us all, for as much as government can do and must do...it is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke that finally decides our fate...our challenges may be new...but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hardwork, courage and fairplay, loyalty and patriotism...these things are old...these things are true...they have been the quiet force of progress throuhg ut our history...what is demanded then is a return to these truths...a recognition on every part...firm in the knowledge that...this is the price and the promise of citizenship...this is the source of our confidence...this is the meaning of our liberty and our creed and why...[we] can join in celebration...America...in the face of our common dangers...let us remember these timeless words...with hope and virtue, let us endure what storms may come...when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end...with eyes fixed on the horizon...we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it to future generations...

He acknowledged "non-believers" in his speech...Awesome. I don't understand the non-separation of separation of church and state in all of this, but I do appreciate that Obama at least acknowledged the non-believers.

"I'm a leftie, get used to it" he said, as he signed the presidential papers.

"I was told not to swipe the pen" he quipped, seeming very nervous!

What is he signing? His life away?

Four of the last 10 presidents have been lefties, the newsies commented. They also said that Obama joked that "Hillary Clinton gave him most of his grey hairs..."

Also, that 882000 rode the DC metro which shattered all records, and of all the people who rode it today, only one pedestrian was hit but not killed. Not bad! A change has come!


Bye Bye Bushie Bye Bye

OK, that's it, the inauguration is pretty much over. Now there's a post inauguration luncheon. I wonder what's on the menu?

My answer has arrived: Seafood stew and apple cinnamon sponge cake with some kind of glaze...

I have a theory that the next big revelation in the world will be that animals will stop being used for food, and animal slaughter will be realized for the Cowschwitz that it truly is!

My favorite Obama speech moments were: his acknowledgement of non-believers, his offer to reach out a hand to those who are willing to unclench their fists and saying that we would harness the sun, winds and soil to run our cars and our factories. Awesome! We went from a warmonger-ing nation to a peacemonger-ing nation like (*snap*) that!

Die Roten Punkte -- not just for punks

Die Roten Punkte AKA The Red Dots

A friend recommended I see Die Roten Punkte (from Australia) after he happened to catch them
at an open mic in Manhattan last Tuesday. Has someone suggested you see a
band or show and you actually get up off your lazy ass and go, and then you
are so freaking delighted that you did because they are the coolest thing you've
seen in awhile?

That's Die Roten Punkte, or "The Red Dots".

The "brother and sister band from Berlin" Otto and Astrid Rot are the most fun
I've had in a weekend in a long time. They put on a funny show of original, incredibly
catchy rock sprinkled throughout with very silly little bits. I rarely see musical
comedy I really love, and I do love them.



They were here in NYC doing shows at the St. Marks' Theater, they created a
little whirlwind in town going from a light to packed house over the course
of a few days, and now they're gone again, jiggity jig. If you want to see them
now, you'll have to drive up to Canada, as they're on a 9 city tour across our
neighbors to the north.

You can also hear their music HERE.