OMG, everyone. (By the way, if the Wordpress stats are correct, there’s a whole bunch of new people reading this. So, hello, welcome, hope you keep reading.)
Anyway, I will write a proper review later, but I just want to say, I’m here at work, listening to the newly-released Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella!, and it is incredible!
You know how every once in awhile, an album will come around that is so enjoyable, that you find yourself thinking, “Man, this is SO great” multiple times during your first listen? I’ve been doing that for the past nine tracks. Not every one has been a winner, but most are, and they’re SO great.
So, if you’re a big dork like me (and Andy Bernard) and like a little a cappella in your life, go pick up this CD. Now! What are you waiting for?
Video of the Day: If you need more convincing, here’s my favorite track (of the 9 songs I’ve listened to so far – there are 16 total.)
I shall write about most, if not all, of these topics:
1.) The awesomeness of Grey Gardens, and how awesome it was to see Broadway Boyfriend Malcolm play piano on screen
2.) The awesomeness of This American Life Live, and how awesome it was to see NPH on the big screen
3.) My new media love
4.) My new mix of sad songs. (But it’s a good thing)
5.) Watching naked men on stage. No, really. I saw a play last weekend with naked men on stage. I’ll write about the play too, which was excellent.
I’m coming off two-plus weeks of being busy every single day, and just had a relaxing weekend of doing nothing yet managing to be productive. So I’ll be back on track soon, I promise. In the meantime, check out Ira Glass on The Colbert Report last week. Is it any wonder why America loves this guy?
In my last post, I said it was good to have a song that reminds you of the past and makes you feel younger.
Then there are those songs from your past that transport you back in time. I heard one this evening, courtesy of Mr. Adam Lambert.
In 2002, I listened to Gary Jules’ cover of Mad World approximately 10,000 times.
It wasn’t my fault. My housemates were obsessed with the song, and with Donnie Darko. So were my (adult) coworkers at my part-time job on campus. So were all of my fellow film students. Everyone was. (I actually had a long conversation about how deep and sad the song was with my then 34-year-old boss. Doesn’t seem so weird now that I’m older, but at the time, I couldn’t believe she had even heard of the song, let alone loved it.)
Ironically, I didn’t see Donnie Darko until years later, after I’d graduated and was living in Maryland again. For years, I’d been afraid to, as one of my housemates told me it was the creepiest movie she’d ever seen.
I liked the movie a lot, did find it creepy, though not one for the books.
But I liked the song more. Correction: I loved the song. Still do. So when Adam sang it tonight, I was transported back to 2002, my old house on College Street, my old job, and my old life.
It was kinda nice.
Thanks, Adam.
Video of the Day: Not the official video, but here’s the full song. I have a feeling it’ll be getting a lot more play on my iPod this week.
I’m making a mix CD for a friend, and stumbled across the song “Effington” by Ben Folds. I bought his newest album a few months ago, but to be quite honest, wasn’t thrilled with it, lest a few songs. So it’s been on the back burner. But in searching for Happy Songs (the theme), I rediscovered this one.
I saw Ben Folds last May, and when he played this song, I got SO excited, because I knew where he was talking about. “That’s by my school!” I told my friends. “I know exactly what he’s talking about! They have a giant cross* and you can see the town from the highway, just like he says!”
Only…I got the album, and was confused/perplexed, because, the name of the town was Effingham, Illinois, not Effington. My confusion/perplexity arose once more this weekend, when I heard the song again. It IS on the way to Normal, Illinois…was my memory faulty? Was the town actually called Effington?
Well, a quick google search has answered my question. Mr. Folds fucked up. An excerpt from this interview clears everything up.
Tell me about the name of the album, “Way to Normal.”
It was just really three words taken out of context from one of the songs. There’s a place called Normal, IL. We played a show there and, on the way to Normal, the van passed through Effingham and I thought it was Effington. And I made a song up called “Effington”–so I f—ed the name up. The song sort of ended up being about the randomness of where you end up living. You could just go, “Oh yeah. I could pick that town and just live there,” as you’re driving down the highway, “or I could just keep going to Normal.” That’s really kind of what the title’s about.
After reading that, I felt so much better. You know how it is – you have something so clear in your mind, and when it’s challenged, it kind of throws you off balance.
Anyway, that’s not the point of this post. The point is, this song ROCKS so hard. It’s fun, and bouncy, and makes me happy. It reminds me of Illinois, and my college town, and brings back warm fuzzy memories of driving along Route 57, home for a break, back for a new semester, to and from Chicago… Ah, youth.
Everyone needs a song that reminds of them of the past and makes them feel younger, right?
In case you haven’t heard it, here’s a studio version of “Effington.” It’s good, but the CD version is (somehow) much more rockin. I did a lot of driving this weekend, with this song blaring in my car.
*FYI, the cross is pretty much the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. It’s HUGE, and when you’re driving back to school at 1 in the morning, on hour 12 of a 14 hour drive, seeing that cross lit on the highway is SO not the visual you need. In fact, it could cause you to almost drive off the road. Or think the apocoloypse has arrived and the world is in fact, ending. See?
SCARY! (Though you really have to see it in person to get the full effect.)
The Birchmere itself is not my favorite venue. I’ve been there twice now, in both rooms, and I’m not impressed. The actual space is fine, and the acoustics are satisfactory. But they do this whole dinner theater thing that doesn’t really work. First off, their food is terrible, and second, their waitstaff is barely capable.
Two examples: When we arrived, my dad ordered a scotch, and wanted a particular brand. The waitress came back, and told him they didn’t have that brand. My dad said whatever they had in house would be fine. She said, “Whatever we have in terms of…what?”
Seriously?
Now, I’m not sure what kind he wanted either, but I’m not a waitress. We ended up switching tables to get a better view, and our new waiter knew his scotch, but not how to serve. It took about twenty minutes (no exaggeration) for my dad to get his drink. Later in the evening, two other people joined our table. (Another thing I dislike about the place – you have to eat with strangers. Luckily, our concert companions turned out to be normal, nice people. But what are the odds?) They got in well before last call, but it took about a half hour (again, no exaggeration) for our waiter to come back to the table and take their order.
But that’s not what you want to hear about.
As I said before, Idina was great. She really has a set of lungs. She sauntered on stage after her band started playing the first few bars of the opening song, took command immediately and didn’t give it back for the rest of the night.
The set started with a few songs from her latest album. While I enjoy her singing voice greatly, I don’t think I’ll be buying the CD. It’s fine; just not really my style of music. Luckily, she did other stuff. Some of the highlights of the night included a powerhouse version of “The Man that Got Away”, a lovely solo from the musical Chess (sorry, I only know it exists; I’m not familiar with the music), and a beautiful, stripped down version of “One” (very exciting for this U2 fan).
Fans of Rent and Wicked got what they wanted, too. Before starting the Rent show stopper, “No Day But Today” she told us, “You all know this, sing along”, and then proceeded to go through the audience, heading over to those on the side and way in the back, who might not have the best view. (She was very concerned about those people sitting on the sides, referring to them as “her people.” “How are my people over there doing?” she asked throughout the night. “Is my ass singing well?”)
One of my favorites was when she did a short a capella version of “For Good.” She took off her earpiece, laid her mic down, and just belted it out. I’m not ashamed to say the room got a little dusty during that song.
One other highlight for me was a Jewish prayer she sang. I have no idea what it was, and couldn’t recall it for you. But it was very pretty. She translated the lyrics for us first, sang a verse, and then told us a lovely story about her younger sister before finishing the song. She said that over the years, the prayer (about an ancient female warrior) has become less about herself, and more about her sister. This totally gave me flashbacks to Sunshine Cleaningand made me miss my sister.
They did one encore, which was, of course Defying Gravity. I have to admit, this was somewhat of a let down for me. I mean, that’s what everyone in the audience wanted to hear right? We were all waiting for it. And then, she started, and it was great, but right at the climax, she threw it to the audience. I know she was sick, so that might have been the reason but…I was waiting all night for those notes.
Despite the somewhat lackluster ending, overall, it was a great night. I haven’t even mentioned that she’s hilarious. She has a great stage presence, and was cracking us up with her quips, whether it was updating us the status of her snot, or reliving her wedding singer days. (Can you imagine having Idina Menzel as a wedding singer, before she was Tony Winner Idina Menzel?)
I’d definitely see her again. She’s currently touring, so if you’re a fan, I recommend trying to catch her. Though, our show was sold out, so I’m not sure if tickets are still available.
Video of the Day: A little taste. Here’s our girl belting out “For Good” in North Carolina. Tell me that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes.
SCARY! (Though you really have to see it in person to get the full effect.)
Retrowatching 