Don't Mess with the Messersmith!

I had a tough day yesterday. Not to get into details, but suffice to say I don't usually see 20 out of 24 hours on any given day.

Thankfully, I wrapped it up at my first Music at the Zoo concert: Jeremy Messersmith with Rogue Valley.

Rogue Valley was very good, and I was impressed that they had put out FOUR albums in 2010! (One for each season. Yes, of course I bought all four! The packaging was so adorable!)

Jeremy was likewise faboo. He played all my favorites, PLUS two words: string quartet. AND one of his guitarists last night is a member of The Owls, another local band of which I am a fan.

I thought the setup at the zoo was great -- not a bad seat in thw house. Should have brought a cushion though. (Next timee!)

It finished my night off right, and made the rest of the day seem not so bad. I love music.

Buble!

Cell phones are not cameras.  They like to pretend, but they just aren't very good.

Anyway, Saturday night I cruised up to Duluth for a spontaneous night of Michael Buble awesomeness.  I'm a fan, but not a FAN... or at least, I wasn't until after the show!

The opening act was an acapella group called Naturally 7.  They were awesome, and everyone should buy their album.  I did.

It was the last stop of the tour, and I don't know if that influenced this at all -- but Michael was crazy funny.  The best part was definitely his "roast" of each of his band members -- interspersed with him cracking himself up.  He also impersonated Michael Jackson, and a Catholic priest.  Basically he had a great time, and we all did, too.

It was weird to get used to him yelling "How ya doin' Duluth!??!!?"... I was all, "Oh, that's us!"

Amsoil Arena was not a bad venue.  We were in the nosebleed-iest seats available (there were no rows of seats behind ours) but it didn't seem that far away!

A faboo night, to be sure.

Okay, you did it!

The Current finally sold me on someone.

In my defense, I'd been thinking that I would enjoy Jeremy Messersmith for a whie now. However, the only time I would ever seem to think of it would be while I was at Best Buy -- and Best Buy does not carry Jeremy Messersmith albums.

Anyway, I was cruising along, minding my own business when... WHAM. It's on, and I love it. I don't even know what song it is so I fly to get some internets and thank heaven that the Current posts their playlist online.

So it's not there... but I figure it's just over, so there must be some kind of delay.

So I hit refresh.

Still nothing.

Now I'm feeling a bit like when I'm getting my oil changed, or some other time when I have internet access but not a lot to keep me occupied and I keep hitting refresh on Facebook and wondering why no one else is posting on Friday/Saturday night. (Why not, indeed?)

Frustration is mounting, so I Google what little I can remember from the lyrics.

FOUND!

Except... apparently this song is only available on a special album. For free. At "local CD stores."

...So the long of it is that I still don't have that song.

But the short of it is that I now have all 3 of Jeremy's albums... and the Current to thank for it.

30-Day Win!

Mid-Month Check-in

Okay, so I'm still kind of on the fence about the whole Current experience so far.

On the plus side, I can tolerate it better now. By tolerate, I mean I have fewer impulses to switch to something else.

Anything else.

I am gaining some familiarity with songs... and I'm sad to admit that the next time I heard "Socialite Death Squad" I not only didn't scream (as I had previously threatened) but was excited to hear it because I knew it.

Now, on St. Patrick's day the Current had a GREAT run, as far as I'm concerned, with Cake, U2, The Decemberists, and Thin Lizzy. But I am still missing that something something that makes me want to jump in my car and run to my local CD store to buy an album.

I'm still waiting.

Feeling Better!

Today has been a good day of listening to The Current. I have been mostly pleased all day!

I'm pretty excited about tomorrow's "The Current Presents." It's all covers (titled, appropriately, "Under the Covers") and PLUS it is " including a Doobie Brothers cover recorded entirely on toy instruments."

Sounds right up my alley... except it starts at 9pm.

Know what I'm doing at 9pm on Sunday night?

Sleeping. Or at least in bed.

(Especially the Sunday after "Spring Forward!")

We shall see if I make it... or if I find some way to tape it.

...I think I have a tape player.

Mid-Week Check-In

So I'm feeling a bit better about the Current so far this week.

First, they started off my Monday with "Monday, Monday" by the Mamas & Papas. I can dig it.

Otherwise, I am digging the new REM single (though they are playing it pretty frequently... I may tire of it soon.)

Other songs I have enjoyed thus far:

• The Dandy Warhols, "All the Money"

• Old 97's, "Rollerskate Skinny"

• The Twilight Hours, "Queen of Tomorrow"

...incidentally, I have not heard "Socialite Death Squad" since I threatened the screaming.

Cake...not just a great dessert!

Heard a nice interview with the frontman of Cake today. They've got a new album out and I caught the new single on the Current tonight. What I did learn, which I haven't noticed in the years I've been a fan, is the prevalence of the 'vibraslap' in their music.

I've been a fan of the vibraslap since we were introduced in elementary music class.

So now I want to re-listen to all my Cake albums and pick it out!

Now for my confession... I heard said interview while cheating on my30-day pledge of listening to The Current.

I heard the interview on NPR.

But see... Good this can come from broken promises. :)

(PS - the Monkees, minus Mike Nesbitt, will be in concert at the MN Zoo on Fourth of July weekend! I was excited until I saw the $75 price tag. Perhaps I should just pull out my 'Best of the Monkees' CD and be content with that.)

Really? With the Chipmunks?

I couldn't listen to confirm, but it looks as though the chipmunk Motown song was Ike and Tina Turner singing "Betcha Can't Kiss Me Just One Time."

Interesting.

I have also heard The Idle Hands sing "Socialist Death Club" far too many times, and I've only been on this kick for 3 days. I think what bugs me the most is that the intro to the song sounds familiar, and I think it's a song I like -- but then it isn't.

I am really glad that the Current updates its playlist all day long, and I can go back and look at days past too. Then I can make note of a time and not have to worry about catching the chorus to Google later on. (And remember the lyrics.)

March 1

I decided that one of my goals/efforts of the month was going to be to not rely on NPR News for my entertainment, but instead to switch to The Current.  There was a time (back when I was in college radio) that I had a handle on what was hip and happening in new music.  I feel like more recently I've been relying on bands and music that I already know.  So... The Current is my new driving companion!

Today's Observations:
This morning I heard a song with a Motown vibe that I swear had backup vocals by Alvin and the Chipmunks.  Then this afternoon I heard a cover of Kenny Rogers' "Islands in the Stream."  Really, did that need to be covered?  (Here is where I confess that for most of my youth, I thought the lyrics were "Highland's Industry... That is what we are...")  Regardless... unnecessary.

I hope tomorrow's discoveries are better.