A Riot Of My Own

Please forgive me, dear reader, for not posting anything in the past few days. Seems half the students in my school have had a stomach bug, and today is my day to share the misery.

Will be back posting tomorrow - I'm sure you're just dying to hear my thoughts on Britney Spears and celebrity in general...

Toland emailed me this past Thursday to let me know The Reivers, one of my all-time favorite bands, were reuniting for a one-off reunion show in Austin on February 9. Tickets went on sale the next day and I am proud to say I am one of the lucky ones to have purchased one (the show sold out within 24 hours). Toland and BB might be out of luck, unless they move the show to a bigger venue - rumor has it the show might move to Stubb's. Checking out the band's MySpace page - http://www.myspace.com/thereiversofficial - it looks like some folks will be coming from places like Seattle and Philadelphia.

The last time I saw The Reivers was in September or October 1991. Unfortunately, the band called it quits around that same time. Words cannot describe how much this band meant to me - they had incredible songs and an even more incredible singer in Kim Longacre. I was lucky to hang out with them at Fitzgerald's one night and it was like being with old friends. It's always a dicey proposition to meet a band you like (what if they're complete jerks?), but these were truly down-to-earth folks and extremely nice.

Toland put the reunion into perspective for me. He said this is the first time a band, in its original incarnation, has reunited and truly means something as a fan. Sure, one might see The Who in concert today, but Keith Moon and John Entwistle are long gone. I'll never have a chance to see The Ramones - three of the four members are dead - and the death of Joe Strummer killed (literally) any chance of a Clash reunion.

It seems The Reivers never let harmful vices befall them - singer/guitarist Kim Longacre is a mother of five (!) children, drummer Garrett Williams was last seen managing a Luby's ten miles down the road from me, singer/guitarist John Croslin is still in demand as a record producer, and bassist Cindy Toth still plays gigs around Austin.

This will be one of the highlights of the new year!

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I need to add another song sorely overlooked on my list - "Can't Hardly Wait" by The Replacements. Any song with lines like "Jesus rides beside me/He never buys any smokes" is A-OK with me.

This was a blog idea I tossed out to BB a few months ago. BB and I have always been into music lists and I figured this was a pretty good one. I wouldn't necessarily call the following songs my "favorite" songs by the listed artist, but they are pretty representative of the singer or band. Enjoy and send me a few of yours...

Song/Artist

The Have-Nots - X
Violet And Blue - Stevie Nicks
Don't Abuse Me - Joan Jett
So What? - Anti-Nowhere League
A Tout Le Monde - Megadeth
Still Feeling Blue - Gram Parsons
I'm The Man - Joe Jackson
Urban Struggle - The Vandals
Hebredian Hale-Bopp - Capercaillie
I've Come To Expect It From You - George Strait
Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head (Kicked In Tonight) - The Rezillos
Sunless Saturday - Fishbone
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man - Prince
Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols
Blue Hotel - Lene Lovich
Message To My Girl - Split Enz
Jealous Again - Black Flag
Sea And Sand - The Who
Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin - The Runaways (Live In Japan version)
Lights Out - UFO
Love Wore A Halo (Back Before The War) - Nanci Griffith
16 Shells From A 30.6 - Tom Waits
If It All Comes True - Chagall Guevara
Little Green Bag - George Baker Selection
Dazzle - Siouxsie and the Banshees
Kingdom Come - David Bowie
Cowboy Song - Thin Lizzy
Love Me Like A Reptile - Motorhead
Fourth Of July - Dave Alvin
I Got Loaded - Los Lobos
I'm Not Down - The Clash
LA County - Lyle Lovett
Fishermans Blues - The Waterboys
Surrender - U2
Tattooed Love Boys - The Pretenders
Cath - The Bluebells
Connected - Stereo MC's
King Of Rock - Run DMC
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly and the Family Stone
There Is A Light (That Never Goes Out) - The Smiths
Ca Plane Pour Moi - Plastic Bertrand
Here For The Party - The Donnas
All That Again - Wednesday Week
Bonzo Goes To Bitburg - The Ramones
From A Whisper To A Scream - Elvis Costello w/ Glenn Tilbrook
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
Avenues And Alleyways - Rancid
Sunshine Highway - Dropkick Murphys
Corpus Christi Bay - Robert Earl Keen
Over The Moon - Luka Bloom
Suedehead - Morrissey
Dirty Old Town - The Pogues
Marsupial - Dash Rip Rock
Almost Home - The Reivers
Karla With A K - The Hooters
This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide - The Kings
Atomic Punk - Van Halen
Wait For The Blackout - The Damned
Down In The Park - Gary Numan (Urgh version)
That's Good - Devo
Coffee Homeground - Kate Bush
Uranium Rock - The Cramps
'39 - Queen
Summer's Gone - The Kinks
My Old School - Steely Dan
Going Through Hell - ASG
Billy Hunt - The Jam
Chinese Takeaway - The Adicts
Don't Cry - Neil Young
The Whispering Wind (Blows On By) - Mandy Barnett
Winnebago Warrior - Dead Kennedys
A Kissed Out Red Float Boat - Cocteau Twins
With The Quickness - Bad Brains
Bank On Your Love - Hall and Oates
Say Goodbye - Cheap Trick
Rayne, Louisiana - Bruce Robison
Years Later - Cactus World News
Wonderland - Big Country
I'm The Only One - The Go-Go's
Moanjam - King's X
Prisoner - Iron Maiden
Seven Veils - Peter Murphy
Got The Time - Anthrax (Joe Jackson cover)
I Can't Remember - Vigilantes Of Love
Can't Carry On - Crowded House
Into The Mystic - Van Morrison
Making Flippy Floppy - Talking Heads
Disappointed - Public Image Limited
(Don't Go Back To) Rockville - R.E.M.
Dead Giveaway - Shalamar
Chupacabra - Groovie Ghoulies
Boredom - The Buzzcocks
On Any Other Day - The Police
Supernova - Liz Phair
Broken Hearts - Living Colour
See You In The Boneyard - The Flesheaters
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
I Want You Back - Hoodoo Gurus
Pray for Me, Mama (I'm a Gypsy Now) - Jason and the Scorchers
The Warmest Room - Billy Bragg

These are two bikes that would make me reconsider getting a scooter:



This is the Rat Fink chopper by Electra and was made as a tribute to Ed "Big Daddy " Roth (I'm sure most of the ladies reading this blog will be at a total loss as to who Mr. Roth is, but I bet most guys will remember his comics from the 70's). Some folks might think it would be pretty uncomfortable, but I sat on one at a bicycle shop once and found it very comfortable. Sure it's $650, but I'm worth it.



This is the Punk, also by Electra. I haven't had a chance to see this bike at a shop yet, but I love the vibe it gives off. My current bike has a red. black, and white color scheme so I could probably spend $50 and buy the seat and grips to replace the ones currently on my bike. Again, this one runs $630, but thats worth it for an aluminum frame and three speeds.

Be still my beating heart...



What more could I ask for?!?! It has the sidecar for the girls to ride in (one at a time, of course) and a checkerboard motif. Absolutely wonderful!

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Electra Bicycles has just posted their '08 catalog online. They've discontinued my bike - the Rally Sport - but they have an absolute stunner with the Electra Punk.

Check out their site: http://www.electrabike.com

I have always been fascinated by the British "mod" culture of the mid to late 60's. Sure, I love the bands that embodied the mod culture - most notably The Who - but I am a sucker for those scooters the mods used to drive through the streets of London.

I have wanted a scooter (please don't call it a moped) since, oh, '97 or '98. The idea of me having a scooter has been the source of several, uh, "discussions" between me and the missus. Although I understand my wife's concerns, it's not as if I'm planning to jump over thirty buses ala Evel Knievel - I just want a simple scooter to putter around the streets of my beloved hometown. I usually drop the subject, but then I hear my scooter's siren call and return to it, trudging back like a Thorazine-addled psychopath.

Several weeks ago, my wife said I could get one for my 50th birthday. Are you kidding me? That's ten years from now!! However, a recent, though totally unrelated, event has occured - I will be entering a master's degree program to get my principals' certification through Lamar University. The program is an accelerated one and is completely computer based. Not only will it cost less than half the amount of my chosen achievement route, I will complete it and have my master's degree in 18 months! Think about it, in 18 months I could be an assistant principal and really be screwing up kids heads more than what I am currently doing (just kidding!). 

So, what exactly does that have to do with a scooter, Bruiser? Well, my wife told me I could get me a scooter as a graduation present to myself! Here's something I could see me riding around on:

                                       

                                                            

This is a Stella made by Genuine Scooters. Check out their website at http://www.genuinescooters.com

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Currently receiving heavy play on the ol' Zune:

Sex Pistols - "Never Mind The Bollocks..."
Lene Lovich - "Stateless"
The Sugarcubes - "Stick Around For Joy"
Voivod - "Nothingface"
Mastodon - "Blood Mountain"

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Flogging Molly has been added to the Houston concert calendar for March 11. Sutton and I will be there!!

Most of you who know me know that this is about my 30th attempt at a blog. My wife tells me I probably have a mild form of ADD cause my attention span is so short and distraction/procrastination is my middle name.

But, in the spirit of the new year, I really want to start a blog and stick with it. I have a few close friends who keep excellent blogs (BB and KT come immediately to mind) and letting the world in on my twisted thoughts is one of my true passions.

I'm sure you will be tired of Vans sneakers, my musical snobbery, and general world-weariness after a few reads, but stay with me, dear reader, as I take you into my twisted world.

Bruiser