Previously Instrumental

I got the urge to go see some new, highly touted, instrumental rock from locals Zebulon Pike and friends at the Triple Rock Social Club tonight... It's been quite awhile since I've seen a band in this town that has impressed me on a highly experimental/instrumental musicianship level.

Arcwelder used to be that for me back in the day (still is... when they infrequently play), and a little, largely unknown outfit called Build My Gallows High are very good at what they do (and under appreciated).

I'm looking forward to some long-overdue mind blowing, local instrumental driven rock tonight!

Still... No one's doing it better than these guys these days (too bad, not from here!)...

Watch Battles perform "Tonto" below.

An unbelievably executed song... with a video performed with an unbelievable group of light artists (United Visual Artists) from the UK.

Ve, vants ZEEE money, McCain!!!

After watching the pandemonium and window breaking idiots in St. Paul yesterday, I'm glad to be working from home the next couple of days.

Watching the "nihilists" on the news made me chuckle and only think of these guys...

The Wild sure showed Veilleux!

The Wild and checking forward Stephane Veilleux agreed to a 1-yr contract worth $737,500 on Saturday -- avoiding an aribitration hearing -- after a whirlwind of posturing on both sides.

First, Veilleux fired his agent and attempted to negotiate a contract on his own behalf. This would seem foolish, but I think Steph was, at least in his own mind, trying to be reasonable and get what he thought he was worth in the form of a long-term deal.

Aaron Voros -- who, in my opinion, is a lesser player than Veilleux -- got 3-yr/$3M from the NY Rangers. My guess is he was trying to get something like that from the Wild.

Now... checking wingers are a dime a dozen... and i don't necessarily disagree with the Wild not giving Stephane the deal described above. That would have been fine enough. But what transpired next last week has me scratching my head.

Doug Risebrough (I think.... at the urging of Wild assistant GM, Tom Lynn, who handles most of these negotiations) WAIVED Veilleux last week. WILD nation flipped out as a result. Stephane is a popular player. Gritty. Tough. "Lunch pail" guy. Poor Steph. What did he do to deserve this?

DR came out and admitted (after Veilleux cleared waivers) that it was a calculated risk -- done in an attempt to SHOW the "young grasshoper" that he was not, in fact, worth what he thought he was. I think the Wild actually thought this would be a "shot" to Veilleux's psyche that would get him to sign a longer-term deal that was more in line with what DR wanted to pay.

Here's the rub. Risebrough and Lynn FOOLED ABSOLUTELY NO ONE!

Apparently, the waiver risk was not one at all. Given arbitration documentation can take weeks to prepare -- no one wanted to even touch the guy in this short time window -- even though under normal waiver situations Veilleux probably would have been picked up in a heartbeat.

So what did the Wild brass accomplish?

1) They pissed off the Veilleux faithful
2) They pissed off Veilleux... and quite possibly, other players on the Wild (let alone other NHL players)
3) They've sent a message to the more important RFA -- Pierre Marc Bouchard and his agent -- that they're going to bargain tough (no problem here), AND play games (um, not smart).
4) Gaborik? (need I say more?)
5) They didn't "trick" Veilleux into signing a sweetheart deal after demoralizing him.

I've generally been a supporter of the Wild front office... but after this maneuver... I wonder if they think they're smarter than they think they are when it comes to negotiation strategy and tactics.

I'm wondering if we need a change.

Anarchy!

I went with some friends to see the much-hyped "Dark Knight" yesterday... already well on its way to being the biggest box office hit of the summer, the year, and maybe all time.

That type of hype usually disappoints.

I won't lie, about 1 hour into the film, I was ready to leave the theater at the end of the movie less than fulfilled. It was VERY entertaining to that point, following new twists on traditional action/superhero sequences involving a clever bank heist, the Gotham mob, a jaunt to Hong Kong, and getting re-introduced to the cast of characters in Batman's world -- but it still seemed just like a very well done superhero movie.

The Joker (Heath Ledger) is also introduced, and he owns the screen early on -- but as a whole I was getting nervous that the movie wasn't going to deliver the unique storyline that would transcend other movies in the genre (as all of the reviews promised).

That all changes when the second act starts -- Ledger's Joker goes into overdrive.

Up until this point, he is the pure embodiment of evil, but nothing extraordinary. Once his true motive is unveiled (the fact that he doesn't have one, at least a traditional one) it becomes clear that this Joker and this story ARE something special.


His goal is to pull all of Gotham City (Batman and "good guys" included) into a moral confrontation. He is the Freudian id gone wild ... and his black hole of anarchy begins sucking everyone -- citizens, cops, district attorneys and, yes, Batman into pure chaos.


I won't spoil it for anyone with the outcome, but Ledger's Joker is a performance for the ages... and after a slow start, this film delivered the goods.


As a comicbook movie: 10 out of 10 (Kevin Smith called it the Godfather II of superhero films. I agree.)


As a drama: 9 out of 10. This film won't win Best Picture, or even be nominated for it, but I do think it will stand up very well against most of the films we see this year.


Ledger's performance: 10+ He's got my vote for Oscar. Short of Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh in "No Country For Old Men," I can't think of a more evil presence in film. In alot of ways Ledger's nuianced psychological performance transcends the pure evil of Bardem's Chigurh.

Definitely go see this film.

Pearl Jam's Quadrophenia

VH1's Rock Honors aired this week -- an annual tribute to a specific artist/band.

This year's edition honored the Who.

Foo Fighters, Tenacious D, and Flaming Lips all played mini-tributes before Daltry/Townshend took the stage.. but the highlight of the show was a Quadrophenia tribute by Pearl Jam.

Backed by a string section on "Love Reign O'er Me" and horns on "The Real Me" the Seattle rockers were stunning.

In particular, watch Jeff Ament nail the Entwhistle bass licks to open "The Real Me" and guitarist Mike McCready channel his inner Townshend -- complete with scissor kicks, windmills, and the infamous "ass shake" from the classic "Kids Are Alright" footage.

Back in the day, I really didn't care much for Pearl Jam. And when it comes to their early stuff like "Ten", I still don't quite get it. They have matured nicely and are one of the better American rock bands of the last two decades.

Here's the link to Pearl Jam at Rock Honors.

Mr. November

The National have produced some merch 'n' swag to support everyone's favorite candidate this November. Yep, they managed to do tag it with one of the band's hitz.... "Mr. November".





Check em out below....