dimland radio 1-2-16 show notes

Happy New Year And My Annual Resolution And A Little This And A Little That

Happy New Year, everyone!

 

As is my tradition for the last couple decades, I think, I made my annual resolution to live to see the next year. So far, I have kept the resolution. However, one of these years...

 

I also mentioned four people who didn't make it to 2016. Wayne Rogers, Natalie Cole, Meadowlark Lemon, and Lemmy Kilmister all died within just days before the new year. That brought up a quick addressing of the whole celebrities die in threes myth and I talked about how Lemon was a member of that Harlem Globetrotters team that the public knew best. We knew two of the team by name, Meadowlark and Curly, and that team even had a Saturday morning cartoon.

 

A small amount of politics worked its way in when I mentioned there's a university in our country that has a 100% accuracy rate at predicting who will be President. Western Illinois University has correctly predicted the winning candidates since 1975. Not bad.

 

So, who are they saying will be our next Commander-in-Chief? Bernie Sanders.

 

We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

 

I also mentioned that Cheap Trick was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. It would be a great honor, but Steve Miller got in, too. Cheap Trick is very underrated and they've always been great live, at least, the half a dozen times or so that I've seen them.

Science! Yeah!

This was a slightly uncomfortable topic for me. There's a science series on UK TV called A Girls' Guide to 21st Century Sex and there is a couple minute clip demonstrating what happens during heterosexual intercourse in the missionary position. They put cameras everywhere! Inside and out.

 

It's all in the name of science, of course. This was the hottest science I've ever seen!

 

However, I did take issue to the mentioning of the G Spot as though science has established that it is real. From what I can find, the evidence for the G Spot is mostly anecdotal and very weak. Science has yet to determine it exists and they've been looking it for decades. It may just be that some women may have a sensitive area within their naughtiest of naughty bits, but it seems more likely to be a myth.

 

Now, I need to watch that video a few more times. For science!

 

Pedantic Moment: Licorice Is Black

 

This is an old pet peeve of mine. I'm sure I've talked about on the show before, but here I go again.

 

Folks, licorice is not a texture. It's not a shape. It's not a color. It's a flavor! The red stuff is either strawberry or cherry, but it's not licorice.

 

Well, in recent years, I've been seeing packaging calling the red stuff licorice. That didn't used to be the case. There used to be (and still are) strawberry Twizzlers or cherry Nibs and licorice Twizzlers and Nibs, but now some candy makers are calling all of it licorice with a separate listing of strawberry, cherry, or the many other flavors available.

 

Walgreen's DeLish store brand offers red and black, calling both licorice. It's red is strawberry, while its black is listed as classic black flavor.

 

 

 

Classic black flavor? Setting aside the ethnically insensitive sex jokes, just what does black taste like? Pepper? Burnt toast? Asphalt? Ink?!

 

Could it taste like LICORICE?!

 

This is a battle I just have to accept I've lost.

 

Star Wars! Nothing But Still More Star Wars!

 

As you know, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is doing phenomenally well and, in the opinion of many including me, it is excellent. Sure, it ain't perfect, but it just feels right and has me excited for the next installment.

 

But, there have been a few nitpickers and complainers who just can't be satisfied. They claim it's nothing but a remake of the original Star Wars. They don't know enough about what happened since Return of the Jedi. Carrie Fisher got old and can't fit in the slave girl bikini anymore. Whine, whine, whine.

 

Some people are never happy. The point made by one reviewer over the complaints of it being too similar to the originals, while the same people complained the prequels weren't enough like the originals, "What do you want?!"

 

I mentioned a couple spoiler reviews. I will link to them, but don't forget they do contain spoilers. I'll even include a few spoiler reviews I didn't mention on the show. SPOILERS! There. You have been warned.

Kevin Smith's review.

Chris Stuckman's review.

Adam Savage's review.

Geeks Without God's review.

 

Movie Recommendation: None

 

I ran out of time, so you are on your own this week.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Ace of Spades' by Motorhead & 'New Year's Day' by U2

Second ad break bumpers: 'New Day Rising' by Husker Du &  'New Dreams' by Naked Raygun

Closing song: 'Angler's Treble Hook' by $5 Fiddle

That's it! See you next Saturday night for Dimland Radio 11 Central, midnight Eastern on www.ztalkradio.com you can also download my show from the z talk show archives page. You can email your questions and comments to drdim@dimland.com
 
You can also go to my CafePress store and buy stuff with my artwork on it and have me do a portrait for you if you like. Find out more here and here.

concert memoirs pt. 29 - cheap trick, cheap trick & cheap trick

Cheap Trick

11/5/98 First Avenue w/Dave Ticket Price: Unknown

This was the first night of three night concert event. Cheap Trick had rereleased their first three albums: “Cheap Trick”, “In Color” & “Heaven Tonight”. To promote the rereleases the band did this three night concert event with each night focusing on each album. They would play each song, in order, from that night’s featured LP. Then they would play a variety of their other songs afterward.

I had complained about Husker Du (First Avenue, 3/30/87) playing their latest release first song to last in order that last time John and I had seen them. It pissed us off when Husker Du did it, but when Cheap Trick did the same thing three nights in a row it was cool. The difference being that we knew going in what Cheap Trick would be doing and we know the material well. You know what they say about the time bands play their new material, “Time to get a beer.”

This being the first night, they played their first album the self-titled, black and white covered “Cheap Trick”. I really liked that album. It doesn’t have a hit, but it has some great rock tunes, such as, ‘Hot Love’, ‘He’s A Whore’, ‘Oh, Candy’ and ’ELO Kiddies’. They played all the songs with great intensity while still having a load of fun.

These guys are true, road-tested, rock’n’roll professionals. The show was a load of fun and we still had two more nights to go.

Cheap Trick
11/6/98 First Avenue w/Dave Ticket Price: Unknown

On this, the second night of the big event, the band showcased their second LP, “In Color”. This was the best of the three concerts with a big surprise finish.

Dave and I decided to stand farther back then we had the night before to avoid the crowd and still get a good view of the band. We were standing with some other friends, I’ve forgotten who, when Dave’s brother, John, excitedly approached. He was busting to tell Dave, “They’re here! They’re gonna play!”

They were the big surprise finish. There was another fairly noteworthy band in town. They would be playing a show at the Target Center, which is located across the street from First Avenue. There were rumors that they might join Cheap Trick on stage that night, but, until John had come in with his news, we weren’t sure they would. I don’t know where John got his information, but he was correct.

For the last song of Cheap Trick’s concert, Aerosmith took the stage to join Cheap Trick in an amazing, kick ass version of Aerosmith’s ‘Train Kept A’Rolling’! It was fantastic. With the exception of Aerosmith’s drummer, the entire band got up there with Cheap Trick and had a ball!

It was a fun unexpected treat for us and I had a far better view of Aerosmith then when John and I had seen them back in 1983. It was a lot of fun and I’m glad I was there.

Cheap Trick
11/7/98 First Avenue w/Dave Ticket Price: Unknown

Night three of the big Cheap Trick event. It was “Heaven Tonight” that night. It was also a night of technical difficulties.

Something went wrong with one of Rick’s guitars. It just zortched out and stopped playing. No problem. He just got one of his many, many other guitars. However, once he started playing it, he realized it wasn’t tuned right. And, if memory serves, the next guitar he grabbed was also improperly tuned. He was getting a little perturbed and told us that he preferred playing a guitar that was in tune.

Well, they are professionals and they soldiered on.

There was also a special guest for this night’s show, albeit not nearly as exciting as last night’s. The guest was some local Top 40 radio DJ, I can’t remember who he was or what station he was with. He was brought out to do the DJ patter heard at the end of the song ‘On The Radio’.

An interesting note on that song was how Rick introduced it. Let’s face it, if you know the album and the song, you know that it’s pretty much filler. It’s not one of Cheap Trick’s better songs, but they were featuring each album and they weren’t going to leave it out. Rick introduced the song as being “somewhat... shitty.” And he should know, he wrote it.

The show came to an end and I had the feeling that I had been a part of something special. Not quite on the level of The Screaming Blue Messiahs (First Avenue, 7/22/86) or Pete Shelley (First Avenue, 8/20/86), but I’m glad I was there.

concert memoirs pt. 26 - the jayhawks, frank black & cheap trick

The Jayhawks

7/9/95 First Avenue w/Paytee Ticket Price: Comp. Tickets

It should be well noted here that this was not a date. Paytee and I were just friends. Paytee was a woman I had worked with in 1993-94. We were both laid off from that job and went our separate ways.

It would have stayed that way had we not met up again at a mutual friend’s party. We realized that we enjoyed each other’s company and we started hanging out together. This concert was one of our hanging outs. Again, it wasn’t a date.

There’s not much to tell. I had a couple comp. tickets for the show so we went. Paytee didn’t think much of the band, so we left.

Frank Black w/Jonny Polonsky
4/13/96 First Avenue Alone Ticket Price: $8.00

I went to this one alone. Frank Black had some pretty good solo material and I wanted to check him out. Besides, I had never seen Pixies and this might be as close as I would get. Incidentally, he didn’t play any Pixies tunes.

He was really having a good time playing up the “rock god” thing. He’d stand at the front of the stage, fists on hips ala Superman, while nodding his approval as the adoring crowd cheered. I’m sure it was all an act. At least, I hope it was.

This wasn’t an all-age show. You had to be 21+ to attend. So, I couldn’t figure out how an obviously underage kid could be there jumping around on the dance floor.

When the show ended, I asked the child how he got in. He told me it was his mother who brought him. His mother! Apparently, a parent can bring their kid to a show at the First Avenue. I’m not sure I like it, but it’s legal.

Updated 9/22/08

I just learned that my future wife had also been to this show. We didn't know each other yet, but we were there together. Awwwww.

Cheap Trick w/Flipp
7/11/97 First Avenue Alone (?) Ticket Price: Unknown

Finally! After more than 13 years since John and I weren’t able to see the band because of a snowstorm, I finally got to see Cheap Trick play live. They had been a favorite band of mine for years and they were worth the wait. I’m sure they had come through town many times in those 13 years, but this was the time I saw them.

They were very good. It was easy to tell these guys were old pros at the rock’n’roll. Very professional and very fun.

Rick Nelson was funny and still quite the showman. He must have brought ten guitars including the four (or was it five) guitars in one and the double guitar made to look like a cartoon of himself. He threw out an album jacket when they played Surrender, a custom at Cheap Trick shows. He also threw out a couple dozen guitar picks. Each emblazoned with his mug. I snagged one.

The rest of the band were right on. Robin Zander’s voice might have lost a little of its range, but he was still great. He still had the rock star thing going, even if he tried to hide it a little. I say that because during an instrumental section of a song, he snuck over to the side of the stage, out of sight of most of the audience, and took a great big swig from a bottle of Jack Daniels. Rock’n’roll!

The opening band, Flipp, was impressive as well. A local band with a sort of a Kiss meets The Sex Pistols thing except they are better musicians. Flipp generates a love/hate reaction. I thought they played really well and had some good songs and were fun, as did most of the audience. But some audience members disagreed.

When Rick Nelson thanked Flipp for warming up someone shouted, “Flipp sucks!”

That surprised Nelson. “Really? They did?” was his reaction.

Anyway, I was most impressed when at the end of their set Flipp’s lead singer got behind the drum kit and played Back In Black. Big deal, right? I should mention that he played guitar and drums at the same time. Sure it’s a gimmick, but it was still impressive.

concert memoirs pt. 4 - cheap trick, genesis & the clash

Cheap Trick

11/23/83 Orpheum Theater Intended w/John Ticket Price: $9.92

We didn’t go to this one. As can happen here in Minnesota, a sizable November snowstorm blew in and John didn’t want to chance it. It was awfully disappointing, but I understood. And it was a pretty big storm.

This was during my first year at art school. I hadn’t quite grabbed hold of the punk rock yet, but I was beginning to hear more and more of it. Anyway, the snow began falling during the afternoon class session. I remember my friends saying that it didn’t look good for my getting to the show. Of course, they turned out to be right.

Later that evening, John called me at home to break the bad news. The show went on without us. Rats.

It was the only time I’d ever been snowed out of a concert.

Genesis
2/7/84 St. Paul Civic Center w/John Ticket Price: $12.50

John and I were seated near one of my art school buds, Gene. He spotted us and came down to chat before the show.

The show kicked off and it was very entertaining. This was just as Genesis was becoming the Phil Collins Band, if you catch my meaning. So, they weren’t annoying yet.

Their lightshow was outstanding and blended well with the music. Phil alternated between playing the drums and singing at center stage throughout the show. He did spend more time up front, though.

I was impressed as hell when Phil got on drums and played along with the other drummer. The two were completely in sync. Amazing how musicians can do that.

Phil was doing the chat up the crowd thing and he started teasing the audience. He was asking if the crowd liked Country & Western music and, of course, they didn’t. “Really? Well, we’re gonna play some.” The crowd was aghast! But then to first notes of ‘That’s All’, their current big hit, began to play and the audience all breathed a sigh of relief, laughed and cheered loudly.

The Clash w/Ipso Facto
5/15/84 St. Paul Civic Center w/John Ticket Price: $11.50

Our first punk rock show!

The stage was moved up to about midway on the main floor and the floor was open so people could get down front for dancin’. Slam dancin’! More on that in a minute.

Ipso Facto was the opening act. They’re a local reggae group and they’re still going strong today. I didn’t know their material, but they were fun and did a great job warming up the crowd.

So, the slam dancing...

The Clash, or what was passing as The Clash in those days, consisted of Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon and two or three young punks. After Mick Jones and Topper Headon had left the band, it was a mistake for the band to continue as The Clash. They produced one more album after ‘Combat Rock’ and it has been justifiably forgotten. That said, however, I’m glad to have seen them or what was left of them.

Since it was an open floor situation, John and I managed to get pretty close to the front of the stage. The floor was crowded with leather, mohawks, anticipation, and two punk rock concert virgins who didn’t quite realize what they were in for. The band took the stage, storming up to the front, while blasting into ‘London Calling’.

That’s about as much as I saw before the punks began to move. The whole mass of humanity that we were caught in began to slam dance. We probably only got through half of the song before John fell to the floor. It had barely registered with me that John had hit the deck when he was back on his feet. He was down, he was up. That quickly.

John grabbed my shoulder, “We’re out of here!” he said. We moved to the seating section and watched the rest of the show from there where it was safe. It was just too soon in our punk rock experience for that level of slam dancing.

Later, Joe Strummer taunted those of us who sought the relative sanity away from the dance floor. John remarked, “Easy for him to say... He’s on stage.”

I didn’t know much more of their material than ‘Combat Rock’ in those days, so when they started playing ‘Clash City Rockers’ I thought they were breaking into a cover of The Who’s ‘I Can’t Explain’. Remember, I was a huge Who fan and I listened to all music through Who-colored headphones, so to speak. Still, the opening chords are remarkably similar to The Who classic.