hamilton

The various likes and dislikes of this board are a big part of what makes it so interesting. It's funny, but these are exactly the albums that I dislike - except for the first half of Abbey Road, which doesn't fall into the "thematic" category anyway. Concept albums drive me absolutely batty, so you've probably also figured out by now that I can't stand Quadrophenia, Tommy, Rush's 2112 trilogy, Thick As A Brick, In The Court of the Crimson King or anything by Yes, ELP, or early Genesis. I'll also go on record as saying that I hope that I am never, ever at a Phish show where they perform Gamehendge. But hey, different strokes for different folks, right?

As for the original question, I think my vote will also have to go to The Siket Disc. I find that all of the other albums, as well as Trey's solo album, are far too produced. Someone needs to get Trey away from the production room ...

Brian.

Well, I don't know if this helps any, but Kikkoman is a brand of Japanese soy sauce. The creator seems to have decided that it sounds like the name of a superhero, and designed a "soy sauce superhero", who is helping the world taste better...

Brian.

I'm not doing any either... for rather obvious reasons, ha-ha-ha!

Brian.

I have to agree with most of what Marc has said in his earlier post. Every band is entitled to make a bad album sometimes, and in DMB's case, it was "Everyday".

Bands *need* to change their approach to things sometimes - can you imagine how boring it must be to make the same album over and over again? We don't always realize it, but listeners need bands to change, too. I actually think that U2's "Zooropa" and The Hip's "Day For Night" are two of the best albums that those bands put out specifically because they were a diversion - I don't need or want to hear "Road Apples, Volume 7".

Furthermore, I think that as "jamband" fans, some of us have a tendency to focus too much on the idea of "jamming". There are a lot of great bands and artists out there who put on amazing shows (U2, Radiohead, etc) who don't "jam" - that doesn't diminish their talent, it just means that you don't go on tour with them night after night, since shows will be fairly similar. While DMB may not "jam" as much as they used to (a complaint I've been hearing since "Crash" was released), it doesn't mean that they put on a bad show, either.

It's important not to became a slave to a label. "Jamming" is only good when it is actually good - and I know that "good" is a subjective determination. "Jamming" does not make a bad song good, nor does the lack of a "jam" make a good song bad. Four minute songs are good, too. There are many good jam bands, but there are a lot of very bad, boring, derivative jam bands too. Be objective...

While the audience at the moe. show was shameful, I still think the Dave/Tim show was the absolute worst audience I have ever encountered. At least moe. could drown the audience out with their electric guitars - two soft-spoken guys with acoustics didn't have a chance! Still, at least Syracuse has Frank's Pizza, and the only cabbie to ever hand me a full pint glass of beer when I got into his cab...

Toodles,

Brian.

Trevor, you're a lucky bastard! I would have killed to be at that show - I think these guys are great! If they'd just come over here sometime.....

(But I might get Dylan! Rumour has it that the next leg of the Never-Ending Tour is going to start in New Zealand and Australia, which probably means some Japanese dates, which might mean... I dare not think it!!!)

Brian.

I know that there are a number of cities that aer also considering banning drive-through windows for similar reasons. For all the times that I've pulled up to a window and been served immediately, there sure have been an awful lot of times that I've had to wait ten minutes. A lot of the time, it really is a lot faster to just go inside...

Brian.

Happy Birthday, Scottie!

Long time, no see - hope things are going well for you! Wish I could be around to party with you on the big day. Keep London rocking for me now that I'm gone...

Brian

Should I be the anal-retentive asshole who points out that it's Revelation, no "s"? Oooops.... What's with me and the bible lately? First the Esau story, now this... I'm not even religious - just a prick!

I believe that you can get Christina Aguilera's new album "Dirrrty" at just about any of your local record/CD stores. Check spelling, though - there may be only two "r"s, but definitely more than just one.

(Video of the year, hands down!!! )

Brian

(feeling mischievious at 6:30am local time)

Greetings.

To "beseech" is to beg something of someone. It's a term that no one really uses anymore, but Shakespeare sure liked it.

Biblically, Esau was Jacob's older brother, and should have been the heir to Isaac's name and possessions. Isaac's wife Rachel preferred Jacob to Esau, and tricked the blind and infirm Isaac into giving his deathbed blessing to Jacon instead of Esau. Esau was hairy, Jacob was smooth-skinned; by covering his arms and neck with wool, Isaac fooled his old man, who couldn't see him and thought that he was blessing Esau. When dutiful Esau returned from the tasks his father had set for him, Isaac had already received his birthright. Esau got the shaft, essentially.

I have no idea how I know all this shit. I'm certainly not religious, and MarcO might even testify to my being actual demon-spawn.

As for Jamie's question about interesting stories regarding where we picked up our handle, mine's fascinating: it's the one my parents saddles me with at birth!

Done babbling for now,

Brian.

Errmmmmm...

The Fat Cats are *Canadian*, Shain, so they have a *province* (Ontario), not a *state*, although I know they used to do well in Western New York.

Giggles,

Brian.

Hmmmm....

Taco Bell (everything on the menu). Or maybe a pizza. And a great big vanilla milkshake.

What I find bleak about this isn't the subject, but the fact that Texas has executed 285 people since 1982 - and that 85 of them have been since January 2000.

It's nice to see that Dubya is now able to continue his killing spree. He must be happier now that he's killing foreign evil-doers, rather than American ones...

Brian.

PS - favourite request? The guy who wanted his meal served to a homeless person.

It's pretty hard to narrow things down to just five, but I'll give it a shot. Unfortunately, there's not much here that hasn't been listed already. In order:

1. The Grateful Dead - for teaching me to *listen* to music, rather than just hearing it; for leading me to so many other musicians and genres; for Jerry and Phil;

2. Miles Davis - for constantly evolving and turning in new directions, and for playing with and introducing me to so many amazing musicians;

3. The Beatles - for making me tap my feet and bob my head; for their melodies and harmonies; for all of their albums, but particularly Revolver and those that came *before* it;

4. Bob Dylan - lyrics, lyrics, lyrics; and for just being sooooo cool;

5. Neil Young - for doing his own thing, even when it sucked; for not giving a flying fuck what anybody else thinks; for frequently switching styles; for great live performances,and a lot of great songs.

Honourable mentions: Bob Marley; John Coletrane; Tom Waits; The Clash; The New Deal; Frank Zappa; James Brown; Phish; Richard Thompson; Bruce Cockburn.

Cheers,

Brian.

PS - Unfortunately, I never saw Gowan... but I have seen Goddo!!! Even have his autograph...

"I've been to war. I've raised twins. If I had a choice, I'd rather go to war." - George W. Bush, West Virginia, January 2002

Hmmmm... that explains a few things, doesn't it?

Never mind Osama, Saddam, or Enron - can you imagine the havoc that Jenna and Babs are going to wreak on America now that they're legal?

Brian

Jeeezus... if I didn't know better, I'd think you were related to Scottie King...

Brian

Brian Hamilton

Hamilton>London>Seoul

What *really* confuses me is the tendency on this board to randomly intersperse capital and lower-case letters in subject headings. I used to think that they spelled something out.

I'm also 28 with an Honours B.A. (English & History) and a B.Ed. and two years teaching experience. I needed a break from teaching in Ontario, so I'm in Korea teaching English conversation classes. The pay is excellent (helps pay off those loans!), the students are actually eager, and the prep work is minimal. Working holidays satisfy the urge to travel and experience new places and cultures while actually climbing out of the debt hole. Sounds like you are just as overqualified for this job as I am. Think about it!

Like Trevor, I don't know what I want to be when I grow up, but I've found a solution - I'm just not going to bother growing up!

Cheerio,

Brian.

PS - Korea is cool, but apparently the *real* money is to be made in Japan...

She Stole My Beer used to come out and play in Ontario a couple of times a year back in the early nineties - I remember they were a lot of fun.

A question for you west-coasters: What ever happened to People Playing Music? They were a great band - are they still around, or have they broken up?

Brian.

Whoooo, boy..... so many different things to say here that I don't even know where to begin, but I might as well start with...

The Casbah as Hamilton's "jamband bar:" I'm really not too sure where this reputation came from. I've never really considered the Casbah a "jamband bar" like the Comfort Zone. While it is true that most out-of-town jambands *do* play the Casbah (not to mention Doug Feaver's and The Fat Cats' weekly gigs), the Casbah has built its reputation on providing live music seven days a week, regardless of genre. No offence, guys, but it a bit selfish to think of it as "our" bar. Plenty of other people use it as well - it isn't busy only on jamband nights, and doesn't rely solely on us to survive.

The Casbah, period: frankly, as a live music room... it kind of sucks, don't you think? I admit that I enjoy the DJs downstairs, and the separate-room smoking policy, but I don't care for either the layout or the sound in the main room. While the original La Luna location had its faults, I still think it was much better (of course, I admit that I could be biased by the nine years I spent hanging out there). Still, this is an unchageable fact - the old La Luna is gone . If Pepper Jack's wants to step up to the plate, so be it. As long as there is music being played *somewhere*... The high turnover rate of staff at the Casbah is indicative of something, as is the fact that all of the old employees from La Luna chose to remain in the restaurant rather than the bar. I won't cry too many tears if the scene moves elsewhere - I can still go to La Luna for dinner! (At least, I can when I get back to Canada.)

Chris Briscoe: he's the man! I wish he was still there. Chris has connections with more artists and management groups than I can count, and he's also one of the nicest guys anyone could care to meet. I speak from experience, having casually known him for almost ten years. For what it's worth, Chris is in charge of booking music at Home, down on Ferguson Avenue.

Chris also understood that a successful live bar needs to book various genres in order to be successful. The jamband scene in Hamilton is not big enough to support a bar based exclusively on jambands. Running a bar costs a lot of money, and different genres attract different crowds, which means more cash. That was why the old La Luna was so successful - they had everything from folk to country to rock to jazz, whatever you could want. No cash, no bar, which means no music at all - it's that simple.

Doug Feaver: I'll probably ruffle some feathers here, but here goes... I know that the guys from La Luna gave Doug a lifelong gig at La Luna, but unfortunately the Casbah is a different business and it is not run by Salim et al. I also know that the new guy gave Doug the boot in a rather unceremonious manner, which isn't right either. But from a business point of view I can understand why he did it, even if I can't defend how he did it. No offence to Doug (he's a really great guy!), but he's been playing there forever, and his sets are 99% the same material that he was doing ten years ago when I first started going to see him. Furthermore, he tends to tell long, rambling stories for long periods of time without actually playing a song - sometimes for as long as half-an-hour. I know Doug has an enormous musical knowledge - why not use it to play some different material? This is why I don't go see Doug very much, and maybe why his crowd is much smaller now than it used to be seven or eight years ago. Many times I have walked into La Luna (or the Casbah) and seen Doug playing to three or four people, which isn't exactly great business for the bar. If, as a business owner, you thought you could bring in an act that would draw a larger crowd, wouldn't you do so?

I'm not trying to be pessimistic or burst anyone's bubble here, but as much as we all enjoy the "scene" and wish that we could live in an ideal world, a bar, like any other business, exists to make a profit, and must always be mindful of that. Unfortunately, money talks loudest. If you are losing money on a particular night, you had best consider changing things up. As I said, this does not condone the manner in which some of these changes were made, but...

Which reminds me: show-whore, is the guy from the Casbah giving you a hard time because you are helping out with the competition (ie, PepperJack)? If so, that is a disgraceful way for him to behave . As a guy who has made all of these business decisions, he should be the first to understand that you are only making business decisions of your own.

Whew! Longest post I've made here yet - I look forward to your thoughts...

Brian.

Apparently on the first show of the tour, he played piano about 75% of the time. I guess you can never really count His Bobness out - he's always got a few tricks up his sleeve. On a related note, The Bootleg Series has a new release - a compilation of 1975's Rolling Thunder Revue tour, taken from the East Coast (Montreal, Boston, Cambridge, etc). Should be great!

(And no Marc, I could *never* guess who you might be referring to... and its easy to drink with beautiful girls in Korea, since there are so many of them. Of course, it's mostly *me* drinking and them being there, but hey, what the hell... )

Cheers!

Brian.

Sure... if you happened to get a time machine for your birthday!

Brian.

Hey everyone -

Let's wish Trevor a happy birthday!

Hope you had a great time at the show last night, old man!

Love and smooches,

Brian.

Hey all -

I haven't noticed that anyone has mentioned this, so forgive me if this has already been discussed, but was anyone paying attention to the Bob Dylan tour that just ended? He and his band (which kicks ass, by the way) were pulling out a lot of odd cover tunes this time around. I mean, Bob always seems to pull out one or two surprises every tour, but consider how unexpected these are:

Neil Young - Old Man

Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar

Van Morrisson - Carrying A Torch

Don Henley - The End Of the Innocence

The Beatles - Something

plus....

four Warren Zevon songs:

Boom-Boom Mancini

Accidentally Like A Martyr

Mutineer

Lawyers, Guns and Money

Did anyone out there see any of these shows?

Warren Zevon , by the way, is pretty much literally at death's door - one of the most underrated singer-songwriters of the last couple of decades. The doctors say he won't make it another six months . It loks like Bob is giving him an early memorial tour...

Brian.

Errrr.... what?!? I agree that the gallery completely sucks, but aside from that, I *really* like Massey Hall. Great acoustics, and I always rather liked the seating. Different strokes, eh?

Brian.

Well then, I guess that makes me #36. I was trying to wait to be #42 so that I could make some clever remark about the meaning of life, the universe and everything, but I've got things to do. Actually, I don't - I just got bored...

Brian.

Warren Haynes is a really nice guy, too. I met him in 1997 at a Gov't Mule show at the Opera House. I had just returned from summer tour, and someone gave me a free ticket and a lift to the show. One of the guys that was in our group was underage, and the bouncers wouldn't let him in, even though the band's manager had put him on the guest list. While we were outside, the band came off of their bus to enter through the side door. The situation was explained to Warren, who handed this kid his guitar case, and said, "Just follow me." He took the kid in through the side door as a roadie, and then took his guitar back and directed him through a door that would take him down to the floor, and said, "Enjoy the show." Afterwards, the band stood outside their bus and signed autographs and had their pictures taken with fans until everyone had their chance to speak to them (I had them sign my copy of Live At the Roseland). A class act, all around - great show, too!

Brian.