Allie and I caught up with our friends Joel and Jocelyn in Lawrence last night and went to the New Pornographer's concert. Much fun. I can't remember the last time I paid to see a band. They're easily my favorite group right now, have been for months, but it's funny how little I knew about them.
Like, I had no idea one of the singers is an alt-country star. I think my uncles might find her interesting.
And I didn't know that one of the other singers hheads up a totally different band.
The former was explained to me last night by my much hipper friends from Lawrence. The latter we figured out when we watched Kathryn Calder perform in the opening band, and then break down their equipment, and then return to set up equipment and play with the headlining act. (Afterward, Allie wondered if she'd also be driving the bus to the next show.)
Also, I was surprised to see a bearded man stumble out onto stage carrying a beer and proceed to sing some of my favorite songs. I thought they just had one main male singer, A.C. Newman. But no, there's also this beer-guzzling beardy guy who has a totally distinctive voice that I shoulda figured out earlier when I was listening to the records. Beardo kept coming onto stage from near where the sound board was, so I wondered if maybe his main gig is sound guy.
Anyway, the whole deal sort of reminded me of my cousin Jake.
Partly because Jake's voice is kind of like the beardy guy's. But mostly because every time I tell my uncles that Jake's destined for rock stardom, they say, kind of wryly, "Yeah, well, he surrounds himself with talented people."
Well, yeah. Isn't that the point?
Worked for this A.C. Newman cat. He sure earned our 50 bucks.
A Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year
A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year
One of Kansas City Star's 100 Noteworthy Books of the Year
Winner of the William Rockhill Nelson Award for Nonfiction
Winner of the Harry Chapin Media Award
. . .
Forget the nerdy reputation that debate has. Instead think of a scenario as exciting as a sports game with high stakes like triumphing over racism. bad politics and abject poverty... An important, thoughtful and provocative look at race and class in America.
- The Boston Globe
Joe Miller's enthusiasm is infectious and the plot creates the suspense of a good courtroom thriller.
- Entertainment Weekly
The minute I finished Joe Miller's Cross-X, I held the book out in front of me -- amazed, rapturous, and hopeful... Miller's mesmerizing, vivid accounts of the debates will leave you crouched in your seat, holding your breath... An incredibly powerful, daringly hopeful book.
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Irresistible... Miller begins breezily but is soon deeply invested in the Central squad's mission to not only master the debate game on its own terms but revolutionize it with flashes of poetry and hip-hop wordplay... If all these kids could run things, Miller implies, imagine what could get done.
- Elle
1 comment:
We had a great time, too, but "much hipper" ain't a phrase to describe us -- or, at least, me.
The beardy guy with the beer was Dan Bejar, who performs as "Destroyer" on his own.
As for New Pornographers, I finally figured out at the concert how to classify them: People who grew up listening to Rush and the occasional Anne Murray album who decided to start a garage rock band after hearing the Beach Boys for the first time.
Or something.
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