Happy Birthday to one of my oldest, oddest, and perhaps geekiest (about certain things anyway) friends Tim cyberthorn. Of course, it would have been better if I remembered when we were together this last wknd...but I can be an idiot. (But I got the day right) Anyway, Happy Birthday. All my love and best wishes to you.
Last night I caught a great double bill at the Keswick theater, Gaelic Storm and Carbon Leaf. Since more people have heard of Gaelic Storm, or seen TITANIC, I won't comment other than the fact they were great. I was surprised that Gaelic Storm started the show, as they were the headliners. Carbon Leaf is a band that I have been following since the 1999. They were a band I came across by accident scanning the Celtic rock section of CDBaby. While their roots have some Celtic influence, they have grown past that in many wonderful ways. There was no intermission between sets, rather CL came on stage and did two songs with GS. First was "Rocky Road to Dublin" which was a great way to boost the crowd. Then they went into CF's "The Boxer", which is hands down my favorite track of theirs, and the song that got me listening to the band. The rest of the set was a great mix of old and new CF's tunes. But the one that really stopped me cold was their track "The War Was In Color", off their album LOVE, LOSS, HOPE, REPEAT . This is a song that I have listened to quite a few times, and one I often include on my SL playlists around Memorial Day, Veterans Day, etc. But there was something about the performance that drove the song home in a new way. Part of it was the stage lighting to be sure, it seemed to capture some of the mood of the song. But the vocal performance really grabbed me in a new way as well. Its been a while since a performance dragged me into the song, but this one did. While I enjoyed all the performances after that, I was left with a melancholic feeling carried after the song. I am including the lyrics below. The subject matter will be pretty evident. If you have never heard this band, I REALLY suggest giving them a listen.
Looking for some feedback from the local folks. One of the few things I miss from working Philcon was running the film room. A weekend of pure cinematic candy was always a joy. I have been thinking about doing the occasion evening thing, much like the great gang from EXHUMED FILMS, but with more of a science fiction direction. There are some films I REALLY want to see on the big screen, even if its a digital projection and not film. I am not sure if I would rent some place like the Lith Hall and use a big screen, or go theater rental route. So the question is, what films would you like to see? And second, would you be willing to donate in a bit, or a buy a ticket to help defray the costs? Some of the titles I am thinking about would be: Forbidden Planet Akira Phantom of the Paradise (yeah, I am obsessed with that film). The Abyss - directors cut (I got to show this on film way before the cut ever came to DVD. The tidal wave effects were stunning on the big screen) a double feature of : The Three/Four Musketeers ( I have a great French DVD of this which is longer than the US DVD release (that would be an all day event, those are LONG movies) Vidocq (not sure I can get the rights, but it is visually stunning)
Gonna stay away from horror I think, EXHUMED covers that pretty well. Thoughts? Suggested titles?
I have been working for the Philadelphia Film Festival/Cinefest for 7? (maybe more) years now. It was one of the things I looked forward to every spring. Not only was it a chance to get the taste of typical bland American cinema out of my mouth for a while. It was also two weeks of fun, frenzy, and madness. Working my day job, working nights at the festival, and still usually catching 20+ films over a less that two week period. The people that work festivals are usually of a distinct breed, possessing a unique form of cinematic madness. I got a buzz from the festival that was like what I used to get from cons back in the day. Two weeks is about what I could handle. But it was one hell of a two weeks. I will seriously miss my fix this year.
Friday 6PM: It's An Online Life, For Us!— 1hr— Paul Revere B As MMORPGs and other online worlds such as SecondLife become more popular, they present a unique set of challenges and opportunities. How has the incredible growth in these areas positively and negatively affected the "real world"?
Saturday 3PM: Remakes, Reboots and Reimaginings, Oh My!— 1hr— Paul Revere A The new BSG has had its finale, we've gotten new Terminator and Star Trek movies, as well as the return of "V" and "The Prisoner." There's a balance between "hooray, it's coming back!" and "wait, that's not the show/movie/book I remember." Is this resurrection or grave robbing?
Saturday 6PM: Repo!—The Next Great Cult Film— 1hr— Paul Revere B Repo! The Genetic Opera is following in the footsteps of Rocky Horror. Shadowcasts are appearing all over the country, with hordes of dedicated fans turning out for every showing. Some people say it's "Too good" to be turned into the next Rocky, but obviously lots of others feel differently. How did this film capture the hearts and minds of geeks, and does it have the staying power of Rocky?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of my oldest and dearest friends, draculachanter . She has seen the best and worst in me, and is still around. I am fortunate to have her in my life. Happy Birthday to Monica, Nikki, Fred the Indian (long story) and a few more I won't share. Love ya, Nikki.
I found this band by accident, but their sound has really hooked me. Its a Celtic Indian fusion, with a touch of Electronica thrown in. Very addictive.
