NP: The Mars Volta, De-loused In The Comatorium (CD)

Last night was fun. Any gig where I can actually walk there even if I have to make three trips and carry 15" speaker cabinets is just a win in my book no matter how you look at it. I think the folks at the Goose were a little starstruck by having an actual member of a platinum-selling rock band on their stage, along with another one in the audience. Joel Burleson's set was pretty cool, as I'm going to be all in favor with anyone that opens with acoustic interpretations of Nine Inch Nails tunes, and I really like the addition of all the electronic textures to the "standard" acoustic cover song gig.

I wound up jumping on stage at the end to join Joel and his special guest (hey, he didn't want me to use his name in the ads, so it's only fair that I don't use it here, either) on shaker for a somewhat-ragged-but-still-effective version of Radiohead's "Idioteque." Between this and Wednesday's Tributosaurus show, my six degrees of separation in the rock world is through the roof.

And the 80s rock opera is back with a vengeance. Or at least it was after about two of three songs of not finding a good groove of songs for the room at all. There's something to be said for preparing set lists. Now, after our hero gets dumped and dejected after (Blue) Jean dumps him, he goes through a Billy Idol-fueled rebellious phase before the Adam Ant slutty phase. Someone in the audience suggested that Jenny (you know, the one with the phone number) may actually be Jesse's Girl, but I'm going to have to work on that.

Anyway, it was a good turnout, and I only wish I had started "accompanying" the end of the Cubs' extra-inning marathon a little sooner, because that was just funny.

Switching gears entirely...

Yesterday, WBBM radio was talking about the new Disney version of The Alamo, and how it had been screened in Mexico with mixed reactions. One of the anchors made some comment about how "history is written by the winners." Didn't we actually lose that one? History is written by the rich and powerful, it's just that they are typically the winners as well.

Back in Washington, the Bushies are stressing how we're not going to "cut and run" after the unpleasantness of the last week in Iraq. What happens if there's a bombing, or we suffer significant casualties, on June 28th? I don't even mean that as a flippant anti-administration kind of remark. If the insurgents struck a major blow right before we were leaving, could the White House pull out of the country while Baghdad was still burning and still find some insane angle to spin it as a positive? Late June is going to be awfully dangerous over there.