I’m glad the Stones thing went off without a hitch and that everyone had a good time. It looked like fun, but I don’t regret not going one iota. I’ve been to my share of big-ass festivals and attend over two dozen concerts a year… I will watch the concert when it’s repeated ad nauseum on television for the next few weeks, but I had no interest in being there for the sake of being there.

Bill Maher has a blog. Good stuff, I only wish Jon Stewart had a blog. Oh wait, I guess he does. It’s called The Daily Show. I should watch more TV. Thanks to Kyle for the link.

Stock up on crazy sci-fi movie memorobilia. I gots to get me a Battlestar Galactica uniform.

It figures that the one week Sneaky Dee’s doesn’t run an ad in NOW is the one week that we’re playing there. Not that it would have made a difference, it’s just neat to see our name in print. BUT! We did rate a Critic’s Pick in the show listings. Check it out. Probably more for Les Mouches, but we’ll take it.

np – American Analog Set / Through The 90s: Singles And Unreleased

Thanks to Kate’s member-of-the-press-ness, I got to attend an advance screening for American Wedding, which may as well have been subtitled “Stiffler’s Big Adventure”. It’s all about Seann William Scott, which makes sense since he’s the only cast member who seems to have any sort of career at the moment (note that I said, “at the moment”). If you liked the first two, you’ll like this one because it’s pretty much the same film, same characters, same sexual hijinks and gross out gags. And lots more Stiffler. Stiffler this, Stiffler that. It’s pretty damned lightweight (duh) and if they never make another one I won’t be saddened at all, but it was fun and I laughed out loud more than a few times. Take that as you will.

My new comics discovery is Lenore, The Cute Dead Girl by Roman Dirge, published by Slave Labor Graphics. Actually, I discovered Lenore back in May from the SLG Free Comics Day Special Edition, but this was the first time I’d found a regular issue, and damn if this isn’t some of the funniest stuff I’ve read in ages. There’s this little dead girl, and this little dead boy, and all these vengeful mice, and this guy with a pitchfork and a bag on his head, and scabies, and… Well, it’s bloody funny. Trust me.

np – The Flaming Lips / Fight Test

SARSfest is underway. The aerial shots of the crowd are just madness. I’m hearing rumours that members of U2 have been seen around town… This on top of the supposed ‘surprise’ appearances by Skank-tina Aguilera, Paul McCartney and Prince could make for an interesting show.

Instead of standing around an old air force base, I spent three hours plus this morning trying to get my computer online. Bell had been giving me DNS static off and on for the past 8 months or so, but today it got intolerable. I finally got around it by ditching their DNS servers and pointing my machine at another one entirely. That’ll learn em.

If you missed the sold-out-in-no-time-flat BRMC show at Lee’s last month, you may be happy to know that they are coming back September 25, bringing their unique brand of standing around to the Guvernment. Tickets already on sale.

np – Elvis Costello & The Imposters / Cruel Smile

Stopped by Paul’s Boutique in the Market on the way home tonight to take a look around and talk keyboards with the proprietor. I don’t really know shit about keyboards, but I was enamored with a small combo organ they had that had a functioning set of drawbars! I’d never seen drawbars on smaller organs, it was pretty cool and sounded great. Someday, I will be able to walk out of there with an organ. They’ve always got a good range of stuff for under $500.

I was pleased to find used copies of The Posies’ Frosting On The Beater and The Tyde’s Twice. More pop! More pop!

The Toronto Interpol show has been moved from the Phoenix to the Kool Haus. Unfortunate.

MTV has the video for the Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham track “Night Nurse” here. It’s pretty. I still have to get this album.

Neil Gaiman talks about filmmaking, Miracleman and 1602. Some sketches from 1602.

The big Rolling Stones SARS-fest goes tomorrow, guaranteeing nightmarish commuting for anyone up in the north end of the city. Hell, fans are already lining up to get in even though show doesn’t start for another 14 hours. That’s hardcore. I wonder how much of a ghost town downtown will be? Deserted enough for me to take a stroll down Yonge St, brick in hand, for a little selective looting, perhaps…

That’s a joke, by the way, for the benefit of any law enforcement types who might be passing through.

np – Pernice Brothers / Live in Toronto, July 22, 2003

YAAAAAAAY. Beulah and John Vanderslice come to Lee’s Palace October 21. Full tour dates on the Beulah website. Our eternal gratitude to Catbirdseat for the scoop. We’ll file this under “Most Anticipated Show Of The Autumn”.

Brutally underrated British rock act Six By Seven are releasing a new single. This is noteworthy not only because it’s proof the band hasn’t split, but also because it’ll contain twelve b-sides. TWELVE. I know the chart system is a little different over in the UK boys, but over here we call that AN ALBUM. Regardless, happy to have you back. Bochum / There’s A Ghost will be released on Fierce Panda on September 29 in the UK.

Um, okay. This is news. A brief pop-in to Mark Eitzel’s website to look for tour dates yields this off-the-cuff note: “CURRENTLY WORKING ON A NEW AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB RECORD IN SAN FRANCISCO – UNTIL THE 22ND OF AUGUST OR SO”.

New.

American.

Music.

Club.

?!?!?!?

What a day this is turning out to be. I’m gonna go see what other cool news I can dig up. I am on a roll.

np – Teenage Fanclub / Howdy!