ISO - Apollo 1 Ticket

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I listening to those 09 LA shows and was fascinated by how good the string section was. We didn't get the strings in Chicago (they visited just before Backspacer). The New York were good. The Philly were good. Obviously, they were all great. But those LA ones killed those songs. 

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2020 is shaping out to be quite the shit show. The news is beyond depressing and I thought 2019 was rough. I've never seen anything on the scale of what I've seen the last week. It's all so unreal, in the worst way possible.

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I've only missed two days in my shameless and hopeless plug thread but yesterday was just surreal. When you think it can't get uglier or weirder the world does. I'm not old, I'm not young...but I've seen enough to know when normal has taken a vacation. There is a gorgeous novel by Nobel Laureate Jose Saramago about the Grim Reaper falling in love and no one in an unnamed country can die. It's fascinating meditation on life, death and the natural order of things.... The world feels like this right now, but only with the absence of something stronger, the loss of moral fiber and instead everyone given to rage and fear. Fire fighting fire with kerosene. Let's hope the next few days will bring calm and order. The solution isn't more violence, it's not soldiers or dogs...it's not hate. It's empathy. 

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I've always felt a deep connection to "Hard to Imagine." There is something about the dystopian society I envision. The listlessness in life lyrically coming to life; painting a picture of the most dour world and then the music comes alive and "all is different now....." There's hope in there, in my opinion. The difference is an awakening, trying to "explain, somehow." There is a vision so singular here, what does the individual feel or believe. It's a switch, as if the band played out Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" with no mentioning of such a personal reckoning. 

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A lot of people are seeking answers and a former student reached out and told me they were going to a rally. Even more though, was the anger at the current climate and situation at hand; the depravity, the lack of empathy, rationale...I offered a suggestion to give "Indifference" a listen. Then I sent a rabbit hole of songs to listen it. It was fascinating to have young ears hear classic rock but the edge and ingenuity in the sound/lyrics. 

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I’ve been fascinated with all the groups reaching out and donating or claiming they are wrong about their stance on the flag (among other issues) but when the protests end what will change? I don’t want to be the pessimist but does this become Black Lives Matter 1.0, all the women’s marches, and every gun control rally cry since Newtown? Please make me wrong. I just fear and wonder if the moment doesn’t become lost - thankfully the protestors took it back from the rioters and have been relentless. In this time I’ve read things I knew but now with a different lens. I just hope change comes. 

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It's fascinating listening to W.M.A. now, along with Glorified G....this band was always on the front lines of looking at society and the issues that have been decimating it for so long. 

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The other day I realized Netflix has a ton of Spike Lee flicks. So many that just passed me by and man that guy can shoot a movie. Malcolm X doesn't just work because Denzel crushes it but because Lee gave him a film to  to do amazing things. I'm one of those rare people that loves directors. 

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Speaking of Spike Lee, On the Bus is a fascinating piece of filmmaking. It's the conversation no one wants to have and everyone needs to hear. 

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"Grievance" is a song taking on new meaning for me. It's a fascinating piece written in much less troubling times.

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Binaural is really having it's moment for me. Songs that I never gave much thought to "Rival," "Evacuation," "Grievance," and "Insignificance" have really stepped up their game as I see them. Like I never thought I'd like "Evacuation...." And now, well I'm not going to call it a must hear live but it's getting there. 

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The most amazing things about kids' movies is you can watch them a million times and hear/see something new. Adult films have more nuance but most of the time lack a cleverness films aimed at children do. The best of them have to enthrall the kids and entertain the adults - repeat viewings. 

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Have I really been writing every day for over a 100 days? I guess I have. Just the hope that live music comes back. I hope The Apollo comes back bigger than ever and somewhere PJ is in that mix. 

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Parenting is hard. Some days you're just trying to enjoy and keep it together. Tomorrow will be better. 

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Sometimes I miss those days and I don't even realize it. I went a long time without listening to live shows and I'm on a bender like none other right now. Not just rediscovering shows I own or went to, but shows people recommend. I really love this community for its love of the music. We bicker, we yell but in the end we love this music. 

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For some reason Given to Fly has really become a song for me. Not that I ever didn't like it but for awhile it juts became another song to listen in between songs I loved. But man this song has teeth in various ways from tour to tour. 

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New Dylan album out today. Ends with a 17 epic called "A Murder Most Foul," about the Kennedy assassination but let's face it Dylan isn't just talking Kennedy. And the very title is so apt it's frightening. I found Dylan cause of Pearl Jam, amongst so many others. There was something riveting about going down a rabbit hole of music when I was done with PJ's small catalogue in the 90's - I gave Blood on the Tracks, Harvest and Born to Run a shot and found a lifetime of love in those albums. 

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So we're a month and a half away from the next vault announcement and I'm thinking this is the year we get one from the Vote for Change tour. If there ever was a time, this would be the time the band did it. Or just reissues of ever Lost Dogs, Live on 2 Legs and Benny. 

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Ever since Dylan released Rough and Rowdy Ways (a whole four days ago) I can't get enough of it. His catalogue is so fascinating with the last 20 years being almost as good as his first 15. I know that's bold but from Time Out of Mind (97) and on, he doesn't have a bad one in the bunch (Christmas Album doesn't count). 

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So if Michael Keaton returns as Batman does that save the DCEU? It made my day, I love Keaton. The dude can chew up the screen. I've seen Cars 100 times with my son and he plays the villain and he's hilarious.

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Best part of a smart tv is going down the YouTube music video rabbit hole. I just watch music videos and see where it goes. I will say this, and I'm a little biased, but the 90's ages so well. Best decades for music (70's and 90's). That shit could've been made today. And we would say they are really talented with a big future. 

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Amazing performance by the band last night. These songs are going to sound amazing live. 

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I loved Eddie's Joker prop. That was the mask Ledger's crew wore in The Dark Knight's opening. I do wonder whether he was thinking more along the lines of Phillips' Joker and the anarchy Phoenix's character inspires. 

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I've been listening to Springsteen for a long time. I remember when 41 Shots (American Skin) was getting played and people were protesting the song's content but if you listen to the song now it's startlingly relevant. And listening as a parent it's just hard to listen to. 

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The kids had Aladdin on and I always forget how amazing Robin Williams was. Not just in this movie but overall. As I get older the more tragic I come to understand suicide really is. It's not that I ever thought it was a shrug, but now that I have kids and see lives so often cut short the thoughts are unbearable and I wonder how families go on. It must be a pain unlike any other. 

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I remember a time when guns were political. Now it's face masks and I just don't get it. Science is good. And it's unprejudiced. 

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Rocksilde - 20 years ago. The 9 lives. 125,000. Lives should be loved and taken into consideration at all costs. Otherwise, what's the point? 

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I don't know how many out there feel like they're losing their mind with the shut in and social distancing but I'm going to take July by the horns and hit up local nature preserves for hikes. Once a week, a new park in the county where I live. 90 degrees? Sure, it'll suck. But I don't have mountains, so I have to take what I can.

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I'm not a restaurant guy, and I've left my bar days behind but I've been craving food and drinks I reserve for bars. My wife thinks I'm nuts with the stuff I want to try to cook at home but man I want crab cakes and home made garnishes. Deep dish pizza. Why not do take out? I just don't think it tastes as good. 

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Covid has a weird way of messing with time. I went to the store today and it was slammed. I didn't even realize it was because the 4th of July is tomorrow. Strange days.