Radiohead Live @ the Greek Theater

I saw Radiohead last night at the Greek Theater. Actually, I heard Radiohead, since I technically never saw them during the entire performance. I didn't have tickets so I listened to the show from the parking lot on the hill above the Greek Theater. Several hundred others were also sitting on the hill, so you can guess that it wasn't a bad spot to take in a free Radiohead show. I could only a see little bit of the stage but the sound was great. The Greek is small - where I was sitting was equivalent to being in the back lawn of Nissan Pavilion or Great Woods.

The show was alright - they played a good mix of old, recent and new stuff. They opened with "You and Whose Army?" which I didn't think was a good opener, nor did it sound too good. Many other songs from Amnesiac were in the mix, including "Like Spinning Plates", "Packed Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box", and "Morning Bell". My favorite of the night was probably "Everything is in its Right Place." They really amped it up and it had a great driving beat. I thought the drum work throughout the whole show was pretty strong - lots of tight snarl rolls and other nice fills (was that a drum machine? I don't know, I couldn't see!). "Exit Music" was okay - Thom's voice was strong throughout the show but not on this one.

If the new songs they played were any indication of what to expect from the new album, then........well, I don't know what to expect. The new ones were quite varied. Some were chill with some great piano parts and moody guitars. Others were frantic and manic sounding. Overall, expect an album with really strong arrangements - instrumentation sounded smart and intriguing, a Radiohead staple.

Thank You for Smoking

I saw this movie last night. I wasn't impressed. I thought it was way over the top and really unoriginal. The movie follows the adventures of a slick spineless tobacco lobbyist, as he tries to defend the tobacco industry's sliding public image. According to this movie, lobbyist spend most of their time in front of television cameras trying to make a name for themselves. In truth, most lobbyists are under-the-radar political operatives who try to influence the political system while staying relatively nameless. The producers of this movie didn't seem to understand this. The main character was overplayed - a subtler portrayal could have been more effective - no one can believe that this guy could get away with the arguments he makes. Perhaps I missed the point - after all, this was suppose to be a satire. Still, satire doesn't have to be ridiculous in every aspect to be entertaining or effective.

Atleast the theater served pizza and beer.

Do You Beatbox?

I went to a beatbox tournament last week and it rocked. If you haven't been recently, then you need to go because that shit is the freshest.

Yes, there will be an international beatbox battle this year. This november in Tokyo. I haven't seen any news on when the US championship will be, but keep an eye out because it should be happening soon and probably in an arena near you.

Unfortunately, America isn't down with the beatbox like the rest of the world. Europe is throwing mad battles left and right, but the US only manages to hold one every now and then. Thats too bad - its not the legacy the Fat Boys intended.

British and Jewish and love to beatbox? Get ready for Shlomo, UK's biggest beatbox battle royale (http://www.ujs-online.co.uk/events/29865/conf_express). For tickets and registration info, call your sabbatical officer today!