Last Night's Show

It's been explained to me that most cool bands don't come to Charleston, SC because it's off the beaten path. Apparently, tour buses roll down 95 and hit all the major cities on the East Coast, and then veer off towards Atlanta. Which is why I bought tickets immediately when I found out the Cold War Kids would be swinging through Chucktown for a show at the Village Tavern. It was fantastic. This band's got a really unique sound... indie rock with a bluesy kick. The lead singer pounds out jangly tunes on the piano, and the bass is aggressive. My favorite moment of the night came when members of the Toyko Police Club (who opened) came onstage with buckets, sauce pans and even an empty wine bottle to help out on a truly raucous version of "St. John." It was incendiary. The VT was packed with Southern hipsters who grooved to the tunes while Marlboros dangled from their lips. I was standing at the back of the room, and two songs in, all I could see was the guy's shoulder blades who was standing in front of me, but then this truly cool girl invited me up on the bench where she was standing, and for the rest of the show I had full audio and visual. If this is the last band I see for a while, then I'm okay with that. And if you haven't discovered the Cold War Kids yet, what the eff?

Music by Numbers

If you have iTunes, you need to check out a cool feature called "Play Count." It reveals a lot about what you listen to, and sometimes it's kind of surprising. Like I've played "Lucky Man" by the Verve 305 times. This is a song that I really love, but I didn't realize how often I listen to it. Or "God Killed the Queen" by Louis XIV which I've listened to 207 times! I remember being obsessed with this song for a couple weeks two years ago. I've listened to "Bohemian Like You" by The Dandy Warhols 189 times which kind of makes sense because every time I go on a road trip, it's on the rotation. "No Fiction" by the Charlatans UK, 187 times. This song is without question one of my favorite songs of all time. It's great to just kind of groove to. I've played "Na Na Na Naa" by The Kaiser Chiefs 132 times. "Island in the Sun" by Weezer 129 times. What's just as interesting are the songs that I hardly listen to at all by some of my favorite artists like "The Kick Inside" by Kate Bush which, apparently, I've only listened to 5 times and "Heal" by Catherine Wheel which has only been played 4 times. What I've learned, is that there are certain songs have resonate with me in such a fundamental way that they've become part of the soundtrack to my life while others might make guest appearances now and then but gradually fade into oblivion.

The Stranger Among Us

On a recent Saturday, at 4:30 am, I got a phone call from someone who had learned that the guy she'd been dating for 7 years had gotten married last summer. It was incredible! I was almost tempted to disbelieve it, but there was so much heartbroken certainty in her voice that it was obviously true. This was a guy that I knew. He'd spent Holidays with my family, and a group of us had gone on vacation together. The irony is that I thought he had a problem with committment because he seemed incapable of moving the relationship forward. Instead, he had a problem with honesty. People in relationships fall in love with other people all the time. It's complicated. It's messy. But it happens. What doesn't happen, most of the time, is the person lying for months, years? about his feelings for the unsuspecting girlfriend. I suppose this particular situation was aided by the fact that it was a long-distance relationship which meant that he could see his new girlfriend in the open and my friend would never find out. But she did. And now she's having to question every single thing that happened while they were together. Even things that might have been the truth are suspect. I feel nothing but contempt for this man. He's a coward, and since I believe in Karma, I know that at some point in the future, he will hurt as badly as my friend is hurting now. Why is it, that the people we end up hurting the most are the ones we're supposed to care about the most? I think it's pretty evident that this guy only cared for himself.

Trivia Taken Seriously

Recently, I just started this new column called "Head2Head Trivia," and so far, it's been a real eye-opener. I didn't realize how seriously some people took this stuff. Case in point... not ten minutes ago I read an email from someone who objected to my trivia question about Gilligan's first name (the answer, apparently incorrect, is Willie). This person proceeded to regale me with minute details about the fact that Gilligan NEVER had a first name used on the show and then, the coup de grace, he called me "Poopy Pants" Bradford. I am not even kidding. What I want to know is how this person has the time to sit down and write me an email for no other purpose than to call me... that. It's completely absurd. My second column appeared in the paper today, and I can't wait to see what other lunatics will be emailing me about Shakespeare. And for all you people who don't have access to the "Preview," here's a small taste...

1. Which play is thought to have a curse on it?
2. Who says the word "love" more... Romeo or Juliet?
3. What play has the shortest scene?
4. Which play is performed more than any other?
5. Keanu Reeves was in the film adaptation of which Shakespeare play?

The Drop-Back Rule

How do people not know this rule? It's one part common sense, two parts common courtesy. When you're walking on the sidewalk with a friend, a couple buddies or a whole freaking pack, and someone is walking towards you, what do you do? Drop back to allow the individual some space on the sidewalk to get past. But, incredibly, a lot of people don't know this very important rule. Too many times, I've had to step off the sidewalk or had to squeeze past, brushing/bumping shoulders or had to literally step into some foliage while the other people hogged the sidewalk. Even when I'm out for a run, people don't seem to want to move out of the way, and that's when it gets fun because I will totally body-check someone if they don't give me room to run past. So, if you're one of those people who simply didn't realize that there was a Drop Back Rule or you're willfully ignoring it, do everyone a favor and adopt it. The world is a big place, but sidewalks aren't.

Breaking News

So, walking down my street this morning, I had a sneaking suspicion that a movie is being shot just a few doors up from where I live. What would make me think this, you ask? Well, for starters, there's tons of people standing around, talking on cell phones and working on laptops. Cables and wires everywhere. Trucks and trailers lined up along the street. Parking spots blocked off with "Charleston Police Dept" barricades. And, when I was walking past one of the trailers, I saw a pair of Ugg boots perched on the top step, proof positive that a celebrity is around because everybody knows they wear Uggs. Well, except for Pamela Anderson because she apparently was only made aware that the boots are made from sheepskin. There's a certain kind of irony in her saying, "I'll go naked before I wear fur" for PETA while sporting a pair of Uggs, but I've gotten sidetracked. I'm going to find out what's going on. But if it's an actual movie being filmed on my street, how cool is that? Stay tuned.

Don't Let Me Down

The other day someone was supposed to help me build a bookcase. If you're familar with the situation, you'd know that I bought the wood over a year ago, and it's been sitting on my veranda ever since, much to my annoyance. Originally someone else was supposed to help me build it. Never happened. So, deciding to take matters into my own hands, I casually asked this person for some power tools that I could borrow and build the damn thing myself. Instead, he offered to help. After playing phone tag for a week, he finally said he could do it on Thursday which happened to be my day off. I never heard from him. The point to this rambling story is this. People are constantly letting me down. Maybe I care too much. Maybe I expect too much from others. Is the solution to simply not have expectations at all because that way you can't be disappointed? Should I expect that the people in my life will inevitably let me down so that I can be prepared when it happens? The saying is, "No man is an island," but maybe if I were and completely self-sufficient, I wouldn't need to rely on other people so therefore wouldn't be disappointed. It's definitely something to consider.

Mea Culpa

To all 2 of you who actually read this blog, I feel an apology is needed. I've been M.I.A. for the past week, and I have no good excuse except that I'm completely obsessed with a little thing called Yelp. I feel like I've been running around with something younger and racier behind my blog's back, and I know I need to stop because eventually I'm going to get caught, but I just can't. Not yet. So, accept this apology and know that I will come back. Soon.