Collective Soul October 25, 2009

Helen and I met in our first year at UBC and we’ve been friends ever since. We share the same [i.e., superior] taste in music, and we’ve made it a bit of a habit to get together whenever Collective Soul is in town. Friday brought them (and us) once more to the Commodore.

Collective Soul is one of those bands that’s been around for a long time, so they are proficient musicians, have fabulous stage presence, and have lost all the pretentious bullshit that so many new bands exhibit. Ed was jumping around the whole time, they played to the crowd, and there was even a moment when I was convinced that we were going to witness a break-dance fight (we got some pointing and prancing instead, as evidenced in the pics below). They clearly enjoy each other and their craft, and they love their fans.

They are the quintessential rock band, and I can’t wait to see them again!

England 2009 October 19, 2009

Hard to believe I was in England last month; it really was the perfect vacation. Saw old friends, made some new ones, and just had a brilliant time. The pictures are here.

I’ve put together my soundtrack based on the stuff I listened to most during the trip. There was lots of pop to keep me going, and some of my staples at the time. Click here to download, and enjoy!

 

01. The Clash – London Calling
02. Spoon – Don’t You Evah
03. David Gray – Fugitive
04. New Pornographers – These Are the Fables
05. Hardi-Fi – Little Angel
06. Phoenix – 1901
07. Hootie & the Blowfish – Hold My Hand
08. The Romantics – What I Like About You
09. Radiohead – 15 Step
10. Amos Lee – Listen
11. Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby
12. Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
13. Beast – Out of Control
14. Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down
15. Led Zeppelin – Over the Hills and Far Away
16. Jets Overhead – I Should Be Born

Words, Words, Words October 16, 2009

Thinking of throwing my hat in the ring for NaNoWriMo again this year. In 2008 I made it to just under 46,000 before my tendonitis got so bad that I had to accept defeat. This year the problem is that I haven’t thought of anything interesting to write about.

DETAILS.

But, while I try to drum up some inspiration, here are a few things I’ve heard recently that have made me stop long enough to scribble them down.

“Stock your mind, stock your mind. You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace.” – Frank McCourt

“Where one burns books, one will, in the end, burn people.” – Heinrich Heine

“The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think. – Glaser & Way

“We don’t grow into creativity… we get educated out of it.” – Ken Robinson

“A good book is the purest essence of a human soul.” – Thomas Carlyle

I’m sensing a theme…