Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture

Who is David Bowie?

A chameleon?  Sure.  A pop star?  Definitely!  As much as we may look back on the career of the Thin White Duke and characterize him as a visionary, as a trendsetter, as a trailblazer, as a man creating music ahead of his time?  He was a pop star.  Still is.

Getting his start in the late 60s, he has a britpop queen (king) who made the older ladies blush and the younger ladies faint.  Never much of a team player, he stayed solo for his career with the exception of a few collaborations with notable stars (Mick Jagger and Queen among the most notable).  And a short stint with Soupy Sales' sons, Hunt and Tony Sales and Reeves Gabrels in Tin Machine, producing only two studio albums and one live effort.  The first studio album is worth your money.

Tonight is about the glamorous life.  By the early seventies, Bowie had become fabulous.  With albums like Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, and Young Americans, Bowie blurred the lines of sexuality and male-appropriate makeup to a magnificent degree.

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the final show of Bowie's Ziggy persona.  Filmed July 3, 1973.

Good Eats: Festival Express

On the menu - Optimus' Pork and Beans, Master of Meat Curtain's pasta and sausage, R'lyeh's tomato smothered stuffed burgers, and host Grand Phantom's Doritos Locos tacos. Not pictured - Rabbi's Cherry Garcia ice cream (bonus points to him for thematic use of food)

Festival Express

The second MMN of the summer commenced at the Grand Phantom's house on June 12, 2012 for a viewing of Festival Express. Festival Express offers a look into an ill-fated tour of classic rock artists across Canada in 1970. Notable artists include the Grateful Dead, The Band, Buddy Guy, Janis Joplin and Sha Na Na (Traffic was also included in the tour but was not in the movie due to contractual obligations).

The tour was plagued with bad vibes almost from the beginning, as Canadian youth protested the "outrageous" ticket price of 10-12 dollars. Gatecrashing and empty seats were rampant. Finally, it seemed the artists began having more fun on the train rides between stops than actually performing in the concerts. Some highlights for me included an impromptu jam session between several artists in route to one show, as well as a drunken, improvisational performance between Joplin and the Band's Rick Danko, accompanied by Jerry Garcia on guitar. Also entertaining was the train's emergency stop after running out of booze, the artists consolidating their money and literally buying the place out.

 Oddly enough, in this viewer's opinion, the film concentrated more on the concert performances (which, while good, were nothing that haven't been seen before) and less on the party taking place on the train ride. As a group, discussion centered on the merits of sleeping with Janis Joplin, the entitlement of hippies / Canadian youths / Baby boomers, the "good ol days" of festivals free of massive corporate involvement, the coolness of the Dead, and the relative obscurity of this event - all of us music fans had either not heard of this tour or just barely heard of it in passing.

 Gentlemen, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

 Excelsior!

Good Eats: Awesome! I Fuckin' Shot That!

Full spread: Optimus' Kentucky Chicken Wings, R'lyeh's brisket wraps,  Master at Arm's "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"s Benedict, The Grand Phantom's "finger lickin' good" chicken and waffles, and The Rabbi's "Stick my dick in the" mashed potatoes. 

A closer look at the Master at Arms' dish

The Rabbi's top secret Brass Monkey construction (note smoke)

Awesome; I Fuckin Shot That! -- The Beastie Boys

We gathered once again for our first MMN of the Summer Season on the fifth of June at the abode of Master of Arms and Curtains for a bittersweet viewing of the Beastie Boys' Awesome; I Fuckin Shot That!. Bittersweet, of course, because the movie choice was in memory of the late Adam Yauch, aka MCA.

 The evening began with the construction and consumption of Brass Monkey, provided by the Rabbi. He deftly combined orange juice, Old English 800 and dry ice into a smoking, frothy potion of delirium and deliciousness. As per our suburban street roots, we convened in the front yard for a few words of praise for Mr. Yauch and then poured a little out for our fallen homie. After serving ourselves refreshments (post and pictures to follow)we began the 2006 concert film.

The Boys gave out hundreds of video cameras to audience members during the Madison Square Garden homecoming performance, edited it down, and released it as a movie. Some personal thoughts follow: I find it interesting how the novelty of an audience member filming a show has quickly worn off - go to any show today and what do you see? Hundreds of little blue rectangles staring back at you as members tape the performance. It's refreshing to watch concert footage before the smartphone age, when people seemed to be busy enjoying the show and not tweeting, taping, or facebooking to everyone else that they're enjoying the show (and indeed, I've been guilty of this as well).

 In this reviewer's opinion, it was a joy to see more of the audience's reactions to the cameras as they watched the bands' show. You really got a feel for how meaningful the Beastie Boys were to the New York audience, and even got a couple of cameos from DMC and Ben Stiller having a blast, just being a fan. The music was excellent, as usual. Rap shows are not know for their proficiency or stellar performance, but the Beasties easily overcame such issue with their enthusiasm and energy, covering a breath of styles and decades of records. The concert energy dropped a bit when they had an instrumental interlude, but the closing performance of "Intergalactic" was fantastic as the group ran through the catacombs of MSG to suddenly appear amongst the audience and explode with the modern classic.

 The night was a fitting memorium for MCA. As a Generation Xer, I feel that his death has brought my generation face-to-face with mortality. Sure, Cobain died at a young age, being our member of the "27 club", but his was a suicide. Yauch was a husband and father (like most of us) who didn't die of his own hand or a tragic accident. He's a man to be admired for his personal growth, his talent, and his intellectual curiosity. "What's running through my mind comes through in my walk True feelings are shown from the way that I talk"

Good Eats: Bittersweet Motel

Phreakin Philly Cheesesteaks and Cheesechops, root beer floats, jalepeno cheese bites, a mashed potato bar (with skyline chili, sour cream, bacon, green onions, and cheese), kettle chips, fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, chocolate brownies, powdered donut holes, glazed donut holes, veggie burritos, chips with guacamole and salsa, and some sort of corn rice thing that I think was supposed to go in the aforementioned veggies burritos.

Bittersweet Motel, Evening in Review

I, SC of R’lyeh, hereby approve of the Bittersweet Motel MMN.  Every MMN location has its own personality.  From the Dungeon’s mildewy appeal to Optimus’ blind dog entertainment to Beef’s fireside chats to Phantom’s hipster appeal, every location has a quirk.  What does the Rabbi offer?  A sense of community.  Bittersweet though it may be, the Rabbi insists upon opening up MMN to the general public, constantly pushing the envelope with what MMN means and how the original five should interact with the world at large.  Though this may cause strife within the ranks, it is an expectation of the Rabbi’s off-campus fraht-haus.

The food, sublime as always.  Enough to feed an army.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by an inflated Hairy Dog in need of a ticket.  I am assured this is an inside joke that had I gotten, would have been hilarious.  Further into the complex, the soothing sounds of car-radio Phish from a splayed open fuel-friendly hatchback set a festival-like tone that continued throughout the evening.  The Phish touring community is one of free love and sharing and acceptance, so were we all welcomed.

The Rabbi’s rabid love of Phish was evident in his introduction to the evening.  Hardly able to remain seated in his chair, he effused effusively the history of the band, the history of Bittersweet Motel, and the personal relationship it seems every true fan of Phish has with the band members, often commenting on the moods and personalities of Trey, Jon, Mike, and Page as if they were his best buds.  Best buds indeed.  This is the loving relationship Phish fans have with the band and with each other.

Food eaten, drinks consumed, and other elements taken care of, the show began.  A relatively short presentation, clocking in at a paltry 82 minutes.  But in 82 minutes, Phish fans got the fix they needed, missing details filled in by their wandering imaginations and remembrances of concerts past.  Any song cut short in a directorial decision played fully in the addled fan’s mind.

And there were naked people.  Usually appreciated.

Post-game.  Apparently, those who consider themselves a part of the Phish community are vehemently opposed to being accused of being a part of a community.  Who knew?  There were no immediate converts at this MMN.  Former fans still appreciate Phish for what they are and the memories they have fostered.  Current fans are still rabid.  Casual listeners still listen casually.  Hippie hating hippie-haters still practice hippie hating.  However, even as I write this as a casual listener, I jam out to the soothing sounds of the Grateful Dead’s “Franklin’s Tower” and “The Music Never Stopped” from One from the Vault.  Have I been moved up in the rankings from a casual listener to a former fan?