Bored Bored Bored

Just checking in quickly to say that I am still alive, of course, but have not done much I felt needed a proper posting. Definitely in some type of funk or something. I'm going out of town on Friday, so with the holiday yesterday, I will only have a three-day work week. That's a positive, I guess.

Sharon Osbourne vs. Gene Simmons

Sharon Osbourne has just lashed out at Gene Simmons (and his "wife" Shannon Tweed) for his comments on her parenting skills. Gene was critical because of the many times various Osbourne kids have been to rehab. Sharon's comments are tasteful as always, "He said that our kids are on drugs and that his aren't messed up like that. He'll always be C-list, and his wife's snatch has been rubbed on every pole in L.A. I'll fu**ing tear his head off and stick it up his wife's cu**!"

Classy.

My Weekend Report

Man, what an unusual weekend! Unusual because it was actually fun. It started off, of course, with the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club concert on Friday night at Sokol Underground. I thought the show was great, but I'm not 100% certain it met my extremely high pre-concert expectations. The set list was primarily from the new album which is to be expected. They sounded fantastic, and the playing was top notch. My only real complaint -- if I had to make one -- was that the band barely acknowledged the audience at all. No "Hello Omaha." No "It's great to be here." Nothing. Until the encore. I don't need a ton of stage banter, but I'd like a little bit.

All told, BRMC played close to two hours and most of the songs I wanted to hear, I was able to hear. They didn't play "Stop" which is surprising since it was the single from the Take Them On, On Your Own album. Omahype has a more detailed review of the show, and they took some fantastic pictures which can be seen here.

The crowd was a little lighter than I had hoped, but I spoke with 1% Productions who said that the show ended up breaking even. I'd hate to have anyone lose money just because the Omaha hipster elite refuse to acknowledge the greatness of BRMC.

Saturday night I had a dinner party to attend, and it ended up being a lot more enjoyable than I had anticipated. The meal was fantastic and the conversation was quite interesting -- lots of politics and whatnot. Pretty much everyone in attendance was on the "same side" in terms of politics (all Dems), so there wasn't much in terms of argument. I think we all agree (as does most of the country) that any Democrat in the White House is better than the current occupant, and better than any of the GOP contestants who offer nothing more than staying the Bush course.

After dinner, I discovered the greatest TV show in the history of TV -- Ninja Warrior! The show is from Japan, and is aired on the G4 cable network. I think G4 is a relatively new channel. The show features male and female Japanese contestants attempting to navigate a very difficult obstacle course in a short amount of time. The obstacles are no easy feat, and most of the contestants fail miserably. In fact, the failing is probably the best part. If you are unable to navigate the obstacle you end up falling in a pool of brown, murky water. It looks quite gross. My description of the show does not do it justice. You need to see this show. It's quite exciting and is absolutely addictive. We watched it for nearly 2 hours on Saturday night. G4 has been running marathons of the show lately, so new viewers can get caught up.

I had to miss The Hold Steady show because I was on the air at the time. I haven't heard anything about it yet other than the attendance was strong -- better than BRMC. My show went well, and I got the new single from Rooney (though I didn't really like it). It was a little uneventful since many people who would ordinarily listen to me were at THS.

Not too much else to report. I'll try and have more later.

Vintage KISS Makes It To DVD

KISS' classic performance on Paul Lynde's 1976 Halloween TV Special is now being released on DVD. The band played three songs and appeared in some skits with the 70s TV star.

"The Paul Lynde Halloween Special," which aired in October 1976, will be released on DVD October 2, 2007 by S'more Entertainment. The disc will include all three KISS performances (Detroit Rock City, King Of The Nighttime World, and Beth) and the footage of the band on stage talking to Lynde.

Obviously, the DVD will be higher quality, but here is one of the songs from YouTube:

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club TONIGHT!!

I have been waiting for almost six years to see Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in concert, and it is finally happening tonight. I have a feeling they will live up to my high expectations. The new album, Baby 81, is incredible -- a vast improvement over the uneven Howl from 2005. The new record mixes their older influences -- Jesus and Mary Chain, Love & Rockets -- with a little bit of the bluesier, Stones-ier stuff from Howl. I hope there is a crowd tonight at Sokol. Besides my radio show, I don't think BRMC is played anywhere in the area, and they were not featured anywhere I saw in print.

There are two openers: The Cobbs and Eastern Conference Champions. I know nothing about either. Tickets are still available for $15 and can be purchased here or at the door. If you think $15 is too high a price, I suggest you look at what shows cost people in other cities. Shows at Sokol or Waiting Room or wherever are a steal compared to NYC, Chicago, or even Kansas City. So, don't whine. It is a rare occasion to see such a great band playing a grungy basement in Omaha. Do not miss this opportunity.

This is a pretty big weekend for shows in Omaha. Besides BRMC tonight, there is also Animal Collective on Saturday, The Hold Steady on Sunday, and Minus The Bear on Monday. I already know I am going to miss The Hold Steady because I am on the air when they are playing, and I'm about 50/50 on Animal Collective. I have heard good things, but I have not personally listened to the band. It will depend on how I feel after the BRMC show.

Tune in to my show on Sunday (if you are not at THS) because I am going to be playing a bunch of Minus the Bear songs to get people prepped for Monday.

Bo Diddley Holed Up In Omaha Hospital

Blues legend Bo Diddley suffered a stroke the other day while performing a concert in western Iowa. He is currently recovering at Creighton University Hospital in Omaha, NE. More details can be found here.

Dick Dale: TONIGHT

Dick Dale, the King of Surf Guitar music, is playing tonight in Omaha at Waiting Room (62nd & Maple). From what I hear, Dale still shreds on guitar, and is quite enjoyable live. He is a true living legend. Tickets are $20, and the show is NOT sold out. Yet.

Kind of a Light Weekend

In my opinion, this weekend is a little light on shows. I am planning on seeing Vedera tonight at The Waiting Room. The Kansas City band has been playing here for years, and I always hear good things about them. There is a Phish tribute band called Helping Phriendly Band playing at Sokol. There is no amount of money that could get me inside that room tonight. I never liked the original, and I certainly won't like a cover band.

I have a lot of yard work that needs to get done, so I am going to try and devote this weekend to making my house look nicer. We'll see how far I get with that...

Beyond that, I don't have a lot to share with you. My show will kick ass (as usual) on Sunday night, and I still have one more pair of Morrissey tickets to give away. Tune in promptly at 11 if you want a chance to win those since they are pretty pricey.

New Spinal Tap Short On Line

The new Spinal Tap short film can be seen here. It sort of picks up where the early 80s classic leaves off, and does feature Rob Reiner reprising his role as filmmaker Marti DiBergi.

TiVo Alert: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

One of my favorite new bands from the last 5-6 years, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, will be playing TONIGHT on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Peter Criss To Release New Solo Album

Peter Criss, founding member and drummer of iconic rock group KISS, will release his new solo CD entitled ONE FOR ALL July 24 on Silvercat Records, distributed by Sony/Red. The CD will be distributed day-and-date to fans across the globe.

An autobiographical collection of songs that Criss produced and recorded over the course of two years, ONE FOR ALL also includes several cover tunes that reflect his outlook on life at this point in his long-standing career. Says Criss: "The most important thing is that my fans and other people will get a whole new outlook on me with this CD. I'm reinventing myself at my own pace, and for me, it's now, more than ever, about being true."

ONE FOR ALL is the first fully self-produced CD that Criss has recorded -- in addition to arranging and writing the lyrics and melodies for most of the material on the CD.

Joined by longtime friends and acclaimed musicians - Grammy award-winning bandleader Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee, as well as guitarist Mike McLaughlin -- ONE FOR ALL is a variously styled project, profoundly rich in ballads that touches on all aspects of Criss' life, and draws on his love of rock and R&B. The title track, recorded with the Church of Transfiguration Boys Choir, was written in the wake of 9/11 and sets the tone for the CD. Other songs include: Doesn't Get Better Than This, Last Night, Faces in the Crowd, Heart Behind the Hands, Send in The Clowns, and even a tribute song to his longtime bandmate and friend Ace Frehley titled Space Ace.