Oddsmakers: Three Sheets, One Leaf, and a Fever

Big doings and a crazy coincidence from Virginia's capital city next weekend. 

Yes, at week's end in Richmond, there will be a nice little assortment of music at the city's Maymont Park. A 100-acre green space in the heart of town adjacent to the James River, Maymont is celebrating a century of existence with some fun for all ages. 

On Saturday night, Carbon Leaf is playing; we've touted the virtues of my old buddy Barry and his band here before. Terrific dudes playing ear-pleasing music at clubs across the country. 

Leaf Barry with some gheorghies

Here's a Carbon Leaf tune ("Desperation Song") from a quality Richmond venue from a decade ago. Go check' em out!

Before that happens, though -- check this shit out.

On Friday night, a pair of local tribute acts share the bill. Full Moon Fever kick things off at 6pm; they're a killer Tom Petty tribute band that some of you may recall played my wedding 2 years ago. 

FMF, Prabir and Les Coole

Prabir and his Petty-playin' cronies are good eggs and do more than justice to that catalog. Be a face in their crowd. 

At 8:30pm, after my old wedding band clears out, stay tuned for the next act: Three Sheets to the Wind. They're a killer Yacht Rock tribute band that some of you may recall played my wedding 13 years ago. 

Smooth all over

The canvas can do miracles, and so can these guys. Smooth music is their milieu. Topper Dandy, Capt. Max Power, & Co. are super good guys and deliver a bevy of yacht rock tunes. They should be missed... is what a fool believes, Kenny. 

But seriously, what are the chances that this event features a pair of musical acts, and both bands played my weddings 11 years apart? 

I'd say not strong. (I also got married in Richmond in 1997; I'd say we should see if we can find Fat Ammon or the Rhondels to play some beach music on Saturday like they did for me that day back then... but they've mostly passed on.)

Add to this unlikely odds that my old friend's band is playing the third show, and it's quite the cosmic feat. 

Alas, I will be busy Friday night with my stepson's 8th grade graduation festivities. Otherwise, it'd be nice to see the old gangs and marvel at this weirdness.

Black Friday Becomes Smooth Friday

♬When Black Friday comes...♬

This Friday is Black Friday! Whatever that means to you. 

Bargains? 

Crowds? 

Leftovers? 

Yardwork?

Blue movie marathon?

Sleep?

Probably television for many of us. For the college football enthusiasts in the G:TB crowd, we have this slate:

• Noon: Oklahoma State at Colorado (ABC)
• Noon: Navy at East Carolina (ESPN)
• Noon: Minnesota at Wisconsin (CBS)
• Noon: Oregon State at Boise State (Fox)
• Noon: Ball State at Ohio (ESPNU/CBSSN)
• Noon: Miami-Ohio at Bowling Green (ESPNU/CBSSN)
• 3:30: Mississippi State at Ole Miss (ABC)
• 3:30: Liberty at Sam Houston (CBSSN)
• 3:30: Utah State at Colorado State (FS1)
• 3:30: Texas State at South Alabama (ESPN+)
• 4:00: Stanford at San Jose State (CBS)
• 7:30: Georgia Tech at Georgia (ABC)
• 7:30: Iowa at Nebraska (NBC)
• 8:00: Utah at UCF (Fox)

Plus a couple of NBA games on ESPN (many more for NBA TV hounds). 

And a ton of college hoops. No big showdowns, unless you count those founding fathers George Mason versus James Madison. True story: George Mason and James Madison met at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where Madison drafted the Virginia Plan and Mason was an enthusiastic participant. Mason initially supported Madison's Plan, but later changed his mind and went with the opposition. These two men just don't like each other these days, and you should see what happens when they hoop it up.  

♬When Black Friday comes...♬

Yes, the Steely Dan song. One with Jeff Porcaro playing drums on it. You know, Jeff Porcaro. Of the Porcaro brothers? In Toto?? His brother Steve also wrote the Michael Jackson tune "Human Nature," and both brothers played on the track. But you can learn all about that here.

Both Steely Dan and Toto have recurring roles in the gritty, unflinching, true-life rockumentary series Yacht Rock. That cinematic masterpiece sprang to life in 2005 and nothing was ever the same ever again ever. 

For those readers saying to themselves, "Huh. I've never seen Yacht Rock," I have four words for you.

You. And. I. Aren't. Friends.

Five. Five words. Okay, well, there's a quick way to remedy it on Black Friday. Watching every single episode of Yacht Rock (there are 12) will require the following time to binge:

64 minutes, 34 seconds. 

Bingeclock says it takes 6 hours, but maybe that's if you watch it in super slo-mo. That's egregious. The episodes are 5 minutes long! They're wrong. Perhaps trying to scare people away from it. 

An hour, basically. There's no excuse not to watch it! Or watch it again, if it's been a while. Let's get you started:

But.. wait a minute... holy... what the... could it be??

Premiering on HBO on  November 29... Black Friday...

Somebody call Hollywood Steve!

Yah mo' be there! Can Greg, Teej, Marls, and I have a watch party?

NBA Draft Open Thread Filler

Yes, use this post to discuss what promises to be a messy NBA Draft tonight. But really this post was just an excuse to recognize the grand importance of this day:

The Twelve Days of Gheorghemas: Day Nine

On the ninth day of Gheorghemas, Big Gheorghe gave to me:

Nine internet moments of levity

Eight Tribey moments
Seven books for reading
6.9 Non Sequiturs
Six All-Star Nods
Five podcasts for listening
Four posts zman meant to write but never did
Three French Hens
Two in-state rivalries
And a dork with a split personality

Anybody else spend Christmas day in the emergency room after thinking that they were having a heart attack? No? Just me? Crap.  Maybe we need to update the G:TB death pool odds.   Clarence may no longer be the odds on favorite.  In the end, the hospital and cardiologist advised that I need to get more sleep, drink more water and avoid some work stress.  Apparently getting up at 4 AM to head to NYC two days before Christmas for meetings and an 8 hour deposition is not good for the overall well being.  Who knew? 

Anyway, Big Gheorghe, being the giving sort that he is, decided to offer nine items of internet levity that he thought might bring a smile to an ailing heart. As always, Gheorghe's choices were just what the doctor ordered.

1.     Raccoon Meets NWA:   This one kills me every time.

Nothing more needs to be said.

2.    Roderick On The Line:  Earlier this Gheorghemas, Dave shamelessly plugged his own podcast as one of five indispensable listens.   While I actually enjoy The Test quite a bit, as well as the other podcasts that everyone's favorite master of self-promotion listed,  I thought Dave left out some really solid podcasts. Not the least of these omissions is Roderick on The Line, which can be found here or on iTunes.  Mr. Roderick, who heads up the band The Long Winters, uses the podcast to showcase his skills as a raconteur and I laugh every time.  Here is a good introductory taste.

Also noteworthy is that Roderick recently toured with Aimee Mann & Liz Phair, which means he actually lived Clarence's and Rob's wet dream.

3.  ORF Rock:  You have seen it in the comments every Monday night and tried to ignore it.    However, if you let it, ORF Rock is like a fungus...it grows on you.  Maybe it's the technical snafus, maybe it's Penny Baker's momentary flashes of cleavage, maybe it's Les Coole's rapier wit, maybe it's the idea of two well post collegiate professionals broadcasting a weekly college "radio" show on a station that is not actually on the radio (internet only)...whatever "it" is, ORF Rock is a weekly break that is worth watching and live texting if only to make fun of Whitney.  

4.     Yacht Rock Episode #5:   As the series that launched a million OBFT quotes, Yacht Rock has a special place in heart of many G:TB'ers.  This particular episode makes the list because of the inclusion of Vincent Price (the Act-tor), Skunk Baxter's love of the spirit world, and the fact that it is often the subject of late night texts from FoG:TB Greg/Joe Kickass.  Gheorghe, like most eastern Europeans, loved Michael Jackson so this one is a personal fave of the big man.  

5.     Robert Loggia selling orange juice:  This year we lost Robert Loggia.  You may remember him as Frank Lopez from Scarface, the boss from Big, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in Independence Day, or the coach that gave Kathy Ireland a chance to play in Necessary Roughness.  

All great roles, but Big Gheorghe and I will always remember him for this classic.

If the Academy Awards forgets to include Big Bobby L in the "In Memoriam" segment there will be hell to pay.  

6.     Scott Van Pelt and Tim Kurkjian: SVP's penchant for sending Timmy K into fits of laughter has been well documented in this space.  That does not make it any less funny.  Thanks Big G for the reminder...


7.     Schlitz Malt Liquor Ads:  I don't know why these ads make me happy, but they just do.  Maybe it is the fact that malt liquor was once marketed as somehow having "more taste" than beer or maybe it is just the guy from the Average White Band singing into the can.  




8.     Buzz Bissinger vs. Will Leitch:  I don't know how I missed this back in 2008, but I was only recent alerted to this back and forth between Deadspin founder Will Leitch and Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger.  Buzz's seething hatred for the faceless "blogosphere" is fantastic, totally unbridled, and really takes off about the 3:50 mark. This one is awesome if only for the awkward tension and the repeated use of "balls deep".  

Will Leitch On Costas Now by Machochip

Buzz continues to tilt at windmills, as evidenced by his recent fight with Michael Moore, but this may be the high point of "get off my lawn" journalistic holier than thou-ism.

9.     Mike Tyson on a hoverboard:  Because this is what the internet was invented for.



Thanks Gheorghe, I knew I could count on you.

The 12 Days of Gheorghemas: Day 12

On the 12th Day of Gheorghemas, Big Gheorghe gave to me . . .

Twelve Weeks Late On Appreciations
Eleven Months of Awesome
Nothing. Not a Single Thing.
Nine Gifts for Friends
?????????????????????
Seven Books for Reading
Six cocktails
Five gooooals / things
Four legal mic drops
Three critters and an otter
Two names for naming
And a fat guy in a jer-sey

March the Twenty-Fifth

No one's hangin' stockin's up,
No one's bakin' pie,
No one's lookin' up to see
A new star in the sky.
No one's talkin' brotherhood,
No one's givin' gifts,
And no one loves a Christmas tree
On March the twenty-fifth.

--Shel Silverstein

I don't know if it'll make any change, but I figured it's time for me to start posting.

And, commence the letdown.

I suppose it can’t be as big a letdown as a Monday night in early March, so it’s as good a time as any to close out 2013 and move forward. Seems like we haven’t really gotten in gear here in 2014, and I take the blame for it. I could blame Dave for stealing my stuff on Day 8, or Dennis for posting nothing on Day 10, or the group for ensuring we were going to drift into ’14 even without my lag . . . but nope. This was my mental block.

The only bits I have of any value are a few music recommendations and some overdue thank-yous to yous guys, so here goes. My annual end-of-year “20 from 2013” CD (antiquated, not yet obsolete) is now feeling a tad stale, but there is still some good listening that a few of you may have yet to hear. Spotify list forthcoming.

Here goes:

Black Joe Lewis, “Come To My Party”
Cage The Elephant, “Come a Little Closer”

Most significant of my gratitude surrounds my wedding day over a year ago. Quite a few of you made the trek – through snow and ice (honestly, who gets married in January?) – to wish me well and drink like hell. Here’s to Three Sheets to the Wind, O’Sullivan’s bar, and all of you great friends who left me humbled and honored that day.

Arctic Monkeys, “I Want It All”
Neko Case, “Man”
Man Man, "Head On"

And to the best wedding gifts a man could ask for:

Squeaky/Zman. (Yes, it's signed.) Man.

Teej/Baconbaking (went quickly)

Dave and Buckles each (gift certificates also went quickly)

And the Marls… man man.

And others I have omitted. My sincere apologies.

Queens of the Stone Age, “I Sat By the Ocean”
Vance Joy, “Riptide”
Okkervil River, “Down Down The Deep River”

More good friend stuff . . . the 20th Annual Outer Banks Fishing Trip happened last August. I still can’t believe we have done something without fail for that long. We can’t even get through 12 days of Gheorghemas. It was spectacular, with most all of the mainstays going to great lengths to be there. Here’s to 20 more, God willing. Hell, here's to OBFT XXI, if that happens.

The Mowgli's, “San Francisco”
Non sequitur: My wife turns 40 this year, and for kicks, we’re headed to the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park in August. Join us if you have the means. Which I don’t, but that’s not stopping me.

Trombone Shorty, “Shortyville”

Here’s to Rob. And this short post. This was my favorite tune of 2013. There are no words.

That about does it. This feels like Ween’s cover of “Piano Man” in Toronto ’96 (awesome but slightly NSFW at the end, which you must wait for), but less hilarious. This is house-cleaning and music. Have at it.

Rounding out the 20…

Dr. Dog, “Broken Heart”
Delta Rae, “If I Loved You [feat. Lindsey Buckingham]”
The Avett Brothers, “Another Is Waiting” (I know, I know, Rootsy)
Bear's Den, “Agape”
Dan Croll, “From Nowhere”
Portugal. The Man, “Modern Jesus”
Caitlin Rose, “Waitin'”
Jason Isbell, “Relatively Easy”
Ages and Ages, “Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)”

Oh... and...
(My wife’s selection, not mine)...
Ylvis, “The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)”

Thanks to all, and to all a Happy 2014!

Ahoy Polloi: Today's The Big Day

The Yacht Rock wedding sail-ebration (see what I did there?) will take place later today. I am hopping in the car this morning with BaconBaking, Shlara and WheelhouseJerry to speed down I-95 and I-64 in time for what will be a fantastic time. But before I go, I've got a little poem I'd like to read in honor of this occasion:


Oh, there's also this good sign/omen for today - KQ and Mr. KQ sent along this receipt from last night's pre-wedding activities:

Frat.

Is Hollywood Steve invited to the wedding?

In honor of this upcoming weekend's Yacht Rock wedding festivities, and because we desperately need to push down that last TR video) I am here to introduce the uninitiated to the pilot "episode" of Yacht Rock. Give it a watch, and whether you like it or not, more are coming before Saturday. And, if you say you don't like it, you will really hurt Greg's feelings. No one wants a sad Greg.




Clarence edit: Episodes 1 & 2 are really companion pieces...

Greg, Look What Exists...

I loaded these materials into the blogger interface, but perhaps someone else added the text below? Or no, did we just plagiarize all of that? Honestly, who gives a rat's ass..it's fucking Daryl Hall. He's alive. And honestly, he's kicking some ass. I realize this is not an Igor post, talking up all the wonderful double-header music evenings they've had of late...but it's fucking Daryl Hall. I'm impressed. Enjoy. I hate you all.

Daryl Hall has had the great good fortune, in his own words, of “being in the right place at the right time” for what has turned out a rich and varied career. He has worked with virtually all of the great musicians of modern popular music as well as entering into new relationships with the best of the latest generation of artists.