Here are my five favorite drummers:
1. Damon Che (Don Caballero) - Utterly brilliant and extremely unique. Long over due for significant recognition.
2. Paul Bostaph (Slayer) - His drumming on the last three Slayer records is just fan-friggin-tastic.
3. Derrick Bostrom (Meat Puppets) - He's got a straightforward sensibility that is second to none. Check the beats on "Up on the Sun."
4. Grant Hart (Husker Du) - Whether it was thrash or punk-pop, I learned how to play drums listening to Grant Hart's manic presence.
5. Rey Washam (Big Boys, Rapeman) - Exceedingly skilled drummer with lots of finesse.
Review: Restaurant 821 gets it right
It's rare that I'll step up to the plate and plunk down $100 for dinner, an evening at Restaurant 821, which came to $102, and was well worth the money.
I recently took Kelly to 821 to celebrate her birthday. Being a creature of Internet habit, I first checked Restaurant 821's Web site for more info. They have a clean, well-designed site that features restaurant info and a menu.
They also accept reservations online, a function I decided to use. The reservations were made in seconds and I received a confirmation e-mail within seconds. In the special comments section I noted we'd be celebrating Kelly's birthday and requested a dessert with a candle after the meal.
The meal began with fresh bread, which I believe may have been baked in house. The bread was served with olive oil and roasted garlic – no butter, which is fine as the oil and garlic was sufficient.
The waiter, quiet, but on top of his game, then brought out a complimentary appetizer of sorbet. The sorbet was unlike any I've ever had. It was made from fresh tomatoes and tasted like frozen V8. Kelly enjoyed it, but I didn't care for it. No harm, no foul as it was on the house.
Kelly had a martini of some sort that she said tasted interesting, while I had a Buckler non-alcoholic beer. There was an additional wait staff on hand that refilled our water glasses regularly.
For an appetizer, I had McGregor's Farm Baby Greens which were absolutely delicious and topped with a tasty, but somewhat tart raspberry vinaigrette. It also came with Mascarpone Crostini, which tasted good, but I have no idea what that actually is. Kelly had the house smoked Mozzarella which came with some tasty McGregor's Farm Heirloom Tomatoes, that were very firm and ripe.
For the meal, I had the steak of the day which was cooked as ordered (well-done) and was drenched in a light sauce. It also came with some of the best potatoes I've had in recent memory and topped with some hard pieces of bacon. There was just enough food – not an oversized portion by any means – but very filling. Kelly has scallops and while she enjoyed them, she said my dish had more flavor.
At this point, Kelly excused herself to go the bathroom and the waiter brought dessert menus. I hadn't mentioned the birthday dessert and I figured they had overlooked the note I e-mailed in with my reservation. I ordered cheesecake and to my surprise – they hadn't forgotten her birthday after all. Instead of a candle, the edge of the plate was decorated in a light chocolate sauce. It was discreet, but perfect. And on the way out, the hostess wished Kelly a happy birthday.
While I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy 821, the meal and the dining experience only got better as the evening progressed and I left the restaurant feeling that the value for the price was excellent and that I had made the right choice in choosing where to celebrate Kelly's birthday.
It's rare that I'll step up to the plate and plunk down $100 for dinner, an evening at Restaurant 821, which came to $102, and was well worth the money.
I recently took Kelly to 821 to celebrate her birthday. Being a creature of Internet habit, I first checked Restaurant 821's Web site for more info. They have a clean, well-designed site that features restaurant info and a menu.
They also accept reservations online, a function I decided to use. The reservations were made in seconds and I received a confirmation e-mail within seconds. In the special comments section I noted we'd be celebrating Kelly's birthday and requested a dessert with a candle after the meal.
The meal began with fresh bread, which I believe may have been baked in house. The bread was served with olive oil and roasted garlic – no butter, which is fine as the oil and garlic was sufficient.
The waiter, quiet, but on top of his game, then brought out a complimentary appetizer of sorbet. The sorbet was unlike any I've ever had. It was made from fresh tomatoes and tasted like frozen V8. Kelly enjoyed it, but I didn't care for it. No harm, no foul as it was on the house.
Kelly had a martini of some sort that she said tasted interesting, while I had a Buckler non-alcoholic beer. There was an additional wait staff on hand that refilled our water glasses regularly.
For an appetizer, I had McGregor's Farm Baby Greens which were absolutely delicious and topped with a tasty, but somewhat tart raspberry vinaigrette. It also came with Mascarpone Crostini, which tasted good, but I have no idea what that actually is. Kelly had the house smoked Mozzarella which came with some tasty McGregor's Farm Heirloom Tomatoes, that were very firm and ripe.
For the meal, I had the steak of the day which was cooked as ordered (well-done) and was drenched in a light sauce. It also came with some of the best potatoes I've had in recent memory and topped with some hard pieces of bacon. There was just enough food – not an oversized portion by any means – but very filling. Kelly has scallops and while she enjoyed them, she said my dish had more flavor.
At this point, Kelly excused herself to go the bathroom and the waiter brought dessert menus. I hadn't mentioned the birthday dessert and I figured they had overlooked the note I e-mailed in with my reservation. I ordered cheesecake and to my surprise – they hadn't forgotten her birthday after all. Instead of a candle, the edge of the plate was decorated in a light chocolate sauce. It was discreet, but perfect. And on the way out, the hostess wished Kelly a happy birthday.
While I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy 821, the meal and the dining experience only got better as the evening progressed and I left the restaurant feeling that the value for the price was excellent and that I had made the right choice in choosing where to celebrate Kelly's birthday.
Greyhounds Reach the Beach, Dewey Beach, Delaware 2005 pics
A few weekends ago, I made my first visit to the annual 'Greyhounds Reach the Beach' this past weekend in Dewey Beach, Delaware. I met hundreds of gorgeous greyhounds as they walked on the beach and as they made their way up to Rehoboth Beach, where I stayed.
Dave McG's 2005 Greyhounds Reach the Beach photo gallery
If you see pictures of your hound, drop me an e-mail at dmcgurgan@phillyburbs.com and let me know which one(s) is yours and I'll add a caption with the info.
I got to meet Marilyn Varnberg of Greyhound Adoptions of Florida and Boggles, one of the many special dogs that Marilyn and her organization help keep alive.
While they are racing, many greyhounds are fed a poor diet, spend most of their time in cages and get the bare minimum in proper vet care. And they don't get to experience the love that a family and children can provide.
There are many retired greyhounds right in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware areas that need homes. Greyhounds are one of the most gentle and lovable dogs you will ever meet.
For more information about greyhounds, check out Greyhounds Adoptions of Florida Northeast Chapter and the Greyhounds Reach the Beach official site.
A few weekends ago, I made my first visit to the annual 'Greyhounds Reach the Beach' this past weekend in Dewey Beach, Delaware. I met hundreds of gorgeous greyhounds as they walked on the beach and as they made their way up to Rehoboth Beach, where I stayed.
Dave McG's 2005 Greyhounds Reach the Beach photo galleryIf you see pictures of your hound, drop me an e-mail at dmcgurgan@phillyburbs.com and let me know which one(s) is yours and I'll add a caption with the info.
I got to meet Marilyn Varnberg of Greyhound Adoptions of Florida and Boggles, one of the many special dogs that Marilyn and her organization help keep alive.
While they are racing, many greyhounds are fed a poor diet, spend most of their time in cages and get the bare minimum in proper vet care. And they don't get to experience the love that a family and children can provide.
There are many retired greyhounds right in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware areas that need homes. Greyhounds are one of the most gentle and lovable dogs you will ever meet.
For more information about greyhounds, check out Greyhounds Adoptions of Florida Northeast Chapter and the Greyhounds Reach the Beach official site.
Dean Dirg rocks my world
Dean Dirg
"26 Kicks to Make the Whole World Pay"
CD (Dead Beat, 2005)
Holy crap! Germany's Dean Dirg kicks out some badass hyper punk on "26 Kicks to Make the Whole World Pay." The CD, released domestically by Dead Beat Records, compiles the band's 2004 LP "The Last Kid on the Block" and 2002's "Dean Dirg" LP.
Musically speaking, Dean Dirg is akin to the manic thrash of Henry Fiat's Open Sore, which means they play ridiculously fast and full throttle. Standout tracks include "Everyone Back Off!" and "!!!!" which are super speedy anthems that sound like the Hives' "Barely Legal" or Circle Jerks' "Group Sex" played at 45.
This is really intense modern punk that I regret not discovering sooner. I wish more bands would adopt this style of ultra-quick blasts of mega-high energy punk rock and roll, because it rocks my friggin' world.
MP3: Dean Dirg - 'Everyone Back Off!'
MP3: Dean Dirg - '!!!!'
Dean Dirg
"26 Kicks to Make the Whole World Pay"
CD (Dead Beat, 2005)
Holy crap! Germany's Dean Dirg kicks out some badass hyper punk on "26 Kicks to Make the Whole World Pay." The CD, released domestically by Dead Beat Records, compiles the band's 2004 LP "The Last Kid on the Block" and 2002's "Dean Dirg" LP.Musically speaking, Dean Dirg is akin to the manic thrash of Henry Fiat's Open Sore, which means they play ridiculously fast and full throttle. Standout tracks include "Everyone Back Off!" and "!!!!" which are super speedy anthems that sound like the Hives' "Barely Legal" or Circle Jerks' "Group Sex" played at 45.
This is really intense modern punk that I regret not discovering sooner. I wish more bands would adopt this style of ultra-quick blasts of mega-high energy punk rock and roll, because it rocks my friggin' world.
MP3: Dean Dirg - 'Everyone Back Off!'
MP3: Dean Dirg - '!!!!'
Dirtnap Records PayPal special
Dirtnap Records has a great deal: 3 CDs for $25 ppd. in the USA when you pay by PayPal.
I'd recommend you pick up the following:
The Marked Men - "On the Outside" - One of my favorite records of 2004. Great punk/pop a la The Dickies.
The Pulses - "Gather Round and Destroy All Our Records" - Haven't heard this one (their latest) but I loved their 1st record. Clever indie pop with just enough quirks to make it interesting.
The Spits - "The Spits" - Insanely retarded punk rock. Think The Ramones dumbed down to their bare essence.
Tell Ken I sent you.
Dirtnap Records has a great deal: 3 CDs for $25 ppd. in the USA when you pay by PayPal.
I'd recommend you pick up the following:
The Marked Men - "On the Outside" - One of my favorite records of 2004. Great punk/pop a la The Dickies.
The Pulses - "Gather Round and Destroy All Our Records" - Haven't heard this one (their latest) but I loved their 1st record. Clever indie pop with just enough quirks to make it interesting.
The Spits - "The Spits" - Insanely retarded punk rock. Think The Ramones dumbed down to their bare essence.
Tell Ken I sent you.
The Circle Jerks - Live at the House of Blues DVD
Out of all the recent punk videos that I’ve seen recently (Government Issue Live 1985, X Live in Los Angeles and Punk: Attitude), I was surprised when I concluded that The Circle Jerks Live at the House of Blues is the best.
Professionally recorded and filmed, the band rips through a 30+ song set in 60 minutes. Admittedly the band members, all in their early 40s now, are considered old farts by many skeptics - myself included. But this DVD proves once and for all the might, power and tightness of America's all-too-great hardcore punk band.
Guitarist Greg Hetson (of Bad Religion fame) seems at ease on stage and totally in sync with bassist Zander Schloss, who also does time in The Weirdos. Drummer Kevin Fitzgerald is the most recent "new" member of the group. While his drumming style with The Geraldine Fibbers was sublime, his playing is precise on manic thrashers such as “Deny Everything” and “I Just Want Some Skank.” Singer Keith Morris is perhaps THE best singer of early ‘80s punk scene and I'm proud to report that his shrill and intense voice still as crisp as it did on the classic 1983 LP, "Group Sex."
As for the performances, the band plays nearly all the hits and is wickedly tight throughout. Perhaps the best thing about this DVD is the four-song encore, where the Circle Jerks pay their respects to hardcore history performing Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown" and The Weirdos' "Solitary Confinement."
Also worth a laugh is the commentary by Schloss and Morris, who are self-aware that they are middle-aged punkers playing what is traditionally thought of as a young man’s game. But they’re also cognizant of the fact that the Circle Jerks blow away a good chunk of current punk bands, and phony poseurs such as Sum 41 and Green Day who cleaned up their punk sound to appease corporate America.
If you’re a Circle Jerks fan, don’t hesitate checking this DVD out. And if you’re not a Circle Jerks fan, do yourself a favor and go buy their classic album, “Group Sex” and discover an amazing piece of hardcore history.
Buy The Circle Jerks - Live at the House of Blues DVD at videouniverse.com
Recommended listening:
Circle Jerks - "Group Sex"
Black Flag - "First Four Years"
Weirdos - "Weird World, Volume One "
Bad Brains - "Bad Brains"
Out of all the recent punk videos that I’ve seen recently (Government Issue Live 1985, X Live in Los Angeles and Punk: Attitude), I was surprised when I concluded that The Circle Jerks Live at the House of Blues is the best. Professionally recorded and filmed, the band rips through a 30+ song set in 60 minutes. Admittedly the band members, all in their early 40s now, are considered old farts by many skeptics - myself included. But this DVD proves once and for all the might, power and tightness of America's all-too-great hardcore punk band.
Guitarist Greg Hetson (of Bad Religion fame) seems at ease on stage and totally in sync with bassist Zander Schloss, who also does time in The Weirdos. Drummer Kevin Fitzgerald is the most recent "new" member of the group. While his drumming style with The Geraldine Fibbers was sublime, his playing is precise on manic thrashers such as “Deny Everything” and “I Just Want Some Skank.” Singer Keith Morris is perhaps THE best singer of early ‘80s punk scene and I'm proud to report that his shrill and intense voice still as crisp as it did on the classic 1983 LP, "Group Sex."
As for the performances, the band plays nearly all the hits and is wickedly tight throughout. Perhaps the best thing about this DVD is the four-song encore, where the Circle Jerks pay their respects to hardcore history performing Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown" and The Weirdos' "Solitary Confinement."
Also worth a laugh is the commentary by Schloss and Morris, who are self-aware that they are middle-aged punkers playing what is traditionally thought of as a young man’s game. But they’re also cognizant of the fact that the Circle Jerks blow away a good chunk of current punk bands, and phony poseurs such as Sum 41 and Green Day who cleaned up their punk sound to appease corporate America.
If you’re a Circle Jerks fan, don’t hesitate checking this DVD out. And if you’re not a Circle Jerks fan, do yourself a favor and go buy their classic album, “Group Sex” and discover an amazing piece of hardcore history.
Buy The Circle Jerks - Live at the House of Blues DVD at videouniverse.com
Recommended listening:
Circle Jerks - "Group Sex"
Black Flag - "First Four Years"
Weirdos - "Weird World, Volume One "
Bad Brains - "Bad Brains"
Two articles in current Delaware Today
I have two articles in the September issue of Delaware Today.
One is a preview of the Rehoboth Jazz Festival and the other is a preview of Greyhounds Reach the Beach.
I'll be attending Greyhounds Reach the Beach in Dewey next month - It'll be my first time.
I'm currently working on two articles for Delaware Today's Health and Fitness Guide.
I have two articles in the September issue of Delaware Today.
One is a preview of the Rehoboth Jazz Festival and the other is a preview of Greyhounds Reach the Beach.
I'll be attending Greyhounds Reach the Beach in Dewey next month - It'll be my first time.
I'm currently working on two articles for Delaware Today's Health and Fitness Guide.
Review: Bill Hicks: Agent of Evolution
I write my review of Kevin Booth's "Agent of Evolution" from a unique perspective. In 2000 through 2001, I worked with Kevin to put together this biography of late comedian Bill Hicks. I recorded well over 50 hours of interviews with Kevin, spent time in Austin and Houston hanging out as well as visiting all of Bill's old haunts including El Azteca.
I spent time at the ranch were Kevin and Bill had their legendary alien encounter and even visited the dedication of a rebuilt church at the site of the Waco-Koresh disaster, where Bill and Kevin videotaped during the original Waco siege. Kevin and I backtracked to his old high school and interviewed some of Bill's teachers. And Kevin shared stories and showed me photos and videos of him and Bill together some of which have yet to see the light of day - and probably never will.
During this time I heard much of the AOE story firsthand. I got to know Kevin Booth on a professional and personal level and understand the complexities of his relationship with Bill Hicks. Much of what Kevin shared with me is in AOE, essentially verbatim as I heard it.
Through no fault of Kevin's, after a year's worth of progress, I realized that I was no longer in the frame of mind to work on the book. In short, the project's demands exceeded the resources I was able to devote. Kevin made a wise choice by recruiting writer Michael Bertin, who admittedly did a much better job writing this book than I could have at the time.
The book is not perfect – no biography could ever hope to be. But the book is perhaps the most spot-on and detailed portrait of Bill Hicks to date. And many of these stories are Kevin's recollections and egocentric. That is to be expected. AOE is not only the story of Bill Hicks' career and who he was as a person. AOE is also the story of two friends that despite traveling two very different paths, worked together to create movies, videos, funny skits, music and comedy records.
In the seven years that I've been a fan of Bill Hicks' work and known Kevin Booth and followed his work with Sacred Cow, one thing is clear. Kevin is perhaps the one constant in keeping the spirit of Hicks alive. Not only with this book and the "Sane Man" video, but also with his collaborations with other comedians (Joe Rogan, Doug Stanhope) and personalities (Alex Jones) as well as continuing to make movies including the upcoming film on the drug war.
It's the spirit of creating art, making fun little projects and getting off your ass and doing things that fueled Kevin and Bill's relationship. And even though Bill Hicks is dead, Kevin has kept right on going making movies and music and now this book. He's willing to share everything he's got and for that, I applaud him.
AOE is a warts-and-all book, meaning Kevin Booth lets his guard down completely in recounting stories and events in his and Bill Hick’s lives. And some of these events are not pretty and not something to be proud of. But they are, according to Kevin, true stories. And I have no reason to doubt this.
I write my review of Kevin Booth's "Agent of Evolution" from a unique perspective. In 2000 through 2001, I worked with Kevin to put together this biography of late comedian Bill Hicks. I recorded well over 50 hours of interviews with Kevin, spent time in Austin and Houston hanging out as well as visiting all of Bill's old haunts including El Azteca. I spent time at the ranch were Kevin and Bill had their legendary alien encounter and even visited the dedication of a rebuilt church at the site of the Waco-Koresh disaster, where Bill and Kevin videotaped during the original Waco siege. Kevin and I backtracked to his old high school and interviewed some of Bill's teachers. And Kevin shared stories and showed me photos and videos of him and Bill together some of which have yet to see the light of day - and probably never will.
During this time I heard much of the AOE story firsthand. I got to know Kevin Booth on a professional and personal level and understand the complexities of his relationship with Bill Hicks. Much of what Kevin shared with me is in AOE, essentially verbatim as I heard it.
Through no fault of Kevin's, after a year's worth of progress, I realized that I was no longer in the frame of mind to work on the book. In short, the project's demands exceeded the resources I was able to devote. Kevin made a wise choice by recruiting writer Michael Bertin, who admittedly did a much better job writing this book than I could have at the time.
The book is not perfect – no biography could ever hope to be. But the book is perhaps the most spot-on and detailed portrait of Bill Hicks to date. And many of these stories are Kevin's recollections and egocentric. That is to be expected. AOE is not only the story of Bill Hicks' career and who he was as a person. AOE is also the story of two friends that despite traveling two very different paths, worked together to create movies, videos, funny skits, music and comedy records.
In the seven years that I've been a fan of Bill Hicks' work and known Kevin Booth and followed his work with Sacred Cow, one thing is clear. Kevin is perhaps the one constant in keeping the spirit of Hicks alive. Not only with this book and the "Sane Man" video, but also with his collaborations with other comedians (Joe Rogan, Doug Stanhope) and personalities (Alex Jones) as well as continuing to make movies including the upcoming film on the drug war.
It's the spirit of creating art, making fun little projects and getting off your ass and doing things that fueled Kevin and Bill's relationship. And even though Bill Hicks is dead, Kevin has kept right on going making movies and music and now this book. He's willing to share everything he's got and for that, I applaud him.
AOE is a warts-and-all book, meaning Kevin Booth lets his guard down completely in recounting stories and events in his and Bill Hick’s lives. And some of these events are not pretty and not something to be proud of. But they are, according to Kevin, true stories. And I have no reason to doubt this.
Cold chillin'
Just another day in Wilmington, Delaware.
Someone at work just asked me for a link to the story about a Delaware woman who was injecting her child with feces.
Here it is.
Listening to Mike Lupica's "Hip Transistor" as I work on a Rolling Stones piece for work.
Took the dogs out to the dog park this afternoon and then to Concord Pet.
Concord Pet always has a lot of free samples and I scored some for the feral cats in the neighborhood, including one that is around so much that Kelly named her - Olivia.
I watched "Premonition" last night. It's a decent Japanese supernatural thriller, similar in vein to The Ring and The Grudge. Nothing stellar, but OK enough.
I finally watched the first four episodes of Weeds. It didn't knock my socks off, but it's definitely good and Elizabeth Perkins and Mary Louise Parker are both stellar in it.
Can't wait for the new season of "Huff." That is the only new TV show I even care about. The new fall season of TV doesn't even interest me.
Guess that makes me a TV snob.
Just another day in Wilmington, Delaware.
Someone at work just asked me for a link to the story about a Delaware woman who was injecting her child with feces.
Here it is.
Listening to Mike Lupica's "Hip Transistor" as I work on a Rolling Stones piece for work.
Took the dogs out to the dog park this afternoon and then to Concord Pet.
Concord Pet always has a lot of free samples and I scored some for the feral cats in the neighborhood, including one that is around so much that Kelly named her - Olivia.
I watched "Premonition" last night. It's a decent Japanese supernatural thriller, similar in vein to The Ring and The Grudge. Nothing stellar, but OK enough.
I finally watched the first four episodes of Weeds. It didn't knock my socks off, but it's definitely good and Elizabeth Perkins and Mary Louise Parker are both stellar in it.
Can't wait for the new season of "Huff." That is the only new TV show I even care about. The new fall season of TV doesn't even interest me.
Guess that makes me a TV snob.
