Pioneer on the Internet – Sean Gursky

I think there is a pretty evident parallel here. When I worked nights I was getting less sleep and more active on seagurs. I am now back on a regular sleep schedule and my posting frequency drops!

A team of parka clad researchers are heading to the North Pole to investigate this relation further.

I have not been up to much in the last week. The long weekend saw a staff party, some long sleeps and I caught up on a few movies.

Rescue Dawn and Redacted

The first movie was Redacted, and it caught my attention by seeing a trailer a few weeks back. The movie showed great promise and looked like it would be right up my ally. Unfortunately I found it slow, focused on an event in the oversea war I had not heard of and failed to deliver an story pacing.

I tried to redeem my lackluster movie weekend with a movie Dad lent me called Rescue Dawn. Because this movie was from Dad’s personal collection I expected it to not be an intelligent movie with an intricate plot but be simple and have a few explosions.

Unfortunately there were no explosions and the movie was dull. Because it starred Christian Bale my expectations were set higher but was sorely disappointed. The story could have been good but it failed to maintain the tension and urgency of escaping from the Vietnamese POW camp.

I have to make up for these two shows with Lions for Lambs or perhaps go for a reliable choice that will not let me down.

Lost

Season three of Lost was released on DVD this week and there has been a little bit of promotional items released online. The biggest is a new orientation film. Some wild things happen and the DHARMA rabbit hole goes a little deeper.

The season four trailer is also edited in a fast and exciting style that we have all come to know, love and hate from ABC. Fifty-five days until the season starts and this is fueling my excitement.

YouTube IconSeason 4 Trailer (0:35) | The Orchid Orientation Preview (2:02)

Unfortunately we may not receive the eight episodes we expected, but two less. DarkUFO had an update on this situation, read below:

There is a natural break in the story at the end of episode 6. But there are 8 episodes in the can, and those last two start a new arc and don’t really stand alone. So…….some PTB at ABC don’t want to show those last two. At all — until fall or NEXT Feb. when/if there are more episodes to go with them. But other powers in the Disney pack are strongly pushing for all 8 episodes this Feb, because they are so desperate for original content to be aired. But right now, there is nothing to follow # 8, not planned, not written, nuttin’. link

U2 : ZooTV

Everything you know is wrong!

Matthew Good played two sold out shows at the very lovely and intimate Myer Horowitz Theater on Sunday and Monday. The shows sold out in record pace, and with the shows being assigned seating (something different compared to last year) it was a mess finding a ticket.

I managed to luck out for both shows and get front row balcony seats at center for the first night and just off to the left of center for the second night. A feat unto itself as some people could not get any tickets let alone ones they desired.

Here are my thoughts for the two nights with Matthew Good and the Nothing to Hide tour.

Sunday, September 23

Following the concert Brad and I tried to figure out what was wrong. We both enjoyed the show but something was missing. Something was off. Something was not right.

The show was enjoyable, Matt’s voice was amazing and the new songs were beautiful in the acoustic setting. So what was wrong?

The March 2006 was the best Matthew Good/Band show we had seen to date. After ten years of seeing him perform and seeing nearly twenty shows we know what to expect, and perhaps seeing so many shows had tainted our point of view?

The setlist was good, but not great. The new songs were done flawlessly live. The triple header intro of Girl Wedged Under The Front Of a Firebird – I’m Not Safer Than a Bank – Champions Of Nothing was a well played introduction to the new material and the night.

There was a nice treat with hearing a brand new song A Silent Army In The Trees which lead into Black Helicopters. This was probably the highlight for me, although hearing I’m A Window was really stellar. I love the upbeat feel to that song.

I really enjoy hearing Load Me Up and Indestructible acoustically, it adds a new element to old songs. And that is where I think this show lacked, there were not a lot of gems. We were treated to the always amazing Fated and Fine Art of Falling Apart, which closed the show, but that was it.

March 2006 had a handsome helping of rarities and that is what made that show stand out. Matthew Good is touring a new record so I should not expect to hear rarities in place of new material but I was looking for more.

To add insult to injury following the show I went to stop the recording and noticed my recorder was turned off. This is never a good sign. Did my hard drive crash? Did I run out of battery power? Did something else go wrong?

I am not sure what happened but before Matthew took the stage I checked all of my connections and saw that I was getting sound from my microphones and I had been recording for six minutes. Shortly after that six minute mark the recording stopped.

This meant that there was more pressure on me to get a recording of the next night and hope Matthew was up to the task of outperforming himself.

Monday, September 24

Was this even the same person playing tonight? This show was leagues ahead of the one on Sunday. There were more interesting songs played, such as North American For Life, Alert Status Red and Hopeless.

There were even different songs from the new album played such as Odette and a Simon and Garfunkle cover. Standout tracks were still Silent Army In The Trees – Black Helicopters and Fated.

Even the inbetween song banter was a little more lively and had some variety to it. Matthew’s ability to go from talking about outsourcing to slavery and the Roman’s is a skill on its own. When Matthew comes back in 35 years with his Big Band Revue I will be all of that and we can talk about Rascals and how to get better battery life out of them.

Monday night was an improvement on every aspect. New covers, different songs and repeated songs were played in a different order. Chad had raved at how good the Red Deer show was. Unfortunately, in his opinion, the Edmonton ones did not live up to what he had witnessed on Saturday. That is the way it goes with multiple shows in a province, you can never predict when the show will be better than the last.

The opening act, Dala, needs to be mentioned here. These two girls from Ontario were amazing. Their harmonies were spot on, they had great songs and their two guitars sounded wonderful. It is a real treat to have an opening act that you look forward to hearing. Brad bought their CD and their live talents are evident in the studio.

After seeing their performance on Sunday I made sure to record them on Monday night. They played a quick thirty minute set that featured similar songs to the night before but also made sure to have different introductions to songs and change up their conversations between songs.

The crowd was also different between the two nights. On Sunday the crowd was really quiet and at times all you could hear was Matthew playing and nothing else. Monday night I found the crowd louder and applauded more. I did find it interesting that the crowd gave Matthew two standing ovations on Sunday but only one last night. Still, he deserved those ovations for a job well done.

Once Matthew finishes touring Hospital Music who knows when he will be back again. Edmonton has been spoiled with his yearly tours that occasionaly feature multiple shows and I hope that he comes back soon.

Right Click > Save As to listen to “Silent Army In The Trees’ from last night.

Sleep comes like a drug
In God’s Country
Sad eyes, crooked crosses
In God’s Country

It has no relevance, but at 3:30AM this morning the chorus to In God’s Country from U2 crept into my head and has not been able to leave.

I keep repeating it, looking for significance or a reason why that was the first song I thought of in that hallway. Whatever history existed behind those words are now replaced with my own.

And now a family separated years ago is slowly returning to each other on the other side and I miss them both.

A week ago I was down in Calgary. Now, I am sitting at home enjoying the Friday on what turned out to be another gorgeous day. What a week it has been.

We travelled 1800KM’s, saw five concerts, experienced torrential rain, had a near miss with a deer and made great memories all over the long weekend.

By now most are aware of the secret show Jack and Meg performed at a Youth Center last weekend. I made several phone calls before rushing off with Jenna in tow.

When we arrived we were able to get a decent spot infront of Jack. Everyone I called was able to make it into the show, even Aaron made it in who just came in the back door when the main entrance was closed to the amount of people.

The experience was surreal and a treat that lead into a fantastic main show on Saturday. As I wrote earlier, the setlist was amazing. Songs were played from The White Stripes and White Blood Cells that I thought I would never hear. It was a gem and listening back to the show I am reminded of how great it was.

Six hours after going to sleep I was and getting ready for the trip to Saskatoon. The trip was peaceful and we encountered little traffic. Obviously Aaron and I had spent a lot of time in a car together to this point. Although with the addition of Wendy she livened up the ride as we talked music and discussed our new empire: STB. I will save you the back story.

We got into Saskatoon around 1:30PM but could not check into the hotel until 4:00PM. We ventured off down the road in search of a hotspot so we could get an update on a Saskatoon free show.

We ended up in Starbucks and as I logged onto the wireless connection a phone call came in from a Saskatoon connection telling me the news. Aaron and Wendy grabbed their drinks and we rushed back to the car. Thanks to Aaron’s GPS unit we were able to head in the direction of the secret show.

Everything seemed good until the navigator took us to an empty parking lot. Minutes were ticking by and we felt our window of opportunity close. We felt that we should turn right at a corner.

We asked an elderly couple walking down the street if they knew where Eastview Bowl was. Either they did not hear us, or were messing with us, but both shook their heads. Not more than 100m behind them was the bowling lane. Score one for you Grandma!

We jumped out of the car and ran inside to see a crowd gathered around several lanes. Anticipation was building and then Jack and Meg crossed the lanes with pins in hand and rocked out. This moment was just as surreal as the one from the day before.

A band I had seen only from afar was now six feet away from me and playing an intimate show for us. The set was shorter but featured a new batch of rarities, and one song (Red Bowling Ball Ruth) which had only been played a handful of times.

As my update from Monday morning would tell you, the show was a success and we were all exhausted. After a quick breakfast we headed back to Alberta. Not more than twenty-four hours after we had entered this province, we were leaving it.

The rest of the week flew by. I spent my time listening back to the concerts, reliving the moments and reading about the experiences of others from the weekend. It was truly an amazing moment and one I will not forget for some time.

The good next kept rolling last week as last Friday Matthew Good announced a tour date in Edmonton. Obviously I was excited and on Thursday after a little bit of chaos buying tickets I was able to get upper balcony, front row. This spot is similar to where I sat last year.

Then today while recapping the buying experience with another Matthew Good fan online I discovered that there was a second show added. Quick on the ticket buying and I had two front row balcony seats for two consecutive nights. The two Matthew Good shows lead into an intimate concert with Tegan and Sara. It is going to be a good September.

With the conclusion of The White Stripes marathon there should be less Jack and Meg talk on here. Most of June was dominated by candy cane conversations but don’t be surprised if a post flares up about how great the Edmonton show was or how timid Meg acts when she sings; it will be just me reminiscing about this past weekend.

We like pop. We like soul. We like rock but we never liked disco.

Last night was memorable in every sense. The band played an intense, hit-filled set with great crowd participation and interaction.

Cowboys was a surprisingly good venue and made for an intimate setting with room for five hundred. Brad and I picked a spot just off the dance floor and in front of the soundboard for optimum viewing and sound quality.

For such a great night my only complaint was the time it took for Mariana’s Trench to take the stage. The doors opened at 7:00 but the show did not start until 9:00. It makes for a long night when you have been standing for ninety minutes before the first song begins.

Once the bands started it was three and a half hours of decent music. Mariana’s Trench was a surprise as they played with the passion of Billy Talent, a dose of harmony and had great stage presence.

Tupelo Honey is a band I have heard of but could not recall ever hearing a song of theirs. Their style was very Albertan, and the crowd ate it up. It felt like a strange band to have open for Everclear, but it was certainly better than Volcano (Volcanic?) who opened for them in 2001.

Everclear hit the stage a little after 11:00 and played a solid set with a lot of tunes from So Much for the Afterglow. There was a healthy dose of songs from their other records too and each song would bring me back to my memories of years gone by when I heard the song for the first time.

For the encore Art sounded genuinely sincere about the crowds reception and as a treat played Loser Makes Good from World of Noise, a song rarely played live. At the end of their set Art invited girls on stage to rock out. Then the band busted into a cover of 867-5309/Jenny and closed out the night.

I imagine I will remember more when listening back to the show. Unlike Interpol, I am actually looking forward to editing this show. Curious? Read further”

Right Click > Save As to listen to “Santa Monica” from last night. A crowd favorite and one that received a lot of participation.

Today has been one of those days where it clicked. Allow me to recap the last six hours of it.

In the afternoon the new song from The White Stripes Icky Thump was released to the airwaves and I was able to get my hand on a digital copy where I listened to it over and over again.

It took a few listens but I got into it and the return of guitars have be excited for this record.

As I got in my car Sonic started playing Icky Thump and I rolled the windows down and enjoyed a beautiful drive home with a fantastic song.

While waiting for an early release of Lost to finish download I checked a White Stripes message board for details on their Canadian tour and there were dates posted!

Obviously traveling to Yukon or Northwest Territories is not feasible but the local ones are. To see the whole tour click here. But the following is what I have in mind.

June 29, 2007
The Pengrowth Saddledome
Calgary, AB

June 30, 2007
Shaw Convention Center
Edmonton, AB

July 1, 2007
TCU Place
Saskatoon, SK

July 2, 2007
MTS Centre
Winnipeg, MB

Obviously I will be going Calgary and Edmonton, but Saskatoon and Winnipeg are tempting. If you are going to Saskatchewan, you might as well go to Manitoba, right?

I am filled with utter excitement. And in an hour Vancouver starts their series against Anaheim. I don’t care what they say Wednesday, you do rule!

All Together

After listening to half of U2″s discography, I had to complete the trend by listening to the 1991-2004 time line. It was in the 90″s that I turned into a U2 fan. I became interested in their music late in the decade, and my passion slowly grew until 2001 when it exploded after seeing them live in Calgary.

Because I am a 90″s fan I find that I can relate more to the music from this era, and can remember where I was when I first heard certain songs. There were a few less records released in this time, and perhaps that is why I find there are no “soft-spots’ like there was in the first decade. To me, it was a string of great records after another.

The decade started with Achtung Baby. The band members wanted to go in different musical directions and lead to a lot of conflict while recording this record. Whatever they did, it worked. This stands as the best U2 record in my opinion.

What makes this record so great is that this was meant to be listened to front-to-back, a musical journey that very few artists can do well. The heart ache and intimate lyrics, paired up with raw and new guitar sounds from The Edge put this record years ahead of its time. A lot of fan favorites come from this release, and for good reason. I cannot even pick a favorite, each song has such a deep personal connection to me it would be like picking your favorite child.

Their next record was meant to be an EP, and was recorded while they were touring Achtung Baby – interesting circumstances to record under, but it worked. If viewed on its own, Zooropa appears weird and out of context. Although, when seen as the middle child of Achtung Baby and Pop * its’ release is critical to the musical advancements of the band.

_{*I am excluding the Passengers side project in my U2 discography session. It was the same members performing, but just under a different name. Similar to The Network and Green Day or Chris Gaines and the two-stepping Garth Brooks. Since it was not a U2 release it should be removed from judgement, although it did follow an important step between Zooropa and Pop.}

At first I did not like Zooropa. It was too much of an experiment, but once it grew on me I find myself cranking the volume and having a good time. This is a feel good record with plenty of overlooked songs. Also, The Edge has a whole song to himself in Numb!

Fast forward a few years and this is where I became interested in U2 with the release of Pop, the final step in their alternative musical approach. This was a record I never really appreciated until it was several years old. Songs such as Please are still relevant in today’s society and helps maintain the moody and cynical theme. To me, Pop is one of their best records and is on par with their first three in that I forget how great it is, and how amazing the material is until I listen to it all the way through.

For the sake of being a completest, I also listened to Best Of 1980-1990 and Best Of 1990-2000 not that it offered much to the flow of their history. Although after listening to Achtung Baby, Zooropa and Pop, the 1980-1990 hits release almost acted as way to say to the fans “Thanks for sticking through our experiment, we will be bringing the rock back in our next record.”

For me, All That You Can’t Leave Behind was my turning point in being a U2 fan. It went from casual to fanatical and it was all because of this record and the Elevation Tour that followed it. This is a near perfect record with the first 10 of 11 tracks being absolutely stunning. This release is a brilliant return to musical form and is highlighted on tracks like Beautiful Day, When I Look At The World or New York. I actually forgot how much I loved this release until I listened to it today (which I went through twice).

To make the records-listened-to count eight from seven I also spun their USA-Target-only release of 7. It was a release that followed All That You Can’t Leave Behind. It contained a few remixes, b-sides and some outtakes from their last studio effort. It is mostly All That You Can’t Leave Behind – Part II, and was followed up by the 1990-2000 hits release. This was somewhat disappointing, not as much material to choose from (no amazing B-Sides CD like the 1980-1990 release had) but did what it was supposed to: increase sales and hype an inevitable U2 release.

And that brings us to the present. I had a lot of expectations for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and all were met. Although I went from enjoying this record to loving it after seeing them on the Vertigo Tour. It is interesting what hearing a song live can do for you. Atomic Bomb is about The Edge on a power trip in the studio, and I enjoyed every part of it. He wore the pants in the creative process of this and it shows.

There are some lyrics in the songs that seemed forced, but there was a lot going on in this record, and when you take a step back the lyrics no longer seem tacky. Some of the ideas for songs come from the bands arrival in New York a month after 9/11, the loss of a Father, political problems resulting in violence, the need for medical advancements as well as religion and faith. Fairly heavy subject matter that is put together in a really complete package.

What more can be said that I have not already said? U2 is my favorite band and hope they continue to put out material and tour for many more years. At the very least they have kept me entertained over the last few days as I listened to all of their material and realized why they are the best.

Yesterday I listened to the first decade of U2″s career. From Boy to Rattle and Hum, I covered it all. There was eight in all, from their studio records to the live EP’s of Wide Awake in America and Live Under a Blood Red Sky.

Early U2 is really their best, most consistent material. I am not one of those U2 fans that say “their best CD was Joshua Tree or “their new stuff is terrible”, I enjoy everything they put out and realize that each release has a place in musical history.

Achtung Baby is near the top for favorite records of all time, and their recent releases have made me fall in love with them all over again; but the 1980″s was their decade.

I haven’t listened to U2 chronologically in a long time and it offered an interesting perspective. The opening trio of Boy-October-War is unstoppable. I always forget how good those albums really are; I have favorites on them all and after each listen I remember a few more gems. If you want a taste of U2 in their young rebellious years, any of those three albums will suit your fancy.

Unfortunately I find there is a dark spot in their decade of perfection. In 1984 they went to Slane Castle in Ireland to record Unforgettable Fire, a very layered, reverse and different record. It just doesn’t do it for me.

This sort of “stop the car, do a 180 and drive in the opposite direction” thing is something U2 has been known to do often and to much success. Think of Zooropa as their 90″s equivalent to Unforgettable Fire or even Achtung Baby to Joshua Tree, which has been described as the sound of the band tearing down the Joshua Tree.

After such a brilliant start to the decade this is where their pace slows, but only for a moment. Although it is difficult to dislike a record when it has several epics such as A Sort of Homecoming, Pride and their best off the record: Bad.

The next major release raised the bar of music everywhere. The record is nearly half singles, which is a testament to the quality on there, but a b-side won my heart. Everyone loves Joshua Tree, but for me, Exit (the second last track) is U2 in their finest form from 1987.

The song has a slow vocal build, then leading to a frantic climax from The Edge and company. From there it returns to calm, focusing on the lyrics and a slow pulse given by Adam Clayton. Shortly after it builds to another blast of volume and intensity. For me, that is where the CD ends. I know, there is one more song after it, and it’s a great one too (Mothers of the Disappeared), but after I listen to Exit a few times I am spent and am done with the record.

Their last release in the decade was followed by one of my favorite U2 tours because it focused heavily on playing songs from Rattle and Hum. Being the ripe age of seven I never got to experience the Lovetown tour, but from what I have seen it was great. This was a release that was meant to be hated by the public and has a unique feel to it (like examining yourself in a mirror) where old songs are played live and new songs took shape. This was a band looking ahead while still playing with the past.

I have a lot of favorites on this release, but it ends on one of the best songs U2 has ever done: All I Want Is You. I could do a whole post dedicated to this song, but I will save you all by simply saying that this is one of the few songs to put me into tears from happiness and sadness. A song that contains this sort of emotional power deserves to end a musical decade that belonged to a few guys from the north side of Dublin.

Last night was Nickelback and I had Brad as my man-date. It was fun and loud. Rake, Danko Jones and Live all rocked my socks. It was my first time seeing all three of those bands and would gladly see them again on their own. Don’t worry Chad, the only band that went to eleven was Danko Jones. He was the highlight of the night for me. High energy, loud, wailed on his Gibson Explorer for the whole set and is generally one cool cat.

Rake was good, but quick. Doors opened at 6:00PM and that’s when Rake took the stage. They are a young band but with a little polish will finally get some success they deserve. As for Live’I have always been a Live fan and was sad when I learned they are now no better than an opening act. I am always hoping that each LP they do will continue to get better. Unfortunately that hasn’t been true since The Distance to Here, but with new songs performed last night I hope their new release doesn’t disappoint.

As for Nickelback, they did what they do best. Play loud, chug beer in record time and light enough pyrotechnics that it would have put Stay-Puff out of business. I have seen Nickelback twice before, both in a much different setting. The first time was them opening up for Everclear in 2001 and the next was them headlining a day at Stage13 in 2002. It was more of the same last night, except with more agression and a good blend of songs played. They had a video tribute to Dimebag Darrel during Side of a Bullet which was one of my high points during the set.

Last night was a great concert, all four acts were fun and gave it their all. Our seats were surprisingly good, we had great sound as a speaker pointed right at us so we had no patented-Rexall-echo. And we could see most of the arena, so when lighters came out for Lightning Crashes I could see them all. Or when the floor was a sea of motion during Too Bad, it offered me a taste of what it would be like to be that guy on the stage. So, in conclusion, good times, good times.

And now changing gears. Today is an important day, it’s election day! I have already voted and hope for a favorable outcome (read: Conservatives do not get a majority government). Back when I was first able to vote I did my part unfortunately I don’t think I read the book on How To Vote. My vote was registered, but it was probably counted under that small percentage of those who submitted a blank vote.

Y’see, I did a check instead of an “x” beside the name I was voting for. I have since became wise to the ways and can mark an “x” with the best of them. I will be monitoring the Canadian news sites today to see how the results progress, and hope you all exercise your right to place an “x” beside someones name today.

UPDATE:

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper will become Canada’s next prime minister, as Canadians have elected a Tory minority government and ended a 12-year reign of Liberal rule, CBC News projects.

Well, it’s not a majority, which was what I was pulling for. I imagine the next 18 months in Canada will be filled with much of the same that we saw when the Liberals had their minority government.