December 13, 2003 - 1:24 PM

Still Liking the Like

Y'all missed out on another terrific show by The Like last night at Club Spaceland in Silverlake. Watching them play is so entertaining- the funny faces they make when they mess up or some obtrusive fan in his 50's darts around the front of the stage taking pictures with a flash; the awkward banter with which they fumble in between songs; oh, yeah, and the music. I can't wait for them to put out more stuff on CD...a person can't subsist on 6 songs alone! If you want to see/hear them live, you can check out their archived performance on Morning Becomes Eclectic, a radio show on 89.9 KCRW in Santa Monica that unflinchingly explores all types of music. Good music. They sponsored last night's show. Unfortunately, the sound at the club was overbearingly loud and grating, making me wish I had brought earplugs.

I'm still astonished that these youngsters can produce such accomplished songs, and perform them with expert precision. I wonder if I had the faculties at that age to write kicky little tunes; I know that my cello-playing prowess was still not fully formed when I was 18.

If you're in L.A. on December 22nd, they'll be playing at the Echo (and it'll be a free show if you're over 21). Unfortunately, I won't be here. I'll be at home, toasting nicely by the fireplace, stuffing my tummy with lovely foodstuffs. That's right, Y, I'm coming home! Flying in on the 21st, leaving on the 29th. Leave room for plans with me, baby! Drop me your cell phone number too.

Earlier this week, I watched an Anime miniseries called FLCL(pronounced "Furi Kuri" or "Fully Kully") that Nick lent me (and that I think Mark steered him towards). Woah. My. God. Awesome, strange, hilarious, brain-twisting, heart-breaking, mesmerizing. And it doesn't seem to make a bit of sense through the first couple episodes. Eventually, pieces come together, subplots interweave, and earlier conversations spring spotlights on the main story. The creators are crafty with storytelling and pacing tricks that keep the viewer involved throughout each episode; they even do fun stuff like breaking the fourth wall to have the characters comment on how difficult it is to do the slo-motion stunts we've just seen, or switching to a South Park style of animation for no reason. And I love love love the music! A Japanese rock band called the Pillows contributed a handful of original songs that will sear themselves into your brain.

Now Listening To : FLCL
Random Thought : Surprisingly, I'm not too worried about having only worked one day this week.

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