LIVE BLOG LIVE BLOG LIVE BLOG!

Tonight: I invite you once again to join me and my pals at the Awesome Meltdown for another BEARS LIVE BLOG! Bellwether has already warned us that since it's the most meaningless of the Bears preseason contests, talk may turn to Cubs. That's fine with me. Anyone who knows me knows I love tangents. All of my stories have at least three of them.

Be warned: I'll be preparing for a fantasy football draft that's scheduled for 10pm Central, so I may be distracted while thinking about how I'm going to take Cedric Benson Gus Frerotte The Dolphins defense someone awesome with my first round pick. Prepare for adult language, Simpsons quotes, and general internet tomfoolery!

Bangkok Dangerous

Look, there are a lot of things I don't know. I don't know how to whistle or change my own oil. I don't know if adding instant replay to Major League Baseball is a good thing. I don't even know how to keep myself from eating potato chips if there's an open bag in the vicinity. Currently, there's a bag of delicious cheddar jack and sour cream-flavored chips within arm's reach, and while my stomach is close to full, my will is weak.

Here's what I do know: Bangkok Dangerous is a terrible name for a movie, and Nicolas Cage needs to cut his hair ASAP:

I DO know that the Pang Brothers, who also directed the original Bangkok Dangerous, are twins. One of them is named Oxide. I DON'T know if that's awful or awesome.

Graphic Novels: I Just Can't Get Enough

I haven't been blogging lately because I've been completely immersed in Y: The Last Man. I just finished tonight. Before that, it was Watchmen that kept me up nights. Oh, and in betweeen, I borrowed a co-worker's copy of The Killing Joke. What caused this sudden interest in the world of graphic novels? Why, The Dark Knight, of course.

Aside: I realize that I never gave my Dark Knight review. Even after having seen it twice, I'm not sure that I've fully processed it. Ledger was (obviously) phenomenal, and Chicago (naturally) looked dark and beautiful. There were things I loved and things that irked me, and one breathtaking moment, filmed on LaSalle, that made the theatre fall deathly silent both times I saw it. Ultimately, it felt more like a dark and gritty thriller that just HAPPENED to star a troubled bat-man and a diabolical clown than a "comic book movie." All credit is due to the brilliant Chris Nolan for crafting a story about these legendary characters that entertained, provoked and moved its audience while staying true to its roots.

Aside over: you see, it was the trailer for Watchmen BEFORE The Dark Knight that prompted me to purchase the graphic novel, which I finished (by staying up WAY too late on school nights) in about a week. I loved it. Then I immediately ordered all 10 volumes of Y: The Last Man, slept very little, and as I mentioned, managed to finish reading them tonight. Both works left me feeling battered and bruised - but in a good way. I wanted to read them both again immediately after I was done, to catch the subtle hints and pop culture references that have made them masterworks of their genre.

'Course, now I need some recommendations. I've got the first couple volumes of Fables, and the same co-worker who lent me The Killing Joke has also let me borrow 300. Got anything for me?

MmmmBears

I'm getting ready to watch the Bears' third preseason game of the year against the 49ers, and I'll be doing it while... LIVE BLOGGING! If you're so inclined, join me over at The Awesome Meltdown for commentary, mockery, and Manowar lyrics.* There may also be salty/inappropriate language, so be warned. LET'S GO BEARDED ONE!


*Seriously, there will be Manowar lyrics. That's how Bellwether and the Sauce roll.

Edit, 8/22. 11:42am: The live blog may be over, but you can read the archive at the link above... at your own risk. :)

Goodbye, LeRoi Moore

Dave Matthews Band was a musical staple for me in high school. The first show I went to without my dad: DMB at Great Woods in Mansfield, Massachusetts. It was June of 1996: picture four sophomore year girls on the lawn, confused by the guy who kept asking if we had a bowl. See, we didn't know what type of bowl he was asking for. Ah, I was so young and innocent then.

I've seen Dave Matthews Band several times since then, in a Providence venue affectionately called "The Dunk," in the now demolished Foxboro Stadium, and under the Philadelphia stars. I danced and sang my heart out every time. Dave shows are always a happy time. So it's with a heavy heart today that I plan to start the all 90's Last Letter Game with "The Best of What's Around," in memory AND celebration of the life of saxophone player LeRoi Moore, who's gone from us far too soon.

Too many goodbyes these past few weeks. Reminds you to hug the people you love a little tighter when you get the opportunity.

Sir Nils Olav the Penguin

I meant to post this last night, but instead, I fell asleep on the couch while watching baseball. I blame "$6 Burger and a Pint" night at my favorite neighborhood bar. (The fact that I made it a two pint night probably didn't help either.) As a lifelong fan of penguins, the story of Nils Olav warms my soul. He's a king penguin who has been an honorary member of the Norwegian King's Guard for over 25 years, and he was just recently knighted! Tell me this account of the event doesn't warm your heart:

During the ceremony, Nils had a sword dubbed on each side of his head, where his shoulders should be, to confirm his regimental knighthood.

A crowd of several hundred people joined the 130 guardsmen at the zoo. A citation from King Harald the Fifth of Norway was read out, which described Nils as a penguin "in every way qualified to receive the honour and dignity of knighthood".

Click here to see Nils proudly marching amongst his comrades and hear the entire citation. That penguin is an inspiration to us all!

Zack De La Rocha Speaks

Just got back from a lovely night on the patio at Uncle Julio's. We drank beer and margaritas, told inappropriate jokes and had serious political conversations. Every once in a while, planes or sparkling paragliders from the Air and Water Show would make an appearance in the night sky, and we'd all ooh and ahh like little kids. There was a lot of wayward powdered sugar, and there were candles in the beans. It was a perfect way to spend my last night as a 27 year-old and a reminder that time with friends is really important. This week's been rough. Tomorrow will be better.

I present this gift to you on my birthday eve: an interview with Zack De La Rocha. He doesn't do a lot of these, so it's an interesting read. I've been obsessed with One Day As a Lion since I first heard "Wild International," so I'm glad to hear that the project will continue.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend.

Stop the Remake

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was upset about MTV's plans to remake The Rocky Horror Picture show. I knew I wouldn't be alone, and today, Joey O provided proof that I was right. StoptheRemake.com is petitioning against this bastardization of a cult classic. The site has a paltry 5000+ signatures now, but that number will grow. Check out this impassioned plea for rationality:

Was anyone asking for this?! I mean the original is no cinematic masterpeice but it has retained a sort of dirty do-it-yourself charm. There are no great special effects, there are cheesy sets and a cheesier script. But thats its charm.

The grammar and spelling here aren't perfect, but the intentions are pure. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is sacred, and the movie's fans MUST come to its rescue. Beware of salty language on the site. Don't dream it, be it. And Stop the Remake indeed.

Monday Randomness

In case you need a smile this morning, here's something I find bizarrely hilarious:


Yeah, that's me demolishing a cupcake. Joe from Holiday Hills has mad photo editing skillz - and perhaps a bit too much time on his hands. Let's get this week started off RIGHT!

Goodbye, Bernie Mac

On June 29th, 2008, I was at U.S. Cellular Field for the final game between the Sox and Cubs for 2008 - pending post-season miracles, of course. I'd bought tickets for me and Paul on a whim and paid entirely too much for them, but I figured it would be fun to be part of the spectacle. We sat in section 529 that night, row 7, with a wonderful birds-eye view of the whole field.

It was a good night for Sox fans, and there was a loyal Sox fan throwing out the first pitch. Bernie Mac did the honors, wearing a dapper yellow track suit and a Breathe-Right strip. My favorite scene from the Ocean's Eleven remake is the faux-interrogation scene between him and Matt Damon, so his presence brought a smile to my face. ("They might as well call it WHITEjack!") I don't remember how well he pitched, but the Sox swept the Cubs at home that night, so Bernie Mac kicked it off right.

Now he's suddenly gone, and I'm surprised at how sad I feel. Maybe it's because this city has become my home, and one of its local talents is gone too soon. Maybe it's because he leaves behind a daughter, and he was younger than my father is, and that scares me. Maybe it's because it's on the heels of George Carlin, and Estelle Getty, and the world is slowly becoming a less funny place.

Rest in peace, Bernard Jeffrey McCullough.



(Read Paul's take on the same night and Bernie Mac here.)

Edit: Seriously, like Renita said, losing Bernie Mac AND Chef in one weekend? :(

Just Another Night at the Ballpark

I just returned from U.S. Cellular Field, where I witnessed the White Sox take the first game of a four game series against my Red Sox. Honestly, I found it hard to take the loss TOO hard, since I'm dating a lifelong White Sox fan and respect his passion. (Although, seriously, shouldn't the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have fallen off by now? LAME.)

While I'll grudgingly admit that Buehrle's pitching was impressive, I didn't find the game particularly memorable. After the game, however, was a different story. Two things:

1) There were fireworks at the Cell tonight, and the accompanying music was mostly oldies: "My Girl," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," "Tutti Frutti," that sort of thing. A teenage girl behind us complained by saying, "last time the music was SO much better. They played 'Viva La Bam' by Coldplay." I actually laughed out loud. I don't think that was appreciated.

2) While we were walking to the car, I passed a young man who was puking. In the parking lot. With his friends just standing there watching. He finished emptying his guts onto the blacktop and continued walking without missing a beat. I did not laugh out loud at that.

Good start to a weekend? GREAT start to a weekend. Hope yours is solid too.

The Awesome Meltdown

My boyfriend Paul blogs, which isn't all that unusual. Lots of people blog. If you want to read about dumb inside jokes, sweeping generalizations, or personal stories that reek of self-importance, the blogosphere is the place to go. Certainly, this blog is guilty of all of those things from time to time, but I try my best to provide you with a higher level of content than the average bear. Blog.

Now, I believe that Paul has achieved that high level of content with his latest baseball-related blog entry. I appreciate his blog, which he runs along with Bellwether Meltdown, a fine man if ever I've met one, because it has a purpose. Are you a sports stat geek? Did you get giddy at the thought of Griffey in a Sox jersey? Does the Bears depth chart at WR make you break out in hives? Then you'll enjoy the Awesome Meltdown. Oh, and sometimes the guys throw in awesomely bad songs and video game reviews. This is why I adore them: Paul more than Mr. Meltdown, of course.

I promise not to pimp them excessively, but seriously, check it out:

People Who Work At FoxSports.com

Music and Reading TOGETHER? I'm In!

At some point my life will slow down. That point is not now. Tonight I took part in an extremely cool event at the Harris Theatre: the Breaking Dawn Concert Series with Stephenie Meyer and Justin Furstenfeld from Blue October. If you don't know who she is, Stephenie is the author of the Twilight Saga, a series of books about vampires, werewolves and true teenage love. Think Anne Rice, but for a younger audience and a LOT less weird. Twilight, the first book in the series, has been made into a movie and will be in theatres before the end of the year. Justin's music was a big inspiration for several of her books, and the event was a celebration of both her writing and his music.

Stephenie is a literary star in the making, and she's definitely a hero to a lot of young angsty women. If I was 10 or so years younger, I would have been in tonight's audience. Instead, I got to host the event, ask her questions about her newest book, and watch Justin pull off a stunningly moving acoustic set. I've heard "Hate Me" dozens of times, but it made me teary for the first time tonight, especially after hearing how it related to a certain heartbreaking scene from the books. It was also neat to hear about her writing process and see all the fangirl swooning in the crowd. There was a lot of genuine passion for both music and reading in that auditorium, which I was delighted to see.

Obligatory pics:

What greeted the crowd

As host, I got a dressing room. Yep, that's real Evian water. I've made the big time now.

After we TOTALLY HUNG OUT IN HER DRESSING ROOM OMG. Seriously, she's incredibly sweet and talented, and it was an honor to be part of the event.

Thanks to Del Williams for making me a part of one very special evening. It's been quite the whirlwind this past week or so - and tomorrow I interview Lou Piniella!* Oh, the life of a superstar DJ...






*I am 100% not interviewing Lou Piniella tomorrow. I am doing some laundry, playing with Ro Ro, and possibly having a few beers with the Q101/Loop softball team, which is not coached by Lou Piniella.

Lolla Pictures and Final Thoughts

Welcome to the greatest festival in the best city in the world!

First order of business: talk to Perry. I look sleepy...because I am.

Butch Walker is a cool dude.

Would have taken more Radiohead pics... was too busy enjoying the show. :)

Went to grab lunch on a Lollabreak Saturday... look what's in the window!

There's no denying it: Lupe is a Superstar.

Dana and Electra: if only Jen Jameson were there, the Q101 lady squad would be complete!

Rage needs no words.

In. Cred. Ible.

Jim and I didn't plan the simultaneous kissyface, but it worked.

Saul Williams and company - if you don't know who he is, find out now.

Fact: I was asleep in the grass two minutes before this Love and Rockets pic was taken. It was only for 30 seconds, though. Long weekend. You understand.

Paul is extremely talented. And funny. And witty. And... yeah, you're right, I should stop.

You know I love Trent Reznor. Let's move on.

Trent cuts through the white noise. Such an innovative musical and visual experience.

One of my favorite bands and my beloved adopted city. Perfect.

Yep, that's a potato bong. Look, they can't all be fun artsy pics, people.

The scene at Jackson and Michigan circa 10:30pm. Not pictured: all the hooting and hollering.

Pretty much sums up how I felt all weekend long.

Thanks to: Marc, Nicole, Tisa, Susan, Tommy, Jeannine, Patrick, Adam, Terry, Ryan, Shannon, Kevin, Julius, my fellow airstaff, the hard-working promotions interns and PAs, the Flashpoint folks, the guys from Darkroom Demons, and anyone else I've forgotten who helped make the working part of my Lollapalooza weekend go as smoothly as its ever gone.

Special hellos and hugs to Annie and Becky, Chris from WBRU, Jacent and Kallao from WLUM, Gordon from WYSP (and his special lady), James from MTV, Jared and Steven from Fuse, Jackie and Marcus from Metromix, Whitney from USA Today, Brooke from C3, and all the wonderful listeners I met this weekend. You all brought smiles to my face at one point or another, and I thank you for that.

I would also like to thank the weather for postponing the tornadoes and crazy storm action until tonight. Appreciate it.

Lolla rules.

The end!

Lolla: Day Three

I wish I had the energy to write extensively about Lolla: Day Three, but my tired feet, back, and brain are all begging for mercy. Here's my day in a nutshell (help, I'm trapped in a nutshell): I was blown away by Ha Ha Tonka, blown off by Chromeo, inspired by Saul Williams, asleep in the grass during Love and Rockets, and singing and dancing my heart out during Nine Inch Nails. Oh, and I finally got to lie in one of the Q101 hammocks, which was definitely worth the wait.

The Nine Inch Nails set deserves more attention than I have the time and energy to give it now. I feel like I witnessed a groundbreaking, interactive, musical art installation. Trent Reznor did things I've never seen at a live show before: it's hard to describe, but his crew manipulated their instruments and video and lighting system in a way that transformed the experience into something more than just a concert. I took a few pictures, but ultimately I decided that my camera distracted me from absorbing the effort that Trent put into the performance. I'll post what I do have tomorrow, along with all of my other favorite pics from the weekend. Oh, and when he stripped away all the bells and whistles to perform Hurt, it was one of the most moving moments of the entire festival for me.

Best Lollapalooza experience I've ever had, hands down. As I said, final Lolla post tomorrow, after I take a nice little nap... I'm back on the air in less than twelve hours, after all. :)

Completely Awesome

Good morning. You know how I wrote that Rage Against the Machine blew me away last night at Lollapalooza? Check out who else was there too:


Oh, Trent, even in the shadows, I'd recognize you anywhere. Just about twelve hours to go... photo from nin.com.

Lolla: Day Two

Of all the concerts I've seen in my life, and I've seen a lot, Rage Against the Machine at Lollapalooza '08 may end up being one of the most memorable. I'd never seen Rage before tonight, and they did n0t disappoint. At one point during the set, I thought to myself: "this is a band that's always set on 10." There's no down time. There are no ballads or extended jam sessions. There's just blistering guitar, pulsing bass, relentless drums, and the distinctive, angry, poetic voice of Zack De La Rocha. I don't think I stopped moving during the set, which was heavy on songs from Battle of Los Angeles and the the self-titled album. Grant Park was charged with a frenetic energy that grabbed the crowd from the opening riff of "Testify" and didn't let go until until we all finished screaming "F*ck you, I won't do what you tell me!" The band members hugged each other tightly when their hour and a half long set was over. Paul remarked that there was a kind of finality to it, as if this show was something we might never see again. I rarely say this, but god, I hope he's wrong.

Other Rage notes: Zack implored the crowd to "look out for each other tonight," urging the moshers up front to keep from hurting each other; he actually stopped "People of the Sun" to ask everyone to calm down and take "five to ten steps back" to avoid any sort of tragic incidents up front. Tom Morello rocked a Cubs hat during the encore: he had sung "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at the game earlier, so it was a nice touch. There was mention - but no sighting - of Barack Obama. And I don't think I've ever seen a crowd of close to 60,000 people so united in their passion for a band. I won't forget this show for a long time.

As for the rest of Day Two, I got to chat again with both Perry Farrell AND Whitney from Pop Candy, which was nice. Jim Lynam and I had a great interview with Love and Rockets, where I learned just how much of a music geek Jim can really be. I met James Montgomery from MTV News, who wrote quite the column about me and the White Stripes back in the day. (We had a great talk, and James is now aces in my book.) Steven and Jared, VJs from Fuse, made a fun cameo during my broadcast - thanks, Annie! Lupe Fiasco brought a choir AND a live band with him on stage and made me prouder than ever to call Chicago home. While I didn't actually see them, Jamie Lidell and the Ting Tings both sounded awesome. Finally, the "Lolla Teaser," Sweet Leaf Half and Half with SoCo, may be my favorite new drink.

Pictures will be up Monday, since I'm exhausted from shaking my sh*t and have to be back at Grant Park at 10. Tomorrow I get to hang out in the "Hammock Haven," one of the best things Q101 has EVER done at Lollapalooza. 50 hammocks, in the shade, just beyond the entrance of the festival. It's genius, I tell you. GENIUS. Tickets are still available for Day Three, by the way. Hope you're having a great weekend, no matter what you're up to.

Lolla: Day One

It was a solid start to Lolla '08 for me. Day One at Grant Park started with a chat with Perry Farrell (who said Rage Against the Machine is his can't-miss artist this year), included dancing to the strangely wonderful sounds of Gogol Bordello, and ended with Radiohead closing their set with my favorite song from their catalog, "Idioteque." While it was not my favorite Radiohead show of all time (the Auditorium Theatre shows in June of '06 hold that honor) - there was one absolutely perfect moment during "Fake Plastic Trees." There were Bears-related fireworks going off at Soldier Field during part of their set, and just as "FPT" crescendoed into its glorious climax, the fireworks finale exploded behind the AT&T stage. Honestly, perfect.

Other highlights: I coined the phrase "open-faced man sandwich" with Sherman and Tingle, and I'm still deciding if I'm proud of myself for that. I ran into Whitney from Pop Candy, one of the only blogs I check on a daily basis, and we had a nice five-minute chat. Ryan Manno and I talked to the immensely talented Butch Walker about tattoo regret. I overheard a girl tell her friend that "if you become a Republican, I will kill myself," and I'm not sure that I believed her. I applied SPF 50 sunscreen 3 separate times. Best of all, I got to run into all kinds of old college friends. Special love to Annie from Fuse, Becky from Interscope, and Chris from WBRU.

Oh: I also got to scream (quietly) at a nasty old woman who cut in the Self-Checkout Line at Jewel. Lots of post-Lolla goers hit up the Jewel by my apartment for beer, Vitamin water, beer, chips, and beer, and Paul and I were among them. A women totally cut in front of the entire line - and then DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO OPERATE THE SELF-CHECK OUT. There was much heckling from the crowd. I believe my best line was "they start with 'B', sweetie" when she couldn't figure out how to ring up her bananas. I am a bad person. For the record, we did NOT buy beer: we bought a garlic chicken pizza, a bag of Jay's, and half a dozen Krispy Kremes. And no, we were not drunk.

I also got to spend some quality time with my co-workers, which was a much needed thing today. If you haven't heard, it was a tumultuous day at Q101.1. Change is a part of our business, and change can be a good thing, but it's always a bummer when a friend loses his job. Best of luck to all parties involved.

If you're wondering why this entry has no pictures... I think I left my camera wire in the media tent, which I should be able to grab tomorrow. Right now, though, time for sleep before Day Two - back to Grant Park bright and early! MMM RAGE. Finally. Can't wait. Hope my back and/or knees don't give out by then. I'm so old.

Lollapalooza '08 Finally Arrives

Lollapalooza is finally here. I'm off to Grant Park momentarily, where I'm hoping the "isolated thunderstorms" I keep hearing about are just a myth. In honor of the headliners I'm most excited about, I have a few things to share with you:


The groundbreaking video for Radiohead's "House of Cards"


Tom Morello and Zack De La Rocha's first performance since Rage Against the Machine broke up - it happened at a rally for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers at House of Blues last spring, and I was lucky enough to be there. I still get chills thinking about it.


A positively vampiric picture of Trent Reznor sent to me by fellow fan Karen - and check out my pre-Lolla conversation with Trent, which might be my favorite interview of my career thus far.

I'll be sharing as many of my experiences as I can this weekend. Hope to see you out there!