Pat's Twitter Reviews: 50 movies/25 books - Part 1

Yooooooo! It's your boy Perspicacious P aka White Ghost aka Positive P da BO$$ aka Middle Aged Thunderclapper.

Well, Three tha Hard Way has now turned into an exceptional podcast, but did you know it started as a blog? We used to write articles and everything! Well, today I am going to bring it back to its post-analog roots. Every year, I read 25 books I haven't read and watch 50 movies I haven't seen. I have to do this otherwise I would just fuck around on 4Chan all day, and that's not good for anyone.

This is what happens when you have nothing to live for.

ANYWAY, this is going to be three or four parts. All reviews are 140 characters or less. Today we'll do 25 movies. Away we go:

Movies:

1. The Surrogacy Trap: Lifetime movie that preyed on mothers' fears. I saw the crazy lady on an episode of Psych in December, completing the circle of life.

2. Zero Dark Thirty: This seems to have receded a bit from public consciousness, but it was damn good. Jessica Chastian with a great performance.

3. Django Unchained: A little too subtle for my taste.

4. Defiance: Slept-on movie about Polish Jews surviving in the forest during World War II. I'm surprised it wasn't more talked about when it came out.

5. Looper: Time travel fight! JGL is one of the best actors in Hollywood, act like you know.

 6. End of Watch: Great cop movie with Donnie Darko and Michael Pena. The end was over-the-top, but I suppose that's life as a cop to an extent.

7. Dredd: This was actually a fun movie to watch. Ridiculously violent with dubious moral overtones, but Spock played Dredd!

8. Snitch: The Rock taking on a drama and doing OK! Still, it was weird to see him get beaten up since he's always the biggest guy in the scene.

9. Olympus Has Fallen: One of two "White House Gets Attacked" movies, but this one didn't have Jamie Foxx. Decent action flick but I am dumber for watching it.

10. G.I. Joe: Retaliation: I am definitely dumber for watching this. I literally have no recollection of any details of the movie, except Channing Tatum dies.

11. The French Connection: A classic cop movie that showed how shitty New York was in the 70s (garbage burning in the streets, etc). Gene Hackman stole the show.

12. Never Back Down: Coming-of-age story that is like the Karate Kid but with MMA. Djimon Hounsou is great even in this cheesy shit. Fun movie.

13. Oblivion: Sneaky good sci-fi movie with two gorgeous actresses. I still really enjoy watching Tom Cruise. Andrea Riseborough please marry me.

14. Pain and Gain: Marky Mark + the Rock + Michael Bay = a movie that was a little too intellectual for me.

15. 42: This was a bit of a dud in a lot of people's eyes, but Harrison Ford did a great job as Branch Rickey. Or maybe it was just the fake nose.

16. Iron Man 3: I actually biked to a drive-in and watched part of this, but didn't get any sound. Still, first time I went to a drive-in! Didn't make out with anyone though.

17. The Croods: Basically a modern take on the Flintstones, just with fewer bowling scenes and no cars without floors. So yeah, it was pretty good.

18. 6Fast6Furious: MOVIE OF THE YEAR RIP PAUL WALKER

19. Star Trek into Darkness: I loved the first JJ Abrams Star Trek but was disappointed here. It felt flat and lacked the energy of the first one. Dredd played Spock!

20. The Wild One: Early Brando B-movie and corny as fuck. This is why I don't watch films that were made before 1980.

21. This Is the End: Decent, if overrated comedy. Still, I can't hate on anything with James Franco.

22. World War Z: I don't like the zombie thing at all, and this was much-maligned, but I really enjoyed it. Maybe I'm just a contrarian?

23. Battleship: Rhianna had the best line of the movie: "MAHALO MOTHERF" but couldn't finish it to keep it PG-13. This was funnier than Anchorman 2.

24. Identity Thief: Zany physical comedy with Melissa McCarthy. Didn't hate it, but not nearly as good as The Heat.

25. The Heat: The best comedy of 2014. Melissa McCarthy is a comedic force. Great chemistry with Sandra Bullock. I hope they make a sequel.

There's Part 1. Please enjoy in moderation. -P

Podcast Episode 3 - 6Fast 6Furiuos

ZOMG!!! It's that podcast you've always wanted -- 40 minutes talking about the latest installment of the sublime Fast and Furious franchise! Matt talks about losing his Fast and Furious virginity, Kevin discusses his favorite characters and the role of women in the films, and Pat says why the Fast and Furious universe represents his version of utopia. CAUTION: MEGA SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3ThaHardWay Podcast - Episode 2

Welcome to episode 2 of the 3ThaHardWay podcast! On today's episode, the gang talks about singers we can't stand, bad movies we love and the first CDs we owned. Get ready for lots of talk on Point Break, Pearl Jam and how Matt offended his mom with Quentin Tarantino.

3ThaHardWay Inaugural Podcast!

This was part of our plan from the jump, and it only took us three years to get here, so here's our first podcast! We're hoping to make it a weekly event to enlighten, enrage and enrapture. Please enjoy the high production values as you hear about why Kevin doesn't like people who don't like Justin Bieber, Matt laments the demise of CDs and Pat talks about what Bright Eyes and Tribe Called Quest have in common.


 

R.I.P. Roger Ebert

Ever since yesterday when I learned of Roger Ebert's passing I have been thinking of what I wanted to say about him. I mean there are better written tributes going on all over the place. For better or worse, depending on your point of view, if you are interested in movies at all you have run into Roger Ebert. I think I could say without exaggeration that the two people who most influenced my love of movies were my Dad and Roger Ebert, and it's funny because they two seemed so entwined for so long. I remember Saturday nights, I forget if it was right before or right after The Muppet Show, my Dad would always catch whatever iteration of Siskel and Ebert was on, and he would write down on a yellow legal pad whatever movies they were talking about and he would two columns: one for Siskel and one for Ebert down the middle of the pad. And as they gave the thumbs up or thumbs down, he would write Yes or No. I wonder if he still has those legal pads anywhere? He really kept track of these things back in the day, much to my detriment sometimes so he actually knew about stuff and I would have to sneak things I know hew would disapprove of but that's for another time. I remember though that my Dad always trusted Ebert's opinion more, the well spoken, everyman critic that was the absolute best at conveying his love of film, both high and low. It was funny because I felt like my Dad thought Siskel (r.i.p.) was this uppity Ivy Leaguer and Ebert was waaaay more down to Earth, which was probably true. I know for a fact that in other ways they would have disagreed, especially on politics, but he always trusted him the most, just like a lot of us did.

Almost to a person, particularly people that have become actual, professional movie critics, they always point Roger Ebert's old movie guides as being a singular influence for them and I have to agree. This was a regular gift under the Christmas tree for me as he updated them every year. I mean, not only was Ebert accessible while still being really smart, but it was through his movie guides (which I read and re-read) where he introduced you stuff that you would never come in contact with, particularly at that age, where he would write about like The Floating Weeds or La Dolce Vita, or Aguirre, The Wrath Of God, just stuff that was SO beyond my canon. He opened up all these new worlds that would have never just been available to a kid living in Westerly, RI. His writing was beautiful but accessible, and so was his enthusiasm for film, he was there holding our hands as budding film buffs. Plus I mean you hardly come across someone who was in actuality an actual good person. I highly recommend, obviously, reading any of his stuff, his "Great Movies" or even his awesome autobiography. We'll definitely miss you, Roger.



-Kevin

The Concert Series - Part VIII: Sigur Ros

If one were to ever ask me what the first concert I ever went to was, I’d have to say it was a Phil Collins show sometime during the summer of 1990.  However, if you were to allow me to count a show I was at in utero, then my answer would change to Jackson Browne in early September, 1977.  Now doctors may say that a fetus in the womb cannot hear until about 18 weeks into pregnancy meaning I most likely did not hear anything during this show since I was about two months away from being developed enough to detect any sort of sound waves that may have made their way to my premature ears.  I still think it’s kinda cool to say that was my first show, but in all actuality, there was probably no part of my being that could detect anything that was going on that night.  I highly doubt that was the case for the baby-in-waiting that my friends Taylor and Clark are expecting in the next few weeks during last night’s blisteringly beautiful live performance put on by Iceland’s own Sigur Ros.  And lucky for her, she was treated to a phenomenal show.

I have known of Sigur Ros for about 13 years now and have been a fan since the get go.  I was first introduced to them by my friend Pat sometime around my senior year of college.  Most of the band’s songs are sung in either their native Icelandic language or a made up language called “Hopelandic” which supposedly is a combination of Icelandic and English.  However you want to look at it, their lyrics and song titles are pretty much indecipherable and singing along with the band is near impossible.  You basically just have to focus on making the same vowel sounds as lead singer, Jonsi does and you may come up with something similar. 

Along with the unfamiliar languages they sing in, what sets them apart from most other bands includes the hauntingly crisp, beautiful, and flawless falsetto in which Jonsi sings and the consistent use of a bow he uses on his electric guitar that produces either a delicate and sustained background noise or a boisterous and all-encompassing wall of sound that feels like it’s going to bring the walls of your house down if he doesn’t let up on it.  In today’s wide range of bands, musicians, and artists, I’ve still yet to hear anyone who sounds like these guys.  They’re one of the most unique acts I’ve ever heard.

The band does not tour a whole lot and when they do they only hit select cities throughout the world.  As a result, I had only seen them once before and that was only because they played Bonnaroo in 2008.  So when I saw they were coming to the D.C. area, I was all about getting tickets.  I asked around and not many people were interested in joining me, though when I broached the subject with Taylor Clark, they pretty much bought in right away.  But Taylor was (and still is) pregnant and her due date was just a few weeks after the show was to go down.  I have no idea what it’s like to be pregnant, but I’ve been told it can be quite the taxing undertaking and can wreak havoc on one’s body and emotional state.  So I was a little concerned for Taylor and wondered if she would be in the right state (physically and emotionally) to go to such a concert.  Much to all of our delight, she is doing just fine and was just as or even more excited than Clark or I was to see them.

We arrived at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia around 7:45 and as we entered the arena, we could hear some ambient sounds coming from the stage.  Our initial thought was that the band had already started, but by the time we got to our seats it was clear they were not out there.  However, the arena was dark and there was blue lighting on the stage along with a large white/opaque sheet that hung over the front of the stage.  There was also some sort of music coming from the stage.  Honestly, I did not think it was an opening act until the music stopped and the lights came up.  I later looked it up and found out it was a musician by the name of Tim Hecker.  There was not much melody in his music and seemed to be just long sustaining notes played by some sort of synthesizer.  It sounded fine and all, but maybe I would have paid more attention had I realized it was an actual opening act and not just a roadie doing a sound check like I thought.

The band finally came out around 8:30 and that big opaque sheet was still hanging in front of them.  There were a number of lights projecting from behind them that were cast on the sheet which made for a very aesthetically pleasing stage the first song and a half.  They opened with a new song which concluded with Jonsi powerfully bowing away at his guitar to create an overwhelming sound.  What made it even cooler was that they cast a bright light behind him which was angled at such that the shadow it cast on the sheet was about twenty feet tall.  It looked like a gigantic monster going ape shit on a guitar and was all kinds of bad ass.  Their second song, “Ny batteri” which is one of my favorites from their first album, is a perfect example of what they do so well.  It’s a song that starts off very minimally and softly that eventually rises to a cacophonous and raucous full band entrance.  When it finally kicked in fortissimo, the sheet dropped and there was now nothing that separated the band from the audience.  It was great.

The show lasted around and hour and 45 minutes and they did a great job of mixing their material up.  They played mostly songs from their first three albums (which I really enjoyed because those are my favorites) and their new upcoming album to be released in June which also sounded great.  They also did an excellent job of mixing up their sound going from one soft, melodic, and beautiful song to another that built up to a full crescendo and rocked the place out.  The band not only consists of the three main members, but with a number of other multi-instrumentalists and what amounts to nothing short of a small orchestra behind them complete with string, brass, and woodwind sections.  If there ever was a true meeting of classical music and rock music, you’d be hard pressed to find a better representation.

I was also amazed at how quite and attentive the crowd was.  There are a number of times throughout their songs where the music is softer and slowed down and it would totally ruin it if you had people talking or making noise around you.  That was hardly ever the case and the crowd was quite amenable to giving their full attention at all times, even when the music was so soft it was nearly impossible to hear.  Midway through the show between songs and after the applause died down, some dude yelled out “THAT WAS GREAT!!!” and it was literally the only thing anyone heard in that moment.  Though the dude was seeking some cheap and easy attention, he was not wrong at all, and it garnered a chuckle throughout the crowd.

Though our seats were towards the back and it was hard to see the band close up, it was great to see the drummer positioned where he was; up front and to the right of the stage.  He was facing the left side of the stage so we were able to see his drumming clearly from his profile which was great because he would go absolutely crazy on those drums throughout the evening.  It was also cool to see the lighting spectacle from afar as the lighting changes were plentiful and at times frantic as they complimented the music.  Many of the lights came from behind the band and were cast out into the crowd which at times blinded and confused you.  If you easily get headaches or are prone to seizures, this is not the show for you.  At one point the lighting was so chaotic that I thought there should be some sort of warning for people like they do at amusement parks for expectant mothers and people with heart conditions. 

The band came out for an encore and they started playing the final track off their second major album which is my favorite of theirs.  They did not play it at Bonnaroo when I first saw them much to my disappointment then.  No song better encapsulates both the soft melodic beauty as well as the all out emphatic and raucous crescendo they are capable of.  It does an amazing job of building and keeps you hanging on each part for a number of minutes before it kicks into the next level.  At nearly 12 minutes in the album form and 14 in the live form it’s one of their longer tracks and there are several times when you think they’re going to kick it in to the next part, but they don’t.  They just hang there a little longer blowing you away with their ferocity and refusal to let you go.  The lights flash all over the place and end up confusing the bejesus out of you.  When they finally do come to the finale of the song you wonder how they got there from someplace so much different than where you ended up.  To see them perform it live is nothing less than mesmerizing.  When it finished, Taylor turned to me and said she was sweating just from listening.  I knew exactly how she felt.  If you have 15 minutes to kill, this is as good as it gets to seeing it live.

With that, the band and their fellow musicians left the stage to a standing ovation.  They came back out for a final curtain call which was pretty cool to see.  Though I’d still call them a relatively unknown band, it was great to see them play a larger venue like this to a near sold out crowd.  They seemed like they really appreciated everyone being there just as much as we appreciated them coming to our area. 

Taylor and Clark had pretty much the same reactions I did and I was happy to share this experience with them.  This is probably the last concert they will ever go to before parenthood hits them.  Taylor made the comment that several times throughout the show, she could feel her soon-to-be daughter kicking and reacting to the sounds that consumed the arena.  I’ve heard that your taste in music in some part is formed while you are in your mother’s womb taking in the sounds that are around you and her.  I hope that’s the case for Taylor and Clark’s daughter because if a performance like this ends up being one of her barometers and baselines for all other music to come, she is going to be one hip chick.  I like to think I have really good taste in music and if my barometer is Jackson Browne which eventually led me to a band like Sigur Ros, just imagine where Sigur Ros will lead her.  Clearly, the sky is the limit. 

-M

The Concert Series - Part VII: Rhett Miller and Black Prairie

So back in April of last year I concluded my concert series which consisted of six reviews of a series of shows I saw over the course of a month and a half.  The fact that I “concluded” the series was somewhat arbitrary, but mostly because I was done seeing shows for the time.  Since then I have moved north and now live the D.C./Baltimore area and I’m excited since there will be many more shows coming through here than there were in Florida. 

This past Friday night I headed to the Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia with my brother Mike and his buddy Pat to see a solo acoustic performance by Old 97’s front man Rhett Miller.  I have been a pretty big fan of the Old 97’s for about ten years now and in all of those years I have only seen them live once in what was probably the most crowded show I have ever been to.  I can’t be sure, but I’d venture to say that no fewer than ten fire codes had been violated that night.  Despite the fact that they haven’t really released an album that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed since 2001, the stuff they’d done up until and through that album has been some of the best stuff I’ve ever heard.  Rhett Miller and bass player Murray Hammond have a gift for writing some great pop/rock songs and their voices compliment each other very well on their harmonies. 

Miller has also released a number of solo albums and though they are not as good as those earlier Old 97’s albums he has some gems in all of them that showcase what he is still capable of.  I’m not sure what it is that the band doesn’t grab me as much as it once did.  Maybe it’s the fact that they have run out of as many ideas as they once had, or maybe I’m more critical now but for me there is just something missing here.  Having said all that, I was very excited to see this performance particularly because of the modest $20 ticket price and knowledge that the venue would afford me a great viewing spot no matter where I was.  I jumped at the opportunity to snag some tickets. 

The morning of the show, I received a phone call from Mike at 7:20 and I answered it quickly since this was a very odd time for him to be calling me.  I was at work on morning duty in the cafeteria of the high school at which I work (I know, it’s super early.  But I’m also home at 3:00 every day too, so I got that going for me).  Anyway, I answered my phone worried about what emergency might have befallen my older brother and he asked me if I had seen who was opening the show for Miller.  Slightly taken aback, and relieved, I told him I didn’t really notice.  He replied that it would be a band called Black Prairie which is a relatively new bluegrass/folk band that is comprised of three members of the Decemberists including Chris Funk and Jenny Conlee.  I admitted I had never heard of them, but that I was pretty excited since it is rare thing to be familiar with an opening act.  Granted, I had never heard any of their songs, but just knowing who was involved sounded promising.  I became even more excited for the show.

We arrived at the venue before they opened the doors which meant we got to hang back at the bar and grab a beer.  Not many people had arrived yet and we were even able to hear the sound check and it was clear that Miller was going to play with Black Prairie at some point because you could hear them all play together and hear Miller giving them instructions on how to play some of his tunes.  When they opened to the doors we made our way to the front of the stage and that’s where we stayed the entire show.  Mike suggested at one point that maybe we should have taken a few steps back to allow the shorter people behind us get a better view as the three of us are all at least six feet tall.  While I understood his thoughts on this matter I could not condone such an action.  I rarely get to see shows from the very front and we were the ones who got there early enough so as far as I was concerned, those shorter people behind us would just have to deal.  As far as getting a good position in a general admission venue for a concert, I’m of the opinion that it’s every man for himself.

On the floor of the stage right in front of us we could see the set list for Black Prairie and the words and chords for Miller’s song “Our Love” which for me is just a stellar pop song.  Apparently, this would be one of the songs they would all play together.  It also reminded me of a story my crazy music fanatic uncle, JB, tells of a show he once saw from the front row (for the life of me I can’t remember who it was).  Evidently, as the show ended he reached for the set list in front of him while a much younger female fan reached for it at the same time.  JB employs the “every man for himself” theory even stronger than I do and he snatched it away from her.  This was an action that caused her to say something to the effect of “Oh, no you didn’t!!!”  and JB replied “Oh yes I did!!!”  She then decided to go the more mature and socially acceptable route and shouted “OH YOU ARE SOOO GAY!!!” to which JB retorted “OH YOU’RE RIGHT!  I AM SOOOO GAY!!!”  What could she say to this?  Say what you want about JB’s actions, I’m sure he still has that set list (and it makes for an excellent story too).

After a while, Black Prairie came on the stage and began their set which I found to be one of the, if not the greatest opening act sets I have ever seen.  They played an interesting variety of songs including bluegrass, folk, polka, and old-timey Irish sounding tunes.  Chris Funk mostly played the dobro, Jenny Conlee played the accordion, and they were accompanied by the drummer and bassist from the Decemberists, as well as a guitarist, and a fiddle player who was also the lead singer.  Her presence there was just another example of how a woman can become ten times more attractive if she plays an instrument in a great band (extra bonus points if she sings too).  

What made this performance so great was how surprised I was by it.  I didn’t know any of the songs (save the set closing cover of Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same”) but they were all so good and had a great variety.  One of their songs was this polka sounding folk jam that was all over the place.  It sounded like they just changed keys in the most random places.  It kept you guessing the whole time and though it sounded off here and there, for some reason it still worked. 

But by far the best part was when the band went into this mellowed out Irish-like folk song and the lead singer sang into a microphone that made her voice echo and sound all fuzzed out.  She sang a few creepy verses accompanied by an accordion and autoharp which in and of itself was great because she was singing this song right in front of me as that was where that particular microphone was standing.  But what intrigued me the most was the instrument she was holding which was shaped like a violin with one major difference; protruding from its side was what appeared to be the bell of a trumpet.  I have no idea what this instrument is officially called and a relatively in-depth Google search proved to be useless in my attempt to find out.  When she started playing it, I looked at Mike and exchanged incredulous looks as if to say to each other “Holy shit!  What the hell is going on?!”  She started playing along to the music and of course, it sounded like how you’d think a violin shaped trumpet would sound.  It was cool as all get out.

Their set ended and Mike made the comment that we could have gone home at that moment and felt totally satisfied.  I very much agreed with that assessment which made me even more excited to see Miller’s performance.  He came out to the stage with a whiskey in hand, greeted the crowd, and began the set with the opening song to his most recent album and the show was on.  I thought he did an excellent job of mixing up his material.  He included Old 97’s songs from a variety of their albums as well as a good mix of his solo stuff.  His performance was filled with energy as he pounded away on his acoustic guitar that he surprisingly never broke a string on (until one of the last songs) and never really needed to tune all that much.  He was able to take songs that you wouldn’t think would work acoustically and make them work, all the while getting as into them as possible with his somewhat odd and goofy looking dance that he always seems to employ when he plays live.

As the set moved on, he seemed to get more and more into his performance.  He rarely took a break in between songs and would just go from one tune right into the other.  Soon, his whole head became a big ball of sweat and his hair and shirt became soaked.  Surprisingly, he never reached up to wipe the sweat away or to move the hair out of his eyes.  He just kept playing ferociously on his guitar and any attempt to get the sweat out of his face appeared to be in the head-banging he was doing.  My favorite part of his show had to be when he utilized a sort of half windmill on his guitar.  Rather than going all Pete Townsend on his guitar with the windmill being based at the shoulder, Miller’s windmill started at his elbow which made much more sense for an acoustic guitar.  I’ve seen a lot of performances over the years.  I’ve never seen someone windmill like that before.  

At one point the pick Miller was using flew from his hand in the middle of a song and landed on the stage just a few feet in front of me.  I stood there looking at it wondering if it would be cool if I just reached out and took it.  Part of me wanted to act all cool as if it was no big deal and that I did not have to stoop so low as to be that guy who gets his jollies out of something as insignificant and small as a freaking guitar pick.  Plus, what if Miller needed that later?  I couldn’t deprive him of something he may need for the performance just so I can feel all special for having collected this tiny piece of plastic.  Of course, that thought was kind of dumb as Miller no doubt had any number of picks with him and as I stood there for a few minutes having this internal debate with myself, some lady next to me reached out and snatched it.  Random lady – 1, Matt – 0.

Towards the end of his set, Miller brought out Black Prairie to join him on a few songs including the Old 97’s “Broadway”, Miller’s “Our Love” and a cover of “California Stars” which was a nice treat.  I stood there during this performance taking in the moment and thought to myself “I am in the front row watching Rhett Miller and most of the Decemberists play a song written by Wilco, Billy Bragg, and Woody freaking Guthrie!!!”  Miller announced that this was the first time Black Prairie was playing with him on this tour and Mike made the comment they probably chose that song to play together since it was so simple.  While that may be true, it doesn’t make it any less cool.  Some of the best songs are the simplest ones.

I recently watched an interview with Jack White conducted by Conan O'Brien that Kevin sent to me and it was absolutely phenomenal.  It's a little long clocking in at an hour and 15 minutes, but it is so worth your time if you're interested.  During the interview, White lamented the fact that we're in this age now where we're all using our phones to message and tweet and text and video every moment of our lives.  He witnesses this all the time during live shows and is amazed at how people are so dedicated to their mobile devices and they get lost in the moment and therefore are not able to appreciate it as much as they used to.  I don't mean to get into a huge debate about this, though his point is a good one.  However, during this moment of the show, I could not help but capture some of it on video.  Yeah, I'm guilty of White's charges here, but there's also something to be said for posterity.  And watching this now, I actually wish I filmed it longer.

Unfortunately, even the best concert experiences can be tainted by some drunk-ass fan.  During one of the latter performances with the whole band, some tiny younger drunk chick with some nasty BO made her way up front right next to me and started “dancing” all over the place (including on my foot).  On two separate occasions she turned to me and grabbed both my arms and started dancing with me.  I did my best join in a bit while trying to convey that this was not something I was comfortable doing.  Plus, her BO became much more prominent to me when she did this.  Seriously, enjoy yourself and even stomp on my foot here and there.  But don’t force me into your shenanigans.  And for God’s sake use some freaking deodorant!

Miller closed out the show with an acoustic performance of the Old 97’s “Timebomb” which I thought would be hard to pull off since it is more of a raucous electric rocking track on the album, but of course, he was able to make it great on acoustic.  The show ended and I was just so glad to have been there.  As Miller left the stage I looked at a pad of paper in front of me that appeared to be a mini set list with some chords on it.  It was what members of Black Prairie used to ensure they knew what they were doing while playing Miller’s songs.  I reached out for it, tore the top sheet off the pad, put it in my pocket, turned to Mike and said; “I am so gay.”

Throughout the entire performance, Miller showed a lot of energy and seemed very appreciative of the small crowd before him.  He worked hard for every second he was out there and at some point, I started thinking about how great it was that I was able to see an artist I have admired so much for so long in such a small venue from the front row.  It’s in moments like these that I truly appreciate acts like Nickleback and Kenny Chesney and One Direction, and Katy Perry.  I pretty much have zero interest in any of them whereas the masses can’t get enough.  So while those acts are selling out massive arenas and stadiums, I can see Rhett Miller and most of the Decembersits right up front for 20 bucks.  So thank you, Chad Kroeger.  And if at anytime in the future you hear me bitching about any of those huge bands and how much I hate them, please remind me that without them experiences like this would not exist.  Oddly enough, It's so much harder to be gay at a Nickleback show.

-M