Mike Watt's the only punk rock hero I've met who's ever been human enough to make me feel at ease

Bob Mould was completely down-to-earth and nice. I was just very, very excited to be meeting him.

I had dinner with the Nields once. At a restaurant at a table with a load of people so I didn't talk to them at all. It was during a radio industry convention I tagged along to with a friend. I didn't really know who they were but one of their members, a bald-headed guy, looked so much like my ex-boyfriend that it freaked me out some. We ended up staring at each other a lot during the meal. (Me because of the freaky resemblance thing, him because of me staring probably)

Didn't get to see the Decemberists. Bad intelligence reports led us to believe it hadn't sold out well in advance when it had. This required much subsequent drinking to get over. I need water.

Awww, sorry Mr. Broom.

I would try really really hard NOT to squee and stop breathing, which means I'd probably blush and stammer and say something nonsensical, then bounce about 10 feet in the air as soon as I was done talking to him.

I got deeply (though not weirdly) shy and tongue-tied bumping into DJ Bonebrake, the drummer from X, in a record store. I did feel compelled to choke out, "Your music changed my life" because I felt like I owed him that much. It's not like X ever had a platinum album, so they should know they mattered.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL RIO THAT TODAY, OCT 22, IS INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY!!!!!

[link]

Oh, I guess I just did.

I didn't really know who they were but one of their members, a bald-headed guy, looked so much like my ex-boyfriend that it freaked me out some. We ended up staring at each other a lot during the meal.

Heh. That's David Nields. He's... a little freaky himself. I worked for their manager a couple of years ago, and I got to be friendly with both Nerissa and Katryna, but I never felt totally at ease around David.

It's not like X ever had a platinum album, so they should know they mattered.

It's strange you would mention X -- "See How We Are" came up on my MP3 player yesterday, and I was thinking how great it was and trying to figure out which album I should start with. (I have that song from a compilation. I had "Los Angeles" on cassette, but I have no idea where it is now.) Any advice?

I was pleased that I was able to form a coherent sentence

I would also be very pleased if I managed that.

It never occurs to me until later that there's guys like me in every single damn college town these people visit.

See, I can never stop thinking about it. When I got my copy of "Endless Nights" signed by Neil Gaiman, the first thing I said was, "I'm sure you'll hear this a thousand times today, but..."

Any advice?

Their first four albums are all classic (in my opinion), though I am a huge fan. The first album, Los Angeles is the most punk rock, but has some of their most dynamic songs, and Ray Manzarek's keyboards give it some more-than-punk textures.

Wild Gift is my favorite, probably their very best collection of songs. Dark, smart, dramatic, very musical, rocks hard. Most songs are about emotional betrayal (Exene and John had a tumultuous marriage).

Under the Big Black Sun is where they began to stretch out musically a bit more. Some haunting songs about the death of Exene's sister. "The Hungry Wolf" is a powerhouse.

More Fun In The New World is where they really showed their musical range. Their songwriting is at its most politcally pointed here (aimed dagger-like at Reagan's heart). They looked like they might conquer the world at this point. Didn't happen, but they were peaking here in a way.

I just heard this morning that Greg Shaw passed away earlier this week. For those who are unaware, Greg founded Bomp magazine, as well as the Bomp and Voxx record labels. He's credited with coining the term "Powerpop". His widow just released a statement:

It is with deepest regret that I must tell you that my husband, Greg Shaw, passed away in the hospital Tuesday night.

Greg had a vibrant spirit, but his physical health was always fragile. Last week, for reasons that are unclear, he developed an extremely high blood sugar and was rushed to the hospital. The level of blood sugar was so high that all of Greg's vital functions were subjected to trauma, and he developed complications as a result. Nevertheless, for several days he remained in stable condition. He was conscious the entire time, and his doctors were quite optimistic that he would recover. Sadly and shockingly, he went into cardiac arrest on Tuesday night around 11:30pm. The wonderful people at the hospital worked for a long time to try and save him, and Greg fought very hard too. He was tenacious to the end.

Greg was given the very best care, and during his stay in the hospital he had the constant love and support of his family. His passing was not gentle, but I am comforted by the feeling that he is now at peace and free of all pain.

Tristan and I are grateful for the sympathy and support we have already received, and we ask for your prayers for Greg and for us throughout this difficult time. We also send our condolences to everyone who is sharing our grief.

Very best wishes to all of you,

Phoebe Shaw
Tristan Shaw

I can't find any more info on the web, but you can visit Bomp if you want to learn more about him.

Didn't get to see the Decemberists. Bad intelligence reports led us to believe it hadn't sold out well in advance when it had.

Aw, man.

Kate!! Remind me to call you and tell you what happened at the Rose Polenzani concert, because no one else here will care!

I just heard this morning that Greg Shaw passed away earlier this week. For those who are unaware, Greg founded Bomp magazine, as well as the Bomp and Voxx record labels. He's credited with coining the term "Powerpop". His widow just released a statement:

Wow. He contributed to the Bubblegum book, and way more than aptly, the new book is dedicated to the first generation of rock zine writers:

Dedicated to Mojo Navigator, Bomp, Teenage Wasteland Gazette, Back Door Man, Phonograph Record Magazine, Creem, Crawdaddy and every writer who ever danced about architecture out of a compulsion to share the music.