The Up Front
That’s a television term (in case you didn’t know). It’s what they call it when the networks preview their up-coming season. Used to be a pretty big event back when the networks ruled the airwaves. Now everybody skips Must See TV for the Deadliest Catch, or so I’m told.
Our upfront is the addition of another little label for the things we’ve started to do on a regular basis on the blog. We’ve got our videos labeled, our record reviews, our book reviews, even these weekly rants (we call ‘em “Week of”). You can scroll through any, or every, labeled category when you find the little box called A-Listed on the left side of the blog. This week we will add the first A-List Advance to that space. These are shows or events that (in our modest view) deserve a little early notice. This our way of posting a calendar of sorts.
The A-List Advance will be short posts more in the form of an announcement than anything else. They will be archived by label and if you don’t visit the site every day (shame on you) you can always catch up by checking the label list at the A-Listed gadget on the left (even tough we’d prefer if you just visited ten times a day).
That’s our up front news for the week. More ranting next week.
DU Does Not Stand for Down Under, Mate
This week it’s hard to pick our show. There are bands we grew up with – Cracker – Wed. & Thurs. at the Earl. There are bands who have grown on us – Gov’t Mule on Saturday at The Masquerade. And bands we grew old with (regrettably, but that’s no reflection on the music) – The Old 97s, Sunday at Variety Playhouse.
This week, though, it’s the venue that wins the prize. We want to see the hometown return of Death on Two Wheels at The Drunken Unicorn on Friday night. They are the stuffing in a three band bill lead by Winston Audio.
We were at the DU not too long ago for a great set by another local favorite, Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun, and we can’t get the place out of our head. It’s not fancy. Heck, I’m afraid of what it might look like in the daylight. There are no seats and you have to go into another room to get beer. Having said all that, it’s a great place to see a band – especially one that’s young, hungry and ready to bring that energy to the stage.
If memory serves, every time we’ve seen Death on Two Wheels, it has been at Smith’s Olde Bar. Don’t get us wrong. That’s a great venue (and one we love) but we imagine that Trae Vedder and his classic rock tilted crew, can really make the intimacy of the DU (did we mention that it’s small too?) work for them. TTM,TTS did it a week ago. Ra Ra Riot did about a year ago. And assuredly, somebody else will do it again soon enough. Our bet is that this Friday it will be the local boys who are back in town.
That’s another Atlanta’s A-List and there really ain’t no difference in Michigan and Maine.
