It took over two years, but I finally got a meal at LA’s infamous Osteria Mozza tonight. It took my mom coming to town and footing the bill (thanks, ma!), and it was everything I had hoped it would be. By far the single best meal I’ve consumed since moving to the west coast, I cannot sing more praise than what I am about to bestow upon this joint. Before I begin, I should just state that the one negative aspect of the meal was our waiter. I don’t know if his apparent smugness/rudeness was a byproduct of how he was raised, or if it was as simple as him not liking my mother, Nicci and myself, but jeez, what a fucking asshole that guy was. He was attentive enough, answered some questions and even went above the call of duty to ensure we could enjoy a non-menu item, but his attitude exuded a sense of…”Oh, look at these poor people who scrounged together enough money to dine here tonight.” Not cool, dude. Even if we really are poor people who scrounged together enough money to dine there tonight.

We were informed by our waiter upon being prodded for our order that the mozzarella tasting menu (listed on the website as a daily item) was not available this evening. I asked if he then had any suggestions if we were to order two mozzarella choices a la carte, and he said he would ask the kitchen if they could make an exception and prepare the tasting plate for us. When he returned to say that they would construct a plate for us, we decided to order.

I’m sure you are aware that most Italian restaurants build their menu around a first and second plate. The first plate is typically pasta based, and the second meat based. Never having eaten at Mozza before, my mother, Nicci and I decided that we would each order one pasta plate, and then the three of us would share two meat plates. Since we are not big on eating dessert, we figured small portions or not we would be full with that amount of food. This turned out to be exactly the right choice.

At the outset of our meal we were presented with a complimentary amuse-bouche. It was a light crustini topped with mozzarella and a hint of tapenade. It made for a yummy first bite.

The mozzarella tasting plate consisted of three cheeses: smoked bufala, bufala mozzarella, and burrata. It was served with three thick slice of delicious garlic bread. Mom proclaimed it the best she’s ever had, but both Nicci and I hinted that maybe she should go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival before making such a bold claim. The smoked bufala was worst of the three cheeses, but I still enjoyed it a little. The regular bufala was fantastic (Nicci preferred this one), but the burrata — served over a very light olive oil — seemed to be the clear winner of the three, as both mom and I called it the best of the lot.

Our first plates went as follows. Nicci ordered the Coach Farm Goat Cheese ravioli with five lilies (onions). It was delicious. It was sauteed with onions, leeks, butter and garlic. Very rich and tasty. Mom ordered gnocchi with duck ragu. This was the first item of the night that blew my mind. The duck was so amazing, and the gnocchi were near-perfect. It’s hard to tell if these were better than those of Angeli Cafe, but the ragu catapulted that dish into another stratosphere. I was more than happy to oblige my mom and finish what was on her plate when she claimed she was done eating. I ordered the calf brain ravioli. I’ve been reading about the dish for about as long as I’ve been hearing about Mozza, so I had to take the plunge and try it. My first impression was that the ravioli just tasted like a warm, butter-filled pasta. The brains really only add a hint of texture, a notion of something creamy and wonderful, but not much in the way of distinct flavor. Mom was more than hesitant to try it, but I forced her to eat one just so that I can pat her on the back and say, “See, you tried something new today!” Which is a statement I’ve been hearing from her for the past 26 years.

How the hell could this meal get any better? Our second plates arrived at the exact right time — not too soon after the first plates — and answered my question definitively with one simple word: Meat. We all started in on the grilled leg of lamb with fregola sarda, mint and yogurt. The lamb was a little more cooked than the medium rare the waiter promised, but when combined with the other elements on the plate it transformed itself into something unique and wonderful. Even so, it could not top the veal breast stracotto with carrots. I would be hard-pressed to remember ever tasting a more tender, succulent, amazing meat in my life. Holy shit, it was indescribable. We ordered two side dishes to share with our second plates. Polenta with parmigiano reggiano and sauteed baby broccoli with chilies and vinegar. The broccoli, brimming with garlic and acidity, was revered by everyone at the table.

As someone who has loved Italian food longer than anything else I’ve eaten (save maybe hamburgers), to find a meal so exquisite, distinct and exciting as the one offered by Osteria Mozza was a treat. I mean, yeah, for the first 25 years of my life my idea of haute Italian cuisine was a pizza with something other than extra cheese on it, or a new variety of pasta with the same old vodka bolognese or alfredo sauce. So I guess I’m not the most well-versed gourmand in the history of food critique. Still, I seem to have developed what some novice gourmands might call a “palate” sometime in the last year or two, and it’s nice to know that I am putting it to good use now. Of course I’ll always miss the days when literally all I consumed were bagels, pizza and hamburgers…but come on, I ate fucking calf brains tonight, then called a braised, slow-cooked veal breast the best piece of meat I’ve ever consumed. That has to count for something, right?

Thanks Mozza. Next up, your pizza!

Technorati Tags: Calf Brain Ravioli, Gnocchi Duck Ragu, Goat Cheese Ravioli, Grilled Leg Of Lamb, Osteria Mozza, Veal Breast Stracotto

Many spoilers ahead. If you have not watched all of LOST include last night’s episode, “Dr. Linus,” you should move along. There’s nothing to see here.

Mr. Doc Jensen is now of the belief that the divergent moment that separates Sideways Flashes from Flashbacks was when John Locke’s mother Emily was struck by a car, causing her to go into labor prematurely. This, of course, stands in opposition to the commonly held belief that the detonation of Jughead is what spurred the alternate reality (or whatever you want to call it) we are currently experiencing. It’s a nice little idea, but he’s got it all wrong. I’m sure at some point (soon, hopefully) we will learn what exactly sank the island. But it won’t matter, because I still believe the flashbacks never happened. My friend Shane’s “Groundhog Day” analogy makes it easier to digest than anything I’ve written in the past few weeks (Jacob + MIB = Bill Murray trying to manifest their own ideal day). It’s not the hardest thing in the world for the show’s producers to explain how none of it could be true. For instance, what if they show us Jacob or MIB in the Sideways flashes touching the castaways? Wouldn’t that go beyond implying that this is just another iteration in a long line of directional-flashes in which an eons-old struggle to make their own desired universe is portrayed? Wouldn’t it put the sideways and backwards flashes on equal footing in that they were both realities dictated by the actions of the island entities? I think so…

By the way, if you want to construct the greatest mind-fuck ever, think about this. What if the last thing we see on LOST is another plane breaking apart over the island and, uh, the castaways are all on it again? You know, after MIB/Locke and Jack reiterate the MIB/Jacob beach conversation verbatim (probably while Ben Linus is at the temple performing Richard or Dogen’s old duties). Instead of seeing the Black Rock in the distance, we see a plane approaching overhead. An Oceanic plane. And in terrible CGI fashion (like the submarine cutaways and the quick jaunt around the sunken island) we zoom in on it. And then we go through the windshield and see Lapidus at the helm, and proceed to zip by Boone and Shannon in First Class, right on through to the back of the plane. We see all the castaways. Wouldn’t that too solidify this notion that everything we’ve seen and learned about these characters is but one iteration in an endless cycle which has played out numerous times before? That would kill the shit out of flashbacks, too.

But, I digress, I guess now I’ll write about something else for a change.

Including Vozzek69, I’ve now read THREE instances citing William Atherton (Principal Reynolds) as being an educator in Real Genius who played a similar role to his character on LOST last night. I’m kind of enraged that neither Doc Jensen nor Vozzek took the time to mention the fact that fucking Jon Gries (aka Roger Linus) is also in Real Genius! What a cool piece of LOST trivia that is! Real Genius was the original Smokin’ Aces! Likewise, both Vozzek and Jensen namedrop Michael, Locke and Jack as three other characters who have tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide after being touched by Jacob. Michael is a natural guess, since he was shown multiple times trying to off himself without proof he was touched by Jacob. Neither writer referenced Hurley’s potential leap off a cliff in the season two episode “Dave” as an instance in which “Don’t Do Suicide” came into play. At the end of that episode, Libby appears just in time to keep Hurley from jumping to his death. Is this evidence that maybe Hurley was touched by Jacob earlier in his life, and he too is invincible (against his own hand)? I think I’ve written before that after “Lighthouse” it wouldn’t surprise me if we learn Jacob had visited and touched the castaways at multiple crucial moments in their lives. Why else would he be watching them all their lives?

Two more points. First, we got to see Widmore returning to the island. He told John Locke “A war is coming,” and if Locke is not back on the island, “the wrong side is going to win.” I guess we are to assume that Widmore’s periscope is searching for Locke along the shores of the island. Widmore’s appearance raises a ton of questions. First, does he know that Locke is not Locke? If not, will he blindly (and mistakenly) side with the Man In Black? Perhaps more importantly, was Widmore the person Jacob hinted was coming to the island? Whatever the answers are, they shed a newly cryptic light on that conversation at the hospital in Tunisia. My guess is Widmore will side with Locke, because…well…at some point in the near future we have to see Ben kill Widmore, right? Oh man, that’s going to be awesome. Maybe during the same episode Kate kills Claire. Two awesome redemption stories with happy endings? That doesn’t seem very LOST-like.

Lastly, is there a doubt in anyone’s mind now that Jack will be the last candidate standing, and that he will inevitably take over Jacob’s role as island caretaker? When I spoke with smartypants professor and LOST enthusiast Paul Levinson back in October, we discussed our theories about the show’s inevitable conclusion. He suggested that we would see three courses of action for the main characters on the show. Some would die, some would leave the island of their own will, and some would stay. At this point, I don’t think anyone is leaving the island alive (sorry Aaron, sorry little Korean baby whose name I forget). I think there are only two ways off this show: death, and eternity on the island. The way the sides are drawn now, I can realistically see only three people surviving the war. Jack, Hurley and Ben. In fact, it would not surprise me if every other character was killed off in the war. I don’t count Locke/MIB as a potential survivor because he’s already dead. Come to think of it, I could see Ben and Hurley dying, too. Imagine Hurley getting shot — by Sawyer — on the beach during the epic battle. We see him touch his wound, then he studies his bloody hand and says, “Dude” before dropping to the sand like a huge bag of cement. Best TV show death ever? I think so.

Jack and MIB will be the last entities standing. Just like they always have been. You know, like Adam and Eve or something. Only in reality it’s Adam and…Steve? Ha! Anyway, feel free to re-read paragraph two to hear my current theory for how it all will end.

Okay, that’s all for now. See you next week!

Technorati Tags: Dr. Linus, lost, Season 6, Theories, TV

I haven’t posted one of these in what seems like (and most likely has been!) years. I take a few minutes to poke around some music blogs and Dickfork, then make fun of all the silly musicians your little brother can’t stop talking about for five fucking minutes for the love of God. After all, someone has to keep those damned egos in check. If no one else wants to make fun of those Vampire Weekend fags in their sweaters and scarfs, I’ll do it. I’ll write it in Entertainment Weekly celebrity-gossip-section fashion, too.

• When we last left “America’s Sweetheart” Billy Corgan, he was photographed leaving someplace or another with Jessica Simpson. Now he’s featured in an article in this month’s Rolling Stone (the one with the snowboard guy on the cover). I read the article on my lunch break today, and let me say — I haven’t laughed that hard since that rebellious young turk (read: dongless dork) from the Arcade Fire smashed his guitar to piece (no, that’s not a typo, that wimp couldn’t damage a guitar even if someone else broke it for him first) on Saturday Night Live. In his RS profile, Corgan whines about how he isn’t as beloved as he should be, berates blogs for making fun of him when he’s clearly the most talented songwriter of any generation ever, blames everyone he’s ever worked with for ruining his musical career, pleads for attention by discussing suicide, boasts that he could write hit songs and recapture his glory at any time if he wanted, cries more about how his credibility is shattered, and finally wonders if maybe his records would sell better if he died. It’s too good for words. That’s why I’ve devoted this many to it already. I thought about ripping out the article and tucking it away somewhere for the next time a great tragedy befalls me (death of a loved one, destroyed friendship or relationship, etc.). Then I realized that Billy Corgan isn’t just the funny trainwreck you think about during really tough times, he’s the cocaine you need lots of little bumps of to keep you feeling endlessly peppy and elated.

• In the very same issue of Rolling Stone, Bob Nastanovich of the once-relevant band Pavement was quoted as saying something like, “I don’t think I’m capable of getting a girlfriend unless she’s a Pavement fan.” I find this statement ironic because most of Nastanovich’s fans are dudes who can’t get girlfriends. Pavement is not music for slackers (as common sources would have you believe), it’s music for loser hipsters. It’s hard to imagine Bob Nastanovich actually dating someone. I mean, at some point the girl would get tired of his antics and just stab him in the throat, right? What with his always walking around the house shaking maracas like an epileptic, plus all those other wonderful crazy hijinks that made him such a displeasure to watch on stage. Oh, there he goes banging his stupid fucking tambourine again! Shut the hell up, Bob, I’m trying to listen to a song here! Imagine how when he’s out to eat with his girlfriend, she tries to engage him in conversation but Bob just yells every fourth or fifth word back at her for effect. Ladies, gays, look at the guy in this video and tell me that he’s boyfriend material. I pity anyone who purchased a Pavement reunion ticket. Not only did you have to pay shitty Ticketmaster service charges because the band’s cashing-in on your pitiful obsession, you’re going to end up having your idealized version of a Pavement show massacred by a stupid assclown playing with children’s toys.

• There’s something wryly amusing about Kim Gordon releasing a book of photos and paintings which capture her visions of audiences from the stage. I think it’s…oh, right! Kim Gordon sucks at everything else she does! That’s what’s funny about her trying her hand at a new artistic medium. She can’t sing, she plays the bass for fuck’s sake, she’s in Sonic Youth, and she’s never done anything to establish herself as a fine artist other than to casually drop modern-art buzz names in the press. She’s just a wannabe beatnik who has ridden the coattails of that dork Thurston Moore for three decades (as if his coattails were even worth clinging to), shat out one of his kids, and made it impossible for me to get through a single Sonic Youth record without skipping a song. If you showed me these watercolor interpretations of what Kim Gordon apparently sees while on stage and asked me what I thought of them, I’d say, “You’re fucking kidding me, right? Kim Gordon didn’t paint those. Your dog did. Please, dude, tell me your dog — which eats its own shit twice a day — or your retarded nephew made those. Don’t tell me Kim Gordon did that. Because if you tell me that Kim Gordon — a fully-fucking-functional 57-year old woman — painted those, and that some crazy accident hasn’t made her a complete vegetable, and she still has use of her arms and legs, and that she isn’t mentally handicapped in any way, I’d tell you you’re a goddamned liar and I’d kick your ass.”

• A few quick thoughts intended to ruin the rest of your day: Somewhere out there Sufjan Stevens is still making music. That guy from The Decemberists just finished another book: prepare to be bored by a double-concept album. CocoRosie are still racist little pig even recording for the evil Sub Pop corporation now. Someday your children will dig up a copy of one of your Bright Eyes albums and realize why they hated you so much: Bob Dylan was boring enough the first time around and then you gave the time of day to a tone-deaf brat whose obvious thievery falls just short of calling himself “Bob Dylan”. The Arcade Fire are still Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. Vampire Weekend are still Haircut One Hundred. Everything else you think you like isn’t good at all. Hopefully you’ll realize this once you grow the fuck up and exit your insincere-posturing-for-social-status stage.

Serena Maneesh – I Just Want To See Your Face

Technorati Tags: Arcade Fire, Billy Corgan, Bob Nastanovich, Bright Eyes, CocoRosie, Haircut 100, Indie Rock, Kim Gordon, Pavement, Rolling Stone, Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists, Vampire Weekend

Who sent me this article? Was it you Jack? Lindsey or Sam? I don’t have the e-mail in my inbox any more so I can’t find it. Someone sent me this story about a blogger from New Jersey who “claims his Internet tirade was FBI sanctioned.” According to a right-wing blogger, his threats towards federal judges were not meant to be taken seriously. He testified that he was a paid informant for the FBI who was tasked with exposing dangerous neo-Nazis and white supremacists who frequented his blog.

Aside from the fact that this guy is a ring-wing nut who pens uncouth blog posts as a means to “flush out” potentially-harmful individuals, he and I share two very important commonalities. First, we’re both from New Jersey. I don’t live there right now, but I lived there for 25 years. Second, we’re both bloggers. I’m not an insane political person — in fact I could care less about politics — but the fact is we do the same thing as a hobby/wannabe job.

That said, I’m going to use today’s entry to put out some feelers. If anyone who works for a government agency happens to be reading my website today, I want you to know that I’m open to working for you. If you want me to to play pretend and write some inflammatory hate speech in order to smoke out people who could turn violent, I’ll do it. In fact, I want to do it. I’ve had a lot of insane readers contact me through the years, and frankly I’m pretty sure some of them are extremists, or at the very least potential threats to society.

The good news is, my audience is very loyal. And you, anonymous government agent, can rest assured that anything I can and will say on this website will be taken to heart by my readers. No one will ever suspect me of being a paid employee writing for the FBI or CIA or NSA or whoever makes me the best offer. The best part is, I’ve already used a lot of slurs in my writing throughout the last five years, so my transformation into a fringe lunatic should not arouse much suspicion. We can start off really slow with slightly off-color remarks like, “Black people love Twitter # trends?” or “Gays smell like Astroglide!” and as time wears on, my statements can become more and more outlandish. Then whenever someone contacts me to tell me how they’re ready and willing to take up my cause, I can turn them over to you, and you can pay me more money.

So, let’s make this happen. Tell me how you want me to color my anti-government image and I will get this undercover operation started. Once my persona is in place I will begin making absurd tirades that will draw the lurking freaks out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Think of all the lives we can save. You and me, anonymous government agency, we’re going to change the way people use the Internet. And I’ll have created a new, easy revenue stream. While making quick money might seem like my true motive here, I want to let you know, I am one-hundred percent into the idea of helping out my country. That is, if that’s what you want, government agency. I’m malleable. Do with me what you will do. Mold me into something awesome, Mr. Government agent. It would sure beat the hell out of blogging about how much that band your kid loves totally sucks.

By the way, Is now a bad time to let you know that I have near-constant violent rape fantasies involving both the male and female cast members of Gossip Girl.

Technorati Tags: Blogger, Fringe Lunatics, Gossip Girl, Government Agencies, Informant, Right Wing

“A big seller at the recent ACDA Convention in New York City, ‘Eric Whitacre’ is a stunning collection of songs composed in the classical style of Monteverdi, Debussy and Prokofiev, but with inspiration from such groups as the Beatles, Sting, Queen, Madonna and Peter Gabriel. His choice of texts also reflects a broad range of poets – Octavio Paz, Ogden Nash, James Joyce, e.e. cummings and Emily Dickenson, religious poets being conspicuous in their absence, although ‘three songs of faith’ are included here. The mixed-voice Brigham Young U. Singers do justice to Whitacre’s difficult, eclectic, wonderful, soaring compositions. 12 songs, ‘Water Night,’ the three songs of faith: ‘I Will Wade Out,’ ‘Hope, Faith, Life, Love,’ ‘I Thank You God for most this Amazing Day,’ ‘Cloudburst’, ‘Sleep,’ ‘I Hide Myself,’ ‘With a Lily in Your Hand,’ ‘Go Lovely Rose,’ ‘When David Heard,’ ‘Lux aurumque’ and ‘Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine.’ ‘Beautiful’ is an inadequate word to describe Whitacre’s work and the BYU Singers’ interpretation of it. ‘Amazing’ works much better! Recommended.” – BYU Singers

“An accomplished composer, conductor and lecturer, Eric Whitacre has quickly become one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. The Los Angeles Times has praised his compositions as “works of unearthly beauty and imagination, (with) electric, chilling harmonies”; while the BBC raves that “what hits you straight between the eyes is the honesty, optimism and sheer belief that passes any pretension. This is music that can actually make you smile.”

As a conductor, Whitacre has appeared with hundreds of professional and educational ensembles throughout the world. In the last ten years he has conducted concerts of his choral and symphonic music in Japan, Australia, China, Singapore, South America and much of Europe, as well as dozens of American universities and colleges where he regularly conducts seminars and lectures with young musicians. Over the past few years, these loyal fans and supporters have moved online, spreading Eric’s popularity to an ever-expanding worldwide audience. Upcoming commissions include works for The King’s Singers with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and an oratorio – featuring full orchestra, choir, and soloists – celebrating the opening of the new Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, TX.

His music has been featured on dozens of commercial and independent recordings. His first recording, The Music of Eric Whitacre, was hailed by The American Record Guide as one of the top ten classical albums of 1997. In 2006, a full collection of his a cappella music, Cloudburst and Other Choral Works, was released on the renowned British classical label Hyperion Records. The album quickly became an international best seller, appearing in the top ten of both Billboard’s and iTune’s Top Classical Albums charts. Two years after its debut, the critically acclaimed release continues to be a top-seller. The collection earned a 2007 Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance.” – Wikipedia

All I really have to add is that this is the best music I’ve fallen asleep to in years (that’s a good thing), and it’s kind of invigorating to blast it if you’re speeding down an empty highway at night. Somewhere there exists an MP3 of Nicci’s choral group performing “Sleep,” and if I can find it I’ll post it.

Eric Whitacre
The Complete A Cappella Works, 1991-2001
MegaUpload DL Link

Tracklist:
01. Water Night
02. I Will Wade Out
03. Hope, Faith, Life, Love
04. I Thank You God For Most This Amazing Day
05. Cloudburst
06. Sleep
07. I Hide Myself
08. With A Lilly In Your Hand
09. Go, Lovely Rose
10. When David Heard
11. Lux Auru Maue
12. Leonardo Dreams Of His Flying Machine

Technorati Tags: BYU Singers, Complete A Cappella Works, Eric Whitacre

Last night I witnessed my fourth incarnation of RENT. One of the benefits of having a girlfriend who is involved in the theatrical arts is that I’ve become cultured in areas beyond totally obscure forgotten records and really, really bad movies. My mom would drag me to Broadway shows probably once a year when I was growing up, but I think I’ve spent more time in theaters in these two years with Nicci (or watching her) than I had in the previous 26 years of my life combined (side note: Mama Mia! sucked, mom).

I’ve reviewed two (Pantages 2009, RMTC 2009) of the previous performances of RENT I’ve seen, so there is no reason to rehash the musical’s entire storyline again. I’ll try to sum it up as quickly as possible even though it’s an injustice. The story follows the lives of a group of friends in New York’s East Village for one year, while they deal with love, loss, AIDS, addiction and the frustrations of modern day life.

The show opened at the beautiful Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga last night. I was about as nervous before the show, pacing around and sweating and hyperventilating like a complete loser. There was a mixture of that and anticipation for seeing Nicci reprise the role she played in Alabama a few months ago (see: RMTC, 2009 review above). Ken and Katie showed up to lend their support as well, and once they arrived I think I started to calm down. The spacious foyer of the Playhouse showcases its unique architectural design. The 560-seat theater houses a large stage, many times the size of the  basement theater’s stage in Alabama. The set design looked very close to that of the 2009 National tour. I could not tell if the room was sold out, as I had no view of the 2nd level seats, but it appeared close to capacity.

As for the production, you can’t ask much more from an opening night. Director Ron Kellum — who also directed in Alabama  — once again worked his magic, molding the cast into a beautiful and cohesive unit. The choreography was stellar. It was fun to see the entire stage put to use. My eyes constantly darted back and forth, up and down as they followed the action. The large space never felt too big. The lights were impeccable, and the band was strong throughout the show. The drummer/conductor Dave (who I had the pleasure of meeting after the show; we bonded over our mutual aversions towards white foods!) displayed amazing dynamic skill, especially with his symbols. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a drummer conduct before, so that was cool to watch as well.

And the actors…they were wonderful. This being opening night, I was not sure what to expect. The entire rehearsal schedule lasted less than one month (I think they started February 7th and opened March 5th?), but everything came together rather flawlessly. There were a few “pitchy” moments during the show’s opening songs, but the cast grew stronger as the show progressed. “Will I” is a song I often look forward to, and the color of the voices in this cast when they sing together — be it in “Will I” or “Seasons Of Love” — was phenomenal. I was hoping “Will I” would be extended, because by the time the last singers take the stage you really only hear the entire company sing half of one round. Still, it was stunning. Nicci’s friends from Alabama, Dylan (who played the role of Mark), Casey (Roger) and Ben (Angel) were wonderful, as they too were reprising their roles as three of the principal characters. Adriana, who played Maureen, stood out as well. I’ve seen people play that role and try to over-sexualize it, but I liked how she played up the ironic comedic value of the pretentious performance artist. Loren as Tom Collins brought a new voice to a favorite character of mine. Slightly more tenor than the deep baritone, he flat-out killed his “I’ll Cover You (Reprise)” solo. Ben’s voice during “Contact” was the best I’ve heard from him, and well…Nicci was unbelievable. I really was at a loss for words watching her. There was no doubt in my mind they would receive a warm and loud standing ovation at the conclusion of the show, and they absolutely deserved it.

Afterwards there was a small reception for cast, crew and friends held at the Playhouse. It was great to meet the people I’ve been hearing about for the past month as well as catch up with the people involved with the Alabama show. Watching everybody interact off stage made it clear how close everybody is and how much they care for each other. What RENT boils down to is a story about unconditional love, and everyone involved in this show not only understands that, they live it. I met a lot of new people last night who were all super-nice to me. I even got to impart some advice to a cast-member’s boyfriend who was experiencing his girlfriend going through the production process for the first time. Lots of red wine was consumed. Explicit drawings may or may not have appeared on makeshift duct-taped tablecloths. I look forward to seeing the show again next Friday with…my mother. It’ll be interesting to hear how she reacts to the show. I know she saw the original production, but she’s an all-around East-Coast-livin’, Broadway-lovin’, hold-nothing-back Jewish mother, so it’ll be fun to hear her take. If I slip the costume designer twenty bucks, do you think she can add some extra material to Nicci’s costumes? Mom’s gonna see a lot more of my girlfriend’s body than she needs to see…

Hey, go see RENT at the Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga! There are only five performances left: Saturday the 6th, Sunday the 7th, Friday the 12th, Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th. Sunday matinees at 2:00pm, all other performances at 7:30pm. Ticket information can be found at the theater’s website (see: link above). I also heard a rumor about discounted tickets if you become a “fan” of the “Broadway At The Gardens: Lewis Family Playhouse” on Facebook. You can also see plenty of photos and promo videos there. *The more you know!*

Technorati Tags: Lewis Family Playhouse, Rancho Cucamonga, RENT

From Julian Cope’s Head Heritage.

“Throughout my early-90s re-appraisal of Krautrock, umpteen records were pushed my way, accompanied by the comment: “If you like so-and-so, you’ll love this lot…” It was only when this amazing 1972 record by Franco Battiato was recently issued in its English language version that I dusted off my copy of the original and realised how much I’d once played it. Bloody hell, I knew every note on the album; and I knew it’s near neighbour, 1972’s sister album Pollution, almost as well.

Fetus is an album beyond all definition. It’s a masterpiece of daring and almost stupid risks that work every single time. Some of my forthcoming descriptions of these songs will appal you – no way can it sound good with the elements he’s describing. But it doesn’t sound good; it sounds great. In little more than half-an-hour, Battiato takes us through eight uniquely super-detailed songs that tug at the heart strings as no other experimental record ever could.

Fetus is an entirely studio album, audaciously psychedelic and sonically estranged in the manner of Kalakackra’s mysterious Voyage to Llasa LP, Witthuser & Westrupp’s Trips und Traume, and the first album by Dalek I Love You. Out of nowhere, acoustic guitar songs reduce themselves to unaccompanied solo piano licks, horde nations of backing vocals rush to agree with the lead vocalist, whilst even the most hoary classical tunes will be commandeered to accompany famous events. Its mystery is in its unashamed use of clichés juxtaposed with thee most un-obvious elements. The best example is surely the Stephan Grapelli-style “Georgia Brown” violin which is used to orchestrate a drum-machine driven psychological song.

From his use of such wide-ranging musical influences, Franco Battiato, is a real mystery, too. Indeed, from the sheer volume and wide range of his output from the late 1960s onwards into the 1990s, Battiato most reminds me of myself. Beginning as an Italian pop singer, Franco Battiato moved into the 70s on the crest of the progressive rock wave, which is where we find him for the recording of both Fetus and Pollution. Battiato was briefly signed to Island Records, and it was during this period that the English language version of Fetus was made. Franco Battiato had plans to make it big in Britain, and played two fairly high profile shows at London’s Roundhouse, supporting first Magma and later Ash Ra Tempel. And it was at this time that Frank Zappa, on hearing Pollution, famously called Battiato’s work ‘genius’.”

Franco Battiato
Fetus
MediaFire DL Link

Tracklist:
01. Fetus
02. Una Cellula
03. Carioinesi
04. Energia
05. Fenomenologia
06. Meccanica
07. Anafase
08. Mutazione

Technorati Tags: Fetus, Franco Battiato, Head Heritage, Julian Cope, Prog Rock