Macaroni Art 101 - CLOSED!

I guess everyone's wishes came true last nite on Project Runway when Angela Kesslar was eliminated. I will have to admit, though, that it was one of the hardest eliminations I've seen. Upon creating their own "international jet-setting" outfits, the designers were flown to Paris to participate in a challenge overseas at Parsons Paris next week. But upon arrival to Parsons Paris, one of them was promptly auf'd from the show. And, actually, now that I think about it, there was no true "auf" this week because of there being no Heidi. WEIRD. Anyway, yeah, Angela was flown to Paris only to leave as soon as she arrived, basically. Kinda harsh if you ask me, but whatever. I really thought she'd ride the wave of consistently "getting by" as she has throughout most of the competition, save the INC win. I mean, c'mon, rosettes/"fleurchon" on the ass? How long do you think that kind of stuff will be tolerated by the judges? Whatever... good riddance? Eh... I've been feeling mildly sorry for her during any kind of debate that ensues with Jeffrey. But am I really sad to see her away from the show? Not so much. Not every female contestant on the show can be the one and only Alison Kelly after all.

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About the local weather - could it be any better out there today?



Sure, there could be a little more sun, but the nice, consistent clouds bring down the temps and that's ok by me. Granted, I won't be out that much... but when I will be out, it won't be suicide as soon as I get into my car or walk out of the house. The summer weather is alright for about a week and then I'm all ready for everything to cool down a bunch. Keep the temperatures at a safe 70 degrees all year and I'm ecstatic.

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Found something interesting a day or two ago. This popped up on the Thrashers website and it really intrigues/interests me. Could be fun, could be lame, could be whatever. More to come on this, I'm sure. From what it looks like in Athens and Greenville, SC, it looks like it's worth an afternoon/evening stop... especially if it's coming to the Newnan/PTC Thrashers stronghold... ha! I remember the Falcons having something in Newnan a month or two ago... if it's anything like that, I'll be into it for an hour or so. We'll see. Hopefully there will be a player's appearance or two. Scheduled stops of the Atlanta Spirit Promo Caravan, that features the Thrashers and thrilling Hawks:

Aug. 30- Athens, GA
Aug. 31- Greenville, SC
Sept. 6- Chattanooga, TN.
Sept. 7- Rome, GA
Sept. 12- Newnan/Peachtree City, GA
Sept. 19- Macon, GA
Sept. 27- Columbus, GA
Oct. 19- Birmingham, AL

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And speaking of the Thrash, tickets for the upcoming season go on sale 10AM on Wednesday, September 6th. There's an Internet-only pre-sale going on at the ever-wonderful ticketmaster.com, so you know. I already secured my tickets for the season opener and the season finale games, which is appearing to be tradition at this point... and what's wrong with that?

"Image is everything..."

Growing up as a kid, I sincerely have (at least) one thing I would like to thank my parents for - tennis. It's the only way I've truly encountered competitiveness, aggressiveness, and camaraderie simultaneously. I constantly remember trying to be the best every week for my Sunday ladder matches. I recall wanting to throw it all away because I never rose to my own almighty standards - how shocking, right? Anyway, to say that tennis played a major role in my adolescent life is an understatement. While I always anticipated each spring in high school because of competitive tennis, I still realized that something like this was about to end and that I'd have a hard way of trying to renew something I had such passion for.

All that aside, I have to admit that I'm getting quite reminiscent of the recent headlines about Andre Agassi's retirement after this year's US Open. Growing up in New York, two things that always went together were tennis and summer, without a doubt. There was never separating the two. And on top of that, nothing really signalled the end of summer like the US Open did. And, if you're a tennis fan/player/etc. in the metropolitan New York area, you know that the US Open is your tournament. There's a part of you that really gets caught up in it and you really can't explain it to someone else who doesn't have the same level of intensity as you with regard to this topic. Being separated from that environment for six years now, I can't deny that that part of me has definitely taken a backseat and I have passed it over for other summer happenings... mainly the first few weeks of the fall semester. Now that I'm finally out of school, I can go back to where my energy once was.

Ok, long story short - I'm really feeling this year's US Open because of the whole Agassi thing. There was a time in American tennis that it was dominated by two figures that, despite whatever rankings said at the time, never disappeared from the thoughts of American and/or international tennis fans - the duel that was Agassi vs. Pete Sampras. I grew up a Sampras kid, ever since he won his first major at Flushing Meadows in 1990. By default, I had to despise Agassi's overexpressive style and showmanship... and skill. That's what made a rivalry - and that's what lasted for the duration of the 1990s. It seems as if every generation has some kind of tennis rivalry existing and this was mine. Currently, there is nothing resembling the sort. It makes you wonder if tennis in the United States is even a priority anymore. All anyone hears about is Andy Roddick and that's the be-all-end-all of American tennis, which, if you ask me, is sad. Granted, Roddick's play is dominant, but there is no one else other there to provide some kind of unifying element in this country concerning tennis. Agassi/Sampras did exactly that. Sure, others like Michael Chang and Jim Courier added to the mix of American tennis and made it even more dominant of a force in the world, but Agassi/Sampras reigned supreme. And this year's US Open truly signifies the end of that era, even if Sampras retired years ago. One of the critical figures of my childhood has gotten older, getting rusty (really, knowing his career, is that even applicable to Andre?), and is hanging up his racket to put a priority on family life and probably the [GASP!] senior circuit of men's tennis in this country.

I mean, if you really want proof of the impact of the Agassi/Sampras rivalry on the culture of our society during its hay-day, look at this commercial from 1995 that features the two dueling it out in the middle of a New York street and the New York City crowd just soaking it up:

(Note: YouTube won't allow embedding of the clip onto my site for some reason, but the link is here, and I highly suggest you watching it... its like a microcosm of their relationship with themselves and the fans as well)

I just have so many memories of the US Open and I really wish I could've been able to make it there just once. I went during one of the free practice sessions the year the Arthur Ashe Stadium opened and I was able to witness Sampras and Courier warming up in there as the crew was putting the finishing touches on the complex... but I wish I was able to appreciate the true atmosphere of the event. I remember that whenever my family would drive into the city from Long Island, we would always pass the site of the World's Fair, the National Tennis Center, and Shea Stadium. I would always marvel at the size of the then-center court, Louis Armstrong Stadium. And then to actually be within the newest, largest tennis stadium EVER (well, to me) left me awe-struck and speechless. Moments like that you'll never forget.

And then there are the players that make a tournament like that so memorable. Men like Boris Becker, Michael Chang, Tomas Muster, Stefan Edberg, Jimmy Connors, Goran Ivanisevic, etc. and women like a young Lindsay Davenport, Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati, etc. had so many crazy matches that it really is hard to pick out some defining ones. But as a kid, I soaked it all in and had my daydreams of playing there one day and wanting to be a ballboy for the tournament. There is without a doubt that, even though I was against him in every aspect, that Andre Agassi played a role in all of this. Without his presence in the battles between he and Sampras, there probably wouldn't have been much of an American scene in tennis during the 1990s. But it's always this time of the year that really forces me to want to play as much as possible and still aim to be just like Sampras or return a serve just like Agassi. It's just hard to believe that a formative figure such as Agassi is going to be gone from the competitive tennis scene for good.

For his career, for his attitude, for his rebelliousness, and for everything that I just couldn't stand (especially those Nick Bollettieri instructional videos!), I salute you, Mr. Agassi, and I am quite appreciative of what you have offered to the tennis world and to this country's tennis scene.

Nitemare of my life?

I'm taking Vincent's words and applying them to his win on last nite's Project Runway. I really don't feel that it was justified in the slightest. He's lucky he had one of the few truly beautiful "models" in Uli's mother and that his simple idea translated well. Try that dress on Angela's mom and see how it works out.

Ok, dumb thing to say, but I'm just slightly bitter about his win. Robert's auf? Not so much. Vincent's triumph? Yeah, kinda. I'm gonna go out there and say it - I don't like the guy. I'd rather have Malan still hang around with his awkward accent and emo personality than Vincent's eccentricities and flat out WEIRDNESS. He did impress the judges last nite but he in no way "wowed" them to the point that he could've been declared the winner. And who's to say that editing didn't play a role in that? Regardless, his design aesthetic doesn't impress me in the slightest. Same goes for Angela, but she's more of a cockroach as compared to Vincent... somehow.

Who really should've won last nite was Uli. Her use of patterns and how she really designs around them IS impressive. The same can be said about her garment for Kayne's mom. It really suited the client well and Uli was able to show off her talents again. ATL did a great job on his outfit for Robert's sister, but I felt it awkward to have him win #3 in a row. Austin Scarlett almost did that at the beginning of Season 1 and I don't think ATL is there just yet. Close, but not quite.

Jeffrey, while initially was alright, is kinda getting under my skin. Him constantly going after Angela is alright with me because, like Vincent, she should've been gone a while ago (and maybe Jeffrey should be grouped in with them?), and she kinda deserves it with her poof skirts and her goddamned rosettes. But the treatment he gave to her mother was just uncalled for. You just don't do that to someone else's family, period. I should've figured the guy out from the get-go when he completely randomly labelled Angela "femi-nazi" in episode 2.

Now it's time to countdown to Monday and fourfour's take on this week's episode.

Thrashalicious!

So who thinks this season is the year of the Thrash? Well, us Atlanta hockey fans are pretty much tired of hearing such talk as it has become a perpetuation of the expectations of a team that is in its seventh year of existence and has yet to make a dent in the post-season. Everyone thought that last year was the team's best chance to really push forward in the standings. And you know what? It really was. Bringing in the veteran leadership of Bobby Holik and Scott Mellanby was there to help the team be stable. The enigmatic departure of Dany Heatley brought one of the game's most elite players, Marian Hossa, to town to be a replacement, which eventually lead Hossa to establishing his own deep roots in the hearts of fans and the organization. And Kari Lehtonen was supposed to be the big deal in between the pipes. Defence really was not relied upon because, well, why do that if you have one of the future top three netminders in the league, right? Same goes with finding a reliable backup goaltender (enter Mike Dunham).

Eh, nothing ever goes according to plan. Yeahhhh.

The so-called "New NHL" (thanks Darren Eliot, and the majority of the hockey world, seriously... we definitely didn't hear enough of that) took its early toll on the vets and those who weren't suited to the faster rendition of the game (i.e. Modry, often dubbed as "Slodry"). Atlanta was a tough place to get used to for someone like Hossa, who was such a presence in the Ottawa Senators' lineup for years. And then there was Kari. Or was it Dunham? Or Garnett? Berkhoel? SHIELDS? There was no end to the Thrashers' goalie depth charts, it seemed. Things either didn't work out as was hoped, stability was never a sure thing, and leave it to a bunch of AHL/ECHL kids to do the work of NHLers. Granted, Michael Garnett somehow found a groove mid-season and held the Thrash up on two blades and played his heart out, including being the only goaltender in Atlanta history to post consecutive shutouts. Unfortunately, AHL development doesn't immediately spring greatness and "the next big thing".

And now we turn to this year. All anyone's heard about with regard to Atlanta is the seemingly-rapid departure of part of the power-play arsenal, center Marc Savard. Being too much to afford (which is still a little out of hand, if you ask me), Savard didn't bat an eye on July 1st when he unhesitantly signed on the dotted line with Boston. Well, maybe that didn't make much news because of Savard's play... not so much the scoring aspect (moreso play-making), but because of his sluggish responses to the opponent's opposition (i.e. not a good defensive forward) or because of his poor decisions with his play (i.e. penalties!). What everyone seems to be leaning on this summer in Atlanta is the status of Kari's abilities. We all know what he is capable of. Refer to the four games late in '03-'04 that Kari displayed dominance in for that. Or his 20-15-0 record after he returned from groin injury December 30. Or his great record in shootouts, in which he went undefeated in five appearances. So with all that we know about Kari's abilities, can he finally come through this year and really provide the team with the opportunities it needs to really make a play at being one of the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference come April?



The AJC recently published an article about Kari's work ethic this summer and it really seems that this kid (who's only 22, remember) is becoming quite the crutch for this team. Is such a thing too much to ask though? He was supposed to explode onto the scene last season. He ended up blowing the opportunity, only lasting one period in the first game of the season in Florida. Yes, there is a lot of pressure on him and, yes, he is due some of it. But the rest of the team has to up the ante.

Once again, everyone in town thought the organization achieved such a goal by acquiring Holik, Dunham, and journeyman sniper Peter Bondra. All either spent an amount of time catching up to the rest of the league in terms of style of play, enduring injuries, or not meeting any expectations what-so-ever (yeah, and thank you, Mr. Dunham).

This season the team chose the more frugal route, especially after the spending spree of inking Ilya Kovalchuk and the acquisitions of Hossa, Holik, Greg deVries, and the incentives in Bondra's contract. Deciding to secure the goalie depth chart, Johan Hedberg and Fred Brathwaite hopefully will provide the insurance to mainman Lehtonen in case the guy loses a leg and an arm mid-season. Others brought into the fold include forwards Glen Metropolit (who's already a favorite of mine with that amazing last name), Jason Krog (in a close second behind Metropolit), Kyle Wanvig, and Darren Haydar (who I'm hoping makes the team because of what I've read about him and his Nashville perils). Reliable (to an extent) center Steve Rucchin is also the supposed replacement of Savard, but we'll see how that pans out. I remember Rucchin being a playmaker in Anaheim during their cup run a few years ago... hopefully he can return to that kind of a stature.

There's also a bunch of talk about the prospects in the Thrashers' system. With the surprise emergence of Jim Slater last season, it makes you wonder if there are any other candidates to be considered for the unofficial Thrashers Rookie of the Year title. Without a doubt, Slater took that title with his gritty style of play. Next in line could be Alex Bourret or Braydon Coburn, with some wishful thinking going towards recent draft pick Bryan Little or Boris Valabik, who I heard had a fantastic prospect camp last month.

It'll definitely be interesting to see how everything looks in a month after the start of the season. Or the first half. Or come April. While the playoff race was exciting last year, hopefully it'll be even more exciting knowing that the Thrash will finally make it in in '05-'06.

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Speaking of new acquisions to the Thrashers squad, their website has a profile on newcomer Niko Kapanen. Check it out here: http://www.atlantathrashers.com/View.aspx?CID01=8dc9fea9-bd39-4d20-946d-d2dff87f839a

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Oh, and lastly, Yahoo! has finally opened its fantasy hockey floodgates for the upcoming season! Anyone interested partaking in a league should let me know as I either plan on setting one up in the coming weeks or find a suitable commissioner for a league. I've had a blast doing it the past two seasons and I'm incredibly eager to get back into the obsession that is fantasy sports. It definitely won't be a repeat of last season for me, though. I just have a feeling Sidney Crosby won't be around in the later rounds of the draft (like last season, who would've thought?) and that Alexander Ovechkin won't go undetected in the draft (like last season as well, but no one expected him to shine as bright as he did... and subsequently will, as he is the real deal). I'll keep y'all posted on the status of this year's league.

For more on fantasy hockey, hockeybuzz blogger Adam Poirier recently wrote up a concise "how-to" for those uninitiated into the realms of fantasy hockey here: http://v2.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=2669

She Sends... Tourdates?

Yep, that's right, I just got word that New Jersey indie darlings The Wrens will be in town at the Variety on September 23 as part of the somewhat mysterious Paste Rock 'n Reel Festival. Having seen The Wrens before, I know that they are the real deal live. When they finally came around to Atlanta a few months (maybe even a year) after the release of the brilliant, seven-years-good The Meadowlands, they were true professionals on stage and solely relied on each other to send the music through the Echo Lounge. I never saw a setlist and the band played for what seemed like over two hours. After the show, all four members stuck around for quite a while in the crowd just talking to everyone. While looking over the merch to see what they had to offer, their merch girl mentioned that we should buy a shirt. Not having enough money at the time, she just decided that, since we hung around long enough and got the band to sign a poster of their's, we were worthy enough and just handed us two shirts. We weren't even pouting about not having a shirt, she just gave us some! Ridiculous. You'd think that with that kind of attitude, they were over-supplied in the t-shirt department in Secaucus or something. Either that or that members of the Wrens camp are pretty genuine. Whatevs.

Regardless, I'll be there and everyone else should make the effort for the gig, too.

The Wrens, Now It's Overhead, Bain Mattox, & two others @ the Variety Playhouse - Saturday, September 23 @ 7PM

Oh yeah, and there's that show Project Runway...

Now that I realized I forgot to even mention a word about last week's episode, I'll leave y'all with this (and a link, because the commentary on the episode is PRICELESS):

Hm... Updates on a Blog?

Yeah, as the subject indicates (or, at least, I hope it does), I saw the critically-acclaimed cinema-thriller Snakes on a Plane. I really can't deny it, or the fact that the movie's basically the Rocky Horror for the current blog generation. I can only imagine theaters being rented out by blogspot alum and holding massive showings for SOAP... and what a great acronym that is, BTW. Never before have I experienced a movie like Snakes or even a viewing of a movie. I really had zero expectations going into it, and that was strictly movie-related. The crowd was questionable beforehand. Were there going to be tons of internet nerds there taking it in or were we going to be the only ones present? It was reassuring that the theater was 80% full and that it wasn't full of bloggers. You could pick out the bloggers during the credits though, during the showing of Cobra Starship's "Snakes on a Plane", that features a "snakes on a blog" shout-out. All bloggers were on their way out afterward and then the video aired and everyone just stood and acted like they were at your typical indie rock show, myself included actually. You know how it is - arms crossed, single foot tapping along to the beat, and whispering about the video and how it would've been enhanced if the ensemble had on white belts. But such is life.

The movie itself was pretty craptactular, but I had a great time watching it. There's poor acting, poor casting (with the exception of Samuel L. and David "WHAMMY!" Koechner), zero plot, even less follow-through, etc. But that's what made it what it was. I never think the movie was due anything spectactular or monumental. With a title like Snakes on a Plane, it's not that difficult to follow the premise. Regardless, as I said, it was great watching with a bunch of other people who really got into the public viewing. People threw rubber snakes in the air whenever there was a crazy snake scene. Others wore stuffed snakes around their necks to the movie. It was nuts. For a small moment, I felt like I was at a Star Wars premier. It's a cult movie without a doubt.

In other news, it's great to finally have a breath of fresh air and just relax for a day. You see, my parents have been out of town all week and for the first part of that week, I went up to Vogel State Park with a few buddies for three days... talk about fresh air. Did some nice hikes, some grilling, and some game time. Considering I never do anything like go to the mountains, chill out, and do outdoors stuff (i.e. hiking), it was a very nice change of pace.

So now I'm stuck trying to catch up with stuff that I might've missed while I was either out of town or too busy taking care of the house and working, etc. Mostly I'm trying to figure some hockey-related happening out, mostly the news of Mr. Malkin making his grand escape from his Russian team to come and play for the NHL this season. There's also the rumor of Jason Allison coming over to the Thrashers to be the "true" replacement for the departed Marc Savard, as opposed to the older Steve Rucchin. And I'm also attempting to dissect the recent acquisition of Vitaly Vishnevski to the Thrash's defensive corps.

And not that Yahoo! News is the most reliable source, I found a mention of it on some website a couple of months ago and never heard anything more about it. Then I searched it up and came across a bunch of info (i.e. rehashed) on quite a few sites. Aside from the fact that the Smashing Pumpkins are "back together", they are in studio recording SOMETHING, and that original Janes Addiction bassist Eric Avery could be in the mix.

Lastly, my much-beloved members of Verbena are doing something. Well, at least one of them. Ex-Verbena frontman Scott Bondy will be releasing a solo album later this year with Superphonic Records. You can hear some of his songwriting on his myspace, but I'm unsure of those tracks will make it onto the finished product. Sounds like great news! And it shouldn't go without mentioning that Les Nuby (drummer) is working on material for his own thing, too. But at this time, there are no songs on his myspace... weird.

Two awesome shows just announced last week:

Broken Social Scene @ the Variety Playhouse - Friday, October 20
Dresden Dolls @ the Variety Playhouse - Tuesday, October 23

When I saw BSS a few years ago at the Echo Lounge, they played a great set that featured opening band Stars, who I completely fell in love with from that moment on. I've been craving to see BSS since that show, and I'm happy to know that they are gonna be back in town. And my exposure to the Dresden Dolls at Coachella in 2005 really smothered my crappy expectations of the band. I couldn't believe how great their stage presence was and how much of a showman their drummer is. I'm considering on making it to this show, but we'll see. I already have my BSS tickets though. :)

TV Stuffs - PR, Lost, and the Thrash

Crazy happenings in my realm of television today.

Fifth episode of Project Runway was quite a change from the ordinary. Models picking designers, models determining designers' designs. However, the weakest link (that being really nutty and close-to-alien Bradley) got the auf for the week, with Michael ATL winning a much-deserved challenge. For a while, I thought Bravo was milking the drama by focusing so much on the show's silent weapon. But things worked out in the end and ATL rocked it. Really good episode tonite.

That was followed up by my own showing of the second season finale of Lost, a show that I recently fell in love with. I was initially skeptical of the show from the very beginning and having friends obsessed with it really didn't help me come onto it. Watching a few season one episodes was ok, but hard to follow simply because I didn't know enough story. Starting from the very first episode, however, I slowly get immersed in everyone's world (everyone being all the characters on the show) and got my heart tugged every which way during the season one finale and the raft-Walt-Vincent-Shannon scene. Ever since then, the show's become quite the addiction for me and that statement really couldn't be farther from the truth. The damned show has everything in there to make it so effin' good. And now that I've watched every episode in preparation for the premier of season three (October 4th, if you're interested), the show still amazes me with its constant twists and turns. For those who either are unfamilar with the show (and shame on you if you are) or not caught up, I won't reveal any spoilers, but you might as well put "WTF?!" on your forehead with a Sharpie marker because that's the point where I'm at with it. I've read theories and I've heard discussions, and I'm still thrown for a loop. The fact that a show can do that and is constantly creative week after week is head-scratching.

And lastly, the NHL released it's nationally televised schedule on Wednesday. This excites me because of the exposure that the Thrashers are going to get. There was only one Thrash game on NBC all season (and that was the home finale in April) and maybe two games on OLN (which is now Versus Network, BTW) if I remember correctly. Well, I guess someone's interested in the team because there are a bunch of games on some key networks for the upcoming season. And considering NBC's coverage of the season and the post-season, I'd say that if I can't make it to those games on those nites, I really won't be disappointed. But with John Davidson leaving broadcasting for the Blues organization (and I really do wish him and that team the best of luck in '06-'07), I wonder who will fill such a void... and, if I can recall, I think JD was a part of those games on the national schedule, not just metro NYC's MSG network for the Rangers. At any rate, here are the Thrashers' nationally televised games for the '06-'07 season:

On Versus (ex-OLN):

Mon., November 6 - vs. Boston
Mon., February 26 - @ Boston
Mon., March 12 - vs. Washington

On NBC:

Sun., January 28 - vs. Philadelphia
Sun., March 4 - vs. Carolina

Info courtesy of NHL.com's Thrashers Team Schedule

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

I just can't think of a witty subject line... or really anything in general. Whatevs.

Monday nite was a fabulous Eels show at the Variety Playhouse. While I was too much of a moral weakling to weasel my camera in, others had better luck (or were more apt to lie about their covert actions) and took a bunch of pics. Wish I could find 'em somewhere. Here's a taste of what was witnessed that nite:


Photo courtesy of Mark Bruko.

But the show was pretty great. I wasn't too sure what to expect simply because I'm not that familiar with the band. Afterwards, I walked away sold. Initially, the theatrics of Krazy Al were kinda bogus, but I grew to embrace 'em and he really made the show. Lots of great material was played and I definitely walked away a fan. Their music really isn't that life-altering, but it really is a good time. I think that their ticket was (easily) worth the price when the band came back on stage about 10 minutes after the house lites were turned on after the encore and played one more song for a crowd of no more than 50 people. It was nuts... something I'd never seen before.

After the show, we headed over to the great 13 Roses Tattoo parlour and hung out a bit with Jon, an old friend who now works there as an artist. Pretty neat place.

Other than getting the Cat Power ticket I talked about last week, nothing much has been happening. A couple of things are up in the air (New York weekend trip pending, Thrashers' ticket plan pending, etc.) and I'm sure that some of those things will get worked out eventually. I haven't been to Long Island in almost two years and I hate to admit it, but I do miss it. I miss the friends and I miss the environment. Something about that place will never die inside of me. And Thrashers plans have been thought about since the dismal end of last season, but now that it's time to put my money where my mouth is, I endure several moral dilemmas that I really can't solve by myself.

Next week is a trip to the (seemingly) beautiful Vogel State Park near Blairsville. I'm not much of a nature person (simply because I have city blood), but I'm really excited to be out in the mountains at last. That's an idea that's been thrown around for a few years by a bunch of people, as well as myself, and I'm glad that it's finally happening. Granted, there will be a bunch of friends out on the trip, but the surroundings will definitely not disappoint.

The Meow Returns

Last nite I found out that Chan Marshall is coming back to Atlanta next month. A year ago, I'd be completely against the idea. I've had, in all honesty, quite miserable experiences with her live stuff. But after her appearance at this year's Coachella, I really think she righted herself in one simple performance. Her set was no more than an hour, and it was comprised of material from her most recent album, The Greatest. And when I first heard this album, I was really turned off. It was so different from her entire career and I just wasn't suited for it.


Photo courtesy of belleshaw.

After Coachella, though, she pulled through and in great fashion. Her set with the Memphis Rhythm Band made her a different person, a different performer. She has a reputation for tanking out massively in shows... just going crazy. And I've been witness to it on two occasions. And I was really questioning her Coachella stint as I was walking over to that tent that nite. But I came back a believer. So much so that I just purchased my ticket for her show next month at the Variety.

You see, I really have a love/hate relationship with Cat Power... or, should I say, Chan Marshall. I've loved her albums, or whatever I'm exposed to. Moon Pix is a great record and You Are Free sounds so tight and cleaner than the former. While I haven't been that exposed to her earlier efforts, I've vacillated back and forth between doing the quick download and going full-throttle into Cat Power love. When The Greatest came out months back, I couldn't stand it. It was so sonically developed from what I knew that I instantly cast it aside.

Bad mistake.

I had such a great time in May that I know I can't deny it a second time around. My intuition tells me otherwise, but once I had a taste of the good stuff that Cat Power had to offer live, I now know that this is it. It's like these are the tunes she was meant to perform... and that sounds loaded as hell... but I really feel it's the truth. Chan took on a whole other personality with the band backing her and I know it's no fluke. In a venue that's her's for a nite, she really can do no wrong. I can't wait.

Cat Power @ the Variety Playhouse... September 12... 8PM... all ages.

ANGELA WHAT?!

Yeah, so tonite's PR episode was pretty good, don't ya think? Keith's manipulative takes on almost EVERYTHING made him seem like odd man out from the get-go. At a function this past weekend, a few PR-faithful discussed and theorized that Keith HAD to be the one to go. You had to know that something was up with his results from the first few challenges and the fact that he was just a menswear designer. He comes out SLAMMIN' these really basic (IMO), but pretty elegant garments and gets his ego instantly inflated. And now we know why. His attitude left much to be desired. While I can say that I am somewhat glad to see him gone from the show, I'd really hate to see his whole reputation tarnished... all due to his own volition. But he took massive gambles and paid the ultimate price. What I'm really curious about is the briefly-mentioned "disappearance" off-camera. It makes you wonder where he went, when, and what went on. Only Keith knows those answers... and even though they seem irrelevant now, questioning his actions makes for fantastic internet fodder! :P

From the negative comes the positive and all I can really say (along with the majority, I'm sure) is "ANGELA, WHAT?!" I really thought she'd pull out come crapper of an outfit and basically ride the coattails of whoever she was going to be with... you know, since she really specializes in these teamwork challenges (riiiiight). Picking ATL and Laura, she really couldn't go wrong. I just couldn't see fights ensue (i.e. episode 2) between them because Angela's partners were so dead-on. They tamed her down and couldn't have worked out better. I am definitely one who feels that she should've been Auf'd a couple of times already (and with there only being three prior episodes, that's pretty bad to say), but I feel that she really redeemed herself... at least her attitude with working with others. I still don't necessarily agree with her stylistic choices, but I guess that's what makes her tick. Michael and Laura really helped out and came through, as witnessed at the end of the episode.

What can't go without any mention is the effort Alison and Jeffrey put into Keith's design. While I really hated the top, the concept of the outfit was nice and I'm glad that they got rewarded with a second place finish. They could've turned the whole thing around and made it their own (any aspect of it), but they chose to remain true to Keith, which was nice to see... but I'm sure that time constraints played a role in that as well. Job well done to the two of those kids.

Not surprising to see Bonnie get the boot. I actually thought it would come down to her and Bradley, simply because of the pants that the judges hated and the pants that he worked on (even though it was still her design). What was surprising, however, was that the pre-challenge interviews featured both Bonnie and Robert mentioning how they should be so strong in this challenge because of their experience with Nike and Barbie, respectively. Funny how things work out, you know? Conversely from Keith, I simply adored Bonnie's attitude though and I'll definitely miss it in future episodes.

For more, check out BPR for some more updates about the current cast and alum from yesteryear.