Happy Fridays

Brooklyn Vegan provides a more updated picture of America's newest sweetheart.

This whole week was long, exhausting and expensive. Since last Friday I've been to 5 shows and taken an interstate bus and countless cabs to get to each. This weekend doesn't look to be any easier or cheaper, especially with the Beastie Boys Saturday night and the prospect of having to eat my extra $75 Morrissey tickets for Sunday. The only relief was the $4.50 Red Bull & Vodkas and $1 drafts at Homecoming last weekend, and that seems like months ago by now.

I went into last night pretty beat. I met up with some heads at Brass Monkey on Lil W 12 and 10th for drinks and a quick bite to eat for a buddy of mine's birthday. After a few beers and a glass of wine, I was pretty worn out, but had tickets to Rilo Kiley at Bowery. I parted with the rest of the party and took a long cross-town cab over to Delancey St. at around 10:30 to catch the band. Lemme just say it was the perfect remedy for a groggy day.

It's no secret that I love Rilo Kiley. They came out with the best CD of the year, in my estimation, and they have this wonderfully amateurish and nubile quality about them which plays in contrast to their incredible talent. It creates as unique a musical experience as one can hope for from this scene...not in a weird, out-there way, but in a natural, comforting, cheerful, happy to be alive way that few other bands these days can even attempt to convey. They just looked like they were having the best time in the world on stage...like Jenny and Blake were just playing in their garage one day, and a bunch of their friends came over with instruments and wanted to play along. "Oh, you BOTH have trumpets? Ok!" "You wanna do a song where we Tap Dance together? Sure! that sounds fun!" Just adorable. And of course on top of all that, the music is perfect. Tho completely exhausted, I left the show in a much better mood than I came in with.

Tonight I've gotta watch the debate...keep your eagle-eyes open for any earpieces or battery packs Bush might be sporting (wingnuttish, I know, but fun nonetheless). Kerry's remarkable surge of momentum continues, and according to Electoral-Vote.com, (the only site that matters for the next few weeks) Kerry is now comfortably ahead in Michigan by 10 points, and regained the lead in Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin, which only a few weeks ago looked like they were ready to be conceded to Bush. He's even drawn even in Colorado and Arkansas, which almost always go red. Lets hope he continues the surge!

The job numbers are NOT good today...almost 50,000 less than what is needed to keep up with population growth, Iraq is still not going well, and Kerry is pounding in the fact that Bush won't admit it. Finally there are pictures abound of Cheney and Edwards at the Prayer Breakfast together, disputing the claim that Cheney had never met the Senator before. This country wants and needs change, and we are finally as a whole coming around to the idea that John Kerry is the right man for the job. Props to Joe Lockhart and the rest of the Kerry/Edwards campaign. Keep it up!

Tonight we're doing something for Ciaran's birthday, but no set plans yet. If you got a spare Sixty bucks, I recommend heading over to the Cancer benefit at Spirit. The Strokes, Blondie and Sonic Youth are all gonna perform in the memory of Johnny Ramone. It's a good, non-partisan cause, and there's some great music to go on top. Worth checking out. Tickets are still available.

And finally...if you want to come to the Morrissy Show on Sunday, drop me an e-mail, cause I have good tickets I'm still looking to dump. The price is negotiable. jeffdbaum 'at' gmail 'dot' com.