Sharps and Flats

Kids, music has it's highs and it's lows, it's sharps and flats, if you will, and today I experienced them both.

First of all, I scored a ticket to go see Jeff Tweedy (founder and lead singer of Wilco) on Sunday night, and I'm pretty f'ing excited about that. I'm still looking for another one for Amanda, because I'd much rather go with her than go by myself, but I'll go by myself if that's what it comes down to. I've seen Wilco four times, but I've never seen a solo show by Tweedy. I've heard they're great. Check back in a few days for the review.

Secondly, I just finished a great biography on Jimi Hendrix that I picked up from the library the other day. It's called Room Full of Mirrors, and it was written by the same guy who wrote the Kurt Cobain biography Heavier Than Heaven (which I still desperately want to read). Room Full of Mirrors was awesome. For some reason I've long been obsessed with the rock stars who died at age 27, so this book was right up my alley. I not only have a new appreciation for many of Jimi's songs, but I learned some interesting things, such as the fact that before Jimi really made it, he was in a band for a short while with Tommy Chong (later of Cheech & Chong). I also learned that one night when Jimi flew into a drunken jealous rage in a pub in London and began to hit his girlfriend with a telephone receiver - and this part is a quote from the book - "at that moment, Paul McCartney and John Lennon walked into the pub and calmly took the phone from Jimi's hands." Now, I am in absolutely no way condoning violence against women, but to be put in your place by Paul McCartney and John Lennon? That's just unbelievable.

What about the lows, you ask? Well, as you may know, the Grammy Awards took place today. In Los Angeles. A block from my office. And, as you may also know, I take the bus to and from work. Today, though, the buses had been re-routed through downtown LA, but they really did a piss-poor job of telling anyone about this. I even checked the MTA's website before I left work. No advisory whatsoever. So I head to the bus stop, right in front of the Staples Center, and I'm waiting there for about 15 minutes, when I notice a yellow 8 1/2 X 11 piece of paper taped to a light post maybe 10 yards from the bus stop. Nothing on the stop itself, mind you. Nothing near the bench, or on the post with the schedule and information. After trying to read this poorly worded MTA advisory (it was like trying to read Sanskrit), I decided I'd walk to where the streets weren't blocked off anymore and just get on the bus there. Unfortunately, that was about 1o blocks away, in the wrong direction. After waiting for the bus at the new stop for about 10 more minutes (with a LOT of people), I got on an extremely crowded bus with what seemed like about 85 other Angelinos, most of whom had yet to see the inside of a shower today. Needless to say, the ride was less than less than enjoyable, and I blame the Grammys.

Today's lesson: Read about music, listen to music, go see live music, but screw the people who pay for and promote the music. I'd like to see Clive Davis hop on the 328 and see how he enjoyed the detour.