Reason 4...

Reason Number 4 in my Special November series of reasons why I started this blog:

The review of the Weird Al Show at the Ram’s Head.

Here is one of my little sticky issues with the City Paper: even when they seem to like something, they never seem to have the guts to whole-heartedly admit that they like something. They always, always, always seem to find a reason why the show or the album, or the movie, or whatever it is that they are reviewing, is less than perfect--even to the point where it almost sounds like they think that the event sucks. This was apparent in this review.

http://www.citypaper.com/music/story.asp?id=13611

While the reviewer (Name withheld, do not want to smear but I’m sure you can figure it out--who, much like Karl Rove, has fucked up a good thing and then gone on his way to take another job--do you like that analogy? And do you like the length of this aside? This is the kind of obnoxious thing City Paper does and by doing this I am demonstrating how their butchering of the language and the conventions of writing so completely offends me--and I’m pointing this directly at Mr. Wrong) seems to be a fan of Weird Al, he could not resist the snotty City Paper habit of finding something stupid and inane to not like about the show. In this case, it was the fact that apparently the reviewer was not happy standing for a 2 hour show and that, boo hoo, he did not play “Dare to be Stupid.”

I happen to LOVE Weird Al (no shit), so I am a bit biased when it comes to this issue. But I still think I’m right to say that there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong, or un-hip, or un-cool about actually admitting you like something.

So fuck your snide commentary: show some balls, leave out that last paragraph (that seemed just stashed in there so you could keep your “I’m a snarky City Paper writer” credentials) and just say “Wow. It was a great show.”

Next week: Reason 3 may surprise you!


(ps--this may be snotty of me to note...but I see that the City Paper is holding their 30th Anniversary Party at the Recher Theater in Towson--correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that NOT in the city? Don't you think that sends the wrong message to the people of Baltimore, the community which they are supposed to serve, to make everyone drive out to the county to celebrate a big occasion like a 30 year anniversary? Aren't there any venues in Baltimore proper where they can have this show? Like I said, maybe I'm just being as snotty as them, but that's just how I see it!)


And now the links…

Links to syndicated columns that appear in City Paper and other links to things that don’t appear in City Paper. Because I heard that reading City Paper gives people STDs.

Movies

Check out this new blog by a Baltimore movie insider--it is a well-written, well organized and insightful look into the local movie scene, and I thank him for allowing me to link to it.

http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/

Columns

Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10899

Savage Love
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove

Straight Dope.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071109.html


Comics

This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/

The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/

The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/

Music/Events

A good music listing site.
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html

Other Music sites.

http://www.bmorelive.com/

Clubs/Performance Spaces

http://www.talkingheadclub.com/
http://theottobar.com/
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
http://www.themetrogallery.net/
http://www.lofisocialclub.com/
http://www.fletchersbar.com/
http://www.redemmas.org/2640/
http://hamiltonart.org/dhome/

Yin/Yang

Free Will Astrology!
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/

Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-11-07.html


Thanks again for reading. Come to my show Saturday at the Hamilton Arts Collective!!!