Archive Page 2
#15: Radio Station – Wearing a T-shirt of a radio station that plays songs of the current concert band breaks into the top 15 based on its creativity. Additionally, if the radio station plays a wide variety of songs in the current concert band’s genre, you’re pretty much advertising the entire genre. There are some drawbacks, however, due to the fact that, in general, the radio station on your T-shirt would be willing to drop the song of your band from its airplay rotation as soon as its ratings drop. Also, most radio station T-shirts are free you cheap bastard.
#14: Ironic – This one also ranks fairly high on the creative front as it entails wearing the T-shirt of a band that no one at the current concert likes, in order to add a bit of humor. When done correctly, you can receive a multitude of comments and smiles from the opposite sex. This one, however, is a little bit risky as the T-shirt must clearly be ironic to distinguish it from #19. An acceptable example would be a Backstreet Boys T-shirt at a Slipknot concert. There are big drawbacks, though, as you might have to explain it all night and someone is going to comment that you actually paid money for it.
#13: Old-School – Ok, so if you really want to wear a T-shirt of the current concert band, it is only acceptable if the T-shirt is seriously old-school. This situation, however, only works if the T-shirt is significantly old and, therefore, only applies to bands that have been around for 6+ years. Additionally, the T-shirt should clearly illustrate its age by way of a date or an illustration that can be directly correlated to the release of an old album. This T-shirt should be very faded.
#12: Old-School, Old-Name – This corresponds to the rare situation where you own a T-shirt of a current concert band before it changed its name to its current name. This type of T-shirt gets the edge on just being Old-School alone because it proves that you’ve been down with the band from the very beginning.
#11: Label – If you can get a-hold of a T-shirt for the record label to which the current concert band is signed, or a record label that really embraces the concert’s genre, it’s a pretty good find. It’s important to note that this only really works with indie labels. A Columbia records T-shirt does nothing for you since there are about a million bands signed to Columbia and its subsidiaries, including some bands that will be considered to be pretty lame by the current concertgoers. Sometimes, you can get away with a label T-shirt of a very specific subsidiary, but keep in mind that the coolness of the T-shirt is inversely proportional to how greedy and how much of a conglomerate the parent label is considered to be (i.e. stay away from any association with labels that are considered to be “the man”).
(To be continued…)
Filed under: Music | 5 Comments
Tags: Concerts, T-shirt
When attending a concert, it is important to realize that one has the unique opportunity to showcase his/her musical tastes and expertise. This is not by way of one’s knowledge of the bands on stage, comprehension of music theory, or the ability to beautifully sing along to every song in perfect harmony. No, one’s musical understanding is best expressed by the T-shirt that he/she has painstakingly chosen to wear. There are few other ways that one can show to his/her peers that he/she is truly down with the current scene and deserving of the upmost respect. This seemingly simple choice from one’s wardrobe can open a wide variety of opportunities such as gaining admiration, making a friend, or even getting the opportunity to converse with a member of the band.
With so much at stake, it is important to choose the best T-shirt for the concert being attended while avoiding the numerous pitfalls that await the un-savvy dresser. As such, I have crafted a list of twenty concert T-shirt options, ordered from worst to best, to help when making such an important decision.
Note: This list is only intended to help showcase your musical expertise and not to help showcase your sense of humor, intelligence, status as a badass, etc. As such, this list will only be addressing music related T-shirts and will not address other T-shirt alternatives such as the college/university, political, humorous, intentionally controversial, explicit, or socially aware T-shirts.
Alright, on to the list:
#20: Feuding /Rival Band – Starting at #20 is the T-shirt of a band with which the current concert band that you are seeing is feuding. This is definitely a faux pas. Before going to a concert, it is extremely important to research rivalries between bands. Some simple Internet searching can result in a wealth of information regarding inter-band relationships. Wearing a T-shirt of a feuding/rival band will, at very least, indicate to others that you are not a true fan and, most likely, cause some type of confrontation resulting in a war of words…or a fat lip.
#19: Sell-Out – Only slightly better than #20. This category of T-shirt encompasses any band considered by patrons of the current concert to be a sell-out, no longer cool, never cool, never properly considered to be part of the genre, or “Top 40”. Stay away at all costs.
#18: T-shirt Bought at Current Concert – I know you’re excited about your new T-shirt, but really? Despite what you think, wearing this T-shirt does not make you cool, since everyone at the concert that has $20 can get it. This includes any shirt that you bought at the current concert including a general “Tour” T-shirt or a T-shirt of any band currently performing. The only circumstance where it is acceptable to wear a T-shirt that you just bought at the merch table is if, upon entering the concert, you receive new information that makes you realize that the band on your current T-shirt falls into one of the Feuding/Rival Band (#20) or Sell-Out (#19) categories. Otherwise, wait until you get home to put it on.
#17: Current Concert Band – Based on what I’ve seen it might surprise some people, but it is not generally acceptable to wear the T-shirt of a band that you are seeing at the current concert. Everyone already knows that you’re a fan…you’re already at the concert. So what are you trying to say? That you’re a super fan? The point of wearing a band’s T-shirt at a concert is to provide additional insight into your musical aptitude. This will not happen if you wear the T-shirt of the band up on stage. Additionally, you run the risk of wearing a T-shirt that is currently being sold at the show, giving the impression of #18. If you must wear a T-shirt of the current concert band, there are two somewhat acceptable situations which I will address later in #13 and #12.
#16: Current Concert Band Frontman – This is a T-shirt only illustrating the frontman/frontwoman of the current concert band. A little better than Current Concert Band, since you are putting some effort in it, but still suffers from the problems of #17. Besides, the frontman/frontwoman inherently gets more glory than the rest of the band, which might already be sparking jealousy in the other band members. Your T-shirt is only adding fuel to the fire. The last thing that you want to do is give the frontman/frontwoman a big head and start a fight between bandmates. This category is also intended to encompass the rare situation where another individual in the current concert band is the focus of the T-shirt (i.e. guitarist, drummer, etc.).
Note: This is not addressing bands that are basically only a frontman/fronwoman, such as Ozzy Osborne. In such a case, this category does not apply but wearing an Ozzy shirt would be subject to #18 and #17. If at an Ozzy show, better options would be to wear a Randy Rhoads T-shirt (#7-to be addressed later) or a Black Sabbath T-shirt (#3-to be addressed later).
(To be continued…)
Filed under: Music | 6 Comments
Tags: Concerts, T-shirt
16-0*
As the Wild Card Weekend approaches, I thought that, at the risk of this appearing as a pitiable excuse for a sports blog, I’d reflect a little bit on the NFL’s story of the year, and the controversy surrounding it.
Of course, at this point we all know that the New England Patriots were caught cheating by way of videotaping the defensive signals of the New York Jets in their season opener. Of course, we also know that the New England Patriots have subsequently gone undefeated to end the regular season at 16-0. This combination of events begs the question: Are the 2007 New England Patriots 16-0? Or are they 16-0*?
Immediately following the Patriots’ final game of the season against the New York Giants, the question was raised to Peter King as to whether or not the cheating scandal surrounding the Patriots would affect his potential voting for Bill Belichick as Coach of the Year. While I was disgusted to hear Peter King respond that the scandal was not going to affect his voting, and that Belichick was still a viable option, I was delighted to see that the situation was still a topic of conversation by the NFL analysts, who sometimes have a tendency to shy away from discussing the controversial, and therefore interesting, stories. At this point, I had lost hope that anyone other than Gregg Easterbrook was willing to press the issue.
Those opposed to the asterisk will argue that the videotaping wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the one game, let alone the season, and, besides, “everybody does it”. And, come on, is it really fair to tarnish the accomplishments of the entire team? The majority of the organization didn’t have any direct involvement and, most likely, weren’t even aware that it was occurring. This isn’t anything like Mark Ecko’s, and the general public’s, decision to brand Barry Bond’s infamous 756th, as that circumstance only involved one person’s reputation.
The same individuals will argue that the entire situation is being blown out of proportion – a witch hunt fueled by the jealously of fans of lesser teams. The same jealousy causing the wide-variety of claims against the Patriots including assertions of running-up the score, supposed unsportsmanlike trash-talking courtesy of Rodney Harrison, and the recent alleged eye-poking by Vince Wilfork. Even Tom Brady’s personal life involving Bridget Moynahan has been unnecessarily brought into the mix.
But is that really what this is all about? Regardless of the aforementioned opinions of the Patriot faithful, which by the way, are kidding themselves if they think that Wilfork wasn’t gunning for Brandon Jacobs’s eye, the point is that the organization was found guilty of cheating. There was no denial, no arguing, no plea of ignorance. Instead , Belichick accepted Roger Goodell’s punishment with barely a comment – an implicit pleading of the fifth.
Plus, it’s important to remember that the asterisk is only used to designate a footnote, and is not an automatic sign of disgrace a la Hester Prynne. Its purpose is simply to draw the reader’s attention to some additional, pertinent, information.
So, are the Patriots 16-0 or 16-0*?
I say 16-0*… but let’s be fair about it:
2007 Regular Season: New England Patriots 16-0*
*The New England Patriots were caught videotaping the defensive signals of the New York Jets who, it should be noted, ended up going 4-12. Bill Belichick was punished by the NFL with a $500,000 fine, and the Patriots’ organization was fined an additional $250,000 and loss of their first-round draft pick. However, while it is important to note such fraudulent activities, in light of the collective talent of, inter alia, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Laurence Maroney, Donte’ Stallworth, Wes Welker, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Matt Light, and Stephen Gostkowski, the team probably would have ended-up going 16-0 anyway.
Filed under: Sport Ramblings | 3 Comments
Tags: 16-0, Belichick, Coach of the Year, New England, NFL, Patriots, Peter King
New Year’s Absolution
As I watch the Bayberry candle burn down into an olive puddle filling the candlestick to its rim, the remnants of last night’s champagne in hand, I realize that it’s that time of year again. The time where, amidst nursing our hangovers, we collect our aspirations, failures, and inadequacies and blend them into a list of resolutions. (Although, for most of us, “desperation” might be more fitting than “resolution”). In the coming week(s), the line at Burger King will be a little bit shorter while a line begins to form for treadmills at the local gym. Supermarkets will have an abundant stock of cigarettes, while the organic food aisle will be stripped bare. You might even notice that rush hour is about fifteen minutes earlier as the collective, with smiles on their faces and an overall tone of hope, eagerly rushes to work – a model of focus and efficiency.
Spare me.
Don’t get me wrong. The idea of a new start is as appealing to me as anyone. The first of each month has been “the first day of the rest of my life” for the last two years as I have been so confident that each time the calendar reads the 1st, that this would be the month when I finally get organized, take my fitness to the next level, seriously focus on playing guitar, and start writing that book that will send me to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. The thought of falling back into the same old routine was laughable, yet here I am, constantly looking for my checkbook, it still takes me nine minutes to run a mile, I find myself playing the same repertoire as two years ago, and my twenty-five pages of jumbled thoughts reads more like a speech by a high school valedictorian than the earth-shattering manuscript that I desire it to be.
And I know that I’m not alone. A couple of years ago, British psychologists determined that January 24th is the most depressing day of the year. Apparently, this day marks the time when, coupled with dreary January weather and the influx of credit card bills, even the strong-willed that have surpassed the average seven-day threshold, fall victim to their temptations and the draw of the familiar, and break the resolutions that they had so carefully crafted twenty-four days earlier.
So, this year I’ll be taking a different approach. Instead of setting New Year’s Resolutions, this year I’m giving myself New Year’s Absolution.
A couple of years ago, while I was killing myself to obtain my fifth promotion in as many years, a friend and co-worker of mine remarked that society has instilled in the population a need for constant improvement and, while this is often a desirable characteristic, many have lost the ability to be satisfied with their current state in life. Basically raising the question: What is the point of improving yourself if, as soon as you do, you immediately feel dissatisfied causing the pursuit of your next improvement rather than enjoying what you’ve already accomplished? This, in turn, made me wonder whether the pursuit of goals that I set for myself is in the true interest of my own happiness, or if I am instead trying to find happiness in the pursuit itself.
Now don’t get me wrong. This is not an attempt to give myself a free pass to drift through 2008 aimlessly. Rather, I have decided to avoid the lure of setting a plurality of steadfast and lofty resolutions for perfection, all commencing on one day with no course of action to deal with the unexpected, and substituted them for a plan of a gradual transition to fulfill realistic goals that are sincerely important to me. In short, absolving myself from the need for improvement and choosing the desire for contentment. This, in turn, allows me to once again start January 2nd feeling realistically optimistic that I will be able to separate external influences and pressures from those accomplishments that are truly the key to my fulfillment -resulting in a satisfying year. Therefore, even if 2009 doesn’t find me on a book tour or at my album release party, I’m confident that I’ll be able to play a couple of new songs on the guitar, I’ll most likely be able to run a mile in six minutes, and I’ll definitely be able to find my checkbook.
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Tags: New Year's
There are a lot of conversations around the NFL (and by around the NFL, I mean my limited access which includes the handful of articles that I read on the NFL and ESPN websites and associated message boards) that Randy Moss and Terrell Owens are changed men. Gone is the day when Moss would walk off the field in disgust while there was still time on the clock. Even more removed is the time when Owens would selfishly fight with his quarterback on the sidelines. These two have seen the errors of their ways and have now become model players who care for the respectability of the sport. Anyone buying this?
I find this to be a slight stretch of the imagination. Instead, I would suggest that it isn’t so much that they have changed, but rather that their situations have changed. Moss’s transition from the 2-14 Oakland Raiders to a 16-0 season with the New England Patriots leaves him with little to be disgusted about. Can we really assume that he’s a different player this year, when he hasn’t had to deal with losing a single game? Similarly, at 13-2, Owens has had little to complain about. Although, if you happened to watch the games where Dallas was behind, Owens was voicing his disapproval on the sideline (not to mention his comments regarding Jessica Simpson – I know, it was just a joke).
Now don’t read anything else into this. It is in no way an attempt to downplay their teams’ success nor to demean their abilities as individuals. I think that the two of them are exceptionally talented players. Let’s just not brand them as the new personification of sportsmanship until they have had a couple of hardships to endure. With the possibility of only one of them holding the Lombardi Trophy come February 3rd, I have a feeling that the “old” versions will make an appearance at some point. Maybe then we’ll see who still spells team with an “I”.
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Tags: ESPN, NFL, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens
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So, here comes the obligatory post where the author, in order to mask his own insecurities about being an amateur, desperately attempts to summarize “why I started this blog” in a manner that showcases him as aloof, yet original, with a hint of wit and a subtle air of perspicacity in order to entice the reader. Check.
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