Kyle Brown’s Grand Scale of Debauchery

End of Year Lists – A Fives

I have a habit to suddenly reappear on this blog around this time every year to give you my “Best of Music” list. It’s a cute little trick that has become well-worn and needs a little juice to get it going. So with that in mind, and inspired by the best e-mail string of all time, I’m going to change it up a bit and just make it a list of Fives. You’re welcome. As always this is totally subjective and indicative of what I will remember 2011 for.

Five Best Euro-Trash Jams aka Pop Music 2011

Good god pop radio. I know you like dance hits and all, but didn’t we do this last year? An entire year of the same propulsive beat over and over? Of course, some are better than others. All make me feel like I should be in some dingy club in Prague staring at women who may or not be prostitutes…(Just my experience? No one else? Ok…) My personal favorites for varying reasons:

5. Flo Rida - Good Feeling (I’m pretty sure they sampled another euro song from like 5 years ago.)

4. Pitbull – Give Me Everything (Pretty much straight stolen from BEP ‘I Gotta Feelin’. Also my favorite out of context pop lyric of the year, “Grab somebody sexy tell em Hey!”)

3. Britney Spears – Till The World Ends (The auto-tune is so pervasive I think that Britney is actually a robot. I’ve spent way too much time examining this as an actual possibility.)

2. LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem (Maybe the most fun song to come out this year for the shuffle dance alone, you can’t listen to this and not yell out, “PARTY ROCK!”)

1. Rihanna – We Found Love (The gift that keeps on giving. “We fell in love in a — –“ The amount of fun you can have inserting words in there is mind blowing. Song is damn good too.)

Five Things I’ll Remember Most About 2011

5. The Year of Second Holidays

The year started in with a January 1^st for the ages. The party kept going, from Gay Church to Gestalt to the 500 Club, 2^nd New Years was rowdier than actual New Years. Thanksgiving brought my parents to my apartment in the city with all the trimmings of a traditional turkey dinner. Then we did all again at their place 4 days later, complete with bird on a spitfire rotisserie. Finally, as The Lady had to stay and work on Christmas, the 26^th offered the best Boxing Day present in years, a 2^nd Christmas complete with presents, friends, and hockey. Second Holidays, like first holidays, only drunker!

4. The Year of the East Coast Sports Vacation

Twice this year The Lady and I had the fortune to visit her folks as well as old friends on the East Coast. Both trips very conveniently lined up with sports games. The first round in June found us watching A’s baseball in Philadelphia and New York City. The second trip in October saw Sharks games in New Jersey and Boston. The games were memorable, the good guys won more than they lost, and we only got cursed at once by my count. There is nothing like seeing your favorite team in an opposing building. Just remember the golden rule: It’s okay to root for your team. NEVER badmouth the home team.

3. The Year of the SF Slackers Union

It started simple enough: Let’s get some friends together to play soccer. Between the search for players, (anybody who expressed interest was in) practice areas, (scrimmaging with the Mexican busboys) and deciding on a name (It had to match our SFSU team shirts) we thought we were ready for prime time. One 12-0 drubbing and some very bruised ribs later we realized that there is no such thing as Beer League Soccer. But we kept at it. The roster shifted some, we switched around leagues, and we all got a lot better. After 4 “seasons” and 28 games our 2011 record: 0 Wins, 3 Draws, 25 Losses.

2. The Year Everyone Started Getting Super Adult

If anything 2011 was the year of the wedding/engagement/baby. It seemed like every time I talked to somebody there was big news floating around. We had new additions in the form of children, new marriages and even more engagements. Hell Calvert turned 30! It was the year that people started doing things that told the rest of the world, “I am an adult, and I am okay with that.” (Except Redding and Campbell, screw you guys.)

1. The Year The Band Broke Up

As an effect to “The Year Everyone Started Getting Super Adult” cause, 2011 also meant the dissolving of the one, the only, the SF party pad, 88 Cumberland. Three years ago it had begun with a dream: three young men taking on the city in all its sordid splendor and possibilities. Through numerous parties, closet dwellers, couch surfers, and yes at least 6 official other roommates, the palace by the park had been the refuge for all of us that had come to know The City By the Bay. But alas, as everyone got Super Adult, it became obvious that the apartment was not long for this group. No, it was time to move in with The Lady, to stop partying until 3am on a random Tuesday, and to stop sharing a bathroom with at times 12 other people. We had hoped to keep it in the family, but in the end it was too damn expensive…

Five Favorite Quotes

5. “You’re right, Josh Pendleton is probably the nicest guy ever which affirms my position that I’m a piece of shit.” – Shawn Dollinger (Thus squashing one of the funniest bi-coastal feuds in recent memory.)

4. “Today is the day gentleman. We’ve all watched the games - I’m guessing there’s probably like 60-90 per season. And as they say in the sorority house, that’s a lot of periods. The sharks are in second place, behind another hockey team. I like the fact that they are playing the kings, because I think L.A. is a rat-infested hellhole. A little weird as it’s the kings, as I thought they were in Sacramento. But I digress. The big game (match?) is tonight, and there will be a lot of ice skating, fighting, and fooling around with a puck. Some would say too much, but not me boys - I am true blue. Go sharks. I hope they win the cup so I can get a shirt that says something about “San Jose - Champions.” It’s gon be tight. See you out there.”

- Michael Redding (He wrote this in an email at the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April. I like to imagine a real NHL coach using this as a locker room speech. Makes me laugh every time. Silly Michael knows dick about sports.)

3. “You can send a card any time of year that says ‘joy, love, peace…up yours” – Nana (Disappointed with the state of Christmas Cards. An up yours from Nana is about as good as it gets.)

2. “Turns out we should have just bombed them with ipads.” – Bob Brown (To about 500 people at the Teladata Technology Convergence Conference in reference to technology’s effect on the events in the Arab world. I encouraged him to say it, and the dead silence that followed it was at the same time heartbreaking and hysterically funny.)

1. “To my pal Kyle, Sorry about my BIG HEAD” – SJ Sharkie (Written on an apology letter after Sharkie and I nearly came to blows at a Sharks playoff game last spring.)

Five Favorite Albums of 2011

5. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo (Brooding, acoustic rock perfect for foggy afternoons.)

4. Blink 182 – Neighborhoods (They’re back! I’m a sucker…)

3. Cut Copy – Zonoscope (The best dance record and without question the best concert I saw all year.)

2. Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch the Throne (Both guys on top of their games.)

1. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life (Sprawling, melodic, aggressive, intricate, heartfelt. It’s difficult to sum this up in one succinct way, but it left an indelible mark.)

Five Things I am Looking Forward to in 2012 (Besides impending doom)

5. The Summer Olympics. What’s not to love about some good ol USA v Everyone Else. Something about good ol fashioned competition makes xenophobia not only good, but encouraged. Freaking Euros…

4. 49er Playoff Games. No for reals. Can you believe it?! They made the playoffs. And they’re good and relevant, and might actually win one of em. I know this sounds insane, but it’s going to happen! Man, I am pumped!

3. Our First SF Slackers Win. It’s going to happen, and when it does it will be glorious.

2. Travels. Between work, visiting friends, sports and what else, some of my best memories are from the different places I get to go to each year. I still don’t know what 2012 will entail, but I know that I’ll have a good time when I’m there.

1. Stanley Cup Finals. Because a man can dream big…

Mr. Selig,

I am one of the many Oakland Athletics supporters writing to you today to respectfully request that the findings of the Blue Ribbon Panel to study the stadium situation with regard to the Athletics be made public. As Buster Olney of ESPN, a partner with Major League Baseball, and one of the most respected Baseball journalists in the country wrote earlier this week, “But until the ballpark situation is resolved, the franchise will continue to rot.”

I realize that matters are complicated, and that there is a lot of history involved in making this decision. However the length of time taken has far exceeded what is necessary to render a suggestion one way or another. I have spoken with Mr. Wolfe and his interviews with the media indicate the same sentiment, until you, and you alone render a judgement this franchise will continue to hang in the balance. I implore you to make a public statement supporting the A’s potential move to San Jose, as it is the only current plan that would see the A’s able to play in a new ballpark when the current lease in Oakland expires. Even if that is not your direction, a public statement one way or the other would lend clarity and give direction to what has been a murky situation for nearly a decade.

You have an incredible opportunity to swing public support in your favor here. It should be no suprise that you are not exactly well liked in the East Bay right now. But if a decision was made in the next few months, the A’s could ride the public support of your plan along with the Hollywood wave from MoneyBall into becoming what it has been for its existence, one of the cornerstone franchises of the American League. 9 World Series titles, a fan base that used to consistently draw well over 2 million (in a two team market) and some of the most memorable teams of the past two decades. As commissioner of Major League Baseball, please do not allow one team to wallow like this. It only hurts the product of the whole league to allow teams to drag down the bottom.

I understand there are other matters that also require your attention, but 805 days and counting is ridiculous. You and you alone are the only person that can solve this situation. Please, do the right thing and end this madness.

Kyle Brown
Life long A’s fan
San Francisco, CA

I’m sad. Sad it’s over. Sad I don’t get to watch something I love in person until October rolls back around. Sad that this could have been the team to make it all the way. Sad that I get so upset over something I can’t control.

But in a few days, it’ll be okay. The sting will be less, and summer will return.

It just sucks right now…

Boys and Girls,

Tonight no doubt is a huge one in the minds and hearts of all Sharks fans. We’ve (as a collective entity of players/coaches/owners/and supporters whose money makes this machine happen) played over 6 months of hockey every few days to come to this point. To get this chance to finish a series and move on to the Final Four. To continue our quest to etch the names on Lord Stanley’s legendary chalice. But tonight is not a referendum on us, tonight is not a legendary battle of warriors, tonight is not a make or break legacy, tonight is not about shedding that dreaded “C” label, nor is it a shifting of momentum.

Tonight, is quite simply 60(+) minutes of hockey. Pure sport. 40 men competing at the highest level their chosen profession has to offer. Tonight is an opportunity to soak in the atmosphere that comes with a do-or-die scenario. Tonight, like every night will be determined by who puts the puck behind that red line more times. And when the scoreboard reaches 0:00 and the goals are tallied, tonight will end. Tonight is just another game. The franchise will play again, whether Sunday evening in British Columbia or back on Santa Clara street next October.

This team has played for this chance. To win THIS game.

Tonight is not about what happened before May 12, 2011.

Tonight is about what happens inside HP Pavillion at 6:10pm PST.

GO SHARKS

KB

88 Cumberland,

Hi old friend. What’s going on. I know it’s been a LONG time… It’s not you, it’s me. It’s totally me.

You are still interesting, sure I haven’t updated you in some time, but it’s because I’m busy. Look we shared a LOT of GOOD TIMES didn’t we.

Remember South Africa, remember the trip to Cinque Terre? You were there, of course you do. Remember how we used to listen to music together and make crazy lists? All the updates from New York and the times spent down at the 2×4? Yeah that was fun.

We can have those old times back, we really can. We can start over.

I want to start over.

I promise from now on, if you let me, I’ll be a better person and a more consistent writer.

I’ve just been…well other places, like watching sports, and working, and I don’t know.

I have no good excuse. But I’m gonna be better, I am gonna TRY to be better.

Don’t give up on me just yet.

88 Cumberland,

As my brother tweeted recently “Trying to figure out my Top 10 records of 2010, because I’m anal and have to make a list every year.”

So it’s that time again, and in the time honored tradition I am doing a best of list. As always, this list represents what I was into this year, not necessarily the best stuff out there. If anybody reading this like my tastes, possibly you’ll pick up something you didn’t previously know about.

As has become recent tradition I break this into a few different categories before diving into my 25 favorite songs. So prior to that let’s get going…

Craziest Jump From Pop Blip to Cultural Icon to ART-EEST

How did Lady Gaga go from being another Scissor Sisters-esque cult artist to suddenly being compared to Andy Warhol?

I’m not sure either, but watch the insanity that was the Telephone video, with 97 million views and counting and you may have some idea. Working with highly respected artists, taking risks such as showing up in a designer meat costume, and giving crazy interviews has somehow elevated her to another level in the pop lexicon, from Gay party tunes to voice of a generation. And you know what? She writes the tunes to back it up.

New Band Discovery that took way too long

Nouvelle Vague. This French four piece is solely a cover band. But my god do they do it well. New Wave and 80s punk songs are their target, and three albums in they are killing it. This is easily the most entertaining cover band since Me First, and you can probably already know their version of “Melt With You” from the Snicker’s commercial. I learned about them sometime around August and haven’t stopped listening since. Their version of The Clash - Guns of Brixton absolutely kills.

Best Ridiculous Pop Song Lyrics

Always one of my favorite categories. Mainly because why listen to pop music if you can’t giggle the whole way through it.

Taio Cruz - Dynamite

“I throw my hands up in the air sometimes/saying aaa yo gotta let go” Sometimes? Why on earth are we classifying sometimes in a pop song about reckless abandon. I mean you might as well sing the chorus and follow it up with “eh, I mean when I feel like it”. Not to mention the bridge, “I told you once/now I’ve told you twice.” Classic. This is the kind of song that recalls T-Pain bragging about writing a song in 5 minutes. I don’t think that’s a good thing sometimes…

Bonus points for the completely pointless video. Hot girls working in a junk yard, in very unsafe working conditions…in heels, and full makeup, and daisy dukes…riiiiight. I mean it’s kinda sexy, but I’m certainly not taking him seriously.

Enrique Iglesisas - I Like It (ft. Pitbull)

God this song is hilarious. It has all the elements essential to making me lose my shit. First let’s set in context that the beginning of 2010 the public was up in arms about the cheating ways of rich American males.

Now the song is essentially a man trying to convince a woman he met in a club to cheat on her boyfriend with him, while he simultaneously cheats on his lady. The rap verse is absolutely ridiculous as Pitbull brags he has a greater cheating prowess than both Tiger Woods and Jesse James combined. This is immediately followed by one of the funniest high pitched falsetto verses in recent memory as Enrique implores his lady in the least manly voice of all time to “don’t stop baby.”

Now MTV then picked this song to be the theme song for the new season of Jersey Shore, which was completely fitting for that train wreck of a show. There was a second video shot with freeze frames of each character in various stages of awesomeness.

Add it all up, and it’s easily the song I couldn’t get enough of.

Top Albums of The Year

1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

I’ve made it no secret over the years that I am indeed not only sometimes a Kanye apologist, but a huge fan. I find the man absolutely fascinating, ambitious, and even in his most arrogant moments, honest. And it is that sense of authenticity that has always drawn me to him, and what I think makes him the most compelling artist of his generation.

Coming off a critically-divided album (808s and Heartbreaks), ostracized for his defense of Beyonce at the expense of Taylor Swift, and chastised by Oprah and President Obama, Kanye retreated into himself even further this past year. The great dichotomy of Kanye is his belief in himself and his own talents, combined with his notoriously thin skin. He is pompous, cocky, and wounded and hurt all simultaneously. His greatest fault, and for my money his greatest attribute, has always been his resistance to hide from his feelings. And so when making this record, he pushed his inner struggle to new heights. It’s all on display.

This is as deep and ambitious a record as mainstream hip hop has ever tried. In this his fifth record, Kanye build upon every element of his back catalog. Built as a true album, it requires multiple listens from front to back to truly grasp the depth of the emotion being conveyed. But the effort is well worth it. Call it his Sgt. Peppers, call it his London Calling, this will be the definitive record of his career. He effortlessly mixes several genres, emotions, and guests throughout, ending the record on a simple question, “Who will survive in America?”

2. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

It’s hard to know where to start on this record. Do we start with the pained howl of Patrick Stickle’s voice? How about the spoken quotes from Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman and other Civil War luminaries? How about the mixing of metaphors comparing our Nation’s Civil War to an break up? Where do we fit in the gang vocals, every musical instrument you could think of, war time musical homages, and the epic 14 minute closing song?

We’ll go with this: It’s a hugely ambitious album, particularly from a band that is so clearly influenced by the heart on sleeve ethos of the punk movement that often spurns elaborate concept pieces. It’s raw, it’s edgy, it sounds as if Springsteen and Against Me! had decided to drink until the point of passing out and then decided to jam with the amps turned to 11. It makes me want to swill whiskey, crank up the stereo and bellow my lungs out. And for that, it is my favorite rock record this year.

3. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Nobody on the planet makes better moody and ethereal albums than Montreal’s Arcade Fire. Each record has had a central theme that focuses on the disillusionment that comes when aspects of your own world turns out to not be what you had originally belived. It’s these universal and powerful themes, combined with layered and melodic music that has made them the indie darlings worldwide.

With Funeral it was the loss of childhood innocence. With Neon Bible it was religion, and with The Suburbs it’s the loss of the middle class dream. As the middle class continues to shrink, the younger generation flees for the bright lights of the city, and once proud areas become littered with foreclosure signs, it’s a particularly apt topic. And they nail it.

Aracade Fire has always had great songs, but not necessarily a full album that flowed as cohesively as this one does. It is meant to be listened to together, taking us through the flow of life in modern day western society. It begins with the bouncy beat of the “The Suburbs” and closes with a somber reprise that reminds us “If I could have it back/all the time we wasted/I’d only waste it again…”

4. Four Year Strong - Enemy of The World

If there was a thesis paper written on the pop-punk/emo scene of the 2000s this is it. It has it all. It has the double bass petal (Atreyu, AX7). It has the mutliple back and forth vocalists (Midtown, Taking Back Sunday). It has the funny song titles (Fall Out Boy). It has the pop rock sensabilities of hardcore with huge melodic hooks (New Found Glory, The Movielife). It has John Feldman production (The Used, Story of the Year).

It’s not new, it’s not original. But it rocks. Period. And for a guy who loves the aforementioned bands, it was one hell of a fun album to listen to.

5. Maps & Atlases - Perch Patchwork

Math Rock. I know Minus The Bear play this. I know a few other bands over the years that claim to play it. I don’t get it. I know it has to do with time signature, and precise layering of notes. Typically this is done with guitar, bass, and drums. It’s something I am not intelligent enough to explain, but I know it when I hear it. Maps & Atlases have made a very big name for themselves doing just that with their previous efforts.

But what if somebody took this format, applied its concepts to vocals, harmonies, pianos, tambourines, and expanded the sound to include more folk influences. Well, you find out with this lushly layered and beautiful record. Watch the video for “Solid Ground” here

6. Vampire Weekend - Contra

There is a certain backlash that accompanies any sort of success like Vampire Weekend encountered upon their debut release in 2007. Hell they were on SNL and they hadn’t even done a full tour yet. They were rich kids from Columbia and they sang Paul Simon style songs with large vocabularies while wearing boat shoes. Hell I found them somewhat annoying and pretentious. However, I like any band that gives the middle finger to its critics and decided to take the one thing the detractors make fun of them for and push it even further on the sophomore effort.

The opening number, “Horchata”, rhymes “horchata” with “balaclava” all the while being backed up by a latin drum beat. Basically a giant “Oh yeah, you hate this? You haven’t seen anything yet!” This album works because the songs are good. They took what worked on the first album for them, and they expanded on it. And for that they not only made a great album, but they converted one detractor.

Top 25 Songs - With Video When Applicable!

Reverse order, just to really get you excited to keep reading!

25. Vampire Weekend - Cousins

First off this is a terrific music video in its simplicity: one single dolly track, a New York Alley, confetti, and masks. Secondly the propulsive guitar riffs and snare drum are some of the most entertaining of the year.

24. Dr. Dog - Mirror Mirror

While Shame, Shame didn’t make my Top 5 albums list, this song was stuck in my head for days. The harmonies in the chorus is beautiful and the amount of times I tried to rock out to the guitar hook is uncountable. This song truly took my air guitar game to a whole new level.

23. Against Me! - Spanish Moss

This was the first time in 3 albums that AM! haven’t topped my list for Best Album. They are my favorite current band out there. And while the overall effort of White Crosses may have missed the mark, there were several fantastic songs. This is one of them. The theme of starting over, of making the most of what time is left on earth was a pervasive theme throughout the album, and this is no exception. “In a world run by gangsters/you’re stuck standing in a bread line/you just need to find/someplace to get away/you can forget your name/and there is no need to apologize.”

22. Broken Bells - The High Road

Even if a killer collaboration doesn’t result in a terrific album, it is almost guaranteed to yield a few great results. Broken Bells is a collaboration between the lead singer of The Shins and Danger Mouse, the DJ and producer behind Gnarls Barkley. The vocals here are given front and center treatment with a layered and lush mid tempo track behind it. Perfect to listen to in headphones it makes everything appear to move slower than it really is.

21. Jimmy Eat World - Coffee and Cigarettes

Oh Jimmy. How I will always have a place for you in the Top 25. This song is another “small town kid packs up and moves to the big city” number. But instead of looking forward with stars in his eyes, the narrator has all so briefly looked back over their shoulder to remember. “I’ve been a lot of places since/but nothing can compare/to easy times and easy eyes/to meet you in a stare.” “Of all the things I think I’ll miss/staying up with you/coffee and cigarettes.” Emo is timeless, because it feeds on nostalgia like this, and nobody does it better than Jimmy.

20. Mark Ronson - Bang Bang Bang

Coolest video of the year? Coolest video of the year. Ronson is effortless again, as he takes the same pop knowledge that turned Amy Winehouse into an international sensation and uses 80s electronic with modern sensibility to perfection. It feels soul, new wave, hip hop, and pop all at once. Fantastic verses by Q-Tip.

19. Four Year Strong - It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong

The opening track from Enemy of The World this song starts with dueling and driving guitar lines, introduces three vocalists in a span of 5 seconds, and explodes into a huge hook less than a minute in. “Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken yet/don’t regret it if it hasn’t happened yet”. It is the beautiful sound of being in 18 all over again.

18. Wale - The Soup

Wale put out another installment of his wildly successful mixtape, A mixtape about nothing this summer. The concept for the original tape and its follow up More About Nothing is to loosely string his verses and songs around lines and scenes from “Seinfeld”. This particular track centers its concept around the famous Soup Nazi episode, with the hook of the chorus being, “I’m eating real good/No soup for you!”

The verse starting around 1:54 is got to be my favorite verse of the year. Is it the sports references? Pitchfork? His great rhyme about “being all over the beat like a stethoscope?” All of the above.

17. Surfer Blood - Swim

I saw this young band twice this year. I got the distinct impression that they were quite content playing for their friends in Florida when somebody at Pitchfork miraculously got a hold of their record and decided to make them young hipster all-stars. The good thing for the rest of us: They’re starting to embrace it.

The breakout band at SXSW this year, these guys are going to be big in all circles if they keep this up.

16. Motion City Soundtrack - Pulp Fiction

The alternate acoustic take of this song was my favorite from these Minnesota staples of the punk/emo scene. The song’s propulsive beat calls to mind the famous Eve 6 song “Inside Out” which is one of my favorites of all time.

The lyrics in this song are also vintage MCS as they range all over the pop reference map in pointing out personal neurosis and imagining his own murder at the hands of jealous lover. Justin Pierre’s voice is fantastic as he croons, “the plot sucks/but the killings are gorgeous”

15. Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait

A big part of the disillusionment of many in this country, I am convinced, comes from a generation gap that is created as technology has rapidly advanced and an ever increasing rate. We live our lives in this hyper context of never ending information. With smart phones we have instant access to anything we want, and yet the institutions we rely on to govern ourselves and operate our lives are operating under the premise that technology is the same as it was decades ago.

In this song Win Butler deftly discusses this rapid acceleration of technology and lifestyle “Now are lives are changing fast/hoping something pure can last. It seems strange how we used to wait for letters to arrive/but stranger still was how something so small could keep you alive.”

14. Maps & Atlases - The Charm

“I don’t think there is a sound that I hate more/than the sound of your voice/when you say you don’t love me.” This is the opening line to The Charm and the first words in the beautiful Perch Patchwork album. Three percussionists with layered vocal harmonies propel the songs forward. And by the time the singer peaks the emotional palette with “and after all you felt so small in his arms” you realize that while he may be heartbroken, he clearly understands.

13. Ima Robot - Sail With Me

Oh Alex Ebert. After achieving the huge success with his side project Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes, Ebert returned to his main band, without a label and with new ideas on how to propel the Robot sound. Taking inspiration from the Zeroes, the new Ima Robot album throws away the quick electronic pop formula to take a longer, more introspective look. But with the electronic instruments still in play, the result is something unique.

This song moves along nicely, but the real gem is the explosion of harmony and layered vocal arrangements in the second half. “Sail with me/to the sun” with a chorus of “la la la’s” underneath. It’s expansive, beautiful, and once again proves that his best work is still to come.

12. Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun

How hip are Vampire Weekend? Well they got The RZA to play a judge in their futuristic tennis tournament. They got Jake Gyllenhall and Joe Jonas to be the players, and they got Lil Jon to play a life coach.

And the song is really good too…

11. The Wombats  - Jump Into The Fog

My favorite young British band, these lads have released a few new tracks from their forthcoming second album which is scheduled to hit in the Spring of next year. This is my favorite. A mid tempo hazy track about making bad decisions late at night.

This band is fantastic at capturing the mischievous side of young rock and roll royalty with one of my favorite lines of the year, “I’ve had my share of mistakes/i’ll admit that freely/but life tastes sweeter when it’s wrapped in debauchery.” Indeed.

10. Titus Andronicus - A More Prefect Union

The first track on The Monitor, it sets the tone for the rest of the album. The single version is cut down about half, as the song is really three parts. The video only shows the second stanza, but it captures the essence of the album, with the band marching and playing in the snow. Well worth the viewing.

These guys live were easily my favorite show I saw all year, and this track is the best representation of why. It’s rambunctious, energetic, passionate, and defiant all at once.

9. Against Me! - Bamboo Bones

“What god doesn’t give to you/you have to go and get for yourself.” This is the central theme of the band’s ethos and the running theme of White Crosses. It doesn’t get any more clear than the album closer, Bamboo Bones.

These guys had a tumultuous year in 2010, replacing long time drummer Warren Oakes, releasing White Crosses to mixed reviews, and finally canceling a tour, then leaving their label Sire. But if they listen to their own advice in this song, something tells me 2011 will turn out just fine.

8. Katy Perry - California Gurls

7. Ke$ha - Tik Tok

Let me be the 1,000 person to point out that these are practically the same song. Then let me say, the dude behind these tracks, Dr. Luke, is a freaking musical genius. Bear with me here. Listen to the layering of the percussion, the way the bells and whistles slowly build and combine. The way the chorus hook hits just right. Melodically and theoretically these are near perfect pop songs. They are stuck in your head for days.

Now the similarity between these two has been noted many times before as well. They’re less well known for their music as they are their back stories and off the record antics. Not my concern here. They are fantastic pop songs, end of story.

Also this always brings up one thought. The Katy Perry video is almost as bad as going to a high end strip club it’s such a tease, and yet Ke$ha makes me feel like I’m hanging out with a cool stripper after she gets off work…so it is kind of a nice synergy…just saying.

6. Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You

What does it say about our society that in 2010 a song titled, “Fuck You” can be nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year. I think it means our society has finally relaxed, embraced the fact that words are in fact just words, and let loose some of our strict religious morals. Just as evangelists ramp up, the artist left is pushing hard the other way.

And again Cee-Lo has an uncanny ability to mix the past and present in pop bliss. (See: Gnarls Barkley “Crazy”) The test of a truly great song is the way it is embraced by various segments of society. Even despite the controversial lyrics the song was embraced everywhere from hipster blogs, to MTV, to an episode of Glee where it was sung in it’s toned down radio friendly “Forget You” version.

It’s beloved because it’s a time honored theme. It’s the anti Money can’t buy me love. “Oh shit she’s a gold digger/just thought you should know” and a prefect kiss off from the man not rich enough to get what he wants.

5. Kanye West - Runaway

Do yourself a favor. Watch the video linked above. Yeah, it’s 35 minutes. Yes it’s convoluted and crazy and involves a whole race analogy that’s too weird for words. But halfway through the 9 minute ballet sequence, you might start to understand what he’s attempting here. There is a thin line between the grace and beauty of the dancers and the honesty pouring out of Yeezy as he toasts to the douche bags and the assholes. He has spent a year torturing himself in an attempt to make art and beauty of his pain. He acknowledges his faults, and they become all too apparent as he is surrounded by innocence and beauty.

Even if you can’t get behind the analogy above, the song is one of the best Kanye has ever done. It cuts to the core of why Kanye is compelling in the first place. It is simultaneously self loathing and arrogant. It is all at once acknowledging faults and pleading for someone to leave, while acknowledging that he needs them to stay. And it’s not even the best song on the album.

4. Japandroids - Younger Us

A straight forward throwback. An ode to being young, idealistic, and embracing every moment life gave to you. “Remember saying things like we’ll sleep when we’re dead?/and thinking this feeling was never going to end?” A pulsating 3 and half minutes that instantly recalls long car drives, house parties, and every summer job you ever had.

It feels like Jawbreaker, like Saves The Day, a heart on sleeve punk classic. “Give me younger us!”

3. Four Year Strong - Find My Way Back

If the Four Year Strong record was a thesis paper on the latest pop-punk movement, this would be its main argument. It’s all there. Nearly every punk band writes an obligatory song about being lonely on tour for their second album. (See, um…every band) So we got that going for us. There is the massive hooks, the pause for the solo, the backup chorus, the breakdown with hand claps, the “whoa’s”.

In 2003 this would have been a number one hit. Now, with the genre exhausted and the “cool” tide turned away from punk, this gem will probably be lost to time. But it shouldn’t be. This song uses a tried and true formula, but from several different sources. It’s big, brash, powerful, slick, but most of all it reminds me why you listen to music in the first place, it makes me smile and sing as loud as I can.

2. Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

The penultimate track of The Suburbs, this song’s themes are universal for anyone who grew up feeling like one of many. This is suburban angst at its finest. “At night the city lights shine/they’re calling at me/come find your kind/sometimes I wonder if the world is so small/that we can never get away from the sprawl.”

At a time when the suburbs are housing more people living underneath the poverty line than urban cities, a line like “dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains/and there is no end in sight” becomes all the more poignant.

The Arcade Fire claim the album is neither for or against suburban sprawl, but rather a product of it. Having spent the majority of my life in its environs, I can’t help but agree.

1. Kanye West - Power

Has there ever been a better comeback single? At the depths of his self-imposed exile Kanye released this magnificent defiant middle finger upon the world sometime mid summer. Even more so than Runaway it captured the conflicting emotions of a man in turmoil. Using samples from genres that had no business being on a record together, Kanye created the catchiest, hardest, rocking-est(yeah, I made that up), bad ass song he’s ever done.

The song starts with an African chant, builds with a deep bass beat, a swooning guitar solo, and punctuates with a sample from aptly, “21st Century Schizoid Man.” The lyrics are some of the fiercest of his career as he takes us through his wave of emotions, “They said I was the abomination of Obama’s Nation/that’s a pretty bad way to start a conversation” through extreme bravado “I don’t got to power trip/who you going home with?” to imaging jumping out a window to his death. All because “No one man should have all that power.”

Have a safe and happy Holiday everyone!

Cheers,

Kyle

CalTrain,

I had an international adventure last weekend, and it needs to be blogged about. Yes, I went to the great white north, Canada. The land of hockey and maple syrup, and funny accents, and overly friendly people. And it was all true. It’s not a real country, nobody could act like that and take themselves seriously. They’re adorable.

I ventured to the beautiful Province of British Columbia to visit my dear friend Zack Soltes who was working in Vancouver for a few weeks. He had been set up in a plush condo in North Van and had invited me to come share in some weekend fun while he was there. He even had a sweet ride (a 93 Jaguar that we’ll get to in a bit) so with those pieces in place and a potential Sharks game in Canada on the docket I purchased tickets and we were all set to go.

Our friend Erika also wanted to come join, so she picked me up bright and early on the Friday following Thanksgiving to head to SFO. An early flight was necessary to ensure a full three day trip, and so despite my turkey hangover we arrived on time for our 8:30am flight. I’d like to right now say a big thank you to the United Airline steward who hooked up the free Irish Coffee as an extended Thanksgiving present. Made my whole day. Thanks Dude.

We arrived, hopped on the Canada line (the subway) and headed from the airport downtown, transferring at the Waterfront station to the SeaBus, which is the water taxi that takes you across Burrard Inlet and into North Vancouver, where Zack’s baller pad was.

The entire trip in was a long series of Canadian jokes and observations as both of us were venturing north of the border for the first time. Below is a small list of various revelations/observations made in our first hour across the border:

- Canadian Geese in their natural habitat.

- Degrees in Celcius/Kilometres instead of miles

- One dollar and Two dollar coins

- Random “U” in words such as Neighbourhood and Favourite

- Everything being printed in French as well as English

- Canadian Maple Leaf incorporated into the McDonalds logo

(Again these are some of the many reasons I am still not sure Canada is real…)

Zack met us and we were able to get some lunch and drop off our bags. Erika and I decided to do some sight seeing on our own and so we did the first thing Erika and I would be known to do: We went to the liquor store. Oh yeah, not even to buy anything, I just need to see what kind of crazy beer they sell I’ve never heard of. There was some great names (Thirsty Beaver, Kokanee) and even some Smirnoff Ice in cans (gross) and we spent 30 minutes giggling, staring and not purchasing a single item. (This is where I also interject that Canadian booze was pricey! Does not fit the stereotype…)

After satiating our curiosity we got back on the SeaBus and headed downtown to the historic GasTown district, which really should just be re-named “tourist trap”. Isn’t it always that way? Either way we tried to do as much looking as we could handle, but as the freezing rain came down, apple cider and Irish Coffees seemed like a much better situation.

I was determined to get to a hockey game in the great white north, and the only Canucks game all weekend just happened to be against my beloved Sharks, so despite the gratuitous ticket prices, I purchased the three of us tickets along the red line Friday night.

Here is where you the loyal reader of this blog (hi Kit!) says to yourself, “Kyle, somehow I don’t believe that the Sharks just happened to be playing the weekend you were planning on going…” You’re damn right I planned this. Come on, the beginning of every single season I think of every possible destination I may be going in the next 6 months with an NHL team and calculate out if I can make a Sharks game. To say this was convenient would be accurate, to say this was a plain coincidence would be absolute naiveté. I knew damn well what I was doing.

Let’s get this out of the way, the Sharks got murdered 6-1. Annihilated. And you know what? Totally awesome. I can’t recommend going to a hockey game in Canada enough. They are so pumped, the atmosphere is terrific and the knowledge of the game by even the casual fan is better than in 95% of the US markets. I was in sports heaven. Nearly every time I stood in line somebody struck up a conversation with me about the Sharks chances, the fall of the Blackhawks, the new All-Star game format, whatever you could think of, these friendly folk just wanted to talk puck. Zack and Erika had a great time too and we all left pretty pumped.

Zack then dragged us to a bar he had been scouting out but been too afraid to enter, called the Union Pub. Not exactly in the best part of town, the Union is surrounded by “day-at-a-time hotels” and is the kind of place frequented by those who subsist on government paychecks, if you catch my drift. If there was a record playing when we walked in it would have come to a screeching halt. We were the youngest people in the bar by seemingly 30 years.

Not one to be freaked out (and hey the beer was cheap!) we posted up in the back corner in the former smokers lounge, which after the passage of non-smoking laws, still smelled like 40 years of cigarettes and bum piss. We were warmly greeted by several local characters who were more than eager to share stories of their homeland with us. Depending on the amount of teeth located in the mouth of the storyteller, we understood more of less 75%. Our two favorite locals were named Ray and Gary. They had known each other for years and when Gary was out of ear shot dancing to the country band playing, Ray told us how Gary had fallen out of a three story window years back and was “never quite the same after that.” He also then told us that Gary waters the plastic plants at their hotel every day. Ah yes, the Union Pub. Suffice to say Zack, Erika and I are the kind of people who love these kind of places. We had a blast.

Saturday was set to be outdoors day, and the weather cooperated for the most part. By this I mean it didn’t rain on us. The weather was consistently in the 30s, just warm enough to rain instead of snow, and just freezing enough to necessitate scarves, gloves, and hats. So at least on Saturday it didn’t rain.

Zack had the use of the owner of his company’s Jaguar, a 1993 relic that felt like we were in another age in time. Somehow Zack with his beard and grin fit this car like a glove. The best part of the car from me was the ridiculous horn noise the car made upon being locked and unlocked. It sounded like a clown car. I giggled every single time Zack pressed the button because it was so ridiculous. Serious. Every. Single. Time.

Zack brought us to Lynn Canyon just outside of North Vancouver, which has a suspension bridge of about 50 yards that swings about 30 yards from a rushing river. There are several waterfalls in view from the bridge and the mist of the afternoon made for some fantastic pictures.

This was also a place where my “trip often, fall rarely” credo really came into practice. The melting snow from earlier in the week combined with the rain from Friday made for several patches of ice on the trails around the park. Although there were several instances where it looked for sure like I was going to eat it, I managed to leave the park in one piece.

We then cruised back across the Inlet to Stanley Park, which is a real gem in Vancouver and one of the prettiest parks in any city in the world. Located on a point that juts into the Burrard Inlet, the park has several kilometers of trails that make you forget about civilization and immerse yourself in the coastal rain forest of the Pacific Northwest. As the sun began to set…at 3:30…uggh, we realized that we needed to rest a little as we had been up and walking for two days straight.

The Canadian version of Sunday Night Football is called Hockey Night in Canada. Each Saturday the CBC plays a game or two by one of the six Canadian teams on National TV. Saturday just happened to feature the Sharks playing their second game in two nights, as they took on the Oilers in Edmonton. And so everywhere we went Saturday night had the Sharks playing on huge TVs…and I didn’t even have to ask them to put it on…I nearly wept with joy. It was glorious. After walking so much earlier in the day we decided to stop by a local watering hole for some Kokanee, but called it a night relatively early.

Sunday Zack had suggested that we check out a art fair called the “Eastside Culture Crawl”. Essentially 50 different studios and artists opened up their studios and galleries to the public for free with art for sale. Spread over an entire neighborhood, we would look for the distinctive yellow balloons that marked the entrance to a participating location. We spent a solid 2 hours cruising around town and checking out the best of the Vancouver art scene.

Sunday also happened to be Grey Cup Sunday, which for those not familiar is the Super Bowl of the Canadian Football League. I have an Irish cousin currently living in Vancouver, and so I dragged the other kids to an Irish bar downtown to meet my cousin for some pints of Guinness and some football action. It was great to see my cousin Grace and watch the Montreal Allouettes win the title in the cold of Edmonton. (They beat the Saskatchewan Rough Riders…as Kate Roberts said, “that just sounds made up”.)

By the end of the game, with an early flight on Monday we decided we’d gotten enough of Vancouver and retired back to the condo. This is also the part where I must point out Zack in true Soltes form picked one obnoxious pop song to play on loop for his own enjoyment/our torture. Previous selections in this category have included Kesha, Bone Thugs N’ Harmony and AC/DC. This trip: Katy Perry’s Fireworks…I used to hate that song, now all I can see is Zack’s smiling face and cracking voice singing, pretty hard to hate that.

So at the end of it all, I finally got to Canada. Everyone was so nice to us, the city was gorgeous, it was a different culture but at the same time so familiar. It was great, even if I’m still not sure Canada was real…

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Kyle

 

Logan International,

Ugh. Another 5:30am wake up call. Luckily this time, I got to bed at a decent hour and actually slept fairly well. Is it coincidence that I happened to be sleeping in a quiet hotel room in a king size bed and not a futon 3 feet from Dave and his insanely loud AC unit that rattles off and on every 10 minutes? No, it is not.

It rained all day yesterday in Boston and I was convinced that my opportunity to the inside of Fenway was going to be lost. But thanks to the power of the internet, I was able to check the beat writer for the Sox’s blog and was able to see they were going to start the game on time anyway. So after a wonderful dinner at the Boston staple, Legal Sea Foods, I went with two colleagues over the bridge to Fenway.

Our cab driver was vintage Boston, with all the ‘ah’s’ and ’sawx’ one could hope for. He gave us a few tips for keeping dry and dropped us off. We found our seats, which happened to be under the overhang, first deck along the right field line. Perfect for inclement weather. The park looked great even with the foreboding gray sky and the game did indeed start on time.

The Henry group has done a marvelous job of adding a few modern improvements to a classic, while maintaining its charm and character. Everything is freshly painted, there are digital signage at the concession stands, and yet the look and feel of the entire place screams 1920s. Every seat at Fenway is close to the action, and the size of the park makes it feel extremely intimate. It’s ballparks like this, that led to the stadium boom of the past 20 years trying to downsize baseball capacities.

The game itself was a fun, close contest with the two Red Sox I actually like playing very prominent roles. Marco Scutaro, former clutch utility IF for the A’s had 4 RBI, and Dan Nava, who I went to High School with made some good plays and scored a run. The fans were smart fans, and engaged in the game all along. Without the distractions of a lot of the modern parks, the emphasis truly was on the product on the field.

There was one massive, massive problem with the whole experience. The stadium is 98 years old, and the seats/aisle-ways are all original. Which means it was built for people 100 years ago, not Lincoln Legs Brown and his pegs. So my knees were either dug into the seat in front of me, or twisted sideways, causing me to strain my back. Economy flights have more leg room than this. And so I was forced to move, get up, and generally walk about. Still, a great park overall.

After 4 new parks in 13 days, I have some rankings. I know, shocking.

Stadiums on the trip:

1. Citizen’s Bank Park - Phillies

2. Fenway Park - Red Sox

3. Citi Field - Mets

4. Yankee Stadium - Yanks

Stadiums I have Been To:

1. Petco Park - San Diego Padres

2. Citizen’s Bank - Phillies

3. AT&T - Giants

4. Fenway Park - Red Sox

5. Dodger Stadium - Dodgers

Top 5 Moments of my recent stadium tour:

1. Tie. Watching Mo Rivera come out to ‘Enter Sandman’  as well as Jon Papelbon entering to ‘Shipping Out to Boston’. Both times the home crowd went absolutely nuts.

2. Philly fans, acting like Philly fans. You know, making inappropriate jokes about female fans, yelling at their own players, general lewd behavior. (Note: Most of this being observed at the Phils-Mets game in New York mind.)

3. The beautiful open expanses and sight lines in Citizen’s Bank. Free standing room around the concourses is the way all parks should be moving to. (Screw you Yankee Stadium. We have basically ’standing room’ seats on a bar bench in the outfield. They cost $75, with a discount.)

4. The Jackie Robinson rotunda in Citi Field. An entire memorial dedicated to the legend as you enter Citi Field. It is beautiful and a wonderful tribute to a great, great man.

5. As much as it pains me to say this: Red Sox Nation. I truly couldn’t have been more impressed with the fans that showed up to an awful weather contest last night. They were smart, respectful, and it was filled with families that you could tell were raised on basebal. As much as I LOATHE these people when they show up at the other 29 stadiums, in the confines of Boston, I rather enjoyed them. (Probably because I wish my team had that kind of loyalty and sense of community.)

And so now I am going to board a Jet Blue flight and head back to SF.

Oh yeah, I’m going to the Giants game tonight. Is that 5 stadiums in 14 days? Um, yes, it is.

Cheers,

Kyle

On a train headed to Boston,

It’s brutally early right now. 6:45 Monday morning as I type this. I am on a train to Boston, to visit a client site and attend tonight’s Sox game, rain willing. I slept terribly last night, and it was the first night I had laid down prior to 2am. So yeah, I’m a bit beat. Here’s why

Monday, I go have lunch at Brit’s apartment, and then go to watch a hip hop show with Ben and Valerie. Wale is brilliant, his mixtape is excellent. Great times all around. I end up at Dalton’s until 1am watching the end of the A’s game.

Tuesday, went to a wedding reception for Molly Mahoney, went out drinking afterward with Kate Roberts and Courtney Fry. If you know anything about those two, it should be that an early night is not expected.

Wednesday, I meet up with the Dollingers, James and Shawn, and Kate Roberts around 5 at the Subway Inn. We go to Yankee Stadium for the Yanks-Tigers game. I am underwhelmed by the stadium. It’s huge and sterile. They spent too much time trying to re-create the old stadium, which frankly besides the history, was kind of a shit hole. It’s gaudy, and unoriginal. I like Citizen’s Bank and Citi Field far more. The game ends, we go back to the Subway Inn until 3. The highlight is seeing a woman attempt to dance on top of the bar to Lady Gaga, and in an instant, disappear behind the bar after falling on some bottles and the bartender. Good times.

Thursday Brit has Dave, Kate, and I over for dinner at her apartment in Brooklyn. It’s a lovely candlelit dinner, and the conversation and company is well appreciated. Courtney Fry shows up some time around 10 and Brit takes us around her neighborhood to some bars. Most of them serve Brit’s boyfriend Mike’s beer, Peak Organic, which we imbibe until 2am.

Friday is Kate Roberts going away party. My friend Kate is moving from New York where she has lived the last few years to San Francisco. This is a big deal. Kate and Courtney have decided to conduct a crazy 2 week road trip across the country, through 25 states to bring Kate out West. (Click on the link to see their blog, which is fantastic, and updated 1,000 times more often than this one.) In classic fashion the two decided to go out with a bang, prior to leaving in a rented Yellow Penske van Saturday morning. Dave and I meet them for dinner at the Shake Shack before heading to B-Side for way too many PBRs and good vibes. There is a special going for $5, a PBR and a whiskey shot. Somewhere in this mess of an evening we end up at the Lit Lounge dancing. This is a dingy East Village bar with a basement floor that doubles as a dance party. There is little to no AC, the temp outside is around 90, and now you have 40 people dancing. Suffice to say, I was raining sweat. It was not a good look. We ended the evening waiting in line for 45 minutes at Artichoke Pizza. Dave was sober, the rest of us were very, very drunk. It was great.

Saturday Dave and I ventured to Long Island City to meet Brit and Mike at the NYC MoMA PS1. The Museum of Modern Art has taken over an old public school in Queens and converted it into an art museum. During the summer on Saturday afternoons, they bring in bands to play in the old play yard, cater the whole thing with beer, and it turns into a giant art party. The people watching was incredible, as the hispter/art elite of NYC was out in full force. Apparently the latest look for women is the cutoff sleeve t-shirt with a black lace bra underneath, boots, and daisy dukes, ala Kate Moss 1992. I like this. This is totally okay with me. After dinner I meet up again briefly with Mike Leslie and then Shawn and Antuan at Dalton’s to watch the A’s game.

Sunday means football. And with the Niners playing the NBC game against Brett Favre, we decide to head to Finnerty’s which is the new home for the NYC Niner group that I used to watch games with. I watch the game, say goodbye to some friends and return to Dave’s by midnight. Easily the shortest night of the week.

So I’m tired. As usual, I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. It was awesome to see so many old friends and friendly faces. I’m pretty sure I don’t know how to do it any other way.

Cheers,

Kyle

Manhattan,

Dave knows me well. Dave knows me better than just about anyone. And so when Dave asked me if I wanted to go camping over the weekend in the Shenandoah Valley with Courtney Fry, Kate Roberts, and 38 of our closest friends, he knew I would say yes. He also knew that he should under no circumstances explain to me the logistics of actually making this happen.

And so Friday, after two days of working from Dave’s apartment and visiting with old friends, I journeyed over to Queens to Antuan’s house to prepare for our departure. Because of work, we weren’t able to get out of the area until at least 6pm. Antuan and I ran around getting supplies and food and around 6, Debbie, Sam, and Dave drove up and we loaded the cars. I hopped into the shotgun position in Debbie’s car and looked at the mapquest directions. And that’s when I realized what I had gotten myself into. 6 states (NY, NJ, PA, MD, WV, VA) a minimum of 7 hours travel time.

Now, I love me some crazy road trips, and I love the people we were going to see camping. But 14 hours in a car sandwiched around 32 hours of camping, not to mention sleep? Why wouldn’t we do this differently? Why wouldn’t we leave earlier, stay later, etc. But by now, I was strapped in the front seat, and cruising through the Pennsylvania turnpike. Dave is a wise man.

We arrived around 2am, and immediately set up camp. This is where it got fun. Antuan pulled out his brand new 2 person hiking tent that he had recently purchased. Antuan had never been camping in his life, and decided to buy a tent from Sports Authority for this trip. Two weeks ago Dave had asked if he could sleep in it with Antuan, as Dave has no tent. Antuan did not agree. At this time, Antaun was still unsure about his availability for the trip, and so Dave asked if he could use the tent if Antuan was not going to go on the trip. Antuan said no. Dave asked why, and Antuan stated that he wanted to be the first one to use it. Dave decided he was going to destroy Antuan’s tent.

And thus the previous two weeks, battle lines had been drawn. Heated words exchanged, and dubious plans and plots hatched. That tent was going down one way or another. Mutual friends had tried to intervene, begging Dave to not do anything that would cause drama. Dave does not make idle threats. Never has. And so at 2am, Antuan pulls his tent out of the bag and begins the process of setting it up under flashlight and campfire…and proceeds to break the damn thing himself twice, complete with nasty splinters in his hand. This could not have been any more perfect.

The following day the 38 campers put on bathing suits and water shoes and boarded buses at the local outfitters. We took a bus ride 3 miles upriver and grabbed a tube each. In addition we had 5 coolers with delicious beverages in them riding in their own separate tubes. Everyone got in the water, slowly tied to each other, and thus began the process of the slow tube down the Shenandoah River.

The mountains in the area are absolutely beautiful, and everything was lush and green. It was about 90 degrees out, which made the water feel great to the touch. The river was not moving very fast, which was fine up until the rain started a few hours in. Now it felt like we were floating in a warm shower, booze gone, hands pruned, and starting to get  a little cold. Luckily we were at the end, and this meant back to the camp, for a large fire and dinner.

Sunday morning we woke early, packed our gear and headed out. We had to make it back to the city in time to go to the Mets game at 8. And we had a few states to cruise back through. We made it back to Dave’s apartment by 6pm, and to Queens for the ballgame on time.

Citi Field was another gorgeous stadium with ample standing room and beautiful concourses to walk around. The food stands serve some of the best and most famous New York chefs and the sight lines inside are terrific. It was misting throughout the game, but luckily our seats were under an overhang and thus we were spared. The Mets lost the game, but not before Dave unveiled his latest new Mets chant. There is a catcher with the last name of Thole (toll-ee). Dave likes to get the whole section to yell out, “Tee!!!” “Hole!!” “Tee!!” “Hole!!”. It makes little sense, but it sounds funny. And thus a new baseball chant is added to the list.

Yesterday I visited Brit’s new apartment in Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. It was very adult, I was very impressed. Last night Brit and I met up with Ben and Valerie to see a hip hop show. Wale is a rapper from DC that Ben particularly likes, and he was playing a promo show in Chelsea for only $15 to promote a new mixtape he just released. I have seen him before with Ben, and his live band UCB is phenomenal. I will go see just about any hip hip show with a live band, and they are particularly good. The show was great and we all had good times.

More fun times ahead this week, including a visit to new Yankee Stadium…

Cheers,

Kyle