Tuesday, June 29, 2004
The Latzis! Get Your Vote On!
The 37th Annual Latzi nominations are in. Now it's time for the public to vote. Go here to vote on the following categories:
Restaraunt With The Sexiest Staff
Local News Person You Would Like To Bang The Most
Most Pompous Record Store
Best Fountain To Take A Piss In
Local Celebrity Most Likely To Have A Body In The Basement
Most Useless Weather Person
Royals Player You Would Most Like To See Hit In The Nuts
Chiefs Player Most Likely To Face Drug Charges
Least Athletic Sports News Guy
The Latzis will be handed out at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles in a gala event to be hosted by Lindsay Lohan's right breast. Several celebrity gardeners will be in attendance.
Another Stop In L.A.
So I was off to L.A. again last week. Once again not that impressed. I was impressed with a couple shows I saw though.
First things first. I was able to work my way into a small a bar with about 100 of L.A.'s hippest. I felt out of place with my old school (not in a cool retro old school way) Polo shirt and khaki shorts. Looking around and noticing that with out a doubt I was the most unattractive person in the room was a little humbling at the beginning. It all faded when I realized what was about to happen.
I found myself watching Tears For Fears in a small Irish Pub that was hidden off the normal Polo khaki shorts route of L.A.
Sitting with the Uber Hip set in L.A. on their terms was a real emotional roller coaster. On one hand you get this feeling like...I have arrived! I was invited here. I was on the list!
In another way it was a little fucked up. I wasn't cool enough to hang with these people....
Thankfully before I got too depressed the band came on. It was truly one of those experiences that I will never forget.
When they went into Mothers Talk. I remembered every girl who was too cool for me. Record Store girls turning down my unwanted 15 year old advances. I remembered how hard I had tried to be cool as a kid. How I wanted a Cindy Lauper looking "Alterna Chick" to be my own. What I wouldn't have done for a girl who could pull off the bowling shoe and Siouxsie shirt look.
I looked around again as the band continued to play (sounding fucking great by the way)and realized something.....
Exactly....these were the girls who could still pull off the dark Red streaks in the hair Public Image LTD shirt look.
I looked down at my white Converse and had a moment of clarity.
I'm just not cool enough for Tears For Fears. Not in the 80's and certainly not now. So I made a decision. Fuck Em......I sang along as loud as I could!
Shout
Shout
Let it all out
These are things I can do without
Come On
I'm talking to you
Come on
In violent times
You shouldn't have to sell your soul
In black and white
They really really ought to know
Those one track minds
That took you for a working boy
Kiss them goodbye
You shouldn't have to jump for joy
Shout
They gave you life
And in return you gave them them hell
As cold as ice
I hope we live to tell the tale
Shout
And when you've taken down your guard
If I could change your mind
I'd really love to break your heart
Shout
Saturday, June 19, 2004
A Fan Of Music!
Sometimes on cool afternoons like today. I sit at my desk and actually have a decent laugh. I play music for a living.
20 years ago I would save my paper route money to walk up to the local record store. I would buy Smiths records and Clash records, Replacement records. Cure records. What ever I could get my hands on. I think back 15 years ago. Dropping out of high school. Joining the Navy. Whispers in my ear that I would never really accomplish anything. I believed them. I just didn't really care. Funny thing is as I sit back with my feet on my desk. I still don't. I haven't accomplished much. I haven't changed the world with my time here on Earth.
What has changed since those 15 years? Instead of searching record stores for that next record I just couldn't live with out. The record companies send them to me. They come in boxes. They are addressed to me. Nobody else opens them. People walk by my desk and ask what came in sometimes I tell them....
Today I went to lunch with a friend of mine who works at Geffen Records. He is just as passionate about music as I am(yes two guys who work for the man can still love music). We talked about how great we had it. Sure the money isn't great. Yeah Yeah Yeah....I could get fired at any time. To say the radio and record business is unstable is an understatement. Kind of like saying kids seem to dig Christmas or 16 yeard old guys want to get laid.
Thing is....Neither of us would quit our jobs. Ever. If I get fired I will do this somewhere. Anywhere.
As I got up from lunch he handed me something. I looked down and there it was. The new Cure record. In my hands before anybody else had it. He had listened to it. Wanted to get my opinion. MY OPINION... ON THE FUCKING NEW CURE RECORD?????
Here I am sitting at my desk at home. Drinking a Diet R.C. smoking a Lucky Strike. Listening to a cure record. Laughing...Smiling...
P.S. It's fucking BRILLIANT!!!! This is the best record they have ever done....Perhaps the best record I have heard in 15 years. This is the kind of record that made me love music in the first place. The kind of record that will change your life.
Don't believe me? Stop by my desk. I'll give you a copy.
Lazlo
Monday, June 14, 2004
My L.A. Experience!
So I was out of town this weekend. I went to Los Angeles for the weekend to see a concert. I will review the show in a minute but lets first review L.A.
First let me say I am not a West Coast guy. I grew up in the Midwest and have lived all over the East Coast. I have only been to L.A. a couple of times and most of that time was spent at conventions and in Hotel lobbies. This time I stayed in Santa Monica and took about a day to discover this thing they call Los Angeles.
First things first. The Ocean is beautiful. The one thing I do miss since I've been here in K.C. is the ocean. That said....Don't let anyone tell you L.A. is cooler than K.C. certainly there is more to do there. Just not that many cool things to do. The city itself looks like someone decided 1986 was a really hip year. All the buildings are very 80's. 80's curves....80's colors...It seems like a city that someone put a pair of parachute pants over and forgot to take them off. I don't have any desire to see ex-wannabe playboy centerfolds rollerblading. Not cool. Not even in L.A.
Now on to the concert. It was radio station festival so the line up was pretty stellar. I got there late because I was busy buying cheesy souvenirs from the Santa Monica Pier. I missed Yellowcard, Story Of The Year and Hoobastank. I'm sure I would have hated it.
I did get there in time to see The Killers they put on a solid show. The songs on the record are solid. They surprised. I thought it was just another throw away pop-novelty band. They still may be that but the record and the live show are good.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs-
What more do you have to say? Weird just like you think. New York City bizarre art rock at it's finest.
Modest Mouse-
Refreshing for guys to get up there and just play music. Fucking great music at that. Don't be fooled. This is not a one hit wonder "Float on" band. Go pick up the old stuff. See them live. This could be the next U2.
Cypress Hill-
Saw them with Blink 182. Same stage show. Big blow up Buddha. Do you want to get high?? No I want to go to the bathroom. So I did.
The Hives-
The greatest ROCK band in the world. Don't believe it? Ask them. Great fun rock show. They told me I love them...I believe it.
Velvet Revolver-
Hey!!! It's a race to see who can take their shirt off first. By the third song they all had there shirts off and reminded me that they "love pussy"! I didn't get that "I'll kick your ass and fuck your girlfriend " rock the first time. I was hoping I owuld this time. I don't.
Beastie Boys-
Fun...Fun...Fun....You almost forget how much you like them till you see em live. God clean American stupid fun and a decent amount of Bush Bashing(my new favorite sport).
The Strokes-
What a solid band from top to bottom. They are way to cool for me and they showed it. I am happy I was even able to be in their presence. That's a good fucking band don't be fooled by the too hip for the room N.Y.C. attitude. They are to hip for the room.
I did think it was funny. If L.A. is so fucking great why did they import the bands from New York?
Still your pal,
Lazlo
Sunday, June 06, 2004
I'm A Racist!
Hi, My name is Lazlo and I'm a racist. I didn't realize it until tonight. I had always thought I was pretty open minded. I understood that racism existed in this country but I was always proud and pretty outspoken about being part of the solution and not part of the problem.
I am the problem. I was watching my beloved Detroit Pistons as I have been all season. I have a favorite player. His name is Tayshaun Prince. He talks slow and seems to think about his answers to reporters questions for what seems like days. I have never seen him with headphones on in a press conference. He doesn't dress like Shaquile O'Neal. He isn't in trouble like Kobe Bryant. He doesn't seem to rap his answers to reporters questions. See Tayshaun went to college in Kentucky. He graduated on time. He didn't leave early.
As I was watching the game I mentioned to my girlfriend "he has to be nervous...kid from a small town in Kentucky playing in his first N.B.A. Championship...in L.A. of all places".
That's when I found I'm a racist. The announcer made mention that Mr. Prince grew up in Compton. I just assumed he was from a small town in Kentucky because....well you get the point. I'm not saying this country has a long way to go in our efforts to stop racism.
I am saying I do.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
The Buzz Is Gay?
Browsing through the forums. I saw this post.
"The Buzz is gay! (No, really)
"I have heard some disturbing commercials on the Buzz of late. The Buzz is supporting a gay pride thing. I don't like that. It seems that if they can bash Bush, Rumsfeld, and the current administration while promoting gay pride and marriage that maybe our views differ too much for me to continue listening to the Buzz. That would be regretful since the Buzz is the only radio station I listen to, but I could adjust."
I had to read that a couple of times. Maybe I just don't get it. This guy would turn off the Buzz because we are supporting "some gay pride thing"?
What part doesn't he like? The gay part or the pride part?
Later he says "I don't have anything against gays personally. I didn't even mind Scoops." As if him "not minding" Scoops is some sort of gesture of love. So if he doesn't have anything against gays and doesn't mind scoops than it must be the pride thing? So he doesn't like Pride? I pulled this definition from the Dictionary. There are several but I chose this one. " reasonable or justifiable self-respect".
So if I understand this correctly he has no problem with gay people as long as they don't have
" reasonable or justifiable self-respect". How could someone be against PRIDE?
I get it.....Gays are O.K. and Pride is O.K. Just not when we mix the two together.....
If we lose ratings and this station goes away because of our support for people and their reasonable or justifiable self-respect than so be it. Somethings are more important than ratings.
I will be at Gay Pride. I will stand next to my friends (whom I don't mind all that much either) and I will support them in the search for reasonable or justifiable self respect(which I'm sure most people...even gay ones are born with). Plus come on...No way am I gonna miss that phenomenal lyp sync rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow that I oohhh so look forward to every year!
Go to the store and become a Lazbian!
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come, he to justify
One man to overthrow
Chorus:
In the name of love
One more in the name of love
In the name of love
One more in the name of love
One man come on a barbed wire fence
One man he resist
One man washed on an empty beach
One man betrayed with a kiss
Chorus
Early morning, april four
Shot rings out in the memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride
Chorus
Spoken: for the reverent martin luther king - saint.
Chorus
In the name of love
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