Dogwater Soup

So last night I ordered some of my favorite take-out and sat down to check out the DVD of the 2008 documentary of the first leg of Iron Maiden’s “Somewhere Back in Time World Tour”. Now, I’ve been a fan of IM for a long time. To be honest, and at the risk of really dating myself the first full album I ever purchased was 1983′s Piece of Mind on cassette. To my surprise, the songs that Maiden was playing on this recently documented tour were older songs from my days of being a huge fan. This DVD didn’t disappoint, not at all.

It amazes me, and simultaneously gives me some slight hope in the music industry to witness a band doing so well after all these years. What makes Iron Maiden so unique is they did it without the help of mainstream radio and media. Sure, once in awhile you’ll hear a Maiden song on some classic rock or metal show but really, back in the day,…no one had the balls. Now for them to not only decide to do another “worldwide” tour but to reinvent the wheel so to speak is one gutsy move. You see, they not only decided to tour the world in strategically planned stages, they did it in a customized 757 jet carrying all the gear and stage show, all the crew, the band and their families. Appropriately named “Ed Force One” this huge flying tour bus was often piloted by none other than lead singer Bruce Dickinson, who is in his own right, a licensed commercial pilot.

Maiden in front of their custom 757 jetliner.

Now you say sure, sure, big deal. Just another over the hill metal band trying to cash in on their older tunes. This was not the case. Name me one over the hill rock or metal band that has toured from Japan, India, to the USA, South America and Toronto while playing some shows that topped out at 27,000 people. Yeah, didn’t think so.

Bruce Dickinson’s reasoning on the decision to play older material was not to insure the tour was a successful cash grab but an incredibly smart move. Iron Maiden has realized that the longer the band has existed, they’ve been drawing in a younger and younger audience. This was the bands chance to play songs that these people have never had a chance to see played live. Obviously, while pointing to the sheer longevity that IM has had over the years one would think this band knows what it’s fans want and is coming up with some pretty damn unique ways to get the job done.

The DVD rocks and with the help of Canadian documentary film maker, Sam Dunn ( Metal: a Headbangers Journey and Global Metal) capturing some funny moments and incredible footage of behind the scenes and the live shows this is a must have for any true IM fan.

If you’re at all a music fan I recommend that you check out this DVD. What a kick ass ride these guys have been on. and this was just another mile in the story.
Long Live Eddie!!

Yesterday I went to rehearse with aband and on the way I was reminded that my truck had an issue. It was leaking anti-freeze inside of the cab, the heater core was leaking. It had been doing it for a little while and I had wet carpet etc on the passenger side floor.

Attached to the same building as the rehearsal rooms is “Tong’s Mechanical” A small two bay garage just off of West 2nd Ave. run by a small elderly asian man. Upon arrival I decided to ask him about my turcks problem, he figured it was the heater core, told me what it would cost and I left him the truck. He had other cars in the shop but still managed to call me at 7pm on a Sunday to tell me my truck was ready. I went down today on my lunch hour to pick up my truck and was very impressed.

My price was what he quoted me, he showed me the old heater core and how it was leaking. I got in the truck to drive home and noticed that he had cleaned the floor mat and my carpeting of all liquid and mess.

So Kudos to Tongs. I recommend them to anyone with car problems.

I was given advanced screen passes to this new movie tonight. I thought it was well done and a fresh way to present a story, allowing watchers to really escape into something different.

Action/Adventure, Drama and Science Fiction/Fantasy

Starring:
Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Rory Cochrane

Story by: Philip. K. Dick

Directed By: Richard Linklater

Synopsis:

Set in a future world where America has lost the war on drugs, an undercover cop, Fred, is one of many agents hooked on the popular drug, Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred, for instance, is also Bob, a notorious drug dealer. Along with his superior officers, Fred sets up an elaborate scheme to catch Bob and tear down his operation.

I thought this film was cleverly written and very well done. The whole film was shot digitally then put through a process called rotoscoping. The effect presents an intriguing experience for watchers as the characters look like the actors but are definitely animated. As a fan of various kinds of animation I was drawn into this world and really appreciated the diversion from normal films. I think the animation effect helps watchers become more involved in the fantasy themed story as it’s set in the near future. This movie at moments reminded me of the animated classic Heavy Metal, more for it’s rogue attempt at something a little new.

I highly recommend this film, especially if you’re a fan of animation.

Official Site | IMDB Page