File: February 2007
A GOOD ROGERING
“Mess with the bull, you get the horns” can apparently be translated as “Deal with The Gambler, you get the shaft.” Residents of Sandy Springs, Georgia, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, are unhappy with Kenny Rogers, and it’s not because of some neon chicken. One year after purchasing a seven-acre lot for his “dream” home, Rogers abandoned construction in the Springs and left a pile of dirt for his ritzy neighbors to look at. Rogers apparently felt construction would have taken too long and would have left an uninhabitable castle for his wife and kids if something were to happen to him. He has planted trees to replace all he destroyed, and told the press, “You can’t live your life for other people.” That’s exactly what Jesus said!
STILL THE ONE
Remember last year when we reminded you Doobie Brother Jeff “Skunk” Baxter was a Pentagon defense analyst? Well, lucky citizens, you’ve apparently struck platinum again. With the swearing in of John Hall to the United States House Of Representatives in January, the whole Schwarzenegger/Ventura thing has come to an entirely new level. If only Hall’s opponents had appropriated the image from Orleans‘ 1976 album Waking And Dreaming, history might be different.
Hall, a Democrat representing the 19th Congressional District in New York, ousted six-term Republican Sue Kelly during his party’s sweep last November. In a New York Times feature, former bandmates talk about Hall stopping shows in the ’70s and ranting about politics. While his opponents are concerned about his heavy liberal slant (troop withdrawal, universal health care, reduced oil dependence), the bigger concern should be his plans for the big election in ’08 — and if he knows a man named Daryl Oates.
THE 26TH MAN AWARD
From what we can tell, our “Top 25 Essential Local Albums Of The Last 10 Years” issue (January) was a runaway success: empty distribution racks, Steve Forstneger talking about it on Q101, and no disemboweled scarecrows on our doorstep. You, our dear reading public, did take issue with the absence of a handful of albums, or the entire catalog of one Local H. “Local H?????????” wrote one of you on our Web site. “Dude I’m out of it. But really, yeah where the hell is the (Local) H?” wrote another. There were pleas for Caviar, any sort of Steve Albini project, Yakuza. But all was pretty much summed up by a poster named Cat: “No Local H, no The Lawrence Arms, no Kill Hannah, and no Rise Against? I think this list needs to be longer! I know opinions are subjective and there’s no way that all of my personal faves could be included but no Local H?” Nope. Not this time.
FEBRUARY IS FOR LOVERS
Everyone complains about Sweetest Day, but how many of you actually step up when it comes to Valentine’s? That little drive-by shooting trick you pulled last year at the old site of 2122 N. Lincoln hurt some passersby and failed to impress your lady. How about we give you some ideas this year?
The easiest choice would be to show your lusty, international side and see Gipsy Kings on the 14th at House Of Blues. Midlake, at Schubas, were a fashionable Top-10 pick last year and would surely impress someone who has already seen your frighteningly extensive Maroon 5 collection. Just met her? How’s bout some cheap beers and cheaper bands with Dark Fog and Plastic Crimewave at Empty Bottle? Unless you’ve been together awhile, however, we recommend you hold off on going to the Chicago Theatre that night. Some chicks aren’t ready to jump into two hours of Boney James.
— Steve Forstneger
