Joyce Manor/Algernon Cadwallader @ The Magic Stick Lounge, 8/6/12

On August 6th, I had the pleasure of going to a punk show at the Magic Stick Lounge! California's economic pop punkers Joyce Manor and Philly's noodly mid-90s midwest emo revivalists Algernon Cadwallader (one of my favorite bands, recently) came to Detroit and kicked some major ass.

I missed the first band and caught the last few songs from Detroit's Louder Than Bombs, were on the punk side of emo with yell-y vocals and great guitar parts.

Algernon played third and completely owned. Everybody says they're like a modern day Cap'n Jazz, and I will not argue with that. I embrace it, as they do the style so damn well. Plus, they're much more succinct and more focused on the poppier elements of the genre.

Anyway, the band played extremely tight and were an outright blast to watch thanks to their high energy. Unfortunately they didn't play as many songs as I'd hoped from their latest LP, Parrot Flies (which was #4 on my favorite albums of 2011 list), but, I was pumped that my favorite jam from that, "Preservatives," was played. They sure brought out the jams from their first record, Some Kind of Cadwallader, though. Opening with "Yo Soy Milk" and closing with "Serial Killer Status" were excellent decisions. However, the main highlights (aside from "Preservatives") were "Spit Fountain" from the Fun 7" and the title track from Some Kind of Cadwallader.

My knowledge of Joyce Manor is weak, as I just got into them with this year's Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired. The vast majority of their set seemed to consist songs from their first LP and earlier releases, because I did not recognize more than one or two. Regardless, their energy was also high, and thus were fun to experience in a live setting. I guess I didn't really expect them to be so tight live, though one could tell the drummer was getting tired as the set went on (I will vouch for him as the band completely blazed through their set).

When all was said and done, Algernon Cadwallader and Joyce Manor both played sets probably no longer than 25 minutes and I was home that night by midnight. That certainly added to the overall greatness of the show.

Those Guys Have All the Fun/Netherland

Those Guys Have All the Fun - James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales (2011)
Those Guys Have All the Fun is a telling oral history of ESPN told by the cable network's higher ups, programmers and on-air talent. There are plentiful looks on how and why the company succeeded as a business and has dominated the worlds of sports and entertainment for years, and those parts were somewhat interesting, but, what really attracted me to this enormous book (both literally and figuratively) are all the scandals that are detailed within. I would have looked more of that, and even more insight from the personalities that I especially enjoyed growing up watching Sportscenter (namely Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick). Sure, a lot of ESPN's stars and higher ups come out sounding like complete douchebags, but man, that stuff is fun to read about it! If you have the patience and a technical mind to go along with that, there is a lot to be interested in in Those Guys Have All the Fun. Combine that with all the controversial drama (of which I expected much more of, but wasn't disappointed in what I had the pleasure to read here), and you've got some fun times ahead of you with this book.


Netherland - Joseph O'Neill (2008)
I think I allowed my expectations for Joseph O'Neill's critically acclaimed 2008 novel, Netherland, to reach unrealistic heights. While O'Neill's prose and dedication detail are outright fantastic and this story of a Dutch immigrant and his desire to fit in while living in post-9/11 New York City and trying to make it his home is weirdly relatable (we all want to fit in and make our homes exactly where we're at, right?), somehow I was still let down. There are points in the novel that slow down a little too much and get a bit dry, but, for the most part, they are easy to look past thanks to the rich characters and quirky subplot (making the sport of cricket popular in America). While I can't relate to main character Frans' immigrant status, the trials and tribulations he faces (fitting in, being comfortable in an overwhelming, giant, foreign place, keeping his family together) are all-encompassing. There are darker and mysterious touches that pop up here and there throughout the plot that really grabbed me as well. Aside from the boring passages and perhaps overwhelming amount of description (which, again, really is a compliment to O'Neill's skill), Netherland was still enjoyable and immensely touching. If Goodreads allowed half-star ratings, it would get a 3.5.