My New Favorite Blog

WTF?

Found Whilst Moving...

So I'm moving tomorrow to, errr, home. I really thought that the best way to invigorate my blog would be to become the proverbial blogger in my parent's basement. Actually, I'll be on the first floor, so there's that.

Actually, it's only for a month or two. But still.

Anyway, I've found a bunch of interesting shit while cleaning out my room. I've been here for three years and I'm one of the biggest pack rats you'll ever meet.

So here's something I'll transcribe from a sheet of notebook paper that dates back to Austin City Limits 2007.

Dave Chalvers' Austin City Limits Superlatives

Top 5 Bands

1) Muse - Melted my face off. Again.
2) Ghostland Observatory - 2007' Muse of 2006. Get it?
3) M.I.A. - Not since Bowdoin and Geneva have I heard a better use of gunshots.
4) Damien Rice
5) Bloc Party - The little band that could given the circumstances: extreme heat->dancing

Biggest Disappointments

1) The White Stripes - WTF Jack? (Ed. Note - they cancelled)
2) Ben Kweller - Did not unleash the fury
3) The Killers

Top Surprises

1) That I'm still alive after a 5 day diet of Sonic, Whattaburger, Chuy's, Freebirds and made-to-eat omelettes (Ed. note - Embassy Suites owns)
2) That everything in Texas is, "so tight, y'all"
3) That J.K. Rowling sent emissaries to ACL: Kara Grainger, Grace Potter. Where was Johnny Weasley and the Leggy Blondes?

Favorite Moments

1) The insanity that was the front row for Muse
2) The Ghostland Observatory acid trip w/out acid.
3) The overwhelming feeling that I have so much downloading/purchasing to do. Plan accordingly, Ben Lee

Favorite Fan Related Thing

"The chi chi monsters." (Ed. Note - On our cab to the hotel our cabbie told us about the bike path along the lake that was a good path to Zilker Park. He also mentioned that it was great to look at "the chi chi monsters". Wasn't sure if he was referring to lizards or college co-eds. Still not sure. Whither Chalvers?)

Lacrosse Finals.

Had an awesome time at the championship game.

Blogged about it here.

Took a zillion (200) pictures that you can see here.

There Are 79 Of You Weirdos?

NCAA Men's Lacrosse Finals Photos

Lacrosse is making a name for itself in Massachusetts (typically it was rare and only really found on the Cape or in the Western part of the state).

I got really into it at college (on Long Island, natch) and it's pretty exciting that the Final 4 is being held at Gillette Stadium for the next 2 years.

Here are some Syracuse-Virginia, Hopkins-Duke photos from yesterday. I'll be going tomorrow to take pictures of the finals.

Check em out:

Rasheed Wallace Loves Guns N' Roses

If you caught Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals you may have noticed Rasheed Wallace channeling his inner-Slash.

Before tip-off, as the opposing players were pounding fists before battle, the PA was blaring "Welcome To The Jungle" and 'Sheed was playing air guitar!

Then, in crunch time of the 4th Quarter 'Sheed was lip-syncing to "Paradise City"!

What a loon.

If anyone has video, let me know.

Oh, About that Foals Show....

Click the picture for the review.

Ticketmaster Thinks I'm Retarded

Foals Tonight

Review tomorrow.

Bragging today.

Sick Burn, Ikea. Sick Burn.

The Ikea catalog came the other day and I couldn't help but thumb through it. See, I'm moving soon and could use some furnishings to make wherever the place I call, "home," homey. Ikea tends to preach 'vertical living', with the thinking that you can create more space by building up. Currently, Craigslist is devoid of vacant windmills and smokestacks in the Boston area, but I'm on the lookout.

Anyway, I was perusing the chair section, if only to glance at the wacky names of the products. The names are, essentially, a mixture of every contestant on 'World's Strongest Man' and the liner notes of Peter, Bjorn and John's last album.

Then I came across...

The Jeff!

I was so excited for a fleeting moment.

The Jeff, as it turns out, is nothing more than a $4.99 standard folding chair. Bullshit. What did I ever do to Ikea? So, the next time you're in overflow seating on the High Holidays, or at some sort of company related annual meeting, think of me.

A Story Everyone Should Know About My Friend Dave Chaves (And Also Stevie Ray Vaughan, Who Is Not My Friend)

Most of you know I acquired a press pass for Austin City Limits Festival last year and with it came certain perks of which I was not too proud to use. There was access to a small press area where I ran into Alex Turner (midget) and scored free snacks, VIP Dell Lounge access, where my friends and I had free everything (beer, water, food) and sidestage access, but there were also a shitton of events I was getting invited to outside the festival, because my name had appeared on some sort of ubiquitous solicitous list.

One of them was a kickoff party put on by the record label BMI. BMI sponsors an ACL stage for up and coming artists and the person in contact with me was incredibly nice and allowed my two friends Dave Shaw and Dave Chaves to come along. Since it was before the festival started, therefore not conflicting with anything, we decided to RSVP Yes.

We get to the restaurant where it's being held (this really classy barbecue restaurant called Lambert's), head upstairs and try not to stick out like sore thumbs, sampling the delicious finger foods, and such.

At events like this there's always the same sort of feeling out process with the food and drink. Is it free? Is the bar open? When in doubt, don't be tentative and just go for it, which we did wholeheartedly. Turns out everything was free and we sidled up to the corner of the bar, where it turns out singer songwriter Kara Granger was drinking wine.

I begin throwing back Gin & Tonics with Dave Shaw and Dave Chaves starts his normal process of draining whatever locale he's in of their stock of Southern Comfort. We're listening to the musicians perform, getting crunk, eating damn good BBQ and all is well. Dave Shaw starts the Mojito ordering trend, which makes every bartender manning an open bar cringe and that catches on like wildfire.

Finally things are settling down, and we're about to see a presentation. BMI presents the co-writers and bandmates of Stevie Ray Vaughan plaques in honor of the 1,000,000th radio play of SRV's song "Crossfire". People are giving speeches, people are breaking down and crying. It's very touching (possibly because everyone's drunk). Then the titular Dave Chaves leans over to me and says:

"Who is Stevie Ray Vaughan?"

I looked down at his plate of free food, his 3/4 full alcoholic beverage and promptly told him to shut the fuck up. Good times.

Opening Day At Fenway Photo Blog

Headed to Fenway yesterday to p'blog Opening Day shenanigans. It was pretty awesome, great atmosphere, especially with ticketless fans chilling around the outside of Game On! to watch the ceremony on their outdoor TV's. Great weather, etc. Took about 200. Check em.

Goodbye:
Hello:



About damn time! See you at Game 4

Vote We Need Girlfriends!

Just had a communique with We Need Girlfriends creator Angel Acevedo (fancy way of saying my homie just Gmail chatted me) who made me aware of something all WNG fans can help out with.

Head over to this site and vote for We Need Girlfriends in the Media Industry Poll (it's in green).

All the guys at WNG thank you for your support, assuming you vote. If not, they collectively tell you to fuck yourself (actually that's my improv).

If CBS Were Smart...

They'd partner with NASA and get Gus Johnson a supersonic jet and just fly him to all close games in the NCAA tourney.

Last night good ole' Gus was flipping his shit during Michigan State's (relatively) comfortable win.

Could you imagine if he was calling the UCLA/A&M game?

Kevin Love would be wiping off scraps of Gus Johnson's brain matter from his forehead with the way that one ended.

It would've been like this times a billion: