Sea Wolf: October 30th, 2009 at Modified Arts

Music is a wonderful maize that provides a different meaning and path for each individual. Over the course of a week we experienced two completely different roadways on our quest for musical satisfaction. Last week it was 65,000 people and the pomp and circumstance of U2 at the University of Phoenix. Last night it was 150 people packed into the little box called Modified Arts for an intimate no thrills set with some of the best offerings from the land of Indie rock. Two completely different approaches, two different ends of the spectrum....but they both succeeded in providing us with a great live experience.



Sara Lov- Silky smooth vocals, earnest and soulful lyrics, and a great crowd presence. Unable to bring her band she made due with the next best thing, a vinyl recording of them providing the backing tracks. Close your eyes and let her voice take you places. Download "New York" and you'll see what I mean. Of all the performers she had the best stage presence and charisma. As far as opening acts go, she was top notch.

Port O'Brien- My first impression of the band when they took the stage was "did these guys take a semester off from the University of Alabama to tour?" Their lead singer, Van Pierszalowski, looked exactly like a southern frat boy and their sound has a definite feel of southern rock to it. The fact that they've received some pretty high praise from M. Ward ensured that I wasn't going to pass on them. Their sound was Neil Young with the youthful energy of the aforementioned southern frat boy. As their set progressed my initial impression warmed and their sound seemed to have more texture and depth. Their set was the pinnacle from a primal energy stand point. Another great supporting act and another album that we will have to purchase.

Sea Wolf- After about an hour and a half their moment came. Despite numb feet from standing for so long the show was memorable. The band sounded much tighter then I was expecting and their songs were more upbeat and loud then their album versions. Most of the set was devoted to their new album that I'm still warming to. But their early classic "Made a resolution" was the rousing crowd pleaser and the highlight of the evening. Mr. Church has an incredible ability to create some great hooks out of simple chords and to make each song an intimate and rich short story. I was glad to see them in a setting like this because I think that the inclusion of their music in the Twilight soundtrack could signal the impetus that brings them to the pop mainstream.

All in all a great evening. We definitely felt a little out of our league given that 90% of the audience was fresh out of 4th Period English. But good music is good music and good music reaches people. Whether it's an 18 year high school senior whose life revolves around the Velvet Underground or someone, like myself, whose life has increased responsibilities and pulls. We can all come together and find a certain amount of joy, meaning, context, and rest in a well crafted song. Luckily for us tonight there were three bands who fit the bill.

On location with the Three Amigos

We all have our favorite movies. We feel a special connection to the characters, the story, and even the location or setting of the movie. We want to be apart of the story. One of the easiest ways to do so is to find and visit the location that these movies were filmed. A couple of years ago Jodi and I visited the location of the famous Bluth Banana Stand at Marina Del Rey. Last week we decided to take advantage of the visit of Dan and Conner to make our pilgrimage to Old Tucson studio, where a good portion of Three Amigos was filmed.

The setting is spectacular. This is the old west that we grew up watching...mainly because so many old westerns were filmed here. We pulled up to the venerable studio with high expectations. We wanted to literally walk in the foot steps of Lucky, Dusty, and Ned. We were somewhat disappointed. First, the studio does a pretty poor job of capturing the great history of the place. For the most part the visitors are left trying to piece together scenes the were filmed there. Second, the great fire of 1995 destroyed a lot sets, including several used in the filming of the Three Amigos.

Fortunately we found a tour that was headed up by a man who has spent decades there and has even been an extra in several movies. His memories of John Wayne, James Stewart, Clint Eastwood and others was absolutely lucid. The studio needs to make sure that they get all of those stories recorded for posterity. He was involved in the Three Amigos and here are some insights that he shared.

• Scenes filmed at Old Tucson included: The Village with the Bar and El Guapo's fortress. The Village of Santo Poco was likely filmed in California but it wasn't confirmed.
• The fire of 95' destroyed several sets used in the movie, including the bar that gave us the beloved rendition of "Little Buttercup".
• The fortress of El Guapo was built specifically for the movie and was built a small distance to the Northwest of the studio. As such it fell into disrepair after the movie and was often broken into. Because of that the whole set was destroyed 4 or 5 years after the movie. Such a tragedy!
• The only real visible and tangible evidence of the movie is the church (different now), one series of buildings, a piece of El Guapo's place, and the desert landscape.

Here are a few pictures.

The tubman 601 flying over the village. (It was a male plane, right?)

How that looks today.
What remains of El Guapo's fortress
The church in the movie (slightly different)

Dan and Conner in front of where the El Guapo set was

Men Win Football Games

We are just over halfway through the College Football season and I've already decided to check out on BYU football. Once again sky high promises were not kept and unreal expectations hit the cold icy reality of what this team is....a decent, but not great, football team. No rose colored articles from the ever delusional Dick Harmon, no reality averting always positive remarks from Bronco Mendenhall, and no stupid slogans can give this team the needed grit to actually win a game that matters.

Here's my big beef with BYU football. They show up small in big games. By big games I mean games in which both teams have something to play for. Sure we can sneak up on Oklahoma but they obviously underestimated us. Our victories over TCU and Utah have come when they (Utah and TCU) both had nothing to play for. Our humiliating defeats have come when they both (Utah and TCU) had something to play for.

Here are my armchair observations of why we won't be a top flight team. These aren't small deficiencies and require much more then some fine tuning. We will be destined for mediocrity until we can solve these problems.

• Speed: Let's face it white kids from Pleasant Grove aren't running 4.3 40's. They might be smart, team players but that doesn't cover up their obvious skill deficiencies. Our Honor Code prevents us from recruiting these speed guys.
• Offensive Play calling: I'm sure that Robert Anae is a great guy and makes a wonderful home teacher but our play calling is predictable and doesn't adjust to our circumstances. Just look at how dynamic TCU was when they dismantled our defense seven different ways. We didn't have an offensive gameplan that effectively countered their pass rush. The only thing offensive about our play calling was how "offensive" it was.
• Mentality: Maybe the Mormon culture just doesn't allow for a killer instinct that separates the winners from the pretenders. I think too many players and staff use this as an excuse. They can justify losing by saying that football is just not a priority compared to God, Family, and Education. I don't argue with the priorities but I also don't feel that they are mutually exclusive. Nobody on this team has attitude, leadership, or the drive to demand that others step up. This "we've got more important matters in our lives" also permeates the fan base to help justify the BYU losses to "Ute" Fan. I declare that you can have a "Killer Instinct" and still be a worthy member of the Church.
  
• Legacy Players: The bottom half of the BYU roster is filled with Covey's, Mendenhall's, Edward's, and Lamb's....all products of past BYU players, coaches, and benefactors. The problem is that none of them are real contributors. Why don't we free up their roster spots for more worthy players. We know that we could use the depth.

I could continue but the bottom line is that we are pansies and don't show up for big games. We haven't shown any real heart. We are incredibly outcoached. We complain about a lack of respect and then we get the some media light on our program we let TCU and old man Bowden take us to task in our own stadium. The whole program should be embarrassed. No amount of excuses or silver linings or learning experiences are allowed. We've used them for far too long. It is now time to actually back up your stupid slogans.

U2 under a desert sky

A U2 concert is so many different things to so many different people on so many different levels. To the casual fan of music this band represents the one of the best live performances around. On the other end of the spectrum is the true blue fan. To this group, and it is a huge group, a U2 show is a spiritual mecca that can only be experienced when you've reached out and touched Bono's hand in person. I started out as the latter and as I've aged my devotion to the band has diminished somewhat. But that still does not mean that I am no longer moved by them.

My enthusiasm for the concert was tempered somewhat. The new album, "No Line On the Horizon" just hasn't had the staying power that past works have had. And since I've already heard all of the classics several times through past tours (Zoo TV, Elevation, Vertigo) I wasn't particularly keen on having to put up with the new stuff. But that changed when I convinced my brother and his son to come down. This was to be their first show and so my missionary zeal came back. I always love sharing this band with over people.

After a splendid day with the family we made our way over to University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale. The stadium itself is great but it has quickly picked up a reputation as a below average place to hear a concert. That was my primary gripe. The sound seemed a little muffled at time. My big consolation was that in talking to people who attended the Rolling Stones concert last year this sound seemed like listening through some Bose earphones in comparison. The other gripe was with the crowd. My section did its part but the intensity of the overall stadium was pretty weak in comparison to my past U2 experiences. I've seen the boys in several different cities and Phoenix has always come in short. You would think that with their long history with the band that the crowd would be more involved. Anyways...

#1 Highlight- One followed by Amazing Grace followed by Streets. No better 10 minutes in all of Rock and Roll.
#2 Highlight- The remix version of "Crazy" that mixed some of the Pop dance club fusion with the sense of optimism of the song. I loved watching an intense Larry Mullen Jr. march around the stage with his bongos. I always love the chance to hear a song reinvented.
#1 Lowlight- "No Line on the Horizon". I think that the song is pretty good but when played after an incredible acoustic version of "Stuck in a Moment" it just killed some great momentum. They had just reeled off three classics and then they moved into this. You crowd went from ecstatic to bored in an instant.

Bono is the consummate showman. He could charm a dead snake. These guys have conquered the rock and roll world but their effort never wanes. The crowd wasn't all there tonight but that didn't affect their performance. U2 doesn't do halfhearted.

Of the six U2 shows I've been to I would probably rank this #5. The setting, sound, and new material brought it down a bit. But that ranking doesn't look so bad when you consider that of the 50 or show concerts/music festivals I've attended each of those U2 concerts is in my top 10. On a bad night U2 is still better than 95% of everything else.

Immigration and role reversal

This recent LA Times article does a great job of uncovering a dynamic within the immigration debate that the average layperson usually doesn't see. I think it provides some interesting context to the Mexican position on the continued immigration discussion.

The last several decades have seen a huge swelling of immigration from Latin America, specifically Mexico. Any look at the numbers will reveal this. The Mexican government has fought for Rights of immigrants living in the United States and it tacitly, scratch that openly, approves of this illegal and unchecked northern exodus. For a blatant example view this guide that the government published to help immigrants on their journey north. From the perspective of the government, immigration relieves a measure of burden in providing for the needs of a vastly impoverished citizenry.

Keep that in mind when you read about the plight of immigrants from sub-Mexican Central America as they cross Mexico en route to a better life in America. Do I smell hypocrisy? Mexican's have a wretched history of treating these immigrants worse then the treatment that Mexican immigrants receive in America. As a missionary in Texas I met many Salvadorians or Hondurans who were far more scared of being caught by the border patrol. They weren't afraid of being caught, they were mortified of the treatment that they would receive at the hands of the Mexican's once they were dumped at the other side of the border. I've also lived in various parts of Mexico and it doesn't take long before you realize the presence of a very tangible racism that occurs between the different ethnicity groups that comprise that nation. Let's just say that the majority of the indigenous Hispanics that make up the illegal population in the U.S. are also treated like the dregs of society in Mexico as well.

I agree that everyone should be treated with a certain level of dignity, regardless of whether or not they broke the laws to get here. But next time someone from Mexico decries the treatment of illegal immigrants in the U.S. they ought to look back at their own country in shame. For their paisanos are doing a much worse job with the way they are treating their immigrant neighbors from the Honduras or Nicaragua.

Happy Hour for Mormons

We Mormons have a somewhat paradoxical relationship when it comes to dietary habits and eating out. We love to trumpet the healthy results of living sober and tobacco free but point us in the direction of the nearest chuck-wagon buffet and watch us go to town on the stronganoff or meaty casserole. I think that's why certain restaurants resonate within the Latter-Day community. We devour the portions and the faux "upscale" dining experience of the Cheesecake Factory. We dive into the healthy portions of sweet pork at the Cafe Rio. We'll double up the double-double at the In-And Out. In short, we like our food, we like it in family sized portions, and we like it cheap.

Let me make a recommendation to all of you folks within the covenant. This suggestion marries the value that you crave with some tasty meals that you covet. It might require that you step outside of your meat and potato comfort zone. It will force you to leave the suburban ease of the nearest Chil's in favor of the more urban cosmopolitan haunts. But here it is. Drive into downtown and sample the happy hour cuisine of one of the local restaurants.

Happy Hour?

Yessir, you got it right. Look beyond the traditional connotation associated with the word and think with me. After I make my case you should agree with me that this is a rich culinary vein that has not really been mined by the Mormon community. Here is the simple dining formula.

1. Opportunity to try great new food at fancy new restaurants.
2. Opportunity to get that food at exceptional prices.
3. Get it all done early so that you don't need to pay much for your babysitter.
4. Wonderful opportunity for you to observe the debauchery "great and spacious" world that you can use for future Sunday School lessons.

Case in point. Jodi and I recently went to Trader Vic's in the upscale, boutique part of Scottsdale. On a typical night you would expect to pay between $30 and $60 per person. Great food, yes. But not worth the hassle when you've got to put three kids through little league soccer and Applebee's is running their "Two for $20" promotion. Enter Happy Hour. We dine at 6pm and we eat Duck, Gourmet Burger, Virgin MaiTai, and Hummus all for $18. That's how you eat.

So every week you try a new place. You get some incredible dishes. You broaden your horizons. And since you don't drink you end up getting some great deals.

Olive and Ivy is our current favorite place. Take a look at the top of menu. Now picture all of those great dishes and appetizers at $3-$8 a pop. Now we're talking.

So go ahead. Take the drive downtown. Try some fancy new dishes. Live it up. Consider it a missionary experience....no consider it a wonderful opportunity to broaden the sensibilities of your under worked palates.