Switchblade Comb

-Ryan Adams all year long (Cardinology, 3 live shows, Foggy-the blog)

-Backstreet Boys at the State Fair 08.23.08 (I love it that way!)

-Less Than Jake at First Avenue 07.03.08

-Record Party Mondays at the Uptown

-Swell Season at the Orpheum 05.07.08

-T.I./ Rhianna- Live Your Life
– sub category, Barbados (me being there for 8 days, and you not)

-Lil’ Wayne being totally rad!

-Bonnaroo (working there for 2 weeks, and watching Robert Plant and Alison Krauss side stage)

-The Fall, Tarsem kills it with the most visually stunning movie of the year. (with Lee Pace being all hot)

-Amy Henson as Amy Chan.

Last week, an article in the L.A. Times declared that the final company output of VHS was ceasing by year’s end. That VHS was dead.

Granted, VHS was the beginning of the end of film seen as an artform and more as entertainment: no longer was it only film societies that got together to rent prints to show on sparse occasion, but now, it was an everyday occurence. But even then, the VHS only provided a limited amount of screening time before it expired, and you were dedicated to watching the whole film, start to finish; no ADD DVD chapter-skip.

I know I’m probably the last viewer left clinging to VHS romanticism, but there are too many great films that’ll be lost in time because they’ll never make the DVD transition, and it just never feels the same. Watching movies now on DVD and Blu-Ray just feels . . . cheap.

So if you’re one of the rare few who still champion this expired medium, look over HERE for a gloriously misinformed look at why the medium was superior to DVD, and remember the good old days of VHS.

So long. Farewell. Auf Wiedersehen. Goodnight.

VHS – The End

Okay, so . . . I admit . . . despite it being one of the most pointless films in cinema history . . . this finally started to get me a little excited.

Watchmen maybe opens March 6.

This Friday is my birthday. I’ll be turning 27. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it then partying at Get Cryphy.

Jimmy 2 Times sent us a new 30 minute mix that previews the hotness you can hear. Fast forward to the 7:00 mark and get down!

Mix: Jimmy 2 Times – Cape Boots Vol. 1

From D4’s MySpace:

For reals, in the 39 years we’ve been a band we have NEVER played Fargo? And it’s, like, right over there yknow? What the hell? Anyway, Chris was all “dudes?” and we we’re like “I know right!?” So now the shit is going down on Jan. 10th, which also just happens to be Paddy’s 16th annual 21st birthday! Full tilt sweatpants and white russians yall! Eyedea And Abilities and The Awesome Snakes will be rounding out this clusterfuck of radicool.

From Fargo Theatre’s site:

WINTER CARNIVAL 2009 an all day music festival headlined by Fat Wreck Chords recording artist Dillinger 4 making their F/M debut. Also appearing: Eyedea & Abilities, The Awesome Snakes, ex members of the Soviettes and many great local acts, films, burlesque and drag shows. Bands will be performing from 3pm-12 followed by midnight movie THE FLAMING LIPS: CHRISTMAS ON MARS which will be free with admission.

You could rent the whole Comedy Central’s Roast of Bob Saget DVD, but it’s not really worth it, so let’s just use this mediocre DVD week as an excuse to re-post Norm MacDonald being awesome during it.

OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES

- Mumblecore horror Baghead
- 80s horror comedy Bloodsuckers from Outer Space
- Shaw Bros. kung-fu The Brave Archer
- Documentary The Cats of Mirikitani
- Gamera the Brave, celebrating the monster’s 40th birthday
- Season 5 of Nip/Tuck
- Animated Resident Evil: Degeneration
- Johnny To’s Sparrow
- Acclaimed Korean Woman on the Beach

Norm MacDonald Being Awesome

The femme fatale from my favorite noir film, the ultra-low budget Detour. Her final role was a brilliant turn as Guy Maddin’s mother in this year’s My Winnipeg. She died on Christmas Day at the age of 87.

Ann Savage in Detour

Wait, Gay Witch Abortion are having their CD release at the Double Deuce? Awesome! Nothing like hitting the strip club on a Tuesday night.

When I saw the flyer posted on More Cowbell this weekend I had the same thought as Mediation.

Brian from the Uptown Bar has put together an awesome three day showcase of some of his favorite new local bands.

Thursday, January 1
9 PM | FREE | 21+

Young Brides
The Absent Arch
Tentacle Boy
The Screens

Friday, January 2
9 PM | $5 | 21+

Economy Team
Condo$
Pictures of Then
Prozac Rat

Saturday, January 3
9 PM | $5 | 21+

Fuck Knights
Spacewolf
Erik & The Savages
Dante & The Lobster
The Running Scared

The annual First Avenue showcase will take place on Wednesday, January 14.

I gotta say I’m pretty impressed with this eclectic list. There’s obviously a handful of other bands I’d like to see at the show, but the bands selected are all deserving of the title.

7 PM | $7 | 18+

Bouncer Fighter
Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps
The Dynamiters
Kristoff Krane
Lookbook
Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles
Yer Cronies

Two shows kept me occupied during the holiday – Discovery’s Mythbusters marathon and Gaki no Tsukai, a crazy Japanese comedy variety show.

One of their events was the 24 Hour Gym Tag, a game that took place over the period of 24-hours where the comedy team was locked in a sports arena, playing “tag” with various ‘demons’ (men dressed in black suits) that attacked at random moments, each with a specific type of punishment to be inflicted whenever the victims were tagged. This happened because the team lost a race to Gaki leader Hitoshi Matsumoto, and what ensues is must-see brutal hilarity.

The beginning parts are over on Hulu, but you can watch the whole event on YouTube HERE.

Gaki no Tsukai 24 Hour Gym Tag – Part 1

Canadian by way of Somalia rapper K’naan will be in Minneapolis on February 11 to support his upcoming record Troubadour.

K’naan
Wednesday, February 11
Varsity Theater
Minneapolis, MN
6 PM | $13 | AA

K’naan – “Somalia”