LIA/R, QAC, LBE, Augustine, The Weekend, and Me

It seems like news is supposed to write itself or something. I now feel this obligation to update my blog more regularly, but as soon as I sit down to update I think, "Nothing is going on in my life that is really that exciting!" I don't want to bore people to death (ask Rachelandthecity if her head has recovered from it hitting the keyboard falling asleep while reading my Ubuntu post), so it's like I'd rather say nothing.

This weekend, two of my personal favorite bands, Augustine and Living Better Electrically graced Memphis with a show at Pho Hoa Binh (a staple among midtown Memphis restaurants) that left people totally breathless. The turnout was extremely good, the veggie egg rolls provided by PHB were amazing, and the performances were unbelievable. I love Augustine, everyone knows it, and I don't want to get all goofy about them right now -- they gave a phenomenal performance as they always do.

I can say one thing with great certainty: the fact that Living Better Electrically is not out touring against bands like The Killers, The Bravery, and all these other johnny-come-latelies is an engima to me. They have a sound so thick it can fill a stadium as easily as it filled the restaurant. Not a sour note in the bunch, not a missed chord, dropped phrasing....seriously, I just sit here dumbfounded wondering why are they not HUGE??

The entire crowd stared on in obliterated awe for just over an hour as LBE ripped through their set. New fans were made, many CD's were sold. It seems a great travesty that bands like The Bravery and The Killers are out there making tons of money while LBE struggle in relative obscurity. It's total fucking bullshit, actually.

News came that an article was published in the New York Times regarding LIA/R, and at last the great curse of mainstream media ignorance was officially broken. A big thanks to Alex Williams for the story, to Mark Benjamin at Salon.Com for his series (which is currently running at Salon), and of course to the Queer Action Coalition for never giving up.

I'm sure there's lots more to tell, but I'm running to the Post Office to deliver a package. Go down to Jerry's Sno-Cone on Mullins Station and get you a Wedding Cake-flavored Sno-Cone deluxe. It's pretty hot out there.