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REVIEW: Levi Weaver @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 7/16/12)
How did I get into Nashville-based singer-songwriter Levi Weaver?
Well, um… is “Yahoo! fantasy baseball league via twitter” a valid explanation? Well, it’s how it went down. After following him, he had posted something about his documentary String Theory, then I sent him a “hey next time you’re in Oregon let me know” message, and then he sent me a “well actually” message… and the rest is history.
This was only my 3rd house show to host and/or coordinate (Susan Enan & Peter Mulvey being the other two), but it went smoothly. Levi is a delight to work with, and he’s a true professional. He’s still in the midst of shooting the String Theory doc; so he had a two-person crew with him.
A little sparser attendance than I was going for due to being the Monday right after Oregon Country Fair, we still had a decent turnout for Levi’s lovely set. I’m still getting familiar with his music, but from his hour-long set he started with “String Theory” (on mandolin) then Radiohead’s “Idioteque” (with plenty of loops, bowed guitar and effects).
After my post-show delving into his music, other tunes played were: You Are Home, Which Drink?, Good From Evil, We’re Tornadoes When We Dance, Spirit First (I think?) and a few more. Here are some shots from the show… I had front row couch seats… (click for larger)
He has tons of fantastic music out there. Check it out on bandcamp (links below), support indie music, check him out when he swings by your town, and enjoy!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Levi Weaver’s Site
- Levi Weaver’s Social Media Links (see below)
- String Theory Documentary Site
- String Theory Doc Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Bad Mitten Orchestre at WOW Hall on 7/21.
~Dan – np: Tin Hat & e.e. cummings – the rain is a handsome animal
Searching for Elliott Smith (+ 5 uncovered songs)
24bit just posted some news about the Elliott Smith documentary Searching for Elliott Smith. It’s set to screen at the Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival (Sat 5/7 @ 2:30pm). It’ll feature a Q&A with the filmmaker (Gil Reyes) and Elliott’s girlfriend at the time of his death – Jennifer Chiba. It shows again on Sun 5/8 @ 8pm (no Q&A).
The synopsis of the documentary:
The first feature-length documentary about the greatest singer-songwriter of his generation. Elliott Smith’s intensely intimate songs helped popularize lo-fi, indie-rock: A traditionally underground genre until Smith’s mainstream effort ‘Miss Misery’ took Hollywood by surprise. But even after an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, he managed to fly mostly under the radar. And Smith wanted it that way. After his death in 2003, Smith’s peers understandably avoided the media. Granting very few print interviews… and NO on-camera interviews. Until now. From his high school days as a National Merit Scholar… to his early work in the Portland rock band, ‘Heatmiser’… to critical acclaim… to his mysterious death at the age of 34. We learn the dark motivations behind a musical genius. And discover how psychic pain can also produce timeless art. Appearances by filmmaker, Gus Van Sant who chose Smith’s music for the movie, ‘Good Will Hunting’. Also interviewed is Elliott’s fiancee, Jennifer Chiba. Chiba talks about the fight leading up to Elliott’s death and the LAPD’s ‘open investigation’ into possible homicide.
http://www.searchingforelliottsmith.com/
Go to the 24Bit page for five unreleased lo-fi YouTube’d Elliott Smith songs… tentatively titled: She Won’t Look at Me, Where I Get It From, Like a Cop, I’m Gonna Get Crushed, and Shiva Opens Her Arms.
~Dan – Portishead – Portishead 
Blood Into Wine (poster)
I’m really, really, really looking forward to this movie…
~Dan – np: Miho Hatori – Ecdysis
Maynard’s BLOOD INTO WINE
Two new trailers for Maynard James Keenan‘s forthcoming documentary Blood Into Wine…
(the serious trailer)
(the silly trailer)
I heard about this during the wine tasting portion of the Portland Puscifer show… now seeing the trailers – I’m stoked to see the movie. It looks great… they need to find a way to package a 2-DVD with a 375 mL of the 2007 Judith. :)
Or, heck, even the recent Chupacabra / DVD combo would be nice, as the Judith is rarer than rare (20 cases).
Note: Maynard is the singer in Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer… and he makes great wines.
~Dan – np: Madeleine Peyroux – Bare Bones
In accordance with the prophecies…
…I lied about not posting for a few days. Two cool things: Jeff Ament (of Pearl Jam) with Doug Pinnick (of King’s X) -and- a free Michael Moore movie Slacker Uprising.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
First things first. In 2004, Doug Pinnick (bassist/vocals of King’s X) and Jeff Ament (bassist of Pearl Jam) wrapped up an album tentatively titled Montana. In 2004. At this point in time, Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy may come out first. Jeff & Doug have been friends for a while… at least since way back when King’s X opened up for Pearl Jam. During PJ’s MTV Unplugged session, Jeff had a big “King’s X” written on his hand (in 1992?).
Anyway, today on Blabbermouth it was dropped that Jeff Ament’s solo album called Tone (pictured above) comes out on Sept 16th via PJ’s Ten Club. It features Doug Pinnick as guest lead vocals on a track called “Doubting Thomasina.” It’s limited to 3,000 copies… CD only. I’m hoping this makes the 15-or-so track Pinnick/Ament album more likely to be released soon.
Here’s a trailer for the movie:
http://www.slackeruprising.com/ on Sept 23rd…
~Dan – np: Sunny Day Real Estate – The Rising Tide
Expelled: No Intelligence At All
OK. Horrible bad propaganda film, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, is horribly bad propaganda. Don’t bother seeing it. If you do bother seeing it (like me), don’t bother paying for it. I didn’t.
Ben Stein: wow… he’s a bad interviewer / main guy in a documentary film. Let’s just say that he could take some “be captivating” tips from Morgan Spurlock, or some “how to ask interesting questions” tips from Michael Moore, or some “get a clue” tips from Colonel Mustard… in the study… with the candlestick. Boring guy. I guess I shouldn’t have expected more from him… Bueller… Bueller… Bueller?
Oh, but a personal friend from Cincinnati was spotted twice. Let’s call her J.S. She was in the picket line in front of the Creation Museum opening (in N.Ky). I spotted her twice, and it was cool to see a friend on the big screen while being 2,600 miles way. Her husband (let’s call him G.K.), also at the “event,” wasn’t spotted by me. He was likely inside giving face time to BBC and CityBeat about how this museum isn’t really science.
Anyway, back to the movie. It was a heavily ID-backed movie. It was trying to claim how “cdesign proponentsists” are losing out in academia due to their views on ID and science. They are “losing their freedom.” Um… ok. ID is fine if you want to believe it, but it’s religion and not science. Why should it be taught in governmentally-funded schools? It’s religion, not science. Believe it, fine. Use government money to teach it? Um, no.
As Richard Dawkins posted in his review of the film (entitled “Lying for Jesus?“), it’s full of “lord privy seals.” They are painfully all over the place. They talk about something, then cut to stock footage of it. It was painful, I tell ya. They also butchered the interview with Richard… taking one of his statements out of context, making him sound like he believes in aliens who may have first seeded life on this planet. Most of what they got of Dan Dennett, P.Z. Myers, Eugenie Scott, et cetera didn’t seem too much out of context, but definitely from an “us versus them” stance and likely not the forefront of their taped discussion(s).
Worst part of the movie… linking Darwin to Hitler… as if Hitler wouldn’t have done what he did were it not for The Origin of the Species. Ben Stein took over 30 minutes (easy) making that link, not including the “lord privy seals” inferring it earlier in the movie. Um… there was racism before Darwin. There was hatred of other races, and slavery of other races, way back in The Bible (endorsed by God even). Hmmm…
Oh, and (per the movie) Planned Parenthood is evil… it’s all about eugenics. ::sigh::
I don’t know. If you want to know more about the film, go here: Expelled (the link is… http://www.expelledexposed.com/)
Expelled, the movie, equals A COMPLETE & UTTER FAIL.
In a similar religion and movie theme… I am looking forward to Bill Maher & (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Seinfeld/Borat writer-director) Larry Charles movie this summer… Religulous. The topic is interesting, but I also really dig Bill Maher & Larry Charles.
~Dan – np: Turtle – Barking at Some People Walking By
PS- here’s a parody video put out by the Richard Dawkins Foundation…
Addendum (post review)
This “Dawkins Rap video” was made by the Expelled folks, alas, it’s funny nonetheless…
Apparently the Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism, renounces Expelled‘s connection between Hitler and Darwin as being an inaccurate connection that the movie made…
http://www.adl.org/PresRele/HolNa_52/5277_52.htm
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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