Summer-Size Me: Random Summer-Wonderfulness!

Well - first off - a great big gracious thank-you to Matt for a VERY cool prize.
Looks like Exile in Blogville won this week's Pageant of the Transmundane, which is an ongoing, weekly contest he holds on his blog, Culture Kills.
Tres cool! We went to high school together - and as you will read on his blog - we once did a Family Ties skit together.
I was Steven Keaton.
He was none other than "Jennifer".
And if I recall, we were both VERY bang-on in our performances.
But a big thank you to him and his fab blog!
Check it out - here's my award:


It's gearing up to be a really cool summer so far, and it's not even summer yet! I always feel energized around this time of year - I think because we are approaching our longest days of the year. Something about the sun hanging up in the sky longer and longer each day...it's empowering.
But more on that later this month.
This past Wednesday Life Partner, my sister, Jeff and myself went to the True Colors tour in Detroit.
Playing was White Tie Affair, the Clicks, Tegan & Sara, Rosie O'Donnell, The B-52's and Cyndi Lauper.
We had lawn seats, which bummed me out - because it's so far back from the stage - but the weather was gorgeous so I sucked it up.
Anyway, before Rosie O'Donell's stand-up set, Cyndi Lauper comes out to surprise everyone and tells all the lawn people to come down and hang out in the Pavillion.
"Just come in...come on! It's okay. I asked. COME ON!"
Um...yeah - we scored fuckin' FOURTH ROW!
FOURTH ROW!


Seeing the B-52's up close like that...was mind-blowing.
That's one band who SERIOUSLY deserves props. They've FOR REAL been doing their own thing for over 30 years now - and so many bands owe SO MUCH to the sound they creating.
It's punk but it's pop. It's electro but it's riffy. It's INSANELY original and creative and HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY..it was just a great night.
Cyndi Lauper rocked as well. NO one can sing like Cyndi.
The night ended with a GIGANTIC balloon drop, EVERYONE out on stage singing Sly & The Family Stone's Everyday People - and finally - closing with True Colors.
It was energetic and exhausting. A star-studded FESTIVAL show that SERIOUSLY delivered.
Legends. Pure legends.
Last week we went and saw The Strangers.
Again - a TRUE horror movie that DELIVERED. It didn't rely on gore, it didn't have a hollywood ending - it just genuinely TERRIFIED and for once - the "villians" weren't some typical, stereotype.
A fucking SUPERMODEL - Gemma Ward - played the main villian...and she SERIOUSLY terrified.
TERRIFIED.
It used all those good old fashioned scare tactics like moving shadows, creaking doors, unknown territory.
The kind of stuff that gives children nightmares!
Sure Rob Zombie knows a lot about visualization and style...and while he can deliver a wallop packed with the kind of gore that hellish nightmares are made of - he can't come CLOSE to delivering the kind of tense, suspense-filled terror that a movie like The Strangers can.
A very well done, simple, lay-it-on-the-table horror movie.
Remember this? Becuase I've missed them!
Yesterday, I took the day off work, just cuz.
I went out to lunch at the Gourmet Emporium by myself, which I love doing.
I had a grilled-tofu salad which was deliciously spicey, 3 Corona's and I read my book in peace.
Fabulous.
After the three Corono's wore off, I went for a walk and hit Dr. Disc and picked up 4CD's - all which were on for like, 10 bucks!
Traveling Wilbury's Vol.1 (why I didn't have this album is beyond me - it's a pure classic), Goldfrapp's Felt Mountain (I've been so hooked on her latest Seventh Tree album that I just needed a FIX!), Imperial Teen's The Hair, The TV, The Baby & The Band album - which I only had downloaded (I know, bad me!) so I decided, since I am such a fan of the band - I owed it to them and myself to buy it..and finally - Of Montreal's The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower.
Of Montreal is just one of those bands who I kick myself for not getting into immediately. They are extremely prolific songwriters and they've pumped out quite a collection of recordings in a relatively short period of time...I'm overwhelmed! This is the third album I've picked up from them, and I they have yet to disappoint me.
And tonight? Well...tonight myself and some friends are going to check out that FREAKY new movie The Happening - which I really know NOTHING about.
I love mass panic, chaos "end of our days" type of movies - and this looks like exactly that. I hope it delivers.
All this - and the fireworks next week to look forward to. Life Partner, Julie and myself have a fancy-schmancy dinner that night, which happens in a pretty gorgeous building that OVERLOOKS the Detroit City skyline!!!
BOX SEATS to the biggest fireworks display in North America! how cool is that?
The VERY NEXT DAY we leave for Chicago to go check out Liz Phair performing Exile in Guyville in its entirety on the 15th Anniversary of the album's release!!
Then when we get back - we hit Detroit to check out Hayden at the Magic Bag - a teeny tiny little club! Our third time seeing him this year (I know, weird, it's not even like we are SUPERFANS!) but this will be our FIRST time seeing him with a FULL band - something I think will do his live performance some MAJOR justice.
All this...and it's not even REALLY summer yet...!
But so far, gearing up to be one of the best ones yet!!!

hearts and Summer splash-splash-splashes!

Dan