The Useless Critic 2.0

One thing I'm happy to admit is that I spend a lot of money on music. This is often a Herculean struggle for me internally - as much as I absolutely love the experience of live music, I hate crowds, and I hate the absurd wait times some artists inflict on their audiences. I went to a lottttttt of shows in 2017, cut back some in 2018, and this year looks like it'll be modest but worth it.  I'm not seeking to hit an exact # here - I've been to somewhere between 30 - 50 shows at this point, and probably hundreds of smaller, lesser known bands. I chose 13 for now because that just seems like the fair way to do things.  Is this the best use of money?! For me, YES. I rather collect experiences than things, and look forward to purging myself of some of the junk that I've accumulated the last several years (it does not bring me joy!)  I invite you to comment about any specifically memorable shows you've been to, and what makes them so grand in retrospect.  Honor...

Enjoy! This playlist is a lot more playful- as demonstrated by the presence of "Work Bitch" by Britney Spears. I just added "Manners" by Icona Pop because it felt good. I also have included my favorite Franz Ferdinand b-side and Lorde's "Royals." I can't bring myself to listen to other Lorde songs because SHE'S SO YOUNG AND IT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE. It's generally a positive mix. "Catch My Disease" by Ben Lee, "Breakin' Up" by Rilo Kiley, "Bohemian Like You" by the Dandy Warhols- all rather timeless. There's some odd cuts, like "Obstacle 1" by Interpol (have had in my head all week), the Erie PA song by deadhorse (hometown shoutout) and some `90s/`00s electronica (Ivy and Sneaker Pimps). As for the Camille song and Mayer Hawthorne/Kendrick Lamar track, I will not lie. They are pretty hot.

while you were protesting for your freedom...... 1.) acclaimed band 3OH3!, the next Beatles and/or Led Zeppelin, are coming to Erie at Penn State Behrend on April 13 th . tickets are like 20 - 25 dollars, which is so acceptable for a band that duets with Ke $ha and writes lyrics like Bob Dylan. 2.) I am back from Detroit. I feel like two days of my life are now gone? hmmhaw . no word on the Seattle job yet, even though I believe the interview went well. I am also weighing my options for Pittsburgh, Sweden and New York. eh, stay tuned to see where I end up. I have promising prospects in all. 3.) highlight of Seattle: at a pot luck, talking to the girl I was staying with, somewhat drunk on much better beer than I'm used to, OH MY GOD, THAT FIONA APPLE? I guess drunken encounters are 10x better when you are ranting about your favorite singer. 4.) Interpol is a surprisingly strong band to see live. despite the exit of Carlos D, they played the longest show I have yet to have gone to....

JULY 26TH U2 AND INTERPOL IN PITTSBURGH TELL ME TO NOT GET A TICKET BECAUSE I JUST MIGHT p.s. Florence + the Machine is getting pretty popular here in the States. supposedly, Flo will be opening for some of these U2 shows (including one in Baltimore), too! she is coming to Balty-more....hopefully I'm not here at that point in time, but if I am......

Lead singer Paul Banks sounds like he's in pain and not in a good way. After his solo excursion of Julian Plenti, which was all right but nothing (to employ a lazy cliche) to WRITE HOME ABOUT IT. Where White Lies and Editors strive to be, Interpol is, a sort of area in the pantheon previously occupied by Joy Division and Ian Curtis' epileptic self. his voice just sounds so bad on "Barricade." other than that, it's a good song. B- hear it:

all of these bands are coming to the region within the next few months: SLEIGH BELLS LADY GAGA BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE THE NATIONAL RUFUS WAINWRIGHT JUSTIN BIEBER (AHAHAHA) NEON INDIAN SHE & HIM THE FLAMING LIPS INTERPOL THE SWELL SEASON TITUS ANDRONICUS SURFER BLOOD THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART *explode*

The next song I'll focus on is "To Lose My Life" by White Lies. How can I really not like Editors but like them? I'll never be able to explain my actions. I haven't heard TOO MUCH of their other stuff but this song is pretty powerful, I think. has that current Interpols/Editor/I-want-to-be-Joy-Division-but-I'll-never-pull-it-off vibe to it. The recorded version is a LOT better. and that lead singer isn't bad! IS HE! sorry to steal my other posters' thunder, but I've got some strange downtime on my hands and I'm going to mold it like clay.