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The five best albums of 2006 … so far

The Starlight Mints, Drowaton: I got a weird look at the gym the other day because of this album. So I was singing on the elliptical machine — what’s wrong with that? This is infectious, catchy orchestral pop from the first place you think of when you hear the phrase “infectious, catchy orchestral pop” — that’s right, Oklahoma.
Tapes ‘n Tapes, The Loon: I am going to try very hard not to say this debut album out of Minneapolis sounds like Pavement for the 21st century. Whew. Glad I didn’t say that. Listening to this album makes me wish I was drunk in a dirty bar. That is probably some kind of warning sign.
Band of Horses, Everything All The Time: If you have been accused of listening only to “whiny indie rock” and you haven’t heard this album yet, then you, my friend, are no fan of “whiny indie rock”! I have listened to this album more than any other in the first half of 2006, but I have not listened to it much recently. Not sure why.
Jason Collett, Idols of Exile: This not-quite-alt-country release from the Broken Social Scene member (seriously, name someone from Canada who isn’t in that group) is so relaxed and easy to listen to it scares the shit out of me: Does liking this mean I really am officially an old man? Have I totally lost my edge? And then Collett throws in a lyric like “I love it when my girlfriend calls me a cock-sucking faggot” — and I feel a little bit better about myself.
Built to Spill, You in Reverse: Built to Spill and I go way back, so I put them here partly do to nostalgia. You in Reverse isn’t as good as the band’s previous efforts, but it is solid — and the opening track “Goin’ Against Your Mind” kicks so much ass it would make this list on its own. It’s an 8-minute 42-second song you never want to end.

Links: Drowaton reviews, Starlight Mints official site, Starlight Mints @ Barsuk, The Loon reviews, Tapes ‘n Tapes official site, Tapes ‘n Tapes @ MySpace, Everything All The Time reviews, Band of Horses @ MySpace, Band of Horses official site, Idols of Exile reviews, Jason Collett @ Arts&Crafts, You in Reverse reviews, Built to Spill @ MySpace, Built to Spill official site

Read more mid-year lists (and post your own) at Shanghaiist.

07.20.2006, 10:44 AM · Music · Comments (2)

The Top 20 Albums Of 2005

Kind of hard to top that last post, so I won’t even try. I’m writing this from Manhattan’s Upper East Side. My fiancee (she has not changed her mind yet) in napping next to me. The sun is setting and everything is pink and gold outside my window on the 26th floor. We’re staying at my good friend Veronica’s place here in New York. Unfortunately, Veronica is not here — still sunning on one of the Caribbean islands. St. Barts, I think. Hopefully she gets back before Bliss and I fly back to Shanghai on the 6th.

We drove here in a rented Ford Taurus, through the Poconos along Interstate 380, where the roadside woods were either covered with snow or encased in ice. Trees, some leaning in from the weight, sparkled in the sunlight — they looked like they had tiny leaves carved out of crystal. The scene felt rather fragile, like one strong breeze could come in and shatter the entire forest and make it fall onto the soft bed of white waiting below.

During the ride we listened to Chad VanGaalen’s beautifully eery album Infiniheart, and that reminded me — although it appeared on Shanghaiist, I never posted my top albums of 2005 on this site. (And, no, not one reader has emailed to complain.)

For various reasons, I have failed to give this site the attention it deserves for the past half a year or so. I hope to change that soon. But my 2005 music list will have far fewer bells and whistles than my 2004 list. In fact, all you get are some snazzy italics. Anyway, for what it’s worth, here are my top 20 albums of 2005:

Chad VanGaalen - Infiniheart
Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolt
My Morning Jacket - Z
Bright Eyes - I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
Spoon - Gimme Fiction
Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
Brakes - Give Blood
Iron & Wine - Woman King EP/In the Reins EP (with Calexico)
Superwolf - Superwolf
Stephen Malkmus - Face The Truth
The Decemberists - Picaresque
M. Ward - Transistor Radio
The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
The Capitol Years - Let Them Drink

Some images, links and mp3s can be found over at Shanghaiist or at my mid-2005 picks page. I may add albums beyond No. 20 as I think of them. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. If you are really quick, maybe I can be listening to some of your music picks on my long, long flight back to China.

On Shanghaiist:
Shanghaiist presents The Best Albums of 2005
25 after 7: The Best Music of 2005 (so far)

01.05.2006, 4:57 AM · Diary, Featured, Music · Comments (2)

Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck in Shanghai

Monday was good. Got a rare glimpse inside the historic U.S. Consulate here in Shanghai. Met a fellow Washburn. And saw one of the best musicians in the world perform. All in a couple hours. American folk musician Abigail Washburn — no relation, as far as we know — is in China promoting her new CD, which includes two songs Washburn sings in Chinese (she’s lived here off and on since 1996). The album, Song of the Traveling Daughter, was co-produced by banjo player and living legend Bela Fleck, who also joined Washburn on her China tour. Washburn, Fleck, a violinist and a cellist performed an intimate invite-only — thanks for the invite, Paul! — concert last night at the U.S. Consulate on Huaihai Lu and Wulumuqi Lu (you know, the walled compound with armed guards across from the British Bulldog, a bar worth boycotting). The consulate occupies a grand old estate which likely has a fair bit of history, although my initial Google attempts turned up no details. It was nice just to have a look inside the place. I’d show you pics if my phone and camera weren’t confiscated at the gate for “security reasons.” Had a front row seat for the show. It was great. Abby’s voice is strong and beautiful. And Bela’s picking is amazing — when he solos it sounds like three or four banjos playing at once. (Also, I’m fairly certain he played part of one song with his teeth.) The band is playing another gig, open to the public, tonight at the Cotton Club. I encourage you to come. Just don’t take my seat!

Photos: Abigail and Dan Washburn [2], Me and Bela Fleck

Brad’s camera was not confiscated. His pics start here.

11.29.2005, 6:38 PM · Music · Comments (7)

This National Day holiday I …

… flew south to Fujian Province with Bliss — whose ancestors are from Fujian — and her friend Emily, who is visiting from Seattle. My photos from the four-day trip can be found at Flickr. (They can also be found in the Shanghai Diaries photo gallery — I spent a good chunk of yesterday making sure that section of the site was up to date — but, really, I suggest you view the photos on Flickr. Better. Easier. We should be making a total switch to Flickr with the coming redesign of the site.)
… got a little bit wet thanks to Typhoon Longwang. But was happy to have avoided the flood of people that hit Shanghai. Ri-f*cking-diculous.
… missed out on the hot springs at Xiamen’s Riyuegu Resort (thanks to the typhoon), but settled for a private room at The Retreat, where I got an hour-long massage, soaked in a hot tub treated with aromatherapy oils … and got my ears cleaned.
… became an uncle, again.
… rediscovered the fact that I actually do like Chinese food. Quite a bit.
… got lost on Gulangyu Island … again.
… repeatedly bombarded Andrea with questions about what to do/where to go/how to get there in Xiamen. Felt kind of bad, but she is the editor of What’s On Xiamen. Andrea always kindly obliged. I gave her a Shanghaiist t-shirt for her troubles — nothing says “thank you” like a little shameless self-promotion!
… took a great day-trip into Fujian’s rural Nanjing Province to soak in a little Hakka culture. Was amazed at the size of their tu lou earthen roundhouses. (If you are traveling to Xiamen, I highly recommend a travel agent named Apple. She speaks English and can be emailed at lemon60606(@)hotmail.com.)
… bought one of these hats for 5 kuai.
… bought this painting from my friends at oceansbridge.com headquarters in Xiamen.
… went to a masseuse/chiropractor in Xiamen recommended by Andrea. A burly man, he was unable to crack my back. Is this a good or bad sign?
… was unable to fit a Blue Frog “Montana Burger” into my mouth.
… met with a Singapore-based book editor about my book proposal … and received a couple more rejections from the US (news I’m sure Billy Baldwin is very happy to hear).
… discovered a great new sandwich shop in Shanghai. Very cheap, and near my apartment, too. It’s called Nangka Cafe.
… listened to Chad Van Gaalen’s great new album again and again and again.
… confirmed that the pork ribs at Di Shui Dong are among my favorite dishes available at local restaurants.
… likely gained a few pounds.
… found out that there is a very good chance I will be playing the role of Santa Claus in an upcoming Chinese Pizza Hut commercial.
… tried to convince friends and family that China’s new tightened control of the internet likely won’t affect me. Am I being naive?
… started viewing season two of Lost and still can’t figure out why it won the Emmy for best drama … or why I can’t seem to stop watching it.
… watched England qualify for the World Cup and realized that my illegal satellite hook-up is better than the one at the Big Bamboo.
… spent one morning watching the Yankees lose, one watching them win and today woke up at 4 am to discover their game had been rained out.
… wondered whether American celebrities will hold telethons for the victims of Pakistan’s awful earthquake, the same way they did for tsunamis and hurricanes this year.

10.09.2005, 4:53 PM · Bars, Culture, Diary, Food, Music, Observations, Photos, Sports, Television, Travel · Comments (2)

I knew I should have worn my Testaverde jersey

I was going to write something here about how I don’t get the whole Chinese hip-hop thing, how it’s a rather unoriginal way for Chinese youth to express their individuality, how it would be nice to see these kids clinging to something more Chinese, something that could grow in China organically, the way rap did in America in the 1970s. I was going to write all that — but then I realized to do so would be stupid and hypocritical. These kids have just as much right to their rap music — maybe more — as little white Danny Washburn did in lily-white Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania in the 1980s. And I listened to rap music. Lots of it. I hooked up my stereo to a TV cable and was able to get Power 99-FM from Philadelphia. So I knew about all the new rap and R&B before even the guys at the record store on Main Street. It made me feel special. I liked being different. Eric B and Rakim were some cool motherf**kers, and because Follow The Leader occupied my Walkman, so was I. What’s more absurd: And honor student in rural Pennsylvania listening to gangsta rap or city kids in China flashing gang signs for photos?

The kids I saw last night at the Shanghai Hiphop II Party at Club Fusion had the style down, alright. In fact, it looked as though the event was cosponsored by Champs Sports and IcedOutGear.com. (Actually, it was cosponsored by ShanghaiNing.com and Sony-BMG, which helped release the Shanghai Rap CD that Friday’s partygoers got for free.) Where can you get cool retro NBA jerseys in huge sizes in Shanghai? Ask this guy. And if you’re a Christian in need of some bling, this guy might be able to point you in the right direction. And what of the music? Hard to say. I couldn’t understand any of the lyrics, save for the odd “baby girl,” “check it,” “murder” or “word up.” Actually, most people in China wouldn’t have been able to understand the lyrics. They were in Shanghainese, which is cool, because the dialect is at risk — fewer and fewer young Shanghainese are learning it. The beats, however, were universal — and, often, very tired and familiar. The only thing original about the music was the language. But give these guys some time. It’s early yet. And hey, Shanghainese rap is already less annoying than Vanilla Ice.

Links:
42 of my photots from Friday night on Flickr
All Flickr photos tagged “shanghaihiphop”
My videos from the show on YouTube (Direct links to the three clips: Bamboo Crew, Super Rap Crew, Super Rap Crew slows it down)
Shanghai Rap page on ShanghaiNing.com, with downloadable songs
Shanghai blogger Josh reviews Shanghainese rap songs

More at Shanghaiist.

07.30.2005, 9:01 PM · Audio, Music, Observations, Photos, Video · Comments (3)

This is when I force my taste in music on you

It’s already been a great year for music … and it’s still July. The following are my five contributions to the Shanghaiist The Best Music of 2005 (so far) list. Other albums on the Shanghaiist list that I highly recommend are I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning by Bright Eyes, Face The Truth by Stephen Malkmus, Gimme Fiction by Spoon and Illinois by Sujan Stevens. After these five blurbs, I’ll list some other albums that are on my personal Best of 2005 (so far) list. Why should you care about any of this? That is a very good question.

The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird

I was somewhat — no, very — surprised to like an album by a former Squirrel Nut Zipper, but I’ve always had a thing for professional whistlers.

Buy | Reviews | Official site | “A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left” | Stream the entire album

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Shhhh. Hear that? If you are quiet, you can hear the buzz surrounding this Brooklyn band from any spot on Earth. Arcade Fire for 2005.

The Sunlandic Twins by of Montreal

“We’ll have bizarre celebrations,” sings Kevin Barnes, and that’s exactly what this album is. This is what happens when indie psych-pop boys play with computers.

Buy | Reviews | Official site | “So Begins Our Alabee”

Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River

No new Wilco album this year? Not to worry. This Austin band offers homespun tunes and stories … and some of the year’s weirdest album art.

Buy | Reviews | Official site | “For Real” | “Black”

Apologies To The Queen Mary by Wolf Parade

This album “officially” doesn’t get released until late September, but jump on this Montreal band’s bandwagon now. Partially produced by Isaac Brock, and it shows.

Buy | Reviews | Official site | “You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son”

07.30.2005, 6:30 PM · Music · Comments (4)

I’ll be the guy in the tux

I’m considering making the tuxedo the main item in my wardrobe. I’m going to start doing my grocery shopping in one. I’m going to wear one while I work on my computer during the day. I may even start wearing one to the gym. People simply treat you better when you’re wearing a tuxedo. They assume you’re someone important, full of mystery, coming or going from someplace spectacular — not an unemployed writer who seems to spend more time traveling than actually writing. (And in China — if you look like a foreigner, at least — no one will ever assume you are a waiter or a valet.)

I found myself in a tuxedo Wednesday night. The occasion was Shanghai Talk magazine’s annual party (photos). It was at La Fabrique, an uberchic restaurant/club, the regular clientele of which is likely very familiar with the latest international DJ rankings. (I’m not kidding. People really rank DJs. Seriously.) The theme of the party was “art deco,” which clothing-wise left me clueless. The invitation said “think Josephine Baker/Noel Coward.” I Googled both Baker and Coward and, and after looking at several images of both, concluded that most men would arrive wearing ascots — and the women would be topless.

03.19.2005, 8:10 PM · Bars, Music, Observations · Comments (9)

I think I have found my bar … finally

If I had owned my own label, I would have signed the dude to a record deal on the spot. A Chinese guy who can handle indie rock and reggae? Not to mention the fact that he had more stage presence than there was stage. Not to mention the fact that he went toe-to-toe with the police in between sets. Not to mention the fact that he always appeared to be stoned or drunk — or both — until he opened his mouth to sing. This guy had rock star written all over him. And he was performing for a crowd of a few dozen in an unassuming watering hole tucked away on a lonesome residential Shanghai street, far away from where the city’s pretty people play on Saturday nights.

It was exactly where I wanted to be.

The bar is called Tang Hui Pub and it is located at 13 Xingfu Lu, near Fahuazhen Lu. On my city map, it’s about five inches northwest of Xujiahui. It was a 16 kuai cab ride from my apartment on Madang Lu. I first learned of Tang Hui from a Swedish journalist named Ola Wong who plays electric bass for the country band Shanghai Cowboys and used to play in a punk band back in Sweden. Then, after I posted my Top 25 Albums of 2004 a reader commented that I should DJ at Tang Hui. And then at brunch on Saturday with Cecil and Bliss at Zentral, Bliss stumbled upon an article about Tang Hui in one of Shanghai’s 107 English-language magazines. We decided to finally check the place out. (Cecil couldn’t go, having purchased an RMB 700 (!) ticket to attend the black-tie St. Patrick’s Day Ball at the Pudong Shangri-La. Tickets included dinner and “free” flow of Jameson and Guinness — but they also reportedly included river dancing and Bee Gees covers by one of Shanghai’s 107 Filipino bands.)

03.14.2005, 1:10 AM · Audio, Bars, Music, Observations, Video · Comments (8)

Tonight and Tomorrow: Country music … all the way from Japan

From Gary of the Shanghai Cowboys:

Stopped in Tokyo for a few days and played last evening with some of my old band members from the Tokyo Cowboys. Great fun. The quality of playing by young country musicians here in Tokyo has really improved over the past few years! Tomorrow, Thursday Jan 20, I return to Shanghai. Also tomorrow a Japanese band from Kyushu will arrive in Shanghai to play at Ark on ~~Saturday~~ Friday evening! My good friend, a great young pedal steel player Hiroshi Ozaki, who is the son of my old pedal steel man Takashi Ozaki, will be coming with them. Hiroshi is one of the musicians I played with last night and he really swings! The lead singer and band leader is Charlie Nagatani, who Shawn Waters worked together with in Fukuoka a few years back. So it will be a great weekend. See you all at Ark ~~Saturday~~ tonight!

UPDATE from Gary:

Correction! Tonight at 8:30 the band plays at Ark. Tomorrow at Oldies in Hongqiao. Hope this reaches you all in time.

Sorry, still no word on the band’s name, ~~what time the show starts on Saturday~~, the admission price or whether any other bands are playing. I tried to see if the info was on the new That’s Shanghai website, but that thing is soooo bad. The Ark Live House site looks better, but it is also of no use whatsoever. I’ve never been able to find listings on it, not on the English version at least. I’d call Ark myself, but I’m in Hawaii. I’ll let you do it:

Ark Live House
Taicang Rd, Lane 181
Xintiandi (North section) #15
太仓路边181弄
新天地广场北里15号
Phone: (021) 3308-5000

This might be the venue for Saturday night (I’d call if I were you):

Oldies But Goodies 温故知新
1440 Hongqiao Lu (by Yan’An Xi Lu)
虹桥路1440号，近延安西路
Phone: (021) 6219 3364

01.21.2005, 3:30 PM · Music · Comments (1)

The Top 25 Albums Of 2004

THE YEAR’S BEST MUSIC

01.03.2005, 11:01 PM · Audio, Music · Comments (22)

This bug’s for you

Some say the new Shanghai Oriental Arts Center looks like a butterfly. I say it should have spent some more time in its cocoon.

From PlaybillArts:

Designed by French architect Paul Andrea — who also designed the opera house currently under construction in Beijing — the hall is variously described as resembling a butterfly and an orchid, with five segments containing the main entrance, the concert hall, a 1,020-seat opera house, a 333-seat auditorium, and an exhibition space. At night, lights on the roof will change color in coordination with the music inside.

I attended a show inside the butterfly last night, just two days after the $120 million dollar Shanghai Oriental Arts Center opened its very expensive doors. The concert — performed by the Berlin RIAS Broadcasting Philharmonic Orchestra — was billed “The Night of Dynamic Crystal.” And that billing makes absolutely no sense unless you know that the evening was sponsorerd by a real estate development firm that, for some reason, named itself Dynamic Crystal. I was given two free tickets to the concert because of some relatively shady “work” I did for Dynamic Crystal a couple weeks ago.

So please, follow me as I take you on a walking tour though the latest impersonal monstrosity to go up east of the Huangpu. The photo essay begins here.

01.03.2005, 9:50 PM · Music, Observations · Comments (5)

‘From travel bug to travel blog’

That’s the title of ShanghaiTalk’s January 2005 cover story — and you may recognize the “cover boy.” Oh, wait. You probably won’t. My face is covered in the photo, which likely explains why it made the cover. The magazine’s managing editor Shamus Sillar did a nice little story about The Trip and the two-page spread also features a slew of my photos and an excerpt from one of my trip stories. I’m pretty pleased with the way it all turned out.

Unfortunately, ShanghaiTalk does not have a real website — it is only 2005, after all — so if you want to read the story, you’ll have to pick up an issue in Shanghai. This may prove to be difficult if you happen to live in, say, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, or anywhere else in the world. The photo is also the cover of this month’s BeijingTalk, but I’m not sure if the story ran in that magazine, as well [UPDATE: The story did run in Beijing … and Guangzhou, as well]. Maybe Shamus can hook me up with a PDF file of the story that I could post here or something [UPDATE: See below … Thanks, Shamus!]. I’ll let you know.

For now, you can check out these ~~not-so-great pics of the story~~ high-quality images Shamus gave me. Just click on the icons, keeping in mind that some of the images are rather large:

But, really, if I were you I’d check out this great video of The Arcade Fire playing live instead (thanks for the link, Daily Refill). And stay tuned for the Shanghai Diaries Top 25 Albums Of 2004 list, which will appear right here very soon — maybe even tomorrow. I have a feeling The Arcade Fire might make it. Yeah, I’m pretty sure about that.

01.02.2005, 2:15 AM · Music, Site News · Comments (5)

Shanghai Twang: Country music in the big city

Y’all come now, ya hear?

When you get an email from someone you don’t know telling you to go to a bar you’ve never heard of so you can hear a band “practice,” usually it’s a good idea to deposit that email into the trash. But something about this particular email grabbed me. Maybe it was the fact that it began not with Dear or Hello or Hi, but Y’all come!! Maybe it was the band’s name — the Shanghai Cowboys — and the promise of passable country music … in Shanghai. But likely it was the paragraph’s closing sentence that prompted me to head on over to a place called The Literature Club last night:

“Please pass the word and bring along some of your shit-kicking friends.”

12.11.2004, 7:21 PM · Music · Comments (5)

Shanghai music scene gets mo’ better

It’s taken me a while, but I have finally found good live music in Shanghai. I’m going to have fun exploring the city’s resurgent jazz scene. It may not be indie-rock — my music of choice back in the States — but it still rocks, in its own way.

My girlfriend’s brother, A.J. Khaw, an accomplished jazz pianist living in Miami, is in town for a couple weeks. We didn’t have time to set up any gigs, and as it turns out we didn’t need to. One night earlier this week, we headed over to the Cotton Club and Club JZ — and A.J. ended up on stage in both places. Check out the photos.

I’ve also seen decent live shows at the House of Blues and Jazz, but the atmosphere there is a little too sterile for my taste. To properly enjoy jazz and blues, I believe, you need to be at a place where the smoke hangs in the air and your feet stick to the floor. And, ideally, sticking to your ribs would be some good Southern barbecue.

Not sure if the pulled-pork sandwich will ever make its way to Shanghai. But right now, the jazz music is enough for me.

07.02.2004, 7:15 PM · Music, Photos · Comments (2)

the top 20 albums of 2003

apropos of nothing, i am posting my top 20 albums of 2003 … and i am doing it in late january 2004. you may ask: why? a valid question, indeed. but if i can stop one chinese kid from listening to linkin park, then this list was worth the trouble.

20. quasi :: hot shit
19. the decemberists :: her majesty …
18. outkast :: speakerboxx/the love below
17. the strokes :: room on fire
16. califone :: quicksand: cradlesnakes
15. broken social scene :: you forgot it in people
14. manitoba :: up in flames
13. radiohead :: hail to the thief
12. jay-z :: the black album
11. death cab for cutie :: transatlanticism
10. the unicorns :: who will cut our hair when we’re gone?
09. my morning jacket :: it still moves
08. clearlake :: cedars
07. the wrens :: the meadowlands
06. the constantines :: shine a light
05. grandaddy :: sumday
04. the postal service :: give up
03. the new pornographers :: electric version
02. cat power :: you are free
01. the shins :: chutes too narrow

a second opinion (from richmond eustis) …

10. eels :: shootenanny!
09. bobby bare jr. :: young criminals starvation league
08. quasi :: hot shit
07. the decemberists :: her majesty …
06. bonnie prince billy :: master and everyone
05. the new pornographers :: electric version
04. ted leo & the pharmacists :: hearts of oak
03. dean wareham & britta phillips :: l’avventura
02. calexico :: feast of wire
01. cat power :: you are free

please feel free to post your list below.

01.27.2004, 4:21 PM · Music · Comments (5)

a fond farewell to a friend

over the past six or so years, i have listened to no one’s voice more than elliott smith’s. his music has spoken to me more than girlfriends, parents or friends. he’s always been there for me — i wish i could have been there for him. elliott died tuesday. he stabbed himself in the heart with a steak knife.

elliott had his problems, obviously. alcohol. drugs. depression. he was fragile, uncomfortable with fame. i’ve seen him in concert several times. and after each one, i always thought the same thing: “i hope elliott is ok.”

10.25.2003, 12:35 AM · Music · Comments (3)

it’s real good

good friends. good food. kick-ass southern rock. big-ass tattoos. a newpaper-reading cow. and a statue of a confederate soldier who is really a rough rider from the spanish-american war.

what more could a person ask for from four days in georgia?

click here and you will see:

07.21.2003, 1:25 AM · Audio, Music, Photos, Summer Tour 2003 · Comments (2)

mayer for mayor?

This has nothing to do with Shanghai. This is just a story about a guy who won a Grammy.

Three short years ago John Mayer was playing cover tunes in my friend Brian’s basement in Atlanta. On Sunday at Madison Square Garden, Mayer won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, beating out industry “lightweights” like Sting, James Taylor and Elton John.

02.26.2003, 1:31 AM · Music · Comments (5)