Hello, my little Americans.

I wanted to let you know about something exciting coming up. Manville – Albany’s #1 local podcast – is going to be recording a show LIVE on Saturday, April 2nd at the Cask & Rasher in Coxsackie, NY (427 Mansion St.).

The event kicks off at 2:00pm, and it’s a doozy. In addition to myself and co-hosts Gamejak Dan, Rev. Johnny Hustle, and news correspondent Harlow, we’re going to have tons of guests: listener favorites “Dirty” Devin Barry, “The Other D.B.” Dave Burgess, comedian and television personality John DeVore, and other surprise guests!

We’ll also have plenty of giveaways courtesy Stitcher Radio and others, as well as MANville t-shirts.

Did we mention Albany Alive will be there as well? OH and did I mention that there’s no cover for this grand event? AND DID I ALSO MENTION that we’re doing the Jimmy Pig Feet Challenge?!

No! I didn’t mention any of those, because I’m mentioning them now!

The last time Manville did a live show, I got my first tattoo ever on the air. Who knows what’ll happen this time!

MANville LIVE!
Saturday, April 2nd starting at 2:00pm
The Cask & Racher (245 Mansion St., Coxsackie NY)
http://www.thecaskandrasher.com/
http://www.MANvilleShow.com/
http://www.AlbanyAlive.com

After the jump – a special message about the event from Rev. Johnny Hustle, and details on the Jimmy Pig Feet Challenge and how you can enter!

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It’s easy to dismiss the notion of combining early 60s surf rock with borderline goth 80s alternative. The tone and tenor of their arrangements and lyrics lie on opposite ends of the spectrum, with the bouncy careless fun of surf music in direct opposition to the nihilist ruminations of alternative rock.

 There’s also an inequity in regards to the respect given to the two respectively. Surf rock often gets dismissed because of its name, which invokes what people outside the lifestyle view as a trivial past-time. Timing is also a factor, as the genre seemed to crest (har har) right as the double whammy of the British invasion and the emergence of the drug culture knocked the American music scene on its ass.

 However, its influence is undeniable. The Beach Boys, not surfers themselves, none the less used the genre to create some of the best American music of the 20th Century and push the genre to its limits. Surf can also be heard in everything from the Johnny Mar arrangements on Smiths records to heavy metal guitar solos.  

 It doesn’t make it a natural fit, but it does make it feasible.

 Richard Mark Nolan has somehow managed to make this concept work with his new project, The Grave Surfers. Spurred by the RPM Challenge (which encourages musicians to write and record a 10 track or 35 minute LP during the month of February), the result was “Necromomicon Phenomenon,” a tongue in cheek exploration of the aforementioned concept that’s both engaging and delightfully disruptive.

There’s a concession in its execution that the idea might not work, but the charm of it lies not in that, but in the fact that despite its own self-deprecation…well, it actually does work. It works really, really well.  Tracks like “Sid and Necromancy” bounce with a fun, catchy chorus, extolling the virtues of both surfing and nihilism. Intentionally ridiculous, a bit funny, but also philosophically interesting: “We don’t want nothing, the end is coming soon, when there’s nothing, all I want’s to surf with you.” Because if nothing matters to the nihilist, why not just say “screw it” and surf? 

Listen and/or purchase the album at http://thegravesurfers.bandcamp.com/.

 You can also see Rich perform with Beware! the Other Head of Science TONIGHT (Friday, March 25th) at the Troy Bike Rescue on 3rd Street in Troy with Sleeping in the Aviary and Bear Grass. The show kicks off at 8:00pm; suggested donation is $5. 

I got the chance to talk to Rich about the project to discuss his motivation, ideas, and thoughts on not only the new project but on his musical influences in general and work with Beware! the Other Head of Science.

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How would you describe the concept?
Richard Mark Nolan: “My goal was to create a new sound using two familiar elements. It was my hope that the mash-up would not only be coherent but also intriguing. I really enjoy surf ballads from the 50s and I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t. I wanted to take the ballads and give them an edge and a story. I aimed pair it with 80s alternative punk. I felt the vocals from that era were heavy and pretty enough to be placed in any 50s ballad. Once I had the sound the story manifested itself as a result of the tone.”

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SPEAKING OF HAIR: help me meet my goal of raising $1,000 for childhood cancer research by April 10th (St. Baldrick’s).

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UFC bantamweight Urijah Faber, pictured with Fighter Hair

My latest contribution to UFC.com is now available for your reading pleasure.

This time, in advance of Dan Hardy‘s semi-main-event bout against Anthony Johnson this Saturday on Spike, I examine a long and storied tradition in the sport that is often overlooked despite its potential power, intimidation factor, and in-your-face flair.

I’m talking, of course, about Fighter Hair, which is defined as any hairstyle that you can only get away with if you hit and grapple with people for a living.

The article has quotes from the aforementioned Dan HardyRoy Nelson, Amir Sadollah, Urijah FaberChris Leben, and the coup de grace…Clay Guida‘s mom, Debbie.

So please read The 9 Best Hairstyles in the UFC.

Why 9? Because Top 10s are boring.

CLICK HERE

 
Rihanna and Chris Brown concert. Brisbane Ente...

Image via Wikipedia

It’s sort of old news, but worth repeating for the sake of exploring the topic of violence against women.

Chris Brown, who was moderately famous until he shot into the stratosphere by beating up his girlfriend in public, continued his classy ways in a recent interview he gave with “Good Morning America.” After questions (which he had already approved) were asked about the incident involving Rihanna, Brown reportedly went wild backstage, breaking windows and storming out into the street shirtless.

Here’s my question: why was he on “Good Morning America” in the first place? Why are we promoting this guy to the national limelight? And more importantly, when did violence against women stop being a big deal?

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Sammy Hagar

Image via Wikipedia

Kids, don’t mix pills and Wild Turkey out of the bottle.

Sammy Hagar, the infamous replacement for David Lee Roth after the latter departed the band Van Halen, recently released an autobiography in which he discusses everything from Van Halen, how he got into Van Halen, his split from Van Halen, and how he makes his own tequila or something and doesn’t need Van Halen. Got it, Van Halen?

Oh, and also, he was mentally abducted by aliens.

…what?!

“It was real,” Hagar says. “[Aliens] were plugged into me. It was a download situation. This was long before computers or any kind of wireless.There weren’t even wireless telephones. Looking back now, it was like, ‘[Expletive], they downloaded something into me! Or they uploaded something from my brain, like an experiment. See what this guy knows.’ ”

“YES, BRING ME THE EARTHLING WHO CANNOT DRIVE 55!”

I don’t even know where to start with that quote.

But before I had time to react, another article was sent to me that made me even sadder.

I Megadeth al Gods of Metal 2007

Image via Wikipedia

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine recently explained why he won’t perform “The Conjuring” – one of the better tracks off “Peace Sells but Who’s Buying” – live.

“Performance wise, ‘The Conjuring’ is one of the heaviest songs on the record, but unfortunately it’s got black magic in it and I promised that I wouldn’t play it any more, because there’s a lot of instructions for hexes in that song. Although it seems kinda corny, anybody who’s a Wiccan or a warlock or anything like that will know that all of that stuff is instrumental.

“When I got into black magic I put a couple of spells on people when I was a teenager and it haunted me forever, and I’ve had so much torment. People say, ‘Goddamn, Dave never gets a break, he’s had such a hard life,’ and I just think, ‘No, Dave didn’t – he got into black magic and it ruined his life’.

See, folks, it wasn’t because Dave (whose work with Megadeth I love) was a complete jerk to everyone around him, or drank to excess, or had a self-destructive streak a mile long. It wasn’t drugs or alcohol or an overall bad temperament. It was black magic. I must’ve skipped over that part of the story where James Hetfield woke him up one day and kicked him out of Metallica.

“Dude,” Hetfield said. “I’m spooked out by your spells. You have to leave the band.”

So, to recap: aliens used telepathy to invade the mind of Sammy Hagar to extract crucial information about the human race, and if Dave Mustaine plays “The Conjuring” live then he’ll summon demons that will devour the audience alive.

Lord knows what – or who – is next. Music journalists, please do me a favor and do not interview Bruce Dickinson. I want to be able to listen to Iron Maiden without thinking of a whacky story involving being kidnapped by Chupacabra or something.

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REMINDER: help me meet my goal of raising $1,000 for childhood cancer research by April 10th.

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It was announced this morning that Elizabeth Taylor has passed away from heart failure. She was 79.

Above is a clip from what I think is hands down Liz Taylor’s best performance, and one of my favorites from any actor period – “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.”

Like all great art, some of this fiction is extrapolated from real dysfunction; both in the sense that the playwright tapped into a very real and visceral interaction between two people who were poison for – but still dependent on – each other, as well as the very real dysfunctional relationship between co-stars Taylor and Burton, which stretched over decades.

Though her life and talent was often obscured by the celluloid lens of mainstream Hollywood and tabloid controversies, Taylor was an artist in a very real way. Unfortunately there were too few Marthas and too many Cleopatras in her day, and as such she rarely got as many opportunities as her male counterparts to display her true range and gifts. But when she did, oh boy.

To her credit, she took roles like the one in “Cleopatra” and somehow still spun gold out of it; despite the fact that the bloated excess of the film was apparent to audiences even in an age of excess, history looks at it as iconic, despite the fact that it bombed upon its initial release. That people view the film through rose-tinted glasses is a credit to the grace, charisma, and talent of one of Hollywood’s – and America’s – finest exports.

RIP, Liz.

 

Yesterday I wrote of the passing for someone that was a great help to my sister during her battle with childhood cancer.

St. Baldrick’s is a non-profit that seeks to raise funds for childhood cancer research. The concept is simple: raise money and shave your head to show solidarity with those who have suffered from the disease.

This year I’ll be participating and, for the first time since I was an infant, I’ll have a shaved head.

My hair’s always been a point of pride for me, since I have so much of it and seemingly every other male on both sides of my family have succumbed to receding hairlines and bald spots.

I was also once told by my mother that I have a Gorbachev (large birthmark) on the top of my head. I don’t know if this is true or if she just didn’t want me to shave my head, but we’ll find out in just a couple weeks.

My goal is to raise $1,000. CLICK HERE to help me reach it.

ST. BALDRICK’S

 

Rick Adams

A man whom I consider an important person to my family passed away last Thursday.

Rick Adams was a runner, teacher, scholar, explorer, and friend. A transplant to the area who received his Master’s degree from the College of St. Rose, Rick devoted his personal life to generating peace and harmony throughout the world and spent his professional career helping – and perhaps saving – the lives of children over the course of twenty-two years in Troy’s Doyle Middle School.

When my oldest sister was undergoing treatments and battling childhood cancer that prevented her from being able to attend school, Rick tutored her and began a lifelong friendship that continued until his passing. His kind, gentle manner helped my sister and my family through a very difficult time.

Such was his contribution and reverence amongst my family members that for many years I had assumed he was a doctor of medicine, since the manner in which my parents and sister spoke of him alluded to him being instrumental in her recovery. It wasn’t until later that I learned he had been her tutor, and later still when I was old enough to understand the power contained in friendship and kindness.

I was very young when my sister went through her battle with cancer, and as such only recall meeting him years later as a child. But the memory is still vivid and I can still see his face in my mind. Such was the impression and aura of calm and serenity that he presented.

With the sadness felt by my family at his passing, I can only imagine the weight of their loss, and my heart goes out to them and especially his children.

And, also, a thank you. Your father was instrumental in the recovery of one of the most important people in my life, and for that I am forever grateful.

The world could use a few more Rick Adams’s, and it is our loss that there is now one less.

You can read his obituary here.

 

If you were to be taken on a tour of the headquarters for the Albany Times Union, you would come across a large picture hung prominently in one of its hallways. It’ll catch your eye and, for some of you, it might also illicit an audible gasp.

It is a photograph taken during the 2004 celebration of Fountain Day. The picture, seen on your right, is of two students (one male and one female) captured in a pose that unintentionally(?) looks like a scene out of a softcore porn flick.

The photo won an Associated Press Award, which is the excuse given for its prominent placement. The attitude of male staff members who giggle, point, and everything else short of high-fiving each other when they pass it might suggest otherwise, but that’s neither here nor there.

This image may not be pornography, but it is iconography. It’s the penultimate visual representation of the public image for a school that has been fighting an uphill battle to better its reputation academically and shed its reputation as a party school.

Then there was the Kegs and Eggs riot on the morning of Saturday, March 12th, which has thus far resulted in over forty arrests ranging from violations of noise ordinance to assaulting a police officer. Yesterday, the fallout continued.

As was first reported by the Albany Student Press’s twitter account (and subsequently on this space) Sunday afternoon, SUNY Albany has cancelled Fountain Day 2011, which was set to take place April 10th. It is a move that has seen a strong negative response from a student body that feels unfairly ostracized for the actions of a few, but may also be an unfortunate but necessary step for a school that has seen its reputation tarnished by the events two weekends ago.

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In light of the Kegs and Eggs riot last weekend and resulting controversy, SUNY Albany has cancelled Fountain Day 2011 according to a tweet from the Albany Student Press.

The event had been scheduled for April 10th and had been an annual tradition since its inception in 1978.

Stay tuned to TimesUnion.com for what’s sure to be a bigger story in the coming days.

UPDATE 10:40pm – The full statement from SUNY Albany President George Philip, sent to the student body earlier today:

Dear University at Albany Students:

On Saturday, March 12th, we were faced with the knowledge that a number of UAlbany students participated in destructive activities in the City of Albany. We are struggling to understand why these students would blatantly disrespect themselves, their neighbors, and the values of this campus in order to participate in such negative behavior. The shocking conduct of a few that day stands in stark contrast to the behavior of the vast majority of hard working students who are intent on pursuing an education and contributing to society.

The University is now facing severe criticism. The behavior exhibited by some of our students has many questioning the integrity of our University and, as a community, we must respond. Consequently, we face some difficult choices, including the future of Fountain Day.

Recent Fountain Day activities have required substantial efforts to mitigate negative student behavior. While Fountain Day continues to be a source of school pride, there remains a contingent of students who use this day as an excuse to promote excessive alcohol consumption that compromises everyone’s safety.

Although I am deeply saddened by this decision, I am announcing the suspension of Fountain Day in 2011. I regret that this action will punish students who had no role in the disturbing events of March 12. But the need to proactively respond and to uphold our reputation has never been greater. In light of last weekend’s incidents and difficulties with Fountain Day in prior years, we simply cannot continue to sponsor this event in its current form.

This is a regrettable choice, but the right decision. There is much at stake here: your education, your future success, and the success of the University at Albany. I call upon each of you to work together during the next academic year to develop a spring event that can become a meaningful, safe and fun tradition. We must stand together in our resolve to forge the future we envision together.

Sincerely yours,

George M. Philip
President