News from 2/24/04

Thanks for indulging us -- the THREE HEADED MONSTER was a blast. Thanks to everyone who came out to the show -- whether you knew what you were getting into or not -- and to 1974 for letting us set up shop there -- whether they knew what they were getting into or not. Thanks also to Matt Gleason at the Tulsa World for the advance coverage.

Whoever thought that rotating three bands -- one song at a time, all night, eleven cycles -- 'an experiment in modular entertainment', as Alex so eloquently put it -- wouldn't work was wrong.

Although whoever thought the nine of us all playing four songs together would be a trainwreck was closer to the truth than we'd hoped. Such is life.

So now that we've put King Ghidorah to bed, I'm working on getting some more shows booked, including an official CD release party, so stay tuned.

Meantime, Issue #2 of Anti-Up is out now, featuring two more columns from me, and lots of much better stuff by other folks. Go here to read more about this fabulous AntiFolk zine and order issues. It's great stuff, and each issue comes with a 15-track compilation CD. Check it out.

Second, mostly out of archaeological interest, I've started posting some very old news archives from the 'original' website I had at diaryland.com for a while in 2002. Go to the News section to find the stuff. (Give me a few days to get it all posted.)

Finally, for anyone who's looking for it, I really will be posting some new stuff in the News From Around the Bend archives soon, so swing on by if you like.

This is my favorite rollercoaster.

-- R

News from 2/17/04

If you haven't heard about the THREE HEADED MONSTER yet, you really need to look into it. Get your calendar, and in the box for this Saturday, February 21, write "THREE HEADED MONSTER, 1974 - 2nd & Elgin, 9pm, NO COVER."

Garrett has assembled a lot of stuff over at Free Beer Band Dot Com and it would be in your best interest to check that out -- after you write the above info in your date book, of course. He's even got some pictures of the making of the Three Headed Monster, which I highly recommend. The Engine Hearts, me, and the Free Beer Band (and Dennis's cat) trying to figure out exactly which of the nine of us to blame for this crazy stunt.

I'm betting on the cat.

Anyway, here's the pitch once more: Three bands. One stage. All night. No 'sets'. No cover. No net.

You miss this, you'll never forgive yourself.

OK, you probably will, but not right away.

-- R

Take cover, Tulsa. We're coming for you.

News from 2/3/04

TiVo Users Couldn't Get Enough of Janet Jackson
Tue February 3, 2004 10:39 AM ET
By Paul Bond
(Reuters / Hollywood Reporter)

LOS ANGELES - When Justin Timberlake tore at Janet Jackson's leather outfit during Sunday's Super Bowl half-time show, TiVo users took notice.

Then they took notice again and again, using the digital video recorder to replay the event and to pause at the crucial moment in order to discern just what it was that Jackson had revealed to millions of Americans.

TiVo said that particular halftime stunt was the most replayed moment not only of the Super Bowl but of all TV moments that the young company has ever measured.

TiVo said it used its technology to measure audience behavior among 20,000 users during the Super Bowl. The exercise revealed a 180% spike in viewership at the time of the -- as Timberlake refers to it -- "wardrobe malfunction."

One notable TiVo user apparently unimpressed with the performance of Timberlake and Jackson was FCC chairman Michael Powell, who launched an investigation into the bare-breasted matter. Powell is so taken with TiVo that he once referred to it as "God's machine."

This marks the third year that TiVo has released details of its second-by-second review of how Super Bowl viewers used their TiVo units. Not only did users pause and replay the infamous portion of the halftime show more than any moment during the game, but they also did the same for some commercials.

TiVo's top two commercials, based on user behavior, are both from Bud Light: a romantic sleigh ride interrupted by a flatulent horse and a sharp-toothed dog demonstrating his unusual way of scoring a beer for his master.

Don't pick on Janet Jackson -- Miss Jackson, if you're nasty -- too much. I had the exact same wardrobe malfunction in Columbia on Friday.

Except for that, and except for the automotive emergency namelessnumberheadman had on the way there, the Columbia show was fantastic. Stendek was amazing to watch -- some fascinating pickin', drummin', scratchin' and loopin' there -- and namelessnumberheadman put on a killer show too -- thanks again for putting me on the bill, guys, and glad you're all OK. I had almost forgotten how balmy it gets as you drive that far north in January -- thought I'd have to turn on the AC there for a while, but it turned out the frostbite had just dulled all my nerve endings.

Anyway, I'm back in Tulsa now, starting preps for the THREE HEADED MONSTER show in a few weeks, and resuming work on the new CD.

Another new X-Ray gets installed today, and I've added an extensive Past Shows area to the Shows page. It started as a simple archive, but turned into a history lesson. I highly recommend checking it out, but then, I'm the webmaster, so you should probably take my recommendations with a grain of salt.

Look for CD release party info in the near future, and at least two mini-tours are in the works for later this year. Stay tuned.

Meantime, it's a Tuesday in an even-numbered year, which means it's Election Day here in Oklahoma, so I'd better get rolling.

-- R