This Will Help The Service Fees Go Down A Little Smoother

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE.

I Just Robbed A Grocery Store

Forecast: Mostly sunny and 70°-ish (I'm pretending not to see the "Few Showers" mid-week). Hate me.

I Want My BBC

There are a few reasons I wish I lived in the UK. Among them: the English Premier League, Nick Hornby, Bloc Party, Radiohead, Ricky Gervais. I had no idea, however, that the good ol' BBC (I think the Brits call it "the Beeb," yeah?) would give me another reason to jump the pond. Later With Jools Holland appears to be one of the most radical music-based shows of all time—proven by the celebratory 200th episode featuring Feist, Cat Power, Radiohead, Mary J. Blige, Dionne Warwick and Robyn Hitchcock.

I've seen bits and pieces of other episodes online and, strangely, through Comcast On Demand. But this episode is mind-'sploding. A couple video highlights for your viewing pleasure (all three clips are great, but I'm continually blown away by Thom Yorke and the Radioheads... just amazing musicians and bizarrely charismatic performers):

A Zero-Media Review

I made it out of the suburbs and into downtown SLC for the French Quarter in-store performance at Slowtrain last night (holy moly... I think there are at least five prepositions in that sentence...). I wanted to take a picture or condense some of the happenings to a QuickTime file, but it just didn't seem right. The crowd was small. The atmosphere was friendly. And I really just didn't feel like being the annoying guy with a camera who couldn't wait to post some multimedia nuggets on his blahg. So I've got nothing for you to enjoy. Nothing but a reminder to go out and support the musicians you admire. Drive a couple miles. Walk through a block or two of slush. Drop a five-dollar bill in the donations box. Remember that most artists still have day jobs—or did before they left on a 12-city tour that doesn't include a single "real" venue.

French Quarter has been playing houses and record stores and bus stops for the past month or so. And it was apparent. They knocked out a 40-minute set, asked for some water and then tried to sell a record or two. The whole situation somehow uplifted and sank my spirits at the same time. Some bands/artists/troubadours deserve better. A custom bus. A hot shower. A night in a motel. A non-truck-stop dinner.

I guess this no-media review is no more than a simple request: If you appreciate a band (or if we want to get big-picture here, if you appreciate anyone), don't miss a chance to let them know. I've no doubt that French Quarter lost money on their tour. They probably have to go back to a cubicle or bookstore or produce department somewhere to gather enough change to make another album. But seeing/meeting/talking to 40 fans in a record store in Utah and another 50 in a house in Oregon just might convince them that it's all worth it.