Author Archives: Jon Martin

R.E.M. at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin – July 5th, 2007

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“Celebration of your teenage nation.”

Thanks, Remdublin!

It’s hardly news (well, to obsessives), but the band’s stand in Dublin’s tiny Olympia Theatre has been marked by a profound “return to roots” aesthetic. The songs are much more straight-forward rock numbers, and the electronics found on the previous three albums are absent. One can only hope that the band will keep this focused, stripped-down approach when they return to finish the record, as this material is some of the most profoundly interesting – and energetic – of the band’s past decade.

On July 5th, I got to see the final “live rehearsal” with my friend Charles. What follows is a blow-by-blow record of the evening that features both R.E.M. and the opener – Mundy. I hope you’ll find it interesting, and that it will help to hold together the thin fabric that is memory. Please forgive any mistakes, as this review is largely the product of sleeplessness, air travel (and copious air delays), and a horrible, horrible day of missed appointments, missing documents, and travel complications. I would, of course, love to hear from anyone with a recording, or a clearer memory. Thank you!

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Site News

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Hi, everyone!

I just wanted to keep you aware of what’s going on in these parts. As you’ve noticed, we’ve have had two new contributors – Nicholas and April – and we’re very grateful to have them. As ever, if you’re interested in contributing, please let me know! The more the merrier! We’ve also received notice from a number of kind websites who have sent us a great quantity of traffic. Certainly, the greatest volume has come from summerskiss.com. There have been many others, though, and I’m exceptionally grateful for all the mentions this page has received. If I haven’t reciprocated, do let me know. And as ever, thank you very much for stopping by – this site wouldn’t work at all without you.

So, what’s on the horizon? As ever, more guest contributions! There are one or two people I’ve been stalking for a while, now, and I hope to shame them into contributing in no time! (Watch this space for public shaming.) This is also going to be a month of gig reviews – or, at least, many more than we’ve had to date. I’ll be seeing a few Smashing Pumpkins shows out in San Francisco, and will bring you reviews as they happen. They’re letting us photograph, videotape, and audio record the performances. With luck (and money!), we’ll have a multimedia blitz for you. Also, there is a mystery gig review coming by the end of the week. Who knows what that could be? You? This bear?

jonbear.jpg

Stay Tuned!

Bruce Springsteen, “The River”

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200px-bruce_springsteen_live_75-85.jpg
My dad said: “Where you been?”
I said: “I went to take my physical.”
He says: “What happened?”
I said: “They didn’t take me.”
And he said: “That’s good.”

Now, before I even start to talk to you about this song, you need to hear a specific intro. I’ll wait. Ok? Good. Now, for years I’ve had to defend the notion that you can enjoy being sad. Long before my father passed away, I used to try and explain to people that there was a beauty in sadness, and that it was worth considering. “Happiness cannot be happiness without contrast,” I would explain. Part of this logic is evident to most people who’ve ever met Irish people who like music. The rest should be evident to anyone who has ever seen “Romeo and Juliet,” or something similar. I suppose I’ve been challenged a bit on this point since that fateful November afternoon, but, ultimately, I stand by it. The most profound sadness can show you things of beauty if you know how to look. And there’s no question that this is an ability that my father gave me.

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The Story, “In the Gloaming”

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jbcov-angelinthehouse-215.jpgIn the gloaming, oh my darling
When the lights are soft and low
And the quiet shadows falling
Softly come and softly go…

 

 

 

 

 

At the start of September, 1991, I was just beginning my seventh grade year in Lowell, Massachusetts. Lowell is a fairly typical city on the decline, and the schools are both overcrowded and underachieving. Which may help to explain how I managed to find myself one of the “best students” in my particular pond. Honestly, and I sound like a complete nerd for saying it, I loved learning. I lived for books and classes and computers – school, I suppose, was a welcome respite from the stresses of growing up in a fractured home. In any case, after a conversation with my new friend Diane, I decided that I should make an effort to get transferred to the nearby town of Chelmsford. The academic opportunities were said to be amazing (and they were, comparitively), and I positively drooled at the idea of taking advanced classes in a town full of kids who – I presumed – lived for the same thing. (How young and simple, eh?) I finally made my way there for October 28th. The decision, though it has brought me the friendships and relationships I treasure, was not without its share of hardships. { See also: “litotes.”}

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Au Revoir Simone, “Stars” & Sun Kil Moon, “Ocean Breathes Salty”

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Just as there are seasons for the songs that I know, there are moments when the weather, or the light, or the time, or the air just won’t allow my senses to choose what’s appropriate. In these moments, I tend to go rummaging about through the depths of my archive for “forgotten” bits, or, as is more often the case, I wander about the Internet in search of fresh ideas. The former can lead to serendipitous finds like The Mountain Goats while the latter can result in exciting things like Au Revoir Simone’s “Stars.” It can also lead to a fair bit of embarrassment, as, these days, I’m often the last guy to discover anything. If music is a continent – let’s say North America – then most of my friends are Leif Erikson, while I, regrettably, am Miles Standish (proud). What can you do?

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