Guh, it’s almost the end of a brutal Monday. I wish it was still Saturday night.

Because I went to 32-Bit Genocide, a video game music festival held annually in Baltimore! It was a blast! And to think it’s in this blogger’s hometown too! Cover bands like Year 200X stole the show for me personally, with heavy anthems of Journey to Silius, Lifeforce, the NES version of Ducktales (you read that correct, DUCKTALES.) and a Contra medley to finish it off. Cheap Dinosaurs was a one man digital melee, ripping the sound samples from a Gameboy cartridge to mix beats on the fly in a drum-and-bass-y style. Very, very cool performance, and about the most unique.

Other acts like The Megas, Ultraball & This Place Is Haunted brought more of the kind of gamer-meets-indy-rocker vibe that makes these shows so interesting. During those times, I was in the gallery hall to sample works by 2-D artists and craftmakers. The music acts got to graffiti the facing wall, while pretty much everyone with a working shoulder and chunk of chalk did their best. I got in the act too, dropping plenty of signature shooting game fanart. Oh yeah; Ironing bead art to the stars. You too, could have owned your very own Skull Castle.

Gotta say though, while not my cup of tea, The Protomen (one of the headline bands of the evening) impressed the heck out of me. They played hits from Queen, Kenny Loggins, a nice shift from the game-centric sound. Moreover, their stage presence, the way they handled rowdy crowds — by joining in the heady chaos(!), dealing with bum equipment; the Protomen just had a level of class that was really impressive, and one of the real highlights of the night.

In all, I had a great time — it helps that my raiding party consisted of webcomic artists, game industry heads and Mr. Magfest himself. Speaking of which, Magfest strikes at the start of 2009, so I’ll be covering that too! It’s not everyday one can plug into some Mike Tyson’s Punch Out or throw on Lifeforce (Konami Code & all) while the crowd is jumping to to a cover of The Legend of Zelda.

By all means, follow the links, find a show and enjoy!

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Greetings, Wonder Hamsters!

I’ve been a big fan of “Weird Al” Yankovic (not Yankovich, thank you)  since his first major chart hit – “Eat It” – started making the rounds when I was eight years old.  I was a trailer park kid, so I wasn’t able to get any of his albums in stores.  Nope.  But, I had plenty of friends who made me copies of his releases on tape.  That’s right - I was playing it illegal waaay before NAPSTER.  I did what I wanted!  I robbed and pillaged!  I pretended real life problems and video game problems were synonymous!  And I ruled the world!!!  MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

*ahem*

Sorry about that.  I guess the spirit of the Al is infecting me a little.

Anyway, to make a long story short (too late), I’ve been a fan since I was eight.  Last night I had my first opportunity to see him live in concert with my wife and a couple of friends.

In a word – WOW.

To say I went to a concert is an understatement that makes calling a HUMVEE a gas-hog an accurate assumption.  When you go see “Weird Al” perform, what you attend is a multimedia experience.

For two and a half hours, we were subjected to his Royal Weirdness on stage performing a lot of his hits (most of them from his latest album, Straight Outta Lynwood).  During that time, this man – who is pushing 50 – exuded an energy and limberness I’ve never seen in a human being before.  Incredible!  There were a lot of costume changes, but this is where the “multimedia experience” comes into play.  During his costume changes (sometimes they came after each song) a three-screen display would show clips from several of his “AL TV” specials, as well as clips from movies, cartoons, and awards shows that he has been featured in.  With all of this bombarding your senses, there was not a dull moment.

And the performances for each song were mind-blasting!  As I said before, he had all this maniacal energy not typical of a 48 year-old man.  He never wavered, never faltered.  Even when wearing layers that would have dropped a lesser performer from heat exhaustion, Mr. Alfred Matthew Yankovic brought the crazy.

My favorite performance was when Al came out to do “The Saga Begins”.  Why?  Ask the Star Wars geek within me, as he was screeching the entire time when a small squad of Stormtroopers came out with Darth Vader leading them to center stage.  Then, the coily-coiffed one and his band came out in Jedi robes to perform the song (with the exception of keyboardist Rubén Valtierra, who was dressed as the Emperor).  At that point my inner geek fainted, and I had to slap him around to get him out of his stupor.  Geek side revived, I was able to enjoy the rest of the song.

The rest of the concert was nothing short of exuberant.  All five of us walked out of there last night hopped-up on all of the raw energy that was flying around that venue.  I’ve been to plenty of concerts in the past few years, but I have never been to anything like that before.  I left The National (in Richmond, Virginia) invigorated, giddy, and it felt good.  It was like a roller coaster – intense, fast, and exhilarating.  And it was over too quickly.

Next time he’s playing nearby, I’m going for another ride.

The Don dares to be stupid, much to his wife’s embarrassment.

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Greetings, Starfighters!

Okay, I think I’m recovered enough to give you a full article this week. Maybe. Possibly. Ah, who knows?

What I do know is the settling in is going well, and I’m in the mood to write.

This week, I review the new Indiana Jones film – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Now, I’ve been a huge fan of the Indy flicks since I was a kid. When I first saw Raiders, I was blown away. A throwback to the adventure, cliffhanging serials of the 1930s, Raiders of the Lost Ark perfectly captured the themes and excitement of its source material. And it also captured my attention and imagination.

I was less enthused by the darker tone of the follow-up, Temple of Doom (don’t worry, I got better), but found Last Crusade to be a fun return to what I enjoyed about the first film, despite how derivative it was.

So, how does the latest installment stack up?
I hate to say this, but it’s probably better if you don’t compare it to the other three.

I didn’t hate it. In fact, I liked it a lot. I think a friend of mine said it best: “The worst thing I have to say about it is it wasn’t bad. Unfortunately, that’s also the best thing I have to say about it.” I have to agree. What we ended up getting, in essence, feels like a mediocre Indy film. Indy deserves better than that.

Now, before I continue, I want to warn you – do not watch the first three before going to see this film. The reason for this has something to do with something Steven Spielberg said in a recent interview. He mentioned that while the first three films are an homage to the previously mentioned adventure serials from the 30’s, the new film was more of a throwback to the sci-fi and adventure B-movies of the 50’s.

That was my first mistake going in. I did a marathon earlier in the afternoon. So, when I got to the theater to watch the newest addition to the franchise, I was carrying the spirit and essence of those films with me. And for the first twenty minutes of the film, I had to adjust, pulling myself out of the old mindset and slipping myself into the new one.

There are so many things about this film that just didn’t seem to fit. For example (without spoilers), there’s a scene towards the beginning involving a nuclear testing site that I recently found out was taken straight from an early draft of Back to the Future. Once I found that out, I knew exactly why the scene didn’t fit well at all. It was written for a completely different type of character, and Indiana Jones just seemed out of place trying to get through this scene. And that’s part of the problem: there were simply a lot of scenes that just didn’t feel right in context with the rest of the movie.

But, despite the ill-fitted moments in the film, there were just as many scenes and sequences that they got completely correct. Once you get past the set-up and the action sequences commence, you get sucked in and realize that yes, you are indeed watching a new Indy flick. And during those moments you are back in the high that you loved when you saw the first one in the early 80s.

The acting is great. Harrison Ford picks his character up right where he left off and he never misses a beat. Karen Allen pulls her weight as well, and you feel the old chemistry between her and Ford when they are on screen together. Even Shia LaBeouf does good work here – he holds his own against Ford well. It’s almost a competition to see who has better on-screen chemistry with Harrison – LaBeouf or Allen. The rest of the cast isn’t too shabby either. They take the movie they were given and carry it effectively.

I’m not usually one to nitpick about this, but I did have a problem with the CGI. I expected better from Spielberg and Lucas. Okay, maybe not Lucas. I mean, really – CG gophers and monkeys? I seem to remember a time when you guys practically had the market cornered on your excellent use of real livestock. But, the creatures in Crystal Skull looked CG. That’s pretty bad if you can’t even get a gopher to look like a real gopher.

Besides, if there’s a movie series that should never resort to such blatant CGI effects, I would think it would be the Indiana Jones series. That’s always been part of its charm. It feels organic. Star Wars can have its updated CG effects. It works just fine in that genre (I know it’s debatable in the fanboy community), but part of the charm of the Indiana Jones series is that it feels like a world you can find in your own backyard… provided that your backyard looks like a jungle with temples in it or a desert littered with Egyptian ruins. (Shh. You know what I mean.)

Even the soundtrack seemed uninspired to me. I am a big fan of John Williams’ film scores. I’ve always loved his work. Even with the mediocre Star Wars prequels, the one thing that stood out was Williams’ awesome soundtrack.

But while watching the newest Indy film, I felt for the first time like there was nothing spectacular about the accompanying musical score. In every Indiana Jones film, there are always pieces and movements in the score that stick out and grab you, thrill you, and move you along with the scene it’s played over. I didn’t get any of that during Crystal Skull. And it’s a shame. Plus, I noticed that Williams reused a few pieces from his previous films. Now, I don’t have a problem with that at all. I expected “Marion’s Theme” to show up, and even smiled when he included a snippet of the “Ark Theme”. But imagine my surprise when I also hear the “Holy Grail Theme” from Last Crusade… several times throughout the movie. It’s sad when the only pieces that stand out during the film are ones you know all too well from the previous installments.

That said, I did pick up the soundtrack the next day just to see if maybe I was mistaken. Apparently, I was. The soundtrack is actually really good. But, I’ll be damned if I can remember where any of that music was in the film. Not good.

Overall, I will say that I did enjoy Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But here’s what I would compare it to – say you meet up with an old friend you haven’t seen in about 20 years. Since high school. You meet up and catch up on old times, get to know the current versions of each other a bit and even bring out some of the old jokes and anecdotes that made you both laugh. Problem is, the jokes aren’t as funny as they used to be, or at all. You realize you don’t quite know this person that you used to be close friends with anymore. You two are both different people now, and that friendship you’re both trying to rekindle is a pale shadow of what you remember. You part ways, promising to keep in touch. Admittedly, you both did have a lot of fun meeting up and it was an enjoyable experience. But, will either of you really wanna do it again?

Sadly, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull feels a lot like that. I do recommend seeing it. In fact, I plan to go back and see it again. I wanna see if it works better without the first three films tagging along with me.

Maybe I’ll find what Henry Jones Sr. found – illumination.

For The Don, it’s not the years… it’s – well yeah, actually it is the years.

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So Katy and I went to a Jonathan Coulton concert last night, at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. The concert was incredible, but I’ll leave the concert reports for more dedicated bloggers.

What I want to talk about is the opening band.

The comedy music duo known as Paul and Storm were the opening act, and they started with a hilarious song sending up their own status as an opening band called “Opening Band”. And from there, things just kept getting funnier. There were points where we both were laughing so hard we were tearing up.

Their songs run the gamut from parodies to satire to plain old comedy. From a Schoolhouse Rock parody about counting to ten (“Count To Ten”) to their idea of what a theme song for the Lord of the Rings would sound like if it were written by Randy Newman (“Randy Newman’s ‘Theme from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’”), their songs all had the audience laughing loud and long. They also sang several fake commercial jingles that they come up with, covering products from kitty litter to Necco wafers.

I have the feeling that a lot of Jonathan Coulton fans (including myself and Katy) became Paul and Storm fans that night as well.

Check them out, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. (Warning: They do swear in their songs sometimes.)

So, dear readers, do you have any favorite comedy musicians (beyond Weird Al, Jonathan Coulton, and Paul and Storm)? Do they have any specific shticks that set them apart?

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As I mentioned back in Feel the Burning #3: Music to Burn, the formation of JAM (Japanese Animation song Makers) Project in 2000 was an earthshaking moment in anime music.  In the name of “bringing the old, good anime song spirit to the 21st century,” Mizuki Ichiro gathered up some of the most recognized and popular singers in the field to create anime music he could be proud of.

Take a look at the names and discographies involved and it’s easy to see why Japanese otaku quickly became devoted to the project:

- Mizuki Ichiro: Active anisong maker since 1968. Famous for Getter Robo and dozens of other old-school themes.
- Kageyama Hironobu: Active anisong maker since 1985. Famous for the Dragon Ball Z theme, Saint Seiya and a lot of tokusatsu/Power Rangers themes.
- Matsumoto Rica: Active seiyuu and anisong maker since 1988.  Voices Satoshi (Ash) in Pokemon and sings its iconic theme song.
- Okui Masami: Active anisong writer/singer since 1993. Famous for Di Gi Charat, Utena and much, much more.
- Masaaki Endou: Active anisong maker since 1995. Famous for the GaoGaiGar opening and passionate shouting.
- Fukuyama Yoshiki: Active anisong maker since 1994.  Best known as the singing voice of Basara in Macross 7.
- Kitadani Hiroshi: Active anisong maker since 1999. Best known for One Piece opening “We Are!”
- Sakamoto Eizou: Vocalist for cover group Animetal. No longer active in JAM Project.

JAM Project’s music is designed to remind many of its listeners of the songs they listened to when they were young, especially since many of their listeners actually did grow up listening to Mizuki and Kageyama.  They don’t worry about sounding lame or outdated, and don’t feel at all self-conscious when they shout out giant robot attacks in their songs - examples include Masaaki Endou busting out with “DIVIDING DRIVEEEEER” in GaoGaiGar and the whole group shouting “SUPER ROBOT WAAAAARS” during Break Out.

Due to their burning blood and fiery passion, they’ve become the default performers for modern giant robot shows, and they’ve become an integral part of the Super Robot Wars franchise.  A JAM project song is guaranteed to add balls-out energy and full contact awesome to anything, from giant robot fight scenes to fantasy epics and even ero games (it’s a long story and I’ll talk about it next week).

Heck, the Lucky Star opening as sung by JAM Project worth listening to (and a top 10 single in Japan)! And that’s impressive in and of itself.  You should check out their music some time if you’re looking for a good energy boost.

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At one point or another, most people, not just geeks, feel lonely and/or ostracized. Many of us have had that moment where a person or group of people we were trying to become attached to (ask out on a date, become a group member, etc.) has rejected us.

And at that moment, many of us, especially the nerds and geeks, have had this thought:

“I’ll show them. I’ll show them all.”

This doesn’t, of course, always mean violent retribution. In fact, I would dare to say that most people would imagine themselves taking the high road, and becoming better than the person/people who has rejected them, than becoming angels of vengeance.

There is a song I’ve only just recently heard of, by singer/songwriter Jonathan Coulton, that sums up how I, and many people I’ve known, felt at times like that.

The song can be found here. Go and listen to it, then come back. I’ll wait.

Done? Good.

The story in the song is an interesting slide, from the initial ‘I’ll become a great person, that’ll show them’ to the eventual (though accidental) retribution on the people who spurned the singer. And while science isn’t the path everyone takes (Hollywood and sports celebrity are more than likely to be very popular paths, too), it’s not hard to put yourself in the singer’s place.

Mr. Coulton has another song, this one having become an internet phenomenon last year, that reminds me of how I’ve felt when life seems against me, and to a lesser extent, how I felt when I was rejected by a girl.

Go and take a listen here, I’ll probably be listening too.

The first verse speaks to just about anyone in a corporate situation, and the last two speak a little bit more to the geeks and nerds in the audience, in my opinion. While we aren’t all programmers, it’s likely that most of the people reading this have been, at one point or another, a ‘work monkey’ of some sort. (I’ve been a translation monkey enough in my life) And I’d guess that, especially in the current economy, that many of us want more than we have.

So, do either of these songs strike a chord with you? Which one, and what was your experience like? Are there any other songs that remind you of these kinds of feelings?

(And if you liked the music, please go and support Mr. Coulton. The songs are cheap (some are even available for free), and quite good.)

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