Halloween can got to Hell!

4 trick or treaters. Yep. 4. I think we spent more on three pumpkins and 3 bags of candy then those 4 kids did on their costumes. For the record, we bought Smarties, Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The sinister plan was to pass out all the Smarties first, and then bitch for a week about how we were stuck w/ 2 bags of our favorite candy. I'm guessing the left over Smarties will get dumped in a bowl at work, and I'll wake up tomorrow feeling like shit from all the Reese's I'm about to eat tonight.

Been there, done that!

Not even going to bother with what happened. The picture pretty much sums it up. While he technically wasn't arrested, this picture and his meltdown at The British, should pretty much put an end to any chance of a legitimate return to professional golf. He'll probably hang around on the fringe because he's is so talented... but don't plan on seeing him play on a Saturday or Sunday anytime soon. Too bad.

As a big, fat, beer drinking golfer that's never shied away from a plate of wings, I'll miss him.

Am I the only one that hates people that send every email as urgent? There are a few main offenders that I work with that do this. I have to wonder if they realize that by sending every email as urgent, it's no longer urgent??? Ugh... clueless morons.

Return trip from Paradise City

So, the first official single is out from the new Guns N Roses album. 15 years in the making... Slash and Izzy are gone, but as long as Axl Rose is around, there will always be a Guns N Roses. To me, it sounds a little more industrial and metal than the old stuff. Click here, and judge for yourself.

Appetite For Destruction came out during my Freshman year in high school. I was never a metal fan (hair, glam, speed, death or heavy), but Appetite wasn't really any of that. Sure, they looked a little "glammy" but they had a more intense sound. More grit, grime, booze, dope and sex... and parents were terrified of them.

I remember standing in line at the Street Side Records in Lawrence at midnight, waiting for Use Your Illusion I and II (if memory serves, I blew 2 weeks worth of beer money on those albums). They were good (at times), but nothing compares to Appetite For Destruction. Not saying that they are a one hit wonder, as much as that was the definitive rock album of it's time. So does the new Guns N Roses, tarnish the name of the original, Worlds Most Dangerous Band?

As expected, the PAW show kicked ass. Not sure how else to describe it. They seemed to be in great form. Grant Fitch still plays a blazing guitar (and wears ugly shirts). I was also glad to hear Mark and his trademark growl. Always surprised that a guy that small, has such a fierce voice. Don't recall their names, but the bass player and drummer seemed a perfect fit, and banged out some serious noise all night long. The crowd was an interesting mix of old farts like me, trying to recapture a little of The Glory Days... and some younger folks who had never seen them live before. I keep coming back to the word "fierce" when trying to describe them. The songs tend to be a little dark, but the music that goes with them is an amazing mash up of metal and grunge. Just when you think you have it figured out, you get a lap steel or something w/ more of a country or southern rock kick.

It's kind of funny the way they got their name out there... they had a few songs included in the soundtrack for an old racing game, called Road Rash (don't remember which version). Here's the video for one of my favorites, Jessie. (strangely enough, the video has a police dog attacking a perp, when the song is about a kid running away from home that's afraid his dog will follow him).


No idea how many The Bottleneck holds, but it wasn't sold out. My guess is that there were a lot of friends from back in the day there (IE: free tickets). So, I'm not sure how that would translate into a possible KC show. I guess that's the curse of being lumped in with Grunge and starting out in a college town. The genre dies off and all the kids go back home.

The PAW show at The Bottleneck is this Saturday, the 4th. Which just happens to be the day after my birthday. My wife, knowing how much I have been waiting for this show, has even offered to drive me and some friends up to Lawrence. Can a guy ask for a better birthday gift? I don't think so. Lucky for her, she's off the hook and my brother has volunteered to assume the role of designated driver. If I do this right, should be over my hangover by Sunday night, and my hearing will be back to 100% by Tuesday. These guys rock. I wore out 2 tapes of Dragline and the CD is beat to hell. But Dragline and Death To Traitors were a constant on my tape deck/CD player for the better part of 4 years. When I got my first car w/ a cd player in it, Dragline was the first cd I played. It never got old. I was bummed each time they broke up, and then kicked myself for not going to the "reunion" show a few years back, when they all came out dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz. I expect there to be a slight chill down my spine as they kick in to just about every song.

The first time I saw them live, was with the same brother that is driving us all up there. I'm pretty sure my first copy of Dragline was "borrowed" from a big milk crate full of tapes he kept in his apartment. It's kind of funny... we talk on a regular basis. But now that we are both married and have more responsibility than we ever did 15 years ago, we just don't do that much together, outside of the obligatory family gatherings. I'm really looking forward to this Saturday.