Music & Other Metal Meanderings

Portland desperately needs at least one more, if not a few more 2000+ seat places for slightly more popular bands to play.  I recently enjoyed a show at the Salem Armory about 40 miles south of Portland.  The sound was "meh", the fact they sold no alcohol in the place was idiotically embarrassing to me and any American with a remote sense of pride, and the echo was icky for sound.  Overall, regardless of the Salem Armory's lacking traits, the show was excellent.

Joleen and I were misinformed by some show info that had 7pm as the start time.  So when we arrived 2 hours after the show started at 5pm, we had missed the openers and part of Children of Bodom's show.  Still, this didn't bother us as the main bands we came to see where Children of Bodom, In Flames, and of course Megadeth.

Children of Bodom

Children of Bodom, as usual, was extremely energetic.  The players bounded around the stage and engaged the audience at every opportunity.  The interactions with the crowd where awesome too, with a shout out here and there to hockey and other events.  This interaction really enables fans to become closer to the band and truly relate to the members in various ways.

At one point someone threw a water bottle and hit Alexia (Guitar and Vocals) on the guitar.  He immediately in true metal fashion threw a "f-you" and a finger back at the audience.  Which of course lit the crowd up.  The cool part of this though wasn't the aggression, but the fact he played through without missing a note.  Anyone that knows Children of Bodom, those notes don't just play themselves and their music is heavily classically influenced, and thus complex in nature.

In Flames

In Flames came out and immediately slammed into heaviness.  With their mix of heavy, electronic, and drum triggered subs, they have a massiveness that is a crowd pleaser.  They went through a solid dozen of their songs, from Jester Race to Cloud Connected to some of the newer material off of the new album.

In Flames has been through over a decade of touring, recording, and being around the world.  It is awesome to see them churn up the crowd, get the blood flowing, and have the pit swirl or the rhythm throw the audience into a jumping frenzy.  Honestly, this is what is true motivation, beating out even money.  You participate in such activities and the large crowd is always a major kicker.

Megadeth

Dave Mustaine, or Megadeth as some refer to him, came out with an aural assault as one would expect.  Being this is almost the third decade of Dave's music playing, touring, and probably first decade of drug-less tirades I was slightly surprised that they've kept as much energy as they have.

The new guitarist and bass player definitely kept things lively.  I'd almost say they do better than the last echelon of players (Marty & David).  Albeit I do kind of miss some of their respective oddities they managed to get into the music.  Dave though is back in Megadeth form with aggressive riffs and impossible to deny political dislike of the current state of the system.  One song kind of stands out, with the title "Washington is next".  A mind doesn't need to wonder much that he doesn't like the two party joke that forces us to pick between worse and worse.

Summary - the show rocked, the venue sucked, and the embarrassment of the OLCC continues.  It is honestly the closest Socialist/Communist type entity in the country that I have seen.  The control makes the bible belt seem mild in comparison.

...of these bands' CDs/Albums back up.

• Annihilator
• Testament
• Exodus
• Overkill
• Anthrax

I took a walk today, just to take care of some things I wanted to get accomplished.  I took a break up at Tea, Chai, Tea on 23rd Street.  While sitting down enjoying my tea a questionably intellectual conversation began, mostly on the topic of observing people around one self.  It was a guy and girl talking comfortably on the couch directly beside me.  I found the conversation interesting.  One of the recurring things they kept mentioning was that ideals where thrown at particular people, or that suburban life is a lifestyle, and the separation or the predefined condition that watching TV is bad.  The simple fact was that the conversation was not ending on any real findings.  The existentialist overtone left the conversation with no answers, only partial and incomplete thoughts.

These thoughts where being verbalized and worded in semi-descriptive ways almost as if the individuals where stoned or under some other mode of altered influence.  They continued to talk about education and how it allowed them to think or alter their world view so that they could...   and the thought would come to no conclusion.  The non-reality in this world's reality that they where discussing was strange and as I stated, inconclusive.

I personally have to ask, "How can one continue through with such existentialist questions in a conversation?"  It leaves other questions too, "Why do you converse if there is no point but to ponder and nothing more?", "Why share a pondering which will always influence the one taking the talked to position of the conversation instead of the talking to position?"  Why not work toward a real conclusion in a conversation?  Why not work toward actually learning something with a conversation?

It leaves me with a learned lesson, the faux intellectual conversations are no better than two three year olds making fart sounds, laughing, and running around entertained.  The only difference is at that age the three year olds are probably actually learning something still.  For adults there is nothing, just a consumption of time for intellectual masturbation.

Hmpf, now I've gone and wasted 5 minutes writing this blog entry, based on people not learning anything, based on a faux intellectual conversation that derived no new knowledge that was imposed as a simple "flirtation" among a boy and a girl.

Odd.  I'm going to learn something now.

So I think I'm going to throw out an add and see what I get back for a response.  The basic things I want to do in order of preference.

1. Rock, thrash, and generally tear it up with groove.
2. Not quit my day job, practice on a relaxed schedule, yet regularly.
3. Play shows
4. Hang out, catch bands, build a style with fellow rockers.
5. Play with people who can tear it up in multiple styles in case we want to roll something besides just metal.  Jazz maybe?  A blues jam?  Of course it'll always probably have some metal overtones.

If it includes fame, awesome!  If not, it'll be a freaking blast!  Tons of fun either way.

by: Adron B. Hall
November 26th, a Monday in the year 2007 

Rolling down the rail

snow across the face

of the mountain wall.

Tunnels to cut the path

the winter shows calm

the rocks to fall.

Waiting for low land

rolling slowly along

set ready for the high ball.

The mountains rise

looking along to stop

any who walk tall.

Man took the axe

stopped the attack

now we're here to high ball.

Ready to roll, ready to go, ready to high ball.

The thousands of miles, ready to high ball.

So here I am sitting on the MAX en route to the airport, pondering why people in the city are so freaking stupid sometime.  I see one bum/homeless/transient passed out on one of the double sets of seats on the MAX.  I think back to all my days growing up in Mississippi and Louisiana, all my days sitting out in the back woods looking at the various trashy people sitting on the porch drinking that Budwieser they so loved.  I think back to my days in Florida when I saw various bums sitting outside away from bothering anyone drinking the Bud Light they so loved.  Transit was nowhere, they didn't have the choices of a big city.  They didn't have knowledge and they were not very bright.

But.

Here in Portland were there is tons of opportunity and hand outs.  Every corner has a few bums, transients, or other scum begging for money or threatening to steal your laptop from your passenger seat if they see it.  Admitted behaviors.  Actions that show they feel entitled to whatever they wanted from others that had produced.  These people live in squalor and plunder along begging on the MAX, sometimes even emboldened they approach people near their homes and other places.

The reason they do this here is simple.  People, regular people, are stupid and ignorant enough to encourage it because they don't think through their actions.  When you see these people on the MAX or the bus, don't give them money.  When you see them on the street don't drop change into their hands.  These people can't be helped by you and the only functional result of your actions is to perpetuate them and their mental sickness to continue.

...and that makes me ponder...

Why the hell are people putting up with this crap?  In the south it is almost a nonexistent problem.  There are far more poor people, but vastly less bums, transients, and other scum.  The reason is that it generally isn't tolerated.  It isn't available as an option.  Quitting isn't an option.

It really saddens me that Portland (and Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and most of these large cities) allow this to continue.  I'm all for helping people, but do it in a way that actually WILL HELP PEOPLE.  These people are on the street because the city, society, and they themselves have failed miserably at assuring they are held accountable for success, life, and maintenance of themselves.  We've let them fall down and then encourage this monstrous activity.

So seriously, STOP HANDING OUT YOUR FREAKING MONEY!

...on my PC.  What the hell, I am sick of dealing with Windows Media Player.  The stupid thing is just TOO MUCH TROUBLE!  You hear that Microsoft?  It is a PAIN in the ASS to use your application!  What gives?  Get some usability experts on that.  Winamp, one single feature blows your whole app away, "add directory" to play list is worth $$$!

So anyway, Winamp is back.  I'd like to have just one player on my PC, but until the thing is usable, Winamp will stay in my good graces.  I might even work on making it my "only" player.  I'm sure Microsoft will somehow prevent that by some "forceful" measure.

On top of all that, In Windows Live Writer the stupid "Insert Now Playing..." plugin just won't work.  Neither does the last.fm work anymore with Windows Media Player.  Hmm, it's just going down in flames!  Burn Media Player, Burn!

Steal Flange Screams into the turn.

The behemoth arrives for the trip.

The sun barely up ready for the burn.

She brakes squealing but with no lip.

The platform seeps heat upwards.

The trek ahead, the hours good.

The first cold wind has broached the City of Portland. The heat and vestiges of the summer are spiraling away. White clouds flow slowly through the sky, crouching atop the mounts to the west and in the distance, somewhere beyond visibility, in the east. Things have that feeling of being altered and the season changing from the cheer of the sunny days of summer to the serious tranquility of fall and winter. The moods are still chipper among the people; however the first notice has been served by Earth's orbit that these will change soon.

As the afternoon approaches an afternoon drizzle, or more a haze, begins to cover everything with a slight wetness. The tracks glisten with moisture as the light rail carries thousands in and out of the heart of Portland, meanwhile the cars scurry like a million cats, and the busses drive their twisting intervals through the north south thoroughfares. Even with this light weather, the prospect of the oncoming gloomy days of winter, Portland thrives with activity as people, the humans a city should be built around, carry on capitalistic efforts of commerce.

Each person is playing a part in this orchestra of chaos around the city. The bum looks pathetically toward the throngs of walking citizenry as if owed a life unachieved. The shopping quartet of beautiful women, carrying on without attention of their activity or those around them, they instead just focus on enjoying the simple act of shopping. Several brightly colored yet drab punk girls tuck in and out of the corners, watching and carrying on with their cohorts of mischievousness. The bus driver talks to a somewhat lost pedestrian, giving direction to where they actually intend to go. Another bus stops and unloads dozens of people. Up the street further the streetcar driver honks the horn at a vehicle blocking traffic. In another a Portlander sips upon a piping hot cup of coffee. The coffee acts as shelter in a sense, from the oncoming cold of the day.

This is Portland. It is active and bustling.  It is chaotic and controlled.  It is orderly and frayed. Portland is beautiful this time of year, as the well known weather of Portland approaches, life truly comes out, the faux and superficial go hide in their jaded and superficial homes in the suburbs.  Meanwhile the urban cousins sprung in the Pearl ignored, the rest of Portland in its old neighborhoods and active urban environments come alive.

Faux Portland leaves, while the real Portland comes back out to play. Welcome to Portland.

I just wanted out of the apartment, out into the city.  I headed toward 18th and Lovejoy, my streetcar stop.  I boarded the car and off it went.  I rode down to the south waterfront.  A bunch of kids riding around with their respective parents, just to ride around on the railed vehicles jumped off to see the aerial tram.  If no other achievements where made the interest and minds of the kids that are triggered by Portland's efforts are worth some of the outrageous amounts of money spent on these items alone.  The things that these kids will be able to dream up, relate to, and understand will far exceed that of average kids in the country.  This country needs more of those kids.

I got off the streetcar upon the return trip and switched to the Red Line MAX to the airport.  I was coding, thinking, pondering words, and even in the silence conjuring music melodies and rhythms that I would need to put together a bit later.  Speaking of that I needed to make a trip to Guitar Center again.  I really need a speaker simulator because the default distortion sounds like crap when recording.  I also think I might purchase a book on some of these drum machines and such.  Music software has got to be some of the least intuitive stuff on the market.

Riding the Red Line out we're locked in parallel forward movement with a tractor trailer with 3 attached trailers.  These things are monstrous.  It makes me think to myself, "Why is it they don't pay for the interstates like the freight railroads have to pay for their tracks?"  Argh, the stupidity of legislative regulation and ... ?  ... from our stupid leaders.  I don't like to ponder the idiocy that seems to pervade political leaders, but it definitely does and seeps into my thoughts sometimes.  Republican, Democrat, fringe, it doesn't matter because they're generally all idiots, most of them completely disconnected from the real human condition and reality of the daily lives of their constituency.

Almost to the airport I see the interstate careening as always below the MAX tracks.  There is a south bound back up on I-205.  Kinda makes me smile as I ponder those individuals wasting away, most on needless trips.  Meanwhile the busses are queued up for their west bound trip at the transit station and a west bound Red Line is coming up the single track, blocking our way.  It however pulls out of the way quickly and we move on our way.

At this point I'm starting to "nic" for a cup of coffee, foodstuff, or something.  I'm glad I don't actually smoke, that would be rather pathetic, but I definitely enjoy a cup o' Joe or a cappuccino on a frequent basis.  Which of course is contributed with being more addictive.

The cars on I-205 just pour thru, it's somewhat sad that on a Sunday so many people are still whimsically traveling around.  I hate to wish it upon people but if we ever intend to truly do something about the polluting nature of our auto-reliance we better let the costs bare themselves fully to the auto users, of course myself included.

In a sense I write and ramble on, this an entry I'm experimenting with in an attempt to get my creative thoughts working toward some lyrics I've been trying to form.  Not that it matters to the grand scheme of the world, or even really to my life or career, but to hell with all of that it is fun, interesting, and amazing to create music.

With that I am done rambling for now.  This entry marks my first entry of "Rambling Entries".

I'm in almost my 6th actual week of Kajukenbo.  It's a martial art form.  I'm digging it and for the moment, that's all I'm going to ramble on about.  But I wanted to document it in me ole' blog.

I finally bit the bullet today.  I am moving 100% to media player for the organization, ripping, and playing of music on my laptop (the MP3, m4a, types etc).  I actually removed winamp.  Just to date myself I've been using Winamp since shortly after its release, I think about circa 1998?

There is one major thing that made me take this step, the irony is, it's because of some iPod encoded music.  I couldn't play m4a in media player so I went looking for a codec.  I found one pointed to by this blog entry.  It enables one to play this music in media player.

I've always found Windows Media Player to be a bit easier, somewhat straight forward, and a little more feature filled (like the ability to rip right out of the box) and have wanted to move to a single source for a while.  With this single add on I've got that one place.

I'll miss winamp, but I definitely appreciate the ride! 

So I've got a need for space in the Portland area.  I've no idea where I should go though. I've searched once before but it's a total pain in the ass.  I hope to stumble into some soon, but the results aren't looking so great.  Shortly I think I'm going to find some searchers or something, somebody has got to know something about this crap.

Until then, maybe somebody will fall out of the sky.  :(

On another note I have at least 5 songs musically, several points of lyrics that I could throw on them if I had space to actually try out my ideas, and a whole bunches and bunches of riffs n themes and moods to throw in.  I still have my recording gear setup, but it's become stupidly expensive and currently it sits waiting pending some other software n such to really make it flow right.

Personally, I'm almost burned out on the whole damnable thing.  Fortunately one doesn't forget how to play guitar.

Curse the beggers, screaming for mine.
I built and I owe not your petty fine.

Your purpose and message of disgrace.
No reason, no honor, you've lost all face.