Scene & Heard

Don't stop reading, streetlight people. We're giving away Journey tickets tomorrow.

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:08:00 +0000

You may have seen us advertising that we're giving away some tickets to see Journey & Heart in tomorrow's print edition of The Mercury.

So if you're a lonely girl living in a lonely world, or a city boy riding on the midnight train to anywhere, a singer in a smokey room, or just a stranger waiting on the boulevard... this post is for you.

Some of the songs in the following videos will be hidden in tomorrow's paper (a Journey through The Mercury, if you will), and you'll have to find them to win the tickets. More details and more Journey in tomorrow's copy of the paper.

"I will name my son Batman if this page gets to 500,000"

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:39:00 +0000

Bands and celebrities often promise tidbits of info for scoring a set amount of Twitter followers or Facebook friends, but I just stumbled across my favorite social networking experiment yet...

I will name my son Batman if this page gets to 500,000.

Holy caped kid crusader! If this group gets more than 500,000 fans on Facebook, the guy will name his son Batman, which will either be really incredibly awesome in grade school or really awfully bad in high school. Or both. Apparently the guy's wife is completely on board with this too. I don't know who these people are, but what an amazing social experiment. Seriously.

He's currently at about 130,000, so the future Batman needs your help! Become a fan and become part of history. Take back Gotham!

The best part? This dad to be is dead serious.

Just think of the one liners that will be obnoxiously over-used in this future kid's life:
"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"
"Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light?"
and of course...
"I'm Batman!"

Rob Zombie prepares re-make of The Blob; Phoenixville may want to start running out of theatre now

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:53:00 +0000

It's indescribable! It's indestructible! (It's inevitable!) Nothing can stop it!

No, it's not The Blob; it's a re-make of The Blob!

If you haven't already read in the rags, director/musician Rob Zombie plans to re-make Phoenixville's biggest claim to movie fame, The Blob. Why? Because Hollywood has mostly forgotten how to hatch new, exciting ideas for movies. That's why.

Though this hardened cult classic was already re-made once before (in 1988, by director Chuck Russell), the well, apparently, has a few drops left at the bottom yet. And most people like to pretend that remake never happened. But maybe, just maybe, third time is the charm?

This article from Variety indicates Zombie plans on putting a new twist on the tale, but doesn't offer much in details other than production is chalked to begin next spring.

"My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing -- that's the first thing I want to change," Zombie said. "That gigantic Jello-looking thing might have been scary to audiences in the 1950s, but people would laugh now." - Rob Zombie

I see your point, Rob, but how can you make THE BLOB without A BLOB? Maybe you should try going in a more Ghostbusters type direction with sci-fi comedy, opposed to sci-fi horror blood, guts, and bones. Just a thought. (Not that I want to see a re-make of Flubber of course.)

Of course, if Zombie can give it new life and properly update this story for the 21st century, that is something to get excited about. Isn't it?

But the real question is; what do you think about this, Phoenixville? This is YOUR movie, after all. Much of the magic of the original Blob is the various locations it was filmed in (all around our area, from Phoenixville to Chester Springs and Valley Forge), including your own Colonial Theater, which you triumphantly honor each and every summer with Blobfest, as you dart out of the Colonial's entrance hollering yourself hoarse alongside other Blob fanatics from around the country in glorious re-enactment style. What does this mean to you?? Is this upsetting? Expected? Awesome?!

Would you be more offended if this 're-make' was filmed in the area - including The Colonial - or if Zombie shunned the classic's roots and filmed the whole thing in Nova Scotia, or something? (The 1988 remake was filmed in Louisiana.)

And if it's gotta be re-made, is it at least interesting to you that Rob Zombie is providing the vision for it? He won some acclaim for his own films (House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects), but his remakes of John Carpenter's untouchable Halloween and Halloween II seem to have upset more fans than not. (To be fair, no one could put their own stamp on those movies and do a better, more horrifying job than Carpenter.)

Whaddaya think? Good idea/bad idea? What's next? A re-make of Gone With The Wind, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson? Now THAT would be scary.

Best album cover of the summer? Oh, baby.

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:04:00 +0000

Uh, YES! I'd say this wins my "Best Album Cover o' the Summer" award. I'm still deciding on how I feel about this new remix of the best hip-hop song of all time (don't even try to argue with me, it is), but Dan The Automator remains one of the slickest, hippest dj's in hip hop. As far as this indie lovin, gangsta rap-hatin white boy is concerned, at least.

Of course, the one thing that may be better than this cover is the accompanying Evian commercial. What roller-skatin' babies has to do with spring water is still out for jury.

I never learned it in any marketing classes, but I think it's been proven pretty obvious over the years that few things get attention as much as babies.

Whatever, though. Sweet campaign here with some sweet music.

What I find flabbergastingly remarkable, however, is that these babies in 2009 know how to use a tried-and-true old school boombox. No iPods here yo!

YouTube Mondays: Pottstown's Fireworks in 2 minutes

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:16:00 +0000

Just For Fun; Where's Snow White Now?

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:39:00 +0000

The only thing worse than Mondays are Mondays after holiday weekends, so here's a little something for those blues.

Ever wonder what happened to Snow White after she lived happily ever after?

The best part is that Prince Charming is watching horse races.

"Snowy" by Dina Golden
Source: The Fallen Princesses by JPG Magazine (check out for some other fallen princesses)

Music Notes: What's been hot this summer?

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Rancid! The nineties continue to come back in full force, and the East Bay's party punkers are still the best at what they do.

Although Let The Dominoes Fall - their first effort since 2003's Indestructible - doesn't light the same fireball as the group's match-in-the-gas-can early days did, this is by far the best good times record of the year (I beg of you; get this Flo-Rida junk off the radio). It's not dense, direction changing, or career defining; just 19 roaring party starters to help you forget America is in a not-so-great depression. Or rather, a romping reminder you don't have to be a sucker just because everyone else is.

If summer music is supposed to be about good times with good friends, good family and shooting the crap about the good times, Rancid are swinging - and connecting - with the jaw on this one. "Up To No Good" and the title track are personal favs.

On the other hand, there's that other East Bay group of punk rockers from the 90's - Green Day - who put out a new record this summer.

I have more love in my heart for Green Day than any other, but 21st Century Breakdown is just too jarring and too dense for the summer of 2009.

While Rancid's record is a rejuvinating reminder that you can still have good times during the tough times, Green Day's record dives into the hole the world is in, wallows in it, and never truly gives us the rally cry it promises to explode us out of it. They swung for the stands and wiffed.

Though it's cleverly themed and has an admirable poetry about it, the Day has made the mistake of taking themselves too seriously here. That's what Radiohead is for. You can stick to a theme (Springsteen's Born In The USA, for example), but you don't need to be The Who when you're Green Day. For Townsend's sake!

They even ape Coldplay a little here. Coldplay! Listen to the opening and closing of the record. Sounds like the opening and closing of Viva La Vida to me. Not to mention a song titled "Viva La Gloria!"

Still, 21st Century Breakdown has a handful of outstanding songs. "21 Guns" and "See The Light" are instant classics. But the size of this record's stick isn't as big as it would like to think it is, and Rancid's much simpler outing outshines because of it.

But in terms of artistry, the best all-around rock album so far this summer is Jets Overhead's No Nations which borrows thematically from Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown with much less grandeur.

And it pays off beautifully. It's a day-dreamy, lazy Sunday afternoon listen, ripe with indie rock of the highest order for the pickings. "Weathervanes (In The Way)" says everything Green Day were trying to say on Breakdown in just 4 minutes and 37 seconds.

It has some shining care free moments on "Headed For Nowhere" and "Always A First Time." It's the type of the album to let your hair down to, even if you don't have long hair.

Definitely check this record out. It's a keeper, and I'm sure it will be cropping up on plenty year-end lists.

What about you? What have your summer listenings been like this year? What's hot in your juke box?

Scene & Heard's Star Spangled Mix

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:03:00 +0000

A friend of mine recently asked me if my blog had filed for a court injunction against me.

Not the case; just been working in overdrive on other things at The Merc. But don't worry, it's not like me and Scene & Heard are fighting. We're just seeing some other people right now, ya know? We're not getting a divorce, because we love each other, and we don't want you to think that any of this is your fault.

Good? Good. Now that we got the "no, we're not getting divorced" talk out of the way...

Happy Fourth of July! It's one of my favorite times of the year to crank up the speakers and pump the world full of snarling, sparkling rock and roll, in all it's explosive goodness. Speaking of which, if you're in the Pottstown area today, head down to Memorial Park for all the Fourth festivities. It's the place to be. Meaning, you should not be reading this blog today! Get outside and dance and eat hot dogs! But if you must, here's what we're listening to:

Scene & Heard's Star Spangled Mix
1. John Lennon - "Power to the People"
2. Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Star Spangled Banner" (Live at Woodstock)
3. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "American Girl"
4. Foo Fighters - "I Feel Free" (Cream cover)
5. John Fogerty - "Born on the Bayou"
6. Elvis Costello & the Attractions - "(What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?"
7. David Bowie - "Young Americans"
8. Howard Huntsberry - "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher" (Jackie Wilson cover)
9. U2 - "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
10. Elton John - "Philadelphia Freedom"
11. Neil Young - "Rockin' in the Free World"
12. Green Day - "21 Guns"
13. Rancid - "Civilian Ways"
14. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - "Johnny Appleseed"
15. Bob Dylan - "I Shall Be Free"
16. Bright Eyes - "Easy/Lucky/Free"
17. Bruce Springsteen & The Seeger Sessions Band - "American Land"
18. Ray Charles - "America The Beautiful"

When I'm Dad ... and The Infinite Light Cycle

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Not that I'm in any hurry to grow up (wearing ties to work on a daily basis is enough, thanks), but I kinda can't wait for the day I have a son. Because I want him to ask me things like 'where do stars come from.' And then I can put my imagination to exhilarating use and tell him things like:

"The stars? Don't you know? Oh, c'mon, guy! What kind of sheltered runt are you? Well I guess it's time we filled you in then, innit? You know those little orange sparks that pop and crackle up out of the campfires at night? Well, when someone wishes something good for someone else, one of those sparks floats up to the sky, higher than usual, and it gets stuck up there and turns white because it's so cold up there. And then it hangs there, shining like a diamond, as a vivid reminder that someone, somewhere cares about you. Of course, this trick only works if these are goodwill wishes. When you make them, they can't be mean-spirited or about you at all. And then when you see a shooting star, that means someone somewhere just had a wish come true. It's even possible that that wish could have been made for you. But here's the best part. After you see a shooting star, that means a wish has returned to earth, and now you are the one who gets to re-use it. The next time you're sitting around a fire, you can make a wish of your own for someone you love or care about. So it's the shooting stars that are really important. Keep your eyes open for them so you can help make this world a better place. Pretty nifty, huh?"

And then when he gets older and calls me on it, I'll be like "Don't let them make you grow up! Didn't you learn in school about the water cycle? Well, that's real, right? The wish cycle is the same exact thing. Wishes go up, wishes go down, and we cycle it all around. What's so hard to believe about it? I'm your dad, and I'm telling you that wishing good for others is a very real thing."

None of this post has anything to do with entertainment, really. But I did recently finish reading Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, which comes with my highest recommendation. It's probably one of the most moving father/son stories I've ever encountered, in writing or film. Aside from Return of the Jedi, of course.

Music Notes: Death Cab's 'Open Door' is at bottom of 'Narrow Stairs'

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Death Cab For Cutie - The Open Door EP

It's not that special, but the sessions which birthed these five, quick songs sure were.

Death Cab For Cutie's Open Door EP is hardly a companion piece to the group's masterwork--Narrow Stairs--released a year ago. These leftovers from that fine album are just a hit and run hiccup.

If you're a Death Cab fanatic, go ahead--dive in. You won't not like it. But your time could be more economically spent chewing on Narrow Stairs than popping this sugar pill down your throat.

But I'm not complaining. "Little Bribes" is the most rollicking Death Cab song ever. Ever! And the demo of "Talking Bird" is even more gorgeously pensive than the cut that ended up on Narrow Stairs. And the tracks in between are top quality too. These are good Death Cab songs.

But after an album as strong as Stairs was, these songs are just a tickle. Hardly enough to tide anyone over until indie pop's prime princes put out their next long player--which I'm feverishly awaiting.

In the mean time, I must say I prefer Plans' companion release--Directions--more. It was a DVD of of art-house music videos for each song off Plans...and each by a different indie director.

For a taste...Here's "Little Brides" live from Philly's World Cafe Live a month ago.

Music Notes: Bob Dylan still the best at what he does, but new album not his best

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Bob Dylan - Together Through Life

In comics, Wolverine is known as "the best there is at what he does." In music, that's Bob Dylan. He's our self-regenerating, feral-raged, uncaged animal, who has withstood every chaos he's faced. And he pretty much does what he wants.

So there's no such thing as 'bad' when it comes to a new Dylan album, but Together Through Life doesn't nearly hit the marks his recent batch of acclaimed hits have (Time Out of Mind, Love & Theft, Modern Times).

But since it's Dylan, it ain't stale either. It's just a decidedly more sobering affair, particularly thanks to the Los Lobos guy (David Hidalgo) steaming all 10 songs up with his accordion. And sure, the accordian is a fitting accessory to these songs, but it's Dylan's warped, soul-stained crackle that keeps these songs breathing.

The album has a few bright moments, like the bluesy dirge "My Wife's Home Town." But in the end, this isn't a must-have Dylan album. And considering how many must-have albums this ol' coot has coughed up, time and time again, you'd be a snot to tell him to hang it up.

But seriously, Bob. Let's forget the tunes a while and get to that next edition of your autobiography, Chronicles II. That's where you've really switched on your brightest later life lights.

Music Notes: Swooning for 'Swoon'

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Silversun Pickups - Swoon

Swoon sounds like it could be the best record of 1995.

And that's a really cool thing to say about a record released in 2009.

Forget these gnarred-out alternarock acts of the nineties struggling to resurrect themselves from their peed on ashes (see reunions of: Jane's Addiction, Creed, Blink182, Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins, No Doubt). The Silversun Pickups got the right idea--beat those old fogies at their own game.

Like their debut Carnavas, this album is the sonic result of what happens when you rub silk and rust together. The crunch of My Bloody Valentine and the neo-psychadelia of The Verve has never been so neatly and sweetly entangled. But the Pickups sound tighter, more refined, this time--resulting in something as 1995 as it is a brave new world.

I also learned, the hard way, that this album is PERFECT to jam to while walking drenched through Manhatten's East Side without an umbrella.

For a taste, here's the video to lead single, "Panic Switch."

And you thought the swine flu was bad? Creed is back.

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Swine flu ain't the worst of it; Creed is reforming for a tour and a new album this summer.

And if that wasn't enough to make you cough up your lunch, singer Scott Stapp calls this special occasion a "renewing and a rebirth."

However, while this is a most unfortunate announcement and a giant setback for humanity ... I, for one, am quite excited.

Yes--excited. Why? Let me tell you why. There was so much DREADFUL music dominating the charts in the late nineties (e.g. Creed), that all that swill (see also: Limp Bizkit, boy bands, Masta P, etc) spurred on some of the best music as a reaction to the big load of crap on the airwaves. So a return from the schmoes of Creed could spur some kids to get together and write some incredible new reactionairy stuff. And if you ask me, that's what the music world needs right now--someone to hate, some awful bands to loathe. Who better than the grand-daddy of 'em all.

Creed, welcome back.

Of course, it's possible the rest of the world has picked up on the fact that Creed and it's fantasticly self-righteous music is a joke, and will treat this "rebirth" as such. Could be duller than when Guns N Roses put out Chinese Democracy. But my hope is that America eats it up so young America can chew it up, swallow it, and spit something new, exciting, and wild back in their faces.

Music Notes: Razorlight's Slipway Fires most boring thing ever

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:43:00 +0000

One of this blog's original motivations was to review new music, because (duh) I listen to it more than the average human being. It's my super power. I should do that more. But instead of reviewing with strong arguments and reasons, I'll just fly off the handle with first impressions, and leave it at that. Should be quite entertaining, actually.

So on that note (you know by now that puns are always intended here);

Slipway Fires, the new (and third) Razorlight album is the most boring thing I've heard all year. And my God, look at the cover art. What is that--Hollywood Squares? And why does Johnny (frontman) look like a porn actor from the eighties? What happened to the band that was so exciting on their debut Up All Night? They went from sounding like a rambunctious Kinks/Sex Pistols hybrid to sounding like an opening act for Celine Dion in just 3 albums. Lame. Lame. Lame.

However, "In The City" (from their debut) remains one of the best songs ever written.

Yup, that's Obama on a unicorn

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:05:00 +0000

Well, uh... that's the sweetest thing I've seen in a while. It's called "Barack Obama Nude On A Unicorn" by artist Dan Lacey. Way to rep the unicorns, Dan. Oddly, it reminds me Paul Revere.
"The Republicans are coming! The Republicans are coming!"

The irresistable force paradox!

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:25:00 +0000

Though there are many, one of the most memorable lines from last summer's The Dark Knight is "this is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object."

It's such a great line and was perfectly used in the context of the movie. But recently, I've heard it pop up in a number of other places from the past too.

First, I heard it in a Wrestlemania clip, when the announcer referred to the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant match as the same thing. "This is the unstoppable force versus the immovable object!" or something to that length.

And then, I was listening to Pulp's classic This Is Hardcore album yesterday and the song "Seductive Barry" included this (hilarious) verse:

I've wanted you for years. I only needed the balls to admit it. When the unbelievable object meets the unstoppable force, there's nothing you can do about it.

I guess the unstoppable force here is, oh you know, lust. And the unbelievable object would be some vivacious lady. But it works to the same effect.

And a quick search around the internets would indicate that this line has been used as a tease riddle for quite some time. "What happens when an unstoppable object meets an unstoppable force?" Turns out this hypothetical phenomenon is called the "irresistable force paradox.

So now I must wonder... where did the Nolan brothers (who wrote the Dark Knight) crib that line from? Are they Hulkamania fans? Pulp fans? Did they come across it as a riddle in a newspaper in 1980s? Physics class?

Or perhaps, the better question is what DOES happen when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Do they shake hands? Does unstoppable buy immovable a beer? A cranberry juice? Does unstoppable bodyslam immovable to the mat and drop the atomic big leg on his big hairy chest? Does he string him up and let the police cart him off to Arkham Asylum? Does the universe collapse on itself? Do elephants fly? Do I suddenly become well-paid and really cool?

It's a question that raises countless more questions, but I think pop culture has taught us that unstoppable force often is the victor.

The Best Things That Temporaily Matter (and I know I need to write more)

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:05:00 +0000

You probably hate me. By now, you've probably given up all hope on looking to me to write my treasured thoughts on a regular basis here. If the fresh content of this blog was a carton of milk, it would be well past the expiration date and curdling.

But rest assured, my lack of writing has nothing to do with lack of things to write about. So instead of this tired charade of writing more about how I haven't been writing, I'll just use this post to list and link some of the past few weeks' finer things, in no particular order:

Where The Wild Things Are
Finally, the ultimate children's book has a live action movie trailer. Watch that, my friend, and become an overjoyed person. The movie, slated for wide theatrical release October 16, 2009 was adapted from Maurice Sendak's original by Spike Jonze (score!) and author Dave Eggers (more score!). The movie has been in the works for a while, and based on this trailer, it'll be more than worth the wait. The Stoke Meter is high on this one.

Death Cab For Cutie - The Open Door EP
This small collection of leftover tracks from last year's brilliant, beautiful "Narrow Stairs" is a winner. At this stage in their career, I think Death Cab continues to be one of the most exciting and genuine bands still kicking and breathing right now.

The Gaslight Anthem
I toot this band's horn quite a bit too, but pick up this month's copy of Alternative Press magazine and read the cover story on them. If you don't already appreciate what they're doing for rock n' roll, you will.

I Love You, Man
See this movie. Best comedy I've seen in a while, and not because it's hilarious as a buddy movie and a date movie at the same time. Because it humorously maps out and pokes at the entire male psyche. Basically, if you don't understand guys; this movie does.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine / Star Trek / Terminator: Salvation / Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
These are all things I am, abnormally, nerding out over right now. All four will probably be the big 4 movies of the blockbuster season, kicking off with the sniktedy Wolvie on May 1.

Lost is the best thing on TV right now
Trouble is, if you haven't seen every episode of every season (or the prerequisite patience to put up with that), you are--frankly--lost. But seriously, every new episode blows another piece of my brain clean out of my skull. The show practically re-invents itself and it's story, tone, and concept every half-season. And with the grand end looming, it's really starting to gain some momentum. If you need an excuse to Netflix all the seasons leading up to this one and catch up in time for next winter's final season, now is as good a time as any.

Iron Man 2 started filming
And if you've been following as nerdiously as I have, you know Mickey Rourke is playing some bad guy, Scarlett Johanson and her notoriously bovine set of lips will be decked out in latex for the role of Black Widow, Sam Rockwell as rival industrialist Justin Hammer.

Speaking of Rourke...
He showed up at Wrestlemania 25, only to punch Chris Jericho in the face? FAIL.

Speaking of wrestling, and the WWE...
Why the (explicit) am I watching Monday Night Raw again?? It's worse than when I stopped watching it about 5 years ago for crap sake. Actually, I'm watching it to spite Heroes, which has taken the biggest nose dive in the history of serialized tv story telling. Not even Sylar is cool on that show anymore, and that's just sad. Seriously Heroes, you went from Spiderman 2 good to Elektra bad.

The Mercury's Build A Phil
We printed a wallsize poster of Cole Hamels in The Mercury. And I want you to take a picture of yourself with it and enter this contest.

The Mercury's Extreme Makeover
You got until 5 pm today to win a free makeover for the summer from us! Hurry!

Pottstown's Bark For Life Top Dog Contest and Canine Relay
Vote for the top dog, AND join in the fight against cancer at the same time. That, if you ask me, is the right tree to bark up. AND don't miss the Canine Relay Saturday morning at Sunnybrook. Bring your dogs out to walk, and bark, and fight cancer, and have a good time.

The Healthy Lifestyles Expo
Come out to Montgomery County Community College this Friday, 9:30 am-1:30 pm. You can engage in a good ol' fashioned q-and-a session with our famed political columnist Tony Phyrillas, get yourself caricatured for free by the inker of Skippy and Dot (and hundreds of our classic editorial cartoons), Alan MacBain, get a free lunch, win $100 cash and other door prizes, get all kinds of free health screenings from participating vendors, meet State Rep Thomas Quigley, learn more about healthy lifestyles and better living from more than 70 vendors, and etc, etc, etc. Seriously, it's a great time every year. Don't miss it dude!

Do you read The Mercury?
Tell us about it.

A Springsteen song for Susan

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:16:00 +0000

I didn't know Susan Dames that well.

Sure, I knew the basics, like:

She is easily one of Bruce Springsteen's top ten biggest fans, ever. (I'm fairly certain she's seen the E-Street boys perform in at least five dozen different venues.)
She traveled widely around the world as a model in her younger years.
Along with her husband, she is responsible for the area's annual Bandanna Blues Festival.
She was as gracious and unabashedly joyful as they come.

And maybe that's plenty to know about a person, but she wouldn't have settled on knowing only four things about any person. From the day she met me nearly two years ago, she went out of her way to know me better. She asked me what new albums I was spinning, asked me how the novel I always blab about writing is coming, asked about my travels through Europe, about my weekends, etc. She wanted to hear everything I had to say about whatever (and listened!). But the special thing is she was this way with every person she met, whether they showed interest in her or not.

For years, her beloved Springsteen has sung "everybody's got a hungry heart," but when the Boss wrote those lyrics down decades ago, he obviously didn't know Sue Dames. No heart was hungrier for life, love or music than hers. The song should go "everybody needs a Sue Dames heart."

So in memory of Sue on this day, I'd like to dedicate this song by the Boss to her. From all of us here at The Mercury, we'll miss you, SuSu.

Bruce Springsteen - "Waitin' On A Sunny Day"
(click song title link to download mp3, or read lyrics here)

Yo bands, let's cure some cancer (yes, I want YOU for Songs For Relay II)

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Last year, I literally gave myself a mere three frickin' days to conceive and produce Songs For Relay, my self-made charity compilation for last year's Relay for Life in Pottstown.

Not to be selfish, but I was thinking of getting some sleep while working on the sequel this year. So I'm starting now, instead of--you know--the week of.

The gist is this: cancer sucks. And music is how I deal with things that suck. Just ask any of my ex-girlfriends. So, I put songs that I feel carry weight for people who are dealing with something heavy, like cancer, on a mix CD and sell it for $5 in tandem with The Pottstown Relay For Life.

All 500 pennies from each sold comp go to Pottstown's Relay For Life, who give all the money to the American Cancer Society (we raised over a milly two years ago). Artists who lend me their songs get nothing, and I get nothing. But we all sleep soundly at night knowing we used music to help someone through something, man. Bono would be proud.

So, it's time for some more songs for Relay. I don't need songs about cancer or dealing with it specifically. For instance, the song that gave me the idea to do this whole thing was a beautiful live cut of My Morning Jacket's "Bermuda Highway" (from the Acoustic Citsuoca EP). Listening to it filled me with strength. It's not a song about dealing with a difficult disease, but about not giving up on your hopes, dreams, and passions. Those are the songs I want: strong songs.

I'll approach artists/managers both big and local to get some songs on this year's comp, but don't be shy if you got the perfect song for this and are willing to help out. I'll do more to promote the bands I use this year too, because you know, I'm giving myself more than 3 days to pull the whole thing together. So send me some submissions, whether you're U2 or a local solo guy that's never played a live show.

Last year, I sold 100 copies (remember, I sequenced, burned, pasted, taped, and distributed totally on my own), raising $500. The goal this year is to double that.

Send your band's submissions to c.march@hotmail.com
or
The Mercury ATTN: Chris March 24 N. Hanover Street Pottstown, PA 19464

Look forward to hearing from you.

Major Sheetz FAIL

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Photo credit: Dana Voigt

How do you get people to pay for the more premium gas?

Easy. Raise the price of your cheap unleaded gas so that it's twice as expensive as your premium gas. Problem solved.

A friend of mine from college snapped this photo from her cellphone this morning in Clearfield. Proving once again why WaWa's rule and Sheetz's drool! Major Sheetz FAIL.

Can you do better than ZOMBIES AHEAD??

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Yeah, I know I haven't been blogging... But, you see, my desk at work disappeared. It just VANISHED! What do you want me to do about it??! (It could be under this mountain of work I have to do...but I'm too scared to start looking there.) Hopefully it turns up soon.

Of course, there is the off chance my desk-gone-MIA has been nabbed by those zombies that have been lurking around the country, according to those big orange construction signs. Because, you know, zombies do have a blood-snarling urge for, ugh, desks.

What am I talking about? Well, hacked construction signs around the country have been warning drivers of "Zombies Ahead" instead of "Construction Ahead" or "Slow Down" or "Turn your wipers on" or "Click It Or Ticket" the past month, or so.

Obviously, authority types and the PennDOT folks don't think too highly of this grade-A shenanigan spreading around the country like a virus. But now that the invading undead have made their way to our neck of the woods, I want to know why. Why zombies? Are the zombies fighting back? Is this a futile attempt to take back the fantasy monster throne from the Twilight franchise and it's vegetarian vampires? It's possible. Zombies need love too. They can't stand by as the world falls in love with a romance novel series about vegetarian vampires. It's bad enough that they're talking about making a Lost Boys threequel.

Of course, there aren't REALLY any zombies. It's just some misled brilliant kids wielding their uncanny brilliance to scare old people instead of using it to save the world.

But if you think about it, it's like bathroom stall writing. You want to write something that people will instinctively read, and laugh at. So if you were as smart as these kids, and could and would hack into one of these highway road signs for one hour tonight, what would YOU say? Would you confess your love, or propose marriage? Could you say something to better the world? Or are the gloves off? What would you put on a blinking road sign?

"THE BRITISH ARE COMING!"
"WHERE'S WALDO??"
"UNICORNS ARE REAL"
"THIS IS SKYNET. I AM SELF AWARE"
"TURN AROUND! MAULING BEARS! AH!"
"THE MOONINITES HAVE LANDED"
"U R BEING RICK ROLLED"
"NEWSPAPERS RULE!"
"WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?"
"BIN LADEN AHEAD"
"YOU CANT DRIVE 55"
"HONK NOW OR DIE"
"NAKED HASSELHOFF AHEAD"
"BUSH RE-ELECTED"
"TAG YOU'RE IT"
"TWO FACE LIVES"

Killer Klowns From Outer Space--who remembers it??!

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:25:00 +0000

"In space, no one can eat ice cream."

It's Friday, so instead of blabbing about whatever, I just want to lob a tried-and-true classic out there and see who remembers it.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space.

Seriously.

Who remembers it? Was that not the most RIDICULOUS movie ever conceived?

I remember it, and I suffered the most gruesome nightmares a 6 year old can endure for the majority of my childhood because of it.

Which songs should be in The Beatles: Rock Band game? We can't let it be.

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:56:00 +0000

It's easy to talk trash about playing (or pretending to play) some of the greatest songs ever written on fake, plastic guitars plugged into a video game system.

But us un-elitists here at the Scene & Heard headquarters, are woefully below the hip standard when it comes to The Beatles: Rock Band game slated for release on PS3, Xbox360, and Wii September 9.

Do you really care if it's silly to play simulated music in front of a TV set? Shut up, because playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as a pixelated George Harrison will be the coolest thing to happen to video games since a stick figure jumped over alligators in Pitfall on the Atari. Besides, if you say you don't want to play Beatles music as a Beatle in a Beatles video game, you are lying to yourself (or you don't like their music, thus making you too weird to analyze anyway).

Though it's been announced that the game's developers, Apple Corps, Harmonix and MTV Games, have secured rights to at least 45 Beatles songs to use in the game, we haven't seen anything resembling a tracklist yet. But they have said the game will be a "visual and musical history" of the band. [source: Variety] And as Apple Corps CEO Jeff Jones put it: “It will span samples of the whole catalog all the way through.”

Sounds to me like the game will take some cues from cover acts like Beatlemania Now who dress up and act out all the different phases of the group's storied career. From Liverpool, to Beatlemania's Invasion, to the costumes and drugs, to their greatest songs, to their demise.

That in mind, it's easy to come up with 45 songs that are LIKELY to be in the game. But bare in mind, this is only a wish list--nothing official. But if I were a master schemer in the MTV Games office, my tracklist would start by shaping up something like this for the game:

Period I/Mania (settings: Liverpool, Ed Sullivan show)
1. I Saw Her Standing There (big mistake if you don't start with this song)
2. I Feel Fine
3. Love Me Do
4. She Loves You (this will be such a great one to sing)
5. I Want To Hold Your Hand
6. Hard Day's Night
7. Eight Days A Week
8. Ticket To Ride
9. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
10. Help!

Period II/Getting Better (setting: America)
11. I've Just Seen A Face
12. Drive My Car (beep-beep! beep-beep! beep-beep!)
13. Taxman
14. I'm Only Sleeping
15. Doctor Robert
16. Got To Get You Into My Life
17. Paperback Writer
18. Day Tripper
19. We Can Work It Out
20. Yellow Submarine

Period III/We're On Drugs (settings: in respective movies, and trippy dream sequences)
21. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
22. With A Little Help From My Friends
23. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
24. It's Getting Better
25. Within You, Without You
26. I Am The Walrus
27. Hello, Goodbye
28. Strawberry Fields, Forever
29. Baby You're A Rich Man
30. All You Need Is Love (can we get some plastic violins and trumpets for this song?)

Period IV/Love & Revolution (settings: Abbey Road, more trippy sequences?)
31. Back In The USSR
32. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
33. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
34. Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
35. Helter Skelter
36. Revolution 9
37. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
38. Here Comes The Sun
39. Two Of Us
40. For You Blue

The End (setting: the record label rooftop show, obvy)
41. Get Back
42. Come Together
43. Hey Jude
44. Yes, the full on Abbey Road Medley (from "You Never Give Me Your Money" to "The End")
45. Let It be

...So whaddaya think? There are certainly some gems like "I Will," "Rocky Raccoon" "Eleanor Rigby" and "Yesterday" notably missing, but would they translate as well into a stand up and play with plastic controllers party game? Who am I to judge? You tell me, what classic Beatles tracks do you want to play in this upcoming game?

Who will save the newspaper? Meet our new hero.

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:22:00 +0000

There's no need to fear! The Mercury is here!

It's not easy being the promotions and marketing guy for a newspaper in the age of 'dieing newspapers.'

People look to you to be the hero. But dudes like me--standing 5'4, and weighing in at 130 pounds--aren't exactly hero material. (A radioactive spider bite might help.)

Funny thing is, that's why people turned to newspapers in the first place--for a hero. The people wanted the uncanny truth, unfloundering democracy... and crossword puzzles. Think about it; why did Clark Kent and Peter Parker work for their city's newspaper when they weren't fighting baddies? Because newspapers fight for the truth, for the people, for a better community and for a better tomorrow.

So I figured if what the people want is a hero, it's time we gave 'em one, darn it. And last week, that's exactly what we did. We had our resident (and awesomely talented) cartoonist Alan MacBain bring The Mercury to life--as a full on super hero with Dr. Manhattan's glowing blue skin, a shiney chrome Jay Garrick helmet, and a faithful (not to mention feisty) floating sidekick named "Dot." Besides, after all these years of elegantly posing next to The Mercury logo, it's the least we could do for our pal Skippy.

If you missed Sunday's Mercury, you missed this introduction panel. (Give it a click for full resolution.)

But now that Pottstown's hero is here, how do you see his crusading story unfolding in the future? What evil villains might await him? What are his weaknesses? Will Marvel Comics hate us for creating a superhero cooler than The Mighty Thor? And does anyone else have Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" stuck in their head?

But more importantly... who will play Skippy in the movie adaption? Def not Christian Bale!

Hey bub, x-actly which mutants are in this Wolverine movie? (and fun with "ex" words)

cmarch@pottsmerc.com (Chris) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:43:00 +0000

I'm X-tremely X-cited. Heck, I'm X-static! And you should know X-actly what I'm talking about.

Even though I've given up on bothering with any of the television MTV is responsible for these days, I've become a habitual reader of their well-informed and lovingly written entertainment blogs. Particularly the Movies Blog and the Splash Page.

But today, they really upped their stock in the nerd hearts of us entertainment fiends by unveiling the premiere of the final trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

I thought it would be just another 30-second commercial short with recycled footage--but holy f-bomb! This sucker looks more and more like it's finally the X-men movie the world has so long craved. Take a gander at those Gambit and Deadpool scenes! They look x-ceedingly x-cellent. And...a guy with 'radiant' eyes?! Cyclops?! Is that you??? What are you doing in Wolverine's trailer?!

Sure, it's looked awesome in the previous trailers we've seen (and we've seen quite a few)--but this new behemoth of a sneak-peak has sent our heads rolling. Frankly, it seems we got more mutants and X-men in this sucker than we saw in the original X-Men trilogy! And it's all those rad mutants that weren't in those first round of compromised X-Men movies.

Let's do the roll call based on what we've seen in trailers so far. Here are the mutants who appear to be in this Wolvie movie.

Wolverine--um, duh.

Victor Creed/Sabertooth--And he doesn't look like a blumbering idiot for once. I'm impressed.

Gambit--sure to be a screen stealer, particularly since he never showed up in the original X-Men flicks.

Deadpool (and/or Weapon XI)--another sure-to-be scene stealer. And if that fugly looking red dude in this trailer is Deadpool after he gets all nastied up, well, this movie is gonna be The Dark Knight of X-men movies, no doubt. (Or maybe the nasty looking foe is not Deadpool, but the mysterious Weapon XI. OR! Perhaps...Weapon XI IS Deadpool???)

Cyclops...wait, what did you just say?--That's right. I don't know many other dudes who wear red shades to cover up a set of shiny, nuked out pupils. A pleasant surprise, though I'm guessing he doesn't run into Wolvie (just S-Tooth).

Charlie from Lost!--Well, I don't think I've seen him in the trailers or in any pictures, but Dominic Monaghan (see also, the hobbit I look most like) has been confirmed to play some muto-chump named Barnell Bohusk.

The Blob--Speaking of Lost, you remember that a-hole Keamy who shot our beloved Alex dead? Well he's gone Eddie Murphy and become a mutant now--a big, disgusting, blubbering one who seems to have a fancy for boxing. Yeah, that big guy in the previously seen trailers is actually the same actor.

Emma Frost--w00t!

Will.I.Am.--never thought I'd see a Black Eyed Pea in an X-men movie, but stranger things have happened. Here he's Kestral, which makes him like Nightcrawler--but without the ugly blue face and tail.

Storm?--we've seen a toddler Storm in the first trailer, but it sounds as if her scene was pulled from the final cut.

More?--And with all the mutants that Wolvie seems to be freeing in this movie, I'd say we can expect a few more morsels of cameos & fan favs here and there. Is it too much of a stretch to think we'll even see a Captain America appearence in one of these wars that Logan fights in?

For pictures of some of these jokers--cheers.

X-Men: Wolverine hits theaters May 1. Get X-cited.

And while we're on the subject, any other good "ex" words where we can sub in an "x" while talking about this movie? x-ceptional? x-animate? x-orsism? x-cept?