staten island is magical

Tonight I saw a band that I haven't seen since my senior year of college play songs that they haven't played together in nine years. Before the show, the lead singer, my musical hero who I've seen 30+ times since as a solo artist, hugged me and sincerely thanked me for coming. Then, waiting for the band to start, the lead singer of my all time favorite band (and my other musical hero) came and stood next to me, FOR THE ENTIRE SHOW, singing along with every song ("I WANT YOU!! I WANT YOU!!") and heckling them after every song ("Play that one again!!!!!" "Water addicts!!" "SKINNNNNNNNER!") After the show, I summoned all my courage to talk to him. "What's your name? Hi Kerri, I'm Jesse." (What do you say to that? "Of course you are, you're the friggin cover picture on my timeline") Handshake. Legitimate conversation. Eye contact and smiling (I didn't think Jesse Lacey smiled until I saw it for myself tonight). We just talked about Kevin and about the show and about how we'd stood next to each other through out, and I didn't say anything about Brand New, until he told me it was nice to meet me and I said, like an starstruck idiot, "It was so nice to meet you too . . . I think what you do is amazing" or something equally stupid. But he smiled and thanked me and gave me a pat on my shoulder. Hugs from Kevin Devine and I met Jesse Lacey. It doesn't get much better than that. Staten Island, you're ok by me.

and also this . . .

http://jesselaceydoingthings.tumblr.com/

This one's my favorite:

i don't even know that mother@#$er

priceless

the five most perfect songs ever written (as of 9/5/08)

I change this list fairly regularly. But with the realization today that SMOCIOTH is one of my top five favorite songs of all time, it got me thinking about what other tracks make the cut. It would probably be a lot easier to do a top 10 list, but most people reading this probably won't know any of these tracks anyway, so why overwhelm you with even more songs you don't know? =P

5. "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" by Against Me. This song isn't typical "Kerri music" and this band, as amazing as they are, isn't a typical "Kerri band." But I'm glad I gave them a chance because this band is amazing, and this song even more so. I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have until I heard an acoustic version and was able to listen to the words, and then I found out it was about the lead singer's grandparents, and then the first time (the only time) I saw Against Me! live and I saw them play this song and I saw the names "James" and "Evelyn" tattooed on Tom's chest . . . this song is a beautiful song, and every time I hear it, I wish that some folksy non-punk non-screamer would cover it (i.e. the whole "Ben Lee Covers Against Me!'s New Wave" album) so that more people would give it a chance. Every St. Patrick's Day, I think of Evelyn and James. "In all the years that went by, she said she'd always love him. And from the day that he died, she never loved again . . . she said 'if I would have known just how things would have ended up, I just would have let myself die.'" Heartbreaking. "If we're never together, if I'm never back again, then I swear to God that I'll love you forever . . . " GOD I love this song. Maybe pints of Guinness are the way to go.

4. "A Slow Descent" by Straylight Run. Straylight Run had six demos on their website before the release of their debut album. Of the six, this song was one of two that did not make it onto the album. I'm not sure what the reasoning was; it was eventually on their E.P. that followed the debut, and it's one that they continue playing at all of their shows. I don't know if it was left out in an effort to distance themselves from Taking Back Sunday, as I always assumed (and maybe even read somewhere that planted that seed in my head) that this song was about them. Regardless of what it's about, this is without question my favorite Straylight Run song. I wish I had an mp3 available of it to link here; the video clip that I took from Warped Tour last year is only an excerpt and it doesn't do it justice. I think no matter what the context is, this song rings true. It's obviously about the souring of a relationship -- whether it's a band relationship, a friendship, or more -- that's just not working anymore, "a slow descent from unique to routine." It's sad, and it really gets me every time I hear it, from the opening lines: "I'm tired, cynical, and broken, but wiser, heavy with a sense of resentment, but I used to be so much different, I used to have so much faith" to the closing lines: "We drove for what seemed like days, over roads and four lane highways, we said all we had to say, and I realized in time that it didn't mean anything." It happens to everyone, all too often, and it hurts like hell when you realize you've invested time in something or someone and for whatever reason, it's just not there anymore. And it's not anyone's fault and it's not anything you can help, it's just how it is. And you wonder why you even bother because it's not going to end well. "I knew it but as soon as it began it was ruined." "It's only a matter of time." God, I can't even write about this song without crying.



3. "Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off To Heaven" by Saves the Day. I found out today that this song's title is a line from John Irving's "The Hotel New Hampshire" - of course one of my favorite songs of all time would be titled by one of my favorite author's books. That makes it even more special. I first heard this song at a horrible time in my life, just about two years ago. I saw Chris Conley of Saves the Day open up for Straylight Run, and I didn't know any song that he played, but I looked this one up as soon as I got home and downloaded it from iTunes because I knew that it was perfect. It fit how I was feeling PERFECTLY - that sense of caring about someone so much that you would do anything for them ("what's he got that I don't have? is it his brown eyes? I know blue eyes get boring but I'll wear dark glasses all the time! or hey, if you want me to, I'd take a knife to my own bright eyes") to struggling with the fact that they basically treat you like shit but you still can't stop caring ("now you put me through hell, you break me up, yeah I should hate you, but I can't replace you in my heart") to being able to say "to hell with you." This is one of those songs that I can forget about and go months without listening to, but as soon as it randomly shows up on my playlist, I can't listen just once. I think I'll always associate this song with the same person, despite how far I've come since that first time I heard it. I could write a whole other blog post about that though -- maybe I will sometime. Anyway. Listen to the lyrics. It's great.

2. "Play Crack the Sky" by Brand New. This song has been my favorite Brand New song for years, but it seems particularly relevant these days. Nothing like a fantastic song about a metaphorical ship wreck to get you all worked up, haha. This song is amazing on like a dozen different levels - I'd love to find an interview with Jesse Lacey explaining it. I've been fortunate enough to hear this song live a bunch of times and it gets better with every listen. Jesse Lacey is truly brilliant and one of the most amazing lyricists ever. "What they call love is a risk 'cause you always get hit out of nowhere by some wave and end up on your own" - could truer words be spoken? I loved Brand New from "Your Favorite Weapon", and when I got "Deja Entendu", I loved every song instantly on first listen. But this album closer is the song that made me realize that Brand New was more than just an awesome band, they were the best around. Another song with a great last line: "I need you like water in my lungs." I know what you mean, Jesse. I hate how much I know what you mean.

1. "Konstantine" by Something Corporate. This song has been my #1 favorite song in the world from the first time I heard it back in 2002, although when I first heard it, I'd only heard the live version, "Constantine". Each has its differences and things about them that make me prefer one version to the other, but regardless of how you spell it, this song is hands down the most amazing piece of music I've ever heard. Ever. There are few songs that could pull off being over nine minutes long without me getting sick of them, but this song fills those nine minutes brilliantly. A haunting piano melody. A reference to the greatest Jimmy Eat World song ever. A "not quite a chorus" chorus that changes each time it's sung. The "did you know I miss you . . . God I miss you" on the live version. The first summer I knew this song, I had a 30 minute commute to my internship, in which I would play this song three times. For a long time, I couldn't hear it without crying. On my worst days, this is the song that I stick on "repeat" on my iTunes. I could easily spend hours playing this song over and over -- and I have. Six years later, it still has the same effect on me that it had the first time I heard it. It's brilliant and it's beautiful and don't just take my word for it, give it a listen.

"you know any dave?"

I got tricked into buying tickets to Kevin Devine's "Put Your Ghost To Rest" re-release party last night because Brand New posted a bulletin on MySpace saying to "look for Jesse Sunday and Monday" and I knew I couldn't go to the Looney Tunes show today because of Crim Pro. But then I bought tickets and realized that Jesse was playing a show with Brand New at Geneseo last night. I kept hoping that he would be able to defy the laws of space and time and manage to get to Willismsburg sometime to at least be able to play "Cotton Crush" with Kev, but no such luck, as (though I forget sometimes) Jesse Lacey is only human.

Kevin Devine did not disappoint though. Even though I'm an idiot and dragged Becky with me to get there for around 7 when, I soon discovered, Kevin didn't go on until 10. So we walked around Williamsburg aimlessly for nearly an hour, where Becky pointed out how suspicious we probably looked and that a cop might have a reasonable suspicion that criminality was afoot if they saw us that would justify them stopping and frisking us. I've never seen so many Thai and sushi restaurants in such a small area.

Long story longer, I have a total crush on Kevin Devine . . . he is absolutely my favorite person in the world with my initials! Highlights:

• He played "Put Your Ghost To Rest" in its entirety. As I guess could have been expected, seeing that it was the re-release party. But it was excited nonetheless because I don't know that I've ever heard him do "Go Haunt Someone Else" live.
  
• The eleven year old (ok, not really, but kinda really) who played EVERY INSTRUMENT KNOWN TO MAN (ok, not really, but kinda really)
• "Take me to prom!" "I'm a grown ass man, I can't take you to prom! I can DRIVE you to prom!"
• Kareem Abdul Jabar! He made his mom cover her ears. I'm not sure why. But it was cute. Listen for yourself! (It's 30 seconds, watch the clip, don't be lame.)

• His "you know any Dave?" story . . . I fully appreciate anyone who doesn't think that Dave Matthews is God's gift to music. Which may be because I am convinced that Kevin Devine is God's gift to music.
  
• Chuck and Howie/Meredith's husband Chris were in the GDB! Amazing!
• "People Are So Fickle"! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE that song.
• Super seriously, I looooooooove Kevin Devine. So severely.

I suppose that the the most satisfying thing about the whole night was this IM from Becky today:

Becky (10:20:49 PM): p.s. i googled a picture of jesse lacey today

Becky (10:20:52 PM): and he's so cute!!

I love it.

a good man

The only thing better than a still photograph of Jesse Lacey from that night (wow, I just got chills looking at that picture when I added the link, haha) is this:



I need to stop procrastinating. ABC Family is showing a movie tonight called "Holiday in Handcuffs" that features

Clarissa Darling and
A.C. Slater. I know what I'm doing tonight!

"if i'm going to scream for them to come back, they'd better give us a song with some damn lyrics!"

*swoon*

Much better show last night than Saturday night (crowd wise at least) and I thank Briton for being awesome and coming with me. Set list (again, in no particular order except for the first and last songs):

1. Limousine
2. Welcome to Bangkok
3. The No Seatbelt Song
4. The Shower Scene
5. Tautou
6. Sic Transit Gloria . . . Glory Fades
7. Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't
   
8. Play Crack the Sky
9. Car
10. Sowing Season
11. Millstone
12. Degausser
13. You Won't Know
14. Not The Sun
15. Luca
16. The Archers Bows Have Broken
    
17. Jesus Christ
    
18. Encore: Untitled
    

sometimes i make myself laugh

random stupid things I overheard myself say last night at the Brand New show:

"I bet that Jesse would look around here and say 'You know what I find sexy? The art."

"The best thing about marrying somebody whose last name is Lacey is that I could wear a lacy dress for the wedding. Wait, no, what? The best thing about marrying somebody whose last name is Lacey is that I would be marrying Jesse Lacey."

"I'll give you $100 if you go over to that girl and say, 'Chelsea, oh my God, is that you? Don't you remember me? I used to babysit for you, like 4 years ago! Is this your boyfriend? That's so cute!'"

"I'll give you $100 if you go over to that girl and say, 'You really shouldn't drink that beer, it's not good for the baby.'"

"Add me on Facebook!" . . . "He's actually kind of a cute for like a 20-year-old. If he's 21, it's a win!"

Set list (definitely not in order):

1. Welcome to Bangkok
2. Sowing Season
3. Sic Transit Gloria . . . Glory Fades
4. The Shower Scene
5. Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis
6. Jaws Theme Swimming
7. Millstone
8. Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself (Morrissey cover)
9. Degausser
10. Limousine
11. Not The Sun
12. You Won't Know
13. Luca
14. The Archers Bows Have Broken
    
15. Jesus Christ
16. Encore: Untitled (from TDAGARIM, not one of the demos)
    

my two favorite jesses

First, I just had to post this, just for the hell of it.



Second, despite his lame green socks (that are still rather adorable), I still love Jesse Lacey more than words.

I love his "sort of smile" in this one.

Set list (not in order):

• The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot
• Sowing Season
  
• Luca
• Handcuffs
  
• Degausser
• Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis
  
• Oh Comely
  

And of course . . .

sometimes i forget just how perfect this song is

well i wrote your name and burned it,
see the color of the flame,
and it burned out the whole spectrum as if you were everything,
im just burned gold,
a normal flame,
i am not anything,
and all that i remember is the feeling of waking up,
when we were kids you were the sun to which my eyes would not adjust,
when we were kids i was a fountain you could never drink enough,
then came all the boys who swept you up,
played careless with your heart,
and every night there was a new girl sitting beside me in my car,
something dies when you grow older,
but you do the best you can,
i am glad,
i am glad,
you found a good man.

i wish that i was jesse's girl

Nothing to say, I just wanted a place to come to so that I could look at this picture whenever I wanted.

my "ability" is apparently causing my heroes to take awful pictures

Last night did not disappoint.

I'll write a full entry tomorrow, but I'll say it now that Kevin Devine and Jesse Lacey are two of the most brilliant song writers and lyricists alive and if I had the money and the ability to do it, I would not go back to work on Monday and I'd just follow them around the U.S. on the rest of their tour, and then to Europe and then to everywhere, because they are that freaking good and . . . just wow.

I only wish that this picture of Kevin Devine was just a little bit better . . . I'm starting to think it's just me. Between this picture of the two of us from last night and the 2005 "John Nolan the Pirate" picture from Hofstra, I am really convinced that I do have some sort of super power or "ability" (depending on which show I'm more obsessed with at the moment, Heroes or The 4400 - right now the nod goes to The 4400 but I am so totally digressing) and that ability is to cause my heroes to look awful in pictures. At least John got one eye open. (See Exhibit "B"). Maybe it's a good thing I didn't get to meet Jesse Lacey last night. At least he can remain photogenic a little longer.

Full Jesse Lacey / Kevin Devine / Grace Read at Valentines update coming in a few days; for now it's bed, MPRE review course tomorrow, and then Guster @ The Starland Ballroom tomorrow night. The concert calendar has (absurdly enough) become even more full for the rest of the summer:

July 29 - Guster @ the Starland Ballroom
August 1 - They Might Be Giants @ Bowery (if Craig can get tickets)
August 3- O.A.R. / Stephen Kellogg / Augustana @ Jones Beach
August 4 - Warped Tour
August 14 - Kevin Devine's concert cruise thingamajig
August 19 - Live/Collective Soul @ Brookhaven Amphitheater (possibly going to have to cancel this one . . . we'll see)

At least I'm not bored, right?

oh my god, i can't wait until july 27

seriously.

jesse lacey v. peter petrelli . . . hmmm

I suppose the fact that I can't even bring myself to type out Peter Petrelli's REAL name should be an indicator of my questioned loyalty towards him. Then again, I'm on a Brand New high at the moment, so I'm probably not prepared to make a rational decision at the moment. (Although is deciding which moderately famous person to marry ever really 'rational'?)

Last night's set list (again, in no particular order except for the first couple of songs and the last few):

1. 70 x 7
   
2. Sic Transit Gloria . . . Glory Fades
3. Milestone
   
4. Okay, I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't
5. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows
6. Jaws Theme Swimming
7. Good To Know That If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die
8. Play Crack the Sky (with Erica from Anathallo)
   
9. Sowing Season (Yeah)
10. Jesus Christ
11. Degausser (with Kevin Devine)
    
12. Limousine
13. Luca
14. The Archers Bows Have Broken
    
15. Handcuffs
16. Untitled Demo #5
17. Cotton Crush (Kevin Devine cover with Kevin Devine)
18. You Won't Know
19. Welcome to Bangkok (with everyone and their moms)*
    

Love, love, loooove that band.

* okay, not literally their moms. But that sure would have been interesting

"maybe when you turn fourteen you'll get it."

I love Jesse Lacey.

Set from last night (in no particular order except for the first and last songs):

1. Coca-Cola
2. The Shower Scene
3. Sic Transit Gloria . . . Glory Fades
4. Okay, I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't
5. Jaws Theme Swimming
6. Play Crack the Sky (sooooooo good)
7. Sowing Season (Yeah)
8. Milestone
9. Jesus Christ
10. Degausser
11. Limousine
12. Welcome to Bangkok
13. Luca
14. The Archers Bows Have Broken
15. Handcuffs
16. Untitled Demo #1 (I could have walked out right then - Play Crack the Sky followed by Untitled #1 - apparently, Heaven is the Borgata in Atlantic City with Jesse Lacey on a stage in a dark room with an acoustic guitar. Who ever would have thought it would be in New Jersey)
17. Untitled Demo #5
    
18. You Won't Know (ended with Jesse just yelling "you won't know!" at the top of his lungs about 10 times, then the the stage going pitch black, him dropping the microphone on the floor, and walking offstage. Might have been one of the best endings to a show I've ever seen in my life. Absolutely amazing. It didn't even matter that after that, all of the house lights came on and there was no encore. AMAZING.)
    

good to know that if i ever need attention all i have to do is die

Eeeeeek! Apparently, on their current tour, Brand New is playing Deja Entendu IN ITS ENTIRITY. A recent setlist:


oh my gosh, I am so happy that I got tickets for the Atlantic City show on Memorial Day. 70 x 7 ("490" as Scott told me I should start calling it, which I will, because Scott's awesome and because I think it's funny that I never actually thought about that), Jude Law, Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis, Play Crack the Sky, Archers, *AND* Jesus Christ . . . I think this may be THE most excited I've ever been about a concert.