Stephen Abbott's blog

It's good to be back

Thu, 31 May 2007 11:08:48 -0700

"I can't leave you alone for..."

Got sick.
Took some time off. (Thanks for covering Opus Team!)
Got better.
I come back to a lot of really great new music, a lot of conversations to get in on, and anticipating a few wild shows.

It's good to be back.

"I hope I die before I get old"

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 10:28:53 -0700

Never before has that line been so ironic. This video is funny, refreshing and really, really, good!! Enjoy this before it becomes a TV commerical for life insurance.

Street Performer

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 09:51:14 -0800

If playing for pedestrians is your thing, the Vancouver's Granville Island is probably a pretty sweet location. A great mix of locals and tourists. I heard today that they are accepting application for this season's line up. Check it out on the Granville Island Cultural Society website.

Do you have to be there anymore?

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:58:59 -0800

Within 18 hours of the Superbowl finishing, I was hit with no less than 4 different "Prince at the Superbowl" experiences thanks to a blog post, YouTube, Project Opus and my local radio station. Even if I didn't see the performance on TV, I wouldn't miss the watercooler opportunity to share in "the day after" - the post experience debriefing and debate with friends and colleagues. It spreads too fast to miss. We live in such a digital world these days, I wonder if people appreciate the difference.

Just when you thought a time machine was a good idea...

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:33:40 -0800

I found this article in Digital Music News, about how the RIAA tactics to protect the recording industry are parallel to button makers in 18th century France. I find it amusing that the idea of "punishing innovation to protect the establishment" is nothing new. I am sure if we looked back in history we would see plenty of examples (some more prominent than others, I am sure): alternative fuels, frankenfoods, ...?

Ever think that there's never been an industry group in the history of man with the sort of bulldog spirited anti-competitive mindset of the RIAA? Think again. Techdirt draws an interesting parallel between the RIAA of today, and French button makers of the 1700's. It seems tailors began making buttons out of dense cloth, which outraged the established button making industry, leading to the government imposition of strict fines on the cloth button makers, and some rather-paranoid tactics to ensure control of the market.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 09:27:36 -0800

A quick note of peace and joy to everyone on Project Opus. This is a special time for many people around the world, and however you choose to celebrate it, I hope you are happy, safe, and with the people you love.

It's the Xmas holiday for us here on the Project Opus team, so it may be a little quiet for a couple days. (I, personally, will likely be in an egg nog and turkey induced coma! Good times.)

I should have expected telemarketers

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 13:03:59 -0800

I guess I don't know why it surprises me, but I just got my first telemarketer call on my cell phone. It's become so common at home that I don't even think about it anymore (I call screen or just hang up most of the time), but for some reason I thought cell calls were sacred. Not so.

Even more annoying: It came while I was driving. I admit that I talk on the phone while driving, and you are free to think anything you want of that, but getting a telemarketer while on the freeway was disturbing. Best of all, it was the phone provider itself offering me additional phones for a family plan. I simply told him that I didn't have time to think and the answer was likely no. Not because I don't want it or need it, but I simply hate the intrusion.

For free, or not for free?

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 17:06:05 -0800

I am curious as to why artists are offering songs for free or choosing to sell them. I fully respect every artist's choice, whether it's to sell their songs or offer them for free (through Creative Commons), and Project Opus allows for both, but I am just wondering what the different reasons are for either option. I would love to have some open discussion.

Protecting the idiot

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:04:06 -0800

This has nothing to do with music.

My wife just bought a new hair dryer, a hand held one from Revlon. Obviously, the instructions come with safety warnings. One of them is "#6 - Never use while sleeping". Seriously, who is this warning for?

Keep it all in the family

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 21:53:21 -0800

I just heard that Mark Antony is no longer with Van Halen, so they replaced the bassist with Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's son from his marriage to Valerie Bertinelli. While the only reference to this is Eddie's ramblings on a Howard Stern show, it's quite the rumour, and if true, might be a first for pop music.

Here's the question that's been buggin' me today: Are there any other father son combinations out there in real rock bands?

What is Rock and Roll?

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:47:53 -0800

Bob Lefsetz is on another rant. He is annoyed that they keep finding artists to put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when the new artists don't (in his opinion) compare with those of the past. His past. He makes a comment that RnR is over, and that we should shut the 'new members' door of the Hall of Fame and move on.

It’s over. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s doors should be shut.

Sol3 Live at the Lamplighter - Vancouver

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:29:43 -0700

I finally made it out to see these guys, and I am really glad I did. Sol3 dished out a quick set of solid, honest rock music thrust at me with a healthy dose of fun.

I arrived around 9:00, and in typical Vancouver style, I was pretty much alone. A few people trickled in before the 10:00 start, but when the boys went on, there were only about 25 people in the room. That didn't matter to the band, and I'll give credit where it's due: Lou gives it his all as he belts out the tunes. The moves, the banter, the energy - you can just tell he's having a blast and feels totally in control.

It was loud (as it should be) and a little hard to hear the vocals (the acoustics in that place sucked), so i couldn't recognize the songs until about midway thought the show. No worries, though. It was a good energy, the bands was tight and they certainly know how to play. They did get to tunes that I know: Manchu Picchu Cool, Beta Tape Video Head, and the incredibly angry Mrs Wannabe.

Much to the dismay of some truly dedicated fans, they didn't do Ultrafade. Maybe next time.

They ended the set with the popular Sawney Beane. By that time there were about 50 people in the that had trickled in during the set and stuck around. There was also some young guy in a white sweater who kept rubbing up against me while digging the music. If the room was packed, no problem, but with so much space it was just creepy. I kept checking to make sure I still had my wallet.

Good job, boys. Glad I could see the show.

Houston - here I come

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 23:25:47 -0700

Well, I am off to Texas for the first time in my life. Texas is one of those places that is on the list that I must see in my lifetime, so I am really looking forward to this short trip. Texas has so much personality in pop culture. I'm going to be in Houston for the weekend, and while I have lots to do while I am there, I plan to check out as much music as I can.

I see Matt Harlan is playing on Friday night, and there is a blues jam at a place called Fitz. There is a bluegrass festival all weekend (free!!) and the guys from Breathe in Your Neighborhood directed me to a long list of clubs and shows.

In case you missed the 70s

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 22:33:53 -0700

I was looking at the Ticketmaster website tonight and something weird struck me. The top touring bands coming through town are: The Who, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, Ian Gillian (Deep Purple), Kenny Rogers, Heart, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Bauchman Cummings (The Guess Who) ... I double checked the date to make sure it wasn't some sort of "on this date in 1976" type of thing.

Who's in the band?

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:23:13 -0700

I just heard that Gowan replaced Dennis DeYoung in Styx (actually back in 1999 - but I'm not a big fan of theirs so I didn't notice until now). I thought it was odd that they would tour as Styx without Dennis, so I looked a little deeper. Apparently, only one member of the original line up still plays with them: James Young, a guitarist and sometimes vocalist. I always felt the Dennis was a critical part of the band.