Moz on the Great White Way

Image of Lt. Jim Dangle with his trusty Morrissey shirt on via RGJ.com

Last month I wrote about had expectations that the rescheduled concerts by Morrissey in New York would be reasonably priced. Instead to my chagrin tickets are being sold in the presale at $65 a seat. Hence, I would not push for going to one of his gigs.

But a few moments ago I read something on NME.com that caught my attention:

"A 'We Will Rock You'-style musical based on Morrissey's songs is currently in the works.

The idea has been conceived by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, who both starred in 'Reno 911!'...Lennon told New York Metro: "I have an outline in my head, like 'Mamma Mia'- type musical but with them music of Morrissey called 'I've Changed My Plea To Guilty'. It's for a very diehard set of fans."

Oh yes!

If musicals on ABBA and doo-wop music can gain prominence on Broadway than so can one based on Mozzer. More so if it's co-written by such a great writer and huge Moz fan as Lennon is.

I will be on the lookout for when and where the musical opens. I don't know how, but I will somehow find cheap tickets for that musical since I wouldn't want to miss it at all!

I’m truly sorry but it would've been a wonderful thing

I would very much like to see Morrissey again in concert. Despite having a fantastic time during his performance at the Apollo two years ago I just couldn’t afford to buy tickets for his then-postponed appearance earlier this year at Madison Square Garden. “$75 is far too much even if one is sitting mere inches from the stage”, I said to myself back then.

Thankfully and to my complete surprise he rescheduled several shows including in NYC including five nights at the Hammerstein Ballroom! “Better and smaller venue = lower ticket prices,” I exclaimed to my brothers as I salivated the chance to go see him in late October.

Wrong!

I am hoping that there will be cheaper seats available but if sixty-five bucks is the only price option then count me out. Despite the artist’s supposed admission that he has no involvement in the ticket pricing I just won’t go. It’s a simple mater of economics; for the price of one ticket I can put the money to better use paying the bills at home, for instance.

But that’s the way things have been for me over the past few years; sacrificing many selfish goodies in order to help my family. (For example, I am my mom’s de facto shrink even when I wish to not listen to her problems). It’s a role I’ve learned to accept for quite a while now and I doubt it will change any time soon.

In the end it works out for everyone and that’s what matters most.

The Alternative to Sleep

Monday mornings I usually wake up at six o’clock feeling very groggy and tired from having slept a few scant hours the previous evening. Four hours of sleep is not the best way to commence any week, but I do so sans regrets.

You see, I stay up until two in the morning watching “120 Minutes” on VH1 Classic.

Despite all the cuts at MTV, VH1 and other Viacom entities a few months back, the format of “120 Minutes” is the same as a previous program called “The Alternative”. Though I enjoyed the program more when it was on late Sunday mornings, I gleefully await Monday at midnight when I put on VH1 Classic and hear the terrible faux-goth theme that introduces “120 Minutes.” No veejays. No banter. Just two hours of videos (with intermittent commercials, obviously).

Sometimes the program can be hit or miss since it tries to appeal to several different tastes within the rubric of “alternative music.” Last night’s episode was mostly miss for me though the first 90 minutes though there were a few good tunes from Love and Rockets and The Cure. Yet just as I was about to turn off the TV at around 1:40 am feeling somewhat disillusioned the following quartet of videos appeared (in order):

Morrissey - Last of the Famous International Playboys

The Breeders – Cannon Ball (Directed by the dynamic duo that was Spike Jonze and Kim Gordon)

Blur – She’s So High

Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon

Brilliance. Sheer, unadulterated brilliance.

It was difficult to fall asleep after watching those vids, I barely slept, and I felt like crap all day. But it was worth it.

And I’ll do it again next week.

No regrets.

Prologue: Venegas is a friggin' genius! Yesterday she told me that VH1 Classic has a daily "The Alternative" playlist via their website. (Todays playlist centered on David Byrne and Talking Heads).

I'm still going to stay up til 2am every Monday to watch "120 Minutes'. But the daily playlists will definitely make thing a bit easier

Gracias Venegas!

Feliz cumpelaños, Moz!

Image from a December 2006 concert via BBC

Yes, ladies and germs, Morrissey celebrates his 48^th birthday today! He hasn’t missed much of a beat in the last few years since he’s extensively touring and releasing albums on a near yearly basis. I still enjoy his music now since I first heard him eons ago in my youthful, formative years. Then there was also a very good term paper I wrote a few years back on his cult fan base amongst Chicano youth. Hence, Moz has been beneficial for me on several levels.

Though he will be stopping in NYC for a concert in late June I decided not to get tix for it. One of the main reasons why was the exorbitant ticket prices which is definitely out of my budget. (Aye, it’s one of the consequences of being an unemployed grad student). Mercifully, with the summer coming up there are many free/cheap concerts so that will help. (I’ll get into more detail about this summer’s concerts later this week).

In addition, I was a little turned off by the venue- the arena at Madison Square Garden. Maybe it’s a little too nit-picky, but the last Moz concert I went to was extraordinary partly due to that. The Apollo Theater was the perfect setting due to its intimacy and splendid acoustics. Perhaps I would’ve been more flexible if it had been at MSG’s Theater, which I feel would’ve been far better. So far I’ve only seen him that once two years ago, but I don’t mind keeping it that way for now. No rush, no worries!

I’m off to listen to Strangeways, Here We Come. In the meantime, here are a few MP3 files of the birthday boy:

Morrissey - At Last I Am Born

Morrissey – Last of the Famous International Playboys

Morrissey – We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful (live)

Sing your life

Morrissey performing at Radio City Music Hall in October 2004 (photo copyright Alyssa Scheinson)

Saturday June 30 at Madison Square Garden.

Need I say more!