Xiu Xiu @ Bottom of the Hill, Monday 4/23
It’s pretty hard for me to admit to being anything less than totally thrilled and fulfilled by a xiu xiu show, because I basically love them unconditionally and want to firmly believe that everything they do is just right, just as it is. All that said, I was disappointed. Most of what they played left me kind of cold and struck me as a little self-indulgent. I have a reasonable tolerance for noise and ‘challenging’ music, but I also want to have fun and hear some things that are danceable when I go to a show. I like pop music, and for all the shrieking and drones, I’m pretty sure that’s what xiu xiu is. If I like something, it must be pop. Right? Right.
The undisputed highlight for me, and, it seemed, most other people there, was their cover of Ceremony. Their version is more exciting than the original New Order, and the live performance was way more exciting than the recording on the Chapel of the Chimes EP (which is available here, from Absolutely Kosher, for anyone who might be interested). It made me want to dance my ass off, for reals. They could have just played that for a full hour and I would have enjoyed it.
So Xiu Xiu, girl, you know we’ve been together such a long long time. I love you, you know I do. I don’t mind if you change, I just don’t want to see you throw away the things that made me love you in the first place. Like dance music influences.
In upcoming show news, we’re seeing Jarvis Cocker tonight at the Fillmore, and Acid Mothers Temple are playing at the Bottom of the Hill on May 12. We don’t have tickets for that yet, but we will.
What, if any, drugs to you use before seeing AMT?
I don’t go to enough shows.
simmering rage of R. Kelly
Last night the Mister and I got in a tense, hours-long argument about R. Kelly. I am not kidding. Do not ask how this happened. It had something to do with that video of Akon (whoever that is) dry-humping a teenage girl onstage.
In case you didn’t catch that, we had a big, long, severely unpleasant argument over R. Kelly! What? Please shoot me in the face, like, now!
Bánh mì @ Saigon Sandwiches
On Saturday we hit up the universally adored Saigon Sandwiches. We both had roast pork+pate combo banh mi. I’ve never had bad banh mi, and I didn’t feel like these were either disappointing or mind-blowing. They were totally yummy and totally satisfying which is, you know, just what banh mi are supposed to be.
Notes:
1. I’ll have to try the same sandwich at Baguette Express and Banh Mi Ba Le so I can compare.
2. I’ll also have to remember to take pictures of my eating companion(s) eating their foods.
3. I’ve been neglecting my important dessert-consuming duties.
4. I’m seriously considering moving to the TL so I can have easier access to all the banh mi and lahmacun I can cram in my greedy face. Did I ever write about lahmacun?
belated weekend food recap (4/6-4/8)
Friday evening we tried to go to the Helmand (which is my favorite restaurant in the area so far), but they’re temporarily closed because a landslide demolished their kitchen. After trying the cheese-and-kirsch-smelling Matterhorn, we ended up at a place in the Marina (!) called the Brazen Head (which makes me think of sluts giving blowjobs; apparently this makes me a pervert, according to someone who really shouldn’t be pointing their perving fingers). They do, you know, upscale American, but, like, casual. We split a baby spinach salad. It had dried cranberries, ‘crispy’ prosciutto, caramelized walnuts, goat cheese (I fucking live for goat cheese), and some kind of vinaigrette, probably. D had filet mignon. I had a pork thing with mango mint chutney. The pork was fine, the chutney was rad. Both dinners came with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, which were good, and something garnish-y. I didn’t get around to sampling D’s meal, but the general consensus was that it was good, not mind-blowing.
Oh, towards the end of our meal, some kids came in, and one of them was totally wasted and said things about a handjob and $17,000. Then one of the laydeez said something about something being “like crack to me,” which isn’t worth much on its own, but she was just so clean-cut and perky-sounding, it pushed my awesome buttons.
I’ll continue tomorrow with Saturday’s pork dose.
Sri Mariammam Temple, Singapore
Higher res version here.
Old News
Maybe you heard about this when it actually happened, more than two years ago. I read something somewhere, and it reminded me of it: Dave Matthews Band tour bus empties septic tank over Chicago River; 800 pounds of human waste rain down on tour boat passengers.
Every time I’m reminded of that, I crack the fuck up. I couldn’t have made up a more perfect metaphor if I’d tried.
Just to give you an idea of what vile disgusting creeps we are here at Vulpture, Inc.
The other day I was about to remove my DivaCup* (which is so what I naturally want to call a piece of silicone that I jam up my vagina to catch my menstrual flow), and D was all angling his head as if to get a better view. So I was all, “What? You wanna watch, ho?” And he was all, “Yeah!” And I was all, “Ewww, gross, no way!”
Dot. Dot, dot.
“Well. OK. Twenty bucks.”
And he was all, “Awesome!”
I didn’t actually make him pay (or even ask for) $20. But I should have. Next time.
*I totally love the names given to feminine hygiene products, especially the alternative brands. I mean, DivaCup? Luna Pads? For reals?
