Brad Barrish

The Modern Age can be counted on for many hours of entertainment, and I mean that in the kindest way possible. I’ve gone on about the site in the past, giving it many props and I even talk to Laura online pretty often. She really should be writing for jeansandatshirt.com. She’s one of the biggest music snobs I know, though some of her rants border on a five year-old throwing a temper tantrum. She has this thing against Moby, who I happen to think is pretty swell and smart. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so here’s mine:

Laura, chill! The fact that Moby gets your Urban Outfitters panties in a wad is kind of a compliment to him. He tries to stir things up a bit, make people think and apparently he’s done quite a number on you. The fact that it’s starting to “consume [your] life,” is a little sad.

Yeah, I’ve been reading about this “Pearl Jam effect” that he came up with for quite a while too. I actually think he’s on to something when he talks about how the people that bootleg (a.k.a steal, download, rip, post, trade, etc.) Weezer and Pearl Jam outnumber the people that bootleg an artist like Pink. Maybe not by much, but I think he’s correct. Sure, you can use Manhattan as an example to prove your point about the number of Mizunderstood bootlegs showing up on the street versus the number of Maladroit bootlegs, but remember most places don’t have a guy on every corner selling them. It’s a lot easier (and cheaper) to download it online, and need I remind you that Weezer offered their album, in its entirety, before it hit stores, on their own web site? Pink did no such thing. Never mind the fact that Pink sells more records than Weezer.

Weezer (or any other Internet savvy band) post a lot of stuff to their fans via their web site. Rivers even talks to a lot of his fans online. Weezer fans are extremely “techno-savvy,” and I would say quite a bit more so than Pink fans. If for no other reason, Weezer fans gets something extra from the band’s web site.

Celine Dion records sell, not because people are idiots (though I’ll go so far as to say that if I heard someone listening to her I might smack them), but because the people that buy her records don’t have the amount of spare time that Weezer fans do. You’re talking about two different audiences, not to mention age groups, and let’s face it, to download a full album by anyone is a pain in the ass, unless they post it on their site.

I think that if Pink (or another “fluff” artist, as you call it) were to do what Weezer, Pearl Jam or even U2 did, as far as using the Internet to communicate with her fans and give them a little something extra, Moby might have a bad argument. You can only speak for you, and I understand that’s what you’re doing, but I gotta call you on it.

It’s not about saving Moby’s good name. He doesn’t need me for that. It’s about making people think a little more logically before they shoot their mouths off. Moby said in his post, “My concern is the way that the industry looks at the success of a musician or of a record that sells or doesn’t sell. Popular artists traditionally sold a lot of records. In the future that might not be the case. In fact, even now that might not be the case.” I’d say that’s a pretty intelligent thought. There is something seriously wrong with how the industry judges the success of an artist. I don’t think I need to explain that one any further.

I’m not going to even bother commenting on your stereotyping of Weezer fans, except to say that it made me laugh quite a bit. Moby’s album is selling quite well and the fact that he uses his site to communicate with fans is awesome. There are not that many artists doing that. The fact that he uses his celebrity as a pulpit to make people think is commendable, at the very least. By saying that, I’m not trying to take anything away from you or your site at all. Like I said, I enjoy it and I visit every day.

Now, give me my Ritalin back.

I’m sitting here listening to the Paul Westerberg in-store from Chicago. I currently own copies of all the in-stores except New York, Boston and Philadelphia. All three of those are currently en route to me.

Yes, I’m obsessed.

I’ve listened to them all repeatedly. Portland was my favorite, but right now Chicago’s about to knock that out of the running. Portland seemed small and not very well attended, and Paul was very chatty. He started the evening by asking if anyone knew who had died that day 11 years ago, and then went into “Another Girl, Another Planet”. (The answer being, of course, Johnny Thunders.)

Seattle, the only in-store I actually physically attended, was wonderful but it was Paul’s first show in six years. I don’t know who was more nervous, him or us. I’m lucky I didn’t break down in tears standing in the front row, when the ‘curtain’ (a metal store shutter) went up and there was Paul, sitting on a couch. I got all sentimental during “Waiting For Somebody,” a song I almost totally forgot about. When 600 voices strong were singing along to the American Indie Rock Anthem of 1985, “I Will Dare,” it was equal parts wonderful and overwhelming.

I did not expect this kind of emotional reaction. I worshipped The Replacements and it was one of my all time biggest musical disappointments that Paul did not become the great American songwriter of the 90s.

San Francisco was a little rougher. By all accounts, attendance was sparse, and it’s most notable for the heckler that Paul ended up dealing with by going out in the audience and slapping him in the face. (He’d make a note of this at the Chicago show, by joking that they’d hired security “for YOUR protection”.)

Los Angeles: Winona Ryder, and “Unsatisfied”. I groveled mercilessly for the L.A. show because, as I told a fan I was trading with, I thought I would die without hearing him sing that song. It’s a gem of a moment, but overall the performance and setlist put it pretty low on the list.

So now I’m listening to Chicago (which came in over the weekend, along with Philadelphia) and once again I am this little puddle of mush. It’s not even because of The Replacements songs, although the audience sing-along to “First Glimmer” is something you absolutely have to hear if you give a damn. I can’t claim nostalgia or memories of days gone by as the culprit, it’s the entire body of work that is affecting me. It’s the same things that grabbed me about The Replacements: simple, insightful, straight-ahead songs about thoughts and feelings we’ve all had, set to timeless, poppy, wonderful melodies. Now, combine that with a performance that’s raw, honest, sometimes heart wrenching, and always self-effacing.

I started this article because I wanted to talk about Paul’s performance on Leno the other week. He’d been on Letterman and surprised us all by rocking out as his alter-ego Grandpaboy. We had no idea what to expect on Leno. There were confirmed reports that he’d chatted with Cheap Trick about being his backing band, but no matter what might have been planned in advance, we knew that we’d never know what was actually going to happen until it did.

So the appointed evening arrives and I’ve got it on in the background while I do some writing. I then hear the magic words: “Paul Westerberg” and I rush to turn up the volume and watch. It was just him and that beat up blonde Tele, in one of those spray painted suits he was wearing on the in-store tour. At first you think: he’s playing it straight. It was Paul, not Grandpaboy. While I was standing there, transfixed, watching, thinking about how powerful he was, just him and that guitar and that voice… he got to the ‘Showin’ baby home’ line in “Let The Bad Times Roll,” he sang ‘Joey and Dee Dee home’ (twice, because he kind of stumbled a bit the first time) and I was utterly overcome with sudden emotion. My eyes just filled up with tears. I could not believe he did that. I mean, I believe it, it’s Paul Westerberg and if anyone knew how to monkeywrench a situation it was The Replacements, but he did it on national TV!. He did it on fucking Jay Leno, of all things, right to the heart of Middle America! He played it straight BUT – he didn’t. It was still 100% pure Paul Westerberg, totally his way, zero compromise whatso-fucking-ever. It was nothing short of incredible.

So I’m thinking about all those in-stores, all those people who waited in line and drove for hours in some cases, all those voices singing along. Why the fuck is this man not a star? Why is he not a national treasure? Why are all these third-rate songwriters having people fawn all over them, while Paul languished for so many years? I don’t know, but I think his time is finally here. He’s playing three theater shows in Minneapolis at the end of June, and Vagrant keeps making noises about a tour. Maybe the Rock and Roll Goddess is finally going to mete out some justice. Hope to see you there.

Kansas…It feels like home when I go back, but the weather is just one of the reminders of why I don’t live there anymore. Granted, had I never moved to LA or if I had moved to NY, I never would mention the weather, but it sucks. It was in the nineties every day. Going to a wedding in a suit when it’s in the nineties should be illegal. Hell, having a wedding when it’s in the nineties should be illegal. The good did outweigh the bad while I was in Kansas. Sitting under the moonlight in the backyard of an old friend’s house was bliss. The trains went by every hour or so and lightning bugs were playing all around. It was heavenly. The company was wonderful and the moment just seemed perfect. Really, it could not have been a better time.

Spending time in Lawrence always makes me want to go back. The town is relaxed. There’s no rushing around. It’s a college town, so there’s a good mix of people. The residents of Lawrence are the best though. You wouldn’t know, but Lawrence is filled with talented artists, authors and a rich cultural history. Walking along the Kansas River near my old house, I was reminised about my years spent there. The walks I used to take with Holly along the railroad tracks are also vivid recollections. One square block of Lawrence has more character than most of LA, but the weather…oh man, the weather…

As much as I want to do a jeansandatshirt.com web radio station, it just doesn’t look like I can afford it. I guess you’ll just have to settle for the monthly mixes. You’ll live.

1) Do you live in a house, an apartment or a condo? I live in an apartment. It’s a two bedroom/two bath in West Los Angeles (or as some like to call it, Beverly Hills Adjacent - GROSS, but true.)

2) Do you rent or own? I rent, though I used to own when I was still living in Kansas. My mortgage payments were $300 less than I pay for my apartment in Los Angeles. It’s ridiculous on some level. I really wish I could have found some way to keep the house in Lawrence. It was such a beautiful place and Lawrence is tops. On a visit home a couple of years ago, I knocked on the door of my old house and asked if I could come in and look around. Though a little hesitant, the guy let me in. His family lived there and had totally messed the place up. It was terribly traumatic.

3) Does anyone else live with you? Yes, Holly, my dog, lives with me. The building I am in has ghosts, though my unit doesn’t seem to be one of the haunted ones. There are dust bunnies as well.

4) How many times have you moved in your life? I’ve moved a total of four times, which is pretty low, I think. When I went off to college I didn’t live in the dorms. I got an apartment instead. Next to my house, it’s my favorite place I have lived. I bought the house after about two years. Three years later I moved to an overpriced shit hole of an apartment in West Hollywood. It was charming when I saw it, but I soon discovered that my neighbor had six kids in a two bedroom apartment. It was pretty miserable at times, though for a first apartment in Los Angeles, it wasn’t bad.

5) What are your plans for this weekend? I’m visiting Kansas right now. Tonight I’ll be having dinner with my sister and a mutual friend. After dinner I’ll be hanging out with a long-time friend of mine. Tomorrow is the wedding in Lawrence, which will take up most of the day and part of the evening. I’ll pay a visit to some friends in Lawrence on my way back to my parents’ house. Sunday I’ll spend some time with my parents and then fly back to Los Angeles, where the weather is much nicer.

I flew home to Kansas today. Flying Southworst wasn’t as bad as it usually is. Aside from the man with the annoying voice speaking to his business partner in a volume that required earplugs and the baby that was screaming bloody murder, the flight was fine. I saw a beautiful sunset and even flew over a thunderstorm. Seeing lightning from above a storm is amazing, to say the least.

It was wonderful to have my parents pick me up at the airport. It had been several months since I last saw them. They commented about my shaggy hair. The last time they saw me, I had a shaved head. My mom added that she likedit best when my hair was long (down to the middle of my back). I’ll never forget how diappointed she was when I cut it all off.

We finally got home and I gave my dad his Father’s Day card and showed them the magazine I had been published in. They were proud, and I still love to please them. I’m sure the album reviews will be on teh fridge sometime soon. I felt like the timing was right to break the news about the gift I had given myself for my birthday. Shortly after showing them the magazine I said, “I have something else to show you.”

I then lifted the left sleeve of my t-shirt to reveal the tattoo (I’ll post a photo of it soon) that now covered my entire shoulder. My mom was digusted. She looked for a few seconds. The anger was in her eyes. She was disappointed. I tried a little humor…“Mom, you can design the next one, if you want.” Nothing. No response. Dad took it fine. He didn’t look much longer than mom, but it didn’t visibly bother him. He later explained that it was my body and I could do what I wanted. There were more important things to be concerned about and he was just happy I was in town.

“Did you know about this?!” my mom shot at my dad.

“No!”

“Does your brother have one too?” she asked me.

“No, he does not.” Not yet, I thought to myself.

My brother called shortly after the unveiling. He wanted to know how it went over. I explained, in the company of both parents, making light of it for the most part. My sister called while my brother was on the phone.

“Your brother is here with a big tattoo,” she yelled as my dad was talking to her.

Dad handed the phone over to me and I told her about it. She glossed over it and told me that Friday would be good for dinner.

“The message is clear – there is no place on the Internet for services that exploit creators’ work without fair compensation,” added Edward P. Murphy, President and CEO, NMPA.

Right, Ed. AudioGalaxy is just one of many such Internet services that help artists find new fans. That’s not all these services do. They also help people decide not to by crappy albums based on the single songs they here on the radio. It hurts, doesn’t it? You know what hurts more? When I fork over nearly $20 for a new CD.

“This should serve as a wake-up call to the other networks that facilitate unauthorized copying. The responsibility for implementing systems that allow for the authorized use of copyrighted works rests squarely on the shoulders of the peer-to-peer network,” said Hillary Rosen, Chairman and CEO of the RIAA.

Tell you what, Hillary, you and the labels get together, come up with lower prices, take time to develop some artists, don’t treat us (consumers) like we are morons, and then we can talk. You and I both know that these networks will not go away. You made the biggest mistake of your career, and one of the biggest mistakes in the history of the music business when you shut Napster down.

The Napster model was pretty easy to control because there was a central server. Well, now look what happened. People are trading directly with on another. You have no control. You will never have control and until you treat consumers with respect and offer realstic solutions to the decline in music sales, you will be continue to lose the war.

I know I have said it before, but I’ll remind you that I am available if you would like me to consult and help solve some of your problems. I want to help.

I was on the unemployment web site today, getting everything ready to submit and wouldn’t you know it, I’m not eligible. Why? Well, my good old boss decided to let me go just weeks before my three-month employment mark. As it turns out, you have to have been employed for three months to be able to collect unemployment. Here I was thinking he was being nice because he gave me a couple of days of extra pay. Now I don’t feel so bad for taking a nap on my last day.

10. A window that opens and has a scenic view of Los Angeles.

11. Two Macs in front of me (if I’m in the office)

12. Getting to test out the latest versions of the Mac OS

13. Learning that Apple is a company that does do wrong…very wrong.

14. A boss that isn’t afraid to tell a senior engineer at Apple that they their company sucks.

15. A boss that takes me bowling and is good competition.

16. Meeting cool people and going to cool places (i.e. getting a tour of Dolby Laboratories).

17. Listening to my boss go off on people, espeically Apple.

18. Learning more about Macs than I ever really wanted to know.

19. Working 2 miles away from home, three days a week.

I’m tired of laziness, especially the musically lazy. You know the ones. They listen to the radio and think that it’s gospel. It’s not. Sure, we can’t all be on the bleeding edge of music, but how about picking up a music magazine besides Rolling Stone or Spin. Hell, even a mainstream weekly from the UK has some decent reviews and suggestions.

Realize, radio listeners, that there is amazing music that you are not hearing. The labels aren’t pushing these bands, and if they are you may not have a station in your area that will play them. Don’t even get me started on payola. How do you think the labels are making up all that money their losing from music piracy? Anyway, you’d think that Los Angeles would be on the cutting edge with great radio stations playing all the coolest stuff. We aren’t, with the exception of KCRW. Even they don’t play it all. I’m still not forgiving Nick Harcourt for glossing over The Twilight Singers album. He’s a snot-nosed, elitist who, upon taking over Morning Becomes Eclectic, played a lot of classic rock until someone elbowed him. I’ll give credit where credit is due, and despite my unfounded personal dislike for Nick Harcourt, he plays the best music in Los Angeles. I’ve discovered a lot of new stuff by listening to the show.

Aside from KCRW, KROQ is the mainstream alternative station in town. They play the same stuff over and over. 10% may be good music, but is it worth listening to for that? No. Again, giving credit where credit is due, Kevin and Bean still make me laugh, give great interview and KROQ does sponsor a good show now and then, but only when KCRW doesn’t get to it first.

What’s the point of this rant? Well, I’m thinking that there should be a jeansandatshirt.com web radio station, so I’m checking into such an undertaking. I’m convinced, based on the response I get for the monthly mixes, people will listen.