All Dressed Up And Possibly Everywhere To Go

Oh no. I’m doing exactly what I hoped I would not be doing. Opening up a post to write with nothing specific to write about. I have no plans, no intentions. Where is this thing gonna lead? I don’t know and you don’t know. As much as I dreaded this moment’s inevitable entrance, it is kind of exciting to not know what lies ahead. I am quite the planner. I’m the guy that organizes and gets it all together then Corey calls and says, “Hey, I think we’re gonna go to Great Escape first then meet you there.” WHAT?! No! A wrench…thrown…in my plans. Now I have to get there early with Jeff. Dang it. Haha. I totally kid. At least with the names. I love both those guys. But I do like plans and I like them the way I plan them. If plans don’t stay the same, then they cannot be plans. They become suggestions.

I’m reminded of “Plans” by Bloc Party. “Stop being so laissez-faire, we’re all scared of the future.” Are we though? I mean, I fear for where my typing fingers are leading, but in the big picture are we really dreading where the world is headed? Global warming, escalating violence, The Love Guru. That last one scares me most. But seriously, since the beginning of time things have always gotten worse. It’s called entropy. Not a big deal, kids. “Oh no, but the Mayans say 2012 is the end!” Yeah, but the Rapture happened in ’88. Way to go, Whisenant.

Whoa, regroup. I don’t know where that whole paragraph was going. Let’s talk something more tangible. I found out Kings of Leon have a new album coming out in September. Man, that was quick. Because of the Times was only April ’07. They said they were itching to get back in the studio but I guess I didn’t believe them. It’s perfect timing too cause I’ve been spinning all I have by them on random. I love those guys. They remain one of those rare acts where each member really excels at what they do. Jared, the bassist, is less than a year older than me and look at what he’s done. What a groover, too. All I can say is I am in severe anticipation territory.

Speaking of anticipation, a weekend is all that stands between us and one of the biggest albums of the year. Yes, yes, yes. Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. What a title. More like Viva La Vida or Death to Our Status As the Usurping U2 If We Blow This Album.  The former rolls off the tongue with greater facility. I really see Coldplay as doing no wrong. Think about it, even if you don’t like an album by them, you still love a few songs. That is success. With how easy it is to reach the masses, now more than ever you’re not going to be pleasing everybody. Having a few songs that the majority loves is great victory. I know it’s already leaked but I sit and wait like the good boy I am. I think that made Narrow Stairs that much better. I wonder when they announce the winners of the Madison Square Garden Show? Hmm… I know they’re on the Today Show the 27th and I’m gonna see if I can be there. Yeah, right. Now that’s a plan that can change.

Finally, the last thing on my mind is M. Night Shyamalan’s latest twist…er, I mean movie. Seriously though, this guy was once my favorite director. I want to see The Happening but after Lady In The Water, Lucy has got some serious ‘splainin’ to do. I was on the A.V. Club today, which if you don’t know is a website for pop-culture snobbery (I love it), and people were all up in Mr. M.’s business. No one could come up with anything better than “what a one-trick pony” and various unhumorous riffs on the guy’s last name. Wow, that’s not racist. I like his movies. Unbreakable is my favorite. I think time will be more kind to Shyamalan once our kids find his movies. He does do the twist thing. But look at Lady In The Water. It had no twist, just plot. Granted, there were about one million other things swimming afoul in that water, but it did deviate from his staple. That’s the problem. Everybody likes the first album better. Ask any of his detractors back in 1999 and they’d say he was genius. Those same people bash The Sixth Sense (did you know that’s Mischa Barton throwing up in that movie? So that’s where the bulimia started…) because they look at it through the lenses of his other work. Cut him some slack. If he drops the twist, you don’t like it. Regardless, I’ll see the new one even though I’m pretty sure I had the twist ruined for me today. Oh well. I’ll see it for Zooey Deschanel. What a cutie.

We made it through. I’m trying to standby for Conan tomorrow, so if my plans stick, I’ll have another post soon to recap the experience.

Don’t be scared of the future. Til next time, baby birds.

- Chase