Hey, Butch Walker: Waiting on summer tour information, please

Like it or not, the truth is just like Tom Petty says:  the waiting is the hardest part. 

This was true even when AC/DC was on their monster tour and Bibi got to see them six times.

 Now that they're on hiatus and I've discovered Butch Walker--AND that unbelievable week of March 11, 2013, is past--the waiting is on, and on, and on....Oh, well, fans have to take the good with the bad, just part of the life. 

Some of the good in the last couple of weeks has been hearing others--that I introduced to Butch's music--talk about Butch.  For example:  D from the office now has Butch on one of his playlists in his computer at work.  Not only did D buy The Spade from ITunes, he includes it in his daily listening. N, gave her one of the first Butch Walker Mixtapes, said she watched a really bad Gerard Butler movie (besides the Guy Ritchie movie and The 300, there are good ones?) that had a BW song at the end!  (It's Synthesizers.)  I was so impressed!  She did listen to the mixtape cd and she recognized Synthesizers.  I felt so fulfilled:  one of the basic tenets of the fan rules and by-laws was well-accomplished--spreading the word.

Butch seems to be in Georgia right now, enjoying family life.  Great idea:  charging up for the highly anticipated summer tour.  The new album by Fall Out Boy, produced by Butch Walker, was released today and Butch tweeted to say it had a Top 10 single and was the Number 1 Album.  So cool for him and F O B.   More good to accept, right?

But that waiting thing....ugh! 

Hope we get news soon on the tour dates, locations.  Decided against buying tickets for the early June Fall Out Boy stop in Houston.  What if it conflicted with traveling to or attending one of the dates for Butch?  Of course, no question what Bibi would do, but can't throw $$ around like no big deal, even with that HUGE tax refund on its way.  lol

I know.  You're saying to yourself:  Bibi--been patiently listening to you go on and on.  Where are some Butch pics?  OK, you're right.  Here's one of Bibi's faves that Butch tweeted the other day: 

Just like Bibi thought, especially when she got to see him so close up in Dallas and Austin:  great handsI  Well, er, um, in this picture, really, really great right hand.  Bibi is such a fan.

And here are couple from Vice Bar in Austin: 

He's fabulous in color--even more so in person--and oh, so cool in black n white, n'est-ce pas?

Love ya, Butch!

Bass Lines--Way Underrated, Like Butch Walker

Bibi knows the allure of the lead guitar player--e.g., ANGUS YOUNG, lead guitar player par excellence--but what would the band's sound be without the bass guitar player?  Let's face it:  we say we love Angus, for example, but true fans love the work that the artist has produced.  For AC/DC, that work includes all the band members.  We love the sound of it, the words (even if we can't actually understand what the words are), the attitude expressed, the entirety of the song/songs.  Bibi focuses on Angus, as AC/DC intends, but it's the whole AC/DC package that Bibi is enthralled by.  Everybody knows that one of AC/DC's strengths is the tight, rock solid, killer rhythm section, led by Malcolm Young, reinforced by Phil Rudd on drums and as Bibi once said to AC/DC's bass player, Cliff Williams, with his irreplaceable bass line.  Actually, Bibi referred to one of Angus's primo show-off songs, Let There Be Rock, and giving Angus his due, said to Cliff that the song would not be as great as it is without Cliff in the mix. 

  There was a 92 decibel rocking band



http://youtu.be/DNZXjPES7Cs

Of course, there's no way a living human being will not be totally overcome by Angus in this song. He's so un-fucking-believable in this one. (Don't get Bibi started: Angus is ALWAYS un-fucking-believable, this is just one of the best songs EVER!)


Cliff seemed pleased to be acknowledged.  But, each time I've met Cliff, he's been such a sweetie, so his reaction was completely in sync with what I had come to expect from him.

What brought this to mind today?  Was thinking about the Blues Brothers; watched it again the other night.  What a movie!  Action/adventure, finding your path tale, musical, they just don't make 'em the way they used to.  sigh  Bibi was in Chicago in late December and really liked it.  Thought of the almost end of the movie which took place at Richard Daley Plaza.

Of course, there's this number. 

 Bend over, let me see you shake your tail feather!

With Donald "The Duck" Dunn playing bass, never fails to get Bibi moving.
  Of course, SO many scenes in The Blues Brothers are so memorable, like Bibi said:  they just don't make 'em like they used to.

And I hope you ALL know:  Butch is a fucking awesome bass player!  We know it's true because, well, we LOVE BUTCH and his music.  AND, he said it on Twitter.  Who could ask for more in terms of validity?   In the meantime, "do the twist, do the fly, do the swim, and do the bird..."   Have a fab, wonderful, dancing around day!!!

Butch Walker Coming to Texas--Based on Which Data Sets?

Woohoo!  Got the tickets for the Dallas show, made the hotel arrangements for Dallas and Austin.  Well, it's not precisely in Austin (Round Rock), but at least it's not in San Marcos (!)

and it's reasonably priced with an excellent rating from Trip Advisor.  Plus, already have a restaurant recommendation for Round Rock--known for its pie!  Was a bit touch n go getting it all settled, but now feeling a sense of accomplishment.  Hey, Bibi, it'll be spring break, lighten up with all the planning and thinking ahead!   

Bibi is fascinated by the whole decison process that brings BW to Texas, especially Dallas.  There has to be more to it than geography, airline routes, and seemingly interminable airport to hotel distances, right? 

As the readers know, Bibi's MBA background kicks in every now and then and excel tables sprout up, along with questions:  what data was gathered to come up with this itinerary?  It could be that Butch has other things he wants to do in these cities around these dates--heard there are some good art museums in Dallas, not sure what there is in Little Rock, maybe it has a hot, undiscovered music scene?  Is Chuck there?  (Read Butch's very-readable Drinking with Strangers for the backstory on that.)   These and other opportunities drove the decisions to construct this route?  Just wondering.  Could Bibi have access to the SWOT analysis on this?

Right. 

Burning question:  why favor Dallas instead of Houston?  Doesn't matter, really, in terms of Bibi making the trek--SO HAPPY Butch is coming to Texas outside of SXSW--I'd go to El Paso, Nacogdoches, hell, even Eagle Pass, Pasadena or Baytown if any of those had been his city of choice.  Kind of funny:  been talking about Butch to my economist/finance prof friend, also one of the statistics profs, and my supervisor, a management Ph.D.  All of them expressed curiosity about how Butch's management group decided on Dallas:  industry data showed a higher level of Butch cd, mp3 sales there?  Disposable income substitutes  trended higher there for Butch tickets?  Facebook and Twitter hits were tallied and gave the Butch edge to Dallas?  Views of Live From Daryl's House, episode 54 and YouTube BW videos tracked higher in northern Texas vs southern Texas?  How DID they use best business practices and all kinds of regression analysis to know this?  Or, some secret, trademarked  algorithm using information from some/all/other of the factors mentioned?  Something like: 

 

Little jokes.  Will check with my marketing prof to see how entertainment world data is generated and made available.

Bibi has been so engrossed in these business geek considerations, the Downton Abbey routine for Sundays (homemade cherry/pineapple pie to go with the traditional tea--lovely DA viewing.  Thanks, Janet Neighbor!) and some time watching the Superbowl adverts, not much time for thinking about the set list requests.  OK, spent a few random minutes thinking on that; keep coming back to the BWM series.  BWM V.2 is really, really good:

Maybe It's Just Me
Mixtape
Don't Move
Race Cars and Goth Rock
Bethamphetamine (Pretty Pretty)
The Weight of Her
Here Comes the…
Ponce de Leon Ave.
Ships in a Bottle
Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car
Sweethearts
Synthesizers
The Closest Thing to You
Pretty Melody

For Texas, would leave out Mixtape, Ships in a Bottle and one of my all-time Butch faves, Don't Move and ROCK it way more by adding Summer of '89, Day Drunk, Bullet Belt, Bodegas and Blood--just love this song, maybe Dublin Crow and of course, Sucker Punch.  (that would make it almost all of The Spade, but it really is so good.)  Plus, She Likes Hair Bands--cannot leave this one out.  This would still leave room for three of the new songs, right?  Hmmm...too long?  Leave out Ponce de Leon Ave.?  It's a great BW showcase in versatility, with that oh so cool Todd Rundgren vibe. Would like new listeners to discover it, but, OK.  Please add Here Comes the...please.  Have been listening to I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart and really like it.   A couple of those cuts added to the set list would go over very well:  Days/Months/Years, Don't You Think Someone Should Take You Home.  Jeez, it's tough discerning the BEST of Butch Walker's songs to really show off his phenomenal talents.
Butch will come up with a GREAT set list; he's a seasoned professional, knows what works in a live setting, what he's comfortable with, how to reach the audience, etc., etc.  Brings to mind the consistent AC/DC fan concerns about the set list.  I could never believe some fans' complaints about the selection.  Some would even say that leaving out You Shook Me All Night Long would be no loss!!!  Weirdos, really, they are everywhere!  In the end, AC/DC made almost no changes in a tour that lasted almost two years.  I saw them six times during the tour and LOVED EVERY SHOW.  So, we will see what Butch does.

Love you, Butch!  Can't wait to see you in Dallas and Austin!

Butch Walker: He's the Best for a Monday Morning

Yes, it's agreed by all who matter--these are some cool guys I met in front of AC/DC's hotel in Paris, Manu, Didier and Robert--and I think they would go along with Bibi:  there is nothing finer in Carolina (or Texas) on a grey and dreary Monday that is also the first class day (yikes!  what a stomach-churning combo!) than listening to Butch Walker to make the day somewhat less foreboding.  Just hearing:   And I don't want to remember, but I don't want to forget, That no one will believe me if I say:  So honey don't you call now, don't pick up the phone now, don't you know we're better off this way? mellows me out.  That lovely, lovely voice, the Todd Rundgren vibe in the words...we can be in love for just one day...so I met you by the bathroom to escape....Aaaaahhhh! 

Sometimes, listening to Butch sing, Bibi thinks that Butch so loves to hear his voice.  Not saying it in a "he's so full of himself" way.  What a gift he has!  Not just the sound/texture/shading of his voice, but the lyrics he writes, the phrasing he uses.  (sigh) AND, he's sharing it with us, his lucky, lucky fans!!!

Here's Butch reportedly singing Ponce de Leon Ave. sometime in the past.

It's a different look from the one he currently has, but the voice is still as fab as ever!  Of course, the camera adores Butch as much as ever--that hair! those eyes, those cheekbones, that thoroughly adorable nose!--though, emphatically, he's so much more than a pretty face.

Love you, Butch!

Butch Walker: Post-Show Blues

Every day's a Monday now that the show has come and gone, right?  Bibi's been really busy at work and suffering from a diagnosis-proof toothache, living on Advil, and a lack of Butch Walker shows.  Guess, toothache or not, had to unfold this way for the fans lucky enough to see Butch in Chicago.  Like Tom Petty says:  waiting is the hardest part--until the new album hits and the supporting tour.  The BWAE (Butch Walker Ameliorative Effect) has been put to the test all week, helping Bibi through the pain, but really!  Just want it to go away and never come back!

Confession:  haven't been upholding my duties as a fan.  Want to make a new mixtape cd--the songs that Butch sang on December 30 at the Double Door, sans the new ones, of course--and have run out of the Butch cards I give out to those whom I want to become familiar with Butch's work.  Did get more card stock today and think/hope I'll be up to putting together the setlist for the new batch of cds later today.  There's a new indie-looking eatery next to the library and wanted to offer them the BWM II.2 (without the s and f words), but need to make a few more of those, as well.  Geez, really behind in carrying out the fan oath of purpose and obligations!  Did I even remember to pay dues recently? Priorities, Bibi!  lol

Did talk up (through the mist-inducing pain) Butch, the recent show, his talent, his persona on stage to two new people at work--that's when I realized I was out of cards and BWM II.2.  Bibi loves Butch's work and understands about the use of the s/f words--they fit in the flow, meaning of the songs, are not hate-inspired, mongering--but the idea is to introduce Butch to simpatico listeners, not give them the opportunity to get hung up on details. 

My competency with the phone camera at the show was really challenged.  Show pics would make very effective ppt-like effects while I'm talking about Butch.  But, have been able to let folks see photos other people took; some are quite good.  Very appreciative of those.  LOVE this pic someone took on NYE while Butch was singing....you know the song lyrics this gesture fits....tick, tock, tick, tock....ok, Race Cars and Goth Rock. 

Thinking that next time I see Butch, will try to get closer to the front, just for the sake of pictures.  Given different factors, Bibi's strategy had been to leave the struggle, time consumption of being at the front, difficulty of going to the bathroom or getting drinks to others, but re-thinking that.  Not something that ever bothered Bibi at AC/DC concerts--and have the pictures to prove it (ha, ha)--but with Butch playing such small venues, seems absurd not to have great pictures of him performing.  Plus, the camera LOVES Butch and the Internet needs more pictures of him looking totally fab.

Who could argue with that need?

Love you, Butch!

Butch Walker: Say It Isn't So and Drinking With Strangers in Paris

As the faithful know, Bibi LOVES Live From Daryl's House, Episode 54.  Episode 54



It brought about a seismic change in Bibi's already full life, introducing her to the great, the wonderful Butch Walker.  My favorite cut from that show is Say It Isn't So. Posted this so many times, here it is again.

 Once Bibi heard this, life changed!

I know set lists for performances are set in stone in advance of shows--at least that's how AC/DC and Bruce do it--but SO hope Butch will include it on December 30. 

Just so you get an even better taste of Episode 54, here's one of Bibi's other faves, Bodegas and Blood. 

Butch n Daryl's band rock it!

Of course, every song Butch does on the show is also one of my favorites:  Sweethearts, Mixtape, Closest Thing, Why Was It So Easy...so, there it is.  You may ask, what was the reason for this post?  While Bibi is not prepared to go into the existential why of blog posts at this time, today, the reason is that I had a chance to talk Butch up to someone who immediately got on the web to look Butch up!!!  So exciting when you get through to someone!!  Once I'd talked to D for awhile, thought, why don't I listen to Say It Isn't So and once I did that, well, slippery slope. Had to watch the other songs, too.  As a special treat (Bibi loves cat treats and this clip is a really great treat for you) here's the opening of Episode 54.  How Bibi met Butch the first time!!!!!!  You get a feel for Butch the person, what's important to him as an artist, a shortened form of what you would read in his book, Drinking With Strangers.  A very good read!  Plan to re-read it before the trip.  Why doesn't the book have an index?  Needs one.  AC/DC's Maximum Rock & Roll has one, although it could be better.

Introducing: Butch Walker


If you began reading these posts after my AC/DC phase, you (regrettably) don't know that during slow times within AC/DC's last tour, Bibi would fill in the gaps by blogging about individual AC/DC albums, songs, why they were great and should be in the rock pantheon of all time.  Wondered if I might do that about Butch Walker's music before December 30.  It's almost here (Bon Scott scream!) and even though Christmas is already exciting, knowing that I'll get to see Butch so soon, well, the excitement around Bibi is just palpable.  Feel like there's a slight buzz in the air around me, the sky is bluer, the air crisper.  Or maybe it's the cold front that came in last night, hard to distinguish.  Tough to concentrate on the day-to-day since I have the Chicago guidebook and see that the few days Bibi has up there are too short to fit everything in. 

Just so you know:  there will be no time for "hoping to spot Butch somewhere in Chicago" as occurred in Paris with AC/DC.  Bibi did enjoy meeting the fans outside AC/DC's hotel and Bibi was richly rewarded for sitting around in the bar, since I got to talk to Brian and Cliff--such sweeties--but really, Paris deserved more of Bibi out and about instead of hanging in a really expensive bar.  I read in one of Butch's tweets about an elite, pricey bar in Nashville.  Ha, ha, ha.  What a bunch of fiscal lightweights!  If they thought that place was rich for their (financial) blood, they would never be able to drink in Paris. 

Oh, and btw, the Ernest Hemingway house was sold this year to private owners. 

Bibi is checking now to see if visits are still allowed.  It could work out that I'll only get to take a picture of the residence and maybe think of a way to bring a dirt sample back to the ex.  Bit of a family story:  the ex always wanted to visit Graceland; Elvis was his hero.  The only time his family went to Memphis, though, Graceland was closed for the day.  So, the ex gathered some dirt from the property and kept it for years.  That is now lost to the ages, so I thought I would bring some dirt back from the Hemingway (also one of his heroes) house for him.  Bibi's thoughtful like that.

We'll see.

The Beatles, AC/DC, and Butch Walker

Honestly, is there ANYTHING more joyous, more energizing, more totally FAB than the sound of the Beatles singing She Loves You in the morning?  Bibi jumps up and dances around every time she hears it--can't help it!
The Beatles, rocking it! 


Unless it's the great, growling, take no prisoners Highway to Hell (just love to wake up to HTH)

AC/DC with the incomparable Bon Scott  


Or, my favorite for the past few months, the totally beguiling, Say It Isn't So by Butch Walker and Daryl Hall.  Just so completely in love with this Butch version.

 Butch n Daryl harmonize so well

I know my faithful readers know all this, but just saying. 

Of course, there's I Saw Her Standing There, Paul being his so eager, irrespressible self:  well, my heart went boom, when I crossed that room, and I held her hand in mine...and before too long, I fell in love with her....it was awhile before I realized what he was really talking about--years, maybe.  It was a different time.

Paul is the cutest one! Still say so! 
For the longest, for me, the Beatles were everything the greatest singing group in the world could be, period.  No subtext, no guile, no underlying other entendre.  Didn't know what that was back then.  We were so blissfully unaware of what life was going to bring our way eventually.  Me and my other geek friends were the best fans any band could want.  For us, all-consuming, unceasing, unwavering fan-love forever.

It was the beginning of my life as a fan.  Looking back on it, Bibi realizes her parents were kinda cool.  Think about it:  blue collar Mexican-American family in a small, predominantly white Texas town (black families lived across the train tracks from the rest of town) and my parents allowed me to put a huge "Ringo for President" sign in the living room window.  The directions to our house included:  you'll know you're at the right house if you can see the Beatles posters in our daughter's room from the street.

Time passed. When I become a huge AC/DC fan in 2008, everyone's surprized at my intensity.  Why?  Being-a-fan guidelines didn't change.  Is there another fan-model?  Saw AC/DC in concert as often as I could, bought all their cds, read and learned as much about them as possible, and in these cyber-info days, that's a lot, invested in the odd AC/DC treasure here and there, very similar to my Beatles' devotion.

Now, here we are and Bibi has discovered Butch Walker--the coolest, most talented singer and songwriter currently recording and my task is clear:  convince everyone that BUTCH fucking WALKER is THE man to be listening to.  Was at the storage place today, getting Christmas decorations out and found George Harrison's Best Of cd.  Thought, well, I was listening to The Spade, Butch's latest, total kick-ass cd, but could take a short, reluctant hiatus on that.  What Is Life came on and POW!!! it hit me:  George perfectly covers how fans function for their idols. 

What I feel, I can't say/But my love is there for you anytime of day

But if it's not love that you need/Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love/Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

(Bibi will remind everyone: she doesn't mean any of this as weirdo, no-life, stalker stuff, okay?)   Anyway, the neat thing is that fans can listen to this song and completely accept that our idol thinks the same way about us, too. (They do, right?)  Artists need an audience (You can buy every copy of your record with your money/But you'd be your only fan) and fans need artists to follow.  So the whole fan-object thing works out really well for both sides of the equation. 
Humanities majors--we see correspondences everywhere.  The one Bibi sees with Butch Walker is that Butch deserves all the fan devotion possible, just like the Beatles and AC/DC.  So, rock on, Butch!  The fans need new stuff from you soon!  Please!

Waiting as patiently as a diehard fan can for the new record and in the meantime--check you out in Chicago!  Come on everyone, Bibi says you should go, too.

AC/DC now available on iTunes! Worthy research project.

WOW!! Huge AC/DC paradigm shift!!



End of an era. 

You know how it is for humanities majors (though Bibi has an MBA; she will always be a French lit major/English minor--you thought cats couldn't do that?), what is the significance of this move on the part of the greatest living rock n roll band?  No new albums need be expected?  Future set lists will be Greatest Hits' Compendiums?  Of course, that's what the usual show has always been, so not a stretch there.  Only difference:  no down time that the new songs gave you so you could go get a beer or go to the bathroom.  And like any true, diehard fan:  since all the hits are great, who cares which songs they play as long as they tour? 
Angus always gives Malcolm props for being the brains in the group, so maybe Mal thought it was the optimum time for this moneygrab?  Not that AC/DC shouldn't do this--their music is well worth every shekel it makes for them.  If there were some easy way to track the revenue, another very interesting research effort.

There was some cachet for me about this kinda Luddite attitude AC/DC had about iTunes, though.  I didn't buy that it was only because AC/DC wanted purchases made of entire albums; seemed more intrinsic to the  AC/DC ethos of good old fashioned rock n roll that had to be heard as scratchy vinyl or cds that skipped every now and then.  ahh, the good times.

Butch Walker and the Looming Fiscal Cliffs--no not really!

Haven't had time or energy to talk about Butch in the last few days.  What with work, life, and the looming fiscal cliffs facing America, the air is filled with dread, right? . . . although, like all of Butch's fans, that doesn't mean I don't think about him throughout the day.  Especially about seeing him in Chicago in December (Bon Scott scream here, but only on the inside.  I'm in a public place.).  If other fans are like me--and why wouldn't we basically all be the same?--you spend some time watching for tweets, checking for anything new on butchwalker.com, are there any YouTube videos of Butch we haven't seen (see below), and what about that Calvin Klein ad from back in the day?  Is that really Butch Walker?  Guess we've all done things in our past that we wonder about later.  Not apologetically, necessarily; we just wonder about how/why we did them.  What we fans do know is that over time, Butch has inhabited many personae (ooooh, there's that big brain on Bibi, again).  Just look at his hair through the years, listen to his albums, the interviews some lucky, lucky few were able to score, to get a multi-faceted picture of THE Butch Walker.  Sometimes, in my more idle moments, I wonder if I would have liked Butch through all his versions since I'm so picky about tiny little things in general.  Slippery slope there.  Like the fiscal cliffs, maybe.  It must be very frustrating to be an economist listening to the inanities coming out of non-economist legislators' mouths and outright dodos talking economics.  Glad I'm not them and please, Mr. POTUS, don't bring Larry Summers back (that guy! what a jerk) to muck up the waters more than they are.  Looked at from that vantage point, guess waiting for Butch to make a concert appearance is relatively anxiety-free.

Last weekend, got a chance to talk Butch up to some new people.  Well, new people in terms of their connaissance de Butch Walker.  Some of them have known me for dog years and they're French.  Gave them copies of The Butch Walker Mixtape IV.3, talked about Chicago in December (woo hoo!), got suggestions on which smart phone to buy.  They're on the upper end of the economic scale so of course they said the iPhone. Unequivocally, they love their iPhones 4.  They like me, so they were very indulgent about this Butch Walker phase, listened with interest about how it has evolved, what Butch is all about.  Guess that's why I like them, too, right?  They've been with me since before the AC/DC-Angus phase.  Marc has a special place in my rocker heart since he's my Paris AC/DC concert buddy as well as my entree to the guys' hotel.  I will always and forever love him for that.  Plus, I like these people so much, I not only drank (and drank) Champagne and had a couple of shots of bourbon with them to celebrate Marc's birthday.  They only buy the good stuff, so it's not so bad as having to share Andre with people at the usual parties.  So, it was a very pleasant time, indeed.  Hope they follow through and really listen to the BWM IV.3 (includes Freak of the Week).

Recently, Butch suffered what could have been a career-shattering blow to the face from one of his band mates.  Chipped tooth!  In the LA culture, devastating.  Butch really suffers for his art!




I guess the moustache is coming along...okay?  Thought/hoped there might be then and now moustache photos on Movember, but not so far.  If he were to do that, would it mean more donations?  Think about it, Butch.

Also, saw a funny video of someone playing Let It Be in the background with Butch saying let it be in the right places in the song.  Honestly, what fans think is entertaining.  I thought it was very entertaining.

Butch hangs out in a musical bar

Have to say--again--Butch is really easy to look at.  And he's so camera-ready!  It  just loves him!  To our benefit.  Thanks, Butch!

Back to the Basics: Butch Walker

YAAAAYYYY!!! Finally the election is done!  Bibi got an email from the re-elected President (!!!) to cap off a tough campaign for all of us. Exhausting! Our American way of life is safeguarded for another four years and now we can get back to the basics of blogging about Butch Walker...and if any news comes up, AC/DC!    

I'm sure that this picture from Butch was among the factors that worked toward the election result:



That good ol' Butch Walker Ameliorative Effect at work! 
Thanks, Butch!

Win a Red Vinyl Edition of AC/DC's New Live LP!

Hadn't been to acdc.com in awhile--the site is not well-managed and whoever is purportedly in charge of it and takes our $40/year doesn't care--but have always enjoyed (most) of the fans who post comments.  Met a few--like all rabid, er, devoted fans, well, there's a continuum of crazy for the band, right?  I'm sure that to some, I may seem over the crazy end for Butch Walker, but I'm told that I was that way about AC/DC in the early days, back in 2008-9.  Makes me a bit sad--you mean I won't always feel this strongly about Butch Walker?  I still think that if AC/DC were touring, my enthusiasm and interest would be back up there.  Plus, that's what being a fan is all about:  fervor and single-minded devotion.  I could go on and on....Maybe next time.

Anyway, one of the fans on acdc.com let us know about a contest to win a red vinyl 3-disc set of Live from River Plate.  I put in my entry, which requires you to reveal your fave live song by AC/DC.  (sarcastic snort here)  Right, give me a break!  But, I said Whole Lotta Rosie.  If you've seen 'em live, you know that AC/DC's entire show is a total energy overload--the only let up in the sustained adrenalin rush that re-charges again and again each time the guys whack us black n blue with each mega-rockin' classic is when they play one of the new songs--but Whole Lotta Rosie, as they say, has it all.  The lyrics, sleazy and oh so Bon Scott, hammed up by Brian, Angus at his half-dressed, guitar god BEST (it's played after The Jack so he's down to his school boy shorts)--his riffs are UNBELIEVABLE.  The exchange between Malcolm and Angus kills.  The rhythm section is just jackhammerin' it throughout.  There is nothing to rival Malcolm, Phil and Cliff backing Angus.  Ahh, the good times. 


Can't wait to see you again, Angus!

If you want to enter, go here:  http://www.spin.com/articles/acdc-live-river-plate-new-album-best-concerts-contest

The Butch Walker Ameliorative Effect

Halloween's been a very good season so far.  Can't even believe this--the costume was done well before the usual time--an hour or so before the party.  lol  W e I R d feeling!!  Credit has to go to that vaunted Butch Walker ameliorative effect, right?  Have always listened to music and/or watched movies while I sew, figuring out intricacies of opaque  pattern directions, while bleary-eyed and experiencing huge doubt about the costume.  But this time, got Sanne's present done and in her hands 3 days before the shower, Sarita's costume done in under a week that was so drama-and catastrophe-free, it was like someone's TV life (makes for boring TV, but quite refreshing for me), had a very good visit with her, and had a WINNER costume for work on Friday. 

The costume for Saturday was finished with time to spare and completely baked in terms of concept and execution.  The only difference I can think of is that this year, I was listening to Butch Walker while doing the work.  It was a very satisfying experience, forever etched in my memory with a Butch Walker Mixtape II soundtrack. 

One unfortunate mishap:  lost the hat!  Got dressed, including the pesky, downright annoying eyelashes--those matinee idols really  suffered for thier art--walked to the neighbor's apt to show off, walked to the car, got in, realized I'd forgotten the cool bolo tie I made, walked back to the apt.  Noticed the hat had fallen off (couldn't really feel it because of the wig) and thought, okay, pick it up on the way back to the car.  Well, never found it.  The neighbors came out with flashlights to help search; no luck.  TROP BIZARRE!!!  What happened?  In the 1.5 minutes it took to drop the hat and come back to pick it up someone walked or biked by, saw it and took it?????  Oh, well...tried to console myself that the overall effect was still okay, but really. 

The party included the usual suspects--the theme was Haunted Hollywood/deceased Hollywood stars--Carmen Miranda (great costume my aunt selected for herself), Liz Taylor as Cleopatra (two), Marilyn (four), 3 Elvis, er, Elvi? (one white, one black, one Mexican--good contrast), Audrey Hepburn, Lucy n Ricky Ricardo, Johnny Cash with HUGE hair, but very in character, so I liked him, two Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra.  Unexpected:  three Amy Winehouse!  One Amy arrived with Kurt Cobain; cool.  Selena showed up with one of the other Amys.  There was a couple who had painted their faces like Dia de los Muertos; kind of neat.  Totally outside theme:  Star Wars storm trooper, Axl Rose (his career is maybe dead, but does that count?), one who might have been the Phantom of the Opera and his girlfriend who might have been a 20's flapper; guess they would be dead....Still, good to be there,even without my hat.  The Lupe scrapbook went over well, too.  There was food, drink, a band, some dancing.  Sure, some of that dancing--including mine--was "like I been shot in the leg for sure" but that made for more spirited and varied participation.  

Gave Rolan (Jimi) the famous Butch Walker Mixtape II.  It was very sweet that some of the partyers had seen my John Oates costume on fb and showed it to others at the party.  One of the Amys mentioned to her boyfriend, Kurt, that I was a huge AC/DC fan, traveled to Europe, Mexico and the US to see them and now had turncoated from Angus to some other musician.  Felt like I had to defend Butch.  So, talked him up a bit, including that I had bought tickets to see Butch's Chicago concert on December 30.  I know I'm excited about it.  But those who don't know Butch's oeuvre--what are you gonna do?

Still, there is a prospective Butch convert in the works, along with the chance to wear a costume, so it was a good night's work, with fun along the way. 

All thanks to the Butch Walker ameliorative effect!

Butch Walker CDs Found! AC/DC RULES!

The weekend had a wobbly start (and I don't even drink...that much)--had a strong urge to listen to The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and The Spade in their entirety and could not find my Butch Walker cds. (Terrorized Bon Scott scream here!) Terrible sick feeling in my tummy--where could they be?  Made me think of the two times all my AC/DC cds were stolen--damn those thieving assholes!  They are definitely on really rutty Highway to Hell. Especially because I just hit it lucky, finding The Rise and Fall cd and Sycamore Meadows seemingly difficult to find, even on Amazon.com.  Resisted rushing to the office--why would they be there?--and had to wait until today to see that, yes, they were at the office, safely stored (whose lame idea was this?).  Since I had them in my computer at home, I made some temporary replacements, so was able to listen to the first Butch Walker cd (for me), The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Lets-Go-Out-Tonites.  Just love it.  Since I  knew Butch only from his appearance on LFDH and videos on YouTube, but hadn't heard any of his cds at the time I found this one at the HPB in Clear Lake, it was a perverse kind of revelation to me.  The music was so unlike the Butch that I knew--this album has a seen-it-all, LA noir feel to it.  He comes across as a totally  louche LA habitué, less the likable, sweet and affable Butch on LFDH.  However, we all know the irrestistable allure of that insider guy in any scene and the gritty world in which he lives the low life.  Go ahead, deeply inhale the faintly sweaty, mixed with alcohol and a soupҫon of after-sex taint in the music.  My favorites are Hot Girls in Good Moods (who doesn't like them or want to be them?) and Bethamphetamine ('Cause we're hotter when we don't give a damn) but the whole album has this 90's vibe, complete with great melodies and hip, snarky lyrics that keep the album going full speed, so also really like Ladies and Gentlemen..."The Let's-Go-Out-Tonites!" and Too Famous to Get Fully Dressed, and of course, When Canyons Ruled the City (...With her nose up in the air/Pushing up her horn rimmed glasses saying, I don't fucking care/...la da da da...).  Wouln't it be the ultimate cool if Butch did one of these songs in an upcoming concert?  BTW--when is that upcoming concert????

Thinking about the famous The Butch Walker Mixtapes, some of the mis-steps I made, although I'm not apologizing for them, is that I tried to,

1. Set up the concept by putting Mixtape first

2. Give a judicious mix of Butch's different styles

Item 2 led me to include the best of each of the four cds which would give a fuller picture of Butch, but I don't know how motivated some listeners would be to listen to each song with appropriate consideration.

3.  not enough space on one cd to do this.

4.  In making II.2 with the idea of leaving out songs with the f and s words to broaden playability, had to leave out some really great songs.

5.  not enough space on one cd to do this for my specialized Butch Walker taste.

Just so glad I found the cds!

It ended up being a very good weekend:  began by taking Friday off, getting the place ready for Sarita's visit, finishing her costume--she liked it!--enjoying a relaxing, if short, visit with her.  Got some great work out of her, too!  We went through a small portion of my shoe population and got rid of 6-8 pairs--whoa!  She also loaded Rich Girl and Private Eyes to the PaperJamz guitar, so I'm almost ready for Friday's Fall Festival.  I'll be off work on Thursday, so plan to practice the moves and patter while I'm working on the other costume.  Very happy that the hat is just about done for that.  It's not professionally-made looking, but could work.  I might cave in and look for a real hat; not sure yet.

On the AC/DC front, found a news tidbit that thrilled:  the opening to Back in Black was voted the top riff of the 1980s.  Wonder what we would have thought of this in the 1980s?  http://ultimateclassicrock.com/acdcs-back-in-black-named-top-riff-of-the-1980s/ The article explains a bit about how this vote and results occcurred.  Brings to mind the polls about the presidential race--really, who's asking what questions and who are the people being questioned?  Any of those "undecided voters" aka idiots and/or voters suffering from attention deficit included in these polls? 

Greatest Guitar Riff of the 80s--and forever   I love this picture of Angus with his hair so short!                                                                                               

But I digress.  So wonderful that AC/DC is still and forever recognized.  When I saw them those oh, so few times in concert, I was surprized that BIB gets played so early in the concert, kind of like, well, let's go ahead and do it now.  I know:  they have so many hits, how to fit them all in and the new stuff.  Anyway, said it before:  AC/DC and Angus RULE.

AC/DC News from Malcolm!

Have taken some flak from the fb friends for taking up with Butch Walker and my quick n dirty response has been that Angus Young isn't touring, with small chance of a soon-to-be-announced tour.  A few weeks ago, Brian Johnson made news by saying that the guys were busy working and in the next year or so, could hit the Highwy to Hell again.  In the meantime, I had discovered Butch Walker, but was really counting on that upcoming AC/DC tour.  Butch is truly great, but the blog name says it all:  Bibi loves Angus.  So, sad to read the Malcolm update to the Brian news today: 

"He confirmed they’re working on a potential follow-up to 2008′s Black Ice. But he warned fans are in for a longer wait than expected, after singer Brian Johnson suggested there would be new material next year.

Young explained: “You know what Brian’s like. He just says things and then walks away. It’ll be a little while – a year or two anyway.  I’ve been doing some jamming on some song ideas but I do that all the time, as do the rest of the band. We are still working. But we had a long rest between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice, so I think we need a couple of years to recuperate and work on it a bit more.”

He added it’s unlikely any world tour in support of a future release will grow to the scale of the AC/DC Black Ice trek, which lasted almost two years and sold nearly five million tickets.  His son Ross pitched in: “It would probably be a bit less, a year or 18 months. That was very long last time.”

Glad to see that Ross is around as a spokesperson for his dad--he seemed like a nice guy when I met him in Amsterdam AND he took the picture of Angus n me--but the news is (big sigh) so disappointing.  The wait (ing) to see AC/DC, like Tom Petty says, is the hardest part.  It's really great that none of AC/DC are the kind of guys we'll snicker about in the TMZ news, but not having any news from them  does make the last time I saw them--June 18, 2010--seem like a  r e a l l y  long time ago.
There should be a font that signifies great sadness, tinged with regret, that could express how I feel about this right now.   I know, what a drama queen.  Malcolm did say they're working; a very positive sign, although it brings to mind that it was years between Stiff Upper Lip and Black Ice.  We will see.  We will see. 

Miss you, Angus!!!

Shoot to Thrill fires up Iron Man 2 trailer

It's possible the world was waiting breathlessly for the next installment of Ironman, but if it weren't, the I2 movie trailer currently playing would certainly make everyone sit up and beg for more, more, more given that not one, but TWO AC/DC songs are showcased among the snippets of film. Besides STT, the opening of The Razor's Edge is heard. Actually, I never have liked that specific song from the eponymous album; for me, the attraction of the cd is Thunderstruck, Fire Your Guns, Moneytalks and Shot of Love. The opening of the song, The Razor's Edge, is kind of scary, and maybe that's the reason it's in the movie. Anyway, hearing AC/DC music is always a plus, no matter the reason, and it really sounded great blasting out at the movies. Hope the movie lives up to the music!

UPDATE ON BIBI: more signs have been put up a bit farther out surrounding the neighborhood and the online pet finder, petharbor.com is checked a few times a day. Visited the city's shelter yesterday and no Bibi. Plan to return there tomorrow.

Angus Young, check your surroundings: Bibi is Missing

Alert to Bibi's followers: this post is written by the person who buys Bibi's food and provides her with a sumptuous lifestyle to which, I thought, she had become accustomed to the point of never leaving it. On Christmas night after protracted and heated discussion over seeing AC/DC in Paris in June 2010, Bibi ran out the back door, notwithstanding anticipated cold weather mixed with rain. (Bibi was born in the late spring and has never been in the cold, so I'm worried.) Signage has been put up in the neighborhood and an online lost pet service has been contacted. A couple of neighbors have reported sightings, so I'm encouraged that Bibi is lurking about, not yet having convinced anyone to fund a trip to Australia to meet Angus. I realize she's annoyed about the continued reluctance to promise a trip to Paris to see Angus and company, but just so you see it from my side: do you have any idea how expensive it is to send Bibi on the road? She's a bit of a diva at home and as a traveler, well, let's just say she doesn't travel light.

I will sub for Bibi in her absence, although I know my insights won't be as profound, witty or incisive. Her consuming love for Angus continues unabated, I'm sure, and she wouldn't want any AC/DC news to be left unnoted. Luckily, since the guys are on hiatus before the Australia/New Zealand shows in late January 2010, there may not be much that Bibi misses before her fervently hoped-for return. I know she would appreciate your wishes for a quick return, too.

AC/DC and Ironman 2

Bibi saw the trailer for Ironman 2--clearly the movie's producers recognized the value AC/DC music gave the first movie because the trailer for the next installment has not one, but two hits: Shoot to Thrill and The Razor's Edge! Can't wait! Maybe, maybe, maybe....Bibi can see Ironman 2 in Paris!!!!

AC/DC in Europe in Spring/Summer 2010!!

Bibi got her seemingly most unattainable dreamy wish this year: SHE MET ANGUS, rock god extraordinaire, she stood next to greatness for a few incredible moments. And sure, she was virtually incoherent, as could be expected in such empyrean company. But, maybe she can make a bold recovery because, YES, AC/DC will be in Europe in May and June, specifically Paris on June 18. So, the new year's resolution is set: save live crazy to get the funds to make this new dream come true. Stay tuned, Bibi watchers! She will keep you in the know.

Kicked in the Teeth Again: all my AC/DC cds were stolen today

Bibi's faith in humanity has been severely tested: all the AC/DC cds in the car were stolen today. It was a beautiful day, the top was down and when it was time to put the top up, all of them gone, gone, gone. The only one left is the one in the cd player, Highway to Hell. Will Bibi ever purr again? It's such a blow, like all the oxygen was sucked out of the environment. All you can say is: a pox on them! What jerks! Bibi was led to believe she lived in a safe neighborhood. Really wondering about that now.

can't write anymore right now; too depressing, thinking of rebuilding from this loss. (sigh)

It's All About High Voltage Rock n Roll

Some of Bibi’s favorite things…treats, naps, towels that smell like lavender, Angus Young, especially with really short hair. But, she’s not into housekeeping at all. EXCEPT: blog housekeeping. In this cat-egory, Bibi wants to give a meow-out to two lovely individuals, Denese and Jann. Jann is from down under and shared some great ACCA DACCA stories with Bibi the other day, to the amazement of Denese, who didn’t know of Jann’s AC/DC interest. Jann has even been to an AC/DC concert in Australia! Great talking to you!

Another bit of keeping everything straight: YES, the travel arrangements to Mexico City are complete! Angus, see you there! Bibi is so excited about finally getting back to her roots!

Yes, I know…where is the TDF for the last several days? We won’t even try to rationalize the absence of those critical posts, but now that the Houston concert tickets have been bought, maybe Bibi can settle down a bit—or not! Thing is, been listening to High Voltage again and how to choose? It’s still Bibi’s favorite.

Another way to put it: if I could have only one AC/DC album to explain to someone about AC/DC, right: Let There Be Rock. But, every time I play High Voltage (international release), I can just picture a really hungry, hot, new band that's ready to ROCK the joint down! It was my introduction to The Jack, Live Wire, Can I Sit Next to You Girl, Little Lover and High Voltage and each cut is so raw, so fresh every time I hear it. The level of talent and confidence they display in this first album--incredible! So, it's the second one I would have the uninitiated listen to, althought it’s definitely first in my heart. I’ve already named most of the album’s great songs, but if you haven’t heard it, you won’t realize that TNT and It’s a Long Way to the Top are also on this one. All fantastic, but I’ll focus on the TDF, already noted in a previous post devoted solely to HV: The crowning jewel among these rubies and pearls of rock gemstones is High Voltage. AC/DC is rarely given credit for lyrical styling, but High Voltage is a superb example of Bon Scott’s diamond in the rough, spot on writing gift. The winning hook is setting the song as a series of questions: from family, or (possibly) a girlfriend’s father, and maybe, one day, an interviewer: why I grow my hair, why I’m in a band, why I like to sing, why I like to play. Only one answer, one reason: the band does it for HIGH VOLTAGE ROCK AND ROLL!!! When Bon screams: wine, women and song, jeez, all the rock elements—words, drums, guitars--come together and the power the band generates with their music washes over us mere mortals as we’re swept up in AC/DC’s rhythm and drive into complete abandon to the moment.The free for all feel of the collaboration between words and music so evocatively conjures up the band's--and our--rock n roll dreams and adventures, real or only wished-for, that we’re inexorably sucked into a dizzy, wild tumble of right here, right now lyrics with no subtle meanings to confuse or distract us, scorching, pure guts guitar breaks exquisitely laid over heart pounding drums and aggressively hard as a rock bass and rhythm guitars. Just give yourself up to the sweaty, driving, good-time energy and love it, love it, love it. Whew…anybody for a cigarette? Before listening to High Voltage again…cranked up to eleven….