Recording: The Hold Steady Live @ Lollapalooza

Do you like rock music, boys and girls? Do you like drunken lapsed Catholic wildman Twins partisan poets who hail from Edina and were reared on Metrodome hotdogs, Grain Belt Premium, the inhumanly heroic exploits of Kirby Puckett, the 'Mats and lonely nighttime teenage drives listening to KQRS?

Do you like things that FUCKING KICK ASS?

If so, then pick up the live recording of the Hold Steady's show at Lollapalooza this past August that iTunes has for sale. It can't replicate the screaming, monsters-of-rock excitement of witnessing a live show, but it comes pretty close to harnessing the lightning.

Anyway, pick it up to whet your appetite before the band's new record, Boys and Girls of America, drops on October 3 (just in time for the Twins' World Series run!). I, for one, will be blasting it in my car tomorrow afternoon en route to a weekend in Batimore watching the Future World Champions eviscerate the Orioles. Rock 'n' Roll!!!

Don't You Dare, Wilf

From today's Star Tribune:

Who gets Dome: Vikings or Twins?

If the Twins have a home playoff game on Oct. 8, the Vikings might have to move the Detroit game to Oct. 9. However, the Vikings might challenge the Twins' right to the Dome.

Greetings From Minnesota

Not only is he the titleholder for World's Greatest Mustache, ladies & germs, but Mike is also now THE MOST MINNESOTAN MAN ALIVE.

Congrats, Mike. Hrbek has nothing on you.

THE TEAM OF DESTINY!!!

Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.

You know when you experience that feeling, that chill-inducing moment of clear specificity, of experiencing something unexplanable yet something that needs no explanation, the feeling of ineluctable knowingness, of absolute positivity, of:

"This. Is. It."

I experienced that violent synaptic-cum-cardiac jolt last night the second Torii Hunter smacked his 28th HR last night, a 3-run BOMB to give the Twins the lead in the top of the 8th & eventually beat Boston. It's one of those moments that compresses fear and ecstasy to the point where a mere spoonful contains the density of an entire star.

This is it.

We're going all the way. I know it. I just do.

Happy Birthday, Roger Angell

Roger Angell, aka The Greatest Baseball Writer of All Time, is 86 today. Tip your cap to him (and go read his books, for the love of God), ladies and gents.

Once It Hits Your Lips, It Tastes So Good

Failed Presidential candidate traipsing around Iowa, or your slightly narcoleptic anthropology professor who inexplicably shows up at your parties and insists you "call me John."?

You be the judge.

The Horror, The Horror

Oh, God.

Welcome to Philly

I have been here for 3 whole days, and so far:

1) I received a $26 parking ticket & was subsequently told by the Philadelphia Parking Authority that since I don't have, ahem, official and proper proof of my residency yet, I therefore cannot receive a temporary parking permit. So instead of incuring a daily $26 donation slip for the Philly Municipal Coffers, I am parking outside of my new neighborhood until I can rectify the problem.

2) Unbeknownst to me, construction on the block shut off the water in my place this morning -- and yes, right before, and I mean right before, I was about to jump into the shower. The guys outside (who, I have to admit, were some of the nicest construction workers I've ever met) explained that they were fixing the water main and would be done in a couple of hours. I guess I'll be catching up on my Internets bidness until I can get cleaned up.

Cynical kvetching is part of the Philly way, and I'm starting to feel like a native.

Nevertheless, I have to admit that as grating as byzantine bureauracy and big city insanity can be, a part of me is actually charmed by all of it, because it is, truly, a big crazy city. The Philly Native Goon perched on my shoulder is saying, "Whayddid you expect, huh?" and I have to admit that he's right.

King Fun East Campus is Now Open

I am living in Philadelphia now, having left Minneapolis this past Labor Day weekend to follow The Woman to her hometown and engage in what shall now be referred to as The Totally Awesome Co-habitation Experiment.

So far, so good. I arrrived in town on the other side of midnight early Monday morning and am taking a few days to relax and acclimate before plunging headlong into life here. Of course, some things won't change: One of the first things I did was set-up MLB Gameday audio so I can listen to WCCO Twins broadcasts streamed online.

Anyway, I can't tell you how tickled I am to discover that this week, the very week I arrive in my new home, is "Philly Loves Rocky Week." Talk about cultural signifiers! Apparently Ben Franklin's going to knock on my door and welcome me to town sometime this weekend, too...

This morning the City Art Commission voted 6-2 to return the statue of Rocky to a base at the bottom of the famed Art Museum steps (You have to admit that it's a helluva lot better than Mary Tyler Moore). Sly Stallone is reportedly going to show up at an unveiling ceremony this Friday night, and some statue booster expects "hundreds of thousands" to show up. We'll see.

You can read all about it here: http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15451955.htm