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I tried to write a more narrative take on my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding but turns out editing my journal entry was a more concise way to narrate the awesomeness.

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I looked and looked at the playlist below and marveled at the song list.  It was kind of a greatest hits of It’s Late.  I compared a couple of dates and what do you know, this was my G-Loaf Tribute show!  He and Mary celebrate 7 years today and I remember doing this show as a tribute to the years we’ve been pals and the couple few years as radio show hosts.

Dig.

1. Queen – It’s Late (News Of The World)
2. Van Halen – Best Of Both Worlds (5150)
3. Extreme – Pornograffiti (Pornograffiti)
4. Smashing Pumpkins – Today (Siamese Dream)
5. Vallejo – I Go On (Into The New)
6. Patty Griffin – Flaming Red (Flaming Red)
7. Nina Storey – Disease Of Suggestion (Shades)
8. Sister 7 – Kiss Me Baby (bootleg, better than studio version)
9. Johnny Socko – Madame Blavatsky (Oh, I Do Hope It’s Roast Beef)
10. The Specials – Pressure Drop (Today’s Specials)
11. Ani Difranco – Fire Door (live) (very cool bootleg version)
12. Barenaked Ladies – If I Had $1,000,000 (WXRV Presents:  Live From The River Music Hall Vol 1)
13. Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime (Sand In The Vaseline)
14. Lyle Lovett – I’ve Been to Memphis (Live in Texas)
15. Stevie Ray Vaughn – Life By The Drop (The Sky Is Crying)
16. Tori Amos – Landslide (Sonic Sessions Vol. 1)
17. Guru – No Time To Play (Jazzmatazz Vol 1)
18. Jhelisa – Friendly Pressure (The Rebirth Of Cool Vol. 3)
19. Liquid Soul – Threadin’ The Needle (Make Some Noise)
20. Yo, Flaco! – Rise N’ Shine (Skeptamistic)
21. Beck – Debra (Midnite Vultures)
22. Morphine – Honey White (Yes)
23. Beastie Boys – Sabotage (Ill Communication)

 

Later edit:  Here’s one from April 27, 2005 with comments.

I can only think of 1 Easter song in my collection, and it’s a song that never made it to completion.

Y’all may remember a little diddy Downtime cooked up for Alex and I’s first Christmas show as It’s Late.  The tune, Santa Is Your Daddy, was better than great but I’ll talk about that another time.  While I’m thinking about it, I need to post the original demo for It’s Late.  Anyway…

For my 30th birthday my homey’s engineered giving me my first mixing board and a microphone.  And what good is gear if you don’t use it right?  To paraphrase ‘Spies Like Us’, “A microphone unused is a useless microphone”.  Further, Cleez had just acquired his mighty Modulus and Shag had been playing drums for around 6 months (I think) so not even a month later moves were made to create another holiday classic.  The gang had joked about making another song after the success of the ‘Santa’ sessions and the idea came about to do one about Easter since that holiday was around the corner. Cleez was the mastermind of ‘Operation:  Bunnycrime’ and thought that a band configuration should be:  him on bass, Shag on drums, Wheels singing and playing whatever he wanted to, Alex on keyboards (which he had recently acquired), and Bill Keller on guitar.  I think Tom mentioned bringing in a trained horn player too – Steve maybe?  This session occurred in my living room.

Cutting short a long story about being responsible adults, the song didn’t get completed.  But what we do have is a wonderful sketch of what could have been.  Cleez and Shag thought it could be a song sung from the perspective of a kid that got shafted by the Easter Bunny.  I fantasized that finished lyrics would have some reference to Red Hot Chili Peppers tune ‘Funky Crime’.  Cleez came up with the main riff and the intro lyrics, Shag laid down a groove, and my sole songwriting contribution ever* is the recorder played during the intro.

Enjoy Take 1 and Take 2 of the song sketch for Bunnycrime.

ps. I know I’ve got the e-mail chain on this somewhere, and let me plug in this tidbit of Cleez warming up.

*save for a potty song I conceived for Porter, now used for Jessie.

Yesterday was a big day for our little girl. 

We do the whole ‘last one there is a rotten egg’ thing when we need a friendly way to motivate the kids.  Porter usually wins but Jessie doesn’t whine about it (yet).  She does little things to try and move him along though.  One example is at bedtime Porter is always the first on the potty so she’ll sit on the little stool by the sink saying she has to go really really bad to try and usurp his 1st place win. 

Yesterday morning she got up when I did (believe it or not sports fans, I’m first one up 5 days a week) and as she started to wake a bit she realized that the house was still pretty quiet.  No footsteps, no showers, Boxer still chirping to be uncovered.  She brushed her hair from her eyes and lifted her head with the slow realization that, for the first time in the burgeoning memory of her life, that she was the first person up.  Better said, that she was up before Porter. 

And she stood her little back up straight, proud, while a smile of satisfaction rose upon on her face like the sun.  A slow look around the room revealed an inner monologue that no doubt involved an award little sisters get for doing something before their big brother. 

In her wonderful excited diction she says, “I. First. One. Up!?”  “You sure are baby girl.”  “Yay!” 

Small victories, sweet honey love, small victories.

It was the highlight of my day. 

A few random shots of the kids.

Jessie wearing part of Porter’s Halloween costume.

Been caught reading, once, when he was 5.

Their first, and to date only, sleepover at home.

And last, a genuine smile from Jessie and one of the silliest expressions I’ve seen from her brother.  Trish told him to make a silly face and boy did he!  (This was not a still shot, he somehow held this expression!)

Later folks!