Music: Hive Dwellers, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists 21.03.10

Almost all of the shows at the Doug Fir are over-21 affairs, and as a result I'd never been there. An exception was apparently made for Ted Leo's second show of the weekend, however, an all-ages Sunday matinee. It was funny, though - as soon as I went downstairs, I couldn't shake a pretty intense feeling of deja vu. It took me a few minutes to puzzle it out, but then I realized that I had been there before, in a way. Back in 1999, I saw Tragedy play in that same room, but the building at the time was a Chinese restaurant, and the hotel was also under different ownership. It's funny how things change.

Anyway, The Pharmacists were great. This was probably the best I've ever seen them; the James Canty/Chris Wilson/Marty Violence lineup is easily my favorite, and everyone seemed to really be enjoying themselves. I think I heard everything that I'd been hoping to hear - especially "Bottled Up in Cork," "Me and Mia," and "Under the Hedge" - plus a pretty entertaining karaoke version of "Since U Been Gone," a song that I'm afraid I'm not really familiar with. They played for a little over an hour, which I think is just about the perfect time. I'd see them again in a second, so hopefully they'll return sometime soon.

Here's a clip of "The Mighty Sparrow," from the new record:

Music: Paul & Storm, Molly Lewis, Jonathan Coulton 27.02.10

Cara and Joanna and I went down to the Aladdin last weekend to see Jonathan Coulton play with Molly Lewis and Paul & Storm. It's a curious thing, seeing music in a setting like that: a large crowd, advance tickets, long sets, sitting down for the entire show. I'm certainly not used to that kind of experience, but I really enjoyed myself. Everyone that played seemed to be in good spirits, and the interplay between the folks onstage and the folks in the crowd - and the lighting technician - really added a lot to the whole night. Part of me thinks it's kind of a shame that Coulton's music is known almost exclusively for its humorous quality; there's no denying that a great deal of its appeal comes from being funny, but I think it's the sadness underlying songs like "Future Soon" and "Shop Vac" that really sets them apart. Anyway, the whole show has actually been uploaded, so you can see it for yourself; here's "Betty and Me," Coulton's opening song:

Music: Leeni, Spamtron, Trash80 03.02.2010

A few nights ago, I went down to Ground Kontrol to see Leeni, Spamtron, and Trash80. It was a new experience for me; I don't really know the first thing about chipmusic, but I stumbled across some of Trash80's material a while ago, and I think it's pretty terrific. Apparently, the folks that are behind this show, 2 Player Productions, are going to be doing more events on a regular basis. As much as I enjoyed the music, though, I don't know how often I'll be attending - the shows at Ground Kontrol seem to be strictly over-21 affairs, which is a fucking drag. Anyway, this is Trash80's "Missing You," the song that first caught my attention:

Film 2009

First of all, a few caveats. Since Elias has been born, I haven't seen nearly as many movies as I used to - at one point, I think I was easily seeing something in the theater at least once a week, but now I frequently miss films entirely, or only see them on video years after the fact. Despite having spent the last month trying to catch up on 2009 films, I can still think of quite a few that I still haven't seen, including The Hurt Locker, A Serious Man, Thirst, Inglorious Basterds, Drag Me to Hell, Observe and Report, Rudo y Cursi, Public Enemies, Cold Souls, and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Also, I don't doubt that there's a film or two out there that's flown completely under my radar, and I'll only realize how great it is years from now. Such is life. That said, here's my top ten for 2009, with three-line reviews:

10. The Road
While it proved to be something of a disappointment, it's hard for me to imagine a better way to film the book. After seeing The Proposition, I was pretty optimistic about John Hillcoat as a director, and I stand by that - he has a gift for the unrelentingly sorrowful and grim.

09. Duplicity
I'm a sucker for Tony Gilroy's contemporary take on political dramas like The Candidate, and Duplicity has a delicious black humor, much of it stemming from the vendetta between Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson's cosmetics magnates.

08. Paranormal Activity
While it's not for everyone - more than a few folks I know didn't care for it at all - I thought Paranormal Activity was terrifying. It succeeds mostly on the strength of ratcheting up its tension so deliberately, and by leaving so much to the imagination.

07. Coraline
This is the film that sold me on the new 3D technology. Seeing Laika's handcrafted work presented so vividly was a real treat, and the film itself was a shadowy and frightening and wondrous fairy tale.

06. Up in the Air
I hated Thank You for Smoking and liked Juno in spite of how proud of itself it clearly was, so I wasn't sure what I'd think of Up in the Air. I shouldn't have worried; it's easily Jason Reitman's best - and warmest - film, with terrific performances from everyone involved.

05. District 9
The first third of District 9 is easily the strongest part of the film, but don't let that dissuade you from watching it to the end. It's an overtly allegorical summer action movie, and strikingly, the first film I've ever seen that's clearly been influenced by the vocabulary of electronic games.

04. Fantastic Mr. Fox
While the animation in Fantastic Mr. Fox isn't as polished as that in Coraline, that somehow lends itself well to the film as a whole, with Wes Anderson's characteristic melancholy humor and familial strife. And three Beach Boys songs!

03. Ponyo
While I like all of Miyazaki's work, I have a particular soft spot for his films about younger children, like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. Ponyo is in the same vein, with a warmth and amiability that's a complete delight.

02. Moon
I still think Moon is best seen with as few preconceptions or expectations as possible, so let me just quote from my original post about it: "it's a rough-hewn, evocative , unassuming, atmospheric piece of science fiction, and I recommend it unconditionally."

01. Up
What to say? Along with Toy Story 2 and Ratatouille, one of Pixar's most human films. I didn't realize it beforehand, but the script was by Tom McCarthy, who can do no wrong in my book. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense.

Play 2009

Board Games

I recorded 202 plays in 2009, a significant increase over the 108 I had in 2008. A lot of that was due to a conscious effort I'm making to play more often, but the bulk of my play lately has also been with very short games, many taking less than half an hour to finish. Finally, Elias is old enough now that we've started to play together this year, and as you might imagine, it's a development that I'm absolutely delighted with. Anyway, here are my five and dimes for the year:

Bananagrams (35 plays)
Far and away the game that ended up with the most plays, but that comes as little surprise: most of these have only run about five minutes, and it's an accessible game with pretty broad appeal - I like being able to play pretty much anywhere, and with friends and family members that might not care even for lighter designer games. Also, I logged all of these plays since the beginning of November, when Joanna and Katrina introduced it to me on a family vacation. If Bananagrams proves to have some longevity, I could be discussing a substantially higher playcount at this time next year!

Once Upon a Time (21 plays)
Like I mentioned above, Elias and I have started playing games together, and this is the one that's seen the most table time so far. Personally, I think of it as more of a story game than a conventional board or card game, but I love it. The fairy tale theme and collaborative storytelling mechanics, of course, are both things that I'm quite fond of, and the fact that Elias enjoys playing so much tickles me to no end.

Dominion (15 plays)
I know that I don't have nearly as many plays as some folks, and I doubt there's anything I could say about Dominion that hasn't already been said, but man, what a terrific game. I received my copy at the end of 2008, and while I've enjoyed it from the beginning, seeing the various cards in action has only deepened my appreciation for it. Probably my favorite game right now - I'm more or less always down for playing.

Coloretto (14 plays)
Another game that plays in a matter of minutes, and that I've been able to successfully introduce to a variety of folks. We've played it a lot as a filler, or while waiting for other folks to show up. As a result of liking this so much, I picked up a copy of Zooloretto, but it hasn't hit the table yet.

Pandemic (14 plays)
The folks that I play with are pretty fond of cooperative games - when I first started getting into designer games, we were playing Shadows Over Camelot pretty much every time we got together, and right now I'm in a group that's getting together for monthly games of Battlestar Galactica. Pandemic, though, is probably my favorite cooperative design at the moment - it's tight enough that even when we lose, it feels like just one more turn would have been enough to win, and it plays quickly enough that I'm always willing to get in two or three games if other people are up for it.

Adventures in Oz (6 plays)
Cara and I have read perhaps half a dozen of L. Frank Baum's Oz books to Elias, so he was pretty excited when we found a copy of this game. I'm afraid I don't have much to say about it; it's a pretty simple roll-and-move kids game, but Elias really enjoyed it, and I was happy to play.

The Kids of Catan (5 plays)
A birthday gift for Elias, though I'm afraid he hasn't taken to it as much I'd hoped. Then again, it's not a terribly interactive game, either - everything is pretty much predetermined by die rolls, so there isn't much in the way of interesting decision-making. It is gorgeous, though.

Memoir '44 (5 plays)
I actually don't remember playing very much Memoir this year, but apparently I did. Anyway, it's an enjoyable diversion, but I've never quite been able to get into it as much as some people. Perhaps that would change if I played with a bit more frequency...

Mystery Garden (5 plays)
Another game that I've played exclusively with Elias, Mystery Garden is more or less a dressed-up version of Twenty Questions, but I have a soft spot for Ravensburger games, having played them a bit when I was a kid.

Finally, a few other games of note: The monthly Battlestar Galactica game that I mentioned above has been a pleasure - it's been great to have a regular group with which to play a long game consistently, and to really grow familiar with the game. The Fury of Dracula game I played last fall was an unexpected joy. And Conflict of Heroes is a light wargame that I'm excited to play more of in 2010.

Roleplaying Games

While I loved RPGs as a kid, and I've been playing in off-again, on-again games of D&D since 2004, 2009 was the year that I really started roleplaying again in earnest. A big part of this stemmed from sitting in on some of the panels at Gamestorm and really starting to think about the kind of play I want from my roleplaying. In turn, that led to diving into all of the terrific new small press games that have come out in the last few years, and meeting a few local folks through GoPlayPDX that have been really helpful as I began to test these new waters. I haven't been able to get in much of the longer, multiple-session games that I'm looking for yet, but I've done a lot of reading that's really changed the way I think about my play. More importantly, I've been able to try out a raft of games that have shown me those innovations in action - especially Dogs in the Vineyard, Dust Devils, Lady Blackbird, Mouse Guard, and PTA - and I'm looking forward to playing even more this year.

New Year's Day 2010

A happy new year to all that stumble across this message. It's been a while since I've posted anything here, as life has been especially busy as of late, but I hope that with the new year I can return to this project with renewed vigor.

Also, since I've been in a reflective mood and this song has been on my mind quite a bit lately, and because Mr. Chesnutt just left our world, I'd like to share a little music:

Secret World I

Interruption III

Right now, I'm reading Primo Levi's If Not Now, When? I still have several chapters to go, but there's once again a passage I wanted to share:

"...On the contrary, they were lighthearted: in the partisanka adventure, different every day, in the frozen steppe, in snow and mud, they had found a new freedom, unknown to their fathers and grandfathers, a contact with friends and enemies, with nature and with action, which intoxicated them like the wine of Purim, when it's the custom to abandon usual sobriety and drink until you can't tell a blessing from a curse. They were lighthearted and fierce, like animals whose cage has been opened, like slaves who have risen up in vengeance."

Good Sunday

Last weekend, we made our annual visit to Wenzel Farm, and then came home to relax for the rest of the day. Cara made banana bread, and at Elias's request, we watched some old episodes of The Twilight Zone: 'Walking Distance,' 'Time Enough at Last,' 'Third From the Sun,' and 'To Serve Man.' Needless to say, it was a wonderful afternoon.

Speaking of Elias... I've carefully concealed the existence of the Star Wars prequels from him for the entirety of his young life, but on the way home the other day he said the words I've been dreading for so long. "Dad," he asked, "did you know that there are other Star Wars movies that we haven't seen? There's a queen, and Anakin Luke Skywalker..."

Cruel & Unusual Meal Plans I

More news from Htrae: Jawbox will commemorate the Dischord reissue of their fifteen-year-old major label debut with a reunion appearance on a late-night talk show.

Interruption II

On Friday I finished John Berger's Hold Everything Dear. A particularly resonant passage:

"On the one side: every armament conceivable, the dream of no-body-bag wars, the media, plenty, hygiene, many passwords to glamour. On the other: stones, short supplies, feuds, the violence of revenge, rampant illness, an acceptance of death and an ongoing preoccupation with surviving one more night - or perhaps one more week - together.

"The choice of meaning in the world today is here between the two sides of the wall. The wall is also inside each one of us. Whatever our circumstances, we can choose within ourselves which side of the wall we are attuned to. It is not a wall between good and evil. Both exist on both sides. The choice is between self-respect and self-chaos."

Autumn Equinox & Birthday of Bilbo and Frodo

"Then the weather clouded over. That was on Wednesday the eve of the Party. Anxiety was intense. Then Thursday, September the 22nd, actually dawned. The sun got up, the clouds vanished, flags were unfurled and the fun began."

Last Day of Summer 2009

As is our tradition, we celebrated the change of seasons, as well as the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo, with a potluck dinner. Yesterday Patrick, Michael, Molly, and Nate joined us, and after a delightful meal and a delicious dessert, we played a little Rock Band, and then a game of Funny Friends. I have to say, while I might prefer Friese's Power Grid on a purely mechanical level, there's distinct charm to the little narratives one constructs while playing Funny Friends.

It's been easy to let this project fall into neglect, but I'm hoping to break that habit. There are many dreams in my life in various states of realization, but none of them are even close to what I want them to be. I'm ready, though, to make a true effort. Here's to the coming of autumn.

RIP Mike Seeger

I'm sorry to hear that Mike Seeger of The New Lost City Ramblers died last night. I know that I'm not alone in having gotten a lot of pleasure out of his music, and my condolences go out to his friends and family.

Thoughts on Moon

Actually, I don't want to say too much. I eagerly anticipate new films, keeping an eye out for trailers and reading up on reports from film festivals and shit, so it's rare that I see something without bringing any preconceived notions with me. I managed to do so with Moon, however, knowing only the broadest details of the premise, and it proved to be quite rewarding. So let me say only this: it's a rough-hewn, evocative, unassuming, atmospheric piece of science fiction, and I recommend it unconditionally.

Omnivores

I picked up a copy of Will Hindmarch and Jeff Tidball's Things We Think About Games a while ago, and have been wanting to mention Thing 051 in particular, which concerns itself with "omnivores," folks that play a variety of different kinds of games - boardgames, card games, electronic games, RPGs, etc. Here's a quote:

"But not only are there fewer omnivores than their enthusiasm might suggest, many self-identified omnivores are lying to themselves. No matter how much you might like to think of yourself as a roleplayer, if you haven't picked up an RPG book, much less sat down to roleplay, since college a decade ago, it's a bit of a stretch."

No doubt that's very true for many folks, but might I suggest that aside from "true" omnivores and the woefully self-deceived, there might also be a third class of player, one with which I unabashedly identify: those who consider themselves platform-agnostic to a large degree, but are also aware of how their tastes frequently ebb and flow. Cara has pointed out before how I tend to be serially fixated on different forms of play, sometimes engrossed in Far Cry 2, other times preoccupied by indie RPGs. A year ago, I was playing boardgames as often as possible, electronic games when I could, and RPGs almost not at all. Lately, those priorities have shifted - I've been reading plenty of RPGs, playing them as often as possible, playing boardgames when I can, and barely playing electronic games at all. Maybe a year from now I'll have a new computer, or the folks that I roleplay with will be too busy to get together. I don't think I'm alone in this, either - it seems like many of us, especially those of without a lot of free time, shift our attention with the seasons, changes of circumstance, or the appearance of new and intriguing games. Isn't that true?

Birthday

Today I am twenty-nine years old.

May Day 2009

Happy holiday to all.

Interruption I

I've just finished reading War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning by Chris Hedges. One passage in particular has held my attention:

"We are tempted to reduce life to a simple search for happiness. Happiness, however, withers if there is no meaning. The other temptation is to disavow the search for happiness in order to be faithful to that which provides meaning. But to live only for meaning - indifferent to all happiness - makes us fanatic, self-righteous, and cold. It cuts us off from our own humanity and the humanity of others. We must hope for grace, for our lives to be sustained by moments of meaning and happiness, both equally worthy of human communion."

Spring Equinox & Portland NRD

Once again, there's been a long silence since my last entry. Naturally, I hadn't intended to go quite so long without putting anything up, but free time is always scarce and it's been easy to let this project slip further and further into disuse. Today is the first day of spring, though, and I'm hoping that the change of season can also serve as an opportunity to start posting a little more regularly.

Speaking of long-neglected projects, I'm trying to relaunch Portland NRD, the message board I set up several years ago. Like previous incarnations of this weblog, I never really contributed frequently enough to get the board off the ground, but I would still be thrilled to see it do so. I'd envisioned it as a place where my various interests - radical theory and history, speculative and fantastic fiction, punk counterculture, other worlds, and play of all kinds - could coexist and intersect. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, you'd be more than welcome to post.