In Williamsburg we don't have VIP lines (except when we do)

I can't believe I am two weeks behind on sharing this, but HOLY CRAP JENS LEKMAN!  That is to say: I saw him live a couple Fridays ago at Music Hall of Williamsburg and it was just as dreamy and wonderful as I thought it would be.

Before I continue to pour out fangirl emotion though, I have a serious confession to make: I almost FORGOT about the show!  Let me repeat that: I had a ticket for a sold-out JENS LEKMAN show and I almost FORGOT TO GO.  I am so ashamed.  And also worried that something is eating holes in my brain.  To be a teensy bit fair to myself, I purchased the ticket way back in August but never put on any sort of calendar - I just trusted I'd remember such an important date.  I had to work until 8:15 that day so I had a subconscious plan to dress hip enough for work so I could just jet to the show afterward.  Well... nope.  Totally forgot.  It wasn't until I was on my last 15 minute break at work, around 7pm, that I was reading show listings on Oh My Rockness and saw Jens Lekman listed and then felt cold dread and panic wash over me.  I convinced a manager to let me leave a little early, rushed home to change, then jumped in cab to the 'burg.  I got there with just enough time to catch the last two songs of opener Geoffrey O'Connor (kinda weird) and down a whiskey (hallelujah).  That can never, ever, EVER happen again.

BUT anyway: awesome show.  As much as it's always more fun to go to shows with other people, the advantage to going by myself is that I can very easily nudge my way to the front.  I didn't make it right up to the stage but I got about fifteen feet away, which was luckily within range when Jens threw confetti during "Opposite of Hallelujah" - yes, CONFETTI!  In addition to that crowd-pleaser, he also played a bunch more of my faves, including "The End of the World is Bigger Than Love," "Maple Leaves," "A Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill" (which he ended by leaning the microphone against his heart - awww the adorableness) and his new single "An Argument With Myself."

The best part was most definitely the beautifully acoustic final encore where he played the mournful-but-sweet "Black Cab" and organized a sing-along for "Pocketful of Money."  That last bit was a great way to go out - I confess that "Pocketful of Money" has never been up there in my list of Jens favorites, but when he got the balcony and the floor levels to sing the overlapping parts ("You set my heart on fire"/"I'll come running with a heart on a fire") it transformed it into something more... magical. 

Good god, I need to stop writing blog posts at 2:30 in the morning.  You get the idea.  Come back soon, Jens.

(PS: In my haze of post-paranoia and pure happiness, I completely forgot to snap some photos with my phone.  I always feel kinda weird doing that anyway.  So all of these are from Brooklyn Vegan - be a doll and read their whole article here.)

ALIVE... AGAIN

I'm five years alive today.  Thanks, body!  Now let's go be alive... and drink some blood....

It's all happening

Yet another article on Flavorwire has thrown me into a never-ending internet wormhole of procrastination.  Jason Bailey - himself inspired by Martin Scorsese's latest documentary on George Harrison - recently posted this amazing essay about Scorsese's perfect use of music in his films and how, for some of us, those songs will forever be tied to those particular scenes.  I'm always a sucker for a good montage, slo-mo, or beautifully scored piece of film so all these carefully curated clips were like nerd candy.  I literally got out my chips and hummus and Chick-O-Sticks, pulled a chair up to my laptop, and watched every part of every clip.  SO GOOD.  (Although, just to push my glasses up my nose about it, I also would have included the "Atlantis"/Billy Batts scene as particularly... touching.  HA.)

It got me thinking about a bunch of non-Scorsese movies that have similarly well-placed music.  There are so many songs that have been changed for me just by seeing them linked to a great moment of film.  And because I want to nerd this out to its full potential, I need to share my feelings with the internet.  Ranking things in order of importance stresses me out so I'm just going to share this list in no particular order.  Get ready for... THE FIVE BEST-SCORED MOMENTS IN FILM (for now):

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - "Life On Mars?"

It's so hard to put just one Wes Anderson moment on this list but I'm trying to be concise.  This is the movie that made me fall in love with David Bowie.  I mean, yes, DUH, I liked David Bowie before this, but the winter of 2004 was the moment I LOVED David Bowie.  And the moment that made me forever want to smoke a joint in slo-mo when I hear this song.  (OK, and because I can't hold it in: other close Wes Anderson contenders are "These Days" in The Royal Tenenbaums and "A Quick One While He's Away" in Rushmore.)

Summer of Sam - "Baba O'Riley"

One of my film professors in college showed us this sequence as an example of montage - pretty extreme choice, if you ask me.  I guess it's a solid representation, since it heightens the action of the movie, but DAMN is everything fucked up.  Try watching Adrien Brody in this movie and then watching The Pianist.  Your brain will hurt.

Donnie Darko - "Head Over Heels"

This entire movie is full of great, dark, late-80s ballads and slo-mos but this Tears for Fears scene tops them all.  Something about Roland Orzabal's mournful voice makes it so perfect for a dizzy tracking shot full of angsty teachers and kids.  Also: I still really want to be in Sparkle Motion.

Boogie Nights - "Jesse's Girl"

I love it when a film takes a catchy pop song and makes it terrifying (prime example: Quentin Tarantino forever ruining "Stuck in the Middle With You").  Coked-up dudes with guns PLUS this weird kid throwing firecrackers PLUS the crescendo-ing Rick Springfield beats all make me want to clutch a stress ball throughout this whole scene.

Almost Famous - "My Cherie Amour"

Of course the "Tiny Dancer" scene would be the obvious choice here (and is still a great moment), but this overdose-as-love-scene breaks my heart a little more.  William's just oozing love for Penny while she's getting her stomach pumped!  And Penny's wearing an amazing dress! (Also: total nerd moment, but see where they're walking by that pond at the end?  I eat lunch there all the time.  No big deal.)

Give me some more ideas so I can go on another YouTube tangent!  (And so I can know that people actually still read this!)  Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go watch every Scorsese movie ever made.  OK BYE!

(PS: special thanks to Dave for letting me know that I've been spelling "Scorsese" incorrectly... for my entire life.  The shame!!)