Bradezone

Battles came to Charlotte and executed a concert for the ages, replete with intense concentration, melodic whimsy, and maximum energy. Before the show John Stanier plopped down on the couch next to me, and for a few minutes we discussed matters such as the Helmet days (which apparently featured an acrimonious split) and the super-high cymbal of respect, among others. At this point I knew that I was in the process of experiencing some extreme radness, which was supplemented in overwhelming fashion by the performance of the band. These guys worked hard to deliver the goods and sounded absolutely incredible. Their precision and multi-layered sound is beyond unique, and the vibe between band and fans was strong all night. When they played Leyendecker and Race: In back to back, I felt I had reached the zenith of music itself and that there was nothing left to conquer. But then they just kept bringing the power, so I simply continued to soak it in.

I came away from this event with a green t-shirt and some deluxe memories. If Battles decides to pay your town a visit, don’t ask questions. Just go.

The inaugural Chuck Norris Memorial Hike in CA has been somewhat documented on its own blog, and photos have been placed on Facebook. I will write more later, but for now I’m stuck in the Atlanta airport whilst waiting for a severely late return flight to Charlotte. Basically you just need to know that this trip kicked butt.

Before I set out on the inaugural Chuck Norris Memorial Hike (as it has randomly been named) in California along with four others for the next 10 days, I’m just gonna post some crap.

First, shout out to my peeps for an entertaining Memorial Day. Much grub was grubbed, much drink was drunk, and much entertainment was provided by Kammer’s outfit The Redemption of Sans Foy. Thanks to them I now know the feeling of experiencing a concert from a living room couch, and they brought their A-game. Subsequent prolonged conversation about life, religion, music, sex, and film with fellow Christians who “get it” was heartily welcomed and enjoyed.

I’ve watched several quality films recently, including The Foutain, Dreamgirls, and Babel. Perhaps we can discuss the first of those in more detail later. For now I merely want to offer that while Jennifer Hudson was quite deserving of her Oscar for an incredible portrayal of Effie White in Dreamgirls, for my money I was utterly blown away by the amazing work of Rinko Kikuchi as Chieko in Babel. My heart was wrenched for her character, and still now I am in awe of how the actress handled the difficulties of her role—not only was Chieko deaf and mute and thus forced to convey her feelings solely through body language and a few written notes, but her desperate desire to be accepted as a beautiful woman and not regarded for her disabilities required several nude scenes, all of which I believe advanced the character and made me feel great pity towards her. Her performance left me with much to think about, as any outstanding acting performance should. Later I read an interview with Rinko and was truly struck with how intelligent and insightful she seems to be. I certainly hope she gains even greater notoriety through whatever future performances she has in store.

So the aforementioned hiking excursion in Cali begins in just over a day, and I am ready for it. This will be my first time west of Missouri, not counting my birth date in Texas (we moved when I was still 0 years old) or my time in Alaska when I was but a lad of age 2. We will be hiking through Yosemite and Sequoia parks, checking out Monterrey Bay and Big Sur, and hitting Napa Valley and San Fransisco for good measure. I anticipate hijinks and hilarity, great views and great fun, and that something unexpected yet enriching will probably occur. Pictures to come, I’m sure, but for now I bid you adieu.