World Series prediction (American League wins), CMJ in town

It's not "Bizarro Baseball" anymore, the Rays won the AL Pennant! I predict they will go all the way and win the World Series too.

Reggie Jackson has something to say about "The Race for Mr. October" in USA Today, and his player by player predictions are pretty interesting, but also self-revealing. Of Pat Burrell he said, "He's a guy who can get hot and kill you. He can bust loose at any time. Here's a guy trying to get a new contract, and guys like this figure out how to play well when it counts." Reggie is still a great interview, just not when you go up to him in the stands and say you were a fan. The dude ignored me and I was in the seat behind him! I'm still into Reggie, however.

George Vecsey of the Times wrote a great overview of the Rays and their climb from the cellar.

The press is focused on the Rays, and I hope it doesn't hurt them. Evan Longoria in the NY Times today.

The LA Times had a nice article about the presence of African Americans on the Rays, similar to a story Sports Illustrated did last summer.

Who has the better pitching and bullpen? What players will get the clutch hits? I think we should expect most of the games to be squeakers but I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of bombs and a football score in there too.

My prediction: Rays in 6.

The Rays "Beat the Devil" (AP)

Tropicana Field has some idiosyncrasies!

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But the big story that the annual college radio conference CMJ is in town. This is my 25th trip to the Music Marathon. I wonder what the requirements should be for the College Radio Hall of Fame? There will be more corporate sponsorship at this conference than ever before. The bands have a tougher climb to success, but an easier one to notoriety than ever.

As the oldest in the conference, I must ask "The Four Questions":

1. Is Cheeseburger the next Replacements? What does it mean to "win" CMJ?
2. In olden times, the bands would hope to get signed to a major label deal, etc. Who are they hoping to impress by performing this year?
3. Are college radio people put off by advertisements mixed in with their music or are they numb to marketing?
4. On this night we dip our herbs twice, why?

Free Posters of Bob Marley, Nirvana, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Kiss from Universal

Universal Music Group's catalog division, UME, wants our text addresses, but is willing to give a free poster in exchange for the info. They aren't the most attractive posters but they are some of the best artists ever, and I personally signed up to receive a Nirvana and a Bob Marley.

In the future, you can bet that the lists they generate from these six icons will be used to promote similar artists, but these appeal to 30+ for the most part. It will be interesting to see how they are used in the future.

I am only sorry that some of the other icons of UMG's catalog such as Coltrane and Muddy Waters don't have the same brand/demographic identity.

Considering I used to take a train just to visit a shop that would have a poster for sale of some of these bands, a free poster in exchange for your text message may not be a bad deal! Good luck to Mike Davis, Jeff Moskow, Melissa Westfall, Elliot Kendall and all my people at UME!

Sign up now! Simply text "VoteMusicNow" and either Nirvana, The Who, Marley, Kiss, Marvin or Hendrix to 30303. They have us now but I can think of worse lists to be on.

Jim McGuinn Knows Which Way the Wind Blows

In compiling some e-clippings, I ran across this video of WXPN, Philadelphia's Jim McGuinn promoting their event, 885 Essential XPN songs.



Jim is host of XPN's YRock, XPN's nighttime programming that is a bit younger and cutting edge. Y100 was Philadelphia's alternative rock station up until a year or two ago when it went Reggaeton. It's a similar idea to when they started playing classic/adult rock about 15 years ago -- play songs that have been retired by other stations as they are still hits in that city.

I love seeing Bruce Warren in the background reprising Allen Ginsburg's role in the original video.

Enjoy a visit to xpn.org if you haven't already. These guys do a great job.

mike watt + the secondmen benefit Friday 10/17

watt hit me off with his flow today, including the sweet picture you see of "sunrise in pedro - october 15, 2008" and a mention of a few gigs coming up. tomorrow, friday 10/15, watt + the secondmen (the ORIGINAL secondmen, pete mazich and jerry trebotic) in a benefit for the san pedro skate park. the show is at the old news pilot building, 356 w. seventh in pedro, $5, all ages.

what could be cooler than watt being asked to pitch in to help the kids of pedro to have a place to do their thing? i told watt to think of all the bones that will break there in the future as he plays tomorrow night.

http://www.sanpedroskateparkassociation.org
http://twfps.com

Sonic Youth live in Bolzano Italy

Adding a new feature to the earbender blog, the follow-up story with video. Here is a nice clip from the show celebrating the opening of the multi-disciplinary exhibition "Sensational Fix."



Can anybody suggest a good cheap camera for web video and pics?

Philadelphia Phantoms and Linda Creed Night

The big game in Philly tonight is not the Dodgers against the Phillies. It will be just across the street as The Philadelphia Phantoms minor league hockey team opens their season, the last to be played in the legendary Spectrum.

While there is NO mention of it on the Phantoms page and no one responded to an inquiry to their Facebook page, The Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation has arranged so that any tickets sold through their site would result in a $5 donation to the charity. Click here for more info.

Linda Creed was a great artist who died VERY young at 37 after a ten year battle w/breast cancer. Some of her compositions include: "You Are Everything," "Betcha By Golly Wow," "I'm Stone in Love with You," "People Make the World Go Round," "Break Up to Make Up" and "The Greatest Love of All." Linda Creed is in the Songwriting Hall of Fame.

As mentioned earlier on this site with stories about the Def Leppard and Ray Castoldi events and the recent Bobby Orr commercial, I'm keeping an eye on the marketing/promo/entertainment activities that connect sports, music and various demographics for fun and profit.

I stopped by the NHL Store where they held an opening week Fan Fest on the corner of 46th St. and 6th Avenue in Manhattan today. The Zambonis played in nice new sweaters and toques, Dave Schultz appeared, a beautiful new Honda was being given away, and it seemed like just a few hundred people over the course of the afternoon participated. THOUSANDS must have walked by, totally uninterested. They must improve their creative and execution, it was a bit embarrassing. Of course, there is a skating rink just a few blocks away that they ignore.

Incidentally, the Flyers have really disappointed me by jumping on the Sarah Palin bandwagon by allowing her to drop the puck for their home opener tomorrow against the Rangers. Not because it's bad marketing but because they are in a swing state and I'm rooting for Obama.

Sonic Youth "Sensational Fix" Exhibit Opens in Italy

Sonic Youth are the subject of "Sensational Fix," a new "multidisciplinary" exhibit featuring the band's work with various visual artists, designers and musicians curated by Roland Groenenboon and the band that opens tomorrow in Bolzano, Italy. Sonic Youth will play a show there to mark the event as well.

The exhibit will also go to Dusseldorf, Germany (1/31-4/26/09), Malm, Sweden (5/29-9/20/09).

According to the catalog:

"Through the multidisciplinary output of Sonic Youth and related works by other artists in the exhibition, an alternative history of contemporary culture is being uncovered in which the division between 'high art' and 'low art' is being called into question, while issues are explored such as teenage rebellion, adolescent wanderlust, gender, fame, fashion, sexuality, and religion. In the exhibition, those different themes related to the band are presented in several chapters based on Sonic Youth song titles, which form satellites around a central space that focuses on Sonic Youth paraphernalia."

Saucer-like is one of the best pages about the band.
Smells like... Records is a good place to visit if you want to score some Sonic Youth "paraphernalia"as well as their self-released SYR series and artists such as Chris Lee, Tony Scherr and Two Dollar Guitar.

Is this Sonic Youth's response to the Rock Hall of Fame? If their heroes the Stooges just got in, maybe they don't mind waiting. I expect Sonic Youth to be inducted in the next year or two, hopefully they won't have to wait like the Goose. Either way, they are museum-quality.

Besides, how credible is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without the inclusion of Yes? (and how credible is Yes without the inclusion of Jon Anderson?)

Bobby Orr's Knee and 25% OAC

Boston Bruins great Bobby Orr stars in this new commercial from Mastercard. He was a hell of a player, a defenseman who could play intense offense, usually taking the puck the entire length of the ice before scoring. Whatever highlight reels existed in the 70s, he dominated them.



Watching this commercial, I think of all the other players they could have easily done the same idea with. Joe Namath comes to mind but who had more scars than Evel Knievel? Anyhow, much respect to Bobby Orr and happy hockey season to all!



Thanks to the Globe and Mail who ran an excellent Bobby Orr interview alongside the vid.

Springsteen in Philly for Obama

"I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and
for Barack Obama, the next President of the United States.

I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the
meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down
to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one
instruction: Do your best to make these things real. Opportunity,
equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our
citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the
world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things
that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties
that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one
another.

I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between
that American promise and American reality. For many Americans,
who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their
retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have
been abandoned in our inner cities. The distance between that
promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in
his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his
heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the
lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work
to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have
justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous
administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in
an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and
occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've
continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of
peoples hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the
terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by
our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams.
One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never
be able to tear that house down.

They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national
tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps.
Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a
terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it
needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for
power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It
needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness,
deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to
help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it
needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that
is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and
big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow
citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a
people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know
about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I
want my country back.

So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll
up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising."

Big TV tonight

Sites to get you fired up for the debate:

KTOO, Juneau has recordings of the 2006 debate between Palin, Halcro and Knowles (which she won apparently). I will never forget their music director Jeff Brown playing the saw at the community radio conference in Wisconsin, way back in 1986! Their logo used to be the Big Dipper.

Aliza Sherman is an internet veteran (Cybergrrl, etc.) who lives in Anchorage. Her page includes very detailed info on Sarah Palin.

Andrew Halcro lost to Palin in 2006 -- he might be a little biased as well as carrying the L.