glibberish.

A lot of my friends have written about the very much-anticipated Eraserheads reunion concert last night. The band was able to perform the first 15-song set, but was never able to come back for the second due to Ely Buendia needing to be rushed to the hospital. (Ely is fine now, I heard.)

I left a reply on my friend Paul’s own essay about the band, and ended up writing more than I intended. The following is basically just a copy-paste of that reply.

I think everyone is a fan of the E-heads, no exceptions – it’s just a matter of how big.

I’ve been lucky to have started out playing in a band at the same time the E-heads were just about making their first album. I got hold of lo-fi bootleg recordings of “Pare Ko”, “Tindahan ni Aling Nena”, etc. To me, they were the band that made popular the concept of Being-In-A-Band in the 90s.. To me, they (jump-) started the local rock scene that I now know today.

And allow me to relate this funny story I always tell my friends: I was in 2nd year high school and we watched the E-heads perform at some public school in Malabon (where i grew up). after the gig me and my bandmates had the chance to go backstage (in this case a classrom) to see the band and get autographs. Picture a bunch of prepubescent girls in close proximity of Hilary Duff or Avrile Lavigne and you have a good idea of our dispositions.

So I walk toward Buddy Zabala, he signs my whatever item I had (I think it was my handkerchief haha!), and I extend my hand to shake his. Unfortunately he missed this gesture and suffice to say failed to acknowledge it. I felt somewhat crushed and was embarrased as hell…

Ten years or so later, I shake hands with Buddy everytime we catch each other on gigs. He knows my name, we discuss bass guitars, gadgets and amplifier settings, and sample each other’s instruments.

If that’s not a fucking success story, then I don’t know what is!!!

NO!!

I just could NOT get enough of

Dr. Horrible is a superhero supervillain musical extravaganza. Featuring songs of contemporary pop/rock sensibilities (WARNING: Infectiously catchy!), and a story told in the form of classic Shakespearean tragedy.

As usual, brilliant stuff from master Joss Whedon and crew. Extra (and extreme) admiration goes to his brother Jed who co-wrote as well as arranged and orchestrated the entire music. I sure wish I could do some awesome project like that!

Just saw I Am Legend again, this time with the alternate ending included in the blu-ray disc*. This ending made A LOT more sense and made the movie as a whole not only much better but now secures its place into my current all-time top tens.

Let me also add that watching the movie on my brother’s 36″ widescreen LCD and Playstation 3 is so wonderfully spectacular that it almost gives the feel of being in an actual movie theater. Just… wow.

Oh, and I also saw The Dark Knight twice now, once in IMAX. All in all I love it, but my thoughts about the movie are too complicated to express in a few words. Sometime I should have the inclination to write a full-blown introspective.

Took the flight early yesterday from Los Angeles to Chicago. I am here! Finally, a place I could travel through buses and an efficient light rail system! Chicago… also known as:

1. Gotham City. And having just seen The Dark Knight, I am quite psyched for exploration!
2. Home to Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth. Incidentally, I just received from my aunt (whose place I am staying in) my highly anticipated hardbound copy of the book.

3. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

   (Some might remember this as music from Little Miss Sunshine)

Where I stayed in California and Nevada, it was spacious, clean and serene. In this neighborhood, streets are smaller, some houses are quite old, and graffiti is everywhere – sordid little hints of the presence of gangs in the near vicinities. This is a place with something to tell. What’s not to love?

And by the way, that rhetorical question is written with some trepidation :D

I am now in California! I love my sister’s place; the hugeness of the apartment is a welcome break from the space-deprived flats of Hong Kong. But I still do not like the long distances and the necessity to drive to be able to go somewhere.

This post is not so much about where I am as it is about how I felt great anticipation and strong emotions toward this poster:

God bless the new Batman.