poptastrophe 2007

mildly blindsided.

xtine — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 01:02:42 GMT

what's up, future?
Originally uploaded by xtine.

and it's a sin to live this well.

xtine — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 04:58:49 GMT

Friends, do you want to see what my favorite moment of this whole ridiculous year looked like?

'Cause someone YouTubed it.

You can't see us in the dark, but Steph and I are right down front, tossing boys on stage and screaming lyrics and basically having more fun than anyone on the planet. Just watching this makes me 100,000 different kinds of giddy all over again.

Oh, I'm so easy.

why we can't have nice things.

xtine — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 15:33:47 GMT

why we can't have nice things.
Originally uploaded by xtine.

It was a really good weekend, y'all.

xtine — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 04:17:36 GMT

People!

Ladies!

Specifically single ladies who live in New York and like free booze!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 11th at 8pm, some of my favorite NYU alumni are putting on their monthly dating show at Galapagos in Williamsburg. It's called Love Ahoy, it's nautical-themed, and tomorrow night's show is one single single lady short of complete. Quoth davidsticher:

It's like the Dating game. Questions, then questions, then you spin a wheel with wacky stuff on it, then you show off a talent, then the bachelor picks and you carry your free drinks all through the night. And there's some sort of modest prize for winning. And gag consolation gifts.

Also you're basically guaranteed to meet your soulmate*, so.

Is anybody into this or know someone who might be? I've been promised free drinks if I bring in a bachelorette, and you all know how poor I am/how much I like drinking. Right? Holla!

*Probably not actually true. But hey: booze!

xtine — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:07:32 GMT

Hi!

So my iPod is dying, as so many iPods tend to do after a few loyal years, especially when those years involve being dropped a dozen times and otherwise carelessly handled and abused. Mine stopped letting me add songs a few weeks ago (even after I tried resetting it), and a few days ago, about 80% of the little plastic piece inside the dock connector fucking snapped off. It'll still charge, but I don't know how much longer that remaining 20% is going to stick around. It is sad, no?

Anyway, there's a lot of stuff on that iPod that's going to be lost to the ever-shifting sands of technology and I'd like to avoid losing nice things like the first Okkervil River record and all those Mountain Goats bootlegs. I remember there was a program floating around a while back that let you take files from your iPod and save them onto your computer; does anyone still have that? Or know where I can find it? Specifically for OS X?

I think a few paychecks from now I might be able to get drunk enough to drown my guilt and deep-seeded fear of spending large sums of cash and purchase one of those fancy video iPods the kids like so much. And just in time, because they just released The State on iTunes! F'reals! Here's a creepy promo via rjwhite!

If I may, I would like to take a moment to publicly declare my giddiness over the next three weekends. Ahem:

Sat. Sept. 30: The Mountain Goats / Christine Fellows @ the Bowery Ballroom
Sun. Oct. 1: The Mountain Goats / Christine Fellows @ the Bowery Ballroom OR the Hold Steady / Sean Na Na @ Irving Plaza (a little help here, please!)

Sat. Oct. 7: Harvey Danger / So Many Dynamos @ the Mercury Lounge
Sun. Oct. 8: Harvey Danger / So Many Dynamos @ Maxwell's (Hoboken, NJ)

Sat. Oct. 14: Okkervil River @ the Bowery Ballroom
Sun. Oct. 15: Okkervil River @ the Bowery Ballroom

Just looking at this makes me a little light-headed, and I'm pretty happy pretending that Jomo and Beach booked up these weekends just for me. 'Cause they did, right? Of course they did. Let's do this, New York and New Jersey.

i'm glad you don't have retard strength, TiVo.

xtine — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:11:47 GMT

i'm glad you don't have retard strength, TiVo.
Originally uploaded by xtine.

In addition, I would be remiss not to mention the single greatest show I've seen all year, comedy or indie rock or otherwise. It was, quite frankly, retarded like a fox. Patton Oswalt, you have my heart FOREVS.

you will not die tonight

xtine — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:02:29 GMT

It's 12 midnight and I'm sitting almost square in the middle of the mostly unfurnished first floor of my parents' house on Long Island, trying to pick out a color to paint my bedroom. Have I told you about this? Since March, my childhood home has undergone a complete overhaul; our once dumpy, white-trash little hovel of embarrassment has a whole new floor plan, all new walls, a shiny new kitchen, brand new windows and doors and floors and actual vinyl siding and a wooden deck in the backyard and it's all so overwhelmingly pretty and new and all it needs now is some paint and a few carpets and furniture.

In general, I have a tendency to be overcome with sadness whenever something changes or comes to an end or goes away, even if whatever's ending or going away is bad or mean or awful or undesirable. Throughout elementary school, I cried hysterically on the last day of class every year. I did the same upon graduating high school and college. Upon walking out of every dorm room and every apartment and every job for the last time for as long as I can remember. There's something about endings, about that kind of change that just drives a stake through my heart and I've never been able to explain why, but the point is, I haven't once, in the course of this process, felt that way about this house. It's completely unrecognizable but it still feels as much like our house as it ever did. We're still on the same block and we've still got the same white birch in the front yard and the O'Donnells are still two houses down and I'm not sure why I'm even telling you all this except to say that it feels pretty awesome. Yeah. I like this.

About a week & a half ago, Mildred and Diana rolled into town in a rented truck and moved into their new place in East Williamsburg, and I've spent almost every night with them since. I hate to say it here, knowing that a big, huge chunk of Seattle is missing them, but I couldn't be happier to have them. My social life's been begging for a fresh kick in the ass, and after spending the prior week in ultra-sad-bastard mode, I'm feeling more hopeful and more optimistic than I have in a long time. And I'm pretty glad to be able to say that, and I'm pretty glad that I was able to shake off the bad stuff just in time to make room for the good, and I'm pretty sure things are looking up, is my point. Tomorrow, I very well may be getting a new job, and if not tomorrow then soon, or else I'll go back to school, but either way, things are going to change, and I'm sure I'll cry a whole bunch when they do but it's going to be for the better, see?

If you see any of these lovely ladies, give them a big huge hug from me, would you? And if you see David Cross, tell him I'm sorry I ran away after shaking his hand last night. Not that he'll remember.

I think I'ma go with October Mist (Benjamin Moore #1495). For the bedroom, I mean. It's a green.

so many clean dishes.

xtine — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 16:47:37 GMT

so many clean dishes.
Originally uploaded by xtine.

Not all band boys are assholes, y'all.

Boston/Allston: the dudes are at Great Scott tonight. The show is, apparently, Wet Hot American Summer themed and Griffin will be sporting hot pants. Go say hi for me.

announcement:

xtine — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:29:11 GMT

As a girl who used to pride herself on the amount of time she'd spend watching funny people tell funny jokes in public settings, it is strange to think that I have never actually attended a show by the Comedians of Comedy. This, friends, changes today.

I am going, after work, to buy two (2) tickets. I trust I won't have any trouble finding a date. That being said, I think this would be a fun thing to attend field-trip style. Is anyone else thinking of going to this that maybe wants to make a thing out of it? I think it's a good idea. Also, Patton Oswalt is my newest and most favorite secret boyfriend, if anyone asks.

What else is going on, you ask? BACK OFF, INTERNET, I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

more songs from the mellow struggle

xtine — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:22:30 GMT

Back a week from Europe already, and I've only just finished fleshing out the Flickr set. Most of what's suitable for internet broadcast can be found there -- the rest says overseas. WINK WINK. Or whatever.

If you can't tell from the pictures, it was totally magical and utterly debaucherous. I cried like a bitch on the train ride home, and I miss having this kid around, and I miss Dave Doughman and I miss Will Scott and I miss those old dudes from Jersey. Home is an utter disappointment, though I did see a lot of good kids at home-home this weekend and Meg and I finally caught the Strangers With Candy movie which was pure unadulterated joy. This weekend, I may be in Boston, and if not, I'll be looking to hit the McCarren Pool Party on Sunday afternoon and catch up with the Burlington contingent. This is what is up.

If you've got the heads-up on some cheap flights to places where there are people that I love, holla back.

DEAR EUROPE:

xtine — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:37:04 GMT

I know we don't look like very much fun in this picture, but trust me when I say that you are not ready for us.

I'm leaving my house in exactly two hours. Between now and then, I have to finish my laundry, pack, shower, and pretty myself up. Meanwhile, S. is still in Milwaukee, and has apparently just paid nearly $5 for a Red Bull at a "fucking opportunist airport gift shop." Foreshadowing? Let's hope not.

If anyone wants to call between now and 3:30 to give me a crash course in conversational German, I'm all ears. Otherwise: PEACE OUT, AMERIKUH. I'll be in Europe, introducing myself to strangers as Canadian.

XO

uptight with the stage-fright

xtine — Wed, 24 May 2006 21:59:40 GMT

Hey, so. Remember when all of our favorite joke-makers moved to LA to ~~get famous~~ be talking heads on VH1, further cementing our fear of abandonment and leaving us with nothing to laugh at? Well LOOK, they're throwing us a bone! I am so happy I could shit fireworks.

This, with the inclusion of Beach's birthday party on Sunday (which will feature eternal darlings Sam Champion and a bunch of bands I don't care for), will make this Memorial Day weekend The Weekend I Have A Lot of Fun Shit To Do, instead of The Weekend I Don't Leave My Apartment At All, which is what I had planned on. I'm okay with this.

Semi-relatedly, has anyone seen ads for this new show on Comedy Central, Dog Bites Man (I think?)? With Matt Walsh and A.D. Miles and a dude who I'm pretty sure is Zach Galifianakas without the beard? I don't have cable, but I did see a bunch of subway ads for it this morning. I'm intrigued. Are we excited about this?

In other news: life could be better! But it also could be worse! Consider this an update!

Tonight I saw Nada Surf play for the 33rd time.

xtine — Thu, 11 May 2006 04:55:13 GMT

Tonight I saw Nada Surf play for the 33rd time.
Originally uploaded by xtine.

♥

xtine — Tue, 09 May 2006 17:59:17 GMT

THANK YOU PITCHFORK

Still no word on how I'm going to get into CBGB's next month. I'll fucking stand outside that club all day if I have to. Stay tuned.

hammer in hand & head to the floor

xtine — Fri, 05 May 2006 17:22:46 GMT

*sob*.

One of those is mine.

Tickets went on sale at 10AM today and I got to work early just so I could be in front of the computer when they did. I reloaded the Ticketweb page a million times and it went straight from "not on sale" to "sold out." I'M GOING TO CRY.

I'll be tapping all possible resources from now until June 13th. If you or anyone you know has an extra ticket, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE. Namely me.

Yeah, we told 'em what to celebrate.

xtine — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:58:46 GMT

Yeah, we told 'em what to celebrate.
Originally uploaded by xtine.

This past Friday the Hold Steady played in Brooklyn, and if you want to see a handful of incredibly sexy photos of me hiking down my underwear and showing off my battle wounds, I've included them in the Flickr set.

Even before it got really violent, it was already one of the most physically intense live show experiences of my extensive live-show-going career, sweaty and rowdy and SO MUCH FUCKING FUN, and I didn't even mind the girl who spent half the show clinging to my shoulders, and I didn't even mind the girl who grabbed me by the hips and GRINDED on me (I did look pretty hot). What I did mind, what I REALLY REALLY MINDED, were the enormous jerkoffs who appeared up front, halfway through the show, and proceeded to beat the hell out of me. Slam me into the stage so hard that I couldn't fight them off, so hard that I feared for the safety of my goddamned reproductive organs. In self defense I threw a few elbows and the hardest one landed square in the chest of a boy who, instead of just backing the fuck off this little girl like his mother should have taught him to, responded by grabbing me by my shoulders and tossing me into the girl next to me. Once I steadied myself I couldn't do a thing but stare at him, just lean in and stare at him right in the face, and no matter how long I stared he wouldn't look back.

My stunned amazement lasted until the final blow came in the form of a kick to the head by -- ready? -- a crowd-surfer. A FUCKING CROWD-SURFER. At an INDIE ROCK SHOW. A fucking HOLD STEADY SHOW. In TWO THOUSAND AND SIX. And I'm pretty sure that shit wasn't even cool at Lollapalooza 1995. And I'm pretty sure you could just stay home with a big black Sharpie and write the word "ASSHOLE" on your forehead and get the same effect. So needless to say, that was kind of the last straw, and the last thing I saw before bailing the fuck out was Kubler, stomping over and yelling "Guys! Guys! Chill out!"

Now, I've ranted about this all weekend to anyone who would listen, and the only conclusion I can come to is that chivalry is long dead and buried. When I was in high school, my friend Jenny and I would sometimes go to hardcore shows at the VFW (or wherever) where, as you could probably guess, there was straight-up mosh-pitting abound. And I remember this one girl, I remember her diving into the pit, and as soon as she did, the crowd of rowdy, sweaty dudes parted like the motherfucking Red Sea. She flailed around but no one would go near her. These teenaged boys, they didn't want to hurt the girl, see? So what happened to that, I wonder? What happened to not wanting to hurt the girl? What happened to having a little respect for the fairer sex? Did that shit go out with the women's movement, or what?

I heard some boys talking about it on the train ride home. About watching some girl get knocked around. "I felt bad," one of them said, "but, I'm sorry, you just shouldn't be there." Right. RIGHT. You shouldn't go see one of your favorite bands because you might get the crap beaten out of you by a bunch of drunk, angry boys. And you shouldn't wear that short skirt if you don't want to get raped, either, silly girl. Because we all know that DUDES SHOULD NEVER BE ASKED TO CONTROL THEMSELVES.

Can I also point out that I've seen this band a dozen times and nothing like this has ever happened ever? So is this what happens when you sign to Vagrant, or what?

Whatever, man. Like I said, the show was still great. I'm still a total sucker for this band, and it sucks that I'm going to have to rethink my placement in the room the next time I see them, but I'll still go see them. Fuck the haters.

Kelley and I have comps to the Death Cab / Franz Ferdinand shows this week. Box seats! Super pop & gay! Ain't no one gettin' bruised this time.

work-related.

xtine — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 16:55:50 GMT

Does anyone know who books Youth Group and Cut Copy?

Destructo!

xtine — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 04:13:18 GMT

Destructo!
Originally uploaded by xtine.

Morrissey

xtine — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 22:43:14 GMT

Morrissey
Originally uploaded by xtine.

This weekend I bought a bike from a nice girl in Williamsburg. I'm calling him Morrissey, mostly because I think it's funny, but maybe also because he is blue and his tires are flat. Also, he's British and totally gay. Until I have time to remedy the tire situation, Morrissey will live behind the couch. La la la.

xtine — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 15:52:24 GMT

So they just added Destroyer to the Pitchfork festival. Who's going with me?

i've heard of it happening to other girls, but i never thought it'd happen to me!

xtine — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 17:37:35 GMT

THE ONLY REASON I'LL EVER NEED TO HATE THE F TRAIN FOR THE REST OF MY GODDAMNED LIFE:

So it's around 11pm and I'm riding the F train back to the Slope with my friend Sarah. She gets off a stop before I do, and not thirty seconds after the doors close behind her, some dirty old man sits down across from me and...ready...ready? He TAKES OUT HIS DICK AND STARTS WHACKING IT. Just jacking off right there in front of me, on the goddamned F train. Are you fucking KIDDING me? After I made a loud "I'm gonna vom" sound and stomped to the other end of the car, he switched cars. Probably to go beat his meat in front of some other poor defenseless girl.

And that, my friends, is what we call Reason #309475732 this girl needs to get out of New York.

l-dubs interpretive dance

xtine — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 05:33:13 GMT

Xtine + Heather
Originally uploaded by gregoryperez.

Here's proof: we have suntans!

I have to pee -- are you blogging this?

xtine — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:03:58 GMT

I have to pee -- are you blogging this?
Originally uploaded by xtine.

I cannot fucking believe it's over.

All photos from SXSW'06, both Canon and cameraphone, have been lovingly Flickr'd.

xtine — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 16:39:08 GMT

Alright kids, party's on. Here are the deets one last time, in case I missed you on the email front; I'm pasting the email Charles sent out 'cause it's way more interesting than mine.

Howdy, young lovers,

Two score and two years ago, dressed in swaddling clothes, I set out upon this enchanted Eden, this paradise, this…New Jersey!
Or something.
Ummm…that is to say it's my birthday next weekend. But late January is also birthday time for my pals, Erin, Elizabeth and Christine so we're combining forces into a b-day coalition of the willing and throwing a little group party at the Magician, starting around 8:00 or so.
In fact, Thursday is Erin's actual birthday and a big one at that - she turns 30! (Christine is like 20 or something now, Elizabeth is ageless, while my own dates are usually given with a c. for circa (as in c.1890 - ?).

This is a pretty last-minute & very casual affair so absolutely no gifts or anything, just stop on by if you get a chance. It'd be nice to have a drink and catch up. I'll be the one with the ear trumpet and muttonchop whiskers, prattling on about the Whig party and my lower back pain…

This Thurs., the 26th, 8:00 & later,
at The Magician
118 Rivington St (at Essex)
New York, NY 10002-2302
(212) 673-7881
Directions: F at Delancey St; J, M, Z at Essex St

From the kitchen window.

xtine — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 05:03:14 GMT

From the kitchen window.
Originally uploaded by xtine.

Tonight my house burned down and I have no place to live and I'm only sort of exaggerating!