Rant: UTA Rate Hike

This is a rant, there will be some foul language, but damn it, I’m pissed!

So, the price of gas is going through the roof. Don’t worry, this isn’t another rant about the price of gas. I understand supply side economics, so I get why the price of gas is so height, and particularly in the summer months. I’m not here to rant about the price per barrel or any of that crap.

I’m here to rant about the recent announcement by the UTA (Utah Transportation Authority) that they will be increasing (again) the cost to ride buses and trains.

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Lost My Lunch

No, this isn’t a blog about puking, so you don’t need to be all disgusted and stuff right now.

I’m working today. Yes, it’s Saturday, and it’s friggin beautiful outside. But I’m stuck inside working the board for a couple of remotes we have at the End today. I work six days a week, but it’s all good. I love my job, so don’t think I’m whining about it.

What I am whining about is leaving my lunch on the train today.

I take the train to work every day. I don’t have a car, so it’s my primary mode of transportation. I take a lunch to work every day, too. I put some food together, drop it into a plastic grocery bag and run off to catch the train. I always have my lunch sitting next to me on the train, right there on the seat beside me.

Today was the first time I’d ever left my lunch on the train.

But, you know, at least I get to be inside for four hours this afternoon!

Update: So as I was leaving work, packing up my stuff, putting my laptop in my bag, I realize that I actually hadn’t left my lunch on the train. I had actually put it in my bag! I never put my lunch in my bad, which is why I didn’t remember that I had today. Wow, what a dummy.

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White Denim @ Club Sound

The Redhead seems to really dig ‘em but I’m not feeling it. They’re kind of classic rock with a wawa peddle. It’s cool to see a steal guitar on a wawa, but you need more than that and a bassist with a junior high mustache to get me to like your music.

There was less than 50 people in here when I did a quick count. The crowd bulged to well over that (60?) by the end of the set. I almost feel bad for bands that play to an empty room. Almost.

Let me give a tip to all the budding stars out there: If your band is the opener (and plenty of times when it isn’t) you need to tell the crowd, no matter how small, who your band is. Not a single time did White Denim say their name. That’s just stupid, no matter how you slice it.

However, if you’re looking for an indie-classic rock hybrid, this is something you might want to check out.

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Tapes ‘N Tapes @ Club Sound

Tapes is a band that I like only mildly. I definitely don’t hate them and on occasion I’ll listen on my own accord. But he Redhead definitely likes them a lot more than I. Also, I like their first album a lot more than their current one.

Seeing them tonight made me like them less, I think. They aren’t terrible live, but they are far from amazing. I like ‘em better as a studio band for sure. the lead singer seemed disinterested with only the rhythm section really showing they were having a good time.

There’s a crowd of less than 100 (70 perhaps) people here and only a handful of them (including the Redhead) are dancing or moving about. It’s really weird how not into it these people are.

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Nine Inch Nails Release New Album…For Free

This was already posted at the other blog I’m involved in, When Midgets Attack! But I wanted to share it with those of you who haven’t made the jump over to Midgets yet.

Nine Inch Nails have “secretly” released a new album, The Slip, on their website at nin.com. The main page includes this from Trent:

“thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years – this one’s on me”

I literally just pushed play on it after downloading the file and importing it to iTunes. I’ll give a full-ish review once I’ve had a chance to run through it a couple times.

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NOFX Can Beat Up Your Dad

NOFX played last night at In The Venue.

Let’s do a recap, shall we?

I thought you might be interested. Here we go, kids!

I showed up and No Use For A Name were already playing. Shows end really early here, so they start really early. Something I still haven’t gotten used to. And quite frankly, is bothersome. But that’s a blog for another day.

I saw about three songs from NUFAN before they wrapped up, which was disappointing because they do a really awesome live show. I saw them twice in Phoenix over the last year, once at Marquee Theatre with about 2,000 people and once at Clubhouse with about 500. Both shows were intense and judging by the crowd reaction to the few songs that I saw the show at In the Venue was no different.

Then came the long wait for NOFX. The time seemed to go by surprisingly fast. The music played over the PA was a good mix of old and new school punk. But then it took a drastic left turn to “Jamrock” by Stephen Marley. As the opening notes of the song played, NOFX walked on stage. An interesting tongue-in-cheek choice for an intro song from a group that is now one of the oldest (and best) punk bands around.

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Snow! On May-Day! Are You Serious?

So when I managed to roll out of bed this morning, the Redhead announces that there’s snow on the cars outside. I think to myself, “No way! It’s May today!” (My thoughts didn’t rhyme like that, though.) So I get up and look out the front window to see the car above that there is definitely snow on the ground.

You have got to be kidding me.

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