Media Junkie

A Nice Time - Moby, Live at St. Andrew's Hall - Detroit, MI - 29 September 2009

I must admit, I was not a Moby fan from the beginning.  I, like many others, discovered Moby through his critically acclaimed album Play.  For what it's worth, the music elitist in me feels it's worth mentioning that I was on board before the album became a success, having heard several tracks on the local NPR station (most notably "If Things Were Perfect", which remains one of my favorite songs on the album). 

We first saw him live at St. Andrew's Hall in 1999 in front of a small, but incredibly energetic crowd.  This was still our earlier days of discovering electronic music and one of the first genre concerts we'd been to, so we had little idea of what to expect.  The crowd was packed in so tight that when they jumped, you jumped - mainly because you were practically lifted off your feet anyway. 

Moby was a ball of energy, running about the stage, playing his guitar, switching to bongo drums, and keyboards - though I'm pretty sure about 95% of the show was all pre-recorded DAT tapes back in those days.

We've seen him many times since then - traveling for the second leg of the Play tour in 2000, where I discovered Hybrid, at the Area: One and Area: Two festivals with the likes of Outkast and the legendary David Bowie, and in mid-sized venues such as our own State Theater (now known as the Fillmore Detroit) - but it seems apropos that 10 years after our first experience and touring behind his best album since Play, Moby would return to the place we first saw him at.  Only this time, the experience was much different.

Sound the Toll - Bell X1 Live at the Bling Pig - Ann Arbor, MI - 24 September 2009

Irish rockers Bell X1 recently made their first stop in the Metro Detroit area to perform in front of a packed house in Ann Arbor's famous Blind Pig.  Little more than a dive bar, The Blind Pig has hosted such legendary acts as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and R.E.M. early in their careers.  It may not look very pretty, but it's a surprisingly fantastic venue for concerts.  The sound carries well in the cramped confines, and the dancefloor is large enough for attendees to get down or rock out, if they so choose.

Bell X1 are one of those bands who are very divisive.  Many liken them to other pop-rockers such as Coldplay, and the comparisons to U2 are practically inevitable simply because they hail from the same part of the world.  Fans dig their catchy tunes and lead singer Paul Noonan's cleverly written lyrics, chock full of classic one-liners.  Detractors hate them for many of the same reasons, arguing the hooks are cheesy and the lyrics aren't nearly as clever as Noonan thinks they are.  Most of all, hipsters like those kooky kids over at Pitchfork Media - who only listen to the coolest bands, of course - hate them because one of their songs appeared in the popular television show The O.C.  This instantly makes them sellouts, naturally, because no self-respecting band would ever try to promote their own music via a show with millions of viewers.

So I guess you can call me a sellout too, because Bell X1 put on one of the best live shows I've seen this year, living up to the great rock 'n' roll history of the venue. 

Temporary Hiatus

You may have noticed that my article about James Cameron's Avatar preview did not appear.  Nor did my reviews of the last Summer Pledge concert I attended, the latest comedy from Mike Judge, Extract, or any CD reviews.

Fear not, dear reader(s), Media Junkie is not dead. 

As some of you may remember, earlier this year my family was the victim of a house fire.  That was almost 7 months ago.  A lot has happened in that time and the house is in the final stages of completion.  My free time, which is what I dedicate to this blog, is more sparse while we're out shopping for new furniture, appliances, and necessities.  

Updates may still trickle through, and they will once again become more steady throughout October.  I am also working on several other projects, both personal and public, that will receive the attention they deserve after we have moved back into our real house. 

This is an exciting time for my family and I, but I have not forgotten how much I love writing reviews and sharing my opinion with others.  Media Junkie isn't going away any time soon, and when it returns there will most likely be an overabundance of articles and reviews that I've had on the backburner for some time now, as well as the promised new feature, Approved For All Audiences.

Thanks to those who loyally read this blog!  See you soon!
-Matt A.