Roger Waters’ The Wall @ Phillips Arena

Last night I had the pleasure of experiencing The Wall live at Atlanta’s Phillips Arena. I have never seen Pink Floyd, but I have seen Roger Waters once before in Las Vegas playing Darkside of the Moon on his last tour. What I witnessed last night blew the previous show away, and that’s saying a lot, since I considered the Darkside of the Moon show the best I’d ever seen. I was brought up listening to Pink Floyd whether I knew it or not my whole life. My father’s second favorite band only behind the legendary Zep, and even that ranking sometimes flip-flops. My dad once had a chance to see The Wall when he was around my age, but he didn’t go, and last night he was able to remedy that.

I knew the actual physical Wall itself was going to be huge and awe-inspiring, but I had no idea the length of greatness the presentation went through. The Wall is basically a bunch of bricks that serve each as their own screen. It is slowly built brick by brick in a seemingly random order, but nothing is random in a Roger Waters production, and every single projection had meaning. Timing was everything, and the whole show went off perfectly. Our seats were some of the best I’ve ever had for any show, and much closer than the last time I saw Waters. When the Wall was fully built, blocking the majority of the stage at the end of the first half of the album, I felt relieved. I had always imagined getting to see this show since I’ve known anything about the album/film, and while I don’t have a bucket list in actuality, this experience would have surely been on top.

The first half featured some of the most interesting moments of the show. All of the puppets were featured during this half. We had the School Master visit during the “Another Brick in the wall/Happiest Days of Our Lives” portion, then a brick version of Waters’ mother for “Mother,” and lastly the flower monster version of Waters’ wife at the end of “Young Lust.” Seeing the school kids from a local Georgia Art school come on stage to tell the teacher to “leave them kids alone,” was pretty awesome. The scale of the monstrous teacher looming over the children as they danced on stage was pretty sweet to see. I guess that’s the first moment during the show that you truly feel the scope of the entire thing. By the end of the first half The Wall stood completely built.

The intermission featured memorials for casualties of war. Waters’ father, Gandhi, and many other people were featured brick by brick on The Wall.

The second half began with the entirety of “Hey You” being played behind The Wall. We sat and watched with “itchy feet and fading smiles,” waiting for Waters to come back. For “Is Anybody Out There,” a piece of The Wall was removed to show Pink playing guitar, and then for “Nobody Home,” the Wall opened a platform for Pink’s hotel room where Waters sat in front of tv and window, singing. Then for the rest of the show we were all trapped inside The Wall with Waters/Pink. “Bring the Boys Back Home,” was a standout live. Comfortably numb was amazing, as Waters was on the stage near the bottom of the wall, while the Gilmour parts were played by Robbie Wyckoff (Vocals) and Dave Kliminster (Guitar) on top of The Wall. The second “In The Flesh” was a scaled down version of the first, as the whole band was now in front of The Wall with Pink. The flying pig also came out around this time, and was hovering right around our seats the entire time it was out. My dad who is 6’7″ was mere inches away from being able to grab the pig from his seat.

“Run Like Hell,” “Waiting for the Worms,” and “Stop” all melded together for a most epic projection sequence on The Wall. The Hammers marching from the film, and The Wall becoming deeper and deeper through more layers being shown. Then the Pink doll fell of The Wall, and “The Trial” began. I thought for sure we were going to be treated with the giant puppets again for this sequence, but instead they opted to go with a majority of the film’s animation of the sequence played out on The Wall. Then it was time to “Tear down The Wall!” Watching it fall down was just as epic as I’d always dreamed it was going to be. It crashed layer by layer all over the stage, and then the whole band came out to play “Outside the Wall,” with an assortment of string instruments (Banjo, Ukulele, etc). The show ended on that note, perfectly as I could have imagined.

I don’t know if I’ll ever see a show as good as this one again. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I hope anyone who reads this has a chance to witness it for themselves someday. I’ll never forget this night, and if Rog ever tours again, I’ll be sure to be there for the third time (Final Cut tour please!). Thanks for reading my first concert review ever! Let me know what you think on Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr!

The Walking Dead: Pilot (Review)

AMC is the best network on commercial television. They may not have any sports or news programs, but they supply series of HBO/Showtime quality at a higher rate than either HBO or Showtime (or any other network). With the recent loss of Mad Men due to series finale, AMC has stepped up with one of the most interesting choices for a comic adaptation ever put on film, The Walking Dead. The series revolves around a police officer who awakens from a bullet wound/coma to find that the world as he knows it no longer exists. It’s a series about survival, loss, and most importantly… Zombies!

The first episode begins with one of the quietest opening scenes I’ve ever seen for a television series. With the lead character Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) strolling down a street filled with destruction, only to find a little girl zombie all by her lonesome. The scene epitomizes everything this series, and zombie fiction in general, are going for. The loneliness, the grizzly horrors, the silence, it’s all there. From there the series goes back to the start of Rick’s encounter with the new world. The scenes are very similar to 28 Days Later’s opening, but both were originally being written about the same time, so who is to say which came first. There’s definitely a darker spin on Grimes’ trip out of the hospital, which adds quite a lot to the atmosphere.

I enjoyed how the pilot used one of my favorite apocalyptic story devices, which is the use of notes from previous survivors. Games like Left 4 Dead make great use of these, and The Walking Dead seems to be on the same track. The way just a few simple words painted or carved into a wall can tell a whole story has always interested me. The very first time Rick encounters such a message, he also encounters the zombies, and the whole scene is just perfect. Later in the episode an entire couple’s suicide is explained through one of these messages, as the aftermath is strewn across their living room. It’s like a modern day take on hieroglyphs, as people use their last moments to send messages to whoever comes next.

The acting was surprisingly solid. When the first scene between Rick and Shane occurs, I thought I was going to be annoyed by the acting. As the show progressed, so did the acting. I loved seeing my boy Lennie James (Snatch/Hung) as one of the survivors. He’s a solid character player, and I’m hoping we see him featured more throughout the series. I’m not sure how I feel about the rest of the Grimes family, as their parts were super small in this pilot, but I imagine the whole cast will remain strong.

The story is the strongest asset this zombie show has going for it. I can’t think of any other zombie story where survivors felt so compelled to release the undead from their zombiefied state. It’s almost as though the survivors feel so guilty, that they kill zombies for compassion not aggression. I really cannot wait to get more into this show, and I await the coming weeks (and hopefully years) eagerly.

Little River (Alabama)… Big Jumps

A Saturday well spent jumping off high rocks…

The Infinite Combo…

The Souvenir City Times is proud to announce the creation of the Infinite Combo. A place where you can keep up to the day to day happenings of Souvenir City. The Times has always focused on bringing the thoughts of Souvenir City to the people, and Infinite Combo is about bringing the people of Souvenir City to the world. Everything from the nonsensical happenings of yours truly, to actual news on projects the members of SC are working on, Infinite Combo will have it all. Click the links in this thread, bookmark the page, and enjoy what spews out of it.

NBA Free Agency Looms

Thursday, July 1st, is the start of the Nation Basketball Association’s free agency. High interest talent like Lebron James and Dwyane Wade have the biggest decision of their careers to make, and fans all over the country are hoping their team is their answer. It has been said that the NBA free agency period has been more anticipated than the actual NBA Championship that just took place, which just shows the sad state of affairs that is the NBA at this point. Perhaps a league with 3 relevant teams a season will finally be able to add some parity. Here is a look at some of that high priced talent, and where I think they’ll end up…

Lebron “MF’n” James: The headliner of free agency, and pretty much all of basketball, despite his lack of winning championships. Lebron holds the future of the entire league in his hands, as his choice will likely be a contender no matter what team he picks. Even the lowly Nets and Knicks have hope of a great future, if Lebron picks them above the rest. There has been talk that Jay-Z is trying to serenade Lebron with talk of the Nets moving to New York, but that seems highly unlikely at best. While the Nets have a better roster than the Knicks, I don’t see James coming anywhere near a Nets uniform, unless he’s dunking on a player in one. I have also heard a lot of discussion about James taking over the Chicago Bulls’ leadership duties, but as Lebron will be changing his number to 6 instead of 23 to avoid comparisons to the legend that is Michael, I can’t see him stepping onto the floor in a Bulls Jersey. Becoming a Bull is basically the epitome of stepping into Jordan’s shadow.

Prediction: Lebron wants to make the most money possible, and that either means him staying with the Cavs for the maximum possible contract, or him ignoring the fact that James Dolan is human scum, and signing in the biggest city in the world, New York. Despite what ESPN would have you believe, I’m going to say the Knicks and Cavs are the only two destinations for the King.

Dwyane Wade: Pretty much the only champion on the open market. Dwyane has seen hardly any playoff action over the past 3 seasons (only 12 games), so it is possible he’s a little sick of being undermanned in Miami. He’s not exactly made of glass, but he’s clearly injury prone to an extent. He can’t carry a team to the same lengths as Lebron can, but with the right team around him, Wade can closeout close games, which is something Lebron has issues with. Wade is an underrated defender, and is the shortest player to ever have 100 blocks in a season. Wade is a monster on his own, but can be a winner with the right partner sharing the spotlight.

Prediction: Dude isn’t going anywhere, and all the Miami Heat fans are probably as confident as I am that he isn’t leaving. Wade is that franchise, and will continue to be.

Chris Bosh: Possibly the most overrated player in the NBA. Bosh has flourished on a crap team in Toronto for his entire career, but hasn’t been a factor in postseason play. This is basically the ultimate guy that will get a max-contract, but doesn’t have the tools to carry a team anywhere on his own. He may be the Pippen to Wade or Lebron’s Jordan, but he’s certainly no Tim Duncan. Bosh is in a position to make demands at this point, and he’ll be waiting patiently for Lebron or Wade to court him to wherever they end up. I don’t see Bosh setting the tone with an early decision on the free agent marketplace, unless of course, Bron-Bron or D-Wade already confirmed plans with him. On the bright side, Bosh made the funniest All-star campaign I’ve ever seen, so he’s got that going for him.

Prediction: Bosh will be riding the coattails of one D-wade, and they can both get knocked out of the playoffs in the first round together.

Dirk Nowitzki: The more I look at this free agency class, the less respect I have for it. With Dirk comes another player who just can’t get it done when it matters most, in the playoffs. A guy who played with 2-time MVP Steve Nash, and still found himself dominated by another championship-less team ever year, the Sacramento Kings. Dirk is only a free agent because he opted out of his contract to test the market. I don’t suspect he’ll be meeting with too many teams, and in the end probably won’t be going anywhere. Not to another team, and not to a championship.

Prediction: Mavericks. Mark Cuban will literally blow Dirk to keep from losing him.

Joe Johnson: Another (non)winner. Joe Johnson has allegedly said he will take less money to play with great players in hopes of winning a title. He’s about the third best player at his position in this free agency class, and few fans actually care where he ends up. Johnson is a borderline all-star, especially if he were in the West, and now that he turned 29 today, it’s probably for the best to keep away from building a team around JJ. Despite all that, some team will be on the hook for way too much money when all is said and done.

Prediction: New Jersey Nets swoop in, and promise Johnson the opportunity to play with a legit center in Brook Lopez.

Amar’e Stoudemire: The sleeper in this class of free agents. He’s a better player than Bosh in my book, and he’s only 27. Amar’e has proven he can comeback from injury problems, but also showed that he can disappear in a playoff series. He’s another number 2 looking for number 1 money, and he cannot take over entire divisions like the best players available this offseason. If a team is able to lure Amar’e in, they better be able to put players around him, or they’ll just be another middling irrelevant team (NBA already has 20 of those).

Prediction: Phoenix Suns, under the Larry Bird rules he can get the most bang for his buck, and still have Steve Nash to play with.

Carlos Boozer: The only free agent this year with a reputation of taking advantage of blind people. I mean literally, this guy lied to from Cavs owner Gordon Gund, who is blind, during contract negotiations to free himself up to sign with the Jazz. Easily the least classiest move I’ve ever heard of in sports negotiation history. He claims to not be guilty, but so did Michael Jackson, and everyone knows how I feel about that guy. Another player with no proof of winning on his resume, and questionable human instincts. He won’t be worth the money he makes on his new contract, nor did he really earn the $70 million he just made.

Threads paid for with blind man tears…

Prediction: Chicago Bulls, as they probably think he’ll be a great fit with Derrick Rose.

True Blood 3.3: It Hurts Me Too

(Spoilers follow)

Who is this guy with Sookie? Just another damn werewolf.

This show is creepy in so many different ways. Everything from the final scene involving a character having her neck broken during rough sex, and actually enjoying it, to James Frain just being James Frain (or Franklin the Vampire in this case). Even the funniest character on the show is now one of the most off-putting, with his crazy fantasies of everyone having bullet wounds in their skull. In a world where vampires and werewolves exist, it shouldn’t come as a shock I suppose, but somehow this show steps up the insanity every episode or two. James Frain and the most annoying character in television (Tara/Rutina Wesley) having freaky vampire sex may have actually been less enjoyable to see than the aforementioned “neckbreaking” scene. True Blood produces graphic sexuality in a whole different sense of the term.

This episode wasn’t without it’s hilarity. Lafayette’s visit from Eric was downright laugh inducing. The scenes between the two are always enjoyable, and I couldn’t stop chuckling at how offended Eric was to even think about paying the insurance for his gift to Lafayette. Eric is probably the funniest vampire on the show as far as consistency goes, but I don’t ever know whether the jokes on this show are intentional, or just me laughing at bad acting/accents.

Hopefully the retirement from Sheriff Bud wasn’t as sign that William Sanderson is leaving True Blood. He’s been one of my favorite television actors since his portrayal of E.B. Farnum on HBO’s best series of all-time, Deadwood. Perhaps this is just a way to set up Andy becoming the sheriff, and being able to give Jason Stackhouse as job without him actually passing any tests. Jessica, the redheaded vampire who basically made me tune into this show in the first place, has become one of the least interesting characters on the show. Not sure what’s going to happen with her character, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she were a casualty this season. I get that her character shows what it’s like to learn to be a vampire, but it just isn’t worth the one or two throwaway lines a show to keep her around.

All that said, Tara would always be my first vote for character to remove from television forever.

I thought at the end of season 2, Bill Compton was a goner. Not only has the biggest over-actor on the show not been removed, but he’s found himself in some of the strangest scenes in the show’s history. His temper tantrum at the end of last episode, where he flung fire into his maker was outrageously funny to me, and this week his sex scene with her was anything but. His flashback just showed what we already know regarding Vampires, and going back to their past lives. They really should just kill Bill off already too. Even Sookie was making fun of the way he say her name last week, that’s how obvious and repetitive his character is. I guess James Frain can take out that whole vampire household this season as far as I’m concerned.

Strikeforce: Fedor v Werdum

An interesting night of fights to say the least. Not the most exciting card I’ve seen all year, but three very decisive victories on the main card, and one that’s still blowing my mind at this very moment…

Cris Cyborg v Jan Finney

Cris Cyborg is easily the best fighter in the world that isn’t a dude, at least that I’ve seen. She beat Gina Carano, which was America’s fighting sweetheart, and now she’s going to systematically beat every other female Strikeforce puts in front of her. I personally don’t see the benefit to the female side of MMA, and this fight shows a lot of why. Jan Finney was clearly outclassed, and watching her get beat down for two rounds was as uncomfortable as watching a car wreck. The fetal position isn’t something a fighter should spend the majority of a fight in, but every time Finney was knocked off her feet (and there were plenty of those), she found her self in said-position.

The female referee was no better than the female “fighter,” as she watched this slaughter from the best seat in the house, and found it somehow warranted multiple rounds. I suppose her definition of “protecting yourself intelligently,” is to just still be breathing despite the onslaught of punches to the head and body. Watching a women get battered like this cannot be good for morale, and the live crowd even began booing the nonstop flurry from Cyborg. I just don’t find myself in the audience of people who enjoy female fighting. It’s less a sport, and more just unintelligible brawling. Please Strikeforce, I know Cyborg is a world class female fighter, but if this is the best challenge there is for her, stop.

Winner: Cyborg by TKO (RD2)

Cung Le v Scott Smith

Cung Le has now one 4 out of 5 rounds against Scott Smith, and one out of two fights. Aside from a few heavy punches in their first meeting, Smith has been thoroughly handled by Cung Le, who is still one of my favorite athletes in the world. Le landed multiple spinning back kicks to the body that were set up with the same fake punches, and Smith’s body couldn’t withstand them. Le has landed the exact same move at least four times in the two fights between these men, and Smith just never saw any of them coming. You’d think after a world class striker throws a fake punch for the 4th or 5th time Smith would catch on, but he didn’t.

Smith came out like a ball of energy, but he never did anything to truly harm Le. He was able to stay close enough to Le to keep from getting into the kicking range for the majority of the first round, but by the second round it was all over for Smith. There was talk of a possible third match between these two, but it just seems as unnecessary as the Strikeforce Women’s Division.

Winner: Cung Le TKO (RD2)

Fedor Emelianenko v Fabricio Werdum

The entire card Showtime kept cutting back to Werdum in the locker room, and for a guy facing off against the #1 one heavyweight in the world, he seemed extremely loose. He was laughing it up in the locker room, and ever showed a few smiles on his way down the entrance ramp to the cage for the fight. If he was scared at all, he wasn’t showing it in any way. The match that took place was quick and shocking. Fedor landed a couple shots that included a left hook, which planted Werdum on his back. Fedor moved in for the kill, almost found himself caught in a submission, escaped for a moment, but didn’t step away, and then found himself back in the same submission, only this time there was no escape.

1:09 was the official time, as Fedor tapped to a triangle choke. That’s all it took for Werdum to shock the entire mixed martial arts world. Fedor handled his only submission gracefully, and not like Forest Griffin/Lebron James would have, as he remained in the ring for post-fight analysis. Emelianenko’s confidence seems to have gotten the best of him, as did Werdum’s power and BJJ skills.

Winner: Werdum SUB (RD1)