Cleaning...

... is very tiring.

Especially when done correctly.

Rachel and I don't clean very often, which is a bad habit I'm hoping to break.

It's amazing how many old memories you come across while cleaning.  Receipts that take you back to a specific time in your life.  Old mail that jogs your cranium into nostalgia.  Knick knacks that you acquire without even thinking about it.  In my case, there are plenty of guitar picks and old show tickets and memorabilia from Chase's first couple weeks that send me strolling down memory lane...

The guitar pick that I used for the OC Music Magazine showcase at the Yost in Santa Ana while I was playing with Gregory Brock...

My ticket for the Pixies Doolittle show at the Palladium last November...

Chase's pictures from the newborn photoshoot we had while we were still at Hoag over a year ago...

I guess that's one of the positives of cleaning so infrequently.  All those memories lying around, just waiting to have the dust swept off of them...

*sidenote: When the heck did it become almost DECEMBER!?!?!

Music Monday- Hey by the Pixies (LIVE)

Yes, this music monday post is coming to you on a Tuesday.  Better late than never, says I.

I've been on a Pixies kick lately, watching loudQUIETloud, listening to Doolittle and Surfer Rosa and Trompe le Monde in the car.  I want to write and play music the way the Pixies do.  Loose and lucid and dynamic and cool and disinterested and completely engaged and genuine and fun and cool and fun and loud and quiet and ultimately inspiring.

And, I love this song, even more after having gotten to see them perform it live during their tour last year.  It's not the whole song, but I love that this performance is from 1988, which was before the album was even released.

Cinema Saturday- loudQUIETloud

Thanks to @PasteMagazine for the tip.

Today, Chase and I watched loudQUIETloud, the 2006 documentary focused on the Pixies 2004 reunion tour.  I won't bore you with a review.  If you're a Pixies fan or a fan of good music or a fan of good cinema, you'll do yourself a favor and watch the film.

I will say that my favorite parts of documentaries following bands or athletes or the President or any other famous figure are the behind-the-scenes moments.  Those little glimpses into the human sides of these juggernauts that the public so rarely gets to see.  Charles Thompson's candid interview with NME in which he outlines the tension that led to the Pixies break-up.  Kim Deal's request that no alcohol be allowed backstage to help maintain her sobriety.  Joey Santiago on tour iChatting with his wife and daughter on his daughter's birthday.  David Lovering asking the audience at one of his magic shows to say hi to his parents who are in attendance.

We're all real people with real issues and failures and successes and worries and problems.  Even the people we put up on a pedestal.  And I love seeing the real sides of celebrities.  Sometimes you're pleasantly surprised; other times you wish you'd never pulled back the curtain.

Nowadays, it's gotten to the point where you can't tell if celebrities are being genuine or just putting up a front for publicity's sake.  The internet has given us a 24/7 glimpse into a lot of celebrities' lives, even when they struggle to maintain their privacy.  Is that the trade-off for leading a privileged life?  If it is, why would anyone want that?

Celebrity is evolving.  The line between famous and infamous is being blurred everday.  Why is Spencer Pratt famous?  Are we that sick and twisted to the point of being fascinated by that trainwreck of humanity?  And will there ever be a point where we stop giving in to smut and elevate ourselves to topics that are more important?  I hope so.