You don't see a band for 12 years and everything goes to hell.

Last night I saw Foo Fighters play a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. What the hell happened to them? I walked in late and thought maybe I'd timed it wrong and was seeing the encore, because the performance was completely over the top. But, nope, they played every song that way. Dragging out and over-emphasizing every moment, running around and waving their guitars in the air... good lord. They had an entire acoustic set lowered from the ceiling into the middle of the room. It was the epitome of an arena rock show. When did Dave Grohl embrace the whole over-the-top "rock star" thing? He was in Nirvana!

I went because Foo Fighters was my first concert, in 1996 or 1997 at some auditorium in New Jersey. Big mosh pit, sweaty long-haired grunge boys, your basic rock show. All of their songs sounded the same, but they were new so I figured they'd improve. They haven't. I don't understand how audiences can get so passionate about music that is so bland. It's like... it's fine, but it's not special. How can something so generic sell out Madison Square Garden, when I've had life-changing concert experiences with brilliant bands who can't sell out 100-capacity bars? It didn't help that the place was swarming with frat boys; I felt utterly out of place.

Grohl's between-songs banter was cute, though. And they had a hilarious triangle solo. And it was good to hear "Everlong," which is by far their best song. But mostly, the whole thing made me cringe.

[Cross-posted to InsaneJournal]

sexism in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes

These macros make me very happy. Maybe for DragonCon I'll dress up as a "Vote Saxon" campaign worker? I could have a sign. And pins. And pro-Saxon literature. Don't laugh; it'd be an easy costume. :P

***

I rewatched the first season of Life on Mars this weekend. I was worried that the crappiness of Ashes to Ashes would negatively effect my opinion of it, but nope; I love it more than ever. If anything, the failures of Ashes to Ashes just make the awesomeness of Life on Mars stand out even more.

( why does Life on Mars handle sexism better than Ashes to Ashes? (spoilery for all) )

[Cross-posted to InsaneJournal]