My 2002

by Ryan McKee

CDs

MC Paul Barman, Paullelujuh! (The first true Nerd Rapper)

Adam Green, garfield (The little Moldy Peach has grown up)

The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (Proved they could follow up the perfect Soft Bulletin)

Beck, Sea Change (Made me remember that I like Beck)

Tom Waits, Blood Money (Fucked-up, crazy sounds, instruments I can't place, and not as slow as its counterpart, Alice = great Tom Waits. Still not as good as Mule Variations)

Arlo, Stab the Unstoppable Hero (Made me remember I like simple pop music that's made by regular joes like me)

...Trail of Dead, Source Codes and Tags (Made me remember that rock n' roll is suppose to scare you a little.)

Imperial Teen, On (Imagine my embarassment when I found out these guys have been around for years. I just heard of them with this album.)

The Bigger Lovers, Honey in the Hive (Not as good as their debut, but I still have to give them credit. Great nerdy power pop that is very infectious after about the sixth listen.)

Cinema

Adaptation

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
(I had been a little worried about Charlie Kaufman after he wrote Human Nature. That movie, not so good. Then he comes out with not one, but two killer films.)

Gangs of New York
(For one simple reason, Daniel Day Lewis as The Butcher.)

Frida
(Plenty of Salma Hayek boob, and it's a great story. And true.)

About Schmidt
(Too much Kathy Bates boob, however, Alexander Payne's attention to detail makes this movie hilarious.)

Y Tu Mama Tambien
(Sexy and Mexican, like Salma Hayek. Tons of sexual tension, great coming of age story . . . with sex.)

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
(The book is better, but the movie is funny and creepy and still makes my list.)

Concerts

Frank Black at the Double Door in Chicago
(Did some Pixies favorites and plenty of new stuff. The Catholics are such a great backing band.)

My Morning Jacket at Schubs in Chicago
(To listen to their CD would make you think their laid back, however, see them live and you will think of Metallica.)

Beck with The Flaming Lips at Gammage Auditorium in Tempe, AZ
(The best show I've ever seen. No exaggeration. The venue was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, The Flamings Lips were amazing, and The Flaming Lips playing with Beck, well, you know. Amazing.)

Bobby Bare Jr. at Nita's Hideaway in Tempe, AZ
(Nice guy from Texas. Played a great show on a Monday night when very few people were there. Might have got some people down, but he played like it was a full house. Came out and shook everyones' hands afterward.)

The Kids in the Hall at the Rosemont in Chicago
(Great adaption of their TV show to stage. Taught me The Bible through Dr. Seuss. Seriously.)

Janeane Garofalo at The State Theater in Kalamazoo, MI
(I laughed and felt smarter after seeing her.)

Favorite Concert Moment
Bob Dylan covering "Brown Sugar" at the State Fair in Phoenix (he mumbled through every song but that one and his cover of 'Old Man')

I don't know if any books I read were actually published in 2002. I can't afford hard copies.

Except:
At the Jim Bridger by Ron Carlson. Funny, well-crafted short stories.

This Too Can Be Yours by Beth Lisick. Hilarious, alternative fiction. Won the Firecracker Award

Humor Me edited by John McNally. Great anthology of humor writing by writers of color.

Issue 12 1/2, February 2003 | next article