Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

Museums are not America’s attic for its racist shit.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

All hail the time of the bunny!

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

Celebrate the fucking wins.

This blog will pay for itself.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

I swear, each month of 2025 will have its own history degree.

How stupid are these people?

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

The words do not have to be perfect.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

You are here: Home / Music / Saturday Night Music Open Thread

Saturday Night Music Open Thread

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One of the very few arena shows I ever attended was a Bob Seger “farewell” tour stop in Detroit, and I enjoyed myself just fine, even without the help of any chemicals, not even alcohol. (The opening show stunk, but the audience immediately realized the chorus ‘Keep yo’ hanns to yo’seff‘ worked even better as “Get the fvck off the stage!“) Glad to see the man’s still out there, doing his job. Via a Rolling Stone interview:

Bob Seger does things at his own pace. The Detroit icon’s new disc, Ride Out – a country-flavored collection that mixes originals with covers of songs by Steve Earle and John Hiatt – is only his second LP in nearly two decades. But it also includes his most politically outraged song ever, “It’s Your World,” marking Seger’s coming-out as a climate-change activist. “I’m sure this will alienate some fans,” says Seger, who’s about to launch an arena tour. “But I’m 69. What the heck can they do to me now?”…

What made you decide it was time to write about political issues?
There’s a [recent] U.N. report saying that climate change isn’t coming – it’s here right now. It stuns me that people like Marco Rubio, who seems fairly bright, would say climate change isn’t caused by humans.

A lot of your fans probably agree with Rubio.
I’ve been told a good deal of my fan base is Republican. But I don’t think they all deny global warming. I think with a lot of them, cash is king and they want the jobs. I can understand that, but not if it’s gonna wreck the future for our kids.

You cover Steve Earle’s “The Devil’s Right Hand” on this album. Do you see that as an anti-gun song?
I would say that it’s anti-violence. I’ve always liked that song. I saw Waylon Jennings play it at the end of that movie Betrayed. I thought, “Wow, does that ever sum up this movie?” It’s a movie with horrific violence. This extremely radical, anti-government groups are killing black people. It’s a tough movie to watch.

It’s not a country album, but there’s definitely elements of country music sprinkled in there.
Well, I listen to a lot of country music because my wife loves it. It’s permeating the house and there’s some really good songwriting in country. They really work hard at songwriting. If it’s a song you really like, I don’t want to change it. I don’t want to do “Adam and Eve” with an electric guitar. I wrote “Fireman’s Talkin’,” which is another one. You could say that’s country-sounding, but I just called it crazed-bluegrass myself…

How are you adjusting to your kids being out of the house?
They’re not quite out yet. They go to college near us. I’m happy as heck they’re still around because I adore them. I think my daughter is going to be the first to go. She’s 19 and wants to go to Nashville or New York next year for school. That’s going to kill me. She wants to be in music management. You know, I recently took her and her boyfriend to see Eminem and Rihanna. She got to meet a CAA agent there.

How did you enjoy the show?
It was sensational. Em is so good. The agent told us that Rihanna is even bigger than Beyoncé in Europe and Asia…

Reader Interactions

87Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    I’ve been told a good deal of my fan base is Republican. But I don’t think they all deny global warming.

    True. I believe Marty in Fresno is agnostic.

  3. 3.

    Mnemosyne

    I mentioned the other night that this documentary about Genesis ended up being surprisingly interesting. It pretty much ends up being about Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, which apparently pissed off Steve Hackett, who also went solo, but it was definitely interesting to see everyone sit down (including Gabriel) to talk about the band.

  5. 5.

    Mnemosyne

    @lamh36:

    He’s obviously a very smart man — he got his (future) stepdaughter to help him bring the whole proposal together. :-)

    My undergrad alma mater is USC (Southern California, not South Carolina) and it was definitely nice having a famous marching band at halftime. Best shows were when we played Stanford, which also has a great (but completely different) marching band. People would come to the game just for the Battle of the Bands at halftime and then leave afterwards.

  6. 6.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    It stuns me that people like Marco Rubio, who seems fairly bright, would say climate change isn’t caused by humans.

    Technically, little Marco says, “Whoa! I’m not a scientist, man!”

    I always liked Seger, glad he’s on the side of the angels on the environment, so I’m not gonna question his fondness for Eminem (wasn’t he always half a novelty act?). Live Bullet takes me back to my carefree youth.

  7. 7.

    lamh36

    @efgoldman: well any HBCU televised game will show the halftime show. Ij fact sometimes the half time show is what people are more likely there for.

    The HBCU bands are as big if not bigger than the actual football teams.

    The movie Drumline really is true of alot of HBCU bands. In fact sometimes the band members are just as big a deal as the athletes

    My alma mater is actually a public libeta arts school. But I began my college career at am HBCU (Southern Univ in fact). And the halftime show at the other school just didn’t compare

  14. 14.

    Mike J

    @raven: I didn’t think it started until 7:30 or 8. Is Yutsy going to show up and tell us about the ultimate triumph of Wazzou?

    I don’t really have a dog in this fight, it’s just local. Of course I didn’t watch the Mizzou game, which theoretically I was supposed to care about.

  16. 16.

    Violet

    I need a new purse and swung by a few discount stores this evening. Was perusing the handbag section when a label on one of them caught my eye. The designer label was “Poverty Flats.” Seriously. A purse with “Poverty Flats” on it. Doesn’t inspire confidence. It’s a real design brand. I’m not making it up.

  17. 17.

    Mike J

    @raven: That’s Oregon-Oregon St. Washington-Washington St is the Apple Cup. 7-0 Washington in the 1st. Found it on the Fox sports net, but I’m flipping back and forth to the grumpy cat xmas movie.

  20. 20.

    lamh36

    you should def go check out Beyond the Lights. The lead actress is awesome and the portrayal of how music industry treats women particularly in R&B and pop is spot on.

    …“Beyond the Lights” is an epic movie, crammed with comedy, drama, music and romance, yet it never feels overstuffed. It makes its important statements while being immensely entertaining. At the Toronto Film Festival premiere I attended, the director stated she cut the film’s extremely hot sex scene down to obtain a PG-13 because she wanted teenage girls to experience the film’s strong female empowerment vibe. The film has that, and it has two Black people in a romance, but that doesn’t mean it’s just for women or African-Americans. “Beyond the Lights” includes elements that speak to those groups within a much bigger scope that appeals to all viewers

    During the Q&A after the film’s TIFF screening, Prince-Bythewood talked about how difficult it was to get this film made. Given her talent, one should find this hard to believe. Hopefully, “Beyond the Lights” will draw the attention to her that “Love and Basketball” should have. That film has a permanent place in my heart, and while “Beyond the Lights” won’t replace it, there’s enough room in there for it to nest. I haven’t been able to shake this movie, or Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s performance, since I saw it two months ago. This is a fantastic film. Drop what you’re doing and go see it.

  25. 25.

    redshirt

    Wow, Seger seems wicked cool from this blurb. I had no idea.

    Also, I just got a wireless keyboard but I can’t type for heck on it. I’m thinking it’s slightly smaller then the keyboards I’m used to, but I don’t know. And won’t bother to find out.

  26. 26.

    NotMax

    One of the colleges which I attended did away with its football program (after more than a century of play) a while back.

    Certainly there was a loud, outraged segment of the alumni who objected and whined, but those of us applauding the decision won the day.

  28. 28.

    Schlemazel

    Sasha Cohen’s The Dictator is on FX. I am not a huge fan of his work but this movie is sickly funny

    And it probably causes less brain damage than a college football game, but its close

  30. 30.

    Alison

    @lamh36: I really want to see this. I can’t do theaters but it’ll be in my Netflix queue as soon as it’s available.

    I admit part of the reason is that when I first saw the commercial and saw Gugu Mbatha-Raw, I was like HELLOOOOOO NURSE. But also too, the story sounds really good and stuff :)

  33. 33.

    rikyrah

    @lamh36:
    I went to see it in the theater because of you, lamh. And I love it. Loved the lead actress in Belle, and I love her here. Her performance is so raw, and she broke my heart several times during the movie. I can’t wait to own the DVD.

  34. 34.

    rikyrah

    @Violet:
    I NEED a new purse too. I am not one of those women who have multiple purses.
    I have one- and I use it everyday, no matter the occasion, until it falls apart. My current purse is in pitiful shape, but I don’t want to spend the money for a new one.

  36. 36.

    Yatsuno

    @Mike J:

    Is Yutsy going to show up and tell us about the ultimate triumph of Wazzou?

    Yer just goading me aren’t you?

    I’m vaguely paying attention, but right now not even the cold is saving my Cougs.

  37. 37.

    Violet

    @rikyrah: That’s exactly how I am. I have one purse that I use every day. I can’t be bothered changing out purses to match outfits unless it’s some fancy evening thing and then I just take a small clutch or something. I rarely go to those so it’s not really an issue.

    My current purse is literally falling apart. I like it because it’s big enough but not too big. The current styles seem to be massive. Plus they don’t close properly and I don’t need to to have gaping holes that things can fall out of.

    I can’t find anything I like and I detest shopping but I can’t go on with my current purse that I just discovered has a hole in the side!

  39. 39.

    PsiFighter37

    Contemplating the merits of continuing to rent in NYC vs. buying in NYC, which then brings in discussions of when kids are coming, do they get raised in NYC, and so forth.

    This is heavy shit to think about on a Saturday night, and this requires a ton of planning ahead. I also can’t fathom placing all this money down and having a mortgage – which I view as an anchor more than anything – hanging over me. I just have a huge natural aversion to having a ton of personal debt.

    Ugh.

  40. 40.

    Violet

    @PsiFighter37: There’s no rule that says you have to buy. You can continue to rent. You can also buy something and then, if you decide to, say, travel for a year, rent it out while you’re gone to cover the mortgage and insurance costs. I know someone that did that and has continued to rent out the house. It breaks even year after year but does get you into the property market while you’re still relatively young.

  43. 43.

    Suzanne

    I am all pissed off because Mr. Suzanne and I went Christmas shopping at the mall tonight, and I went into Macy’s, and a rack of coats fell over on me, giving me what feels like it will be a nasty bruise on the back of my hand, and a bleeding scratch down my arm. What made me really angry was that I called for help, and an employee saw me but didn’t come help, it was a customer who lifted the rack off me. Then the employee who saw it happen deigned to come over, and she commented, “Oh, that’s happened a couple of times today.” WTF.

    I complained to the manager, because WHAT IF THAT HAD BEEN A KID? I showed her the rack, which was obviously broken, and carrying far too much weight.

    So. Pissed. Off.

  44. 44.

    Hal

    Somehow I missed this story yesterday:

    http://gawker.com/gop-staffer-calls-obama-daughters-classless-dressed-fo-1664560003

    For most people, Sasha and Malia Obama’s spiritless appearance at this year’s White House turkey pardon was a lesson about humility, showing how even the world’s most powerful man is still just “ugh, Dad” to his teenage daughters. But one Republican House staffer saw something else entirely: two girls dishonoring America with their slutty clothes and brazen teen-ery.

    Because the previous first daughters were symbols of class and integrity, unlike those nasty Obama girls.

    “Dear Sasha and Malia […] try showing a little class,” read a Facebook post by Elizabeth Lauten, communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher of Tennessee. “Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect and not a spot at the bar.”

    And of course she’s apologized:

    I reacted to an article and quickly judged the two young ladies in a way that I would never have wanted to be judged myself as a teenager. After many hours of prayer, talking to my parents and re-reading my words online, I can see more clearly how hurtful my words were. Please know that these judgmental feelings truly have no pace in my heart. Furthermore, I’d like to apologize to all of those who I have hurt and offended with my words, and pledge to learn and grow (and I assure you I have) from this experience.

    So I guess good on her for apologizing, but does it really take hours of prayer to realize you are being a class 1 level jerk?

  48. 48.

    Amir Khalid

    @Hal:
    The “many hours of prayer” bit is just the sort of pious humbug that wowsers like this woman are prone to.

  52. 52.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @PsiFighter37: Scary stories:

    Like several other buildings she was being shown, 20 Pine was developed at the height of the real-estate bubble. After the crash of 2008, it became an emblematic disaster, with the developers selling units in bulk at desperation prices, until opportunistic foreigners swooped in with cash offers. The salvage deals are long gone, but 20 Pine retains its international appeal. The one-bedroom the Italian was looking at, on the 27th floor, had a view of the Woolworth Building, sleek finishes, a bachelor-size kitchen, and access to an exclusive terrace reserved for upper-floor residents. It was first purchased by an investment banker in early 2008 for $1.3 million, was resold in 2011 for $850,000, and was now back on the market for close to its prerecession price. Rosabianca told the Italian it would rent for more than $4,000 a month, enough to assure a healthy cash flow while its value appreciated. “There’s really no safer way to get that kind of return,” he said, “than in New York City real estate.”

    This is not exactly true—there’s plenty of risk in real estate, as the original crop of purchasers at 20 Pine discovered—but that hardly dampens the enthusiasm of foreign buyers, who have become an overpowering force in New York’s real-estate market. According to data compiled by the firm PropertyShark, since 2008, roughly 30 percent of condo sales in large-scale Manhattan developments have been to purchasers who either listed an overseas address or bought through an entity like a limited-liability corporation, a tactic rarely employed by local homebuyers but favored by foreign investors. Similarly, the firm Corcoran Sunshine, which markets luxury buildings, estimates that 35 percent of its sales since 2013 have been to international buyers, half from Asia, with the remainder roughly evenly split among Latin America, Europe, and the rest of the world. “The global elite,” says developer Michael Stern, “is basically looking for a safe-deposit box.”

    The influx of global wealth is most visible on the ultrahigh end, as Stern and other builders are erecting spiraling condo towers and sales records are regularly shattered by foreign billionaires, like the Russian fertilizer oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, purchaser of the most expensive condo in Manhattan’s history ($88 million), and Egyptian construction magnate Nassef Sawiris, who recently set the record for a co-op ($70 million). But much of the foreign money is coming in at lower price points, closer to the median for a Manhattan condo ($1.3 million and rising). In fact, if you’ve recently been outdone by an outrageous all-cash bid for an apartment, there’s a decent chance that, behind a generic corporate name, there’s a foreign buyer and an offshore bank account.

    A majority of foreign or absentee owners is a worrying sign. They can run at any time.

    We were fortunate to buy in NoVA before the run-up in prices. It’s hard to buy in a bubble, especially when it is impossible to know when it will burst. If you can afford a conventional mortgage, sure, look into it – rates are still historically low. If you can only afford it with a balloon mortgage or something weird like that, be very, very careful.

    Good luck.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  58. 58.

    Yatsuno

    @efgoldman: The Cougar Head is regarded as one of the most distinct & recognisable logo designs in college football. Not bad for being created in 1937.

  62. 62.

    Yatsuno

    @efgoldman: Oops. Sorry. 1936.

    Also of interest to Seattle area Juicers: I may be moving back to that side of the state. Details forthcoming as they become available.

    EDIT: Dammit tag! Close when I say to close!

  63. 63.

    jibeaux

    Re: purses, I’ll plug my local place, http://www.hollyaiken.com Raleigh, no relation to Clay Aiken that I know of.
    Made in Raleigh of tough,nearly indestructible vinyl, all the seams are reinforced, these bags will last a very long time and you can do a custom order if you want. On sale through tomorrow.

  66. 66.

    Yatsuno

    @Mike J: Job is in Olympia. Probably looking to live a bit further north around Lakewood since Olympia doesn’t seem to have jack for a good apartment for me.

  67. 67.

    mai naem mobile

    London real estate is crazy. They’ve been selling new construction property near Buckingham Palace for $7k a sq ft(that would make my very average house worth $14M)and they think it’s a bubble with foreign billionaires especially Russian oligarchs. Apparently a lot of Londoners in lower end areas have sold out because they can get so much $$ and then.move outside the city.

  69. 69.

    Bmaccnm

    @rikyrah: I’m also a one-purse woman. And I won’t spend more than 50 bucks on a purse. Do you have a high-end thrift in your area? Junior League, that sort of thing? Because those laydees do have multiple expensive bags, which they switch out frequently. Coach bags for $49.95- that sort of thing.

  72. 72.

    SatanicPanic

    @mai naem mobile: I wonder if we won’t see a time when prices in high-end neighborhoods collapse because one of the biggest reasons for living in the city is other people. If you’re super rich and don’t like people then buy an island somewhere.

  73. 73.

    rikyrah

    @Bmaccnm:
    I like my purses large with lots of compartments and zippers. I have looked around and found one in consideration, but the price made me balk. But this is my Xmas present to myself, but I will not go over the limit I set.

  74. 74.

    Amir Khalid

    When I first heard this, from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, I thought it was an old folk-blues song. (It’s actually a new composition.) I could so easily imagine the Exile On Main Street-era Rolling Stones covering it.

  75. 75.

    srv

    Someone has a book deal:

    US police officer Darren Wilson – who fatally shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in the Missouri town of Ferguson – has resigned from the force, his lawyer Neil Bruntrager says.

  76. 76.

    Amir Khalid

    @srv:
    There might be a book’s worth about how Darren Wilson came to shoot an unarmed kid, but if it makes Wilson out to be the good guy it will belong in Fiction.

  77. 77.

    NotMax

    The turkey tastes even better tonight than it did on Thursday, and that’s goin’ some distance.

  78. 78.

    Suzanne

    @jenn: The manager took my name, address, and phone number. We’ll see what happens. I don’t care about myself, but FFS, if my kids had been with me and one of them got hurt…..HELL TO PAY.

  80. 80.

    Yatsuno

    And Word Press eted my comment. FYWP.

    @gwangung: Eh, I’ll make it work. I can’t work under this manager any longer & waiting out his retirement is just more aggravation than I need. This also will make prepping for the next surgery a simpler affair. Plus since I’ll actually be under a manager who might be interested in me having a career, I may get to do training again. Which I miss TERRIBLY.

  81. 81.

    satby

    @Violet: @rikyrah: Check out thrift and Goodwill stores. Evidently a lot of women buy purses they barely use or don’t use at all and then donate them. I saw a nearly new Coach purse (real, not fake) for $24.00 just yesterday. Didn’t buy it because I don’t need a new purse, but my last 4 have come from Goodwill.

  83. 83.

    ThresherK

    Never his biggest fan, but there’s something a bit amazing about his songwriter’s voice. Many of the slower, more wistful songs written in his 20s-30s seem like they were just waiting for him to grow older into them in his 50s and beyond, and he has.

  84. 84.

    Wally Ballou

    @raven: Most of my favorite Seger music is the early System and Last Heard shit that you’ll never hear on the radio.

    Of course, part of the reason for that is that Bob himself is incomprehensibly embarrassd by his own early work and refuses to put it on CD or itunes. I don’t get it.

  85. 85.

    grandpa john

    @tsquared2001: Really?
    University of South Carolina was founded in 1801
    Southern Cal was founded in 1880
    Which came first the chicken or the egg.?
    and I bring this to your attention even though I graduated from Clemson the true University of South Carolina

  86. 86.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    @Yatsuno:

    That’ll be a good thing. Though you’re from out there, I don’t see eastern WA being a good fit for you.

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