Scott Weiland was in fine voice, the band was razor sharp and, most importantly, they very clearly enjoyed playing. Scott even commented on how thrilled he was to be able to play the Bowl.
They opened with "Big Empty" (Dean DeLeo is amazing on the slide guitar) and "Wicked Garden", played almost all of Core and their greatest (The Beatles-esque "Lady Picture Show" was particularly righteous live) before finishing with "Dead and Bloated" and "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" (Maybe my single favorite song) as the encore.
STP has always been one of my favorite bands, and certainly one of the most important of the American alternative movement. But I now appreciate them on a whole other level, particularly their ability to switch gears effortlessly between the heavy tracks on Core; their haunting, bluesy melodies; and the '70s classic-rock influenced work toward the end of their original run. Scott is clearly a fragile human being; His very public meltdowns seem to happen in annual intervals. Here's hoping he keeps it together long enough for the anticipated fifth studio album and another tour because I would love to see 'em again.
The previous weekend, I was treated to one of the greatest weekends of my movie-going life. It was a reunion with a couple of old, dear friends and a very, very strange visit with a hermaphroditic mass-murdering villain who moonlights as a lounge singer that you may recognize from one of the biggest bands of the past 35 years.
The Aero Theatre continued its unbe-freakin'-lievable summer run with a pair of films from Savage Steve Holland, whos body of work is small but above reproach.
The iconic BETTER OFF DEAD... kicked things off, and the manic speedball of cinematic weirdness is just as hilarious as it was nearly a quarter-century ago. What I appreciated this time around, however, was its sweeter side. BOD has just enough sweetness to keep the wackiness from spiraling out of control, as seemingly every film does that tries to match its zaniness over the last 25 years.
It's sweeter side? Wow. I'm turning into such a wuss.
The double bill was broken up by the best Q & A I've had the privledge of attending. Holland himself is a ball of manic energy, but in a very engaging, amusing way. His presence isn't grating and overbearing like some other mega-intense filmmakers I can think of.
Holland brought with him frequent collaborator Curtis Armstrong and BOD actress Diane Franklin, who also appeared in a couple other Doom-Generation standards and is still freakin' adoreable.
All three had very fond memories of working on BOD. The actors said Holland is fun to work for and encourages ideas and improvisation, and Holland returned the praise by crediting Armstrong for creating several of his character Charles De Mar's stand-out moments.
The theatre was packed with thirty-somethings who grew up on Holland's work, but one superfan stole the show by bringing a box of BOD-related items to be signed including the air cleaner off his Camaro, a two-dollar bill and some very rare movie items.
ONE CRAZY SUMMER, which isn't the classic BOD is but is still a very good comedy with a few sidesplitting moments. ("Lemme tell you a story about a little fat boy...")
Although I'm normally very allergic to having my picture taken, I got caught up in the zeitgeist and had such a good time watching these two staples of my childhood and listening to the insanely likeable Holland that I mugged for a pic with him.
Saturday at midnight brought Phil's regular New Beverly Midnight, and this one was a monster.
I'd describe NEVER TOO YOUNG TO DIE to all of you but you'd swear I was making it up. Y'see, in the heady days of '86, Uncle Jesse from "Full House" starred in an action film with one of Prince's hoochies and Double-Oh Seven to battle Gene Simmons, who led a pack of leather-and-chains-clad leftovers from one of the '80s countless ROAD WARRIOR rip-offs and Freddy Krueger in an attempt to exort the government by threatening to poison the water supply.
Oh yeah, and Simmons was a hermaphrodite who had a lounge act, nearly made out with Stamos in a couple scenes and killed people with a razor-sharp spike on the end of his right middle finger.
See, told you...
Needless to say, it was AWESOME! I laughed long and hard, as did a very packed New Bev. Chicks dig Stamos, I guess.
It's worth mentioning that the crowd was particularly hot for a THE LAST DRAGON trailer that preceded the film and I'm now making it my life's mission to merciless harrass Phil until he shows it just to shut me up.
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1 comment:
Shogun of Harlem, it seems you've achieved the GLOW after some major events! Now seeing The Last Dragon on the big screen could all could achieve the next level.
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