03-12-99

Best viewed with Courier size 10 maximized screen *********************************************************************** The Quote Of The Day: But no more, You understand? -From Never Tell -Submitted by thehappycyclops *********************************************************************** TOUR DATES (NEW TOUR DATES MARKED WITH **): **April 1- Snow King Resort, Jackson Hole, WY (P)** Remember, I'm only posting the full listing of dates on Mondays, so I hope you saved that issue. *********************************************************************** ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO AMUSIC *********************************************************************** In Today's Issue: Pain and Disappointment Kutztown Kutztown Questions Answered Dreams and Such A Story How the Femmes Indirectly Brought Me and My Boyfriend Together... Catharsis Absinthe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pain and Disappointment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i was so excited to hear that the femmes were going to be at the rpi fieldhouse. i've been waiting 3 years for them to come back near me so i could go see them. and now, to ruin all my dreams. it's an 18 and older show. what's with this?? i'm 17, one year shy. if i were born just one year earlier i could see my favorite band of all time play an excellent show. there's got to be something i can do...letters, petitions, fake id...but i really don't know where to start or who to contact. i have to do something. any ideas?? very hurt--brandy BaTBRaiN74 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kutztown ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Everyone, It was most definitely a Femmes crowd at the Kutztown show tonight. There were not even enough die-hard They Might Be Giants fans in the audience to sing the audience participation songs (Planet of the Apes. "John, John, John, John, Dan Dan, Dan Dan ). I did my part though. I love They Might Be Giants!! It occurred to me while watching the Femmes set that a good number of people in the audience were wee little tykes when the Femmes first album came out, and yet they knew just about every word of every song. What an enthusiastic response!!! I think that can safely be called longevity and staying power. Notable points in the evening were the amazing solo performances by each and every band member on Flamingo Baby, Confessions (it was amazing!!),Good Feelings, Gimme the Car and of course Black Girls. They also did an interesting little number having to do with, "Son, don't take your cell phone to town." Gordon and Guy were nice enough to put my son, Dan and I on the guest list and we got to hang out back stage with them for a while. Brian and Gordon invited Dan to play his tuba with them at an upcoming performance.(Dan is a tuba peformance major at Eastman School of Music.) I'll let you know when and where it happens. You Must applaud loudly for him. He is my 6'4" bouncing baby boy!! I think this was one of the best arena performances I've seen them do. Too many times, the music gets lost in the cavernous expanses of these huge venues. Tonight, they filled the place with rich,endorphin releasing magic. I do love those Femmes!! Marylee Rubaiyat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kutztown ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Kutztown show rocked. If not for the shitty acoustics, I'd say it was the best concert I've ever attended. I thought that They Might Be Giants might have been Better. I was not impressed w/ that aspect of the show, nor did I like the way it was run. But I managed to bypass "security" and get to the floor (rather than sit up in the balcony, which was horrible). The Femmes were great, they played some unexpected songs, 3 off of Freak Magnet (Fat, Bad, Talkin' 'Bout My Music), and they "premiered" a song Gordan had just written a few days ago about George Jones. It's called "Don't take the cell phone to town", or "the George Jones Song". Here's the set list (in no real order): Confessions (opener); Prove my love;blister in the sun;gone daddy gone; gimme the car;american music;Fat;Bad;Talkin' 'bout my music;waiting for the bus;add it up;kiss off (encore);country death song;jesus walking on the water;good feeling;black girls;i held her in my arms;flamingo baby; dance M.F. dance;used to be;Don't bring the cell phone to town. The George Jones song is really funny. I took some pictures of the band going nuts and if they come out well, I'll scan them and send them to Pat if she wants them. Guy gave it 200%, Brian broke the Therimin, and Gordan's hair is really long. All and all, it kicked ass, maybe next time I see them, they won't be playing in a gymnasium...... -Matt hudsonm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Questions Answered ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ << What is your favorite femmes song? >> I have to go with "black girls," although "gimme the car" comes in a real close second. I love the lyrics and instrumentation to these two. They are bomb. << What is your favorite Femmes album? >> I don't have all of them, either, but I could listen to Add It Up for years and years and years. << What is your funniest memory of a femmes concert? >> I guess that would be my ONLY memory from a femmes concert. This was Super Bowl last year, here in San Diego, when my femmes were playing in a beer garden. Naturally, being under 21, I couldn't go into the beer garden, but I sat outside of a fence and watched, and talked to the hired bacon that was nearby. Well pretty soon some rowdier fans than I got together and knocked the fence down. My friends and I went in and enjoyed the show. I know it doesn't sound funny, but it was at the time. Nevermind. Something that struck me as funny from that night was a bit unrelated--the second we got downtown, my friends, two fairly buffed out, city-dwelling guys (or so you'd think), immediately locked the doors to the car and started getting all paranoid over any group of people who looked even remotely like a gang. What dorks. I haven't been scared in downtown since I was seven. << Have you ever not worn underwear to a femmes concert? >> Oh only the time I threw panties at Gordon... JUST KIDDING! No, I have this silly habit of wearing underwear when I leave the house. Call me crazy. Claire Lottelita "I'm thinking of starting a secret rumour... that i'm a NYMPHOMANIAC!" --Smitty ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dreams and Such ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First off, my Femmes dream... when I am a billionaire I am going to have a music extravaganza concert where I hire a bunch of bands and pay them enough money that *I* get to write the set lists, so they play all the songs I want them to. The Femmes are definitely on that list. (Currently joined by David Bowie and Cake. I'm sure more bands will be added in the future.) > > Topic starters: > > What is your favorite femmes song? I Hear the Rain... the song that hooked me on them. > What is your favorite Femmes album? Depends on the day. They all fit different moods. "Blind Leading the Naked" has gotten the most play over the years, with Hallowed Ground running a close second. Not that you asked, but currently my favorite non-Femmes album with a Femme on it is DeathGrooveLoveParty by Carmaig De Forest. I'm a Carmaig groupie-- it's a lot easier than being a Femmes groupie, and since I first learned of him at a Femmes concert I consider it the next best thing. :) > What is your funniest memory of a femmes concert? Two: 1) We were right up at the stage at a concert in Portland and this bimbo (we call her Betty Boop) was standing behind my roommate. Betty had the idea that if she flailed her arms around, sang loudly enough and off key enough the band would want to have their way with her. Roommate got sick of the arms in the face and told Betty that if she tried that one more time she would get bitten. Betty flailed her arms in roommates face one more time. Roommate bit her. 2) "Hello Seattle!" said by Brian and Gordon as a result of someone in crowd yelling at them to say hello. Gordon did it like a wuss and waved. Brian played Mr. Rock God. You probably had to be there, but we were in stiches. Is that more than you ever wanted/needed to know from a first time poster? stevens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Story ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Beky said: > I think that some songs are totally kickin', > but I think some of the songs are lacking. I don't really like "A > Story" or something like that. I think it's too long, and that it > kind of gets dragging after awhile. I love "A Story". (I've really got to find out more about this Pierre Henry guy.) I can see why some people might not like it, though..it is kind of slow-paced and weird. But I want to share some thoughts I've had about the song. We all know that Gordon assumes all sorts of identities in his songs.. He has written from the points of view of horny adolescents, God- fearing Christians, disturbed farmers, etc... I think that one of the most interesting things about the Femmes is all of the personalities and moralities that he explores and examines in his songs. So a couple of weeks ago, in the shower (yes, in accordance with the current hot topic on this list, I have to mention that I was naked), I started thinking about who he was identifying with in "A Story." Clearly, a lot of the people who listen to the song are going to identify with the young lovers who elope... But they are killed by the hideous Monster. And, interestingly enough, Gordon never says that the Monster is evil.. He is the Monster our parents warn us about, whose job is to punish "bad kids disobeying parents' wishes." A force of order, perhaps? (Rather than just running away, the kids repent of breaking the rules. But it's too late to avoid judgement. Especially if Gordon is Christian, could he see this as a just punishment for their sins?) Are we supposed to identify with these kids? They're fucking losers! The girl just sits there screaming, and the boy selfishly offers her life to get away. I don't think that Gordon thought of them as heroes. So is the mother the good guy then? I could see some people arguing that...the story feels a bit like some sort of morality play, so she is justified in trying to raise her daughter properly. But if Gordon wanted her to be good, why does she sell the rights to the story, profiting off of her daughter's gruesome death? So I'm standing there in the shower, thinking about the two sides in the story: The young lovers, who follow their hearts, but are at heart selfish bastards, and the mother, who is part of "the system", making unfair rules..and profiting in a way that is wrong, even if it is within the rules of Society. And the Monster is also following the rules of the Establishment. Then I realized that the ending of the song, which I'd always thought of as a rather disappointing conclusion, actually had a point! Gordon finishes by announcing "the moral of the story is clear for all to see. But it isn't clear to me." He's just as confused about it as I am. Some people will say the story is a tragedy about two heroic lovers who aren't understood, and some will say that the mother and Monster were good and following the rules. But in reality, both the establishment and anti-establishment people were selfish and petty...most people will only see the bad qualities in the side they don't like. And Gordon still doesn't know what side he's supposed to be on. This is exactly the kind of statement I would expect from someone who has made such great songs written from so many points of view. I think that this is really cool, but you're all probably shaking your heads and asking "what the hell is Nevin smoking?!?!" Just a few months ago, there was a big discussion in which most people agreed that the Femmes didn't have deep meanings to their songs... I agree with that, but I think A Story might be an exception. Does anyone else? Nevin steindnw (PS: Does anyone know what the Monster says after he eats the teenagers? I think it sounds like "Evil, good, better do what they should." But then again, I could just be making that up, because I want it to be something that goes along with my theory that the Monster is enforcing society's rules...which don't necessarily have a morality.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How the Femmes Indirectly Brought Me and My Boyfriend Together... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It all started in November. Brian and I had started working at Carmike Cinemas at the same time (August) and were great friends... great friends who were madly in love with each other and didn't know how the other one felt. We also both happened to be Femme obsessed, which made him even more perfect in my eyes. One night we went on break for dinner with our friends Scott, Amanda (Brian and I got her obsessed too), and Zach (who's never had a date in his life, poor thing). We had Good Feeling blasting and the windows rolled down, each of us dangling a clove out the window (yum!). Suddenly I screamed, "STOP!!! LISTEN!! You can TELL by Gordon's voice that he's an AMAZING kisser!!!" Everyone shut up and listened, and slow smiles spread across their faces. They all began nodding, even the guys. Amanda and I got into a discussion about who was hotter, Gordon or Guy (I think Guy's astoundingly sexy, but no one else agrees...), and then the discussion turned to kissing. Zach with the virgin lips was feeling left out. We were at a loooong red light, and finally I turned around and looked at him. "Zach, sweetie, it's done like this," I said, and gave Brian a long, sweet kiss. When I pulled away I looked into his eyes and KNEW... and it's been heaven ever since. Thanx guys. I couldn't have done it without ya. Brian says thanx too... :) supergigi17 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Catharsis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just in case anybody needs to know what a catharsis is, i looked it up and have decided to share this wealth with everyone else who DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WORD MEANS! ca*thar*sis (noun), plural ca*thar*ses [New Latin, from Greek katharsis, from kathairein to cleanse, purge, from katharos] First appeared circa 1775 1 : PURGATION 2 a : purification or purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) primarily through art b : a purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension 3 : elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression and a purgation is the following: purge [1] (verb) purged; purg*ing [Middle English, from Middle French purgier, from Latin purigare, purgare to purify, purge, from purus pure + -igare (akin to agere to drive, do) -- more at ACT] verb transitive First appeared 14th Century 1 a : to clear of guilt b : to free from moral or ceremonial defilement -beky Extatika p.s.- you know there were a bunch of you who wanted to know what this meant but were too lazy to look it up and too embarassed to ask what it meant, so you're welcome SLACKERS! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Absinthe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ what is Absinthe? Extatika -Pat.ays: Absinthe,n. (Fr.;L absinthium, wormwood;Gr. absinthion), a green, bitter, alcoholic liquor with the flavor of wormwood and anise (wormwood is a strong-smelling plant with white or yellow flowers). It was a popular, highly addictive drink among artists and writers of the Victorian period/early 20th century, as it was believed to enhance creativity and perception. Absinthism is a disease caused by habitually drinking too much absinthe. Its popularity is apparently on the rise. Absinthe is also the name of a band featuring present and former members of the BoDeans. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~