The Wake

I finally attended my first premiership game, Fulham v Aston Villa at Fulham. Given the number of Americans on the Fulham team, we opted to support them. They hadn’t won in several months, and Aston Villa was towards the top of the league. We went down to a local pub before the match and took down a few with the faithful. We went to the Fulham store and bought scarves, and then headed down to …

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One of my four jobs and internships here in London is with a Media, Touring, and Management firm called Airmtm. They handle the careers of artists like Jamie Cullum, The Bad Plus, and Manchester’s I am Kloot, among hundreds of others. They also handle all the media work for the world famous jazz club, Ronnie Scotts. It served as a place for the Jazz obsessed Londoners in the 40’s and 50’s to see the greatest …

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Late one evening, it was decided that we should head to a nightclub called Turnmills in Farringdon, near Kings Cross Station (of Harry Potter fame). The club was set to have over 20 DJ’s play throughout the night, including from members of Hot Chip and Macabees, and proper sets from The Metros and Fisherspooner. On top of that, there were gift bags at the door, and free Ice Cream and hair-cuts inside.

We arrived early …

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When I left my small mid-western town to attend the U of M Twin Cites, it was for the greener pastures of cultural diversity and open-minded discussion. This objective was largely achieved. I’ve made new friends of varied upbringings and beliefs, and I feel a more well-rounded and educated person for it.

Sometime last week I went and practiced with the Imperial College Medical Basketball team. Imperial’s actual team had already held tryouts, but the medical team was willing to give me a shot. The team was comprised primarily of Asians, Indians, a Swede named Ole, polish kid named Demitri, a British kid named Alvin, and a Portuguese coach. They all had British accents, except for the coach, and they all played the most unorthodox style of …

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On my way home from downtown late one weekend night, I stepped off the bus near my flat to the sound of frighteningly serious chanting around the corner. I opted to investigate, and was astounded at the return. The organized chaos was coming from the Islamic Cultural Center of London, which was evidently a few blocks from my place. The large courtyard in-front of the building was filled with ceremoniously garbed Muslims, arms around shoulders, …

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I’m a little behind in my blog posting, as it’s been a whirlwind second week here in London. I’ll start with last Saturday. I went to a small basement club in the Tottenham area of Central London. I was initially denied at the door with the explanation of, “No football or rubgy shirts allowed.” I attempted a response but the pony tailed ogre was in no mood. He took a brisk step forward, placed his …

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The Lionheart Brothers, straight outta Trondheim Norway, made their way to the Oxford Circus in London on Monday night to play The Social. I had originally intended to take the tube down to Ealing Broadway to watch a match and enjoy some discount pints. I stood at the station, with my Ipod on for some 15 minutes, nose in a book, before I realized there was no longer anyone else waiting. Apparently the message delivered …

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I boarded my plane for London at 9:30pm in Chicago on Thursday. I had a window seat, with only one seat next to me. I watched excitedly as numerous diverse and seemingly interesting people walked slowly by, scanning the number above the seat. To my utter dismay, it was none other than a 70 year old man with a severe cough and strangely sprouting facial hair who finally sat down. He had a troubling tendency …

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Conor Oberst made his return to the 400 Bar in Minneapolis on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of December. Oberst has a history of playing the 400; he was 18 for his debut on the 400 Bar’s stage. “It was the first place to ever pay me to play outside of Omaha.” He explained. Bill Sullivan, brother of owner Tom Sullivan, now manages Bright Eyes.
He played a set of entirely original material before …

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It’s a big world outside. Terrific new bands from every corner of the world pop up each day. Keeping up with all the hot new bands in your home city, let alone entire continents at large, can be maddening.
Often times I’ll think about all the American bands with whom I’m currently enthused. I realize that, as good as they are, many will soon be forgotten. Given that only a handful of foreign bands hit it …

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