Good Show.

I'm in the mood for a show. I can't remember the last show I've been to...Kings of Leon maybe? Jesus, that was forever ago. No, it was Citizen Cope and Michael Franti at Jazz Aspen Snowmass. Still, forever ago.

The thing about living in a big city is, almost every band comes through. When I lived in a smaller town, you took what you could get. So far since I've lived in Denver, I've missed a million shows. But when I lived in Springfield, I went to whatever show we could get into our town. Now, I take it for granted. And I'm older, too.

And plus, the majority of the shows that I'm interested in I've already seen before. When I check band sites and venue sites I'm always looking for a band I know I dig.

Night before last I missed Less Than Jake. I've seen them two or three times already, but it's been years. And about a month ago I missed Bouncing Souls, which I'm a little pissed about. I've seen them once before, but it was at the Warped Tour and not a dark, intimate club. Huge difference.

One band I'm dieing to see is the Black Keys. Everything I hear from them I like more and more. No scheduled tour dates in my area though, I'm afraid. They are my new favorite band. Two dudes playing fantastic roots rock and blues influenced by Creedence, Hendrix, and John Lee Hooker to name a few. Now, I generally don't like blues much, but I dig these guys the most.

Not sure why I don't go to more shows. Well, I suppose I've already kind of answered that. I'm older, so driving downtown and watching the headliner start at midnight...and then driving home drunk as shit at 3am isn't too appealing anymore. Plus, I have seen a ton of bands. Most of the one's I dig I've seen. So even though I'd dig seeing them again, it's much easier to just blow it off. That way, I save money and I don't risk getting into trouble.

But it's time. I need to see a good show. Just missed LTJ, the Souls, Fogerty, AC/DC, Supersuckers, and Motorhead with the Rev HH just cancelled. Good news is I've seen them all, but it's time to check them out again.

Either that, or 40 Horse Johnson needs to start back up...

Kev? Bryan?

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As Far As Heros Go...

Maybe it has something to do with Saturday morning. Waking up and immediately turning the TV on to watch Batman, Tarzan, Superfriends, or Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.

I find myself this morning trying to decide who the coolest superhero is.

First, you have to decide if by "coolest", you mean a superhero that you think is wicked by themselves or a superhero you would like to be. For instance, Batman. I think he is very cool, but no way would I want to be him. He has unmatched detective skills, the physical abilities of a ninja, and perhaps the coolest toys ever imagined. But a superhero? Boring. No super powers at all, just advanced regular capabilities.

Let's compare Batman to, let's say...Superman. Superman has the most super powers out of any superhero on the planet...or any other planet. The Earth's yellow sun gives him super-human strength, x-ray vision, blinding speed, heat-rays from his eyes, and powerful breath. He's like a tricked-out Bentley, and Batman is like a '68 Camaro.

Honestly, Superman is so "super", that he bores me. He's kind of like one of those guys that's good at everything, so you immediately root against him.

That's DC, though. Their superhero's always kind of bored me. I'm much more of a Marvel guy. There were so many more "realistic" superheros. They were almost like real people.

Take Bruce Banner for instance. He was this quiet, nerdy type of guy who kept to himself until he got pushed around by the mean ole' general (and father of the girl he was obsessed with). All he wanted to do was his science projects and court Betty Ross. Then, a mishap with some gamma rays mutated him into a Frankenstein-ish monster when he got angry, which happened to be quite a bit. It's a classic Jeckyll & Hyde type of storyline, with a "bully that learns his leason" type of twist and a love story thrown in.

I am much more of an Incredible Hulk guy. I'm not sure if I necessarily consider him a superhero, though. We can all relate to the Hulk (at least I can), and we're all pulling for the Hulk. But there's this King Kong type of thing going on there, too. He loves the girl, but has to try and overcome all these obstacles, including his beastly, primal exterior and mentality, in order to get her.

Any guy has had Hulk moments. If you are dating a girl, and some douche bag starts hitting on her, you wish you could turn into the Hulk and smash him. I've actually tried and it doesn't work like in the comics.

Comic-wise, I could always relate to Spider-Man. There was sort of the same thing going on with Peter Parker that there was Bruce Banner, with the bullies and all. But Spider-Man was much more of a hero. Maybe not on a global scale like Superman, but he kept New York in check. Spider-Man was always smart, in addition to his super-human physical abilities. And there was always a deep, human element to his story. Spider-Man was always my favorite comic to read growing up, but unfortunately Toby and Kirsten have kind of ruined the story for me. Not that the movies were bad, but they took away a portion of the imagination that goes into reading a comic book. Most movies that are based on books, be it comic or otherwise, do that whether we realize it or not.

I'd say on a hero basis, it's probably between Superman and Spider-Man. I know I bad-mouthed Superman earlier, but I've been reconsidering during my writing.

It's got to be tough to have the weight of the world on your shoulders. I mean, even the President looks to Superman for advice. Yea, he can pretty much do it all, but one little piece of green kryptonite and he's fucked. Spider-Man doesn't have that problem. Although there's no chance Spider-Man would be called upon to protect the Earth. He can't fly, therefore time is a serious issue when trying to protect the world. And it doesn't make much sense to book a charter flight for a superhero. Spider-Man is better off sticking to NYC.

So I suppose Superman is your quintessential hero. Everyone knows he's a badass. But the cool thing about Superman is that when he's Clark Kent, he's a fucking nerd. I dig that. There aren't too many superheros that are cool as shit when in their alter-ego state. Except for Bruce Wayne. That's another reason Batman doesn't appeal to me all that much. He's a spoiled rich kid. Although so was Tony Stark, but he earned it. Bruce did not, he just had everything given to him whereas Tony built the shit.

So yes, alter-ego's play a significant role in which superhero is the coolest.

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but as I pick it apart, I'm starting to lean towards Superman. He's a nerd, he's got a crush on a girl (Lois Lane), he is a badass when he needs to be, yet he is vulnerable (see: kryptonite), he has a lot of pressure on him in both egos (reporting on important happenings in Metropolis as C. Kent and saving the world as Superman), and to top it off, he's just a good guy. I still tend to root for the good guy. I believe he's got a good heart, which probably stems from his humble upbringing by his down-to-earth step-parents that raised him in Smallville. You have to appreciate good, honest morals.

Jesus, I guess Superman wins. I had no idea this would be the outcome when I started this post. How generic. How vanilla. How ho-hum. I was hoping I would talk myself into someone like Thor or Green Lantern. It's all there, though. You've just read the argument, and although I really don't consider myself a Superman guy, as far as hero's go, he is the big winner.

I guess when you're good at what you do, people just can't argue that. Superman is the best at what he does. I usually root for the underdog, but in this case you just can't deny that he does a fine job of not only protecting Metropolis, but the rest of the world too. Who else does that? Batman? The Hulk? Spider-Man? Nope. Superman doesn't require a private jet to travel to the ends of the Earth to fight evil. He is not bipolar. He's not a rich jerk. He doesn't require a team like the Fantastic Four, X-Men, or Avengers. He puts others ahead of himself. And he's genuine.

As far as "Heros" go, he's a real hero. Not just some 'roided out mutant like Wolverine or The Thing.

I feel safe having Superman around. I can't say that about anyone else.




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Workin' For a Livin'

For a very long time now, I've been wanting to start my own business. I've always dreamt about a job where I can call my own shots and, of course while we're dreaming, I would obviously make a lot of money.

My dream business has always revolved around the outdoors. Whether it be a gear store, guide service, or publication. And I've looked into each one far enough to realize that I don't have enough money to properly start and sustain one of these.

I consider myself...or at least used to consider myself an artist. More accurately put, a "fair weather artist". I have always needed a creative outlet, and for the majority of my life it has been drawing. Then it switched to music, then it switched to painting, and has since switched to writing. The combination of my necessary creative time and my desire for entreprenurialism have come together a few times before, but all have suffered the same above-mentioned financial road block-consequence, with the exception of one thing...

...designing and selling t-shirts.

The idea came to me a few years back when I had just started in the outdoor industry. Brands like Patagonia and Life is Good sold, among other things, t-shirts with these clever, sometimes inspiring, outdoor oriented designs and messages. The biographies of the owners of these companies were humble, simple and smart. And they prompted me to start thinking that this might be something that would be fun, and hopefully profitable. So I started designing designs.

It's gotten to the point where I now have a fairly extensive portfolio, have decided on the name and personality of this company, I have the necessary financial aspects in line, and am ready to start producing, selling, and profiting.

And funny enough, this stupid blog has helped me with the personality of my company and design direction.

I'll get into all the specifics a little later on in another post. Seeing as how I tend to change my on a 15 minute basis, I'd better not commit to anything publicly.

So with that said, I can tell you that the designs that you will see one of these days will be outdoor oriented, clever, simple, and cool. Like Fonzie. The profits that I end up making on this venture will be shared with outdoor and environmental organizations. The material of the shirts will be ecologically superior to traditional cotton, and manufacturing and printing will be done as close to home as possible.

Ideally, one day I would like to design and sell shirts that not just your environmentally conscious consumer would buy, but those who have no clue or don't care about our carbon footprint. (wow, you can tell I'm 10 minutes from Boulder, huh?) That way, when they do purchase one of my incredibly cool (like Fonzie) shirts, little do they know, that by buying this shirt they are donating to a grass roots organization dedicated to helping the earf. And maybe, just maybe it will help them realize that being eco conscious isn't just for greenies and granolas, but for truck drivers, farmers, politicians, steel workers, bass fishermen, and movie stars.

Back to the shirts.

They aren't going to advertise a preachy, artsy, "better than you" message. Not that there's anything wrong with that. They are going to be simple, sometimes clever (if I'm in a clever mood), always interesting, and appealing. There may or may not be a message in them, but there will always be a donation. The designs are all going to be mine (maybe not the art specifically, but the design), and they are going to be designs that I would wear on my t-shirt even if it were not my design. Get it? So they are going to be quite Earlish. But that's okay.

Like I said earlier, I tend to change my mind a lot. But generally, once I actually set my mind to something I usually follow through with it. It might take a while, but it'll get done.

A good friend of mine, Andy, also has a t-shirt company. Also? Oddly enough, we both had similar business ideas long before we actually met each other. His company is already up and running, and it is fantastic. http://www.interwoventhreads.com/ is where you need to go to check out Andy's company, Interwoven Threads. You should buy a shirt from him. He's getting married soon, he could use the money.

I'll keep you posted on the evolution of my company. It is definitely a work in progress, but I'm confident that I'll find some time one day to get it off the ground. Who knows, after my company becomes world renown, maybe you will be the proud owner of one of Earl's originally designed t-shirts. And then you could sell it on Ebay for eight dollars.

Gotta dream, man.







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Another Example...

And this is an example of a picture that I did not take, but it is of me so it's acceptable. Cousin Robert gets credit for this one.

This is on the Goat Trail overlooking the Buffalo River in Arkansas a few years back.

Master of Photography

Pretty, huh?

I dig taking pictures, and since this is my blog page, I'm going to post a bunch of pictures that I took. Or in some cases, that somebody I know took...as long as I'm in them.

This is in Northern Colorado, in the Never Summer Wilderness.








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"80's" Metal Video

Man, I've really been slacking. You know, with the Dokken Day planning and all it's been pretty hectic lately. But it's all gonna be worth it once you check out my 80's Metal Video.

It's by Steel Panther, who rule. They're actually a parody band that does a lot of covers...but they do them really well. The singer and guitarist used to be in a Van Halen cover band called The Atomic Punks, and you couldn't tell them from the actual Roth-era VH if you were to do the Pepsi Challenge with the head phones. And if you remember the commercial (I think for Master Card or someshit) that documented (facetiously) the rise and fall the 80's Metal band, Danger Kitty, that was them too. So they're actually excellent musicians and performers. Lucky for us, they don't take themselves too seriously.

This video contains element from Twisted Sister, Dokken, and Van Halen among others. And I fell in love with the song as soon as I heard the first line..."Fuck the Goo Goo Dolls! They can suck my balls!"

It honestly does not get any more poetic than that. You're going to laugh your asses off.

Enjoy, my friends.

Steel Panther-Death To All But Metal - watch more funny videos

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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BLOGGING??!!

Nothing too mindblowingly deep or thoughtful tonight. Just wanting to let everyone know that I'm happy.

Just got back from the Monday Night Football contest between the Broncos and the Steelers, and as I write this am happy on beer. Sure, I spent $80 on seven beers, but it was worth it. Got to see Pittsburgh beat up on the Donkeys a bit, so all is well.

"Why the hell are you a Steelers fan, Matt?" you might ask. "Why not a Chiefs, Broncos, or Rams fan?"

Let me answer the last question first...because they suck. And now the first question...

Growing up in Missouri with deep St. Louis roots, the St. Louis Cardinals football team was my most favorite growing up. My mos favorito. With O.J. Anderson, Jim Hart, Dan Dierdorf, and a whole slew of forgettable names on my team, it didn't matter because the Cardinals were St. Louis.

Well, right when I actually started to understand the game of football, the Cards' owner Bill Bidwell, up and moved his team to Arizona where there are no cardinals...just gila monsters and big spiders. So I was left with no football team.

Normally if you're a fan of a St. Louis sports team, you cannot be a fan of a Kansas City sports team...especially after 1985. So I never really allowed myself to root for the Chiefs.

My dad though, he worked for a stainless steel tank manufacturing company in Springfield and would always bring home the stainless steel stickers that they put on every tank. I put them on my toolbox, my closet doors, and my bed. They look exactly like the Steelers' emblem...except they say "STEEL" instead of "STEELERS". That, along with the Steelers' cool colors (which were like the Missouri Tigers) prompted me to start rooting for Pittsburgh.

Since Bidwell stole the Cardinals from us, I've been a Steelers fan ever since. Not to the point of Cardinals Baseball, but as much as I get into NFL. I follow them, root for them...but don't freak out if they suck. And I love it when they beat the Broncos! Never liked Elway or Shanahan.

I'm still a Rams fan, because they're a St. Louis team and I have to. But if they played the Steelers in the Super Bowl, I'd probably root for Pittsburgh.

Anyway, It was a swell game and I'm happy. Now it's time to go eat seven Tums and go to bed. I have to get up in the morning and go to the mountains to go fishing. I hope you're jealous. If you're not, you should be.

Good things...




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The Incredible Hulk or Superman?

First off, big thanks to Anonymous (or Frank) for commenting on my latest entry about Dokken Day. Frank's been rocking out since he been to a Metallica concert back in 1986. Frank, I don't know you, but we have been connected through the power of rock and that cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, I can't invite strangers to my friend's house...but I will most certainly keep you updated on the planning of the festivities and perhaps you and your crew can celebrate Dokken Day up in Westerville, South Dakota! Dokken Day should be celebrated everywhere by everyone! Keep rockin', Frank.

Along with the preparation of Dokken Day, I have been doing quite a bit of thinking. So much so, that I sometimes wonder if I suffer from ADD or some other made up mental disorder that keeps me from focusing on single thoughts. Sure, I can concentrate on one thought at a time, but it immediately jumps to another thought, then another, and so on. I've been self medicating as much as possible to try and get a handle on this annoyance. It's helped. And surprisingly, writing helps. It keeps me focused...which is nice.

Random thoughts have included, but are not limited to...

Entreprenuerialism, global warming, the passing of a good friend, future large purchases, playing music, who my favorite super hero is, Thanksgiving dinner, my hatred of running, my hatred of the Beatles, discovering new music (that does not sound like the Beatles), different moods, individualism, marketing, washing my car, why people suck so bad, trout behavior, my desire to revisit past outdoor activities, and starting a cult.

Now I will randomly talk about one of the above-mentioned thoughts.

Different moods. Sounds boring, and maybe it is, but it intrigues me and I want to talk about it.

Different moods bring out different thoughts and different feelings, thus creating different tastes and likes at that time. For instance, I love to chill the fuck out with a glass of Scotch while listening to good jazz and tying flies. But I also love to go downtown to a punk show, jump up & down, push people into the pit, get drunk on Irish Car Bombs and then go have breakfast. Two different things, right? Moods create thoughts, which then help create tastes. Having different tastes allows for more diverse experiences. My tastes (which are created with the help of moods) revolve heavily around music and drink. The two go hand in hand. The two also heavily influence your mood.

I guess I just appreciate the fact that I enjoy so many completely different things. I not only enjoy different things, but different personalities, subcultures, or common ground. I don't really know what to call it.

Example: I like to go into a coffee shop, where there is classical music playing, order a hot coffee and sit down at a table with my laptop. It clears my head, allows me to relax, and helps me think. I'm not 'that guy', but I do enjoy it from time to time and I typically get along with 'those guys'. I also like to fillet 15 to 20 freshly caught crappie in a white t-shirt with crappie blood all over the front, on a makeshift "gut table" made from 5-gallon buckets and plywood, with a wind-burnt face, sore upper back, and painful hat-hair while listening to BR5-49. I'm not necessarily 'that guy' either, but I can relate. It's just things I dig that have evolved due to my different moods at one time or another.

It actually took quite a while for me to realize that it's okay to like more than one thing. I grew up listening to punk and would not even give hippie-shit the time of day. But my maturity overruled whatever category I had put myself in, and now hippie-shit is some of my favorite music. Joey Ramone just rolled over in his grave...

So whenever you're in a certain mood, and different things are starting to sound interesting to you, whether it's riding motorcycles, hanging out at a coffee shop, participating in a triathlon, getting high to Pink Floyd, rollerblading, turkey hunting, volunteering at a soup kitchen, sail boating, or attending a monster truck rally...don't think of being 'that person', think of just you...doing something. If you're in that particular mood, then do it.

Good things, man. Good things.



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