a quick update on a number of things.

adult.

it's a good thing that i don't keep up with music journalism, because if i did, i'd never really be surprised. who knew that adult. added a third member for their current album/tour? everyone? well, not me.

i really enjoyed the show, which is saying a lot because i was just getting involved in the throes of a deep and disgusting head cold/sinus infection thing. the first band (fashion design? clothing design? something like that) had four members, and the stage was really cluttered, so i spent their entire set laughing to myself about how funny they looked all packed up there. also, the lead singer/guitarist moved in a way that i don't really like, so i was able to dismiss them early on and i took a little nap. the next band, the genders, was pretty entertaining. again, i had movement issues, something about people doing this sort of sensual pogo thing really gets on my nerves. but there were hats and props and a really big bear, so that was fun.

the adult. set was great, i really liked their new stuff even more than i expected. but i'm a lyrics person, and i hated that the music overpowered nicola kuperus' vocals. still, they played some old stuff, some newer stuff, and some super brand new stuff, and it was a short but statisfying set. good merchandise, too. matt and i both came away with nice t-shirts. no tote bags, but that's okay, because i got a FREE ONE earlier that day at....

Sisterhood, Riot Grrrl, and the Next Wave: Feminst Generations/Generating Feminisms

which was this awesome symposium at Duke's Sally Bingham Center. in addition to the sweet tote bag, i got a notepad, a folder, some free magazines, and a brush with greatness in the form of sarah dyer. they have her zine collection in their archives over there, and i've never been to see it before. it's really pretty awesome, i recommend checking it out.

i was also excited to see janice radway in the flesh. she's got that whole formidable scholar thing going on, and she briefly discussed her current work on the "girls at risk movement," which is her awesome way of describing the whole thing that happened in the nineties when everyone's mom suddenly bought reviving ophelia.

anyway, good stuff there. on a side note, evan dorkin was there with sarah dyer and their small daughter, and all three of them made a trek to chapel hill comics later that day. you can read all about it here.

AND,

i finally read girl sleuth, which was fun, but not exactly what i was expecting. something about the organization seemed a little off to me, but the story is definitely interesting, and i'm glad to finally know the 'truth' about carolyn keene. i wanted to know more about the implications of nancy drew on feminism and the women's liberation movement, but maybe i was just still all fired up from that symposium.


next up, when my head stops pounding and i get back to single-vision: the new berlin by karen e. till. i'll let you know.

girl sleuth

i just put this gem on hold. hopefully it will be in my hands by fall break so that i can actually spend a few days reading something other than reference articles and picture books.

i have yet to read a really solid review of this, which is why i'm a little reluctant to buy it. everything i've seen is all "oh i just loved to read nancy drew when i was little! and then once i went to costco and they had all the yellow nancy drew books in a big set and i bought them! oh and this book about nancy drew is fun, too!"

still, i think i'd be willing to read anything that has to do with nancy drew. after all, i did spend nearly all my waking childhood hours plowing through the original nancy drews, the "updated" nancy drew case files, and of course, the always awesome nancy drew/hardy boys team-ups. and then there were the videos...

gang of four (and more!)

i know i must seem like a terrible blogger, but there's more here than meets the eye.

in addition to my being a bad blogger, this hosting service apparently has it out for me, and every time i try to post, something mysterious and catastrophic happens.

so i'm tentatively going to tell you about the gang of four show...


IT WAS AWESOME! matt and i got there early enough to secure seats by the wall (from which post i was able to see this guy DRAGGED OUT IN A CHOKEHOLD near the end of the show). we missed most of the first act (men, women and children), but they seemed pretty much like your average dudes with guitars and tight polo shirts. the second act, morningwood, was pretty lively. the band reminded me of battershell, with less clever lyrics. the mighty gang of four performed a pretty phenomenal set, complete with straight faces, suits, sweat, and the demolition of a microwave oven. gang of four has some super-attentive roadies, i must say. there was always somebody darting out of the wings to fix a microphone stand. there was also this one guy whose sole purpose was to swing a microphone in front of the drummer's face for about twelve nanoseconds while he sang one word, and then to quickly swing it back out of harm's way.

but someone should really talk to cat's cradle about quieting things down a little bit. i really felt like i was having a string ear-hemorrhages throughout the show, and matt's ears were still ringing two days after the show. and, of course, they were out of earplugs.

nevertheless, this was a very welcome show after the relative drought during the 2004-2005 school year. next up: adult. and broadcast. remind me to buy some fancy earplugs before then. or, at the very least, to carry some cotton balls with me.

imagine my excitement when this finally came in at the comic store. that's right, it's the manga on which the world's most awesome movie was based. it's done by at least one of the guys who did lone wolf and cub, so obviously, it's sweet. there's lots of blood, gore, corruption, and intense violent freak outs. also present: exciting cultural tensions between the east and west (resulting in death!), conflicted feminist undertones (resulting in numerous deaths!!), and a few trips to the japanese yakuza underworld (yes, even more deaths!!!). she's more of a freelance assassin here than in the movie, and there's a nice episodic quality. the chapters also have awesome names, like "dead cherry blossoms and the dance of short sleeve with white blade, part 2."

AND she hasn't even really started taking her revenge, so hopefully this series will have a nice long run.