Uncategorized – Page 217 – The Designer Monologues

March 24, 2008

Footie!

This Saturday is the beginning of the Major League Soccer season here in the US. This year, I’m going to get to some games….because the local team, the Kansas City Wizards, are going to be playing closer to where I live.

Since they started, they’ve been playing at Arrowhead Stadium, which is about a 100 mile round trip from here. They were dwarfed by the venue, too.

They’re getting a new stadium, though — a soccer-specific stadium. They’re estimating that it will be done in two to three years. In the meantime… they’re going to be playing their games at a minor-league baseball stadium — Community America Ball Park, much closer to where I now live.

The Park is in Kansas City, Kansas — on this side of the state line, right around the corner from the KC Renaissance Festival site. That’s a MUCH easier trip to make — only about 20-odd miles away. A much smaller venue, too — which means that they’ll be able to fill it with enthusiastic crowds, so it won’t feel like they’re playing to a largely empty house.

the_themiscyran and I already have tickets to the home opener on Saturday, vs DC United.

March 23, 2008

Numberwang!

One of my favorite Mitchell & Webb skits. An example of my favorite sort of comedy — the kind of absurdity that UK comedians do so well:

March 21, 2008April 19, 2010

Friday Music

Here we go….

In my search for music, I often find myself pestering store clerks to find out what they’ve got playing over the sound system that has caught my attention. Here’s a recent discovery via this method. I hunted down the single, and now I’ll definitely be giving the band a closer listen: Of Montreal – “Forecast Fascist Future.”

The news is official — Season 4 of Doctor Who will be launching in the UK on April 5th (and in the US via Sci-Fi later that same month, from what I hear). They’ve done a new arrangement of the theme tune, which debuted during the Christmas special, “Voyage of the Damned.” Here it is: Murray Gold – “Doctor Who 2008 Theme.”

Trip-hop pioneers Portishead have a new album, Third, out in late April. Here’s one of the tracks. Still the same slightly melancholy feel that featured in “Sour Times” (“Nobody loves me….”), but married with a more aggressively cutting-edge sound. It’s good to hear them staying ahead of the curve in the genre they helped to create. Portishead – “We Carry On.”

Some German pop-punk, at the request of The Minion: Die Toten Hosen – “Alles aus Liebe.”

In honor of the coming of Spring…. a bit of swingy, lounge-y, nu-jazz from a German-based act that features musicians from all over the world. I need a Martini. Club des Belugas – “It’s A Beautiful Day.”

Lastly, a cool track from the soundtrack of the nifty-but-largely-missed film Lucky Number Slevin. I really love this track — but then I remember that Kansas City hasn’t really been cool since the 1930s, despite what the song might have you believe. J. Ralph – “Kansas City Shuffle.”

Have a great weekend!