Heading to Denver...

...to see The Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem. For various reasons:
1. It's an awesome lineup
2. It's Red Rocks
3. Last time I saw the Arcade Fire, the next day, I was in the ER with an anxiety attack. My first. I've had to sort of re-conquer a lot of social phobias I've had since that attack and I consider driving eight hours to see the exact same band that, though didn't trigger the attack, sent forth in motion the events leading up to that attack.

Packing a lot of music for the trip - aside from the two Arcade Fire albums and two LCD Soundsystem albums, I also plan on giving a few more listens to Kanye West's Graduation and Animal Collective's Strawberry Jam.

A few random thoughts before I take off:

• If you have HBO - check out this week's Real Time With Bill Maher. Easily one of his best shows - including the best stuff he did with Politically Incorrect. Chuck Hagel was on and he sent out an epic blast to the Republican Party. Basically saying the Republican Party he joined decades ago has betrayed almost all of their bedrock principles.
  
• With Hagel out, I can soon look forward to either rejoining the Democratic party or going Independent in my voter registration card.
  
• Fuck the Emmy's for not giving The Wire its due credit as being the best show on TV.
  

iPod list for the day

"Asleep and Dreaming" - The Magnetic Fields ***
"I Got Money" - James Brown ***
"Wild Flowers" - Ryan Adams *****
"Bad Luck" - Social Distortion ****
"Femme Fatale" - The Velvet Underground ****
"Diggin'" - Seatbelts ***
"Second Hand News" - Fleetwood Mac *****
"Cocaine Socialism (Proper Version)" - Pulp ****
"She's My Baby" - Mazzy Star *****
"Orange Wedge" - The chemical Brothers ****
"Knockin' Em Back" - Paul Westerberg ***
"Let's Get it On" - Marvin Gaye *****
"The Great Below" - NIN *****
"Oh, Bury Me Not" - Johnny Cash ****
"Jealous Dream" - Mark Sandman ***
"Laura" - Charlie Parker ***
"Hooker with a Penis" - Tool *****
"Life's a B*tch" - Nas ***** (up from ****)
"Fake Empire" - The National ***
"I Love Perth(live)" - Pavement ***
"Letter From an Occupant" - The New Pornographers *****
"Ghost Deini" - Ghostface Killah ***
"Concerto of the Desperado" - The Roots ***
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" - The Beatles ***