"Bourned To Death"

That's right, I saw Bourne Legacy.  The fourth installment in a series of movies about a group of top-secret "human-based-machine-government-fabricated-warrior-type-things".  In case you are not aware.  This current release stars Jeremy Renner while the previous three Bourne films starred Matt Damon.  To get to the point, I did enjoy the movie.  I appreciated that it basically side-stepped the previous Damon-based storyline which was left open to resolve.  It was good action.  Fun.

The other one's I don't remember liking much.  They were shot and edited into this crazy rapid pace giving cause to make one feel dizzy though the scene is literally a phone conversation.  This fourth flick seemed not to have as much of that?  I'm sure it did, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

Anyway, so you have The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The Bourne Legacy.  Now, the question is: what is the next installment going to be titled?  What will it be about?

Here are some ideas:

Bourne This Way: In this one we discover that Lady Gaga is actually part of the original Operation Treadstone and she goes AWOL...

Bourne To Run: In this one Matt Damon infiltrates the E Street Band as we discover Sevie Van Zandt is actually a captain in the New Jersey mafia.

Bourne On The Bayou: Cajun style.  Bourne rents a house in the French Quarter and becomes a hipster restaurateur.

Bourne Under A Bad Sign: The time travel installment.  Bourne goes back in time to infiltrate the origins of American blues music.

Bourne Again: In this one, the religious right has planted their own agent inside the CIA and he must be annihilated.

Bourne To Be Wild: The curve-ball.  Starring Tim Robbins as a secret agent disguised as a wild flower expert.

Bourne On The Fourth of July:  Finally, in this one we get Matt Damon AND Tom Cruise together to see who can run the most.

A quick note, and late to the party as always with my outdated commentary; I titled this blog in equal respect to the theme of word play and the cancellation of the great tv series Bored To Death.  I'm sad that this show did not make the cut.  I mean, Schwartzman, Galifinakis, AND Ted Danson (underrated).  Come on!  It's worth another couple seasons for that trifecta alone!  Be that my opinion as it may, sorry to see it go.  

More rambling soon,

Ty

Adventures in Cleveland

So I got to spend a wonderful couple of weeks back in my hometown of Cleveland.  It was great to visit with the fam and friends and bask in the glory that is Cleveland, OH in late SUMMAH!

And if you haven't experienced this time of year in this fair city, you are missing out.  And if you've got something derogatory to say about Cleveland just keep your mouth shut.  I WILL track down naysayers and forcibly inundate anyone with an unmerited poor attitude towards The Forest City with loads of evidence to the contrary of their sadly misinformed opinion.

Anyway, I ate well.  Really well.

Let's start with Melt.

The Parma, Italy from Melt

Melt Bar & Grilled is a joint that began in my stomping grounds of Lakewood, OH.  It specializes in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and craft beer.  Their fries are also possibly the best I've ever experienced.  On this trip to Melt I got what is called the "Parma, Italy".  This is essentially their take on a chicken parm sammy.  I didn't have the gumption to order "The Dude Abides" for a second time, I included it in a blog a few months ago.  Needless to say, the sandwich was incredible and I could only eat half of it.  I paired it with an Oaked Arrogant Bastard brewed by Stone Brewing Co.  I'm a big fan of Stone Brewing and the original Arrogant Bastard as well, the Oaked was exceptional.

Next up is Joe's Deli in Rocky River.  Joe's is one of those regular places for my family, a taste of home if you will.  They have remodeled and expanded big time in the last year and despite losing some of its charm, the food remains purely satisfying.  First off, you always get the matzo ball soup.  That is a must.  Their forte, in my opinion, are the giant corned beef or pastrami sandwiches.  For this Joe's run I got a hot pastrami on focaccia, opposed to the typical rye bread.  And I must say, the bread decision panned out in my favor.  Focaccia is some good shit, under-appreciated I would even venture to declare.  And they also serve Great Lakes beer, Cleveland's finest.

Pastrami on focaccia from Joe's Deli

Now it is time for some Korean.  Not sure if any of you faithful readers enjoy or have even tried Korean cuisine.  It certainly is distinct as with most other Asian styles of food and it tends to be spicy as foods from this region of Earth are wont to be.  I had a great dinner with dear friend and 28 North artist, collaborator Alex Kelly and his lovely fiancee Beth Whalley (owners of Proximity Art Gallery in Cleveland).  We went to the unassuming Seoul Hot Pot in what most people refer to as "Asia Town", just a few blocks from Proximity on Payne.  Seoul Hot Pot does not have a web site; if you know about it, that is because someone told you about one of Cleveland's best kept secret places to eat.

Dak Dori Tang

I love Korean food.  It's hearty, it's spicy, it's mysterious.  I chose to get the Dak Dori Tang, a chicken stew that arrives looking like a pot of hot lava with scrumptious chunks of chicken on the bone and veggies.  Despite it's look, the broth is not painfully spicy as I anticipated and truth be told, I have no clue what the base of this bright red broth was.  Doesn't matter, it was great.  Beth got the classic Bibimbap, you cannot go wrong with this stuff, it is simply delicious and for me it is very indicative of the Korean taste.  Alex got the Bulgogi which is another classic Korean dish consisting of marinated beef, chicken or pork.  And of course we shared a bunch of Kim Bap which is like crack food,  impossible to stop eating.  It is basically a sushi roll with cooked beef instead of raw fish.   So if this sounds good to you, look into a Korean restaurant or hit up Seoul Hot Pot if you are in the Cleveland area.

Briefly I will tell you about a piece of pizza I had from Danny Boys in Rocky River.  It was a mac 'n cheese pizza.  Wow.  This pizza blew my mind.  Not only was it mac 'n cheese and pizza combined for the most righteous of results, it was topped with POTATO CHIPS.  That is correct.  Potato chips.  And boy oh boy did that work out, totally and completely satisfied with this one.

Now I will tell you about Corky & Lenny's.  I had never been to this famous deli way over on the East side, not surprisingly (as any Clevelander knows) for West Siders stick to the West Side and vice versa.  But regardless of our petty rivalry, Corky & Lenny's is a deli institution of the highest order.  I made the choice decision of ordering beef and latkes, a corned beef sammy between two potato pancakes.  Two words can sum up my feelings after eating this incredible sandwich: Nap. Time.  Holy cow this place rules and all the hype and tv coverage is well deserved.  I also had the kreplach soup which was absolutely perfect and some sweet cheese blintzes.  Mmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuugggghhhhhhhh........the best.

And of course I had to have some Malley's chocolates.  My personal fav are the chocolate covered pretzels.  Simply the greatest.

Til next time,

Ty

Dragon Tattoos, Breaking Bad, and Rayland Baxter

So a few random things on my mind.

Just finished the final book of the "Dragon Tattoo Trilogy" by Swedish author Stieg Larsson (very interesting guy, sadly died before any of his "Millenium Series" books were published).  I certainly enjoyed The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest (the final installment of the series and apparently the highest selling book in the US in 2010) and the entire trilogy for that matter.  Sure, it's a trendy book and therefore it is easy to read.  It's dark, it's sexy, it's referential...everything a trendy book should be.  You may even say it could fall under the "Summah Reads" category.  And of course I'm late to the party as always, these books are way passed the trendy realm.

But nevertheless, the trilogy is a wild ride of suspense and mystery.  Of course, I have seen the American-produced movie version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo directed by David Fincher (one of my personal favorite film directors).  But I have not seen the Swedish-produced film versions of the trilogy, so that is next up on my list and I will have comments on that for you I'm sure.

So.

Breaking Bad.

Best show on television.

Again, late to the party, I just caught up with the current season and it presently occupies a disturbingly large fraction of my limited mental capacity.  This show is so f***king good.  I don't know how else to say it.  So if you're not into it, get into it.

Finally, Rayland Baxter.

I literally listened to his song "The Mountain Song" seven times in a row today.  It was during a beautiful late afternoon drive in the Cleveland Metroparks from Guitar Center back to Lakewood.  Maybe it was just the environment but it was a magical drive.  I mean, it was perfect.  This song embodies all that a great song can, it brings goosebumps to the back of my neck, it just says everything so perfectly.  The kind of song that gives you cause to roll down the windows, put your left arm out to flow leisurely through the wind, and smile.



So please enjoy this tune and look him up.  His debut album Feathers & Fishhooks was just released this passed week (hey, I'm not actually late to the party on this one!) and it is really great.

(#WayTooManyParenthesesInThisBlog)

On another note, I got stung by a bee last week for this first time in many years.  That sucked.

Til next time,

Ty

Album of The Month: Langhorne Slim - "The Way We Move"

Time for another edition of Album of The Month 28 North blogspot stylee.

For this month, I am choosing Langhorne Slim's The Way We Move.

What to say about Langhorne Slim.  He's a truly distinct presence in the music world.  Hailing originally from Langhorne, PA with a wailing voice and infectious intent, Langhorne Slim has got some serious mojo brewing.  With four LPs and two EP's under his belt, Langhorne has become a staple in the "indy-folk" movement.

His fourth LP release, The Way We Move, was released earlier this year and Langhorne is currently supporting it on tour.  Sadly I missed his show at Troubadour this month and thus, I will commend him with Album of The Month.

I must admit, this record may be Langhorne's best effort yet, it has everything.  It has the horns, it has the groovy stylings of the Fender Rhodes, it has the delicate bluegrass picking of banjo player David Moore, it has the thwapping, thundering swing of drummer Malachi DeLorenzo (son of Violent Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo), it has the thumping, bouncing bass lines of Jeff Ratner, and of course the beautiful, heartfelt song-craft and raucous hollering of Langhorne Slim.

And holler he does as though his voice was meant to be a powerful battle cry for life.

For life just to be life.

To continue on through whatever happens to us.  And it is about US when you're listening to Langhorne Slim.  We work and suffer, but we've got each other.  And that's the point of music, to bring people together, and Langhorne delivers.

So cheers to Langhorne Slim!

Find him here online: www.langhorneslim.com
Find him here on iTunes
Find him here on Spotify

For those of you hungry for some fresh 28 North, here's a little intimate vid of Mike and Ty singing Monster at One Gun Ranch in Malibu, CA:



Ty

Phish, Justin Bieber, and Pittsburgh!

That is right.  We went to see Phish.

Now, I understand that Phish is a loaded topic in the music world, it's a love/hate kind of thing.  And by my ambivalent nature I have claimed to have such a relationship with Phish and their music.  But the truth is this:

I love Phish.

Sure, the scene is a conglomeration of hipped-out-crunchy-adventure-party people, the music is weird, and maybe you just don't get it.  But the fact remains, in my opinion, that Phish continue to be the most fiercely unique phenomenon in music.

No one plays like Phish.  No one has a more loyal fan-base than Phish.  No one consistently sells out arenas across the country for as long as Phish has.  No one else has played nine festivals for tens of thousands in which the only band playing was themselves.

It may not be for everybody but I certainly love Phish.  I guess the point of this post is to essentially declare myself a Phish fan.  However you choose to judge me is your own prerogative.

Btw, you can actually see me in this picture from the concert at Long Beach Arena, can you find me? (Hint: I'm wearing a yellow shirt):

You can check out some sweet video footage from the Long Beach show we attended on YouTube here.  If you're into lengthy improvised music you will enjoy this:


Also, even more importantly, Justin Bieber was at the show.  You can read about it here.  Apparently Bieber had a hankering for some mushroom chocolates and glow sticks.

In other news, we are super-psyched to announce that 28 North will be returning to play a show in Pittsburgh!  It's been far too long so we are extremely excited to be playing at Thunderbird Cafe on Saturday September 1st.  It is going to be an epic evening, mark your calendars Pittsburgh!

More sooooooooon.....

Ty

TYENCE!

Throughout our travels across this beautiful nation we inevitably have run across an abundance of wildlife, whether it be insects, plants, or dog-based critters.  I myself am very fond of discovering new types of plant and animal life, I enjoy taking pictures of them and reading about them and basically being a bona fide geek.

I call this section of the blog: TYENCE.  For the kick-off TYENCE edition I'm going to cover a few different weird bugs I've run across in the passed few years.

I'll start with one of the insects I found most interesting, the Velvet Wasp or Velvet Ant as it is referred to occasionally.

I stumbled upon one of these at a campground in North Carolina.  I had never encountered one of these insects before and it was quite a sight.  It's a terrific bright red color and looks like a giant ant, the size of a large wasp.  The female Velvet Wasp does not have wings while the male does.  There are roughly 3-5,000 species of this insect and it typically lives in very warm, dry, sandy climates.  Most commonly it is found in the Southwest in North America, but apparently there was at least one in North Carolina.  So I came across a female and fortunately I did not attempt to pick it up, apparently it has a devastating sting and is even nick-named the "Cow Killer".  Yikes.  Here's some footage of its stinger.



Another of my favorite rare insects to stumble upon is the Praying Mantis.  Hands down, in my opinion, the Mantis is THE coolest.  How bad-ass is a Praying Mantis?  The answer is very.  And how ambiguous is its name?  Is it "Preying" or "Praying".  They are both applicable and sound exactly the same.  Whoa.  The Mantis is somewhat elusive in the States, at least I have very rarely stumbled upon them.  There are about 20 species that are native to the U.S. and two (the Chinese Mantis and European Mantis) were introduced specifically to control unwanted pests that were damaging crops.  So the Mantis is like the Enforcer.  Totally bad-ass.

Here is one I encountered a few years ago in Atlanta.  It happened to land directly on my shoe and remained for a few minutes just hanging out.

I also came across a little baby mantis a few weeks ago at the studio.  Never seen one quite so small and adorable.

So there you have it.  The first edition of TYENCE evah!  Hope you enjoyed it and I apologize if you are creeped out by bugs 'n at, but hey, it's not that serious.  Really this is just a chance for me to post some goofy photos.  Anyway.  Don't forget we've got the Viper Room show next Monday, August 13th, it will be a kickoff party for the Sunset Strip Music Festival and it is guaranteed to be a hell of a show.  Hope to see you all there!  Facebook event page


P.S.  The link to Alex Kelly's website in my last blog post was not current, so in case you did or did not visit his site, here's the site I strongly encourage you to visit: www.harvardink.com.  He's got a kick-ass post about a reupholstery project he's doing, great stuff.

Til next time,

Ty

The Master Has Arrived!

That's right folks, the master audio of our latest record has arrived in our hands!

And we could not be happier, it's been a long, tedious process but we have achieved what we set out to do from the beginning: Create our best record ever.  In honor of this moment here is an exclusive behind the scenes of making "World On Fire".



Very soon we will have the first single available, we'll do the video, and the record will move and rock the masses for all of history.

We are currently in the process of completing the art work for the record with our brilliant, dear friend Alex Kelly.  You can find samples of his work at harvardink.com.  You may recognize some of the art as pieces we have used in the past.  It is an honor to have Alex as part of the team and an enormous pleasure as he is one of our best friends.  And if you are in the Cleveland area, please check out the Proximity Art Gallery which Alex runs with his fiancee Beth Whalley.  It's a beautiful space, always with an amazing show.  Check out the website at proximitycleveland.com/home.

Oh, and I did choose my Summah Gum.  I'm going with the wildcard, I did not include it as an option in my Summah Blog, but sometimes life throws a curve ball.  Either way, I am excited to announce that my Summah Gum is...

Wrigley's 5 Prism.  It's watermelon flavor and it is delicious.  I hope everyone is still havin' a summah out there and enjoying themselves.

Talk to ya soon.

Ty