Puzzles! And New Year's Eve in Pittsburgh!!

Apologies for the crappy picture

That's right!  I'm into puzzles!  Possibly you have figured this out already dear reader.

I am very proud of my most recent accomplishment, Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night.  This one was hard.  Really hard.  It is 1,000 pieces, the fourth installment of a puzzle this size for me and by far the most difficult so far.

28 North Puzzle Arsenal

At this point I have completed, with help of course, seven puzzles total.  Four 1,000 piece puzzles as I mentioned before, and three 500+ jobbers.

Now, I know what you are thinking.  You dorky fucking hipster, you think you are so quaint by entertaining yourself with an archaic form of hobby, why don't you do something more productive with your time?!  Fuck off I say to that.  I find the concentration and meditative qualities of doing a puzzle to be very stimulating.  And I am going to keep to puzzles.



Our next puzzle adventure is a very special puzzle indeed.  One of our biggest fans and friend Megan gave us a glorious gift indeed in the 28 North puzzle she bestowed upon us.  I could not have asked for a more appropriate present.

Next puzzle, Thanks Megan!

And on the suggestion of Taylor, no less, we will be looking into getting a second puzzle table going.  Yes, indeed.  There may be even more ludicrous puzzle behavior in store for the 28 North gang.  I'll keep you posted.

Also, we at 28 North are honored and supremely excited to be playing in Pittsburgh this New Year's Eve at The Rex Theatre!  We will be joined by the legendary Poogie Bell Band, the mega funky Old E Allstars, and there will also be sexy dancing by The Bridge City Bombshells!  This is a New Year's celebration not to be missed.  There will be free champagne at midnight and tickets are only 7$!!  So come join us ring in 2013 (it's 2012 right?) in roaring 28 North fashion, nestled in the bosom of the city that spawned this rock 'n roll outfit.  Can't wait!

Get you tickets early!!!

Tickets/info

Facebook event



P.S.  A quick BIRTHDAY SHOUTOUT to my sister Claire and belated birthday shoutout to my dad. Happy Birthday!  Love you guys!

Ty

The Comedy Store

This last weekend we went to The Comedy Store and had the privilege of seeing some fine stand up comedians.  It was a first time for me in the Main Room; it's a great place The Comedy Store, dark and...well it's dark.  Literally, figuratively, that whole thing.  And I like that.

So we got to see some excellent, top of the game comedy including comedians such as Argus Hamilton, Sarah Tiana, Steve Trevino, and Benji Aflalo.

Also got introduced to the comedy of Dov Davidoff that night, he was hilarious.  Extremely quick, witty, and off the cuff.  Now, at a point in his set he asked the crowd what was new, anything interesting going on.  The short silence resulting from no one in the audience desiring to be the object of attention was pierced by Mike proclaiming, "My dog died."  So.  Where does it go from there?  I find the general situation pretty hilarious to begin with, but I'm sure that is not the topic a comedian would necessarily hope to provide comedic banter for.  Of course Davidoff handled it like a pro and said something equally funny and heart felt by asking what the dogs name was and following the answer of, "Joey," with, "I feel like I knew him..."  Which I thought was very funny.  Sorry if that threw you Dov, you killed it.  Dov Davidoff has a FREE podcast you can find here: ROAD DOG PODCAST on iTunes.

And of course the following comedian Marc Maron, a comedian I had not seen yet was most excited to see, came out demanding, "Where's the dude that said my dog died?!" and proceeded to comment on the ridiculousness of the concept of yelling something morbid at a comedian to make jokes about.  But it went no further than that and Maron proceeded to kill as well.  I have never seen a comedian before that can make you laugh and surprise you with incredible insight like he does.  Almost as if he is providing humor that rationalizes one's own discomforts and insecurities.  Maybe that's just simply what comedy is all about.  And maybe I'm just a rambling bonehead...  So by the by, I am a huge fan of Maron, regularly listen to his podcast WTF, and urge you all to sample it as well.  You can subscribe for FREE on iTunes.  In case you haven't noticed podcasts are mostly free guys, and if you're a digital hoarder like me you will be all over this shit.

Other highlights include Bobby Lee.  That dude is bouncing off the walls hilarious.  Mike and Taylor got to meet him outside after the show as well and got a great pic:

Also got to see Chris D'elia for the third time and he is fantastic, very naturally funny, guaranteed big laughs.

So, if you like comedy, check these people out, go to The Comedy Store (or the corresponding, quintessential comedy club in your city) , good stuff.

Til the next

Ty

A Quick 28 North Rundown

As we all gear up for the Thanksgiving holiday, we at 28 North are very excited about the awesome noise we have been making in the studio.  We have just completed the drum tracks for the four new songs we are adding to our record.  I personally had a wonderful time tracking as I always do.  Recording drums is one activity, for me, that combines the extreme focus that accompanies hard work and the true pleasure of performing a task that you love at your core and for which one possesses sufficient skill (hopefully).

Anyway, as we take a short break for the holiday I thought it would be apropos to step back and paint you guys a brief linguistic portrait of what and who 28 North are at this stage.  It has been quite a few years since Michael Lindner and myself began playing the obvious classic rock and Phish covers along with a couple poorly written originals at the Grey Goose (called something else now) in Aspinwall (Pittsburgh).  A handful of players have come and gone over the years, we have played countless shows across the country (and once in Canada!), we have recorded four full length albums, and we have had a HELL of a good time doing it.  Not that it was always easy of course.

So...28 North.

Michael Lindner - Lead singer.  Song writer.  Killer guitar player.  Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, this fun loving guy has a voice that can explode and soothe equally at the same time.  When it comes to dedication, "Lenner" (Pittsburgheese) is a shining example.  Even if being in a band brought promises of sleeping on floors and scrounging for change all of your life, Mike would still be rocking away on stage.

Taylor Netzler - This genuinely nice guy happens to be a shredding guitar wiz.  He can melt faces at the drop of a dime and then make you feel like a million bucks with his silly banter.  28 North has been truly blessed to have Taylor join the group nearly two years ago.  Growing up in Cleveland, OH, Netzler has rock 'n roll in his blood and is basically a guitar legend at the young age of 13.  (Just kidding, though he does make me feel old, ugh.)

Dom Liberati - 28 North's most recent addition.  When you need a tough guy on your side and one who is also beyond polite AND can play a mean bass, look no further than Dom Liberati.  Dom's thunderous bass lines and deft precision have brought a smooth, powerful, and modern approach to the sub-frequencies of our catalog.  Again we are blessed to have such an inspiring and gifted band member to add to 28 North's sound.

Tyler Bond -  That would be yours truly.  Not much going on upstairs here.....,

...except THIS!

That's right folks.  I finished another thousand-piecer!  The one on the left is my recent masterpiece and the one to the right is the 500-piecer I mentioned previously.  So yes, I'm still into puzzles and I have another 1,000 piece puzzle lined up.  

More to come soon.

Ty

Studio Time, Fall Shows, and Jigsaw Puzzles!

That is right folks, we are working our little behinds off in the studio these last few weeks.  It has been an absolute pleasure to work with producer/engineer Gavin MacKillop (Toad The Wet Sprocket, Goo Goo Dolls, Sugarcult).  We know that our record will be a contemporary rock masterpiece when finished and we are more than excited about how it is shaping up.

Along with putting some polish on seven songs we tracked earlier this year we are going to be tracking four brand new songs next week.  With 2012 being a year full of hidden turns, waves of new experience,  and unexpected insight for 28 North, it surely has culminated in some nifty creative juices that have spawned what we believe to be our strongest works yet.  So...we are totally PUMPED about this record!

In other news we've got shows this month of November in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Los Angeles.

On Saturday November 24th we will be at The Thunderbird Cafe in Pittsburgh, PA 9:30 PM

On Sunday November 25th we will be at Brothers Lounge in Cleveland, OH 8 PM

On Friday November 30th we will be at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, CA 7:30 PM

Oh, and I'm super into puzzles these days.  Taylor, Mike, and I just finished up a "1,000-piecer" last week and I completed a 500 piece jobber with border assistance from Mike.  I'm currently working on another 1,000 piece, I'll keep you updated.

The "1,000-piecer". Titanic theme. No big deal.

Peace

tY

Talkin' Movies

Hello and greetings.

Apologies for the long time no write, a severe case of "blog-bloc" I shall blame it on.

Anywho.

We're talking movies here real quick on 28 North Speaks.  We have now seen a number of movies (five total to be exact in my case) in the last couple of weeks.  They were as follows: 1. Looper, 2. The Master, 3. Dredd 3D, 4. Argo, and 5. Total Recall.  Quite the round up, I know.  The quality of each were as follows, respectively: 1. damn good entertainment, 2. surprisingly awful, 3. surprisingly enjoyable, 4. the best of the batch, and 5. shitty as expected.

Looper

Good, clean,  fun.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt was solid, Bruce Willis was standard great.  I enjoyed this movie, it has the right amount of confusion blended with classic action movie violence.  The plot is bound to have holes when you are dealing with time travel and inevitably the story will have its demerits.  But fuck it, what story is ever sealed tight as a drum and with so many matters complicating life in general, what is the difference?  Plus Bruce Willis kills kids in this movie.  Kids!!  Little innocent, defenseless, inconsequential kids!!!  I feel like they took chances on this one and I commend them for that.  Plus the way they make up Jo-Go to resemble a youthful Bruce Willis is hilarious.

The Master

Ugh.  Come on PTA.  I expected a more intriguing story than this.  Sure.  The acting was superb and the film looked incredible (70 mm film) and the music was perfect.  Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman and everyone else involved in making this film deserve well earned praise.  But there was no story for me.  I took nothing from this movie in terms of experiencing anything really worthwhile.  And it is sssooooo long.  But I'll give it another shot some day and possibly unearth the genius that may lie in its strange images.

Dredd 3D

We were so disappointed in The Master that we snuck in to see Dredd to redeem some sort of entertainment for the night.  It turned out to be a gratuitous, dark, decadent, indulgence of the kind we hoped for as blood hungry pre-pubescent males.  And I enjoyed every second of it.  In 3D too!  I cannot lie, it was gut-wrenching to watch bullets pierce through bodies in slow motion and peoples faces being exploded.  Though it was guiltily satisfying.  A visceral experience if you will.

Argo

I liked it.  It was pretentious, sure.  Rife with political commentary directed both towards governmental foreign affairs and the so-oft-self-deprecating movie business.  But it was suspenseful nonetheless and the humor was well placed.  Alan Arkin was absolutely perfect as was John Goodman as always.  Of course Bryan Cranston is involved.  This is a big plus these days.  Cranston certainly delivered and  Ben Affleck was solid and also directed the film.

Total Recall

....

And there you have it.  Sorry, I slept through what most likely were the "important" parts of Total Recall and unfortunately those were probably the ones mainly involving Bryan Cranston (fuck yah!).  Oh well, I'm sure the original is far better and serves a much more fulfilling place in the halls of film history.

Finally, here is a little treat for you: A NEW SONG!

Yep, we wrote this new tune out in Canyon Country and this is a video of us playing the new tune at The Dragonfly in Los Angeles.  Hope you dig!



More soon,

Ty

"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