ode to someday records

many of you remember someday records, the indie label started by myself, jess, and steven. well, although we didn't sell a million records (ok, we didn't sell 5 thousand), i must say we were well ahead of the curve. today i was listening to my xm radio and they played the bees, who were featured on our "under the needle" soundtrack released 3 years ago. in addition, all of the artists featured on our compilation are still touring musicians and half of the artists have record deals. not too bad!

my town is a wonderland

So here's a little update as to what's been happening...

1. I saw My Morning Jacket at the Ogden Theater in Denver. Just when I haven't seen the Jacket in over a year, they swing by and once again put on the best show I've seen in ages. It reminds me of that epic night in Birmingham with Saliba going apeshit. Saliba, you out there? Anyway, MMJ are unstoppable. They are the best American rock band in concert. Can anyone dispute this?

2. In other music, I purchased The Slip's new album, Eisenhower. I really really dig it. "Children of December" is a great jazzy indie rock song, and "If One of Us Should Fall" is a classic anthem song. You just want to hear them both on repeat. If you're a child of December you will especially appreciate The Slip. You will indentify, you know, when your birthday gets the shaft b/c it's around christmas.

3. The Bolder Boulder. It's America's biggest 10K run - with 50,000+ people. Well, I'm going to run it this year. It's Memorial Day weekend (late May) and the Boulder Creek Festival is also the same weekend. If you're a runner or if you're not (like me), this is a great opportunity to come to Boulder and visit! Consider that an invitation. Run the race with me!

4. A wild winter. We have had so much snow and lots of crazy wind. Usually winters in Boulder are mild, but I guess this is the harshest winter in 20 or 30 years. It has snowed every week for the past 4 weeks. Picture above is near my house, facing the South with the Foothills to the West.

Peace...

the flatirons in the new year

"flatirons winter '07"
by rusty.



i took this picture last week after our third
big snowstorm.for those out of town, the
flatirons are part of the foothills before the
rocky mountains and they hang directly above
boulder. they are jagged mountain faces that
look like upright irons.chief niwot, an american
indian from years past, said that if you ever see
the sun rise on the flatirons and behold the orange
glow above town that you will never leave boulder.
that's the curse of the flatirons.

my house is about a 1/2 mile
from where this picture was taken.
hope you like it!

click to enlarge.

hennajenna

One of my new hobbies in the last year has been brewing beer. It is absolutely one of the most rewarding hobbies because it is creative and makes you slightly intoxicated. But seriously, you get to invent your own beer and reward yourself with the end results (unless it tastes like shite). So, my latest beer is a reddish beer similar to Anchor Steam in hops, but brewed with the techniques used for a Czech Pilsner a la Pilsner Urquell. The technique is called "lagering" and means that you have to let the beer ferment at colder temperatures and longer than normal. My cellar is the perfect temperature, then after bottling it will be moved to the fridge for 4-6 weeks.

My sister helped me out when we made it on Christmas Eve, so due to her red hair and her involvement, it is called Hennajenna Pilsner. It will be bottled next week!

Next up, I have plans for a German Dortmunder and either a Creamy Stout or an Imperial IPA.

This might sound boring, but come over and drink some with me and I can guarantee it will not be a boring night!

dave chappelle is my neighbor

Dave Chappelle, overheard on the street in Yellow Springs, OH:

"When you're climbin' up a ladder
and ya here something splatter...
Diarrhea" Ha...

My family happens to live 5 miles away from Yellow Springs, OH. It's a small eclectic hippie town in the middle of Ohio. Home of the most liberal crew in the Buckeye state, and one of my personal favorite towns, it also happens to be the home of one of the funniest men in the world: Dave Chappelle. I've seen Dave a couple time when stoping through Yellow Springs, and this last time (Jan. 2nd) it was refreshing to see him hanging with the locals and just being a real person. When I lived in L.A., celebs weren't really down with hanging at the coffeshop talking to the locals every day, so props to Dave for shunning the self-absorbed lifestyle and sticking to his roots in a great little town in the middle of the midwest.
Here's another reason Ohio is a great state.