Snowed In

I pretty much dread the snow. Just the mention of it sends shivers down my legs and not because I'm cold, but because I am scared to death of driving in it. Anyone who has even been in a car with me can attest that I am perhaps not the best driver and at one time or another they have feared for their lives in the passenger seat. I'd had my fair share of accidents in the rain and snow. What's funny is that I even managed to get hit once when I pulled off on the side of the road because I saw cars sliding into the curbs. Ok, so it's not funny.

Yesterday morning when the first flakes began to fall and blanket the sidewalk outside my job, I decided it was time to jet. Having only been in the office for an hour, I had the whole day to work at home, watch my snow dogs play in their winter wonderland while wishing I had my camera and catch up on things I've been meaning to review.

What better time to watch a DVD of the biggest summer music fest than when you're snuggled under blankets and drinking Egg Nog flavored coffee?

I ditched Warped Tour completely last summer.

My reasons?

* At 27, I am old enough to be half those kids moms by now (or at least it feels that way)

* I had a love-hate relationship with this business of music I'm in the past year and have therefore been a bit disconnected.

* Bamboozle, which happens 20 minutes from my house, has become such a giant and hosts pretty much the same bands, why should I travel hours in traffic for Warped?

* Warped took away the 'zine tent. Planet Verge had a table there every year. It was such a blast to get up at 5 am, load in heavy suitcases of magazines and flyers and then sweat for hours behind our table. Seriously. No zine tent, nothing to separate us from the mass amounts of newbie punks or to relax in between bands you don't care about.


Anyway.... while watching the Warped Tour '07 DVD, I sorta missed it all.
But just like at the festival, I skipped past all the bands I don't care about on the DVD.

Why, why, why is there a need for multiple DVD segments on Pepper, Fishbone and other filler bands when SO MANY bands play at Warped?

On the + side:

Circa Survive

Killswitch Engage




The Starting Line (Their song was the highlight of my DVD-watching experience because I caught Kirsten Storms >> aka Maxie Jones on General Hospital << in the background watching them w/her man from Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

I did enjoy watching the artist interviews and the behind-the-scenes footage, but in a nutshell, the Warped DVD's could be so much more. With 83 bands playing in 45 cities, film crews had plenty of time to capture that content. Maybe next year... and maybe I'll be there.

But, I do enjoy the fact that the last band I watched on Warped Tour was Eighteen Visions. Sorta like a happy ending. It was the best Warped set.

Here's a video I took:




My next fun snow day activity was listen the Casual Projects CD that came in the mail. This is hip-hop oriented funk band from Australia.

They are awesome. I discovered them when I was sorting through entries for the Independent Music Awards. They are actually finalists now for their song "Move Along."

Here's the video:




Check them out at www.myspace.com/casualprojects


* By Joelle, who stayed in tonight to catch up on things. She's listening to The Matches and eating tomato soup.