Bill Nye-Ken Ham Evolution vs. Creationism Debate

So I wrote a little about my thoughts on the Bill Nye-Ken Ham debate last night. I'm not sure where you could rewatch it, but you should. Anyway, I posted them elsewhere (blog I made for class and never used) as they didn't seem particularly appropriate for this blog's strict adherence to nonsense. Hope you find it interesting: http://nate-velmang.blogspot.com/2014/02/nye-ham-evolution-vs-creationism-debate.html

Historical Roundtable




So this is all based on my friend Scott's Facebook question:     

"If you could have dinner with any 5 individuals throughout all of human history, who would they be?" (They have to have actually existed)

After reading some of the other answers, here are my thoughts in typical, overly-drawn-out Nate fashion. There are a lot of great potential candidates for this list who could deliver revelations or astound me but from a selfish viewpoint, above all else I want to enjoy the discussion. Thus, I don't want a bunch of geniuses discussing quantum physics for an hour while I sit there drooling, or a gaggle of philosophers debating whose religion is better. I also realized that I was biased towards more modern persons because I could relate to them better. In the end, I could probably come up with more significant people, but this isn't about significance, it's about people I admire or would be genuinely interested in spending time with.

Assumptions:

- everyone can speak and understand English

- for some reason, these people like me

The Discussion Group (aka The Nerds)



- Leonardo Da Vinci: I can't think of a better pairing of imagination and talent in history. Termed an "artist-engineer," he made discoveries that would take the rest of the world centuries to rediscover or understand, all while creating timeless works of art. Giorgio Vasari said it best: "In the normal course of events many men and women are born with remarkable talents; but occasionally, in a way that transcends nature, a single person is marvellously endowed by Heaven with beauty, grace and talent in such abundance that he leaves other men far behind, all his actions seem inspired and indeed everything he does clearly comes from God rather than from human skill... [Leonardo] displayed infinite grace in everything that he did and...cultivated his genius so brilliantly that all problems he studied he solved with ease."

- Benjamin Franklin: The quintessential American polymath, Franklin was just flat-out an interesting person. Never idle, Franklin churned out practical and groundbreaking inventions and was immensely influential in his time. When he wasn't busy innovating in the U.S. he was busy gettin' busy in France, England, and wherever else he graced with his prescence. The guy was funny and relateable, making him an important voice at the Academics table. (fyi: click on the wikipedia entry for 'polymath': the picture is Leonardo Da Vinci. Boss.)

- Teddy Roosevelt: Not the smartest man to have lived, but he did as much with his life as anyone in history ever has. Despite no scientific background and a sickly youth, he had an immense interest and impact on our understanding of Nature. He won America's heart, wrote incessantly and intelligently on pretty much every subject, explored parts of the world where no history had ever been recorded, went hunting big game while basically blind, and once took a bullet to the chest while giving a speech and finished his oration mostly out of spite. This is a man's man who I'm sure could tell incredible stories for dayyys.

- Niels Bohr: In my opinion the smartest man to ever live (yeah, I hear you Einstein and Rob Ford, I don't care). He almost singlehandedly saved science in the early 20th century, while pioneering nuclear physics and producing mind-blowing discovery after discovery. Seriously, if you don't know about Niels, read about Niels, he was an amazing man. He had a ridiculous (and criminally underrated) amount of influence on what we know about physics and chemistry today, both in the scientific community and in the public sphere. This story about Bohr and a barometer is probably not true, but I'm going to believe that it is. This one is definitely true.

CARL!

- Carl Sagan: I love Carl Sagan, and Cosmos changed my life. What made him great was that he put his immense intellect to use trying to better the planet and spread scientific interest and education instead of holing up in some physics-nerd enclave. His popularization of science reshaped the world's view of our existence and its possibilities. Probably the first name I thought of when I read Scott's question. Fact: The University of Chicago allowed students to title their degrees upon graduation, and Sagan opted for a degree in "nothing." Fact: fought to have a picture of a dick sent into space.

Honorable Mention: Natalie Portman - Harvard graduate, published in multiple scientific journals, skipped The Phantom Menace premiere to take high school exams, and the most attractive thing ever to happen to Earth.

Because I was bored and had actually been thinking about writing something like this for a while, I added a secondary category for a different type of "all-time dream group:" the top five party people. If you were imagining the first quintet as a round table of deep conversation on a long, summer night, imagine this second quintet burning down the local bar at 6 am. 

The Gettin' Wasted Group

- Hunter S. Thompson: Every day this man didn't die was a miracle. He blurred the lines between fact and fiction in his literature almost as much as he did in real life, and he lived like he wrote: brilliantly. Thompson might not have been the friendliest person, but he unapologetically did whatever made him happy, which I respect. I can think of few people who would gaurantee you a better conversation or a wilder experience.

Party Power: Things would get fucking rowdy, and, regretfully, someone would probably get shot.

- Charles Barkley: I have a weakness for professional athletes (thanks, America) and few people entertain me more than Charles Barkley. A great competitor and talent on the court, Barkley is perhaps even better off it as an analyst or commentator. As a basketball fan I could listen to Chuck reminisce about his NBA experiences all day, but he's actually a pretty insightful and outspoken guy on social issues and such topics as race and education. He doesn't give a shit about what people think and will always speak his mind.

Party Power: At 6'5" 250lb, could whip any troublemakers and is also quite a drinker (to quote: "I can drink a case of Coronas"). Again, doesn't give a shit about what people think and will always speak his mind.

- Ernest Hemingway: "Write drunk, edit sober." Pulitzer-winning author, athlete, wartime ambulance driver, survivor of multiple plane crashes, drinker. One of the most badass men ever and a fantastic writer to boot (The Sun Also Rises is incredible), Ernest was an exceptional human being. There's really too much to cover in trying to explain why Hemingway would be in my Historical Drunken Bro's posse. If you're too lazy to read up on him, spend 30 seconds looking at the picture of him posted here. You'll get it. (link)

Party Power: the man was almost perpetually drunk and could womanize and carouse with the best of them. Also, he stole a urinal.

- Jack Nicholson: Peons who haven't seen anything older than Anger Management might not know that Nicholson was a great actor with 3 Oscar wins and happened to be a pretty good-looking dude. The stories of his early years in Hollywood read like a cliche: orgies, drugs, sex with 2,000 women, booze... the usual. When you have to deny that you're a "sex legend," you know you've made it. Nicholson's been a huge influence in the movie-business for decades and is easily one of the top people I'd love to hear tell drunken, insider stories.

Party Power: with no concern for shame, and hilariously aware of it, Jack would dominate the party scene and woo the ladyfolk. Quote: "I only take Viagra when I'm with more than one woman."

- Rob Gronkowski: This is sort of a cop out, but I honestly struggle to think of someone who would entertain me more. After all, this category isn't about historical relevance, it's about having a wild night. If you don't watch/read the news, Gronk is a serious party animal and has the energy and the money to do pretty much whatever he wants. He gets hated on by The Man for drunken, shirtless dancing, posing with semi-naked pornstars, and shirtless, drunken wrestling in nightclubs, but that seems like just a slow week for Gronk. "Yo soy fiesta," bra.

Party Power: Seriously? This is the coolest thing ever.

First Alternate:

- Winston Churchill: I don't know how rowdy Churchill would get, being that he had "responsibilities" as the leader of the UK for 10 years, but the man could certainly drink. He claimed to drink before, after, and during every meal, including breakfast. Churchill overcame a speech impediment through sheer will and in spite of his near-constant inebriation, perhaps inspiring the quote: "Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me." All in all a very interesting person.

Party Power: his famous line "I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly," pretty much sums up why he would be a blast to have out at a bar or a party. Unlike most people who just think they're funny when they're drunk, apparently Winston actually was.

Honorable Mention:

- Andre the Giant - the most attractive thing ever to hap- whoops - A god among mortals when it came to alcohol. Seriously, read that link if you haven't before. Unreal.

- Natalie Portman - the most attractive thing ever to happen to Earth.

NFL Coverage Fantasy/Reality All-Stars

Wow, that's a mouthful of a title, and upon review this article rambles quite a bit, but, um... Enjoy!

After recently hearing Frank Deford's NPR piece about the cable network's astoundingly banal and dreary NFL pregame shows, I realized that I couldn't agree more with his take. I've never remotely enjoyed the pregame, half-time, or post-game shows and what would really capture my attention is some real and interesting personality, some different perspectives, and some humility (not a must).

Whether it be CBS, FOX, or ESPN, the Sunday "analysis" shows are tired repetitions of the same issues and cliches that they discussed the week before. Yes, we get that they shouldn't "put the ball on the ground." Wait, what, the Packers are in trouble without Aaron Rodgers? Thanks Boomer. I can't think of another occasion on TV where more self-satisfied blowhards are allowed in the same room than NFL Sunday Countdown on FOX.

All sports cultures and most sports shows are guilty of this communal, smug exaltation of "The Game," but nowhere is it worse than in the NFL. The way commentators talk about Vince Lombardi, you would think he cured cancer. C'mon, he was in charge of some people who played a game for money.

Now I love sports as much as anyone and I'll argue for their importance in our culture any day, but I'm asking the talking heads on TV to keep their feet on the ground, and show a little perspective.

My favorite sports show on TV is Inside the NBA with Kenny, Shaq, and Barkley, and they use their time to talk about pretty much anything but sports. When they do, they frame it with real stories, real, honest opinions, and above all they don't take themselves too seriously. They bring many things other shows often lack, including energy, comedy, and a self-deprecating and conversational style. The Shaqtus and The Round Mound of Rebound rib former and current players and coaches (mostly each other) and when they dole out praise they tend to provide a little perspective.

These sports analysis shows should be geared at highlighting the unpredictable nature of sports and breaking down the intricacies of situations the average viewer can only watch from afar. Essentially they should be promoting the sport. Where NFL Sunday Countdown and CBS Haltime, etc. fail is that the uninspired analysis and wind-baggery turns into a promotion of the analysts' careers and "oh how great the game of football is, and how great the legends of the past and all their accomplishments are," and on and on and on.

They pay only slightly less respect to people currently in the game, lionizing anyone who has coached or played for a number of years without managing to commit any atrocious blunders or crimes. Seriously, we know the good players are good. It's fun to watch highlight videos but these athletes don't need to be championed heedlessly as idols and American heroes. A lot of these guys aren't great people, no matter how they perform on the field. Why isn't the formerly lauded Aaron Hernandez on the sideline this Sunday? Yeah, that guy who got paid millions to catch a ball and push people. While the Ray Lewis story of 2000 is often blown out of proportion, the whole affair was shady and reprehensible, and a case-in-point of near-weekly stories that surface regarding professional athletes caught up in illicit situations.

Part Deux

Speaking of criminals... anyone who has ever discussed reality TV with me knows that I don't tolerate it, except in the extreme. I don't want your average Housewife of Wherever party-planning problems, or your daily Kardashian emotion updates, I want the classic depravity of VH1 and MTV where A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila and Rock of Love took center-stage. TV where they feed the contestants aka lunatics alcohol and promises of wealth. Did you ever watch Rock of Love Bus? I did, yeah. There were literally buckets of alcohol on every flat surface, a strategy designed to keep everyone (more) ridiculous. In the pilot, the pilot, a girl did a shot out of another girl's, ahem, lady bits, at a bar. Excuse me, on the bar. In the pilot!

The "contestants" were horrible, seemingly proudly amoral people who were set upon eachother like drunken roosters in a cockfighting ring. I mean, these people were one bad night away from a cell or a cheap porn set, or possibly both, depending on the shoot. These sociopaths were dredged up from who knows where and put on primetime to entertain us. And you know what, it worked. While reality shows are (debateably) mostly scripted, their essential appeal boils down to people interacting with other people, which is the root of what we as viewers generally want to see. Sure, some of the lucky contestants were Darwin awards waiting to happen and not your average Joe, but we as Americans crave the conversation, the clashes, and the passion that we get in our sitcoms, our Food Network cookoffs, our sports analysis, and most basically, in our "reality shows." We crave the unpredictable.

Sure there are news networks that report "real-life" stories, but I'm an American and I'll be informed if and when I want to. Until then, entertain me!

Now that was a bit of a ramble and I'm not saying we need Tila Tequila on NFL Sundays, but we need to spice things up. So here goes, my dream team of NFL "analysts" to perk up Sunday's drivel:

At the big desk:

• Will Ferrell, as Harry Caray: I'm gonna assume Ferrell knows nothing about football. Not relevant
• Charles Barkley: my MVP, I would watch this man ramble and rant about anything 
• Tila Tequila: but we need her. Former Pants Off Dance Off host, nuff said.
• Pros
     - drinking would be mandatory on set 
     - awesome Shawne Merriman interviews
     - you know Barkley wouldn't know what to do with himself
• Cons:
   - none
• Chad Ochocinco: NFL resume, and reality star? How can we not feature this guy
• Daniel Tosh: actually knows stuff about sports, hilarious stand-up, would make Tila cry weekly. An important cog to keep the dialogue going
• Tiffany "New York" Pollard: this woman needs airtime, plus she doesn't go out like a bitch, like Terry Bradshaw

In-game Announcers:

• Allen Iverson (Analysis): sure won't talk about practice, and hopefully the game either
• Bill Cosby (Color): Knows a thing or a thing about football. Between these two you will have literally no idea what was going on  

Sideline Reporter:

• Lindsay Lohan: the one and only, the premier trainwreck of our lifetime. Plus she would totally not show if it was raining

A Dating Advice segment, Temptation Island, (think Revis Island, but sexier) to draw the lovebird demographic:

• Bryant "Big Mac" McKinnie: never forget: Love Boat scandal... What good guys
• Darnell Dockett: he is the fucking man
• "I'm not into the thinner girls and the modeling thing like that. I like hood chicks. I like girls with a couple stab wounds, bullet holes, been knocked up a few times. I like girls who'll be able to drive me and look over and be like 'you know my driver's license is suspended.' I like girls who you know have bad credit when they're 21."

Rules Analysts a.k.a. Mike Pereira's "job":

• Lou Holtz's corpse: it gets airtime on ESPN anyway, so why not?
• Courtney Stodden: one of the most revolting people of alltime. Also, can't you just feel that sexual tension between her and Lou?

C'mon, you'd be glued to the television

Haverween Weekend

My phone's attempt at photography. Look at that tree!

Haverween

Haverween was the last tournament of the fall season for the Jive Turkeys and is probably my favorite tournament of the fall. The last couple years we’ve had beautiful weather here and quality fields. The weather looked good and there were a number of teams attending that we will play in the spring. To quote Captain Tenneal, LET'S GO!

Saturday

The weekend began with an early morning wakeup for the Jive Turkeys. With most of the team arriving for the 6AM departure (Kilburn showed up late, like a sir), we hit the turnpike still feeling the effects of a raucous Friday night. No matter. Our first game was at 9AM against F&M and we wanted to win the pool. We almost showed up late, however, when traffic came to a complete stop because a horrific accident was being tended to. My car got to the fields at 8:50, so a warm up was out of the question. Classic hungover Turks. We able to come out firing against F&M and opened up a 7-2 lead until completely losing focus and entering half-time down 8-7 to, by all accounts, a vastly inferior team. We remembered Trevor's old rally cry of “A lot more better” and we had no problems breaking apart their zone in the second half. We were relaxed and confident and won 14-11. Not the start we were looking for, but a win is a win.

Messiah-B was next and was a quick, fun, and comfortable win. Aside from a couple of veterans, we were obviously playing a pretty inexperienced team. I was happy to see us stay intense in a lopsided game. We were able to clean us some of the mistakes from the F&M and really get warmed up before game three, the toughest test of Saturday, against Villanova.

I only remember playing Villanova once before, freshman year at St. Joseph’s tournament. This team could not have been more different (and not just because we weren't drinking Jäger against them). They were quick, confident, and athletic. Nova’s strength was in their handlers, who were largely freshman and sophomores. We played them tight the entire game, but our lack of depth on Saturday seemed to hurt us towards the end round three. We fought for the entire game but lost 15-10. It was a strong performance from Jive considering we were without some A-team players and, despite the loss, many of us felt that this was the best game of the day. I would love a rematch against Villanova in the spring will a full squad.

Game four on Saturday was the first game of Championship bracket against Philly U. It was another fun, but not particularly tight game. We showed some strong zone defense early and ran an extremely effective two-handler zone offense. Much like Messiah-B, the game against Philly U represented a chance for everyone to get playing time, and this was one of the best performances for our newer players of the fall season. Jive won comfortably 14-7 and was looking forward to a Quarterfinal matchup against Drexel the next morning. All in all, Saturday was a great day of Ultimate for Jive. We had to play a different style of offensive without Simon and Trevor, but Slap and Salad were great as the main handlers. Additionally, our in-cutting, not our deep-cutting dominated our opponents, which has not been the case this fall. 

Sunday

Losing sucks. Losing to the same team multiple times sucks harder. For this reason, I wanted nothing more than to ruin Drexel’s weekend with a win in the Quarterfinals. We’d struggled against them at the past two Haverween tournaments, and it was time to finally change that. The game started close, but Jive was the stronger defensive team, forcing turnovers and hand-blocking the same handler three times in a row (one for me, two for Simon. Suck it Drexel handler). Fun fact: if you want to get in a team’s head, hand-blocking their main handler is a pretty good way to start. We entered half down by one goal, but stormed out of the break to take five of the next six points to go up 12-9. The game was comfortable from there on out, as Jive won 15-11 to advance to the semis against Haverford.

Jive had traditionally been very successful against Haverford and we started this game strongly by going ahead 3-0. This run proved unsustainable, however, as Haverford took the next three points to even at 3-3. Neither team ever took a large lead the rest of the game. In a call plagued by long arguments, Jive led 10-9 when hard-cap went on. We only needed one goal to win, but could not punch in the final score, as Haverford evened at 10-10. The game proved a heartbreaking loss for Jive, as Haverford caught the final score. After we defended their deep look, a trailing Haverford player was able to lunge for the disc and score on Universe Point to beat us 11-10. 

We were unlucky on many D’s this weekend, and to lose on a deflection is never easy. Nonetheless, I think one of the best parts of this final fall tournament was our ability to stay composed and not disrupt our game plan by getting angry. We’ve lost focus at times due to getting too frustrated over small mistakes. It’s hard to think of many instances where we beat ourselves this weekend, and I think the team should be proud of this. We may not have won the tournament this year, but our focus was much improved and we gelled as a team more than in previous tournaments. It really felt like we had meaningful contributions from everyone. For that, kudos to everyone who came this weekend. I could not have asked for a better way to close out my Fall career as a Jive Turkey. Even if you do not win the tournament, you can always find ways to make your team better, and we did just that.

Select Highlights

-Against F&M, Milstein and Emery dared us to force a turnover as fast a possible. On the first throw after the pull, I hand-blocked their main handler. Under 20 seconds? I think so

-Kellen’s “Gronk-spike” against Messiah-B and his absurdly massive catch against Villanova over two of their defenders

-Jive Corgis!
-We talking about Tong Fest?!?!?!

-Slap’s epic pull that was dropped by the dude on Philly U (not “Philly U Guy,” though.)

-Dandy’s box-outs

-Ruining Drexel’s weekend

-Huge layouts D’s against Haverford

-Brian Manning, Travis Miller and the entire Jive party crew on Saturday night

-Salad and I stealing a sign about pooping and calling a random Haverford girl to wish her happy birthday

Georgetown Recap

The Jive Turkeys right after beating Georgetown 15-14

Huck Off the Hilltop 2013
After weekends at Vassar and Gettysburg, and our own Jive Fest, it was time for the Jive Turkeys to head to Reston, VA for Georgetown's fall tournament Huck Off the Hilltop. The tournament, advertised as competitive with a lot of D-1 schools, was slated to be a good determiner of where we were as a team before the spring season. For a team with aspirations of making College Nationals in May, we were excited, but unsure of what to expect. 

As a result of some bizarre scheduling, our games on Saturday did not actually start until 1PM. Our pool included Carnegie Mellon, Towson, and Delaware-X, and it seems that Georgetown structured the pools and game times around team's travel times. Whatever. Not complaining about playing games at 1PM, 2:30PM, and 4PM on the first day. 

Saturday
The first test was Carnegie Mellon, and while the weather was not bad, per se, some pretty heavy winds led to the some sloppy play. Both teams struggled downwind, with the first seven points being scored upwind (in favor of Jive 4-3). The game remained tight until half time. Jive went into the break up 7-6 thanks to aggressive defensive play and good end zone offense. It was an intense game throughout, and we needed to make big plays in the second half to open up a small lead. Because of the short rounds and weather, hard cap went on about 15 minutes after half time and the game ended 9-7 in Jive's favor. A win over a D-1 team that consistently makes Regionals was a great start.

Game two was against Towson and the 500 people that they brought with them. I actually asked one of their players when they had such a large team with them, and he told me that they were making A-team cuts next week, and anyone with a shot had to come to the tournament. Fair enough, I suppose, although Towson's "depth" never seemed to matter. Jive came out with strong zone defense and immediately flustered the handlers and opened up a 3-0 lead. The game was never close after the first three points and Jive took the win at 13-4. Because of the wide margin of victory, this game was a good chance to cycle our players more than we did against CMU. We had 16 people with us, and the Towson game was the best time for everyone to get playing time. 

The last game of the day came against Delaware-X, another D-1 team trying to polish its roster at the end of the fall season. Their previous game didn't look particularly impressive, and we went into this contest a little too confident in our superiority. We made dumb decisions, played lazy defense, but did enough to reduce the deficit from 6-2 to 7-6 by half time.  It is one thing to be confident, but we can never assume that we will roll over a team. Lesson learned for the second half, as Delaware never seemed to be as threatening. Our zone offense clicked and the defense started making plays and we won 13-8. 

Sunday
Day two started at 9AM. Our matchup was against Georgetown, the tournament's host and a Regionals-level team that spent much of Saturday mixing its roster with veterans and new players. This would not be the case on Sunday, as it was Georgetown's A-team that we were up against. We were pumped for this game: we had won our pool the day before and wanted to advance further in the Championship bracket. We knew that Georgetown was better than their Saturday record of 1-2 indicated. 

The first half was close and Jive took it 8-7, but the second half was immense. The two teams traded points for almost the entire game. Jive made a number of big plays, both offensively and defensively, but could not pull away, instead getting broken for a couple scores after half time. We went down 14-12, but we were able to tie it up at 14s. Hard cap had come on, so this game was going to end on Universe point. We pulled, Georgetown turned the disc, followed by us turning the disc. It worked out perfectly, however, as Georgetown earned the disc back on the corner of their own end zone line. Instead of moving the disc down the field, Georgetown tried a swing and it fell incomplete. Jive only needed to convert the goal line pass to win. Relying on the same isolation cutting that had worked so well all tournament, Jive punched in the goal and took a thrilling 15-14 victory. It was a huge win, hard-fought and also well-deserved. 

The semi-final game was against Lehigh, a team we've played before and will certainly play again this spring. Our legs were shot, and Lehigh had not really been tested in their first game of the day. We lost 15-4, but this game would not belittle the tremendous accomplishment of our universe point victory against Georgetown. 

The victory against Georgetown was the most exciting and rewarding Fall Season game that I've been a part of during my four years with Jive. It was such an important indicator of where are as a team currently, and how much better we can become. We never quit, even after going down multiple times late in the game. We did not lose our heads after a couple of untimely mistakes and pushed and pushed for the final point. Huck Off the Hill will be a tournament that I will long remember, and hopefully is just the start for this year's Jive Turkeys.

Select Highlights:
-Grefe playing with the team both days. Bowman and Faithful being team cheerleaders
-Post skying that Georgetown dude twice, getting hacked, and calling "AND ONE" after both goals
-Dane's ridiculous sky-D against CMU. That kid never stood a chance.
-Moller, 5'6", guarding Falcore, 6'4" from Lehigh. He'll sky him next time. 
-Air Joeldan

Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2013 – An Abbreviated Recapitulation

 

via Braeden Eastman

Growing up, I did not attend many live concerts. I can attribute to this many factors, but none more so than the fact that I grew up listening to the music of my father’s generation. Many a moment were spent in my basement, shooting hoops, pucks, or pool and listening to Led Zeppelin, The Who, Van Halen, the Stones, and others. I was the one that requested “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” instead of “All Star” at the roller rink and was disappointed when DJs at school dances didn’t actually end dances with “Stairway to Heaven.” For all intents and purposes, the bands to which I rocked out were dead (ignore that all the aforementioned or some of their members have in some capacity performed live in recent years – they weren’t then). In some ways, this love of classic rock stunted my growth as a consumer of music. For one, I was somehow deluded into thinking that I was discovering these “little-known” bands. My dad often recalls this one time I excitedly told him about this “new, great band” I had found. What was that band, you ask? The Beatles. I also remember thinking that I never really needed to listen to new bands or music. After all, how can one beat listening to “Baba O’Riley” for the 74^th time? As such, the music of the ‘90s sort of passed me by without much fanfare. Sure, I knew the songs (and know them much better now, thanks to high school/Jive), but I did not grant them much boom-box time. Even now, especially since graduation, I feel like I do not hear about songs until several months after their release. Anyways, you get it so I can quit belaboring my point. I’m slow to the party.

This past Saturday was no exception, really. I was familiar with several of the bands and knew some songs of course but couldn’t call myself a big fan of any one group in particular. So you will have to excuse me if you already know everything there is to know about the following bands.

The first band on my must-see list I missed. Good start, I know. Unfortunately, it was the band I was most looking forward to see: Chvrches. A week prior, I had no knowledge that this Scottish, ‘80s-inspired, synth-pop band even existed, but I soon became enlightened after listening to their album The Bones of What You Believe on NPR’s “First Listen” segment. I listened once, and then again. And again. And again. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I highly recommend that you do. If you already know of them, then keep listening. Anyways, since I was unable to watch them live, here’s what Jessica Garson of the DCist had to say of their performance (which she deemed the “best set”): “Scottish trio Chvrches played a remarkably consistent set that introduced the crowd to their sprawling musical talent beyond their hit, ‘The Mother We Share.’ The timing could not have been better as it began to pour right after they played.”

Had I been there, I am confident I would concur with this assessment completely. Well, except for the bit about the rain. I arrived minutes after Chvrches finished their set, and I can say with confidence that it did not rain for at least another thirty minutes. Anyways, please do listen to “The Mother We Share,” “Recover,” and the rest of the album. Just listen to it all. It’s so good. Moving on.

Most I think can vouch that I am a sucker for catchy, mainstream pop songs that are impossible to listen to without dancing or singing along. Such songs would include but are certainly not limited to “Party in the U.S.A.,” “Firework,” and “We Found Love.” Another of these songs is Icona Pop’s “I Love It.” That song truly makes me want to drive my car into a bridge and watch it burn.  The Swedish, electro pop/punk duo has been around since 2009 but per my understanding only fairly recently went big stateside. Their hop-inducing set included other tunes like “All Night,” “We Got The World,” and “Girlfriend,” which, guilty-as-charged, is one of my favorites. A few other middling songs were mixed in, and although I thought their performance could have been better, perhaps cleaner, their energy alone made up for any misgivings. And even though the rain did finally start falling during their set, I hardly noticed, and when they closed with “I Love It," I didn’t care.

After finishing up with the Swedes, I, along with Kara and friend Sasha, slowly made our way through the mud and rain to Matt and company at the main stage where City and Colour was performing. Started by the now-defunct Alexisonfire’s Canadian lead singer Dallas (City) Green (Colour), City and Colour brings to the stage a collection of folk music that sounds fine but isn’t exceptional. Matt’s assessment that he was “the worst musician that ever has been” was certainly a bit harsh, but really, his music and performance just didn’t have the energy necessary to get the audience through the persistent rain. Any energy still possessed was quickly subdued as I felt as though I was in a trance during the rest of his set.

We planted right there as MGMT was the next to take the stage. This was another of the bands on my can’t-miss list but not because I know all of their stuff. Like most people, I wanted to see them for three reasons: 1. “Time to Pretend”; 2. “Electric Feel”; and 3. “Kids.” The set started off with a few technical difficulties likely caused by the rain, but the fans were still treated to lesser-known songs from Oracular Spectacular like “Weekend Wars” and “The Youth.” This was all well and good but not what we came to hear. But then lead singer Andrew VanWyngarden said the word “pretend” in between songs, and we all knew what was up. As those psychedelic bubbles and trippy, artificial animal sounds started, the whole crowd blew up. MGMT’s performance didn’t disappoint, either. Given the music they play, I didn’t expect it to translate well to a live concert, but “Time to Pretend” was close to perfect. And so was “Electric Feel.” As I sang both songs as loudly as possible, I couldn’t help but reminisce about those glorious days when dance parties at the Tavern were commonplace and handles of rum were copious. In between those two classics, I was introduced to “Your Life is a Lie,” now one of my new favorite MGMT songs. I do not know why, but I love the song’s music video.

Although some complained about MGMT’s overall performance, I was not really one of them. It’s true that some of the songs didn’t match the excitement created by their hits (How could they?) and came off as downers, but I enjoyed seeing them nonetheless. One complaint I had was that their set ended with one glaring omission: “Kids.” They didn’t play it. Yeah, I know. It was upsetting. Matt Cohen of the DCist said it best that this “seemed like a big “fuck you” to FreeFest audiences.” I certainly felt slighted.

The next band witnessed truly needs no introduction for those of you reading. Continuing with my theme, however, FreeFest marked the first time in which I saw (and essentially heard) the Avett Brothers, a band to which I had never really consciously listened, despite the rave reviews I have heard from just about everyone I know. I’m rather astonished to have since learned that the band has been active since the year 2000. I’m so out of touch sometimes. Well, it surely comes as no surprise to those familiar that they absolutely stole the show. Hailing from Concord, North Carolina, the Avett Brothers’ folksy and eclectic sound is intoxicating and induces one to dance, no matter how hard it’s raining. Forget about their play for a quick second – which was excellent; their energy was second-to-none and a tonic to the rain-soaked crowds. The entire set featured Scott and Seth Avett bounding across the stage, hopping on and jumping off pianos, and shredding delicately guitar solos in the front row of the audience. Bob Crawford plucked an understated bass, and honestly, I do not know how anyone can play cello effectively while moving as frenetically as Joe Kwon. My apologies must go out to Mike Marsh. Although an essential part of any group, it is the plight of the drummer to be overlooked or dismissed until his untimely, premature death from drugs or alcohol (re. This is Spinal Tap). I mean, check out this new album the Avett Brothers "put out" here. The front cover of The Avett Brothers Sing Heavy Metal doesn’t even feature Marsh. Perhaps Marsh died recently in a stick-twirling attempt gone horrifyingly wrong, and this is how the remaining four are coping? Does anyone know? Only God knows. Or Satan, whomever you prefer.

Speaking of the macabre and undead, the final act of the evening was Vampire Weekend. This is yet another band that I ignored when they first arrived on the scene several years ago. I now can recognize a handful of songs and like nodding my head and tapping my feet when I hear their cheery tunes. I wouldn’t say that they were exceptional live, but I think that was largely due to the inevitable return to Earth from the highs we reached during the Avett Brothers’ act, as well as the sobering rain, which had begun to fall even harder. I enjoyed very much “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” “Mansard Roof,” “Diane Young,” and “A-Punk,” but it still wasn’t enough to keep us warm and present as we left in the middle of the set, unfortunately well before anyone gave a fuck about “Oxford Comma.” 

Oh, and Robin Thicke was there. *Fart noise*   

Fall Music Preview 2013

Some of my picks for the most anticipated albums coming out this Fall

Already in Stores

Arctic Monkeys - AM (9/10) - Fifth studio album for British indie rockers. Some critics calling it their best record to date. I might not go that far but I already have added tracks "Do I Wanna Know," No. 1 Party Anthem," "Mad Sounds," and "Knee Socks" to my Fall playlist.

2 Chainz - B.O.A.T.S II: Me Time (9/9) - If you don't like the first track "Fork" then don't bother listening.

Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady (9/10) - A complete album. Her sophomore LP is a distinct mix of pop soul funk electro dance rolled into beautiful vocals and production.

Avicii - True (9/13) - Expect to hear this on loop at any Dickinson College party. 2nd single "You Make Me" is one of my favorites.

Coming Soon

Jack Johnson - From Here to Now to You (9/17) - Yes I still like Jack Johnson. Yes I am very excited for his sixth studio album

Islands - Ski Mask (9/17) - Hear the new album streaming here: http://pitchfork.com/advance/221-ski-mask/

MGMT - MGMT (9/17) - Some would call their second album Congratulations a disappointment. Definitely an acquired taste, their third album promises plenty of weird.

The Naked and Famous - In Rolling Waves (9/17) - I remember hearing "Young Blood" off their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You thinking it was a Passion pit song. Yeah I am not really qualified to be writing this post.

Drake - Nothing Was the Same (9/24) - Drake's third studio album. First single "Started from the Bottom" is already played out but album should deliver as its predecessor Take Care did.

Haim - Days are Gone (9/27) - These three sisters from LA have already made a name for themselves through performances at various music festivals this Summer. Their debut album should launch them into the mainstream.

Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2 (9/27) - 1 of 2 was the biggest album of the year so far. Don't expect a repeat but with JT anything is possible.

Miley Cyrus - Bangerz (10/4) - I feel obligated to put this on the list because of the title Bangerz. Also "We Can't Stop" is kinda good. Ok it isn't good but I like it.

Cage the Elephant - Melophobia (10/8) - One of the more underrated bands out there. After their eponymous debut album received a lot of airplay, no one seemed to pay attention to their second album Thank You, Happy Birthday. I have high hopes about number 3.

Roman Candle - Debris (Fall 2013) - Only a handful of people may be as excited as I am for Roman Candle's third album. Do yourself a favor and listen to their debut album The Wee Hours Revue

The Avett Brothers - Magpie and the Dandelion (10/15) - Fans may be feeling spoiled. Just a year after releasing The Carpenter, the next Avett album should be more of the same, which is a good thing.

Katy Perry - Prism (10/18) - Teenage Dream was the second album in history to have five number 1 singles on the Billboard Top 100. You have set the bar high Katy

Arcade Fire - Reflektor (10/28) - Then kings of Indie Rock and maybe the most anticipated album of the Fall. Their third album The Suburbs went on to win all kinds of awards at the Grammy's in 2011. 

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (11/5) - I may not be a fan of Eminem's new stuff but I feel obligated to listen to the sequel of what was his best album. (I know some will argue that Eminem Show is his best but for those that heard Marshal Mathers LP before Eminem Show there is no question).

Lady Gaga - Artpop (11/11) - Gotta love Gaga.

I apologize if some of the dates are slightly off. With the internet the way it is, I am sure all these albums are already online somewhere anyway.

Obviously there are other albums from big names that I didn't include. Some guy named Paul McCartney has an album out this fall. Pearl Jam, Of Montreal, Icona Pop, MIA, Kings of Leon, Panic!. Rick Ross etc. Shit even Kelly Clarkson is releasing a Christmas Album. It won't hold up to Christmas with Weezer but what does.