Hendrix

As Axis: Bold as Love spins in the Cove 2.0, I think back to my formative years as a Jimi Hendrix disciple. I remember hanging the posters on my bedroom walls, listening to Electric Ladyland on vinyl as I pored over liner notes and raking the neighbor's yard cranking his Smash Hits through my boom box. Putting aside his well-deserved mantle as the greatest rock guitarist that ever lived, Hendrix brought this mixture of mysticism, sexuality and bad-assery that made him seem more like a Greek myth than an actual human being. He was like rock's version of a superhero: mysterious and powerful, possessing abilities never before seen. He wore costumes, had a murky past and probably even saved a few lives.

And, apparently, his Kryptonite was in sleeping pill form.

Even though he's known more for harnessing fury in a re-strung Fender, I think his greatest recorded achievement is Little Wing. It's just a beautiful song, plain and simple. It's also one of those songs that leave you wanting more... like you wish there was just one more verse before it fades out. The only other song that comes to mind that is like that is The Smiths' Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want (the title is only slightly shorter than the song).

I think the Cove 2.0 should invest in a Hendrix poster. It would give us instant cred.

The Cove is Back!!!

441 long days ago we had to move out of the office that was Southpaw Cove.

Today...it's back.

The office is in a different location but it's the same CD rack, same printer, same monitor and same awesomeness.

Favorite Three-Letter Words

din
ply
vie
mar
lay
bog
sop
ale
cog
yes

My Biggest Regret

OK it's not my biggest regret, but one of the biggest regrets I have in my life thus far is that I didn't live in New York City for any period of time. Living on Long Island my entire life I've been there hundreds of times but I generally keep to Madison Square Garden, my 5 or so favorite city bars and concert venues. I don't think I've ever actually gone in just with the agenda to explore and just get to know it. So I'm considering it a New Year's Resolution to make a few extra trips to the city this year with absolutely no agenda other than walking around and checking stuff out.

My Morning Jacket - Madison Square Garden - New York City - 12/31/08

New Year's Eve is usually the most overrated holiday of the year. People stress out about trying to do something "extra special" but the payoff is rarely worth it. I finally had one that lived up to the hype.

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I've liked this band for a few years, but 2008 became the year I became borderline infatuated with them. My fiance can attest to me probably making more "Devil's Three-Way" jokes (involving me, her and Jim James) than is comfortable.

I'm not going to spend a ton of time on the concert itself because I'm almost positive that these guys are incapable of putting on a bad show and since it'll probably read alot like the one from September, so I'll just mention a few highlights:

-HORN SECTION!!!

-I'm not a huge covers guy but the Marvin Gaye song with Nicole Atkins was really good.

-I feel very fortunate that I've seen MMJ twice and both times I got Phone West West and Cobra. The first time I saw them they played Cobra and I honestly had never heard it before. I was more prepared this time around and it is a great song to hear live.

-Get Down On It cover. It's my 2nd favorite disco song so I got a kick out of hearing it covered.

-The countdown, confetti and balloons. It just looked cool.

-You'd be hard pressed to find a better closer than One Big Holiday.

Biggest regret of the night was not picking up a concert poster. Limited production and now going for a few hundred on eBay. That's not even mentioning that it's just a sweet poster.

Setlist (from the MMJ Website)

1. Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield)

2. Evil Urges

3. Off The Record

4. Gideon

5. The Way That He Sings

6. Thank You Too!

7. I'm Amazed

8. Golden

9. Librarian

10. You're All I Need (Marvin Gaye)

11. Express Yourself (Charles Wright)

12. What A Wonderful Man

13. Lay Low

14. Phone Went West

15. Look At You

16. Dondante

17. Smoking From Shootin

18. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.2

19. Run Thru

20. The Wanderer (Dion)

21. Dancefloors

22. Magheetah

New Years!!!

23. Celebration (Kool & The Gang)

24. Get Down On It (Kool & The Gang)

25. Wordless Chorus

26. Highly Suspicious

27. Cobra

28. Islands In The Stream (Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers)

29. Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke)

30. Cold Sweat (James Brown)

31. Anytime
32. One Big Holiday
33. Auld Lang Syne

Special Guests:

NYE Horns (2, 3, 11, 12, 20, 21, 23, 24, 28 , 29, 30)

Will Johnson (8)

Nicole Atkins (10, 28)

BEST...NEW YEARS...EVER

Just got home from the My Morning Jacket at the Garden. Awesome setlist which will be coming soon along with some more detail about my experience.

I always fancied New Years as a "couples holiday" so kudos to my fiance who gave me this one. To see what is most likely my favorite live band, on New Years and in the Worlds Most Famous Arena was as good as it's ever been on a December 31st.

Happy New Year