Rilo Kiley at Kilby Court
M. Ward opened for Rilo Kiley. We actually had a baby sitter, so it was the first show Adrienne and I both went to in a long time.
I came to see Rilo Kiley but ended up transfixed by M. ward. A smallish 20-something with a baseball cap pulled low, he played the guitar like he had sold his soul, and he sang like he was channeling a chain-smoking Louis Armstrong. He is a one-man musical time-machine. I bought his album, Transfiguration of Vincent, and have just been looping it over and over and over.
It wasn’t that long ago that I saw Rilo Kiley at Kilby and there were only about 20 of us there, and it was probably the best show I have ever been to. This time the place was packed and the set list wasn’t exactly what I would have chosen, but it was still a great show. I have to say though, the couple of songs they played with M. Ward were actually some of my favorites of the night.
The only real negative to the show–I managed to stand directly in front of a speaker hanging from the ceiling. Being 6’6“, the sound actually went directly through my head, was amplified by my skull, and then went out to the rest of the crowd.
Did I tell you I sometimes hum broadway show songs.I may send you a picture of me humming (late at night, in the fog) cool.
6 foot 6?! Holy! Once I move into my orem-land apartment, I will stand on my porch and see if I can see you. I’m sure you will not be hard to miss, lourding over all that you see as you lumber down the road.
Old Prof–I am afriad there is nothing you can do to make yourself look cool humming show tunes, fog or not.
Jory–I am sure you will see me from the porch. If not, you will hear my stomping and bellowing. You will have to tell me your address, I am on the border of Lindon, so we may not be very close neighbors.
“tunes”, the best word was “tunes”, not songs. When you get old you just go with whatever word manages to get through. sometimes the difference between a word and the right word is like the difference between lightening and a lightening bug. you can quote me. I do. (with apologies to Twain)
The border of Lindon, eh? Is that where the beanstalk took root? (that was the last of my giant jokes) I’m just a block south of the Einstein’s Bagels right across from University Mall — so prolly just out of range of your grinding-bones-for-bread tendencies (I lied about the giant jokes. I have SO many more).
thanks for the music tip. i just downloaded the songs on m.ward’s label’s website and they sound great. and uh, please don’t stand in front of me at shows. but it would be cool if you put me on your shoulders! uh, sorry.
I know, I know…
It is a moral dilema for me. Does being 6’6″ mean I am not allowed to stand by the stage? I try to be courteous about it and stand off to the side. I know I block the view of people behind me, but I like to be by the stage.
At movies I slide way down in my seat and usually end up with back spasms by the time the film is over, but at concerts, what do I do? Stand by the back wall for the rest of my life? So, I stand up front and to the side as much as I can, and I take some solace in the fact that people shorter than me probably don’t have feelings. I mean, where would they put them?
rilo kiley better than cheap vodka diet coke tommy burgers sunday school clean ears palm pilots air mail envelopes phone calls at three am white cotton panties freckles slow kisses bukowski on road trips thai vegas and damnitalltohell go ahead call it a crush
That reminds me, Duane “SixtyCycleHum” Call, took the middle photo of jenny. I was frustrated because i was too far to the side of the stage (If I could just get past that whole, “be nice to short people” thing), and blocked by a speaker that was liquifying my brain. So I handed my camera over a couple of people to duane. Who took this photo and handed it back.
Well done duane-though I am pretty sure it was the way I set up my camera that made the picture so good ;)
I know that being 6’4″ (6’5″ with shoes on) makes me a lousy giant. However I enjoy the inconvenience my superior height (and more recently girth also) causes my fellow car passengers, moviegoers, and Super Target shoppers. As I have explained in prior posts, all social interactions are just thinly veiled athletic contests, and being tall is the chief advantage. In fact being a giant is such an advantage that you can get high-paying-low-accountability jobs with little or no experience. (My resume is a living testament) However sometimes in society, just as in athletics a competitor with an overpowering advantage is often reluctant to fully utilize it to dominate their peers (piers?). Imagine if Shaq was embarrassed to dunk the basketball? I am not ashamed to come into a movie theater late, and sit down and hear the audible groans “Oh no, not the tall guy!” In fact if you know me I naturally slouch, but find that sitting up straight in packed movie theaters is the more comfortable (satisfying?) experience. Josh, I know you have tall friends, – a brother in fact, that share your gift. You just need to go to concerts together for solidarity. Two tall guys stick out much less than just one. If people hassle you, simply remind them that you can only be who you are – no more – no less. But remember to be magnanimous, because everybody really wants to be tall after all. Also, your long torso would look mighty funny with short legs and arms.
Speaking of giants, I saw one, a real one. He was aroung 8-5 or so and weighed over 500 lbs. I saw him while sitting at a Cinnabon in The Mall of America in Minnesota. He looked as if he was 15 years old. Milk almost came out of my nose when I saw him, partially because I saw him and partailly because the milk Cinnabon gives you is rather warm and causes a gag reflex. But back to the giant, he wasn’t an attraction of the mall, although he could probably earn a lot doing so, he was just shopping. The amazing part of it is watching the wave of heads turn as the giant walked through the mall. I felt kind of bad for him that everyone was starring at him but he seemed to be alright with it. I got up and discreetly walked by him and noticed that I only came up barely past his waist (I am 6-1). He is the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life, and I went to high school with Vanilla Ice.
Those are strong strong words Rob, I hope you really mean them.
ouch! you hurt my…aw who am i kidding. you are right, i feel nothing. once i told my tall friend about an essay that said taller people use a lot more resources than shorter people. more food, more material for clothes. it’s like you guys are the SUV’s of people. he said the story hurt his..what did you call it? oh yeah, “feelings”. once i was at a wilco show and this huge guy was standing in front of me. it turned out to be a former neighbor of mine and he graciously stood behind me, and i enjoyed the show but…i felt like a little girl. anyway i just wanted to say that despite my joking about it, some of my best friends are really tall…
Andrew,
I am glad you wrote that. I was about to organize a group of my extremely tall friends to teach you some respect.
I have to say I was extremely socially responsible in marrying Adrienne, who is 5’3”. I could have married a 6 foot girl and bred a race giants that would lurch through shopping malls consuming everything in their path.
At 6 and one firm half an inch, I, like the many giants on this board, constantly bash my head on the tops of doorways, tilt my head as I sit in the non-SUV’s, obstreperously devour all of everyone’s leftover food at the restaurant, cut into any conversation with useless information if the participants are shorter, and casually look at the cashier like, “what do you think you’re doing?” when she tries to charge me full price. Everyone who says that they don’t want to be as tall as us are lying; aside from ruling all sports, I rule life in general. I have a younger brother who is atleast 7′ and he married a 6 footer and I’m thinking “yeah, not long now…let the not-so-tall flee” I find it cosmically ironic that the blatantly taller are emotionally superior. I always sort of knew it but I felt awkward about saying it until now.
My good friend growing up was about 6’4 and we loped around together and he was casually use to looking down at everyone. Eventually I sought out this 6’8 dude, and he came around and my usually surly 6’4 friend turned into this sheepish little muffin. Are there any other giants out there that find themselves awkwardly groping for the advantage they usually have?
Oh, shut up, all of you! I am female and stand at six feet… wait. All of you, move into my neighborhood. Short men are abundant. Maybe we could swap out. I’m cute. I promise. Suddenly Josh has not only become much larger than life, but has been subjected to his comments being used as a dating service. I am totally kidding with all of this.
Now there is an idea!
I have been trying to think of ways to monetize amishrobot.com
I hadn’t considered a dating service!
Yes, a dating service for super tall amish men, who build robots out of wood. The flyer could look like this. http://alibi.com/alibi/2003-01-16/arts_section.html
It’s about halfway down the page, the article on Idiot magazine.
p.s. 6’1″ is not tall. Dave, you are barred from empathizing with us.
Amishrobot has been around for over 2 years now (I didn’t post some of the earliest stuff when I converted to Moveable type). When did that Giant Amish Robot article come out?
I am going to sue the hell out of them!
I thought you knew . . . I’d saw this article a long time ago. I wondered if it was your inspiration, turns out you were theirs! Just remember me when you are awarded millions for AR, and the time lapse stuff . . .
p.s. Martin, you aren’t that tall either through the eyes of an 8’5 man. And I’m considered a giant to an Ewok. Let’s get some perspective here. And by the way, It’s impossible to bar me from emphasizing…do you know what emphasize means?
Empathize vs. Emphasize They are not synonyms. But you are correct, I cannot stop you from emphasizing.
My mistake, those two words are way too similar. We need to figure out another way to say this “empathize” word so we don’t confuse people. Thank goodness I was right about the emphasize thing, if there’s one thing I love to do it’s to go around emphasizing all the time.
Yes, yes, but what about the dating service? Oh, you know I had to make it an even twenty-five comments.
After reading “empathize” in the dictionary, I’m troubled by the attempt to barr me from your beautiful world of tallness. I feel like there is a way for all of you to let me in. Maybe I can be like the annoying younger brother your parents make you take along or something? You know, I hide safely while you all fight the rival gang proud to be a part of it. In a verbal gang confrontation I’m the spirit of our gang because I’m not that tall, I’m louder and outspoken when physically safe. I believe this is called “short man’s disease” and my role is “the token short guy”. While you all stand there being cool and tall and comfortable, I perpetually struggle in my knowledge that I’m nowhere near as tall, but I more than make up for it in brashful spirit. Will this do? Will you take me now? (Please say that it will do because I feel that this is demeaning enough.)
The final decision lies with the tallest member of the gang. i.e. Josh. He also manages this site and is the almighty arbitrator of all things great and small . . . .