| Junichi's profileAll-AccessPhotosBlogLists |  Tools  Help |
DCX Collaborator Dan Wilson Releases "Free Life"Not Closing Time At a dinner on the eve of this year's Grammy Awards, I had the privilege of sitting next to musician and songwriter Dan Wilson, the co-writer of "Not Ready to Make Nice." The Chicks worked with Dan to write six songs on Taking The Long Way, including the track that I consider to be an anthemic masterpiece, "The Long Way Around." For those who have seen Shut Up and Sing, Dan is the bespectacled one with the great line about writing a song about unity. From head to toe, Dan turned out to be an incredibly honest, nice guy -- and not just for a famous musician who got stuck sitting next to a nobody instead of, say, John Mayer. Among other things, he was forthcoming about being nervous about the next day's awards. (While he didn't look fidgety then, I could tell that he was full of fidgets when he gave the thank-you speech after winning the prestigious Grammy Award for Song of the Year.) At the dinner, Dan and I had a conversation, among other things, about what it means for a musician to be popular. I wondered how he -- a lead singer in alternative band Semisonic -- felt about working with a band that had achieved so much mainstream success. His reply was incredibly thoughtful. Unfortunately, I didn't write down what he said. And then I forgot what he said. And then I kicked myself for forgetting. And then I put a Band-Aid on the various generative glands that I kicked. So you can imagine my joy when I saw the following on my cup of venti soy no-whip extra-crack white mocha last week: I've never bought the "lowest common denominator" image of popular art. Too many artists worry that popularity is the same as being "middle of the road." I'm much more into the idea that the middle is the highest point. On a map, the center of a mountain is its peak. You need to climb very high to get there. How about that? Is it possible that God has been trying to communicate with me through Starbucks cups, but I've been too strung out on caffeine to notice other messages? Needless to say, I will be listening carefully to Dan Wilson's new solo CD, Free Life, that was released yesterday. During today's rehearsals, the Dixie Chicks asked if I would tell people about Dan's album, which they are very excited about. Heck, after hearing a few tracks, I couldn't wait to do so. In fact, I'm hoping Dan makes it to the center of a mountain. Among other treats, you can hear Dan's excellent version of "Easy Silence." Plus, the record was executive produced by uber-guru Rick Rubin, so how can it be nothing but loaded with awesomeness? You can hear some Dan Wilson tunes and learn more on his MySpace page: www.myspace.com/danwilsonmusic And if you ever get the privilege of having dinner next to Dan Wilson, bring a pen and paper! Back in the SaddlePulled Strings Ladies and Gentlemen, the Chicks landed in the City of Angels. They are currently rehearsing for their first live performance since landing their Grammy Award trifecta. I'll be behind the scenes for the next two weeks, providing exclusive coverage, sparing no details on acne removal, inane bets, or Natalie's latest arsenal of jokes. Oh, and yes, I am back. (Unfortunately, I am nearly deaf since my ears, for some strange reason, have been burning.) If you're going to the Eagles/DCX Nokia shows, I hope to see you there. I can't promise, however, that I'll look like a million bucks. Rock and roll! Dixie Chicks and Eagles Tix Now On Sale! Not a bad seat, eh? For those who didn't read the announcement posted on MSN last week, the Dixie Chicks and the Eagles are preparing to take the stage in October to open the 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to be in a venue where there won't be a bad seat in the house, since no seat is further than 210 feet from the stage. Tickets go on sale today, Monday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster and will go on sale Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. PT at Los Angeles' Staples Center and Universal CityWalk's Team LA. For those hoping to be there, good luck getting tickets! Update: Oct. 18 and 20 sold out, but they ADDED MORE SHOWS on Oct. 21 and Oct. 24. So keep trying! Update 2: They added yet another two shows on Oct. 26 and 27. The Chicks inform me that there will be NO additional shows. Natalie Keeps On Acting
Natalie wears the most expensive noose ever made. For those who have fantasized about Natalie Maines in a nurse outfit, handcuffing you to your bed, you're one step closer to your dream. Natalie has been cast as a prison nurse in the forthcoming independent film Stealing Cars. Director Michael Skolnik, who helmed Lockdown, USA, will be the one in the unusual position of telling Natalie what to do. During the last tour, Natalie was reading multiple scripts during downtime, so it's great to see that she's found a film she supports. Natalie is not new to acting. In the indie film Grand Champion, she played a Texas woman with big hair and blue eye shadow. On King of the Hill, she voiced a narcissistic woman who tries to seduce her cousin. Ok, fine, maybe those "acting" roles didn't call for much of a stretch. (Rimshot!) In all seriousness, I have every confidence that Natalie's acting skills are sharp. During the last tour, I remember many nights when she said things like -- "It's good to be in Winnipeg!" -- when I'm pretty sure she didn't think it was actually good to be in Winnipeg. Waiting (Even Longer) in SuspenseAfter leading the sisters onto a service elevator, Natalie can't remember which floor to get off on. Sorry folks, but today's announcement has been postponed. But I promise that there's one coming this summer! Be sure to check back regularly. Martie Maguire’s Cure for Facial BlemishesMartie macks the knife One of my favorite things about Martie is her idiosyncratic relationship with food, germs, and foreign particles. She is not a clean freak. Regular readers of the blog will recall that when she was in college, she once went a whole semester without washing her sheets. She claims that once they got past the "stinky stage," the sheets smelled like maple syrup. She even managed to convince two friends to confirm this absurd fact. But Martie definitely has a phobia of germs. During the tour, she once walked into the dressing room with a most horrified facial expression. One might think she had witnessed someone being tortured to death. But what happened? Apparently, Martie has just walked up to Henry, Emily’s son, to hug him, and he sneezed all over her. She got slimed. To make matters worse, Henry started licking up the mess. As you may recall, Martie also has a knack for finding strange things in her food. Years ago, she took a bite of her salad and discovered a live dragonfly fluttering its wings and wiggling around in her mouth. She also once found a bloody Band-Aid in her burger and, at a different place, discovered a giant wad of hair in her curly fries. Is Martie unlucky? Not in my opinion. She just finds the foreign objects that most of us ignore or overlook. Thus, you should not be surprised to learn that Martie – while already late to an event – once insisted on pausing for a few minutes to eliminate a cyclopean zit on my cratered, adorkable face. She is a complex woman. At the same time that she is disgusted with the pustule growing on my lower cheek, she is the only one who insists on dealing with it. Here is a blow-by-blow and step-by-step guide on how Martie removes facial acne: Step 1: Grab a Kleenex and pinch the surrounding area. Step 2: Push really hard around the surface until the subject squeals like a baby pig. Step 3: Pull really hard until all the good stuff oozes out. Step 4: Show off the decapitated pimple. * Before I met the Dixie Chicks, I
was asked to predict what would be the strangest thing that would happen on
this job.
In a million years, I never could have predicted that the correct answer would involve Martie popping my zit. Natalie's WingmanPlaying with the Boys Here's a great piece of trivia that I learned recently: Adrian Pasdar, husband of Natalie Maines and star of NBC's Heroes, made his debut on the silver screen with a small role in the movie Top Gun. That's Adrian, in the photo above, slouched behind Goose and Maverick. Adrian's character's name in Top Gun? Chipper. Which doesn't exactly describe how he looks in the photo above. All this time, I had no idea how few degrees separated me from the best beach volleyball scene in cinematic history. I wonder if he's ever told Natalie that her ego is writing checks that her body can't cash. A Diss From A RosePhoto of Fred Eltringham by Michelle Branch
Apparently, there are still a few who aren’t ready to make nice with the Dixie Chicks. Fred Eltringham, the drummer for the Wallflowers and the not-so-little drummer boy on the Chicks’ Accidents and Accusations Tour, is now touring with the Wreckers. Just when I was coming out of the fetal position from missing the good ol’ days when I would bring Fred a beer -- a fourth beer, really -- on stage, he wrote me an email from the road. After inquiring whether Natalie had yet to expose her private parts in Star while partying with K-Fed, he attached an interesting photo of him from backstage at the Grizzly Rose in Denver, Colorado. This picture above – taken by singer and expert photographer Michelle Branch – is of Grizzly Fred standing next to a sign posted backstage at the Grizzly Rose, where the Wreckers were performing that night. As you can see, the sign says, “As per management there will be NO Dixie Chicks performed in the Grizzly Rose! Thank you!” I assumed it was a joke played on him by his tourmates. But he assures me that it was an actual no-joke, not-meant-to-be-funny-or-ironic sign posted by Grizzly Rose management. How did they respond to the sign? That night, in addition to taking the photo and giving me permission to post it here, Fred and the rebellious Wreckers performed “Top of the World” in Denver, in honor of the Chicks. (Technically, “Top of the World” is a Patty Griffin song, but who am I to nitpick?) Props! Speaking of Fred photos, he also informed me that three of my pictures of him -- one of which is below -- ended up in the February 2007 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, which spotlighted him in an article titled: “HOT COUNTRY: The Drummers of Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and the Dixie Chicks.” I gave permission for the mag to use my photos in exchange for photo credit. But apparently, I didn’t get any photo credit in the magazine. Percussionist bastards! (Hey Modern Drummer: note how I gave credit to Michelle Branch for the picture above.) I thought about suing, but instead, I decided to post a sign in my house that states: “As per management, there will be NO Modern Drummer read in this living room! Thank you!” CENSO(RED)Natalie sent word of the fact that Slade, Beckett, and she will be appearing in Gap's latest RED campaign, which partially benefits the Global Fund to help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The ad -- which has been cropped above -- will debut in Vanity Fair's new "Africa" issue. Considering that some of those RED shirts say ADO(RED) or INSPI(RED), I'm disappointed that Gap didn't create a shirt for Natalie to wear that says: CENSO(RED) On the positive side, I'm thrilled to hear that somebody in marketing has a sense of humor. As you may know, the latest Vanity Fair has 20 covers with 20 different people. My spies tell me that the versions with President Bush on the cover (see below) all have the ad with Natalie in the next spread. But other versions, without President Bush on the cover, feature other Gap RED ads. What Famous People Do The Dixie Chicks Resemble?
Did you think of an answer to the above question?
If so, here's what you need to know. I discovered a website called My Heritage that is used, among other things, to document genealogy through its face recognition technology.
But the most amusing part of the site is the “Find the Celebrity in You™!” function where you can upload a photo and its software will recognize the faces and then tell you which celebrity most closely resembles the people in the photo.
Naturally, I tested this out by uploading a photo of the Dixie Chicks. Sadly (for the Dixie Chicks), My Heritage did not recognize Emily Robison as Emily Robison, Natalie as Natalie, or Martie as Martie. (After rigorous experimenting, I eventually figured out that they’re not in the databank of celebrities.)
So which celebrities did the trio most closely resemble?
According to My Heritage, Martie looks like Laguna Beach’s Kristin Cavallari, Emily is allegedly a double for actress Amanda Peet, and Natalie resembles “actress” Tara Reid.
But none of that matters.
All that matters is that I’ve been depressed for months because My Heritage thinks that my face approximates that of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. (Sadly, the screen capture above has not been altered or Photoshopped.)
The Chicks had a good laugh at these results ... mostly at my expense. Emily Answers the Question, "What's Next?"Emily tries to block out the fact that none of the picture frames match. At last, I have updates! There is a new article up on the main DCX page -- it's my lengthy interview of Emily, discussing the future of the Dixie Chicks, her reflections on touring, and other random curiosities. You can find out why she hates grocery shopping, how she feels about reacting to Natalie's on-stage banter, what song she missed on the last tour's set list, and what she recently found out about Natalie's voice in "Fly" and "Wide Open Spaces." As an added bonus, you can see a picture of Emily and Dave Grissom posing with a bottle of lube. Leave your comments below! What's All This Talk About Love?Where is My Humps? In a brilliant stunt to get people to visit her website, Senator Clinton is letting the people choose her official campaign song. As you can see from the choices above, DCX's "Ready to Run" is one of nine possibilities. It's a comforting sign of the times that a mainstream presidential candidate like Hillary Clinton feels comfortable potentially associating herself with the Dixie Chicks. That said, "Ready to Run" -- I'm sorry to say -- makes no sense as a theme song. C'mon, fans, you know it's true. The song is about a woman who isn't ready for commitment! If Hillary were to announce that she is leaving Bill due to his extramarital mattress dancing, on the other hand, the song would be more apropos. In my opinion, "I Hope" would have been a better choice. And if I'm just choosing based on Dixie Chicks song titles, I like the idea of Hillary ominously threating the country with "If I Fall, You're Going Down With Me." I'm voting for Jesus Jones. You? A New Bass Player! Yahtzee!Not Ready To Roll Dice There are two new articles up on the main page: 1. God Delivers A House: The Chicks Face A Crisis On Tour, Pt. II and 2. Life on the Bus: Tales from the Road to Accidents and Accusations In the first article, you can find out whether God is a Dixie Chicks fan. In the second, you can learn what happened when Natalie invited me on her bus for a Yahtzee duel. In response to some of the comments I've already received, I feel obligated to point out that some people are getting the wrong impression that Ms. Maines was a poor loser of a diva who was throwing an angry fit. Apparently, I over-dramatized things when writing about the experience. In reality, we were all having a good time and everyone was in good spirits. Natalie was being her usual fun-but-fiercely-competitive self and I, of course, was quite content to challenge stereotypes that all Japanese people are good at math. That said, the part about me getting in hot water for violating bus rules is not remotely over-exaggerated. Below, you can find my scans of the score sheets from the game: And here below is Natalie's re-calculation of my score using the traditional rules of addition: By the way, if you want to check out pictures of the inside of Emily's, Martie's, and Natalie's bus, you can do so by clicking the designer's website here. (I was never allowed to snap photos on the bus.) Martie's is the black and white one, Natalie's is the green and white one, and Emily's is the purple lounge. Please leave your comments below! It's A Gamble and I'll Take The RiskEmily's chips are a long time gone. I'm happy to announce that there's a new article up on the main page: Leaving Las Vegas. This is the first in a two-part tale about the biggest crisis to hit the Accidents and Accusations Tour. It is the true story of how the Dixie Chicks, after
blackjack on a Saturday Night, were leaving Las Vegas, only to find that the bass player was leaving for good. Leave your comments below! Oh Canada Loves The Chicks, Eh?Canadians chicks approve of the Dixie Chicks more than they do proper spelling. Some Canadian DCX fans are very upset at me because I have failed (until now) to report the fact that the Dixie Chicks recently won a Juno Award for International Album of the Year. Judging by some of the comments and angry letters, I feel like I canceled hockey season or something. I certainly don't want to be visited in the middle of night by a bunch of guys named Gordon wearing flannel and riding moose. Hopefully, my wonderful neighbors to the north will forgive me for any slight. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Juno Awards may be referred to as Canada's version of the Grammy Awards, but I prefer to think of the Grammy as America's Juno. Next year, if the Chicks win a Juno again, I promise not be oot and aboot. Taking The Free WayHow many times do I have to crash into the car in front of me while being amazed by this sign? This is not the first time I've seen this message in print. But it's the first time that I've seen it so huge and facing traffic on a major bay area freeway. Hat tip: Freeway Blogger Brave New GirlsNatalie speaks at the UCLA Center for Dyslexia I'm happy to report that there's a new article here. Find out what blond celebrity talked to Natalie while wearing a creamy silky nightgown. Leave your comments below. What Should The Dixie Chicks Do Next?Now that their leg crossings are in sync, the Chicks ponder how to unify their hand positions. A. Tour B. Write new songs in preparation for a new album C. Make more music videos for Taking The Long Way D. Provide a commentary track for a future expanded edition of the Shut Up and Sing DVD E. Do more press F. Use their free time to speak up on behalf of important social and political causes G. Relax, until fully recharged H. Learn new dance moves for the next round of YouTube video mashups You can only choose one. Discuss. All The News That's Fit To PrintBack in the Blonde Era Ever since the Grammys, there's so much DCX-related news and coverage that it's hard to keep track. With thanks to the readers who've sent me stuff, here are a few notable links:
What did Jay Lewis of Hawaii submit as the winning caption? Answer: "I wonder if he knows I'm thinking about that Dixie Chicks song..." Music and Passion Were Always The FashionDuring the tour stop in Las Vegas, I wore this red jacket that had the unfortunate effect of making me look like a waiter at a Chinese restaurant. Natalie insisted, however, that I looked like Barry Manilow. When the Chicks walked down the corridors of the MGM Grand after the show, Natalie spotted this photo of Barry. She insisted we stop, grabbed my camera, made me pose like Mr. Manilow, and told me to put this pic up on the blog. Alas, what happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. |
|
|
