Paul Westerberg talks about death
By Jodi | Filed under Books, PW News | Comments (1)
Late last night I got an e-mail from Graeme Thomson author of I Shot a Man in Reno: A History of Death by Murder, Suicide, Fire, Flood, Drugs, Disease, and General Misadventure, As Related in Popular Song. He told me about about an interview he did with Our Man Paul. Thompson has a short excerpt from the interview on his site. It’s hard resisting the urge to clip out the best lines and paste them here for you. But I am not gonna do that. You can click the link and go read it for yourself.
It is really, quite fascinating. Paul talks a bit about death and discussing it with his son Johnny. It’s only a few short paragraphs, but might just be one of my favorite interviews of recent note. Why? Because it’s not about reunions and legends and blah, blah, blah, but something different.
Want more? You should take a look at Thomson’s Largehearted Boy Book Notes essay.
Tags: Books, Graeme Thomson, Interviews, paul westerberg
Chris Mars book signing September 13 in Culver City, California
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (8)
Okay, I don’t do this often, because it’s just not my bag. But I got a press release earlier this week that caught my eye. Mostly because it was about Chris Mars’ new art book Tolerance: The Art of Chris Mars. But more than that it’s because Mars is going to have a book signing/reception on September 13 at Billy Shire Fine Arts in Culver City California.
I think the thing that surprised me the most about this press release is that it was actually interesting. Press Releases are notoriously hokey and poorly written and, well, crap. But this one was good! So I will share with you some of the bits I found interesting, and then give you a link where you can read the whole thing, because I am kind.
Rock star, recluse, brother, activist. Artist. Chris Mars’ work graces the hallowed halls of museums throughout America and is tattooed on calves and biceps throughout the world. “Tolerance” is the long-awaited collection of his work.
Chris Mars was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1961 to parents Constance and Leroy Mars. He is the youngest of seven children. Mars’s eldest brother Joe suffered a so-called Nervous Breakdown in 1966 and was institutionalized at St. Cloud Mental Hospital. The impact of that event, along with Joe’s life-long struggle with Schizophrenia, set the groundwork for a life’s mission of championing society’s downtrodden and outcast. Mars hopes his work causes the viewer to question the nature of evaluation and labels, be it by investigating the meaning of beauty or by casting aside the exclusion of the meek, the forgotten, or the enemy.
Sure, sure you all probably knew that because you’re ‘Mats savants, but I am not. I also liked this part:
Chris Mars was once best known as a musician, being a founder member of seminal indie/punk band The Replacements and subsequently recording four critically acclaimed – and progressively more experimental — solo discs. His drumsticks are enshrined in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (emphasis mine, I didn’t know this. you guys don’t tell me anything!
His paintings are enshrined in the permanent collection of various museums throughout the country including The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The Erie Art Museum, The Longview Museum of Fine Art, The Tweed Art Museum and The Minnesota History Center. His museum exhibition history also includes The American Visionary Art Museum, The Weisman Museum of Art, Steensland Art Museum, Art Center South Florida and soon The Phipps Center for the Arts.
Anyway, y’all can read the whole thing here. And if you’re in or around Culver City, CA you should go to the signing and then report back about how fabulous it was.
Tags: Books, Chris Mars, Tolerance
The Paul Westerberg Bookclub – The Night of the Gun
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (11)
I like to pretend that y’all love books as much as I do and that when I suggest ‘mats-esque books you kind of dig that, even if you don’t read them. Please do not disabuse me of this delusion, okay?
Anyway, I am here to tell you about David Carr’s memoir The Night of the Gun. Some of you might remember Carr from his NY Times piece about The ‘Mats a few years back. Some of you local old-timers might remember him from his stint at the now-defunct Twin Cities Reader. A lot of you probably have no idea who the fuck I’m talking about.
You should read this book anyway. It’s a thrilling, fascinating, can’t-lookaway-like-a-trainwreck book. See, before becoming Mr. Successful NY Times Writer, Carr was a skeevy crackhead trolling the streets of the Twin Cities. We’re talking dirtbag of epic proportions — a woman-beating, child neglecting, drug dealing, kind of dirtbag. Reading about his depths and how he slowly dug himself out makes for a good time. This isn’t one of those glory be to God on the highest, let your little light shine kind of bullshit recovery memoir. So don’t worry about that.
Seriously, it is jaw-droppingly fascinating. I don’t throw that word around lightly, and I’m generally the snobbiest of the book snobs, but this book is worth your time.
Also there are a few blink-and-you’ll-miss-it ‘Mats references, which is totally my justification for writing about this book here. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: We should always support authors who have the good sense to like the ‘Mats. Right?
Missed my other Paul Westerberg Bookclub Recommendations?
Joshua Furst’s Sabotage Cafe
Er, I guess that’s it though I could have sworn I talked about Brock Clarke’s An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England. I should have. Ha! I did. I’m so smart.
Tags: Books, david carr, westerberg bookclub
Win a signed copy of All Over But the Shouting from Paul Westerberg.net
By Jodi | Filed under Books, Thx the mgmt | Comments (19)
So last week I went to go see Jim Walsh read at the Barnes & Noble in the Galleria. I always say it’s the on at the Galleria, because I like to say Galleria and when I write I actually say all the stuff I’m writing in my head.
While I was there, I got my book signed, and then because I am a kind and gentle queen of the underground, I got another one signed for one lucky reader!
Woo to the hoo.
As you can see it’s an actual copy of All Over But the Shouting and not just a piece of paper that I had him sign in an attempt to fool all you.
The inscription is “Hey You, Remember singing iwilldare.com like we were headed for the promise land? Cheers, Jim Walsh.” It’s a riff on a Mad Ripple lyric from the song Homebodies (Don’t be careful with your love).
So what do you have to do to get this hot little number sent your way? Just leave a comment here telling us why you want the book or why you deserve the book or why you visit paulwestberg.net or why birds suddenly appear every time you are near.
Then we’ll put all the commenters names in a hat and draw one lucky winner.
Tags: 'Mats, all over but the shouting, Books, jim walsh, paul westerberg, the replacements
Paul Westerberg.net: Now with more All Over But the Shouting!
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (1)
Okay, in honor of the All Over But the Shouting book launch party at First Avenue on Wednesday, November 28th, at 7 p.m. I’ve gotten together all the latest hooha about the book, because I am good like that.
Also, as a warm up to the First Ave. shindig, Walsh will be at that Barnes & Noble in the Galleria in Edina, MN on Tuesday, November 27th and at the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis on Wednesday, November 28th at 5 p.m.
Dan Wilson (who just released the quietly beautiful album “Free Life“) formerly of Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic (and producer of my one of my all-time faves Mike Doughty) writes about reading All Over But the Shouting on tour and “it was kind of exhausting reading the words of so many friends, fans, and colleagues, all confirming my suspicion that the Replacements consciously avoided the success that we all wished for them.”
Vita.mn, the Strib’s alt weekly, gives the book and The Replacements a lot of ink (er or pixels I guess) with an interview with Walsh and some excerpts from the book.
At Reveille, Walsh himself writes about a Hootenanny and a lead up to the big launch party Wednesday (November 28th) at First Ave: The reason “If Only You Were Lonely” is such a universal song is because there’s no “if.” Everybody’s lonely. The Replacements made loneliness feel fun, like a sacrament.
John Davidson at The Big Takeover talks about how he, himself had considered doing and oral history and though he find some frustration with Walsh’s book is overall pleased with the end result.
The Austin Statesmen in Texas gives the book a great write up: But it made for some good stories, many of the best of them preserved in Walsh’s book. This is what people do when they’re no longer young enough to rock and roll all night and party every day. And it beats confronting the at-times discomfiting realities of being, belatedly, a grown-up: Bob Stinson is dead now, having worn out his body a dozen years ago. Tommy is on Axl Rose’s payroll and Westerberg is making quiet records in his basement. We’re bastards of old. Where’s the song about that?
P.S. You can listen to Walsh on the Don Shelby show, here and he’ll be on KFAN 1130 AM Tuesday at 2 p.m. with Chad Hartman and Brian Oake. I am not sure if you can listen on the web site, because the web site BLOWS.
Tags: 'Mats, all over but the shouting, Books, Dan Wilson, jim walsh, paul westerberg, the replacements
All Over But the Shouting: The Players
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (1)
One of the things I told myself I’d do one I finished All Over But the Shouting is visit all the web sites listed in the players’ section of the book. Have I done that? Hell no. I haven’t even written about the book really, besides to give Jim Walsh some mad props on the crafting of an actual narrative (and that’s just some sort of nerdy writers kind of props).
Anyway I finished the book last week and I’m still sort of living with the story inside of me. Eventually, I’ll find the words to say what I thought of the actual content of the book.
In the meantime, we can all go visit some of the Players on the world wide web:
Ryan Cameron former owner of Let it Be Records
Jodi, queen of the underground, all around supergenius, writer and founder of iwilldare.com (okay, I added a bit there)
Daniel Corrigan dean of Minneapolis music photography
Grant Hart, a Husker Du and a guest lecturer at the rock and roll class I took a few summers ago at the MPLS Public Library
Grant Johnson Minneapolis songwriter and musician
Laurie Lindeen, writer, mother, and wife
Andrea Myers, writer, editor, and co-founder of Reveille Magazine
Steve Perry, former editor of City Pages and new editor of the just-launched (so it’s not in the book but I am putting it here anyway) Daily Mole
Jack Rabid, Publisher of The Big Take-Over
Bill Tuomala, writer and creator of Exiled on Main Street
Ana Voog, musician and the person behind Ana Cam
Willie Wisely, musician, singer, songwriter
If I were a really enterprising sort (and if I didn’t have to go to work in a little bit), I’d sit down with the whole list and Google and find them all. But, well, I’ll save that for some day when I’m search of productive procrastination.
Tags: all over but the shouting, Books, jim walsh
Still waiting?
By Jodi | Filed under asides | Comments (0)
MN Monthly has a nice excerpt from Jim Walsh’s The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting.
Tags: 'Mats, all over but the shouting, Books, jim walsh, MN Monthly, the replacements
Page 30
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (34)
Hello my most beloved Westerberds. Looky what came to me today. God, it’s days like this that I love being an Amazon Prime member. I haven’t started it yet. I hope to start and finish it sometime this weekend. However, I can’t read it right now because that would force me to stop looking at page 30:
That’s me! That’s me!
Can you believe it? I can’t. I still want to pee my pants with delight. So if a sucker like me can get it, I’m curious to know if any of y’all are in.
What page are you?
Tags: all over but the shouting, Books, jim walsh
Amazon Pre-order Promo, I think
By Jodi | Filed under Books, Westbergesque | Comments (3)
Huh, so I finally got around to pre-ordering my copy of All Over But the Shouting and I noticed when I checked out that I save 75 cents because of some pre-order promo, bring the book’s total price to $14.18. That’s a kickass price. I buy hardcovers all the time and I can’t remember the last time I got one (even from Amazon) for $14 and change. Git on over there and order it up people.
Tags: all over but the shouting, Books, jim walsh
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