A while back Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal (am hearting the double 'of' :) wrote a very kick-ass op-ed about SXSW for my mag Toaster. Unfortunately the article only appeared in print - not online. Anyway, I galvanized my contributors including Paul of Maximo Park, Nick of the Kaiser Chiefs, and Chris of the Chalets into shooting themselves - not suicide style, but with a camera. Did you know the theme of the yearbook one year at Lincoln High School was "Shoot Yourself?" - so wildly inappropriate, so wildly wonderful!
The above is how Kevin chose to capture himself.
I discovered the band via this track on MTV indie radio in early 2004. As I've said before (4th item), for that brief stretch of time, that site changed my indie life.
A postcard from one of Portland's coolest ex-pats E*Rock has arrived:
(click to enlarge)
The high art front-side:
(click to enlarge)
If you read my interview with E*Rock back in April, you'll already know he's spending some summertime in one of the world's best cities --> Berlin. What has he been up to? Various exploits that look fun fun fun and that you can keep up with via his blog Light and Sound. Well at least those that happened in Benelux.
When not completing freelance assignments and not partying enough, he can also be found dispensing the best in music tips.
E*Rock's chance encounter with Chromeo his first night out led to me mentioning bumping into Erlend Øye randomly at Rio when I was last there, which led to him sharing a heartbreaking (not really) Erlend episode of his over the course of several 3am (my time) emails. That brought him to pass along info about TVT artist O-Solo who samples one of Erlend's songs. All I needed were the words "east coast hyphy" and I was there. Now you are too:
When I first read the Pitchfork item about Fader's split vinyl, I thought to myself, "Man I want that, but clearly I will never get it," you know - since the item's header was 'YACHT, Black Lips Split a 7" You Probably Won't Hear". Seriously - not for sale, limited to 500 copies, and only sent out to what Pitchfork made it seem like the elite. And then I got an email asking if I wanted one. Of course!!!
So what better time to showcase some stuff I've recently come across having to do with Portland's favorite son YACHT and the dirty south's Black Lips.
Remember that Bastille day event I went to, but never saw any live music? Well, apparently it got good, maybe even magical by the looks of this photo of Claire and Jona doing a duet of 'The Summer Song':
Makes all the sense in the world to me that they'd be signed to Vice. Ben Rayner didsome publicity shots of them. God - remember when his stuff was EVERYWHERE in the UK? It was like I couldn't make a trip to Borders without spying one of his shots in a mag - from Dazed and Confused to Vice to some others I think and of course you couldn't go online without seeing his tour shots of Test Icicles. Anyway, back to Black Lips - I first heard of them when interviewing Be Your Own Pet back in the first month of 2006 - Nathan was raving about them as was Jemina.
Now go download yourself Fader's diverse podcast mix!
Track listing:
Daft Punk "Harder Better Faster Stronger"
Kavinsky "Wayfarer"
Bonde do Role "Solta O Frango"
MIA "Boyz"
The Aliens "Setting Sun"
Collie Buddz "Blind To You"
Trae f Styles P and Jadakiss "Smile"
Lil Wayne "I Feel Like Dying"
Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing"
The Fixxers "Can U Werk Wit Dat"
The Dirty Projectors "No More"
Blitzen Trapper "Wild Mountain Nation"
Jason Isbell "Dress Blues"
All the pretty seventeen year olds (okay - not all of them are 17, but let's say they are) put on such a pretty pretty show.
Marisa and my anti-social self headed out to the Boy Gorilla night at the Modern Age curated by Arya this past Friday for some fun fun fun laced with Orangina. When we got down to PSU a bit past ten, we didn't know how much of the night had passed and because of the student population on campus, it was hard to tell if passerbys were merely passerbys or gig-goers leaving because the night was already over given the night started at 8. We made it down the conjoined staircases and around the corner past the bowling alley to meet a room that had a startling amount of people in it - much much more than The Modern Age's opening night only last month. Much of those amassed could either be attributed to the stellar LocalCut write-up in Willamette Week or to the more than stellar lineup that featured both Typhoon and Eskimo & Sons - both acts I've been desperate to catch in the past few months.
Over a hundred were crowded in front of the stage watching Typhoon who were already on. I parted through the sea of people for a better photo-taking position to see them on stage, their myriad of members all barefoot, and making music similar in fashion to the way Arcade Fire makes their music live - so alive it seemed like the visual of an epiphany. A mass of people with a mass of instruments, playing because not playing isn't an option - whether or not they are on a concert bill, or on the street, or in a room in an under populated house, they'd be playing - they make it seem as their music is the only way.
Between songs, there was some banter between the singer and someone's girlfriend. The girl started hitting the guy next to me for yelling things about her to the band loud enough for everyone else in the room to hear him and in the process of hitting him she continually hit me. Needless to say, it was really annoying. I left. It was the only time in the night where I was amongst the oldest of attendees that I was really glad not to be a minor.
Still, that band calls you - with their tribal drumming, French horns, accordions, and strings - and I made my way back up a song later - just on the opposite side of the stage this time around.
On their last song there was a sing-a-long for the chorus and it was oh so enjoyable.
Typhoon can't be lumped in with any one genre. They're rather transcendent. But they remind me a whole lot of Beirut. In fact, I think they'd be perfect touring partners - better than the upcoming LCD Arcade Fire double bill, and maybe even cozier than Klaxons and CSS.
There's a reason for everything. Maybe this is the reason Zach Condon lost my postcards and gave me his home address to resend them to. He can now expect some Typhoon records on his doorstep.
Onto Eskimo & Sons. They alternated between duets and solo songs -all charmingly indie and honest. With witty witty witty lyrics and outfitted in shorts and white tennis shoes.
I believe the song was titled 'Snore' that was shudderingly beautiful - with lyrics about the sea and moon. It is the best indie lullabye I've heard since the melancholy of Patrick Wolf, TV on the Radio's 'Tonight' or even Feist's radio-friendly 'My Moon My Man'. Lead singer Danielle Sullivan took to the drum kit for one haunting beat at the songs finale while the rest of the band members gathered together in melodic and sonic sounding feedback.
Then Dhani Rosa played two songs unaccompanied - the first of the two tunes started out about waking up in someone's house after they gone to work with their sister by your side for company that made me recall a little bit of Whirlwind Heat's Steve Damstra's first solo album.
They closed out their CD release show with 'No Shit' at which point I rushed back up to the front to sing along.
Great fun had by all would be entirely accurate.
When you're 21, you're no fun. But Ladytron - it doesn't have to be that way! The Boy Gorilla crew have shown me the way! In the case of Typhoon - many of whom are still teenagers - not only did they create the music -- with that many people in the band, but they have it so together to perform it live, and issue it on vinyl, compact disc, and cassette. And not only that, but the packaging! And some freakin' genius screen-printing on T-shirts!! Just looking at their merch table is inspiring - so inspiring. If they can painstakingly create so much beauty in all those avenues (yet make it appear insanely effortless), why can't I? Why can't anyone? Ahh, the beauty of youth. As Franz said, "You can have it so much better." With Boy Gorilla, you realize you can be doing so much more.
You can hear their music on the radio, or coming from a passing car, or in the score of an indie film. It's just a matter of time before the scenario plays out outside of everyone's head whose listening to them right now and in the bigger picture of reality. You can feel it's just around the corner - the label's hub being fully discovered, and once they are, there's no telling... Take a polaroid of it - that way you can have a snap shot of the instant when this was all taking off.
The next day after 1/2ALIVE's Grand Opening we hit the beach with the 1/2ALIVE crew as expected and Numero was in tow too. It was beach blankets a-go-go, with My! Gay! Husband! lying down and fully entranced in the Africa issue of Vanity Fair. I refuse to refer to him by his real name. Earlier that day, before we saw Harry and the Potter's tear up Vancouver's public library, we were enraptured in an issue of In Touch with Nicole's pregnancy on the cover, so of course I asked him he read any low brow stuff of that ilk as he is a magazine connoisseur - seriously - ask him about magazines and he'll give you titles in great detail.
He didn't, but Numero's Pierre did...
And they were the start of a great conversation seeing as the mags were in French and I don't speak French, so the only left was to look at the pictures of stars I knew nothing about and discuss them. We got to this one guy who works the red carpet and gets his photo taken with celebrities and I noted that he reminded me a bit of our own fair Perez.
Turns out Pierre is quite a reader of Perez, but how could anyone not be?
"How many times a day do you check it?"
Pause. No one seems to initially ever want to admit to how many times they visit.
"Like 15 times a day," was his reply.
I'd say I check it more.
So we went on and on and on and on and on about the wonderfulness of his blog. Perez Hilton is how I actually found out about Numero. So when it was announced they'd be playing 1/2ALIVE the night I'd be there I was super thrilled.
How they ended up coming to the attention of Mr. Hilton was that Pierre knew Perez liked Peaches, so when Numero played a gig with her, he took a photo and sent it Hilton's way. And that was how the post originated.
Pierre has been the first commenter on Perez Hilton threads/items twice. I've been number one at least three times. Here's one of 'em.
Here's one. I've pledged to never type "first" because it looks so stupid when someone has commented that and then they turn out not to be first.
I got many a lesson in trashy French Canadian celebrity mags - did you know like all of their celebrities and movies are sponsored? So like in each OK! Magazine like portrait and interview, the celebrity will be wearing a pin or badge of their sponsor. One guy had a McDonald's pin on his shirt in every portrait of him that appeared in the mag. We read one with this single mom on the cover whoring out her son for the first time to get press for French-Canada's only action movie of the summer - Nitro.
While we kept afloat informing about all our favorite celebrities we turned to Pierre's ipod shuffle as a soundtrack and shared headphones between Meg, him, and I - there were many tatu remixes and it was really funny because the opening bars of Thieves Like Us' 'Drugs in My Body' came on and Pierre didn't know where it was from. Um - it's from the same Kitsune comp that Numero are on. So so funny and kinda ironic.
Do you know how great it is to meet people who share a love of Britney Spears' music? It's amazing! Seriously - people DO NOT give In the Zone enough credit. That is the best album of 2003 alongside Outkast's Speakerbox and the Love Below. Honest to god. My thinking is that if people listened to it as an album, and not as a Britney Spears album, they would be blown away. Any electro lovers worth their salt should own it. And people need to get over 'Toxic'. Everyone knows that's an amazing hit, but if you listen to the rest of the album, there's more of that where it came from. The production is mind-blowing.
So we sat back feeding each other lyrics and finishing where the other would stop of 'Showdown' and 'Breathe on Me'.
"I don't really want to be a tease. Will you undo my zipper please?"
"We don't need to touch, just..."
Outside of Numero, Pierre works a full time job that allows him to listen to his i-pod non-stop and he makes beats for other artists. He's very very very excited about a rap artist he's working with right now, that he can barely understand because of the grills in his mouth. It was really really interesting talking to him about production as I can be a total producer geek. He makes a beat, sends it, the rapper puts rhyme to it if it's approved, sends it back, and then Pierre further manipulates and restructures it to better match the rapper's flow and that process is repeated until perfect. We talked our favorite producers which was fun and is always a topic I get into - especially if it involves James Ford, Timbaland, or Paul Epworth ( who has come out of exile!! He did Kate Nash's latest!).
Eventually Numero# want to be known solely as the number symbol - kinda like Prince a bit.
(Advertising fruit)
They want their gig posters around Montreal to simply read the symbol, date, and location - that's how they envision it.
Around us some backgammon was played, the stakes high and tense.
Tony toppled Tyler, only to then be beating by Hana. Then there was some obstruction making to be done with sand.
Tony and I arranged the great song trade - a Calvin Harris track for one of his remix efforts. Once they'd been emailed, I'm happy to announce it was a fair trade.
I had 'Hit Pop' stuck in my head the entire day and couldn't stop singing it to myself. By singing it to myself I mean just repeating the only English words in the song over and over: "Hit Pop. Hit Pop. Du-du-du-du-du-du-du. Hit Pop!" Yeah. I swear one of these days Numero and Yelle are gonna have taught me French.
We were gonna head down to catch Transformers and then go to a listening party for the new Justice album, but when you're out in Burnaby, public transport kind of limits your options and by the time we'd got confirmation to the location of the listening party and that we were on the guest list it was too late to get out there so Meg and I did the next best thing - midnight bike ride!!!!
Oh Canada! On this day last month I made my way up to the B.C. via Greyhound. There was a girl that looked exactly like Uffie on it and it was oh so fun going through customs and immigration with her ahead of me and the line "I got more stamps in my passport than a post-office" going around in my head. It was kind of awesome.
So the big event of my arrival on Friday was finally being able to attend 1/2ALIVE, put on by Tyler Fedchuk, Tony X, and My! Gay! Husband! On their Grand Opening of all nights too! Of sorts. It of course wasn't their first ever Grand Opening, but it was a very grand Grand Opening at their new venue Richard's on Richards after bouncing around from warehouse to warehouse, venue to venue for the greater part of the summer.
As it turned out I wasn't on the mile long guest list (snicker, snicker) but Dash at the door and Tony ushered Meg and I inside and wouldn't you know they're stricter than the US with ID!!! I only brought my State ID and didn't have my debit card with me seeing as I had no money in my account, but the venue required two forms of ID to enter even though their age over there is 19. For a second it didn't look like I was getting in, but Tony and a doorman saved the day and we entered a little before 11 to the sound of the Cribs.
The crowd coming in picked up quite a bit more around that time and Tyler Fedchuk, Tony X, and My! Gay! Husband! alternated on the decks. I requested Sexual Harassment, but never got my kiss on the shoulder before heading out at 1:15.
At first only a trio dared to take it to the dance floor, but after we shuffled down during Chromeo's 'Fancy Footwork' it continued to fill in and by midnight it had exploded! - just in time for Numero!
Before they took the stage MC in residence Curtis Santiago dropped a few verses over a 'Hollaback Girl' and Fleetwood Mack mashup and a couple other songs and really worked the crowd in general.
Anyway - Numero started out their set with Pierre behind the decks really getting his vogue on. His use of hands was fantastical!
Then Jérôme came out in a green shirt with the word "Oui" taped on in white with confidence to spare, his French-Canadian charm practically dripping off him.
Oh how the hands of females reached out to grab him with every turn he took as he worked the entire length of the stage, completely commanding the crowd. They closed their hour long set with the tunes we'd all been waiting for - 'Chewing Gum' and then 'Hit Pop' and everyone was ecstatic to the point where you wouldn't believe they'd already been dancing for hours before Numero hit the stage because they reacted as if they had every ounce of their energy intact.
'Hit Pop' Numero# MP3 (Hidden track on the latest Kitsune comp)
Over at one, Meg and I began to make our way out to catch the last Sky Train. As we were leaving, there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to face a guy asking me a question.
"Do you know Not on the Guest List?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Is that you?"
"Yeah."
It's already pretty surreal when I'm recognized in Portland, but another city - let alone another country! So so cool!!! We chatted for a quick minute. His name fails me now. I keep pretty good track of this blog's Canadian commenters, so I thought he'd previously left a comment, though now not so much.
Send me those records sir!
Before we made it out, we bumped in Louis and Malcolm of Fake Shark! Real Zombie!
who had just returned from their inaugural Japanese tour and opened for Klaxons at Richard's on Richards last time they played B.C. leaving a remnant behind at the venue -- their name scrawled in pink on a mirror backstage.
Meg and I get down front row in the crowd (her in black, me with camera :):
If I can point to any film that has changed my life in terms of understanding and creatively as well, it is Blow Up.
There's far too much for me to attribute to this film. Far too much. But it has continued to pop into my life over and over in many forms. When I first watched it, I didn't get it. It moved so slowly and was confusing - certain scenes inclusion's seemed to make no sense at all. Then after it ended, my mom asked me what i thought it meant. I hadn't thought about it because I didn't think it could mean anything, but then she started asking a couple more questions and I began to grasp the genius of the film. Before I had wanted to pursue the cinema for it's entertainment value. After watching Blow Up, I wanted to pursue it for what it could mean.
She first saw it at 15 because the Yardbirds were in it. Here's their scene:
I love it! Funny in a subtle way - the fight over the guitar and then it's careless disposal.
Anyway, rent and watch this movie if you haven't then let's discuss it! Seriously! Every scene has it's place.
It has influenced my intended output quite a bit. I've had an indie film in my mind for a while titled Frietag Freundin. I'm not ready to tackle it yet, but in time and the idea of it wouldn't exist without Blow Up.
A couple years ago I shot portraits of the Kills and oh how I wanted to have Hotel and VV emulate the scene in which he shoots one of the many skinny mod girls that flock around his studio - a still of which graces the video cover.
But seriously, Michelangelo Antonioni was so cool! Having the Yardbirds appear in Blow Up, and having Pink Floyd soundtrack another of his films.
He died the same day as Bergman, yet his death barely made the news by even the next day.
My oh my - the aftershow ROCKED!!! Portland held it down in Seattle - besides Aaron, Justin (actually of Eugene), and I, DJ Joee Irwin was there, as was Justin Kent and a Candy Cane Shiv. After braving a line so long with claims by uncertain patrons that everyone waiting would never get in and Justin noting that the promoter said even all who had RSVPed may not be able to get in, we all got through, fairly briskly at that, Aaron, Justin , and I turning my plus one into plus two much in the vain of the live show. And when we finally entered, we did so to the sound of my boyfriend Calvin Harris' 'Merrymaking at My Place'!
The last time I was set to see the Rapture DJ was early this year at Studio B in Brooklyn at the launch party for their label Throne of Blood. Only I got there far too early - around 11 at night, and the primary reason I was there was for their live set that was only going to be two songs long which wouldn't be occuring until 2am I found out upon arrival. I braved it until 12:30, but the area was so sketch despite there being a police station nearby, that I headed out early. They hadn't even begun DJing by that time.
When did Gabe cut his hair? He seems shorter than the last time I saw him back in 2004 when I gave him Lil' Bow Wow on vinyl (he still had the Lil' then).
So anyway, I was onstage and he was holding it down, wearing some good ole Wowch and I didn't even recognize him. Didn't even recognize him! At least not until I got home and was looking at the photos and noticed his unique mouth, which gave his identity away.
I did however recognize another Rapturite:
Soon SebastiAn made his way to the decks creating his signature sampling sound live. He held hands with his gal pal while manipulating beats most fo the time. Kavinsky soon joined him and they rocked it! Rocked it! I danced, then stood there shooting in amazement repeating to myself: "MUST move to Paris now. MUST move to Paris now."
Kavinsky was rocking a self-emulating T, prompting my Pitchfork eds to question if it was actually him when I sent over the photos. Him and his zombie self are just cool like that y'all.
It was so so so hot and sweaty at Chop Suey.
Security did a stage sweep twice, removing all revelers. I think the Parisians liked it better with everyone onstage better however.
So at the bar I spied someone familiar, but I hate being wrong, so I didn't ask if he lived in Vancouver B.C.
A few minutes later I saw a girl and I looked at her for more than a minute questioning 'Is it?'
Then I saw her comrade and that sealed it - it was the 1/2ALIVE crew!!!! My! Gay! Husband!, Sincerely Hana, Tony X, and a few minutes later Tyler Fedchuk! Yay!!!! How semi-random, though I didn't wonder if they'd be braving it down to the US of A for the show - I mean it is Daft Punk and all.
So we had some photo taking fun over the course of the night.
Tyler and Hana:
A slightly out of focus Tony rocking some Thunderheist (and you best be pronouncing that like they do in the beginning of each of their tracks "Thun-der-hei-st"):
(Still so jealous that B.C. got them on the date Portland was supposed to have them in July)
A rumor made the rounds from reliable sources that Daft Punk would be turning up, however I don't know if they did. Did they even have time to? Last call in Seattle is frightening early!!! Ahhhh!!! Lights went up just after 1!!
It was so funny, because I was kind of betting on Busy P being in attendence - you know to make a girl's dreams of a joint photo come true. When I thought I saw him, I had my biggest fangirl freak-out ever - spilling Justin's drink all over him with my excitement! But, alas. . .
When YACHT tours with Papa P Down Under in September, I hope he gets a photo with him so that I can live vicariously through him. YACHT - make this happen!
So back to the DJing. They played Klaxons' 'Atlantis to Interzone' and made it nearly unrecognizable. They played another song that escapes me now and Aaron asked, "Have you heard this version before?"
No - because they were creating the remixes live on stage! SO awesome!!!
When we made it outside SebastiAn dropped his rework of Rage Against the Machine's 'Killing in the Name Of' as he had just before Daft Punk took the stage earlier that night at Wamu Theatre.
I lamely headed home well aware of my 6am Pitchfork deadline, while others headed off for the after after party on a rooftop.
I loved back last November when this track opened an episode of CSI Miami. I was like, "I know him! I know him!" - you know, figuratively speaking and all :)
Go here for a Kavinsky remix of Klaxons' 'Gravitys Rainbow'.
First things first, Daft Punk made ALL the rock kids dance in Seattle!!!!!!! Did they ever!!
Was there any verbal communication with the audience? Between song banter? Even a set closing thank you? Nope, nope, and nope. Did it matter? NO WAY!!! Robots aren't that well known for talking are they anyway? At least not French ones that make silent films. Robots that can make you rock can do whatever they want!
Daft Punk opened with 'Robot Rock' from atop their pyramid - one outfitted in silver, the other in gold as per usual - do you think they ever change it up and switch colors with eachother? Everyone was going CRAZY! Even though there was no room what-so-ever to dance for those packed in in the front, they danced. There was crowd surfing. Their light show was as uber-impressive as it's been billed - the pyramid lit up, there was lighting in the construction around them, and on the screen behind them.
For 'Technologic' the screen behind them lit up in red, while the lyrics read out in black across it.
The silhouettes of everyone's outstretched arms was sometimes cast on the pyramid when the lights went down at the right angle.
Their set was like one of live mash-ups - of their own songs! - all their songs blending into one another and back again - "Brainwasher" with "Prime Time of Your Life", "Face to Face" with "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."
"Oh Yeah" and "Around the World" snuck their way in multiple times.
The last song of their set was 'Human After All' and the pyramid changed from showcases various light designs to showing images of human faces. Clever :)
They left the stage flashing diamond symbols, which the audience threw right back at them.
Do you think Kanye West is 'The Brainwasher'?
For their encore their suits were lit up in red - something they apparently didn't do when they did Coachella in 2006.
They left the stage to 'One More Time' - very appropriate as they'd already played it as apart of their regular set, then turned to reveal that "Daft Punk" was written in red lights on the backs of their robot suits.
Seattle's Daft Punk show was a testament to the sidebar on this site - finding a way in anyways.
Getting in was an adventure. First I pitched it to Pitchfork, but by the time I had earlier this month, they'd just assigned it to another photographer, so I then tried for this blog and heard nothing until a week before the show that my request of two tickets and a photopass had been received. Then I got word from Pitchfork that Capitol wouldn't be getting them into the LA show due it being packed, packed, packed [Seriously - they couldn't even fit Pitchfork in for LA? Seriously?] so was I still up for shooting Seattle? Um. . . YEAH! Tyler, one of my editors joked/wasn't joking saying if I couldn't do it, he'd fly in from Chicago to be there. Everyone's excitement for seeing Daft Punk is so intense - I love it!
So I offered Aaron my plus one, and told him not to buy a ticket as he was previously planning to do. Only when I got confirmation, I didn't have a plus one. Of course the publicist at Capitol didn't tell me this until Thursday by which time the show was already sold out. Eeek! You can't take the Daft Punk live experience away from someone! They NEVER tour! So the plan was to give him my ticket, and since for the first time like ever in my concert photography experience the guidelines specified that photographers could be in the pit the entire show, just make Wamu Theatre let me in on just a photopass which works in smaller venues, since I wouldn't be standing in the ticketed area anyway.
While that plan works, this was kind of too big of a show for it not to work seeing as I was on assignment and it's freaking Daft Punk, so there was a little (read:semi-major) stress in regards to getting in.
So my plan was for us to approach the box office together with the part of my email that shows my request for two tickets and her reply saying I was on the list and conveniently not the follow up that clarified it was only one ticket, so it'd be easier to argue - 'hey there are two of us up from Portland for this show and there's supposed to be two tickets', but alas Aaron was still in between Olympia and Tacoma at the time I stepped up at 8 o'clock.
When I got to the window I was handed an envelope with my name and writing on the outside saying "one ticket," which it contained, but when I opened the envelope with my pass - it has a comp ticket stapled to it! Score!!
So I stood in line for the ATM before entering, getting cash to buy merch only to notice I had forgotten my lens! So... yeah, I missed the Rapture's set.
I took a bus back to my mom's apartment and then began to bus it back, but started getting ancy, so I got off (oh - and look what I found when I did) and took a cab and when I got there SebastiAn was overhead and for a couple minutes I was like - 'Why did I just spend money on a cab when nothing is happening? I could've bussed it all the way' - not knowing the Rapture had already taken the stage. 3 minutes later lights go down and the pyramid is lit. SO GLAD I took a cab!!!!
In it, the cab driver asked if I was going to the show and when I replied yes, he asked who it was. he didn't know who Daft Punk were, but I kinda knew he did if I mentioned the right thing:
"You know that Victoria's Secret commercial a few years ago with Giselle dancing on a chair?"
"Yeah!"
"That song - "One More Time," was by Daft Punk."
I just remember buying Discovery in HMV in London in 2002. I didn't really get it at first, but when I realized all the songs were supposed to sound the same, I got it. I really got it. I got into Homework from there, and then Human After All when it was released, which I thought sounded like a prequel to Discovery as opposed to post-Discovery. Love love loved it!
I'll also never forget the James Murphy interview quote of when he met them they said, "That's the first song that's been written about us," in regards to 'Daft Punk is Playing at my House' and he was like "First song? Are they expecting more?" hahahaha
And I really think a part of why their coolness factor hasn't diminished throughout the years has a lot to do with their helmets if not their skills as one Seattle newspaper noted in their preview - with the helmets, we've never seen them physically age as we have with other acts.
Their work is never over. May that always hold true!
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