Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

Halloween 1978 Those were some creepy-ass times.

Halloween Fiasco Night 2: The Dead Men as EMINEM Knowne Ghost as DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE Tiny City as MILEY CYRUS Rothschild as BRAND NEW fat geoff as R. KELLY Porch Mob (ft. Lil Skritt & Enyo Phase ) as DIE ANTWOORD Tom, Hanks as THE CLASH Suit City as AT THE DRIVE-IN   It's like....it can't all be contained in one night!!!!! 

Halloween Fiasco Night 1: The Bleeps as MADONNA Automatic Fantastic as ZZ TOP Van Huskins as SUPERCHUNK Glimpses as OASIS October as CELTIC FROST Tom, Hanks as TOM WAITS plus Gore Gore Luchadores wrasslin' for charity as YOUR FAVORITE WRESTLING ICONS Are you kidding me?????  What a line-up!!!

This is a great little doc about the legend herself that includes archival footage, audio interviews with Miss Simone and many interviews with living friends, family and collaborators.  You can tell that it only grazes the surface of a woman and performer who had a lot to offer and a lot of depth.  The bio pic came out sometime back, but all I heard of it was the controversy in casting.  This documentary here seems to give the straight dope, some of it in Nina's own words, as harsh as some of them may be at times.   

Probably my favorite local songwriter.... Check her out!

Carolina Renaissance Festival is still going on now through November 20th. Check their website for info, ticket prices, vendors, special events and more. It's a pretty awesome weekend festival that we're pretty lucky to have here in the Charlotte area!

Beware: this documentary is gritty and shocking.  I thought I'd pretty much decided for myself that she was not guilty back when I read this book , but this documentary makes me think again.  But then I have to wonder why she would go along with this documentary if she really was guilty.....why put the question out there again?  And to be fair, she was ultimately acquitted. I still stand by her not being very likeable and not making very good choices......this doc puts that on full display.  But again, as I said in the previous linked post, being stupid isn't a crime.  I felt like this doc tried to humanize her and was really working to make the audience empathize.  I mean, there she is in her lint-picked sweater, cooking in her small kitchen, surrounded by cats.  That's cute and all, but skeptics still have questions. This case reminds me a lot of the West Memphis Three case and its subsequent books and films ....it looks like a local inept police departme

I would never call Beverly Donofrio the most lovable of writers that I've read, but there is a definite honesty in her work that I'm sure a lot of women can identify with.  There's a plucky scrappiness to her anecdotes that make me both admire and fear her.  And I think I have to give big snaps to any woman that pulls herself up by her bootstraps like she did.  And even though I would describe myself as a very different kind of mother than her, I do relate to her partnership/friendship type relationship with her son.  Even with my son's disability, I do feel that.  I remember not liking the 2001 film adaptation of this book.  But now that I'm older and a mother myself and have actually read the memoir, I can see where both have their merits.  At its heart, this memoir and film are about motherhood, womanhood and ultimately survival.  And even as disagreeable as some of her choices may be, which of us women can't benefit from that? 

    If you could go back in time and see any show by any band, who would it be?    That's a question a lot of music lovers like to ask each other.  So if you take that simple but telling question and wrap it around a story not unlike Back to the Future or Peggy Sue Got Married (and also the even more complicated Predestination ) and throw in the nostalgia and music of the 90's, you have got yourself an awesome novel and quite a love letter to Generation X.  Seriously.  Look at my sidebar over there.....go on....look.  Do you see that this book was pretty much written to me?  I read it so fast both because it was so good and because I wanted to finish so my hubby could read it and we could discuss it.  I usually like to drop a great line or two from a book, but this one has so many I'd just have to copy and paste the whole damn thing here.  But I will leave you with this:   "Besides, why would we need music if our lives were exactly as we wanted them to

Pop-up show tonight with The Posies, featuring local opening act, The Eyebrows .  Not sure where the show is yet.....that's what pop-up means!  Go get a ticket and go from there....live large! The show is also going to feature local singer, Drea Atkins of the band Farewell Albatross , singing back-up vocals on a few songs with The Posies.  You don't wanna miss this awesome lady! Photo by Stephen Arce

I'll admit I didn't give Amy much credit up until now , but I actually really dug this book.  I always thought she was a girl comedian who just got her kicks saying dirty stuff to impress guys.  I'm sorry, Amy.  I misjudged.  This lady is really smart with a lot of heart and many of her stories I found pretty relatable.  Sure, she does like to shock and I'd say she definitely has a schtick and a target audience that loves it.  And while I may not be down with her stand-up, I think I'd love to meet her for a coffee and chat.  Or email conversation.  Turns out she's quite the introvert.....whodu thunk it?

Not as good as Pee-Wee's Big Adventure or even Big Top Pee-Wee, it's still a cute and fun movie that reminds you of what it was like to watch a simple movie that's not gonna gross you out or shock you.  (Remember that?)  As a bonus, I enjoyed watching a little bit of Pee-Wee's Playhouse that Netflix offered me afterward.  I totally lol'd too.