Wendy's DrummerCam: Saturday 12/28/07 @ The Elkhorn Saloon, Elkhorn, WI

Thanks to everyone who braved the storm to rock with us Friday night. The Elkhorn Saloon was really a great party! It made the hours of digging the van & trailer out of the snowbank WELL worth it. We even got a special visit from our good friend Jim (drummer for Minneapolis band Hodgepodge)'s MOM!



Here are a few other photos from the show (thanks Brian for taking these!).

Five reasons I wasn't allowed in middle school art

But my team still clinched the victory. Feel free to guess in the comments section and I'll post the answers in a day or three.

Guess where Sunspot's playing tonight?

I'll give you a hint: It's in the WHITE area of this map:



Okay, all joking aside... This is what, the fifth snow storm this year that has coincided with a Sunspot show? Oh well, what better reason to head inside and warm up with some live music!

This will be our first time ever playing in Elkhorn, so come on out to the Elkhorn Saloon! Here's a map, in case you've ever been there:


View Larger Map

Hope to see you tonight -- Drive safely!

On The Fourth Day of Christmas...

Andy from Xpat Radio and www.wisynoil.com (Proud Sunspot Sponsor!) gave to me...

...a new treatment that can reverse liver damage!

Here's the first sentence from the article in The Guardian (click it to read the rest):

"A drug that reverses severe liver damage could be used to treat disease in heavy drinkers who find it impossible to give up alcohol."

I think that about says it all. Have a drink to the future!

Rock of Love / What was I thinking?!

Rock of Love / What was I thinking?!
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

I'm visiting my parents for the holidays, and yesterday I participated in the wasteful, indulgent practice of a reality TV marathon.

That's right, there wasn't a whole lot going on, my folks just put a new TV in my room, and they have cable (wooohoo!) so I camped in front of the tube and literally watched hours of VH1's mind-numbing "Rock of Love" series where chicks compete to be the girlfriend of Poison star Bret Michaels.

[spoiler ahead]

As bad as the show was (honestly, could there be any more psychotic sluts out there in the world?), I gotta give the man credit. He showed he's truly got balls of steel at the finale, when instead of choosing between the last two girls, he asked if they would BOTH be his girlfriend!

Now that, my friends, is rock star gumption.

Anyway, at least I feel that I've gotten the reality show bug out of my system for a long, long time.... Thank goodness!

On The Third Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...

The Doctor Who Christmas Special is already on YouTube!



In our secularization, most people forget that The Twelve Days of Christmas is more than just a song, it's a tradition to party for all twelve days, ending at The Epiphany. The biggest party occurred on the final, Twelfth Night (Shakespeare even wrote a play about it.)

It's funny that as our traditions change, we're already back to work and the only thing that most people are looking forward to is getting obliterated on New Year's Eve and then starting the whole thing over again. When's the next celebration? The Super Bowl and the thing that excites most people is the commercials. Sigh and this is advancement?

Well, fuck it. I'm gonna celebrate all twelve nights. Those medievals might have had a pretty gross life (there's evidence that their health wasn't that bad though) but at least they usually believed in something greater than just buying shit. And they mostly worked at home, with their families. Yeah, it was hard and long labor, but I'm sure they felt some kind of Flow doing it. Anyway, progress has its ups and downs, I guess. Either way, I'm gonna keep the Christmas Party rolling for the next nine nights!

attitude

Have a positive Christmas, one and all.

Happy Boxing Day!

Do something nice for someone who does nice things for you. (I don't have any servants, so this is the closest thing I could think of!)

It's also the Feast of Steven (the day where Good King Wenceslas looked out) and that song's all about doing something for a homeless guy who slept next to a fountain, so it's a perfect day to give somebody a job too!

Merry Christmas!

Yeah!

Shame on Topanga!

Just in time for Christmas, Topanga's drinking and driving!

and in WI news, Green Bay goes Big Brother.

Wendy's DrummerCam: Saturday 12/22/07 @ BBC Upper Level, Milwaukee, WI

Keep turnin up the heat!

Looks like Jenkins IS going to jump ship. I know he had some rough games towards the end, but he was the only one to pull them out of several jams this season. As ridiculous as BASEketball
was, I kind of liked it that players stayed in the town where they began. You get used to watching a team and then they just go other places for more money. What if Mr. T had joined a different team? It wouldn't be the A Team anymore! I pity the fool.
In other news, come to the BBC tomorrow for fun and prizes.

Holiday Party in Milwaukee Tomorrow Night!

Don't forget about the party at the BBC tomorrow night! The doors open (ie, drinks be flowing!) at 9pm and Energy Equals Genius will be starting at 10pm. We'll be performing at 11pm.

Here's a little flashback to Christmas Past (2001!)

Dane101: State of Madison Music

Thanks to Dane101 for asking how our 2007 was and also for getting in-depth with musicians and venues about the health of our scene.

Check it out here: http://dane101.com/music/2007/12/20/state_of_madison_music_2007_sunspot

The Blues For Real

Check out this video for a dude, whose skin is actually turning blue, it's messed up. You might be thinking zombie (or a romantic partner for Captain Kirk!) but I'm thinking he reminds me more of The Iceman from Misfits of Science!

X files

I recently bought x files season 1 at preplayed (they play our CD in the store and hang up our posters). Last night I watched the episode 'Fallen Angel.' More farfetched than the alien plot was the setting of the story. I found it hard to believe that there was a town of 12000 people in northern Wisconsin that I hadn't heard of. Wikipedia confirmed my doubts and it turns out Townshend is populated under 1000 and nowhere lake Michigan (where it was set in the show). Shame on you, Chris Carter, but I still love your show. I am suddenly reminded of the time in high school when I started a petition to keep Brisco County Jr on the air.

Humanity Should Not Be Destroyed: Reason #3

Continuing in my list of reasons that our species should not be eliminated from the universe by more powerful alien beings, I saw Christmas Carolers last night when I was taking a walk by Yahara Place Park. I know I've come down pretty hard on that particular Holiday lately, but seeing a group of volunteers merrily singing in front of someone's house for no other reason than to brighten up someone else's day through happy songs was kind of, um, delightful.

Visually, it was great as well, because the father of the family in the doorway who was listening was holding his son on his arm. All I could think of was this:


and without even thinking I said, "God bless us, every one!"

My favorite Bob Cratchit is sci-fi favorite, David Warner (who's been in everything from The Omen to TRON to Star Trek 6), however.


And even better about that version, Turlough from Doctor Who plays young Ebeneezer Scrooge!

Nice mention in OnMilwaukee.com

Thanks Julie Lawrence for mentioning Saturday's BBC Christmas Party!

Happy B-Day, Dino!

Nobody does drunk dials like our man, Dino, at Citizen Wausau. Here's a MP3 of his 2005 birthday call.

Hope it's a great one, D!

Sunspot Road Mania - Ep. 74

Sunspot in the van and "Eat Out My Heart" live from the Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis, MN 12-15-07.

Direct download at http://www.sunspotmusic.com/roadmania/sunspot_rm_74.m4v

Sweet sign at the gas station.

I didn't know they were into that sort of thing in Foster, WI.

Quick Stop

Quick Stop
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

Just stopped at Guitar Center for a new hi-hat clutch!

It's snowing outside and you know what that means...

It's snowing outside and you know what that means...
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

SUNSPOT is playing, and probably somewhere far from home!

It's slightly ironic that today we re heading to Minne-snow-ta to escape the snow. Word has it the sun is even out there!

Here's a picture of Mike chiseling ice out of the trailer hitch hookup so we can connect the trailer.

Come on out to the Hexagon tonight in the TC's and party with us!

Christmas Gift Idea?

I was looking for something to get for my Dad and he's a runner who always wears a watch, so I was thinking about that (don't worry he doesn't read the blog) for him. Upon recommendation, I checked out Midwest Watches and they're a Fitchburg company (and I'm always in great support of keeping it as local as possible). I was looking at the Wenger Mens Commando Chronograph because it looks pretty badass and the Seiko Black Dive Watch looks like a sweet one as well. I know Seiko's have excellent reputations, but I haven't heard of Wenger before.

I'm not usually a watch-wearing guy (I'd love to try a pocketwatch like this one sometime, though, because I've always thought that looks sophisticated and I can tell people I keep my memories in there like "Human Nature".) Anyway, if anyone is a watch-wearing kinda person and you have any ideas, please let me know. Otherwise, check out Midwest Watches and if you see anything good for an athlete (or a sophisticated pocket watchkeeper), keep me informed!

Weather

It's warmer in Barrow, Alaska right now than it is in Minneapolis. Hopefully there are no vampires in Minneapolis this weekend (check out 30 days of night if you are wondering what I'm talking about.)

AW HELL NAW, or Why I Am Scared of I Am Legend

Has anyone seen I Am Legend yet? I've seen the Vincent Price (which is kinda ridiculous, but you can see the influence it had on Night of the Living Dead a couple of years later) and the Charlton Heston version (which is full of early 70's cheese but still awesome in its own right) and I've read the original novel a couple of times.

So, I want to see it because I know we're supposed to appreciate movies as their own beasts and not compare it to the originals because the originals still exist even if they make a remake or continue the story in a way we don't like.

Does Episode 1 really change the way we view the original Star Wars? Did George Lucas really have forced sex with my childhood? No, not really. But it's just something I hold onto and I'm not sure why, the idea of someone sullying a story that I hold dear is completely offensive, as though by creating something new, it will change my memories and my love for the original.

And I'm not trying to hate on Will Smith because he's a likeable actor and he's funny (I never got into the Fresh Prince or have even watched a complete episode of it and I thought he was just too skinny to play Muhammad Ali, but he was perfect for Men In Black and Pursuit of Happyness) but he's not the first guy I envisioned in the role because he's such a wiseass.

Oh well, I'll probably go see it on the IMAX. Any genre film is better than no genre film no matter what they do to the story, but I know I'm not alone in this feeling (just read any post in the hilarious talkbacks at Ain't It Cool News sometime and you'll see the exact reaction that I'm talking about) of being nervous about someone taking a story you love and then "making love" to it. I still haven't seen Rob Zombie's Halloween because I adore the original and I didn't really enjoy his other films (I can see what people like in that style of horror, but it's not my favorite) and somehow I'm worried that a different movie is going to ruin how I feel about the original. Maybe it's a geek thing, but a bad sequel can really leave a gnarly taste in your mouth (like the incomprehensible Ring Two) about the original.

Anyway, if anyone's seen the new one, lemme know what you thought. It's hard to trust mainstream film reviewers on genre pictures.

Have I lost my mind

Or did I just see Bruce Campbell in an Old Spice commercial?

X-Files 2

It's on! It's got Amanda Peet, who's usually a shark jumper, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt because she's not afraid to take her shirt off.

The jury's out on Xzibit, though. Rappers can be great genre actors (Ice Cube in Ghosts of Mars, yes! Busta Rhymes in Halloween, no!) but I've never seen anything he's done and I've never heard any of his music, so I'll just cross my fingers.

And in case you forgot, Season 7 and 8 were a little weak, but Season 9 was picking up and T2 was the balls as a Mulder replacement, yo!

Hope it's not cold in Minneapolis

I know, that's like saying "I hope the Sahara isn't too warm today". We'll stay warm at the Hexagon Saturday at 11.

Winter Ridiculousness

Courtesy of AquaMunkee!

The God Theory

So, Coast to Coast AM on Tuesday had probably one of the most interesting guests they've had on for awhile for several reasons.

#1 - He wasn't crazy and didn't say anything crazy.
#2 - He was reasonable with callers who obviously were crazy (like the guy who asked about the possibility of aliens controlling our thoughts through TV.)
#3 - He earned his PhD from the University of Wisconsin, so he was once a local boy.
#4 - He didn't have a partisan agenda.

Hi book, The God Theory is about spirituality without religion and it's an attempt in reconciling what we know about science with the need for humans to feel some connection to something greater.

This led me to think about this time of year (Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime! Barf.) and I wanted to write about how it's all garbage. All of the sales ads, all of the loving family crap (most of which is people spending time together who don't even like each other), the blatant hypocrisy of once-a-year churchgoers, all of the selfishness (how it's a holiday for children, yay!), etc... In fact, I had some pretty funny and compelling things to say and then I decided to rewrite it because I like Christmas lights. And I like Christmas trees. And I like getting drunk at my Aunt's house on Christmas Eve. And of course, all of these traditions don't mean anything to me but what does it really matter? How much energy am I going to waste on the rest of the world being screwed up?

I'd like to believe in something greater than us because I'd like to feel that something can connect us on a more than just a physical or coincidental level. It's good to keep humanity humble. How often am I susceptible to hubris when I'm criticizing other people? When I'm feeling intellectually superior because they're close-minded or feeling morally superior when they're selfish and I'm a fucking Martyr. Yeah, it's basically all bullshit. Fairy stories from the Bible are ridiculous, but there's something unsatisfying about science's failure to find any purpose whatsoever. The God Theory at least tries something different and it's not pandering to the Christian (which may not be wise, because they are a massive market of moneyspenders) or the atheist (who already have their secular texts which might as well be Bibles) demographics, he's going for the people in between. Which, I guess, are guys like me. If you're curious, it's a good companion to a Richard Dawkins (who's married to Romana II, so he has to be alright) book and it's a good alternate perspective that's not too flighty or too cold.

Ike Still Loves Ya, Baby

His later life wasn't as glorious, but without him, none of us would be in business. I just didn't know that Ike Turner was 76! RIP

Humanity Should Not Be Destroyed: Reason #2

Here's a link to an article about the worst employees of the year. But when I went to Best Buy on the West Side yesterday morning, I encountered probably the nicest staff I've ever encountered at a Best Buy. And I'm not being sarcastic here, everyone was not just really nice but they were helpful and when I said that I just wanted the cheapest things available (I was looking for a small camera tripod and headphones for the gym) no one harassed me (I'm looking at you, Guitar Center), no one tried to cajole or guilt me into buying something more expensive, they were just helpful and made my experience pleasant and quick. It was sincerely positive. Excellent work, West Side Best Buy employees, you've postponed oblivion one more day!

Sunspot Road Mania - Ep. 73

Sunspot stuck in the ditch before practice!

Home of the Whopper

This guy found a condom in his Whopper and he says the experience has caused him "pain, suffering, nightmares, distress, and medical expenses". I thought this might have something to do with the Whopper Freakout commercial, but no, it's real.

Superbad

Super bad is right. Seth Rogan is a pretty funny dude, but I'm glad I saw it at the budget theater. There were lots of slow parts and the movie was too long. It would've been a lot funnier had there been more well-placed punchline deliveries and less mindless vulgarity. I'm a fan of mindless vulgarity, just as much as the next guy, but there has to be some kind of setup or it's just like being in the high school locker room again. The cell phone scene was pretty truckin funny, though.

Nice write-up in Wausau

citypages
Originally uploaded by sunspotben

Thanks, Dino!

Humanity Should Not Be Destroyed: Reason #1

I usually only write about things that cause me great agita and general loathing for other human beings and I've realized that's probably not a really healthy way to write and think. Plus, I was thinking about The Day The Earth Stood Still (and "Encounter at Farpoint" to some extent but without the ridiculous and cutesy costume-changing superbeing) and I realized that if an alien came to me and asked me why the human race should be saved instead of exterminated, I wouldn't have enough good reasons. So, now, every time I see something that illustrates why we should go on as a species, I'd just like to point it out.

Like today, I'm driving on Madison's east side this morning and my stylish and powerful 2000 Cavalier got stuck in the snow at the intersection of Willy and Ingersoll and I wasn't able to turn right. I couldn't move. There was some cable installation truck or something construction-related behind me and after a few seconds there were two guys pushing my car out of the snow. Two guys who normally I'd see at a bar and most probably scoff at because I'd think they were rednecks. Those guys pushed me out of the snow without a second thought and waved and smiled when I was able to get out. They didn't have to do anything but did the friendly thing anyway. Those guys, with their good deed, might have saved the human race.

Well, they certainly made my day anyway. I just wanted to acknowledge it.

Sunspot December Fun

Lots of fun shows coming up this month. Come on out and celebrate the season Sunspot-style!

Great Day To Play Hooky

Doctor Who Marathon until 4 on Sci-Fi and it's the Christopher Eccleston episodes!

These Dudes Are Awesome

Just a couple of buck naked men buying Skittles in a goofy and ballsy stunt.

There was a guy on my high school track team that everyone used to call Skittles because that was his favorite candy. He was always the last to come in on the track, but he ALWAYS ran his heart out, every time. I wish I could say that about myself.

29 Year Old Grandma!

Straight from the Quad Cities, this woman is a grandmother at 29!

I call my friends, "Grandma" all the time as a term of endearment (kind of endearment, it's mostly to make fun), but this is the real deal. One of our buddies is a grandfather at 35, as well, so I guess it works for him as well.

I don't want to make a judgment call here, but the girl who was pregnant had to move out of the house and into a special home because the mother (who did the exact same thing) was so mad. Where the Hell was her pregnant daughter supposed to go? And now they're all buddy-buddy again? Who was taking care of her daughter and her grandchild when she kicked them out of her apartment? Kick out your child and hopefully the state will pick up the tab? Um, fuck that.

Home recording tonight!

Home recording tonight!
Originally uploaded by sunspot_mike

The scientists are trying to figure out the V-Drums as we speak!

Wendy's DrummerCam: Saturday 12/1/07 @ The Bar & Grill, Wausau, WI

I present to you the brave warriors who battled the elements in the name of rock and roll:

Almost time to record!

Almost time to record!
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

The drums are mic'ed up and we're just about to being tracking!

Much Better Roads

Much Better Roads
Originally uploaded by sunspot_mike

For our drive to Racine to Renwood Messenger Studios this morning. It was a fairly ugly morning but we're up now and in a fairly good mood even if our heads don't necessarily agree with us.

We made it

We made it
Originally uploaded by sunspot_mike

It's on!

Taking a break near Point

Taking a break near Point
Originally uploaded by sunspot_mike

Nobody's dead, yeah!

Sunspot Road Mania - Ep. 7brrrrr

On the way to Wausau and terrified!

Direct download link: http://www.sunspotmusic.com/roadmania/sunspot_rm_72.m4a

Let it snow!

Let it snow!
Originally uploaded by sunspot_mike

We're still planning on making it to Wausau tonight and are on the road. It's one helluva storm and if we can't make it we'll let everyone know immediately. Until then, it's half speed ahead!

The weather outside is frightful

The weather outside is frightful
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

.. And loading the van in it is absolutely delightful.