Movies of Myself

Safe Passage

For the past few weeks I have been eagerly following the adventures of Zac Sunderland after reading a cover article about him in ESPN Magazine.

Sunderland set off in his 36 foot sailboat, Intrepid, from Marina Del Rey a little over a year ago on June 14, 2008. He was attempting to set a record for being the youngest person to sail alone around the world. He was 16 years old.

These circumnavigation stories fascinate me. Because, while most of my brain understands that I would suffer a pathetic death on day three of such an undertaking (I know nothing about ships and can't even swim) there is a part of me deep in my heart that can imagine no greater peace, freedom and illuminating happiness than to be on the deck of your own ship, a thousand miles from anyone, watching stars shoot across an infinite sky. It helps that I have always embraced the benefits of solitude.

But at one point on this journey Zac Sunderland spent 34 days alone at sea. Even at my grumpiest I can't fathom going over a month without seeing another person. It would drive most any of us crazy, I think. At 16 it would've done me in under no uncertain terms.

In the past year, Sunderland has dealt with night after night of aloneness. He has been followed by pirates, hit by rogue waves, nearly been crushed by huge freighters and he's kept himself busy with schoolwork, video games and you know, not dying, all the while. He has suffered and thrived through a ceaseless number of equipment failures and sudden changes in currents and weather and he has made friends and come to know himself in a way very few of us ever can.

And in just a few days, on Thursday, July 14th, Zac Sunderland will sail back into port in Marina Del Rey, completing his thirteen month journey of a lifetime. Awesome.

Sleep on the train to Tokyo, google yourself when you get home.

Okay, so here's the music you're going to be listening to all weekend. Maybe all summer. Are you ready? Get ready.

It's Vampire Weekend + Ra Ra Riot (it's a side project). Throw in some synth, a wee bit of autotune, ease it on down until everything feels alllllright and you've got this band: Discovery.

Their album LP is brilliant, laid back fun times. It's ten short tracks that go by so quickly and so delightfully that, after the last song, I always moan, "Nooo---- over already? Well I guess I'll just have to play it again." And then again. And again.

LP has been getting some extra attention lately because of its slinky cover of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back", but every track on it is worthy of your love. And the Amazon mp3 download of the album is only four freaking dollars. Whoomp, there it is, babies.

Orange Shirt - Discovery

Carby (ft. Ezra Koenig) - Discovery

Slang Tang - Discovery

You've been forewarned of the shake-shakedown.

Mid Week Mini Music Mix - Death Cab For Cutie, July 5th 2009 - Hollywood Bowl

Look, when you see a band play live a dozen times in the space of about five years, you start getting a bit cocky about how well you know their performance style. Their shows start to feel worn in and comfortable. Maybe a little too comfortable. And so it was with my beloved Death Cab. Sure, it's nice to know exactly which lines Ben Gibbard will harmonize in contrast to the album version of "The New Year". But a lot of the wonder wears off as a result. Things get a little repetitious. So how do you change things up for a die-hard hardcore fan like me?

You fricking get the Los Angeles Philharmonic to play backup for you, that's how. Wow. Wow. To say that I was impressed with the DCFC show at the Hollywood Bowl is an almost ludicrous understatement. A couple of days have passed and I still don't fully comprehend it. My boys from Seattle, who couldn't sell out an all ages show at a tiny place in Pomona before Transatlanticism came out. A group whose name drew strange blank stares six years ago when I decided they were my favorite band. My little band whose albums have truly been the soundtrack to my life. Suddenly I was watching them perform with aplomb on a world-famous stage with a world-famous orchestra.

It was completely insane. I just kep thinking, "there is a harpist strumming along to Death Cab. What the eff. Sheet music was printed for a violin part in 'Soul Meets Body'!" "The L.A. Philharmonic had to learn and rehearse Death Cab songs." "A real conductor is conducting DCFC tracks. Oh my god."

It was utterly beautiful. I almost cried aloud in delight (and actually almost just cried) because some of the songs sounded so fresh and surprising in these arrangements. The strings section for "You Can Do Better Than Me" was a revelation. For the first time in a really long time I saw the band members smile with pure, genuine enjoyment.

And of course they cap the whole thing off with a version of "Transatlanticism" that is outright astonishing. A spirited and moving performance of a song that I thought couldn't get any better live (they proved me wrong), set to a gorgeous and perfectly timed fireworks extravaganza. Unbelievable.

I also want to mention how well the openers, The New Pornographers and Tegan & Sara, set the stage for Death Cab. The New Pornos played a short but lovely set which I thoroughly enjoyed despite the absence of my darling Neko Case. And Tegan & Sara? What can I say. These ladies are rock stars. They thoroughly won over the crowd of nearly 18,000 with their music and with their buckets of funny, honest charm. Tegan & Sara got a standing ovation at the end of their set, which is unheard of for an opener, especially at an L.A. concert. I'm so happy for them.

So as you can see, it was definitely one of the best concerts I've been to. Ever. As soon as Death Cab announced this show there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I would be there in Hollywood on Sunday evening. I am grateful and blessed that it was everything I'd barely dared to hope it would be. A night I'll never forget.

I'll leave you with a few Death Cab songs that mean so very much to me.

Lowell, MA - Death Cab For Cutie - The song that made me fall in love with this band. I first heard it at a listening station at the now-defunct Virgin Megastore in Ontario and music was never the same for me again.

Title And Registration - Death Cab For Cutie - The exact story told in this song happened to me. It was 2003, the year this album came out and I was fumbling around in my glove compartment for some DMV papers when I unexpectedly found a little photo wallet with pictures of me and my ex. We'd broken up in the most astonishingly painful manner not long before, so this song resonated in a way I can still barely express.

What Sarah Said - Death Cab For Cutie - This song went a long way towards patching up my heart when they played it at a show at the end of 2006. It was a year marked with death and with an almost excrutiating cloud of loss and regrets for me. They played a super spare version in an almost dark theater and I was never more moved by their words: "Love is watching someone die. So who's gonna watch you die?"

The Photo Album - 09.03

During my last 365 project summary post, I fretted over the low, sad state of my interest in photography. So imagine my surprise when my photo love peaked again soon thereafter and i threw myself back into the hobby with gusto. A couple of things happened. The end of spring and the start of summer came and, with them, a whole slew of bright and inspiring colors were all around me. Also, I started to cook more again.

Instead of searching out a bunch of new and unusual subjects or places to capture, I reapplied myself to the things I know best: food photography and vivid still lifes. I've had the most success with these in the past, but you can always learn more and try harder. I focused more on food textures and on focusing with light. I used fewer props, preferring to showcase my chosen items with balanced placement in simpler settings. Restraint is not my strong suit, so these were all very important exercises for me.

What's in line for the next two months? I think I'll try to venture back out for some more photo outings before the weather cools down again. Since this is the first year I actually like summer, I'd love to take some shots that really capture the season for me. I can't wait.