>:C'EST BON#!

So last night I witnessed Bon Iver gracing the stage of Paradiso, Justin Vernon accompanied by a band consisting of three. Supporting act were the Bowerdbirds who were pretty cool, though they didn't sound as good as on their record. Especially compared to Bon Iver's set they sounded a bit hollow and empty, whereas Bon Iver's sound was so complete and really felt to fill up every corner of the venue. Bon Iver which started with Justin Vernon who locked himself up in a cabin somehere in Wisconsin and recorded Bon Iver's debut, insisted that they are now a real band and no longer just Vernon's project. And by the sound of it, he's right. The band does really add something to the songs, resulting in such a great energy live that at times I could have even danced to some of the songs, which can be said to be far from dance tunes. Opener, just as on the album For Emma, Forever Ago was Flume. They were immediately off to a good start and proofed that adding a full band was not a bad idea at all, extending the songs with long instrumental parts which aren't that long as on the album. Especially Creature Fear turned out to be a real treat. What I like most about hearing songs played live is that I always get surprised. I know the songs, but when standing there and a song starts to build I suddenly remember that now comes a really great part and my excitement kicks up to a complete new level. Also playing a new track called Blood Bank, a really nice tune which revealed a bit of the direction Bon Iver seems to take next, and a cover sung by a very young guy Mike, who probably has not yet even entered his twenties, one of the members of the band. Great voice, though Vernon's is the one that really strikes a chord. His voice is drenched with pure emotion and sounds as good live as on the record, if not better. They ended their set by bringing back the Bowerbird to the stage and performed the song Lover's For Fools by Sarah Siskind, partly acapella that is, bringing something to the stage that was so sincere and pure I almost felt like an intruder. Overall a very warm and atmospheric concert, making for a lovely evening. My love for Bon Iver was already huge, but now has reached even greater heights. See them if you can!

I didn't take any pictures. Reason 1, because some will probably pop up on the net soon, 2, because I was enjoying the songs too much and didn't want to distract myself by taking pictures, 3, because I do feel kind of strange taking pictures of these people and I know the only reason for taking them would be to show them as proof that I really went to see them. Pictures from concerts do look incredibly cool though, there's always interesting lighting. So maybe if I had a professional camera I would have taken some, I'm sure I would have taken some actually. Yup, I really REALLY want one!

Someone made a video of last night. Justin Vernon performing what is probably my favourite song by them Re: Stacks all by himself, enjoy enjoy:



Some people did take pictures, here are some of them!

Bowerbirds:





Bon Iver:









Bon Iver + Bowerbirds:

^#PHOTOGRAPHY RIOTS AND ME@~

Photography and cinema are closely linked which is sometimes forgotten. Just look at some of these by Todd Hido. Some of them seem to come straight out of a film.







Wouldn't want to be at these photo's locations all by myself... or then again maybe I would. All a bit scary and lonely looking.






I need a professional camera fast!

Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line is quickly growing on me. First I was only going crazy over Ghost Under Rocks and wasn't quite won over by the rest of the album yet, but now I definitely am. Each Year, Oh La, Dying Is Fine, all equally as good as Ghost Under Rocks. I'm very pleased with this band.



Yesterday morning doing some recording to preserve myself in time. Indeed blogs are all about self promotion :) Can't disagree. But I just like to wave at the camera, it's fun!

$@DOING WELL~|

Went to the logopediatrician (say it 10 times and your cured) today. I need one if you had not yet figured that out. It was cool and fun. And she told me I did a good job already, better than most of her clients. And yeah, university. Realized that it´s really true. Ever since I got back to the UvA I haven´t spoken any Dutch while being there! My lectures are in English, my seminars are in English and all the students I´m with, except for this one guy Marijn, are international students. It´s just like in Canterbury.

%$RA TA TA RAAAAAAAAAAAA_(

A good band name is a plus, but to me it sometimes seems a real must as just a band´s name can get me excited already without having even heard one song. I guess good bands have animals in them, 'cause lots of them seem to be great, Band Of Horses, Panda Bear, Modest Mouse, Arctic Monkeys, and of course the mighty Wolf Parade are just a few. But it seems having some Ra Ra's or Ta Ta's in your name's not so bad either and guarantees your band to Ro Ro ROCK! At least for both Ra Ra Riot and Ratatat, that is. Love them both and just discovered them like yesterday. Well Euan listened to Ratatat so I thought what's thathatat? And Ra Ra Riot, I came across their video for the greatness that is their song called Ghost Under Rocks while looking for some stuff about Alma Har'el, director of Beirut's music video for Elephant Gun. Ratatat's Seventeen Years is an instant smash that makes you go F*CK YEAH and NOW I CAN DIE.




So just as one movie still can make me go all kinds of crazy over a movie without knowing the director, plot, or having even seen one second of it (this was for both the film 4.30 by Royston Tan - which I still haven't seen unfortunately - and Margot At The Wedding - the pink hat does it for me, it's just such a nice detail which immediately catches my attention, I like that - though they're just two of many examples) a bands name alone can get me excited as well or at least curious. Anyway, anyone knows something synonymous to 'at least' 'cause I'm using it way too much.



Just this picture is enough to go me all kinds of crazy. It shows so much and yet so little. It just makes me tremendously curious and excited to watch this film called 4.30.



Yup, that's the kid in the background I was talking about earlier, just behind Nicole Kidman wearing the pretty pink hat. You know it's a boy, but he just can't help challenging you to wonder if he really is one or turns out to be a girl, which would not come as a surprise if it turned out he really was, but he's not.

It's late. I need bed.

^@I GO COCONUTS?)

Watching a Noah Baumbach film is kind of like watching a Wes Anderson's, or at least that's the feeling I get. And in some of Anderson's films a certain Mr. Schwartzman plays one of the leading characters. Look they're all connected! And apart from being one of the coolest actors right now (watch Shopgirl, it sounds like a girly type of film and it's based on a novella actor/comedian Steve Martin wrote, but it features some of the nicest scenes and a cool performance by Claire - who most still only know from Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet - Danes, long sentence with lots of names right there, dont know what has come over me!) he's also the singer in his own band, called Coconut Records, and I so happen to really really like them and yes, his music's really really good. Just fun, fresh, easy listening. Have been listening to his record for quite a long time already though. And some songs feature Kirsten Dunst doing some impressive backing vocals. Turns out she has a pretty nice voice.



He's related to the Coppola family by the way. The one Francis Ford and Sofia also belong to.

%!SQUID><

I just finished watching The Squid And The Whale of which I forgot how great it is. I love the family Noah Baumbach presents, so honest, so recognizable, and making for some very embarrassing but funny moments. If only I would be able to write something like that.
Just around the middle I was thinking how great it must have been seeing this film in a small art house type of cinema and enjoying it with a crowd of people who, if they'd enjoy it of course, would just totally get you right there and then, laughing at the same things you laugh at and appreciating all Baumbach presents. It's nice having some confirmation sometimes knowing that there are other people out there just like you. So yeah, a big screen and great sound aren't the only aspects which can make going to the cinema such a more wonderful experience than watching a movie at home.



And I liked Margot At The Wedding, unlike lots of others. Just the kid playing the son made watching it all the less enjoyable as I could not shed this thought of him having easily been a girl. This distracted me every time.

$~GIVING NEW MEANING TO TREES"{

Myoung Ho Lee's trees give us a new perspective of looking at our environment. What's real, what's art? Where does the white cube end? Enjoy...

#§THE SADNESS)&

Last year this day I left to Canterbury to attend the English language course without any knowledge of what to come, what to expect. A year gone by and so much has happened.

Not a good day to be alone, so mum, dad, I´m coming for dinner! :)

My Own Canterbury Tales

|}THE WRESTLER TAKES THE GOLD>^

Just recently I watched Darren Aronofsky's Requiem For A Dream again, making me realize once more how much I love the film and the guy. Though his follow-up The Fountain was considered by many as being flawed, I love it and it's one of my favourite films. Aronofsky always provides something interesting and I love his cutting and his mixing of images creating this effect of chaos such as with the opening credits of Pi. His latest effort is said to be his most easily accessible film yet, causing a lot of criticism in fans who want to see another Aronofsky in the same line as his previous films. Some people called him a sell out and point out that this is what happens when your last film isn't as succesful as studios hoped it would be. Some are afraid Aronofsky is no longer able to really be as creative as he wants to be having now to please the studios in order to gain back the studios' trust, showing that indeed he can still make a good film after The Fountain which some found to be a disaster. But now The Wrestler turns out to have won the golden lion at the Venice Film Festival, taking top honours, which is a big thing! Mickey Rourke who stars as the film's main protagonist already received raves for his performance, but the film winning the lion shows that the film itself is apparently really good as well. So I'm now very exited about seeing it and to see where this film will take Aronofsky. The music is still by Clint Mansell who's music for The Fountain is beautiful. Hopefully Aronofsky wins back the studio's trust and soon is able to really do a project the way he really wants again and is most passionate about.

?>Gloomy Copenhagen+!

After the nighttrain I woke up in Copenhagen where I first met this girl and her mother and three of her mother's friends or sisters who had been hiking and had been sleeping in the couchette with me. The girl spoke English really well and told me she was into film, was a dancer and had made her own short film, being now more interested in cinema than ever before. We got to this point after she asked whether there was something I really wnated to visit and then I mentioned the Cinemateket as one of the things I wanted to see. And so it happened that she informed me about her passion for cinema and I told her about mine. The weather in Copenhagen wasn't as nice as in Frankfurt, which the girl warned me about as she told me in Copenhagen it's always very gloomy. However, I ended up liking this as it gave the city even more character. With its big wide open streets Copenhagen felt to really be a city standing on its own. So far I haven't seen any city like it. It appears really fresh, clean and kind of modern. I went to visit another museum, however the Cinemateket was really more just a cinema and I wasn't going to see a movie so it ended up not being that interesting. After the museum I walked and walked in order to take a picture of the famous statue of the mermaid. Lots of people surrounding it, but really, it's not that special at all. Shops were closed and late in the afternoon I didn't have that much left to do. Started to just wander around the city a bit and then ended up going back to the train station where I went online and bought three DVD's with my Danish money. Next stop, Prague.




Birds! Hitchcock would be proud :)




And there she was...

_)WAY TO FIGHT BOREDOM>#

I didn't know there were so many different ways to tie your shoes!
The site is full with tips and methods to lace your shoes and there is even a weekly photo of a funky pair of laced shoes.
So start lacing!




Might be an interesting way to waste some time :)
Go here:
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/spiderweblacing.htm

+-GOD DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST GOD DAMN PLANS DOES HE?:"

I'm addicted to this song called Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts so I put it in the player. Of course it's a track by the mighty Wolf Parade and because of it I'm gushing over their first album Apologies To The Queen Mary all over again. Love the lyrics of every song on it, they're so great! And I will see them for real! :)

*@IT'S CALLED A CARDIGAN AND GUYS WEAR THEM TOO!|"

No, they're NOT just for girls. Grrrrrr!

Roger Federer wears one.



David Beckham apparently does so too.



Even Kanye and Pharrell!




So you see mother, we guys wear them too! :p

?>FIRST STOP FRANKFURT AM MAIN#%

It was a long long first day. After leaving in the morning from Amsterdam central train station I went on my way to Frankfurt. Visited the Goethe Haus and a museum and then still had lots of time left. Walked back and forth a lots of times between this small park in front of the big Euro sign and the shop filled streets. The weather was good, don't be too fooled by the clouds. Had some sushi in the evening, first time on a conveyor belt! Frankfurt was a good place to start off with, though late in the afternoon I already had seen every inch of the city.





People kept taking pictures of the sign. I decided to take one too.



After another frapuccino kind of fruit drink it was time to go to Copenhagen.

^$HOME AGAIN&#

The travelling is over, I've seen so much of Europe, almost different city/country every day. It has been the most amazing thing and can definitely recommend it! Gonna miss the nighttrain though and the sharing of experiences with fellow travellers who you meet randomnly as you make your way through. Now I have to get ready for uni again doing my Masters. Need to catch some sleep and would love to do it all over, maybe next year?

Not that much change after 22 days.

&@LEAVING SOON<>

I'm leaving soon. Hope I'll make it back home safe. Three weeks. Big adventure. I'm ready. Will be posting here as much as I can if I find a place to connect to the net.

And now let's wave to the camera...

#%DARK KNIGHT EXPLODES INTO DEVENDRA)^

The Dark Knight, extremely cool, Ledger is a brilliant Joker and has multiple showstealing scenes. It's fun from beginning to end and it's one of those films which I wouldn't mind seeing again immediately. Sometimes I feel watching a film again too soon could spoil the amazing experience I had, but with the latest Batman I could just go a second time and enjoy it all over again. It's just a very fun ride. I also really enjoyed watching Gary Oldman, really enjoyed his character.


Right now I'm pretty much obsessing over Explosions In The Sky. They get better every listen. I guess it's just because their songs are so long so every time you discover something new. Thanks to Euan for having recommended them to me somewhere during the last ten months. It's always easier checking out bands of which friends tell you they're truly worth your time. So many great tunes, one of which is Time Stops, which gets crazy good at around 4.45! And I just love the title of one of their EPs, Suddenly I Miss Everyone.


Also, Devendra Banhart. Loved the guy, but never felt I truly got into him before. But this was until some days ago I decided to listen to Rejoicing In The Hands which features the song A Sight To Behold which truly won me over. Worth your time I say ;)

$%WHY SO SERIOUS?{:

Finally I will see it! Most anticipated so far, apart from Boy A, 4:30 (Filmmuseum, need to get there!), The Visitor (watch The Station Agent and you'll know why), and since recently In Search Of A Midnight Kiss. Will it live up to the hype? We'll see...