Jersey, I Hardley Knew Ya!

Tomorrow morning we head to New Jersey for the last time for my nephew's baptism. We've really enjoyed having family there, so it's kind of a bummer. But Chris and his family are moving to Utah, and soon we'll be moving to parts unknown as well. Even though we've only been in State College for 2 years, it's starting to feel like the end of an era. Still, I'm more excited for the upcoming era: A real job! A real home (eventually)! A real life! Good stuff.

Watched a great little documentary today called New York Doll. It's about Arthur "Killer" Kane, bass player for the New York Dolls, one of the most influential pre-punk bands of the seventies. This is the band that influenced a ton of more successful bands, from the Clash and Blondie to Morrissey and the Pretenders. After falling out of the spotlight, Arthur joined the Mormon church (Hey, me too!) and settled into a quiet and low-key life. This is the story of the Dolls, of Kane's rise, fall, and re-rise, and of the reunion show for which the Dolls performed in 2004. A fascinating and entertaining documentary, and one which brings a long-forgotten star out of the shadows. I'd highly recommend it (and be sure you let it play through the credits so you can hear David Johansen -- better known in the 80s as Buster Poindexter -- perform a raw and bluesy version of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief").

I'd also highly recommend that you check out the Bookshelf. I added a review of Gregory Maguire's Wicked, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, whether you've read the book or not.