Just a few brief notes on this show. The first opener was an act that came complete with a bizarre and crude stop-motion style animation with monkeys of various colors flying about, and rapping, and I guess this thing is only half-finished but now I know what going mad begins to feel like. Mostly missed the second act due to the arrival of several friends who got tipsy and lost arriving via limo (the limo ride being a birthday present) and caught up in talking.
Tune-Yards was brilliant, at least as good if not better than the Holocene show of just two months past, singing, dancing, jumping, and enchanting the crowd through a boisterous and playful set. Being the headliner this time– which bought Amy enough time after her performance to make it to the show this time, bonus– we got a little more of an extended set, including the chance to see “Safety” played live during the encore set. Also, there was some saxamaphone in the mix which worked really far better than it sounds like it ought to. It’s one of those instruments that can really make things cheesy in a hurry; thankfully this was not the case here. Fantastic performances by the Tune-Yards crew and a good night all around (perhaps sans Crayola monkeys).
(Video from the encore found via Mississippi apostille).
June 7th, 2010
A pretty straightforward theme here with a lot of initial options to choose from. There were lots of shoes (from the blue suede, to Costello’s reds, to Adam Ant’s goody two) and a fair number of suits, zoot or otherwise, that didn’t make the cut. And despite the name of the mix, I opted out of “Venus in Furs” for a more upbeat number.
It’s a good, upbeat, party hearty collection of songs, even if Barnes and Barnes legendary classic “Party in My Pants” didn’t quite make the cut. I like to think having two songs about hot pants makes up for this.
While putting this together, I was really pleased to find the song “Marathon Shirt”… I listened to this song a lot in my Cal Poly years and I’ve been trying for years to remember it. Every time I would try, the Spoon song “Fitted Shirt” would get lodged in my head instead. All the powers of the internet can’t help you figure out “what’s that song that’s… about a shirt?” so I was dumbfounded to find it lodged in the recesses of my music library. It was there all along? Good song.
*Yes, it’s Sunday, but it’s Memorial Day Weekend, so I prefer to think of it as Second Saturday.
May 30th, 2010
Full-fledge reviews of Skate 3 can certainly be had elsewhere but precisely because it is iterative, let’s nitpick, shall we?
Things to like:
- Crowd Control: Fewer cars, less annoying pedestrians, and no more guards hassling you. Because there’s enough to worry about when you’re trying to gap a set of thirty stairs.
- An Inviting City: The map is overall more inviting a more skate-friendly than ever; breaking the map up into distinct sections also allows the designers to kill the “dead zones” connecting otherwise interesting areas.
- Darkslides: Cool mechanic (and a pretty trick) that is suitably difficult to pull off.
- Own The Park: A fantastic new mode that’s reminiscent of the two-minute level challenges that were the hallmarks of Ye Old Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1-3.
- 1-Up: This replaces Skate 2′s “skate” game, but it’s much more forgiving– you don’t have to replicate every flick-it trick, which is a highly welcome change.
- Rise And Walk: Off-board controls now with 100% more realistic walking!
For all of this, there are some things yet to bemoan…
- “What” Ain’t No Country I’ve Ever Heard Of: I have this nitpick with ATMs, as well. You know it’s me, why do have to ask me what language I want to use every single time? Especially for a game that has relatively little text. Annoying.
- And Away We… There Already?: With all of the competitions beat and several other challenges bested, over thirty challenges still remain. Yet, I reached the million-boards sold milestone some time ago. If there’s anything we’ve learned, it’s that people love to unlock shit, so give us more to unlock.
- This Park Again?: The Maloof Money Cup was paid DLC for Skate 2. Here it’s part of the core game. It’s a cool park and all, but it smacks of laziness (like reusing the Matrix Plaza from 1 to 2 did).
- Paying For A Filmer Pack: Again, EA? Really? This is setting a bad precedent. Edit: As of today, I no longer see the filmer pack listed in the DLC, and all camera options appear to be available. Thank god.
- A Wrench In My Pocket: Trucks and wheels make a big difference and given the variety of challenges you encounter, you should be able to change this up more easily, ideally without having to quit your current challenge.
Overall I do love the game, and it’s got vast improvements over Skate 2. Here’s hoping we get a little more depth and user-friendliness in the next iteration.
May 30th, 2010
According to a baby book I unearthed in my closet this morning, the first movie I saw was Star Wars at a Drive-In… when I was eight days old.
May 30th, 2010
The third entry and I’m already egregiously breaking my own rules. Way too long and the sound is a bit all over the place on this at times…
Still, I think it’s a pretty good playlist, despite failing to find any good songs for the eight missing states. I’m open to suggestions for those.
May 1st, 2010
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