I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: PEARL JAM-Live at Easy Street (2006).

This is a live EP of Pearl Jam playing at the Easy Street record store in West Seattle. Wikipedia says their set list had 16 songs; however the EP (which is only about 25 minutes) has 7 songs. The EP is really great, though, as it contains some terrific punk covers in addition to some classic PJ tracks. It also makes the set seem like it was much more fast and furious than it actually was. The disc speeds up really quickly with the one minute “Lukin” and then jumps right a cover of The Avengers’ “American in Me” and then a song later, a fabulous cover of the Dead Kennedys “Bleed for Me” (complete with right-on squealing guitar noises), and then, the biggest surprise a great cover of X’s “The New World” (complete with guest vocals by John Doe). They end with a great rendition of “Porch” and then they’re done. I suppose it is more for completists, but i you’re not a big PJ fan, but like their harder stuff, this is a great EP to check out.

[READ: May 6, 2008] “Bullfighting”

This story focuses on 4 middle-aged Irishmen and the bonds they create by meeting weekly for pints to talk about…nothing. Donal and Elaine have been more or less happily married for years. All of their kids are grown, and Donal is, well, satisfied with his life. He raised good kids, they are well and grown and now he is moving into his mature years. One thing that he has kept up since he was young is a weekly trip down the pub with his mates. When Elaine asks him why he likes to hang out with them so much, we get this fantastic exchange: “‘Listen. I suppose what I’m wondering is: What do you talk about?’ He looked at her. ‘Football,’ he said. He knew she’d hate the answer.”

Despite the tension of this exchange, Donal is pretty happy with his life. His mates are all going through tough times, and he admits that he and Elaine went through a rough patch but they have gotten past that now.

The bulk of the story, and the title, occur when they four guys go to Spain together on holiday (one of the friends’ cousin has a villa there). It is a week of drinking too much, lounging around the pool, and wearing shorts for pretty well the first time as an adult. Donal wants a bit of excitement from the trip, something different than just drinks and talk. There is excitement to be had in the villa as the bulls are running through. Donal, after a drunken night, wanders into the bullring and is able to feel first hand the adrenaline that a bull can raise.

Nothing much happens in the story. It is one of middle aged men, doing what middle aged men do. But it was very enjoyable, as most of Roddy’s stories tend to be.

Here’s a link to the story.