Full Nights at the Empty Bottle

Bat For Lashes, originally uploaded by Glastonbury on the BBC.

While all of the hipsters were geeking out to Dan Deacon, we saw Bat For Lashes with the Nerdsters. Their performance was like watching a History textbook come to life. In a really good – heart tingly kind of way.

Lewis and Clarke opened. They did a slow, creepy cover of Jackson C. Frank's "Carnival". I almost exploded.

It drizzled on our way home.

This is perfect!

And just in time for Critical Mass tomorrow. Almost Happy Friday!

Shanina!

shannonjanaina, originally uploaded by Juxtaposedface.

A little history lesson. Janina V. and I first met when we were fifteen years old. We were on a Study Abroad program in Australia. I was placed in Melbourne and she in Adelaide. On an official USAC safarri we traveled by bus and tent through the great continent of Australia with other kids in the program who were stationed in Tasmania as well. (That would be my twin's group including the great Robin and Jake-a-rooni.) Janina and I bonded over Tim-Tams and cried in the outback about the pains of adolescence as Dreamtime settled all around us. She and I only knew each other for two and a half weeks.

We kept in touch through the years via e-mail, letters and phone calls. She knew my deep dark secrets and I knew hers. We were a distant, objective ear.

Fast forward to 2004 and I am on another Study Abroad program in the Czech Republic. I took a side trip to Rotterdam, Holland to see Janaina. We had not seen each other since Australia. Much to our delight we got along better than well. We bonded over the pains of post-adolescence and Dutch cookies as our Mushroom induced dreaming settled all around us.

Janina is in America. So far we have seen Jeff Wall prints, had romantic strolls through the park, ridden our bikes drunkenly through the city, seen a petting zoo of rats with Robin at Happy Village, set up a video rental for both of us, fought trolls with umbrellas, disgusted and surprised each other with how sick we both are, ran through the rain and subsequently danced in our underwear to Kate Bush (ok it was just me - I like what God gave me- sue me), and we have eatten a lot of cupcakes.

And we are also heart-breakingly photogenic.

Yay for seeing the world!

Inspiration

Like a breath of fresh air.

Dear Life,

Thanks for being insane.

Love,
Shannon

B (log) Vitamins

I apologize for my lack of Blogging lately. A lot has been going on. I just moved to a new hood and I am having Rogers Park withdrawals. Just joking. It takes me 15 minutes to get to work by bike now and I pass what I (my nose) think is a Bread Factory and a pool (my eyes).


Suffice to say - lots of changes are happening and are about to happen. Thank God for all of my awesome friends and brother who have been helping my sister and I move /cope with shiznit.


Also, you should check out Megan's Blog to get some perspective: Red Beans and Lice. Watch Kota howl and hear from Megan's mouth how awesome I am. And my mom. Sandra Rae is awesome. Just think about THAT.

Mom and Meg at American Can Company, originally uploaded by Juxtaposedface.

And it wouldn't be a Shannon Post without an entertainment recommendation:




I saw Sunshine with Mike, Funzi and Megan this weekend. It was (Mike you will like this) AMAZING.

A Long Blog for a Long Day

Westernmost Puerto Rican flag on Division St (May 2003)., originally uploaded by YoChicago1.

This week has been super busy. I meant to write a really detailed account of my magical weekend from last week, but had to make a quick trip to New Orleans for family matters.

I will give a few suggestions for those who live in Chicago. Firstly, go to Public Pools and parks. The Chicago Park District is a thing of beauty. You will be greeted by tons of little kids who want to swim with you and comment on your boy choices. LaToya thinks Megan's dude is "ugly". And the water is ice, ice cold.

Second suggestion - Go to the Puerto Rican festival in Humboldt Park. It is way tastier than St. Patrick's Day. Get the stick full of meat and a Pina Colada in a Pineapple.

And third, next time Dax Riggs comes to town - go. You know that really tense video of David Bowie and Mick Jagger dancing and singing with each other? Well, when they were done shooting they went down to the swamps of Louisiana and made love. They had a baby and his name is Dax Riggs.



The show reminded me that sometimes the best part of meeting people are the cds and books they leave behind on your nightstand.

Hungarian Wine and Bread Dumplings

It was the summer of 2004. Ashley Simpson came out with her first single. I studied in Prague.

I watched Daisies to prepare myself and I guess it was spot on. At one point we did stop in a field and made wreaths of flowers. Those that know me also know that besides reading Kafka and Kundera I cried a lot. I missed my then boyfriend.

Crying fits aside, I got to have a lot of madcap adventures gallavanting throughout Europe. I even saw the Queen of England. And what.

I also befriended two particular people while studying. One being a 4'11" blonde version of my twin sister. Way to go Shannon. And the other was the only other person besides myself in a committed relationship who stayed that way while in Europa. The three of us had lots of drunken adventures involving such props as knives, castles, and absinthe.



For the first time since this trip, we will all be meeting up. This holy reunion will take place in Madison, Wisconsin. I think cheese and booze will play a large part in whatever happens.

PS - I just watched Scoop and it was awesome. Scarlett's character in it was hillarious.

I'm Kind of Excited.

BrightEyes_01.jpg, originally uploaded by Juxtaposedface.

I'm kind of excited, dudes. Bright Eyes is coming out with a new record - Cassadaga. Nevermind that Conor is a total dreamboat. He has eyes like a puppy and sounds like a goat. Sigh. Here is a sampling of his new lyrical genius.

Four Winds.

Your class, your cash, your country, sect, your name or your tribe
There's people always dying trying to keep them alive
His body's decomposing in containers tonight
In an abandoned building where

A squatter's made a mural of a Mexican girl
With fifteen cans of spray paint and a chemical swirl
She's standing in the ashes at the end of the world
Four winds blowing through her hair

But when great Satan's gone, the whore of Babylon
She just can't sustain the pressure where it's placed
She caves

The Bible's blind, the Torah's deaf, the Qu'ran's mute
If you learn them all together you get close to the truth still
They are pouring over sanskrit on the ivy league moons
While shadows lengthen the sun

Cast all the school and meditation built to soften the times
And hold us at the center while the spiral unwinds
It's knocking over fences, crossing property lines
Four winds, cry until it comes

And it's the song of man
Slouching towards Bethlehem
A heart just can't contain all of that empty space
It breaks, it breaks, it breaks

Well, I went back, I rent a Cadillac, a company jet
Like a newly orphaned refugee, retracing my steps
All the way to Casa David to commune with the dead
They said, "You'd better look alive"

And I was off to old Dakota where a genocide sleeps
In the black hills, the bad lands, the calloused east
I buried my ballast, I made my peace
With four winds, levelling the pines

But when great Satan's gone, the whore of Babylon
She just can't compete with all that outer space
She caves, she caves, she caves, she caves

They have that song and one called "No One would Riot for Less" on the Bright Eyes website. I am seeing the Akron Family show at the Empty Bottle tonight. But, my sister is taking FOREVER to get ready.

So, I will just listen to these two songs over and over. Think about going to New Orleans for their show in May. Eyes like a puppy. I got Blood Brothers tickets today. Thrashing about is on the not to distant horizon.

And finally, I want elaborate comments at the bottom of my flower posts. Write a short story, a poem, or a manifesto. Things like Mein Kempf or Leaves of Grass, but in your own words.

iPod R.I.P.

Erin is back!, originally uploaded by Parvati the Witch.

I recieved my iPod in May 2005 as a Graduation gift from my dad. It was a 30 GB iPhoto. On the back my brother had it inscribed with this "Shannon Morley - Awesomeness From on High" He originally wanted to write Immovable Object on mine and Irresistable Force on Megan's. I thought that calling me Immovable Object was just another fat joke so Awesomeness it was. I digress. My iPod died and this old picture does a good job of showing off my sad face. I took it to the Apple store and they said there was nothing they could do for my little guy. I looked into the clerk's eyes, "Nothing?" "Nothing," he replied.

Bummer.



In other news - I love dresses! I wish I had a new dress everyday. I would wake up and one would just magically appear hanging all fancifull on the outside of my closet with a bow around it. Like in Alfonso Cuaron's A Little Princess.