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Murphy to Auction off 756th Ball
August 21st, 2007 by david layWell, well, well. It looks like Matt Murphy had finally made the decision to *gasp* sell the Barry Bonds ball after all. In the least surprising move in sports memorabilia history, the Queens, New York native has decided to deal the ball to the highest bidder - citing looming taxation as the ‘deciding factor’.
“It wasn’t hard,” Murphy said. “It was simple math. I’m upset by the decision I had to make… I wanted to keep it. I’m young, I don’t have the bank account.”
I think I’m one of about 6 Billion people in this world who were 100% sure that Murphy would sell the ball. I don’t fault him AT ALL! Especially after Bonds himself made it known that he had no interest in the ball. Who wouldn’t sell it? Now the question is: “How much will it fetch?”
Murphy did choose against eBay however: The auction will instead be handled by Sotheby’s/SCP Auctions beginning Aug. 28 and going through Sept. 15. The starting bid has not been determined, and auction officials estimated the ball would bring at least $500,000.
Murphy says he plans on sharing part of his profit with his friend who attended the Giants game with him. They were in town for a brief stopover on a trip to Australia when Murphy found himself the possessor of the prized ball.
I’m guessing it will pull in over a million. I just think that since Mark McGwire’s 70th went for 3 million, the Bonds ball should get at least a third of that. That is a complete guess though. Who Knows?
Posted in Baseball, Yada Yada, Sports | 1 Comment
The Summer Shindig
August 16th, 2007 by david layThis week I returned to USANA Amphitheater for The Summer Shindig, an end-of-the-summer concert medly featuring Stray Cats, The Pretenders and ZZ Top. This is a show that I probably wouldn’t have gone to (there are SO many concerts this summer) except that I won some tickets on 101.9 The End. A Big Thanks to Parker and Wendy for hooking me up with these - the show was a blast!
Stray Cats are touring for the first time since 2004 and Brian Setzer and the boys are having a great time. It was alot of fun to hear these guys live. Brian Setzer is one of the great guitarists around today and the swing/rockabilly music that Stray Cats perform is a lot of fun. The venue wasn’t nearly full for this first set, but the die-hards were there and they LOVED it. “Rock This Town” is a good song. Much Fun.
The Pretenders played next. I think Chrissie Hynde is one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) front women of all time (Though I almost expecting her to sing “Smelly Cat”). They rocked the place. Tons of energy and just all out fun to listen to. They played most of their most popular songs and a couple of other great ones that I hadn’t heard before. I am very excited to be able to say that I saw The Pretenders live.
ZZ Top was the finale…and they lit it up! 4 feet of beard, a drummer named Beard, and 20,000 air guitarists (some had beards) rocked through a hit-laden set of songs. Billy Gibbons has such an awesome voice. The segway stories were really fun and the blues/southern rock absolutely jammed the venue. I don’t think anyone could have possibly left disappointed.
From “Cheap Sunglasses” to “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man” to “Tush” - the bearded gods of rock showed that 35 years and 4 chords can go a LONG way! It’s interesting to note that the 3 members of ZZ Top, Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard have been together for 35 years - they’ve never lost or replaced a band member and they’ve never broken up - Thats an eternity in the RockStar World…
So, I want to send out some props to Parker and 101.9 the End… I moved to Utah a few years ago and I have since struggled to find good music on the radio. I’ve listened to 101.9 for a while and they generally had good music, but honestly, it wasn’t spectacular.
About 6 months ago, they hired Parker from a NYC radio station and he has saved music in Utah! Seriously. There is a major generation gap here that really affects music on the radio. If you’re not some snot-nosed 15 year old and you’re not 108 and listening to MoTab or NPR, then the music (radio) options here are pretty slim. I have this desire for good music. I want to know the new stuff, the old stuff and the good stuff.
Parker has brought a music sophistication to Utah that was far overdue. If you’re in Utah check out the Parker Show between 2-6pm on 101.9 or streaming online at 1019theend.com - I guarantee you’ll love it.
I’m not sure which concert I’ll be able to go to next. Unfortunately I can’t go to all the shows I want to go to this year. I’ll definitely hit up a couple more though.
Posted in Utah Concerts, Yada Yada, Events, Music | 11 Comments
eBay Wants the Ball
August 11th, 2007 by david lay“Dear Mr. Murphy, We want the opportunity to bid on the ball. Yours truly, The eBay community.”
This is the message that eBay is sending, via its homepage, to Matt Murphy the Queens New York resident who snagged the record-breaking 756th homerun ball hit by Barry Bonds on August 7th.
There have already been offers publicly submitted to purchase the ball for $500,000+ and many say that it could easily fetch $2 million or more. Murphy claims that he may, in fact, keep the ball. As a baseball fan, owning a part of history would be something more valuable than money, perhaps.
“…part of me wants to keep it. It’s the greatest American sports accomplishment in history. Part of me might want to sell it, but I really am leaning towards keeping it. It’s just too valuable, sentimental.” Matt said in an interview recently. Sure, Matt. Whatever you say…
There is no way he will keep this ball. The Sporting News is reporting that he may face taxation regardless of whether he sells the ball or not. Because he “acquired this asset” the IRS can tax him based on its estimated value. It could end up costing Murphy hundreds of thousands of dollars too keep this souvenir. CRAZY.
Many baseball fans would love to see him donate it to the Hall of Fame, but that is even less likely than him keeping it. This ball is not likely to ever see Cooperstown. Bonds has spoken his piece as well, stating that he “has never considered a homerun ball to belong to a player. Once a homerun is hit, it belongs to the fans”. Well, if Barry doesn’t want it, there are certainly thousands of people who do.
Matt, you’re going to sell the ball. Go ahead and do it. Quit pretending like you’re going to keep it. Make some money and change you’re life. Buy some Mets season tickets and a nice apartment in Queens. Enjoy your money, but don’t forget to give Uncle Sam what he’s got coming to him.
Posted in Baseball, Yada Yada, Sports | 1 Comment
Rush Hour 3
August 10th, 2007 by david layThe “Summer of 3’s” is over. Rush hour 3 is the finale of the “3″ movies that were led into the summer by Spiderman 3 in May. This has been a good summer of movies (so far) and it has definitely been fun to see all these sequels pan out.
Rush Hour 3 brings back to action Detective James Carter and Chinese Chief Inspector Lee, portrayed by Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, respectively. Rush Hour 3 picks up several years after the previous movies. The two protagonists have been through a lot together (some good times, some bad times) and are both living in Los Angeles.
When an assassination on the Chinese Consul is attempted, it is discovered that the secret to the “Triad” gang’s existence is in (of all places) Paris. Carter and Lee make their way to France to follow up on the lead and they find themselves immediately “marked” for death by the Triad. They soon discover that the secret lies with a super-hot showgirl named Genevieve (Noémie Lenoir) who lets them in on some Ancient Chinese Secrets that will help them end the terror of the Triads.
We learn, during the course of the movie, that Lee has a “brother” named Kenji who is one of the Triad leaders. I never really figured out whether they were blood brothers or just friends who were once close like brothers - at any rate they once were very close and now…not so much. In the end, several life or death situations occur, and the secrets of the terrorist organization that has been around from the original movie are discovered and the Triads are exposed.
The movie leaves a lot of unanswered questions, but let’s face it - no one is watching this for a complicated plot. This is basically a comedy full of one-liners and stereo-types much like the other two Rush Hours. There are several really funny quips, and tons of Jackie Chan action sequences. Many of the best parts were in the trailers, so they were spoiled for most of the audience.
This movie is oftentimes intentionally hokey, but is also unintentionally hokey at times. A fan of the other two Rush Hours should like this movie, though its not the best of the franchise: it’s probably better than Rush Hour 2. Someone who doesn’t like the others will not find Rush Hour 3 to be redeeming. If you do watch it, make sure and stick around for the credits - some of the funniest moments are in the outtakes.
Posted in Movies | No Comments
Hot Rod
August 6th, 2007 by david layAndy Samberg stars in Hot Rod - the latest Saturday Night Live laden comedy to hit the big screen. In short, this movie is a Will Ferrell meets Jon Heder hybrid that combines lots of slapstick comedy as well as ‘geek chic’ - in a movie that is pretty funny, but not the best of the summer.
Samberg stars as Rod, a moped riding amature stunt man whose life’s ambition is to follow in his father’s footsteps. His father has long passed away and his mother, Sissy Spacek, has since been remarried to Frank, a feisty 50-something who Rod is striving to best in a fight.
When Frank becomes ill and needs a heart transplant, Rod realizes that he could lose his stepfather without having ever “kicked his ass”. It is for this reason, that Rod begins his plan to raise $50,000 for a “conveniently priced” heart transplant. Rod and his gang of friends/supporters (Bill Hader, Jorma Taccone, Danny McBride) begin to plan the “Ultimate Jump”. Isla Fisher enters as Denise, the hot girl next door who, for some inexplicable reason, enjoys hanging out with these losers. Will Arnett (Arrested Development) plays a small role as Denise’s boyfriend Jonathan; and he really plays the roll of the Jerk well (as he usually does).
I think that Andy Samberg is destined to become one of the next great comedy stars. He brings a presence similar to Will Ferrell, and has a great talent for physical comedy. His ‘geek chic’ comedic approach is similar to Jon Heder and I think he brings a good combination of talents to the screen. As co-founder of The Lonely Island, an Internet Comedy Troupe, he is no stranger to comedy - their Digital Shorts on SNL may have really helped save that show.
Hot Rod is a funny movie, with some fine up-and-coming talent. Definitely worth checking out.
Posted in Movies | No Comments
Toby Keith at USANA Amphitheatre
August 5th, 2007 by david layThis weekend I decided to take advantage of some cheap tickets and go check out Toby Keith in concert at USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting too much. Its not really my kind of music and I really thought that Toby Keith was sort of a honky tonk, redneck country singer who sang about pick-up trucks and beer… As it turns out, I was right.
But Surprisingly, that was a good thing!
I was surprised at how many of this songs (about half) that I knew. There was Should’ve Been a Cowboy and I Ain’t as Good as I Once Was but there I also knew A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action, How Do You Like Me Now?, I Wanna Talk About Me, Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, Beer for My Horses, and I Love This Bar. There were also two (as Toby called them) Buzz Songs: Weed With Willie and Runnin’ Block which were both Hilarious and fun. Definatley two of my favorites of the night.
Other than Garth Brooks in ‘97 I’ve never seen a “mainstream” country show. Garth Brooks is notorious for putting on some of the greatest live performances in the music world, so I didn’t expect Toby Keith to hold a candle, but he did. I still remeber Garth’s show being pretty much off the hook, but I was impressed with Toby Keith’s energy, singing, and crowd interaction. Definitely a great show.
USANA Amphitheatre is Utah’s largest outdoor concert venue. Situated in the Western part of the Salt Lake valley with a nice view of the Salt Lake Skyline, this is definitely an exciting place to enjoy a show. With a capacity of approximately 20,000 it is a great venue for larger draws who tour in the Utah area.
I consider myself to have slightly more sophisticated taste in music than most people, so to enjoy myself at this show…was a bit of a surprise.Though I don’t think it was so much the quality of musicianship as it was the fun songs and the energetic atmosphere. Regardless though, a fun evening is a fun evening. I would definitely do it again.
Posted in Utah Concerts, Events, Music | No Comments
The Bourne Ultimatum
August 4th, 2007 by david layThe Saga of Jason Bourne wraps up in superb fashion with The Bourne Ultimatum, the third and final installment of the Robert Ludlum based action-thrillers. I have long been a fan of these movies, and part 3 definitely does not disapoint. I would go so far as to say that during the “Summer of 3’s”, this is the one that will go down as the best. As a matter of fact, I believe it may be the best of the Bourne movies. Identity was great, but Ultimatum really gives it a run for its money. It is non-stop from beginning to end and really wraps the story up well. It is a fitting end for a great motion picture franchise. The late Robert Ludlum would’ve been proud.
Director Paul Greengrass uses his “shaky camera” cinematography to perfection , just as he did in the other two Bournes, and United 93. I really love this brand of camera work - I think it is an excellent tool for bringing the audience into the film. Matt Damon was excellent as Jason Bourne, in a role that time may, in time, define him as an actor. And Julia Stiles was surprisingly good as well. I wasn’t really a big fan of hers in the other two films, but she made me second-guess myself in Ultimatum.
Ultimatum picks up where Supremacy left off - right in the middle of a chase scene between Jason Bourne and Russian officials. From here the action doesn’t let up much. Throughout the course of the movie, Bourne continues to run and run some more, all while intermittently kicking the crap out of the people who are trying to catch him. There are many “holy crap - that was cool” moments in this film as Bourne make all sorts of tactical decisions in his quest to uncover the truth about his past. If you’re into car chases, there is one in Ultimatum (near the end) that had me on the edge of my seat. It was awesome!
This is just an all out fun movie with action from beginning to end. Some really good performances, and a story line that really wraps up the trilogy well make this one sure to please. If you’re a fan of the previous to Bourne movies, I guarantee you’ll like this one. Go check it out!
Rescue Dawn
August 2nd, 2007 by david layI should start by saying that, while I do enjoy war movies, I do not light up with the “gah gah eyes” of a child every time I see one – this is the standard reaction of males, as the anticipation of dudes in uniform blowing people up pierces them to the core – but to me, they are usually middle of the road, all things considered. But I am pleased to say that Rescue Dawn a refreshing variation on the genre and a beautiful film all together.
Based on the true story of Dieter Dengler, Rescue Dawn brings some exciting new angles to the war film genre. Christian Bale stars as Dengler, a US fighter pilot during the beginning stages of the Vietnam war, who is captured by Laotian hostiles, and tortured vigorously before being placed in a POW prison camp alongside some other American and Thai prisoners. Dengler immediately begins to plan their escape, much to the chagrin of the other soldiers who are convinced that escape is either impossible, or simply not necessary.
Steve Zahn, in a huge variation from his usual comic-relief sidekick roles, portrays Duane Martin, a POW who has been incarcerated for over a year in this seemingly simplistic bamboo-surrounded camp. Zahn plays his role to near perfection. I was very impressed with the talent he displayed in this film. Joining Zahn and Bale was another amazing actor - Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan), who dropped his weight to around 100 pounds in order to portray Gene, who had been imprisoned for 3 years at the time Dengler shows up.
In addition to the great acting in Rescue Dawn, this film is superbly directed by Werner Herzog (Aguirre, Grizzly Man). The cinematography is beautiful throughout, and the music is wonderful – it really adds another dimension to an already beautiful film.
Herzog has previously chronicled Dengler’s struggles in the 1997 Documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly, and his passion for Dengler’s story is evident throughout the film. This is not your typical war movie – there are not really many battle sequences to speak of. But it is now one of my favorite war films of all time. This is definitely one of my favorite movies of the summer. It is beautiful in every way – A very complete film.
Rescue Dawn opened in select cities in July, but is now in wide release. Go see it!
Ryan Adams at Red Butte Gardens
August 1st, 2007 by david lay I was privileged to see Ryan Adams and the Cardinals Tuesday night at the Red Butte Gardens Amphitheater on the University of Utah Campus in Salt Lake City. This was my first Ryan Adams show, though I have been a casual listener for a few years – since my brother raved about a show he saw in Myrtle Beach.
Ryan Adams is a Rock/Alt. Country musician and songwriter with influences in Blues, Rock, Country and Folk. His Eclectic North Carolinian sound sets him apart from the main stream and makes his music attractive to a wide audience. His backup band, The Cardinals add a tight accompaniment to Adams’ sweet guitars licks and vocals.
Red Butte Gardens is, in my opinion, the best venue in the Salt Lake area. The all-general seating amphitheatre is situated in the heart of a botanical garden on the U of U campus. With a capacity of 2,800, it is a very intimate venue as well. I discovered Red Butte Gardens last year when I saw an Indigo Girls show there. They always book some of the extremely talented bands that are popular in the East but have not reached popularity here yet. This summer’s concert series included the Indigo Girls, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Béla Fleck, Ricky Skaggs, the Neville Brothers, Chris Isaak, Bruce Hornsby, and Son Volt.
The band played a set list of 17 songs, including several from the Cardinals’ albums Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights. He also played several songs from his June release, Easy Tiger, which were fairly different from his typical sound – a slower, more mellow sound. Adams and the Cardinals proved to be very talented throughout the setlist. Jon Graboff’s pedal-steel and Jamie Candioro’s piano were prominent parts of each song. Cardinals’ guitarist Neal Casal’s killer falsetto harmonized extremely well with Adams on songs like Wild Flowers and Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
Let It Ride, Magnolia Mountain, Cold Roses and Easy Plateau, all from the Cold Roses album, were the highlights of the show, allowing the band to really show their talents throughout during extended riffs and instrumental features. Dear John and A Kiss Before I Go, both from the Jacksonville City Nights album, offered some of the most straightforward country of the night, and the new Goodnight Rose sounded great. In fact, the show seemed to pick up steady momentum from the half-way point on, and really got the crowd into the show.
The only regrettable aspect was the lack of an encore for an anxious audience. Adams has been known in the past, for his eccentricity and rather erratic behavior (probably something that lends to his abilities in some way) and I think this was reflected in his show. He and the band left the stage after Easy Plateau, and the house lights immediately came up. Adams has been known to skip encores in the past, but to me this does not taint the quality of the show – even though we were all expecting one…
All in all, I really couldn’t have expected much more from this show. The music was incredible, and the crowd was fun and interesting to watch as well. If you get a chance to see Ryan Adams in a venue near you, Go! If you’re in Utah, go check out some shows at Red Butte Gardens, you’ll love them both!
Posted in Utah Concerts, Events, Music | 5 Comments
Dave Matthews Band to Perform “A Concert for Virginia Tech”
August 1st, 2007 by david lay
Dave Matthews Band along with John Mayer, Phil Vassar and Nas will join together in “A Concert For Virginia Tech,” at the university’s Lane Stadium on September 6th. DMB and the other artists will be donating their performances at this event - a celebration of life and a tribute to the resiliency and strength of the Virginia Tech community. Opening the beginning of the school year, the concert was conceived as a way to help students, faculty and other members of the community move forward in the after-math of the April events at Virginia Tech.
Free tickets to the concert will be made available to all current Virginia Tech students, faculty and staff. A limited number of reserved and general admission tickets will be made available to members of the Warehouse, the official Dave Matthews Band fan association. The Warehouse ticketing request period is now open and will close on August 20th at noon Eastern.
If you’re in the Blacksburg area, this would be a great opportunity to see a great concert and to help those who were effected by the shootings of last April.