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In other Cobain news, Courtney Love recently announced that she will be producing and directing an independent film based on a fan's obsession with... the Bay City Rollers. I swear to God I'm not joking. Then again, why would I be? When it comes to obsessive fandom, Love would know best.
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Former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell's first solo effort, Euphoria Morning, is achieving less than grunge standards in the ol' record sales department. The album peaked at #18 and is now languishing in the low 60s. The cause of the plunge might just be because less-than-obsessive Soundgarden fans have caught wind of the rumor that Cornell sounds a lot like Sting on this disc (Sting might be able to make creepy tantric love for 16 hours straight, but he just ain't cool.) And face it, who likes to feel like a jackass every time they pull out Louder Than Love, just like Police fans do every time they pull out Outlandos D'Amour? If the magic hasn't already been ruined for you, be sure to check out Cornell when he makes an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on November 15. Unimpressive album sales or not, the guy is still a fox.
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Calling all brainiacs, smartypants, and looky-loos: Mark your calendars for Nov 18 when the Crocodile and The Stranger bring you Arena of Brains, a rock 'n' roll game show hosted by Wm. Steven Humphrey, with celebrity contestants Kim Warnick, Jason Finn, and Sir Mix-A-Lot helping three lucky Stranger readers win lots of prizes -- -including a splashy trip to fabulous Puerto Vallarta! Contestants will be competing in the genre of rock 'n' roll trivia (duh) and will surely beat the shit out of VH1's lame-ass Rock 'n' Roll Jeopardy! Musical entertainment will be provided by Nevada Bachelors, Hula Bees, and of course, the Arena Of Brains Orchestra. Wanna be a contestant? Just fill out the entry form on page 94.
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I see a lot of weird things each week, but the spectacle that was Closed Caption Radio had my jaw crashing to the floor last Friday at the Breakroom. The Vancouver, B.C. four-piece boasted a singer/bassist/keyboardist who performed the entire set on stilts. The guy was doing windmills and jumps, and even ventured out onto the inch-wide stage barricade for a little balance-beam work before leaping into the crowd. His re-mount of the stage was less than graceful, though, and the set ended with Stilt Boy jack-knifed between the barricade and the stage. Still, it was a breathtaking sight, and the band's early-'90s Northwest guitar rock sound (think Portland's Thirty Ought Six) was invigorating. And from Canada, no less. Who knew?
