Vivek’s Blog

This week just doesn’t want to be done. There’s still one essay due before this week is out. Ugh. I’m currently chopping and changing my essay to make sure I say all that I need to in 1200 words or less. It’s very limiting - piezoelectrics just cannot be discussed adequately in four pages of double-spaced text.

Anyway, today was the second-last day of classes and my last two classes of the semester are on Monday. Then a study period of just under a week before finals start. My exam schedule this semester is simple: two exams on May 12 and two on May 15. The two on Thursday are back-to-back. Good times.

In other news, I need a new belt for daily use. Just thought I’d throw that out there for all you belt junkies.

Again, my post today will be brief. When you spend most of the day working on two essays, not a lot of things happen, unfortunately.

So, after a nervy game, Chelsea halted Liverpool’s bid to reach another UCL final by beating them 3-2 at Stamford Bridge.  This sets up a date with Manchester United in May.  So, two English teams will battle it out for the UCL trophy.  It should be a terrific game because one of these teams will have been crowned Premier League champions by then, and the other will be keen to bring home some silverware to avoid a trophy-less season.  The race for the EPL crown is wide open after Manchester United drew two games and lost to Chelsea last Saturday.

As United supporter, I want Man U to win both titles and consign Chelsea to a season where they couldn’t win a single trophy.  As someone more in tune with reality, I realize this will be difficult to pull off.  United need to play their best football of the season to bring home both titles.  I know they can do it but I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch.  It’s just that recent performances have not been very encouraging.  That win against Barca should boost confidence however and hopefully, Ronaldo still has three more great days left in him.

I’ll be keeping my fingers and toes crossed.  Back to writing essays then!

Incredible, just incredible. You’d think that a break-up lasting almost 10 years would’ve had negative affects on the band, but tonight, The Verve sounded fucking awesome. They played a rocking set and had me yelling and bobbing up and down all night. My ears are ringing, my throat is sore, and my feet are tired. But it was worth it.

The set focused more on Urban Hymns which is my favorite Verve album. I’ll admit that I haven’t heard much of their stuff other than UH and A Northern Soul. However, these two are among the finest albums of the 90s and UH clearly represents a band at its peak. Richard Ashcroft has managed to preserve his voice really well, while Nick McCabe, Simon Jones, and Peter Salisbury are still adept at their respective instruments. We got on line early enough and managed to snag spots right up front - against the railing and under Ashcroft’s nose. The sound was terrific where we were standing.

Ashcroft was fairly animated on stage, dancing in his own strange way, eating a banana, drinking beer, smoking, etc. My friends who went yesterday as well say most of the set was the same but one of the songs they swapped in, “Velvet Morning”, is one I love. Quite aptly, they started with “A New Decade” and I am more than happy with the setlist, although I wouldn’t have minded some “A Northern Soul”, “Catching a Butterfly”, or “This Time.” We were also treated to two completely new songs that will make it on to the next album, to be released some time this year. Plus, the jam at the end of “Come On” was phenomenal. Insane. Mind-blowing. You get the drift.

I’m really glad that The Verve have reunited. Sure, I’ve only been a fan for the last two years, but getting to see a band perform live that you never expected to reunite, is just fantastic. Now I just wish that The Stone Roses would get together. Bury the hatchet, John Squire and Ian Brown!

One final word - the DJ who opened for The Verve was atrocious. Maybe the band forced us to sit through his crap just to make us realize how much ass they kick.

SETLIST: (More or less right order)

A New Decade
Sonnet
This Is Music
Space and Time
Life’s An Ocean
Already There
Weeping Willow
Sit and Wonder
The Rolling People
Man Called Sun
The Drugs Don’t Work
Velvet Morning
Lucky Man
Come On

-Encore-

Bittersweet Symphony
Love Is Noise

So much work to do and not enough time to do it all in.  I have a presentation tomorrow, an essay due on Thursday, a homework set and as essay due on Friday, and one more problem set coming my way soon.  I was being lazy and unproductive for the last two weeks, but this current week is being a total bitch.  So I apologize for another meaningless post with a song lyric as its title.  But I have to rehearse this presentation and get enough sleep for the madness to follow.

At least I get to see The Verve!

Not a lot to say today. Busy with schoolwork after last week’s lull. I’m really digging Boxer, the 2007 album by The National. I recommend it to anyone open to trying out new artists. Once you get used to the lead singer’s voice, you will discover that the songs are great. The layering of instruments reminds me of Porcupine Tree and the keyboards are used well. The lyrics are fantastic but you can certainly enjoy the music without paying attention to the lyrics. Come for the music, stay for the lyrics!

I’m posting a live performance of my current favorite, “Slow Show” from Boxer. I think the album version is better, but this liver version recreates the song really well. Also, the lead singer is quite restrained in this video - when I saw the band on campus last week, he was way more crazy.