Belltown Messenger - Documenting Belltown Since 2003

Well, I've finally recovered from the Christmas frenzy, which was a little more hectic for me; freelance writing pays so amazingly well I also took on a part-time job stuffing envelopes with pictures of kids with Santa. A lot of times it's like Christmas for me anyway, considering I get plenty of free product sent to me year-round. In fact, there's a lot of stuff I haven't been able to write about I'd like to give some nods to - such as the steady stream of releases by Mr. Johnny Cash. Columbia/Legacy released Man In Black: Live In Denmark 1971, a terrific show recorded for TV on DVD, and a fabulously expanded box set Johnny Cash At San Quentin (Legacy Edition), which presents the entire concert on two CDs (other performers on the bill included Carl Perkins, the Statler Brothers, the Carter Family, and Cash's wife, June Carter Cash). Like, wow.

One fun unexpected find was But I Like It, a book of comics and posters by Joe Sacco. The book's theme, as you might guess by the title, is the wacky realm of rock 'n roll, with incisive tips on such topics as "So You Wanna Meet a Rock Star" ("Let's face it, if you're not useful to the band or if you're not sexually attractive, your chances of meeting them are minimal"). The book's from the good folks at Fantagraphics, and I want to put in another plug for their new store in Georgetown; the openings are great fun, and there's a couple bars/cafes on the block to check out as well.

Make a night of it! On a Fanta-related note, Presspop Music has released the collected work of local popsters the Action Suits on a self-titled CD; the group includes Fanta cartoonist Peter Bagge, as well as Fanta publicist Eric Reynolds. Much fun.

I'd requested the Season Two box of That Girl on DVD (from Shout! Factory) for the sake of nostalgia; the show was a favorite of mine as a child. However, it must be said it hasn't aged that well, in large part because of the welcome change in sexual mores since the alleged "swinging" '60s. For example, in one episode, when the plucky aspiring actress Ann (the ever-perky Marlo Thomas) is entertaining the mother of her boyfriend Don, mom freaks when she discovers Don's trousers in Ann's closet! Somehow Ann's father also gets caught up in the situation, and there's much consternation before everyone excepts the perfectly logical reason the trousers ended up there, and sighs with relief that no premarital sex occurred after all. Whew!

Frankly, a little of that stuff goes a long way for me. Fun guest stars though (Ethel Merman, Ruth Buzzi, Sid Caesar).

Then there's The Vice Guide to Travel (Vice Films). A publicist had been pestering me for months about this, and I kept fobbing him off with "It's in the pile, waiting to be watched," which was indeed the truth. I finally watched it, and was I sorry I waited so long! The intrepid crew goes to various hot spots like Beirut, where you learn how kids are trained to be suicide bombers, and Darra, Pakistan, where you get to see one of the world's largest arms-selling operations. "We went so that you never, ever have to go for yourself as long as you live," the Vice team says in the accompanying booklet, and this black-humored look at the darker corners of our planet is much recommended.

Now, on to some newer stuff. Had the pleasure of spending some time with David Lynch, who buzzed through town plugging a plethora of things; his book, Catching The Big Fish (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin), about his experiences with meditation; a DVD, Dynamic: 01, a collection of weird shorts from his website; his film, Inland Empire; and even his own "David Lynch Signature Cup" 100% organic coffee! I didn't get to partake of the coffee, but did experience the rest. Some favorite moments were at the book reading, where a kid said she started watching Twin Peaks at age three and Lynch responded, "Yikes!" And the film screening at the Cinerama, where a woman asked what the movie "meant," and Lynch replied "It's on the poster," meaning the tagline, "A Woman In Trouble." "That's all we're going to get?" lamented the questioner. "Yes," Lynch said.

Finally, don't know how many of you are into the whole Valentine's Day deal, but here's a perfect VD gift for those with warped sensibilities; A Date With John Waters (New Line Records), compiled by the "Sultan of Sleaze" himself. There's a couple tunes you might expect; "Johnny Are You Queer?" by Josie Cotton, and some from Waters' own stable of stars, "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Edith Massey and "Sometimes I Wish I Had A Gun" by Mink Stole. And the liner notes by Mr. Waters explain the reason for the inclusion of more mainstream fare like "Tonight You Belong to Me" by Patience and Prudence; apparently, he brags, it was "the first record I ever shoplifted." Perfect background music for when you're cuddling with that special someone - or something.