long time no see.

wow i'm updating. i'm only going to write for three minutes. let's explain why i haven't been updating - it isn't because i'm working way too much. or that i don't have any time to write.. it's just that (1) i don't think i have a ton of interesting things to write about and (2) when I am home from work, I don't want to spend more time typing in front of my computer. i guess my life is just fundamentally different than it was when i was in japan.

since the last time i wrote, a lot of the make-up of our office has changed (if you catch my drift), at least among the universe i interact with. it's almost like i feel like it's my fault :P you wouldn't think that you get used to that kind of thing, but this industry is all about getting used to it.

i went to a couple of great shows over the last couple weeks - sufjan stevens and the arcade fire. both were played at old converted theatres and both featured a small army of players on stage and a variety of interesting instruments. Sufjan gets kudos for dressing the whole band up like university of illinois cheerleaders from the 1950s and doing cheers and human pyramids and stuff to introduce each song. It was bright and refreshing next to the arcade fire's funeral parlor outfits. though the arcade fire was again about as good as a live concert can get. the crowd was naturally going nuts - and since this time we didnt have to suffer through baking heat and dehydration like at lollapolooza, we could really enjoy it. and it had to be one of the better show line-ups i've seen - belle orcheste and wolf parade (both bands with members from the arcade fire that have recently released amazing albums and hail from the city that has replaced omaha as the center of indie rock, montreal). of course, the time the arcade fire came to chicago a year ago with the (now broken-up) unicorns would have been possibly one of the best indie shows i could imagine. but tonight was plenty amazing.

next concert: new pornographers on Oct. 20.

more updates to come one day!