Dispatches 9 February 2001

 

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

Bono as Class Day speaker. The Roots and the Black-Eyed Peas coming to Sanders Theatre. Musical life at Harvard's looking good. Although I guess Bono won't actually sing, and I suppose it's not standard practice to hold lighters up in the air when someone speaks about debt relief...

 

SHEA STADIUM

Another new act to pay attention to: Shea Seger, a Quitman, Tex. native whose breathy drawl is used to great effect in "Last Time," her leadoff single. That song would fit into adult-contemporary rock, except for the fact that the song actually has soul. And damn, she's 20 years old. Don't you hate it when people younger than you are more successful?

 

FALLING IN LOVE (IS HARD ON THE KNEES)

Spent part of intersession in Disney World... let me just say that there's nothing like hearing "Love in an Elevator" blasting in your ears while you shoot through a roller coaster (the "Aerosmith Rock and Roller Coaster," ha ha). That's the good side of Aerosmith selling out: I like to idea of hearing a song that alludes to oral sex in the middle of Disney World (MGM studios, to be specific)... nice and subversive, although I guess you could interpret it to refer merely to kissing in an elevator. But then what should one make of "Dude Looks Like a Lady," which is another song on the ride?

The obvious bad side of Aerosmith selling out could be found west of Orlando – what was with that version of "Walk This Way" that the band did at the Super Bowl halftime show with 'NSync, Mary J. Blige and the ubiquitously underdressed Britney Spears? Where's Run DMC when you need them?

(Non-music-related question: what's up with the rising popularity of bears in TV commercials?)

 

DISSING

So Jennifer Lopez is now J-Lo. A useful naming convention, I suppose, although probably not the best thing for her The Cell costar Vincent D'Onofrio. A quick check on Pine shows that no one owns the jlo@fas e-mail address. So you can tell any friends who'll be incoming first-years next year to request it. It don't cost a thing. (Cue drum roll, silent audience.)

And finally, Gladiator!