Slow Descent Into Radness

An NYTimes Opinions editor went wide with his encore scorn this weekend, provoking no one. OF COURSE encores suck — “The band shouldn’t have to debase itself with this pantomime” — amen! Encores are like post-credit scenes in movies: exciting when you don’t expect them, tedious and despicable once you realize that, yep, they’re just going to happen every single time.

Peeping Toms is where we offer a nice, unobstructed listen to never-before-heard music from our recent and sometimes distant past. It’s a series of hot reveals, too hot for most to handle. We’re dropping the wall on today’s episode for a few days to give you a feel — throw your arms around it and decide whether you can stand the pleasure. ❤️‍🔥 To access the growing Peeping Toms archive, upgrade your subscription here. Remember your first CRUSH? Your first LOVE?

REGISTER YOUR (CON/DIS)SENT: On Monday, we posted about the (very limited) use of AI on this blog. Yesterday we added a poll to the post. If you haven’t yet, please take a moment to vote in the poll, and, if you like, leave a comment. We will use the poll & comments to decide whether to continue (occasionally) using AI. Today we rejoin the unfolding saga that is our never-ending tour, preserved by the living document known simply — rather dully — as Tour Diary.

A few days ago we live-streamed a conversation with our good buddy Sean McVerry during which I, Chris, presented Keith and Sean with a quiz/game thing that involved AI-generated illustrations. (The game starts at around 15:00, if you want to take a look.) We donā€™t use AI for much in this magazine ā€”Ā we type the words, Keith draws the doodles, the music is made from mud, kelp, and bear sinew. But we do indulge in the occasional absurdist GPT deployment along the lines of last weekā€™s game.

Decided to keep the video thumbnail Substack created because it looks like we’re shaped from mashed potatoes! On Thursday, a day that shall live in infamy, we got on-cam with Sean McVerry to talk about our recent shows in the UK and Spain, and Sean’s month in Edinburgh, where he’s starring in the very funny musical drama The Real Kyle McCarren at Fringe Fest. Chris also put his friends’ intellects to the test with brand new puzzle game What the F___ Should I Do?

Stoop Chats Keith and Chris talk band news, books, booze, tv, and film. Also, subscriber Q&As. Keith and Chris talk band news, books, booze, tv, and film. Also, subscriber Q&As.

For as long as Iā€™ve known her, my wife has maintained that the Lionel Ritchie concert she attended at Wembley Arena in 2007 is the best concert sheā€™s ever seen. Iā€™ve been dubious, to say the least. I know she saw Oasis in Hong Kong in like 2006, though that was when the Gallaghers were at their most acrimonious and Liam liked to spend sizable chunks of the set crouched and unmoving onstage with a tambourine balanced on his head, a feat intellectually impressive but practically unexciting.

We recently spent the better part of a week — who’re we kidding? It was the best part of that week — in Spain. Our trip took us from Madrid, on the Iberian peninsula’s vast central plateau, to the Cañadas Caldera on Teide, Spain’s tallest peak, oddly found steeping in the Atlantic Ocean, one hundred kilometers off the left coast of Africa. In this eighteen-minute short film you will encounter the tinto de verano, the panza de burro, and just about everything in between.

Billy Idol, with his sneer, his outlandish hair & wardrobe, and his devoutly sensualist lifestyle, may be the quintessential rock star.

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -50:00 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Freshly returned from a long weekend in Spain, we took to the Stoop to discuss the relative merits of TV and film, our pleasant but punishing trip, hidden entertainment licensing fees in airfare, and the prospect of Alicante in August. Photos below to accompany your listening. Paid Subscribers: Don't sleep on the new suggestion box.