Gibbard: Dead at One Year and Seven Months

Gibbard (September 10, 2004 - April 11, 2006)

Today is a very sad day in my life. My beloved friend and confidante, Gibbard (no, not Ben Gibbard... my pet fish Gibbard), passed away overnight. He was just over one year and seven months old. I met him at my brother's wedding reception; he was in a centerpiece. Following the reception, he was given to me to keep as a lasting reminder of the day. I took care of him, fed him, occasionally changed his water, played with him, and defended him against those who said, "Hey, I think your fish is dead." No, he was just resting. He always liked to rest. Gibbard was not a very active fish. He did in fact spend much of his time sitting at the bottom of his bowl, although from time to time you'd see him swim about, especially at feeding time.

Gibbard and I have been through a lot together. He was a well-travelled fish, having accompanied me from place of residence to place of residence, from dorm to apartment to apartment. He had no family, but he had many friends. He is only survived by his lasting memory.

As would only be proper, Gibbard's body was returned to the waters (via my toilet) where he came from. I officiated, with my roommate Christine as a witness. In lieu of flowers and cards, I ask that you instead simply say a prayer for my dearly departed friend. Gibbard, you are free again.

Okay, enough melodrama. On with the post.

One thing I had forgotten about since I stopped blogging is how utterly boring the blogosphere can be, so there's no really big news story, just a lot of little quips and such.

I suppose first and foremost is the announcement that Wilco is working on some new material and have been test-running it in various live shows, and they are planning on touring this summer. This is obviously great news, since now we know there will be new music and that there's a chance we'll get to see them again sometime soon. Their last tour was a phenomenal experience which I was so blessed to have been able to see at the Mershon Auditorium. I can only imagine what sort of production they will tour with this time. Of course there are no official dates announced, but we'll just be on the look-out for that one.

In other vague touring news, it's rumoured that Radiohead will be going on a North American tour. Details are very few and very far between, but a few cities, including Chicago, have been mentioned. Add that to the list of things to be keeping an eye on.

As for Gorillaz, our time with them is apparently rather limited. Frontman Damon Albarn has said that their last shows will be in Las Vegas. They are putting the project on the back burner perhaps indefinitely, but not before releasing a movie and a computer game, according to NME. If that's the case, maybe it won't be so soon. Again, we'll have to wait and see.

After a three-year recording hiatus, Unwed Sailor will soon be returning with their latest LP, entitled The White Ox. Also recorded while in the studio was a new EP, Circles, slated for release sometime in the spring.

And now, an update on a story that I brought to you yesterday. Not that I or anyone else really cares all that much, but Bright Eyes is still releasing a new album. NME is reporting that the album won't feature just our beloved emo hero Conor Oberst but also indie favourite M. Ward and my not-so-favourite Sleater-Kinney. Anyway, not a big deal, but it's something to write about.

I saw a couple really sweet shows while I was on hiatus, including Sigur Ros and Mogwai. Indieworkshop has a great little featurette detailing a recent Sigur Ros show in London, and it's a very accurate portrayal of what was experienced here in Columbus. It was such an epic show. And as for Mogwai, Prefix has a great big interview with them. Check out both of these articles. They're good reads.

This I forgot to include last time, so here you go:

Upcoming Columbus Shows
04.12 Stellastarr* and The Editors - Newport Music Hall
04.15 Switchfoot and Lovedrug - The LC Pavilion
04.20 Invisibile Children Benefit featuring John Reuben, House of Heroes, Everyday Sunday, and Secondhand - The LC Pavilion
04.21 Heavy Mole - High Five
04.21 Enon - Little Brother's
04.29 The Bell Orchestre and Snailhouse - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.10 Prefuse 73 and Edan - The Wexner Center Performance Space
07.06 Panic! At the Disco, The Dresden Dolls, and The Hush Sound - The LC Pavilion
09.27 Built to Spill - Newport Music Hall

And that's all for tonight, because I have a few things to do before I go out. Goodnight!