Durf's Weekly Workout # 3: January 29, 2021

Now that we're three weeks into this little endeavor, it's time to talk about routine.  Routine is critical to working out in a few ways, primarily because doing the same exercises weekly will help results show up more noticeably, and also because sticking to a routine makes it easier to stick to your plan and keep it up.  So yeah, routines are important.  Just as important, however, is shaking up your routine to ensure it doesn't become a rut.  I try and shift and modify my workouts every three months or so in order to keep things fresh and challenging, and whenever I'm preparing for this and trying to decide what I should do, I always have the same thought: What if I started running?

 

Bucket List Shows: The Bands I Need to See

I'm fortunate to live in Chicago, a city that has a staggering number of music venues across all shapes and sizes, including multiple joints that pull in a terrific number of metal bands.  Rare is the tour that misses Chicago, and even then, there's a 99% chance the band is playing Milwaukee, which is a short drive north.  Like I said, fortunate.  That said, occasionally there are shows I miss out on, for any number of reasons, and that makes me sad; I love seeing bands live, and I love seeing bands I love live even more.  In thinking about some of the gnarly concerts coming up, I started thinking about the bands I've missed over the years, and came up with my ten "Bucket List" bands, the bands I most want to see before I shuffle off this mortal coil (hopefully not anytime soon).  I stayed away from bands that have broken up (or Isis would have made the list) or older bands whose members aren't going to do it (same for Pink Floyd).  A few honorable mentions before we get this show on the road: Tool, Meshuggah, Lamb of God, Anathema, Sleep.  All would be amazing to see, but they don't quite crack the Top Ten.  So... here goes!

Why Metal Needs To Start Giving A Shit About Detroit: Part 1

I’ve spent most of my life in this state, and was born in the city of Detroit some 28 years ago. Frankly, I’ve always hated this place. There was never anything to do but go bowling or destroy property. Oh, and get drunk. Anyway, after I gallivanted to the east coast for college, I found myself back in the Mitten (thanks, out of state tuition). But hey, when life gives you lemons, chuck them at innocent passers-by, amirite!?

                          

We'll Do it Live Fridays: Escaping the Misery that is a Heat Championship

I mean, seriously, fuck the Miami Heat.  I hate them more than I've ever irrationally hated a sports team before; the whining, the bitching, the winning... it just all got to me.  So in order to not hate life, I set about trying to find some live jams to make me realize that everything's going to be ok.  This is a realization that only the cold light of day can bring; Mick will attest that twelve hours ago I wanted to throw up R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" and call it a day... but no.  I won't let LeBron flatten my psyche like he flattened Manu's (seriously, what the FUCK was that guy doing?!?!), so here's a pair of rocking live performances to fire you up and make you remember that life isn't always depressing... even when a balding asshole is the NBA Finals MVP.

Skinny Jeans and Blast Beats

Let’s play a quick game.  It won’t take long, and it won’t be hard.  Here’s how it will work: I’m going to ask you a question, you think of the answer, and then we see if you’re right or not.  Sounds fun, right?  Let’s give it a whirl.  Who won the World Series in 1984? Did you say the Detroit Tigers?  If you did, you were right.  Here’s another one, just for kicks: Which came first, Blackwater Park or Leviathan?  Blackwater Park you say? My, you’re good at this.  Ok, enough practicing, let’s break out the real deal.  What’s a name for a sub sect of society that is pretentious, overbearing, and spiteful toward those who think differently about pop culture than they, dresses in a manner deemed to be “weird” to the mainstream, and often views music, movies, et al in terms of absolutes rather than subjectively?  Cue the “Jeopardy” theme… ok.  Got your answers?  Raise your hand if you said “hipsters.”  Well that’s cute, and somewhat accurate, but it’s not what I was going for.

METALLICA!!!!......wait....shopping?

Sorry to ruin in for all you die hard Metallica fans but I can finally confirm my suspicions that "One" was always about shopping.  I apologize again for utterly ruining what you may have thought that song was about. 

- Vicious Mick \m/ \m/