Monday, February 11, 2013

Velvet Goldmine, Dionysium tonight, music-osophy, and Latino heroes


•I finally saw Velvet Goldmine over the weekend, only fifteen years after it was recommended to me by Christine Caldwell Ames, and am thus more ready than ever to host TONIGHT’S DIONYSIUM DEBATE (Mon. 8pm at Muchmore’s, near the Beford Ave. L stop, the first stop into Brooklyn) on the question “Which Is Better: 80s Music or 90s Music?” 

True, the movie was about the 70s, but it showed an important step in the evolution of alternative rock, which will surely be a big element in tonight’s debate – as will the nature of love, another important theme in that film.  Love matters not only because Valentine’s Day is coming up but because tonight’s debaters are (at least pre-debate) a couple, young Olivia Bruno and Matt Brandenburgh. 

•Coincidentally, I had contact way back around the time Velvet Goldmine came out with another opiner on music who has since become regarded as an academic authority on the subject, specifically the philosophy of music, Joel Krueger. 

But back when I met him through Ted Balaker, he was just a guy who seemed to like techno music too much and to be reminded by it of Kantian manifolds of consciousness.  Ted and I joked then that we should see if has philosophical insights on the grinding noises the photocopier makes at ABC News.  Now, I see him cited in a Faceook thread by other academics.  They would probably think my reaction to Joel was as narrow-minded as this.

•Don’t think me an intolerant man simply because I hate Skrillex, though.  At least I like having more Latinos as comic book characters, as noted in this article on the topic from Fox Latino quoting me.  I am not morally obligated to want superpowered mariachi bands any more than I want to see Skrillex fight Skrull-X, though.  

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