<~thrunk~> is on pause until my child is born. Can't keep up. Too much to do. Follow along at Elm City Dad if you're still interested.

One week later and I'm still not sure. Both bands were amazing. Both nights were tons of fun. But the settings and vibe and style and substance were all so utterly different it is difficult to decide between the two.

"You don't have to pick one over the other," Lu says to me. And I know that, I don't. Maybe I won't be able to when all is said and done. But it feels right to me to quantify and examine what I loved about each, and how they stand compared to one another.

Wilco had the luxury of first performance. That meant Lu was just as pumped up and excited about the show as I was. That energy is contagious. Second night out on the road, second night of traffic and rushing about, second night on our feet watching and dancing meant that Lu didn't have quite as much oomph for Radiohead. After all, she was 33 weeks pregnant at the time. It was impressive she was there at all!

They were both noisy and quiet. Melodious chords could easily morph into cacophonous sound at either performance. However, I must say that I was surprised at the sharpness of Wilco's raw noise-jams. Tanglewood is made to caress the soft vibrations of orchestral notes. At times it felt like Wilco was hoping to damage those acoustic surfaces with their slicing, crashing, fed-back madness. But at other times when the tunes were clear and perfect I knew we were witnessing the band playing in a dream-venue and the music they created was pristine. They were on fire in the their sparkling sequined suits and it was clear they absolutely loved what they did together up there.

Radiohead was in a bigger venue with a much more elaborate stage setup. They played within what looked like a cube of light. Long bars of LED lights hung in rows and columns above and around them, surrounding them with an aquarium of visible colors. At times the lights were tuned directly to Thom's words and the band's instruments. There was no other person controlling the lights, then. Just pure music creating the visual experience. At other times it seemed a human hand was on the lightboard and they definitely went all out. At all times it was impressive. The played the big hits from many albums and they played a tons of songs. Each tune was passionate and adventerous, spectacles of sound and light executed on a grand scale with withering precision. They nailed every song and gave it to us big.

Wilco played all the songs I've seen them play several different times. Radiohead played songs I had listened to repeatedly but had never seen live. Wilco played in a venue I had never been to. Radiohead played Great Woods where I have had some of the most incredible musical experiences in my life. Wilco was intimate and loose, a private party for everyone on a picnic or dancing between the chairs. Radiohead leveled Mansfield, MA. Both played for 2+ hours with barely a break and both made it abudantly clear that they absolutely loved making their music and sharing it with us. And we all loved being there.

But when I break it all down and relive both experiences in my head, here's what I've decided: Wilco was just as sick at the Greek or the Fillmore. Which means that they are just ridiculous every single time. Radiohead is a rare gem that only shines for a few nights every few years. I am thrilled I got to see them and looking back I, if I had to, I would give up that Wilco show for that Radiohead show. And I would never know the beautiful perfection of Wilco's execution if I only heard it second-hand via some artificial medium. But really, I'm so glad I was there because it was amazing. It was better than Radiohead in the end. That's just how Wilco rolls.

This is gonna be a great week for music in the Gallagosen household. Back to back Wilco and Radiohead in MA. The only sucky part is that one is in Tanglewood in western MA and the other at the Tweeter Center (still and always Great Woods, though) and between the 2 shows we both have to work. That's a lot of driving, but no matter. Both nights are going to be sick, and I'm really excited to have a side to side comparison between my 2 current favorite bands.

While we're talking music, have a listen to this All Songs Considered. Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is the first topic, and it's the new album by Eno and Byrne. I don't know much Eno, but David is a musical god to me. I just signed up for their email, got the free download and can't wait to see the show live in November.

Last bit is about the new way we do music in the US. Just recently I've had the pleasure of completely rocking out with Rock Band and I'm not surprised to hear that bands are releasing new tracks via that conduit. Here's Divided Sky, and here's a profile on the top Guitar Hero in the US. Until playing the game I didn't truly understand how insanely hard that song would be to play, and how ridiculously good that kid must be. Soon people will be reversing the loop and creating tunes with those game controllers. Oh wait that happened. A year ago.

Oh and tomorrow is my Mom's last day of radiation. She is doing amazing and we are sure she is going to be all healed up quick. Incredible. All of your support and love is much appreciated.

I am watching House of Cards on my new Blackberry via YouTube. I'm not sure what that all means exactly, but I know it means something. We are on the cusp.

Anything that's on YouTube I can watch on this little handheld device. That seems sorta ludicrous, but there it is. And away we go.

Trolls of the interwebs.

If you're into Deerhoof or into making your own music then in either case you should check this out. It's pretty much all gibberish to me, but I love the idea.

Here's a book exchange. Make use 0f it! Books are precious objects.

Had a bbq in the yard and then a Rock Band gig at our friend's place around the corner and now I'm off to bed.