Apr 172007
I would like to propose a BATTLE ROYALE today: Shaded vs Leather-Clad Rockers!
Team Shades
Team Shades includes Ian Hunter, Jeff Lynne, and Graham Parker.
Team Leather
Team Leather includes Elvis, Lemmy, and Leather Tuscadero.
Who else you gonna call? Which side wants the leather-clad, shaded Bono? Enter the squared circle in support of one side or another!
I guess The Ramones are on both teams.
While I was double-checking the first album photo to make sure (Tommy and Joey are wearing shades, everyone is wearing a leather jacket) I discovered that Tommy has a new band called Uncle Monk. For a photo of him holding a mandolin check out unclemonk.com. Seriously, Tommy Ramone with a mandolin.
Suzie Quatro. Come on. And let me just point out that, while a dispensation was granted by the Pope for Roy Orbison* (after he traded his chin to the devil in exchange for his vocal chords) sunglasses when not in the sun are inane. Even more inane than leather pants would be in a situation where utter pantslessness would be apropriate. Bono has set any advance in sunglasses wrought by Run DMC back decades.
*They say he was raised by a giant mole and a toad, deep underground, and that’s where he learned to sing so sweetly – and why anyone beholding his visage without the glasses gets a sudden inexplicable sense of clamminess.
I’m on Team Shades. Can you imagine me in Leather? Do you know how much I would sweat?
I’m on Shades too. I bought a real Harley biker jacket in college with the hard back board and everything. Super warm and great for Chicago but it was so heavy that it caused shooting pains up my neck if it wore it for any length of time. I was only like 125 lbs then. Just didn’t seem cool to wear leather and then complain that it was too heavy and made my neck hurt.
Shades will pick Ray Charles.
If ’70s-era Carl Perkins joins Team Shades, then count me in too. Leather looks cool on some but takes too much commitment, too many lifestyle choices. Shades onstage are ridiculous and go against my insistence on making eye contact, but I do like wearing m shades outside, so it wouldn’t be that hard to bring them onstage. The Velvet Underground looked cool in shades, and Ian Hunter is a strong team captain. Team Shades!
Team Leather can have Bono.
I feel deeply torn about this issue, and so I’m going to waffle. Sometimes I want the down home, back street hustle of the leather look, sometimes I want the cynical, removed, biting edge of shades. Happy Hour on Fridays: leather. Party time: leather. Kicking back, pouring a whiskey, surveying the scene, disdaining it: shades.
Meanwhile, my Rocktown access continues to be fucked up. I have to log in again every time I make a comment. My screen veers back and forth between original dirtweed and AARP approved. I vote, but the vote disappears, and then I vote again. Am I really the only one experiencing this?
Team Shades for me (though I cringe every time I see Bono in those things he calls glasses…).
I keep the leather on my feet.
Hey Mark,
We’ll try to look into your problems. When you get a chance, can you send an e-mail to The Back Office: thebackoffice [at] rocktownhall [dot] com and let us know what your set up is at home – browser, type of computer, versions, in brief. Thanks.
BigSteve and others: I have actually *seen* Uncle Monk, and, boy, did they stink! I mean, extra points for being a nice guy and trying to age gracefully, but pee-YOU.
Back Office here trouble shooting mwall’s account issues. Nothing to see here. Move along.
team leather.
leather pants look cool when shirtless.
Y’all just got sideswiped by team DENIM.
I’m a Hessian and I’m gonna represent the BLUE ARMY
Leather? NEVER!
always rock the shades though.