Trapper Jenn MD

Ben Ali

2009-10-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

Washington DC lost a great one. But they'll always have those fantastic half smokes. My last time at Bens Chili Bowl was July 6 this year, just before Sonic Youth played the 9:30 Club. While Patrick and I chowed down on sloppy, not-nutritious goodness, our friend from Seattle downplayed her chili order and claimed Bens was overrated because "it's been around for a long time."

Three weeks later, when I spoke with Steve Shelley, he said that the band had hit up Bens that day as well, and even proceeded to give a brief explanation of the Bowl and its history to my Canadian buddies.

Ben Ali is gone. The Chili Bowl lives on.

News Feed Bag

2009-09-22T02:31:00.001-07:00

"No Setlist" made the official Sonic Youth news page and is thusly also on sonicyouth.com. Being featured on Myspace, Facebook, and Saucer-Like...awesome. This? Awesomosity.

All You Need Is...

2009-09-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

I love the Beatles. I've ordered the Mono box set, 'cause I wanna hear their albums (save Let It Be and Abbey Road) the way the band and Mr. Martin intended. Abbey Road is in my top 25 albums of all time, and the Beatles in my list of top 10 favorite bands.

Entertainment Weekly actually got it right. "All You Need Is Love" is not the worst Beatles song ever ("Rocky Raccoon") but it is terribly overrated and deserves a spot on the top 5 at least. If McCartney had written/sang this treacle, it would not be universally beloved as a masterfully constructed pop/baroque classic that poignantly demonstrates the outsized, imperfect heart and soul of its creator. No, the consensus would be, "More gutless Macca fluff."

And it is gutless fluff. I don't care what classical references the song opens with. I don't care how many people gathered for a live broadcast, nor do I care that there was a live broadcast. It's hippie garbage. "It's easy." No it's not. "All you need is love." Clearly that's false. You need love, first for yourself, then for others. Then you'll need a whoooooolllllllle bunch of other stuff. How about some answers? I mean other than "learn how to play the game." What fucking game? Beatleopoly? Is "Helter Skelter" the Boardwalk, 'cause it should be.

Peanuts Is Timeless, Eating Up Mice

2009-08-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

Oh by all means, let's open the field for some new up-and-coming "talent" without one nth of the genius of Aaron McGruder, much less Charles Schulz. There will be no more stars to emerge from the comic strip world; deal with it and run "Peanuts" till all paper on Earth disintegrates.

Don't get salty.

This person wins merely for loving "She's a Good Skate."

Words

2009-08-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

"Schism" is not that rare of a word. Fucks sake, Anthrax titled a song "Schism" back in '88. Tool recorded a song called "Schism." Clearly it's not just the province of stuffy professorial types.

Also, if you can't tell Jared Allen is being sarcastic in this video, and you're an American, you prove my Euro friends right: we can't tell sarcasm for shit.

Reading this here article reminded me of when that douchewar Fred Durst caught flying screaming crap for using the word "agreeance," or the disbelief over Roger Clemens' claim that someone sometime "misremembered" something. People were aghast: those aren't words! Except they are. (I actually use "misremembered" in No Setlist, in a review that predates the Clemens steroid saga.)

That's why I love words. You can confuse people with them.

Peanuts Is Timeless, Pt. Let's Play Hungry Hungry Hippos

2009-08-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves Snoopy. Having been there recently, I can tell you that Knotts Berry Farm is as delightful as advertised.

Cubs, Yankees...why do loser fanbases keep getting Snoopy toys?

"Let's not forget the Great Pumpkin." But let's forget that said beneficient fruit-god was actually a belief of Linus', not Charlie Browns.

No, still don't like the Skins.

Health care controversy means more football gag references.

You can never have enough hats, gloves, and ugly shoes.

New DVD, three days before my 32nd birthday!

Beatles "Rock Band" Tracklist Unveiled--Almost

2009-08-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

Per this here....44 of the 45 songs that will appear on the game that singlehandedly justifies the entire franchise.

I Saw Her Standing There
Boys
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Twist And Shout
I Wanna Be Your Man
I Want To Hold Your Hand
A Hard Day's Night
Can't Buy Me Love
I Feel Fine
Eight Days A Week
Ticket To Ride
Day Tripper
Drive My Car
I'm Looking Through You
If I Needed Someone
Paperback Writer
Taxman
Yellow Submarine
And Your Bird Can Sing
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
With A Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Getting Better
Good Morning Good Morning
I Am The Walrus
Hello Goodbye
Revolution
Back In The U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Birthday
Helter Skelter
Hey Bulldog
Don't Let Me Down
Come Together
Something
Octopus's Garden
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Here Comes The Sun
Dig A Pony
I Me Mine
I've Got A Feeling
Get Back
Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows

"Octopus's Garden"? Jesus.

Peanuts is Timeless, Pt. Welcome Back

2009-08-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Mama Cass, contrary to popular legend, did not choke. Tiger Woods however--he totally gagged. And I couldn't be happier. There's nothing I love more than watching a gargantuan bubble being popped. Well, that's a lie. How fuckin' sad would my life be if I loved nothing more than that? But it is a great feeling. Dude's human after all. Moving on!

Happiness is a warm puppy. Warm puppies ain't funny.

Sarah Palin is arguably the most worthless human being on the face of the Earth made to believe they have some sort of worth, and she (along with her hysterical ilk) won't be happy till they have Obama--at the very least--de-balled.

Baby Penguins To Mama No No NO

2009-08-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last night Patrick called me from his tech-free sanctuary in Fenwick Island, DE. Casual yak ensued, leading him to ask if I was anticipating the new Madden game for the Wii. Why yes of course, I responded, I would like that game very much.

Then, my dear friend was suddenly struck.

"Hey. You have wireless now, right?"

"Yeees."

"So you can download games off the Wii virtual console."

You magnificent bus stop.

My Wii now has stored within: Ice Climbers, Ninja Gaiden, Super Mario 3, Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario 64 (the latter two playable thanks to my Gamecube controller).

This is not good. Oh, don't misunderstand, it's actually great to that part of my brain that is perpetually in the mid-to-late-90s and craves nothing more or less than virtual challenges and accomplishments of varying bits scrolling up down and across my flat screen. Smashing ice, sticking to walls, warping via whistle, collecting bananas, saving that baby penguin and delivering him hence to Mama...part of me (a considerable part) is in heaven.

But then I have to pay heed to that other part, the more mature side of myself that Jenn circa 1995 would not even recognize as a personal goal capable of achieving. Holding up a stopwatch, reminding me that fun and games are well and good, but I have greater things on the horizon. I have words to write down on empty sheets of paper, thoughts to distill, situations to bring into the light, people to recussitate.

It's a challenge.

Yes Fuppets

2009-08-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

Mighty blog Fuppets has blessed "No Setlist" with a wonderful review. It's the first in-depth review online of the book, and what more can I say, he gets it.

The Summer of Jenn

2009-08-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

My West Coast jaunt included seven Sonic Youth shows in six states, meeting both Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley (including a two-hour convo with the latter and other friends in a Portland bar), and two emotionally charged incidents registering at the extreme ends of the spectrum. Neither of which, clearly, I am ready to discuss on a public forum.

But I can tell you this...with "No Setlist" a pure hit, it's only inspired me to get my other stuff--my first novel, first volume of poetry--out there. I think it's that time.

Peanuts Is Timeless, Pt. BOOKS

2009-07-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Whoa! What a poster that would make.

I still don't like ice skating.

I'll be there August 7th.

Update

2009-07-17T11:02:00.001-07:00

I just acquired an ISBN # for No Setlist, and tomorrow I'll be ordering barcode stickers. This helps my chances of getting the book on actual bookstore shelves and is necessary to sell it on Amazon (awaiting order confirmation).

Taking at least one on my West Coast trip, for Names. Kegmama will have hers by then, and I have no idea if Chris wants one or not. As far as copies for the band...this is why I wish Patrick was going with me. He'd make me approach a member, likely Lee or Steve. He'd make me tell them who I was and what I had done and that's my Sonic Youth book on their Myspace, Facebook, and forum pages.

I don't know what scares me more: approaching them in person about this book, or the possibility they may not really be too concerned about it.

Every artist--and please understand I am not just some bum-ass fan with a hair up her ass, I have dreamt of being a published author since age ten--has fears. But they also need strength.

No Setlist On Sale Now

2009-07-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you see your favorite band perform live 40 times over 11 years? If you're an aspiring author like Jenn Benningfield, you write a book about it. No Setlist is not just a compilation of Sonic Youth concert reviews covering the time period May 1998 to May 2009. It is more than anything else an unabashed love story--of the creative spirit, of friends, of discoveries, of life. Aided and abetted by 44 pages of tremendous color photos (some personal, most shots from select concerts), these journals immerse you into the experience of countless miles on the bus or plane, exploring the sights, and meeting numerous other Sonic Youth fans at home and abroad. No Setlist is a must-have for not only Sonic Youth fans, but also anyone seeking to understand the unique mindset of that beautiful beast, the "hardcore fan."

Visit this site to see more info and place your order.

This is my first book, and I'm beyond thrilled to finally have it out. This has been my dream since I was ten years old.

Return of the Rabbit

2009-07-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

August 31st brings a new Jim O'Rourke, The Visitor, and it is long overdue--eight years, in fact.

I'll never forget when, in 2003, Mr. O'Rourke contacted me via the Sonic Youth forum and asked for my opinion on some of his lyrics, and most of all his style of lyricism. I gave an honest opinion back, as a Jim O superfan, and got a fantastic response. His curiosity stemmed from his professed desire to make another "song-based" solo album.

It's funny, just the other night I was listening to Joanna Newsom and recalling O'Rourke's genius marketing idea for her album Ys: a photograph of Joanna with the word MUSIC above it and the words IS BACK below it. How can you not dig that guy.

Peanuts Is Timeless, Pt. Um Yeah

2009-07-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Second instance I've seen of Cujo and Snoopy being juxtaposed for sake of contrast, the first being Joseph Wambaugh's novel The Secrets of Harry Bright.

Even though Schulz felt Mr. Bright was seeing gold where mere bricks stood, his book is a classic that every Peanuts fan should read.

China and Japan both need to get their Lucy up, if you ask me.

My schedule of Peanuts show reviews will get back on track once I make the move to Montgomery County. And yes, please buy the sixties set. The Guaraldi doc along must be worth it.

I'm Still Here

2009-07-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Just saw four Sonic Youth shows in six days, and am currently waiting for corrected proofs of "No Setlist." All goes well, it will be up for sale starting Friday. If you are reading this and are a SY.com forum member, you get a special discount.

The Lesson of Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

There's lotsa undesirable types in the world: racists, sexists, homophobes, xenophobes. There's murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug abusers, inveterate woman beaters.

The shelves that hold my CDs, DVDs and books contain works of art made by a variety of undesirable types. If Michael Jackson did in fact molest young boys--and it's amazing how many people are convinced that it is a fact, how they seem to want it to be a fact--then his albums remain a part of my rotation. I can no more get rid of it then trash books by Burroughs, music by Miles, or films by Polanski.

There's art. There's the artist. Inextricably linked? To my mind, no.

Peanuts Is Timeless, Pt. Sorry I Been Away, Ay!

2009-06-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Book is killin' it right now.

Reviews are implying that Larry David as directed by Woody Allen is just way too much Hebrew neurosis. Next time, Woody, use Don Rickles.

So Boo-Boo makes it and Shaggy doesn't? That scraggly stoner always got on my nerves.

If the Nats had swept the series, the Yankees would have been relocated to New Jersey. As a DC baseball fan, that made my entire year. I am officially uninterested in the remainder of the baseball season.

After an Eternity

2009-06-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Record sales are like the old gray mare, but damn it's nice to see Sonic Youth's new album debut in the top 20. The first weeks sales of 19,000 even improve over their last album, 2006's Rather Ripped, by two grand.

Nothing will quell your happiness and sense of justice served quite like seeing Black Eyed Peas at number one, though.

The Golden Boy

2009-06-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

Gary Bettman must be very happy. Not only did his pet Sidney Crosby win a Stanley Cup, but he's taking Lebron James lessons in sportsmanship.

Favorite quote:

"Nobody respects the traditions of hockey more than Sidney Crosby," team vice president Tom McMillan said.

Understand that? No one. On Earth. Gordie Howe? No. Wayne Gretzky? No. Bobby Orr? When it comes to the grand traditions of the grandest game, Bobby Orr is lookin' out for Ray Bolger!

Peanuts Is Timeless, Pt. Miss 199

2009-06-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Baseball 'Nuts.

CVS...I'm going to move in. How 'bout some PICTURES?

That's it! Gotta get to writing.

A No Setlist Update

2009-06-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

I've found an online publisher and am now using Microsoft Word to transfer and modify (appearance only, not the actual text...I have to live with that) my manuscript. Afterwards, I'll create the cover using the provided template and collage photo by one Patrick S.

To elucidate: I've seen 40 Sonic Youth shows since 1998. This book is a journal of those shows and times.

To give you a little insight, here are the page counts of my chapters so far:

ABOARD A LEAKY VESSEL--20 pages
THIS EXPERIENCE BLUE--8 pages
SCENE--5 pages
SHE'S ILLIN'--6 pages
BANANAFISH--6 pages
SO LONG SUCCOR--3 pages
HOT DOGS AND COOL SHEEP--11 pages
NATTY BOHS AND RATTY CLOTHES--6 pages
NOT EXACTLY HUMAN--5 pages
ON DISPLAY NOW--4 pages
PUNCH N TARTS--11 pages
MY MOM THE MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST--3 pages
IGNOBLE CHATS--8 pages
STANDING AND STINKING--10 pages
THE OVERWHELMED UNDERGROUND--24 pages
EVERYBODY'S SWEATIN' AT ME--7 pages
THE FLYING ACE VS. THE 9:30 CLUB--12 pages
KILL TIME--45 pages (damn near a novella)
RARING ROCK--4 pages
LOVE SICK--8 pages
PIPELINE--15 pages
REBOARDING A LEAKY VESSEL--12 pages
YES SETLIST--4 pages
A DAY AT THE FACTORY--4 pages
THE LUCK OF DIRT--6 pages

So that's 247 pages so far...it looks like this will go between 300-320. Fucking coolness.

Fantastic Friday

2009-06-12T20:05:00.001-07:00

Penguins win the Stanley Cup (God save us) and unrelated to, kids are setting off firecrackers just outside my house. Meanwhile I'm trying to do meaningful things with words. Little shits.

A "No Hosea" Zone

2009-06-10T19:04:00.001-07:00

The beauty of Bravo's new "Top Chef: Masters" is that the participants are head to toe boss. Rick Bayless. Wylie Dufresne. Art Smith. No one taking part is a weak link anywhere by any standard. This is one brilliant detour from the usual TC formula.

The other sublime twist is that with businesses to run and brands to sustain, these guys and gals can't afford to be sequestered in a condo. So each week four chefs battle it out, with one winner earning a spot in the finals.

This should be "Top Chef" as the fans really truly desire. Top notch food and food technique; genuine personalities (they've already reached the peak of their profession, no need to Danny Gagnon it up); and best of all, no retarded internecine romances.