WINNIPEG CAMPAIGN TO STOP NICKELBACK!

[Strider]

Haha this is awesome news...found this on the Deadspin.com site:

There’s A Campaign To Keep Nickelback From Performing At The Winnipeg Jets’ First Game, Because Nickelback Sucks

No one knows why, but far too many dim marketing morons get paid ungodly amounts of money to "entertain" us at sporting events by hiring your mom's idea of a rockin' band. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse than the NFL's decision to have Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, and Maroon 5 ring in 2011 next week in Green Bay, along comes the NHL, where rumor has it the "major Canadian concert act" scheduled to play at next month's NHL FaceOff in Winnipeg is fucking Nickelback.

The good people of Winnipeg are putting up a fight, however. In an open letter to the NHL published the other day in the Winnipeg Free Press, a pair of critics begged the league to stop the music before it even begins.

As people who love music and love Winnipeg even more, we have a request: Please ensure this does not happen. The return of the NHL to Winnipeg is something we have been dreaming about for 15 years. Please do not sully the celebration with the presence of a band whose existence is antithetical to the very concept of celebration.

Please, Person In Charge Of Booking This Event, do not bring Nickelback to Winnipeg that weekend. They can play the arena to their own fans — of which there are many — any time. But a free public performance? That would be tantamount to spitting on Bobby Hull's toupee, burning Dale Hawerchuk's jersey, leaving something wet on Thomas Steen's city council seat or tripping Teemu Selanne on the ice during his final season in the NHL.

Then again, good people of Winnipeg, being subjected to a live Nickelback performance does give you the opportunity to throw rocks at them.

We're Begging You, Mr. Bettman... No Nickelback! [Winnipeg Free Press]

[Jahfin]

On a similar subject, this blog post was recently pointed out to me:

Dr. Hunter S. Thompson and Jimmy Buffett

A few days ago, one of the greatest calamities of my life transpired. It was an event that was so horrible, so unbelievably and inconceivably bad, that the surrealistic nightmare of it all is nearly too much for my fragile psyche to bear. I feel that at any instant I will collapse as I am consumed by burning, radioactive waves of fear and staggering rage that will clash together like the pulses of exploding stars, and my eternal soul will be lost in outer space where I will wander cold and alone forever.

What could make me feel so very, very incredibly awful? Awful like Sarah Connor in Terminator 2 when the bomb goes off and her very skeleton is set on fire? Awful so that it seems, as the doctor said, "the possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real,"? What could cause me to write with such incredible hyperbole?

Only this:

I have just discovered that Hunter S. Thompson was close friends with Jimmy Buffett.

FUCK!!!!!!!

This is exactly like being a kid and finding out that, before he was the Devil, Lucifer had been an angel. So you're eight and you're like, "God and the Devil used to be friends? Well now I don't know what to believe..."

Only this is like a thousand times worse. And here's why.

I have hero-worshiped Thompson since I first saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas when I was fifteen. As a teenager, I was fascinated by his unbelievable need and ability to rebel. To do everything that was forbidden by cultural norms and always come out on top. His life, lived on the edge, and passion for irresponsibility was such an inspiration to me at the time. I felt surrounded by the normalcy of suburban life and of school, and here was this side to reality that I had never really seen or thought of before. It is no exaggeration to say that Thompson literally changed the course of my life. Without him, and others like him, I might have caved to societal pressures and chosen a safe and practical career like dentistry or accounting. Thompson is a standing testimony to living and dying by what you believe in, and made me realize that safety-nets and compromises are for weak-willed villainous scum.

As an adult, I continue to admire Thompson for different reasons. While he is immediately attractive to all males between the ages of 14 and 25 for his balls-out craziness and whiskey-drinking, acid-dropping make-your-own-luck approach to life, he was also a visionary. Thompson, above all, just wanted to do something. He wanted to make a difference. He wanted to be important. He wanted to find the American Dream, he wanted to find an honest politician, he wanted to become Sheriff of Aspen and change the town for the better. Thompson is a towering monument of living life to the fullest and on the edge, but also to slamming your fists against the brick wall of the establishment even though you know you're not going to get anywhere. He was a dreamer and a brilliant writer and a genius and his life-story is enough to give one hope of extraordinary things in the dismal and soulless world we live in.

And then, there's Jimmy Buffett.

Jimmy Buffett is, in my eyes, everything that is wrong with the human species. He is a talentless, gutless, money-hungry, sham of an artist. This is a guy that, after being mistakenly shot at by Jamaican police when leaving the country, wrote a song called "Jamaica Mistaica." Doesn't that just make your blood fucking curdle? What a hack. This is a guy that I have so much personal distaste for that I actually started a hate group for him on facebook, and it's going strong.

The reason I hate Buffett so much is that he's exactly everything Thompson is not. His music is easy and soulless. There is no pain or suffering or sacrifice in his songs. He doesn't live and die by his songs like all the great musicians of our time and of all other times. He has risked nothing and therefore he produces nothing. He plays an acoustic guitar with a great big smile and a flower shirt and a lei and that stupid little wrist band of his, and I just want to watch him die. He is more than a crap musician and a shitty novelist and a smiling idiot who spends too much time in the sun. He is a symbol for all that is disgusting and vile in the world of art. He is my nemesis.

So, watching these two conflicting ideologies come together in friendship... it's really just more than I can handle. What can I do? Do I think less of Thompson? Do I think more of Buffett? Each is equally impossible. I feel betrayed. I keep imagining them together. Hanging out in the Caribbean drinking rum, swimming, driving around on Buffett's boat, laughing it up and having a good time. It makes my skin crawl. This must be what Oedipus felt like. A sinking in the pit of your stomach like a rock dropped into a well, because you know something horrible has happened and there is no way to ever correct it.

This person also has a I Hate Jimmy Buffett page on Facebook where there are no less than four I Hate Jimmy Buffett groups altogether. For the record, I'm a Jimmy Buffett fan and have been since way before the parrothead phenomenon caught on. I may not be so fond of parrotheads or Buffett's merchandizing ventures such as his hotels, casinos, Margaritaville Shrimp, Margaritaville Tequila, Landshark Beer, etc. These hate groups seem like a waste of an awful lot of energy that could be put to use for something much more positive.

Just had to get that off of my chest, now back to your regularly scheduled campaign to stop Nickelback from performing in Winnipeg thread...

Edited September 3, 2011 by Jahfin

[Sagittarius Rising]

On a similar subject, this blog post was recently pointed out to me:

This person also has a I Hate Jimmy Buffett page on Facebook where there are no less than four I Hate Jimmy Buffett groups altogether. For the record, I'm a Jimmy Buffett fan and have been since way before the parrothead phenomenon caught on. I may not be so fond of parrotheads or Buffett's merchandizing ventures such as his hotels, casinos, Margaritaville Shrimp, Margaritaville Tequila, Landshark Beer, etc. These hate groups seem like a waste of an awful lot of energy that could be put to use for something much more positive.

Just had to get that off of my chest, now back to your regularly scheduled campaign to stop Nickelback from performing in Winnipeg thread...

Holy crap, I think I just pissed and shit myself laughing so hard. You two have taken a crap week and turned it all around. God bless you both

[happiness]

We're Begging You, Mr. Bettman... No Nickelback! [Winnipeg Free Press]

That band degrades music on so many levels apart from a couple of half decent songs. I agree with the request.

[zepps_apprentice]

A post I made on Facebook a few days ago:

I realized, some of the best bands of all time begin with the word "The". The Doors, The Beatles, The Who.. And some of the worst bands of all time begin with the word Nickelback.

[Gospel Zone]

I don't know off hand what Nickelback sounds like, but if I were in a band I wouldn't play at a sporting event. The only exception I'd make is if the Rolling Stones had performed "Star, Star", with that inflatable phallus, at the Super Bowl.

Maybe if it was a sport that takes more than one ball........

Edited September 3, 2011 by Gospel Zone

[Jahfin]

Holy crap, I think I just pissed and shit myself laughing so hard. You two have taken a crap week and turned it all around. God bless you both

In case you didn't gather it from my post, I'm actually a Buffett fan. I don't expect everyone to like the same music but that I Hate Jimmy Buffett page and the founders blog are exercises in extreme ignorance.

[Strider]

I don't care for Jimmy Buffet. I find him bland. But I'm certainly not going to waste time and effort blogging about it and starting a facebook page about it. In fact, I don't get the whole point of going to a band's website or youtube video that you don't like just to trash it. I don't like Nickelback or Buffet or the Eagles...so I don't watch their clips on youtube or visit their websites.

Same thing if someone starts a thread here about a band or singer I don't like...I'll just ignore it and move on. Obviously other people do like the Eagles or Buffet or whoever and why should I rain on their parade? I've started threads about bands that aren't everybody's cup of tea, and for the most part the haters and trolls have stayed away.

I'd much rather talk about bands/music I do like than the stuff I don't.

Apart from the amusing thought of a city trying to stop a band from performing, my main reason for posting the above article is that it points out a gripe I've had about televised sports since at least the 80s: the scourge of having music events at every sporting event.

How I long for the days of the simple pregame show and a halftime of Phyllis George and Brent Musburger showing highlights. The NFL and the NBA are the worst offenders.

Like the article says, next week the NFL is gonna pollute the ears of millions with the insipid sounds of Maroon 5...why? Who in the wide world of sports thinks of the NFL when you hear Maroon 5?

It's almost to the point where I will watch a sporting event on tivo, just so I can skip through all the (non)entertainment bullshit that clutter up sports broadcasts these days.

[dazedcat]

Hell I had no idea Winnipeg was getting their Jets back. Good for them. Hockey doesn't belong in Atlanta and it sure as hell doesn't belong in Phoenix either. Quebec City ought to get their team back too eventually.

Nickelback doesn't deserve a recording contract either but one out of three ain't bad.

[Ross62]

Good luck with that.

We Aussie Rules fans have to put up with that tired old hack Meathead trying to perform at our Grand final in Melbourne soon.

Apparently Van Halen will be in town at the same time?

[Electrophile]

Hell I had no idea Winnipeg was getting their Jets back. Good for them. Hockey doesn't belong in Atlanta and it sure as hell doesn't belong in Phoenix either. Quebec City ought to get their team back too eventually.

Quebec City isn't getting their team back, seeing as they became the Colorado Avalanche, and there's no chance in hell they're leaving anytime soon.

[happiness]

Good luck with that.

We Aussie Rules fans have to put up with that tired old hack Meathead trying to perform at our Grand final in Melbourne soon.

Apparently Van Halen will be in town at the same time?

Do you mean Meatloaf?

[Strider]

Do you mean Meatloaf?

I believe he does.

[happiness]

I believe he does.

I thought I was the only person who strongly disliked that band. I could never figure out the popularity of songs like Paradise by the Dashboard Light. Sometimes I think a song's popularity is driven by media persuasion.

[dazedcat]

Quebec City isn't getting their team back, seeing as they became the Colorado Avalanche, and there's no chance in hell they're leaving anytime soon.

I wasn't referring to the Colorado team. There are a handful of others though that can move relatively easily like what happened here. Atlanta was an expansion franchise that didn't make it there so back to Winnipeg they went.

[Electrophile]

I wasn't referring to the Colorado team.

Yes you were. You said "Quebec City ought to get their team back too eventually." The former Quebec Nordiques (who played in Quebec City) are the current Colorado Avalanche. There's no chance that the Avalanche are moving back to Quebec to become the Nordiques again.

Now, if you had said "Quebec City ought to get A team back too eventually", I'd have agreed with you. For example, I think either the Phoenix Coyotes or the Florida Panthers should move to Quebec City. They won't be the Nordiques, but they can be something else.

[Jahfin]

I thought I was the only person who strongly disliked that band. I could never figure out the popularity of songs like Paradise by the Dashboard Light. Sometimes I think a song's popularity is driven by media persuasion.

Once a year we have something here in Raleigh called The Cover Up where local bands cover various artists. Last year, one of the artists' covered was Meatloaf (by River City Ransom). I only caught the last couple of songs but when I walked into the club that night nearly everyone was singing along at the top of their lungs. The Cover Up is not a competition but by all accounts, River City Ransom absolutely nailed it. There is no video of their set but there is this photo of River City Ransom as Meatloaf:

[Ross62]

Do you mean Meatloaf?

Yep,that's right.

[happiness]

Once a year we have something here in Raleigh called The Cover Up where local bands cover various artists. Last year, one of the artists' covered was Meatloaf (by River City Ransom). I only caught the last couple of songs but when I walked into the club that night nearly everyone was singing along at the top of their lungs. The Cover Up is not a competition but by all accounts, River City Ransom absolutely nailed it. There is no video of their set but there is this photo of River City Ransom as Meatloaf:

I am trying to remember whether or not I bought that first Meatloaf album as an attempt to try to like it. What you wrote is precisely what I am getting at. Vastly popular with the masses and I still after all these years, can't bring myself to subject my senses to it....much like Nickelback.

[slave to zep]

sorry to stay off topic, but I HATE MEATLOAF TOO!!!!!!

could NEVER understand their popularity. those songs are just SO cheezy.

[dazedcat]

Yes you were. You said "Quebec City ought to get their team back too eventually." The former Quebec Nordiques (who played in Quebec City) are the current Colorado Avalanche. There's no chance that the Avalanche are moving back to Quebec to become the Nordiques again.

Now, if you had said "Quebec City ought to get A team back too eventually", I'd have agreed with you. For example, I think either the Phoenix Coyotes or the Florida Panthers should move to Quebec City. They won't be the Nordiques, but they can be something else.

No I wasn't. "Their" team means a franchise, any franchise. Phoenix didn't return to Winnipeg did they? That's where the original Jets went to. Why couldn't a team move to Quebec and be called the Nordiques? That just happened with Winnipeg...............they're not the Thrashers anymore, are they?

This is fun, we can continue to infinity if you'd like to.

[Jahfin]

[Zeppelin Led]

^Lol that reminds me of spinal tap where about 10 people show up to there concert

[sweetredwine]

[Strider]

^^^ :vomit:

The people have spoken and the NHL listened...NO NICKELBACK!

But they're still trotting out some old fogies...read on:

http://richmobile.metronews.ca/winnipeg/local/article/984100--no-nickelback-in-nhl-party-lineup

Edited October 9, 2011 by Strider