I saw James for the umpteenth time at the Showbox last week. I got into them in 1990 while studying in Cambridge, England, and went to every California show they did from their first tour in '92 forward. The first one at was probably only my fourth show ever (i was 16) and the first club show I went to. You never forget that first experience. There were only 20 of us there ahead of time, trading favorite songs and buying $3 zine someone had made. Tim Field around like a seizure victim, and the crowd crawled on stage and leading each other's laps and saying during "sit down." My second favorite was seeing The Flaming Lips' soft bulletin tour in 1998. I had no idea what their shows were like and my head was blown clean off. All I can say is I left the show with fake blood in my hair and confetti in my panties. Sarajevo legend Goran Bregovič would be another one and I'm seeing him next year for the fourth time, but that's not really Morning Show fodder.

This seems like a good space to post 5x5s. My top 25 streams for the last week. This platform doesn't seem to support alt-text yet (I sent a note to their support to strongly encourage that-you should too!) I'll add the alt text in the comments listing the 25 records streamed. All over the place on genre and years.

I'm trying to get off the email list as spam folders are a thing and also no internaction is also a thing. SO here's the place I will open up on all the things music and community oriented that I was doing there but here, where it is more friendly. Welcome! Hit me with any questions or comments.

Cheekface announced two distant 5-year anniversary shows for their 2nd album, Emphatically No. this morning. It got me thinking about maybe a trip out to catch one of them, and I thought I'd toss out a question for you all: what's the farthest you've traveled to see a show? For me, back in late 2019, I flew from Seattle down to Long Beach, CA to catch The Last doing a 40th anniversary show for their L.A. Explosion album at Alex's Bar. The Alley Cats, The Zeros, and Danny & The Doorknobs (a version of Trotsky Icepick) opened. It was an afternoon show, so I flew back after and was back home for dinner. 2nd pic is the Danny & the Doorknobs LP in my lap on the plane home that Vitus Mataré gifted me at the show for flying down to see them.

When asked if there is a band I'd travel far for to see, I don't really have an answer as I've already probably seen them or they aren't together so they aren't an option. I have never seen Sugar live and Cooper Blue has been a best friend since the day it came out. Not one time has not sounded amazing to me. I have had that thing in my years for decades. Well, looks like this guy is going to London in May to see Sugar. NOW we all get a preview at Smooch this year! Bob announced on the show that he will be headlining as we raise money for Smooch, which has raised 30 million in the last 14 years. I've been with Smooch since Day 1 and am honoured to be a part of it. Go to smoochforkids.com to get tickets, it WILL sell out.