Crust Wins M.I.T. Battle of the Bands

My band "Crust," formerly Schoolhouse Rock, won the M.I.T. Battle of the bands for the second year in a row. An important addition to the band from last year is vocalist Wes Williams, whose voice is similar in quality to Layne Staley of Alice in Chains. The band will play a series of local shows at college parties.

Schoolhouse Rock Rocks Schoolhouse

Last night my band "Schoolhouse Rock" won the final round of the M.I.T. Battle of the Bands. My photo appeared on the front page of The Tech last week after winning the first round. When the summer comes, I will be recording my first album with my high-school band "Descending Angel," featuring Missy Helmstetter on vocals, Rob Santiago on drums, and Jim Frint on Bass. Although the project is low-budget, I look forward to memorializing the tunes we played together over the years in New Jersey, while moving forward with new musicians up here in Boston.

Bull Fight at Las Ventas

I am in Madrid, Spain today, and what better to do on a free Sunday than see a real Spanish bull fight! I took the subway from the University to Las Ventas and easily found the Plaza de Toros. Outside, there were dozens of vendors selling all kinds of bull fight memorabilia. I chose a large wall-poster because it had the names of all those who would bravely dare to go up against the bulls in today's performance! The ticket ran me a mere 625 pesetas.

It was a large stadium, and upon entry, the show was just starting. As the show proceeded, I have to admit that I was somewhat let down. While it was an interesting affair, there appeared to be no risk or danger. The bulls appeared tired and sluggish, and once shot with the tranquilizers, the dual became most unfair. The challengers accomplished what I thought was akin to slaughtering a napping cow. I'm not saying I wanted to see the matador get decapitated, but I expected a little bit more. The costumes and horse riding antics made it worth the while, though. I did not stick around for the grill-out afterwards.