Nocturnal Missions
Last night’s Lakers’ game against the Phoenix Suns was so good that I completely forgot about getting out to see the total lunar eclipse. LA won 130-124 in a raucous, back and forth, down-to-the-wire battle where Shaquille O’ Neal’s debut in the desert was spoiled by Purple and Gold, firing on all cylinders. A determined Kobe Bryant tallied 41 points and two blocks and Pau Gasol showed remarkable awareness and dexterity as he improvised for 29 of his own. Lamar Odom also played magnificently, scoring 22 and grabbing 11 boards. The Suns weren’t far behind, as Amare Stoudamire poured in a monstrous 37 points and Shaq earned 15 with nine rebounds, but ultimately fell short in what ended up being the most exciting game thus far this season. Purple and Gold are now 20 games above .500 at 37-17 and second place in the West as they enjoy two days off before Saturday’s contest against the Clippers. It’s a Clippers’ home game and Wear & Tear will be there to give you the low-down on Monday.
Three summer music events announced their lineups today: All Points West Music & Arts Festival in New Jersey, 10,000 Lakes Music Festival in Minnesota, and All Good Music Festival in West Virginia. For its first year, All Points West is being held at Jersey City’s Liberty State Park on August 8-10, features headliners Radiohead and Jack Johnson, and includes a diverse array of other groups including The Roots, Underworld, Kings of Leon and Rodrigo y Gabriela as well as dozens of others. I’ll nickname this one “Coachella East” for the time being, though there is no camping on-site at All Points West. The sixth annual 10,000 Lakes Music Festival is July 23-26 in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and the organizers have put together a jam-heavy list of Phil Lesh and Friends, The Flaming Lips, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood, and plenty more. The 12th annual All Good Music Festival will once again take place at Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia from July 11-13. I’ve been to this location before, for the moe. or Les Festival in 2002, and it is a positively inspiring plateau looking over a vast and lush valley. This year’s All Good campout also showcases Phil Lesh and Friends at the top of their bill and is sure to draw a huge crowd with Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, and Michael Franti & Spearhead among those booked to entertain the fans. All of these festivals have their own merits in terms of lineup, location, and staging, but I’m still leaning towards Rothbury as my top pick for a summer vacation.
Congratulations to the US Navy who, Pentagon officials said, destroyed a faulty spy satellite 130 miles above the Earth Wednesday evening. Our military continues to astound in terms of its technological efficiency and, at an estimated cost of around $50 million to eliminate the potentially toxic threat, I’m glad they hit it square the first time. Netflix just delivered Why We Fight, a 2005 documentary about the United States armed forces and this country’s propensity towards war, so I’m eager to delve into that following tonight’s Democratic debate now that Helmet canceled their appearance at The Echo. I can’t say I’m too upset as it’s likely to rain all night, making it preferable to stay in and watch a movie.
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