tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12155816.post-1117066614160077732005-05-25T16:43:00.000-07:002005-05-25T17:19:55.796-07:00Alice Cooper and Stewart Copeland? Yeppo.There's a new documentary heading to theaters called <em>Rock School </em>- not to be confused with the Hollywood production: <em>School of Rock </em>- thank you very much. It's about an after school venue where young minds learn rock and roll music (review up next week at BluntReview.com). <br /><br />So, last night my friend and I headed to the LA premiere...after the film everyone skadattled to the "after party" at The Knitting Factory. The Knitting Factory is a dive- circa 1983 cheapo rock hall- but it's cool when you're party "owns" the venue.<br /><br />Tonight several of the talents in the documentary - and a kid name CJ who is simply a wiz/legend-in-the-making in particular - would be entertaining us with their lessons learned. It was - basically - a recital. BUT these kids don't learn 3 chord Beatle ballads at this school - they learn Black Sabbath, Metallica and when they reach a higher level - Zappa.<br /><br />Okay - this is NOT my kinda music. Nadda interest. But, I do understand that as musicians it is the music (technically) that is harder to create and more soul herion(like Sashimi for a Sushi fan, or perhaps like Johnny Depp directed by Tim Burton - it puts them in a happier place mentally). And these Zappa songs especially, are truly fun for the player...not so much for the non-pharmaceutical popping listeners I am afraid (again -- I speak of ME). It just seems to be eight instruments playing four songs at two different beats to me. No offense to Zappa fans - I get it - truly - but don't dig it.<br /><br />So, the rock school kids get up do a few pretty good standard metal covers - then Alice Cooper and Stewart Copeland join the youngsters on stage for 'School's Out For Summer." Alice looks EXACTLY the same...and Stewart looks like a cute Borders' Book employee all in khaki and those nerdy glasses and smart guy shag-cut (YUM). Then a weird thing happened though. As Alice turned the mic towards the group and begged the audience to sing the creepy lullaby chorus (..<em>no more pencils ...no more teachers.</em>..) NO ONE sang! It was sad and hilarious at the very same time. I - of course - was waving and singing, nay bellowing, aloud in the back like my old 17 yr -old front row concert-going self.<br /><br />After the song - we were done. The kids played on but my friend and I said, "You know this?"..."Me neither..." Meanwhile Zappa's Napoleon Murphy Brock was standing with us - he told us he "may be coaxed into playing...," but the PR folks just walked by him and the 20-something "White Stripes is the strangest "rock" they know" audience had no clue a legend walked among us - well for Zappa fans.<br /><br />We'd had enough and exited stage left. I said to my friend, 'That was the lamest rock audience I have ever been in - they just STOOD there." He said, "Dear, it's Hollywood - no one wants to break out of the pose and show individuality - or godfabid sweat off their MAC make-up." Touche....touche. <br /><br />I dropped him off and BLASTED true music (Streetcore by The Mescaleros & Joe Strummer - <a href="http://bluntreview.com/reviews/streetcore.html">Review&Link</a>) through the canyon on the way home.<br /><br />And for those into '24'...did that ending ROCK or what. Though, didn't the CTU folks appear just a tad calm after the missile got hit in mid air -- basically over their heads? AND what was with the whole trying to kill Jack the hero deal? Argh. Well, as Keifer, err, Jack walked off into the sunset all I could hear was" <em>everybody's talkin' at me...can't hear a word they're sayin'....just the echoes of my mind....</em>" <br /><br />We must now wait till January to revisit with the lad.<br /><br />Support BluntReview.com - read and enjoy and click through our sponsor links and Amazon to buy stuff<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/12155816-111706661416007773?l=bluntreview.blogspot.com'/></div>Emily Blunthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03021506671789522976noreply@blogger.com32