Good fifth of July, everyone. I hope you all had a fun-filled Fourth.

I'm going to the Vans Warped Tour tomorrow; I know about three of the bands there (Tsunami Bomb, Dropkick Murphys, and Andrew WK). Expect an overall event/people-watching narrative, as opposed to a band-by-band review.

I've listened to Leonard Cohen's "Various Positions" CD at least three times today (perhaps to counteract the sonic barrage that my ears will be indundated with tomorrow — "Duuuuuuuuuuuuude!"). This was the first album I ever heard by the esteemed troubador — one of my mortal heroes and a source of great inspiration to me — and it started me on an ongoing musical journey that has found me in a myriad of moods at different times in my life. I'll leave you with the following verses, which still strike as strong a note with me today as they did when I first heard this album in 1984:

The crickets are singing
The vesper bells ringing
The cat's curled asleep in his chair
I'll go down to Bill's Bar
I can make it that far
And I'll see if my friends are still there
Yes, and here's to the few
Who forgive what you do
And the fewer who don't even care
— "The Night Comes On"

There are many in your life
And many still to be
Since you are a shining light
There's many that you'll see

— "Coming Back to You"