I sat down to close 2010 with a traditional favorite-music-of-the year list, only to realize that I am rather far behind in my exposure to new tunes. I'll scrap that idea and instead write about a few music-related memories from this year.
1) Mercer Island Half Marathon
On March 22, I participated for the first time in my hometown's signature running race. I missed the race the prior year due to injury and was recovering from a different injury prior to this one, making this an important psychological event as well as a physical one. I did not appreciate how hilly the course was until I drove it the day before, and I became discouraged about the prospects of hitting either of my goal times. However, moving into the final mile, I realized that I was a lot closer to the finish line than I thought I was. Serendipitously, my playlist reached my finish-line song, "Crawling Through Knives" by In Flames, which always gives me a little adrenaline boost. I accelerated and started passing people, quickly finding myself on the straightaway to the end. I found a final extra gear and sprinted the last 200 yards or so, including the small hill immediately before the finish line, crossing over two minutes ahead of my stretch goal :)
2) Canadian traffic jam
On April 30, Dave, Dan M & I headed north to Vancouver, BC so Dan & I could run the Vancouver Half Marathon on May 2. We left Seattle early to avoid Friday traffic but hit a severe backup anyway just ahead of the tunnel leading into the city. There's no interesting story here. It took us an hour to go just a couple miles. Canadian radio had nothing worth admitting into our earholes, so I put on "Never Trust Anything That Bleeds" by American Eyes. Despite the auspicious start to the weekend, Dan & I both ran a good race.
3) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
We are Sex Bob-Omb!
4) Bumbershoot
I went to see Rise Against, but Weezer.put on my favorite show of the day. Rivers Cuomo had ridiculous amounts of energy, climbing all over the set and stage structure, even leaving the stage entirely to sing a song from the corner of Memorial Stadium. As if Weezer's own catalog of hits wasn't enough, they covered the opening drum solo and guitar lick of Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" and did a full-song version of MGMT's "Kids", inserting a verse of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" in the middle for good measure. Did I mention that I love cover songs?
5) "Electric Blue" by Icehouse
A song I had long since forgotten gained new significance this year, in a very happy way. Nothing more to share on that ;)
6) BoB's "Magic", featuring Rivers Cuomo
Hey, that's two parts of this list with Rivers in them! I'll end the post with this song. I have a couple specific memories associated with it, but it's included here as representation of a pretty positive year overall for me. I gained quite a bit of confidence in some important areas, and I will close out the year feeling like maybe I do have a bit of magic in me.
Happy new year!
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