Days of Lore

YOU REMIND ME OF SOMEONE … I’ve been told I look like people on several occasions—from my friend’s cousin’s sister’s boyfriend to the upper echelon of human existence, celebrities. Guess I just have one of those faces.

That said; I received an e-mail last week from a friend of mine with the subject line, “Mark Lore on American Idol!!!!” Of course, upon seeing this, my brain unsuccessfully went through the process of trying to remember when I could have possibly auditioned for the show. So I open the message and see a photo of a pale, lanky dork wearing a green T-shirt with the message, “Mark Lore’s picture shoot for American Idol … good luck Mark Lore!!”

Well, it wasn’t me but American Idol hopeful Elliott Yamin, and apparently some of my friends think he looks like me. I don’t really see it, but I thought this would be a good time to revisit a couple of the more notorious celebrities I’ve been compared to.

I DOn’t KNOW DICK The most common comparison I receive is with Andy Dick, the effeminate comic who became famous on News Radio and who has since made more headlines for his insatiable appetite for blow and celebrity parties—hey, sounds like what I do on a smaller scale here in Chico. Uncanny, isn’t it? The glasses, the curly hair, the lack of funny. Ahhh … there’s nothing like being compared to a washed-up comic.

GONE PHISHING My first comparison to Trey Anastasio occurred when I was studying in Spain in 2003. I was growing out my beard, trying to not look like Andy Dick, and this young Spaniard me dijo, “Apereces como la guitarista de Phish!” Y respondí yo, “Sí? Qué pena que no pueda tocar la guitara como él.” Era divertido. Y finalmente, estaba confundido con un celebridad con talento.

So that’s that. I went from Andy Dick to the frontman of hippie revivalists Phish, and I felt pretty good about it. I personally think I look more like Waldo of Where’s Waldo fame. But if you, the reader, have any other ideas of who I look like, send them my way.

LORE It’s always cool to see your name in print. So imagine my excitement upon discovering that my name was mentioned not once, but twice in this week’s Synthesis—first in Daniel Taylor’s column and then again in Seth Singletary’s column! And the best part about it was the fact that the Syn’s double-threat was so kind as to dole out some honest, constructive criticism. They didn’t have to do that, but they did anyway.

First Taylor suggested that I could take command of the CN&R with Tom Gascoyne having recently resigned so we can live out our dream of “being exactly like the Synthesis … only without the fun, coolness and taste in music.” Yes, that would be awesome. And he’s absolutely right—I am sorely lacking in the fun, coolness and taste in music department—but I’m working on it.

Then I flip the page and I read Singletary’s piece about how boring my topics are and how the CN&R removed “the best writing our publication has ever had” in Local Bastard. Boring? Yes. Long-winded? Absolutely.

Singletary writes: “I did like reading LB’s column and laughing about how similar he and DT wrote, yet talked about how much they hated each other.” I couldn’t have articulated it any better, buddy.

Anyway, thanks guys. And keep up the great work you’re doing over there!

METAL UP MY ASS Went to the rock show at Off Limits last night with The Kunst Conspiracy, Zabaleen and The Makai. All three bands were fantastic, but The Makai knocked my dick in the dirt. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again—best band in Chico.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS Only 51 days until Indie Fest—a one-day festival of indie rock sponsored by Target.