Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:06:10 – BSV: Right off the hop! The guys check in on the BS Voicemail. MLB Free Agents, Rugby concussions, and Binge Fantasy Football!
0:30:05 – 60 SECONDS: New Segment where we highlight as many topics in 60 sesconds and pick one to discuss. GO!
0:44:48 – COLLEGE ROUNDUP: The College Football Playoff is set. The Championship games were a bit of a disappointment, but does it really matter? Did the committee get it right? Ohio State fans are pissed, but should they be?
0:57:07 – AROUND THE LEAGUE: What’s happening with the NFL? We’ve got guys taking cheap shots during plays and after the whistle. Teams firing coaches and GMs who said they’d never fire anyone during the season. All this… and it’s actually overshadowing what is looking to be a pretty fun playoff run! (In the NFC at least).
1:27:18 – THE PICKS: TM and PJ had good weeks… 4 weeks to go. Can PJ catch TM? Chad D helps out with the guest picks
1:36:50 – FANTASY: We have our playoff picture set! TM was locked into first, but did he outscore Chad C enough to win that money? Who’s in? Who’s out? and Who’s in the Toilet… we’ll give you one guess! Playoffs Start this week! Hold on to your butts!
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:02:12 – BSV: Right off the hop! The guys check in on the BS Voicemail. 3 new BSVs!
0:30:37 – COLLEGE ROUNDUP: The College Football Rankings are out for the last time before the Final Four are announced and… it’s Championship Week! Are the guys excited with the mix-up at the top? Is this the year Alabama gets left out? Would an 8-team playoff make this better or worse? Who’s a shoe-in…. and who is the long shot to get in?
0:42:25 – Other news? Is there anything except football? Tiger Woods is back on the course… does anyone still care? Soccer gets talked about for more than 5 minutes. You’re welcome!
0:54:00 – AROUND THE LEAGUE: Eli sitting… Jimmy G starting. Chain fight!! Other news? Did the “Contenders” remain as contenders or was there another shake-up at the top? Now that the good teams are staying on top, how do the guys feel about this years possible playoff matchups. Who’s going to come out on top in the NFC behind Phili… a crazy next 3 weeks for the other contenders.
1:27:24 – THE PICKS: “Check out the big brain on TM!” What a week for the Gamblin Man! Does anyone else get out of the red?
1:38:37 – FANTASY: Guess who won a game? And guess who he possibly knocked out of playoff contention! Boom! TM clinches 1st place and a bye. Everything else is going to come down to the final regular week of the regular season!
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:00:00 – What’s going on with everyone! TM is fresh off his appearance on the big show! Has he recovered? I think he’s drinking tea…
0:07:20 – BSV: The guys check in on the BS Voicemail. Vikings fans are getting cocky… huh?
0:26:00 – COLLEGE ROUNDUP: The 3rd to last College Football Playoff Rankings are released. Does the Big Ten have a chance to get in? This past weekend helped slightly, but it’s all going to come down to the Championship games next week.
0:35:38 – AROUND THE LEAGUE: This weeks news/reaction to what the hell some teams were doing this past weekend.
1:02:45 – CONTENDERS & PRETENDERS: We’ve finally reached a point where we can start weeding out those good teams and those teams that are just randomly finding ways to win. Do the Eagles have what it takes to take down the Patriots? Does KC find a way to get itself back in the AFC picture? Which team in the AFC wants to play in the wildcard… could it be a sleeper?
1:28:55 – THE PICKS: Last weeks picks are discussed, and we find out that another late cover completely screwed over the guys. Its a downward spiral at this point for everyone. Thank god we don’t bet. We bring in listener Luke to make the guest picks.
1:40:20 – FANTASY: Who’s still in it and who’s got no shot with 2 weeks to go! Does TM still hold that top spot? Who should be there and who’s hanging on by a string?
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822
0:00:00 – Right off the top, the guys talk college football as this weeks College Football Playoff Rankings are released. Alabama, Clemson, Miami, and Oklahoma are currently in… does this last or do we get a sleeper team? Did ND losing help the Big Ten?
0:20:00 – The guys check in on the BS Voicemail and try to console a Bills fan by weighing in with their own teams’ struggles.
0:37:40 – The guys try to go “Around the League”, but can’t seem to find any good games to talk about. Why is that? What’s hurting the league the most right now? Where does this Jerry Jones vs. Goodell and the rest of the NFL come in to play? And the worst challenge in the history of the NFL happened in the Chicago/Green Bay game.
1:20:10 – Week 11 picks are about as confident as you’d assume after looking at the overall standing right now. Who the hell knows anything anymore?
1:36:20 – Fantasy football is wrapping up and the Binge Fantasy Football League is discussed, as the final playoff spots are becoming a bit clear. PJ and Ed are playing in the Toilet Bowl this week, and how long can TM hold the top spot?
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
You’re almost there. Just a few more days until your enjoying the solace that only a weekend can bring. Your weekend however, will be nowhere near as awesome as mine. How do I know? Because you won’t be celebrating…
Christmas In July
It’s that time of year again. The time where my wife and I pack up the car and head north to the great state of Wisconsin where we gather with family to celebrate Christmas. With all of my wife’s siblings and her father and his wife living out of state, it was decided that we would all gather the 3rd weekend of every July to save each other the headache of trying to make time during the actual Christmas holiday. All families should do this. Seriously. We arrive Friday Night/Saturday morning to a fully decorated house, including tree. From that moment forward it’s 4 days of relaxation and enjoyment of company. You know, the things that don’t actually happen in December. We drink, play yard games, board games, mini-golf, real golf and even squeeze in some naps. We even had a snowball fight one year. Saturday night we get our annual t-shirt, oh yeah, there are t-shirts, and Sunday morning we put them on before breakfast and presents. Don’t believe me, look at the pic below. This is indeed my favorite holiday of the year.
My First Car
It’s a sad time in the Kupka household this week as we bid farewell to a long time member of my family. My 1998 Honda Civic EX, aka MtlHd1. Now to be truthful I did own one car previous to this one but it was very short lived. This car though, wow. 14 years I owned this vehicle. From ages 20-34. It was there for me almost without fail. It took me to countless nights at the bars, to concerts, on road trips, to sporting events and was what I drove the night I met my (now) wife. The cigarettes smoked, the ganja toked, the late night fast food devoured, the countless conversations from the most pointless shit to the most meaningful. It was the car that toted Jim Law and Johnny Moreno back home the night Matches Malone and I first met the guys for drinks, lots of drinks. It was the car that in 2001 my father helped me buy so that I could do all of these things and more. On Friday July 7th, it was discovered that MtlHd1 suffered from needing at least a new alternator and new brake lines. We decided that it would be more humane to put her down instead of keeping her alive and in pain. For over 130,000 miles she was by my side. Today I say goodbye. I’ll miss you.
Top 10 of 2014
So I know the boys on the Bingecast have been talking about putting together our Top 10 of the year thus far, but they also drink a lot so they probably forgot. In case that time never comes here are my Top 10 so far this year, in no particular order.
1. The Lego Movie
2. The Amazing Spiderman 2
3. X-Men Days of Future Past
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
5. Edge of Tomorrow
6. Wish I Was Here
7.
8.
9.
10.
Jesus H. Christ. It’s the middle of July and I’ve only seen 6 movies that are Top 10 worthy so far this year. 5 of which are based on Toys/Comics. I need to change this pronto. What should I get to first? What are some of your favorites so far this year? Any hidden gems the guys haven’t talked about on the Bingecast?
This Weeks Music Suggestions
I decided that since I am doing the Wednesday article I should go ahead and listen to some new releases as I write the rest of this so I can offer up some suggestions for your earholes. This week I was able to get to a few albums, all of which are definitely worth a spin.
“Weird Al” Yankovic – Mandatory Fun
Al is back to form with his latest release. Nobody does it better and with instant standouts Tacky (Pharrell’s Happy), Word Crimes (Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines) and Foil (Lourde’s Royals) this is a must listen for even the most casual of fans.
Bleachers – Strange Desire
I’m a big fan of Fun.’s album Some Nights and really enjoyed the similar sounding I Wanna Get Better, the first single from Strange Desire. A side project of Jack Antonoff (guitarist of Fun.) it has a more 80’s pop sound as opposed to the theatrical sound of Fun. that is reminiscent of Queen. If you’re a fan of Fun. you will definitely enjoy this album.
Trampled By Turtles – Wild Animals
To be hones I’m just recently getting into this band so I really don’t know how this album compares to their others. What I can say is if you’re a fan of the folky, americana, singer songwriter sound you should give this guys a try.
That’ll do it for this week. Any comments, questions, or concerns? Leave ’em below. You can also follow me on twitter @jekupka Until next week I leave you with this…
I find myself back in Milwaukee this week to attend probably my most anticipated show of this year (thus far). A little band we discussed on the Binge Music Cast back in March, St. Paul & The Broken Bones.
It’s Called Soul Music For A Reason Folks
With my recent jump back into the live music scene I have found that my group is usually some of the older in attendance. I’m not gonna lie, it’s kind of weird. Which is why my wife and I were thrilled to be on the lower end of the age spectrum this time around. A lot of folks my parents age hanging around this evening and it made sense, afterall St. Paul & The Broken Bones (SPBB) has that soulful sound that came from the 60s & 70s, the era where our parents were growing up. But more on them and their throwback sound in a moment.
The opener this evening was a band called John & Jacob. 5 guys who look as polished as their sound but unfortunately didn’t do much for me this evening. For the most part. This is definitely a talented group of musicians who ended up being a great opener for SPBB but I found them to be a bit over polished. They had a very pop “That Thing You Do” sound to them with a blend of the popular pop riff styles, the likes of The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Early Beatles & Fleetwood Mac. What’s wrong with that you ask? Nothing, at all. In fact I’m pretty sure most rock musicians would kill to be mentioned in the same sentence with those artists. Unfortunately that sound doesn’t do anything for me currently. After years of being exposed to mostly overpolished pop garbage I tend to shrug off a band like this. Which I did. Until they actually let loose. When these guys kicked it into high gear it was explosive. It was that dirty, gritty, bluesy rock and roll that is coming back around in force. I personally would have enjoyed them much more had they spent more time kicking ass and less time getting the chicks to bop to the beat. If you’re into that more clean and polished pop rock sound you should definitely check them out. You can check out their tour dateshere and purchase their E.P. from Amazon here. They have an album releasing later this year (I believe they said August) but they actually have it pressed and on sale at their shows now.
At about 9:10 The Broken Bones took the stage and rocked a nice little intro before St. Paul himself came out. He was welcomed very warmly by the sold out crowd and then he and the band got straight down to business. Their set was a mix of their entire 39 minute debut album and “things they love to play”. Some of the later being tracks Shake (Sam Cooke), Let Me Roll It (Wings) and a version of Try A Little Tenderness (Otis Reading) that would have made James Brown say GODDAMN white boy, you got some soul. The band was as tight as they were loose, combine that with the amazing vocal talent and showmanship of the man himself and you have the makings of a southern based soul revival that’ll get even the biggest wallflower (i.e. me) shaking his money maker. If you haven’t heard the buzz about SPBB by now consider yourself told. They will be touring most of the summer so check your favorite local venue or festival lineup and do whatever you can to get a ticket. They will blow your fucking socks off, while restoring your musical faith. Check out the rest of their current tour dates here and pick up their debut Half The City here. You won’t be disappointed.
Well folks, that’ll do it for now. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with a review of Langhorne Slim at Space in Evanston followed by Clairy Brown and The Bangin’ Rackettes. Until then, thanks for reading.
This installment takes us to the wonderful land of Milwaukee, WI. Just kidding, Milwaukee is nowhere near wonderful. But this concert was.
Bang Your Head Like It’s 1981
As I’ve gotten older I have learned to appreciate many genres of music. However, back in my angsty teenage years, there was only one style I would even entertain listening to. Metal. If it wasn’t loud, fast, or hard you could shove it straight up your ass. Which is why when I heard that Slayer was touring with Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus I had to be there. Sure none of the bands contained all their original members but that shit tends to happen after melting faces for 30 years. What matters is that whoever the current members are, they bring it like only they can. Holyfuckingshit was it brought.
Kicking off the show was Exodus. Now I never got into Exodus growing up. Judging this book by it’s cover I always thought they were a death metal band, and that Kirk Hammett of Metallica was a former guitarist. Well turns out they are only one of the first Thrash Metal bands in existence, and goddamn do I need to take a peak at their discography. Very glad they opened up this show as they really got the crowd going with what I can only assume were their classics. It was hard to tell since it was quite a younger crowd and even at my age they’ve always seemed to be one of those bands that only the Hardcore Metalhead would have been into. If you like the genre check ’em out, they were pretty solid and are a good choice for a new listen of an old genre. You may also find it interesting that the only original member that was playing was the drummer and that they have gone through almost 20 members over the years. Crazy huh?
Next we had Suicidal Tendencies. I really got into these guys during the nineties, especially due to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series as they were featured on the soundtrack. And my brother and I played it. A LOT. With only vocalist Mike Muir remaining from the original members they tore through all the classics, well not all of them. HOW THE FUCK DO YOU NOT PLAY INSTITUTIONALIZED?!?! More punk then metal I will forever associate them with skateboarding/skateboarders. Does the fact that Mike is the younger brother of Pro Skater Jim Muir play a part in that? I dunno, maybe. I had seen them once before when they opened up for Insane Clown Posse a few years back but was kind of disappointed. This time around it was quite the opposite, aside from them not playing Institutionalized (yes I’m bitter). They were energetic all the way through and were interactive with the crowd throughout most of their set. It was a set that made me want to see them headline and I hope after this tour they do. If you’ve never been exposed to these guys do yourself a favor and pick up their greatest hits album Prime Cuts. If you dig that you should also enjoy the deeper stuff on their albums. And if you get a chance to see them, do it.
Slayer. That’s really all that needs to be said. That and they played nothing after Seasons In The Abyss. Which kinda bummed me out, but at the same time was really fucking awesome. Staying true to form they tore through a blistering 90 (approx) min set. Ending of course with Angel of Death. It’s unbelievable that these guys are still doing what no one else can after over 30 years. The energy and stage presence was some of the best I’ve seen. This was also one of the loudest crowds I’ve been a part of. The majority of Slayer fans are the true definition of the word fanatic and it was definitely the case here. At times being so loud they were drowning out vocalist Tom Araya. This was about the 5th or 6th time I’ve seen Slayer and was possibly the best one. If you have the opportunity to catch this show in a town near you I highly suggest you do so. The total package of a classic metal show without the feeling of a money grab. This is why live shows exist. And if you’re reading this and already have a pass that will allow you to see them play Reign In Blood in it’s entirety at this year’s Riot Fest in Chicago, I hate you.
Well, hope you enjoyed. I’ll be back in a couple weeks with a review of St. Paul and The Broken Bones. Until next time, thanks for reading.