The Breeders Play Tampa Bay

Last night the classic Last Splash-era line-up of The Breeders played The Ritz Ybor in Tampa Bay, and it was one helluva show! The band were in fine form as they played material old and new in the midst of moody lighting and an alluring visual backdrop that didn’t stay still for long. I’m exhausted at the moment, so suffice it to say, if you have the chance to see The Breeders as they tour the U.S. and elsewhere on the heels of their cool new album All Nerve, run don’t walk to see them. I’m grateful they made a stop down here and the rest of the packed audience last night ate it up too.

Will Vinton (1947-2018)

A quick shout out and “requiescat in pace” are due for animator Will Vinton, who passed away yesterday. Will Vinton’s Claymation Christmas Celebration was a staple of my childhood in the 1980s and I still make a point of watching it on DVD every year during the holidays. Like Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed or the Brothers Quay’s Street of Crocodiles, it is a venerated slice of animation that has achieved “classic” status at this point, and for good reason. Even thirty years on, people take stock of how inviting and visually engrossing it is. Will Vinton was talented, and duly celebrated during his time, and even if you don’t think you know him, you probably do know him, as you’ve likely at the very least seen his work in commercials and in pop culture at large. He will be missed.