UA, U2, and J5

In 2000, I had my first job, I fell in love with a wonderful girl named Jennie Churchill, and I got to vote in my very first election. The job was at the United Artists Denver Pavilions movie theater, and during my six months there, I got to hear some great music; some in the lobby during my brief stint at the concession stand, and my occasional stints taking tickets and directing people to the right auditoriums. Some in the auditoriums themselves when my team and I would go in to clean after a screening was over.

All of those songs had an impact on me in the sense that they bring up memories of what was an interesting year, but I’m going to stick to those that bring up pleasant memories of those times. These songs are listed in no particular order;

Song: Beautiful Day

Artist: U2

Album: All That You Can’t Leave Behind

At the time this song came out, U2 had been going through what I call a crap phrase. With albums like Zooropa and Pop, they were doing this really lame pop quasi-techno stuff that turned a lot of fans, myself included off to the band. So when I’d heard a new one was coming out, I was not enthusiastic. But one day, I came to work early for a shift, and while I was hanging out in the lobby waiting for my start time, the screens that play music videos, movie trailers, commercials, etcetera started playing the new U2 single, Beautiful Day, and it was amazing. U2 was back! To this day when I hear that song, I feel happy, and a little nostalgic.

Song: Getting’ In The Mood

Artist: The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Album: Vavoom!

Everybody knows the music to the Glenn Miller classic In The Mood, even if they don’t know the name of the song. It’s a swing classic, and has been featured in such movies and shows as the ABC Miniseries Stephen King’s The Shining. In August of 2000, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, riding high on the brief resurgence of swing movies during the late 1990s, released a version of this song with lyrics.

In the mood... the joint is jumping
In the groove... we're on to something
in the mood... the band is pumping
swinging and swaying and rockin rollin
Come on down... were gonna party
I know how... yeah to get it started
In the mood... we're good to boogie
Blow that jivin music now...

I heard the song and saw the video for it under similar circumstances to how I was introduced to Beautiful Day. This song would make me happy even if I’d heard it under different circumstances, as it is incredibly upbeat, and I like swing music anyway, Glenn Miller in particular.

Song: Mrs. Robinson

Artist: Simon & Garfunkel

Album: The soundtrack to the film The Graduate

It was so awesome when I heard added to the pre-movie music repertoire for that month (whichever month it was, I forget). I loved the song already anyway, but now I got to hear it several times a day while at work. It certainly made the rough days easier. Of course, my fellow floor crew people, being with few exceptions under the age of 25 (I was 18) didn’t like it, but what do kids know about good music? These people seemed to think it was great when we got a Britney Spears song in the theatre, so I post they don’t know jack. The song is an undeniable classic, and if you’ll permit me the shameless plug, was the inspiration for my National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) project for 2007.

Song: The Weight

Artist: The Band

Album: Music from Big Pink

Another rock classic, we had this one during July at the theatre, and I loved hearing it. The funny thing about this song was, although I was very familiar with it, I’m ashamed to admit I’d forgotten the name of the band performing it (yes, I’m aware of the irony). Thankfully, the song was among those where the theater radio voice announced the title and the artist. This was not always the case. There are some songs from those six months that I can remember, but still don’t know the name of or who performed them.

Song: Quality Control

Artist: Jurassic 5 (sometimes referred to as J5, hence the third portion of the title)

Album: Quality Control

It was I think June when this song/video began playing on the lobby screens at the theater, and I admit that at first I didn’t care for it. I do like hip-hop, but I thought the song was just kind of silly. But the more I listened to it and started to understand the lyrics better, it grew on me, to the point where the song was among the first I downloaded from Napster when my father downloaded the program in the spring of 2001. What I like about it is that it’s a very intelligent track, but also it’s a lot of fun. It’s not utterly pointless like a Ludacris track, whiney like an Akon track, or politically heavy like an Immortal Technique track (though politically charged rap tends to be my personal preference, IT in particular being a GREAT artist), it’s just fun to listen to; a great track to perk up your day. I have liked J5 ever since, and in fact, as if this writing they are the only rap act I’ve ever seen perform live (Lollapalooza, 2003, Fiddler’s Green).

Links to videos of the songs featured here:

Beautiful Day: In the Mood: Robinson: Weight: Control: