Category Archives: ookla

Ookla the Mok vs. Evil

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So, as many of you probably know, I’m married to half of the nerd-rock band Ookla the Mok. And as you may have heard by now, Ookla has a brand new CD out! It’s called vs. Evil, and it’s chock full of songs about supervillains and mad scientists. The totally fantabulous cover art is by Art Baltazar, creator of (among other things) Tiny Titans.

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Click here for complete lyrics/liner notes.

The entire album is super fun–the lyrics are funny, and the tunes cover a wide range of musical styles, including hip hop, power pop, and 80s hair metal. I’d listen to Ookla even if I wasn’t married to one of them. 😉

If you’re interested, but not sure if you want to buy, you can listen first on facebook or on soundcloud. Here’s a little taste for you:

[I can’t make the soundcloud widget work, so just click here.]

More Ookla: 

Ookla’s official website

Ookla on Facebook

Reviews:

Debbie Ohi

Word of the Nerd

Buy:

CD Baby :: Amazon :: iTunes

Reminder-Broadway Joe’s tonight!

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Greg Klyma, Tom Bianchi, Ookla the Mok at Broadway Joe’s.

Doors at 7:30

$10 cover

Later! 🙂

Ookla/Greg Klyma show August 1

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Text stolen from an email Rand sent his friends:

Sixteen years ago, Ookla the Mok performed their first live show at a bar in Buffalo called Broadway Joe’s. Ten years ago, Greg Klyma left the security of a day job and began the life of a professional touring musician. Ookla and Greg (along with friends Tom Bianchi and Sick) will celebrate these variant anniversaries by performing a show together at Broadway Joe’s on August 1.

This show will serve as CD release party for Greg’s new album, “Rust Belt Vagabond,” as well as a return for Ookla to the venue that started it all.

The Place: Broadway Joe’s
3051 Main Street (Buffalo)
http://bjoes. com/

The Date: Friday, August 1, 2008

The Time: Doors at 7:30, show at 8:00

The Price: Ten dollars at the door.

Please help us spread the word — let anyone you know who loves Greg Klyma or Ookla the Mok know about this show. While you’re at it, let anyone you know who you *think* might love Ookla the Mok or Greg Klyma know about the show as well.

And as always, thanks for the support!

Friday photos

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I finally got around to uploading the photos that were on my camera. I have no idea why it took me so long.

This is from (I think) when Rand and I went out to Korea House with John. We were amused by the chopsticks that were labeled “CHOP STICK,” just in case there was any question as to what they were. 😉

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And here’s a close-up.

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This is from the Fibs/Ookla/other guests show at Nietzche’s a couple of weeks ago. Carl Thiel, who used to be one of the Fibs but really only does guest appearances with them now, did a short solo set.

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Rand and Adam performing. (I couldn’t really see Wolfram from where I was sitting. Sorry, Wolfram!)

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One of the professors at D’Youville brought his two little girls, who are big Ookla fans. Aren’t they the cutest?

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I also uploaded a couple of photos of my wedding invitations preparing to be mailed. You have to be logged in to flickr (and marked one of my friends) to see them. More on this over at the wedding blog.

It sure is Monday…

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Forgive me for quoting a 15-year-old country song as my subject line. 🙂

I have to say, the weather sure didn’t help in making me want to crawl out from under the covers this morning. I’m not going to complain about the rain, because I know we need it, but ugh. Can’t we have some nice, moderate temperatures for a little while? Is that too much to ask?

The Friday night show at Nietzche’s was fun. I did take some photos, but they’re still on my camera. I’ll get around to posting them eventually. The rest of the weekend? Not much to speak about. Mostly trying to clean up/organize/pack…meanwhile, we wait for an official closing date. Apparently the seller got her lawyer out of a Cracker Jack box. (I can’t take credit for that; it was all Rand.)

Did a bit of shopping yesterday, but it was mostly a bust. Rand bought a pair of pants and a couple of t-shirts. I didn’t buy anything. I did come home and order a few things from Chadwick’s, though, for a very reasonable price. I got $25 off my order and $5 shipping. I hope it all fits! I love shopping online, but I hate having to send things back.

I’m a little more than halfway through Duma Key. I’m enjoying it quite a bit, and regret that I don’t have larger chunks of time to devote to reading. I should be *done* by now!

I’ve got some chicken marinading for dinner, and I should probably figure out what else we’re going to have with it. Hope you’re all having a happy Monday. Later!

Go on

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I don’t think I’ve shared this…someone posted a Firefly fan video on YouTube (specifically, a Mal/Inara fan video) set to “Go On” by Ookla the Mok. If you’re either a Firefly fan or an Ookla fan (or both!) you should definitely check this out!

Weekend wrap-up

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Again, I neglected to post photos yesterday…but this post will have many photos to make up. 😉

We had a lovely time Friday night at Kelly’s goodbye concert. It was very, very kind of Jenn and Scott to open up their house for the party…see, originally, the concert was going to be at Madame Mocha’s, that cool little coffee shop on Lovejoy.

Unfortunately, about a week and a half before the show, Madame Mocha’s shut down. 🙁

Panic! But fortunately, it all worked out in the end.

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The guys did two sets, and let Kelly choose the second set. The second set consisted primarily of rarely (or never!) performed Ookla songs, some dating WAY back. The Lemon-Ohs song, for example. This gave Rand and Adam a chance to tell some entertaining stories and do some seriously silly stuff.

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For example, they did a super-speeded-up version of (oh no…I’ve forgotten which song it was. Rand?). The above photo is of Wolfram during that song.

Everyone seemed to have a great time. I was especially happy to see Thomas make it out, because we so seldom get to hang out!

Rand and Adam presented Kelly with a big ol’ pile of set lists and other memorabilia. Kelly collects their set lists, and she apparently said that if she ever got to 100, she was getting an Ookla tattoo. The pile of set lists included a certificate promising that the band would pay for her tattoo. 😉

Jenn also made a really cool card (with photos!) for Kelly and had everyone sign it for her.

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Kelly has been a great friend to the band, and I know she will be dearly missed.

And the rest of the weekend? Nothing that terribly exciting. Maybe later. 😉

Hey, it’s a photo of a person!

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I like this photo I took of Rand Friday night, but for the redeye. There are some more photos from Friday night’s house concert here.

The concert was in honor of Kelly, a good friend of the band who is moving away from Buffalo soon. Kelly wrote a very sweet post here.

Friday photos (soon)

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I do have photos to post, but some of them are still on my camera. Here are a couple of videos I took last weekend at Madame Mocha’s.

Go to Bed:

Hockey Monkey:

(Hockey Monkey does not start at the beginning of the song. Sorry!)

Reading, watching, listening (Christmas eve edition)

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It’s been a very busy few days, and will continue to be busy. I expect posting will be sparse this week. In the meantime, here’s the reading, watching, listening post I actually started on Friday.

Reading: Starman (ongoing). Just Listen, by Sara Dessen. I love, love, loved this book. I may write an extended review for my book blog, where I have not posted in months.

Watching: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (original TV special, NOT the movie), Elf (with my kids at school, so I essentially watched it four times. I had never seen it before. Really, really funny…), more Season 5 Simpsons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Rand and I have begun watching the DVDs. I’ve seen most of them. He has not…), Mystery Men.

Listening: Greg Klyma and Ookla the Mok (the show at Madame Mocha’s was tons of fun, really.); Christmas music; Hawksley Workman; Larry Miller: Spoiled Rotten America.

And that’s all I have time for right now…enjoy your day!