God Bless You TIVO and PBS...Not So Much Yoko Ono

My parents got Carrie and I a three-year subscription to TIVO, which was an awesome gift. It is so cool (and a little freaky) that it knows what shows I'm going to like and records them without me having to set it or anything. Carrie and I have tried really hard not to become slaves to the TV with our new found ease of recording, but simply watching a few key shows (The Office, Scrubs, the occasional poker tournament).

Recently TIVO found a program on PBS (thank you God for public broadcasting, I watch and listen daily). It was called the “Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus” and features performances in 1968 from The Who, The Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, and a super group featuring Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix Experience) on drums, Keith Richards (Rolling Stones) on bass, Eric Clapton (Cream, The Yardbirds) on lead guitar, and John Lennon (you better effing know where he is from) on vocals and guitar. When the band launched into an awesome version of Yer Blues, I was stoked. They were playing so hard and heavy and you could hear the chemistry between each musician.

But what made the performance awkward to watch were the antics of Yoko Ono. During the song, she was on side of the stage with a black sheet over her head. She sorta danced around looking like an African-American Casper or something. It was very strange. But, just when I thought it couldn’t get any weirder, it did.

Once they finished Yer Blues, they went into a bluesy jam, which was awesome. A violin player came to the mic and began joining in. It sounded incredible. Then, it happened. Yoko awkwardly walked to the mic and tried to share it with the violin player (who had a really confused look on his face). She began yelping in the most eerily disturbing voice. And she kept going and going and going. Everyone in the band, save John, had the weirdest look on their face, and at one point you can see Eric Clapton laughing at her. It was just weird. It ruined such an awesome performance. Yoko sucks.