March is one of my favorite months of the year. Being Irish as hell, I celebrate all things that come from the Emerald Isle. I wrote about it all in a special Pop 5 column two weeks ago. March 2024 delivered a wonderful Saint Patrick’s Day weekend. I cooked my famous slow cook corned beef. I watched the Saint Patrick’s Parade in my town with my family. Most importantly, I got to relax and decompress.
I was also able to enjoy a single, solitary Harp Lager — my favorite beer. As I finished my beer, I smiled and realized that I drank this beer not because I wanted to truly “get my Irish up,” but because I truly enjoy the taste. I had zero urge to follow this beer up with another, another and another. One was perfectly fine.
This is important to me, and why I’m sharing this with you in a column where I’m going to rattle on about Guardians of the Galaxy and Norah Jones doesn’t make a ton of sense. But then again, it is my column … on my site … so, I guess I can indulge myself.
March 2024 signals the two and three-year anniversary of when I decided to begin the journey to get myself right. Three years ago I had a panic attack so bad that I ended up hospitalized because I had such a violent physical reaction. This situation was the punch in the jaw I needed to get back into therapy, and man did that ever help. The following year, however, after a series of massive attacks, horrible acid reflux, and just unrelenting anxiety and depression, I finally took huge steps to change my life. I put down the bottle, I got myself back on track with therapy, I got my health (somewhat in order), and I got on the right medication.
This anniversary means a lot to me, because for the first time in forever (don’t tempt me to sing it), I feel like myself. The urge to get hammered is non-existent. The overwhelming anxiety has faded away. The crushing feeling of depression has lifted. It’s pretty amazing. I thought I was doomed for nearly 10 years, but now here I am, and I’m so happy to be here. Every day isn’t perfect, but I can sit here now happier and healthier and more clear-minded than I have been in… gosh, I don’t even know how long.
To put the beginning of the journey into perspective … here’s a podcast I did two years ago talking about it. I hope you can find some inspiration in it, and just know you can do this.
So I Read Comics Now: Guardians of the Galaxy “Grootfall” Issues #1-9. Oh man, this is a GREAT comic run. It’s not secret that I adore the Guardians of the Galaxy films, and a few columns ago I wrote about a great Guardians collection. However, this run which sees the Guardians in a Wild West setting of the Manifold, trying to outrun and defeat a series of terraforming and world consuming collective of asteroids (I think).
The story is filled with action, but like any good Western — it’s more of a story about wounded heroes looking to make things right. If you’re a big fan of the films, they definitely lean into a more depressed and beleaguered Star-Lord, so you will see a difference there. The other characters — particularly Rocket and Nebula — are their classic cantankerous selves. The big surprise here is how much they ramp up the mania of Mantis (and for good reason) that singular issue (#9) is one hell of a read. Also, look for cameos from everyone’s favorite couple Hulkling and Wiccan for a fantastically haunting issue.
The book, particularly, when Grootfall is examined more in-depth is such gorgeous artwork. The Wild West settings are fantastic and work so well within the Guardians world. The series is still ongoing and you can find single issues at your local comic shop, while Issues #1-5 are in this pictured collection to your right.
Oh the Random Things You’ll Hear: This the name of my ever-evolving Spotify playlist that was created back in 2011 (currently at 2,777 songs). Every month I’m going to give you some recent cuts from this list that I’ve added that are in heavy rotation…
“The Unicorn Song” by The Irish Rovers: This song brings me so much joy — despite it being about the extinction of the unicorn. When I was a kid, my dad introduced this song to me, and even had it on a 45 vinyl. A few years back I introduced this song to my daughter and since then it has become a staple in our car rides during the month of March. I know that probably won’t last much longer, but it’s pretty wild to have a shared experience with both my dad and daughter.
“Staring at The Wall” by Norah Jones: This one took me by surprise. We all know Norah Jones from her gargantuan hit “Don’t Know Why” and if that’s all you know her for — man this song is going to grab your attention. Psych and surf guitar work blended into an easy breezy, ’60s influenced work of pop makes this song an absolute earworm. It doesn’t hurt that Jones’ voice is an intoxicating cocktail of blues and jazz that makes this track stand out from anything I’ve heard this year.
“Going Underground” by Elephant Stone: Apparently, this band has been grinding in the Montreal psych-pop scene for 15 years. Guess, I need to start brushing up on that scene because Elephant Stone is absolutely awesome. The guitar work on “Going Underground” is such a throwback to the days when guitars were king. However, the psych underpinnings of this tune really make it special. It’s not just a guitar song, it’s a complete work of staggering coolness.
“MakeDamSure” by Taking Back Sunday: I’m a few years (okay maybe 10 years) too old to have been the prime demographic for emo music. However, my wife (who is older than me), was playing this in her car, and I could not deny how damn good this song was. Adam Lazzara’s voice is something I never fully appreciated till now, and the guitars … ugh, how I sorely miss them in most modern popular rock/alternative these days.
“The Conjuring” by Megadeth: This is a full-throated “LETS FUCKING GO” song. It’s an underrated banger from the band’s best record ever. Stop reading. Push play on the video below and thrash.
Reeeee-Watch: Wonka (2023) starring Timothee Chalamet. The trailers for Wonka were some of the most cringe-inducing, burn it with fire, why was this film ever even made trailers to exist since that last Fantastic Beasts trailer.
However, the film is way better than advertised. Currently streaming on MAX, Wonka is an extremely charming, full musical comedy about the earlier days of Willy Wonka. This is a story no one asked for, nor probably needed. However, Timothee Chalamet is so just damn charismatic and charming in the role. You can see him aging into the Gene Wilder persona, but never do we get a Gene Wilder impersonation. This performance is 100% Chalamet, and he owns every bit of it. Even his lack of singing prowess works perfectly for the role.
Paul King, the man behind the ludicrously popular Paddington films, knows how to make a sweet, sincere and emotionally honest film that is more than palpable for kids and adults alike. The humor is spot on for all ages and there’s not a cynical bone in the films body, which is very refreshing. While this film made bank at the box office, this is a film too many have slept on. Go out and watch — it’s wonderful.
Of Course, Wrestling: AEW Collision. Saturday Night is sure as hell alright for fighting. Collision started out as “CM Punk’s show” — literally a show designed for him and most likely to keep him away from the members of the AEW roster who couldn’t stand him. This, as we know, didn’t last long at all as Punk was fired from the company a few short months after the series debut.
However, the spirit of the series has not faded due to the Second City Saint not being around. It’s still the God’s honest best show for bell-to-bell professional wrestling on television. Is this due to Bryan Danielson being the anchor star of the show? Probably. However, every week we’re treated to multiple absolutely phenomenal matches that range in tone and tenor. The production of the show is reminiscent of old NWA/Jim Crockett era television — hard-hitting, intense, story rich and must watch. Even though the timeslot is not the best, they still find a way to bring us hardcore wrestling fans in on a Saturday to watch something like Shibata vs. Bryan Danielson. The shows airs (most) Saturdays on TNT — it is pre-emptied the next few weeks due to the NCAA tournament.
And Now for Something Completely Different: Socially Distanced 200th Episode. Al Mannarino and I talked about doing a podcast for years. However, Pop Break wasn’t all that consistent with pods outside of The Way Too Early Oscar Podcast hosted by Marisa Carpico and Matt Taylor (an excellent series that is still running). So when we were all home, little panic-stricken due to the early days of COVID, we finally decided to save our sanity by creating Socially Distanced. It was essentially taking our daily conversations from Facebook Messenger (because we are old farts) and turning it into a show. The show has evolved from two guys talking about entertainment and pop culture news. We’ve added a new host — Amanda Rivas — who has been a wonderful addition to the show. We’ve changed formats, had a million laughs, shed a few tears, and friendships have been born and forged here. I never expected the show to go this long, but I didn’t think that about the site either. Please check in to listen to our 200th episode where myself, Amanda, Alex Marcus, Ben Marcus, Randy Allain, Tyler McCarthy and Matt Kelly did a Fantasy Avengers Draft. It’s great.
