I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
November 16, 2011 - 10:17 a.m.
Good thing I'm not doing anything at home as I have so much more to write about NERFA. I was sick a good deal of yesterday. I somehow stated to miss my meds. That isn't like me. I upped my dose of prednisone till things settle down then I'll start tapering off again. I was fine for brunch but then felt the bloating and couldn't eat dinner till late in the evening. I seem to be OK this morning and I did remember to take my pill.
I made a lot of progress in editing my photos but they still aren't ready for publication. I'm going to take care of the writing first.
Yesterday I discussed the guerilla showcases today I'll get to the Formals and unfortunately named Quadcentrics.
The Formals are the one time where everybody is in the same place at the same time. The acts there get the greatest exposure. On Friday I sat with the Greater New York Folk Music Mafia aka John Platt, Maggi, and Barbara. I sat with them for the formals last year too. The good thing is that I'm sitting with friends at a table I can take notes on. The bad part is that I'm too far back for good pictures. As I didn't have my notebook I couldn't take much advantage of the table.
This year there was something new, a keynote address before the formals. It was by Suzanne Vega. I hate to do this but for the second time in a row I have to give a bad review to Suzanne, one of my favorite musicians. She kept her notes on her phone and the speech seemed disorganized and wooden. I've heard her talk at concerts so many times and she's always energetic, meaningful and fun. She would have done better just winging it. It was great that she honored Jack Hardy but I bet if I was sitting with her socially she would have come up with some great stories about him. Jack is someone that everyone loved for his faults as much as his virtues. He was a great person to talk about. She sang too songs and that was great. I'm going to have to see her in concert again, that�s' where she shines, not as a keynote speaker or in her one woman show.
The first set of showcase artists on Friday were Babik, Layah Jane, Pesky J. Nixon, and Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer.
Babik plays Django Reinhardt style Gypsy Swing, one of my favorite genres. There is no way that I'm not going to like them. I had seen them before, somewhere, I'm not sure where. Cathy and Marcy play ukes and would seem to be in my sweet spot but aren't. They pretty much made no impression on me.
Layah and Pesky are not just favorites of mine but friends. They both played The Budgiedome and they both don't just give me hugs but give me huge hugs. Layah was scorching. It was one of those shows where at the end everyone felt that should be lying in bed smoking a cigarette. Pesky J. Nixon doesn't do that. They raise the roof. Like Moxy Fr�vous and Great Big Sea they are a band that makes me feel good no matter what. They radiate positive vibes. Their new songs are moving in a new direction; they are growing as artists as we watch.
During the break I rushed to my room to take my meds, yes I forgot to take them with dinner then got distracted in the halls talking to fun people. I wish I could remember whom. I got back just as the set was about to start. The performers were Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen,, Louise Mosrie, and Gathering Time. Louise was my discovering of the showcase. I'll be writing more about her in my discoveries entry. Frank and Dirty Kitchen was my discovery from last year. I was in the bathroom for Gathering Time. See what happens when you miss your meds?
On Saturday I decided to sit down front and was happy to hear that the Ya Yas, Catherine, Jay, and Paul were too so I joined them. So much of NERFA is talking to people about what you are hear. And as I always accuse Paul of being Catherine and Jay's imaginary bandmate it was nice to see the guy they hire to play him at NERFA. They get him from rent-a-paul. I'm not convinced it was the same model they rented last year. Stop giving me that look Paul.
The first set of the Saturday Formals was a high point of NERFA for me. The performers were Spuyten Duyvil, Rebecca Loebe, and We're About 9, and Galant, Tu Perds Ton Temps.
The first three are friends of mine. Becca somehow missed playing the Budgiedome, she didn't did she? The others have multiple times. We're About 9 has played it more than anyone. They are family. They all rocked and blew the crowd away. I was totally in my "I can't believe I have friends that can do that" mode. I was Kvelling. Yes I'm at NERFA to discover new people but I still take joy from having others discover the performers I love.
Galant, Tu Perds Ton Temps are as you might guess French Canadians. They are a five piece a capella group that I have to remind myself are an a capella group. What they do is far afield from the usual. Like Da Vinci's Notebook they are a capella that doesn't suck.
The second set picked up where they left off, another Canadian band, Everything Fitz, Chris Kokesh, and Cliff Eberhardt & James Lee Stanley.
Everything Fitz was pure fun. They play Celtic music on strings while doing choreographed dance routines. One of my friends pointed out they were like the kind of thing you'd see on variety shows in the 60s. It sounds hokey but they aren't because they have the musical chops.
I discovered Chris Kokesh at last year's NERFA. She is very good but didn't blow me away.
I love Cliff and James but what they did together was covers of songs by the Doors and I thought it just didn't work that well. I'd have much rather heard their own material. So the biggest stars gave perhaps the weakest performance of the night. That was the buzz I heard after the show too.
One more thing before I go. Don't you think that as they call them them the Formal Showcases that the performers should be wearing tuxedos and evening gowns? I was quite disappointed to find that they don't. Jake from Pesky J. Nixon said that for them it was formal. I have to admit I never saw them looking spiffier.
I was going to write about the Quadcentrics too but I�ve run out of time. I have to fly now. I have to make breakfast and get to school early as I am giving two tests and have to print them out.
I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.
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The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Horvendile November 16, 2011
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