I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

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.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

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 ...
-James Branch Cabell

April 13, 2016 - 10:23 p.m.

Doppler Radar

I have to write this in about half an hour if I'm going to have any kind of decent night's sleep and I'm going to need that as I'm waking up at 4:13 AM then volunteering at WFUV all day then going to see Aoife O'Donovan at Bowery Ballroom My guess is I won't be home till 1 AM. Ugh. Ok. I'm going into WFUV late and will sleep another two hours. God help me I'm thinking getting up at 6:13 is sleeping in. I do have to take care of myself sometimes. Ok I still want to get this finished fast so I will make this short. I will not be inserting links to anything I don't have a macro for. You'll have to google the bands yourself.

Last night I went to John Platt's On Your Radar. John's guests were M Shanghai, Adam Levy not Adam Levy, and Francesca not Cate Blanchard. Yes, I'm making this difficult. Because I'm volunteering at WFUV all week I got a weekly MetroCard. That means it was easier to get to Rockwood Music Hall. I could take the then leave the subway and walk a few blocks to the . That's not a free transfer but it's the fastest way to get there. Other routes require three trains.

Fred's year starts April 1 so he gets to go to concerts again and take his usual place at my table next to John's. I forgot my camera so Fred, whose pictures are always better than mine, is the official photographer. Hey Fred please post them on the OYR group.

I'm going to give very short capsule descriptions of the musicians; sorry guys this is unfair to the first two artists that I hadn't seen before but I need my sleep. Francesca is not your generic singer/songwriter. Her father is French and her mother Canadian and she grew up in France and now lives in former French territory, Vermont. She is bilingual and writes beautiful songs in both French and English.

Adam Levy (Rhymes with bevy) is not the Adam Levy that used to live in New York and played with Norah Jones. He's from Minnesota. He had a tragedy in 2012 that informs his music, his 21-year-old son committed suicide. For most people this would have resulted in literal dirges. Not with him. His songs had energy. I think it has more to do with his guitar playing than anything else. Much more than most lyrically driven singer/songwriting he uses his playing to propel the music, not just accompany the voice. After his set Fred said "He doesn't sound like him but with his energy you know who he reminds me of?" Without missing a beat, I said, "Joe Crookston" which is high praise indeed. I think the key is the guitar. I also liked that with such serious material he could be silly. Silly always wins for me.

M Shanghai I've written about before. I discovered them through Katherine Etzel of Bobtown. She's buds with them. Without knowing that John leaned over during the show and said, "These guys remind me of Bobtown." I know what he means but think it's only true of Bobtown's last album, "The History of Ghosts." The common thread his they do trad sounding group arrangements of songs that are lyrically singer/songwriter material. Gidge, who I also met through Katherine who wasn't as familiar with M Shanghai, pointed out that you think you know where the songs are going then they go off on a detour. A good way of putting it. It is far more interesting than just repeating the same structure throughout the song.

I had planned on seeing The Brother Brothers in Rockwood 1 after the show. They started at 9:00 but On Your Radar went to past 9:00 and I had too much fun socializing, first with Gidge, the Allison and Karen, then Austin from M Shanghai. So I just headed home and went to sleep.

I went in late to WFUV this morning, I didn't get there till 9:30. It's a much faster trip then as the runs express. I had a fun day with Jim, Gayle, Jeff, Mike, David, and some new people. I can think of Amanda who lives near Lori and Steve in Upper Darby, Judy, Desiree, and oh no, I forgot the name of the student that works for John Platt.

As I was supposed to leave Brian came in and the Laura. That's why I'm running late. I spent an hour talking to them. Damn you two for being so much fun.

OK that's it., I'm posting this and going to sleep. I won't update again till Saturday.


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Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
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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Horvendile April 13, 2016
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