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 ...
July 14, 2010 - 3:48 p.m.
I'll see if I can get this written while my photos and video are uploading. Here's the plan. I start writing. Call and order salt bagels, get dressed, pick up the aforementioned bagels, eat breakfast while they are hot, come back and finish writing by why time the video will be finished. Do we all agree that's a good plan? The one flaw is I'll have to leave spaces to insert the photos. There will be a lot of them. The other flaw is I had a idea for an entry that I might want to save for tomorrow as I did things yesterday but I might forget them by tomorrow so I should include them today which would make this a long entry. It is being made longer by writing this ever growing introductory paragraph in which I lay out what the rest of the entry will be, and maybe tomorrow's entry too. Part of me wants to just descend into the pit of deconstruction but I need to write about last night.
I spent enough time writing that the photos are uploaded. I have so many that perhaps I should break it into three albums. I'll see how it goes.
I'm back from bagels and brunch. Yes I didn't get much done before I left. Now I can make a fresh start with a belly filled with delicious food. I gave a new meaning to brunch. It wasn't a meal at the time between breakfast and lunch, I just had the two meals consecutively. Just for fun it was lunch then breakfast. My bagels were so hot I couldn't resist cutting one open and putting peanut butter on it. I still wanted breakfast so I made bacon and eggs. I made the bacon just the way my mother used it. Overcooked and way to crispy. I never do that. I got distracted. Oh and I had a second bagel, this one with butter. Don't look at me that way. I had eggs over easy and I needed something to soak up the yolk.
OK enough of the food portion of the entry.
Last night I went to John Platt's On Your Radar. John doesn't actually use his name in the title but the official Wise Madness Style Guide says I have to. As I always point out OYR is as much a social event as a concert. John always introduces his radio show and OYR with "Welcome Music Lovers" so I call it "The Music Lovers Club." Here goes my monthly memory test where I try to name all my friends that were there; John (OK that's really too easy but it gets me into the groove), Christine, Howard, Mike, Annette, Suzanne, Jeff, Lisa, Lori, Ken, Rona, Bob, Richard & Viki. I like the way I did that. I started with John at the table next to mine and moved around the room counterclockwise. I find geography a good way for me to remember things. Ask me to name the 50 states and I'll get them off my mental map. The problem is I might have missed some people in the middle of the room.
On Your Radar is my most reliable source of new music, last night was a prime example of it. The first act was Gathering Time, a band I'm friendly with and know well. We ended up not using it but I liked the blurb I wrote for them one Event invitation on Facebook: Their sound is evocative of the 1960s folk revival. They're harmonies are often compared those of Pete, Paul, and Mary. Do Peter, Paul, and Mary use the Oxford comma?
When I walked in Hillary pointed at my backpack and asked, "I hope your camera is in there. I wore this outfit so you could photograph it." Of course I couldn't disappoint Hillary.
Sing out Hillary
The band presented John with a photoshopped photo of a nonexistent corner
Next up was the The Parkington Sisters, a major discovery. There are five of them, a good argument against birth control, and the form a string quartet plus guitar. It was love at first sight, well listen.
I had to move to the back of the room to fit all of them in one shot.
You see them and think string band. For the first few songs that's how they sounded then they switched gears. The instrumentation didn't change but the harmonies did. I love when a band treat harmony as another dimension to exercise creativity. They were not the standard 1-3-5 but reminiscent of the Roches. I'm not sure how old the sisters are but one of them is too young to drink. I could see the telltale NO!! written in sharpie on the back of her hand. I know from Anthony da Costa that is what they do when someone under 21 plays at the Living Room. That way they can't order drinks. The Parkington sisters are still growing as artists. They are wonderful now, on my must see list, and I'm sure they'll get better.
Near the end they brought out a banjo and invited people to tell banjo jokes. I of course forgot the new one I learned. I guess learned is not the right word.
During the break after The Parkington Sisters I ran into Christine. She got there before seven but couldn't get a seat or even a good spot to stand. This was the biggest audience OYR ever had. There was an extra seat at my table and I asked her to joined me.
Now I had my discovery of the night. My usual expectations for OYR are to know one act, like but not love one act, and discover one new band to love. That's my expectations. Some nights work out better. I actually knew they would since I had heard the third act Caravan of Thieves on John's radio show, WFUV Sunday Breakfast. They describe themselves as Django Reinhardt meets The Beatles, at Tim Burton's house. You can almost get that just from looking at their picture.
John introduces Caravan of Thieves
Gypsies playing hubcaps
They play guitars, violins, and a bass too
Caravan of Thieves look like they are going to be a novelty band, but they aren't. They are master musicians playing an infectious style of music, Gypsy Swing. They have created a problem for me. You know that I'm buying a psychedelic Volkswagen Bus and following RUNA and Guy Mendilow around. I have to follow Caravan too. I'll be part of the Caravan. I'll support myself by selling beads that Dr Zoiberg vomits up. I'm just not sure I can follow around three bands. Perhaps it is a good thing that The Strangelings aren't touring anymore or I'd have to follow around four.
Their penultimate song was a cover of a song you don't often hear covered but was perfect for them, Bohemian Rhapsody. This was a cover with a purpose. They didn't just recreate Queen they did it as Gypsy Swing, how perfect is that? It's beyond perfect. You'd think that would be there finale but it wasn't. For that they left the stage and went into the audience to perform off mic. They doesn't mean I was a sweet a capella song. No the raised the roof. They raised the dead! In fact the title of the song is Let's All Raise the Dead and I videoed it. Sit back and prepare yourself for joy. My only regret is that I couldn't clap and stomp because I was recording the video.
I took some great photos and I can't show them all here, even in a slide show so take a look at the album.
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| On Your Radar with Gathering Time, the Parkington Sisters, and Caravan of Thieves |
After the show there was a line to buy CDs so I decided to wait till next time. Caravan is doing a Residency at the Living Room in August so they'll be back soon. Instead Christine and I just waited for the crowd to thin out and then we did the same.
I was a little late getting to the show and didn't eat. My intention was to grab something at Katz's Deli if it were still open and if not to get a Philly cheese steak from the place on Houston Street. I was having so much fun talking to Christine that I decided against it. We were both going to the F train, though in different directions and I wanted to enjoy her company for the walk. We went our separate ways when we went downstairs.
When I got on my train I found Suzanne. I got to share the ride with her till 14th street. The train was slow so that was longer than usual. Post concert hanging out with friends is an underrated pleasure.
When I got home I stopped at my local pizza place. Perhaps I should do that more often. They are as good as anyplace. If I had something I could have simply microwaved I'd have eaten that but I didn't want to wait to cook something.
I'll save my thoughts for tomorrow's entry. This one is already over 1547 words. I begin deconstructing and end with deconstructing.
I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.
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 July 14, 2010
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