With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy - I mean that if you are happy you will be good.
Too much sanity may be madness and the maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.
The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going past them into the impossible.
August 29, 2009 - 12:20 p.m.
I was good today. I got up and read the paper. I'm going to write this then get off the computer. Let's see if I can actually do it.
Last night I went on a Rockin' the River Cruise courtesy of WFUV. It wasn't a normal comp, they just happened to have an extra ticket that someone gave them and knew that I'd appreciate it. The performers were Beausoleil avec Micheal Doucet and Marcia Ball.
I got there not long before the shipped sailed. Linda from WFUV told me that Steve the promoter had my ticket. He's someone that I should know better but I don't. We have a lot of friends in common. I didn't think he'd know me. When they called him over to let the people on the guest list in he said to me, "Name?" The something clicked and he said, "Oh Gordon, here's your ticket." I wonder if he recognized me from my non-stop Facebook posts. He has never seen me with a beard before in person. I'm not sure if I would have recognized him out of context.
When I got in Linda was at the FUV table so I went over to say "hi." After chatting for a bit she told me that seats were at a premium so I went up to grab one. I didn't think that was going to be an issue. I used to go on the cruises quite often. I saw Marcia Ball almost every year. While there were seats there weren't any right by the stage, that was a standing area, and that's what I'd do. People would wander around the boat for a while before the show and there was no trouble getting a good spot. That's where I had my all-time favorite celebrity sighting. I was seeing Marcia and as I danced and percolated through the crowd that was also dancing and percolating I noticed a tall gentleman standing next to me. He looked like John Cleese. Then he said something and I knew it was John Cleese! I was very good and didn't bother him even though he's one of my heroes.
Back to last night. I went upstairs and saw there were chairs by the stage and they were all taken! As far as I could see all the chairs on the deck, where you can hardly see the stage, were also taken. I had to find standing room someplace. I spied an empty spot by the windows behind the chairs. It was hard to get to as it was the place furthest from the aisle. I had to squeeze past everyone standing there. I figured that was why it was open. The first person in, didn't move all the way in and the row just built up to her right. I made my way to the place. She had left her bag on the ground on the spot so I stood in front of that. I didn't have a lot of room but a decent view of the stage and I could look back out the window. The woman with the bag then said, "excuse me you can't just stand in front of somebody." I wasn't I was next to her and not blocking her view at all. I was standing a step forward because of her bag so I told her that I wanted to be next to the wall but her bag was in the way. She picked up her bag but then complained that there wasn't enough space. We weren't touching, we were at the normal distance people standing in an audience are if it isn't crowded. I've been in much tighter crowds. I was a lot closer to John Cleese and he didn't complain. She didn’t stop. Before I got there she had twice as much space as everyone else and that is what she thought she deserved. I finally gave up and said, "OK, you are clearly more important than everyone and deserve more room so I'll move." She didn't seem to realize I was being sarcastic.
It all worked out for the best. I thought I'd have to find a spot on deck, not even in the same room as the performers, but as I did I saw there was spot on the floor where the musicians left their instrument cases. There was a stanchion and rope blocking them off and a spot in front of it between two chairs. I sat there on the ground in the front row. It was great. The stanchion even gave me back support.
They do the cruises very differently than they used to. There used to be time before and after the music to just enjoy the ride. I hung out with Milla Jovavich, the actress from The Fifth Element when she performed on one of them. That was weird as I often hang out with musicians but rarely with supermodels. She's actually a great singer/songwriter.
Wow I'm name dropping today.
Last night the music began before we left the dock. Maybe it was because there were two acts. There was also trouble before we got out into open water. A fight almost broke out between two guys in the audience. I have no idea what it was about but security came by before they came to blows. Then on Marcia's second song three women that were on the deck came to the walkway in front of the stage and started dancing, oblivious to the fact that they were blocking everyone's view. Security came by and made them move. After that the security guard stayed right next waiting for more trouble. We gave each other a "what the hell is going on" look, shrugged, and smiled.
All that was forgotten as Marcia played. She is a Doctor John style piano player, New Orleans blues. She rocks. Her bands rocks. It's hard to sit still when she plays. Your body just wants to move. Even though I was sitting I let it.
Are any of you fans of Marcia? I have seen her many times but the only time I knew anyone at a show (Cleese doesn't count) was when she did a breakfast show at the WFUV studio and other volunteers were there. It's a different musical world than I usually travel in. That's a good thing. I love the music and I need to get out of my social comfort zone more often. There is no reason I have to only go to shows where I know half the audience. Still it would be fun to go with a friend so if you'd like to join me some time, let me know.
The only bad thing about sitting was that I didn't get a good view of what was going on outside the ship. I did see as we passed the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World. It's an affectation but I love the full name. I love the statue. I've lived here my whole life I've seen it hundreds of times. I still get a kick out of it.
I started to get uncomfortable near the end of her set. The stanchion was digging into my back. When she was done and I could do so without disturbing people I stood up and stayed standing for Beausoleil.
I had another issue with a patron during the second set. The gentleman sitting next to me switched places with a friend of his that had been standing on the other side of the stage. When the music started she decided to stand, not in front of her seat but next to it. The problem is that is where I was standing. I had my little spot between the chairs in front of the stanchion and she just moved into it in front of me. Now this was too close. We were touching. It would have been fine if it was a necessity but it wasn't. She had a seat right there. I said, "excuse me if you're going to stand can I sit your seat?" She said, "I'm going to be switching between standing and sitting."
"Then could you stand in front of your chair not next to it?" She realized that she was being unreasonable and told me that I could sit down and we'd switch off if she wanted to sit." She wasn't like the other woman. She tried to be nice. She also never asked to sit. I wouldn't have minded standing I just didn't want to be squeezed between her and the stanchion.
I've seen Beausoleil before but not as many times as Marcia. I love Canjun music. You have to move to their music too. They are normally a big band, 6 pieces:
- Michael Doucet - Violin, Guitar, Accordion, Mandolin, Vocals
- David Doucet - Guitar, Vocals
- Jimmy Breaux - Accordion
- Billy Ware - Percussion
- Tommy Alesi - Drums
- Mitch Reed - Fiddle, Bass
Last night the were joined by Roswell Rudd on the trombone. That's a lot of sound in a small space. It was great. I always mean to see them more often. I got a flyer for Zydeco and Cajun music in the area. I want to go to at least one of the shows. I used to hear it more than I do.
I pretty much think it is impossible to not feel happy after an evening of hearing Marcia Ball and Beausoleil. I wonder if I get music like that at The Budgiedome.
Along with everything else I amused myself the way I do every time that I'm on a boat. I thought of this exchange from Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead.
Ros: Do you think death could possibly be a boat?
Guil: No, no, no.... Death is...not. Death isn't. You take my meaning. Death is the ultimate negative. Not-being. You can't not-be on a boat.
Ros: I've frequently not been on boats.
Guil: No, no, no -- what you've been is not on boats.
The other title I was thinking of was I Had a Ball. Back when I started writing this Carey complained about my titles, they were too pedestrian. She pointed out that every baseball entry was titled Take Me Out to the Ballgame. So now I often try and be clever or make a cool reference. Sure nobody else thinks they are clever and cool but nobody tells me that so I can fool myself.
Music Has Charms to Heal the Savage Ileum - September 06, 2009
The Child That is Father to the Nerd - September 02, 2009
On the Natural Road to Auto Inspection - September 01, 2009
A Retro-Walk Into My Soul - August 31, 2009
Class Dismissed - August 30, 2009
Email me: GordonLew at gmail
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. Horvendile August 29, 2009
