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

July 16, 2015 - 12:00 p.m.

Shiny Happy People Meet The Men in Black

I am tempted to just post pictures today. Yesterday I went to perhaps the most visually interesting concert I've seen. But the thing is that if I were blind I'd have still called it a great concert. The music was amazing and meaningful. This was the full package. I went to see Arc Iris and The Family Crest at the Mad. Square Music Oval series. I love Arc Iris and had been looking forward to this since the schedule was announced. It poured yesterday but the rain had passed by show time. But when I got there I found that the concert wasn't on the oval but on the south end of the park where they usually have the smaller Mad Sq. Studio series. I talked to Ashley who runs it and she told it was because of the rain. There were chairs set up there, there aren't on the oval, but there were all taken by the time I got there. No problem. I expected to sit on the ground at the oval. I asked Ashley if I could set my tarp down in front of the chairs and she said yes. So I ended up being closer than if it was on the oval. It was on sand not grass so I was glad I brought the table cloth I use as a tarp. My table cloth had trouble staying in place in the wind. This young woman with a big camera sat down next to it and offered to weigh it down with her camera bag. I told her to weigh it down with herself. My tarp was big enough for three. Fred was going to be joining us. Oh and I even remember her name, Madison. Fred pointed out that was hard to forget in Madison Square Park. I of course thought of Madison Wisconsin, a college town. I'm an idiot. We knew this.

A little background. I first saw Arc Iris at Jalopy on bill with Kristin Andreassen. Then Fred and I saw them at Clearwater. That's all I've seen them which is not enough. Now let's get to pictures.

This is what they look like during sound check.

Then they went to the green room and came back transformed into X-Men

That's Jocie (Jah-see) Adams in the gold spandex. She's the only one I know. I met her at the Jalopy show where they were billed as Jocie Adams and Arc Iris. That pic was when Jocie was not displaying her mutant power. Here's one where she is.

Actually that gets a slide show all to itself.

So you look at the pictures and think, OK, this is all stage show and it must be to cover up that they don't have talent. You couldn't be further from the truth. Think Glam Rock, Queen or Bowie. Think art rock, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. All brilliant musicians with outlandish stage shows. They are in that tradition. No reason serious music can't also be a spectacle. And it is serious music. Don’t know their backgrounds but I'm betting conservatory, at least Josie. Some songs sort of reminded me of ELP, especially when Josie was on keyboard, some reminded Fred of Frank Zappa. But it's really not like anyone. These are creative musicians.

OK a few more pics.

Arc Iris is a tough act to follow but they were not the headliners so The Family Crest had to follow them. I was prepared for a letdown but would give them a chance. They took that chance and ran with it. They were also fantastic. They were also visually fascinating even if they are dressed in black and didn't have a beautiful women in a spandex superhero suit.

What is that skeletal piano? There's a frame, there are strings, less than 88, but nothing to resonate except maybe that board near the top. I was going to ask her but the band was mobbed after the show

Yes they are a big band. Like Arc Iris I can't figure out what they play. They are acoustic but it rocks. They do that thing I love, everyone plays something different but it all comes together to work as a whole. This was a perfect pairing of bands. I'm sure a lot of people went for one and discovered the other. I know Fred and I did.

I feel bad. I'm not coming up with one of my descriptions that sums up the music. I'm just hoping that I am conveying my enthusiasm. This was not good, it was great.

Know all those pics I showed you. There are more. Take a look. Josie pretty much poses all show and The Family Crest are wild men. Anyone else think the guitarist looks like Mickey Dolenz?

Here are the rest of the pics.

Family Crest and Arc Iris at Mad Sq Music

I treated myself to a fun dinner. I went to Big Daddy's and had a burger and fries. What really matters is the bacon milky way shake.

Yipes. I have to leave soon and I haven’t eaten.


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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 July 16, 2015
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