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

November 21, 2011 - 10:46 a.m.

Headed Down To Hadestown

I had to finish grading tests this morning so now I'm really rushed for time which is a tough because I have a magic evening to write about, the final concert performance of Hadestown.

I met Erika for dinner before the show. She thought that the place I found online was too loud so we went to place that intrigued me when I walked past it, Currywurst. The name beckoned to me. They're specialty is bratwurst sliced and served with special sauce and curry powder. Erika and I split a double order and a large fries and it cost us less than $20 and I loved it. We sat outside, which is pretty amazing for late November. Yes even when writing about one of the great nights of music of my life I have to talk about the food. I'm a Nash and I'm proud of it.

We then walked over to Le Poisson Rouge. The show was at 8 and doors at 7:00. I didn't expect a big line at 6:45 but there was. I spotted Beth, her son, and his friend on the line and we joined them. She came down from Vermont for the show.

While on line Jean Rohe and Ilusha came by. I knew I'd be seeing people I knew there. I can't get away from my NERFA brethren. Can I call a women brethren? I just did.

When we got in we got a spot to stand in the second row. Not ideal but pretty damn good. We were a few feet from the artists. The only ones I knew in the cast were Anaïs as Eurydice, Kristin Andreassen , Ruthy Unger, and Aoife O'Donovan, as the Fates and oh yeah, Ani DiFranco as Persephone. How often do you get to stand 10 feet from Ani at a show? The rest of the cast was Sean Hayes as Orpheus, Tim Gearan as Hades, and Ben Matchstick as Hermes. They were all exceptional.

A little while later I saw Kevin and his friend Chris, not that Chris, or that Chris either, come in and beckoned him over and they joined us. Erika knows both of them.

As My Gentle Readers know I hear a lot of live music. There is absolutely nothing I enjoy more than Hadestown. I called it my favorite album of last year. That is not enough. It is the greatest album of the millennium. It is one of the best albums ever made. And the thing is the album doesn't catch the full glory of hearing it live. This is the last concert performance of it but Anaïs plans on bringing it back to the theater as a fully realized folk opera. You know I'll be there for that. You should too.

I'm at a loss for words. I feel I'm not praising it enough. If you are still reading this and not buying the CD now or listening to it if you already have it I'm falling short. As me to make one music recommendation this is it. It is a work of pure genius and I use the word without reservation.

Hearing any performance of Hadestown is special. You don't need anything else but somehow Anais upped the ante without thoughts of gilding the lily. After it was over and they came out for the encore it wasn't the usual. It became a tribute and part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. First they sang songs of social justice from the stage. It was more than the cast. They were joined by former cast members. This is when I took my camera out.


Ruthy, Anaïs, Sean, Ani


Anaïs and Ani


Kristin, two people I don't know, and Aoife




Then they left the stage and went into the crowd and asked us all to sing along. We sang This Land and Union Maid and songs I didn't know. Nobody knew all the words to all the songs but that didn't matter. We all wanted to sing and we believed in what the songs said.

Then we moved outside for the march! Yes we marched to Washington Square Park and continued the singing there.

While we were staging for the march I saw Nels. He told me he'd be there and of course we talked for a while and blocked traffic as people were trying to leave.

Then we went outside and waited for the march. We sang though the streets, it was joyous. Then we got to the park and made a circle near the fountain. By chance Erika, Kevin, Erika, and myself ended up on the periphery right next to Beth. I was surrounded by friends.

I circled the crowd a few times to get better pictures and get a better feel for what was going on and see who else was around. I was walking on air. When Erika had to leave I felt guilty not riding the subway back home with her but I couldn't pull myself away. Can you forgive me Erika?

When the cast stopped leading the music Jean and Ilusha took over. I don't know how long it went on but I stayed quite a while. I ended up walking out with Aoife, Kristin, Ruthy, Nels, and friends. I wish I could have stayed and hung out with them or in the square longer but I had to get home. I still had tests to grade.


The March


Beth


Erika


Kevin and Chris


Jean


Kristin and Anaïs


Jean and Ilusha on the right

I loved this so much more than the Occupy Wall Street march after the Clearwater Benefit. This was genuine and unpretentious and without a hint of self-righteousness. This was something I could get behind. This was a spirit I shared. I wonder if it had to do with the crowd being so much younger. I was a geezer by Hadestown standards, I was a kid at the Clearwater show.

I'm still on the high. I wrote Anaïs when I got home, to tell her how much I loved it. She was the one friend in the cast I didn't get to say more than "hi" to.

Now it's really late. I am not going to even have time to make breakfast. That never happens. I'll have to stop at Dunkin' Donuts.



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 November 21, 2011
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