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 20, 2016 - 12:03 p.m. I slept late but I'm starting to write at a semi-reasonable hour; let's see if I can finish this in time for it to be late for Sunday brunch. It's gray and cold, that might slow me down. I turn the heat way down at night and up in the morning but it hasn't warmed up yet. Did I forget to turn it up? Let me check Nope, I did it. Last night's expedition was to shallow light New Jersey, Teaneck. I didn't go to WFDU, though that will happen soon, I went to Ethical Brew to see Spuyten Duyvil and my cousin in spirit, Jory Nash. Getting there was simple, if you grade it on the City Island curve. I took two buses, the BX 29 to the BX 12 to the to the George Washington Bridge bus terminal to the Jersey Transit 175 bus which dropped me off just 0.2 miles away. I made it in under two hours. I told you I was grading on a curve. And I didn't make it in under two hours. The 175 bus was 23 minutes late so that added 23 minutes to the trip. They give you absolutely no information at the terminal. There are printed schedules but boards telling you when the bus will actually arrive or even signs saying where the bus stops. This terminal makes the Port Authority look like a modern transit hub. On the other hand, it's convenient for Teaneck. I ended up having good timing. I arrived near the end of sound check which means shortly before dinner. Beth makes great Moroccan chicken. There are going to be two Beths in this entry. This Beth is married to Perry and they run the Ethical Brew. The other Beth is in Spuyten Duyvil. If it's not clear from context, I'll call them Ethical Beth and Duyvilish Beth. I was of course merching for Spuyten Duyvil. My +1 was Brianne. That worked out well, it's been way to long since I've seen her. I texted her to bitch when I was at the Bus Terminal and she thought I was texting saying I was going to get there after she did. I didn't see her text when she arrived and she was waiting for me to get back to her to come in. I finally saw her text and she joined me. I was there well before she was. Even with cell phones there are miscommunications. Calling is surer than texting. Perry had missed my text earlier I the day so I called him. That worked out fine. Last year Spuyten Duyvil was the band I saw the most often, this year I've seen them far less. They have done fewer local shows; it has nothing to do with my love for them flagging. I had just seen them at NERFA. Jory on the other hand lives in Toronto and most years the only place I see him is at NERFA. This year he didn't attend, he was in Greece. He got a big hello and I was delighted I got to see him. He's going to become a dad February so it might start being even harder to see him. The special guest emcee for the evening was Joe "this is not a typo" Pszonek aka Joltin' Joe. Till recently he was a DJ at WMSU, the Montclair State Station. Now he has his own internet station, Radio Nowhere. Brianne went to Montclair State and does a podcast from their studios so they had a lot to talk about. I loved introducing them, that's what I do, connect people that should know each other. The house was packed and the show was great. Jory's songs are for the most part not funny but in between the songs he's hysterical and right in my wheelhouse. I told Brianne, "see we really are related." Then he sings and it's clear we aren't related, he's great. He writes great songs, he has something to say. Sounds simple but pay attention, so many songwriters don't. He uses rhythm to express himself. He's is one of the folkiest musicians I know but rock has influenced him. Accepting outside influences is the essence of folk. Folk purists are being unfolk. I make it a point to not make fun of other people's names, right Joe "this is not a typo" Pszonek? I can with Jory as I'm a Nash too. It's like Jewish people being able to make Jewish jokes that gentiles can't. You know what you say when he's not in the room? "The Jory is out." Perry didn't laugh when I told that to him either. You people just want to deny me the satisfaction. And I cheated, I made fun of his first name, I'm not a Jory, I'm a Nash. If you are going to be introducing Jory, write these down, you can use them. I told you that Jory tells stories and jokes. He goes off on so many tangents we call him Nash Rambler. I like to thank the audience for coming out. I didn't expect such a large crowd especially when I made a mistake on the ads and said it was Graham Nash. I'll spare you the rest. You owe me big time. I did a stupid Facebook meme, I know that stupid is redundant, where you name four things that apply to you in certain categories. One was, "For names you are called;" my response was:
After the show merch sales went well. Brianne couldn't hang out too long as she had been at work all day and was beat. Getting home from Teaneck is not as easy as getting there. The buses to the George Washington Bridge stop running. Fortunately, my bus stop in upper Manhattan is not far out of the way for Mark and Beth and they are great people so they gave me a ride. That meant that I got home in about the same amount of time it usually takes me from anyplace in the City. The only problem was it got cold and started raining. I was semi-prepared for the cold, but not for it dropping 19° and I brought nothing for the rain. I didn't have to wait too long for the first bus and stayed in the shelter. I had more shelter under the subway waiting for the second bus and that was less than ten minutes. I was still very happy to get inside and into dry clothes when I got home. I have more music tonight, Eric Schwartz at Rockwood. I might go to a Jewish/Muslim rally against hate at 5 PM at Bryant Park. If any of you are going let me know. That would be more incentive for me. If I don't go I can make dinner at home and that's always a plus. Now it's time for breakfast, eggs Horvendile today. I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge: please hold me accountable.
Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Follow on Feedly
|