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

2002-03-24 - 12:01 a.m.

Neuromusic

I didn't get much sleep Thursday night so of course Friday was a long day. Doesn't it always work that way? During the day I didn't do much. I still have the cold so I didn't visit my father. I went out to get a bagel for lunch but that is the only time I left the house. Not that I managed to get much accomplished here. I just played online, watched TV and listened to the radio. For dinner I made chicken breasts on the George Foreman grill. It still amazes me how well it works and how easy it is to clean up. It is the best way to make a chicken cutlet. Does anyone know I can get Mr. Foreman to pay me for that plug?

My plans for the evening was to go to Galapagos for a neuromusic festival. The lineup was b-blush, Piñataland, and Bébé Eiffel. I've seen the first two many times this was my first time for Bébé Eiffel. I have never been to Galapagos before. It's in Brooklyn, which scared me off; It is difficult to figure out how much time to leave to get there. I almost always take the train to shows in Manhattan, which is easy. I braved it because I realized that it was in Williamsburg and I drive right by there on my way to the Lower East Side and the traffic is usually only bad on the Williamsburg Bridge. It ended up taking me only 20 minutes to get there. It's now on my list of venues that I like.

When I got there it wasn't easy to find though. The neighborhood is industrial and deserted. They don't have a sign anyplace saying Galapagos. It just looked like a bar and the addresses next to it were close so I figured it was the place. They make everything difficult to find though. The door you go in doesn't go into the bar. It goes into a hallway; it looks like the entrance to an office building or something. Then when you get to the bar there is no sign telling you where the back room, where the bands play, is. There is a pool by the bar. There isn't a railing around the whole thing either. That's just asking for trouble. Shana and I decided that at the end of the night they take the skimmer and skim the drunks out of the pool.

When I found my way to the back room I took a seat. There were a few other people there but they were all with the bands or the venue. The guy in the table next to me came over and asked me for $10. I figured he was supposed to be doing the doors and gave it to him. I was right; or was I just an easy touch J.

I got there only 15 minutes early so I was surprised I was the first one. A few more people started to trickle in and he took their money after they sat down too. The only people I knew there other than the members of Piñataland and b-blush were Rob and Laurie. I know them from TMBG. Piñataland is popular with TMBG fans. I was hoping that Shana would show up, I usually see her at the shows and I haven't spent quality time with her in forever. I had called to see if she wanted to go with me but I got her voicemail and she never got back to me.

As soon as I saw their instruments I knew I'd like Bébé Eiffel. They had a tuba, a cuatro a melodica , and a kazoo.

The cuatro was replaced with a banjo on some songs. I loved the music even when they were singing in French and I had no idea what they were saying. During the break I bought their CD and got on their mailing list. I of course talked to the woman who played the kazoo and melodica. She was taken aback when I showed her that I had one too. I love kazoo shoptalk. I talked to Olivier, the leader about other neurobands; I didn't use the word though. He told me to email me about some of them. I'm going to tell him about Radiant Pig and the Diana Froley 2.

During their set Shana arrived and she joined me before Piñataland took the stage. She apologized about not getting back to me and I told her I'd drive her home. By now I was feeling great. I was still sick but I was having a great time. The only downside before then was that I had no one to share the great music with.

Piñataland put on their usual great show. How can you not love a band that does a song in honor of the anniversary of the death of a pigmy that was brought here for the St Louis World's Fair? After the fair they didn't' know what to do with him so they put him in the monkey house at the Bronx Zoo. That is a movie waiting to be made and the theme song is already written. Shana was playing with her new digital camera. There is one great pic of their tuba player; yes they have a tuba player too, simultaneously playing the tuba and trumpet.

b-blush was last and they put on the best show I ever saw them do. They were joined by Simon Ho, who toured with them in Mexico. During their entire set there were videos of their trip playing on the wall behind them. They seemed to actually synchronize some of the music with the video. They didn't have a tuba player so they borrowed one in Piñataland, they didn't want to be the only band without a Tuba. Cassis the leader did play a train whistle and Simon played a tiny chime piano. That looked hysterical and it sounded great.

It was a very late evening, the show ended after 1:30 but it was great. I only wish Carey could have been there. She'd have loved it. One day we are going to run the first true neuromusic festival. It won't be in an idyllic setting like FRFF but somewhere on the piers or in an industrial space.

After the show Shana and I went to my car. I drove a few blocks and found that I had a flat. I tried to use my can of flat fix but it wouldn't work. I ended up getting it to a gas station but the tire had come off the rim by then. I called my road service and walked Shana to the subway. There was a diner next door where I waited till almost 3 for the tow truck to arrive. He was able to put on my spare and I made it home around 3:20.

When I got home my mother told me that my father was hurt. When he was driving to dialysis they hit a big bump and my father was bumped right out of his wheelchair, his head hit the roof of the ambulette. He hurt his back. They x-rayed it today and they came back negative. It never stops does it?

Today I took it really easy, I got the tire fixed and bought paper for my printer and that's about it. I got to listen to Idiot's Delight on WFUV for a change, that was great.

Tomorrow night I'm seeing the with Lisa so I'll have more to write about. I'm off all next week so perhaps I'll write some longer entries, maybe another project or two. Till then, farewell wherever you may fare.


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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 2002-03-24
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