I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
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.
Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
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 ...
November 12, 2014 - 11:49 a.m.
I leave for NERFA tomorrow but there's a small chance I won't get to update then. If not savor this one. ooo, maybe I'll post the 5 and 10 year ago entries from NERFA. I think I once actually wrote an entry on a hotel computer. I am not promising that.
Yesterday was the second Tuesday of the month and that means I went to John Platt's On Your Radar. This month's guests were Matt Nakoa, The Boxcar Lilies, and Mya Adriene Byrne. John and I fish from the same musical waters but it's still rare that I know all the performers at On Your Radar, this time I did.
As per usual I got there early and left the peons behind and went downstairs before doors opened. I was surprised that the Lilies were sound checking as I thought they went on second. I was right. It was a timing issue. But because they were sound checking I didn't get a chance to talk to them. I did talk to Matt who was up first. He's my NERFA roommate so I wanted to touch base. When the doors opened I was joined at my table by Fred and Gail.
As can be expected from a show where I know everyone it was one of the best On Your Radars. Matt was up first.. There are a lot of people in Matt, classical guy, sensitive singer/songwriter guy, piano pop guy, rocker dude. Last night he showed all but classical and rocked even without a band. He's most special on the piano. He plays the guitar but he's one with the keyboard. So much of what's inside him comes out when his fingers touch the ivory. He knows how to sell a song.
The Lilies, Katie Clarke, Jenny Goodspeed, and Stephanie Marshall are a female harmony trio which brings the inevitable comparisons to Red Molly, OK not inevitable as I am not going to compare them. I discovered them at NERFA perhaps three years ago, when John asked me to check them out. I was pretty sure then that they were fated to play On Your Radar. They sound beautiful, they are musical, which is not the same thing, and they are fun. What more do you need?
Mya is a close friend, someone I see socially more than I see her perform. We've known each other for a bit over three and a half years. We met at Jack Hardy's memorial service. For much of that time I liked her more as a person than a performer. Now she's taken it to another level. She's a powerful performer and is letting her inner fire out. I think it might have been at least partially that she lost her voice for a while. Now it's back to full strength and there's a lot of strength there. She didn't have her full band, just Scott Stein on the piano but make no mistake, this was a rock band. Think Patti Smith singing Gloria.
She was joined on one song by more friends of mine, Katherine Etzel and Allison Scola and though it's too dark to see them Katie or was it Jenny, and Matt. Scott was the only one on stage I have not hugged. Oh and I somehow neglected to get his picture. Sorry Scott I didn't meet him till after the show.
Here's the slideshow of all the pics.
Oh what else, I got the brand spanking new Bobtown album A History of Ghosts from Katherine and a Bobtown t-shirt. Here's the tragedy. When I got home I went to play and rip that and Mya's brand spanking new CD As I Am. And for some reason my my computer couldn't play the CDS! At first I thought that Mya's was defective but the same thing happened to Bobtown's. I turned off the computer and it updated windows. I just now tried to rip and play them. It works! I didn't say the most important thing about Mya Adriene's album, I was thanked! I'm going to fess up. It takes mental gymnastics to talk about Mya. On the album it says "Mya Byrne." Her facebook is "Mya Adriene Byrne." She prefers that I call her Adriene. So I don't know what to say when I write about her. I think I'm going to stick with the album first name, Mya. Why? it is only three letters, duh I came up with the name of her fans, we are Myacologists.. Get the joke? Mycologists study mushrooms.. It's a palindrome. No the palindrome of Mya is Aym. It's a pun.. That's it.
Good thing Mya loves me or I'd be dead.
After hanging out at Rockwood Mya, Kirk, and I went out for pizza. We went to a placed I've never been to across the street from where the Living Room used to be. Adriene [we are talking personal here so it's Adriene] said my review of the pizza has to be in Wise Madness. This is reason number 435 I love her. She is passionate about stupid things. I had something unusual, pepperoni Sicilian. Let's say that was in honor of Allison Scola. I really should have tried two different types so I could have more to base my review on. The verdict? Great pizza!
Getting home was something of an adventure. The Second Ave station where Mya Adriene [a foolish consistency is the hobgloblin of little minds] would normally take the 
was closed. We walked down to Delancey/Essex where Ms. Byrne was going to take the 
but that wasn't running so she and I both took the 
one stop to Canal. Where we switched to the 
in opposite directions. I then had to make one more transfer to the 
. It was complicated. But I got more time with Mya and that's good.
I might do something unusual tomorrow, CD reviews. I have more than the two I got yesterday to catch up on.
OK now for breakfast. I better get some laundry done or I will have no clothes for NERFA, well except for my new Bobtown t-shirt. Preview of coming attractions I've been listening to the Bobtown and it's amazing. I know Mya's is too, I've already heard many of the tracks. You need to buy them.
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 12, 2014
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