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 ...
March 02, 2014 - 12:12 p.m.
It's 9:40, not too bad to start writing. I'm only 40 minutes behind schedule.
Last night I had a rare musical triple header! It started at 6 perhaps it counts as a Twi-Night. People know that I am very often the first person to arrive at a show. I can plan a trip to Rockwood so well that when I'm not worried about getting a seat I often arrive just when the show starts. As it as a long night that's what I did yesterday. When I got there the place was packed. The same thing happened last week when I went to see Kat Quinn. Saturday nights Rockwood just fills up with people who are there to party not hear the music. That is iffy. If things work out they can get caught up and buy CDS and sign the mailing list. Or they can just be an annoyance to those of us there to listen.
I'm reading The Wise Man's Fear. Kvothe the hero in addition to being a powerful wizard and warrior is also a musician. Much of it takes place in the Eolian the premiere music venue in Imre the cultural capitol of that part of the world. It's a place much like Rockwood 2. There's a cover charge but the real money is made at the bar. But the music comes first and they have a rule that all venues should follow.
"There's breaks between the performers." I explained to Manet. "Sofolk can talk and walk around get their drinks. Tehlu and all his angels wn't be able to keep you safe if you talk during someone's performance."Doesn't that put it perfectly?Manet huffed. "Don't worry about me embarrassing you. I'm ot a complete Barbarian."
Act I of the evening was Paul Sachs. Paul is a solo singer with a guitar with lyrically driven songs. Somehow by the end he won the crowd over. That was gratifying. Paul is so much not an off the shelf singer/songwriter. He has a gruff voice but the words are pure poetry. He does not write self-indulgent confessionals. They are songs from his unique view. Jessie is written in the voice of Elvis Presley's stillborn twin brother. Who else is going to do that? What makes it better is that you can totally see Elvis thinking like that.
The crowd was loud, especially early on before they started listening. But the talkers were in the back so it wasn't so much individual voices going up and down in but a constant volume blur, almost white noise. I actually was more disturbed by the woman next to me. I feel bad saying this as she's clearly a big fan of Paul's and perhaps a friend. I'm sure in her mind she was being supportive but yelping and shouting "Oh yeah!" when he's singing is a distraction to everyone else.
On the bright side of the audience Kay was there. I knew she would be but it's always good to see her. I couldn't find her at first but when I gave up and fought my way to the front by the stage there she was.
Act II was The Amigos. This was their last show before they leave to spend forty days and forty nights in China and Southeast Asia. The tour is sponsored by the State Department. This is my kind of diplomacy. It's projecting soft power, letting the world see the wonderful music we make here. It's pretty hard to see the Amigos and not feel better about America.
I always compare the Amigos to Moxy Fr�vous which is wrong because the Amigos are far better musicians. So who am I going to compare them to now? The Monkees. I'm sorry but Justin, the guitar player looks like Peter Tork. And they do have the whackyness. I was trying to decide which Monkees song they should cover. Last Train To Clarksville could work as Americana. Anyone from NBC reading this? Sign them now for a TV show. They even have their own theme song.
They were fortunate because most of the loud drinking crowd was gone so the audience was good. I was next to Sam's girlfriend. I should know her name. Yeah right, we all know that I'm an idiot.
I'm shooting blanks I can't think of something brilliant to put the Amigos in perspective. They wrote a song about Diners and named their album after it, Diner in the Sky. They are my people.
I unfortunately had to leave before their set was over because at 8 I was marching for The Seat the Seat in Stage 3. I needed time to meet them, set up the merch and if there was a cover charge show going on in Stage 2 I would have to walk around the block to get there. Of course I could walk through Stage 2 and the merch was already set up by Chuck and Mira. But that meant I got to spend time hanging out with Chris, Gene & Isabel, and Richard and Viki. After I found Chuck I got the band suggested that we move the merch down to Stage 3 from the back room. I went to sit with Chris and found that Chuck did that himself. He doesn't quite have the hang of having lackeys. Yes I a proud lackey.
This was the release party for Chuck and Mira's new album, Love We Are Love.. So I get to say that last night I went to see the Sea the Sea's CD release show. Si? No I am not lying. I really do have friends as hard as that is to believe.
Chuck and Mira know how to make an entrance. They come in unannounced singing unplugged from the back of the crowd. The Sea the Sea is one of those acts that I see rarely enough that I go in thinking, "They aren't really as amazing as I remember are they? They they play and I go, "They are that amazing!"
The first thing everyone notices about them are their harmonies. I have never heard voices blend better than theirs. But as I was discussing with someone recently a band that had beautiful harmonies can be popular even if they otherwise they are weak. It creates such a visceral reaction. Some bands know that's all they need and phone in the other aspects of music. I would love the Sea the Sea's songs even song solo, The songs are both brilliantly crafted and inspired. They are filled with technical pyrotechnics but have substance too.
How much of their harmony comes from their personal chemistry or is it the other way around? I can't resist taking pictures of them looking at eat other.
This was a CD release show but they did a bunch of new songs! The more songs you write the more you can write. You don't run out of ideas you build up your songwriting skills. They are in the zone now.
After the show sales were brisk. That's not always true at intimate CD release shows because so many people have preordered the CD. I know that Gene & Isabel and I already had ours.
I'm glad I decided to set up downstairs right by the door. Everyone could find me. When I moved upstairs because we had to clear the room for the next act the backroom was packed with people there for the other show or to just drink and nobody could even see where I was.
I needed dinner but my friends had already eaten. After they left and I closed up shop I bid adieu to Chuck and Mira and went off in search of food. I ended up at the Philly Cheese Steak place as I wanted something inexpensive and fairly fast. I of course topped for a snack at the Sugar Caf�. I got a Reese Cup cupcake. I finished it before I made it all the way down the stairs to the subway across the street. My perfect record is intact.
Not much on today's agenda. I'm going to go to Trader Joe's and maybe Pathmark too. I have quite a bit of shopping to do. I was going to write some more but it's taken me forever to write this. It's after noon and I'm starved.
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 March 02, 2014
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