I saw a great band last night. It was Dan Haley, Mike Danner, Tim Acott and Sam Henry. I especially liked Sam's drumming.

It was fun to dance with Janet and Christie (Kristi?)

what a busy night

mIchael hurley's last portland show for some months, first time I saw him at the Laurelthirst. Rode my bike across the bridge then had to come right back because the boys were locked out with sushi. Back to see Little Sure and lynn conover for my first trip to the pub with Nick then to the not really Occupy decentralized dance party. Nick is more the age of the ddp kids it was kind of like a bar mitzvah party. I guess the best parts were going into the World Trade Center and Sweet Caroline, It's raining Men and the Bohemian Rhapsody sing along.

Shiny Happy Solstice

The Portland Christmas Revels were pretty good, traditional to see St. George and all. But the Winter Solstice Puppet show is one of the best things ever.

Zappadan

As we come to the close of Zappadan,, music has been the best this December. Yesterday it was two new banjo players sitting in with old favorites Petty Cash and Jackstraw. I don't know the first one's name. He was playing with Dan and Janet at the Festival of the Last Minute. The second was Sam Hill with Jackstraw.



The month has been not only a bounty of listening and dancing to music but of hanging out with musicians as well. Breakfast with Baby Gramps' band was an other- worldly experience. And I loved my house concert, even though I was kind of distracted being a hostess. But for pure enjoyment, I'm not sure anything can beat learning to play 3 ball from Dave Reisch and Jimmy Boyer and being beat by Tricia who vacations at Upper Lake Nemahbin with her guitar god husband Jon.

Happy Hanukkah too! I begin my celebration of the festival of lights with Woody Guthrie.

Rather then venturing out farther for music, Friday Annie brought the Laurelthirst into my living room. Now I guess I can say I've been to a house concert. It was cool to see guitar and etc. cases all over the place. Then I went back to the bar Saturday for more Portland Country Underground, and Sunday for Dan Haley and Lex with the Freaks again.

Music I didn't see too

I made it to Jackstraw and Bingo Tuesday. But then flaked out on going to anywhere but the Laurelthirst and missed Secret Drum Band. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nilesa/6514049049/

Full Moon Weekend, Mercury will be turning soon.

Radio. Warm food.

St. George and the Dragon and other medieval music and dancing.

Church and Sunday Skool with Tim Dan and Janet again.

Wednesday I saw some young women with strings and a keyboard singing songs. One of them sounded like Joanna Newsome. I wasn't silent during the show engendering some stress. Then I saw Lewi Longmire and his band last night. I'm probably in a rut.

PCU again on Monday. Little Sue sang a couple of songs. I would have liked to stay to play
pool but my arm went numb.

Julian Assangevs. Herman Cain. Hurts my head.

Music is the best though. I saw Danet and Janet, Dan and Tim A., a little of the Freaks. I missed the Re-occupy dance party, but did put some time in at the park and City Hall.

I saw Jackstraw last night. Portland Country Underground the night before. Having such good music in the neighborhood has made me kind of lazy and relu ctant to go see bands at different venues. It doesn't make for an exciting blog, but at this point I'm just trying to complete the year.

I've been listening to some music on CD, the new Los Campesinos! Hello Sadness is melancholy for a band with an exclamation point in its name. Also Teddybears has been on high rotation.

Couple Freaks songs minus Lex and one set of Dan Haley sitting in for Billy Kennedy with Tim Acott.

Couple of songs by Jackstraw and then a full set from Jeff Crosby and the Refugees (actually one guy on keyboards and accordion). They are from Idaho, good music. And I had a nice conversation with a fellow member of the bar.

Portland Country Underground birthday party.

I'm a new fan of W.C. Beck's.
http://wcbeck.com/
http://www.myspace.com/wcbeck

I was sad when I read on Twitter that I'd missed a good show, but then last night I was seeing a good show and will probably see one again.

What is going on with the world though?





We all just want love. Better to give than to receive?

http://www.ips-dc.org/reports/america_is_not_broke

I haven't seen much music lately, just a little Billy Kennedy/Tim Acott last night.

I'm getting lots of advice that I can't see myself following.

I've been thinking about what I'm thankful for this year, had something good but can't remember it now.

11-11-11 was an important day for Jason Webley. I was able to celebrate with him and watch as his hat was lifted into the sky by the red balloons. Neil Gaiman read a poem that matched the meter of a song that Jason and AFP sang. Maybe I could do better with poetry if I tried to match a good song. Lots of coincidental 11s and other doubling but I think you see what you look for.

After the Laramie Project, I got to see the son of one of Kiba's teachers play guitar in the only bar that stayed open Saturday night on the island. He and the unnamed band played covers-- Hendricks, ACDC and Elvis.

On the car ride I heard this song, but it seems that Portland was mostly peaceful while I was away.



Now that the clocks have changed it feels like winter, time for soups and hot toddys.

My long weekend ended with a visit to a cute bar in my neighborhood that I'd never been to--the Jade Lounge where Dan Haley and Janet Julian were playing. I like them both as musicians and as people.

I hate missing things, last night I missed a ninja gig at Occupy Portland by Amanda Fucking Palmer. I need to keep up better with my twitter feed. There was also a show at the Wonder Ballroom I didn't go to. I'm feeling like I'm behind a veil or in a cloud and am missing many things on the other side. Things to do, people to see. What I am doing feels sort of pointless/insubstantial. Usually when there are important things to do, I see to them. I hope my feeling that something big is out there undone is misplaced.

I caught a couple of songs by the Portland Country Underground and then went home, ate leftovers, folded laundry and played a little autoharp. All those strings are hard to tune.

I saw Jay Farrar he had a good accompanist. I liked his opening act Bobby Bare.

I have never had a really fun time at the Doug Fir. Last night wasn't an exception. Although buying a drink for the kid Patrick was kind of nice.

Weird Week

Locked out 2nd Friday night in a row, but this time it was easier getting in.

I liked Curt the best at Clowns Without Borders.

Shoehorn reminded me about Baby Gramps at the Laurelthirst whom I'd never seen before. Peter, Paul and Mary's son played washtub bass with them. It was a late Halloween show. At first I was creeped out by the Dr. Demento factor, but Shoehorn had told me not to be scared. And once I realized the scary tone was seasonal, I dug the rhythm and became a fan.

The icing on the cake was the icing on Mirage's cake, after sticking around so late without any of Claire's birthday cake at her party. Friday was also Mark S. and Lenny's birthdays. I decided with a girl whose birthday is Tuesday that all these Scorpios are the result of Valentine's day 9 months prior.

According to Wikipedia, Baby Gramps is famous for palindromes. Had one about bohemians.

El Dia de los Muertos They Live in the Stories We Remember.

We are all scared
It's spooky times.

A baby's first wail worried
having to breathe. At
some deep brain level
knowing without breath
I'll die.

(Pain is different but can include the
suffering fear begets. Pain creates anger,
aggression or peace.)

Conscious, or Un like in a crib or a nightmare,
existence
creates the fear of losing it.

The idea of what might be lost is scary.
(Even
when the thing that's gone
wasn't that great
after all.)

Plus some things never die.
Ancient Pharaohs, Kings and Queens
Heros, Hobos, Villains and Sluts
march around at least once a year
alive in our memories, along with our fear.

(If a statute stands in an empty museum is it an effective tribute? Probably, if people know it's there.)

Last night was more active than I like

Friday night I went to Shabbat dinner and services with music by Liz Schwartz. Unfortunately, my backpack with phone, keys, wallet and lipstick was stolen from the Havurah Shalom coat room.

I went early to the DMV to replace my license (hate the old picture anyway) and still made it to pack pinto beans at the food bank. Now I have new locks and a blueberry pie in the oven. My bike has new break pads and chain. And my autoharp came. So despite the theft, things are pretty good.

I'm tired though and wonder if I can muster up my bizzarro Charo costume and make it to that party.

Last night was an Active Night

I saw Jamie Isenstein give a talk in Vollum. I was one of the friends of her parents and of course thought of her father as she talked about the theme of life and death in her art. I went with my new mother-in-law Marjorie. Beforehand we had a quick glass of wine at the Deli and said hi to the Thursday night regulars there.

Then to the Wonder Ballroom where I penned a note to my dead mother-in-law which was carried in a ship up into the sky by a red balloon released by Jason Webley.

I spent the rest of the night trying to sleep outside.

Food bank tomorrow.

Blonde singers and the best drummer.

Reading book reviews by the other Laura Miller makes me feel smarter. Imagine if I read the books. Instead I saw Ryan Gosling movies this weekend. Drive is better than these two new ones. But I didn't hate Stupid Crazy Love. Unlike Henry, the master prognosticator, I didn't see the end coming.

Ides of March was meh, too didactic probably. But it does make me wonder if Clarence Thomas acts the way he does because he is an victim of extortion. I doubt it. I think he believes in his heinous ideas.



I saw a Joni Mitchell tribute show by Paula Sinclair and John Doe with DJ Bonebrake. John Doe and his band were great.



I had a Joni Mitchell hair wig, but I'm styling it into a Charo wig. Thinking of putting blood all over and being Zombie Charo for Halloween.



I finally finished reading the New Yorker profile of Taylor Swift. Seems like a nice girl.

If I ever have a band I'll call it Nut Butter

unless you're allergic, it's healthy and easy to use. You don't need much to get full.

Last night at the Boo Ball I saw a few last bars of the Portland Cello Project without the woman whose salad I had. I got to see a really good haunted house called Fear Asylum. One of the rooms might have actually been so violent as to be traumatic. But it is good to test out those feelings in a safe way. I enjoy both laughing and screaming.

Then the main band Mars Retrieval Unit had me dancing up a storm. Small crowd but a lot of fun. It was interesting to learn that the other Annie's Will is big in the Elk's.

Lucky Music

I got to see Jackstraw and Black Praire just popping by my local pub.

Lots of good shows coming up. I have tickets for John Doe and Jason Webley

On You Tube there is this:



My autoharp/zither is coming soon!

Good music at Church and Sunday Skool yesterday.

The e-book (or i-book?) of life

I am sadly responsible for the way the world is today. I'm sorry.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046884/Binge-drinking-Why-intelligent-women-drink-oblivion-night.html

I didn't enter the Tiffany Center on Yom Kippur because of my oozing flesh. Maybe I can learn to be a better person. But looking at Demi and Melanie (Griffiths whose marriage to Antonio previously graced the magazine covers) it can sometimes feel like you've got to seize the day while you're young because things are totally pathetic as you age.

But I know that isn't true. I know many wonderful old women and I want to be there to welcome today's young chicks into cronedom.

Madonna's skull scarf was a little weird. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2047439/Lets-play-hide-seek-Madonnas-son-David-resist-peek-star-covered-Yom-Kippur-celebrations.html

I can dig it he can dig it she can dig it we can dig it

Nothing but hits.





It starts basically with Elvis then the Beatles. Get Back, Honky Tonk Woman, Suspicious Minds, Wedding Bell Blues, Something, PP&M Diana, BJ, Jackson 5, Let it Be, The Long Winding and Road...Partridge Family, Smokey, Tony Orlando, Osmonds, Me and Bobby McGee, Brown Sugar, It's Too Late, -JT Bee Gees, Osmonds, Rod..Cher Shaft..Melanie American Pie, Lets Spend the Night Together..Heart of Gold... Sammy, Neil, Michael, Elton, George, Jim, Helen, Angie...
The Carpenters, The Joker, Sunshine on My Shoulders...Rollercoaster of Love, Welcome Back Kotter, Love Hangover, Afternoon Delight, Grease Miss You, Disco, Blondie, My Sharona, Lionel Ritchie, Madonna

It's all here and more. (How many songs show up more than once?)

I can't remember who played Satisfied Mind at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. I think it may have been the first act I caught.

I heard Hickory Wind tonight sung by John of the Kung Pao Chickens with Black Prarie at the Laurelthirst. They played a few songs (Red Red Wine) with Richie of Loch Lomond.

Friday at HSB I saw Jolie Holland, Thurston Moore, Robert Plant (anyone in between TM and RP?) Oh it was the Mekons who played Satisfied Mind,when I first arrived I think! Robert Plant covered Los Lobos.

Next day Corey someone who will play on the radio's girl friend sat next to me, Ricky Skaggs showed why he is famous, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit were good opening for Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson who had better patter than Hugh Laurie on the other stage who said it was the biggest day of his life and first visit to San Francisco. Merle and Kris started with Pancho and Lefty and played a lot of old hits. Broken Social Scene did a set. Irma Thomas sang requests a Capella and probably the second Ocomomorock song of the weekend. Buckethead started late and closed with Stairway.

Sunday's highlights were Laurie Lewis in Hazel Dickenson's slot, Bela Fleck with some other guys and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

This was a new song I'd like to remember:

Last weekend of summer 2011

I saw a short set by Annie Vergnetti, a great free show by Wild Ones Saturday night and the Freak Mountain Ramblers Sunday.

I've been practicing whistling when I'm on my bike and think it might be easier to learn than the harmonica. Obviously the accordion would be better than either, but I want to keep my expectations modest.

I think a good band name would be Back and Forth.

I wonder if I'll remember to balance an egg on Friday. One quarter of the year of the Rabbit left to go.

A little rearrangement of my office has made it much better to be in. Work is slightly busy, developments in some cases. I need to report CLE hours this year to stay a member of the bar. I wonder if I'll ever put my license to practice law into use again.

I'm done with the KBOO board. I'm not sure what to do next.

I went to a Roller Derby fundraiser and danced some to Erotic City, a Prince cover band. They were OK, but I think dancing to recorded Prince music would have probably been more satisfying.

I'm sad I missed the video art thing on the Morrison Bridge. Just forgot. The audio part is still playing on the Hawthorne.

A guy whose name I don't know

JC kindly rescheduled our night out and we went to Al's Den, somewhere I'd never been before. There were 3 free acts. We just saw the middle one and I don't know the guy's name. He had long red hair and was a good guitarist. It would be a great small venue to see someone you really like. We were eating in Ringler's Annex which is attached during the first act and left before the last one.

It is possible that my year's long death march to fun is coming to a close and I'll start turning in early.

I'm committed to keeping track of the live music I see for the rest of the year. But I might not keep trying to go to every show I can.

I saw Japandroids at Bunk Bar. I thought I was going to see Japanther. I think the guitarist's hair would be good for Henry.



One writer mentioned the 80s in a write up about Japandroids. This is what I think about when I think of 80s music.



Last night I went to the Symphony concert in the park and got to see a little ballet too. I heard German, Mexican, Finnish, American, French and Russian music.

I think maybe the internationally-acclaimed conductor Carlos Kalmar's hair might be good for me. He thanked whoever was in charge of the weather and Mayor Adams said we were all blessed to be in Portland.

The fireworks show bookended my summer which started with reunions. Not exactly the best summer, but I think I've learned a little.

Possible kickball this weekend, but I don't have the address.

Weekend Update

The Decemberists were OK. Colin couldn't get the main crowd on their feet. They didn't play my favorite song. I felt quite cool being there with Ms. Niki Marks. NY is thinner and has better clothes and hair than Portland.

I got to eat some of Summer Welch's birthday cake and saw a lot of Buffy and the first Angel and Please Vote for Me and Bellflower with Henry. It reminded me of Metropolitian, which we saw too because both are about youth confusion.

I may feed my Ryan Goslin crush tonight and watch The Notebook.

I was thinking about the Irene I know in Conneticut, but never contacted her this summer, because Amanda bailed on Sarah Lawrence.

Made it to the Zoo

Eliza sort of stood me up, so I missed the opening act, but I made it to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops at the zoo tonight. They were excellent.

What I didn't see

Last night I tried to keep my Pickathon streak going but missed Michael Hurley at the Laurelthirst. I was hoping he was playing the late show. But he didn't, so my weekend was done.

That got me thinking about the music I missed this summer: Steely Dan, Jethro Tull, Yes, Katy Perry, REO Speedwagon, Willie Nelson. All of the Zoo concerts.

Here is one that I just read about. I have friends who are big Shin's fans. I'm not really.

Pickathon Plus

I saw Jackstraw (with a slightly altered line-up) and an extra special house concert by the Black Lilies (that I had to crash).

It was quite a magical show in a barn-like garage under a waxing moon which more than made up for the fact that they set opening for Mavis Staples was cut short. The girl organizing the show has known the singer Tricia since they were 15. She hopes to organize more shows in the future. I recognized a guy but we didn't know from where (I think a square dance) who was kind enough to take me on a couple of turns around the dance floor. Even though I usually dance alone, and I mess up the steps, it is most exhilarating to be swung around by a partner.

PICKATHON

My favorites from the Pickathon--The Black Lillies (who will be
playing soon in Seattle), Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three (who
are real up-and-coming crowd-pleasers) and Charlie Parr (an older guy
who is great, also heading up to Seattle before he heads back to
Minnesota). Bill Callahan too, but I haven't quite figured him out yet. Leonard Cohen meets John Cage live, but the songs on the CD are more mellow.

Elliott Brood, their favorite Canadian band The Sadies, and Eileen Jewell were runners up. Lightening Dust woke me from my sleep, Breathe Owl Breathe (the guy sounds just like Jonathan, but is a welcome updating of a classic) and my only banjos of the weekend in the duo Cahalen Morrison and Eli West.

But I heard many more bands that were all great just not my favorites.

Lewi Longmire and band replaced the Freak Mt. Ramblers. I saw their second set and Billy Kennedy and Tim Alcott's first.

Down in Eugene the people were into Daniel Lanois on the stereo.

I think I'm going to write some sad poetry and post it privately on livejournal.

Sometimes

I am lucky to feel in the zone, with the flow.

Tonight is going well. I'm listening to the Melting Pot now (talked to the host earlier today). After work I went to see Jackstraw. I ate delicious leftovers that reminded me how well I eat. Then I ran a successful errand and ate some ice cream. It has been so long since I've had frozen cookie dough.

I saw the Freak Mountain Ramblers and caught the tail end of the Grgich Summer Reunion and parts of PDX Pop Now over the weekend--a guy who I think played with Bonnie Prince Billy and another who sings like Adele. There was some crowd surfing at the end during the band called Guidance Counselor.

I heard Janice Joplin sing Summertime and saw a video for a new Bjork song.

There are some bad thing in the news, but the Georgia mom who was convicted of letting her kid get hit by a drunk driver as she crossed the road coming home on the bus doesn't have to go to jail.

Three blind mice

There was a dismembered bloody rodent corpse on the street on the way to work.

Dead mice in the movie "Terri" that could have been fake, but maybe not. The movie was kind of like the Crispin Glover movie which felt it necessary to kill real snails.

I cut off some tails today, read about a farmer's wife and this poem:

the rat

with one punch, at the age of 16 and 1/2,
I knocked out my father,
a cruel shiny bastard with bad breath,
and I didn't go home for some time, only now and then
to try to get a dollar from
dear momma.

it was 1937 in Los Angeles and it was a hell of a
Vienna.

I ran with these older guys
but for them it was the same:
mostly breathing gasps of hard air
and robbing gas stations that didn't have any
money, and a few lucky among us
worked part-time as Western Union messenger
boys.

we slept in rented rooms that weren't rented
and we drank ale and wine
with the shades down
being quiet quiet
and then awakening the whole building
with a fistfight
breaking mirrors and chairs and lamps
and then running down the stairway
just before the police arrived
some of us soldiers of the future
running through the empty starving streets and alleys of
Los Angeles
and all of us
getting together later
in Pete's room
a small cube of space under a stairway, there we were,
packed in there
without women
without cigarettes
without anything to drink,
while the rich pawed away at their many
choices and the young girls let
them,
the same girls who spit at our shadows as we
walked past.

it was a hell of a
Vienna.

3 of us under that stairway
were killed in World War II.

another one is now manager of a mattress
company.

me? I'm 30 years older,
the town is 4 or 5 times as big
but just as rotten
and the girls still spit on my
shadow, another war is building for another
reason, and I can hardly get a job now
for the same reason I couldn't then:
I don't know anything, I can't do
anything.

sex? well, just the old ones knock on my door after
midnight. I can't sleep and they see the lights and are
curious.

the old ones. their husbands no longer want them,
their children are gone, and if they show me enough good
leg (the legs go last)
I go to bed with
them.

so the old women bring me love and I smoke their cigarettes
as they
talk talk talk
and then we go to bed again and
I bring them love
and they feel good and
talk
until the sun comes
up, then we
sleep.

it's a hell of a
Paris.

from "Mockingbird Wish Me Luck" - 1972
Black Sparrow Press

two mikes with guitars

At Music on Main-one young woman named Michael something and Mike Coykendall (not to be confused with Mike Koykendall).

The bands were ok. I think I'm too distracted by my hair to fully immerse myself in other things.

Nick and I watched The Fighter. A real feel-good movie. He likes Amy Adams. Miss Pettigrew's Something, her movie with Frances McDormond isn't available on Netflix.

I'm not going to make it to see Nanci Griffith tonight.





I did get to see an excellent talk by Donna Beegle today.

I wish that I could give hope to people who are suffering.

Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings were great last night. No opening act, I made it just in time. It reminded me a bit of the Lucinda Williams shows in Santa Monica with Gurf Morlix.

I skipped the Wed. night free downtown concert to go out with Lori and her friends. I'm very glad. Maybe I made some new friends for myself tonight.

It was national French Fry day. I had some sweet potato fries.

I'm still a little mopey. Full moon is nearly here.

Maybe tomorrow I'll go to see John Doe.

Tonight was a night for appreciating all that is great about Portland. Portland Cello Project's Extreme Dance night had all kinds of local musicians playing music from before many of them were born. Two MCs, one who looked like the Hebrew Hammer and sang like Prince. The other could have been the Baby Ketten Karaoke guy.

I think that Jennie Wayne was in one of the groups. Jack Loves Jackie?

Afterwards I talked to some guys who talked to me about Baroque music and offered me mushroom chocolates.

Fair Hoes

Henry's birthday present was to come with me to see Neko Case at Edgefield. Eliza and Nick (hers, not mine) dropped in for a bit.

I got to see a few song from the opening band the Cave Singers whom I've liked since the Pickathon last year. Henry wasn't impressed and read while they played. But Neko said she'd been trying to play with them for a long time, and I trust her taste in music better than his. It was light out until we were on the highway heading home.

I can't say that this show was better than the one I saw at the Crystal Ballroom when The Middle Cyclone came out. But Edgefield wasn't a crowded nightmare tonight and the half moon was nice.

Tomorrow the boys leave for SunRiver with their dad. Doh stays here. Maybe I'll get some housecleaning done. Maybe I'll sunbathe.

Accordions

I have been driving a lot lately across town and back. I guiltily admit to turning on the air conditioner a bit.

Despite giving rides to two people whose cars were out of commission, I was only 30 minutes late to see Jason Webley. As it turned out, he was second on the bill not first, so I was early. I got to see many songs by 3 Leg Torso, whose accordion player is a Reedie who cleaned the SU in 1981. Then I left to drive some more and got back for the end of Jason's set, right before he was starting to do an exciting climax amidst the crowd, just in time to see him fall face first off the stage onto his accordion. He went on valiantly, but the encore set with the band was cut short.

I got to shake his hand (a hand that has touched Amanda Palmer's) and introduced myself to Courtney Von Drehle. I wanted to tell one or the other that I am not a newcomer to accordion love--that my favorite bar in LA was the Red Lion Tavern on Glendale Blvd. because of the old guy who played his one-man chest band there. But I couldn't remember the name of the Red Lion Tavern.

Sunny blue holiday weekend

I'm being a mom this weekend. While I want to connect to my kids, as teenagers there is a limit to how much they want to be with me. Saturday night I ended up biking down to the waterfront to catch the end of Lucinda's show after getting Henry from the airport, having dinner and trying to find something fun for all of us to do.

Yesterday Henry had a party, Nick and I tried a new Chinese restaurant and then turned in early. There were a lot of explosions, more that I expected. I was up intermittently checking for news from Henry. About 2:30 he confirmed he was sleeping over at his friend's house (same place where he fled from the cops in the middle of the night earlier this year.)

I want to get tan today but it is getting harder and harder to impose the site of my huge white body upon any innocent passers-by.

OK music

I already mentioned Rush right?

Then I saw Celilo at the first downtown Wednesday night concert. It was cold and not crowded.

Friday I went to the Blues Fest and heard Norman Sylvester, Maceo Parker, a band that was good who played recognizable riffs from people like Michael Jackson and then Robert Cray. I had a great time selling KBOO T-shirts.

Afterwards, I rode my bike to Dante's to see The Fleshtones, a band I saw long ago when I was young. I had Hexbreaker on cassette. There is a certain fast tempo that I like and they hit it. Bands that came later in the 90s slowed down.

Early bird

I already have my ticket.

Here is a good poem:

To A Very Wise Man

I

Fires in the dark you build; tall quivering flames
In the huge midnight forest of the unknown.
Your soul is full of cities with dead names,
And blind-faced, earth-bound gods of bronze and stone
Whose priests and kings and lust-begotten lords
Watch the procession of their thundering hosts,
Or guard relentless fanes with flickering swords
And wizardry of ghosts.

II

In a strange house I woke; heard overhead
Hastily-thudding feet and a muffled scream...
(Is death like that?) ... I quaked uncomforted,
Striving to frame to-morrow in a dream
Of woods and sliding pools and cloudless day.
(You know how bees come into a twilight room
From dazzling afternoon, then sail away
Out of the curtained gloom.)

III

You understand my thoughts; though, when you think,
You’re out beyond the boundaries of my brain.
I’m but a bird at dawn that cries ‘chink, chink’—
A garden-bird that warbles in the rain.
And you’re the flying-man, the speck that steers
A careful course far down the verge of day,
Half-way across the world. Above the years
You soar ... Is death so bad? ... I wish you’d say.

by Siegfried Sassoon

rush

Although it is true that I never had to wait in line to pee, there were more women than I'd been led to expect at the Rush concert tonight.

I just burnt my finger.

Great show. I'm looking forward to the new album which is faster than the prior releases, at least from the two songs they previewed tonight.

I got to the show late. Three songs in to the opening act-less show. The traffic jam was at the raised bridge. But once I crossed the river there was little traffic. I got to park pretty close in with the other latecomers in the middle of an aisle.

The problem about this show is that I felt in love the whole time and am not sure what to do with the feelings. For now I'm typing in the parking lot. Who knows what I will do next? The moon was in Gemini earlier today.

Great Skies

Bike tour through time, Portland's racist history is the only one I've heard--this time the teller was a professor named Reiko who moved here from New York.

The kids at Cibo Matto were young but getting older, not the youngest anymore. The 90s music mash up of techno pop, proto new Soul and rap was missing the country twang of today's scene, but there was a song called BBQ.

I'm trying not to let an ominous pall hang over the weekend. Thinking positively is important.

Sorry to say bye to Clarence

The World Naked Bike Ride 2011 was very fun a loop around Burnside, Belmont and Hawthorne.

Afterwards, I was able to find the right place to gather for a mystery ride (started a bit after midnight) out to the banks of the river south of town for a bonfire and dancing to a Motown collection like the one I had on cassette tape long ago. I'd just been thinking about how in college we'd dance to Motown the way the kids now dance to Stop Making Sense.

RF1C

I mostly couldn't see the fireworks for the trees. But the bits of fireworks that I saw were good.

Davis Rogan was good. Taking Heads are everywhere I go.
Lauren Sheehan played in the sun. The cool grrls from the 90s were not quite my tempo, odd that proto-grunge slowed down from our 80s punkish new wave.

As with all festive weekends, tears and self-loathing were inescapable. Not sure if it was prompted by the concern of friends or the train wreck that led to their concern.

People saying they care about me makes me sad, maybe because all I can do is lose the love once it is there. Regardless, I have to stop trying to get happy from those who hate me.

Best to be grateful for lucky breaks and leave it at that.

Birthday week is over. Happy Rabbit year.

Last night I saw this performer and another whose name I have to look up because although I recall her name is Holland, she has a different stage name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnlXFGWr3tw

It was the first time I can remember my birthday being on a holiday. I ate dairy but didn't stay up all night.

It was a Happy First Fruits, Festival of Weeks, Giving of the Torah Gathering.

Outside the universe of quiet and love. Biting is like kissing except there is a winner.

Friday night the end of May
Fireworks over the river, then
to the Knife Shop
for literate lyrics and looping
beats.

Her expressions were perfect;
a shame not caught on
video camera.

The sound wasn't, but it was
live.

Last week I saw The Black Angels and the Lesser Saints over at the Wonder Ballroom and the Secret Society Ballroom.

Happy Birthday Robert Johnson

I saw M. Ward play for the grand opening of the Crystal Hotel. Doug Martsch opened.

I can't seem to see any new music without comparing it to something earlier. Maybe rock and roll can't seem new to someone over 40.

M. Ward was like Lou Reed and Doug reminded me of Neil Young.

I wish I'd gone to see Lewi Longmire play After the Gold Rush last night.

I just found the coffee filter signed by Rupert Jee at the Hello Deli http://www.hello-deli.com/. I thought I lost it, and don't really know how it turned up on my desk just now.

That was March 2. Rupert had did a bit with a coffee filter hat on Late Show with David Letterman. I went down to the deli after the show and asked him to give me an autograph on a coffee filter which he kindly did. He said he had been nervous shooting the clip. I felt like David's cracks about the deli being a dump were racist. But the place was kind of gross in that New York street way. Donald Trump was a guest. He talked about Charlie Sheen and China. Disney pop start Vanessa Hutchins was also on promoting Beastly.

After seeing the taping of the show, I wondered if I hated David Letterman. I tried hard not to feel bad about getting the worst seat in the house, especially since the woman I was with was really making a fuss. But his repudiation of Trump has me feeling better.

I'd been thinking about this Lucinda Williams song this morning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiQVaGdJEMY&NR=1

I meant to write something about the Butoh show I saw at http://witdpresents.org/.

The last dance was a little too subtle for me but the whole thing was very great.

I have tickets for M. Ward this week.

Obama's comedy on YouTube was finding the funny in hard times. He couldn't have been giddy yet. But now he is probably pretty pleased with himself. Jon Stewart is happy tonight.

Back log

I saw Michelle Shocked in a Texas Campfire 25th anniversary revival.

Tana in a Cabaret show.

Was there anything else? A KBOO square dance. The band was called Old Time Highway. Unlike last time it was not a full house. Even though that meant not as much money for the radio station, I liked being able to move around on the dance floor freely.

musical theater

I saw the Residents last night. It seemed almost more like theater than music since the palying of music was sort of hidden and the singer was in character. Mostly as a Cheneyish guy called Randy. I like Primus music better. I've always liked heavy bass.

I saw a different play called the Scene last week. Maybe I already recorded it.

My best new thing is the $2 world beat exercise class taught by Kathryn of Imago theater whom I think I saw in Stage Left Lost.

Right now I'm waiting for the Japan earthquake tsunami rally here in Pioneer Square feeling more like an audience member than participant. I did make a contribution online.

Behind

I'm not doing as well with concerts this year as I did with movies last year.

I went with Henry to see Scott Hutchinson from Frightened Rabbit (his brother Grant was there too but not on drums) opening for some guy whose name I can't recall without Google. It was a pretty good show. FR has come a long way since I saw them 2 years ago at Holocene. (The single from their latest album is on the trailer for an upcoming movie) At the mech table Grant said they had been working really hard and have mostly broken even.

No more recent shows? I guess not. There was nice music at Maya's bat mitzvah by a cantor to be and some groovy sisters--Peace Train and It's a Wonderful World along with the traditional Shabbat morning songs. And I went to Friday night services at Manhattan's Central Synagogue led by a cantor with a lovely voice and good guitar strumming.

On vacation, I also saw Arcadia on Broadway, it was a bit difficult to focus my mind on all of the dialogue and my 3rd row seat was too close to be able to see the whole stage at one time. I also saw a movie about Portland at the IFC theater, Cold Weather and Jenifer Aniston and Adam Sandler in a commercial for the Grand Wailia resort in Hawaii with the New Jersey mom's movie club.

Music can't lose

I have a ticket to see Holcombe Waller and the Healers this weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFNb5bOl9IY

OOE at OTO

Saw the Opera Theater Oregon's production of Werther in English called Out of Eden. The Chamber Orchestra was lovely. The male leads' hair reminded me of the Superman movie. The blonde who played the sister resembled Anna M DiBenedetto (spelled that name totally wrong.)

Blogging from Genie's after a fab hair cut by Emmie (the great) Otis.

Last night at the Crystal Ballroom's 97th birthday party I saw a little of The Lord's Own Choir, Elizabeth Cook and Pancake Breakfast.

Elizabeth Cook was really good. The other two bands are local favorites.

2011 project

Maybe this year I'll try to keep track of the music shows I see.

So far, I saw Jackstraw, Guy Clark and Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women at the River City Music festival and the Oregon Symphony with Joan Rivers.

I wish I'd gone earlier to the festival at the Red Lion and seen some of the other bands, but I forgot until the last minute that it was happening. I didn't dance as much as I'd have liked to.

The highlights of the Joan Rivers show were not being personally hurt when she said she wanted all Chinese women to leave the audience and the excitement of having a guy stand up shouting about how his boyfriend had been assaulted while the orchestra was playing. Joan is exactly 30 years older than me. Gabrielle Gifford is 7 years younger than me. I hope Gabby and I can both share in Ms. Rivers' resiliance and longevity.