(no subject)

[alonewiththemoon]

So far this morning, I have knocked over a full glass of water on my dresser and dropped my mp3 player on the T, causing it to become non-responsive. Fortunately I happened to be holding a roll of paper towels when I knocked over the water, and application of a paper clip to the reset button restored my mp3 player. But this really doesn't bode well for cooking later tonight, when I have to use large knives and handle hot things.

Also I forgot my lunch. I hope something is open in Kenmore Square today...

However, I did have an excellent time at the Abbey Lounge last night, seeing Optic Rose, Thylacine, Amber Spyglass and The Glass Set, as well as a rock and roll poet by the name of Jamie. We got there too late to see Brian King, which saddened me. But everybody else was wonderful--I had never seen Optic Rose before, and wow! Those kids put on a show! Musically it's a bit like Lycia on uppers meets Stanley Kubrick by way of Terry Gilliam. I heartily recommend them. Thylacine and Amber Spyglass I certainly have seen before, and they put in very strong shows. Kelly G. rocks the kitty cat song no end. And The Glass Set are getting stronger and stronger; I noticed a big improvement over the Mass Morgue show just a few weeks ago. Then they kind of seemed like a bunch of people on stage at the same time, but last night they felt like a *band*. Everything was just much tighter. The poet, who was the MC of the evening, recited two pieces, one about a snooty arrogant Archangel Gabriel who just can't wait to blow that last note on his horn (from a book about jazz musicians) and one about Janis Joplin (from an upcoming book of rock and blues poems) that ended with a punch in the gut, even if you don't consider yourself a Janis Joplin fan and are in fact generally somewhat annoyed by her music. He's working on a new band that he described as being a Nick Cave/PJ Harvey/Arcade Fire hybrid, and I would definitely check that out. His archangel Gabriel poem was distinctly Cavean. Also we both agreed that Live Seeds is the best Nick Cave album.

One of the best parts of the night for me was just seeing so many people doing creative things with their lives. It's true that generally speaking, live shows can be hit or miss, but that's part of putting your creativity on the line and running the risk of failure. I wish I had time to go to more local live shows and support these people with their dreams and ambitions and heart and soul.

The drinks at the Abbey Lounge are definitely bar drinks and not nightclub drinks, though. See paragraph 1...

Comments

[rojagato.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry I missed this. I intended to bike over but the weather got nasty.

[alonewiththemoon]

I totally thought of you during Jamie the poet's readings--I'm sure you would have liked it. I wish I'd thought to get more information from him, like say his name or if he has a website or something. He did take my email address and said he'd add it to his mailing list. (though in retrospect that might have been a smooth way of getting my email address, I can be terribly naive about these things)

J*me

[dirtyknees.livejournal.com]

Fred and I heard his new band at Pan9 this past Saturday - I *really* liked it. Thought of rojagato, because he did a poem/song about June Carter and Johnny Cash. I first heard him at another Leah Callahan show at PA's last year; the poems were mostly about his random sexual encounters with men while working landscaping jobs.

Re: J*me

[alonewiththemoon]

Cool, can't wait to hear the band!

And it's good to know that sometimes a conversation was exactly what you thought it was :)

[frankensplean.livejournal.com]

nice report! notes:
1. here's to clumsiness! ..oops!
2. i was listening to "Mr. Clarinet" by Mr. Cave when reading this. uncanny!