Writing About Music
Dec. 15th, 2007 11:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebI've told myself it's good to go see some live music at least once a year. Yes, it costs more than a CD, and you can only experience it once at that price. And it's loud and crowded with generally worse acoustics than our living room. Still, it makes me happy, and sometimes you do get more than you get from just listening to a CD.
This year I listened to live music four times!
In March I saw Eliza Gilkensen and Richard Thompson. In August, I saw Redd Volkaert, which Robin hoped would become a regular occurrence, but it was so loud, even with foam earplugs, that it was just nauseating. Last month I saw the classical group, Blue Cloud Duo/Trio, on the cruise several times. And tonight I saw Michael Hurley and the Austin Lounge Lizards.
Michael Hurley seemed much happier than he did when we saw him in Vermont last year. And he was totally on. He has a very wide range, which he pushes, but his music is very interesting, both musically and lyrically. Sitting right in front I had an advantage and could see his lips moving even when I couldn't quite hear his singing. He played one set, which I quite enjoyed.
He made the Austin Lounge Lizards sound light-weight and fluffy by comparison. I quite like them for a pop group, though. They played two sets.
I got to see some of my old favorites and some new songs, plus see their "new" player (of four years). We also got to see one of the two times that this new player actually hit another player in the ear with his fiddle bow while playing. These stages are just too small. And they insist on having all five standing side by side rather than relegating some to the back.
Other than those near misses, it was a great pleasure to watch them play. They have so much fun and play with the songs and the songs are nice and silly. I quite enjoyed their new song "Buenos Dias, Budweiser," which was in Spanish, with the deadpan Tom Pittman giving humorous translations after each line. I don't know enough Spanish to understand what the Spanish actually was, but I did know just enough to figure out that all the translations were totally fake. Fun with false cognates!
And they did some of their silly choreography--no Chester Nimitz Oriental Garden this time, but we got to see swinging guitars and we got to see them "get down" by all moving to one knee.
Chikuru and raaga123 (who will be seeing them next Monday): Hank Card apparently has laryngitis (as well as fiddle-bow-ear). He was almost up to par today; I hope he'll be all better when y'all see him. And I'll warn you that you are likely to see some German rap.
Bleh, it's not easy to write about music, but it was my favorite part of the day. I woke up dreaming about waiting for a forecasted possible tidal wave to hit (but it didn't), then I thought of some research I wanted to do for work, then we finished our holiday plans, then we rushed off to get muchies for a going-away party, which we then attended, and then I helped collect money at the ballroom dance while Robin waited in line to get tickets, and then we watched the musicians.
And now it's tomorrow. Goodnight.
This year I listened to live music four times!
In March I saw Eliza Gilkensen and Richard Thompson. In August, I saw Redd Volkaert, which Robin hoped would become a regular occurrence, but it was so loud, even with foam earplugs, that it was just nauseating. Last month I saw the classical group, Blue Cloud Duo/Trio, on the cruise several times. And tonight I saw Michael Hurley and the Austin Lounge Lizards.
Michael Hurley seemed much happier than he did when we saw him in Vermont last year. And he was totally on. He has a very wide range, which he pushes, but his music is very interesting, both musically and lyrically. Sitting right in front I had an advantage and could see his lips moving even when I couldn't quite hear his singing. He played one set, which I quite enjoyed.
He made the Austin Lounge Lizards sound light-weight and fluffy by comparison. I quite like them for a pop group, though. They played two sets.
I got to see some of my old favorites and some new songs, plus see their "new" player (of four years). We also got to see one of the two times that this new player actually hit another player in the ear with his fiddle bow while playing. These stages are just too small. And they insist on having all five standing side by side rather than relegating some to the back.
Other than those near misses, it was a great pleasure to watch them play. They have so much fun and play with the songs and the songs are nice and silly. I quite enjoyed their new song "Buenos Dias, Budweiser," which was in Spanish, with the deadpan Tom Pittman giving humorous translations after each line. I don't know enough Spanish to understand what the Spanish actually was, but I did know just enough to figure out that all the translations were totally fake. Fun with false cognates!
And they did some of their silly choreography--no Chester Nimitz Oriental Garden this time, but we got to see swinging guitars and we got to see them "get down" by all moving to one knee.
Chikuru and raaga123 (who will be seeing them next Monday): Hank Card apparently has laryngitis (as well as fiddle-bow-ear). He was almost up to par today; I hope he'll be all better when y'all see him. And I'll warn you that you are likely to see some German rap.
Bleh, it's not easy to write about music, but it was my favorite part of the day. I woke up dreaming about waiting for a forecasted possible tidal wave to hit (but it didn't), then I thought of some research I wanted to do for work, then we finished our holiday plans, then we rushed off to get muchies for a going-away party, which we then attended, and then I helped collect money at the ballroom dance while Robin waited in line to get tickets, and then we watched the musicians.
And now it's tomorrow. Goodnight.