Because There's So Little to Say

Stars - "Look Up"

Today's my last day in the office. I'm designing a little animated tour for a website we host and basically cleaning off the desk. Tomorrow I'm working from home, making sure my co-worker Phil is caught up and prepped with all the initiatives I cover for the business, and then I'll put my out-of-office messages on my email and my office phone and that's it.

Bob Dylan - "Gates of Eden"

Gerri and I designated Labor Day weekend just for us. As long as the weather holds up, we're planning on spending it working around house, fixing it up as much as we can. Putting (finally) up the pictures in the bathrooms and dining room, staining the door downstairs, trimming the hedges and power-washing the deck. My boss sent a box of assorted wines to us yesterday as a housewarming gift, so we also plan on curling up on the couch and polishing off a bottle (or two) while watching some movies. Sleeping late together, making breakfast together, making love together, keeping and holding onto every hour, savoring every minute as poetry.

Ben Harper - "In the Lord's Arms"

Monday afternoon begins the slow ride to final preparations. Packing the bathrobe and pajamas, getting the books I want next to my nightstand, putting together the distribution list in Gerri's email so she can update everyone afterwards. I can't wear any jewelry, so the last thing we'll do that night is put my wedding band around one of Gerri's chains so she can wear it. We have be at the hospital at 6:00 AM Tuesday morning, so we'll probably go to bed early, although we're both betting at this point that neither of us will be able to sleep.

Mike Keneally - "Beautiful"

When I met with the Anetheiologist on Monday he asked me, "So you want to do a good thing?" as he took my blood pressure. This is the second most common statement I get - the first is "You're doing such a brave thing." I don't know if other people who have done brave things, regardless of what they were will share in my sentiment, but I think the key to knowing that what you're doing is a brave thing is that you're scared to death the entire time you're doing it.

Simon and Garfunkel - "I Am a Rock"

The other night Gerri came home and said she bought something she wanted to show me. Usually this means she bought some curtains, or shoes she wants my opinion on. This time she handed me a small bottle of vitamins and I knew that everything I decide from here on out has so many more implications than both of us have ever considered.

Revenge of the Book Eaters @ Beacon Theater: 08-23-06

Sometimes chances fall right into your lap that seem so perfect, tailored so specifically to you, that you are automatically a fool and risk being mocked in the afterlife if you pass up on it.

Luckily, as soon as Sean mentioned he had an extra ticket to see Revenge of the Book Eaters, a benefit show performing in six cities to raise money for children's creative writing in the 826 writing centers across the country, I pounced like a large, greedy pouncing thing.

The show opened with John Stewart riffing on the eternal plight of Mel Gibson, and then plunged into a hilarious bit focusing on the new paperback edition of America (The Book) Due to an overwhelming slew of complaints stemming from the numerous "factual errors" in the book, a professional fact checker (played by Daily Show producer Ben Carlson) was hired to provide corrections where needed. John read exceprts from the book while Be provided "factual continuity."

Next up was Dave Eggers, who spoke about the aims of 826 and presented a short film detailing the day-to-day activities of 826NYC. He came out to his own theme song, a quick chorus of Rock You Like a Hurricane performed by folkie/science geek Jonathan Coulton.

Time for a little music. John Roderick from The Long Winters came on for a 3-song solo acoustic set. His voice was incredible - in a weird way it reminded me (at least in terms of cadence) of a strong Michael Stipe. I really enjoyed his set, but was slightly disappointed later when I heard a little of The Long Winters in the car. They kind of buried his voice in a typical soft, Wilco-style folk rock. Oh well - he tore it up live!

In a weird coincidence, after talking about Sufjan Stevens to Steve and Dave over the weekend, I get to see him live! He had a stripped-down version of his regular touring band, and played 4 songs, including the excellent "The Dress Looks Nice on You" from Seven Swans.

A little request for some money, courtesy of MC for the evening and author/Daily Show correspondent John Hodgman and all-around kickass acerbic wit Sarah Vowell. Buckets were passed around while Dave Eggers ran through the theater offering to give hugs to anyone who would give him $20. As enticement for their bucket goal of $5000, John mentioned he might be able to get Sufjan out again to do a little number with David Byrne.

Awesome surprise for me! Sarah Vowell came back out to read a new essay detailing the life of Charles Pruess, with special guest Eric Bogosian providing the voice of Pruess. One of my strongest college memories is coming across Bogosian's Pounding Nails in the Floor With My Forehead in the library and devouring it in one sitting. It was a revelation to me, and introduced me to a whole new way of opening yourself up in your writing.

And now we come at last to David Byrne, whose voice is just as strong as it was when he fronted Talking Heads. Only for a benefit would a thousand-plus people cheer to hear David Byrne say, "Well, tonight I'm going to play a set of country music for you." It was good, but the highlights were (of course) a countri-fied cover of "Big Country" and a duet of "Saginaw, Michigan" with Sufjan Stevens. Hooray! We made $15000!

So was the eternal question "Words or Music - Which is better?" answered? Who knows? I was too busy laughing and enjoying the night.

Cat Hunters - Episode the First

One of the people I saw again during this past weekend's goodbye party for Steve was my friend Mike Sleap. To describe Mike is not to do justice to him - he's one of those people it's just simply easier to meet than to describe. Mike can be lofty, base, arrogant, humble, funny, annoying, and generous to fault - usually within a 3 minute period. Whereas Steve introduced me to Jazz and Classical music, it was Mike who exposed me (sometimes willingly, sometimes not) to many of my favorite artists, including Elvis Costello and Tom Waits.

For years he held numerous Chandler Bing jobs (i.e. jobs that no one can adequately describe. The most I could ever do was say he did "computer security stuff.") while his rather hairy inner 6'2" child screamed for more artistic release. So, in true "sounds lie a great TV movie" fashion, he quit his nice secure job, moved to Harlem, and is currently chasing his dreams by doing improvisational comedy with local troupe Motorboat, writing screenplays and treatments for studios, and taking greedy advantage of the Information Superhighway by way of things like this:

www.cathunters.com

That's Why I Listen to Dylan

If You See Her, Say Hello

This post is going to be about how sometimes you can go home again, and the people there are not the people you left behind, but the memories you held dear the entire time you were gone. This is about friends, and about how sometimes, when you think you're saying goodbye, you might actually be saying hello.

But right now I'm tired, and need to get some sleep.

The title will make sense later. For now, if you've never heard Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Rollins Band/X @ Nokia Theater: 08-16-06, Part 1

(pictures gratefully cribbed from Sean, since my camera was fuck-all for the evening)

Got to the Nokia around 8:00 PM, still tired and and groggy from my trip to Chicago the day before. I was yawning as Security passed their wands over me, and wondering how early we'd get out as we rolled down the escalators to the main floor. Ever since leaving Sean's car and realizing I left my wallet (and ID, so no drinking) at home, I kept thinking how much nicer it would be to have just stayed at home and caught up on sleep. I had never even heard X until that morning when I picked up their first two records (Los Angeles and Wild Gift). And Rollins? I admit I wanted to see the man in person, but it wasn't a burning need or anything...

Uh, holy crap...that's frikkin' HENRY ROLLINS! Playing "Disconnected" and sweating!

I completely understand that there are many people who do not care for Henry Rollins, whether it be for his politics, his music, or just the way he looks (I admit, there was a second during the show I thought he was going to launch from the stage Brock Sampson/Venture Bros style and eat somebody). I wonder how many of those people have actually seen him in person. 'Cause lemme tell you - after about 5 minutes I was completely galvanized (i.e. shocked by an electric current/spurred into action).

Sean managed to get up to the front row and snapped this excellent pic of Henry screaming his heart out to "Liar." Sean also managed to get drenched in Rollins Sweat. Damn that guy sweats a lot!

The show lasted about an hour, in that hour the band was tight, Rollins was an animal, and the entire crowd was at their mercy. Here is a guy who in all his years has never compromised, has never backed down from his beliefs and his convictions, has never apologized for his role in Johnny Mnemonic. If we took Uncle Sam down from the posters and put Henry's visage in its place this country would be a better place.