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Music, rescheduling et al.

I went to a concert this Thursday. I haven't done that in years. I sometimes have a hard time with concerts. With big ones, the venues are usually accoustically unbalanced, depending on where you're sitting. I inevitably end up sitting somewhere where the vocals sound just slightly out from the band, and I sit around shifting uncomfortably in my seat, making faces and being miserable. And making everyone around me miserable.

This may have something to do with the bands I've seen, I acknowledge that. My first concert was at age 16 or so: REM. Michael Stipe was standing up on stage, reading the lyrics off of sheets of paper. I have more energy getting out of bed in the morning. He was off-key and disappointing. That was a negative enough experience that I didn't race back to Ticketmaster.

However, I have also been to some excellent concerts. My favorite? Probably Bonnie Raitt at Lilith Fair. Crazy, right? I don't own a song of hers. But she was amazing live. I'm probably forgetting some other live concert that I loved, but the point is there haven't been many.

Thursday night? Amazing. Best concert I've ever been to. John Vanderslice, whom I've loved for four or five years, and who is sort of obscure. Gant emailed me saying he was going to be in town. I was pleasantly surprised, as he tends to be off most people's radars.

The opening act was St. Vincent (Annie Clark) and, honestly, John was amazing, but she was amazing. I may have been so floored because we had earlier decided that we didn't really want to see the opening act. That would've been a huge mistake. She's fantastically melodic, has an awesome voice, a multi-instrumentalist, and is very musically interesting. Her LP comes out soon. Get it. If you want a track, get in touch, and I'll arrange a taster.

John was great, too, of course - really great. Tons of energy, tons of great songs, old and new. And it was all in this tiny venue (The Mercury Lounge). It felt like there were only about a hundred people, but according to the site it holds 300. So it was probably somewhere between those numbers. However, we stood right up close to the stage and there was great energy.

Awesome.

In other news, we're starting to schedule some travel, so a word or two about that.

Beth May 4-6 : DC, staying with Scott & Jody. No social plans have been made yet. If you have ideas about that, let me know. :)

James May 4-? : I don't know when he comes home, but he'll be in India

Sometime in July : James India, Beth London for a week-long jewelry course + visiting

Sometime in... August? Maybe? : A big trip

Those aren't very detailed but that's the long and short of it right now. :)

Now to enjoy this kickass weather!

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