Happy holidays! I spent Christmas weekend with my family, which somehow entailed my mom's old tap dancing/baton twirling notebook being dragged out. My mom was a tap dancer and baton twirler as a child, earning billing in various recitals at the age of three as "Baby Tapper." The notebook kept track of her various routines, sporting a foil star next to each step she mastered. Based on a quick perusal of that notebook, I give you:
Tap Dancing or Baton Twirling Moves That Could Be Sex Acts
1. Stir the soup
2. Shuffle ball
3. Slap ball
4. Airplane around knees
5. Coffee grinder
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The best soy latte that you ever had
It happened again last week! The yearly 24-hour Letters to Santa benefit at Second City, featuring all manner of great musicians, wacky comedy, dance routines, field trips, interviews, and - this year - a little wrestling. Here's an incomplete photo retrospective:
6:30 p.m.: The 24 hours didn't officially begin until 7:00 p.m., but we got a bonus this year. These guys came out to play a selection of heartfelt tunes they "wrote" ... which turned out to be four songs by Train. A painfully hilarious start to the evening.
10:00-ish: I didn't take any pictures during Jeff Tweedy's annual set, but this is his guitar, Bob.
11:01 p.m.: Steve Albini interviews Andrew Mason, CEO of Groupon. Later Andrew played piano for a rollicking set of Billy Joel covers.
12:00 a.m.: J.C. Brooks and the Uptown Sound take the stage and inspire a room full of comedians and comedy fans to shake their groove things.
2:17 a.m.: Joan of Arc plays, loudly
2:42 a.m.: Human caterpillar!
5:03 a.m.: Jeff Parker treats us to some dreamy guitar
5:38 a.m.: TJ tells the instant classic "101 chairs walk into a bar" joke. For about twenty minutes.
7:07 a.m.: The babies and children come out to don various hats, eat muffins, and charm us all
7:36 a.m.: Jon Langford and Sally Timms drop by to sing some songs and shake a little maraca
9:25 a.m.: Actors are challenged to consume various food items, including a cup of scrambled eggs and a huge muffin, during a scene
1:00 p.m.: Former WWE wrestler Colt Cabana performs his finishing move on one of the actors, not to be let up until he names every U.S. president in order ... and predicts the next six
1:14 p.m.: Robbie Fulks and Gerald Dowd play a poignant "Dancing Queen"
2:59 p.m.: Bill Callahan nearly lulls me to sleep, through no fault of his own
4:44 p.m.: Improv!
5:04 p.m.: Our table. Clockwise: Starbucks peppermint mocha, napkin, Second City menus, Bible, Boston Market fountain drink, trail mix, brownie wrapper, gum wrapper, broken hair clip
5:18 p.m.: The Blisters rock us for the eighth straight year
And that's the last picture I took. Things finished up at 7:00 p.m. with the annual game of audience-participation freeze tag and an onstage reprisal of our second choreographed dance routine, "Magpie." The event raised nearly $100,000 for charity.
Viva la benefit!
See also:
Letters to Santa 2009
6:30 p.m.: The 24 hours didn't officially begin until 7:00 p.m., but we got a bonus this year. These guys came out to play a selection of heartfelt tunes they "wrote" ... which turned out to be four songs by Train. A painfully hilarious start to the evening.
10:00-ish: I didn't take any pictures during Jeff Tweedy's annual set, but this is his guitar, Bob.
11:01 p.m.: Steve Albini interviews Andrew Mason, CEO of Groupon. Later Andrew played piano for a rollicking set of Billy Joel covers.
12:00 a.m.: J.C. Brooks and the Uptown Sound take the stage and inspire a room full of comedians and comedy fans to shake their groove things.
2:17 a.m.: Joan of Arc plays, loudly
2:42 a.m.: Human caterpillar!
5:03 a.m.: Jeff Parker treats us to some dreamy guitar
5:38 a.m.: TJ tells the instant classic "101 chairs walk into a bar" joke. For about twenty minutes.
7:07 a.m.: The babies and children come out to don various hats, eat muffins, and charm us all
7:36 a.m.: Jon Langford and Sally Timms drop by to sing some songs and shake a little maraca
9:25 a.m.: Actors are challenged to consume various food items, including a cup of scrambled eggs and a huge muffin, during a scene
1:00 p.m.: Former WWE wrestler Colt Cabana performs his finishing move on one of the actors, not to be let up until he names every U.S. president in order ... and predicts the next six
1:14 p.m.: Robbie Fulks and Gerald Dowd play a poignant "Dancing Queen"
2:59 p.m.: Bill Callahan nearly lulls me to sleep, through no fault of his own
4:44 p.m.: Improv!
5:04 p.m.: Our table. Clockwise: Starbucks peppermint mocha, napkin, Second City menus, Bible, Boston Market fountain drink, trail mix, brownie wrapper, gum wrapper, broken hair clip
5:18 p.m.: The Blisters rock us for the eighth straight year
And that's the last picture I took. Things finished up at 7:00 p.m. with the annual game of audience-participation freeze tag and an onstage reprisal of our second choreographed dance routine, "Magpie." The event raised nearly $100,000 for charity.
Viva la benefit!
See also:
Letters to Santa 2009
Sunday, December 12, 2010
New York in winter
Last weekend in NYC was the perfect getaway. Only one vacation day used, and three full days in the city. We stayed at the Solita Soho (yes, there's a Solita now), with an excellent view of the Museum of Chinese in America ... just plain MOCA for short.
Friday night my flight got in at 8:20, and by 9:15 I was at the Red Lion on Bleecker, enjoying the last hour of the last Friday Night Campfire of 2010 with Martin Rivas and Craig Meyer. I think I saw at least fifty of the songs they played that night, in medley form.
On Saturday, Paul and I walked around the Lower East Side in search of food, eventually finding some ... but not before being driven from our first two choices by huge crowds. Memo to self: Christmas weekends in NYC bring the tourists out in droves. (Holla!) I wandered around Little Italy and Chinatown in the afternoon, before heading to the Bowery Ballroom for Jeff Tweedy and the Autumn Defense. I hadn't seen the AD in awhile, and I enjoyed some of the songs from their newest album. I also appreciated hearing "A Full Five Paces" live again for the first time in years.
Jeff Tweedy, the night's headliner, played an enjoyable set. There were plenty of little flubs and mistakes, the kind that make things more entertaining for the crowd - at least, for me - but don't necessarily make a great show for the performer. However, Jeff didn't seem phased. I realized I've been spoiled by the marathon solo shows for charity I've seen in recent years - the respectable 1.5 hour set seemed short in comparison. But whenever I get to hear such songs as "Bob Dylan's Beard," "Chinese Apple," and "Country Disappeared," there's nothing to complain about. The Bowery is a tiny place, and we were very lucky to get in.
I spent Sunday with Allison, from brunch at Shopsin's to dinner at an Indian restaurant in Park Slope. In between there was shopping in Soho, a visit to a friend's store in Brooklyn Heights, perusing Christmas trees on the street, and delicious smoothies. I think I'm nearly as excited about Alli and Olli's impending new arrival as they are! (Okay, that's totally not true. But I am very excited.)
Monday, I finally experienced Momofuku. Paul and I went to the Noodle Bar, and I now get what the fuss is about. The ramen was amazing, but I think the pork buns were my highlight. That pork belly! I wouldn't be surprised if it appears in my dreams.
Sunday afternoon it was off to Tarrytown for Jeff Tweedy and the Autumn Defense again. I have to admit that one of the most exciting parts of going to Tarrytown, for me, was its proximity to the former home of the fictional Draper family from Mad Men. If we just stayed on the train, I exclaimed to Paul, we could go to Ossining! So as you might imagine, my favorite part of Jeff's performance may have been his announcement about wearing a suit to honor Eugene Draper's birthplace of Tarrytown. I was most impressed because I couldn't even have come up with that particular bit of trivia. So, Jeff, or the person who told Jeff ... my hat's off to you. The show itself was good, though shorter than Bowery, and our seats were in the acoustic sweet spot. "What's the World Got In Store" was a welcome surprise.
Early Tuesday morning I flew home. I was back at work by mid-morning, and by the end of the day it was hard to believe I'd ever left. But I had!
For the first time in recent memory, I don't have any future flights scheduled. I'm not sure how long that will be true, but I'm enjoying it for now. Still, I'm looking forward to whatever 2011 might bring in the way of trips, concerts, or (my favorite) both.
(Update: the whole "not having any future flights scheduled" thing was true for exactly eight days.)
Friday night my flight got in at 8:20, and by 9:15 I was at the Red Lion on Bleecker, enjoying the last hour of the last Friday Night Campfire of 2010 with Martin Rivas and Craig Meyer. I think I saw at least fifty of the songs they played that night, in medley form.
On Saturday, Paul and I walked around the Lower East Side in search of food, eventually finding some ... but not before being driven from our first two choices by huge crowds. Memo to self: Christmas weekends in NYC bring the tourists out in droves. (Holla!) I wandered around Little Italy and Chinatown in the afternoon, before heading to the Bowery Ballroom for Jeff Tweedy and the Autumn Defense. I hadn't seen the AD in awhile, and I enjoyed some of the songs from their newest album. I also appreciated hearing "A Full Five Paces" live again for the first time in years.
Jeff Tweedy, the night's headliner, played an enjoyable set. There were plenty of little flubs and mistakes, the kind that make things more entertaining for the crowd - at least, for me - but don't necessarily make a great show for the performer. However, Jeff didn't seem phased. I realized I've been spoiled by the marathon solo shows for charity I've seen in recent years - the respectable 1.5 hour set seemed short in comparison. But whenever I get to hear such songs as "Bob Dylan's Beard," "Chinese Apple," and "Country Disappeared," there's nothing to complain about. The Bowery is a tiny place, and we were very lucky to get in.
I spent Sunday with Allison, from brunch at Shopsin's to dinner at an Indian restaurant in Park Slope. In between there was shopping in Soho, a visit to a friend's store in Brooklyn Heights, perusing Christmas trees on the street, and delicious smoothies. I think I'm nearly as excited about Alli and Olli's impending new arrival as they are! (Okay, that's totally not true. But I am very excited.)
Monday, I finally experienced Momofuku. Paul and I went to the Noodle Bar, and I now get what the fuss is about. The ramen was amazing, but I think the pork buns were my highlight. That pork belly! I wouldn't be surprised if it appears in my dreams.
Sunday afternoon it was off to Tarrytown for Jeff Tweedy and the Autumn Defense again. I have to admit that one of the most exciting parts of going to Tarrytown, for me, was its proximity to the former home of the fictional Draper family from Mad Men. If we just stayed on the train, I exclaimed to Paul, we could go to Ossining! So as you might imagine, my favorite part of Jeff's performance may have been his announcement about wearing a suit to honor Eugene Draper's birthplace of Tarrytown. I was most impressed because I couldn't even have come up with that particular bit of trivia. So, Jeff, or the person who told Jeff ... my hat's off to you. The show itself was good, though shorter than Bowery, and our seats were in the acoustic sweet spot. "What's the World Got In Store" was a welcome surprise.
Early Tuesday morning I flew home. I was back at work by mid-morning, and by the end of the day it was hard to believe I'd ever left. But I had!
For the first time in recent memory, I don't have any future flights scheduled. I'm not sure how long that will be true, but I'm enjoying it for now. Still, I'm looking forward to whatever 2011 might bring in the way of trips, concerts, or (my favorite) both.
(Update: the whole "not having any future flights scheduled" thing was true for exactly eight days.)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Now it's December
It's true! This past weekend, I went to the Badgers' last home game of the year at Camp Randall. Because I'm one of the biggest cold weather wimps I know, I was a little worried. As it turns out, though, as long as you wear about four layers of clothing, the 20's aren't so bad. Seeing Wisconsin crush Northwestern, earn a share of the Big Ten title, and hopefully secure a Rose Bowl bid was definitely worth it. And at the end, there were fireworks.
This coming weekend, I will be in New York City. Even though I didn't make it to California this year, at least I'll hit NYC twice! December is in the danger zone for travel weather ... we've now entered the time of year when I can never count on being able to get anywhere. (Also see above re: cold weather wimpitude.) So far the forecast looks okay, so fingers are crossed.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Things I've done lately
November isn't a month with a lot going on around these parts, but I've managed to keep occupied. Last Friday, I won tickets to see the band Dawes play live at Studio M at the Triple M radio station. I'd heard good buzz about Dawes live, though I was a little suspicious after reading about their connection with Jonathan Wilson and the whole Laurel Canyon crowd. I wasn't able to attend their Friday night show at the Majestic, so the chance to see them free in a very small room that afternoon was much appreciated.
Triple M gave out free beer and Blue Sky soda before the show, an unexpected bonus. Not being a soda or beer fan, I still appreciated the thought. After drinks were distributed, approximately twenty of us were led down to the studio where Dawes was already set up on a small stage. They played four songs, and were interviewed for about half an hour. It was interesting to be part of a future radio broadcast - a little bit like being in a TV audience. I enjoyed the performance, although judging from some of the questions in the interview, I'm guessing I don't have a much better feel for the full Dawes live show than I did before. According to lead singer Taylor Goldsmith, they don't typically use acoustic guitars at all. The studio performance consisted of one acoustic guitar, and three voices - the bass player didn't attend, because he doesn't sing. Maybe I'll catch a proper Dawes show sometime. From all I've heard, good things seem to be ahead for the band.
On Thursday, I saw Anthony Bourdain at the Overture Center. I'm a fan of Tony's various TV shows and books, but I wasn't sure what to expect from his live appearance. As it turned out, more of the delightful same: trash talk about various Food Network personalities, anecdotes about Top Chef, rants and advice about traveling and eating abroad, and a lengthy Q&A session at the end. Someone asked a leading question about high speed trains in Wisconsin, earning a huge laugh and big applause when Tony - clearly getting that he had suddenly become part of some inside joke - nevertheless spoke in favor of high speed rail. Listening to the crowd's reaction, I again wished Dane County could somehow secede from Wisconsin.
Between those two activities, I had a birthday. There was no big trip or serenades this year, but I had a very pleasant day and heard from many friends and family members. Plus, a coworker friend brought a birthday treat to work on my behalf. Someone else baking your birthday treat: highly recommended. And this afternoon: Harry Potter!
Triple M gave out free beer and Blue Sky soda before the show, an unexpected bonus. Not being a soda or beer fan, I still appreciated the thought. After drinks were distributed, approximately twenty of us were led down to the studio where Dawes was already set up on a small stage. They played four songs, and were interviewed for about half an hour. It was interesting to be part of a future radio broadcast - a little bit like being in a TV audience. I enjoyed the performance, although judging from some of the questions in the interview, I'm guessing I don't have a much better feel for the full Dawes live show than I did before. According to lead singer Taylor Goldsmith, they don't typically use acoustic guitars at all. The studio performance consisted of one acoustic guitar, and three voices - the bass player didn't attend, because he doesn't sing. Maybe I'll catch a proper Dawes show sometime. From all I've heard, good things seem to be ahead for the band.
On Thursday, I saw Anthony Bourdain at the Overture Center. I'm a fan of Tony's various TV shows and books, but I wasn't sure what to expect from his live appearance. As it turned out, more of the delightful same: trash talk about various Food Network personalities, anecdotes about Top Chef, rants and advice about traveling and eating abroad, and a lengthy Q&A session at the end. Someone asked a leading question about high speed trains in Wisconsin, earning a huge laugh and big applause when Tony - clearly getting that he had suddenly become part of some inside joke - nevertheless spoke in favor of high speed rail. Listening to the crowd's reaction, I again wished Dane County could somehow secede from Wisconsin.
Between those two activities, I had a birthday. There was no big trip or serenades this year, but I had a very pleasant day and heard from many friends and family members. Plus, a coworker friend brought a birthday treat to work on my behalf. Someone else baking your birthday treat: highly recommended. And this afternoon: Harry Potter!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Posters
I was home sick one day last week, and figured I might as well make myself useful. I proceeded to dig out and catalog all of the posters I've acquired and not hung up over the past eight years or so. Nearly all are music-related: a mixture of show posters, album posters, and generic artist posters, with the odd music documentary poster and ... 1996 U.S. Men's Olympic Gymnastics Team poster ... thrown in. Again: these are posters that have been stored in two closets in my home, mostly unframed, not doing anybody any good.
Q: How many posters were there?
A: There were fifty-seven posters.
I know this makes it sound like the Hoarders production crew might be stopping by at any moment, but I swear you'd never know to look at my closets that they harbored fifty-seven posters. They take up so little room propped flat against the wall! Even rolled up in groups, they're deceptively unassuming.
Of course, I didn't buy all of them. Some were torn from windows or doors after a show, some were included with the purchase of an album, some were freebies from friendly record stores. Still, perhaps the knowledge that I have fifty-seven undisplayed posters in my house ought to prevent me from ever purchasing a poster again. It's true that I have curbed my poster-buying in recent years ... but sometimes I can't resist. I'm a sucker for local venue posters, or posters from shows I'm proud to have seen. I keep thinking that I'll frame more of them, and I will! Really! If nothing else, this project reminded me that I have some gems that deserve to be enjoyed.
But where to put them? Between the spare bedroom and my office at work, I already have a respectable total on display. The living room and hallways could accommodate many more, but it's not the design aesthetic I'm striving for in the main living areas of my home. I could rotate the posters that are on display now. Maybe I need to explore the untapped potential of bathrooms.
Here are a few of the posters I cataloged last week. The others can be found in this Flickr set. Any votes for which ones should be framed (and/or actually hung) next?
Q: How many posters were there?
A: There were fifty-seven posters.
I know this makes it sound like the Hoarders production crew might be stopping by at any moment, but I swear you'd never know to look at my closets that they harbored fifty-seven posters. They take up so little room propped flat against the wall! Even rolled up in groups, they're deceptively unassuming.
Of course, I didn't buy all of them. Some were torn from windows or doors after a show, some were included with the purchase of an album, some were freebies from friendly record stores. Still, perhaps the knowledge that I have fifty-seven undisplayed posters in my house ought to prevent me from ever purchasing a poster again. It's true that I have curbed my poster-buying in recent years ... but sometimes I can't resist. I'm a sucker for local venue posters, or posters from shows I'm proud to have seen. I keep thinking that I'll frame more of them, and I will! Really! If nothing else, this project reminded me that I have some gems that deserve to be enjoyed.
But where to put them? Between the spare bedroom and my office at work, I already have a respectable total on display. The living room and hallways could accommodate many more, but it's not the design aesthetic I'm striving for in the main living areas of my home. I could rotate the posters that are on display now. Maybe I need to explore the untapped potential of bathrooms.
Here are a few of the posters I cataloged last week. The others can be found in this Flickr set. Any votes for which ones should be framed (and/or actually hung) next?
Monday, November 1, 2010
A jet plane and a big idea
For a long time now, I've wanted to see a show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. I've seen The Avett Brothers live twice, and thoroughly enjoyed both concerts. So when the Avetts announced a pair of Halloween shows at the Ryman earlier this year, including one on Saturday night, I thought, "Hey, I should go to that." And I did.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals opened the show, calling out a surprise guest on one song for a duet: Kenny Chesney. I honestly wasn't sure if it really was Kenny Chesney at the time - it seems it was - but he did sound good. Grace Potter's crew was dressed in NASCAR gear for Halloween, and Grace claimed that she and her bassist were dressed as "professionals ... not professional musicians."
The curtain closed between sets, keeping stage preparations a mystery. In the meantime, the well-costumed crowd entertained itself by singing loudly along with "Living on a Prayer" and "Rocket Man." Eventually, the lights dimmed and the curtain parted to reveal a suitably creepy Halloween setup. The band, dressed as mummies, lurched onstage and hammed it up before beginning the show with fitting opener: "Die Die Die."
Judging from reports of Friday's show, the Avetts varied the setlists widely across the two nights. I was happy to hear "In the Curve," and "SSS," even if I missed "Laundry Room." Bob Crawford, Seth, and Scott all took solo turns on Saturday. "Murder in the City" was the first song of the encore, with Scott sporting a new tiara along with the mummy costume - an interesting juxtaposition with the simple, heartfelt lyrics of the song. I think I've seen "Murder in the City" each time I've seen the band, but this was the first time I heard Scott sing "my brother" and "my father" in place of "sister" and "mother." (The other two times, I think he substituted wife and daughter. It's a versatile song.)
Two hours after the show began, it ended with Grace Potter and a couple of her band members dancing on stage with the Avetts, and Scott and Seth cutting off pieces of their mummy costumes to hand out to audience members. I left the Ryman happy on Halloween Eve - and even returned for a backstage tour the next day before my flight home. I'm pleased that I can check the Ryman Auditorium off my list of places to visit - and very pleased that I saw The Avett Brothers one more time in 2010.
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