08-08

Wow, talk about a hiatus, huh? One would think nothing of note occurred during the month of August; that RUWF and her family and friends found themselves in a stalemate as the culmination of summer crept upon us. Well, I apologize to have led you all astray these past few weeks because, to the contrary, there have been a number of point changes and highlights worthy of bringing to your attention.

For starters, Liana, prego with her second dose of "trouble", and Marley returned to the east coast, which included a visit to Wolfeboro with Mars' Nana (Mama Sue), Pop-pop, Nan, Aunty D, Great-Aunt Bella, Robbie, Sam & Misty and 2nd cousin Ariana. Mars explored the trampoline with Ari (allotting time between bounces to offer some sound jumping advice), indulged in Nan's famous hand-picked blueberry muffins (hand-picked muffins, now that would be something), challenged Pop-pop to a face-off (that 18+ month old jaw has to be double jointed), and practiced delivering her favorite words: baby, Ahwie (Ari), mama, dowwwwn and di-di (Zoey).

Speaking of Zoe-bear, Mama Sue and Franko have become her new proud care-takers. For those unfamiliar with Zoey, Jamie and Liana's first baby, she is part black Lab, part Doberman and, I'm no mathematician, but I'm going with 110% lap dog.

Soon after Liana and Mars' departure, Owen also decided to fly 3000+ miles to pay New England a visit (just to even the stakes). The Brit got tossed into the fire but, not surprisingly, no manipulation was necessary to achieve a roaring end product. Together, Owen and I managed to successfully check off the Cape, Boston, Cambridge, Milton, Wolfeboro, NH, Arlington, VT, and the Berkshires (including a town named after Owen's heritage: Lee) in 5 days. On the second day of our road trip, Owen received a call from his brother in England notifying him of his new official uncle status. Jane delivered a healthy girl, Megan Ann, on August 20th, who could be found days later with a Red Sox teddy by her side. A girl after our own hearts, eh? But before Uncle O hopped his flight to London, he had won the hearts of more than one Bostonian. Parents, aunts, roommates, high school and uni friends, as well as a select few PTown goers, were shocked that RUWF unearthed such a gem and are already requesting an encore visit. Is a person considered a legend if he continues to be the subject of many a conversation weeks after he is removed from the scene? Thais, Marc and I are headed to Italy over Thanksgiving to verify that this label holds true (and maybe do some leather goods shopping and pizza consuming, but that's just on the side!).

In other news, long-time good friend Lauren Bowe announced her engagement to Dan Hover yesterday morning! Without questions (or complaints), Lauren was awoken at 5:30 to take a bike ride to the nearby beach in Salem. The pier on which they perched, the beach from which the rocks escaped and the expanse of water into which the rocks emerged, were absent of people and extraneous noises. Dan presented Lauren with a hand written heartfelt poem as well as a BEAUTIFUL ring for her to wear always. Congratulations Lauren and Dan!

King Khan

How do you describe psychedelic funk? I think you have to be witness to King Khan and the Shrines' stage act to gain a full understanding but let me open the door a crack for you...

Sun Ra and his 8 person entourage prepared to dominate the Middle East just shy of midnight last week. This Canadian bred (although you wouldn't speculate from his appearance or the lack of "ay"s in his speech) vocalist and comic set the precedence for the sold-out show with his pimp cane, black nylon cape and bejeweled headpiece as he molested the mic with the commencement of the opening number. He was accompanied by a pair of young probable Berklee-descendant trumpists who could harldy contain their amusement, a spellbound organist in competition for most perspiring grunge rocker who raised and manipulated his instrument for all to hail, a black guy dawning a pirate hat and a silly grin plastered to his face tucked in the corner of the stage, a long silver haired (accented with a purplish hue) drummer straight out of One Flew Over the Coo Coo's Nest who held post sans expression, a guitarist who resembled a spooky owl (I wonder if his occipital lobe is proportionate in size to his eye sockets), an Asian trophy cheerleader adorned with sequence and pom-poms, master of the "ooh-ahh" faces a mother makes whilst coaxing her baby to smile, and lastly, a lean fella wearing an over-sized costume chicken head ready to rumble with Sun Ra (or whomever he may trip over due to the displaced eye cut-outs).

As Marc Stuart commented, the product of this ensemble was analogous to a soundtrack for a 70's car chase movie (Smokey and the Bandit perhaps). Sun Ra hypnotized the audience with any given song: the interactive throng of listeners were forking over dollar bills to be burned on stage while reciting "here's to welfare", answering a gospel call with "ya, ya yas" and chanting "ass ass titties titties" in unison with their leader. Meanwhile, members of the band dove off stage, showered nearby heads with beer, sang through Freddie Cougar-esk masks and threw down with the hybrid chicken-man. Sun Ra concludes one of the chicken fights with, "You're a f'n chicken..I'm a human being" with the inflection and deliverance not unlike Mitch Hedberg (sure to get a smirk out of anyone). As Thursday's early morning hours crept up on us, Sun Ra held stage in his undies; time to depart.

Sweat hung in the air. Bodies rocked in sync. Raw, exuberant, distasteful, offensive...and highly recommended.

Glorious

Well I don't mean to gloat but I'm a friggin RN!! It only took 2 years, 1 month and 18 days of nursing school. Phew. Looks like I can start getting excited about taking the next 2 board exams less than a year from now... Naaah, isn't living in the moment precious? (By the way, if anyone would like to inform me of any part-time gigs in the area, that'd be delightful...I'm having difficulty recalling what a paycheck smells like at the moment.)

And while we're on the topic of sweet victory, I'd like to share with you all some documented news: Dan Hunt and I have won this year's Stamp Act challenge (only because Casey's time was deemed unofficial due to the lack of estrogen on the team. Aren't we lucky?!). Whitey and Skwar followed closely behind with Thais and Marc (our rookies who rose fearlessly (well ok not maybe not fearlessly but they still rose) to the challenge and even sported matching water shoes to fend off those nasty jagged rocks and floating tree stumps encircling the island)) pulling up the rear.

Horror stories were spared but to no avail; history unveiled itself in the photos mounted on the Ftoreks' walls. As the starting time drew near, joints stiffened, and sebaceous glands functioned hyperactively. First was the beach jaunt to claim the sharpest canoe that would cut the water like a pair of scissors. The run around the island, come to find out, was 2.27 miles before paddling back to the beach. An hour and half, a few sizable gashes and multitude of sore muscles later, the celebration ensued with a follow-up whiffle ball game, a round of Cranium, grilling and balance board try-outs in the gazebo.

It was a hell of a day at sea sir. (Anyone name it??)

Must See Shows

The MFA is hosting several ear-catching performers as part of their summer courtyard series. Some artists that are worth exploring include:

Bon Iver with Bowerbirds - lead singer Justin Vernon's tale of transplanting himself to an isolated cabin in Wisconsin and unintentionally refocusing his musical frame of thought, is nearly inspiring enough but if you're looking for additional incentive to witness these performers together, what you'll pay for is fluid and dreamy vocals atop subdued, yet complementary, orchestral accompaniment. A particular favorite is "Skinny Love" which you can check out over at Bon Iver's link. Bon Iver and the Bowerbirds play at Remis Auditorium this Saturday, July 26.

Vetiver and Phosphorescent - an indie folk group who attempts to harmonize a cello with an acoustic guitar and a violin, all the while successfully narrating a story - take Remis Auditorium by storm August 1. The release of their new album, Thing of the Past, a compilation of choice covers, brings renewed fervor and energy in which listeners may delight.

Tift Merritt with Jason Collett of Broken Social Scene - USA Today harps that Tift is "a charming blend of country, rock, and Southern R&B", while Jason has proven to be a pivotal and enduring figure in the Indie scene as evidenced by his hit "Out of Time"and by his ability to maintain his mark for over 10 years now perfecting his Indie-turn-raw-rock n' roll style - will play in the courtyard Aug 6.

Of note at the MFA is also the French Film Festival that concludes this Sunday July 27, which will be followed up by the Roxbury Film Festival and the New Japanese Cinema come August. If you haven't stopped by for a French film showing yet, Thais recommends Woody Allen's Shall We Kiss, which plays one last time on closing night. Audrey Tatou, star of RUWF's favorite Amelie as well as The Da Vinci Code, can also be seen in Hunting and Gathering July 26.

Memorable Destinations

Musical bliss

Well it's been quite the harmonious week here in Boston folks. I was lucky enough to be present at four unbelievable and wildly varying acoustic sets - "best of jazz" at Symphony Hall, Dave Matthews, Josh Ritter with the BSO and Pearl Jam!

Close friend of the family and recent inhabitant of Boston, Brie Bidart, thoughtfully invited me to see a tribute to the late John Birks (Dizzie Gillespie) featuring a slideshow narrated with music from the Pops, followed by a performance by the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars comprised of James Moody, Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, John Lee, Lewis Nash, and Cyrus Chestnut, each with his own flare and bebop style. (Worthy of note: our balcony seats hovered just north of the stage so we could witness each band member's detailed expression, every pic of the strings, every glint of brass and each awe-inspired face below!) Of particular interest to me was Claudio on trumpet. So honored and humbled was he to be, not only a member of the band, but in collaboration with the Boston Pops. Even as his trumpet gadget (distorter I believe) hit the ground during the peak of an exhilarating solo, Claudio remained composed and lighthearted, later incorporating the mishap into a few jokes, eliciting chuckles from his on-lookers.

Dave performed on a Tuesday night with impeccable timing; just as the last of the heavy rain that had saturated the tailgaters (whose canopies were seized in some cases due to the new Comcast regulations) ceased. Hoards of teenagers roamed the lots. Most were sucking face (like the romantic spin on that one?), relieving themselves on cars, having their 30-packs confiscated and being taken away on security golf carts (I wouldn't be too broken up about that if I were still in HS I'll admit). Although these events received top scores on the pre-show entertainment scale, they also made me feel aged by no less than 10 years. When we made it to our seats, it all came together. This is why I jumped on those last minute tickets! Dave and his band played a tremendous show. The lighting and stage set were complex and spectacular with clear close-ups of the performers. The majority of the set list included songs from their album that is due to be released this July. However, following the same groove and jam mentality of some of DMB's other songs, it seemed as if the audience hardly took note that they themselves didn't know the actual lyrics. One peculiar moment that stuck with me after the concert concluded was the bit where Dave speaks to the crowd (apart from thanking everyone). He told a rather off-colored story about a monkey he saw while visiting his homeland of South Africa, describing the monkey's blue "Frank" and red "Beans" before launching into "Proudest Monkey." It was difficult to decipher where the story was going for the first 15 seconds but I suppose we can't discredit him for creativity!

The following Friday I revisited Symphony Hall to see Josh Ritter take stage. I had been forewarned that Ritter sometimes dawns a much talked about white suit whilst setting the precedence for his show, however, in this case, he took the stage solo dressed in nearly all black. What does this tell us guys? Well, I'm still not sure because it didn't foretell his mood that night. Although Ritter played a number of subdued songs, he maintained his usual ear to ear grin throughout the evening. With some elaborate foot work and spin moves, Ritter summoned the audience to bring on the noise, whether it was a synchronous clapping or a chiming in for the chorus. At one point, a violinist from the supporting orchestra teamed up with Ritter on acoustic guitar to play "Thin Blue Flame", which deservingly received the first of several standing ovations of the night (while the violinist received a great big bear hug from Ritter). Midway through the hour and half performance, Ritter passed the mic off to Robert Pinksy who proceeded to read 2 "Poems of Desire". His artistic recital did not evoke the same response from the crowd as most viewers were thrown off by this interlude, but it was a heartfelt moment for both Pinksy and Ritter. Two encores and a grand finale of a sing-along later, Ritter rattled off a laundry list of sincere thank yous fearful of forgetting anyone who made his appearance at Symphony Hall possible, and the audience exited the building with "Empty Heart" ringing in their heads.

Josh's return appearance on Letterman this past winter.


Pearl Jam was a band I hadn't seen since 2002. They have since been the subject of much hype and buzz, protesting Ticketmaster's escalated prices to the public, (canceling tour dates even) and joining forces with Verizon, to which Scottie makes mention here, in order to make their music more accessible to today's youth. Mansfield, being the last stop on PJ's 2008 tour, was crawling with long time fanatics and brimming with more energy than I can (or care to) remember. Luckily Jessie Capp scored tickets and was kind enough to bring me along to what I can confidently declare as my all-time favorite concert to date (U2 falling just shy to PJ and then maybe Arcade Fire - I know, Arcade Fire does not carry the same magnitude or weight as the aforementioned classics but they are phenomenal and soul stirring nonetheless)... Vedder balanced the set list between intimate and pensive and raging and electric. In fact he had quite the theatrical performance; from running leaps off of the sound system display, to air guitar splits, to lengthy jam sessions (he was not alone on this one) to ripping butts between songs and throwing plastic bottles at the stage props; Vedder completely owned the stage and the audience for that matter. Breaking briefly to dig on the Marine recruitment stations within the venue and making cutting remarks towards the war itself, Vedder could say or do no wrong in the eyes of his fellow worshipers. A true rock concert indeed, Pearl Jam had everyone on their feet from 8:30 to close (11:00) singing along, and on numerous occasions, singing nearly half of a song in unison before the accompaniment of Vedder on the mic (Better Man in particular stands out in my mind). As PJ wrapped up the evening with "Why Go Home", the thousands chanting along were questioning just that.

Not of the greatest quality but here's a clip of Better Man from the other night to give you a sense of the crowd's involvement.

First of all, my apologies to anyone who tried to have a listen to the song mentioned in the previous entry (at my request). I appreciate your efforts and I promise I did not intentionally deny you access (silly/glutenous iTunes regulations). It is worth checking out, if only for 30 seconds' worth of a sample.

Secondly, my weekend escapade to Aix en Provence was something out of a film (A Good Year perhaps). In just a brief few days I was introduced to the French countryside with rolling greenery and endless vineyards, petite, tucked away villages with cobblestone streets and quaint French cuisine restaurants, skinny (like most women's pants) interwoven streets consisting of dated architectural buildings (framed with classic sand washed shutters) that seemed to embrace the sun's light at the most picturesque angles, the city's bustling center brimming with boutiques, charming markets (displaying both material and edible goods), women in free-flowing sundresses and men in their business suits with beads of sweat adorning their brow, easily whisked away by a tepid breeze, and the remote island of Porquerolles offering tandem mountain biking as their premium mode of transportation (what could be better?!). (That may just be the longest run-on sentence I've created since 3rd grade.)

My future humble yet magnificent chateau sits on the grounds of a vineyard just adjacent to the owner's 10-rooms-too-many living quarters. It appears to be currently occupied by a lovely young couple at the moment but we'll check back next decade and see where we stand, shall we? I've also developed an affinity for the French dining etiquette. Five course meals including cheese and dessert plates as their own meals!! (However, I could probably do without the pigeon and duck souffle.) Until this point, I believed that my Boston driving skills would've prepared me to be successfully and efficiently mobile in any region. It turns out, (as hard as it is for me to admit) the French may have something on me. Then again, I didn't see one 5-0 in sight. If that were the case here, who knows what would ensue...

I want to send my sincere gratitude to Indy for doing an all-star job hosting me this weekend. You're ok with staying in a Holiday Inn and dining at McDonald's when you come over to visit, right? I mean, it's only fair...