The other night Dave2 and Sizzle saw 81 year old Etta James in concert. During President Obama's inauguration ball, I did actually wonder where Miss James was when Beyonce performed Etta's largest hit "At Last." Apparently Etta James was pretty pissed about not being there and said so quite colorfully during her concert. At least they said her singing was as amazing as ever.
Still, that wasn't the most noteworthy aspect of the evening for Dave2 and Sizzle. Both came away visually traumatized. Click through to read their accounts; secondhand won't do them justice.
Their experience is pretty much the final coffin nail to any desire I might have to see an old legendary musician in concert. See, my first date was to a Ray Charles concert. A bit of web research says he was barely 58 at the time, but a lot of hard living made him seem a lot older.
My date's parents and my dad both volunteered as ushers at the venue to enjoy its classical fare. Old rock bands and performers would make up the stray "popular music" concerts of the summer. Think Moody Blues, the Beach Boys, and James Taylor. (If I hadn't been with stubborn friends for James Taylor, I totally would've scalped my ticket. While we were waiting in line to get in, I was offered $120 for my $20 lawn ticket.)
My parents dropped us off and the comp tickets his parents had scored for us got us into the grounds. When we got to the shed--the roofed part of the venue with seating--the usher pointed out that the tickets we had were for the wrong date. His parents were ushering that evening, so we found them and they found us some empty seats.
We wandered the grounds for a while before the concert was supposed to begin. A half hour after it was supposed to start, there was an announcement that Ray Charles was running late.
He was THREE HOURS LATE! That's a helluva long time to come up with first date ever chitchat. We were friends, so I think it was mostly fine, but c'mon, three hours? When Ray Charles finally arrived, he didn't apologize for being late and his singing was horribly off-key. He performed for half an hour and left, no encore. I'm SOOO glad we didn't pay for that.
A year ago on TTaT: Thirty Year Old Jock-Thug
29 January 2009
27 January 2009
26 January 2009
25 January 2009
22 January 2009
Sleep mode
I wrote this Sunday, but had to shelve it a few days while blogger was being wonky. (My feed reader was out of commission too, so I'm a couple days behind on my reading.)
Upon reaching my deadline last week, my brain shut off. Where I had been motivated and driven, I now find it hard to wake up. So easily my brain shifts to sleep mode, a luxurious hibernation. This really bummed me out yesterday, so I focused on a few mundane things I could accomplish: shaving my legs, some much needed cleaning. Later on I read another section of a huge archaeology book I started a year and half ago or so, and yet later I started rereading a book I'd been thinking of in recent months for inspiration, one that assures me that a short story can in fact be really short and still worth publishing.
I was kind of dreading the idea that I always have to have a deadline to move forward, but today I think I'm allowed a chance to recharge, to seek out that which inspires me and to be open to that which might. Exposure to the new is also good.
About a year ago, I read Eve Ensler's The Good Body, but only today got around to listening to her reading and talk concerning it at the 92nd Street Y in NYC. So good. The recording is a few years old, but it's available for free on iTunes. Just search "Eve Ensler" and it will come up under the name, "92Y: Eve Ensler."
There's a lot of good stuff for free on iTunes, well worth a browse.
Now I think I'll read another section of my archaeology book.
What do you do to recharge? What inspires you? Motivates you?
3 years ago on TTaT: Pro-choice
Upon reaching my deadline last week, my brain shut off. Where I had been motivated and driven, I now find it hard to wake up. So easily my brain shifts to sleep mode, a luxurious hibernation. This really bummed me out yesterday, so I focused on a few mundane things I could accomplish: shaving my legs, some much needed cleaning. Later on I read another section of a huge archaeology book I started a year and half ago or so, and yet later I started rereading a book I'd been thinking of in recent months for inspiration, one that assures me that a short story can in fact be really short and still worth publishing.
I was kind of dreading the idea that I always have to have a deadline to move forward, but today I think I'm allowed a chance to recharge, to seek out that which inspires me and to be open to that which might. Exposure to the new is also good.
About a year ago, I read Eve Ensler's The Good Body, but only today got around to listening to her reading and talk concerning it at the 92nd Street Y in NYC. So good. The recording is a few years old, but it's available for free on iTunes. Just search "Eve Ensler" and it will come up under the name, "92Y: Eve Ensler."
There's a lot of good stuff for free on iTunes, well worth a browse.
Now I think I'll read another section of my archaeology book.
What do you do to recharge? What inspires you? Motivates you?
3 years ago on TTaT: Pro-choice
21 January 2009
I made it!
Since this is the first moment blogger has let me log in since Saturday, the I-made-it sentiment has taken on dual meanings. It would figure it'd get wonky just when I felt like posting more.
More importantly, of course, I survived the Bush regime. There were times during those 8 years that I was quite depressed and hearing about Bush's latest antics sometimes felt like the last straw. Moving abroad sometimes felt like the answer, but then I'd think to myself, If I leave, how will things ever change for the better here? I also remember in a fit of anger--undoubtedly in November 2004--coming to the conclusion that as down as I might ever get, I could and would outlast Bush's time in office.
I did, and for my perseverance I got to see something amazing yesterday. Granted, I would've preferred less god and more country in the speeches, and in future, I will try to remember that C-Span has better coverage of the inaugural parade than ABC and CNN. Overall though, I felt hopeful in a way that no previous president in my lifetime has inspired.
Congratulations, President Obama.
Love that you went white tie for the balls.
2 years ago on TTaT: I really do hate chainsaws
More importantly, of course, I survived the Bush regime. There were times during those 8 years that I was quite depressed and hearing about Bush's latest antics sometimes felt like the last straw. Moving abroad sometimes felt like the answer, but then I'd think to myself, If I leave, how will things ever change for the better here? I also remember in a fit of anger--undoubtedly in November 2004--coming to the conclusion that as down as I might ever get, I could and would outlast Bush's time in office.
I did, and for my perseverance I got to see something amazing yesterday. Granted, I would've preferred less god and more country in the speeches, and in future, I will try to remember that C-Span has better coverage of the inaugural parade than ABC and CNN. Overall though, I felt hopeful in a way that no previous president in my lifetime has inspired.
Congratulations, President Obama.
Love that you went white tie for the balls.
2 years ago on TTaT: I really do hate chainsaws
18 January 2009
Winter wonderland, again
And again, and again. Storms 'bout every other day this past week.
If it must be so very cold outside, I reckon I'd just as soon it be beautiful too.
So long's the snow's more fluffy than heavy.
2 years ago on TTaT: To Memorize
If it must be so very cold outside, I reckon I'd just as soon it be beautiful too.
So long's the snow's more fluffy than heavy.
2 years ago on TTaT: To Memorize
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