I never thought I'd get to see James live. Not only had they officially broken up a few years ago, but even before that they had very little to do with the US in terms of promotion and touring, so I was thrilled to see that they were coming to town. I only have one friend that has really shared a love of that band with me, and I tried to get her to fly in from out of state to see the show with me, but it just wasn't going to work out logistically and financially. I did have one other friend that was going to the show, but for some reason I kind of felt like going alone, which is actually very unlike me. I suppose it's because James has always been a band that was (with that one exception) pretty much just mine, as far as my friends were concerned, and so I felt like it was more appropriate to be solo for the concert as well. Considering what a wonderful experience I had that night, I think I probably made the right decision.
Many concerts I've seen have a very clear feeling of distinction between the performers and the audience, the observers and the observed. Even when an artist tries to interact with the crowd, it takes a certain skill and/or type of person to be able to break that barrier, and make the audience feel like they're really connected with the performer as an actual person, both sharing the same experience. James, and in particular Tim Booth, was able to create that connection more effectively than any performer at any other show I've ever seen.
The set started with with Tim and the guitarist (Saul?) in the middle of the crowd singing "Sit Down", and walking up to the stage as they played. It was a pleasant confusion not knowing where the music was coming from right away. The audience felt like a whole; all of us trying to figure it out - quickly letting each other know what was happening - all turning towards that central point where Tim and Saul had seemed to appear. It served to immediately break the fourth wall of the performance, and so from the very first note there was a feeling of being involved in the concert.
The next song was the gorgeous "Out To Get You", and it was performed sweetly and beautifully. After it was over, Tim paused to greet the crowd. He asked for a minute to talk to us, which immediately indicated that this was going to be something other than the usual "HELLO SEATTLE!" type of greeting. He then told us a story about his experience of playing a show just after his dad died a number of years ago; he talked about how bad that evening felt, and that in retrospect he felt that it was mostly because he didn't let the audience know what had happened. It's obvious that performing is a meaningful and personal thing for him, but during that show he felt disconnected from the music, from the crowd, and from the experience. He said that he didn't want that to happen again, so he wanted to let us know that a few hours before our show he'd gotten a call informing him that his mom had had a stroke. There was of course an immediate reaction of shock and sadness from the crowd, but he assured us that he was ok, and that we'd still have a good time together. But he wanted us to understand that if he seemed a bit emotional or off-balance, that it was because of that call. He then told us a little about his mom; that she was quite old, and that she had been living in a nursing home for some time. He said that the lyrics for the song they were about to perform, "Tell Her I Said So", were co-written with his mother about her experience of the last few years, and of her changing views of what it would mean to die. The repeated theme in part of that song is the line "Here's to a long life, here's to a long life", and Tim asked if we would help him to sing that part in particular. It was deeply moving, and I felt very emotionally connected to him and to the performance as I helped to sing that refrain.
It seemed moving for him as well, especially based on what happened during the next song they played, "Say Something", which is essentially a song about asking for emotional support and connection. Tim was walking along the stage, and people in the front row were reaching their hands towards the stage like usual. Fairly early in the song he walked over towards stage right, took the hand of one guy from the audience and held it tightly. He ended up holding this fan's hand for the rest of the song. Holding it like it was an important thing, like it was a meaningful connection. Again, it made me feel very much connected; this anonymous man represented us as a whole, and it felt like the crowd was holding Tim's hand.
The set list was great. James has such a large repertoire that there are dozens of songs I'd have liked to see performed live, but I was happy with the selections they made. Of course the new album was given preferential treatment with 4 songs, but out of 19 songs that's hardly the lion's share. At one point Tim asked rather sincerely if we were having a good time, since the set they had decided on wasn't just a collection of their big radio hits; he said that they try to make the set fit the city, and they felt like Seattle was a good candidate for the more esoteric set. This, of course, quite pleased our elitist sensibilities. :)
The highlights for me were "Ring The Bells", "Sound", and the absolutely wonderful rendition of "Sometimes" during the encore. During that song there was a period of crowd-only singing of the chorus, which was really powerful. The audience was so very into the show, and feeling so high from the performance, that it felt like everyone was putting all of themselves into the song. When you have a large group of people giving their full, synchronized energy to something, it creates a palpable, and for me, almost spiritual feeling; it's like feeling waves of energy crashing around the venue, washing over and through everyone.
The final song was "Gold Mother", which was always a track I could take or leave. They did a good job of it, though, and pulled some of the audience up on stage to dance for the last few minutes, making the crowd feel involved in the show right up until the end.
I had a wonderful time. I hope that I'll have more opportunities to see James in concert in the future, but if that ends up being the only time, I couldn't be happier with the experience.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Review of "A Tale of Two Cities"
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
As one reviewer stated after watching "The Wrath of Khan": "Now that was more like it". My opinion of Dickens is restored from the blow it took after "A Christmas Carol" ("Star Trek: The Motion Picture", in this analogy).
Like all Dickens I've read, it had that bombastic nature that characterizes a lot of English literature of the time. This tends to make the characters slightly unbelievable, as they are at any time utterly consumed by a single emotion or state of being. That said, this book has some of the most evocative passages I've ever read, particularly when it comes to describing the feeling and character of a society as a whole. I loved the personification of the cities and social classes as individuals.
I was also extremely impressed by Dickens' even-handed view of the French Revolution. He neither glorified nor denounced it, and he neither shied away from the horrors and insanity that characterized it nor discounted its importance and inevitability. He showed it as important, just, and horrific.
Something I always appreciate about Dickens is the fact that he'll inject humor into the most depressing and terrible situations, and will inject subtle horror and discomfort into otherwise light and funny passages. He reminds me of a mid-19th century David Sedaris - or, to be fair, I suppose I should say that in that way David Sedaris reminds me of a modern Dickens. You find yourself simultaneously laughing and disturbed.
My friend referred to this book as funny - personally I think that the word "droll" was all but invented for Charles Dickens.
Plus, as a Star Trek fan, I now hold a deeper appreciation of Star Trek II, which was book-ended by the opening and closing lines of "A Tale of Two Cities"! Only now do I truly appreciate Spock's sacrifice...
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Monday, January 17, 2011
Learned tonight while running
Tonight I learned many things while exercising:
1) If you clip your keys to the inside of your waistband, don't wear thin Jockey shorts.
2) Many people don't understand that running along an unlit path, at night, without a safety light, without reflectors, dressed in all dark gray or black, will make you hard to see. Remember that SNL Weekend Update skit from the 70s where Dan Aykroyd played the slimy Halloween costume maker, with costumes like a bag of oily rags and a lighter called "Johnny Human Torch"? There was one that was just an all black jumpsuit and hood called "The Invisible Pedestrian", which apparently is making a big comeback. (My favorite, by the way, was the bag of broken glass. I don't think it even had a name.)
3) Sometimes more even-paced music can help you get into a groove better than really hyper/hard music. I was zoning out to Joy Division for miles, and that is definitely not the band I would usually pick for a kick-ass cardio workout soundtrack.
4) Seriously, about the keys thing. Ouch.
1) If you clip your keys to the inside of your waistband, don't wear thin Jockey shorts.
2) Many people don't understand that running along an unlit path, at night, without a safety light, without reflectors, dressed in all dark gray or black, will make you hard to see. Remember that SNL Weekend Update skit from the 70s where Dan Aykroyd played the slimy Halloween costume maker, with costumes like a bag of oily rags and a lighter called "Johnny Human Torch"? There was one that was just an all black jumpsuit and hood called "The Invisible Pedestrian", which apparently is making a big comeback. (My favorite, by the way, was the bag of broken glass. I don't think it even had a name.)
3) Sometimes more even-paced music can help you get into a groove better than really hyper/hard music. I was zoning out to Joy Division for miles, and that is definitely not the band I would usually pick for a kick-ass cardio workout soundtrack.
4) Seriously, about the keys thing. Ouch.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Review of "The Secret Life of Words"
The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English by Henry HitchingsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This should have been the perfect book for me - I'm a word lover, I love etymology, history, and social anthropology. Although I did enjoy reading it, I have to admit that I did have to force myself a bit to finish it. As many other reviews have noted, the book is exceedingly dry and has very little in the way of a narrative thread to connect the chapters. It feels more like a collection of articles in the same series, which becomes a bit tedious after a couple of hundred pages.
That said, I admit that my copy of this book is littered with dog-ears marking bits of interesting trivia or historical perspective. Many of the actual facts presented really are fascinating, I just wish they weren't presented as a series of facts.
Regarding the author's intellectually playful writing style, I can understand how it might irritate some readers, but I actually did enjoy it. Perhaps it's a bit of elitist pride showing through, but I admit that I did feel good about "getting it". There's a fine line between subtle ironic wordplay and eye-rolling punning, and I think Mr. Hitchings walked it pretty well.
Overall, I guess I'd say that I'm happier having read it than I was while actually reading it.
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Monday, December 13, 2010
Review of "A Christmas Carol"
A Christmas Carol by Charles DickensMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a little light. I read this hoping that it would be one of those "everybody knows the story, but actually reading the original is a wholly different experience" books. Nope! It was pretty much identical to the story you know.
Dickens is certainly capable of imbuing his work with depth and subtlety. The fact that there is none to be had here leads me to one of the following two conclusions: the cynical side of me concludes that this was a purely commercial venture, and a very successful one at that; the more hopeful side of me is led to believe that this was essentially a gifted author's Christmas gift to his readers, a nice, easy, simple and positive little story just meant to make people happy.
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Thursday, December 9, 2010
On (not) seeing Joy Division
I went to see "Peter Hook presents Unknown Pleasures" Tuesday night. It was kind of an odd experience. There was no opening band, but there was a 30 minute video that they played on the stage screen before the show started, which was basically an odd little mish-mash of clips about Joy Division and New Order; there was no real narrative thread, and really no particular cohesion at all aside from the fact that they mostly featured Hooky.
After the video finished, he and his band ("Light", apparently) came on stage and started playing with no introduction or fanfare of any kind. Hooky's currently sporting a bit of extra weight & a short mohawk, and is looking every bit his age (at least), but that didn't really matter to me. At the first notes of the first song I was super excited, of course, for the same reason that I decided to go to the show in the first place: I've never heard a Joy Division song played live in person, and this was likely as close as I was going to get to seeing any modicum of the band itself.
The show itself was very hit and miss.
First, bad stuff: Hooky's voice isn't bad, but it's entirely unremarkable. For most of the concert - that is, for the entire actual performance of the album - he looked more like he was doing a job rather than actually being involved in the music. There was no audience interaction between songs, and I felt no connection to the performance. Hooky was never meant to be a front man. I was also a bit put off by the fact that he had a lyrics book out; granted Ian's lyrics are often very involved and don't lend themselves to memorization (I don't remember all the words to many of my favorite JD songs), but he's supposed to be a professional musician, for fuck's sake. During "She's Lost Control" he even came in four measures early on the second verse. The rest of the band pretty much did their best to be invisible, which is fine under the circumstances, and were adequately talented to play the music, though that honestly isn't really saying much since Joy Division barely knew how to play their instruments when these songs were written. So all in all, I was kind of disappointed by the end of the set.
Now good stuff: The audience was great, with the exception of the usual couple of assholes and weirdos. Everyone seemed to be big fans, and were extremely enthusiastic, which pretty much salvaged the show from the lack of passion on stage during the main set. That did change during the encores, however. As compared to the rest of the show, Hooky seemed to have a blast playing most of the songs in the encores, which were all Joy Division songs from other albums/sources. He finally seemed to be having a good time, and it changed the whole vibe of the concert. In particular, they ended with a freaking awesome version of Ceremony, which was a great way to end the show.
Now uncategorizable/personal stuff: I have to say, I felt a little uncomfortable watching Peter Hook sing these songs. I have a very personal relationship with Joy Division songs - and in particular with Ian's lyrics - and it felt a little bit offensive to see someone besides Ian singing them. I know that if anyone could be considered to have the "right" to sing JD now that Ian's gone it would be the surviving members of the band, but it still didn't feel right. I particularly felt that way about the songs with lyrics that were obviously intensely personal and/or autobiographical, like "I Remember Nothing" and (obviously) "Love Will Tear Us Apart". I hated hearing Hooky perform "Atmosphere" for the same reason I was happy that Anton Corbijn decided to end Control with the original version of that song - it just isn't "Atmosphere" with anyone else singing it. Ironically, I remember reading an article about that movie where Hooky said the same thing.
Overall, I had a good time, and I would go again if I had the chance, but it wasn't exactly the experience I was hoping for.
After the video finished, he and his band ("Light", apparently) came on stage and started playing with no introduction or fanfare of any kind. Hooky's currently sporting a bit of extra weight & a short mohawk, and is looking every bit his age (at least), but that didn't really matter to me. At the first notes of the first song I was super excited, of course, for the same reason that I decided to go to the show in the first place: I've never heard a Joy Division song played live in person, and this was likely as close as I was going to get to seeing any modicum of the band itself.
The show itself was very hit and miss.
First, bad stuff: Hooky's voice isn't bad, but it's entirely unremarkable. For most of the concert - that is, for the entire actual performance of the album - he looked more like he was doing a job rather than actually being involved in the music. There was no audience interaction between songs, and I felt no connection to the performance. Hooky was never meant to be a front man. I was also a bit put off by the fact that he had a lyrics book out; granted Ian's lyrics are often very involved and don't lend themselves to memorization (I don't remember all the words to many of my favorite JD songs), but he's supposed to be a professional musician, for fuck's sake. During "She's Lost Control" he even came in four measures early on the second verse. The rest of the band pretty much did their best to be invisible, which is fine under the circumstances, and were adequately talented to play the music, though that honestly isn't really saying much since Joy Division barely knew how to play their instruments when these songs were written. So all in all, I was kind of disappointed by the end of the set.
Now good stuff: The audience was great, with the exception of the usual couple of assholes and weirdos. Everyone seemed to be big fans, and were extremely enthusiastic, which pretty much salvaged the show from the lack of passion on stage during the main set. That did change during the encores, however. As compared to the rest of the show, Hooky seemed to have a blast playing most of the songs in the encores, which were all Joy Division songs from other albums/sources. He finally seemed to be having a good time, and it changed the whole vibe of the concert. In particular, they ended with a freaking awesome version of Ceremony, which was a great way to end the show.
Now uncategorizable/personal stuff: I have to say, I felt a little uncomfortable watching Peter Hook sing these songs. I have a very personal relationship with Joy Division songs - and in particular with Ian's lyrics - and it felt a little bit offensive to see someone besides Ian singing them. I know that if anyone could be considered to have the "right" to sing JD now that Ian's gone it would be the surviving members of the band, but it still didn't feel right. I particularly felt that way about the songs with lyrics that were obviously intensely personal and/or autobiographical, like "I Remember Nothing" and (obviously) "Love Will Tear Us Apart". I hated hearing Hooky perform "Atmosphere" for the same reason I was happy that Anton Corbijn decided to end Control with the original version of that song - it just isn't "Atmosphere" with anyone else singing it. Ironically, I remember reading an article about that movie where Hooky said the same thing.
Overall, I had a good time, and I would go again if I had the chance, but it wasn't exactly the experience I was hoping for.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Insert song lyric about fire here
My apartment building caught on fire week before last, and I never did blog about it. For posterity's sake, though, I kind of feel like I should. THEREFORE:
At a little before 5AM, I woke up to the sound of an alarm bell ringing. At first it just insinuated itself into my dreams, as those kinds of things do when your mind is fighting to stay asleep, but sadly I can't remember how. Anyway, once the smell of burning residence started to accompany the bell, I figured I should probably at least see what was going on.
My first thought was that the bell sounded like it was coming from across the street, which I was pleased about, since it meant I could go back to sleep. It wasn't until later that I realized that was kind of a crappy thing to think.
As the smell grew, and as I could start to hear the sirens of approaching emergency vehicles, I figured it was really time to get up. When a peak out of my living room window showed that the people on the street were looking up at my building, I figured it was time to grab some clothes and get out. Now that I don't live with cats I couldn't think of anything that I really couldn't live with being burned, so I just grabbed my keys and went outside to join the milling-about.
I started seeing if there was anyone who had more info than I did, or if there were at least someone that I'd be able to talk to for a bit. I realized that I know not a single one of my neighbors now that Katie's moved out, which kind of depressed me. I did eventually end up talking to a pretty cool lady who was out there with a kitty carrier, so that certainly helped pass the time while watching the firefighters, in full regalia, march through the building in gas masks and snake their big-ass hoses in through the lobby. My worry was that they would have to enter the units, and mine was in a state of such messiness that I would have been embarrassed to be associated with it.
I sent a tweet/FB post from my phone saying "great, now my building is on fire", which people later told me was so calm sounding that they assumed was either a joke or a quote from something. I also sent a text to Donna, since she has a connection to the place having previously lived there, and just because she's always the one I tell first when I have big news.
Eventually the head firefighter came over and talked to us, and he was everything a head firefighter should be: in his early to mid forties, tall with a bit of doughiness starting to overlay a powerful build, and just the right amount of "grizzled", 'cause you just can't have a head firefighter who's not grizzled. He told us that the fire started in unit 103, which is happily about as far from me (in 408) as is possible in the building, and that the damage was limited to that apartment and perhaps the one next to it. His men were just checking the air quality throughout the building for carbon-dioxide and -monoxide, and that we'd be able to go in after about 10 minutes. At that point I was fully awake, so after we were let back in I pretty much just brushed my teeth, took my medicine, and headed to work.
I pretty much see it as an oddly positive experience; I got in early to work, my place didn't burn down, I got to meet a couple of my neighbors, and I got a story out of it.
At a little before 5AM, I woke up to the sound of an alarm bell ringing. At first it just insinuated itself into my dreams, as those kinds of things do when your mind is fighting to stay asleep, but sadly I can't remember how. Anyway, once the smell of burning residence started to accompany the bell, I figured I should probably at least see what was going on.
My first thought was that the bell sounded like it was coming from across the street, which I was pleased about, since it meant I could go back to sleep. It wasn't until later that I realized that was kind of a crappy thing to think.
As the smell grew, and as I could start to hear the sirens of approaching emergency vehicles, I figured it was really time to get up. When a peak out of my living room window showed that the people on the street were looking up at my building, I figured it was time to grab some clothes and get out. Now that I don't live with cats I couldn't think of anything that I really couldn't live with being burned, so I just grabbed my keys and went outside to join the milling-about.
I started seeing if there was anyone who had more info than I did, or if there were at least someone that I'd be able to talk to for a bit. I realized that I know not a single one of my neighbors now that Katie's moved out, which kind of depressed me. I did eventually end up talking to a pretty cool lady who was out there with a kitty carrier, so that certainly helped pass the time while watching the firefighters, in full regalia, march through the building in gas masks and snake their big-ass hoses in through the lobby. My worry was that they would have to enter the units, and mine was in a state of such messiness that I would have been embarrassed to be associated with it.
I sent a tweet/FB post from my phone saying "great, now my building is on fire", which people later told me was so calm sounding that they assumed was either a joke or a quote from something. I also sent a text to Donna, since she has a connection to the place having previously lived there, and just because she's always the one I tell first when I have big news.
Eventually the head firefighter came over and talked to us, and he was everything a head firefighter should be: in his early to mid forties, tall with a bit of doughiness starting to overlay a powerful build, and just the right amount of "grizzled", 'cause you just can't have a head firefighter who's not grizzled. He told us that the fire started in unit 103, which is happily about as far from me (in 408) as is possible in the building, and that the damage was limited to that apartment and perhaps the one next to it. His men were just checking the air quality throughout the building for carbon-dioxide and -monoxide, and that we'd be able to go in after about 10 minutes. At that point I was fully awake, so after we were let back in I pretty much just brushed my teeth, took my medicine, and headed to work.
I pretty much see it as an oddly positive experience; I got in early to work, my place didn't burn down, I got to meet a couple of my neighbors, and I got a story out of it.
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