I can't remember where I stole that image from, but I love it. It so perfectly describes my feeling about last night. We had a show at Garfield Artworks with our compatriots Kill the Unicorn, and a local fellow who's music I had not heard called Dean Cercone, and the K records darlings Old Time Relijun. Going into it, I have to admit I didn't know what to expect. I had been unable to practice on account of my tumble down the stairs, so the boys practiced without me. That could go either way, as you can imagine. I hadn't heard the opener (dean) or the closer (OTR), and hadn't experienced KTU since they added a female vocalist and hula dancer. I was tired, but also kinda excited. For some reason our Garfield shows always end up being my favorites.
Rebby and I got there first, as usual, and we set up our stuff along the side. High school kids and their parents started filing in. Rebby got a little nervous about the dirty pictures, but I told her that she didn't have anything to worry about. She was doing live video mixing anyway, so if something particularly filthy came up she could just mix more live feed over it. No problem.
Dean Cercone and friends got set up. Three young (I mean YOUNG---high school? probably) fellows--two accoustic guitars and a drummer. The drummer was stalking around with an unlit cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a strange crudely decorated vest on---reminding me very much of Daniel Desario from Freaks and Geeks. I was falling in love with him even before he started playing.
And then they started---dean's songs are incredible, the musicality of these young guys was inspiring, and the drummer just pounded his heart out on a couple floor toms, a couple cymbals and a kick. He was amazing. I was pretty much stunned into silence. It's so great to be blown away by something for which you are completely unprepared.
We played next, and I gotta say---despite not having practiced, and despite the fact that my right arm and boob is still bruised to bejeezus and back---we were great.
Everything just came together perfectly, even with a couple missed notes and off beats. I wasn't feeling up to the drum work out of "Run for Joy", so we closed with it--a capella. People really seemed to dig it, and everyone said that the projections were extra fantastic too.
Next up was Kill the Unicorn, and I'm not even going to attempt to set it up. They just ruled so completely----passionate, soulful, sexy, spiritual. It was so much more than music. Nobody had to break anything, and nobody had to turn up to 11. In fact, Kill the Unicorn doesn't even use instruments---just drums, percussion, voices, and hula dancing. Incredible.
By the time they were done everyone was sweaty and worn out, but we still had the out of town band to come. I was skeptical that they could possibly bring a performance to match what had gone before, but then they went and delivered. It's a very tribal/hypnotic heavy beat thing, with Arrington's intense lyrics and vocal wailings over the top. People were twirling and hopping like mad. I sat it out, but couldn't help twitching with the overwhelming beat. I wouldn't say they were BETTER than any of the other acts, but they certainly matched us all for intensity and otherworldliness.
I wish every night could be that incredible. Music can ENTERTAIN, but it should take you somewhere else. And last night, we were all over the map.
So today I am blessed with a day off and nothing to do other than bum around the kitchen. I've got some new vegetables to take care of, and I want to bake some pies. Maybe three or four pies. I've got apples out the wazoo, and plums and a butternut squash. I'm thinking Sunday night pie and mulled wine party around the chiminea. Welcome fall.