It's been a while. Stuff is happening. Some I really don't want to talk about and some I do, but can't. Ug.

I have been doing stuff in the last couple weeks. (Go insomnia, time to write a post.)

D. and I went kayaking on the Potomac a couple Saturdays ago. It was the monument tour from Potomac Paddlesports. It was a gorgeous day. On the way there we saw monuments (Ladybird Johnson, Lincoln, Washington, etc.) and planes going into National, and on the way back it was quieter and we saw wildlife (herons! osprey!). Best of both worlds. It was our second trip with this group. I would recommend them, although each time we used a groupon and it was half price. If we go again I think we might just rent our own kayaks.

Last week we saw Rodrigo y Gabriela at Wolf Trap. It was my first time there and the venue was fantastic. I was neutral going into the concert, but D. was really excited.

The opening act was AWESOME. Xavier Rudd, or "the guy who plays multiple instruments at once like didgeridoo and a full drum set, wtf" not to mention bass, harmonica, etc. He played with Izintaba, a South African duo. It was TREMENDOUS.

Rodrigo y Gabriela were also phenomenal. They're Mexican guitarists who were heavily influenced by heavy metal (as well as Latin jazz and folk). They backpacked around Europe for a while playing acoustic versions of rock and metal covers until moving to Dublin. In the current album they have 11 songs, each one influenced by someone different like Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix. We heard the Pink Floyd-influenced one which was pretty cool (and probably a few others I didn't catch as I wasn't recording the set list).

It was like the antithesis of the Adam Lambert concert, stripped down stage, just the two of them coming out in jeans with their guitars. But still the energy level was amazing. Rodrigo led the audience in some advanced clapping (you mean not just on the 1 and the 3? dividing the audience into 3rds? and then leaving us while you do something awesome, eep.)

I don't even like this kind of music, but omg. The set was a tad long (they played for almost 2 hours, is that right? I might be remembering wrong), and it started to get windy and rainy, but still well worth it.

a video for you )

Finally from [livejournal.com profile] wavyarms:

Advice for Young Girls from A Cartoon Princesses (you'll laugh...and maybe cry, or wince).
Belle
Arial

(I'm not criticizing anyone who shows kids Disney movies, because, please, they are so much a part o of our culture and of course I loved them as a kid.)
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abka: me and D. kissing (warhol kiss)
( Aug. 5th, 2010 08:28 am)
I'm going to Vividcon today! OMG I'm so excited. Somewhat nervous as it will be my first time at the con, and also significantly less excited than before people started showing their asses about accessibility.

Tuesday D. and I went to Lilith Fair. I had gone twice during college, but not with D. It was so much fun! The vibe was lovely and laid back and I got wicked nostalgic for college, especially summers at Amarna, as well as for that time we went to Falcon Ridge Folk festival when we were living in MA.

We got there in the afternoon and hung out under a tree listening to Beth Orton and Missy Higgins, chatting and people watching. We had gotten seats (because I was worried about sun and I am old), but the lawn looked fantastic. It was super super humid until the end, everyone commented on sweating.

Sara Bareilles was freakin fantastic. Very impressive and lots of fun. It was nice to see a next generation singer-songwriter in the mix.

Cat Power, eh. It's not that it was bad, it just dropped the energy level to comatose. It would have been good for the post-party, or maybe even the post-post party (like when everyone else is passed out and there are like two of you left contemplating if you should start picking up the empty bottles.)

I had never heard of the Court Yard Hounds before, but they were so charming. And then they looked vaguely familiar. And then I realized that they were freaking brilliant and played a ton of instruments. And then I put everything together and realized that they are 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks (no shit they're proficient, I've seen that Behind the Music). They are a good time, I really enjoyed their set and would recommend their album.

The Indigo Girls were next and the emotional high point of the evening for me. I saw them play in college. The semester I spent in Italy I listened to a lot of Indigo Girls and Janis Joplin so they will also be tied to the memory of sitting on a bus during Friday field trips, looking at the Tuscan countryside, heading to some winery or monastery or something. Besides that they are just so brilliant and comfortable and wonderful. I have a weird singing in public thing (want to make me uncomfortable start singing or quoting poetry or some long soliloquy around me in public), but even early in our relationship D. and I would sing Indigo Girls songs together in the car. (D. would always harmonize :) ). So they were really lovely. I got a little teary at one point. At the end they pulled a bunch of other musicians on stage, the audience stood up, and we all had a sing along to Closer to Fine, like you do. *hearts*

Initially Sarah McLachlan felt a little like an afterthought for me. I listened to her *a lot* during highschool and early college, but haven't really at all since. She played some pieces off of Surfacing which no longer hits any emotional notes for me (as opposed to the Indigo Girls' stuff). Some of the new stuff was interesting although she kept doing this flippy thing with her hand which annoyed me (partially because it was bellydance-esque, but not the right thing, and I found it visually distracting). My favorite album of hers is Solace, but I wasn't surprised she didn't do anything off of it. Her last song was Fumbling Toward Ecstasy which tugged a little at me, and then for the callback she did Ice Cream which is one of my very favorite songs, and I got all "oooh" and handwavey and was so glad we didn't head out early.

And then because it's Lilith, and especially because it was the last night of the tour, everyone got on stage and did the final number and it was all lovely :) It was a great time, great music, great crowd, and a really wonderful night out with D.
abka: painting of daffodils and pear (Default)
( Jun. 29th, 2010 12:03 am)
Holy Crap well that was awesome!!! Go 9:30 club!

random list of awesome
-kissing Tommy
-Tommy biting Adam's arm (this was tres hot)
-our spots that were close enough that I could see nail polish and facial expressions
-Allison Iraheta's bassist and drummer (and her too)
-backup dancers, especially the female one with the short hair
-Whole Lotta Love OHMYGODTHISWASSOAWESOMEWECOULDHAVEWAITED3HOURSJUSTFORTHISONESONGANDITWOULDHAVEBEENWORTHIT
At the end he took out his earpiece and just went for it and I could see Tommy and the keyboardist smiling, nodding, and clapping appreciatively OMGSOAWESOME

My feet hurt again and my shoulder from my purse, but strangely my back is fine. IDK.

Yay Adam Lambert! Yay 9:30 club! Yay fangirls!

eta: see also [personal profile] uschickens's fab review here.
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Some things:

-D. and I went to see Ani DiFranco at the 9:30 club Tuesday. It was my first time at the venue (which seems a little strange since we've been in the city over 5 years). I was really sleepy after the weekend. Really sleepy. We got there when doors opened to secure a good spot upstairs at the railing. Opening act was fine, not exactly my thing, but talented. Ani came on and I was thrilled. Sang along. Felt like she was on stage 10 minutes rather than an hour and a half. Loved the new stuff as well, looking forward to the new album. Then walking out I started yawning again. :)

-Gave a midterm this week. Next week is spring break and I have oh so much grading to do. Blah.

-Friday we went and saw Alice in Wonderland. Overall I enjoyed it. only a little spoilery )

-Should I go to Vividcon? I am intrigued, but uncertain. I'm thinking about GAR this year, but ravenchase hasn't posted details so I don't know if there's a scheduling conflict. Are any of you going to Chicago?

-Have a headcold, left a curling rental early because of it. Feel congested and awful, but hope to get better soon. Oh and after almost spending a night on the snowy highway last week my mother mailed me a cell phone charger for the car :) and a purple phone case. I was told to "let the family know if I ever get over purple". :hearts:

-Remembered we pay for fancy channels. Am currently alternating between most recent seasons of Big Love and Secret Diary of a Call Girl. The similarities are pretty fun.
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Oh mighty flist, I need some advice.

Music:
I'm driving north for a bonspiel this week and due to scheduling I'm driving by myself. So that's 6-7 hours each way. Definitely doable. I generally like driving by myself given that I have good music. Now, I'm pretty lazy about music, once something's in the car it lives there *forever* (or on the ipod, but I don't want to fuss with the ipod thingy in the car if it's just me) and I prefer CDs to mixes.

Here's what's currently in the car: )

So what would you suggest? I'm thinking maybe the new Pink album? I'll take pop, folk, rock, even some dance/techno stuff is okay for car. Points for anything I can loudly and overdramatically sing along to or car dance to. Or anything that will make me cry (but not sob, I'll be driving). If I get my act together [personal profile] ellen_fremedon will lend me some Dr. Who audiobooks (woot!), but if I get sleepy or cranky or happy I'll want music. Thoughts?


Plants:

Not only did we buy a house we also bought a yard. I had ideas for the house, not really so many for the yard. This year might be all about maintenance and neutrality (eg buy lawnmower, use lawnmower, deal with dead tree branch, fix door of shed that's falling off, find something to do with pile of sand?, also unused concrete pad?, trim bushes around hottub).

I want to put something out in front at least. Maybe bushes? And then I would perhaps like flowers and maybe vegetables in the back? But I have *no idea* what I'm doing.

Does anyone have any book, website, or blog suggestions? Anything along the lines of "How to think about designing your backyard" to "How to put plants in dirt and make sure they don't die". 101 is great. Is there a gardening equivalent to apartment therapy? Help me procrastinate plan, please :)
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Blondes aren't usually my thing, but seems that I'm developing a couple of crushes... )
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abka: painting of daffodils and pear (Default)
( Apr. 30th, 2009 06:00 pm)
D. sent me a couple of links to Movits, has anyone heard of them? D. described them as "Swedish Swing Rap". They describe their music as “Django guitar, windy street swing; music for both art directors and for your mother”.

Usually it drives me crazy if I can't understand the words (and really here I can't understand anything) but it's just so damn catchy!

Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can buy a cd? Nothing on itunes, maybe I can decipher something on their myspace page?

videos under the cut )
Don't you just want to go swing dancing?
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abka: painting of daffodils and pear (Default)
( May. 25th, 2007 12:41 am)
Had a great time at the Joe Firstman concert at Rams Head tonight! Many thanks to [livejournal.com profile] uschickens and [livejournal.com profile] bayleaf for inviting me! Music was wonderful, company terrific, burgers and beer yummy, plus Annapolis looks pretty cute. Perhaps will have to investigate further.

New York people: looks like Joe Firstman is playing at the Cutting Room tomorrow night/tonight (depending on when you're reading this) and in June.
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