Month: February 2004

I’m afraid I’m going to have “Radio Free Europe” stuck in my head for days…

The lights dropped. There was some amazing digital animation onscreen featuring a backing band and a blonde man with a harmonica. From backstage, came a familiarly deep, laughing voice…

And the crowd went wild…

He started in with “Rebel Rebel.” He was wearing a black denim jacket with tuxedo tails and tight black jeans (dear god) as he posed and strutted and teased the audience. Mick Jagger has nothing on Bowie in their collective middle age.

Two songs off “Reality” followed (great album.)Then Bowie’s cover of “Cactus” (even better live.)Then a big tease with “China Girl” (offered to let the audience sing, sat back and listened for a line or two, then took the stage and said “well, that was just fuckin’ tragic, I’d better sing it myself.”)

At this point, it all becomes a blur of transcendental blissfulness. I remember there was lots of material from the Eno compilations, especially “Low,” and he played both “Man Who Sold The World,” and “Life On Mars?” to Lizzie’s great delight. He dedicated “Heroes” to the people of America, post 9/11.

At some point the topcoat and then a zebra striped jacket beneath fell away, revealing a skintight t-shirt of unknown logo. Jesus the man is well built for being 58 years old!

The band included the incomparable Earl Slick on guitar and the origianl keyboardist from “the Spiders” and of course Lizzie’s “imaginary girlfriend” on bass. I’ll let Lizzie explain that one…Anyway, suffice it to say, they rocked. But nothing compared to the encore…

The Ziggy Stardust Encore.

It began with “Hang On To Yourself’ which I consider one of the world’s first punk songs:

“Well it really comes out better on a stolen guitar/you’re the blessed/we’re the Spiders from Mars”

I was pogoing in my 4 inch boots and red velvet and tossing my pigtails wildly. Lizzie was transfixed (and corseted in plaid, in case you were wondering.)

It continued:

“Five Years,” “Suffragette City,” and last but not least “Ziggy Stardust” itself. So that the last words our idol sang to us were…

…”Ziggy played gui..taaar..”

We were fifteen years old again, not grown women with Hello Kitty accessories.We were awestruck. We were starstruck. We were speechless. We barely spoke the whole way home, just listened to CDs and digested the experience. Even skipped the traditional Waffle House outing on the way back. I think we were a bit physically and psychically exhausted. I for one slept like a wee baby thereafter.

Anyway, I shall die fulfilled now. I have indeed seen God. And if I haven’t said it properly quite yet, I’ll say it now:

Thank you,Lizzie!!!

And now, as if that weren’t enough, here’s a Friday Five:

When was the last time you…

1. …went to the doctor? About 3 months ago.

2. …went to the dentist? You don’t want to know…

3. …filled your gas tank? Today!

4. …got enough sleep? Sunday, for a change.

5. …backed up your computer? What? You mean it doesn’t do that for me?

Liberty: An emerging and powerful sense of personal freedom. Hearing a call to action. Awakening to a deeper level of awareness or sense of spiritual self. A rebirth or basic change of state. Making an important decision or judgment, perhaps one long delayed. Being released from limiting circumstances.

Child of Painting: Riding the wave of prosperity. A time to show your hand and reveal your innate powers. Enjoying a position of material advantage. Putting forth charisma. Hedonistic enjoyment. Drug experimentation. Surfing the Internet. Total absorption in your activities. Trusting your body and instincts. Open to new experiences. In the creative process: Now is a time to experiment with processes and materials, taking great pleasure in what you learn and create.

Happened to catch about 5 minutes of “Oprah” today and was a mite perplexed. A couple was sitting there beaming as the wife rather sweetly explained that she didn’t blame her almost total lack of sexual fulfilment on her husband, and that she knew he loved her very much, etc,etc. She confessed that she continually “faked it” because she didn’t want him to feel bad.

Um…

It occurs to me that if you don’t want the guy to feel bad, then maybe you shouldn’t bring him on Oprah and tell the world how bad he is at sex. You know, for starters.

Have fallen in love with the second Velvet Underground album, particularly the song “The Murder Mystery.”
Shall have a new mix tracklisting up in the near future including this and many other things…

Part I of he long awaited Bowie Review:

Many years ago in Phoenix, my best friend Lizzie and I relaized a lifelong aspiration and saw David Bowie in concert with Nine Inch Nails on the “Outside” tour. Spaz girl that I am, I forgot the tickets, which we realized when we were halfway there, We had to turn back and start over and missed the opening band (does anybody remember Prick? Thought not)

While that was a great show in many ways, I think that we both came away a tiny bit disappointed. Partly this was the fault of the Nine Inch Nails fans, who were rude and loud and threw ice at His Royal Bowieness, costing us an encore and prompting the Man himself to stop midsong and adress the audience with in an elegant tone of gracious disdain: “Excuse me, would you like us to continue the show? All right, then. Thank you.”

Also, Bowie was in the midst of one of his “no hits” phases and refused to play the classics of his catalogue. So while there were lots of nods to the past, especially the “Scary Monsters” LP, we heard none of the anthems of our teenage fandom. Plus, one must admit, the songs on “Outside” are for the most part rather creepy and depressing.

So in many ways, Phoenix 1995 was a bust Bowiewise for us. Lizzie has since had the oppurtunity to see concerts in both Las Vegas and San Francisco. And, enviably, was noticed by Bowie at the San Francisco show, even if it was just for entering the venue slightly late. “Fashionably” late is, in case you haven’t noticed, sort of our M.O. when it comes to things of this nature:)

And late we were once again. I blame mapquest, but then again, I was in charge of the mapquesting. And somebody who shall remain nameless got a bit insecure about their outfit and hair arrangement choices…We headed out a bit late, with the Chrisful one and the Lovely Miss Thea in tow, and a truckful of caffeine and Luna bars, with “Reality” blasting from the speakers.

Anyway, the short version is that we once again missed the opening act. It’s getting to be a tradition, like going to late night diners and ordering the hashbrowns afterwards (although this time we did drive through Jack In The Box and bacon cheese potato wedges – we’re getting lazy in our old age.) So, no Macy Gray for us. We settled in nicely just as the intermission began, and even had time to acquire food and beer (my god, does the Dodge Theatre make an excellent Chicken Caesar Salad…) and awaited the culmination of our pilgrimage…

(To Be Continued.)

Marinating yet again…

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Don’t be frightened of cliches

Look closely at the most embarrassing details & amplify them

mythology

detritus

opinion

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Ceridwen is a magician who features in the mythical version of the life of the genuine bard Taliesin. Ceridwen had an ugly son, Afagddu (“ugly”), whom she wished to make wise. She brewed a magical liquid and had her kitchen boy Gwion tend it. Three drops scalded his hand and he licked them off, instantly acquiring all the knowledge. In an ancient, ancient hunt she pursued him: first she became a greyhound and he a hare, then she an otter and he a fish, then she a hawk and he a rabbit. Finally, she became a hen and he a grain of corn, and she ate him. She became pregnant with him and he was born nine months later, a boy of astounding grace and beauty whom she named Taliesin and put into a coracle in the sea.

Passed on by a friend: as it becomes more and more certain that President Bush was aware there was no credible evidence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, the “Moveon” organization has issued a call for censure. I swear to god the next post will be amusing or insightful and not so bleeding heart, knee jerk liberally biased…