film | Apothecary Shed

Rush at Fifty-something

November 1, 2026

gem art, film, music, photography alex lifeson, anika nilles, Capital One Arena, closer to the heart, concert, dreamline, geddy lee, grace under pressure, la villa stragiato, limelight, live music, moving pictures, neil peart, red barcetta, red sector a, roll the bones, rush, spirit of the radio, the camera eye, tom sawyer, vital signs, washington dc, witch hunt, xanadu, yyz 1 Comment

Well hell, we’re 60! That means we were very young indeed when Rush started out in the ’70s. (I saw my first Rush show 45 years ago in 1981 at the Johnson City Civic Center at the ripe old age of 15—during the Exit Stage Left/Moving Pictures tour. I have only seen them one other time in Indianapolis in 1992—during the Roll the Bones tour.)

For my 60th birthday (which happened way back in February), Romey got us tickets to see Rush perform again. They were unbelievably good. But don’t believe me, have a listen to the videos shot using a pixel 8 posted below. And make sure you scroll down to the part where they play EVERY DAMN SONG ON MOVING PICTURES.

How good were they? I mean this face says it all.

Watching Geddy Lee bounce around on stage is an inspiration. Focused talent honed razor sharp.

The show opened with an extended Xanadu run

As you can tell, Anika Nilles fits into the sound perfectly…doing her own thing while respecting the world class drumming of Neil Peart. And the band is clearly having a great time.

Dreamline (from Roll the Bones). “like learning we are only immortal, for a limited time”

Cleanup on aisle 7. The crowd was not at all unruly (unlike, say, the Tennessee metal heads in 1981). They were as orderly as they were elderly.

Red Sector A (from Grace Under Pressure),

An extended version of La Villa Strangiato from Hemispheres

Set one (?!) ended with another song from 1980 Spirit of the Radio. I mean, this would have been a complete show all by itself. These guys are monsters!

I guess the real monsters are the old rich white guys who love Rush but still vote Republican. Idiots gonna idiot. There were many a bald head in sight. Maybe they are old rich liberals like me? Lets hope so.

After a short intermission (with a timer running on stage), the second half started with a complete run of Moving Pictures. Holy shit. Like a time machine to 15.

Tom Sawyer

Red Barchetta

YYZ

Limelight

The Camera Eye

Witch Hunt

Vital Signs “everybody got to deviate from the norm”

I mean, every frigging song on Moving Pictures as part of a set?! Bliss for the audience.

Though my phone battery was toast, I did manage to record Closer to the Heart, a song close to my heart.

It was extraordinary. The battery recharge will last me through the next Rush show, slated for 2071. Best birthday present ever.

teamLab Borderless Tokyo

October 26, 2026

gem art, film, photography Azabudai Hills, honeymoon, japan, photography, psychedalia, teamLab, teamLab Borderless, tokyo, travel, video Leave a comment

Our first art in a Japan trip filled with art.

Tourist trap though it is, teamLab borderless in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo is a sight to see. Or maybe an experience to experience. Or a ticket to punch? A fee to pay? Romey and I had a great time wandering through with hundreds of our closest friends.

Here are the bits in chronological order. We downloaded the app and controlled a few of the rooms. Seems nobody else did that. If you go…do that.

Erykah Badu at Wolf Trap

October 7, 2026

gem concert, film, photography concert, de la soul, erykah badu, live music, video, wolf trap Leave a comment

From our porch…

To the porch at Wolf Trap.

And then to the show.

De La Soul opened…old school style.

We had to put our hands in the air.

Testing

You go.

2026 is the Year of the Robot

February 7, 2026

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Or maybe the Android. Something anyway. Bladerunner first (as always) and Metropolis second.

Metro to the Hirschhorn

November 22, 2025

gem art, film, museum, photography adam pendleton, art, art museum, BIML, downtown 81, film, hirschhorn, laurie anderson, Resurrection City Revisited (Who Owns Geometry Anyway?), video Leave a comment

We’ll start with the good. Getting from a Tyson’s BIML business lunch into DC by metro is so easy very easy. Public transportation is good.

We spent a couple of solo hours at the Hirschorn seeing mostly things seen and discovering Adam Pendleton.

Lauri’s room was empty. I really hoped she would sneak in and make some changes while I was there.

What?

And then on to Adam.

This film is worth waiting around for.

Since you can’t find the film on the net (boo), here is some boring as shit meta content.

We also watched a bit of Downtown 81 before heading north to Robyn Hitchcock.

We’ll end with the bad. The Congressholes in this building need to do their fucking jobs.

Pinacoteca de São Paulo in the Thunder

September 23, 2025

gem art, fashion, film, photography, politics, travel 1960s, art, art museum, brazil, gem, Pinacoteca de São Paulo, romey, São Paulo, travel Leave a comment

What do you do when you are in São Paulo on a thunderous rainy Monday (the day that much is closed)? Seek out the Pinacoteca, and experience some art. Visit both sides with a sprint between rainstorms.

The space is beautifully assembled of old and new in contrast. The curation follows this concept and lacks only professional lighting. Brazil could use some NY light people in all of its museums.

Two views.

The exhibits are spotty, but there are always jewels to be found.

Some of the sculpture is exquisite.

Romey in a pink box.

This is not art!

Channel Emily.

And then brave the rain, walking through the huge unfamiliar trees of Brazil.

Arriving at the Contemporary building just as the power flickers and the clouds unleash.

Enter the late ’60s and the dissolution of dictatorship. Yankees out of vietnam.

BLUM!

Then have a late lunch while you wait for the rain to abate. Banana milk punch for the win.

MASP: Musem of Art of São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand

September 23, 2025

gem art, film, museum, photography art, art museum, brazil, bugs, fim, museum, São Paulo, travel, victoria cribb, video 2 Comments

Getting into the new building provided respite from the crowd of 50,000 protestors. But honestly the curation is somewhat uneven and lacking. Lots of “trying to hard” in our view.

The Moon.

The most interesting piece we saw was called Bugs and was animated by Victoria Crib. Incredible.

Watch the trailer (also on vimeo).

Italo Calvino Invisible Cities by Toy Atlas Theater

August 3, 2025

gem art, concert, film, photography blue ridge, chicago, danny hobert, invisible cities, italo calvoni, magic, miniatures, social analysis, toy atlas theater 2 Comments

What a treat. A Chicago-level show in our tiny hamlet (in fact well outside the hamlet way up on the mountain). Danny Hobert and his partner in crime, performing as the Toy Atlas Theater, put on a magical captivating multi-media extravaganza—twice. (This entry combines photos and videos from both shows. To keep you on your toes, the interleaving is imperfect and a bit faded around the edges.)

Clark Hansbarger and I opened for the first show with a bit of Bitter Liberals music. Which of course requires actual Liberals.

The scene. A barn on the blue ridge converted into a portal to other dimensions.

The audience was captivated.

This kind of magical experience is all too rare in modern American adulthood. Calvino’s work is an excellent vehicle for considering the contradiction and confusion of modern life, exposing its inner absurdity from a view at the sharpest edge of a very small razor.

I’m With Her at Wolf Trap

August 2, 2025

gem film, music, photography band, concert, dc, Game to Lose, i'm with her, live music, Only Daughter, opening act, Virginia, Wild and Clear and Blue, wolf trap Leave a comment

Opening for Iron and Wine, I’m With Her pretty much outshone the headline act. Such excellent musicianship. In our view, they deserve an entry of their own. So here you go.

Game to Lose