The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is an institution and is worth a quick visit. But if you have been looking at Picasso for years, you won’t find much in the way of major works. In any case, Barcelona is proud of what it has come to think of as its home town boy. Lots of early work.
Lots. Like an entire wall’s worth.
Set in four connected villas, the museum has amassed a very deep (but not very wide) collection.
This blue.
Avant guard in Paris with the Russian ballet. Picasso was blending fine art, music, and dance in 1909. (And here we thought we were onto something with Into the Unknown.)
You might die, but if anything is noted as the cause of death, it will be loneliness.
There are no people doing art or even visiting Terzo Paradiso unless you count our unruly bunch. Here’s what we saw (and what we did).
First we explored random spaces.
And then we found some art to see (but only after getting lucky).
After a short nap in the hammocks near the circles, we found the projector and those glowy rocks from Land of the Lost.
There were no Sleestaks. So here are two for good measure. They covet the glowy rocks.
There was dirt.
There was also very silly science. But it was arty.
Not surprisingly, the room was better than the dirt.
Watch this video. Really.
Rhine took pics too. It was hard not to.
We got lucky and found another human who told us how to cross the highway, go down the stairs and find even more art. Or rather more art places with not much art. Something like that.
Rhine woke up from his long nap, dreaming of Sleestaks and late 1970s TV.
The space rang a long cool echo of lost civilizations and the empty planet to come.
So there was dance.
And reflection
We climbed back down to reality using a ladder that was too short to reach the sky.
After a bunch of beers (who is counting?), we wound our way over a 5km spiral into the venue. Germans are a very orderly bunch. Bt who thought up this entrance and exit plan?
MOO.
Sabaton from Sweden
Rock and roll
What?!
My crowd. What an unruly, fantastic bunch.
There was beer
Did I mention the part about the beer?
We pushed off the rain through sheer psychic magic, but it was only delayed.
Nap time for the American
Five Finger Death Punch
You may start with five fingers, but you will end up with four.
Finally, Metallica
Are you feeling good? Yes, we are.
Some guitar for you.
Rocker
Nothing else matters in this crowd of strangers. Metalheads are a welcoming bunch.
My music has been on a COVID hiatus for way too long — only the occasional rain in the desert with Rhine or a Bitter Liberal or two. Fortunately, along came Ritt Deitz who just released a new album and did a four show tour to promote its release. Buy a copy of Hinge here.
I played two of the shows with Ritt and his son, multi-instrumentalist and talented child Wilder. The shows were great. Here are some bits.
Wilder Deitz plays mandolin
The DC date was actually in Vienna at Diego Ruiz’s house.
The lineup (near the end anyway)
An excellent place to play a house concert. Great people.
All temporary of course. As we are not of this world.
Cocktails by Bill Shepardson. Where did that doctor’s bag come from?
Wilder Deitz plays piano
No, mandolin. Wilder plays mandolin.
The feet
Wilder plays guitar
No wait, it’s piano that Wilder plays.
Some other fiddler
I did play, honest. But nobody was there to record said playing. He said he played. He played.
Sing it.
Then it was on to Wilmington, NC for a Sunday evening performance (close enough to the Stick to merit a long drive).
What do you do when you’re in NYC with friends just for fun? Well, for one thing you go to the Whitney Biennial (which you get to by walking down the High Line…but that’s another story). The Whitney has become my favorite museum in the city. The Biennial was interesting, but not really much more interesting than the usual stuff on display at the Whitney. Of course, the usual stuff is usually great.
The top floor of the Biennial is downright anxiety inducing.
Are we living in a computer simulation? Don’t ask Dave.
The Phillips Collection remains one of my favorite art museums. The incredible level of curation at the new Picasso exhibit shows why. Great combinations in addition to world class art. Top notch.
For those who know their picasso, this is early stuff, basically 1901-1904 (including the blue period).
We went to the show as a last birthday present of the 38th year. Thanks Romey. What an excellent present, art with the ones you love.
PICASSO
NOT PICASSO
My favorite painting at the Phillips.
In a new spot.
After art, we were hoping to have brunch at the Bistrot Du Coin, but once again the google hours were wrong. Fortunately, there was La Tomate to fill in admirably. We had lots of cacio et pepe. Ahhhh.
The Man Ray exhibit in Richmond is well worth a visit, especially when you surround yourself with friends. Romey set up this visit to the VMFA with Stan. Gorgeous pictures, interesting technique, and oh the gossip!
There were the famous.
picasso
The dead.
Dead Proust
The musical.
Stravinsky
The queer.
Barbette
Some film (with a modern soundtrack by Paul Mercer called Emak-bakia)
The weather was iffy with heavy rain to come. But the night started out beautifully enough as the tiki torches were lit. And we were off on the experimental solstice fire on xmas edition.
The afternoon was balmy at 65 degrees
Who ordered this crazy weather? This has to be the warmest winter solstice on record.
The scene
Tikis wink on
The highlight of this year’s fire was a set of busted up instruments that Josh brought out. We used a 3/4 size bass (well, what used to be one anyway) to light the fire.
The logs this year were immense as the ash tree that once held the treehouse came down over the summer. One or two of the giant logs still remain.
The lighting.
Turn the sun!
Meanwhile back in the barn, the super dangerous Boilo was out and the keg was tapped. The food was plentiful and included both shrimp and carrot cake.
All’s well in the party barn
We started into a wobbly rendition of “let it snow” and the torrential rain pushed us first under the tarp and then up into the barn. Where we proceeded to play even more xmas music in sing-along mode and drink way too much boilo.
Things get a little hazy after that. But the sun has turned, so we got our main job accomplished.
Two days later, the fire is still smoking. Thanks to all who came.
