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St Vincent Could not Cure the Sick

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It started with corn-shaped cornbread and slightly-too-sweet cocktails, so what do you expect?  It ended earlier than planned due to some virus from Ohio.

 

St Vincent put on a hella show at the Anthem, GA was non-optimal but we went way up high in the stands and that was a good call. So much more produced and click-tracky than the other shows we have seen this summer. St Vincent is almost ready for arena rock.

Was it Spinal Tap??


Los Angeles


Sweetest Fruit


Surgeon

Sadly, we opted to head home before New York. But it was a good thing we did. That virus from Ohio was a doozy.


Encore by Maybe

Springsteen in the Nation’s Capital: Pictures and Videos

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Lots of pictures and videos from our recent visit to Nationals stadium to hear some rock and roll.  Springsteen does not disappoint (especially if you happen to be a long time fan).  This show was originally scheduled for 2023 but was postponed a year.   Our original plan was scrapped, and we went to the show with Julia and Porter (down from Boston).

Bruce started playing just as I made it to the front of the cocktail line. Yeah, there were “cocktails” of sort.

Our seats were excellent.


Lonesome Day


Darkness at the Edge of Town

Springsteen has so many hits.


Hungry Heart


Long Walk Home


Backstreets

Clippy…


Born to Run (partial)


The Rising

The crowd was pleased.


Dancing in the Dark (partial)


Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (partial)

And the 37th encore…


I’ll See You in my Dreams

And then we walked part way back with 40,000 of our best buddies.

Artomatic 25 ’24 Featuring Emily Shepardson

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Of course we’re biased!  I mean, that’s why we came.  Here’s the acquisition:

Emily Shepardson’s work stands out in the Artomatic chaos, for sure.

This year, Artomatic was spread over 8 floors in the old social security administration building. (Our previous Artomatic run was twelve years earlier in crystal city. We were all so innocent then.)

We found ourselves starting in Emily’s pod on four in the blue quadrant, down a hallway.

But we’re here for the art—well, Emily’s art. We’re here for Emily’s art.

(Cyn bits.)

Look, its the artist.

Buy some Emily for yourself. No really. You think art supports itself?

So anyway, we had to wander the halls for hours. The mix is very mixy. Like a platypus. Who put a duck bill on what?! It lays eggs and has milk? Electric sensory organs?!

The Barbie compass led the way.

There were installations.

There was after before before.

Ant knew immediately that this guy is a real artist. By instinct alone.

There was before after after.

There was too much day-glo. We failed to capture any of it in bits.

You can dance if you want to. Like its the ’20s.

The cookie cutters.

Romey found fabric and lines.

Disco sucks.

It all started melting together.

Sometimes funny.

Sometimes boozy.

Sometimes in need of a good Spring cleaning.

Escape velocity was eventually achieved.

P.S. Mercy Me should be named “Lord Have Mercy Me” or maybe “Just Take It”. Too many hipsters per square inch makes it more of a scene than a restaurant. Gonna flash in that pan. Poof!

Thievery Corporation at the 9:30 Club

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Though we arrived at 9:45, the line for the 10pm show snaked around the block.  The show started well after 10:30.  It was great.  We were right up front, dancing and singing for most of the show.

Lebanese Blond

 

Thievery brought along all the singers.  Sadly, David Byrne didn’t make an appearance.

The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter

Lights

Reggea

 

Ghetto Matrix

Random

Cat Power Plays Bob

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Heading into DC for a show is always fun. This time, Romey and I headed to Lincoln Theater to see someone named Cat play a bunch of songs written and performed almost 60 years earlier by someone named Bob.

The songs, by now, have become quite famous.  Rhine and I play a bunch of them together and have done for years.

Here is a snippet of Like a Rolling Stone (the last song)

But before that, we made a highly-recommended stop at Busboys and Poets for some food and drink.  Delicious and socially conscious at the same time.

The cocktail was named after Langston Hughes.  The pie was absolutely completely unnecessary.

The band was quite fantastic, that is really what I think.  Finally, electric! Tell me, momma.

 

 

And that was after a kind of longish acoustic set. Harmonica thresholds may have been exceeded.

Baby let me follow you down.

The interlude.

All in all, a great show. Sure would be great if DC learned how to dance though.

May Day The National at the Anthem DC

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The National is excellent in concert.  Fun show with Romey, Emily, and Lisa.  One of these years we’ll figure out how to get seats.

Soccer Mommy opened in a muddy opener.

But then…

Once Upon a Poolside

 

The band played the entirety of the new album which has lots more energy live.

 

New Order Tee Shirt

 

Your Mind is Not Your Friend

And there were some excellent deep cuts from the past.

Bloodbuzz Ohio

This song was a new one on me played for the Resners’ mom.

 

Light Years

Fake Empire for the win.  Pretend I wasn’t singing.  Video in video.

Yes please more.

Virgin visit to the Rubell in DC

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Eli (the resident artist at my house) and I went to the brand new Rubell Museum in DC on the solstice.  It was excellent: well curated, beautifully displayed, provocative, and socially relevant.  Go visit for yourself.

The sexual revolution will be YouTubed

Over the Rainbow

Goat in a pot.  This one is hilarious and very surprizing.

Angel penis for the win

Yin/Yang angel/devil

Eli at the end of the rainbow.

Picasso Perfection at the Phillips Collection

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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.

Eighth Blackbird at the National Gallery of Art

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National Gallery of Art

What a place to see one of my all time favorite contemporary music groups. Eighth Blackbird played the National Gallery 2.16.20, and the show was free. As always, the group featured brand new music from living composers, including: Nina Shekhar, Fjóla Evans, Andy Akiho, Holly Harrison, David Lang, Viet Cuong, Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Julius Eastman. This show included some ringers in for violin, flute, and clarinet.

Lisa Kaplan, fearless leader and director of eighth blackbird

My favorite set was the second, and my favorite piece was Viet Cuoug’s Electric Aroma (2017),

The most precious thing in the museum was Cora, of course.

Cora does contemporary

The setting (no pictures or recording during the show)

After the concert, there were a few minutes for art.

Then it was out and on the metro for cocktails and dinner at Baba.

Sundown on the mall

Smithsonian sculpture

Wholly Emily

Baba’s bar

Grace Potter at the Anthem: Rock and Roll, Baby

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Great show. Lots of dancing and joy.

 

 

Though this was the second encore, the solo version of Release was the most powerful song of the set.  Yes please.  Need some of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rock and roll ending.

 

 

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