brownie

BeauSoleil, on their final tour.

My face value was $85 for second row of the upper section, about 2/3 of the way back from the stage. Total was $110 after fees. I’ve never seen the Cure before, so this is like a bucket list thing for me and I’m really looking forward to it! Edit: And now Robert Smith says we’ll all be getting a $5 refund ($10 for those who bought lowest price tickets) because he convinced Ticketmaster the fees were too high. What a guy!

I got a mediocre but satisfactory ticket for MSG after being waitlisted for the first half hour of the presale. I wouldn’t have gone for the next price up anyway, as my total budget was $150 max. The ticket price was reasonable. Fees were not, and bumped it up 30%.

Sorry to hear, @chuckrh. I understand what you’re going through regarding health insurance now that I’m on Obamacare after a lifetime of employment based insurance. It’s insane. Hang in there. As long as the chemo is helping you feel better it is probably worth it. I’m doing okay, but inflation is absolutely killing me now that I’m no longer working. I can no longer afford to do many things I expected to spend a lot of time doing when I retired 18 months ago. Oh well.

I enjoyed Tár, but thought it was too long. I think the exposition establishing the character in the first part of the film could have been cut substantially. Cate Blanchett was amazing, and deserving of an Oscar for her performance. As for the end, I think she got what she deserved.

Ha, same!

What did you think of this? I struggled with the idea that this film is classified as a comedy. I struggled with the film in general and didn’t really like it very much. I saw Babylon the other day and absolutely hated it. I thought it was a self-indulgent, offensive piece of trash and can’t believe it’s nominated for five Golden Globe awards. I think it’s been a very weak year for film releases during the holidays. Usually there’s a whole bunch of new films released just before or on Christmas that I want to see over Christmas/New Years. This year, Babylon is the

I’m doing something similar tonight with a friend, Happy Hour at a lovely restaurant that’s a little too pricey for dinner, then Holiday Lights at Turtle Back Zoo. Chuck and Donna, sorry to hear of about your bad luck. I’ve been having expensive house issues here myself over the past few weeks. I’m trying to just go with the flow and keep reminding myself that stuff happens when you own a house. Thankfully it hasn’t been anything as awful as losing power or a refrigerator.

Merry Christmas everyone!

My most-listened-to album of 2022 was definitely Kurt Vile’s Watch My Moves.

I have never seen the Cure, but I would very much like to. Maybe it will work out this time.

I’ve been listening to Calexico’s Seasonal Shift, released in December 2020. This was a wonderful Christmas gift from the band during the darkest ever Christmas.

Heartbroken. Although it was bound to happen at some point as she was not young. Last I saw her was the tour with Lindsey for the Buckingham McVie album. That seems appropriate to me now.

Sure, go ahead.

I saw it last week and thought it was great. It looked great on the big screen too, and I think some of that will be lost at home unless you really have a top notch, huge TV. I do not have such a TV. Netflix is nuts to pull this from theaters after only one week.

That’s too bad. Evan Dando is one of my favorite artists, but he is his own worst enemy. Thankfully the one time I saw him (a solo show, five years ago), he was in good shape and I really enjoyed the show. I think he’s a great singer, and the fact that he keeps falling into the addiction pit is so very worrying and simultaneously so very frustrating.

What else was canceled for you this month? Two in one month is a lot, even for someone like you who goes to a lot of shows. I had the Calexico cancelation last month with no explanation whatsoever (not even a vague one!), although I’m sure it had to be low ticket sales for the second night in Brooklyn, since they made the ticket valid for the first night.

Wow, why was it postponed? It seems like shows are postponed at the drop of a hat these days. Edit: Ah, I see Kate Pierson has strep throat. That’s too bad. But it still seems to me like shows are postponed and outright canceled more than ever these days. I used to travel for shows all the time and never once worried about the show not happening.

I enjoyed it, but she did play her new album in its entirety, so if you don't like the new one, this show is probably not for you. There were just a few older songs thrown in. I personally don't like shows that are so focused on one album, but I had never seen her, it was close to home and easy to get to, and was very affordable. Taking all of that into consideration, it was very enjoyable. She had a full band, so the sound was very full.

I agree with every word in this piece. I think about this almost every day: ”but on top of everything else I am grappling with, the thought that I am in the final act of concert-going, because of the economics, both me not being able to afford a ticket, and artists at any level below mega-star being able to afford to tour.”

Beth Orton

I was stuck in the house yesterday, and binge-watched the entire first season of The White Lotus. OMG, I loved it! I can’t imagine a second season with an entirely new cast. I am invested in these characters!, the best of whom is dead!

Yes, I’m so excited! They’ll be in NYC on May 5. Hoodoo Gurus are one of my all time favorite bands.

I did go to the Pavement Museum and will post about it here because others may be interested. If you want to know more, you know how to find me. There were some very interesting artifacts, ranging from Malkmus’s original notebooks (I took a pic of the page with a bit of Summer Babe), a page of unused checks from the Pavement, Inc. checkbook, passport photos of all 4 band members, to gold records, an MTV award, and hours of video. There were tons of posters, ads, fanzines, t-shirts, artwork. I stayed about half an hour. I could have stayed for hours and watched a lot

Ok, this is probably one of the most outrageous things I’ve seen yet: Almost Queen, a Queen tribute band, is charging $100 + $25 fees = $125 for the best seats at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ. A tribute band! I’ve seen them and they’re very good, but holy cow, that price for a tribute band???!!!! Maybe some insane people will pay that much for a tribute band.