brownie

I think this is a very low point for our country, and I unfortunately do not hold out much hope.  I will vote, but that’s really all I have the time to do right now, as I am teaching in a high school using hybrid learning and the stress and increased workload is killing me a little more every day. I would resign tomorrow if I could afford (and count on the continued availability of) health care.  I believe the new justice will be appointed, but I don’t think that will be the biggest problem.  I sadly believe that Trump will be reelected. And that is the biggest problem.

The Carpenters, early 1970’s, Garden State Arts Center (now PNC Arts Center) in Holmdel, NJ.  Yes, it was my choice.  I honestly don’t remember the year, but with Google as my guide, I’m guessing it was 1973.  I was 12.  I really did love the Carpenters then!

Today, I am freaking out about returning to my teaching position. Both because of what my governor (Kim Reynolds, Iowa) has done and how my local district is shaping things. I feel like I'm going to be spending 40-50 hours/week in a huge fucking petri dish. I just hope I'm one of the lucky 50 year olds who has a mild reaction.

I am in a similar position, and I have almost 10 years on you.  I am still not sure what I’m going to do, but going back and hoping I get only a mild case is not one of the options I am considering.

Hang in there.  

Musicians have to make money.  Not many people buy their recordings any more, and now they can’t play shows.  It has to be really tough when there is no real end date to this in sight.  I say if a company wants to pay them for music to use in an ad, go for it.  We all have bills to pay.

Great stream last night by Dean & Britta from their L.A. home.  Nowhere near the same experience I was  looking forward to live in Jersey City four weeks from now, but the best that can be done under the circumstances.  They charged $10 and it was well worth it.  I worry about how artists at this level are going to support themselves.

Loved it.  Very touching sentiment for the current times.  I have no idea when I’ll see any friends again.

Very sad news.  I saw him once about 30 years ago.  It was quite a trip!

It’s not only concerts.

My streak of “every single thing I do for entertainment” has come to an end.  Concerts, movies, museums,....

Lincoln Center Out of Doors has been canceled. That’s usually in late July to mid August.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art said yesterday they’re not opening till at least September.

Can’t see myself getting on a subway to get around NYC at this point anyway.

I’ve been playing a game of crossing out every concert marked on my wall calendar with a big black X as they get canceled.

I don’t think any sort of cultural event will be coming back for a good long time. 

Not sure what I’m going to do with myself when school gets out for the summer.

Robyn Hitchcock has another one tonight for $5.  This was a lot of fun the last time,

9pm EDT, 30 minutes

https://www.stageit.com/robyn_hitchcock_with_emma_swift/live_from_sweet_home_quarantine/76993?mc_cid=9cc8a0145a&mc_eid=6c22feaf7c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCHfdpbyY84

Beautiful.  Thank you for posting.

I wonder which came first, the sweater or the paint job?  

The whole Capital Theater show is up on youtube.

Thank you so much for telling me that!

I saw them with NRBQ in 1989 on the Green tour in Ames, IA. We were not impressed with NRBQ, I think they put on a pretty drunken show. Doing some research about this show I see that they closed with a cover of VU's After Hours. I have absolutenly no recollection of that.

I saw NRBQ so often around that time that I lost count.  NRBQ is one of my favorite live bands ever.  Just saw them a few months ago and the band was as great (and wacky) as always.  Although Terry Adams is the only one left that was there back in 1989.

I saw them a few times early on in pretty rapid succession: Beacon Theater in NY, Capital Theater in Passaic NJ (filmed for something I can’t remember now), a gym at Drew University in Madison NJ, a field at Rutgers University in New Brunswick NJ.  

I think the Beacon Theater was the first time, but I honestly can’t remember now. 

I think Rutgers was later than the other shows - I remember them doing Feeling Gravity’s Pull at that show, which was a new song at the time.  (Wow, I am really stretching the powers of my memory here.)

Saw them a few times later on - New Haven CT (can’t recall the venue) - Feelies were the openers, PNC Arts Center much later on.  Radio City Music Hall at some point fairly early.  Probably a few more times but I just can’t recall.

My cousin who is a NYC teacher has corona virus this is why NYC should have been closed down earlier especially the schools!

So sorry to hear this.  As much as I find teaching via computer to be overwhelming, I am so very glad 3/12 was the last day where I teach.

The town I live in planned to stay in school all last week, but all the teachers started calling out sick.  And then Murphy shut everyone down anyway,

This is some seriously scary sh*t the likes of which I have never experienced in my lifetime.  And I am pretty old!  We have seven cases in my town, and one death.  

robyn hitchcock stream tonight via Stage It.. $5 to help out the Nashville tornado victims.

I’m really glad he did this.  I have a ticket to see him in May, but I am sure that will be cancelled, so this was a nice consolation prize.  

robyn hitchcock stream tonight via Stage It.. $5 to help out the Nashville tornado victims.

I’m in!

They’ll be rescheduled! Most will at least?

Yes, but as you know, my availability for shows is extremely limited.  A lot of dates just fell into place on the right days this year.

I have bought more concert tickets for shows in 2020 than I have for at least 5 years.  And of course every one of them is going to go away.

Oh well!  LOL

Be well, everyone!

I have serious concerns about either Biden or Sanders surviving the full four years in office.  They both better choose their running mates very thoughtfully and carefully.

My 28 year old colleague wants to know why everyone running for president (including the current president) is old enough to be her grandfather.  I wonder the same thing.

Why are the old guys the only ones left standing?  I’ve been a huge Bernie fan for many years, since long before he ever considered running for president, but even I think he is too old.  Joe Biden does not look well to me.

I would also add that early Oasis songs were so absolutely life-affirming.  Who can’t relate to the idea behind Live Forever?  I was already in my mid-30’s when that came out, and it still struck a chord with me.  It still does, to this day.  A combination of the lyrics and the soaring music, perhaps, but when I listen to that song (listening now), I totally relate.  Even now.  THAT is what you need for a timeless song - the lyrics and the music to support them. Noel was the master of that, 25 years ago, and Liam was the perfect voice for it.  Oasis was the first band I ever traveled overseas to see.

Oasis were great because they had some great songs.  Maybe not original, but they were great.  And they had a singer, Liam, who sounded like no one else and had a heck of a lot of charisma.  To this day, I remember the first time I heard Wonderwall.  It came on the radio one morning when the clock radio went off and I literally sat up in bed thinking “What IS this?”. I hadn’t heard such a wonderful sound in years.  Their first two albums and the associated b-sides were fantastic.  I saw them many times over that first couple of years.  One of my favorite shows of all time was the first time I saw Oasis at the Paramount Theater in NYC.  The vibe was electric and the band was fantastic.

But then they got rich, took too many drugs, started to believe they could do no wrong (particularly Noel), and the song quality on subsequent albums took a steep nosedive.  The brothers never really got along, and at some point their relationship fell apart completely, although by that point, their music was no longer very good anyway.

I am shocked by this news.  I gasped out loud when I heard,  

Emergency Third Rail Power Trip is one of my favorite albums of all time.

61 is way too young to die.

If that happens where Bloomberg's the nominee without winning a primary, I believe Trump wins a second term easily. I think the Democratic Party would be in shambles, people will be pissed and stay home.

Any Democrat who stays home for the next election is an idiot. 

Am I the only democrat on the planet who's feeling the Bernie excitement, but not the Buttigieg hatred?

I don’t hate Buttigieg.  I do in fact like him.  But Trump is going to chew him up and spit him out if he is our candidate. He will lose.

Calexico + Iron & Wine

I watched the live webcast from Port Chester the other night and it was great!  

I saw them live in Brooklyn back in June and it was also great.   But I have to say that a live webcast into my home, where I have the audio and video setup to really appreciate it, is an increasingly attractive alternative to time-consuming and costly travel, especially on a work night.

Oh how awful!

Such a young man!  

Fantastic photos, thanks so much for posting!

Wish I could have been there - 3 of my favorite bands!