(no subject)

Friday:

Heather's concert was as usual, splendid. Dandelion Wine opened, as a sort of goodbye, as 50% of the band is moving to Toronto. Still not as crazy as moving to the US in the current political climate (I'm looking at you, musicmutt), but with a similar noble reasoning (Ie, true love all that good stuff).

Anyhow, Dandelion Wine did pretty well, then Heather and Ben came up, and things really took off. Ben's a fantabulous multi-instrumentalist (guitar, various flutes, upright electric bass, viola, bodhran during this concert - plus some bells and backing vocals) whose background includes more hard rock than anything. And he has the comic timing.

Anyhow, the concert was pretty much all worth it. Heather's introductions are still interesting and varied, and friendly, and as ever, her voice and her face change song to song, as she dips deep into the characters; on the songs which don't hace such stories (The carols and the like) she just smiles and smiles, and I know they tell performers to do so, but I've never caught it looking like she's incsincere. I think it's part because she is enjoying it; she has an audience up close who love ehr, and the music doesn't seem yet to ahve gone the least stale; among other things, she and Ben refuse to settle and do the songs the same way each time; I think even if they ahd the same track list year to year (Which they never do), they'd still be worth seeing over and over. "Lady of the lake", "Hero", and "Sedna" wouldn't shock someone buying the albums they come from, at least, though they'd hear the difference (And in all three cases, those are ones I love from the start as it is). Others are done fresh, occasionally jaw-droppingly so. I was amused when she did an introduction about the Holly and the Ivy that emphasized its 16th century roots, then performed it in... I'm not sure what that style was, something decidedly 21st century, including some jazz-style vocal improvisation between verses. Sweet. "The Prydwen Sails Again" has, from the first fuzzy tape recording to the professional version to last year's concert, featured a melancholy rippling piano line. This time -- well, Heather didn't touch the keyboard. I want to hear this version again. And again. (It helps to know a bit about the real world story she's told in the past about the inspiration for this apparantly Arthurian song). They also did the splendid version of White Rose as they did the last couple of concerts of hers I've seen, which is gorgeous and melancholy, and so unlike the limpish early studio version I've been hoping since I heard about the rarities album that they'd re-record that one. She dropped the looping machine she's used in the past for Huron Carol, and Ben took up the supporting line - along with several in the audience.

A new song, "Trail of Tears", was sharp and bitter and harsh and made a lot of people cry, and oh, I'm looking forward to the next studio album. And of the unfolkish instrumentals she's been developing with Ben, they did "99 at 9", but not "Separate Sunrises" -- I'm guessing the latter mgiht make the next studio album too, since the former made it onto the rarities album. Live, it was chewy and fun, and it's nice to see Ben effectively taking the lead (Although he has a hefty part in Trail of Tears).

Alas, the version of White Rose is not on the rarities album; but that's my sole complaint. The new songs/covers are universally good; Invocation, a bit of moody vocal acrobatics, takes a bit to get used to, especially the opening chatters and rattles, but I like the effect overall. Crashing Down and One of Us don't sound that different from past recordings; Kingsword and Measure of a Man are all but new songs. Stone Soup and Call the Names catch the sing-along feel of grabbing the audience and dragging them in by sheer energy.

__________

Saturday: Part at friends of ours; a belated birthday pot luck. Far too much food. If I'm really to ever lose weight, I should find friends who aren't such good cooks; the buffet could have fed almost twice as many people. Good company, too; Colin kept to the kitchen and the buffet room, as the carpet is so inundated with dog that vacuuming doesn't save it; but he'd medicated himself pretty well and we didn't stay too late; on the other hand, he left still feeling basically well. They also handed us a whole bag full of stuff; such that, with an added salad, it was also tonight's dinner.

Today: Had to miss the free mini-concert Heather and Ben were doing at Chapters, though, truth be told, I could probably have made it; I did take a 2 hour break elsewhere, starting to read my first "for fun" reading that's been longer than a comic book for about three weeks. The essay is done, though I was sincerely too tired of trying to read it and piece it together to try and edit it one last time as well as I'd meant to. I suppose it's a trade-off I can live with. I think I managed coherent, and reasonably linked together, and it even had a thesis.

Now I only need to get it to University before 8:30, which means leaving the house by 7:30, which means... eek.

(no subject)

Friday:

Heather's concert was as usual, splendid. Dandelion Wine opened, as a sort of goodbye, as 50% of the band is moving to Toronto. Still not as crazy as moving to the US in the current political climate (I'm looking at you, musicmutt), but with a similar noble reasoning (Ie, true love all that good stuff).

Anyhow, Dandelion Wine did pretty well, then Heather and Ben came up, and things really took off. Ben's a fantabulous multi-instrumentalist (guitar, various flutes, upright electric bass, viola, bodhran during this concert - plus some bells and backing vocals) whose background includes more hard rock than anything. And he has the comic timing.

Anyhow, the concert was pretty much all worth it. Heather's introductions are still interesting and varied, and friendly, and as ever, her voice and her face change song to song, as she dips deep into the characters; on the songs which don't hace such stories (The carols and the like) she just smiles and smiles, and I know they tell performers to do so, but I've never caught it looking like she's incsincere. I think it's part because she is enjoying it; she has an audience up close who love ehr, and the music doesn't seem yet to ahve gone the least stale; among other things, she and Ben refuse to settle and do the songs the same way each time; I think even if they ahd the same track list year to year (Which they never do), they'd still be worth seeing over and over. "Lady of the lake", "Hero", and "Sedna" wouldn't shock someone buying the albums they come from, at least, though they'd hear the difference (And in all three cases, those are ones I love from the start as it is). Others are done fresh, occasionally jaw-droppingly so. I was amused when she did an introduction about the Holly and the Ivy that emphasized its 16th century roots, then performed it in... I'm not sure what that style was, something decidedly 21st century, including some jazz-style vocal improvisation between verses. Sweet. "The Prydwen Sails Again" has, from the first fuzzy tape recording to the professional version to last year's concert, featured a melancholy rippling piano line. This time -- well, Heather didn't touch the keyboard. I want to hear this version again. And again. (It helps to know a bit about the real world story she's told in the past about the inspiration for this apparantly Arthurian song). They also did the splendid version of White Rose as they did the last couple of concerts of hers I've seen, which is gorgeous and melancholy, and so unlike the limpish early studio version I've been hoping since I heard about the rarities album that they'd re-record that one. She dropped the looping machine she's used in the past for Huron Carol, and Ben took up the supporting line - along with several in the audience.

A new song, "Trail of Tears", was sharp and bitter and harsh and made a lot of people cry, and oh, I'm looking forward to the next studio album. And of the unfolkish instrumentals she's been developing with Ben, they did "99 at 9", but not "Separate Sunrises" -- I'm guessing the latter mgiht make the next studio album too, since the former made it onto the rarities album. Live, it was chewy and fun, and it's nice to see Ben effectively taking the lead (Although he has a hefty part in Trail of Tears).

Alas, the version of White Rose is not on the rarities album; but that's my sole complaint. The new songs/covers are universally good; Invocation, a bit of moody vocal acrobatics, takes a bit to get used to, especially the opening chatters and rattles, but I like the effect overall. Crashing Down and One of Us don't sound that different from past recordings; Kingsword and Measure of a Man are all but new songs. Stone Soup and Call the Names catch the sing-along feel of grabbing the audience and dragging them in by sheer energy.

__________

Saturday: Part at friends of ours; a belated birthday pot luck. Far too much food. If I'm really to ever lose weight, I should find friends who aren't such good cooks; the buffet could have fed almost twice as many people. Good company, too; Colin kept to the kitchen and the buffet room, as the carpet is so inundated with dog that vacuuming doesn't save it; but he'd medicated himself pretty well and we didn't stay too late; on the other hand, he left still feeling basically well. They also handed us a whole bag full of stuff; such that, with an added salad, it was also tonight's dinner.

Today: Had to miss the free mini-concert Heather and Ben were doing at Chapters, though, truth be told, I could probably have made it; I did take a 2 hour break elsewhere, starting to read my first "for fun" reading that's been longer than a comic book for about three weeks. The essay is done, though I was sincerely too tired of trying to read it and piece it together to try and edit it one last time as well as I'd meant to. I suppose it's a trade-off I can live with. I think I managed coherent, and reasonably linked together, and it even had a thesis.

Now I only need to get it to University before 8:30, which means leaving the house by 7:30, which means... eek.