Nosferatu con Tortoise

Some ideas are just brilliant. When I became aware that the band Tortoise was playing the score for the silent film Nosferatu at Orchestra Hall on Michigan Avenue I knew this was a must see. Macy's sponsored "A Day of Music" at Orchestra Hall, which earlier in the day had performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a klezmer ensemble.

It all seemed amazing to me. How had Macy's come up with Tortoise as the band? Though fairly popular among those "in the know" on the music scene, Tortoise has an audience, but we are way under ground. To me, their music is spacey and psychedelic in an experimental sort of way. It's amazing what the music itself says, or at times, how much the sparseness of the music speaks to you, especially when you're in that 420 zone.

So in anticipation of the show, I hurried downtown to make sure I was at least an hour early. Underground parking came out about two blocks from Orchestra Hall. Coming up the stairs from underground loud music could be heard blaring through the streets. As I emerged from the underground, my body engulfed in the sounds and presence of a rag tag marching band. The people were all dressed in their own way, but all had that hipster sort of chic. As it turned out they were marching to Orchestra Hall not stopping for traffic or stoplights as more and more people joined the march. They were playing music that Tortoise would later use in an odd sort of Benny Hillesque chase scene. Upon entering the theater, the marching band did a full lap around the hall playing that same odd tune. Fans in the hall showed their enthusiasm with rousing applause

A little while later, the movie started with Tortoise playing the score. Since I'd heard about this show, the thought that it could be amazing stood out in my head. I was not disappointed. Tortoise was dead on illuminating the story of the movie for you, with there mastery of creating mood with their instrumentation, rhythm, tone changes, and variations in volume. The were amazing linking their sound with what was happening in the movie. For instance, as carriage was racing down a path the music was frantic in its speed using percussion instruments to create the sound and feeling that horses were galloping along. These subtle nuances Tortoise worked in made it one of the most amazing cinematic experiences that I've ever seen. (For Tortoise's offical site)

From Bad News Comes Good News

In an overall world perspective, I may seem like an ass, but I have to tell the story of how someone else's misery has brought me much joy. My oldest female friend in the world (and I mean just friend for you When Harry Met Sally Fans), lets call her Ms. Xamando, was dumped by the guy she lived with. Now the entire story of them dating is kind of weird. Ms. Xamando and I have been friends since I was about 12 and she 11. We've taught at three alternative schools together. After I moved away from the area, Ms. Xamando started dating and eventually living with an old student of ours. Now she never fooled around with him when she taught, he was 23 when the first went on a date.

Basically, a girl that her boyfriend had fooled around with showed up at their door and spilled the beans. Now I should be sad for her when this happens, but I'm not since she'd been cheating on this guy all along, I actually think she drove him to it. However, being the good friend, I help her through her move and suffering. At one point she asks me to drop off some items that her old boyfriend gave her at their old place. As I'm giving these useless gifts back, he tells me to hold on a minute and disappears into a back bedroom. When he appears, he's holding a 68' Harmony Archtop guitar. It's a beautiful old guitar that looks beautiful and sounds great. These were made for jazz and the blues. Since Ms. Xamando had given her ex the blues, he asked me to bring it back to her. Of course, I agreed.

When I brought it to her a crushed look ran over her body eventually leaving her with a completely defeated look on her face. "What the fuck am I going to do with that?" Ms. Xamando said. Then she remembered that I'm an aspiring guitar player with a nice collection. "Will you take this home?" she blurted while passing the guitar, "I just don't want it around reminding me of that bastard."

Of course, being a good friend I had to remove the guitar from her house, take it home, and fall in love with yet another fretboard. So, give me your opinion. Am I an ass for actually enjoying this gift?

Our Poster Kids

Chicago's beautiful Museum of Contemporary Arts hosted a gala celebration Sunday, October 7th to kick off its new exhibit Sympathy for the Devil. The museum has made admittance free for 40 days as well as for the afternoon of Illinois alternative music. The show was outdoors, but in a giant stuff tent on a bizarre 90 degree day in October.

Despite the setting the event was a major success. The highlight for me was a rare Poster Children show. Oddly enough, the museums event coincided with it being the 20th anniversary performance for the Poster Children. Fortunately for me, my first P-kids show was 12 years ago in Austin and have seen them at every chance I get. Unfortunately, although they deserve to be getting all the riches and fame of stardom (not that they want it), true talents like the Poster Children don't receive airplay, don't get publicity, and are basically making their amazing music for the love of it and for those of us who believe.

From the start of the show to the finish, the kids blasted the crowd with driving rhythms and cutting licks. As always, Rick's singing was dead on and so was Rose's stage act. It's funny, last night I was reading some old entries from the Poster Children's web sit from 1997 after they had to follow Nashville Pussy. Roses entry stated the obvious. It's hard as fuck to follow the dual bimbos with tits everywhere act, especially with a 6 foot blond who breaths fire. Sure that crowd may have been lost on the Poster Children, but Rose has truly one of the most amazing stage presences not to mention she can play the fucking shit out of that bass.

The afternoon also featured 1900, Eternal, and Califone. Though I hadn't previously heard 1900 they featured a 7 piece group with four males and three females. They just didn't do it for me so I saw some of the Sympathy for the Devil exhibit.

Califone, the direct descendants of Red Red Meat they hypnotized the crowd with its experimental search sound. Their use of discordant noises to complement the hypnotizing rhythms always seems to build till it just feels like you're about to slip into the most perfect trip of your life, then pulls you back and leaves you feeling huh what the fuck just happened.

Anyway, it was a great way to kick off the exhibit. Thanks

Above are some pictures of the Poster Children. Look at their kids intensity. Now tell me that Rose and the kids shouldn't be superstars.