Happenings.

First of all, let me say that it is a good idea to replace your contacts case every 3 months or so to avoid contamination and therefore infection. ‘Nuff said.

Secondly, a wonderful happening on the T this morning. I was heading to work a bit late because of health occurrences related to above; it was probably around 10 a.m. I was half asleep as usual, but another girl on the train was all the way asleep . . . I assume that she was working on a project all night for some classes at MIT. She was a tiny person, skinny and fair, and she woke with a start just as the doors were beginning to close at the Kendall stop, jumped up, thrashed a man aside from her, got half-stuck in the door as it closed, and finally made it out of the train, successfully remembering all of her books but without a lot of grace. All the passengers on the train of course noticed this, and most of us shrugged our shoulders at each other and made awkward smiling gestures . . . except one man who said “we need her for the Patriots!”

Yoko Ono

49_nyc

Originally uploaded by Bearolyn.

So I’m totally in love with Yoko Ono. I think it started when I was studying postwar history in high school, but it was confirmed once I realized that she was such a talented performance artist. I know very little of her work, but I choose to believe that she’s wonderful.

I don’t think it was meant to have this effect, but one of my memories of love for Yoko is from when I saw Dar Williams in concert once in college. Dar described how she had the reverse opinion of Yoko from everyone else she knew—evidently Dar studied performance/abstract art in college and knew of Yoko primarily in that vein. When she heard about John Lennon, Dar was upset that he and his band were distracting Yoko from her art!

I think that charming story sealed the deal for me. I shed a couple of tears this summer when I was reading a Vogue article about the (by the way, amazingly young-looking and not afraid of showing leg) Ono . . . she said that everything was generally fine, especially when she was around people, but that she still mourned John every day. This was really moving for me. I also saw her accept an award on television once, not too too recently–I think it was right after the war broke out in Iraq. Through lots of tears she talked about how her late husband’s words were still very applicable today . . . all you need is love, etcetera. For me it’s always really comforting to see an established American icon like that, especially a woman – Alison Kraus, Bonnie Raitt, Glenn Close, Lily Tomlin, etc. all have a similar effect on me.

This post is a masterpiece of bad writing, but in light of the current troubles with her driver, and the accusations flying everywhere, I thought about Yoko today and felt a little sad about the whole thing.

Nelly Furtado

I was really suspicious of Nelly Furtado at first given the “I’m like a Bird” phase . . . but beginning with her collaboration with Missy on a remix of “Work It” (I really liked her singsong-raps) I started to love her.

I’m now obsessed. There is much funk to be had. . . but she needs to avoid the bangs (is this hypocritical of me to say at this point? Now that I have bangs, do I need to be supportive of other bang-wearers, or can I still have my standards?)

I was just playing with you.

I know all my faithful blog readers have been wanting to ask me my thoughts on the new Gwen album and been too bashful. Fear not, I didn’t forget to buy the album at lunch yesterday during the gale force winds and smile all the way home. And don’t think I haven’t listened to it 10 times within the last 36 hours – what kind of girl do you take me for?

So far as the album goes, I’d never miss a new project of hers, but I’m not in love with it yet. I think it might be analogous to another sophomore project of hers, The Return of Saturn (admission: it’s not technically a sophomore album, and also, I still love it.) At the time, the reviewers said it was a typical sophomore slump, and I can see what they mean given the previous album and the extent to which it kicked butt. But—and this is what gives me hope—it was then followed with an Album of Great Strength (Rock Steady) . . . I can only hope that Gwen’s junior-year effort will have a similar success. Unfortunately, I don’t have the love yet for The Sweet Escape that I have for the Return of Saturn. Perhaps this will happen in its own sweet time.

So far as tracks go so far, I like Wind it Up, Early Winter, and “Don’t Get it Twisted.” And I dig the Sound of Music grabs, and the fake hair. (Perhaps she will do a video as a lion tamer, plain?)

That reminds me, one of my goals for 2-0-0-7 is to go and see Bonnie Raitt in person, hopefully with my Dad.

Questions and more questions

Dave and I got into an interesting conversation about insular culture yesterday. The question that ended up coming out of it was – does a measure of equality across the board mean a drop in insular culture? I’m not sure what mine is (maybe it is so close to me that I can’t see it?), but he’s very attached to his.

Some of the issues reminded me of an article that Dennis and I discussed recently.

Putting the Hunk back into reality t.v.

So I’ve been watching Beauty and the Geek lately, in defiance of all the stuff I should be working on. Is it unusual that I think all the guys are really hot even before they get their makeovers?

I know he messed up later, but I thought I knew who I was going to marry for a minute tonight when one contestant showed up wearing a shirt saying “I put the stud in study.” Brains and brawn?

Rope-jumping skills

Today, I watched what must be the best video I’ve seen on the Times front page to date (this is a better compliment than it sounds like). It showed some clips of the Double Dutch Holiday Classic, which is completely amazing.

More

More

Fan letter: Robin Schwartz

Here’s a shout to one of my favorite photos. It’s been on the desk or in the house for years. I was totally surprised when I found out that it’s part of a body of work, rather than a found photo – I thought someone had found it while leafing through a dead relative’s things, and included it in a book about found photographs. This is how rumors get started.

A link to her fabulous site. She’s amazing.

Getting old and hating people.

First of all, I think that today I discovered my people. Headline in the Globe: “Hatred of Rachael Ray can be a powerful uniting force.” Holla.

Secondly, I considered feeling sheepish buying Teen Vogue today. I decided against it (I bought the magazine, just decided not to feel bad about it), but the whole thing made me feel old. Also on the subject of things that I should be too old for, I watched a half-hour piece on MTV tonight about Jay-Z going to Africa to improve sanitation conditions. It was actually pretty well done (I’m a fan of the True Life series and the other documentaries that MTV seems to hit well when they try hard). It showcased the Play Pump, which is a technology going into a lot of new wells being built. A few kids can run around a merry go-round, and the well harnesses their energy to bring clean water out of the ground. Holla.

Also interesting: an article from Slate today discussing the conventions of magazine covers. Evidently green is an unpopular color for magazines, as is brown. The article also made me think about numbering – in magazines odd numbers are always favored on the cover – but isn’t it strange that if you think about it, 43 seems bigger and more exciting than 46. But I may be thinking about this too hard. I know Plainy will have something to say about odd vs. even . . . Holla.

Imogen Heap feat. Kid Beyond

07_imogen

Originally uploaded by Bearolyn.
This show was at the Avalon, 11/11/06. I was a huge Imogen fan when I first picked up her album, but had cooled down a bit – I think I hit replay a few too many times. Still, I was excited to see her. It’s been a while but I’ll remember as much as I can.

The show started with a mind-boggling, short set by Kid Beyond – an insane professional beatboxer. I would have to doubt that he would be as striking on record, because his way of delivering music isn’t necessarily more beautiful than a drum, it’s just more unusual – but he’s a great showman and his set was fun. He also was Imogen’s percussion during her set – she had no drummer – and I think when he was up there, it was a richer, more exciting sound.

Imogen came in dressed, for anyone who watched Season 3 of Project Runway, in Jubilee Jumbles attire. Red corset, strange poufy skirt, etcetera. Lily-mohawk. I would love to know if that’s her real hair. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way. She’s birdlike and British, and has a cute way of flitting about the stage as if she were – as I remember remarking to a friend – a Mary Poppins on acid. All of this sounds like a dig, but I don’t mean it that way. What I think is interesting about it, actually, is that her whole set looks very drug-induced and are crazy, while a lot of her music is very personal songs, that are beautiful and make sense, dressed up with a more trippy, complicated accompaniment. Maybe this is starting to make more sense now.

At any rate, Ms. Heap’s lovely voice was in relatively good shape and her band, when they were around, backed her up well. She, and her 2 openers, all made liberal use of looping techniques, which was cool at first, but I would have loved to have taken it down a notch. I felt she was best when closest in proximity to the piano, which is where I assume she writes her material and feels most comfortable. I’d also love to see her in a more intimate, less overcrowded venue. I’m definitely interested to see what she will be up to for her new album – or if she’ll go back to Frou Frou for a while.

Lastly – in addition to the Avalon being extremely crowded – has anyone noticed that they start shows in the middle of the afternoon at this point? I assume that it has to do with them opening the club up after a show for dancing – but 6:30 seemed so strange to arrive at the show – I felt as if I should have been receiving a senior citizen’s discount and/or getting in bed by 9.