Brooklyn is Dead

This show was amazing. I know that word tends to get overused, but in this case it is appropriate.  

Firstly, I had low expectations for this, it's a pretty ambitious project. But...I could hear Bertha playing as I walked up to Brooklyn Bowl last nigt and it sounded so good. I knew before I even got inside that it was going to be a great night. 

Where to begin? The first smart move was that there was no "Jerry".  They managed to give the songs their own treatment while still being very much in the vibe of the Grateful Dead. And it was obvious that they put the time in rehearsal: tight arrangements, minimal chord gaffes, great jams. And rehearse they must have, as they started at 9 and wrapped it up around 1230 with one very short set break. That's a lot of material!

The jams were all interesting and engaging without turning wonky, too noodly or self-indulgent. The Birdsong jam in particular was fantastic. Their rendering of that tune in particular is one of the best I've ever heard. 

The song selection was spot-on too. They chose material that suited them and played to their strengths....no Dark Star, no Terrapin. But yes!, China Cat-->Rider!

it takes something special to keep me out until 1230 on a school night and I would have stayed much later if they had kept playing. 

 

 

 

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Tendonitis

Random post for anyone who has dealt with or is dealing with tendonitis, specifically "tennis elbow".  I've been struggling with it for several months now and have started using Theraband's Flexbar to good result.  Just passing it along, I am not a paid sponsor/endorser.  I got the green one and it's enough resistance to get some quality work done.  Also seems like it's a good tool for building forearm and hand strength in general.  My .02.

Porches. at Palisades

Saw Porches., LVL UP and What Moon Things on Friday at Palisades in Bushwick.  Best show I've seen in a while. . .rare to get three solid bands in one show, and all three played great sets.  Porches. has been my favorite Brooklyn band for a little while now and I finally got to see them live.  Palisades was also the perfect venue. . .very basic space, a good small-ish size with good sound, a bit off the beaten path. . .what else do you want?

Anywho, check their bandcamp pages, give a listen and buy their music!

Alvin Ailey at City Center

Last night I saw Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at City Center. As usual the dancers are beyond beautiful and mesmerizing.   It's always a small thrill to see students I have played for in class performing on stage with the first company!

The first piece was Chroma by Wayne McGregor. In addition to being the best piece on the program, it was also the clearest sign that Robert Battle is figuring out how to move the company forward. Yes!

Bill T. Jones's D-Man in the Waters was next which I also found highly enjoyable with its frenetic energy. 

And then came Revelations...oh boy...The choreography is still mostly engaging, especially Fix Me and Sinner Man.  That said, good gracious it looks and feels so dated.  The music and the costumes, oof.  I feel like no one is willing to have a real conversation about how dated this piece is, it only happens in hushed whispers.  My dream is that Robert Battle will figure out how to lead the company out from under the shadow of Revelations.

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