new music Sunday

Kendrick Lamar dropped a new album GNX and yes I'm old (so what hip hop is for the people) and YES it's fire.

Memphis on my mind

BB King’s

BSP visited Memphis, Tennessee a couple of weeks ago. Other than a work trip years ago, it was my first real visit and I have to say, the food and music were pretty great.

Imagine Cafe offered up incredible vegan food (salivate over the picture below of a po-boy and “chicken” fries), and Butterific Bakery supplied all that missed dairy with pillowy and creamy banana pudding, a caramel-y pecan tart, and luscious chocolate chip cookies. I even got in on the barbecue action with veg-friendly red beans and rice at Rendezvous, with chess pie for dessert.

Seeing the Lorraine Motel, and visiting the National Civil Rights Museum, was a somber highlight. I also listened to dozens of rootsy songs at the Blues Hall of Fame and spent many pleasant hours on Beale Street, listening to the Blues Trio at BB King’s, and a band I never got the name of at an outdoor stage across the street (the singer’s name was Rockstar but at least 2 other singers popped onstage, and Rockstar played the drums for awhile). The next day I saw a younger artist, @goslowtre (IG) at an empty barbecue restaurant, playing and singing his heart out.

  Imagine Cafe

The city felt more Midwestern than Southern in some ways, and there’s an art gallery in the Cooper Young area I’ll avoid (the owner drilled us with questions and launched into a monologue that felt like a verbal assault). But most everyone else, from the Blues HOF to Butterific to the made-in-Memphis store, was friendly and kind.

I hope to go back sometime and spend some time listening to hip hop bands and eat more creatively delicious food. 

 

week 6 setting myself free

It’s been a week of credits and debits, death marches and weird phone calls. And trying to let go.

Monday was Halloween, and the city was even more festive than usual. As I walked to my work space I passed an older man dressed as a wizard, carrying a sceptre topped with a skull. I’d hoped to have friends here to enjoy the holiday with but it was not to be, so I worked, walked the neighborhood checking out costumes and festivity, and then took myself home.

Tuesday: All Saint’s Day, and an unsettling one. I found out my landlord let himself into my house without permission (he insists it was a “miscommunication” but it cemented my feeling that it’s time to go, so I’m working on it). I started the day with a long run to check out a grocery store on Esplanade. Halfway there I came upon a car accident, two smashed, smoking vehicles, a trio of kids sitting on a curb shaken and crying, adults around making calls and looking anxious. I felt so helpless, bought juice at the store but by the time I made it back an ambulance was pulling away, and everyone had vanished.

Wednesday I volunteered at a local thrift store, took the bus both ways and hung up signs and cleaned and met some characters, including a Navy vet who proclaimed, “If you love New Orleans, New Orleans will love you back.” I hope so.

Thursday I had a rare quiet afternoon so I headed over to the New Orleans Jazz Museum, slipping in late and enjoying 30 minutes of a jazz pianist singing her heart out.

Friday -- knowing thunderstorms loomed on Saturday -- I took a long lunch break and hotfooted it to the Backstreet Cultural Museum, a compact but vibrant space in the Treme where the founder’s daughter gave a history of masking and Mardi Gras Indians. I lingered over the beautifully beaded creations, the photos of Allen Toussaint and Troy Andrews and Treme Brass Band members. Then picked up lunch from I-Tal Garden (a delicious mushroom po-boy and seasoned fries), walked through Congo Square where TanzaFest was setting up, and headed back to work.

Storms and wind moved in overnight Friday so Saturday is a writing day, coffee from the hipsters at Petite Clouet Cafe, hello to a new friend who teaches CPR, and settling in.

some kind of normal: week three

Last Monday was a day of airport goodbyes, or at least see you later’s. Feeling wistful, I decided I’d try to figure out public transportation back to town, from the airport. I couldn’t find any public bus signs in baggage claim so I asked at the information desk, where a shrugging man pointed me out where the rental car buses pick up. I stood out there for awhile, not seeing any signs, so I consulted google again and it pointed me upstairs to departures. Finally I saw the familiar RTA sign, with 2 different stops marked. Hooray! I boarded 10 minutes later and quickly realized I was on the bus a lot of hospitality workers take into the city. This bus didn’t have accurate sign notifications so I looked as best I could out the window, trying to determine where we were. Finally I saw Canal Street, googled a passing address, and realized we were at my stop! I made a quick stop for organic produce (a waste of time but oh well), stopped for a fresh-baked sesame bagel at Flour Moon Bagels and started the hour walk home.
It was a quiet night, of acclimating myself to a mostly-empty space.

*

Tuesday was a tough work day and also my first day at the co-working space. I don’t love being near a kitchen and chatty people but the wifi is fast and there’s coffee and I can jump into a private pod if I need to. So, it will have to do. Work has been stressful and unforgiving so I spent most of the day revamping a struggling project. The walk home is pleasant and I chef’ed up dinner, listening to a podcast and feeling a little less haggard.

*
Wednesday: today was double shot day (covid + flu) so I tried to hydrate, did some work, and then headed out to Walgreen’s. Nothing happens fast here and this was no exception, but the technician was friendly and I grabbed Rosalita’s tostadas and an elote on the way home, in case I needed comfort food. I dialed into a super friends happy hour Zoom later on, to catch up on what my PNW pals have been up to.

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Finally, on Thursday, my legs agreed it was time for a run. It was in the 50’s so I pulled on leggings and headed out to Rouse’s. A very drunk guy was proclaiming his love of Halloween and pumpkins (PUNKINS!), so I grabbed salad stuff and acknowledged that they were pretty great punkins, and headed back out, stopping at Ayu Bake House on my way home for a vegetarian muffaletta stick (major YUM) and an Ayu Bun for later. 

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The weekend! With a Cox internet outage looming, I got coffee and a pillowy, cinnamony apple fritter at St. Coffee and sat on the pleasant patio enjoying the birds and the succulents. The owner came out to wipe tables and lamented how hot and dry summer had been; she’d watered and watered. It looked beautiful, I said, and walked myself to the co-working space. I spent hours pulling documentation together, tried to tune out the pizza party (ugh), figured out how to use the fancy coffee maker, then went home, changed shirts and hustled to my volunteer gig, with a pit stop at Louisiana Music Factory to pick up a fake book. The evening show was not well attended, despite a guest artist from Argentina (the attendees barely outnumbered the band), but I chatted with employees and a bitchy bartender, got a free whiskey drink, and made it home in time for a friendy-friend Zoom with pals.
This was my first museum weekend so I got up early, spent an hour at the very quiet co-working space doing some writing, grabbed iced coffee--strong and not acidic: win!--from Baldwin & Co, then walked up Esplanade to the New Orleans Museum of Art. I lingered a moment crossing Bayou St. John--I haven’t seen much water other than the Mississippi of course. I spent 90 happy minutes wandering the galleries, especially pleased by the exhibits showcasing Black photographers, and up-and-coming artists. The 91 bus did not materialize so I walked back down Esplanade in the heat, took a detour through Treme Fest, then, wilting a little, I trekked down to the Spotted Cat for Saturday afternoon jazz. I had thought the band Doro Wat might be Ethiopian but it was of course four white guys (le sigh). They were solid and good though, playing and singing the classics with panache, despite the lurchings of drunk tourists (five tipsy tanned girls in pink “NOLA 2022” ball caps, the usual bleating oldsters). I ordered a Miller Lite and grabbed a seat, only dropping in a tip and leaving when the old guy next to me wouldn’t quit humming. Then it was back to the co-working space, the soundtrack a band warming up for a wedding reception next door, then home for a hot shower and date night on Zoom, bittersweet but nice.

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Today’s agenda: writing and resting, and plotting a road trip north.

beats rhymes life

In other movie news, this documentary about the legendary hip hop performers, A Tribe Called Quest, will calm your mind and embrace your soul. These thoughtful, talented young men have such specific skills and a deep love for music. And you'll find out why this New York City band made a sweetly funny song titled, "I Left my Wallet in El Segundo."

all new kl duckworth

One of my all time favorites Kendrick Lamar dropped a new album last week. I've only listened to a few songs and of course watched The Heart Part 5. He's mad talented and I'm for sure not his target audience and there are already Important Thoughts(TM), but I'll for sure listen.

NEW LIZZO this is not a drill

for your viewing pleasure

quarantine shows

Zoom fatigue is real and yet it's the only way to safely see people and shows. 

Last weekend I tuned in for the amazing Sassyblack's jazzy, funky DJ set. Catch her every Thursday on Twitch.

Yesterday was Weekend Lovers' performance for a Tucson realty company (?). So comforting and cool to see a friend still rocking it out in Arizona. 

stay @ home

Peelander-Z

The livestream shows continue to bring joy to otherwise dull and repetitive days.
Sunday I watched the incredible Merv Campbell play and sing and even dance a solo brunch show from New Orleans.
On Saturday I tuned in for Francoise K's DJ set. The way he talks about cuts and DJ's oral traditions is inspiring.
Lots of venues are now offering shows--Everett Music Initiative, Dick's Drive-in + KEXP. I can only hope we're all throwing enough cash to keep our precious musicians fed and housed for now.

Friday night concerts (livestream version)

The livestream music continues!
Last night, Peelander-Z, a Japanese punk band experience, put on a show from Texas where they'd hoped to be at SXSW. What a performance! I'm still scratching my head -- there was a young kid shredding on guitar, an Elvis-type performer with motorbike handlebars attached to a mic stand, and then of course the wonderfully anarchic Peelander-Z, occasionally hoisting a huge sign saying "Wash Your Hands" and zipping on and offstage in tiger masks, oversized ties and colorful outfits.

Later, Big Freedia herself rocked from New Orleans with 2 luscious dancers.
I'm so grateful to American performers for making this possible. WWOZ Onlinewire lists shows daily, as does KEXP and I'm sure a bunch of other places. Yo Yo Ma posts a daily song of comfort.
Tune in and feel your spirits lift.

flor de toloache

New to me mariachi band Flor de Toloache performed on KEXP just a few months ago. How I missed this I do not know but please enjoi.

new missy

New music from Missy Elliott. You know she's my girl. I wasn't sure about Sum1 and visually I didn't care for her part of the video but damn can she sing. The video is fly and sly and fresh too. You could write a master's thesis on her visual imagery. You could = maybe I should.

where u been

Gosh amighty, I been away for awhile, apparently.
Family in town last week.
Pedicures have been had.
Thrift shopping and early-Thanksgiving also done and had.
Folks are traveling but I'm not, yet anyway.
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I've been reading up a storm and that is traveling in a way, isn't it?
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The Kurt Cobain biography by Charles Cross.
Arresting. An obituary for a person, a soul, an ethos, a city.
Dervla Murphy's trek across Madagascar.
I marvel at her daughter's wry long-suffering.
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And laughing along with and marveling at the lo-fi, clever artistry of this Literal MSPaint joint.

frash

I finally got around to seeing Spiderman: into the Spider Verse.
Holy cats, I need to re-watch this on a big screen. The plot was average but loved Miles and his family and super-loved the soundtrack. Visually it was stunning and the humor reminded me of Deadpool in all the best ways. Love any movie where I'm constantly saying, "What the--?"
Fresh frash frush.

Today! So excite.

festy life

I had the good fortune to peep Travis Thompson at the Fishermans Village Music Festival in Everett last weekend. I have not been in the partying mood, but this is the chillest, illest little festival in the PNW at the moment and some pals and I had been planning to get up there for awhile. It's just what we wanted. Old school 206'ers mingling with Day-Glo ravers and hip kids and old folks and it was sceney (girls in hats and booties) but not too sceney (the for-real beardy guys outweighed the statement-beardy guys). Chong the Nomad charmed us with her wacky set and meme-y dreamy visuals. Tilson XOXO was confident and exciting and didn't last way long enough. Anyway TT hit the main stage on a cool Friday evening and slayed, with a cameo by the luminous Parisalexa.This Ambaum kid is gonna make good, I can feel it.

that wednesday night feeling

the look back

I was looking around on an old device and came across a couple of years' worth of photos.
What a trip down the memory hole! So many good times and sad times and meh times.
Vacations and odd sightings around town, family and dogs and my fella and friend gatherings.
Every few months there's a photo like this one -- probably at a club, probably watching a band, probably after a couple of whisky drinnks. Who knows when or where this was, but I do know I was likely having a great time.

I'm no fan of Drake but wait, now I might be? This video for "In My Feelings" has humor, mad cameos and some uncontestably sweet beats.