Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you.
- Pueblo Blessing
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Wednesday, Nov. 03, 2004 - 4:43 a.m.
WARNING!!!! if you know me personally, you may read my diary, but if you do, you take the chance of hearing things you don't want to know, misunderstanding what I've written and being hurt by it. If you are unsure if it is ok to read, save yourself and me the grief and heartache, and ask first!!! Please note that this is a DIARY, ie my subjective feelings, hearsay, suppositions, and outpourings of ranting of the moment. It does not represent objective news, the whole of what I think of a topic or someone, or even a thought-out representation of any of the above. Keep that in mind. Thanks. * Here is a Diary Etiquette Read Me.
The Dresden Dolls and Ditty Pop Inspire Me Silly
OK, for the political puking rant essay go here. Unfortunately the election may not be over for another 11 days folks.
Tonight i went to see the Dresden Dolls. They were FANTASTIC. I had only heard the bits of music that accompany their website and seen their aesthetic. Being me I dressed up... I wore my red and black stripey stockings, with little black boots, a long black vintage-looking slip, and my black eminem voting hoodie for solidarity with y'all. And I put whiteface with red pout lips and black eyebrows with liner. Funny seeing as I wasn't yet officially a fan.
And then I missed the bus after waiting 20 minutes for it in the rain. I neglected to look up for two minutes, and so was out of the rain in the bus shelter at the bus shop and glanced up to see it bearing down on me, and before i could get out of the bus shelter, it zoomed by. I was peeved. I walked 30 minutes at breakneck speed to the concert. And I was one of the earliest there! LOL!
There was a really small crowd. When the opening band came on there were probably only 50 people. This surprised me since the last time the Dresden Dolls were in town, they were sold out and I couldn't go. While we were waiting there were a smattering of interesting whitefaced people, including a blacksuited priest, a wedding couple, and a 30's beauty in platform shoes, a vintage girdle onepiece thingie, bob, sneer, johnny walker and a fur coat. Also an accordion playing sailor. Balconies were climbed. Johnny Walker was drunk, and poured floor to floor, cigs were smoked, posing was done. It was quite entertaining.
The first band on was two girls two guys called The Ditty Bops. Very fun. I wish I knew more about bands so i could better compare them. Some punky some bluegrass (one of the girls, Abby, played a banjo/mandolin thing) some rock, I dunno, hard to explain. But the songs were quirky, their backdrop poster had fun artwork. There was an invitation for us to dance in front of the stage at one point and a few of us got up to boogey, and I was roped into dancing with the whiteface priest. I don't have enough practice dancing in twosomes with boys who know what they're doing. I spun about alot and did a dramatic bendingback ending wherein my foot was in the air and he kissed my neck. hehe.
The women wore wild party dresses... one hot pink with bouffant sleeves, the other a more staid orangepeach dress with matching shoelaces in her teacherlady shoes. The men had suits and wore orange paper crowns like you make to be a king in gradeschool. The women sang together with these beautiful clear voices with wonderful harmony. Reminded me of the little girls who sing near the end of the film "Oh brother wherefore art thou?". Nummy. And the funny thing is that after the concert, at the cd table, the hotpinkbouffantsleevedress girl says to me "hey, didnt you work at Musicfest??" haha, even with my facemakeup. Yup, I did. She used to go to, and recognized me. This is their first tour with the Dresden Dolls. I hope it goes swimmingly cuz their group is great. I was too broke to buy their cd after paying for the concert and buying a Dresden Dolls cd but is in the future. Or maybe a trade for a book.
Hey, btw, my comic book has been nominated for aStonewall Award! Wowpee!! But they need TWELVE copies sent to TWELVE different addresses in the states by Nov 8th. Hello. That is like in three business days. What is twelve times fedex to the states? Several hundred bucks it is. Dang. And I am just nominated. Doubt i even have a chance. I'll have to ask the editor/publisher... in French a publisher is called un editeur, whereas an editor is a redacteur. ack.... since they only take books that have publishers.. for once mine can serve for something other than the ISBN.... i'll see if he wants to foot the mailing since it is his company that will get touted here there and everywhere as the publisher, not me. hehe.
Back to our previously scheduled band review. Well there was a second opening band. They were called Count Zero. They, like the Dresden Dolls, are from Boston. They too, like the Dolls AND the Ditty Bops want to stay in Canada if Kerry loses. Jeepers. They were five or six rather intense young men. It was a study in girlgroup vs boygroup I tell ya. They were all legs about 6 feet apart (how can that be a position to stand in to play an instrument) and hunching over and swinging hair madly. The lead singer had some tophat and feathered suit and hopped around alot gesticulating. Boys boys boys. The rockstarness was blinding. I read my Margaret Atwood book.
Then there was a very fun intermission wherein the aforementioned dressed up gang actually performed a wedding skit "public wedding public wedding" the priest shouted! They had props and did this very funny very athletic little piece where the guy is stalling on saying I DO and the girl jumps him. Turns out they are all Cirque du Soleil performers... there was much headstanding and handstanding and backflipping all in fake fighting and in a weddingdress no less. wow. Very fun. The guy DID eventually say I DO though I don't know why after he'd asked the crowd's opinion of marriage! Anyways, it went perfectly with the Dolls
Who blew me away. Very inspiring. This is music for intelligent people... complicated rhythms, passion, funny words, anger and sweetness. I especially like the mechanical toy feel to much of it. Amanda Palmer plays keyboard and sings, and they seem to be her writing. She varies from melodic and quiet to growlingly loud, accompanied by her piano playing and her bandmember Brian's virtuoso drum playing. That's it. Keyboard and drumset. Quiet and then crashing. Yes, MUCH CRASHING. At one point apparently the cabaret's neighbors were complaining. I am listening to their cd now, WITH HEADPHONES. It goes so from quiet to LOUD back and forth. Much musical punctuation.
Anyways, I love it. And i would say it is best live. Go see them live. They are on tour now. Go to their website.
And you know what ? I really want a new best friend. I want someone to have fun with to dress up with to have adventures with. The Dresden Dolls say they are eachothers best friends and it totally shows on stage. The interaction is so collaborative and they obviously enjoy and feed off eachother. Halloween was their fourth birthday for their band!
Oh it is at times like this that I miss missing people. I am sad for my brother and his drummer dreams of childhood when I see crazy whitefaced drummers in shorts and hat like this Brian guy. I am sad for what ended with ob, as I could totally imagine dressing up and going to this sort of concert together. I think she wouldve loved it. The theatricality and the emotion of the songs. It is sort of a weird mix of hardcore punk and Everything But the Girl in a strange way. I miss her still. Maybe always will. Missing missing people.
Well, now I think I am in love with this Amanda Palmer in a fan sort of way... she is very strong and passionate and emotional and down to earth at the same time when she plays, with her foot up on her bench. If she worked out a wee bit she'd have great defined shoulders. A strong impressive woman. I'd do her. But I was I must say, rather intimidated when I got her to sign my cd close up. Dang.
Back to listening to Coin Operated Boy. Cool song. Brilliant lyrics. Funny. Well, gotta go. I cannot believe how little I got done today and how busy I am for the next month.
How and where am I going to find time to draw this 32 page color book. Everytime I think I will have a "whole night" the concert ends at 1am, I have to walk home, walk the dog, and here I am writing a second entry. Dang.
Well, gonna go now. Scald some chinese greens for the freezer to get them out of the sink.
nite nite.
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previous meanderings - future past
Goodbye Michael. May your next life be kinder to you. - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Taking Care of Your Cows - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Saint Joseph robs the cradle and eats spaghetti - Sunday, Jun. 14, 2009
sticky notes and broken irises - Friday, Jun. 12, 2009
The FOODCOMMANDER - Monday, Jun. 08, 2009
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