Party Weekend (Sunday Snippets)

(Sunday Snippets via tinniegirl)

Because I will be the picture of discipline, never minding what state I'm in...

Friday night I saw the incomparable Amanda Palmer in concert at the Birch North Park Theater. It was one of the best live shows I've seen. Fantastic. 

I find Amanda incredibly inspiring. I love that she has been brave enough to simply make art and find a way to live from it. I wish I had been as brave and focused as she seems to have been. Of course no one is as together as their image, and she often alludes to her disbelief that like-minded young women see her as a person who has "figured it out"--but there is no denying her commitment to art and striving for personal artistic authenticity. 

In her song "In My Mind" she explores that sense of striving to be "better" that I think so many people--maybe particularly women--feel throughout life. And the discovery at the end, that she is exactly who she wants to be is a place I want to reach. Perfection is impossible, but if we're doing work we find meaningful, the perfect details aren't important. 

A Fair Warning

If you haven't heard about the Occupy Wall Street movement by now, I assume you live deep in a cave or high on a mountain or are perhaps stranded at sea, and thus don't have radio, television, or Internet access. 

Here in San Diego we've had marches and occupation downtown and at the Civic Center since October 7, and they have been peaceful and largely tolerated by our local government... until recently, that is. We've had some dramatic situations culminating in SDPD pepper spraying protesters. As you can imagine, there is some tension.

I haven't attended the protests yet, though I would like to show support. I find it particularly unconscionable to pepper spray peaceful protesters, simply because they are inconvenient. Pepper spray should be resorted to only when an individual is uncontrollably violent or a grave danger to himself. They aren't arresting most of the victims. I don't understand how one can be considered enough of a law breaker or public nuisance to pepper spray, but not to arrest. Anyway, I will make with the music already.

Local San Diego band, F_Tape has released a song, "A Fair Warning," in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street (and the world) protesters. Check it out:

If you like it, I think it's still available for free download, here. 

And it's raining all the time

Okay, not ALL the time. But it rained a few days last week, which always puts this song in my head. Obviously the most famous versions of "Stormy Weather" are done by Billie Holiday and Lena Horne, as they should be, but my favorite cover is by Reigning Sound. Since I've been humming it to myself for the last few days, everyone else should start today.

Things are coming into focus...

I love too much music to be able to truly commit and label any single band as my "favorite." That said, my favorite band is Heartless Bastards.  Erika Wennerstrom gives word and voice to feelings and ideas I am only partially aware of until I she plays and sings them.

The songs resonate with me so strongly, that I've adopted "Into The Open" (a song on the 2006 album, "All This Time") as my personal anthem. I've seen Heartless Bastards live twice: once this year in Portland, OR; and once in May of last year at my favorite local music venue, The Casbah.

So when I decided to look for a good video of Heartless Bastards playing "Into the Open" in honor of trying to re-launch my journey of self-discovery and whatnot, imagine my joy at finding them playing MY song at the Casbah the night I was there. What?! Yes! It's amazing! Kismet! Destiny! Listen right now!

 (the intro to the actual song starts at about 55 seconds, and goes until about 5+ minutes into the video)