Lest we forget (Biological Speculation)
Category Archives: Musicology
Pentatonix (PTX) at Patriot Center
This is the show Sabina has been anticipating for months. She created a fan account on Instagram, and has amassed hundreds of followers, some of whom met her at the show last night. To be honest, though I know they’re good at what they do, I really didn’t expect to be as impressed as I was. Their goal was to take a cappella music and turn it into a rockstar experience, and they succeeded. Boy did they succeed. Their voices were the highlight, of course, but the visuals helped a lot as well.
We got there early, very early. We were chatted up in line by an insider with a comp ticket. She’s an actress, singer, internet viral happening maker, numbers nerd and huge fan. She had interesting takes on the business, the group, and lots of other cool stuff. She’s also responsible for getting the Green Bay Packers into the new Pitch Perfect movie. By writing this Buzzfeed article, she set in motion a chain of events that led to something I really can’t wait to see. 😉 http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/pitch-perfect-2-trailer-bellas-battle-green-bay-packers-article-1.2100483
They seem to have sold out the arena, about 6000 seats in last night’s configuration. We had upgraded to floor seats, so when the doors opened, we hustled up to the front, ending up about 10 feet from the stage. We waited FOREVER. We were in line shortly after 5pm, doors opened I think around 6:30, and the show started right around 8:30. So a lot of standing and waiting. But Sabina had one of her friends to chat with, and I had the buzzmaker described above, so it wasn’t unbearable.
When they came on stage, I was genuinely concerned for Sabina’s health. She had been anticipating so long that I thought she might blow a gasket.
They put on a great show, great voices, great arrangements, great song choices. Some of the solos were magical. That boy Mitch, wow, never heard anyone like him.
After the show, Sabina scrambled to meet up with more of her follower/friends, and then we started to leave, when we noticed a crowd lingering near the tour buses. It had already been conveyed to us that they would not be meeting people after the show, but we hung around a while anyway, Sabina chatting with her friends, just in case. Eventually security came along and told us we’d have to clear out.
Murder Ballad of the Week, 3/16/15: Frankie and Albert
Also known as Frankie and Johnny, as performed by other artists, this one is the story of a man who wins a dance competition with a woman other than his own, and when he returns home, he is shot in the stomach by his scorned woman. Infidelity? It was only dancing. But that’s enough for a scorned woman, and apparently Frankie had had enough at that point.
Finally got to see Salad Days!
Finally got to see a Salad Days screening last night. Eve and I went down to Richmond to catch the film at the historic Byrd Theater. The theater itself is beautiful.
The film itself was well-put-together. Lots of scene veterans talking about the scene’s various evolutions and its eventual demise. Lots of footage of bands I’ve seen in places I’ve been, lots of great stories — my favorite was the “Georgetown safe places story.”
We werent planning on staying for the Q&A, had to get back home from the burg, but then we ended up running into Chris Gallo on the street out front, which was better than any dumb old Q&A anyway!
American Hardcore – The History of Punk Rock 1980-1986
I’m having a ball watching this one. We have tix
to the Salad Days screening in Richmond tomorrow, so I took today to watch this documentary, which is a little bit older (2006).
Fascinating stories – Jack Grisham and the pipe bomb; Henry’s induction into Black Flag. The fact that HR was pimping Think And Grow Rich on the younger generation, the “undergraduates,” as he referred to them, and it was WORKING. It gave them the PMA they needed to make it happen. Ian talking about growing up white in DC and going to public schools where you’re a 10% minority.
Awesome footage – lots of Bad Brains footage and band members talking. Show violence. DOA. Flipper. Minor Threat. Black Flag, with and without Henry. Kira on feminism, Mugger on his life (from runaway to Black Flag roadie to SST accountant to independently wealthy CPA), discussions about the LA punk riots, NYC street kids.
A great breakdown of the evolution of hardcore and how it spread around the country, evolved and then suddenly fizzled out and died.
Of course, it missed some of the stuff I witnessed and loved, but that’s what tomorrow’s thing is for — the hyper-local focus.
Murder Ballad of the Week, 3/9/15: Darby’s Castle
Another fine example of a modern songsmith carrying on the noble tradition of murder ballads. It’s been covered by a number of fine artists as well.
All we ever wanted…
Murder Ballad of the Week, 3/2/15: Marie
Marie is not the typical murder ballad. There’s no real murder. It’s a death by poverty. But poverty is murder, and this song’s as sad as any of the others I’ve posted.
Murder Ballad of the Week, 2/23/15: 1913 Massacre
Some of the greatest songwriters in our nation’s history have written some excellent murder ballads. Woody Guthrie is a bright, shining example. 1913 Massacre describes a miner’s Christmas ball that is disrupted by tragedy at the hands of the copper bosses and their thugs.
Sabina’s Pentatonix tickets…
Sabina came to me asking to see the seating chart for Patriot Center for the March 19 Pentatonix show that she and I will be attending. After seeing the seats (113 Row W), I convinced her that we should trade in her seats for General Admission floor seats. Despite her initial objections (worries about seeing over tall people) I managed to distill my years of concertgoing experiences and convey the important message of being as close to the action as possible. Plus, as a tiny girl, she’ll be able to squeeze up front.
The disadvantage, aside from the additional expense, is that she will no longer be close to her Internet fan friends way up in section 112. But please, GA floor is ALWAYS better than nosebleeds.
I think she hopes to be this girl.