Bliss

Bliss's evil twin Misery lurks in the shadows unable to give us time alone without his creepy vibe.
I ignore his beady red eyes and the smell of death on his breathe. He waits for me to fall, to be left unprotected, to utter the phrase that will be my downfall.
He can't touch me in ignorance but he knows that I know now and he displays his wicked grin each time I bite my lip.
I remain silent, no one will hear my confessions if I only say them in my head. If I could only be implicit and stay on this Island of Euphoria. But the current of words escaping the heart is powerful and so many times they break hard against the back of my teeth.
I clench my jaw, purse my lips, and swallow the crazy.

Langhorne Slim likes to dance

Concert: Langhorne Slim
Day: Wednesday, March 30th
Place: Mercy Lounge, Nashville
Cost: $10 (awesome)
Temp: 43 degrees (not awesome)

The lovely thing about working a 8-5 is not having to ask off for a concert in Nashville. It gets a little tricky when it a late concert…as the closer to 9pm it is the more likely I will have pajamas on. Normally once the comfy pants go on, they tend to hug my legs in a sweet embrace for the remainder of the evening, and changing into something I would want to meet other humans in takes real commitment.

Mercy lounge is about 25 minutes from my house if I take the slow backroads way and I always do. I'm not a fan of the highway, its full of Bullies with zero patience.

I arrived before the parking attendant and thus I parked for free. =) Langhorne Slim was hanging out in the parking lot when I pulled up. Did I walk up and say Hello? No, of course not..that would require balls and just so we are on the same page...I am a girl.

I brought my lead weight with me. There are pros and cons to bringing your lead weight to a concert. A pro of course is the photo documenting of the evening. Another, that Strangers will come up to you and strike up a conversation who probably wouldn't have even smiled at you otherwise. Other photographers flock to you and assume you know the secret handshake and begin speaking in photog. We're only slightly cooler than Trekkers…and its a hardly noticeable difference.

The cons began when you want to dance. Its a careful balance of holding this Cannon ball so there is minimal shaking of your life investment but optimal shaking of your ass.

I met a nice couple from one of the Carolinas whom I shared a table with, and we chatted about the best brunch in Nashville and concerts until the show started. I met a drunk guy who assumed I would know how to work the settings on his camera and kept asking me to "make it brighter"…which I really wasn't sure what that meant. I do wish I could have just made him brighter though.

Another photographer approached me ever so slyly and fell into the character of my nemesis for a few moments. He was actually kind of cute which let me just say, is as rare as a cute Trekker. He wanted me to know that he wouldn't be afraid to elbow me to get his shot. I conceded and added that I was okay with elbowing if we could agree to avoid the face. He then said we should probably agree to no hair pulling then too.

I should probably talk about the actual concert…it was dynamite and you should have been there. =)
Enjoy some pictures.

I kind of heart the Banjo...but mainly because of Steve Martin.

Its obviously not so much about the sound at this point but the passion....plus it looks cool and it causes a audience response of some type of hollering.

He was standing on a speaker here where I tried to shoot his tonsils.

The regular bass seems so lame when you see the stand up bass...not as travel friendly though.

The hat trick was attempted and failed throughout the night. The first time was uncomfortable for the audience but the more he failed at it the more endearing it was. By the time the hat actually landed on his head it was like the end of Rudy. =P

Sometimes you need a Tutu...

I've always wanted to be a dancer. It claimed the top spot on my list, next to singer/songwriter and Princess (secret princess of course and some day someone would reveal this truth to me…I'm still waiting). I was a Ballet dancer in grade school but I was also a little lazy in grade school and shit at sticking with something. I'm talking to you Guitar and Piano…and foreign languages.
When I approached my parents about dancing again years later, my father very appropriately replied with, "most dancers end up dancing on tables",  and that was the end of the discussion. I don't mention this to say that had it not been for my father I would have been a Prima Ballerina in some prestige ballet company dancing Swan lake and quite honestly perhaps retired by now because I'm no spring chicken by Ballet standard. No, I'm not stupid. I say this because every time I dance I think about that statement…every time some stranger says to me, "are you a ballerina?" it crosses my mind and nearly escapes my lips.
When I was in junior high, I thought about dancing again, but much like my singer/songwriter dream it seemed quite the long shot. Being the realistic kid that I was, I decided that a Accountant would be a safer dream choice.  I was a very mature child and also quite good at math and organization…and perhaps a little weird.

My Belly dancing instructor has been trying to break me of my Ballerina habits still engrained in me after 20 years. When I walk into a dance school, I still hold my body as if going through the positions. Doing a turnout without even realizing it. I crave the plié and the petit jeté. Belly dancing is more relaxed…they love to tell you "just let the fat jiggle!!". But Ballerinas have no fat!  I weigh 106 for Pete's sake...what is there to jiggle?
After watching "The Adjustment Bureau" on Tuesday I couldn't take the longing anymore. I was a little dramatic when I got home, as I was also wanting a true love soul mate who was damning the authority to be with me. Still being the smart realistic kid that I am, I choose to go with the dance option.

I went online today to look for classes. I'd looked in the past with no luck. Adults don't seem to interested in taking Ballet. And yet there seems to be a almost disturbing amount interested in Hip Hop. Landing on the Nashville Ballet website I noticed a small link that said…."Adult Classes". I am now filling out registration papers. I plan to take all the classes I can until I progress to the more advanced classes.

I sprained the ligament on my right foot last week. Its wrapped in a ace bandage and I can't walk normally. Was I hiking? Was I jumping down from a tree or running the track in the backyard? No, I was doing something really strenuous ….casual walking then dancing around my house. My class starts in 2 weeks so hopefully my foot will be usable by then. Foot, don't ruin my dream!!

I've taken classes here and there over the years but most of the dance magic happens nearly every night at my house. I have the New York Ballet workout book. There's no barre…or teacher, or tutu but none of that is needed when the music starts and you can feel the moves in your soul before your muscles form them. OKay, sometimes you need the tutu…

If I was from Paris....Grace Potter and more in Concert

 Music reviews are quite honestly useless now when it takes only seconds to pull up an artist online and listen for yourself. Yet articles that read simply, "LISTEN TO…….(fill in the blank)…TRUST ME" hardly sells records either. So reviews, discussions and blogs about music continue and I continue to dance about architecture.

I attended two concerts this week…6 if you count each band individually. =) On Monday at Exit/IN I saw, in order of performance, "The Kicks" and "The Old Ceremony," opening for "Eisley" and "Rooney". I didn't bring my camera to this show having forgot to ask in advance the camera policy of the venue. Not having that noose around my neck can be quite freeing sometimes, but some photographic evidence would have been nice too. A certain someone I've mentioned before also attended this concert which could have possibly been why I deemed it so unforgettable. My 4 star rating might be a tad tainted. And I tell you this part only to further exemplify just how cool and smooth I am, I literally fell on to him when I missed a step walking over to him. God must love a good awkward comedy, because I feel like I'm always in one.

"The Kicks" were a local Nashville band and fun enough to warrant my email being added to their mailing list for future concerts. Or perhaps it was the cutie guitarist asking me so sweetly...which I replied, "Okay, but its my junkmail one..." which got a few laughs. Their cd has been added to the listening station in my car…an awesome nod by the way. I noticed today it was recorded at Sputnik Sound which was that cool Christmas party I attended last year…such a small world this Nashville.

"Eisley" was having mic issues but still clearly ensured their new album would be added to my collection. If you love "Sixpence None the Richer," you will probably enjoy Eisley as well. "Rooney" brought the energy and made me sweat out any toxins that were left hiding in my body. I couldn't understand fans who just stood there…staring blankly as if listening to poetry night at the local cafe. I hope they weren't rating the music on its ability to move them. I got home around 1am from this concert and was so full of excitement I couldn't sleep. I ended up making dinner among a slew of other things and working the next day on 4 hours of sleep. It was like being an irresponsible 20 year old again. =P

On Thursday I saw at Cannery Ballroom "Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights" opening for "Grace Potter and the Nocturnals". And this concert is what I will go on and on about….with pictures anyway.

Jonathan Tyler I hadn't listened to previously so I went in completely and pleasantly surprised. It was a 1970s explosion. At first almost comically done by their threads but halfway through the first song you realized it was quite authentic. We'd gone back in time..and that pencil thin 'stach was stretched across a mouth that could wail.

If I still had photoshop I could remove the bald man who ruined a lot of my shots. lol

It's taken me a couple of days to talk about the Grace Potter concert. It rocked my world and my socks off simultaneously. It left me speechless and even now I am having a hard time saying more than it was the best concert I've ever been too. So just enjoy the pictures, play the cd and pretend you were there.

Every band needs at least two guitarists. Scott and Benny were so awesome.
The setlist included songs from the last 3 albums and a few covers.

Above: Grace covering a "My Morning Jacket" song.
During the show, a woman leans over to me and informs me that she is a 911 operator and that there are tornadoes touching down in Franklin. So I guess I will forgive her for texting during the show. And unbeknownst to those of us rocking out, there were also Tornado sirens waling outside in Nashville.

Grace's voice oozes so much sex appeal that even the non smokers were craving cigarettes, that the ladies in the audience had a collective thought, "Hmmm…do I really like guys?" and everyone was mentally preparing with whom they were going to get busy with as soon she hit the last note.

The music…oh my….the music…..every song seem to be the rock out closer…but then another would begin. A continuing cycle of musical awesomeness.

Every band should have two girls in it. It's just better that way.

Oh Benny....

Eventually "Paris" ended the show followed by two encores…a cover of "Crazy on you" and their song "Medicine"…..which ended with everyone playing the drums at the same time. lol

When the show was over, I waited for the cluster to break apart and thin out before heading for the doors. But at the second set of doors the same cluster seemed to be waiting, as there was quite the down pour happening outside. So in the waiting crowd I removed my fish nets and stilettos (Hot..I know), put my camera in a plastic bag I'd brought just in case (God, I'm smart) and ran through the parking lot barefoot and soaked to the bone by the time I reached my car. I know what you're thinking, "where's that picture?". Yea, I thought about it but the logistics were just too crazy.

Turning onto Franklin Road there was something odd about the drive home. It took me a second to realize just what it was…the absence of light. The traffic and street lights were out. It was pitch black nearly the whole drive home which quite frankly was scary as hell. But as I got closer to Franklin there was light at the end of the tunnel and besides a few neighbors trash cans blown into my driveway and a few tree branches all was serene. I'd been in Paris in the 1970s and missed the whole damn thing.

P.S.
Comments are appreciated. I know everyone likes to send me personal messages but it makes it look like no one reads this thing but me. =P