scene but not herd

Everyone has their own tastes, but I still can't understand why the Go-Betweens don't have a bigger following. How many bands are still putting out quality work 25 years after they first started? Granted, their music isn't going to change THE world, but it certainly could change YOUR world. There is such a lack of beauty in the world and their songs have an overabundance of it. They are true storytellers whose lyrics can break your heart at one point or make you laugh at another from the dry wit. Only two of the original members remain, but they always were the core of the band. This was my first time seeing them and I enjoyed myself very much. They played a lot of new songs interspersed with some of their classics. Guitars spanning the gap from angular and sparse electric to lush acoustic. They could go from punky in one minute to baroque the next minute. I think the crowd would have watched them play all night. In fact someone yelled out to play until dawn. They didn't quite reach that point, but they did end up coming out for four or five encores. The last song was one of their finest and truly one of the best songs ever written in general. "Cattle and Cane" has lyrics which evoke a nostalgic melancholy to me. The music is simple, but it goes with the lyrics very well. It is just basic guitar, bass, and drums moving steadily along which makes me picture wind blowing through vegetation. The version last night was just incredible. They deserve much more fanfare, but I'll cherish the fact that I am able to see and hear them.

More possible fun to be had in the future:

Arthurfest is September 4th and 5th at Barnsdall Art Park. The bands playing so far:

SONIC YOUTH
SLEATER-KINNEY
THE BLACK KEYS
CAT POWER
OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL
T-MODEL FORD
MERZBOW
THE JUAN MACLEAN
DEAD MEADOW
COMETS ON FIRE
SUNN O)))
SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE
VETIVER
JOSEPHINE FOSTER
SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN
WOLFMOTHER
GROWING
CIRCLE
RADAR BROS.
EARTH
MARISSA NADLER
JACK ROSE
MAGIK MARKERS
FUTURE PIGEON
BECKY STARK & THE LAVENDER DIAMOND
WINTER FLOWERS
just added: HENRY JACOBS

There are a few people I would like to see so I'm going to try and make it. Hopefully all the groups I want to see play on one day so I can buy a single ticket and save a little money.

September 29th the New Pornographers are playing the Henry Fonda Theater. I've skipped the two other times they came through town so I'm definitely going to make this one.

On Wednesday, the end of my work day left me at the UCI Medical Center in Orange. The previous day my friend Kim had a double mastectomy at this very institute so being that I was in the neighborhood as they say I gave her a visit. I had images of her laying in bed, barely able to move on account of all the bandages wrapped around her chest. I was very wrong. As I entered the room she was sitting in a chair and she was rather chipper, all things considered. No bandages and her surgery went really well; better than even the doctors had imagined. Surgery has certainly advanced from the past. I hope this is the end of this for her and a return to normalcy will begin.

Saturday I went to the library and picked up some books. Now I need to find a good beach chair and I will start spending some time reading by the beautiful ocean. My feet and legs could sure use a little bit of color.

What else does the future hold? It seems that I will be hitting a bit of a dry spell in terms of concerts for awhile.

July 9th is Dungen at the Troubadour.

July 31st is the Pernice Brothers at the Knitting Factory.

August 7th is Teenage Fanclub at the Knitting Factory.

August 20th is Shellac and Autolux at the Ex Plex.

If I can find a really, really cheap flight I might go to NYC to see the Hunches and Cheater Slicks at the end of June. I'm talking crazy here because I can't really afford this trip. but who knows.

Museum shows that I plan on going to in the future are a Paul Strand exhibit at the Getty and a Greta Garbo photo exhibit at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

This Saturday I am looking forward to seeing the Go-Betweens at the Troubadour and Sunday I think I am going to see the Andre Kertesz exhibit at LACMA.

This weekend has been somewhat mellow and that's not a bad thing. Friday and Saturday I ended up going to birthday party dinners and a good meal with friends is always a nice thing. Yesterday I went to a matinee of LORDS OF DOGTOWN. It's not bad and, actually, it is entertaining, but the story was already told in DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS in a much more interesting way. The dramatized version just seemed a little bit superfluous to me. Today I went to Fingerprints Records to see John Doe do an acoustic set. I should get his new album because everything I hear off of it I like, plus he duets with Neko Case on one song. The set was good and I've always liked the sound of his voice.

I don't know what is coming up. I planned on buying a ticket to see Devo at the Anaheim HOB, but tickets are $62.50 so that is not going to happen. I can't imagine what the service charges come out to. That really is just a ridiculous amount for a concert ticket. The only thing I have planned for sure are the Go-Betweens in a couple of weeks. I've been told that Dungen is worth checking out so who knows, maybe I'll check that out at the Troubadour. In general I think it is time for little road trips, museum and gallery visits, restaurant visits, and more concert and movie going. I'll have to start writing some stuff down and get my butt in gear to attend the stuff I write down. It's time for me to have some fun.