goods and bads

[chelidon]

Good:

Going into Boston with Ravishing Partner and Lovely Housemate to see Robert Plant and Allison Krauss perform last night (oh, and T-Bone Burnett led the band...). We got back home well into the wee hours, but it was so, so worth it. In short, one of the best concerts I've seen in my entire life. Both Plant and Krauss are beyond amazing, but I give the nod to Plant, because he can sing like a (fallen) angel, move like the devil himself, and do it all at 59, after living the life he's led. Dang. Gives a man hope. The best moment for me was a touching (and rockin') tribute to Bo Diddley (Who Do You Love), followed by a towering duet of "The Battle of Evermore." Swoon. And Krauss doing "Down to the River to Pray" was incredible. And oh, their duet of a bluegrass/American roots version of "Black Dog" was...well, I have run out of superlatives to describe this concert.

Walking up to the end of our road this past week at 2am (power was out, was checking to see if it was our lines, or regional -- turned out to be the latter), and encountering a moose. Y'know, I've seen a few now in person, and I'm always surprised at how really, really BIG they are. Dang.

It's Friday. A busy weekend ahead, but it's Friday. Yay.

Bad:

It costs something like $40-$50 in gas to drive to and from Boston now. Luckily I don't drive to Boston too often, but extrapolated to bus and plane travel, the days of cheap travel really do seem to be drawing to a close, especially cheap fast travel (trains may make a comeback, but many new rail lines would need to be built, taking years, and even then it's a slow way to go, compared to air travel) I am very glad that the New England states are small and close together, that my commute is only 15 minutes, and that most everything I absolutely need is within 30 min of home.

$20 parking and $10 beers at the venue. And asshat drivers and bad roads and terrible traffic. I am just so unused to cities these days...

Lack of sleep, and very, very few moments of quiet to do nothing. I would like the whole month of July off, please.


But, in the end, no complaints. None. I am blessed, living a blessed life, surrounded by blessed beauty, blessed people, and luscious love. May we all be blessed with plenty of life, love, health and happiness. And good sex.

Comments

[anthologie.livejournal.com]

*jealous*

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

It was...mythic.

You do know they're playing in Berkeley on the 26th?

[anthologie.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I hadn't checked. I figured I had missed them. If it's affordable -- and not sold out -- I just might. :)

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Tics here were 50 smackers and up -- not so affordable, but by today's standards, not too bad, and...so worth it. Not sure about the $10 beer, though (but at least for that price, you got a pint)

[ravenedgewalker.livejournal.com]

jealous! they were playing wembley over here but tickets started at £80....snakey told me that was obscene....

gas here has got to £1.11/litre (or close to £4.40/gallon) - most of that is tax.

here, when the prices start getting that high there is likely to be a fuel strike. we've not had one in 7 or 8 years....

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Wow, £80??! That is crazy.

Your gas used to be about 4x ours, but now it looks like maybe 2x. Some of that is the change is exchange rate, I'm sure, but...well, this really is changing people's habits, which is in the end, a good thing.

[maitrix.livejournal.com]

SO JEALOUS. May not be able to catch them this year unless we trek to North Carolina. Boo.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

That would be quite a trek! Perhaps worth it -- it was truly one of the best concerts I've ever seen anywhere -- but still a real hassle for you. I just wish they were going to be in Boston again, I'd go see them repeatedly if they were.

[jennlynn-green.livejournal.com]

I will be seeing them June 18th, and cannot wait. Your review makes me that much more excited. I'm so glad you enjoyed the show ~ J

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

On the 18th? Way cool...I can't wait to hear what you think! The only thing I noted that I said, "hmm, could have been better," was the drummer, who was good, but not great, and who tended to fill empty places with noise instead of finessing it (and who missed a golden opportunity to back it with a good New Orleans jazz beat instead of a so-ordinary rock beat when doing a song about New Orleans). The lighting design was just amazing, and the sound was pretty good, though occasionally overblown in places, and I was actually glad out seats were well back from the stage. But dang those two can sing.

It was...well, there really aren't adequate words. One of the most impressive things about Robert Plant to me is how free he appears to be from the ego beast. I mean, here he is, probably set for life, and he keeps re-inventing himself musically, keeping his creative juices flowing, refusing to get stuck in a rut or merely milk the (admittedly legendary) past. When Allison Krauss sang "Down to the River to Pray," Plant faded back to stage right and sang back-up along with T-Bone and one of the band. No grandstanding, no "look at me," just fading back and doing a great job of vocal blend to back up Krauss.

There are a lot of people I admire for their technical skill, and far too many of them are divas. Plant is someone who seems to be to be worthy of emulation, not just artistically, but personally as well. A diva is just an asshole with talent, someone others are willing to put up with because they're so good at what they do. But to have the talent without being an asshole...ah,. that's the way to live a good life, and it seems like Robert Plant has worked that trick.

[jennlynn-green.livejournal.com]

Ahhh...since you're a drummer it doesn't surprise me that you'd notice it was lacking. I always notice when singers aren't breathing well - it's a thing.

I am sure we'll love it. I've been in love with Alison Krauss for years. Besides, we're planning an elegant picnic on the grass to accompany the show. Something with fruit, wine and frou-frou cheeses. Cheese makes everything better.

You know Plant's secret, right? Remember some of our discussions about big hair and divine connection? If that man doesn't have sacred hair...then I don't know who does.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed, good cheese is one of the true staples of life. Your picnic sounds divine. And hey, I just noticed that I've been misspelling Alison's name all through this thread -- reminds me of the number of times I've seen Alanis Morissette's name misspelled.

My favorite Alison Krauss moment that did not involve actually hearing her sing was using "Take Me For Longing" as the Dionysus invocation for Tejas Camp a few years back. Seemed appropriate... ;>

Ah. right -- big hair = divine, got it! Makes sense to me (and fits the Plant-ish evidence)

Well, come the humids of summertime (like now) my hair gets disgustingly curly and becomes totally poofy and unruly (Kelly in particular teases me unmercifully), and your hair...well, enough said. So we're both deeply plugged into the divine through our hair? Kewl!

Or perhaps the hair is itself a sentient, symbiotic being! Perhaps Plant has the uber-hair, and his hair communicates through all the rest (via the "Hair-net," of course).

I know mine seems to have a mind of its own, and yours....well again, enough said. Let me know what your hair tells you, and I'll let you know what I hear from mine, deal? Maybe we can figure out what, er, nef-hairious things the hair has planned....

[jennlynn-green.livejournal.com]

*lol*

Hold on...let me take a moment to breathe and listen to my god-hair...

Okay...my coiffure spake thus:

"Okay Jennifer...those were some really bad jokes. That "Hair-net" one was particularly painful - but we saw you laughing at it. Chelidon should know better than to mock the gods of hair. He must halt his hubris and hirsute humor, lest we SMITE HIM WITH A HOME PERM!!!

*insert thunderclap here*

Eeek. I think you might want to be careful with the gods of hair (wait, would that be Hera?)...they seem a bit bristly.