New York Teaching Fellowship (Sister)

Here is an article on the Teaching Fellowship that my sister is interviewing for on Saturday. Wish her luck!

VillageVoice.com, Your Own Personal Blackboard Jungle
- Fresh from the frontlines, New York Teaching Fellows tell all

Happy Thanksgiving All

I just wanted to take a quick moment before getting wrapped up in the Parade, the dog show, and food, to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. I hope yours is filled with family, friends, and food.

New York to Pittsburgh Playlist

We had a wonderfully uneventful drive from New York to Pittsburgh today. We made it in record time, almost no traffic on I-80, and actually didn't stop once -- for gas or for a bathroom break. It felt good to just get here.

Maria Schneider, Sky Blue
Jaga Jazzist, A Livingroom Hush
Josh Rouse, Country Mouse City House
The Band, Rock of Ages d1
The Band, Rock of Ages d2
My Morning Jacket, Z
Umphrey's McGee, Live at the Murat d1
Neil Finn and Friends, 7 Worlds Collide

Observations

- The other day my morning elevator smelled like Flintstones vitamins. God, I loved those. Do you think they ever considered vitamin-less Flintstones, just to eat? The smell immediately brought back a flood of memories -- taste, smell, texture, time periods. I know I bring that up a lot, but man if it doesn't happen with the littlest scent.

- Did anyone else set up cereal boxes to hide from your brothers and sisters at the kitchen table? Little walls of morning protection. And who first thought of putting reading material on the backs of cereal boxes? Ingenious.

- Speaking of mornings, I have always associated Steely Dan with Saturday or Sunday mornings. Lazy, sunny, lounging around.

- The best opening to a live album has to be One from the Vault, with Bill Graham running down the introductions until he gets to "Ladies and gentlemen, the Grateful Dead!"

- My favorite light is four or five o'clock, late October or early November. In Pittsburgh, I used to look to the east over the Strip District, and the western sun would just cast the brick warehouses in this incredible glow. Now, my desk faces north into Midtown West, and I get a glancing light as it sets over New Jersey and the Palisades and it casts an alluring glow itself.

- Thank god the Steelers are playing well. I need some fulfillment in my life after Saturday debacles thanks to the Irish. Patience. Patience. That's my mantra. Two more years.

- The other day, before Umphrey's I was talking to my friend Syd about missing Phish. It isn't as though I miss their music -- I mean, I do, but what is a stronger ache is being in an arena with thousands of other anticipating fans and that incredible energy when you see Kuroda take up his spot. And then the lights go down. That roar and rush and jumping to feet. While I like the intimacy of Umphrey's, sure, but I would be incredibly happy if it got to a point that fans anticipate Andy taking up his perch.

- My brother and sister camped in Cook Forest this past weekend. Just looking at photos of the cabin casts me in a welcome chill, a longing for that crisp air and the musty smell of leaves. I started camping when I was a year-and-a-half old. It is in my blood. Not hard-core camping, just simple cabin or tent camping. Where you need a sleeping bag, on a hard, cold State Park mattress. The smell of logs burning. Bisquick pancakes. Gorp. Layers of clothes. If I could camp in the Fall all year round, I would. : )

'Lion' Smells

Related to the Phil review I posted below, from Page Six of the Post. You wonder if the kids noticed the funny smell, or if it effected the enjoyment for some patrons, or if they even knew where it was coming from?

Call Me a Geek . . .

. . . but I think this is one of the coolest inventions I have seen in a long long time. Leave it to Dyson to create a hand dryer like the Airblade. I have only used one of these in person, when we went to the Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien hotel after the Damien Rice concert in September. As you stick your hands down inside, you slowly pull them up and it is as though the air is squeegeeing your hands dry. As you read the website, you can see how it is the Fastest hand dryer, Economic, Energy Efficient (no heating element), and Hygienic (no pressing of buttons).

Just thought I would share. Keep your eyes open for one!

You Just Gotta Poke Around

I had not planned to see any of the shows -- I was traveling for work and had family in town last week. But after pulling some strings, I was able to get me and my wife in last night. I felt I should go to one if I could, and thank god that I did. The chance to see Phil at a sold-out Nokia was pretty damn cool.

Pretty good first set; one of the highlights for me was the jam out of Friend of the Devil, especially Larry's playing. And I am a sucker for Dire Wolf. Shakedown was a treat but I was hoping it would have been drawn out a bit longer. As a group, I thought they gelled quite well. Jackie took some nice guitar solos to compliment Larry, and his voice worked quite well for vocal duties. Phil was front and center, giving directions and cues, and seemed to focus a bit more on Jackie. Larry was spot on with whatever he played -- guitar, pedal steel, violin. Very impressive. Molo was Molo. And steve was off to the left, focusing mostly on piano. He was tasteful throughout the evening, only getting Particleized during Shakedown - good - and a but during Help - not so successful.

I went to the show wanting to hear Help Slip Franklin's -- little did I know that I would be treated to everything that came before it. Jesus. I don't think I could have asked for a better second set, to be honest. From the opening notes through Franklin's, it was pretty much what I wanted to hear. One of those shows where you are pleasantly surprised with each song choice. (Although, Help was just a bit off; the Slipknot made up for it, though.) Both Stella and The Eleven were instrumentals. Let me add that the Molitz highlight of the night was his extended solo in Eyes of the World. Very, very well played.

Very happy I got to see at least one of the shows, that's for sure.

Set One:
Good Lovin'
Friend of the Devil >
Spots of Time >
Dire Wolf
Operator
Beat It On Down the Line
Shakedown Street

Set Two:
Jam >
China Cat Sunflower >
Jack Straw >
The Wheel >
Eyes of the World >
Stella Blue >
St. Stephen >
The Eleven
Help on the Way >
Slipknot! >
One More Saturday Night >
Franklin's Tower

Encore:
Donor Rap/Intros
Box of Rain

Writing again for Jambands

I have been asked to start writing again for Jambands.com, this time reviewing DVDs. My first review has been posted:

The Polyphonic Spree- Live from Austin, TX

I am excited to start writing for them again.

The BQE

Sufjan Stevens, band, and orchestra
11.02.07
Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York

Set One:
The BQE
[World Premier of the commissioned 40-minute piece about the Brooklyn-Queens expressway, with synchronized video shot by Sufjan and Reuben Kleiner, and five hoola-hoopers at times (including Stefan from String Cheese land, I believe)]

Set Two:
Seven Swans
Illinois
The Avalanche
Oh Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
The Predatory Wasp of The Palisades is Out To Get Us!
Opie's Funeral Song
Casimir Pulaski Day
Majesty Snowbird
Chicago

Too late for a review right now, but let me just say that I thought it was pretty amazing. The piece is quite good, imo, with some very intriguing sections (right in the middle, for one), and it did quite a good job matching up with the three videos. And then the "hits" set was very well played. I sure hope The BQE is released some day . . .

Quite a contrast from when I saw him three years ago at Club Cafe in Pittsburgh with about fifty people. We were right in front, and he was so sweaty and nervous. But with a beauty to his music . . .

Edit: Photos and a review from Pitchfork.

Edit: Here is a clip from a brief performance for WNYC's Spinning On Air.