There's nothing more thrilling then working your tail off for a good two months without a spare moment to yourself only to realize that soon you will wake up as early or as late as you want and have approximately 24 hours to do whatever the hell you want.
The weather was perfect; a soothing blend of balmy spring and mild summertime. The toes were painted, my hair finally got some attention, my craving for retail therapy was sated by some thrift shopping. I sat on the stoop of my building (piano music wafting out of a neighbors apartment) and finished 'Revolutionary Road'.
1. If you haven't read this book you must. It is stunningly written.
2. A book has never left me more averse to the idea of an intimate love relationship. This book is like relationship contraception. If I ever feel tempted to fall in love I will simply re-read Mr. Yates masterpiece, to quickly return to my right mind.
And so the day passed rather quickly and happily into the evening. I gussied myself up and went to Merkin Hall to see a concert hosted by WNYC called 'New Sounds live'. The line-up this evening was Ed Pastorini, Gabe Kahane, and Elizabeth and The Catapult. The show was one of the most beautiful live shows I've seen. All three talents were very different.
Mr. Pastorini's music seemed to navigate us through a dark, acid piano jazz as he sang lyrics to rival Kerouac's poetry. This is Ed at a concert in Williamsburg in 2004...and a rather angry, impassioned devil guy seems to be his back-up. Thankfully, he wasn't at the concert this evening.
Gabriel Kahane never ceases to amaze me. If you haven't heard his music please look him up. It's some of the prettiest I've heard in a long time. "Durrants" and "North Adams" are a couple of my favs. Full of sweet irony, wit, and a tinge of melancholy, his work seems touched by Schubert and indie folk all at once.
Elizabeth and The Catapult was INCREDIBLE. Ok. So they performed a set of 6 songs; a cycle of music commissioned by WNYC 6 months ago. This evening was a premier of that song cycle entitled 'The Other Side of Zero'. Inspired by Leonard Cohen's "Book of Longing", the pieces shared a common thread of human failings, aspirations of true love and self-love, and of course our frailty. Elizabeth Ziman's voice is like butter and Rob Moose's string arrangements on 'Do Not Hang Your Head' brought me to tears...literally. They were a joy to hear. I'm hoping this gets released on an album so my enthusiasm for their work can be shared.
I stopped by Ollie's and devoured a steaming hot red bean bun on my walk to the subway, taking in the bustle of Lincoln Center...one of the loveliest spots in the city I think.
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