SHARING THE SHOWS
Circles Around the Sun w/Mikaela Davis - The Atlantis - Washington, DC - February 28, 20242/29/2024 The week before spring break is a lot like that little pocket of sun that comes up at the end of a storm. Much welcomed, but there’s still some dreariness to get through. In my case, it’s the intensity of Midterm week. And, thanks to a committee chair who has just the right combination of unorganized and abrasive, I’ll be doing some work over spring break. But at least I’ll get to go out of town for my conference. To break up the pre-spring break week, I would have two firsts. My first time seeing Circles Around the Sun and my first show at DC’s newest venue, The Atlantis. For months, their shows had been sold out through a lottery (Foo Fighters and Drive-By Truckers among the cats), but things have settled down. Pete also introduced me to them through one of his videos, and I dug their groovy instrumentals. As I had one of their shows piping through my headphones, I felt like I was John Travolta strutting down 9th Street a la the end of Staying Alive. My Ivy League hat gave me that extra “jivey” feel. I got to the Atlantis at around 7:30, and it was tiny. The atmosphere reminded me of New York’s Gramercy Theatre, where I saw a late-night performance of The Marcus King Band after a Phish show. I can’t even fathom doing that now. When the hell did I get so old? Mikaela Davis took the stage at 8, and as Pete said, “that harp is part of her.” In combination with the band, she was…magic. Her voice reminds me of Suzanne Vega, and I had an ongoing skingasm through some of her songs, especially when the band got psychedelic. During setbreak, I ran into Ben (9/16/23), who advised me to check out the rooftop of The Atlantis, which he described as “like going back to 1985.” He was right. Very old-school punk club feel to it, much like 9:30 Club. The collage that compromises the wall is neat too, much like Sheila did in her and Mark’s house. I also met a cool young lady named Sam, who works for the National Park Service. She encouraged me to start using my Instagram, which I tried to. But it’s been so long it’s now expired. So I started up a new one, and I’ll post these blogs there. She also recommended a blues artist named Selwyn Birchwood and briefly introduced me to her friend Justine. I love making connections.
Circles Around the Sun took the stage at about 9:00. I knew the songs from having listened to them, but the one I can identify upon first note is “Pete Jive,” my favorite. And the disco balls in background were fitting decorations, a la my aforementioned channeling of Tony Manero. At around 10:45, the show crowded to thin out. I was enjoying myself, but the caffeine from the Diet Dr. Pepper I had pounded preshow was wearing off, and I had two trains to catch. Not to mention a pile of grading that needed a quick turnaround coming my way – the downside of an eight-week course. The upside: the course is over soon, and I’ll be able to focus on other research, service, and professional development projects. Upon my return home, I made a grilled cheese sandwich, fell asleep on the couch with Chester on my lap, woke back up, and fell asleep on the bed, Chester on the other end of it. I enjoy these shows much more when I do them less frequently. But today was rough going – fortunately, I had scheduled a librarian to talk to my first-year writing students about how to find sources, and I just had to chime in every now and again. Thank the Cubans for that coffee I had to start my day.
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April 2024
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