SHARING THE SHOWS
My brother Jeremy and I both have The Simpsons embedded into our respective personalities. Since I moved away from New York, we’ve bonded by texting dialogue exchanges from that show to each other. Here’s one starting a caricature of Bill Cosby (I know, I know).
I’ve been on somewhat of a jazz kick ever since I rewatched Whiplash on Netflix. Such a dynamic performance from J.K. Simmons, and that music! So I’ve given listens to the likes of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and the like. If you haven’t watched the flick, I highly recommend. When my friend Tonja sent me the text offering me a free ticket to Nicholas Payton at Blues Alley, I was ecstatic. And there was some synchronicity there as well (yay, Police!). In a class discussion of Crip Camp (I also recommend), a student talked about a friend of his who had a disability; thanks to the support he received, he’s been able to thrive as an accomplished pianist and even played at Blues Alley. I grabbed that opportunity! I would describe the DC Metro as good, but not great. One thing that keeps it out of the latter category is that it doesn’t go through Georgetown. It’s such a popular neighborhood that it feels stupid that the Metro wouldn’t stop there. I did walk to a nearby bus stop to catch the 33. And, of course, I had to text Drew with our usual “Waiting for the Bus” joke. I met up with Tanja and her friend/roommate Alicia, who were literally in front of the club door. I had to get some pictures of this brick, bohemian-like building before going inside. While we waited for the early show to attend, we had a deep discussion about singlehood. I just can’t talk about my work without hearing different perspectives on the topic. Alicia had an awesome insight that the population of singles living alone is higher in socialist countries and might even be cheaper (another reason to move out of the US should our political climate continue to redden). We were seated near the stage. It’s super-hip inside, if tiny (our tables were bunched together). The conversation shifted to even deeper topics, like Pizza: New York vs. Chicago vs. Detroit (ummmmm, New York, duhhhh, it folds!). And Philly cheesesteaks: provolone vs. Cheez Whiz vs. American (I’ve tried them all; I prefer American). And I’ll have to add a Wawa cheesesteak to my dining list! Before the show started, the emcee stated the rules, “Photos are cool. Videos are not. Keep conversations to a minimum.” I would have loved for that chatty couple at last week’s Eggy show to have heard that, so I was quite appreciative. I hadn’t heard of Nicholas Payton before Tanja’s text, so I wouldn’t have been able to identify any of his songs. But the crowd did sing “Jazz is a four-letter word.” And Payton identified a Wayne Shorter song called “Fall.” What a show! And I’ve never seen anyone simultaneously play keyboards and trumpet. This crowd was more sophisticated than the crunchy, patchouli- and marijuana-infused concertgoers with whom I interact. Lots of sweaters and Thinkeresque poses at Blues Alley. While Eggy counted as my March show, I made a new rule: it doesn’t count if I’m invited with a free ticket. And if it’s with a Childfree by Choice ally, I can consider that in service to that larger movement. Tanja and I met at a Childfree dinner I organized, and I’ll give a shout-out to her for her upcoming move to Germany to become a translator. We can do this stuff as Childfree folks! I also needed some music therapy - stat. In my big news, I went under contract for a home (more in a future post; at this point, I don’t want to jinx it by discussing too much of the details). Homebuying is stressful and has had me on a rollercoaster of emotions; fortunately, I have an amazing realtor, Jason Koitz, who’s helped me navigate that journey. But to be able to enjoy some music was a nice breather. And the lack of chatter was a nice plus. Take note, jamheads!
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April 2024
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