Since it’s late I’ll up the multimedia component of the blog. A picture is worth a thousand words and since I average somewhere around six hundred words a night then two pictures should mean I shouldn’t have to write for days. If anything, it will help explain some of my excellent adventure tonight.
For the second straight year I found myself with tickets to two different shows occurring at the exact same time. Incredibly, they both involved one of my favorite bands, The Ditty Bops, and a classic late 80’s/early 90’s alt-rock legend playing at the Uptown (Toad the Wet Sprocket and Crowded House, respectively). In both cases, I decided to take a loss on the more expensive ticket and make my way to a crowded, sweaty club to watch two girls perform a part-bluegrass, part-vaudeville, part-performance art show. While I’m bummed that I missed the Brothers Finn I just couldn’t skip out on Abby and Amanda.
There was one slight problem though as it was unbearably hot today. The temperature wasn’t as bad as last week but it seriously must have been 120% humidity out there. It felt like you were wading through the air as you walked. Made my way to Lawrence to see the show at the Bottleneck and found out that doors were at 8 instead of 7 as it said everywhere so I walked around Mass Street in the heat. Doors open, get in the Bottleneck and yeah, it’s the Bottleneck. Every year I do one of these late August shows and I’m happy that I always remember to wear shorts because there is no air, barely any fans and I think they must have a roaring fire going somewhere in the back. I’m talking ninety plus degrees inside the club. When it’s ten at night and you’re sweating up a storm and you’re inside something is pretty screwed up.
This makes for a rather difficult show for the dynamic duo. It was tough just standing there, much less performing in front of bright lights. They still did an incredible job as they are one of the most fun bands I’ve ever seen. They sing light, happy songs with a wicked sense of humor. (They’ll be the featured act on the next Wednesday Night Music Club to make sense of this.) As always, their tours have a purpose as these shows were to support farming initiatives and to promote a petition to ban the use of plastic bags. To show how wasteful they are Abby wore a skirt made of plastic bags and Amanda, the six foot three former model, wore what can loosely be described as a bikini top made out of a Target bag. You’ll have to admit, not something you see every day and I have the pictures to prove it.
(Yes, I hate the fact that I’m now one of those guys taking photographs at shows. At least I only grab a couple and move on. Given that my digital camera is four years old, is only three megapixels and weighs like twenty pounds if anyone has some great camera suggestions let me know. At least one where I don’t feel like I need to carry a tripod with me.)
I know this has been kind of a meandering post but I do have a point that I’d like to make here. Unless someone has told you about the Ditty Bops (or if you’ve really been attentive on the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack) you’d have no clue that this music existed. I only know about them because I saw them open for Nickel Creek two years ago. Because of that set they’ve become one of my favorite acts that win me over because they just enjoy performing. They’re doing something that could only be described as completely uncommercial. You can’t play stadiums with this music, cabarets yes, but nothing big. But I don’t think they care. They just want to play songs, promote the causes they hold dear and have fun. And sometimes that’s all I want to do as a music fan. It’s nice to listen to music and just enjoy the fact that you are in a place where this is possible.
(Tomorrow: my full analysis of the first few episodes of The Pick Up Artist. Everyone needs to be watching this show. Get my take on Mystery, El Matador and J-Dog. Find out what I think of the contestants. See me get catty at some of the few people on the planet with worse game than me. Should be cool.)
For the second straight year I found myself with tickets to two different shows occurring at the exact same time. Incredibly, they both involved one of my favorite bands, The Ditty Bops, and a classic late 80’s/early 90’s alt-rock legend playing at the Uptown (Toad the Wet Sprocket and Crowded House, respectively). In both cases, I decided to take a loss on the more expensive ticket and make my way to a crowded, sweaty club to watch two girls perform a part-bluegrass, part-vaudeville, part-performance art show. While I’m bummed that I missed the Brothers Finn I just couldn’t skip out on Abby and Amanda.
There was one slight problem though as it was unbearably hot today. The temperature wasn’t as bad as last week but it seriously must have been 120% humidity out there. It felt like you were wading through the air as you walked. Made my way to Lawrence to see the show at the Bottleneck and found out that doors were at 8 instead of 7 as it said everywhere so I walked around Mass Street in the heat. Doors open, get in the Bottleneck and yeah, it’s the Bottleneck. Every year I do one of these late August shows and I’m happy that I always remember to wear shorts because there is no air, barely any fans and I think they must have a roaring fire going somewhere in the back. I’m talking ninety plus degrees inside the club. When it’s ten at night and you’re sweating up a storm and you’re inside something is pretty screwed up.
This makes for a rather difficult show for the dynamic duo. It was tough just standing there, much less performing in front of bright lights. They still did an incredible job as they are one of the most fun bands I’ve ever seen. They sing light, happy songs with a wicked sense of humor. (They’ll be the featured act on the next Wednesday Night Music Club to make sense of this.) As always, their tours have a purpose as these shows were to support farming initiatives and to promote a petition to ban the use of plastic bags. To show how wasteful they are Abby wore a skirt made of plastic bags and Amanda, the six foot three former model, wore what can loosely be described as a bikini top made out of a Target bag. You’ll have to admit, not something you see every day and I have the pictures to prove it.
(Yes, I hate the fact that I’m now one of those guys taking photographs at shows. At least I only grab a couple and move on. Given that my digital camera is four years old, is only three megapixels and weighs like twenty pounds if anyone has some great camera suggestions let me know. At least one where I don’t feel like I need to carry a tripod with me.)
I know this has been kind of a meandering post but I do have a point that I’d like to make here. Unless someone has told you about the Ditty Bops (or if you’ve really been attentive on the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack) you’d have no clue that this music existed. I only know about them because I saw them open for Nickel Creek two years ago. Because of that set they’ve become one of my favorite acts that win me over because they just enjoy performing. They’re doing something that could only be described as completely uncommercial. You can’t play stadiums with this music, cabarets yes, but nothing big. But I don’t think they care. They just want to play songs, promote the causes they hold dear and have fun. And sometimes that’s all I want to do as a music fan. It’s nice to listen to music and just enjoy the fact that you are in a place where this is possible.
(Tomorrow: my full analysis of the first few episodes of The Pick Up Artist. Everyone needs to be watching this show. Get my take on Mystery, El Matador and J-Dog. Find out what I think of the contestants. See me get catty at some of the few people on the planet with worse game than me. Should be cool.)
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