Magic 8 Pod

I haven't played Magic 8 Pod lately, so let's give it a whirl today.

How will this upcoming Big Weekend of Theater go? Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Whatever Happened to My Rock & Roll

Well, it's true that this weekend promises to be a little highfalutin, with the Clown Show, the BAM dance performance, plus Strindberg redux and heady fringe. Maybe I have been neglecting the rockin' side of things. But I am not ignoring it! Let this lead me to my next question, but let me also take this opportunity to mention that B.R.M.C. will be releasing a new batch of live music and video this fall.


What about next weekend's Yo La Tengo show? Johnny Cash - Country Boy

This may not seem to rock all the way out at first, but it's a good sign for the show. A boom-chicka-boom early Cash song, simple in a way that YLT would love, and the kind of song they might cover. "When it's quittin' time and your work is through/There's a lot of life in you."


Will my dad be out for that visit next month? Paul Westerberg - Things

Huh. Umm... well... Paul's a great songwriter and musician. This song doesn't really illuminate anything. It's kind of a love song. Or an "I love you but never know how to say it right" song. Guess dad's trip will remain a mystery for the moment.


What about the work on my apartment? Alanis Morissette - Ironic

This has kind of come to pass: they stripped the paper, fixed the walls and repainted, which is great BUT now there's a leak in one of the pipes. Let's call this one a prophesy that's been altogether, completely fulfilled already and move on. (Yes, yes, I have Alanis Morissette on my iPod. Get your laughter out of the way.)


Will I be making a trip to Boston this fall? For, you know, the right reason?? Elliott Smith - Almost Over

Aha! This is a deceptive one. It looks like bad news for the BoSox at first glance, until you realize that the gist of this song is that the worst part's almost over. Not the season. That part of the season where it's increasingly clear they won't win the division and they're in trouble for the wild card. Yes. That's definitely what this is saying.

How this factors in to me getting tickets to the postseason at Fenway is less transparent...

Behind the Times

Once again I've been a slacker blogger. The good news is that that's because I've been doing a lot of things that keep me sufficiently busy that I don't have as much time to write about the things I've been doing. Hopefully this week I'll have time to post about the show I'm in, maybe one or two of the shows I've seen, the beach, my bro-in-law's visit, the McCarren Pool Party...

Yeah, probably not all of that. There are a ton of photos though - I'll be sure to post some.

Meanwhile, here is an abbreviated bit of sports-related Magic 8-Pod. It's outdated - played it back when the Olympics had just gotten going, so we'll see how it fared vis a vis the way things turned out...

How will Michael Phelps do? Welcome - The Who, from "Tommy"

As in - welcome to the top of the heap, Mike. Where no one has gone before. Nicely done.

What's the deal with these pre-pubescent Chinese gymnasts? The Greatest Romance Ever Sold - Prince, from "Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic."

This was the remix/b-side version of that song, with Eve doing a come-hither-type rap. Hmm, not sure what to make of this one. I mean, we could imagine the U.S. team and the Chinese team:

Finally face 2 face
Checkin' each other up and down

But then, being a Prince song, it goes places that... um, no. Maybe we're better off just thinking of it as a comment on the Selling of the Olympic Dream, or the Selling of Capitalism to the East. Or something.

How are the Red Sox going to do in the Post Manny Era? Absolutely Free, The Mothers of Invention, from "We're Only in It for The Money."

Hehehe. This works on a few levels - the Sox can now be free from the media circus of Manny (as fun as it was and is) and be free to concentrate on Baseball. And - the title of this brilliant album may shed some light on Manny's Mysterious Motivation for wanting so badly to be traded.

OH! This leads me to a current, live-as-I-blog 8-Pod opportunity:

Now how 'bout catching the Rays, guys? Dark Chocolate - Dan Bern, from "Smartie Mine"

Hmm. This is cryptic enough. Dan loves him some Dark Chocolate in this song (don't we all?) Promises offered, unrealized and met with unyielding loyalty anyway (Sox fans know well about that):

Who'd believe that you once saved my life
When you're split in so many pieces?

Of course it gets sensual (this is a song about chocolate, people, what did you expect?) And then it resolves (over-obviously?) focusing on the bittersweet aspect of the title/subject.

Great. Being a Red Sox fan with post season hopes is a bittersweet experience. How original.

Just take it pitch by pitch, guys. Those Rays have to crumble eventually. Don't they?

Super Duper Pooper Scooper Tuesday

Happy Mardi Gras, everybody! And big ol' primary election day, Giants victory parade day and everything else!!

In honor of the event, let's bring back the Magic 8Pod.

SO, 8Pod, what do you have to say about Mardi Gras '008?

• Bongwater - The Living End

Well, hmm... The band connotes party time, sure enough. And there's an odd twist on the times and the area in it's faux end-time sensibility. "We're living in the last days..." Interesting choice.

Ok, next, what can you provide in the way of predictions for this 'Super Duper Tuesday' Presidential Primary?

- for the Republican Party

• Greg Brown - Moondance

How 'bout that? At first it doesn't seem to fit: a great Van Morrison song being sung by Mr. Superlow Mellow Voice Strong Sensitive Folky Guy? For the Republicans?? But I guess it does bring to mind all those College Republican drunken singalongs to 'Brown-Eyed Girl'. And then a deeper listen takes us to a lonesome longing in the guitar-and-bongo arrangement, and maybe even some desperation in "Can I just have one more moondance with you...?" Last moondream? Plus... there's that whole thing of taking cover 'neath October skies...

Let's not forget that there's a half decent chance that we'll know who the Republican nominee is going to be at this time tomorrow.

- for the Democratic Party (which, by the way, is not "The Democrat Party" in spite of what many conservative pundits and officials - including the President - have been calling it, oh, for a few years now. Is no one else bothered by this? Is it another one of those thing that the Dems don't complain/stand up about for fear of seeming whiney?)

• Fleetwood Mac - Butter Cookie (Keep Me There)

This one yields all kinds of fun interpretation for a good 8Pod diviner! First of all, it's an outtake from Rumours, the album which yielded "Don't Stop," which was Bill Clinton's theme song - and it's even sung by the female vocal half of that song, Christine McVie. That's right folks, an outtake, a demo version, just piano and drums and voice. And then, there are the lyrics: in spite of the subtitle (Keep Me There) the sparce lyrics say "Don't leave me in the dark, I need you here with me... Don't leave me in this mess."

Don't know if this helps us draw a conclusion, though: does it mean Hillary will pick up the mantle? Or will she be left alone in the dark? Perhaps this is a good place to point out that the Dems divvy up their delegates by percentage in a lot of today's states - meaning that it is pretty UNlikely that we'll know who the Democratic candidate is going to be in time for Ash Wednesday Mass.

Lastly - what do you have to say about the Giant Superbowl victory and ticker tape extravaganza?

• Los Lobos - Somewhere in Time

Huh. This actually moves me a little.

I'm not a Giants fan. Not really a football fan in general, but definitely not a Giants fan or a fan of New York sports in general (Mets excepted). In fact, I refer you to a hilarious video on YouTube showing a clip from Downfall with Bruno Ganz as Hitler, but with made-up captions making it look as though they're talking about football rather than military action. I'm not putting up the link or the viddy, because it is utterly inappropriate and offensive in the way that only parodies of Hitler can be, but you can easily find it by searching "Hitler Cowboys Football" on YouTube. And it's pee-your-pants funny.

However, this song sheds light on the parade for me much more than on the victory. Reminds me how good it feels to know that throngs of people can use the Wall Street area way downtown as a place of celebration again. Certainly couldn't have been a parade there if the Yanks had won in 2001. And it does seem like last year had a big move forward in terms of being able to speak reasonably about that chunk of land, so this championship might even have been one of the first chances New York had to celebrate a victory down there.

So ok, maybe it's maudlin, sentimental and bittersweet to hear it that way. But here are the lyrics to the song, by David Hidalgo, Louie Perez and Dave Alvin.

I hear a voice singing somewhere in time
A song I knew so long ago
It takes me back to places somewhere in time
To everyone I used to know

I see a face I remember somewhere in time
Someone I love who's gone away
Gone away somewhere in time
one away somewhere in time

Another night, on a highway somewhere in time
Darkness plays those tricks on me
Far down the road in the shadows somewhere in time
Am I the man I'm supposed to be?

I see a light, shining somewhere in time
A lonely light to lead me on
To lead me on somewhere in time
To lead me on somewhere in time

Wake from a dream, a dream from somewhere in time
I rub my eyes so I can see
You're standing there before me somewhere in time
Standing there waiting for me

And I'll take your hand someday somewhere in time
Forever I'll be here with youI'll be with you somewhere in time
I'll be with you somewhere in time
I'm here with you somewhere in time

The Return of Magic 8Pod

What do you foresee for the GRE for Sherin?

Happy Days - McCoy Tyner Trio. Well, gee Sherin, you can't
ask for much better than that. :-)

How about the Yo La Tengo show on Saturday?

Jack-a-Roe - Bob Dylan. Hmmm... this one's trickier. An old English folk balad, it sounds dark and moody, but it ends with triumph over great adversity. Good portent for a benefit concert, I'd say. And - the verse tacked onto the end of the story is amusinglyhopeful.

This couple they got married, so well they did agree
This couple they got married, so why not you and me
Oh, so why not you and me ?

Hehehe.

Magic 8pod and the Groove of Commuting

This morning, in a whimsical mood and in light of a potential wrinkle in the plans for this weekend's trip to Maine, I asked the Magic 8Pod:

"What's up with this weekend's trip to Maine?"

Go to the Mirror - the Who

From 'Tommy,' this one is a proto-anthem that helped change the course of rock history. It's where the world first heard the words

Listening to you I get the music
Gazing at you I get the heat
Following you I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet

Right behind you I see the millions
On you I see the glory
From you I get opinions
From you I get the story

So we've got that going for us. Which is nice.

Then I just let the randomness ride, as I am wont to do. This day's mix didn't perceptibly continue to comment on the Maine trip, but it was an interesting trip into work. Less genre-hopping than my i-shuffling tends to be, it resulted in a very good groove:

Green Day - the Homecoming/Death of St. Jimmy, etc. extravamondo medley from 'American Idiot'. More anthem rock. Cool.

Portishead - Seven Months. Not as anthemic, but a very powerful song, which has the added significance of being the soundtrack for one of the more intense theatrical exercises of my life.

Dan Bern - Hooker. A long brilliant ramble from Bern's (most unjustifiably) overlooked 'Smartie Mine' record

Patti Smith Group - Distant Fingers. Back in anthem territory from the punk poet goddess (hoping to see her perform on Halloween, btw - cross your fingers)

PJ Harvey - Oh My Lover. Mmmmmmm...

Sade - I Will Be Your Friend. From 'Diamond Life," this was a nice way to wrap up the walk to work. Fitting, wouldn't you say?

Bonnaroo Magic

Alright, the Bonnaroo Schedule has been posted. Leaving us all breathless. Mostly in the best way, althought there will be some scary moments on Sunday afternoon when we're rushing from stage to stage trying to catch parts of sets (or miss out on some really good stuff entirely.)

So this seemed a good occassion to do a little Magic 8pod on the way in today:

How will Bonnaroo go for our little carload o' folks?

Way Down in the Hole, Blind Boys of Alabama

Ok, this seemed scary at first, but on closer inspection I think it's singularly auspicious. We are going way down to Southern Tennessee, after all. It's a damned good song, with a great groove the way BBoA do it. Plus it goes on about how we have nothing to worry about as long as we walk with Jesus - and we're rolling with a seminarian, after all. :)

What about the drive down?

Bridge over Troubled Water, the Johnny Cash version

Again, this gives pause at first, then turns out to be great. I mean, the title's, you know, troubling. But if Johnny Cash is going to be our Bridge, we're in good shape. Sail on silver girl and all. With help from Fiona Apple and that bowed bass.

How will the camping go?

Softly as in a Morning Sunrise, Sonny Rollins

Well here there's no ambiguity. Sweet, cool, vital. Relaxed and energized at once. Distinct musicians working together to make something greater than the sum of its parts. That's what I'm talking about!

[Interestingly enough, none of these folks have anything to do with Bonnaroo, but they're all in the spirit of the event, right?]

Tacked on a question about the dayjob:

What's the deal with the dayjob?

The Man that Got Away, the Jeff Buckley version.

Hehehe.

I love it when the ipod fucks with me. What is this supposed to mean? That this job is going to slip away from me? That it might be a waste of time to stay there? This is from a live show, with Jeff singing hauntingly (natch) and a cappella. Let's not dwell, but move right along...

How are things going to go with theater/acting work in the immediate future?

On the Run, Pink Floyd

This is interesting and encouraging. Foreshadowing Autobahn, PF gives us a train on the fast track, propelled forward in all due haste and then some. It's an open question whether we're running toward something or away from something (or both) but it's worthwhile to point out that this is track number 2 on Dark Side of the Moon; that is, after the inhalation of the opening number, it launches one of the most successful albums of all time - so I'm calling it a good step forward.


And that's today's installment of Magic 8pod.

Art, Life and Magic 8 Pod

My niece drew me a picture when i was in phoenix: an extended family of flamingos, with a monkey swinging nearby; also a few spiders hanging from... the ceiling? an unseen branch just beyond the edge of the page? some other possibility open to the interpretation of the viewer? It now hangs proudly on my wall, right above the button that buzzes people in the front door of my building.

Sleep deprivation makes for a waking dream state, focus alternately intensified and blurred. Kind of like riding orson welles' tricycle through molasses then suddenly looking down and realizing you're waterskiing and you're not sure you know how to waterski but at this point you don't have much of a choice.

So, magic 8 pod - what's the next step in my career?

Jump Monk by Charles Mingus.

Ok, lots of ambiguity and room for interpretation. Very swingin', really good tune & fantastic band, natch. So i've got that going for me. Which is nice. No words to help us out but the title - a reference to thelonious, of course, one of the best jazz composers/performers of all. Unless it's trying to tell me to go monastic. Or just jump. In an ecstatic, stylin' sort of way, of course