oh yeah, i almost forgot

i saw ani difranco last night with my dear friend, anne, who had an extra ticket. despite all of the various folk genres that i listen to, the whole 'feminist folk' thing is kind of culturally alien to me. my folk artists tend to be from bloomington or from the 60's. the best part of the show was seeing all the diverse folks who came out to see her, very few of whom were dressed like hipsters, but nearly all of whom danced along to every song with everything they had. i decided that i liked ani a lot better when she was angry and dark than on the more uplifting stuff, but i think i also have some sort of sensory input issue with the kind of haphazard way she composes songs. it was fun, though.

the worst part of the show was the part where i was asked to return to my car and leave my camera there because it wasn't allowed in the building. i don't think it was a variety playhouse thing, but anne informs me that it was unlikely that it was an artist thing either, so who knows.

for what its worth, the opener, toshi reagen, was really really good.

bed time!

Thank goodness my advisor is actually a really kind and caring person.

Because if she was like that, I would just not be okay. It has been a rough week in grad school land, the kind of week that reminds me what it felt like going 4-4 at tournaments my freshman year and getting 27.5's because that's just what happens when you are young and no one knows you and no matter how hard you try, things that used to come easily feel forced. At least the week is over. Bleh.

punk rock smells the way a crowd singing along to ghost mice sounds

Tonight, I went to my first show at Wonderroot, this awesome local community center and art space. A bunch of local bands opened for Ghost Mice. They were all really excellent and I would see most of them again. I also really liked Eric Ayotte, who has a really strong voice and plays the acoustic guitar. He could be an honorary Ghost Mouse and has a beard and was wearing a t-shirt from the National Wildlife Museum. He was really nice to me when I was buying his CD. I think he's touring with Ghost Mice so you can go see him if you get a chance. He has also made some movies.

Ghost Mice were the way I have always remembered them. I first saw them when they were a fairly new band, but still really great because they were just on the heels of The Devil is Electric and Operation: Cliff Clavin. Chris has a big beard and looks like he's aging a bit or maybe putting on some weight, not that it matters. I just didn't recognize him at first. Hannah is just as perky and adorable as ever. This time they played a few new songs, and quite a few classics. Let me tell you, there are few better feelings in the world than being in a small, packed room full of people who all know the words to "I Dare You To Live Forever." At the end, I just wanted to give them hugs. Seeing Ghost Mice always reminds me of what community means and makes me want to live less materialistically. In a lot of ways, they are a band that has changed my life in big ways. <3

If you are local, you should really check out Wonderroot. What a cool little space! They have $5 all ages shows there a few times a week. It seemed like everyone was invested in keeping it a community-friendly space. I met a couple of really cool people while I was waiting for the show to start and between sets.

Enough of that for now. Hope everyone is having a fantastic spring. It is really hot here and the flowers are blooming.