I was too busy to write yesterday, that means I have a lot of catching up to do. Will I succeed? Will I have the energy to get up and find the program that would help me write about yesterday? These pages will tell.
On Saturday night I trekked down to the Brooklyn Music Shop aka Don’s house to see Pesky J. Nixon. This ended the longest PJN draught since I discovered them. I got there half an hour before doors so I could get some personal time with Ethan, Jake, and Kara. I saw Ethan and Jake at NERFA and Falcon Ridge. It might be more than a year since I’ve seen Kara. That’s just wrong. The long dry spell meant that I had a lot of pent up heckling demand. With the possible exception of Eric Schwartz they are the act that I heckle the most. Maybe not, there’s also Scott Wolfson and other Heroes. I might have to come up with an objective measure of heckling, HAR, heckles above replacement player.
With the long dry spell came the absence of the usual PJN audience. The only people that I knew in the audience were Dan and his crew, his parents Michael and Star, sister Autumn, and girlfriend Anna. Dan was in the audience and I heckled him. He fits somewhere in there too. Ethan said, “There are times you are in a relationship that you know you shouldn’t be in;” and I shouted out, “Anna!” I just met her on Friday and she has to put up with the full force of my … my … whatever it is that I do.
As you only heckle the ones you love, you can tell that I love Pesky J. Nixon. They are their own genre with shoots running to folk, community, performance art, and awkwardness. It might not be easy to say why they are great but seeing them makes you happy. There was one other person I knew in the audience, Courtney, Jake’s fiancé. I knew her before the relationship, I might know her longer than Jake does. Like Anna, she’s too good for her boyfriend. I have nothing against Jake but he plays accordion. When I was ranking who I mock the most there I came up with Dan > Jake’s accordion > Ethan. My ranking of who I rank on is meaningless, I might say the exact opposite tomorrow.
I discovered something new about Kara, she’s known Mya long that I have and longer than she’s known her PJN peeps. She showed me pictures of them together. Mya looked very nerdy, my people.
Yesterday’s adventure, like Gaul, was divided into three parts. The first was seeing Maria Di Meglio, the cellist of Harpeth Rising host a Christmas concert at the chapel of Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. While I knew the area well, I had a friend that lived a few blocks away, I walked passed his old apartment on the way there, I had never been on the grounds of the actual Fort before. Maria had to leave my name at the gate so I could get in. It’s a working army base. Somebody has to protect us against the British. I was very disappointed, despite the name, the people at the base don’t say everything in rap.
When walking to the chapel I saw something a bit disconcerting, the main street when you enter the fort is General Lee Street. It is named for Robert E. Lee who was stationed there well before the Civil War. That named should really be changed. Yes, Lee served with distinction in the US Army and at the Fort, but the then made War on the United States. We don’t name things after the hero of the Battle of Saratoga, Benedict Arnold. He later became a traitor and that’s how he is remembered. Lee should suffer the same fate. He inflicted far more harm on the country than Arnold.
The people at base security were very friendly and gave me excellent directions to the chapel. I was disappointed to find it an unremarkable modern building. I was hoping for something historic. That was the last disappointment I had until after the show.
I got there shortly before the music started. My train was delayed when a passenger was struck by another train at 59th street. He wasn’t on the tracks. He was on the platform. I couldn’t see him, or her, I saw the cops and paramedics who were helping.
I saw with Maria’s mother who recognized me. I’m impressed. I’m not impressed that I don’t remember her name. Not surprised either. I’m an idiot you know.
Maria lives in the Columbus Ohio area but grew up in Brooklyn. Her mother attends the church and Maria did when she was young. She even performed there. This year she thought it would be nice to offer to put on a show again and the priest, who didn’t know her, agreed. How much do I love Maria? she got me to a Catholic service at the far end of Brooklyn. It wasn’t really a service, this was after the Mass. There were a few prayers before and after the music.
I saw Maria do something similar earlier this year, around Veterans Day at another Church in Brooklyn She was joined this time by two of the same musicians, Kristin Samadi and Don Gilbert. There were also some performers from the chapel, both the Catholic and Protestant congregations. Marie Blair is a pianist that went to Michigan. Maria and Don went to Indiana. I was hoping for Big Ten Rivalry Rumble but was disappointed; all remained peaceful.
There were some Christmas carols, and I sang along. I of course did them the Caroling Carolers way. That is especially important on Joy to the World where I sing, “She rules the world.” You know the right words. Maria did classical pieces. Bach, and Hayden, A Jazz Etude by Friesen, and the Catalan traditional piece, The Song of Birds I took a few videos, we’ll see how long it takes me to get them posted. The Hayden was a transcription of a concerto to piano and cello. That was ambitious and successful. It was well worth the trip to Brooklyn.
The next stop was the holiday market in Bryant Park. I walked through it on Friday and discovered a place that serves French fries cooked in duck fat. I could not resist that. Yesterday I went back and found it. It’s called Duck Season and can be found on the west side of The Lodge. When I went to order I saw they had poutine, so I went for that. It wasn’t even overpriced, the same as Mile End for a huge order. There was one issue, the curds were cold. It was delicious and I’ll try it again but that is a flaw. I buried the curds in the hot fries to heat them up.
The final adventure was the Knick Game, they were playing the Charlotte Hornets. They were blown out. I won the prediction game with Alan. I lead 2-1. I don’t have another game until the end of January.
I am wimping out. I had plans to see Jean Rohe tonight, but I need a night off. It’s the only one this week and I just saw Jean twice. I still hate to miss her.
Since I found out that I had sleep apnea I’m even sleepier than before I knew. I fell asleep right after I finished the previous paragraph. Good thing I a phone call awakened me. Now I’ll post this and have breakfast and coffee.
Wise Madness 