Welcome to a sleepy-time edition of Wise Madness. This is what happens when I don’t put my breathing strip on perfectly; I get sleep apnea, and wake up not well rested. Despite that I am writing because I don’t want to disappoint my Beloved Gentle Readers.
There was amazing music throughout the Metro New York Area last night and as my quantum splitting device is still in the testing phase I could only go to one of them, Ariana Gillis. She’s a favorite, a friend, and she hasn’t been in New York for five years. She will be back at Rockwood Music Hall on July 13. It is in my calendar.
I met Ariana at my first NERFA. She was 21 and looked like a 17-year-old Emo kid. She blew me away with trad sounding music. None of those things are true anymore other than blowing me away. Now Ariana doesn’t fit into any named niche; she’s a party of one. Her songwriting and singing are unique. When I hear her voice it makes think her vocal track is not built like other people’s, her palate must be cavernous. From what I can see on the outside it’s not, but it’s the imagery the sound inspires.
I discovered a new side of her. When she was a teen she tried out for a musical college as a jazz guitarist. For her audition she played an original song and the judge told her that she’d be wasting her time in college, that she has the gift and doesn’t need college. She played that song last night. It was great. I want to hear more. Her singing works so well with jazz. She said she’ll never do it again but I bet at some point she does.
There was so much going on last night that I wasn’t surprised that I had only one friends at the show, or that the one friend was Howard. Howard has a thing for Canadians. I have a thing for tailor made great music, not much off the rack fits me. Ariana makes artisanal music.
Rockwood had some new people working. The guy at the door asked who I was seeing to make sure I was going to the right stage. The woman taking tickets told me how things work. Usually they know me. The waitstaff doesn’t. Yesterday the waitress was Courtney, she forgot my name but knew my order, a diet coke, a true professional. She’s the only wait person there whose name I know.
The show was early, 7:00, that gave me time after to get dinner and go shopping. I didn’t have cash on me so I couldn’t go to Rosario’s. Instead I went to Mikey’s Burgers for the first time in ages. That was perfect as I went from there to the new Lower East Side Trader Joe’s, it’s right on the way. This was my first time there. Maybe because it was Saturday night but the store was far less crowded than other Trader Joe’s. It was far more spacious than the others in Manhattan. It will be the place for after Rockwood shopping even though it’s not that close.
Today’s plan is to go to Aldi, which is reopening, for a few things and then watching Game of Thrones. Maria texted me to ask if I were seeing Red Tail Ring and Ben Bedford at Jalopy. It’s tempting but I can’t miss GoT. I might even skip Aldi and spend the entire day in my sweats. The more I think about it the sweeter that sounds. The vote is in and the winner is Remain! Brexit sounds good till you try and make it reality.
Wise Madness 