Bienvenue mes gentils lecteurs. I’m greeting you in French because last night I saw Le Vent Du Nord, a band from Quebec, and Google Translate does not include Québécois.
I’m jumping ahead of myself, as always on Fridays I headed up to Harrison for therapy. That’s in no way convenient but I love my therapist. We spent time discussing one of my biggest problems, procrastination. I had hoped that dealing with the anxiety would fix it, but it hasn’t. We also discussed that there are more Wiccans in America than Presbyterians.
As I take the MetroNorth to therapy it proves an easy launching point for my Friday evening activities. I get into Grand Central at 5:11 and move on from there. Yesterday was particularly easy; I just walked a few blocks to Bryant Park. The show was part of the Carnegie Hall Citywide series. This has been going on for 40 years; how did I not know about it? The Bryant Park page on the event was not particularly helpful. It said that they were giving out blankets to sit on but made no mention that there were also chairs. It didn’t tell you where the blankets were handed out. You’d assume it was by the stage but it was on the opposite end of the park. Why would anyone put it there? It’s also where the CD sales were. Terrible placement. They laid out some blankets on the lawn but the site didn’t say that. I thought those spots were taken till I asked a woman where she got the blanket and she told me it was there when she arrived. I was early enough to get a prime spot. I opted for a blanket not a chair as I prefer to sit in the center and I brought my stadium seat.
I had seen Le Vent Du Nord at The New Bedford Summerfest, now the New Bedford Folk Festival. I am not sure how many years ago it was but it was not recent. I loved them. How could I not love a Quebecois band with a hurdy gurdy? I figured they would become a regular part of my musical life but I have not seen them since. I have not heard of them playing anyplace I can get to.
They were even better than I remembered. I had as much fun at this show as any I’ve ever been to. In the last half hour they invited people to dance in front of the stage. My back has been hurting so I held back and videoed it. When the video ended I could no longer resist and danced. I was by myself, I’m not a dancer, it made no difference, the music commanded it. I might as well have been wearing the red shoes. I danced and I danced and I danced, as did everyone else. They would stop playing and everyone would think it was over, and I’d be relieved as I had no energy left. Then they’d start again and my batteries recharged. Eventually people joined them on the stage. One woman was obviously a trained Irish Dancer, the rest were simply enthusiastic. I most enjoyed watching these two young women in front of the stage that were totally swept up in the music. I suspect they had never danced to anything like this. They might have never heard anything like this. But the music animated their bodies and they were in ecstasy. I could not move as well as they did but I was ecstatic too. Despite the fact that I could not understand a word they sang; this was one of the great concert experiences of my life.
I wish they would come to Falcon Ridge. They’d bring me to the dance tent. The audience would demand they be brought back year after year.
A few people in the crowd were not as taken with the music. There was a large group in front of me with some small children. These were not concert people, I suspect that they were in the park, saw them laying out blankets, and decided to sit on them. I heard them say, “What do you want to do about dinner?” “I don’t know but I want to hear a some of the music first.” They had staked out prime real estate, in front of me center stage, and they weren’t sure they were staying to hear any music. I had to gently suggest that they might want to fold the stroller and no have it block people’s view. Every song someone in the group stood up and walked away or walked back. Never between songs. They didn’t think of waiting.
One of the girls to my left started watching music videos on her phone during the concert, without earbuds of course. She had no idea why I said, “Excuse me” to her even when I pointed to the phone. I would have had to shout to explain the problem so I just lived with it.
By the end of the concert all the people that couldn’t appreciate the magic were gone. Everyone remaining was totally swept up. It was one of those great shared crowd experiences. We were part of one shared whole.
I took 12,995 steps yesterday, half of them were danced. I’m sure I looked like a total dork but I don’t care. It felt wonderful. Today my back does not feel wonderful. I’m wearing an ice pack as I write this. The concert was worth the pain.
Wise Madness 