Dateline Upper Darby: Last you heard I was on a bus to Philadelphia. I made it alive! I know that sounds like an epic achievement but please hold your applause until the end of the entry. LORi picked me at by 30th Street Station, we did a few shopping stops and headed back to her house. LORi is an official CCL (Crazy Cat Lady) so I’ve been surrounded by cats. Many of them have insisted I pet them. This has proved a very good way to get me to often wash my hands and to not touch my face. I did draw the line at walking on my computer keyboard; that’s risking my computer’s health, not mine.
We made dinner then headed to the Commodore Barry Culture and Arts Center, the home of the Philadelphia Irish Center to see RUNA.. LORi and I were present at the birth of RUNA. It was a one of Cheryl Prashker’s All About the Drums shows at Steel City in Phoenixville. We’ve been friends and fans of Cheryl for ages, so I made the trip down from New York for the show. I had a car then, so it was a lot easier and I came down far more often. Cheryl always had guests play were her at these shows and one of them that year were a new Irish band she was planning on touring with. That then unnamed Irish Band became RUNA. I became an instant fan. I came down to Philly to see them. I saw them if they played anywhere near New York City. I decided at their first official show that I was going to buy a psychedelic VW microbus and follow them around. I came up with the name of their fandom, RUNAtics. They instantly became one of my bands.
In recent years they have not played in the greater New York area for years. I no longer have a car so traveling is more difficult. I don’t know how long it’s been, but Shannon and Fionán have a 22-month-old son that I have never seen. I might have seen them early in her pregnancy. That’s far too long. They have band members I don’t know. I used to know them so well that I became friends with the people that have since left the band and seen their new products multiple time. This is not the universe running as it should be. Last night was my attempt to set things right.
LORi and I walked in, saw Cheryl, and things were already better. We also so our friends Jayne and Charles. Here’s the current RUNA lineup:
Shannon Lambert-Ryan: vocals, bodhrán, step-dancing
Fionán de Barra: guitar, vocals, bodhrán
Cheryl Prashker: percussion
Jake James: fiddle, step-dancing
Caleb Edwards: mandolin, vocals
You should have picked up that Shannon, Fionán, and Cheryl are the original members of the band. I didn’t know Jake or Caleb. Jake didn’t even start off playing with them last night. I had another engagement and another fiddler started with the band. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t remember his name. This ended up being a bonus as when Jake arrived they both played on some songs including a full session style improv. This is what music is about. I call this configuration the RUNA 6. RUNAtics for RUNA 6! Now that I can see I can once again plan on buying a psychedelic VW microbus and following RUNA around on tour. It would be well worth it. The only downside is that now I feel how much I missed not seeing them for years. RUNA is not a band I can go that long without seeing. They are one of those rare bands that generate energy, they go directly into your pleasure center. They are one of the extremely rare bands that can do that and still make you think. You listen with your mind and feel with your pleasure center. This is why I need to follow them around in a psychedelic VW microbus. Some people will be won over my Shannon’s voice, others by the virtuosity of the instrumentalists. If that isn’t enough, Shannon step dances.
After the show LORi and I headed home. We ate chocolate cookies and had ridiculous conversations. We always have ridiculous conversations. I’m supposed to tell you about two double entendres we came up with, but I can only think of the lesser one. Melania refers to Donald as her big sugarbag. Sadly, we don’t remember the other, so you won’t get to experience the genius.
This morning for breakfast we had the scrapple I’ve been looking forward to John Gorka talked about it on Friday night. I can’t go to Philly and not have scrapple. I’m on the bus home now. I couldn’t finish writing before LORi woke up. I made many new cat friends. Lady, an old cat friend tried to help me write. I’m allergic and but will risk getting sick to play with cats but I won’t risk my computer’s health by letting her walk on the keyboard. I did spend much of last evening and this morning petting cats.
Sadly, the bus made one more stop in Philly and someone is not sitting next to me. I could have avoided it but picked my bag up off the other seat, nobody else was willing to do that. I already have things in the overhead which is the only reason I was using the seat next to me. I’m one of the few people on the bus who has to share a seat as I was the only one willing to pick my things up.
Now to post this, listen to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me with a computer on my lap, not next to me, and try and nap the computer on my lap. That didn’t work. I ran out of Internet. The Bolt Bus Wi-Fi has become useless. I think I used all my data syncing with One Drive. Now I’m home and finally posting this.
Wise Madness 