Yesterday was another post-pandemic first. I traveled to a concert that wasn’t in somebody’s yard or porch. I went into deep-dark New Jersey to see Richard Thompson and Zara Phillips. The show was in Woodbridge, and it took me over two hours to get there, subway, to Jersey Transit train, to a mile walk. I got a new phone since the pandemic started so I had to download the Jersey Transit App. When I planned out the trip neither Google Maps nor the Jersey Transit App believed I would walk a mile so they tried to tell me to take a bus, even though that would take 20 minutes longer. I had to tell Google, no buses to find the fastest route. Google apparently got miffed at me. When I was doing the walk, it stopped tracking my location and giving me guidance. It thought I was staying in one place. Good thing I noticed that. I restarted the phone and it showed me where I now was but still didn’t keep up as I walked. Good thing I realized what was going on just as I had to make a turn.
The show was at a Woodbridge High School. I did not think that I’d have trouble finding the concert once I was at the school, but I did. The high school has a campus the size of a college. I had to walk forever before I even spotted the stage. My plan was to get there an hour early but instead it was closer to half an hour. The place was not packed but the land was taken. Because of COVID-19 restrictions they marked out space rectangles to house each pod. Many of the rectangles had just one chair on them. I found out that the locals put out their chairs at 11 AM. I ran into Gail who told me that she was sharing a rectangle with Perry & Beth and pointed out where they were. I joined them. There were six of us in a box while many boxes had one person. This is not a good system. We’ve learned so much more about how COVID-19 is spread. I thought it was on the risky side last summer now it’s overcautious. There’s small risk of getting COVID-19 outdoors. That’s why people didn’t get it during the protests last summer. The problem is that the locals vote on this, and this system works to their advantage.
Fortunately, the sound system is great, so I heard fine, and I got to sit with friends. Perry & Beth have been to every concert I’ve been to this year but one. I also ran into Michael and Sybil. I late found out that Elisa and Jon were there. They made the trek from Manhattan. Perry and Beth were nice enough to give me a ride back to the train station. That saved me 70 minutes as that’s how long it was between trains.
Zara Phillips is Richard Thompson’s girlfriend. She lives in Montclair NJ and is the reason Richard now lives there and was willing to do this show. She was the opening act backed by RT and a fiddler. Her singing reminds me of Sandy Denny, no wonder RT likes her. She is someone I’d see on her own, though not travel two hours to see.
Richard is the acme of my musical gods, a position he shares with the goddess Rhiannon Giddens. I’d travel two hours to see her too. People think of RT as a great guitarist but he’s one of the best songwriters. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning might be the greatest song ever written. I always sing along, and I always tear up. This time the tears hit at “But if fate should break my stride, then I’ll give you my Vincent, To Ride.” When he sings that song, I see every image he describes. Someone should make a film of the story. My actual dream is to act it out with puppets on stage as he sings it. Don’t look at me like that.
When he and Zara sang Wall of Death I did the official Allison Henry Wall of Death dance. Allison is Phil Henry’s wife and it’s how she’d signal to Phil that she was requesting he sing the song. I picked it up from her and then we expanded it to an interpretive dance that I did seated at a show in public. You’re giving me that look again. This was a Richard Thompson concert which is a religious experience and religion leads to ritual.
It was a wonderful night, once again I had great music and friends. My life is coming back. I am going to the Met game on Sunday. I need plans for Friday and Saturday. Anyone know any good free shows?
I have not taken a proper walk in days. I’ll have to do that today. It might be a Donut Walk™ or it might be a shopping trip. It would help if I could remember what I need. One thing is potatoes. I had to throw out the rest of the free potatoes I got when they handed them out last month. There were too many even for me. When I went to make one yesterday they had all sprouted out of control and started to rot. It was sad. I hate wasting food. Now I hate that I’m going to have to buy potatoes. Now to make breakfast. It feels like a French toast day which reminds me that I need to buy bread and milk. It won’t be a French toast day. Perhaps it’s an omelet day.
Wise Madness 