Yesterday was another busy day. It started with going up to Harrison NY in Westchester for therapy. I walked from the train station to the hospital as the stupid Westchester bus runs only once an hour. I of course don’t mind that as I’m trying to walk every day. It was nice seeing my therapist in person. The rules are that we had to be masked but she asked me to take off my mask for a moment so she could see my full face. She commented that I had no stubble. It was not the most productive session as I was feeling so up by my first week back to living my normal life plus birthday celebrations. After therapy the timing allowed me to take the bus back to the station, but I don’t have a MetroCard with money in it. In the City I just use my debit card but the Bee Line, the Westchester bus system is not as modern. The difference is that in Westchester public transit is for the help, not the middle class. In New York most people use it.
I took the MetroNorth all the way to Grand Central station because my final birthday plan was to meet Katherine in the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge to see Miss Tess. I would say it’s been way too long since I’ve seen Tess (not of the d’Urbervilles), but it’s been way too long since I’ve seen everyone. She was part of the great migration from Brooklyn to Nashville so for years I’ve seen her less often than I had become accustomed. She played as a duo with Thomas Bryan Eaton. I have the album they recorded from their home during the pandemic, but I could never remember his name. Now I will at least remember his first name. The subway runs across the Manhattan Bridge, and we heard the trains running right over our heads all during the show. Now when I forget his name I mentally look up to the train tracks and think, Thomas the Tank Engine.
I’ve been the Archway many times but not since the before times. When I got out of the subway I tried using Google maps to guide and for the second time this week it failed me by not updating my position. I then used common sense. I know that the archway goes under the bridge anchorage. I could see the bridge and let that guide me.
Sonically the Archway is a terrible place for concerts, as I said, we are right under the train tracks. It was rush-hour so the trains were coming every few minutes. It’s still a favorite venue because I love the way it looks, and the ambience. Take a look.
I got there early enough to get the best seat, next to the sound table, and more importantly talk to and hug Tess. Yes, I will be reporting every first hug with people, at least for a while. I missed hugs, I missed seeing friends, and I missed seeing faces. I was joined by Katherine and full appreciated the joy of watching a favorite musician with a friend. Tess does not have a genre, she plays and sings what she loves, there’s swing, blues, country & western, folk, jazz standards, and whatever else she wants. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tess in this configuration before, duo with Thomas the Tank Engine. He played an acoustic guitar, but he played it in ways you usually hear on electric. A few of the songs could have fit right in with the Les Paul & Mary Ford oeuvre. He also wrote and sang lead on songs. This was a duo show and it wasn’t, “oh no she’s letting the someone in the band do a song.” We have all experienced that. There were no let ups in the entertainment.
I mentioned the ambience and it didn’t disappoint. I saw two kids that stumbled on the show have great reactions. One girl came from house right and I saw as she all of a sudden realized what was going on. Her facial expression and body language shouted unbridled joy. Later a little boy entered from the other direction and launched into a very enthusiastic dance. I felt bad as they were in positions where Tess and Thomas couldn’t see them. The other preschool kids came with the parents and cavorted right in front of the stage.
It took me a while then is saw Amy was there with a friend that I know from Amy’s House of Love concerts. She’s getting ready to start them up again. For the life of me I couldn’t remember the friend’s name. What I remembered was that I like him, and I always find myself talking to him at the shows. There was a toddler with him who reminded me so much of my grandniece Joanie. None of this happens at streaming shows.
After the show Katherine took me out to dinner. We went to the Time Out Food court. That’s a great kind of place for Katherine and me to eat as she’s a vegan and I’m a meatan. I had southern fried chicken and mac & cheese. The mac & cheese is better than I can make. The portions were huge, I never have leftovers, but I did, that’s tonight’s dinner. We ate on the roof and had a great view.
We then walked around Brooklyn Bridge Park. There are parts of it I have never seen including the carousel. The view is wonderful everywhere. There wasn’t just great people watching but some out of the way places for peace and quiet. We had optimal timing with the train. We took the F train in opposite directions, and they came the same time after a one-minute wait. After quick hugs we were on our separate ways.
The transit gods restored the balance to the force on the way home. I had to wait 32 minutes in a very hot station when I switched to the D. That in no way put a damper on a great day; put a circle around it.
Wise Madness 