On Thursday night I saw Dar’s annual Christmas week show at the Bell House. Thanks to the plague this is the first one in three years. Slowly my traditions return. COVID-19 isn’t over, but life goes on. It’s all about balancing risks and rewards. How did I balance? I went but wore an N95 mask the entire time. My goal is to minimize risk, not eliminate it. I pick all the low hanging fruit. None of that is near the most important things I want to write about, but I feel a civic duty to discuss it. Now on to our regularly scheduled telling the story of a wonderful night.
I met David for dinner before the show. I’ve missed only one show in the series, but this was David’s first. I found a place two blocks a way right up my alley, Might Quinn’s Barbeque (sic). I’m sure you’ve been to many BBQ joints but you ain’t seen nothing like the Mighty Quinn. Actually, you have but it’s quite good. I had the burnt ends. They are unbelievably tender. As an experiment I tried taking a bite with just my lips, not my teeth. It worked! I’m in love. I had corn fritters on the side. How on brand is this? I went to see one of the greatest musicians and a personal favorite, and a friend, and I start off talking about food. I’ll believe in the AI writers when I tell it to write in my style and it emphasizes food. I am far too taken with my personality quirks. I guess that’s better than self-loathing.
I usually go to the shows with Chris and Gene & Isabel. As I was talking about Chris, surprised that David didn’t know him, Chris walked in. He was meeting Gene & Isabel there. Then he got a text saying they were running late so it was just the three of us. I’m a fan, short for fanatic, so when David and I were finished eating we left to grab a spot up front on the line, this show traditionally has an early arriving crowd. We were about the 6th people on the line. A few minutes later Chris joined us. Gene & Isabel were caught in such bad traffic that they didn’t arrive until after doors opened. We saved seats for them. Shockingly the friends sitting with me were the only ones in the audience I knew. How did that happen? This is supposed to be my crowd. I should know a dozen people. Time and COVID-19 have changed things. You can see that when we were one of the only ones to wave our phones during the first verse of Iowa. Most people didn’t catch on till Dar asked everyone to do it on the third verse.
How do I love Dar? Let me count the ways. I love her lyrics, her music, her banter, and the person. Seeing Dar always feeds the soul. I often do merch but didn’t last night. Raquel did. I enjoy being able to afford pay my way for the show but then I don’t get to talk to Dar afterward. She might not be aware, but we had a conversation going the entire night and I just waited for it to be my turn to talk. I feel that way about many musicians, it’s why I have always talked to musicians, but the feeling is extra song with Dar. I found out that we have a major disagreement. She thinks of When I was a Boy as a gender song. I see it as an anti-gender song. I can’t remember the other main topics of discussion, they were sillier. Sillier does not mean less important.
Here’s a question for the hive mind. Dar didn’t sing her one Christmas song, The Christians and the Pagans. I don’t think she ever did that before. I never remember anything, but I think I’d remember my shock at her not singing it. It’s a song I get to sing along to. I love all the audience participation parts. Waving the phones, saying “and I’d do it again,” “I am the others!” and making make the peace sign. I love rituals that are not in the public domain.
After the show Chris, David, and I walked to the same train station then took three separate trains. It was like parting at a crossroads. My trip to the Bronx was uneventful.
Tomorrow I’ll catch up on the last few days. I have not moved the last two days but that doesn’t mean I have nothing to write about. I have adventures with a new phone and Gord’s Gold.
Wait, I realize that I have not acknowledged that the earth is about to complete another trip around the sun. Tonight, is New Year’s Eve. That deserves recognition. This has been a big year for me. I got a well-paying job. When people ask me to contribute to causes, I can! That’s a wonderful feeling. I can treat my friends that don’t have money, that’s a wonderful feeling. I can buy things I need. For the first time pretty much ever, I was able to buy size 35X30 pants. Usually all I can find is a 34 or a 36 waist is a wonderful feeling. I can go to concerts I want without getting comped. That’s a wonderful feeling. Most of all I have friends, and no man that has friends is a failure. Thank you, Clarence. It really is a wonderful life.
Wise Madness 