mushinnoshin

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

So this weekend is the last regular Nashville Symphony performance at TPAC. I went last night — if you didn’t, you can still go tonight. They started the show with some words, love, & gifts exchanged between TPAC folks & Symphony folks. It was stirring, it really inspired reflection on the momentousness of the occassion — the symphony leaving TPAC after 26 years. It’s heartwarming to think how both organizations have grown through their symbiotic relationship over that time, until we finally reached this day when Nashville has both a world class symphony capable of standing on its own, AND enough business in the other performing arts to keep TPAC running strong without the symphony. (It was suggested in particular that more Broadway musicals are likely to be coming down the pike.)

I think sometimes Nashville may not realize how lucky it is — in a city where everyone and their dog is a musician of some sort, it’s easy to take our symphony for granted, and sometimes we need to stop and realize just what a fantastic group they are. With the opening of the Schermerhorn this fall, the NSO is poised to take its rightful place among the top ensembles of the world. I’m glad I’ve already got my season ticket : )

The performance then began with “An Alpine Symphony” by Straus, an impressive piece with huge orchestration (including thunder effects courtesy of a big piece of sheet metal — take that, Throbbing Gristle!). The closer was Haydn’s “Farewell Symphony”, in which the musicians gradually leave the stage as the piece winds down and they finish their respective parts. It was well suited for the occasion, and was smoothly executed with some tight & poignent work form the lighting booth.

---

In the same spirit of endings, it seems that NV is closing down. And here I just discovered it! Well, no worries, as the Salvation folks have already secured a new location for Sunday gothness at “Decades” just a block away, so I suppose there won’t be much change. But this Sunday will be the last night at NV, and it’s a special “Renaissance Ball” and will feature a live band (Machinegun Symphony), so it should be a good time. Meanwhile there’s a new goth night Fridays at Cocktails, so I checked it out last night after the symphony. The crowd was small & the bar was cheesy, but the music was good & I had fun. If I go back though, I’ve got to make myself go home earlier so that I don’t sleep through yoga again…

Here’s an interesting read from my good friend and fellow-reformed-LPTN’er Joey King.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I fully agree with his position, but there are definately moments when it rings true. Certainly so when I can’t find even third party candidates that much impress me.

Well, I went up before the Jedi Council [0] today, and came home with a shiny new purple belt. Guess I’ll need to start learning my next kata.

Weird thing: I wasn’t nervous about it, I knew the kata, and it was a fairly simple one — I’m a long way from being great at it, but no problem getting through the basics, and in any case I know sensei never sends us up unless we’re ready. So no worries. But last night, I dreamt that I was nervous about it.

How strange is that? It kept me up most of the night, I hardly got any sleep. I suppose the belt test in the dream must have been a metaphor for something else that’s been on my mind. In the dream I wasn’t just going up for a belt, it was more like I was being considered for some new something that didn’t previously exist, and I was unsure how that was going to turn out, whatever it was.

Actually I have a feeling I know what the metaphor meant. But for the very reason OF the metaphor, I don’t want to analyze it. If that makes any sense. In other words my brain is too scrambled over the other thing to want to ask if that’s what has my brain scrambled. I think. Well, if it is what I think it is, I must believe that the outcome will be good, no matter how my dreams may try to confuse me.

Argh. Enough.

[0] Yeah, that’s right, I can’t even learn a martial art without finding a way to nerd it up…

Sometimes you rediscover something you’d nearly forgotten — in this case, something which just might get my nomination for Best Song Ever. Well, I’m as serious about that as the song itself, read that however you like.

Anyway what other song besides Laibach’s cover of “Jesus Christ Superstar” could simultaneously piss off religious types, Broadway fans, and industrial rockers all at once? It really is a thing of beauty.

OK, stupid web quiz thingy, but I liked the result : )

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerous People will stop and watch you when you appear Even though you’re capable of random violence You are best known for: your power Your dominant state: performing

This is hysterical.

Maybe I should work on a Perl version?

#oh say
$you->can_see({light => ‘dawn’,period => ‘early’})…

As a keyboardist/programmer, Vince Clark is of course one of my early heros. Hence it would break my heart to hear Erasure re-imagined as acoustic roots music, so I won’t be going. I already have plans anyway. Still I can’t imagine them doing anything less than a stellar job, so if you’re looking for an 80′s kick or you just like Andy’s voice, this might be a good show.