An experiment in speedy reporting

Tonight we went to see Citizen Cope at the Tin Angel. We went to the early show (or as my spouse described it--speaking only for himself--the "old folks hour"). I suspect the later set is currently underway, thus the lead-in to this post. He has a new album out as of September 14.

The performance was purely excellent.

When "Cope," whose given name is Clarence Greenwood, greeted the audience with "Hello Philly, how ya doin'?" I answered not with a whoop but a clearly stated: "Very fine, thank you very much."

....I was simply following Shakespeare's advice ("This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." Polonius, Hamlet, Act 1). Why fake it? I have good manners. I can't just bark like a dog. I did witness others doing so once, at a Prince concert in 1983. If they were being true to themselves, which certainly seemed to be the case, I salute them.

Quickly thereafter, I discovered that sitting still was very hard. This music invites movement. It insists on it. It's a sweet, compelling invitation. It's a question I want to answer. Why anyone expects anyone else to remain stationary under such circumstances is something I will never understand. I did pretty much behave myself (the place is tiny and if you stand up you block others' views), although I would have preferred not to.

[Please note that I don't love every show I see---I'm only motivated to write about the good ones. The last time we saw Cope, I was in the midst of a shockingly negative reaction to some ravioli, which colored the entire experience a bilious green. I did not write a single word.]

Je Rentre au Monde des Blogeurs

Translation: I return to Blog World.

I haven't been away, just summering. I like summer. It's outdoors time. Of course now that I have my Airport Express up and running, I can be connected all the time, anywhere in my little 'zone.' However, computers don't like to get wet, which means one must be very careful when using them outside. There are also bugs--which do land on them and seem to like all the little crumbs someone (moi? jamais!!) left on the keyboard.

I'm thinking that I'll ease into fall. In so doing, I offer a few scattered vignettes, anecdotes, and etc.

1. Spent some time "off the grid" on Prince Edward Island. Enchantingly beautiful. Wanted to go even farther into the remote zone, to visit the Iles de la Madeleine--a 6 hour ferry ride from PEI. Liked being off the grid, but felt a little anxious about it, and the re-entry was jarring.

2. Saw Norah Jones at the Mann in Philadelphia. Wonderful night, wonderful performance. Her albums don't really convey the power, range, and subtlety of her voice--nor the muscularity of her band.

3. I've been thinking a lot about French Hip-Hop. When I was a teenager living in West Africa, French pop music was horrible (my opinion): kind of like a wussier version of disco music, rendered even worse in comparison to the fabulous Zairoise and Soca music that was everywhere. However, in the past few years I have become aware of artists like Les Nubians and Doc Gyneco, whose music is original, soulful, and infectious. What happened? Whatever is is or was, I endorse it.

4. Scenes from the modern world:
--The 'crisis' phone calls I get from my family invariably relate not to their health but to their computers.
--Yesterday I sat on my back porch downloading the latest "security update" while mending my husband's pants.
--My daughter has her own blog, and is hounding me because I haven't updated mine.