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.]