May 2009 Archives

VNV Nation have released "Reformation 01" and while there's a lot of live tracks and some remixes, there are a handful of brand new songs and "Suffer" is the one I simply can't stop listening to. They're all great though. They're coming to the Regency Ballroom on June 29th and I have my ticket.

Kenneth Bager: Fragment Eight (Sound of Swing). He's from Copenhagen, Denmark.

I drove someone to the airport at the crack of dawn and the sunrise heading back to the City was pretty spectacular.

I just found out that Ataraxia is doing a concert in Mexico in November. I'm like so there. They don't perform often, have a reputation for often doing shows in places of spiritual significance. Having researched European legends crossing the Greek and Latin myths, they write lyrics in many ancient and contemporary languages. The band has about twenty records to their credit over the last twenty years and I have quite a few of them. I am very excited. I'm pretty sure this is going to be their first concert on this side of the Atlantic. I've been saying for quite awhile that I'm going to Mexico this year - and now I know why.

Peter and I caught the midnight showing of the new Star Trek movie. I loved how they worked everybody into the new script - and basically reinvented a whole franchise for a new generation. Pretty brilliant!

Hoopin' Annie and I and some beautiful peoples from Bay Area Hoopers spent some time together setting the night on fire.

I've been a fan of Alela Diane from the moment I first heard her voice a couple years ago. Her debut release "The Pirates Gospel" is one of my favorites. While her latest release entitled "To Be Still" didn't hit me in quite the same way, it's grown and weaved its branches and brambles into my heart as well. Tonight my friend William, who loves her as much as I do, and I went to see her play at Cafe DuNord. I'm not sure if the lighting was too hot, or if she simply transcended during her performance, but she looks like this in all of my photos. Oddly enough, it seems quite appropriate.

Finally, truly amazing coffee, here in San Francisco: Four Barrel.

Amy and I caught one of the final performances of Ballanchine's "Jewels" with the San Francisco Ballet. "Emeralds" was performed in green jeweled costumes and was something of a tasty appetizer for things to come. "Rubies" was the most modern and an incredible main course - at least by smaller sized California cuisine standards. "Diamonds" - the finale - delivered the over the top spectacular dessert we'd all been waiting for. My only complaint - our seats were up so high we couldn't see the chandeliers.

I've known my friend Jerry since 1987 and having him fly down from Seattle and spending the day with him was such a blast, how did ten hours go by so fast?

Peter Griggs and I decided to take a late night venture out to Temple to hear legendary house dj Marques Wyatt spin. It truly was a spiritual experience. Our friend Eric Sharp was dishing out the truly tasty beats downstairs too. It reminded me why I've always loved the afterhours experience. Once the booze gets turned off, those that are left are there to dance. What a great night!