Yann Tiersen
Last night at the Tugboat was positively grueling. I've gotten used to the normal wax and wane of my Fridays at the bar. I've gotten quite good at the triage that is bartending. When there's a rush, it's all about getting a drink in everyone's hand. Making food for people can wait for a bit, and I can be confident that I'll be able to catch a breath at some point when the rush dies down to do some dishes.
Last night, however, was not just any Friday night. It was Friday night during the Oregon Brewer's Festival. The night when every bar in the downtown area is flooded with people who've been drinking little 4 oz glasses of beer all day, and are just craving a pint full of something. Unfortunately, they also like to talk about beer, and want to taste lots of other beers, and there are a lot of em. Did I mention that they are occasionally a little tipsy already.
Well, I got slammed. It was 10-11 hours without a break. I tend to slide up and down the bar a lot during my shift --- the till is at the opposite end from where like to talk to people ordering, which means that I do a little do-si-do from one side of the bar to the other often.
I had a couple guys at the bar marveling at my movements. One of them jokingly claimed that I "moved like a dancer". For much of the night, I felt like I was putting on a performance.
Now, sitting at home, I'm happy to just listen to something peaceful and beautiful. I occasionally turn to the Amelie soundtrack for music to sleep to --- I like the unusual timbre of accordion, harpsichord, banjo, and vibraphone, which accompany the more pedestrian piano and bass on that soundtrack. At some point, I decided to explore more of the work of composer/performer Yann Tiersen, and I discovered this beautiful piece of music, La Pièce Vide, off of his 1997 album, Rue Des Cascades. It's a short, but stunningly beautiful piano piece, and just what the doctor ordered today.
La Pièce Vide - Yann Tiersen
1997 - Rue Des Cascades
Quirky Chamber
Track Length - 1:42
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