2008 Vermont Recap
_sara and adam22772 are the best, and that's why I love visiting them.
Vermont Is Tasty
When I'm in Vermont, I am vegan (with the occasional slice of pizza), and it's fantastic detox for my body. Sara is one of the awesomest cooks ever, and I realize now that most vegans (like most people) don't know how to cook, and that's a big part of why people don't automatically say "YUM!" when I tell them I'll be eating vegan while on vacation. Sara made carrot cake cupcakes (her first carrot cake) and they were YUM! There were also cookies and salads and cutlets and corn and ratatouille. All YUM! of course. I really wish I had the money to help finance a bakery for her.
Kitties!
Of course there are kitties! I walked in the door and saw Jill. Jill, who has grown so much since I last saw her. I commented how big she had gotten and she replied with her teeny tiny little kitty voice - still a kitten inside! Phife was just as I remembered, and Bauer of course was the first to jump up in my lap (we've always had a special bond). Beck was quite a bit more affectionate than I remember. All in all, it was a lovely week-long kitty party.
Public Domain Project
One goal of the trip was to record tracks for my Public Domain Project. I arrived with a bunch of recordings, and we chose six to work on during the week (another six just need mixing or slight tweaks, and the rest look like they're being cut from the album). Some really great tracks got laid down, and they'll only get better as we (mostly Adam) tweak and mix over the next few months. I'm really excited about this album coming out - not because it's been six years in the making, but because it's going to be really good.
Retro Rockin'
Hot Neon Magic is an early 80s cover band started by Jeff Margolis (band-era Mailbox bassist) and has Adam on keys, guitar, and doing some singing. Now, I don't really like the 80s. But this band at least limits itself to the better stuff - the New Wave stuff at the beginning of the decade. So it's enjoyable, even if I have to think "oh, man, they're playing Flock Of Seagulls. Why are they playing Flock Of Seagulls?"
I'm usually an anthropologist at concerts - I spend more time observing the crowd than the band. And this crowd... scares me. First of all, many came dressed for an 80s show. That's just weird. Everybody was singing along and dancing. Which isn't that odd, but I have NEVER seen a crowd so worked up over anything - and this is just a cover band! They chanted/demanded TWO encores, and probably would have rioted for a third if not for the convenient 2am shutdown rule. I think HNM is tapping into some kind of awesome power, and should be careful with how they wield it.
Foolish Pride
Coincidentally, there was a street performers festival going on while I was visiting. We didn't get to see many on the street, but we did attend a late-night show in an auditorium. Clowns, jugglers, and dancers. It was really really good. It was a coincidence this time, but if this event becomes annual, I will need to plan my visits accordingly so as not to miss it.
Airline Curse Takes Off
My flight to Vermont was delayed an hour. An hour! How awesome is that?! And the flight back actually took off on time, and was only delayed by half an hour while we circled La Guardia waiting to land. And I got into my apartment just minutes before that awful horrendous rain and hail insanity started. My curse may be lifting.
Vermont Is Tasty
When I'm in Vermont, I am vegan (with the occasional slice of pizza), and it's fantastic detox for my body. Sara is one of the awesomest cooks ever, and I realize now that most vegans (like most people) don't know how to cook, and that's a big part of why people don't automatically say "YUM!" when I tell them I'll be eating vegan while on vacation. Sara made carrot cake cupcakes (her first carrot cake) and they were YUM! There were also cookies and salads and cutlets and corn and ratatouille. All YUM! of course. I really wish I had the money to help finance a bakery for her.
Kitties!
Of course there are kitties! I walked in the door and saw Jill. Jill, who has grown so much since I last saw her. I commented how big she had gotten and she replied with her teeny tiny little kitty voice - still a kitten inside! Phife was just as I remembered, and Bauer of course was the first to jump up in my lap (we've always had a special bond). Beck was quite a bit more affectionate than I remember. All in all, it was a lovely week-long kitty party.
Public Domain Project
One goal of the trip was to record tracks for my Public Domain Project. I arrived with a bunch of recordings, and we chose six to work on during the week (another six just need mixing or slight tweaks, and the rest look like they're being cut from the album). Some really great tracks got laid down, and they'll only get better as we (mostly Adam) tweak and mix over the next few months. I'm really excited about this album coming out - not because it's been six years in the making, but because it's going to be really good.
Retro Rockin'
Hot Neon Magic is an early 80s cover band started by Jeff Margolis (band-era Mailbox bassist) and has Adam on keys, guitar, and doing some singing. Now, I don't really like the 80s. But this band at least limits itself to the better stuff - the New Wave stuff at the beginning of the decade. So it's enjoyable, even if I have to think "oh, man, they're playing Flock Of Seagulls. Why are they playing Flock Of Seagulls?"
I'm usually an anthropologist at concerts - I spend more time observing the crowd than the band. And this crowd... scares me. First of all, many came dressed for an 80s show. That's just weird. Everybody was singing along and dancing. Which isn't that odd, but I have NEVER seen a crowd so worked up over anything - and this is just a cover band! They chanted/demanded TWO encores, and probably would have rioted for a third if not for the convenient 2am shutdown rule. I think HNM is tapping into some kind of awesome power, and should be careful with how they wield it.
Foolish Pride
Coincidentally, there was a street performers festival going on while I was visiting. We didn't get to see many on the street, but we did attend a late-night show in an auditorium. Clowns, jugglers, and dancers. It was really really good. It was a coincidence this time, but if this event becomes annual, I will need to plan my visits accordingly so as not to miss it.
Airline Curse Takes Off
My flight to Vermont was delayed an hour. An hour! How awesome is that?! And the flight back actually took off on time, and was only delayed by half an hour while we circled La Guardia waiting to land. And I got into my apartment just minutes before that awful horrendous rain and hail insanity started. My curse may be lifting.