One Star Lost a Family, One Family Lost a Star
Beth and I went to the Mercury Lounge last night to see Rasputina. I'd never been there before. There are a few bands I like that used to play there, but it's a small venue and they outgrew it before I saw them live. They Might Be Giants did several shows there around when they were putting together their 1996 album Factory Showroom. Anyway, the opener was Ryder Cooley, who's in a band called the Dust Bowl Fairies, but this time she just played solo. She had backing tracks, and played accordion and saw, the latter of which she held in her legs.
It seemed a little weird, but I guess I've never put that much thought into how saw players usually hold them. I believe the first time I saw a saw played as an instrument was at a show by some German musicians I saw with my junior high German class, and I don't remember at all how they supported it. Cooley showed up with a taxidermy goat head on her back, which she hung near herself later in the set. She also played in the main set, accompanying Melora Creager on saw, shakers, and tambourine. As with other Rasputina shows I've seen recently, but unlike ones back in the day, Melora was the only cellist. There was also a drummer, so it was a three-piece band this time.
They played a good mix of songs. Rasputina's setlists tend to vary quite a bit, maybe partially because I don't usually see them more than once on the same tour, but also because I don't think they have any big hits they feel obligated to play every time. Melora asked the entire audience to sit down on the floor, which we did, and it wasn't that comfortable, especially considering the size of the crowd. Everyone around me was really friendly about it, though. I guess that's the sort of oddity you just go along with. It was one of the few times where I was relieved to stand up, the others usually involving riding in a vehicle for a long period of time. Melora wasn't as straight-faced with her weird banter as she often is, and commented on how absurd some of her introductions were.
After the show, we went to Katz's Delicatessen for the first time, as it's right down the street. Houston Street is the one that divides the numbered streets of Manhattan from the area farther downtown where they all have individual names. I'm digressing here, but I'm a bit fascinated by patterns in street names and how they got that way. The grid of numbered streets was established by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, and I'm not entirely sure why Houston was used as the boundary, although it looks like it might be because the area south of that already had an established street system, albeit a somewhat haphazard one. It also didn't include Greenwich Village, which wasn't part of New York City at the time. Anyway, at Katz's, I had chicken noodle soup and half a pastrami sandwich, while Beth had an open-faced brisket sandwich with fries and cole slaw. I don't care for cole slaw myself, but Beth said it was really good.
The food is expensive, but they give huge portions, so you basically get your money's worth. I'd heard about that, so it's one reason I went with just half a sandwich, aside from that being part of a special. The food was excellent, but be forewarned that you should either be really hungry or prepared to take something home. Oh, and I saw Ryder Cooley eating there as well.
I've gotten back into playing The Sims 4 in the past few days, and I honestly feel a little guilty that I'm neglecting other video games that actually have a defined endpoint. I played through Glory of Heracles up through Troy, where the difficulty seemed to ramp up quickly; it was never all that hard before. And in Final Fantasy IX, which I have on my PC, the part where Kuja forces you to go to the Forgotten Continent was kicking my ass. I always have plans to do so much when I'm not working, but they often go awry. Even fun things can be frustrating if you're not in the right mood.
It seemed a little weird, but I guess I've never put that much thought into how saw players usually hold them. I believe the first time I saw a saw played as an instrument was at a show by some German musicians I saw with my junior high German class, and I don't remember at all how they supported it. Cooley showed up with a taxidermy goat head on her back, which she hung near herself later in the set. She also played in the main set, accompanying Melora Creager on saw, shakers, and tambourine. As with other Rasputina shows I've seen recently, but unlike ones back in the day, Melora was the only cellist. There was also a drummer, so it was a three-piece band this time.
They played a good mix of songs. Rasputina's setlists tend to vary quite a bit, maybe partially because I don't usually see them more than once on the same tour, but also because I don't think they have any big hits they feel obligated to play every time. Melora asked the entire audience to sit down on the floor, which we did, and it wasn't that comfortable, especially considering the size of the crowd. Everyone around me was really friendly about it, though. I guess that's the sort of oddity you just go along with. It was one of the few times where I was relieved to stand up, the others usually involving riding in a vehicle for a long period of time. Melora wasn't as straight-faced with her weird banter as she often is, and commented on how absurd some of her introductions were.
After the show, we went to Katz's Delicatessen for the first time, as it's right down the street. Houston Street is the one that divides the numbered streets of Manhattan from the area farther downtown where they all have individual names. I'm digressing here, but I'm a bit fascinated by patterns in street names and how they got that way. The grid of numbered streets was established by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, and I'm not entirely sure why Houston was used as the boundary, although it looks like it might be because the area south of that already had an established street system, albeit a somewhat haphazard one. It also didn't include Greenwich Village, which wasn't part of New York City at the time. Anyway, at Katz's, I had chicken noodle soup and half a pastrami sandwich, while Beth had an open-faced brisket sandwich with fries and cole slaw. I don't care for cole slaw myself, but Beth said it was really good.
The food is expensive, but they give huge portions, so you basically get your money's worth. I'd heard about that, so it's one reason I went with just half a sandwich, aside from that being part of a special. The food was excellent, but be forewarned that you should either be really hungry or prepared to take something home. Oh, and I saw Ryder Cooley eating there as well.
I've gotten back into playing The Sims 4 in the past few days, and I honestly feel a little guilty that I'm neglecting other video games that actually have a defined endpoint. I played through Glory of Heracles up through Troy, where the difficulty seemed to ramp up quickly; it was never all that hard before. And in Final Fantasy IX, which I have on my PC, the part where Kuja forces you to go to the Forgotten Continent was kicking my ass. I always have plans to do so much when I'm not working, but they often go awry. Even fun things can be frustrating if you're not in the right mood.