Day off today, for no special reason other than I needed to take the day off or I would lose the vacation time. October 1st starts a new calendar year where I work, so I’m really cutting it close. I should have planned the day out better but it was nice to not have to be anywhere in particular. I feel like this October is filling up with things to do as I sit here. I don’t mind it, but I like to have days like this to reserve energy and not feel so lost in the shuffle… a breather, if you will.
This past weekend I took a chance to see Julie Doiron/Calm Down it’s Monday/Mount Eerie at the People’s Center in New Haven. To give a little background on the venue, the People’s Center is a meeting place for social justice groups and the like, leftist, maybe bordering on Communist, but has lately been renting out space for local and out-of-town shows to take place. Britt joked (although, somewhat nervously) that he would be marked as a Communist Party card carrier if he went to the show and I joked that I didn’t know, since I had never been there before. (I am glad he came, though.) The vibe was a little unusual — I felt like we were watching a show in someone’s living room, and it was essentially that. Very intimate, though. I liked Julie Doiron a great deal — she’s very cute and charismatic and talented. Actually listening to some of her songs as I type this. I’d like to keep an eye on the shows that are coming in. A lot of the acts going through to Boston or New York sometimes make stops along the way here to New Haven so we’ve been lucky to get some jewels coming through at much smaller venues. Worth checking to see if they’ll be here in town before I haul out to NYC.
In the middle of the month, within the same week, I had the chance to catch the Meat Puppets/Built to Spill/Dinosaur Jr. at Toad’s Place. First time seeing any of them live, and I’ve been listening to them (especially Built to Spill and Dinosaur Jr.) for a very long time. Built to Spill was amazing to hear live, playing Perfect from Now On, but getting kicked off short of an encore to make room for the Wednesday Night Dance Party WTF? Dinosaur Jr. was LOUD but entertaining, and I stood right in front of Lou Barlow who looked goofy but cute while he rocked out (almost as if he was doing the Snoopy dance or something, but it suited him. True story — I was supposed to see Sebadoh at Toad’s back in 1999, but a snow storm made them cancel and I haven’t had the chance to see them or Lou solo in any form since).
I want to do a short PSA before I wrap up this entry, as this week is Banned Books Week (September 27 - October 4). If you know me, reading is very important to me, as is having the choice to read whatever I please no matter how “controversial” the book may seem. The link above has links to lists of banned books and reasons why they were banned or challenged. I encourage every one to read a book from that list, or at least a book that might make Sarah Palin freak the fuck out. I have it mind to read something particularly vulgar this week.
If I don’t get to posting this Wednesday, Happy October, the happiest and saddest month that ever there was.