nancy...now that i've had time to reflect i'd like to thank you for making my last show special....and thanks for the traveler's gift package...you're very personable.....gregggggggggggg

Appeared on the final Sterlace show on Halloween and now Greg and Paula are wending their way here and there, to and fro, yonder and yonderer.
Texted the travelers yesterday to say hi and to check on their whereabouts and they were walking along thee mall in D.C. - as in monuments, not anchor stores.
Ordered them to march along to Maya Lin's Viet Nam memorial pronto for me.
Planning a trip with Kennedy to see her wavy fields of green on the Hudson in the spring.
The last Sterlace show was as chaotic as usual, with a panoply of guests who come on and riff along the mental lights fantastic.
What I enjoy most is free jazzing along with Greg, we usually end up haranguing the guests: that night he was upset that whomever sat in the ol' hot seat didn't spend enough energy mourning the loss of his show, or presenting him with gifts.
I made up a bag of traveling tricks, including ear plugs which he said came in quite handy on the NJ turnpike (where, You may recall, o faithful epinw reader, Yours Truly spun out and did a 360 in a rainstorm on her way to Dragon Boy's lair).
That night YT was a scary clown.
Is there any other sort.
I think not.
I summoned forth all my mime and modern dance training which, along with my rapid-fire piss & vinegar Sterlace-inspired wit, made for some of the best comedy the Middling City has watched in ... well, since the previous YT Sterlace stint.
I jest.
No, come to think of it, I do not.
Onwards.

Nephew and I acquired the verylast two tickets to Iron and Wine last night (see iPhone rendering above) at Babeville/Asbury Hall, thanks to Mary and Susan (and my fast car and legs) waited alongside the ticket printer machine to see what remained.
Got to hear part of the soundcheck with Beam and backing band and knew the show (which was just over two hours) was going to be magical.
Yes.
And then slapped down cash and made my way back to my home office hovel to pixelpush until time to get 'phew.
YT has been taking her nephew to shows since he was six when she was photo editor of Artvoice and making my column WhatHasHappened and we'd hang backstage and cavort with roadies, merch girls, and sundry others who make rock & roll roll.
We did that up until 2003 when I split the gig but still we manage a few shows a year, and still cavort with our rock pals.
Speaking of such, saw Scot making sure that nobody misbehaved, as is his wont.
Said hi and such and still think of Scot as a housepainting colleague (with Ani) all those years ago.

We are all who we are at rock shows.

It turns out that my nouveau dentist is a Deadhead, and he proudly states, as all fans of that genre do, how many shows he's been to: 45.
It turns out that he and I were at the same ultra-memorable Phish show at Arena Rollerskating Rink in 1990, when the vacuum cleaner was played and Trey skated through the crowd.
Told him that Phish bought some of my work, documentation of one of their Darien Lake shows, for their live series of recordings.
Again speaking of crowds.
At the Iron and Wine show a woman yelled Call a doctor as Beam was beginning a solo song (two drummers/percussionists, pianist, keyboard/accordionist, violinist would join him in a few) and I said to Kennedy later last night Who in hell yells Call a doctor.
He added it was as charmingly cliche/antiquated as Is there a doctor in the house.
So it was a fainting femme.
YT in her long journo/photojourno career has seen her fair share of young ladies crushed up against barriers until saved by security thugs, mid-show broken arms, women at gigs concurrently out on town and amateurishly partying like rockstars and collapsing.
Suspect it was the thrill of seeing Iron and Wine doused with the gasoline of imbibe plus the crush of bodies.
He stopped, he began again.

My nephew commented on the number of plaid shirts and beards in the crowd.
He revealed that he's unable, despite his height of over six feet, to grow a beard.
I commented that I thought that was a good thing.
So, show over.
Big applause applause.
And now the next shows in sights:
Band of Horses, biennial in New Orleans, Maya Lin at Storm King, and oso many many more.
Today is a day of art making.
Flowers have been purchased, organic objets and models amassed.


Many More, Love.