Happy Halloween!

 

Guess I'm going team werewolf these days.

Black Prairie

My next entry was going to be about the weekend's camping trip, but I am too excited about last night's fantastic performance by the band Black Prairie at Iota Club in Arlington.

On the one hand, I was somewhat disappointed and surprised that the small club was not packed, since three of the five members are also part of the popular band The Decemberists. But the small crowd of less than 80 people made the performance that much more intimate.

I would describe the music as folk/bluegrass meets old world European (think Amalie soundtrack but not so Parisian). That's the extent of my music review vernacular, but you can get a taste of their songs on their website.

I had the opportunity to chat with accordionist Jenny Conlee who was sitting at the door upon my entry. No pretentious, too cool for school Indie rockers here. Just a group of talented musicians playing original, eclectic music.

The highlight of the show was the encore. After playing an amazing set they had the sound guy shut everything off, came down onto the floor and played a couple of songs with the crowd surrounding them. I could have practically touched the violinist, Annalisa Tornfelt, if I felt so inclined. Well after soaking up her haunting vocals, I did feel so inclined but resisted the urge.

The show was honestly one of the best live music experiences I've had. Ever. If Black Prairie is coming to a town near you. GO! I mean it. GO!

Tea Time

Yesterday I returned from my little California getaway to celebrate my Grandmother's birthday. My Aunt reserved a room at the Rose Tree Cottage for an afternoon Tea. We surprised my Grandmother with a limo ride and the party was a success.

 

 

 

 

And remember the painting I made for the invites? I popped in a photo of moi (Grandma's like that kinda of stuff, right?) found a great little frame, and gave it to her as her gift.

Happy Birthday, BaBa!

How to be Alone

I love this video. I definitely struggle with being alone. On the one hand, I love it. I feel more comfortable NOT being around people. It's effortless. On the other hand, it's hard not to feel lonely sometimes, especially when we rely so much on typing into a gadget as our main form of human interaction.

Meet the Chapmans

With my new Netflix subscription, I had the chance to catch up on some old episodes of 30 Rock. HILARIOUS! 

In the credits I noticed one of the actors who plays "Tracy Jordan's" extremely large body guard, "Griz" has the same last name as yours truly. It got me thinking about other "famous" people with my namesake:

Steven Curtis Chapman - Who's one of the most famous dudes in the Christian music scene? THIS GUY.

Anna Chapman - aka the hot Russian spy. Recently deported for her naughtiness.

Tracy Chapman - Singer songwriter, popular in the late nineties. "Gimmy one reason to stay heeerre!"

Mark David Chapman - Infamously known for murdering former Beatle John Lennon, which actually took place 6 months and 2 days after I was born.






What do we all have in common? I have no idea. But if we are in fact all related, I think it would make for an interesting family reunion. Who's bringing the green bean casserole?

Insane in the Membrane

So I finally signed up for Netflix again and am starting to catch up on some movies and tv shows.

The other night we watched Micheal Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story". I AM a fan of Michael Moore and think his work has been so revealing and inspiring, albeit depressing at times (the truth hurts). I read a review by a certain movie watcher called "Bamboo Nation" and found his thoughts amusing:

"After I saw "The Cove," I knew I should tell people not to support marine animal parks or swim with dolphins. After I saw "Food Inc.," I knew I should start cutting high fructose corn syrup out of my diet. After I saw "Terminator 2," I knew I should never buy a robot because machines will eventually try to kill us. After I saw "Capitalism: A Love Story," ... I left the theater in the same state that I was in after all of Moore's previous movies: paralysis."

My sentiments exactly… Our country IS ruled by corporate greed and political corruption, and while it's good to be aware of this, what can I do?? Tell me, Michael Moore, WHAAAAT??

What I do know, is I'll be attending John Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity on October 30th. Sure, this rally will probably not change the world. But perhaps gathering with a large group of normal, mostly level headed American's who have a sense of humor will bring about some much needed cohesiveness. We are living in divisive times. Coming together to have a little fun sure can't hurt.

See you there?