SOUNDTRACK: RHEOSTATICS-Scherzo Pub, Kingston, ON (October 15, 2000).
This show has some fun art work to go with it. The notes say:
“Rare original drawing by local artist “tully” drawn during the october 15 2000 rheos gig at the now defunct scherzo pub, kingston, ontario. the story goes that “tully” goes to shows, does a drawing of the band, and just leaves it on a random table for someone (like me!) to find it. i actually found it on the floor!”
The other joke on the set list over here is the Smoke that carp joke which is from Martin talking about something before the set even starts.
They play a lot of songs from the then unreleased NotSS. The version of “Four Little Songs” is crazy fun–lots of wildness, and a superfast ending.
In addition to playing “Majorca” they play two songs from Introducing Happiness and then talk about Martin’s guitar with the maple leaf on it. They challenged Gordie Johnson from the band Big Sugar to put a leaf on his guitar. Dave says that not only did he put the leaf on his guitar (on the back) but he plays O Canada at every show now.
In the middle of “Junction Foil Ball” Dave talks about how much he struggled to get the riff (earlier Martin said Dave was very proud of the riff). It’s a very lengthy talk with demonstration about the riff–quite amusing.
The end of the show has what sounds like an acoustic unplugged set. Not quite acapella, but Don is only playing the tambourine. It sounds like perhaps they are in the crowd or near the crowd or something.
S
o for “Record Body Count,” the crowd sings along beautifully and “Bead, Meat, Peas and Rice” is also done in this format. For “Northern Wish” Martin say he’s going to start it acoustic while the rest of the band goes back to their instruments. It’s a great version of the song. In fact all three are wonderful, and it’s cool to hear them sounding so different.
There’s another long chat from Martin about Burton Cummings and how they saw him playing a casino. It’s very funny. Then he insists on a “golden drag” on his cigarette before starting the next song.
The disc ends oddly with “Take Me in Your Hand” also done in that acoustic format as the earlier songs–which makes me think it should have been earlier and was placed at the end by mistake. It sounds great either way.
This is definitely a great show and one for any Rheos fan to enjoy.
[READ: March 5, 2015] “Family Life”
I had recently read something about Zambra that made me want to read him, and then, here he was in Harper’s. I like serendipity.
This story was translated by Megan McDowell, and I gather is part of a collection of stories called My Documents which will be out soon from McSweeney’s.
This story is a simple one, although it has an unusual beginning.
Martín is headed to a house for a job. He is to house-sit for a family while they are away for four months. I enjoyed the way the family members were laid out for us to meet: in alphabetical order: Bruno, the husband, Consuelo the wife (well, actually not the wife, because they never married although they act like a married couple) and Sofía their daughter.
We learn that Bruno sand Martín ‘s fathers were cousins. Martin’s father has just died. They barely know each other, although they did know each other when they were kids. But Bruno tries to strengthen this familial connection, because it builds trust. Otherwise they have a stranger in their house for four months.
When Martín arrives Sofi runs past him (“These days kids don’t say hi”) chasing the cat Mississippi. Consuelo is friendly and gives him instructions, which largely entail looking after the cat (who has a swinging door which is open all the time). When Martín looks at a large hour glass, Sofi runs up and says it last 12 minutes.
To pass the time Martín plays Sofi in chess. And when they get bored, he changes the rules so that the object is to get beaten, which Sofi enjoys more.
While Sofi is going to bed, Martín and Bruno talk. Bruno suggest that he “use the time to have ago with one of the neighbors.” Martín thinks (but thankfully doesn’t say out loud) that he’s like to have a go with Bruno’s wife.
After they leave, Martín discovers a photo of Consuelo and puts it up on the wall.
Martin plans to try a different route every day (different stores, different roads) so as not to make an impression on anyone in the town. But one day Mississippi doesn’t return from his nightly stalking. Two days go by and Martín grows concerned. So he puts posters up around town. But when he emails Bruno he doesn’t say anything.
A few days later he sees that someone has posted lost dog posters up over each one of his lost cat posters. He calls the number (while drunk) and talks to Paz, the woman who put up the posters. He complains about what she has done. The next day she does around moving her posters off of his. He gets some courage and goes to talk to her about their lost animals.
A week later he sees a dog that looks like hers and he calls her. They go looking for the dog but don’t find it. Then, after a month, Mississippi returns. He is beaten up , bloody and gross. Martín takes him to the vet and gets medicine that he must apply to Mississippi every night. When Paz calls him, he tells her about the cat and she comes over.
Paz scrutinizes his house–the photo of Consuelo–and he creates and elaborate fiction about his former life with Consuela and their daughter. How they are broken up and he is reluctant to date. Later, they have sex and start seeing each other every day.
Things are going quite well, although of course, it is all based on a lie. And the time of Martín’s departure (and Bruno’s family’s return) is coming up. But the sex is great and he really like her. She even invites him to go to a wedding with her.
What will happen when it’s time for Bruno and Consuela to return?
This is an unusual story (I guess) to start with because I’m not sure if Zambra’s other fiction is anything like this. This story was erotic and a bit salacious and was predicated on a lie. I enjoyed the idea of the main character being someone else and then realizing that he could be that person forever. (Even if that’s not an original concept). But Zambra’s handling of the story was really good and I’m interested to read more from him.
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SOUNDTRACK: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE-Tiny Desk Concert #430 (April 6, 2015).
It’s hard for me to believe that Death Cab for Cutie had not been on a Tiny Desk Concert before. But they are here at last. Well, three of them anyhow. It’s simply Ben Gibbard (of course) on vocals, Nick Harmer on bass, and Zac Rae on piano (now that Chris Walla has left). And what makes this concert so special is that all 4 songs are played on piano–there’s no guitar at all. It gives all of these songs (familiar and new) a much starker feel. Not better, but very different.
I Just Read About That... 