[DID NOT ATTEND: October 11, 2026] Ida / Tsunami
L
ast year Ida and Tsunami played together. I was more familiar with Tsunami than Ida, although I did know Ida.
Ida was based in NYC and Tsunami in DC. Tsunami’s own Simple Machines record label released Ida’s first three albums (1994’s Tales of Brave Ida, 1996’s I Know About You, and 1997’s Ten Small Paces) and the two acts regularly found themselves touring and collaborating together throughout the decade.
I had mild regret about not going to that show, and even more mild regret about not going to this one. I initially had tickets to see Voivod, but that was cancelled. Up next was Isiliel but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. There was even the possibility of seeing rhododendron play in West Philly. So this show was fourth on my list. It was never going to happen.
But maybe if listen more to Ida now, when they come back around I’ll out them higher up.
Reading this blurb about Ava Mirzadegan made me think I wouldn’t like her–that it would be too spare, too silent.
Accompanied most often by spacious silence and a finger-picked nylon string guitar, Ava Mirzadegan writes quiet songs about longing, letting go, and befriending night skies.
But listening to her album, it’s really lovely. Her voice is gorgeous and her playing is gentle but resonant. You could probably hear a pin drop when she played.
