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Saki–“Tobermory” (Myanmar) [The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar #13] (1912)

December 13, 2021 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:  hiatus

[READ: December 13, 2021] “Tobermory”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar.  The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individually bound short stories.

As always, each story is a surprise, so you won’t know what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Once you’ve read that day’s story, check this link where editor Alberto Manguel is providing daily commentary on each of the stories he selected for this year’s calendar.

Saki was the pen name of Hector Hugh Munro, a British author born in Myanmar (then British Burma).  He loved skewering the British upper class.

This story is hilarious.

An upper class couple is throwing a party and they have invited a host of boorish people.  They’ve also invited Mr. Cornelius Appin, a “clever” man with a vague reputation.

It soon came out that Appin discovered a means for instructing animals in the art of human speech.  The room is incredulous, until he says that his first subject was the hosts’ own cat Tobermory. Continue Reading »

Posted in Alberto Manguel, Burma, Canadian Content, Cats, Christmas, Funny (ha ha), Hingston & Olsen, Myanmar, Short Story, Supernatural, Surreal, Talking animals, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Bully / Graham Hunt Band / Slomo Sapiens (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, December 12, 2021) [DID NOT ATTEND]

December 12, 2021 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 12, 2021] Bully / Graham Hunt Band / Slomo Sapiens

Look at this, yet another great show at Underground Arts that I didn’t go to. That place has really got my number–we just need to get our calendars to synch up better.

Bully is basically Alicia Bognanno and whoever she chooses to play with.  She writes great songs and has a unique and cool voice.  I really enjoyed Bully’s first album, Feels Like, but when it was announced that she was touring a new album (and playing Philly with Spirit of the Beehive AND Control Top!) well, I checked that album out right away. And it is very good.

I was pleased when it was announced that she’d be playing Underground Arts instead.  World Cafe Live is a better venue, but UA is much easier for me to get to.  Sadly the opening bands were not the same, but that’s okay.

And then…. Baroness announced they would be playing three nights at Kung Fu Necktie.  I couldn’t make the Saturday one (holiday party), so my only choice was Sunday.  Later they added another date for Monday, but I had already purchased my ticket and it seemed like way too much of a hassle to try to change it.  So Bully had to miss me.  Drat.  Come back again Alicia!

I’d never heard of Graham Hunt although apparently he is been in a lot of bands.  According to this write up

Hunt’s solo work continues to be an oddball amalgam of the best traits of his other projects: Midwives’ exacting focus, Reruns’ strong songwriting structures, and Sundial Mottos’ winsome, relaxed aesthetic all are apparent throughout the excellent new solo album Painting Over Mold. Even the distinct imprints of Dusk and Mike Krol, both acts Hunt has appeared with as a touring member, find cohesion across the record.

Slomo Sapiens continues the tradition of great band names from Philadelphia.  I didn’t know much about them, but they are described as a psychedelic “sludge rock” trio, which sounds pretty good to me.  Their newest album is called Cabin Fever Dreams.

Posted in Baroness, Bully, Control Top, Dusk, Graham Hunt Band, Midwives, Mike Krol, Philadelphia, PA, Reruns, Slomo Sapiens, Sundial Mottos, The Spirit of the Beehive, Underground Arts, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

Baroness: Your Baroness Tour (Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, December 12, 2021)

December 12, 2021 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: December 12, 2021] Baroness: Your Baroness Tour

Back in 2017 I saw Strand of Oaks play Union Transfer.  Toward the end of the set Tim Showalter called John Baizley on stage.  I didn’t know who he was but I was taken by his look (bald with a big beard) and his terrific voice (and guitar playing).  Turns out he’s the main force behind Baroness (he draws/paints all of the cover art, too).  I got into Baroness and wanted to see them live.

Since then I’d had a few chances to see them, all of which were dashed or one reason or another.  I did get to see an acoustic performance when they put their last album out in 2019, but that’s not the same, obviously.

Finally, Baroness announced the Your Baroness tour–a tour of small clubs which would feature an all-request set.  And the three (!) Philly shows (where Baroness is based) would be at Kung Fu Necktie, a club I’d never been to but always wanted to check out.  (It has about 100 person capacity, so…intimate show!). Continue Reading »

Posted in Baroness, John Baizley, Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA, Strand of Oaks | Leave a Comment »

Franz Kafka–“Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk” [Czech Republic] (translated by Willa & Edwin Muir) [The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar #12] (1946/translation 1946 [that’s what it says, I think])

December 12, 2021 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:  hiatus

[READ: December 12, 2021] “Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar.  The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individually bound short stories.

As always, each story is a surprise, so you won’t know what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Once you’ve read that day’s story, check this link where editor Alberto Manguel is providing daily commentary on each of the stories he selected for this year’s calendar.

This was the first story in this collection that I really didn’t like.  I once wanted to read all of Kafka’s stories, but this one was so remarkably tedious, that it took me a few days to read it.

The premise is that the village has a singer named Josephine.  And no one understands why her voice is so magical to them.  So he’ll try to find out why.

And that’s it.  For 24 pages. Continue Reading »

Posted in Alberto Manguel, Canadian Content, Christmas, Czech Republic, Franz Kafka, Hingston & Olsen, Huh?, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

METZ / Preoccupations (The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA, December 11, 2021) [DID NOT ATTEND]

December 11, 2021 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 11, 2021] METZ / Preoccupations

I saw METZ open for Modest Mouse four years ago and my ears might still be ringing.  I knew of Metz from their noise filled chaotic but amazing albums.

Their live show was less about the abrasiveness and more about their intense stage presence.  I knew I wanted to see them headline a show.

And then they announced it.  A headlining show at my favorite small venue (actually, this place might have been too small for them).  I was so psyched, until I saw that it fell on the same day as our holiday party.

Realistically there was no way I could go.  What a bummer.

Turns out later on, the band Stars announced their show for the same night and since I’ve never seen Stars, I would have picked them instead.  But what a drag when schedules can’t line up.

I’ve actually seen Preoccupations twice already, once in the Foundry opening for Protomartyr.  They used to be called Viet Cong, but wisely changed that name.  They put on a great live show.  This would have been a killer double bill.

Posted in Canadian Music, Goon, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Preoccupations | Leave a Comment »

Stars: The Together Tour / Kevin Devine (World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, December 11, 2021) [DID NOT ATTEND]

December 11, 2021 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 11, 2021] Stars / Kevin Devine

Back The Montreal band Stars, whom I loved in the early 2000s and would love to see live, announced plans to play some Christmas shows in New York.  I knew I couldn’t go–logistically there was no way.

Then I saw that they also announced a show at World Cafe Live.  Yes!

But it was the same day as our holiday party.  There was no way I could get to this one either.  I held out hope that our party might end early, but again, the logistics were not in my favor.

Kevin Devine, whom I love and whom I have seen live a few times was opening.  I would love to see him again as well.  It really was a perfect bill.  But sometimes timing doesn’t work out.

So Stars, please come back to Philly or NJ.  I will cancel everything else for you.

 

 

Posted in Kevin Devine, Philadelphia, PA, Stars, World Cafe Live | Leave a Comment »

Geoffrey Drayton–“Mr. Dombey, the Zombie” (Barbados) [The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar #11] (1990)

December 11, 2021 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:  hiatus

[READ: December 11, 2021] “Mr. Dombey, the Zombie”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar.  The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individually bound short stories.

As always, each story is a surprise, so you won’t know what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Once you’ve read that day’s story, check this link where editor Alberto Manguel is providing daily commentary on each of the stories he selected for this year’s calendar.

Mr Dombey was, indeed a zombie.  He travelled the morning train every day and read the daily newspaper for his hounsi.  His hounsi was interested in the latest rapes and murders, but not enough to read the paper herself. Continue Reading »

Posted in Alberto Manguel, Canadian Content, Christmas, Death, Geoffrey Drayton, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Zombies | Leave a Comment »

KT Tunstall / New Reveille (SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, December 10, 2021) [rescheduled date POSTPONED again and again]

December 10, 2021 by Paul Debraski

[POSTPONED: December 10, 2021] KT Tunstall / New Reveille [rescheduled from March 27, 2020 and February 12, 2021]

I enjoyed watching the saga of KT Tunstall’s shows getting scheduled and postponed and reschedule and postponed again.  Not because I want her (or anyone to be unhappy), but because it was a good bellweather as to what was going on.  Unlike most artists, KT was really game to get out there.

Plus she had three shows in my area and it seemed like I saw her name all the time.

Well, things finally opened up and she was playing her shows.  Of the three, I was most likely to go to this one since it was closest.  And then a short time before the show, it was postponed as well.  But her other shows weren’t

But this time it wasn’t because of COVID or other health related issues, it was actually a boon for her (although not for SOPAC).

She was invited to sing at the 41st Annual John Lennon Tribute Concert at Symphony Space in New York City.  A good reason to postpone a show.

I see that in the new year, KT is on the West Coast, so I’m not sure when she’ll be back for SOPAC, but I’m sure her local fans will be waiting.

New Reveille is an Americana/bluegrass band from North Carolina.  They’ve got banjo, fiddle and a ton of attitude.  While they are definitely in the country vein, I think the bluegrass and the rockingness (they cover The Killers live) makes them a potentially fun live band.  For the three shows in the area, she has three different opening acts.  This one might be the most fun.

Posted in Ardmore, PA, John Lennon, KT Tunstall, New Reveille, Postponed, Sellersville, PA, SOPAC, South Orange, NJ, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA | Leave a Comment »

Ween (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, December 10 & 11, 2021) [DID NOT ATTEND]

December 10, 2021 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 10 & 11, 2021] Ween

When I was in college, Ween was a new novelty band singing silly songs about Daisies.  I enjoyed them and explored their back catalog a bit.  Then I forgot about them.

In the intervening years they apparently turned into a jam band favorite, with devoted fans and three hour concerts.

In 2015 I saw Gene Ween open for Modest Mouse (I think Ween was on hiatus at the time).  I was surprised by Gene’s set because it was goofy but well done.

I put Ween on my “bands to see” list, but I put them in the least urgent category.

I thought about seeing them at the Met Philly, but it seemed too fancy or something.  And the more I thought about it, the more I decided I just couldn’t bring myself to go to a Ween show.  I have (unfairly, perhaps) made their audience into a bunch of people I don’t want to be near for two hours.

So I won’t take them off my list of bands to see, but I feel like circumstances will need to be perfect for me to go.

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia, Ween | Leave a Comment »

Aleksandar Hemon–“The Bees, Part 1” (Bosnia) [The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar #10] (2009)

December 10, 2021 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:  hiatus

[READ: December 10, 2021] “The Bees, Part 1”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar.  The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individually bound short stories.

As always, each story is a surprise, so you won’t know what you’re getting until you crack the seal every morning starting December 1. Once you’ve read that day’s story, check this link where editor Alberto Manguel is providing daily commentary on each of the stories he selected for this year’s calendar.

I’ve enjoyed Aleksandar Hemon’s stories.  And this one was a huge mix of humor and sadness.

This story begins simply enough.  The narrator and his family are watching a film.  But his father is so annoyed that the film isn’t real that he (and the family) walk out before it’s over.

His father only wants to see things that are real so he sets out to make his own film. Continue Reading »

Posted in Alberto Manguel, Aleksandar Hemon, Bees, Canadian Content, Christmas, Death, Funny (ha ha), Hingston & Olsen, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, War | Leave a Comment »

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