Gina Harris's Blog, page 73
January 6, 2020
2020 hindsight: 1 and 10 years
For the past few days I have been doing a lot of review and reminiscing. It has come mainly from Twitter. A lot of the results have also had a lot to do with Twitter, so I guess it all works out.
There were questions going around about your top three accomplishments for the decade, or what have you changed your mind about over the last year. Also one person asked about if your wildest dreams came true this year, what would that look like? She got some good answers. There was at least one person expressing her frustration with social media.
I didn't answer anyone, but I thought a lot. Many things were and still are sad, but then looking back, there were surprising things too. Some things were good.
My biggest accomplishment of the past decade may have been appearing on Jeopardy! I've wanted to do it since high school, and I tried out a lot before I made it. Then I came in last, but still, it was a good experience.
I blogged a lot about that, and the writing matters, but I will get back to that later. For now, one important thing about the blog is that looking back at different posts helped me remember. Having lost so many journal and photo files, I am grateful that I have this body of memories out on the internet.
There are three somewhat related accomplishments that it makes sense to string together. I would not have thought of them without the blog.
I have been a great daughter. Getting my mother through her knee surgery, then her Mohs procedure, and caring for her now as she goes deeper into dementia, I have been so educated and organized and patient and compassionate. I have fought when I needed to, and been a detective when required.
I have been a supportive friend, especially for one who spent some time in prison. I remember now finding an older letter and he had called me his ride or die friend; I had never seen the term before and it went right over my head then. I can almost forget that because he has been out for a while and is doing great, but a lot happens in ten years. There was a time when it really mattered, and I was there.
Finally, I reached out to depressed and suicidal people over Twitter, and helped in whatever ways I could.
That's the one I feel least comfortable with, because looking back I feel like I was so unqualified, but in the moment I would see the distress signal and I could not turn away. Some have come back and told me that I saved their lives. I have always pushed back on that, because they ultimately had to choose to live, but I will take the credit for caring and acting on it. I will take the credit for keeping my eyes open and believing that it matters, and that they matter.
The obvious link in those stories is that they are about caring for others. We have discussed how that is my thing, and that I still need to learn how to balance caring for myself. I am not oblivious to that aspect.
You might also infer that those are things I wouldn't really ask for; my service has all started out reactive even if I later ended up being more proactive. Maybe good experiences came out of those situations, but they started out as bad things.
That gets us to the other connection. These stories are not the only part of it, but they all go along with some politicization, and radicalization.
It is not that I didn't care before; I have always been at least somewhat politically aware, and pretty liberal.
However, by caring for young and elderly and incarcerated and sick and disabled and female, I have learned a lot about systemic issues. I know the problems with bureaucracy much better now. I have a clear view of problems with capitalism, and how often job creators are weasels. I know a lot more about the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences, and a lot about misogyny. I know more about the problems of the world.
I know more about potential solutions too. Someday I hope that matters. For now, though, I guess my primary accomplishment over the past ten years is that I have cared and that I have learned.
I intend to get more specific about that tomorrow.
There were questions going around about your top three accomplishments for the decade, or what have you changed your mind about over the last year. Also one person asked about if your wildest dreams came true this year, what would that look like? She got some good answers. There was at least one person expressing her frustration with social media.
I didn't answer anyone, but I thought a lot. Many things were and still are sad, but then looking back, there were surprising things too. Some things were good.
My biggest accomplishment of the past decade may have been appearing on Jeopardy! I've wanted to do it since high school, and I tried out a lot before I made it. Then I came in last, but still, it was a good experience.
I blogged a lot about that, and the writing matters, but I will get back to that later. For now, one important thing about the blog is that looking back at different posts helped me remember. Having lost so many journal and photo files, I am grateful that I have this body of memories out on the internet.
There are three somewhat related accomplishments that it makes sense to string together. I would not have thought of them without the blog.
I have been a great daughter. Getting my mother through her knee surgery, then her Mohs procedure, and caring for her now as she goes deeper into dementia, I have been so educated and organized and patient and compassionate. I have fought when I needed to, and been a detective when required.
I have been a supportive friend, especially for one who spent some time in prison. I remember now finding an older letter and he had called me his ride or die friend; I had never seen the term before and it went right over my head then. I can almost forget that because he has been out for a while and is doing great, but a lot happens in ten years. There was a time when it really mattered, and I was there.
Finally, I reached out to depressed and suicidal people over Twitter, and helped in whatever ways I could.
That's the one I feel least comfortable with, because looking back I feel like I was so unqualified, but in the moment I would see the distress signal and I could not turn away. Some have come back and told me that I saved their lives. I have always pushed back on that, because they ultimately had to choose to live, but I will take the credit for caring and acting on it. I will take the credit for keeping my eyes open and believing that it matters, and that they matter.
The obvious link in those stories is that they are about caring for others. We have discussed how that is my thing, and that I still need to learn how to balance caring for myself. I am not oblivious to that aspect.
You might also infer that those are things I wouldn't really ask for; my service has all started out reactive even if I later ended up being more proactive. Maybe good experiences came out of those situations, but they started out as bad things.
That gets us to the other connection. These stories are not the only part of it, but they all go along with some politicization, and radicalization.
It is not that I didn't care before; I have always been at least somewhat politically aware, and pretty liberal.
However, by caring for young and elderly and incarcerated and sick and disabled and female, I have learned a lot about systemic issues. I know the problems with bureaucracy much better now. I have a clear view of problems with capitalism, and how often job creators are weasels. I know a lot more about the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences, and a lot about misogyny. I know more about the problems of the world.
I know more about potential solutions too. Someday I hope that matters. For now, though, I guess my primary accomplishment over the past ten years is that I have cared and that I have learned.
I intend to get more specific about that tomorrow.
January 1, 2020
Help Wanted
I don't know how long being a caregiver will be my life, but at my core that is probably something I will always be. That's okay; there is a need for helpers out there. I don't need to change that about me.
I do need to change the part where I keep prioritizing everyone over me, and where I care for everyone but me. That is a problem, and I haven't made much progress toward it. I think I know what I need to do.
I have never been good at asking for help. That goes back to early feelings about what I deserve and trust issues. Asking has never been easy for me, and it feels like the next important step. Specifically, I need to ask people to take me out.
As a family we have gotten better at working out respite time, but that is generally me in a park or a restaurant or on the bus reading. I need some of that, but I need company sometimes too. I need to feel liked, and like I can be enjoyed sometimes. I need to feel like I might have something interesting to say other than updates about how our mother is doing. I need to be not just her caregiver.
Sadly, I was never super-smooth, socially, but this has taken a lot out of me. I have become very isolated, and I am strained all the time. Sometimes when I do get to interact I hear how harsh my voice is, but I can't change it. I have to put so much patience and gentleness into my mother, I might run out for other people. I am prone to crying jags. I am angry a lot.
This cannot possibly make me sound like a good time, which does not make asking any easier, but I've still got to do it.
Can someone take me out once a month? It can be to eat or to bowl or to drink hot chocolate or play a round of mini-golf or listen to live music or watch something that I want to see on Netflix, because I do not have Netflix. I will probably not have money or transportation, though I can often make public transportation work. It just takes longer.
I know, I'm a catch.
I am not asking for one person. I think if I can get four, then each person will only have to take me out every three months and it distributes the burden some.
It hurts because I had friends that I thought might have done this. Even now there are people who will say we should get together, but then they never call back, or the sticking point is that I am only available on nights or weekends, and their kids do activities. I get it, but it doesn't help with those trust issues or feelings of worth.
I also need someone to take me to the temple once a month.
I know I will have to start asking soon, but a few volunteers would really be nice.
December 5, 2019
Album Review: Prima Donna by Prima Donna
Fun fact: one of my 2019 accomplishments was learning that S/T means "self-titled". However, in reviews it is apparently appropriate to use the band's name as the album name. So...
I really liked Prima Donna by Prima Donna! (2018).
It starts strong and rocking with "4 Real", and that predisposes one to liking the rest of the album, but the other tracks do stand on their own. It makes such good use of the keyboards; we understand that role in pop, but it can do great things in rock.
"Press Your Luck" and "Automatic" - in addition to being fine on their own ("Automatic" has a bit of a Johnny Marr "The Tracers" vibe) - feel like they go really well with "4 Real", like the track order was contemplated and optimized.
There is some scorch on the guitar solo on "Year of the Rat", but also it goes to fun places vocally. "Recurring Nightmare" was just something I felt. "Sound the Alarm" takes a darker twinge, like a '60s crime show turned graphic novel, and you're just not sure what's going to happen.
I have listened way more than three times just to make sure I am getting everything. I am sure that I am still not getting everything, but I love that there is the content that you can dive into or just enjoy. I remember them striking me as smart and well-suited to each other when I first saw them in 2013. They have been through some things, but that hasn't changed.
Of course, I also remember that they always seemed pretty sexual. I had initially thought that was a little toned down this time, but after the most recent listen on "Love From Above", I am not sure that is true. I don't know; I was not specifically looking for it.
I'm just glad they're still around. With a new video released just three days okay, I think that will last.
If there's a new album coming, let's hope I get to that sooner.
http://primadonnarocks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PrimaDonnaOfficial
https://www.youtube.com/user/PrimaDonnaVision
https://twitter.com/primadonnaband
I really liked Prima Donna by Prima Donna! (2018).
It starts strong and rocking with "4 Real", and that predisposes one to liking the rest of the album, but the other tracks do stand on their own. It makes such good use of the keyboards; we understand that role in pop, but it can do great things in rock.
"Press Your Luck" and "Automatic" - in addition to being fine on their own ("Automatic" has a bit of a Johnny Marr "The Tracers" vibe) - feel like they go really well with "4 Real", like the track order was contemplated and optimized.
There is some scorch on the guitar solo on "Year of the Rat", but also it goes to fun places vocally. "Recurring Nightmare" was just something I felt. "Sound the Alarm" takes a darker twinge, like a '60s crime show turned graphic novel, and you're just not sure what's going to happen.
I have listened way more than three times just to make sure I am getting everything. I am sure that I am still not getting everything, but I love that there is the content that you can dive into or just enjoy. I remember them striking me as smart and well-suited to each other when I first saw them in 2013. They have been through some things, but that hasn't changed.
Of course, I also remember that they always seemed pretty sexual. I had initially thought that was a little toned down this time, but after the most recent listen on "Love From Above", I am not sure that is true. I don't know; I was not specifically looking for it.
I'm just glad they're still around. With a new video released just three days okay, I think that will last.
If there's a new album coming, let's hope I get to that sooner.
http://primadonnarocks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PrimaDonnaOfficial
https://www.youtube.com/user/PrimaDonnaVision
https://twitter.com/primadonnaband
December music
I had a point where I was frustrated with not being able to spend enough time listening to music to do any reviews. Now time is still an issue, but I have blogged more music reviews than anything else. A couple of live shows helped with that, but other writing has just been hard. The last non-music post I started writing ended up going way too long. I need to get back to it and break it down.
I thought I could write about what I was doing this month, both for the daily songs and for a new goal. I am not optimistic about the goal, but I can still write about it.
Daily songs are Christmas songs that I have not played before, bringing in as many previously reviewed or enjoyed artists as I can, and still trying to avoid repeats. Obviously, with reviewing bands more slowly I run out of them for daily songs faster. It's basically what I was doing for October with the Halloween songs, only it is more obvious that there are tons of songs out there. There are thousands of recordings of Christmas songs out there, although a lot of them are crap.
I could add to that list.
Just for reference, here were the original music goals:
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2019/01/2019-my-year-for-music.html
I am not ready to go into sorting out Christmas song history and tracing those developments. The daily songs may be a nod to that, but the deeper dive will not happen this year.
The question was, could I accomplish that other goal of having a week where the songs of the day were all mine?
At first, my daily songs decision made that a clear "no" for December; I don't have a week's work of Christmas songs.
I do have one, and I often think this is the year that I might break it out and let someone hear it. (Previously I have only sung it to my mother, and I guarantee she does not remember it.)
Then I started hearing a new one in my head. I also started remembering other contenders.
I did write a Christmas song for Family Ghosts. It is not highly refined. I only used some fragments in the book itself, so it didn't need to be refined. Still, there is a seed.
I also have partial lyrics to a Christmas version of "Can't Hurry Love". I have always meant to get around to writing it out fully.
"Zombie Lullaby" might seem like it is more Halloween-themed, but the story takes place at the winter solstice. That was a key factor in the accidental demon summoning, and it was the demon being vanquished over the cemetery that caused the zombies to rise. I'm just saying, it's seasonal.
So then, if I did write out the new one, that would be five. That's a work week. It's close enough to a full week where you might wonder if writing two more songs is not impossible. It could at least be worth trying.
And it set off a lot of concerns, like the lack of real recording equipment, hence no ability to record multiple tracks or video, plus my own musical limitations and how that would prevent complimentary musical accompaniment, not to mention not being the best singer. There was a sure knowledge that it could not be very good, but that it could be done, so maybe it was something that should be done.
Maybe it's important to be good at doing things badly. I was really going to try and do it.
Four days into the month, it has already been so hard, and so tiring. I don't know if I have it in me to concentrate and be creative, and then put it out into the world in poor a capella versions done on the built-in PC camera and microphone.
I'm not completely ruling it out, either; but sometimes I think it would feel great to do something well.
I thought I could write about what I was doing this month, both for the daily songs and for a new goal. I am not optimistic about the goal, but I can still write about it.
Daily songs are Christmas songs that I have not played before, bringing in as many previously reviewed or enjoyed artists as I can, and still trying to avoid repeats. Obviously, with reviewing bands more slowly I run out of them for daily songs faster. It's basically what I was doing for October with the Halloween songs, only it is more obvious that there are tons of songs out there. There are thousands of recordings of Christmas songs out there, although a lot of them are crap.
I could add to that list.
Just for reference, here were the original music goals:
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2019/01/2019-my-year-for-music.html
I am not ready to go into sorting out Christmas song history and tracing those developments. The daily songs may be a nod to that, but the deeper dive will not happen this year.
The question was, could I accomplish that other goal of having a week where the songs of the day were all mine?
At first, my daily songs decision made that a clear "no" for December; I don't have a week's work of Christmas songs.
I do have one, and I often think this is the year that I might break it out and let someone hear it. (Previously I have only sung it to my mother, and I guarantee she does not remember it.)
Then I started hearing a new one in my head. I also started remembering other contenders.
I did write a Christmas song for Family Ghosts. It is not highly refined. I only used some fragments in the book itself, so it didn't need to be refined. Still, there is a seed.
I also have partial lyrics to a Christmas version of "Can't Hurry Love". I have always meant to get around to writing it out fully.
"Zombie Lullaby" might seem like it is more Halloween-themed, but the story takes place at the winter solstice. That was a key factor in the accidental demon summoning, and it was the demon being vanquished over the cemetery that caused the zombies to rise. I'm just saying, it's seasonal.
So then, if I did write out the new one, that would be five. That's a work week. It's close enough to a full week where you might wonder if writing two more songs is not impossible. It could at least be worth trying.
And it set off a lot of concerns, like the lack of real recording equipment, hence no ability to record multiple tracks or video, plus my own musical limitations and how that would prevent complimentary musical accompaniment, not to mention not being the best singer. There was a sure knowledge that it could not be very good, but that it could be done, so maybe it was something that should be done.
Maybe it's important to be good at doing things badly. I was really going to try and do it.
Four days into the month, it has already been so hard, and so tiring. I don't know if I have it in me to concentrate and be creative, and then put it out into the world in poor a capella versions done on the built-in PC camera and microphone.
I'm not completely ruling it out, either; but sometimes I think it would feel great to do something well.
November 29, 2019
Concert Review: Cosmonox
Cosmonox ended the show Saturday night, and it just got weirder.
Both members of Cosmonox appeared to play different things, but they were largely things I had never seen before. Instruments include a 4-track cassette recorder, keytar (okay, I did recognize the keytar), homemade synthesizers, and what appears to be a Califone Cardmaster, where paper was pushed through and pulled back, giving kind of a record scratch effect.
The energy reminded me of The Presidents of the United States of America, who also do some custom instruments, but only by removing unnecessary strings from their guitars. With Cosmonox, it is as if the Presidents were AV geeks, and also a Portlandia sketch.
In addition, they would have to be very into Greek mythology; almost every song was about King Amphitryon, Theban general and stepfather of Hercules. 
I guess it makes sense that they played at Kelly's Olympian.
If Dr. Something was blending melody and harmony, and The Vardaman Ensemble was exploring the art of noise, Cosmonox was all about the rhythm.
I can't necessarily remember how the music went; just the thump. Maybe not everyone got out on the floor and danced, but I doubt anyone was impervious to the beat and able to keep still.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKlqBjDXVCga_5-KCpKJ1rw
November 28, 2019
Concert Review: The Vardaman Ensemble
The Vardaman Ensemble was the second band on the bill Saturday night at Kelly's Olympian.
The theme of multi-instrumentalism continued as one member alternated between French horn and theremin, and the keyboard player also played a small (maybe piccolo?) trumpet. There was also a guitar and drums.
(My pictures are terrible, but I saw some video from another source and everyone came out kind of green, so I don't think it was just me.)
The musical theme seemed to be more cacophony than anything else. It was interesting in how it could still effectively evoke different emotions; there was a subtle menace in the opening number. 
However, for me the lack of melody meant that it was gone after I left. No passages came back to me. It was interesting to see, but I did not connect to it.I must say, the show did not have a large audience, but for those who believe deeply in keeping Portland weird, they should have been here.
https://www.facebook.com/thevardamanensemble/
https://thevardamanensemble.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkOmXetH15AQsNe3X79_i_A
November 27, 2019
Concert Review: Dr. Something
I previously reviewed Dr. Something in May 2015 (https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2015/05/band-review-dr-something.html). It took me a while to get to see her live.
Obviously one key difference was a chance to see the video background: a loop of strange images in themed segments. (For example, Sacajawea shooting a laser at an evil pine cone, I think.)The more interesting loop was the vocal looping that Dr. Something did, demonstrating a well-deserved vocal confidence. The artist has a beautiful voice and a good aesthetic sense to deploy in using it.
I think live viewing also gave me a better appreciation for her multi-instrumentality. Singing while playing is one thing; being able to switch to another instrument in between and keep it all going takes it up a notch.And if Alison playing her clarinet above her keyboard while a colorful puppet looks concerned over a unicorn background seems like the best way to encapsulate the entire thing... yeah, that's probably about right.
https://drsomething.com/
November 18, 2019
Dealing with death
I thought I would have a lot to say about death. Now I am not sure that I do, but I wanted to get this one quote out of the way.
"It appears that people who have gone through a life of suffering, hard work, and labor, who have raised their children and been gratified in their work, have shown greater ease in accepting death with peace and dignity compared to those who have been ambitiously controlling their environment, accumulating material goods, and a great number of social relationships but few meaningful interpersonal relationships which would have been available at the end of life."
This is from On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross.
It makes more sense if you have read the book. For example, the part about children does not mean so much that death is hard to accept if you are childless, but if you have children and have not been able to finish raising them, then letting go is harder.
The five stages are pretty well known (if not deeply understood), but the most striking example of how the stages are not linear had to do with bargaining and children. Someone might bargain just to see the children grow and graduate, then to see them married, then to see them have children. It can be hard saying goodbye to spouses and siblings and friends, but the responsibility felt to children is different, and it's a factor.
The whole quote is a bit of a run-on sentence anyway, but I have an affinity for those. It may be best to break it down.
Greater ease in accepting death with peace and dignity:
Life has included suffering, hard work, and laborChildren have been raisedHave been gratified in their workGreater difficulty/less peace and dignity in accepting death:Ambitiously controlling their environmentAccumulating material goods (probably also ambitiously)A great number of social relationships but few meaningful interpersonal relationsI know some of them stick out as wrong at first. Why does life have to include suffering? But if your first trial is facing your own mortality, that's a really dramatic toss into the deep end. Also, some of my suffering has allowed me to see a certain relief in death. I'm not saying that I'm sincerely longing for it now, but I can definitely spot the upside.
I think it is similar for work. A life of too much ease and idleness doesn't prepare you to handle much. It's not just accomplishing things, and having to do so; there is the learning and getting things wrong and then getting better at them. There's a lot that goes into that.
Work can be very gratifying, but it isn't automatically. I'm glad that was mentioned. I think it's important that everyone has the opportunity for that.
Of course, whenever opportunities for meaning and satisfaction are taken away from some people, it's usually in the service of someone else trying to accumulate wealth. As crucial as it is that material goods will not be satisfying on your death bed, it's important to also know that it isn't satisfying when you are still in the midst of life either. There have been a few articles recently about poor millionaires and why they can't relax or stop accumulating; it's twisted. Maybe the attempt to control things is a different stab at gratification, but that doesn't work either. They probably should try something else.
And relationships. It's not just that we need each other, though we do. We need to connect to each other in meaningful ways.
This is important, because we all die. I hate to dash any hopes you have pinned on the singularity, but we all die. It is worth being able to deal with it.
"It appears that people who have gone through a life of suffering, hard work, and labor, who have raised their children and been gratified in their work, have shown greater ease in accepting death with peace and dignity compared to those who have been ambitiously controlling their environment, accumulating material goods, and a great number of social relationships but few meaningful interpersonal relationships which would have been available at the end of life."
This is from On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross.
It makes more sense if you have read the book. For example, the part about children does not mean so much that death is hard to accept if you are childless, but if you have children and have not been able to finish raising them, then letting go is harder.
The five stages are pretty well known (if not deeply understood), but the most striking example of how the stages are not linear had to do with bargaining and children. Someone might bargain just to see the children grow and graduate, then to see them married, then to see them have children. It can be hard saying goodbye to spouses and siblings and friends, but the responsibility felt to children is different, and it's a factor.
The whole quote is a bit of a run-on sentence anyway, but I have an affinity for those. It may be best to break it down.
Greater ease in accepting death with peace and dignity:
Life has included suffering, hard work, and laborChildren have been raisedHave been gratified in their workGreater difficulty/less peace and dignity in accepting death:Ambitiously controlling their environmentAccumulating material goods (probably also ambitiously)A great number of social relationships but few meaningful interpersonal relationsI know some of them stick out as wrong at first. Why does life have to include suffering? But if your first trial is facing your own mortality, that's a really dramatic toss into the deep end. Also, some of my suffering has allowed me to see a certain relief in death. I'm not saying that I'm sincerely longing for it now, but I can definitely spot the upside.
I think it is similar for work. A life of too much ease and idleness doesn't prepare you to handle much. It's not just accomplishing things, and having to do so; there is the learning and getting things wrong and then getting better at them. There's a lot that goes into that.
Work can be very gratifying, but it isn't automatically. I'm glad that was mentioned. I think it's important that everyone has the opportunity for that.
Of course, whenever opportunities for meaning and satisfaction are taken away from some people, it's usually in the service of someone else trying to accumulate wealth. As crucial as it is that material goods will not be satisfying on your death bed, it's important to also know that it isn't satisfying when you are still in the midst of life either. There have been a few articles recently about poor millionaires and why they can't relax or stop accumulating; it's twisted. Maybe the attempt to control things is a different stab at gratification, but that doesn't work either. They probably should try something else.
And relationships. It's not just that we need each other, though we do. We need to connect to each other in meaningful ways.
This is important, because we all die. I hate to dash any hopes you have pinned on the singularity, but we all die. It is worth being able to deal with it.
November 8, 2019
Concert Review: The Slants - Farewell Show
I have been wanting to see The Slants live since I first reviewed them in 2017. I recently saw that they were coming to Doug Fir Lounge with the words "Final Show" and realized I was almost out of time.
After thirteen years and a Supreme Court battle, the band is retiring from touring. It's not really the end, because there is now a non-profit foundation and a musical. Actually, "final" show is a bit of a misnomer, because there are still a few dates listed for acoustic sets and book tour dates. This was the last date with the full band, though, and "full" was an understatement.
Former members were brought back, and it was a nice touch. For a while current singer Ken Shima and former singer Aron Moxley took turns taking the stage, but then everyone was on stage, and everyone was mounting speakers. It was pretty cool.
Yes, there was rock, but also there was an excerpt from the new musical, and some stories and sharing about what was next. That, along with the reunion of former members, made it more than just a performance. There was heart and thoughtfulness that made it more.
It was an appropriate sendoff for a band that has always been about more.
http://www.theslants.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theslants
https://twitter.com/theslants
After thirteen years and a Supreme Court battle, the band is retiring from touring. It's not really the end, because there is now a non-profit foundation and a musical. Actually, "final" show is a bit of a misnomer, because there are still a few dates listed for acoustic sets and book tour dates. This was the last date with the full band, though, and "full" was an understatement.
Former members were brought back, and it was a nice touch. For a while current singer Ken Shima and former singer Aron Moxley took turns taking the stage, but then everyone was on stage, and everyone was mounting speakers. It was pretty cool.
Yes, there was rock, but also there was an excerpt from the new musical, and some stories and sharing about what was next. That, along with the reunion of former members, made it more than just a performance. There was heart and thoughtfulness that made it more.
It was an appropriate sendoff for a band that has always been about more.
http://www.theslants.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theslants
https://twitter.com/theslants
Concert Review: The Slants Farewell Show
I have been wanting to see The Slants live since I first reviewed them in 2017. I recently saw that they were coming to Doug Fir Lounge with the words "Final Show" and realized I was almost out of time.
After thirteen years and a Supreme Court battle, the band is retiring from touring. It's not really the end, because there is now a non-profit foundation and a musical. Actually, "final" show is a bit of a misnomer, because there are still a few dates listed for acoustic sets and book tour dates. This was the last date with the full band, though, and "full" was an understatement.
Former members were brought back, and it was a nice touch. For a while current singer Ken Shima and former singer Aron Moxley took turns taking the stage, but then everyone was on stage, and everyone was mounting speakers. It was pretty cool.
Yes, there was rock, but also there was an excerpt from the new musical, and some stories and sharing about what was next. That, along with the reunion of former members, made it more than just a performance. There was heart and thoughtfulness that made it more.
It was an appropriate sendoff for a band that has always been about more.
http://www.theslants.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theslants
https://twitter.com/theslants
After thirteen years and a Supreme Court battle, the band is retiring from touring. It's not really the end, because there is now a non-profit foundation and a musical. Actually, "final" show is a bit of a misnomer, because there are still a few dates listed for acoustic sets and book tour dates. This was the last date with the full band, though, and "full" was an understatement.
Former members were brought back, and it was a nice touch. For a while current singer Ken Shima and former singer Aron Moxley took turns taking the stage, but then everyone was on stage, and everyone was mounting speakers. It was pretty cool.
Yes, there was rock, but also there was an excerpt from the new musical, and some stories and sharing about what was next. That, along with the reunion of former members, made it more than just a performance. There was heart and thoughtfulness that made it more.
It was an appropriate sendoff for a band that has always been about more.
http://www.theslants.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theslants
https://twitter.com/theslants
