More players, more moves

It's been a busy couple of past days.

Last Friday, I went to see a show in Gowanus with a friend, RH, who had won free tickets through twitter. RH has a music blog and writes reviews for other websites, so it goes without saying that she answer a trivia question and win tickets to one of the best bands currently on the face of the planet.

Dungen is a Swedish group with incredibly skilled musicians. It's a psychedelic and yet completely serious Rock and Roll sound. They've got a great sense of harmonies and their overall musicality is quite fresh. I've been listening to them for some time now, ever since a friend recommended their latest album, 4. Check them out.

Saturday, I went to the MET (finally!) with my friend PC. We hit up the Egyptian wing, the sculpture garden and wandered a bit through European art. We looked at Michelangelo's first painting, The Torment of St. Anthony. It was small, but it was breathtaking.

I imagined finding a similar sketch on a some middle schooler's notebook. The painting is a copy of an earlier sketch, but there's definitely something magical in the paint.

PC and I also checked out the Asian art room, where these ancient avatars from Japan are on display. It was a guided tour of sorts, as PC pointed out the countless similarities between Hindu traditions and Japanese Buddhism. The mandalas on display were intricate avatars of leaders who were balanced in compassion and wisdom.

We didn't go to every floor, but we hit up the roof, and pretty much got to each wing on the 1st and 2nd floor before heading back downtown to Brooklyn. Our friends' band was playing a show in Williamsburg, so we had to make a loyal appearance.

Sunday, Summer Stage (an organization that puts on mostly free concerts, shows, etc. in Central Park) was having it's final show of the summer. I hopped on the 2 a few blocks away from here in Lefferts Gardens and rode it all the way up to the West Side. I got to the summer stage around 3:30, and listened to a few bands play before the headlining act, DINOSAUR JR. played.

I had to suffer through my second live performance with The Walkmen, which is not a band that I dislike. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have Walkmen songs in my iTunes library, but they pretty much blow at live performance. No stage presence + no understanding of their sound in a large venue= BORING.

Dinosaur Jr. finally went on at around 5 and played for about 2 hours. It was incredible. J Mascis, the lead guitarist, is an inspiration to anyone who has ever wanted to play air guitar. These musicians know how to rock out. And it was free! I had gone to the show by myself, since most of my other friends were lazy and full of lame excuses (e.g., "the sound will probably not be good." except you'd think that after 24 years of putting on shows in Central Park, someone would have figured out how to make it sound amazing--which it did.)

PC's coworker and former fellow NYU school mate, actually ended up going, so I hung out with some new friends for a bit. After the show, I hopped back on the 2 and took it to the L to go to a friend's rooftop BBQ in Williamsburg again. It was stunning, watching the sun go down behind the most famous skyline in the world.

I didn't stay out too late though, because Monday morning I had an interview at a new bookstore that will be opening up in Fort Greene (in Brooklyn). The Greenlight Bookstore looks like it's going to be a really cool local bookstore. There's apparently a bit of a Frenchie ex-pat community in Fort Greene, so the lovely lady who interviewed me was excited to learn I "habla francaise."

Bookstore wages are comparable to teaching wages, but it's a job to hold the water budget over while I find something more "career" oriented.
I have been working more and more on organizing my journaled thoughts and polishing verses of poetry, too.

Yesterday, I had no internet all afternoon, which was super frustrating, but it gave me a chance to think about more free stuff in Brooklyn that I won't be able to do when I'm working. Tuesdays, for example, are free at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Also, I'm planning a route to the Brooklyn Bridge, and maybe even a stroll around Coney Island, they might even be hiring carnies.