ルイス

A few weeks ago a friend recommended I check out a band called Blonde Redhead. I'd never heard of them before, and the tickets were $25 a piece...so I was reluctant to pay $25 to see a band I'd never heard of. I did some googling on them and saw that a public radio station was giving away free tickets to the show for members. The memberships happened to start at $25...I figured, I love public radio, tv, spirit, and if I don't win the tickets it's going to a good cause. I became a member...and I won! Off I go to a venue called Terminal 55. Being that I'd never heard of them and I met this guy at the Knitting Factory, I was expecting it to be 100 or so people and some small dive. It was actually a massive venue and maybe my favorite in the city. Unable to find anyone I knew amongst the seemingly thousands of people, I went up to the top balcony, grabbed a strong drink and picked out a spot about 50 feet in the air.

Usually the first acts are something you want to end quickly. But I was digging these guys called School of Seven Bells. Their guitarist reminded me of Johnny Greenwood because he was constantly messing around with all kinds of electronics when in between guitar sections.

By the time Blonde Redhead finished their first song, I was greatful to the lottery gods who gave me these tickets. I was really happy because finding new music that you like is pretty rare when you think about it.

So, here I was absorbing all of these brand new songs that I found to be both stimilating and soothing, and I was just taking it all in. Then Blonde Redhead plays this song called The Dress. At some point during the song my facial muscles inexplicably begin contractin, and then all of a sudden water is pouring out of my eyes. Why the hell? I wasn't crying or anything, similar but not quite. It was like cryings' twin, the happy sob. I laughed when it was over. It felt great actually.

Anyway, I stumble home and make a drunken post in my music appreciation club, because they would understand of course. I forgot about it until today...here's the reaction: 

Yeah right? Good peoples. Then I saw the video for the song. And realized two things: 1) I must have looked like a complete faker at the club, but more importantly 2) I think I truly understood the emotion of the song.

Here it is:

 

This is just the video...it's my favorite version of this song. Somehow, there are several songs by Chara that I think are captured best in certain live performances. For Tiny Tiny it was at this this concert. Again, video ripped from YouTube, mixed with the version from her live performances CD. Sorry, this one is more out of sync, seems to be a growing lapse though...so I couldn't figure out how to correct it. Anyway, wait for 5:00 and fall inlove with the background singers.

 

 

Got the video from YouTube (so it looks like crap), replaced the audio with the CD version (so it sounds much better, but goes out of sync at some point), kind of made up lyrics here and there (so feel free to make corrections. Yes, I see that typo.)...but, I have been looking for a video of this song for about a year. I did find it (on VHS), in a Yahoo! Japan auction for about $50 (ya right)...so, having it as it is still makes me happy

I also made some  (ow I just bit some skin on my lip and my lip moved, it's bleeding) Chara wallpaper (1280x800 | 1680x1050). I made it with this: