So what else have I done since my last post?
I went and saw the Mets play the Phillies. Play baseball, that is. We got some cheapo tickets through SVA, which included a voucher for a free jersey. That's right, I now own a piece of sports paraphernalia. The game itself wasn't too bad, aside from the concession prices. The action was very strange, spiking between very dull, to downright monotonous, back up to very dull, TO SUDDENLY EXCITING before going back to dull. Truth be told, I liked it in a way. There was a certain rhythm to it I enjoyed, and the slow turn-based pacing was kind of meditative. I wanted to stay for the whole game, but the person I was with had had enough and we had to leave half way through the 6th inning. Regardless, the field and stadium were certainly amazing. The energy and odd reverence was strangely hypnotizing.
On Tuesday, I saw Eddie Izzard live on his Force Majeure tour. I can't put my finger on why, but... I was slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, he put on a great show and had some hilarious material. Some part of it, though, just didn't jive with me. As a whole I had a good time. I love his brand of comedy, especially how he explores a lot of history and trivia. I learned about the first medieval kings of England, the three rules of fascism (#1 make something up, #2 shout it loudly, #3 kill people), and what were to happen if God and Darth Vader fought over the last spaghetti in the canteen. And some good stuff about languages ("et voila!" works in any scenario), and the balance of body and mind. Solid stuff. He referenced a lot of his older sketches, which were a bit of a treat. It was solid. I wasn't quite as into it as I was hoping, but all things considered I had fun.
Then Thursday happened, which contained SVA commencement and I got a ticket to attend. I was a bit late because I had to wait for someone else to show up to give them a ticket to get in, so I missed the first speech or two. The last speech was a congressman who was involved in the racial rights movement in the 60's, and he did a good job of being lively and encouraging the new generation to get into "good trouble". I felt like he wasn't very connected to the arts, but the man had gone through a lot and has accomplished more than I ever will, so I can't fault him. I think I was secretly hoping for something that would rival by Tim Minchin's convocation speech. After the speeches, all several hundred graduates received their degrees, one at a time. The music was a mix of the mind-numbingly cliche and self-important classical music. When In the Hall of the Mountain King came on I rolled my eyes at how careless the soundtrack organizer was. But then the theme to The Great Escape came on next. And before I knew it, there was some Star Wars, Indiana Jones and instrumental Beach Boys. I think they peaked at Tequila, though. Whoever put that playlist together deserves a medal.
Yesterday was Friday. The day itself wasn't too spectacular, but in the evening I had an Elbow concert. As I was walking up to Webster Hall where the show was taking place, I spotted Guy Garvesy shaking hands and taking pictures with fans before stepping inside. It made my brain backfire a bit to stumble on him out and about in the world where I, too, exist. Once I got inside and found a free spot on the edge of the balcony, I looked across and saw the couple featured in the New York Morning music video, which was a further dose of otherworldly deja vu. The show itself was great, including that song. It was a pretty neat moment to hear that performed while in New York, and get to sing along with other New Yorkers. Elbow hit all the songs I could've hoped for, some of which were so euphoric to hear. They're great performers and it was a relatively intimate setting. During Mirrorball, a man in the front row actually got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend (who said yes). After the song, Guy talked about it a bit and had everyone sing their names ("Tim and Lisa, Time and Lisa, Tim and Lisa, Tiiiiiim and Liiiiiiisaaaaaa"). It was pretty cute. I think the best part of the whole evening was singing along with everyone in the hall to Seldom Seen Kid and One Day Like This. The former felt like such a raunchy pub hall anthem with everyone belting along with the lyrics. A good, gritty chunk of pure rock n' roll. The energy was incredible. Then for One Day Like This, Guy of course had the audience sing along to the chorus. At one point, the band stopped, and we just kept singing. The members of Elbow were mildly amused. Then guy shouted out "with harmony!" And... We did it. We kept singing, half of us doing the higher harmony, the other half on the main melody. The members of Elbow were surprised. They turned to each other with grins and raised eyebrows. I'm usually a little bit of a sucker for audience participation, but I don't think I've ever been to a concert with such raw enthusiasm like that before. Especially in such a small place, it was so incredible. It was a general admission show (my first one, to be honest), so I ended up standing in one spot for ~3hrs. But for how awesome the show was, I can't believe I only paid $45. It could not have been any better.
And all of the sudden it's the earliest hours of Sunday. I slept for half of Saturday, then working on my portfolio. It's slow going, especially with some procrastination sprinkled in. It's all very disheartening somehow, I don't feel like my work is good enough, or that there's anything I can do that'll actually get me a job. But I can't just roll over, right? So I will continue to apply and continue to fix up my book. There's nothing else to do, really.
Mind you, I wish I would've left the house today. I'm not too proud of that. But it's been a busy week, and it's nice to spend a day locked away behind my bedroom door.
-Cril
Oh, long before
You and I were born
Others beat these benches with their empty cups
To the night and the stars
To be here, and now, and who we are
Another sunrise with my sad captains
With who I choose to lose my mind
And if it's all we only pass this way but once
What a perfect waste of time
Elbow - My Sad Captains
You and I were born
Others beat these benches with their empty cups
To the night and the stars
To be here, and now, and who we are
Another sunrise with my sad captains
With who I choose to lose my mind
And if it's all we only pass this way but once
What a perfect waste of time
Elbow - My Sad Captains
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