Like Spinning Plates…

tran·scen·dent (tr?n-s?n'd?nt)
adj.
1. Surpassing others; preeminent or supreme.
2. Lying beyond the ordinary range of perception: “fails to achieve a transcendent significance in suffering and squalor” (National Review).
3. Philosophy.
a. Transcending the Aristotelian categories.
b. In Kant's theory of knowledge, being beyond the limits of experience and hence unknowable.
4. Being above and independent of the material universe. Used of the Deity.

Everything In Its Right Place

About 7 hours left until the show, and I still can’t believe I’m going. It isn’t everyday you get to see you #1 favorite band, in a venue smaller than they would normally play, play new material that you’ve never heard before. It should be quite a show.

John Saw that Number

Friday: Neko Case @ the Henry Fonda “Music Box:”
A great show in a really cool venue. The Music Box is just up on Hollywood blvd, and this was our first time at a show there. They have a roof-top bar/lounge where we got a couple of rounds and waited out the opening act before heading down to elbow our way to the stage. Funny thing was we didn’t even have to do much elbowing and were able to weave our way though the thick crowd and get a spot a couple of “rows” back from stage-right, just in front of her ass-kicking pedal-guitar/banjo player. The set was great and Neko really blew me away with her performance and affable stage-presence. It was nice to see a show in such a tiny venue after our last few outings at the bigger spots around town. And she closed with one of my favorite songs which is always a nice little bonus. Some additional highlights: just after the first song, during which some duche-bag in the front row was talking, she threatened to “come down their and fucking kick the fucking shit out of [him.]” which really won the (hipster-heavy) crowd over. Then there was her about Los Angeles culture and “dogs in the office” being her favorite part of LA, (I guess my company isn’t alone in having dogs in the office.) Also, she played some great covers (Dylan and Randy Newman) and blew the fucking lid off of “Hold On” (the lead single off the new Album.) A+ show

Saturday: Fiona Apple @ the Greek:
When we first saw Fiona at Largo (capacity of 100) last year we were (obviously) blown away. Then we saw her at the Wiltern (capacity of 2400) and I was concerned about her ability to carry such a large room. And we were even more blow away. Then she played the Greek (capacity of around 8000) and I was again concerned about the size of the venue and again my concerned proved to be unfounded. She was even more enrapturing in the large amphitheatre than she had been at the Wiltern. The set-list was pretty close to what she played when we last saw her, but the emotion and power that she poured out for her hometown crowd made it a memorable evening.

Oh. And Julie just miraculously procured Radiohead tickets at the Greek Theater for Thursday as an early Birthday Present. That’s right. My wife kicks ass.

Also, see: I CAN make it a month w/o posting. Don't make me do it again.