There Was a Time Before We Were Born /
If Someone Asks, This Is Where I'll Be
Just a preface:
There are probably several reasons for this blog -- I haven't posted in a while, I saw David Byrne, I had a good W.E.E.K.E.N.D., but most of all, I'm posting because I am conscious at 9.30am. Yes, I know, doesn't sound early at all, and really, for most of the waking world, 9.30 isn't anything. That's sleeping in for most folks. Yes, but I'm a grad student and me being me, I'm really hard headed and roped myself into sitting in on my friend W's calculus class at 8.10 this morning.
Why the hell would you do that? I can hear you asking through the computer screen. Well, I'll tell you. I was at a party, and I got into this conversation about whether or not he likes doing calculus...not just teaching it, but actually enjoys doing calculus. It was a serious question. And way leading onto way, he basically dared me to show up -- I said, "When's your class?" he said "8am" and I'm sure my eyes got really big. "Where?!" in the tone I use when you know I'm serious and that if you happen to tell me that I won't do something, I'll do it halfway just to spite you and halfway because I'm a woman of my word. I ended up reading Kant and having a conversation until 2.30am, and lay in between asleep and awake until I heard my roommate's alarm go off. It was about 6 in tha' mornin' at that point. I turned my imminently to ring alarm off and went out to my deck and meditated and did some yoga to start off my day. And then there was math. I haven't seen an absolute value sign in about 20,000 years. Amazing. I actually followed most of what Will was doing, even though I haven't done calculus in about 6 years now, back in the dark ages of when I was considering being a chemist. My my, how way leads onto way. But I'm where I'm supposed to be, regardless of what I think is interesting about covalent bonds and inorganic chemistry.
and on and on
So...and PhiLL at this point will tell me that this is the longest post ever, but since I don't post all that often, I'll just go for it. The rest of this post is what I wrote in my red book at 3.30am on Saturday morning, sitting in front of my bumper on the concrete...thinking I was in front of my friend P's house, but really being around the curve waiting for them to arrive from the club we'd just left...and wondering where the hell everyone had gone to in interim. So I busted out my book and recorded a flo that was about me and the end of my week, including seeing David Byrne from 4th row at the Ryman.
17 September 04 circa 3:30am
"Don't look at what you can't see" - Sam Phillips
Shit. It was beautiful. It was perfect -- I'd say just like I imagined it, but I didn't really have time to imagine anything in the rollercoaster of a week I've had. Up. Down. Side. Side. Drama and shiftless boys who have no vision because they can't get their heads out of there asses and live. Deal with the bullshit -- not live in the past.
And see beauty.
It's everywhere if you're in tune and you know where to look -- have your wits about you.
Then the most fun and amazing aesthetics class -- where the kids were in it and getting it and it was HAPPENING. Kant was happening in that room without teeth pulling and textual analysis. Such brilliant questions and G. would spin it back and back and there was discourse and conversation and imagination. And then my first independent study with him -- I'd prepared all this stuff on the avant-garde - questions and commentary to go in guns blazing, but -- well we started out and I was riffin' on what went on in class and how it related to punk rock, the avant-garde - Brecht and epic theater O's dissertation all of it. And it was on. BAM BAM BAM back and forth. I was wearing my "walk the walk" / NY art outfit and it was LB's birthday. Shit. He's so brilliant [G] and he was telling me how superb my questions were and I was thinking on my feet and it was beautiful. One of the best conversations I've had in a long time and probably the best academic conversation I've ever had. The fifty minutes were up, and we were both sad to go. Score one for the EB. Personal Victory. Then the probably best radio show I've ever done and the phone kept lighting up and callers telling me how great it is and how they love those songs and NEVER hear them on the radio.
Beautiful.
Flash to Friday and chaos and where's LM and "Who the hell is this? JOMY and flooding and who am I taking to see David Byrne? and C. who can't break plans with C. [his girlfriend] even though he knows it sucks and K's got plans and -- phone call I don't want to make to my non-friend ex-boyfriend who I no longer hold the charade with and a message -- "G. It's E. I have something I want to talk to you about. It's important. Call me." and CJ enthralled in conversation and Hell yes high five he'll go to see David Byrne.
And 4th row was really 4th row and David Byrne was sexy and lovely and danceable and I Zimbra and I mentioned my associations with scratched records and he played my favorite fucking song! and I flipped the fuck out -- and it was amazing (This Must Be the Place)
and a stripped down acousticky "Nothing But Flowers"
and Cole Porter "Don't Fence Me In" and covering Jimi Hendrix in Engineer overalls and dancing with his guitar and "Psychokiller" all slow and ironical
I hate people when they're not polite and "Once in a Lifetime"
BLIND! "Humans"
and This Ain't No Disco
and lots of awesome new stuff.
We screamed and belted and danced danced danced jumped up and down Road to Nowhere and he was in it and we screamed until he screamed back at us
I've never seen that at any show EVER
and he said "Oh my God"
when we wouldn't stop.
He smiled and smiled and
really loves what he's doing --
it hasn't gotten old on him
and
he hadn't gotten old on
himself.
And running into A. at PM
and a misrun to an empty T. and a successful meet with P. and T. and H. and PM (again) and dance dance dance MC Hammer Samantha Fox Deelite RUN DMC Ton-Loc Beastie Boys and we had a dance party with strangers and it cemented it all -- the evening, it all perfect.
And this is why I've given up
sleeping again because there's
too much fun to be had --
at random bars on night that
you just let roll on and on
and coffee shop dancing and
karaoke footwork on
crosswalks and keep your
heart in the right place
and dance till you drop
and LIVE because you
can while you can because
life's too short.
