see one performance a month

Saw the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s latest production.

Twas pretty good scathing Comedia as always.

For those of you who do not know what The Mime Troupe is, it does not do miming in the tradition asscoiated with Marcel Marceu, It is more in the original tradition of miming which is based on Comedia dell’arte and lampoons the characters of power in society.

Thus, this year was a rollicking comedy about Dick Cheney’s plan to build a children’s hospital in Iraq to improve his image . . . and of course in the meantime make a ton of money for some of his former Haliburton buddies.

The last two years I have seen the Mime Troupe shows I have realized both times that their are few places in the country where it would be possible for such a scathing troupe like the Mime troupe to exist.

To say that the play comically roasted Cheney and Condaleeza would be an understatement. It was a full on character bashing with a song and dance on the side.

Hoping they get enough donations to take it to DC. It would almost be worth it fly out to see it performed at the capital.

Not a bad show. Great to see them in such a small venue. Really wish they had played more of the old stuff off of Gish, Siamese Dream. They did play Disarm and Silverfuck and thank god for Silverfuck because it is one of my all time faves and they played it well.

Also so glad to see Jimmy Chamberlain playing drums at such a close distance. One of my two favorite rock drummers (the other being Herb ‘the Ginsu Drummer’ Alexander of Primus). But Jimmy was on fire and played a few mini solos and one long one that simply killed. Noticed the sound guys at the board who had been sitting their calmy all night all stood up in rapt attention during his drum solo.

The light show was pretty complicated but a little too Vegas which seemed to defeat the point of the small intimite venue. And as always Billy was walking the fine line between being antagonist/self-indulgent and putting on a good show. Most of the critics today have bashed the show and I somewhat agree. I did like some of the new songs and some of the long epic expirimental jams. But since they played till 1:17 A.M. there were definitely some of the newer fans not digging the more metal/prog-rock versions of songs.

All and all, there were some great moments. Some master guitar shredding, tight and fat bass lines by the new femme fatale bassist. Kind of hard to complain about being able to see the Pumpkins play stuff you’ll never see on a big tour and keep going till 1am but it was as Corgan said at one point, “Welcome to our Band Practice, exclusive band practice.”

And the poster handed out afterward (a Fillmore tradition going back a good 30 years) is 100 times better than the new album cover.

Okay. I think I am now officially looking forward to seeing the Smashing Pumpkins next Sunday. Luckily, I bought the tickets for one of their 8 nights of shows in residency at the Fillmore the first dayu they went on slae and sold out . . . without thinking.

Did not read any of the press telling me the new line-up would be a disaster and . . . whoa . . . Jimmmy Chamberlin is playing, one of the best drummers in rock and roll and nothing against Iha and D’arcy but the only one who has any control over the nusic besides Dictator Corgan.

And it sounds like this new bass player Ginger Reyes can play and pack an impressive eye-candy wallop. Sounds like they are warming up good in France, at Live Earth and in North Carolina. By the time they hit the Fillmore they should be in a good mood with a good crows to boot. Should be fun to see them in such an intimate venue. My god, are they gonna be loud. Last time I sawe them it was at Lallapalooza outdoor at Shoreline and they were pissed off that The Beastie Boys were stealing the tour.

Viva the Pumpkins at the Fillmore.

Saw Feist at the Fillmore last night and she was . . . amazing! No really, everybody I spoke to said it was an amazing show, the word kept coming up so yea it was an amazing show! She is quite the charasmatic little pixie of a songstress and she sure can play that guitar. The band backing her was great and to be so damn close, three arms length away, was exceptional.

Grizzly Bear opened and did a great set. I like them much better live than on CD. They did an amazing cover of “He Hit Me (And it felt like a Kiss)” by the Crystals.

But back to Feist. What a voice. Mesmerizing.

Gah, I saw two really bad plays in downtown SF in the last two weeks putting me off on the whole SF theatre scene for a bit, starting to remind me a bit of Seattle’s but luckily I saw a pretty decent play called Fe in the Dessert by Jessica Hagedorn, writer of the novels Dogeaters, Gangster of Love and Dream Jungle.

Anyway, the director Danny Sheie is a big deal in the Bay and was the artistic director of Shakes Santa Cruz for 17 years, and the cast had three fairly accomplished equity actors and so the piece was quite well done.

The writing was good at times but felt more like a film script or a novel and had a blase ending that wound together like a neurotic cuckoo clock with all sorts of loose ends dangling.

Still, not bad and I suspect it will end up in New York next. Hope she re-works it.

Not really sure what to say. Awed into lack of words!

She was hands down and without a doubt AMAZING in all capital letters.

From the Operazmic voice to the Pulsating Persona, she was like a singing Dalhi exhibit with a spactacular light show. And so much more . . . the emotion just flows out of her voice like molten love, lifeforce imprinted on your soul!

The three peeps I went with were debating afterward if her outfit was (a) a georgia o’keefe golden vulva (b) a Versaille Woman Warrior (or) A regal, fur-encrusted volva roba

If only I could make it up to Wednesday’s concert in Vancouver! You Canucks better enjoy!

She has been on the top of my must see list for 3 years now and she did not disappoint!

Saw “Urinetown: the Musical” put on my my college’s Players Club. A most excellent production! Hilarious send up of the musical theatre style and well, of lands where you have to pay to urinate.

Usually musical theatre is about as exciting as cold soup to me, but this is a very well written show. Some clever songs and the coreography by a gal I know was so much better than that usual Jant Jackson schlep-fest that accompanies so much jazz-dance musical numbers.

The story of how this musical was originally created is great too. Total outsiders who could not get a play called “Urinetown” produced (go figure). But then it took off at the fringe fest in New York and ended up being a huge smash, even winning 3 Tony’s.

Last night I flew back from my holidaus in Texas and was picked up by the dynastic duo, the Cuban Lighting Master and the infamous Hemp Museum Associate, and we went straight to the Bill Graham Auditorium to see Gnarls Barkley and the Flaming Lips perform. Since The Cuban Lighting Master has done work for the production company creating the magnificiant evening we were instantly backstage wandering past the catering spread and dressing rooms. Next thing I know Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse walk right by me dressed in huge old-school astronaut outfits as they hit the stage.

Think I shall have to re-write this review but the Flaming Lips were just amazing! Even though it was the 30th, Wayne Coyne quickly announced that they were going to perform a New Years Show because “San Franciscans have their own sense of time anyway.” And what a New Years Show it was . . . I have not seen so much confetti emmited in one evening, the entrance in a giant UFO and crowd surfing in a huge bubble as dozens of Santas and Super Hereos danced and partied on the side stage waving flashlights as giant blue baloons bounced around the entire crowd turning everything into a visual feast of oppulance.

Man, can that man sing too, like he has flaming lips or something!

Wow, is the only word, WOW what a fucking show!

And since I did New Year an evening early with the wild escapades of the Flaming Lips, I am more than happy to sit back and enjoy a mellow and introspective New Years eve reading, writing and watching movies (hell no, I ain’t doin’ no rithmetic!)

Thanks Flaming Lips for a great send-off to the New Year, I HOPE YOU PLAY FRISCO NEW YEARS NEXT YEAR TOO! (in case yer reading)

On my Asian theatre professor’s reccomendation I went to see the world renowned Sankai Juku company perform.

They were simply sublime! Gracefully powerfull.

It is no wonder this japanese dance company has taken Europe by storm for 20+ years. Trained in the Butoh tradition they now reside in Paris at the Theatre d’Avignon but tour internationally and seem to be invited to every major artistic festival on the planet.

According to the program notes the piece I saw was inspired by the Japanese art of flower arrangement and the strikingly beautiful images that the dancers created seemed straight from another world. As if Monet had choreographed the Blue Man Group.

Simply superb!

Alright. Everybody knows that on your Berfday week one has to go see lots of bands. And I am not one to buck tradition. Thus on this past Friday night I went to see the Indigo Girls at the Warfield. Truly fun and folkerrific! The place was swarming with lesbians. Big lesbians, little lesbians, lesbians with pink dreaded hair, and no hair and Ricky Nelson 50’s hair. So my femme friend who had free tix (I knows the peeps with connections) was walking me through the lobby and herslef being of the lady liking persuasion herself turned to me and said, “Is this gonna be too lesbian for you,” to which I gave a “pshaw” and then looked about to realize maybe I was a bit out of my depths.

Luckily I was in my metrosexual attire and not my Oakland Raiders Death-To-Pansies looking shirt.

A I missed the opening act Bitch and the Big Finish but was able to see them being mobbed in the lobby.

The Indigo Girls sang some of their old school folk-rock and I knew most of the words to their glorious oldies, but the crowd knew the lyrics so well that when the duo stopped to let the crowd sing the most beautiful singing would emerge from the huge crowd. I have never heard a crowd sing along with such fabulous harmony and unerring knowledge of evry single word.

For the Encore they performed a rousing rendition of “Galileo” with this fantabulous african-american woman who could sing the rafters down. She sang on several songs and was leaving people with jaws dropped. Her name was Trina and she was from Atlanta with a band called “Three Five Union” (?). Any Atlanta peeps heard of a band called something like this, wanna check out there stuff.

All in all twas a heart warming evening. Much livlier set than I had expected. Last time I saw the Girls of Indigo they were playing the Gathering of The Tribes Festival and right after them Soundgarden played and deafened any thoughts of what they had played. Not the right festival for them. Plus, they have gotten quite good on many instruments and matured as musicians.

Hmm, now supposedly they have teamed with Pink to record so that would be quite a show in the future.