Moscow Cats, and Hair

Today, Sue and I went to go see the Moscow Cats Theatre at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, in NYC. Sue had gotten me the tickets as a Christmas present, and today was the show. The venue was a tiny place, maybe seating 200? However, our seats were front row, but even if they had been higher or further away, we still would have been able to see everything fine.

The cats generally did very "cat-like" things, such as walking, scratching the floor, etc., but then were trained to run and jump and climb on certain things, like the tightrope walking cat in the photo above. There was always a treat at the end of the trick (and sometimes at the start) for the cats, and sometimes, I think the trick the cat did wasn't particularly what was planned, but it was still a blast. There were a few siamese cats, a hairless cat, a dog (Pomeranian?), and 5 actors/clowns, who either worked with the cats, or did their own tricks.

The show was about 70 minutes long, and was very much worth seeing. There was a lot of laughter from both us, and the audience during the show. I think the run is ending soon in NYC, and I don't know where they go from here.

In other Mike News, I've cut off a lot of my hair... Here's a photo or two to show the new style...

I'm definitely working that Garibaldi look from Season 4-5 of Babylon 5....

NP: ELP - From the Beginning

A strange feeling...

Yesterday, I commente on my new position I have, as the "Genesis-Web Content Editor" for the official Genesis website. I've been doing this job officially for a month now, and it really is a fun job. Its work, that doesn't feel like "work," if that makes sense.

However, it is very strange for me to be in this position. I've been a fan of Genesis since about 1984 or so, and now, I'm working (through a company) for the band themselves, basically running content on their website. It's a connection in a very real way, to something that's been, for want of a better word, a "hobby" for me for over 20 years.

There's also a great sense of responsibility for this. I've been put into a position that any "fan" out there would kill for, and now, I'm *that guy*. I feel I can be a good voice for fans of the band with the management and perhaps even the band themselves at some point, but there's also that understanding on my part, that I really am just helping run their website.

I'm a big King Crimson fan also, and I got thanks on here yesterday about the Genesis gig from Sid Smith, the guy who helps run King Crimson's website (and does a lot of other cool stuff, check out his blog), DGMLive.com. That's a site the approach of which I'd like to emulate in my own work, while putting my own stamp on the approach I take.

At it's core, I figure I got this job by being myself, and I just have to continue doing that, helping to make the content of the site something I and other fans would be interested in checking out on a regular basis.

I think I'm putting a lot of my angst out here tonight about this job. Overall, I've been having a great time with this work, so I just have to continue doing so. It's a great place to be right now, and I'm going to do my best to put the band out there on the web with the best face. I made a comment on the message boards on the site that my goal for the site is to keep it active and alive, and one of my friends on the boards told me that that phrase sounds like a Mission Statement. I've taken that to heart in the past month.

So, in summary, it's a strange feeling to have a hobby/interest turn into a job.

NP: Yes - Children of Light

Back!

I know, I know, it's been awhile since my last blog here. What can I say, except that I've been busy!

Since I last wrote in October, I've been to two weddings, was best man at one of them (traveled to Rhode Island for that one also!), have a new consulting job, and have just been plugging away at a lot of different work related stuff.

The consulting job is what's taking up a lot of my free time, I'm working as the Genesis-Web Content Editor, for the official Genesis website.

As you may know out there, I'm a big Genesis fan. Since November 1st, I've been serving in this official capacity for the website, providing news updates for the many Genesis fans out there around the world. It's a lot of fun, and I'm actually making some cash doing it. It's great when something that is a hobby can end up providing a piece of income also.

So, I'll be posting here again, I promise... More to come!

Mike

Suit!

I bought a new suit for the first time in a long time for the upcoming Joe/Sally nuptuals. It was about time. My last suits that I bought, I bought about 10 years ago, when I was in grad school. Fortunately, they all still fit.

So, here's the photos of the new three piece suit, for your viewing enjoyment!

Hey you! I know you!

See, I'm *not* packing heat...

Ladies, I'm taken!

NP: Dana Gould - Angry at Rush

Blog fatigue...

Hey there!

So, I said I was going to blog in here more often, and then I promptly fall off the face of the planet. Isn't that what blogging is all about? Empty promises and no content?

But, I'm here now, with an exciting week coming up! This Friday, Sue and I leave for Newport, RI for my friend Joe's wedding. I'm Best Man, so I have to finish up writing my speech this week. And YES, I have actually started it, so I'm ahead of the game there.

We leave on Friday, and the wedding is on Sunday. We're staying over till Monday, so it should be a nice little vacation, although we'll be busy with wedding stuff.

More to come later, but I wanted to let people know I was still alive.

Cheers!

NP: The Police - Rehumanize Yourself

Bowling!

Last night, I went bowling with some people from work, about seven of us all together. It was a blast, but I didn't break 100 on any game. I was always in the 90's, but I just couldn't pull it together to have a consistent game. I like to bowl, but I'm not terribly good at it.

I always figure that if I can break 100, that's a good game.

Our next social work trip outing will be to Atlantic City, sometime in November. That should be a fun time, assuming that I'm able to go. We'll see how the schedule pans out.

In other news, here's a shot from the Genesis show I went to at Giants Stadium back on the 28th.

It was a great time, I had a blast. Fortunately, the weather held out, there was no rain, and it was quite a warm night. The music was great, and if it's the last time I see Genesis (as there's no guarantee that they'll tour again), that's okay...

New starts on here, yet again...

I think at the beginning of September, I said I was going to re-focus posting on here, as I had dropped off for a bit. Of course, since then, I have barely posted.

I think I'm going to try to write something each day before going to work, see if that's a better time to do this than in the evenings. If I have something that I end up wanting to say in the evenings, then I'll write then, but this will probably become my regular time to write.

But, now, I have to go off to work... See you all later!

Tonight tonight tonight

So, tonight, I'm going to see Genesis with the wonderful Sue at Madison Square Garden. I'll be heading into the city around 3pm or so, and will meet up with her at StoutNYC, where the fan meet up is happening before the concert.

This will be my first time seeing Genesis since 1992, at Foxboro, MA on the We Can't Dance tour. I'm wearing the t-shirt from that show, and I'm happy it still fits...

A bit blurry, but the photo does the job, right?

I'll be going to their show on Thursday at Giants Stadium also. Someone asked me yesterday at work, why I was going to two shows. My response:

"If they were doing another show at MSG, I would have gone to that one too..."

So, perhaps that explains my obsession.

I'll write a report on the show later on, when I return...

NP: Miles Davis - So What

Fair Play

I finished reading Al Gore's new book, "The Assault On Reason," last night. His basic idea is that the political discource in this country (on both sides, but predominately by the present administration), has fallen to lows not previously seen in recent history.

This fall has been caused by the present administration not acting or reacting to real, verifiable information, or presenting such information to the American public. When the public does not have good information to review, there is no basis for making good, informed decision.

Of course, people of good conscience, in my mind, can of course disagree over approaches to solve a particular problem. However, when we are not given proper time or material to review, then how can "the public" even have enough information to have a proper debate.

The key here is that the individuals in power do not *want* the public to have the information for an informed debate. Because it serves their best interest to keep the public in the dark as to what they plan to do.

I don't expect readers out there to like Al Gore, he's a polarizing figure for some. However, he does have valid critiques of the present administration. There is no sense of Fair Play, and that should never be lacking in American politics, as it shows a disrespect for all the citizens that our elected officials serve.

NP: Porcupine Tree - The Sound of Musak

The Other Side

So, I'm sitting here thinking about the past month, and I realize that I've made it to the other side of where I was looking to get back in mid-August.

Back then, I was thinking that if I could get to mid-September at work, life would be good, and settling down nicely. Now I'm here, and it is pretty much so. The new Director is on board, work is good, and things are okay. I'm happy that we're here, and that September is half over. Work will still be busy, but things will be fine.

In two weeks, I'll be at my second of two Genesis shows, this one at Giants Stadium. The first will be on Tuesday the 25th at Madison Square Garden. Yay! Then, that weekend, I'll be having a bachelor party for my friend Joe, going to Mohegan Sun.

Life, it is good.

NP: Robbie Robertson - Testimony

Post Labor Day

Ah, the Labor Day weekend, come and gone... It was so nice to have a weekend where I didn't have to work... So, what did I do with my time?

On Saturday, Sue and I went to see the movie "Superbad," starring Michael Cera of Arrested Development fame. It was quite good, it was a High School comedy that wasn't all about the different cliques or groups in the school, it was about two friends, and their relationship. I mean, it wasn't terribly deep and everything, but really, it's high school, how deep can you get?

The humor was great, and it kept me interested throughout the movie. All in all, a good Saturday matinee.

On Sunday, we went into Hoboken, as Sue needed to go grocery shopping for a few items, and wanted to go to a specific market there. Managed to find good parking, and spent about 45 minutes in that town.

Afterwards, we went to the Ikea across the NJ Turnpike from Newark Airport, to watch planes take off and land. We were there for about an hour. Sue loves watching the planes, but hates flying. There's irony in there somewhere...

Monday was just a relaxing day. Didn't really do much at all, and I went to bed super early. And today was back to work, as usual. Always fun!

NP: The Police - Bombs Away

Classes!

The first day of classes passed today. Work is slowly getting back to normal, although we're still processing a lot of late check in students. Some needed additional time to get their finances settled, while others just had better things to do on the earlier move in dates, I guess...

We're filling up work study positions in the office, and getting ready for September. I have "Room Swap Week" to coordinate, which I'll probably get all the stuff ready for tomorrow. I have to make some publicity, and get the forms all ready to go. Last year was the first year I coordinated this, and I have some changes I want to make to the process, in order to make it easier for both the students and our office.

In the world of classes, Sue starts taking a class next week, starting up her bachelor's program again. Should be fun for her to do! I think she'll do great in the class!

Other than that, it's still very much a work-centric week, although my evenings and mornings are becoming more normal.

NP: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Mambo Swing

The Return of the Giant Postweed....

Yes, I'm back to posting on here, after a little short of a month away. Today, upperclass students (sophomores-seniors) moved into their residence halls on campus, and classes start tomorrow.

So, this means that a large part of my super busy time is now over. Granted, I will now be busy in different ways, but that's okay, I'm used to the rhythms of my job, I know what has to come now at different times, and what I must do to prepare.

We also have a number of transitions going on in the office. We have a "new" grad assistant starting tomorrow. I put "new" in quotes as she has worked in the office before, so she'll be able to jump right in to the detail work she needs to be doing.

We also have a new Housing person on board, who started last week, really in the thick of it. He's been jumping right in, and really has a good sense of the job.

Our Director is transitioning out, as she is going to be going to school full time. The new Director has been hired, and while he doesn't start officially for about another 10 days or so, he has been able to come in to the office for some of the big things going on, like First Year opening, and the start of Resident Assistant Training. I think we'll work well together. I've enjoyed working with the Director who is leaving, so I'll miss that, but change is always exciting, and I think this will keep me interested in the job in a different way than would have been otherwise.

So, lots of new people in the office. Which is fun, but has made the start of this year a bit "busier" than it would have been otherwise. However, with the start of classes tomorrow, we will get into our rhythm now. I'm looking forward to this year, and what it will bring.

RA Training, which I coordinate, with the big help of the two professionals who report to me, went off well. The students really kept their energy up all week, and I think they got the information from Training that they needed to get. Of course, the "on the job" training they'll get over the course of the next week or two, from actually working with their residents, will serve them well more than any formal training would on its own.

The RA group has a great vibe to them, and I think the group is going to work together well this year. Check back with me in May, and see if I still believe this. I think it'll pan out...

We started off the Training week back on the 17th with a trip rafting on the Delaware River. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes being outdoors, floating down a river with some minor fast parts, and spending 3-4 hours on the water. I think the staff got a lot out of it, as some of them had never done anything like it before.

Back on the weekend of the 11-12th, Sue and I had our friend Nariah down visiting from New Hampshire. Sue and Nariah went into NYC on the Saturday, while I went into the city for a different purpose, a Scavenger Hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, done through the social group here at work that I help coordinate. It was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to help plan more events coming up.

I'll definitely be updating this a bit more often now. So, watch this space!

NP: King Crimson - Book of Saturday (6 Oct 1973)

Counting down!

We're approaching the end of the summer at work. Next Thursday, a week from tomorrow, the Resident Assistants return from their summer, and start training. We're pretty much ready for them, it's just the little details like food that have to happen now...

However, once the 16th hits, I'll probably be incommunicado from here for awhile. It'll be busy for me both on the days and the evenings... Not until after Labor Day will I be back here with a vengance...

I think that's when I'll rededicate myself to the blog....

The Wedding of the Lily

Last Friday, Sue and I traveled up to Salem, MA for the wedding of one of my college friends, Sean Lily. He was the last of the quad who lived together (Sean, Lou, Bill, and Derek) to get married, so it was a bit of a special time. Sean also I think has stayed friends with *everyone* from BC, so there were a number of people there who I hadn't seen in awhile.

Sue and I left on Friday morning, and took about 5.5 hours to drive up to Salem. On the way up, I had received a call from our friend Thor about doing lunch together with a bunch of people, so after checking into the hotel around 12:30pm, we walked down to "Finz," the restaurant where everyone was.

Once everyone who was coming got there, I think there was a total of about 16-20 people there for lunch. Old friends with their respective wives (Bill & Sarah, Lou and Sania with baby, Derek and Diana with Derek's parents, Theresa and Thor, and others!), some singles like John Wood, and some people I haven't seen in quite awhile, like Domingo, Guillaume, and Mario (who I've actually seen more recently, but really only see at weddings and the like). Sue and I had to sit at a side table, as it was a bit crowded at the "main" table, but we were right next to them, and people came over to our table to be received like royalty, as is their right!

Afterwards, Sue, Theresa and I wandered Salem for a bit, to be met up by Thor once he came back from the hotel. After a bit more wandering, around the village green (did the burnings happen there? There was no plaque...), we went back to to hotel to clean ourselves up. Sue and I were in a smoking room, but it really didn't smell bad, and because we didn't want a smoking room, we actually got an upgrade to a bigger room, which was nice.

So, after showering and getting all snazzed up, Sue and I walked the five minutes from the hotel to the church for the wedding. Even though it was a very warm day, it was not nearly as hot in the church as it could have been. Not to say that it was cool, but it was not boiling!

The ceremony, while being in a Catholic church, was not a mass. It was very nice, although I think some of the pieces of the ceremony were perhaps a bit out of order, but everything happened in the end. Unity candle got lit, all readings were completed, and a good time was had by all! And most importantly, Sean and Kelly got married! Yay!

Then, back to the hotel, where the reception was held, in a very nice room... Dancing, partying, rocking out, and fun was had.... Here's the best time to start showing the photos....

Aren't they adorable!!!!

The photographer had these marks on the back of his head. Alien abduction?

Enough of balding guy's scars! Back to the happy couple! They're married!

Lou and Bill escorting a bridesmaid. Menage a walking with a bridesmaid...

Theresa and Thor post wedding. They've been married almost 9 years now!

You know it's a good wedding when there's not one, not two, but THREE bagpipers there....

Bill on the left, and the mysterious John Wood. He says he works for a finance company, but we all think he's actually a secret agent.

Dr. Lou, caught in mid chew....

Bill, Derek, and Lou making their grand entrance... Muppet Show theme was the entrance music.

Happy Couple! It's their party!

You faithful blogger, and John Wood. I guess he's not blurry in all photos...

Thor laughing at something the lovely Sue has said...

Dance Dance Revolution!

The alluring stare of Dr. Lou....

Taken by Dr. Lou, a wonderful photo... It may be our Christmas card this year... Sania, Lou's wife, said to me at one point, "Sue is so much fun!" She's right!

Another rocking photo of the happy couple...

Derek, playing Mr. Cool....

Bill, taking some odd photos with the camera of someone else... Digital is fun!

Your faithful blogger... Looking hip, and having a blast...

On Saturday, Derek hosted a cookout at his place, which was a blast, much fun was had just hanging out, enjoying ourselves. Although, for some reason, I didn't take any photos... Sadness!

Sue and I ended up leaving slightly after 6pm, and got home by around 10pm that Saturday night. All in all, a quick trip, but one that was a blast, to see a good friend get married, and to spend time (gone all too quick) with friends from the college years...

Some final photos.... Driving from Salem to Boston, we ran into some nasty storms. Here's some photos Sue took while I drove...

NP: The Who - Join Together

More often!

I need to rededicate myself to blogging again.

I'm not writing as much as I'd like, so I will try to do more.

Next post will update on the wedding of the Lily, and photos from MV....

Off to a wedding!

Just a brief note that we're off to a wedding in Salem Massachusetts tomorrow, and will be back on Saturday. I promise I'll write more...

Potter...

This weekend, I went and bought the new Harry Potter book on Saturday morning at a bookstore in Hoboken. Said bookstore did *NOT* do a midnight sale, otherwise I would have gone then...

I finished the book around 1:45pm on Sunday. A fitting conclusion to the series, I was satisfied.

I'm not going to go into the details of the plot and all that, as you're either going to read the book, or not, based on your own opinions. I do think though, that what drives these books, more than the fantasy aspect of it (which is fun, no doubt), is Rowling's focus on friendship, and the connections we all make to each other.

Life isn't worth much if you don't have connections to put meaning to it. That's the core message, and it is one that resonates with me.

So, friends, thank you all for being around. I appreciate you all.

NP: Robert Fripp - Glass and Breath II

Martha's Vineyard

Sue and I spent a great eight days on Martha's Vineyard. Here's the report of those days:

Day 1 - Friday, 6 July

We drove up 95 North from New Jersey, hitting little to no traffic along the way. Yay! We got to Woods Hole and parked, taking a shuttle bus to the Steamship Authority terminal. There, we waited for the 2:30pm Ferry over to Oak Bluffs. The ferry ride was uneventful, and we got to our hotel by about 3:30pm, checked into the Nashua House, and went to our room. The room was small, but we had a balcony with a view of Vineyard Sound, so that helped "expand" the size of our room...

We went to eat dinner at Zapotec Restaurant, a Mexican place right in Oak Bluffs. I had chicken and swordfish fajitas, which were quite tasty!

We went back to the room, and waited out a short thunderstorm, which was really the only rain we had while we were awake the entire time we were there. We lucked out with the weather!

That evening, we walked around Oak Bluffs a bit, and just got the lay of the land. I should say, that Sue got the lay of the land, as I've been to MV at least 8 times beforehand, but this was only Sue's 2nd time on the island.

On returning to the hotel, we sat on the balcony, and watched the parade of hootchies going by, out to party in Oak Bluffs. Hours of entertainment there. We also crushed heads, in the true "Kids In The Hall" style...

Day 2 - Saturday, 7 July

On this day, we used the bus passes we had purchased for the week, to travel to Edgartown, in order to go to South Beach, the beach along the Atlantic coast of the island. It's a very narrow beach, I'm assuming because of erosion. I didn't go in the water, but Sue did, and found it cool but refreshing.

Of course, I put sunblock on, but managed to miss a good part of my legs and feet, so I ended up getting a bad burn on the tops of my feet and ankles. No fun there, but it seems to always happen.

I'm still peeling now down there, just for your information.

Where did we eat that night? Can't remember, but it was good!

Day 3 - Sunday, 8 July

This morning started with Sue and I going out on a boat, so she could go para-sailing! Sue's a bit more of a risk taker with some of this stuff than I am, and she really enjoyed her trip about 400 feet into the air, floating around with the parachute up there! It looked like fun, but I still have no real urge to do it myself.

After that, I think I just took it easy most of the day (resting my feet and ankles, as it hurt a bit to walk), while Sue did some window shopping in Oak Bluffs. Again, good food, but I can't remember specifically where we ate.

Day 4 - Monday, 9 July

I'm putting the dates in here, as if we really kept track of what day it was... ;)

This Monday, I believe we went into Vineyard Haven, to check out that area. It was quaint, but VH is not a town with a lot of options. Oak Bluffs has all the "stuff" to do, Edgartown is hoity-toity, and VH is just kind of there. It's nice, but nothing tremendous....

We were there for awhile, and headed back to Oak Bluffs after awhile. I think we ate at Giordano's, a great pizza place in Oak Bluffs that night. Not sure... It's amazing how quickly some stuff blends together...

We spent a lot of time walking around, going from place to place, just enjoying being outdoors. Walking along the ocean, checking out the harbor, that kind of stuff.

Day 5 - Tuesday, July 10

I think this was the day we went on a nature trip to Chappaquidick. We went with about 12 other people in a truck on a nature tour. You'd think, on a nature tour, people could actually be quiet, and enjoy looking at nature in as non-impactful way as possible, but that wasn't our truck, unfortunately. I enjoyed the drive, and the tour, but it just wasn't quite what I was hoping for, with people yakking away.

We saw beaches, birds, sand, houses, and a lighthouse. It was nice. :)

Day 6 - Wednesday, July 11

Relaxed. Sat on the balcony. Went to see Harry Potter in the afternoon, in Oak Bluffs in the Island Theater. It was fun, but the theater is OLD, and showed it... Walked around afterwards, had a quick dinner in the Island House Pub, I believe. Laid back, basic food.

Most of our time was spent relaxing. It's a good place to just take it easy.

Day 7 - Thursday, July 12

I think we actually went earlier, but this may have been the day we went to Aquinnah, formerly Gay Head. Nice walk down to the beach, and Sue went along to the bluffs.

I'll have pictures of all this stuff soon, but I wanted to have one post with text, and one with photos.

Day 8 - Friday, July 13

Went to Menemsha this day (or the day before)... Sue went shelling, and I sat at a little food shack to read my book. It was fun and relaxing... The books I read while on the island were "Death by Black Hole," by Neil Degrasse Tyson, and "Almost A Miracle," by John Fehrling, about the American Revolution. Both books were quite good, I'd recommend the collection of science essays by Tyson to anyone interested in astronomy or science.

Day 9 - Saturday, July 14

Leaving the island.... Had a good breakfast at Laura Jeans, a restaurant in Oak Bluffs, and caught the 10:45am ferry out of Oak Bluffs. Was home by 5pm.

Lots of good food, lots of quality time with Sue, lots of enjoying looking at the ocean, lots of laughing. It was a great time. MV is a special place for me, it's just very relaxing, and a good place to go to be with special people. I'm glad I could share it with Sue....

Photos coming soon!

NP: Pete Townshend - Save It For Later

I'm not dead!

Yes, I haven't posted in awhile, but I've been away! Sue and I went on vacation to Martha's Vineyard for a week (July 6-14th, to be precise), so there was no computer access during that time. It was actually kind of nice, being away from everything, not having any regular access to tv, computers, or other media.

I'll write up a full report soon, but I wanted to let regular readers of this blog (all two of you!), that all was well on the Lord front...

This week has been about getting back in the swing of work, and looking towards the rest of the summer. In a lot of ways, my summer ends on August 16th, when RA Training for this year begins, but that'll be fine. Sue and I will cram a lot of fun into the time between now and then...

In other news, my friend Joe got engaged! Wedding nuptuals will be at the end of October. Congrats to Joe and his girl Sally!

NP: Frank Zappa - Sofa #1 (10 December 1970)

NEARFest!

Last weekend, I attended NEARFest, the North East Art Rock Festival, with my friend Joe M. He and I last attended NEARFest in 2003, where the French band Magma was the headliner on the first day. This year, Magma was the headliner for the 2nd day, so Joe asked if I wanted to go again. Being a glutton for punishment, why not, I figured?

Joe arrived here in Jersey City from Rhode Island last Friday afternoon, and we then headed out to Allentown, PA, where we were staying, as the festival was on Lehigh University's campus, at the Zoellner Arts Center. However, as soon as we arrived, after checking into the hotel, we headed off to Reading, PA, to meet our friend Jen, who we attended Boston College with, back in the day.

Amazingly, we found the restaurant, getting there at 8pm, and Jen arrived a few minutes later. Joe had stayed in contact with her more, I actually hadn't seen her since 1994. It was a fun dinner, with a lot of catching up and recalling the lazy crazy days of undergraduate life. A good time was had by all.

Fast forwarding to Saturday, Joe and I arrived at Zoellner at about 9:30am, for a 11am start time for the first band. It's good to get there early to get good parking, and to figure out the lay of the land. Also, there are vendors with plenty of "prog" CDs, who are willing to give them to you in exchange for your hard earned money. Joe and I were happy to partake in the feeding frenzy...


Here's Joe, outside of the Zoellner Arts Center, with a photo of Michael McDonald looking over his shoulder...



Joe, up on a ledge, being seen through the bushes....



Mike, up on the same ledge, almost doing a Hulk Hogan impression. But Hogan's not as buff as I...



Joe, inside at our seats, before the first band...

Now, my quick review of each band. Overall, I really enjoyed the festival, with only one band not really doing anything at all for me (I'm looking at you, Magenta!). The others, we start with....

• Izz: This was the first band of the Festival, and was a great kickoff to the day. Two drummers, a guitarist, a keyboardist/singer, a bassist/singer, and two female vocalists, they were quite good! A good hour long set, and I really enjoyed their music. The lyrics may have been a bit light here and there, some predictible rhymes, but I can live with that.
After Izz, we had lunch at the lunch tent outside... Note the public art off to the left. Don't ask me what it's supposed to symbolize...
After lunch, we had...


• NebelNest: A French instrumental band, the drummer for this band was a monster! Great player, and all the other members of the band (two guitarists, keys, bass) were good also. A fun live experience, but I get the feeling that on CD, the material might begin to sound all the same.
Then, we have...


• Bob Drake: A semi-avant-garde performer, he did about 30 minutes of some "odd" songs with another guitarist and a drummer. Not bad stuff, but nothing that really knocked my socks off.

After Mr. Drake, Joe and I wandered around Lehigh's campus for a bit. Some photos...

Do you really want to live in "Drinker Hall?"

Don't jump, Joe!!!

Then, after walking around, we have...


• Magenta: The one band of this Festival that really did next to nothing for me. At one point, there was some music where I thought they were doing a cover of Steve Hackett's "The Steppes," but nope, it was their own song, that sounded *exactly* like that Hackett one. That happened a few times during the set that we stayed for. Joe and I made the executive decision to go out to dinner during this band. I don't feel we missed much.


• Hawkwind: Hawkwind is a "space rock" band, that has had about 90 members over the lifetime of the band. Their performances are backed up by a slide show, that alternates between photos/drawings of the Earth from space, "Grey" style aliens, and the planet Saturn. If Spinal Tap were real, they'd be Hawkwind. I didn't "dislike" Hawkwind, but they didn't do much for me. But, if you're into taking heavy amounts of mushrooms, they're probably *just* the right band for you.

The Hawkwind banner....

Earth from space! Lookie!

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After the first day, Joe and I went back to the hotel, had a drink at a local pub right nextdoor, watched a bit of SNL, and went to bed... In order to prepare for...

Second Day -

• Indukti: An instrumental band from Poland, again, with a monster drummer. Also two guitarits, bass, and violin! Great combo, a good kick in the pants opener for Sunday morning.


• La Maschera Di Cera: Italian prog band, with keys, flute, bass, drums, and singer. Not bad stuff, the singer had the best stage presence of anyone all weekend long. But it didn't really do much for me. We stayed for the full set, but I think that the band could have cut one song out of their set, and it would have kept it much tighter for me over the course of the performance, and I may have come out liking their band better.


• Robert Rich: Ambient music, with some animations displayed on the big screen. I liked it, but it isn't the type of music I need to run out and buy. I closed my eyes and almost dozed off during part of it, which isn't a criticism, like it would be with other bands.


• Pure Reason Revolution: Another good band, kind of Radioheadish, a good sound to them. Joe and I did leave during their set, not because we didn't like them, but again, because food was calling to us.


Joe, waiting for Magma like a good boy!
Mike and Joe, in the theater before the onset of MAGMA!!

• Magma: Ah, the band that Joe and I really came to see, and they did not disappoint. They played two "songs" during their main set, Kohntarkoz, and Ementeht-Re. I *may* be misspelling those names, as, for those of you who don't know, Magma sings in their own created language, called Kobian. The two "encore" songs were Kobia, and Linhs. The band is made up of drums (Christian Vander, who writes the music), 4 vocalists (3 female, 1 male), guitar, bass, keys, and a vibes player. With the second song of their main set, it was about 40 minutes long, and I knew it was coming to the end of it, as it was just too intense musically, and there was nowhere else for them to go but to end the music!

Sorry for the blur in the photos, but you can deal, can't you?

Magma taking bows!

All in all, a great weekend! It was fun to spend time with Joe, and see some great music. I got my Festival program signed by a lot of the artists, they all hung out for the length of the weekend. In fact, the Polish band Indukti sat next to us for a segment of Magma's show.

Another aspect of going to these shows, like attending a Star Trek convention, is that you get to see nerds in their natural habitat. It's good times. Joe and I also have an idea to make our own documentary about the NearFest experience. This little interview can be our calling card for investors!

Mike Yakking at NearFest

NP: Gershwin - An American in Paris