Like when you climb Mt. Tamalpais on your bike.
Or when something falls behind the sofa, and it seems like it's just barely out of reach, but you stretch EXTRA hard, and somehow, miraculously, grip it between two fingers and draaaaag it back.
Sure it hurts, but you accomplished something. You did it. You should be proud. You ARE proud.
This weekend will be something like that. The only relaxation I can see happening will be a seated Bela Fleck show at Yoshi's, possibly Sunday evening, to catch him dueling it out with a man from Mali who is master of a crazy instrument called the Kora. But the real pain will begin with the back-to-back monstrous musical happenings on Friday and Saturday night. Some of the world's funkiest players are gracing us with their infinite musicality this very weekend.
It's gonna hurt a little, but with you as my witness (and hopefully my cohort), I will see them all...
Speaking of stellar musicians, one last note: PHISH has announced their West Coast summer tour dates. These dates include four delicious nights at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater, a place I've been dying go to for years. There is one night at Shoreline, and also two nights at Seattle's iconic Gorge. The last time the boys reunited, some of the results were mixed. But listening to the downloads of their comeback Hampton shows from two weekends ago, I have to say I am STOKED. They sound fantastic, and Trey is only forgetting a few things here and there...
Anyway, the shows go on sale next week and will sell out immediately, so get on your shit if you wanna see 'em. Schedule is here: http://www.phish.com/news/ I will be trying for Red Rocks (hoping for Friday or Saturday) and Shoreline if any of y'all out there interested.
Also, there is a simple pre-sale lottery ending THIS SUNDAY that you can find here: http://phish.portals.
Now, on to more pressing subjects. Time to give 'til it hurts...
|||||| THURSDAY 3/19 ||||||
Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate @ Yoshi's Oakland - $30
8pm & 10pm shows (who's up for it Thursday or Sunday?). Hot on the heels of the release of a documentary about his musical sojourn around Africa, banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck is bringing a little slice of Africa to us! Joining him in a rare duo for the Yoshi's gigs is Toumani Diabate, a world-renown master of the Malian Kora instrument. Apparently Diabate can give our man Fleck a good fight in the versatility department, so I'm sure they're amazing to see. I think I wanna go Sunday evening and I'd love some company...
http://belafleck.com/
http://www.myspace.com/
|||||| FRIDAY 3/20 ||||||
Will Bernard, John Medeski, Stanton Moore, Andy Hess @ Great American Music Hall - $20
Early show! 8pm! Uhhhh, yeah, this is gonna be just effin' ridiculous. Four powerhouses and no weak links. I think we're in for some of the nastiest groove jazz going today with this crew. Bernard has been a Bay Area funky jazz guitar institution for decades, John Medeski (of Medeski, Martin, and Wood) is quite simply the most brilliantly creative freak-jazz pianist I've ever seen, Stanton Moore (of Galactic) is my favorite New Orleans drummer, and Andy Hess (of John Scofield, etc) is a bass playing force to be reckoned with. No excuses, this will be STELLAR. I'll See you there. Some friendlies are meeting at Edinburough Castle around 6...
http://willbernard.com/
http://www.mmw.net/
http://stantonmoore.com/
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe | Robert Walter's 20th Congress @ the Independent - $25
Friday & Saturday shows (I'm goin' Saturday). FUNK YEAH! The short dude with the long tall soul is back and on the attack! Karl is one of the nastiest soul jazz sax players you'll ever hear, and his smokin' band is finally back from a long break. What's most amazing to me about seeing him with these guys is the incredible interplay between Karl and trumpeter Chris Littlefield. They match each other note for note while ripping through intensely complicated horn lines, and frequently improvise super tasty melodies together on the spot. The rest of his band are also straight-up badasses, and it all makes for a hell of a party. Oh, and one of the best organ players touring today, Robert Walter (along with Karl a Greyboy Allstars alum), brings his absurdly funky heavy-organ band to get the room rockin' before Karl does. You know, 'cause you needed one more reason to go. Join me on Saturday, and don't be late!
http://www.globalimaging.us/
http://robertwalter.com/
Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate @ Yoshi's Oakland - $35
8pm & 10pm shows, see above.
http://belafleck.com/
http://www.myspace.com/
|||||| SATURDAY 3/21 ||||||
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe | Robert Walter's 20th Congress @ the Independent - $25
Friday & Saturday shows, see above. I'll catch you down in front for this one!
http://www.globalimaging.us/
http://robertwalter.com/
Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate @ Yoshi's Oakland - $35
8pm & 10pm shows, see above.
http://belafleck.com/
http://www.myspace.com/
|||||| SUNDAY 3/22 ||||||
Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate @ Yoshi's Oakland - $18-35
2pm & 7pm shows, I wanna go at 7! See above.
http://belafleck.com/
http://www.myspace.com/
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