Big Ears Part Three
Mar. 25th, 2019 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ateolfWhere were we? Oh yes, on our way to get some pizza in the late night hours of Old City Knoxville. So we find the pizza place but there's no street parking because it's Saturday night and in the middle of a festival and busy and all that. We look at one lot nearby but it has a $10 daily rate and nothing hourly so it's like fuck that. Now again, this is just around the corner from where we just were and really only like two blocks from where the car was just parked, and there's parking a little walk away but Jacques isn't going to walk any of it. So I'm getting a little frustrated, so close but so far away from food and I haven't eaten in twelve hours and I'm damn hungry and tired. We end up having to just drive away. Look for more places that are still open and think we find something but get there and it's not open. Then end up having just no luck. We also try to get back on the interstate and right there there's a cop car blocking the ramp so it's like, how the hell do we get back. Ended up finding some road that goes along to the next entrance and I think maybe we'll drive by somewhere with food or whatever, but it's mostly residential. It was actually this weird road running along the top of a hill or mountain or ridge or whatever. In gaps between the houses you could see the lights spread out in the valley below. We end up just getting back to where our hotel is. There are a few fast food places around and we kinda just wanna get done and to bed fast so yeah. Well, they're all closed. McDonald's...Taco Bell...Krystal's...all closed... What the fucks is up with that!? Three of the most open at all hours places you could ask for. There, at least, was a Waffle House so we were able to eat and it was surprisingly quite good, maybe it was the hunger. I guess there can be a goodness to Waffle House (if you catch 'em right, sometimes it can be off but sometimes it can bet quite good). It's also almost as fast as fast food anyway. We tried to check out though and there was a couple in front of us taking forever, they were getting takeout and going through the boxes and putting ketchup and hot sauce on all their food but not paying and the cashier was sitting there waiting to be paid and they're drunk as hell and distracted as hell. It was kinda funny, especially when the finally finished and we could check out and leave! Oh, one random observation. Two of the days I wore two of my least visibly recognizable t-shirts: Éliane Radigue (with no text, just her artwork that's on the reissue for Adnos I-III) and 4ms. Both days my shirts were complimented and I talked briefly to the people commenting on them. I guess if there's anywhere, it'd be Big Ears! Yeah, I maen just a lot of people into the same nerdy shit you're into and for the most part very nice and friendly and just happy to bask with you in all the amazing music. The only real asshole we encountered was one lyft driver, who admonished me for slamming his door when we got in the car. I mean, I think I shut it a little on the hard side (different doors have different weights and I may have been expecting to be a little heavier or whatever) and anyway, the way he asked was kinda dickish and then the ride was awkward. But whatever. Oh, and there was one kinda fratty, broish, creepy driver. It was all well and good, he was asking about the festival, and then he asked if there were a lot of good looking girls. Jacques was like yeah there's lots of cute girls around then he asked if they were just there to look hot and Jacques was like no they're here to enjoy the music too and then I was in not-engaging-with-this-guy-anymore mode though he backed away from all that after that, still was kinda gross. In the grand scheme of things that's pretty mild on what you could get from a lyft experience, I guess. And the rest of the drivers were pleasant or pleasant enough.
Well, now we've gotten to Sunday, the last day! We parked on that side street that The Standard is on and went and ate at Sweet P's Barbecue. It was pretty good, it was fast which is what we needed. Had chopped pork and the pork was a little on the dry side. Apparently their ribs are their best thing, someone said, but that wasn't a time for ribs. The sauce was good. And the sides were quite good, I had some really delicious lima beans. Also maybe Knoxville just isn't the place for barbecue? Maybe something's good. Anyway, overall not bad but I'm from Memphis and am surrounded by delicious pork barbecue. Coming out, while waiting for the next lyft, we ran into Cain's friend (we'd been running into the two of them throughout a bunch) and I feel bad 'cuz he stayed at my house and I can't remember his name. Really nice guy. I'm sure I can dig it up somewhere but anyway. He asked us if we saw This Is Not This Heat just play and...what!? So they played the 12 Drone that went all night (midnight to noon), but I think they were last or something, like they'd just finished and this was just a little after noon. It wasn't announced or listed anywhere or anything so it's a major bummer I missed that but I guess I couldn't've known. He said almost no one was there, nobody knew about it. He said it was pretty incredible, there were tons of technical issues with the sound but it's almost like they played all the harder to make up for it. I'd love it if a recording exists somewhere. I'll have to look for that. Ah well. Can't win them all. Very lucky to have seen them twice, especially now that they're about to return to the U.K. for their final-ever shows. Anyway, we make it over to the museum to see Alvin Lucier again. A different set of ensemble pieces with some of the same performers. It started with one on the glockenspiel, being played very fast so that the notes are clashing against each other and holding and droning out these magical weird tones. It was really cool. It ended with another piece by Lucier himself. There was a loop of either bird sounds or bird-like electronic sounds and he was holding some piece of equipment and there was a high pitched whiney drone that I assume it was controlling somehow. He started at the back of the audience and gradually walked his way up to the front. It was really awesome and awesome to see him perform twice! Also, the space in the downstairs of the museum was much better for the music. All the open space gave so much room for the sounds to bounce around and interact and it was a really great experience. Both shows were simply amazing and it blows my mind to even think about them! I think next we hit the merch area one last time and I picked up Nate Wooley: The Complete Syllables Music. Then we walked over to The Pilot Light (see, this is the same distance we didn't walk the night before!). We saw Irreversible Entanglements. We were there a little early and they weren't letting people in yet so we went to a bar across the street and mostly just sat there waiting. Then the line was starting to form and we went to wait in it. Chris met us in line and we talked for him a good while about the festival and everything going on. Anyway, Irreversible Entanglements were incredible. Those guys can fucking play. And Camae Ayewa (Moor Mother) had her intense poetry to go along with it! I had "heard" (but not seen) them play at Pitchfork, across the field when no one else was playing so the sound could carry to where we were camped out waiting and holding our good spots (probably for This Is Not This Heat, but I forget exactly). They were fucking incredible...yesterday! This was just yesterday! Really intense, and that bass player is fucking incredible (upright bass doesn't often bring attention to itself like that). After that we had a little time, Jacques at first wanted to skip food and make it to the next show but I was against a repeat of the day before so I said he could go on and I'd eat and catch up with him but he decided to go with me. Curious Dog was close so we ate there. This time I got one with roast beef and barbecue sauce and nacho cheese and other stuff and it was really great though the first one was the best. Had to eat it more hurriedly too 'cuz they'd been busier and it took longer than the first time (also the first time was when I had a huge amount of time to kill). If it was as quick as the first time, we wouldn't've been late for the next show, but we were barely late. We got in only like three minutes late. It was St. John's Choir performing Arvo Pärt's Passio. It was nice. Next we finished up by going to the Tennessee Theatre to see The Art Ensemble of Chicago! We waited a while in line and while there we made friends with this couple from Louisville who we talked to a good while about a bunch of stuff. Then inside and the band was great. I mean, they're huge. And I was surprised 'cuz Camae Ayewa performed with them as well (I mean, makes sense, the same kind of poetry over experimental jazz!). Their sound went to so many places all over the map. Freeform freakout, more composed pieces. I did recognize that they ended with "Odwalla." This was a great end to a great festival. I just saw so many things that blew me the fuck away! While waiting for our last ride, we saw Chris again and talked to him again for a bit. Then today was the drive back. Before leaving Knoxville, I tried to find food and had our sights on another lunch kitchen but we got to where it should be and had trouble finding it. Jacques suggested we try a barbecue place we'd passed nearby. On our way there I saw a place that didn't really have a sign and figured that might be it, but I'd picked lots of where we ate already so we went with that. It was kinda mediocre. Actually, the meat itself was better than at the other place, it was nice and moist and greasy, but it had too much sauce and the sauce was bad (cloyingly sweet). The sides were okay, I had green beans that weren't bad. Okay, enough food talk, on the way home! Yeah, we drive, there was some rain for part of it, but otherwise it was uneventful. Now I'm home again and with Mary Beth and Trudy! I've probably left out so much shit but it's getting later and I've got work in the morning so I'll update ya'll if I think of anything else! To Big Ears, hear hear! So much fun!
Well, now we've gotten to Sunday, the last day! We parked on that side street that The Standard is on and went and ate at Sweet P's Barbecue. It was pretty good, it was fast which is what we needed. Had chopped pork and the pork was a little on the dry side. Apparently their ribs are their best thing, someone said, but that wasn't a time for ribs. The sauce was good. And the sides were quite good, I had some really delicious lima beans. Also maybe Knoxville just isn't the place for barbecue? Maybe something's good. Anyway, overall not bad but I'm from Memphis and am surrounded by delicious pork barbecue. Coming out, while waiting for the next lyft, we ran into Cain's friend (we'd been running into the two of them throughout a bunch) and I feel bad 'cuz he stayed at my house and I can't remember his name. Really nice guy. I'm sure I can dig it up somewhere but anyway. He asked us if we saw This Is Not This Heat just play and...what!? So they played the 12 Drone that went all night (midnight to noon), but I think they were last or something, like they'd just finished and this was just a little after noon. It wasn't announced or listed anywhere or anything so it's a major bummer I missed that but I guess I couldn't've known. He said almost no one was there, nobody knew about it. He said it was pretty incredible, there were tons of technical issues with the sound but it's almost like they played all the harder to make up for it. I'd love it if a recording exists somewhere. I'll have to look for that. Ah well. Can't win them all. Very lucky to have seen them twice, especially now that they're about to return to the U.K. for their final-ever shows. Anyway, we make it over to the museum to see Alvin Lucier again. A different set of ensemble pieces with some of the same performers. It started with one on the glockenspiel, being played very fast so that the notes are clashing against each other and holding and droning out these magical weird tones. It was really cool. It ended with another piece by Lucier himself. There was a loop of either bird sounds or bird-like electronic sounds and he was holding some piece of equipment and there was a high pitched whiney drone that I assume it was controlling somehow. He started at the back of the audience and gradually walked his way up to the front. It was really awesome and awesome to see him perform twice! Also, the space in the downstairs of the museum was much better for the music. All the open space gave so much room for the sounds to bounce around and interact and it was a really great experience. Both shows were simply amazing and it blows my mind to even think about them! I think next we hit the merch area one last time and I picked up Nate Wooley: The Complete Syllables Music. Then we walked over to The Pilot Light (see, this is the same distance we didn't walk the night before!). We saw Irreversible Entanglements. We were there a little early and they weren't letting people in yet so we went to a bar across the street and mostly just sat there waiting. Then the line was starting to form and we went to wait in it. Chris met us in line and we talked for him a good while about the festival and everything going on. Anyway, Irreversible Entanglements were incredible. Those guys can fucking play. And Camae Ayewa (Moor Mother) had her intense poetry to go along with it! I had "heard" (but not seen) them play at Pitchfork, across the field when no one else was playing so the sound could carry to where we were camped out waiting and holding our good spots (probably for This Is Not This Heat, but I forget exactly). They were fucking incredible...yesterday! This was just yesterday! Really intense, and that bass player is fucking incredible (upright bass doesn't often bring attention to itself like that). After that we had a little time, Jacques at first wanted to skip food and make it to the next show but I was against a repeat of the day before so I said he could go on and I'd eat and catch up with him but he decided to go with me. Curious Dog was close so we ate there. This time I got one with roast beef and barbecue sauce and nacho cheese and other stuff and it was really great though the first one was the best. Had to eat it more hurriedly too 'cuz they'd been busier and it took longer than the first time (also the first time was when I had a huge amount of time to kill). If it was as quick as the first time, we wouldn't've been late for the next show, but we were barely late. We got in only like three minutes late. It was St. John's Choir performing Arvo Pärt's Passio. It was nice. Next we finished up by going to the Tennessee Theatre to see The Art Ensemble of Chicago! We waited a while in line and while there we made friends with this couple from Louisville who we talked to a good while about a bunch of stuff. Then inside and the band was great. I mean, they're huge. And I was surprised 'cuz Camae Ayewa performed with them as well (I mean, makes sense, the same kind of poetry over experimental jazz!). Their sound went to so many places all over the map. Freeform freakout, more composed pieces. I did recognize that they ended with "Odwalla." This was a great end to a great festival. I just saw so many things that blew me the fuck away! While waiting for our last ride, we saw Chris again and talked to him again for a bit. Then today was the drive back. Before leaving Knoxville, I tried to find food and had our sights on another lunch kitchen but we got to where it should be and had trouble finding it. Jacques suggested we try a barbecue place we'd passed nearby. On our way there I saw a place that didn't really have a sign and figured that might be it, but I'd picked lots of where we ate already so we went with that. It was kinda mediocre. Actually, the meat itself was better than at the other place, it was nice and moist and greasy, but it had too much sauce and the sauce was bad (cloyingly sweet). The sides were okay, I had green beans that weren't bad. Okay, enough food talk, on the way home! Yeah, we drive, there was some rain for part of it, but otherwise it was uneventful. Now I'm home again and with Mary Beth and Trudy! I've probably left out so much shit but it's getting later and I've got work in the morning so I'll update ya'll if I think of anything else! To Big Ears, hear hear! So much fun!
