Showses

After work I met Mary Beth up at the park. I didn't stay long, but met her at the pond and got to look at the turtles for a little bit. Then at night I did the thing where I attempted to go to two shows! I guess I succeeded, saw part of one and all of another. The first was at someone's tiny practice space. I think it was a former garage behind a house, converted into what would be a tiny "studio" apartment and seems like used as a practice space. So it was pretty crowded and as the music started it got even more crowded and I was pretty smushed in. Also, about every time I opened the door it bumped into Ben Ricketts standing there (because not much else room to stand!). The first to play was a new project called Hater Group Chat with Zach Mitchell on drums, Corbin on modular and tapes, and Kole on guitar and saxophone. They were good free improv psych jammin'. I'd hoped to get to be able to see Blanket Swimming but wasn't able as I had to make it to the other show. But I did get to see Nicholas and talk to him some and buy his new cd off him: Blanket Swimming: The Lion's Tooth Blows across the Promenade. Also, Zach Robison was there and standing next to the drums so I was able to take photographic evidence that the two Zachs are in fact not the same person! (Long-standing joke is they look a bit alike, like the first time I saw Zach M. I thought at first it was Zach R. but then I squinted and was like, no, that's not him...and then to find out they're both named Zach makes it even funnier...to me anyway.) So I make it home and pick Mary Beth up and we go to the Lamplighter for the other show. Cel Shade was first and her set was great as always. Then it was Noir Walls. He did "The Robots" again and had a nice fun set. I mean, so far it's a bit of a "repeat" of last week's show (not exactly, because they both mixed their sets up a bit, but they did both play last week), but then Neon Glittery was last and I hadn't seen her before and had wanted to. Kinda baroque-ish synth stuff and sometimes she sings too. I get some hints of Colleen in it maybe mixed with a little Wendy Carlos (though not quite so intricately busy as the Bach stuff, but with a similar feel). She has a couple old Casios (including the real old, not-quite first generation but close, where it's huge and bigger than any Casio I'd ever seen...back when they had analog oscillators...I knew about them but only seen pictures and didn't realize they were so big!) and a Waldorf synth. For some songs she used those old Casio rhythms and chords and THOSE are always a big nostalgia mainline. We talked to her for a bit after the show. I knew she lives in Arkansas and thought it was maybe kinda close but a little bit away but she's just in Marion which borders West Memphis so it's practically just over the bridge, probably closer than a few of the suburbs on this side of the river. Anyway, that was fun and nice and now I'm caught back up on some sleep!