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My resolution this year was to see more live music. So of course I
have to log everything.
shows i've seen
- Interpol, 9:30 Club, December 6, 2002
- Kinda Joy Division, kinda Bauhaus. The crowd was intense, and
the music was lush. It would've been a more fun concert,
except these jerks in front of us kept stepping on our feet.
- Would-Be-Goods, Pipas, Glo-Worm, Future Bible Heroes, 9:30
Club, October 29, 2002
- Fun, and fun going with Sean and Sandra who I don't see nearly as
often as I should. Two groups of friends merged there: my group (me and
Sean and Kevin and Sandra), and Justin's group (him and Maureen and Augie
and some other people). Also saw Les. I can't believe the show wasn't
crowded. Stupid DC audience. Stephin (and Claudia) seemed to be slightly
grumpy at this, but oh! what a voice.
- Super Furry Animals, 9:30 Club, September 26, 2002
- I dunno. Their music just didn't grab me. Which is too bad. But I
ran into Les there, and that was nice.
- Spoon, Black Cat, September 24, 2002
- I went there because Casey says they're good and while I was
headed home from my friend's house, I realized the concert would just be
starting. So I stopped off at the Black Cat, and saw Spoon, and thought
they were great. That's all I have to say.
- Modest Mouse, De La Soul, The Hackensack Boys, Flaming Lips,
Cake, Mann Center, August 22
- Impressive list o' bands at the Unlimited Sunshine tour. We (Anna,
Becca, and I) missed Kinky, and just got in for Modest Mouse (Anna and I
ran into the center when we heard "Gravity Rides Everything" off in the
distance). It was early, though, and it was sad how few people were
around. Then there was De La Soul, who brought Anna back to her high
school days, even though those same days were Becca's college days and my
grad school days, the Hackensaw Boys (who were fun), the Flaming Lips
(who were unexpectedly amazing), and Cake (who were great). Very boy, said
Becca. But very fun. The Flaming Lips definitely won us all over. Wow.
- V for Vendetta, Kimya Dawson, Burlesque Revival Association,
Ms. Spice and the Malenium Band, Tribe 8 (Ladyfest DC) Black Cat,
August 8
- V for Vendetta was pretty decently cacophonous. Kimya Dawson was more
Suzanne Vega than expected (I'd expected more energetic pop). The chick
Charlotte from the Burlesque Revival Association who did all the 40s
impressions was incredible. Ms. Spice got everyone dancing to DC go go.
And Tribe 8 was just incredible. I'd never really realized how hot Lynn
Breedlove was.
- Mum, Black Cat, July 28
- Oh so sweet and good. Plus it was fun hanging out with Kevin and
Paul, talking about urban planning.
- Gaijin A Go Go, Bleu, and Puffy Amiyumi, 9:30
Club, July 19
- Wow, the funnest concert I've been to all year. Was really too late
to see Gaijin A Go Go, oh well, but Bleu was decent and Puffy, Puffy was
amazing. I mean, talk about great energy. And, of course, the
songs. Happy happy happy! More later, maybe.
- Maginot Line, Los Hermanos, and Cry Baby Cry,
Black Cat, July 13
- Maginot Line was a little too loud, Los Hermanos was pretty decent,
and I was there for Cry Baby Cry. Fun show, but I was a little distracted
because I ran into all these people I knew there (Sean and Heather and
their pals).
- I Am the World Trade Center, Velvet Lounge, July 11
- Again, fun fun fun. They are the cutest band ever. Dan especially,
because he seems so happy. Amy too, though partly because she reminds me
of B. But I already said that.
- Dressy Bessy, Black Cat, June 19
- I got a hug from Tammy!
- G Love & Special Sauce, and a bunch of other smaller bands I'd
never heard of, 8th and G, NW, June 1
- Friends from work were going, I like G Love, it was free. But oh.
So. Hot. The concert was amusing, but some of the post-concert stuff was
even more amusing.
- Triangle, Busy Signal, I Am the World Trade
Center, Black Cat, May 20
- A nice surprise for a Monday night band. So I went to see I Am the
World Trade Center (named before September 11) because I'd heard them off
the Kindercore compilation. They were *much* dancier in real life, and I
had a great time dancing to them. Wish more people joined in. They so
rocked. Like New Order and Yaz and happy disco and old-school Madonna
dance and techno all in one.
- Disconcerting bit: The female singer, Amy Dykes, looks a little bit
like B, and danced *just*like*her*. I bet B's singing voice would be
similar, too. Which made Amy attractive, but also mildly angst-inspiring.
Sweet talking voice though. "Big Star" is my favorite song right now.
"Believe in Me" is happy dancey too. I'm gonna try to play this at our
next party.
- Sleater-Kinney and Belle and Sebastian, D.A.R.
Constitution Hall, May 15
- Good, but weird. (I won't put in the stupid story about my extra
ticket and stuff.) Anyway, it was good in the sense that (1)
Sleater-Kinney was fun and energetic, as they should be, and (2) Belle and
Sebastian was just, wow. Not as dancey as they could be, but the hushey
songs I like, they were just incredible. Awesome in the awe sense. Like
"We Rule the School," had the room gasping. The light show was good too,
though one of the swirlies got stuck.
- Weird in the sense that the venue was not appropriate. As Stuart
Murdoch said (paraphrased, because I forget his exact words), "I can't
even swear here, it's so posh." Yeah. Confused the audience and the
bands. Swallowed the bands such that they had to fight back. Weird.
- Though, as Adam points out, the room was pretty white. Himself
included.
- Mike Doughty, 9:30 Club, May 10
- Okay. So he's gained weight, has bad hair, and now looks a bit like
Harry Anderson on Night Court, but he still rocked! Fun show, with
Doughty's characteristic odd sense of humor. With a weird cover-snippet
of Cornershop, too! Had a great time, plus I stood next to some cute boy
who was jotting down stuff the whole time in some notepad. It makes me
happy to see people writing. I do miss the visuals of the skinny bald M
Doughty with glasses, though. He seems to be doing all that he can
to distance himself from Soul Coughing. Also, I skipped out on Poi Dog
Pondering, who Doughty was opening for, but oh well.
- Ivory Coast, Capitol City Dusters, and
Superchunk, Black Cat, April 5
- I shouldn't have gone out, and should've done work instead, but an
exception applied, and so I saw the show. Superchunk was great, the other
bands were so-so, and the night itself was really weird, for
reasons I won't explain here.
- Deathray Davies and Dressy Bessy, Metro Cafe, March 25
- God, they rocked!
- See, I started out this evening feeling
grumpy. Bad day at work, random outside stress, stuff like that. I got
to the Metro Cafe waaay too early, and found out they wouldn't let me in.
But I met some band members! Like Bill, the drummer from Deathray Davies,
who looked just like Grant M. And Tammy, the lead singer/guitarist from
Dressy Bessy who was just nice and sweet and perfect and called Emiko, the
chick who was playing a separate show at Metro Cafe, and whose fault it
was that the people who were here to see DD or DB couldn't be let in
early, a bitch. Okay, I guess that's not sweet, but you get the picture.
Perfect in the way that I mean perfect. Oh, and briefly saw John,
from The Apples in Stereo. How exciting! But I'm shy with band people,
and had little of substance to say.
- DD was great, all neo-Kinks and all. And DB was wonderful, whatever
that guy Bob I met (an attorney from the Recreational Vehicles Association
of America, how random) had to say. He was here to see DD, rather than
DB. I've learned that's a dangerous conflict, people who are here to see
one band over another. Inevitably, there's competition, which is too bad.
- Anyway, whatever. Great great show, both bands cheered me up, and
Dressy Bessy made me feel all girl-happy inside. I could hug Tammy, and I
did.
- Cex, The Dismemberment Plan, and Death Cab for Cutie,
Middle East, March 17
- Elation at being able to see Cex, Death, and Dismemberment, all good
in their own ways. What a triple-show. Death Cab was my favorite, of
course, especially their songs that were all hush and stuff. Ooh. The
whole trip was my birthday present to myself.
- Her Space Holiday and Canyon and Pinback,
Black Cat, March 3
- Just saw the tail end of Her Space Holiday, who was all right, but a
little silly with the fake voice generator thingies. Canyon was
reasonable, too. But Pinback, Pinback was amazing. I mean, their
stage presence wasn't huge or anything, but their music was great,
especially the two-part rhythmic singing and stuff. And they were much
more energetic in concert than on their CD. Remind me to list which song
is the videogame song.
- Centromatic and Varnaline, Black Cat, February 4
- Went to this because someone recommended Varnaline to me, I ended up
buying a Centromatic CD instead. Great show. Both bands were low-fi-ey,
neo-country, and just plain enjoyable.
- The Liars and The Apes, Black Cat, January 31
- The two bands were okay. DC bands and stuff. Hadn't heard of them
before, but figured I'd show up and see what they were like. A little too
loud and bass-ey and drummy for me to listen to on my own. But they were
fun and energetic, nevertheless.
- Galactic, 9:30 Club, January 16
- Fun acid funk band, a la Medeski, Martin, and Wood. My roommate Ilana
knows them, which is why we went. The concert hammered in the fact that I
really prefer to dance to funk. Fun fun fun. Made out with some boy I
was dancing with, too, which was amusing (for me, and to Ilana.)
readings
Because this counts too, doesn't it?
- Mark Kurlansky, Politics and Prose, January 29
- He was all right. I mean, he was enthusiastic and all, he just
wandered a bit. And people were asking goofy questions about the
composition and history of salt, stuff that was already answered in the
book (as well as in lots of high school chemistry classes). And I was
definitely the youngest person in the audience (and in the bookstore,
even, except the girl who worked there who wore the same blue and black
striped tights as me).
plays
- True West, Arena Stage, February 28
- The first half was just amazing. Sibling frustrations and the
conflict of responsibility v. wild creativity, perfectly captured. But
the second half was a little too overdone. Especially the mom. And the
toast, however funny, got a little too sitcommy. But still, great to
watch.
supreme court cases
- Borden Ranch v. U.S. Army Corps, December 9
- My notes here.
- Washington Legal Foundation v. Legal Foundation of Washington,
December 9
- My notes here.
- Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. Ayers, November 6
- Got there at 6:30 and barely got in. Stupid law students. ;) It was
nice being able to see Prof. Lazarus argue. I love him so. But I'm
expecting him to lose.
- Watchtower Bible and Tract Society v. Village of Stratton,
February 26
- Got up at 5:15 am to watch this. Barely got in. Super-exciting.
This was the case I worked on for my judge when it was just at the appeals
court level! Ooh!
- Tahoe Sierra Planning Council v. Tahoe Regional Planning
Agency, January 9
- Got up at 6 am to watch this. This was a case I worked when I was at
DOJ as a law clerk! Ooh!
shows and readings and things i've missed
- The International Drag King Contest, Black Cat, May 18
- Another reminder that I should get tickets in advance. Though maybe
it's better that I didn't have tickets, because I saw B ahead of me in
line, on what looked to be a date, which would've made things weird.
- Pedro the Lion, Black Cat, May 6
- Kinda meant to see them, but then felt too lazy to go. Oh well.
- Percival Everett, Politics and Prose, March 9
- He was sick and had to cancel. Oh well.
- Kimone and Mendoza Line, Black Cat, March 6
- Emergency motion to respond to at work. Had to stay until midnight.
Heard from John that Kimone was pretty good, and that he didn't stay for
Mendoza Line because he didn't see me and hadn't gotten my email. I will
forever feel guilty for not calling.
- Le Tigre, Black Cat, February 20
- So Jason emails us to say, hey, shouldn't we get tickets in advance.
Lily calls the club and finds out they've only sold a third of the
tickets, so she emails back to say, nah, we can get them at the door. We
arrive, and they're totally sold out. Drinks instead. Damn.