Monday - December 22, 2008
Las Vegas Trip 2008 - Day 1
Our trip to Las Vegas leaves Minneapolis at 7:48pm via Denver. We are set to arrive in Las Vegas at 10:44pm. At 6:30pm we find ourselves in the airport at a Starbucks, where we have capucinnos and croissants.
Monday - December 22, 2008
Cuernavaca Trip 2008 - Day 1
We need to get up very early in the morning to make the flight to Mexico City. We are traveling via Continental to Houston and then from there to Mexico City. The flight out from Minneapolis leaves at 6:50 AM.
We wake up at 3:30 am. Actually I haven't slept much, maybe an hour or two total. I start the shower. I shaved last night, so I don't have to shave this morning. After my shower, Linda gets up to take a shower, while I go feed the kitties. They are confused somewhat by this early breakfast, but they are always ready to eat.
After I get dressed I go to start the car and leave it running with the heat on high. Back in the apartment, we finish up, zip the suitcases closed, say goodbye to the kitties, and leave the apartment for the car.
Outside is pretty brutal. Another day below zero. This morning it is -9 F. We get in the car and drive off. We have decided to park at the airport and leave the car there. It will be more expensive, but then we don't have to worry about having the car towed if it snows again and the building needs to plow.
We get to the airport at 4:50 and park the car through EZee park (you swipe a credit card when you park, and swipe the same credit card when you leave).
The terminal is overflowing with people, even this early in the morning. We see a few people sleeping on the floor, clearly they spent the night in the airport. There was a huge snow storm on Saturday and into Sunday in most of the country, and I had read that many flights had been cancelled.
We get in line to check in. The line progresses slowly, and eventually it is our turn. We check in two bags, get our boarding passes and go to wait on another line to go through the x-ray machines.
Our flight leaves from gate E3. As it happens, terminal E is the same terminal we took to go to Vegas last month, and we stop at the same Starbucks and order pretty much the same things as last time. Two-shot cappuccino for LB and a latte for me. Two poppy-seed muffins, water, and a mango Odwala. Then it is off to the gate to wait for the plane to leave.
Sunday - December 21, 2008
Bryant Lake Bowl for Breakfast 12/21/08
Went for breakfast to Bryant Lake Bowl after the Y. Arrived at 11 am. Very packed even if it is a very cold day (-9 degrees this morning).
We had juice and coffee (latte for me capuccino for LB). She had the eggsadilla an egg quesadilla. I had my usual there: yogurt with fresh fruit, and pancakes.
Saturday - December 13, 2008
The Making of Americans, An Opera
A small woden house, the kind one sees in the prairie, sits to the right of stage. A metalic tree lays next to it. A large horizontal screen that looks like those large advertisiments one sees on highways, sits high of the floor to the left of the stage. a small group of musicians play discordant, almost tuning their instruments, like music. This is what we see as we descend the steps to our seats at the McWire Theater. We are here for the World Premiere of The Making of the Americans. An Opera by Jay Scheib and Anthony Gatto based on a novel by Gertrude Stein. The Making of Americans, is an opera for six singers, eight players based on the novel by Gertrude Stein.
The opera, as much performance today, included dance and multi-media in addition to the singers and to the musicians (Zeitgeist). The opera consisted of two 3-scene acts with an epilog. The opera is based on The Making of Americans, a book authored by Gertrude Stein that recounts the progression of a family across multiple generations. This concept is achieved by a lot of repetition on the opera. Dancers, for example, perform a couple of moves a multitude of times. The use of multimedia also helps to deliver this message. Video cameras mounted inside the house record what happens inside, only parts of which can be seen by the audience through an open door and a number of windows. However, most of the video is shown on the screen above the stage. Video is fragmented at times, so one sees two realities the action inside the house and the video projection.
Most of the singing happens outside. In fact, much of the primary action is outdoors, and so we see people getting merried and divorcing and people dying. The last scene includes a wonderful oratorio with spoken word the repeats in a number of cycles pushing those repetitions to the limit.
This was a nice change from the usual fare at the Walker. It was a very good performance. I think that this is the first time I see opera at the Walker. I am sure it won’t be the last.
Saturday - December 13, 2008
Black Forest for Happy Hour 12/12/08
I go with to the Black Forest for happy hour. Elizabeth, Kate, Lizzy, and Katherine (our intern) come along. Linda meets us later.
Everyone orders beer, except for me. I have been coughing too much so I get a hot toddy (whiskey, lemon, hot water, and honey) then another.
The restaurant is empty when we get in, but by 6:30 it is totally crowded, plus there is live music. Two musicians, one plays a horn, the other one the acordion. The later one sings too. They are dressed in typical tirolean costumes and they work the place, moving from table to table, they stop for a few songs then move on.
Eventually they come to our table. They have been singing in English up to now. Linda asks them for a song in German, they sing two. One of the songs is one of these Yay, Yay, Yay songs that everyone can sing along. Elizabeth wants to give them a couple of bucks, but they can’t hear her when she offers them so she justs stuffs them on the suspenders of one of them. He doesn’t really notice at first, but later on grabs the money and thanks her. After that we leave.
Thursday - December 11, 2008
Kassin +2 at the Cedar
We went to hear KASSIN + 2, a great Brazilian group that plays distinctive Brazilian music based on Samba and Bossa-Nova, and at the same time infussed with a lot of modern music. The music goes from almost cool-jazz-like music to more agressive pieces. Kassin +2 is made principally of Moreno Veloso, Alexandre Kassin, and Domenico Lancelotti;three collaborating composer-musicians. The group was assisted by two more musicians, one on percussion and one on guitar.
The great thing about Kassin +2 is that you get to basically hear three concerts in one, as each musician takes center stage. Tonight it started with the music of Alexandre Kassin. Kassin interspected songs with little narrative (as he was the one who knew more English) . His music is cool, laid-back cool. He played the guitar with moreno also on guitar and Domenico on drums. After that came the music of Domenico which is much more agresive. Domenico uses more club music and electronica. Finally, it was Moreno's turn with a lot guitar and elements of Samba.
The space was set up with two areas for sitting to the left and right of stage and an empty space in the midle for people to dance. We sat on the first row to the left of stage (Olga Viso and her entourage was just left of us). But once Kassin was done and people were up and dancing in the middle, we also got up and went to the floor to dance.
Sunday - December 07, 2008
Dakota for dinner 10/15/08
We don't often have dinner at a concert, but this time we were in for the Lura concert and we were pretty hungry. Also, the Chef’s special seemed like a pretty good deal, so we ordered two. The food wasn’t too bad. The Sweet Corn Bisque was pretty good, and the Grouper was good too. However, the dessert was atrocious. Particularly the strawberry jam that came along with the cake, it was as if they had scooped jam right out of a McCormack’s jar.
Menu
Late
Harvest Sweet Corn Bisque with Shrimp
Baja
Grouper
Hazelnut
Cake with Strawberry jam, prunes, and ice cream cracker
Shooting
Star Chardonnay
Sunday - December 07, 2008
Lura at the Dakota
Wow. This was just a great concert. Lura is a Portugese born singer of Cape Verde ancestry. She had charisma, looks, and a great voice. She sang in Portugese and in Cape Verdean Creole. She also had great rapport with the audience. We sat at a table to the left of the stage and quite close, so we had a perfect view. Lura sang in a number of styles including Morna, Funaná and Batuque Songs she sang included Basulina (a song for which she told a funny story about how basulina was this great American hair product that they use in Cape Verde. As she described the story and kept repeating the word "basulina" it dawn on the audience that she was referring to Vaseline). She also sang Na Ri Na (where she had the audience join in) Lura at the Dakota 10/15/08
Saturday - December 06, 2008
Yusef Lateef at the Walker
Yusef Lateef with Douglas Ewart, Roscoe Mitchell and Adam Rudoulph tonight at the Walker playing to a sold out theater. We were lucky, because it was general sitting and we arrived late. However, nobody was sitting on the first row, so that's where we ended. Very close to the action.
This was a fantasti, if somewhat strange concert. I was not familiar with Yusef Latif's music and didn't know what to expect. I assumed it would be some type of recognizable jazz. How wrong!. The music they play sits in a fine line between noises and music. It is athmospheric and primitive as well as complex. Melodies are very sparce. Most of the music is very percusive, even the brass instruments they use.
The first piece, in particular, was very special. It started as isolated tones and sounds coming from one instrument or another.. Bells, woden flutes, a sax, and a primitive string instrument. It was almost like hearing the begining of music taking place. As if primitive people had discovered that they could make sounds with wood and rocks and shells (not that those instruments were being used) and were begining to make disparate noises and all of a sudden discovered that some of this could produce a rythm. The piece almost achieves a melody at one point, then withdraws from it again.
Yusef Lateef photo: Micahel DiDonna
Friday - December 05, 2008
Lar Lubovitch Dance Company
Sunday - November 30, 2008
Barrio for Lunch
Finally got to try the new Mexican joint on Nicollet. We went to Barrio for lunch. We had an order of Guacamole a Corn Chowder and Shrimp Tacos. Linda had a Dos Equis Amber and I had a Stella Artois. The Guacamole is served in a real molcajete (a stone container used to grind corn). The food is good in general, but we'll have to come back some evening and finally get inside.
Sunday - November 30, 2008
Chino Latino for Sushi and Mojitos
Sat on table by sidewalk. Ordered a couple of Mojitos and sushi. Later we had tequilas. Don Julio for LB and Herradura Reposado for me.
Menu
Mojitos
Salty Squid
Tuna Tataki
Shell and Peel Shrimp
Don Julio Anejo
Herradura Reposado
Saturday - November 29, 2008
Choreographers Evening
Sally Rousse
Tonight we went to see Choreographers' Evening at the Walker Art Center. A fun dance event that includes short pieces by a number of upcoming(?) choreographers. Tonight we saw over ten different works, from small ensemble acts including a playfulOrange Episodes by Judith Howeard to the solo performance by Ciudad Juarez's Mexican performance-artist-dancer-choreographer Jaime Carrera whose workMojado, was both poignant and funny.
Orange Episodes includes a stage with an orange background and four dancers wearing dissimilar orange-color outfits. They dance on an (you guessed it) synthetic orange rug. The dancing is fun. At one point only one dancer is left on stage and she proceeds to gather the rug in a frenzy, wanting to keep it all to herself.
In Mojado we see a Mexican with mop and bucket. He rolls the bucket, dunks the mop and proceeds to mop the stage, slowly working on it. On one end of the stage sits a pink tutu. One wonders about this prop and how will it work into the piece. As the worker cleans the stage, he slowly moves towards the tutu until he gets to it. At this point, he drops the mop, puts the tutu on and proceeds to dance to Mexican music. He dances on and on, traditional mexican dances in a pink tutu. The performance does a nice job of displaying the differences and connections of Mexican migrant workers into American Culture.
My favorite piece was Battlecats: Revolution. Choreographers/Dancers Battlecats' B-Boy J-Sun, B-Boy Sequel, and B-Boy Daylight to music by Damian Marley. This trio performed an energetic and highly-skilled work that relied on b-boying dancing
The program included works by: Battlecats, Maggie Bergeron & Company, Tim Cameron, Jaime Carrera, Mary Easter, Judith Howard, Nicolas Lincoln, SuperGroup, Tamin Totzke and Dustin Haug, Galen Treuer, Emily Tyra and Caroline Fermin, Pramila Vasudevan, and Chris Yon.
Choreographers evening 2008
Saturday - November 01, 2008
Crooked Still at the Cedar
Tonight, on Halloween night, we went to hear a band that neither of us knew anything about. I had purchased the tickets a couple of weeks ago on a whim. It was a band described as alternative blue grass, which sounded interesting. In any case, it was a good way to start the evening instead of hanging around at home waiting for 11pm to roll around.
We decided to put simple customes on for the show and then go straight to downtown Minneapolis to celebrate Halloween night. We dressed as old time photographers, always a good excuse to carry cameras around, and set out for the Cedar.
We arrived kind of late. The show started at 8pm and we were there at 8:30. We went to the back of the line to geet something to drink, and later on with beers in hand we went in to look for a place to sit. It was very crowded inside. It took some creative re-arranging (borrowing a chair) to find two chairs together. We sat to the left of stage.
The band came in in custome; the characters of Wizard of Oz. There was the singer and four more musicians. Everyone plays strings, including a cello, banjo, violin and base. The music was actually pretty good. The lead vocalist, Aoife O’Donovan, has a nice voice. They played for about an hour mixing songs with annecdotes from the band. By the time we left it was just perfect to head out to celebrate Halloween.
Friday - October 31, 2008
Halloween 2008
We took this year's Halloween as an opportunity to hit the streets with cameras on hand. We chose Photo-Reporter costumes to support the cameras hanging from our necks. It also helped that we were running around with digital Leicas that to many people look like old cameras. Who knows, maybe people thought we were just pretending to take pictures.
We started our photo safari on Hennepin. We stopped for a few pictures at Barfly, with people hanging outside in the smokers area. Then we moved on to First Avenue, which turned out to be a gold mine for picture taking. As usual, there were hundreds of people lining up the street waiting to get in to the club. We saw and took pictures of everyone. There were robots and vampires, boob-twins and wasps, policewomen and Mexicans with big sombreros, brides and the devil. A few other photographers walked up and down shooting. Actually I could tell that people wanted to have their picture taken. It was almost like they felt bad if you didn't take their picture. Some posed specifically for the camera.
After a while we took off and walked down Hennepin. We were also a bit cold, so we stopped at Solera for wine and food. The kitchen was closed, so we ended up drinking a couple of glasses of red wine. A few people in costume floated in from the Saloon. I guess Solera had something going up on the roof terrace, but we decided to skip that.
Sunday - October 26, 2008
Monday - July 07, 2008
Seven Rooftop Bar
Taiheikai
Onikoroshi
Negihama Spicy Tuna Roll
Thursday - July 03, 2008
VINCENT RESTAURANT 7/3/08
Barbagiuan
Cold cucumber soup
Escargot
Olives
Chickpea Fries
Bottle of Presqu'ile Vincent
Louis XV Cake
Capuccinno
Espresso
Saturday - June 21, 2008
Friday - May 02, 2008
RAGAMALA Sva (Vital Force)
This was a was a fabulous energetic performance by Ragamala Dance Company with live accompaniment of Shubhendra Rao (sitar) and Saskia Rao de-Haas (Indian cello) , and after intermission with music by Wadaiko Ensemble TOKARA (taiko drumming). The concert/performance began with Ardhanareeshwara Strotram , a world premiere, that showcased Aparna Ramaswamy (the principal dancer) is a solo dance performance that showcase her incredible ability. This work was danced to traditional recorded Indian music with vocals by Lalit Subramaniam. Aparna's dancing was at once graceful and forceful - with lots of foot stomping-, The hands and arms moved frequently, bringing narrative to the piece along with her expression which went from happy to flirtatious. At times she would come to a stop standing on one leg and forming a perfect shape that reminded me of a dancing Shiva sculpture. She was all made up and dressed in a yellow and gold tones costume. She wore ankle bells and her feet were covered with red hanna.
The second number was Yathra (Journey), another world premiere. This work included dancers Amanda Dlouhy, Jessica Fiala, Alison Kirwin, Tamara Nadel, Aparna Ramaswamy, Ashwini Ramaswamy and Renee Ramaswamy with live music by Shubhendra Rao (sitar) and Saskia Rao de-Haas (Indian cello). This work lacked the intensity and expertise of the first Solo piece. Part of the problem, in my mind, is that the company is good but there is some unevenness between most of the dancers and the two lead dancers. This second work, along with much of the rest of the program included a very cool projection against the black wall by artist Terry Rosenberg, that consisted of repetitive action painting. Mostly white lines that appeared as light, forming nest like forms on the wall.
After intermission, we saw Wadaiko Ensemble TOKARA performing Hatou no Hibiki . This was definitely an electrifying piece that showcased Art Lee (the artistic director), Matt Steitle and Harumi Tamaoki. Wadaiko Ensemble TOKARA is a Taiko style drum group that incorporates other drumming techniques including African. This type of drumming incorporates a lot of measured moves and martial like postures.
The final number Sva (Vital Force) brought back the dancers who performed along with the taiko drummers.
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RAGAMALA Sva (Vital Force)