Music, Travesty, and a Good Read

rush
on saturday night i went with my baby (Kish and Avi, too) to see Rush at Tinley Park. it was one of the best concerts i've seen! the song that stood out most to me was witch hunt (from the moving pictures album). man, it was hauntingly powerful!! Listen to it, and make sure to turn it up and close your eyes (smoke em if you got em!). the studio version doesn't compare to the power of the live performance, but you'll get the idea. after the show, we wanted to see if we could reach the stage to get an Ashoka cd to one of the roadies. Rush roadies seem to be a tight knit group, so we thought what the hell. As the herd was milling out, we made our way from the lawn to the pavilion, surprisingly with little resistance. the roadies had their hands full, and i wasn't about to bother them. ashok told me to say to whomever i gave the cd to that "it was a gift for the band." anyway, there was a woman standing at the far left of the stage, closest to where i was standing on the pavilion. she had a "crew" sticker on her jeans, but definitely was not a roadie. i got her attention with a polite excuse me, and handed her the cd whether she wanted it or not, saying the words ashok had instructed me to use. she took it, looked at it for awhile, and it ended up in her purse. lord knows if that cd will ever see the light of day. but i am hoping that rush surrounds themselves with people who love music, from the bottom up, and hopefully this woman, whoever she is, will do what needs to be done with it. that is, getting it into Alex, Geddy, or Neal's hands!!! the next day, the proverbial fire was lit under Ashok's ass and we got two press kits mailed. Yes, we fed-exed a package to Anthem Records, Rush's indie label out of Toronto. Driving to Nowhere stands up after three years because it's timeless, and i am betting that Anthem will get it. Check it: http://myspace.com/ashokamusic
the vmas
ok, talk about dichotomies. i am transitioning from musical masters to musical infants, actually. but i dare! last night the vmas were on, and what can i say that hasn't already been said? a lot, actually. i want to take credit for this next idea, but i think my baby came up with it first. so during the pre-show--yes, i watched the pre-show--there was a "performance" by Nicole Sherweingzinger (whatever the fuck her name is). Anyway, this broad was doing the totally cliche striptease thing, shaking her ass. Then some dumb rapper comes out alpha-maling all over the place, spewing and spitting and shit. these bitches--sorry-- might as well come out and show their vaginas to the cameras because it cannot possibly get anymore sexed up. why stop there, you want to be edgy and sexier??? why not just have a pap smear on television and lip synch while doing it? the performance can also have a sexy gynecologist as the rapper. but i digress. the rest of the show was a debacle of monumental proportions. the music industry is collapsing, and these are the "products" it has to offer. complete and utter crap. Every fucking act was disingenuous and offensive to my sensibilities, but there was something sickly fascinating about it. notice that i didn't mention britney spears. the poor girl was pimped out by mom from a young age, and this is the result. her situation reminds me of the Buddhist story about a dancer who was beautiful and coveted, and gave many performances to the men in town. one day she looked out of her window and noticed a handsome monk. she sent her servant to invite him to her suite, but he would always decline her invitations. so she continues dancing and then something happens. i don't remember exactly, but something like an accusation of a scarlet letter sort. The dancer is then stoned by the same men who used to enjoy her. she has scars all over her face, and her physical beauty is lost. needless to say she is forlorn and no longer wants to be seen. it is then that the monk comes to her. she wonders why, at the nadir of her life, he wants to see her. but he comes just at the right moment, when her mind is no longer focused solely on her physical body. she is very receptive to his teachings and eventually shaves her head and becomes a monk herself. anyway, after britney spears shaved her head and all, i thought about this story. it is a deep strain on the soul to always be an object of lust. at some point, the eye needs to turn inward.
a personal mission
last month ashok and i drove to Knoxville, TN for Emily and Kunal's wedding reception. we got a nice opportunity to bond with Em, Scott, and Deb. anyway, Deb was mentioning a book by Francine Prose called Reading Like a Writer: a guide for people who love books and for those who want to write them. She sent the book to me, bless her, and I am savoring it slowly. there is a list called "117 books to read immediately". Check out the link. I want to get through this list. not religiously or speedily, but slowly and earnestly, over time. i am excited!
http://www.bookofjoe.com/2006/09/117_books_to_be.html


here's a pic that Emily sent us. don't we look like an oreo? love that creamy filling!