12th
I Drank Beer In the Daytime
Went to Gowanus Yacht Club in the afternoon with Matt, because where the hell else do I need to be? Drank some pitchers of Duff out in the sun with the odors of the fresh surf of the Gowanus wafting over us.
I Hit Up A Huge Vinyl Sale
This guy in Carroll Gardens is pulling out of a record store and opening his own and is selling off records to raise the cash for it. Had thousands of them out on Union St yesterday. It was so overwhelming all I walked away with was two Talking Heads albums.
MHS Jazz 1 + Justin Vernon.
OK, so second Bon Iver-related video in a row. Unfortunately, videos of the jazz band playing their own stuff are far less likely to be posted on YouTube so I had to go with this one. The band’s amazing in their own right though.
I Saw My High School Jazz Band at Lincoln Center
The jazz band of my alma mater, Eau Claire Memorial High School (go Abes!), played at Lincoln Center yesterday in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington contest. They send out Ellington scores to 57,643 schools or something like that, and you record your band playing three of them and send it back, and the top 15 bands get to come to New York. I got to play there in 2002 and it was an amazing experience. Really incredible high school musicians and you get to meet Wynton Marsalis and all that jazz. Anyway, the band made it again this year and I met up with four friends from high school who live in the city who also used to be in the jazz band and we watched them play. The band was incredible. For the first time in our six trips to New York, they placed in the top three and got to play a song with Wynton in the evening at Avery-Fisher Hall. Totally deserved it.
Also, earlier in the year, Pitchfork declared Eau Claire Memorial Jazz Ensemble I “much cooler” than your high school jazz band.
9th
Not to be confused with The Office episode of the same premise.
I Went to Dark Was The Night
OK, this was kinda awesome.
If you haven’t listened to the new Red Hot compilation Dark Was The Night yet, do it. I don’t care if you’re in the library. Download it. The money goes to AIDS (anti-AIDS, not pro). It’s really good. Really good.
Anyway, they had a concert at Radio City Music Hall with some of the artists on the record: Dirty Projectors, the National, My Brightest Diamond, David Sitek, David Byrne (David Byrne!), Bon Iver, Feist, and Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings.
David Byrne was incredible. He’s also playing for free in Prospect Park a block from my house on June 8. Bon Iver and Feist were highlights. Sharon Jones killed it. Really fun to see my friend Justin of Bon Iver (see entry from last semester) singing with David Byrne, Feist, and all the other artists. An amazing show.
Also, I got to hang out with Aaron from the National. Met up with Bon Iver Friday night at their hotel and he was there too. Rode the train back to Brooklyn together. Super nice guy. The kind of guy that probably wouldn’t mind you name-dropped him on your hip blog.
Speaking of Ziggy Stardust.
If we’re Facebook friends be sure to also check out the video of A.J. and I performing “Rebel, Rebel” while unknowingly being taped by Jenny Rosen.
I Bought New Records
Today’s vinyl acquisitions:
Beggar’s Banquet
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Changes (also Bowie)
Purple Rain
I Bought New Speakers
And successfully hooked them up after figuring out binding posts. Currently listening to Sonny Rollins on vinyl through them.
