Travel Preparations: Emergency Amoeba Run

My upcoming trip to Boston necessitated an emergency Amoeba Run with Mme H- last night:

Mme H-, you'll be happy to know that after returning home, I finally organized my "to get" list into Amoeba's genres, ordered according to store layout—House, Electronica, Rock, Lounge, Classical, New Music, then up the other side of the aisle, then over to that world-musicky side of the room. So next time we go, I won't make you criss-cross the store 50 times as completely unrelated artists pop into my head.

It just now occurs to me that probably very few TSR readers have ever been to the Great Amoeba, and thus have no idea of the monstrous size of the place. It is a 24,000-square-foot converted bowling alley. Here are some photos I dug up on the Internets to give you a sense of scale:

These photos are all from the main room. There's a whole NOTHER room for DVDs and soundtracks. You see why I have to keep a shopping list.

Last night's pull included the Arcade Fire album; yes, yes, I know everyone got it months ago. I am often slow on the uptake, but I do eventually come around. Likewise with the Matthew Herbert Big Band album from 2003, Goodbye Swingtime. This is the first album I put on when I got home last night. It is SUPER FANTASTIC! How embarrassing that it took me this long to get around to listening to Matthew Herbert, and only now at the urging of Mlle B-, who went to an amazing show a couple weeks ago that somehow escaped my attention. I cannot wait to spend some time with this album, which also has a whole anti-war aspect that I haven't delved into yet.

Why doesn't Amoeba ever have Valentin Silvestrov's Silent Songs (song cycle for baritone & piano) used? I've been looking for this album for at least 8 months now, ever since M. H- said "you MUST hear this." Still no luck, but this time I settled for an album of Silvestrov music for strings and piano, leggiero, pesante. On the plus side, a copy of Kurtag's Kafka Fragments on Hungaroton came in; I'd been waiting for that since Dawn Upshaw's blow-out performance at Zankel in January. Rounding the corner into the New Music lane, I picked up Meredith Monk's Turtle Dreams, an album from 1983, just because I've never heard it, and Robert Een's Mystery Dances because it was on sale. I saw Robert and Meredith sing excerpts from Facing North (one of my favorite pieces of hers) some years back on a SF Symphony American Mavericks program, and have been curious about his own compositions for some time.

A trip over to the other side of the store yielded a copy of David Krakauer's Live in Krakow concert with Klezmer Madness! and Socalled. Back when I was a woodwind guy, I used to think clarinets were entertaining enough to play, but ultimately kind of bland and not particularly expressive—sort of like corn starch. But looking back, I guess I must have been on crack because now I'm totally into clarinets! And Krakauer unleashes squeals and screeches and cries and whispers on his instrument that are so visceral, he might as well be singing.

And finally, inspired by M. G4, I picked up Pink Martini's recent album, Hang on Little Tomato, in Pop Vocals. I've heard about these folks in Portand for years, since I went to school with a couple people in the group. Of course I was totally not hip enough to be friends with them or anything. But come to think of it, Thomas did address me by name in the dining hall once! It's too bad my name's not actually "Vincent," though. (D'oh.)

Speaking of school, if the word "Jam" makes you think of cheese rather than fruit, you'll know where to find me Saturday night. Every five years I get a rare opportunity to behave like a complete jackass in front of 1000 people. If you're in the neighborhood, I expect I'll be the guy being hoisted up as a limbo bar.

Comments

[Mme. Grisi Pasta]

I really hope you've read all the info Matthew Hebert provides for the source material of Goodbye Swingtime--how it's so intelligently political, how there are like three levels of understanding for the album...UGH!!! HE'S SO AMAZING. And please, please tell me you've heard and know his older album, Bodily Functions.

http://www.magicandaccident.com

Oh, and while you're at it, make sure you pick up Dani Siciliano's Dani Siciliano Likes... and read about how the album got its title and cover art. It's SF-related!

Anyway, I'm all...like, giddy about the music you listen to because I listen to all the same stuff. Blah, blah, blah...we've heard this before. I've had too much coffee, and my fingaz is goin' kraczy. Kthnxbye!

[M. C-]

See? More embarrassment—I haven't heard Bodily Functions, but it's already been added to the list. I'm not sure why I've not paid more attention to Matthew Herbert before. I think some part of my brain got him confused with Matthew Barney. (I have the same problem with Mickey Rooney and Mickey Rourke.) But Mlle B- brought her copy of Around the House into the office the other day, and I listened to it like three times in a row!

[rb]

wow! amoeba music!!!

brings back, like, fond memories, man

thanks for the pix