A New Beginning

I'm home now in southwestern Pennsylvania, and I've decided that I should really rededicate myself to this blog. I'm not going to catch people up on the last weeks of school because although there were some crazy fun times, there was bullshit too, and I don't want to have to relive it all. It's behind me. Let's focus on the present.

Last night was DeVotchKa with Jes, Jon, and Emily. This arrangement is definitely one of my favorite hang out groups. I tend to get sick of talking about drama and we don't do much of that here. We address the drama then say "goddamn I hate this shit", and it's over. I just generally feel like I belong in that grouping effortlessly. I always tell Emily that I feel like she should have grown up with us she's that similar.

But before we do finally get to talking about DeVotchKa... Basia Bulat opened. Holy Shit this girl can sing and play guitar and autoharp... www.basiabulat.com <-website. Jes Jon, Em and I had gone down by the Monongahela to chill before the concert, not considering the time, thinking "we might miss part of the first band whatever, devotchka is where it's at" but we got back just in time to see Basia come out and do a song a cappella. She had a strong folk feel but it wasn't overpowering. Even her sad songs were sweet and almost cheerful with ukulele, viola, cello and more.

DeVotchKa wasn't quite as good as I remembered. I think they were a little younger, a little less known (therefore had more to prove before Little Miss Sunshine told the world, oh yeah, DeVotchKa is a hit). Nick definitely was messing up here and there. And why didn't Jeanie have her sousaphone lit up in christmas lights? BUT BUT BUT It was still a great performance with an areal dancer that was basically right above me. After having written a ten page spanish paper about corridos and rancheras, I was listening to DeVotchKa with a new ear. They definitely must acknowledge that influence, I'm sure with songs sung in spanish or references to "the mexican army" or "under a mexican sky". I wanted to sort of yell out, "My great great cousin Jorge popularized the song Mexico Lindo in the 1940s! Do you love to watch Alla en El Rancho Grande?"

An unfortunate theme of the night was cooch. One of the violinists during DeVotchKa did not remember to keep her knees together while wearing a dress, so... you get the idea there, and the areal dancer of course was all over the place in a bikini bottom... I don't really want to see someone's downstairs.

Emily's apartment in Friendship is so adorable. I love that neighborhood and it's big stately houses on the tree lined streets. My very italian family lives near there so I these beautiful memories of behind every door being hugs and plates full of spaghetti.

Doris Day. I need to figure out why the universe keeps bringing me Doris Day. First, The Man Who Knew Too Much was on for Jimmy Stewart's birthday (did you know he grew up in Indiana, PA? weird.) Then today I was sitting reading an old Vanity Fair and I found an article about her life. What will I learn from Miss Day?