Reasons for Celebration
A year older as of April 17, I have a new lease on life. My birthday wish is for all I write to inspire empathy and thoughts of our all being connected by one common thread. If you would like to give me a present that costs nothing, click on subscribe.
Fitting In Two Lives
Lots of paper today. Paper with a mixture of happy and unsettling renderings. I just came from seeing my first live magazine, The Paper Machete podcast. Everything unfolded at The Horseshoe bar at 3:00. A very new acquaintance of mine Brian Quinn walks in, pulls up a seat and a man named Chris starts lip singing and dancing on the bar. Chris makes his way onstage to introduce the show’s first guest. As Brian could stay for literally, only a few moments he takes leave to go teach class and I’m left sitting with my best friend and the reason I came, Kate Schell of Paper Thick Walls.
We are privy to the readings of great personalities, writers entertaining on ranging subjects from politics to science to political science, from wars to sports and songs of various sorts from humble, very funny men and women, some with depressing news. One lad even sang a song about depression. The puppet (Chad the Bird) said his name was Brad, Sad Brad Smith. Yes, a talking puppet spoke about the Fox mole and later a Neo Futurist, Noelle Krimm embodied gluten. Closing with a grey, articulate reality concerning the near eleven year war was the eloquent Dr. Matthew Schmidt.
The band played their two sets and after pressing through Eric’s breaking a string, his “A” string specifically, the group breaks down gear; hands are shook throughout the lucky space, backs patted, smiles shared and we’re all on our separate ways. “I love you guys,” I say to Kate and Eric as I’m walking my way to the Irving Park bus. “Love you too,” she says. I’m walking. Where is it? I’m patting my pockets now. Duh, I have my phone, music is playing. Am I headed in the right direction? I always do this, get turned around when coming out of a new place, then just pick one direction and commit… until I realize I’ve gone the wrong way. “Love you!” Kate yells as she drives by, Eric at her side. “Love you too!” Oh, here I am. It wasn’t the wrong way. This bus will never come.
All too quickly, I’m off the bus, heading to the store to get some contact solution; I’m out. I pass by this man, crumpled over in his wheelchair right outside the bank. Grey wisps of hair float over an orangish, reddish jacket. I see him but I don’t see him. At the store, I turn through a revolving door mirrored by a former, closeted lover. I won’t say his name but let’s call him John Summers. “John Summers, how are you?” I ask. Such a long moment in less than a second. His eyes recognize, dart slightly, and lose slight color as they’re now covered by his own shame, guilt for his having a same-sex encounter. Next the guilt is masked by anger and dismissively he says, “Good. You?” Without stopping the walk I share “I’m good.” Such a second; my eyes spoke their own volumes.
I have my contact stuff and am almost home. The man in the orangish, reddish jacket is being loaded into an ambulance. I take off my wireless headphones, a little shocked. Did I just walk by a dead man moments ago? Was he just injured or passed out? Why didn’t I stop to see if he was all right? Have I really become that far removed from being able to see when someone needs help? Here in my musical word he was only taking a nap. “People are idiots. That’s what they are, 90% of people are idiots,” the girl behind me is saying to her friend. “It’s true and don’t be sad for the idiots just be glad you’re not one of them. So I was like… blah blah blah.” Her voice trails off. I was thinking what an idiot. What an idiot I was to have walked right by and not seen this picture in truth, an old man ignored by all of us idiots.
I try to put light back into my thoughts, hoping the best for this stranger. “Nick.” Who said my name? I turn. Oh, it’s Matthew Ellenwood and the other magical people next door. We hug. “Why so dressed up?” He tells me they had just presided over a wedding. Keith, whom I could also appropriately call Mr. Green, says “We’re on our way to the reception. The men ask me what I’m doing Monday evening. “Why?” The Brotherhood of the Phoenix is meeting at his house for a class on “defining magic.” “Well I have a lot to say about that,” and I check my calendar. “I’m in group on Mondays.” “Maybe next time.”
Yes, group, continuing therapy after my successful sixteen weeks of one on one with Aren M. Drehobl, the staff psychotherapist. Leaping off point with no segue I’m reminded of two quotes from very different characters, Vanessa Lutz (played by Reese Witherspoon) and Arthur C. Clarke:
“I do got trauma huh?”
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
It’s probably easy to see which line fits in which life but it’s not always as black and white off the paper. Now, here I could go onto define magic in my own fashion, explaining how incredible an evening podcast filled with expressions of depression lead to an encounter between an ambulance and an old man, while wrapping the whole freeway of life together with a nice magical bow and call it synchronicity. Yet, I’m nearing 1,000 words on this digital paper and so the page will pause while I go off to spend more time with the people of A Thousand Novels. During the commute I’m sure to think of where each mentioned face has walked and what they’ve seen on the way. Or maybe I’ll end up focusing on the newly married couple or perhaps Reese and Arthur and how different they remain. Different as ever, fitting in two lives.
Silent House
Silent House
This category has been silent for a while so what better way to break that than with a review of the new horror flick, Silent House. I will keep this brief to avoid spoilers but in a nutshell, this is worth seeing. Now, albeit there will be some of you who disagree with me after seeing the ending and the inevitable “turn” that most thrillers follow these days. Nonetheless, many things to commend here including the performance by the upcoming star Elizabeth Olson. Some of you may know her as the younger sister of those loved/hated twins Mary Kate and Ashley but I say do not discredit this gal’s skill simply because you may be bias against her family name. And get used to seeing her. Throughout this not so silent, scary shoot the camera is locked to her face a good 65 percent of the time and she holds it well. Not only that but she is locked in for many projects including Kill Your Darlings, Very Good Girls and Therese Raquin. Back to the movie at hand, after getting back to some typical establishing moments this film had me shifting in my seat watching the young girl bite down on her hand in terror. The fright centers on the true threat of unwelcome squatters in a home the family has decided to sell. Real people. Real threats. Real crazy minds. No ghosts or aliens or such. Anyone who enjoyed the film High Tension will get a good, welcome jolt from these scares. Even if you’re one of the people in the audience who views the ending and goes “that was stupid,” I trust you will still get the entertainment value for your dollar. Catch Silent House if you’re tired of sitting around the familiar house with lofty silence. The slight rush of adrenaline may do you good.
And if you need one more scare check out Daniel Radcliffe in The Woman in Black.
3, 2, 1 Sendoff 3-1-2
312 New Cans
Walking into a bar this early in the day is a welcome rarity when it happens to be The Hideout for the annual South by Southwest Send Off Party opening with personal favorite Paper Thick Walls. This musical extravaganza held twelve awesome bands on stage spanning a near 14 hour music window starting at 1:30p.m. … which is when I pulled up a stool to the bar.
Awesomely enough, Chicago’s own 312 beer chose this event to launch their new cans. Just think! When they release the new can (that would be today, 3/12) you can have a 312… in can form. Now that you’ve had a beer back to Paper Thick Walls.
What mortar does it take to build a band with a unique, awesome sound. For Paper Thick Walls mortar blend Radio Head, Cat Power, Bat for Lashes and a hint of Regina Spektor then a hefty dash of Sufjan Stephans and voila! You hear infused mellifluous sounds building from this five-piece band. Lead voices and writers Kate Schell and Eric Michaels are accompanied by a kick-ass upright bass player, Roger Sherman, the jack of many instruments Jacques and killer drummer Andrew Sabo. Their debut album A Thousand Novels shares many beautiful, moving stories of melody. Speaking of stories, this bunch is never lacking source material for passion as our lead singers not only land lovely notes but are also very much in love. What a lovely way to open a party.
Paper Thick Walls
The line-up included some amazing local talent including Redgrave, party sensation Hollywood Holt (these guys raised the bar for a good time) and stand out name Kids These Days! For a full list of talent and future events check out www.thehideoutchicago.com. And if you missed this year I say unto thee do not miss this awesome party in 2013!
Wishing everyone in route for SXSW in Austin TX a safe journey and a stay full of fantastic sounds. Enjoy today’s weather and the new 312 beer and for more on my recommended band visit www.paperthickwalls.com. Happy March and stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day!
Leaping Into March
nothing to do with this article... just random
What an auspicious day, a day that was missing from last year and the year before that and if math serves me well, the year before that. Having been absent from my own personal writing for some time I felt it was only appropriate to begin with a rant… but yeah, it’s a rant about my life, so, I won’t edit it.
I paused before starting this sentence then remembered that I just needed to rant. Let’s see. Therapy is going well. It’s opened my eyes to a lot of darker demons that I had yet to look in the face and also given me more reasons to smile. I just got a call but I’ll dual process as we city folk are expected to do, which means more than likely the integrity of both my conversation and my writing will suffer.
Leaping without looking sounds like a dangerous action, unless you’re a ninja acrobat… ahhh, my final fantasy dreams. Anyway, dreams aside, focus is a good thing and this past almost year has been steps toward seeing more clearly in all senses of being.
again not relevant... just random like an extra day
I want to keep this short cause as people who hear me rant in real-time know, I will go on forever. And I’ll get sidetracked and start talking about this book or that book (like The Alchemist or Look at the Birdie) or this or that game (Deus Ex Human Revolution, Final Fantasy Tactics) or this or that or this or that or this… see I’m doing it… generically, but doing it nonetheless.
To continue in non sequitur fashion a fantastic team of video wizards, Awesomonster and myself have submitted our pilot to the New York Television Film Festival (in conjunction with Comedy Central and recently added notable names) and await the announcement of the finalists so keep your fingers crossed, pray, cast a spell, call an appropriate colleague or, you know, just use whatever your power happens to be and hope the Game Show of HELL finds its place on a matching channel.
See that last paragraph really had nothing to do with this whole little article, but that’s where my head went as they were supposed to announce today “or sometime around” today. Talk about vague.
O.K. I’ll talk about vague.
Shut-up you!
So, in short, I have good thoughts on this “leap day” that we may all be a little more aware and conscious of the time we have and how we deal it into our days… and I want us to be finalists in the festival.
It’s good to get back into the groove of writing regardless of how hard, rough or unfollowable (see, I’m making up words now) it may prove… oh, and happy birthday to all you people subject to grow by every four years instead of one… that’s alien.
