Magic Mountain

March 2, 2011
I did a lot of skiing over the past week, in Maine and Vermont, and while the conditions varied considerably from the first day (icy and wind holds on most lifts) to the last day (almost two feet of powder), I always have fun playing on a mountain. That last day, however, also involved one of my best discoveries of all time: Magic Mountain. This place was around back when I first started learning the sport, though I never went, then closed in 1991.  I never heard another word about it until last weekend, when I was informed that it…

Radiohead. Again.

February 25, 2011
King of Limbs is a masterpiece. We could say that about almost all of their records, but this one is special. It feels futuristic, like we will have to wait 20 years to truly appreciate its impact. The rhythms and textures range from jagged and explosive to silky and drifting, while the song structures are fresh and unique. The album has an ethereal mood and it evolves throughout, making this one of the most listenable Radiohead records as a whole. It feels alien, but not alienating... This band has consistently challenged our perceptions of a modern day rock band and…

Beautiful Losers

February 5, 2011
I watched a great documentary called "Beautiful Losers" about a group of artists who redefined popular art in the 1990s, including Mike Mills, Shepard Fairey, Harmony Korine, Ed Templeton and Margaret Kilgallen. Their work came out of graffiti and skateboard culture and brought art to the masses in a Do-It-Yourself and independent style as the visual equivalent to the indie scene in music and movies that burgeoned in that period. The interviews with the artists are fascinating, allowing a glimpse into the minds of these incredibly creative people; they discuss their process and evolution of the art world, from being…

The Banya and Halusky

January 30, 2011
I took a trip down to the Russian bathhouse Sandoony USA yesterday and was finally enlightened to the exoic pleasures of the banya. With three saunas, a steamroom, hottub, small pool and ever-essential frigid dunktub, there was plenty of extreme temperature variation and testing of human tolerance; the body only enjoys so much warmth before it enters pre-panic mode and begins to sweat, then finally begins screaming at the brain to remedy the situation. At that point evacuating 190 degrees of heat and plunging into 50 degrees of water seems like a pretty good idea. And it is extremely refreshing.…

The Glory and The Agony

January 18, 2011
Snow! Vermont! Skiing! Three-day weekend! I clicked into my bindings for the first time this season at Okemo and thanks a month of heavy snowfall, the skiing was delicious! Two full days of the most exhilarating activity that I participate in, gliding down a mountain a pair of planks; gaining terminal velocity on steep groomers, bumping into rhythm on moguls or picking a line through a maze of trees in the glades, I am constantly hooting and hollering in gleeful joy. Aside from the possibility of maiming or killing (small odds!) skiing never lets me down. Unlike some other activities…

A New Year’s Revelation

January 4, 2011
New Year's Eve tends to be a letdown. It is so hyped and feels like it should be the greatest night of both years that it bridges and often ends up being just an overpriced and overcrowded affair with 10 minutes of excitement overshadowed by hassle and cursed with a terrible hangover to begin the next year. And then there was 2010/2011... Although we have the opportunity to celebrate NYE every year, this one will remain unique forever. My sister was married at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. and threw down a serious party to ensure the title of…

Birthday

December 16, 2010
I love birthdays, especially my own. Yesterday was a really wonderful 24 hours of goodness and celebration, beginning with a midnight "Eclipse" viewing party. It's not really my thing (really, it's not...) but I had a good time being just one of the girls for the night. I taught all day at a school I love to be at, singing and playing with great kids, then met up with about 25 of my amazing friends at Toby's Public House for some pizza and beer. I credit my wife with organizing such a nice event, but I also credit everyone who…

Happy Hannukah!

December 9, 2010
Last night was a super treat due mainly to the Jewish Festival of Light. Yo La Tengo performed the final night of their annual eight-night stretch at Maxwell's in Hoboken and featured a surprise opening appearance from The National. One of my favorite bands, I saw them play this summer in Prospect Park but this was different; we were standing right in front of them and the atmosphere was less party and more listen. They did what they do so well, building intensity and depth with pulsing rhythms and big harmonies in their songs. It is gorgeous and inspiring music.…

Black Swan

December 5, 2010
Psychologically thrilling, Black Swan pulls you through its goosebump gauntlet, slowly at first, then accelerating at mad speed to the final scene and its climatic snap! The tale of a young ballerina at Lincoln Center chosen to portray the mentally and physically challenging role of Swan Queen in Stravinsky's Swan Lake, it is told through beautiful dancing and tricks of the mind and camera. Darren Aronofsky (whom I recently met playing a kid's birthday party) is a master web spinner and this one may be his best yet while Natalie Portman is unbelievably compelling with her desperately compulsive and complex…

The Pitmen Painters

December 4, 2010
A group of miners in Northern England in the 30s discover their hidden artistic talents in this beautiful Broadway show. Under the tutelage of an art professor in weekly meetings, they develop a folk style that becomes a phenomenon and gain international art fame while continuing their daily labors in the mines. It is a nice story, and although there is very little drama to it (minor conflicts weave into the dialogue occasionally but have little impact on the development), I was inspired by the two hour dissection of art, culture and meaning. While these men may lack the technique…