Jbrody's Weblog

A Concert Review

JB — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 02:19:21 +0000

I decided to blog my concert review of Richard Shindell. We saw him last night in his old home town, Port Washington, New York. After all the rush to get there, we managed to snag a really good parking spot and got to our seats before it started. Our seats weren’t bad at all, to the right 8 rows back. Richard seemed in a pretty good mood with his bass player pal Lincoln Schleifer helping him out. He played his usual songs, I will list them below. He also spoke of the benefit concert for Terence Martin and played my favorite song of Terence’s. Richard played two new songs that I absolutely loved. I just loved them both and it was worth the trip to see him, just for those two songs. Now he won’t be touring for a whole year and I won’t get to hear these songs till then!

Here’s the set list:

Balloon Man – love this one

The Deer on the Parkway – he said he wanted to call it The Deer on the Sawmill but figured people not from New York won’t get it.

Sleeper on a West bound Train – Terence Martin song

Mavis – a song I’m sick of. He’s played it at every single concert!

Clara – another animal song

Satellites – a fairly new song that I just don’t get

Waiting for The Storm – how ironic since we’re being blasted today with snow, yes snow in October!

Your Guitar – a new one I love, it’s so pretty

Love in Vain – an old Robert Johnson song I had never heard before

Fishing – he said was a request

Are You Happy Now? – one of his usual songs but I suppose he had to play this one, being Halloween is Monday. He thought it was today and kept insisting it was. He said they don’t celebrate it where he lives, Buenos Aires. They try but really haven’t got a clue.

Reunion Hill – he had asked for requests but I think he was waiting for someone to call this one out. Not sure if someone did.

Last Fare

Transit – his usual last song. It’s always surprising to hear people laugh during this song. He said “Democrats, Republicans but mostly Repulicans” which I found particularly funny as I think the venue was deep in Republican territory.

Encore -

Next Best Western – an oldie but goodie but I would’ve loved to hear On a Sea of Fleur de Lis.

All in all, a great show. My favorite singer/songwriter delivers again.

back to school?

JB — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:17:39 +0000

Okay, so enough time has passed now that I can safely write this without falling apart. I don’t know why but this year I am really feeling the absence of my children. It started the end of August, the first week of September and had spilled over the next few weeks. I’m coming out of it now so I think I have a little perspective on it. I had an anxious feeling I just could not shake. I felt that I should be doing something, school shopping, signing papers, helping with homework, driving them to practice, religion, etc. But I had nothing to do, no deadlines, not a lick of stress but my body, for some reason, felt like I did. I am a mother without children but I am, my children are fine, they’re just grown and gone off to different places. But I’ve been a mother since I was 19, longer than I was a single woman. I can do all those things I put on hold, granted with an older, more worn out body. I just have to find where I left off or find a new path.

The vine of my memory

JB — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:00:39 +0000

“Let’s not drive away just yet,

Give me a moment more

To walk through those rooms again

To walk through that door.” – Richard Shindell, Wisteria

Driving around recently, noticing all the wisteria blooming, crawling up, hanging on and decorating the trees made me think of this song. Everyone has a house in their past that they wish they could go in again. For me, it’s my mother’s house. I used to have many dreams over the 20-plus years since she’s been gone that I lived there again. I finally stopped dreaming of that house until last night. I think it’s the wisteria that made me dream it again.

“I’m tempted to ring the bell

Maybe they’d let me in

Or maybe it’s just as well

To let it all be”

Would they let me in? What would I find if I went in? Would I find my mother? Would I find myself? I don’t think I would find anything useful there. ”The vine of my memory” is there, in my memory, not in that house. I think Mr. Shindell really nailed it with this song. He captures the longing for times past, longing for something gone that will never come back. But as long as we have the vine of our memory, it’s always there.

“So let’s not drive away just yet

Give me a moment more

To walk through those dreams again

To walk through that door”

Dreams, that’s where you can ‘walk through that door’ that’s where you’ll find yourself. And the best part is, you can always go back whenever you need to.

“The vine of my memory

Still blooms all around those eaves

And it’s true it’s a chore to tame

Wisteria”

an incredibly beautiful song.

the present

JB — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:10:13 +0000

Footsteps fading in the past I don’t know why I thought it’d last I miss my children That much is true And discover all I’m left is you

pen and paper

JB — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:01:07 +0000

Putting a pen to paper, what’s so hard about that? My fear has always been someone finding it and reading it. Then why write here where anyone can see it? The jury is still out on that thought. Maybe because no one I know is on this? Mm, maybe. I do love to write though and haven’t done it as much as I used to. And the thing about writing is, you do get rusty when you stop. So, I don’t know if I’ll make a post a day for this year but I’m going to try hard. My thoughts today focus on the new year. I don’t know why but I’m excited about it in a way I’ve never been before. Here are my hopes for this year: to get healthy weight-wise, strength-wise and happy-wise. To learn Spanish, I really want to do this but haven’t stuck to it like I should. To get out of debt and have a savings account like most normal people. To learn to tango! To go to Paris or somewhere far away that I’ve always wanted to go to. My ultimate dream is to live abroad for a year or more. I hope when I re-read this in December, I’ll have accomplished all this and more! And my last goal is to see lots of folk concerts!! My faves? Richard Shindell (of course!), Tracy Grammer, Ellis Paul, Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky, Rod Picot, James Keelaghan, Slaid Cleaves, John Gorka and my ultimate folk concert fantasy–LEONARD COHEN!!!! The man still has it!

Labels, perceptions, reality

JB — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:34:48 +0000

Last week a woman in my office got a phone call. The caller wanted to speak with the woman she had previously spoke with. Well that woman was me and I said sure, I’ll talk to her. Then my co-worker added, “She said she spoke with the heavy set woman with black hair.” Well, I blew a gasket and on the way home, that phrase kept rolling around in my head and I said it out loud like a mantra. “I’m the heavy set woman with black hair.” Over and over until I thought I was going to scream. After calming down, I thought, do I see myself that way? Do I? And I had to admit I don’t. I’ve been on a weight loss plan for six months now, I’ve gotten physically active and quite honestly I feel really great! So, I laughed off the label, decided her perception was not mine and the reality is that I feel good about myself and that’s all that really matters. I know my co-worker said that just to be mean but what can you do. Be mean back? No, that only makes me the same as her and besides, I don’t want to be mean. Kindness is all that matters.

My Kingdom for a Story

JB — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:02:48 +0000

Okay, so it’s already November 3rd and I’ve discoverd the story I started for NaNoWriMo sucks!! For the uninformed it’s official title is National Novel Writing Month. Every November you get 30 days to create a novel of which must be at least 50,000 words. I started one but I hate it! I don’t know where to go with it and I hate the characters. I’m thinking since I do hate the characters then I won’t care if I kill one or two off. This has always been a problem for me, I get too attached to my characters and have a hard time injuring or worse killing them. Maybe I can use this germ of a story to discover just how mean I can be!

Or I could just ditch the whole 8 pages and start anew! I now have 27 days left to do it!!

American Noel

JB — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:11:14 +0000

Reading through one of my favorite magazines, Dirty Linen, I came across an article reviewing holiday albums. I immediately saw a familiar picture of a black dog howling at a yellow moon, bathed in a blue hue. I was so happy to see someone who cared about Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer!! This album was almost like a miracle to me. During Falcon Ridge folk festival many years ago, Dave asked us to indulge him because he wanted to try out a Christmas song. A Christmas song in July? I didn’t think it was possible to listen, never mind sing along while sweltering in the hot, hot sun but we did! He had us singing along with Giddup Said Santa Claus and I loved the song, couldn’t wait to see it on a future album.

When Signature Sounds put out a holiday album, I assumed that song would be on it. Instead a beautiful, up to date song of the Nativity scene was on it. While a little disappointed, I also loved this song as well, American Noel. All too soon, Dave passed away and any hope about hearing that song in Dave’s voice was dashed forever, or so I thought!

Then, the little ep American Noel showed up, just barely in time for the holiday season. Lo and behold, Giddup Said Santa Claus was there! A miracle, at least to me! Four traditional songs along with four original songs by Dave. It was a wonderful Christmas present, thanks to Tracy for putting it together! And thanks to Dave for writing it, recording it and for leaving it for all of us to hear.

Holding a Grudge – Day 4

JB — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:02:29 +0000

How long do you hold a grudge? How long do you nurse your hurt and anger? Forever? Do you ever let it go? A family member has been holding a grudge against me for at least ten years. In turn, my huband and children are also included in this grudge.

He brought someone over to visit us today but refused to come into my house. Instead he sat out in his car for two hours waiting until that someone was ready to leave. Now you think I must have done something really terrible huh? I gave him advice he didn’t like. That’s it. Someone asks you for advice, you listen and if you don’t like it, you don’t use it! You don’t stop speaking to that person! Do you hold a grudge to the grave? Life is too precious to waste holding such poisonous anger and hatred! -

Doing the Dishes – Day 3

JB — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:04:37 +0000

Trying to come up with an idea for this blog was pretty tough. On my way to work this morning, I was patting myself on the back for doing my dishes before leaving the house when I was already running late. It was a very small thing but it gave me a great sense of satisfaction, that I accomplished something so early in the morning.

I don’t want this to become just a diary, I want to make a point, a summary, a moral if you will. The only thing I can I come up with is, do something every day. No matter how small, accomplish something and be proud. Doing dishes is something I’ve always hated doing but I’ve come to discover that it’s not the worst job you can do.

I promise to try and come up with a better subject tomorrow. Maybe I’ll vent about the crap that’s on television these days.