Good Bye Ted Kennedy

REST IN PEACE Thanks for all your years of service.

Todd Snider is Coming to Boston

If you love music and don't know Todd Snider , you've got some catching up to do. He's been around for a long time now. I first heard of him around '95 when Songs for the Daily Planet came out on Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Records. It was one of those CDs that seems like you've had it forever after a few listens. These are songs that stick to your ribs.
There hasn't been a disapointing CD from him since. There is a whole lot of humor well mixed with some sensitive and touching songs and a little bit of politics with a lot of biographical stories thrown in. It's over simplifying to call him Folk/Rock but tha's the slot he most fits in.
If I can only talk you into buying one Todd Snider Cd then make it Near Truths and Hotel Rooms. This is a live Cd that shows him at his best. Todd is one of those very few musicians who is as entertaining when he is talking as when he is singing. And he talks a lot. I've heard this CD a whole lotta times and I've never become tired of it. You get so you talk-along as much as you sing-along. His stories are entertaining , true or not.

He's making a rare appearance in Boston next week. He's touring in support of his latest CD The Excitement Plan. I don't know if he's touring with a band this time. Warren Zevon, who we never missed when he was in town , didn't always tour with a band. While it was still a treat every time , the times he had a band behind him were extra special. Last time we saw Todd Snider he took the stage by himself as the opening act for Don Was at Johnny D's in Somerville. He was on for a very short time..about a half hour ..but he packed a lot of entertainment onto that tiny stage. He'll be at the Paradise on June 12th. We'll be there with a gang of people, young and old. If you aren't in the Boston area go here to see if he'll be performing around you. You're denying yourself something really wonderful if you don't. I hope you are all lucky enough to get a chance to see him.
Just a laugh here. When we saw Todd at Johnny D's we got the chance to talk and have a drink with him. Just as charming as I would have hoped and expected. He left a message on A's cell phone. She was at school studying for finals and was so disapointed that she couldn't come home to see him. The message was cute and funny. Then my husband, Notanseladams snapped this lovely picture to document the meeting . Yep...that's what I got.

Leonard Cohen in Boston

I don't think I have the words to describe the show we saw on Saturday night. Sublime..Sensational..Exceptional...Transcendant...All expectations were met AND exceeded. From the moment he appeared on stage he was musical perfection. I knew I would love the show ; just seeing him ,the legend, would be enough. The performance by Mr. Cohen , his back-up singers and his band was more than I ever could have wished for. They were rehearsed to within a breath in the show.......but it didn't come across as phony. The band , who L.Cohen tipped his hat to often, was so tight I don't think there was a single missed note in the entire three plus hours they played.

He was very gracious and often acknowledged the contributions of the band and singers , as well as the additional contributions of Sharon Robinson,one of the back up singers, as long time collaborator on several songs. He gave over the singing duties to Ms. Robinson on Boogie Street and to the Webb sisters (the other two back up singers) on If It Be Your Will. Both songs were delivered impeccably and it was impossible to feel cheated that Mr. Cohen didn't lend voice to them. He held his hat to his heart during each of these performances as well as during every solo delivered by members of the band.
Did I mention the lighting? I'm telling you ,not a detail was left out.The lighting , along with the sheer curtains that hung from the ceiling created a visual mood to work beautifully with the music. The beauty of the lighting was profound during the choruses of Hallelujah when the normally subtle , bluish light became bright white light that bathed the entire stage as if...as if...okay I can't say it but you can imagine! With any other song that light would seem harsh but with this it was glorious. I was not the only one who actually gasped.
It was an evening of beautiful music, interrupted only by a 15 minute intermission. He didn't talk a lot and each time he did there was not a wasted word. He introduced the band no less than three times ; I sometimes find this a little indulgent and grandiose but Mr. Cohen gave the introductions with such grace and respect it was very easy to take. At one point the 74 year old Cohen mentioned that it had been about 14 years since his last appearance in Boston..."I was 60 then. Just a kid with a crazy dream!"
We go to many live music shows. I love a huge variety of music....always have. Over many years I have been to hundreds of shows. Nothing has ever come close to this. At the end of the show, with the entire band at the front of the stage with him, he acknowledged the crew, the dressers,(someone has to take care of the ubiquitous fedoras), the bus drivers , everyone involved in the tour. At the end of the "thank-you's" he added one more. He thanked the audience and with a sincerity I believed, he said," We will always remember this night" I will always remember this night.....I hope this tour has made Leonard Cohen want to be out there with his fans and that he will return to the road again....saving retirement for the distant future. He is a gracious gentleman. Thank you, Leonard Cohen!!!

It would be wrong not to say a few words about the venue. The CitiWang ,formerly known as just the Wang, is a beautifully restored theater. In the seventies it was known as the Music Hall and I saw many ,many acts there. It was a run-down beauty then...well worn ,with shadows of it's glory days peeking through. The restoration took many years and many dollars to complete. It is now certainly one of the most beautiful spaces Boston has to offer. Marble and gold, glowing light and soaring balconies.Chandeliers too many for me to count...two giant chandeliers hang from the
stunningly painted ceiling in the grand foyer as if from red velvet ribbons alone.
The seats, of course, are not perfect. My husband , at 6'3" was a little cramped but my 5"5" was very comfortable. Getting in and out can't be done without having others in the row stand up. The seats are forgivable though with perfect acoustics and lovely, yet sometimes distant, views.
The further seats soar in height but somehow the view is still perfect. When my daughter was six we went to her first ballet, Swan Lake , at the Wang. When we approached our seats I was a little nervous that she would be bored sitting so far away from the stage. We were second to the last row, second balcony. When the dancers started she gasped...looked at me with wonder...and said, almost breathless,"Ohhhhh, Mama..look at the tiny people!" It was wonderful.

Forsythia,Lucero,Good Company

I messed up here. The plan was to show a nice picture of the Forsythia in full bloom just days after bringing naked-looking branches in the house. I've been neglectful...this picture shows the dying blooms falling off limp branches because I waited too long! They really did look nice for a few days.

The naked branches make for a better picture, I think.

This great bunch of kids were nice enough to let an old lady like me hang out with them last week. In fact my niece, the beautiful girl in the center, invited me to spend the evening with them. She bought tickets to see Lucero at the Paradise in Boston and called to tell me she had one with my name on it! My son B, on the far left, shares an apartment with her in Cambridge and I love going in town to spend time with them.

We started the afternoon with lunch at Miracle of Science. It's a nice little bar/restaraunt in Cambridge..very near MIT. (Hence the name.) The menu is written on the wall in a Periodic Table of Elements chart. The bar and tables are made from old soapstone lab tables.We shared a hummus plate that was delicious and I had a salad while my niece and B had chicken salad and a burger.

We then went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for the After-Hours event. They have this every third Thursday of the month. It is a social gathering with cocktails and music held in the courtyard. You can also tour the galleries, leaving your drinks down-stairs. There has not been a picture yet that could do justice to the courtyard. Gorgeous!

You must have heard about the infamous theft ,including a Rembrandt and a Vermeer, that have never been recovered. The frames still hang empty in the galleries. Mrs. Stewart left an iron-clad will that stated that nothing should ever change ....no additions or subtractions.

We went from the sublime to the rocking. Yup..that was way too corny.Lucero put on a great show and played for a very long time. Over the years we've many shows at the Paradise. B and I were pretty young when it opened. I'm certain we were at one of the first shows ever there....Andy Pratt and Carla Bonoff. Wow...how old am I? I stayed up way too late but had a terrific time. It makes me really happy that these kids are still willing to spend time with me.

This is a view I will hopefully be seeing a lot of. It's right outside the entrance to Mass Maritime. E will be a cadet there this fall. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by! B and I are so proud of him. We were there this weekend for his uniform fitting and placement tests. A friend , whose husband and son are both graduates of MMA , called to ask if were nervous in light of recent events.This was E's first choice of a college...I still think he made a great decision. Our son, B spent six years in the Navy. My Dad was a Navy man. I think it's in the blood somewhere.

Winter's Passing

This was a cheery sight outside my kitchen window on a dreary day.Winter is slowly ending...it's cold and rainy today....but I can feel the promise of Spring coming!



We had a great day yesterday. Went to the ICA in Boston (What a beautiful place!!) to see the Shepard Fairy Supply and Demand exhibit. Our son had already seen it but went with us anyway. Thank you. Enjoyed it immensely, and it was nice to have a younger voice via our son to guide us through. If anyone out there has access to this, I highly recommend it. No matter what your political leanings are it provokes thought. It is in Boston through August. Our daughter will be home from Scotland in late May and I'll be going with her again.

After the museum we went to Redbones in Davis Square in Sommerville. A really fun place....very casual and great barbecue. Our son's girlfriend joined us for dinner...just love her! We sat at the counter facing into the kitchen. It's a tiny kitchen with a wood burning grill and five or six guys moving around like a well-oiled machine. It was REALLY busy and we got there at 5:00. Delicious!

We went back to our son's apartment in Cambridge to pick up my niece (His roommate...I love it!) because we were all going to the Ryan Adams show at the Orpheum. My husband and I have been to so many shows there over the course of our many years on this earth and I am sure the biggest change that has happened is that there is no longer smoking . It's a rare old gem of a building. Some people love..some hate it. I am a lover. The show was terrific. Our seats, however, were not. I'm okay with being in the balcony...second row from the back...and sitting with my knees up to my chin. What really is not okay is having a group of people sitting behind you having a full on..loud,louder,loudest conversation. A girl sitting beside them asked nicely if they could respect the fact that we were all trying to enjoy the show and their loud and constant talking was affecting the enjoyment of everyone. Most everyone around us ,us included, gave a group "here! here!'' to her . The answer back? "That's why they have the big speakers..get over it." There was some more back and forth and they continued on. Rude . Inconsiderate. All those things. We ended up going downstairs at intermission, thinking we would just hang around the lounge area and listen to the rest of the show. We were lucky enough to be able to walk onto the floor area and see the show from the back. Thank you rude, selfish, inconsiderate concert-goers, it was a great spot to be.

I'm always happy that the younger part of our family is willing to hang out with us. We're very lucky that way.


I am so ready to be looking at green grass and flowers again. Can't wait to get the garden going again so we can looking at this.....

And this.........

And this..........

And this again!!!!