D heart,
We have, with your help, lasted six years doing this thing. Thank you!
Friday night we will start the celebrating early with Brethren Fast. We've been trying to get this hard rocking rockabilly band in for the last six years and we're stoked to finally have them. Opening are the Redline Rockets at 8pm and Crowboy at 7pm. All for only $5.
This Saturday night we have our 6 year anniversary party proper. Here are 6 notable things about this coming Saturday night, Feb. 14:
1. Local band, Dyslexic Dinosaurs, will be opening at 6pm.
2. At 7:30 we have a band from Santa Fe, NM that go by the name D Numbers. D Numbers sounds like a perfect band to play on the anniversary of the D Note, no? How did this serendipity happen? D Numbers have friends at New Belgium Brewery. Those friends contacted Matt Kowal from The Reals. Matt contacted us and ta da! Their music is all richly layered instrumentals and really cool.
3. This will be The Reals last show for a long while. They are going underground to mutate and make more music and this will be a kind of going away party for them. So get your fix while you can. It's gonna rain Reals. We love this band.
4. It's Valentine's Day and we're gonna share the love.
5. The first 100 people that ask at the door will get a mix CD of 14 amazing live D Note performances from the past six years.
6. The evening is a benefit for a great new organization FightWithFood.org. If you bring two cans of non-perishable food for the hungry we'll buy you a beer.
Also, don't forget about Geeks Who Drink trivia every Thursday night at 6:30pm (free). Last week was a good beginning with very clever questions and fun, tough competition between 9 teams. Check out the photos on the blog. This week GWD trivia will be followed by the band Latest Vintage at 8:30pm. (Latest Vintage, a new band, features one of our favorite local drummers, Dean Hirschfield.)
And keep in mind Henry Butler will be here next Friday, Feb. 20.
That's probably good for now.
love,
D liver
Extra Credit: A poem from Adam D for his lover.
Poem For G
I was in the shower
and was thinking hard
about a plot, stuck between
two options, this and that,
until my head started to hurt.
Meanwhile my eyes fell
on the can of shaving cream
on the shelf in the shower,
narrowing in on the word "shave".
My mind formed two words from this one,
like on The Electric Company, but in reverse.
The first mouth whispered "shhh"
and the second said "have".
"shhh"......"have"
Suddenly I was calm,
no thought of no plot.
I remembered how hot
the water was, and how cold
it was outside, remembered
that I was listening to The Cure,
"The Hanging Garden"...
I melted in the water
like the wicked witch of the west.
My eyes wandered to the next words
written on the can, "Bengal Spice".
One thought led to another and
soon I was purring like a tiger.
Thus I shaved, slowly and with great feeling,
so that later I might show your skin.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Early February, oh nine
D hive,
Here's the buzz:
This week we begin our great trivia run with Geeks Who Drink every Thursday at 6:30pm. It so happens we have mutual friends with the owner of GWD, John Dicker, and so it was a natural fit to host a trivia night for them. We are hoping all of you will come out and help this series achieve lift off. Check out their extensive website for a taste of what they do. We are sure much fun will be had and many new friends will get met.
After Trivia at 8:30pm we have a new band on the scene called Firebird 4000. If you are a fan of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or Royal Trux then you will probably like these guys. We do.
Friday we have THE MOTET presents JUNO WHAT. About time we got the Motet in the D. They seem like such a great fit. If you love to dance to disco funk all night then you will love this. Opening is the fantastic TheSaurus at 7:30pm and, making the leap from New Band Night, Ten Pound Elephant at 5:30pm.
Saturday day is Olde Town Arvada's Chocolate Affair, hosted at the D Note. Tasting is 11am-3pm, $5-$10. Check out the great press for the event from the Westword.
Saturday night is going to be a wild mish mash of music. First at 6pm we have the hauntingly beautiful Bulgarian folk of Planina. $8. At 8pm we have the psychedelic rock of The Mourning Sickness and then, topping off the night like the head on a five barrel ale, we have Mr.Knowitall, a Primus tribute band. All hail Les Claypool. Check out the poster art for this show on Mr.Knowitall's myspace page. $5. We love these one-of-a-kind kind of evenings.
Check out the Clamdaddys jam every Wednesday night, lest ye forget the best free night of music in Colorado. And Salsa night too, lest ye forget the best salsa dancing to be found around here, (which is actually much better than you would think.) And keep in mind Baby Boogie Sunday afternoons too, lest ye forget the kids. We got a terrific review on the baby boogie, read here.
Next week Brethren Fast rocks our world on Friday 13 and we have our 6 year anniversary with The Reals on Valentine's day, Feb. 14th.
Honeysuckle,
D keeper
Extra Credit: A found poem this week, the transcript from a video mashing up 40 inspirational movies speeches:
Inspiration Mash-up
Shame on you. This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're going to let it be the worst. And I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out, letting them get the best of you. Well, I'm not going home. We've come too far! And I'm going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. A day may come when the courage of men fails… but it is not THIS day. The line must be drawn HERE. This far, no further! I'm not saying it's going to be easy. You're going to work harder than you ever worked before. But that's fine, we'll just get tougher with it! If a person grits his teeth and shows real determination, failure is not an option. That's how winning is done! Believe me when I say we can break this army here, and win just one for the Gipper. But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time: you've got to get mad. I mean plum mad dog mean. If you would be free men, then you must fight to fulfill that promise! Let us cut out their living guts one inch at a time, and they will know what we can do! Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are lions! You're like a big bear, man! This is YOUR time! Seize the day, never surrender, victory or death… that's the Chicago Way! Who's with me? Clap! Clap! Don't let Tink die! Clap! Alright! Let's fly! And gentlemen in England now abed shall know my name is the Lord when I tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our Independence Day!
Here's the buzz:
This week we begin our great trivia run with Geeks Who Drink every Thursday at 6:30pm. It so happens we have mutual friends with the owner of GWD, John Dicker, and so it was a natural fit to host a trivia night for them. We are hoping all of you will come out and help this series achieve lift off. Check out their extensive website for a taste of what they do. We are sure much fun will be had and many new friends will get met.
After Trivia at 8:30pm we have a new band on the scene called Firebird 4000. If you are a fan of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or Royal Trux then you will probably like these guys. We do.
Friday we have THE MOTET presents JUNO WHAT. About time we got the Motet in the D. They seem like such a great fit. If you love to dance to disco funk all night then you will love this. Opening is the fantastic TheSaurus at 7:30pm and, making the leap from New Band Night, Ten Pound Elephant at 5:30pm.
Saturday day is Olde Town Arvada's Chocolate Affair, hosted at the D Note. Tasting is 11am-3pm, $5-$10. Check out the great press for the event from the Westword.
Saturday night is going to be a wild mish mash of music. First at 6pm we have the hauntingly beautiful Bulgarian folk of Planina. $8. At 8pm we have the psychedelic rock of The Mourning Sickness and then, topping off the night like the head on a five barrel ale, we have Mr.Knowitall, a Primus tribute band. All hail Les Claypool. Check out the poster art for this show on Mr.Knowitall's myspace page. $5. We love these one-of-a-kind kind of evenings.
Check out the Clamdaddys jam every Wednesday night, lest ye forget the best free night of music in Colorado. And Salsa night too, lest ye forget the best salsa dancing to be found around here, (which is actually much better than you would think.) And keep in mind Baby Boogie Sunday afternoons too, lest ye forget the kids. We got a terrific review on the baby boogie, read here.
Next week Brethren Fast rocks our world on Friday 13 and we have our 6 year anniversary with The Reals on Valentine's day, Feb. 14th.
Honeysuckle,
D keeper
Extra Credit: A found poem this week, the transcript from a video mashing up 40 inspirational movies speeches:
Inspiration Mash-up
Shame on you. This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're going to let it be the worst. And I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out, letting them get the best of you. Well, I'm not going home. We've come too far! And I'm going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. A day may come when the courage of men fails… but it is not THIS day. The line must be drawn HERE. This far, no further! I'm not saying it's going to be easy. You're going to work harder than you ever worked before. But that's fine, we'll just get tougher with it! If a person grits his teeth and shows real determination, failure is not an option. That's how winning is done! Believe me when I say we can break this army here, and win just one for the Gipper. But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time: you've got to get mad. I mean plum mad dog mean. If you would be free men, then you must fight to fulfill that promise! Let us cut out their living guts one inch at a time, and they will know what we can do! Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are lions! You're like a big bear, man! This is YOUR time! Seize the day, never surrender, victory or death… that's the Chicago Way! Who's with me? Clap! Clap! Don't let Tink die! Clap! Alright! Let's fly! And gentlemen in England now abed shall know my name is the Lord when I tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our Independence Day!
late January-early February, oh nine
D flowers,
Do your hands seem to be swans floating in a lake of fire? No? Fly swans!
Thursday night, January 29, we have an acoustic showcase with Jay Ryan at 7pm and then a new band called Lila Bloom Orchestra at 8:30pm. Lila Bloom has a spooky concept behind their new work. Check out the conceit on their myspace, under "influences".
This Friday night we have a killer show put together by our man Matt Dougherty starting at 6pm with Cody Crump (love this kid, click and listen), Meniskus (violin rock), Ten Percent Genius (click the site to check out Dougherty's sweet poster), Other Side of Clearview (another cool poster here) and Some Friends of Mine batting clean up at 11:30pm. $5.
Saturday night at 8pm we have the triumphant return of Colorado's first lady of soul, Hazel Miller. Come swoon with us. $15 door/ $12 advance. After Hazel we'll have the dancing groove of Clusterfunk .
Saturday day we have The School of Rock doing a tribute show to The Who . There are two shows at 1pm and 5pm. $8. The kids are alright.
Next Tuesday we have The Arvada Center Studio Jazz Ensemble at 5:30pm (Free), and then New Band Night w/ Facing Sunday and Hand Picked Holler at 7:30pm. Free.
Finally we should tell you The Motet is presenting Juno What next Friday and the Thursday after that we start Trivia w/ Geeks Who Drink. John Dicker, the big geek behind this popular trivia series will be hosting it himself. (He is addicted our pizza.)
Soonest,
D nude
Extra Credit: Here's a song turned poem by Denver songwriter Doo Crowder.
Madness
Hello madness my old friend
answer me one question, tell me
where are you taking me now?
Please be gentle
I ain't got no insurance
I'm as fragile as the law will allow.
Well now, smarty pants, you have a point,
I chased you down there for so long.
Put your faith in fire.
Have your faith in fire repaid.
I put my faith in fire
and had my faith in fire
repaid for a song.
Do your hands seem to be swans floating in a lake of fire? No? Fly swans!
Thursday night, January 29, we have an acoustic showcase with Jay Ryan at 7pm and then a new band called Lila Bloom Orchestra at 8:30pm. Lila Bloom has a spooky concept behind their new work. Check out the conceit on their myspace, under "influences".
This Friday night we have a killer show put together by our man Matt Dougherty starting at 6pm with Cody Crump (love this kid, click and listen), Meniskus (violin rock), Ten Percent Genius (click the site to check out Dougherty's sweet poster), Other Side of Clearview (another cool poster here) and Some Friends of Mine batting clean up at 11:30pm. $5.
Saturday night at 8pm we have the triumphant return of Colorado's first lady of soul, Hazel Miller. Come swoon with us. $15 door/ $12 advance. After Hazel we'll have the dancing groove of Clusterfunk .
Saturday day we have The School of Rock doing a tribute show to The Who . There are two shows at 1pm and 5pm. $8. The kids are alright.
Next Tuesday we have The Arvada Center Studio Jazz Ensemble at 5:30pm (Free), and then New Band Night w/ Facing Sunday and Hand Picked Holler at 7:30pm. Free.
Finally we should tell you The Motet is presenting Juno What next Friday and the Thursday after that we start Trivia w/ Geeks Who Drink. John Dicker, the big geek behind this popular trivia series will be hosting it himself. (He is addicted our pizza.)
Soonest,
D nude
Extra Credit: Here's a song turned poem by Denver songwriter Doo Crowder.
Madness
Hello madness my old friend
answer me one question, tell me
where are you taking me now?
Please be gentle
I ain't got no insurance
I'm as fragile as the law will allow.
Well now, smarty pants, you have a point,
I chased you down there for so long.
Put your faith in fire.
Have your faith in fire repaid.
I put my faith in fire
and had my faith in fire
repaid for a song.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
mid January, oh nine
D finery,
The snows came and we began dreaming of a holiday in Hawaii, or maybe Jamaica. But since we can't move the D Note to Hawaii, or Jamaica, then we will just have to bring them to the D Note. This Thursday night we have a Hawaiin style jam called a Kani Ka Pila from 6-8pm. Bring the keiki (kids) and your ukulele for Hawaiian music, hula & good times. This is put on by the Pi'ilani Hawaiian Civic Club of Colorado and they say Ho'olu komo la kaua! (Please Join Us.) Then at 8pm we'll take a quick jaunt over to Jamaica with Lion Vibes. Great band and we feel privileged to have them back. $7.
Saturday day we've got January's Music Train family concert featuring Dr. Noize at 4pm. $7. Then at 7pm we have another local favorite, FACE, acapella rock and roll at 7pm. $12. We recommend getting there early to get a seat. Then, batting cleanup, The Duke Street Kings will knock it out of the park with some good old fashioned rock and roll at 9:30pm. $5.
Next Tuesday night starting at 5pm we are having an inauguration party sponsored by PeaceJam, our favorite local world saving organization. The debate and election results party they threw at the D Note were off the hook heartwarming so come join us in D town hall. At 9pm we'll play Z Trips Obama mix for anyone who wants to stay around and dance.
Also heads up. We're very excited about a super cool show happening next Friday. There is a new collective in town called Long Spoon and featuring the likes of Paper Bird, Ian Cooke, Doo Crowder, Laura Goldhamer, New Denver Orchestra and Layden Bryant, ALL of whom will be performing. Wowsers! So mark your calendar for one of the most beautiful nights of the new year so far anywhere. $10
Grazie,
D vinci
Extra Credit: One of our favorite poets, Frank O'hara, got a great posthumous boost when one of his poems was featured on the acclaimed TV show Mad Men. Over a montage runs Don Draper's voiceover reading the following passage of O'Hara's poem "Mayakovsky":
Now I am quietly waiting for
the catastrophe of my personality
to seem beautiful again,
and interesting, and modern.
The country is grey and
brown and white in trees,
snows and skies of laughter
always diminishing, less funny
not just darker, not just grey.
It may be the coldest day of
the year, what does he think of
that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,
perhaps I am myself again.
The snows came and we began dreaming of a holiday in Hawaii, or maybe Jamaica. But since we can't move the D Note to Hawaii, or Jamaica, then we will just have to bring them to the D Note. This Thursday night we have a Hawaiin style jam called a Kani Ka Pila from 6-8pm. Bring the keiki (kids) and your ukulele for Hawaiian music, hula & good times. This is put on by the Pi'ilani Hawaiian Civic Club of Colorado and they say Ho'olu komo la kaua! (Please Join Us.) Then at 8pm we'll take a quick jaunt over to Jamaica with Lion Vibes. Great band and we feel privileged to have them back. $7.
Saturday day we've got January's Music Train family concert featuring Dr. Noize at 4pm. $7. Then at 7pm we have another local favorite, FACE, acapella rock and roll at 7pm. $12. We recommend getting there early to get a seat. Then, batting cleanup, The Duke Street Kings will knock it out of the park with some good old fashioned rock and roll at 9:30pm. $5.
Next Tuesday night starting at 5pm we are having an inauguration party sponsored by PeaceJam, our favorite local world saving organization. The debate and election results party they threw at the D Note were off the hook heartwarming so come join us in D town hall. At 9pm we'll play Z Trips Obama mix for anyone who wants to stay around and dance.
Also heads up. We're very excited about a super cool show happening next Friday. There is a new collective in town called Long Spoon and featuring the likes of Paper Bird, Ian Cooke, Doo Crowder, Laura Goldhamer, New Denver Orchestra and Layden Bryant, ALL of whom will be performing. Wowsers! So mark your calendar for one of the most beautiful nights of the new year so far anywhere. $10
Grazie,
D vinci
Extra Credit: One of our favorite poets, Frank O'hara, got a great posthumous boost when one of his poems was featured on the acclaimed TV show Mad Men. Over a montage runs Don Draper's voiceover reading the following passage of O'Hara's poem "Mayakovsky":
Now I am quietly waiting for
the catastrophe of my personality
to seem beautiful again,
and interesting, and modern.
The country is grey and
brown and white in trees,
snows and skies of laughter
always diminishing, less funny
not just darker, not just grey.
It may be the coldest day of
the year, what does he think of
that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,
perhaps I am myself again.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
early January, oh nine
D tails,
You know the glyph on the mural behind our stage, the glyph suspended between the waves? We have just learned a very interesting new fact about the glyph from David Larsen, the artist, which added an important puzzle piece to our reading of the mural. But you'll have to wait to hear about it after we tell you about the fantabulous weekend coming up.
First of all, we pay tribute to Elvis Presley on his birthday this Friday. What better way could you possibly pay tribute to Elvis than to eat the peanut butter and bacon sandwich he loved while listening to the original rock and roll spirit of Elvis carried on by Chris Barber as The Velvet Elvis? No better way. (Unless you are vegetarian.) Our manager Andy's dad created the original sandwich Elvis was famous for! How's that for a pedigree. It's called Fool's Gold Loaf, which consists of a single loaf of hollowed out bread filled with one jar of creamy peanut butter, one jar of grape jelly, and a pound of bacon. If you wanna try it Andy's dad said he'd bring a couple out. Velvet Elvis starts at 7:30pm and after we'll have the rockabilly band Redline Rockets to carry on the celebration. $8
Then we pay tribute to the rest of the Capricorns this Saturday. We have at least four Capricorns working at the D Note and we have done our best to honor all of their musical requests. Adam Ferrill asked for Slo Children (his band), and so they will play at 7pm. Diandra asked for Wendy Woo, so she will play with Robin Hoch at 8:30pm. Kyle was down for some trashy rockabilly so we have Whiskey Throttle at 10pm. And at 11:30ish we have the hardcore punk band D.I.H.Y.F., by request of Stephanie. $5. If you are a Capricorn you get a special Capricorn shot on the house.
Thursday night we are paying tribute to Thursday night with the homegrown music of the Hippogriffs at 7pm. We love the quote on their web page, "You can't unring the bell. But you don't have to ring it again." $5
Finally, the new info concerning the glyph on the mural we mentioned earlier? The same glyph can be seen on all Currier & Ives plates, adorning the bucolic 19th century scenes Currier & Ives are famous for. For a philosophical extrapolation upon this discovery go here.
Vaya con,
Dios
Extra Credit: We googled "poem" + "capricorn" to see what we would find and on the top of the heap was this strange, but somehow apt little poem by Matt Plavnick, from his blog. Full mouth kiss of webbed amphibia? Exactly!
Capricorn
You--
brazen and sturdy,
obscene as the peony,
prescient
as the austral night,
you towering constellation written
from the kestrel's insatiable wing
or the full mouth kiss
of webbed amphibia--
I choose you.
You know the glyph on the mural behind our stage, the glyph suspended between the waves? We have just learned a very interesting new fact about the glyph from David Larsen, the artist, which added an important puzzle piece to our reading of the mural. But you'll have to wait to hear about it after we tell you about the fantabulous weekend coming up.
First of all, we pay tribute to Elvis Presley on his birthday this Friday. What better way could you possibly pay tribute to Elvis than to eat the peanut butter and bacon sandwich he loved while listening to the original rock and roll spirit of Elvis carried on by Chris Barber as The Velvet Elvis? No better way. (Unless you are vegetarian.) Our manager Andy's dad created the original sandwich Elvis was famous for! How's that for a pedigree. It's called Fool's Gold Loaf, which consists of a single loaf of hollowed out bread filled with one jar of creamy peanut butter, one jar of grape jelly, and a pound of bacon. If you wanna try it Andy's dad said he'd bring a couple out. Velvet Elvis starts at 7:30pm and after we'll have the rockabilly band Redline Rockets to carry on the celebration. $8
Then we pay tribute to the rest of the Capricorns this Saturday. We have at least four Capricorns working at the D Note and we have done our best to honor all of their musical requests. Adam Ferrill asked for Slo Children (his band), and so they will play at 7pm. Diandra asked for Wendy Woo, so she will play with Robin Hoch at 8:30pm. Kyle was down for some trashy rockabilly so we have Whiskey Throttle at 10pm. And at 11:30ish we have the hardcore punk band D.I.H.Y.F., by request of Stephanie. $5. If you are a Capricorn you get a special Capricorn shot on the house.
Thursday night we are paying tribute to Thursday night with the homegrown music of the Hippogriffs at 7pm. We love the quote on their web page, "You can't unring the bell. But you don't have to ring it again." $5
Finally, the new info concerning the glyph on the mural we mentioned earlier? The same glyph can be seen on all Currier & Ives plates, adorning the bucolic 19th century scenes Currier & Ives are famous for. For a philosophical extrapolation upon this discovery go here.
Vaya con,
Dios
Extra Credit: We googled "poem" + "capricorn" to see what we would find and on the top of the heap was this strange, but somehow apt little poem by Matt Plavnick, from his blog. Full mouth kiss of webbed amphibia? Exactly!
Capricorn
You--
brazen and sturdy,
obscene as the peony,
prescient
as the austral night,
you towering constellation written
from the kestrel's insatiable wing
or the full mouth kiss
of webbed amphibia--
I choose you.
D Note Chronicles #41
D Note Chronicles #41
Long time readers of this column may remember that every Christmas I go out to New York to visit friends in the city and my wife's family upstate. This Christmas I decided to host a poetry reading in the city so I could get all my poet friends in one place at one time. So on Saturday December 27th we gathered at a very cool little club called Plan B in the legendary lower East Village. I noticed that my time at the D Note definitely made this reading easier to pull off. Genevieve, who has made up a million fliers for the D Note, whipped up a great little flier for the show no sweat. All the stage time at the D Note rendered me far less nervous hosting the reading than I would have been otherwise. Also, a friend I met here, Tyler Burba, now lives there and helped to secure the venue. Running a venue we know exactly what it means to secure one...we had to promise to bring out a crowd.
And we did. The night went well. Genevieve shot a little film that broke the ice called "Breaking The Ice". In the film I am holding up a thin sheet of ice, so that my head appears behind the ice like a silhouette bust, a kind of still life. Then the action. The camera pans back as I heave the ice at a giant rock. The ice shatters on the rock in a spectacular fashion. The idea was to smash the often frigid atmosphere of "serious" NY poetry readings. But what really broke the ice was when Tyler got the whole audience singing along to Hank Williams' classic "I Saw The Light". Suddenly we were at a revival meeting in Texas and all pretensions fell away. Although we are bold enough to think that the D Note can rise to the NY level of art and music, conversely it is great when NYC lowers itself to the level of a community gospel sing along.
I only had time to see one art show while I was in the city, but it was a wowser. The show was at the Fashion Institute on 27th and 7th and was called "Goth". I went because I love fashion and the show was free, but I was a worried it might get cheesy considering the subject matter. I was wrong. I could spend the rest of this article describing the pieces there, but I will mention just one, to give you a flavor. There was a dress by Japanese designer Kei Kagami which was a completely unwearable mechanical monstrosity. There was a lever off one shoulder and a complicated pulley system connected to the lever and attached to uncomfortable looking prosthetic shoes. The bodice on the dress was made out of shattered glass, both beautiful and poetic. Attached to the dress were two mechanical hands holding magnifying glasses in front of each breast, which was a funny touch. The work was behind glass and was lit for only one minute. Then the lights shining on the piece went out for two minutes so that you were left looking at yourself in the glass and contemplating. Then on for a minute again, then off for two and so on. It took a few rounds of this just to figure out what was going on.
On this trip I was also able to take a day trip up to New Haven where my friend David Larsen is teaching Philosophy at Yale. David's a great artist and friend and it was good to see him again. If you have been to the D Note and have seen the mural behind the stage, then you have already seen David's art.
New Haven is a more depressed town than I expected, which was amplified by all of the spooky gothic architecture on campus. David showed me the Skull & Crossbones building which gave me a chill. But I gave the building a leaping kung fu kick, which turned the chill into a thrill.
At David's pad I noticed he had a fantastic plate collection on his walls. I remembered that the glyph in the middle of the D Note mural was taken from one of his grandmother's plates. I asked him about it. He said that that particular glyph could be found on all Currier & Ives plates and he pulled out a couple to show me. This was a revelation. David had once told me that he chose the glyph for the mural because it was a kind of writing signifying nothing, a perfect symbol for the D Note. But now I was learning that the glyph did signify at least one thing; Currier & Ives!
And Currier & Ives is a whole world unto itself. If you are unfamiliar, they were 19th cent. printmakers from NY who specialized in quaint and kitchy scenes, like a sleigh ride through a small town for example. I love the new idea that this implies; the glyph as a purely decorative flourish to accompany the nostalgic pictures of our American past. I've always read the waves on either side of the mural as representing the Atlantic and Pacific ocean, and the glyph in the middle being the idea of some mysterious aura emanating from the middle, suspended between the waves, somehow suspending the waves themselves. And to find out that this thing can be read as a flourish to the romantic ideal of the American dream seems like a perfect new piece to the puzzle of the mural and the D Note itself.
Long time readers of this column may remember that every Christmas I go out to New York to visit friends in the city and my wife's family upstate. This Christmas I decided to host a poetry reading in the city so I could get all my poet friends in one place at one time. So on Saturday December 27th we gathered at a very cool little club called Plan B in the legendary lower East Village. I noticed that my time at the D Note definitely made this reading easier to pull off. Genevieve, who has made up a million fliers for the D Note, whipped up a great little flier for the show no sweat. All the stage time at the D Note rendered me far less nervous hosting the reading than I would have been otherwise. Also, a friend I met here, Tyler Burba, now lives there and helped to secure the venue. Running a venue we know exactly what it means to secure one...we had to promise to bring out a crowd.
And we did. The night went well. Genevieve shot a little film that broke the ice called "Breaking The Ice". In the film I am holding up a thin sheet of ice, so that my head appears behind the ice like a silhouette bust, a kind of still life. Then the action. The camera pans back as I heave the ice at a giant rock. The ice shatters on the rock in a spectacular fashion. The idea was to smash the often frigid atmosphere of "serious" NY poetry readings. But what really broke the ice was when Tyler got the whole audience singing along to Hank Williams' classic "I Saw The Light". Suddenly we were at a revival meeting in Texas and all pretensions fell away. Although we are bold enough to think that the D Note can rise to the NY level of art and music, conversely it is great when NYC lowers itself to the level of a community gospel sing along.
I only had time to see one art show while I was in the city, but it was a wowser. The show was at the Fashion Institute on 27th and 7th and was called "Goth". I went because I love fashion and the show was free, but I was a worried it might get cheesy considering the subject matter. I was wrong. I could spend the rest of this article describing the pieces there, but I will mention just one, to give you a flavor. There was a dress by Japanese designer Kei Kagami which was a completely unwearable mechanical monstrosity. There was a lever off one shoulder and a complicated pulley system connected to the lever and attached to uncomfortable looking prosthetic shoes. The bodice on the dress was made out of shattered glass, both beautiful and poetic. Attached to the dress were two mechanical hands holding magnifying glasses in front of each breast, which was a funny touch. The work was behind glass and was lit for only one minute. Then the lights shining on the piece went out for two minutes so that you were left looking at yourself in the glass and contemplating. Then on for a minute again, then off for two and so on. It took a few rounds of this just to figure out what was going on.
On this trip I was also able to take a day trip up to New Haven where my friend David Larsen is teaching Philosophy at Yale. David's a great artist and friend and it was good to see him again. If you have been to the D Note and have seen the mural behind the stage, then you have already seen David's art.
New Haven is a more depressed town than I expected, which was amplified by all of the spooky gothic architecture on campus. David showed me the Skull & Crossbones building which gave me a chill. But I gave the building a leaping kung fu kick, which turned the chill into a thrill.
At David's pad I noticed he had a fantastic plate collection on his walls. I remembered that the glyph in the middle of the D Note mural was taken from one of his grandmother's plates. I asked him about it. He said that that particular glyph could be found on all Currier & Ives plates and he pulled out a couple to show me. This was a revelation. David had once told me that he chose the glyph for the mural because it was a kind of writing signifying nothing, a perfect symbol for the D Note. But now I was learning that the glyph did signify at least one thing; Currier & Ives!
And Currier & Ives is a whole world unto itself. If you are unfamiliar, they were 19th cent. printmakers from NY who specialized in quaint and kitchy scenes, like a sleigh ride through a small town for example. I love the new idea that this implies; the glyph as a purely decorative flourish to accompany the nostalgic pictures of our American past. I've always read the waves on either side of the mural as representing the Atlantic and Pacific ocean, and the glyph in the middle being the idea of some mysterious aura emanating from the middle, suspended between the waves, somehow suspending the waves themselves. And to find out that this thing can be read as a flourish to the romantic ideal of the American dream seems like a perfect new piece to the puzzle of the mural and the D Note itself.
NYE, ought eight
D nigh,
This is the last d-mail where we get to say "ought eight" in the subject line. We're going to miss saying ought eight, since it had such a nice ring to it and all. But we'll find a new ring tone for the new year, so auld lang sigh. It was a truly memorable year though, in so many ways. And there is a good chance 2009 will be even more memorable. We'll do our best to make it so.
Tonight, Dec. 31, ought eight, we will usher in 2009 to the African Reggae music of our old friends Irie Still. Dancing hard is the way to do it. Clamdaddys will play at 5pm, Quillion acoustic around 7ish, and then Irie Still to finish the year. Let us leap together.
Friday night we're still partying. We have the debut of a new bluegrass band on the scene, Finders&Youngberg at 8pm. We've known the duo of Mike and Amy Finders for awhile, and we've known Aaron and Erin Younberg for awhile. All excellent bluegrass musicians with storied careers and we can't wait to hear what they've put together. Another great bluegrass band plays after, 40 Gallon Still. $8.
Saturday night we have a CD release party for The Saurus at 7pm. The Saurus is a very entertaining and excellent hip hoppy jazz trio. $8. At 9pm we have Curley Taylor in from New Orleans with his Zydeco band. $12. First time for Taylor at the D Note, so let us welcome him with our dancing shoes on.
Thanks for a great year! Here's to the next!
D love
Extra Credit: Here's a poem by the artist that did the D Note mural, David Larsen. He's riffing, we suppose, off 4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie.
FIFTY PIZZAS
Fifty pizzas sent to my house,
Pizzas nobody could love:
Ten pizzas heaped amain with boiled owl
Ten fat with boiled dove.
There were four and twenty blue jays
Baked in seven deep dish pies,
Eleven pizzas strewn with seagull
Plucked from arching landfill skies,
One giant strangled ostrich piazza
Stretching nigh on six feet wide,
Another topped with roasted peacock
Boasting still its outraged hide,
Four swollen duckbill pizzas,
Five whereon mute ravens sang,
And as my hands received the last one
(Whippoorwill) the church bells rang.
He left my front porch rank and groaning,
That mysterious pizza guy,
And feathers trailed him as he sauntered
Back to his gore-flecked Hyundai.
This is the last d-mail where we get to say "ought eight" in the subject line. We're going to miss saying ought eight, since it had such a nice ring to it and all. But we'll find a new ring tone for the new year, so auld lang sigh. It was a truly memorable year though, in so many ways. And there is a good chance 2009 will be even more memorable. We'll do our best to make it so.
Tonight, Dec. 31, ought eight, we will usher in 2009 to the African Reggae music of our old friends Irie Still. Dancing hard is the way to do it. Clamdaddys will play at 5pm, Quillion acoustic around 7ish, and then Irie Still to finish the year. Let us leap together.
Friday night we're still partying. We have the debut of a new bluegrass band on the scene, Finders&Youngberg at 8pm. We've known the duo of Mike and Amy Finders for awhile, and we've known Aaron and Erin Younberg for awhile. All excellent bluegrass musicians with storied careers and we can't wait to hear what they've put together. Another great bluegrass band plays after, 40 Gallon Still. $8.
Saturday night we have a CD release party for The Saurus at 7pm. The Saurus is a very entertaining and excellent hip hoppy jazz trio. $8. At 9pm we have Curley Taylor in from New Orleans with his Zydeco band. $12. First time for Taylor at the D Note, so let us welcome him with our dancing shoes on.
Thanks for a great year! Here's to the next!
D love
Extra Credit: Here's a poem by the artist that did the D Note mural, David Larsen. He's riffing, we suppose, off 4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie.
FIFTY PIZZAS
Fifty pizzas sent to my house,
Pizzas nobody could love:
Ten pizzas heaped amain with boiled owl
Ten fat with boiled dove.
There were four and twenty blue jays
Baked in seven deep dish pies,
Eleven pizzas strewn with seagull
Plucked from arching landfill skies,
One giant strangled ostrich piazza
Stretching nigh on six feet wide,
Another topped with roasted peacock
Boasting still its outraged hide,
Four swollen duckbill pizzas,
Five whereon mute ravens sang,
And as my hands received the last one
(Whippoorwill) the church bells rang.
He left my front porch rank and groaning,
That mysterious pizza guy,
And feathers trailed him as he sauntered
Back to his gore-flecked Hyundai.
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