Ok, ok, so I've got tickets for tomorrow night at Crash Mansion. But still! I haven't seen all these guys together on one stage since 2004 so I'm all over any opportunity I get.

VMars people: I expect to see you there. juls_chuls and afrocurl, you are excused on account of distance, but the rest of y'all (and you know who you are) if this is in your neck of the woods (and you damn well know it is) I WILL SEE YOU THERE. OR. UM. CONSEQUENCES.

Music people: Come on! If you're not already in love with these boys, you should be. I kick myself for not going to see them til my last year in Austin and wasting so many chances. It's not Waterloo, but it's the closest thing we got out here.

Be there! Especially if it's only a short walk for you!

PS-- that link through the picture up top? Yeah, the two best albums are all the way at the bottom. Both of those play like greatest hits compilations. They should be in your car's CD player, constantly. At least for the first month or so you have them.

It's the end of the day and I do not in fact have a real entry in me. Oh well. But I do have a meme and some other non-original yet AWESOME content. First, the awesomeness.

I've talked about Defective Yeti before, namely my attempt to ape his AFI 100 challenge (which ended in heartbreak and defeat and technically isn't ended yet, but more on that possibly tomorrow.) He is still the best ever with this, the coolest quiz ever. He's taken the lyrics to 50 great rock songs, and arranged each word in them alphabetically. Can you tell what they are? I only knew 23. I fail at rock music. But this does not mean I will listen to more Springsteen or Marley. This bird you cannot change.

And now, the meme! Stolen from my roommate Liz!

Y'know, this is going to take a lot of searching and saving and converting and saving again and I get off work in 15 minutes and plan to be in my pajamas within 30. That's right. You heard me. Tomorrow, good people. Have patience with me for another night. Besides, the rock quiz should keep y'all occupied for a bit.

PS-- Hey everybody, try to get your first hangover out of your system before you're 28 and it's Thursday and most responsible people are waiting until at least tonight to begin their wasteland weekends and you have to be at work and coherent and such. I do not recommend this. Though I do recommend bingo at Hamburger Mary's. That I am fully in favor of.

Appearances or otherwise.

Just like last week, I'm back with very little to offer. Lots of memes, all from king_duncan, and far too few movie updates. AFI 100 in February is just not happening, folks. I'm too busy a little bee. It is my cross to bear.

Memes first!

TV meme:
Choose five series (no peeking before you choose them), list them, and then answer the questions behind the cut.

1. Sports Night
2. Veronica Mars
3. Doctor Who
4. Wonderfalls
5. Torchwood

( Questions and answers! )

And similar music meme:
Pick your top 10 bands and answer the questions.

1. The Old 97s
2. Spoon
3. Paul Simon
4. Iggy Pop
5. Neko Case
6. Liz Phair
7. The Pretenders
8. The Rolling Stones
9. The Beatles
10. Elvis Costello

( And away we go! )

23

AFI movie reviews... um... later. I need a cup of tea like wow.

Cherry and Zippy (the ipod) and I had a good drive to work this morning.

"Whole Wide World"
"Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues"
"Anything You Want"
"Say My Name"

Have I mentioned that I love my new car and her mp3 jack?

I thought scheduling the ever-loving life out of the next two weeks would snap me out of this funk. It did well enough for the weekend but today is grey, blue, and various shades of ugh.

Friday-- Dinner at Pitfire and four one-act plays by Noel Coward: Well, dinner was kind of the highlight of the evening. The plays were alright, actually kind of reminded me of Roald Dahl's surprisingly dark short stories. Some humor in the dim bits of life, but mostly lots of unhappiness. Yay? The Unintentionally Hilarious award goes to the waltz sung in the last play. Anybody seen All That Jazz? Remember that awful sexy sex airplane sex musical number with the song "Take off with us/ Take off with us...?" The first two lines of the waltz had exactly that beat, tone, count, everything but the words. It was all I could do to not giggle.

Saturday-- SoCal Games Day! Arrived a bit late, but played lots of fun stuff and stuck to my no fried foods pledge despite the delicious onion rings at Everest. Met up with playmayt for the all-star cast of the year: Eddie Izzard, Tim Curry, Billy Connolly, Emily Mortimer, Jane Leeves, Tracey Ullman, Jim Piddock, and Eric Idle in Idle's new play, "What About Dick?" How did all those names fit in one little paragraph, much less on the same stage? It was a staged reading of Idle's "film for radio," presented as a radio program with actors sitting at the back of the stage when quiet and sharing three microphones to speak their parts. It was funny, it was filthy, and Tim Curry's voice is the single most beautiful sound I have ever heard in my life, but the play itself wasn't that good. It felt very disconnected and patched together and the extended EM Forster/Howard's End/films of Emma Thompson & Anthony Hopkins parody just didn't work for me. The people watching was fun, though. Lots of Brits, movers & shakers and stars and such, and I'm pretty certain I saw Jeff Lynne striding up the aisle wearing sunglasses during intermission (really? 9.30pm inside the theatre and really? O... K...) Billy Connolly was the hit of the night with an incomprehensible Scottish detective, and Eddie Izzard was very cute while dropping things and being silly, and, well, everyone was excellent, but. It's no Spamalot.

Sunday-- Din Tai Fung! More Games! Agricola, which is unbelievably amazing. But I was hitting my MustHaveProtein wall so bailed, only to find that I'd left my lights on and my car was dead. Chris was very kind and as he put it, jumped me outside. Made it home safe, toasted up a little dinner and happily watched Torchwood.

Monday, today-- Awful migraine kept me home this morning and I've felt sick all day, but cannot stay home tonight as I have Spoon tickets. Any other band... any less money spent... and it would be me and my jammies and the Doctor Who S2 disc 6 of special features, fer sure. As it is, I will rally. I must. "Anything You Want" demands it.
( Rest of the schedule for this week and next back here: )

From mondaysabitch:

Random Joy

1. What's your favourite tv talk show? Talk show? Hmmm. Larry Sanders, probably. There's not really one I watch regularly. Fernwood Tonight hasn't been on in years, so I guess that's not in the running.

2. Do you like crackers in your soup? Sometimes. Depends on the soup. But never animal.

3. How much does money motivate you? In terms of choosing my job? Very little. I'd rather enjoy what I do. Of course, if I couldn't support myself doing what I enjoy, I would be motivated to get something that paid enough for me to live on, but left enough time free that I could still do much of what I like.

4. Do you have a garden? (For bonus points: Is it a secret? :P) Heehee, nope. But I like the question.

5. Do you enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc.)? Does your family have any other food-related traditions for this season? Definitely! I love turkey, dressing (stuffing is EVIL,) green bean casserole, gravy, and pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies! Porcupine meatballs, beef stew, and taco bake are popular dishes in my family when the weather turns colder and we want something warm and comforting.

It's been a pretty good summer.

I went to eleven shows at the Hollywood Bowl.

I went to San Francisco a couple times.

I met many new babies.

I got to see friends in from all over the world and spend plenty of time with them.

I finally tried the Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich. AND IT WAS GOOD.

This weekend was my last Hollywood Bowl visit of the season. It also marked the arrival of fall in LA and I had a friend come visit me from Houston. We spent the entire weekend eating, driving, or sleeping, and we didn't sleep that much. From Friday night through Sunday evening we managed to hit Pink's, Knott's fried chicken, Dino's lasagna pizza, Din Tai Fung, Porto's, and Beard Papa. Monday morning I swore to eat nothing but salad the rest of the week. So of course I went straight to Bob's Big Boy for breakfast after depositing my friend at the airport. I had an hour to kill before work.

But Sunday. We saw Rufus Wainwright at the Hollywood Bowl. Doing his Judy Garland show. The last of his Judy Garland shows. Other than the obnoxious over-demonstrative of their fabulousness scenester asshats who moved in front of us just before the end of the first half, the show was a pure delight.



For the first encore Rufus came back out in Judy's tights, blazer, and fedora from Summer Stock. He spent the second in a beautiful black and white print silk bathrobe. No pictures of that, though, just a very blurry Lorna Luft back at my Flickr page. Sorry about the blurriness.

Have we talked about the amazing height of my concert-going life last Wednesday night when I saw Dave Brubeck at the Hollywood Bowl? It's sad, really. To peak at 28.


"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"


"Take Five"

Watching him play the whole night was beautiful, cause he was really playing. With the piano, with the other musicians, with just the sheer joy he felt. He was like a kid on Christmas morning, a boy with a slingshot. Dave Brubeck had more fun and artistry and talent and speed in those fingers than some pianists I could name in their 20s. Not that I'm rude enough to name names...

It was pretty cool how he worked "Take Five" in, really. He was in the middle of another song, then all of a sudden he started that distinctive piano opening and you shoulda seen that Bowl blow up. Was like he lit a fire under everyone there. Except that little girl in front of me who was hating the whole thing. I get that it's amazing and the clueless woman with her said "You'll remember this when you're older," but no, she won't. She hated it, she was bored the entire time, and kept getting up to complain to her mother. Even the best pieces of the night did not keep her interest or please her, cause she just wasn't into it. I get that it was probably a once in a lifetime chance for her cause let's face it, Mr. Brubeck ain't getting any younger, but really, if your kid's not going to enjoy it, please them and the people sitting near you and just leave them at home.

/soapbox

Meme first. From mondaysabitch, as usual:

Random Joy

1.When I dance I look like ________? I'm having fun. Peanut gallery, shush it!

2.Who's your favourite famous alien? playmayt, yeah, I almost said that, but I gotta go with Spock. Oldie but a goodie.

3.If you're a fan of __________ don't talk to me? Matchbox 20. Present company excluded, but only just. *shudder*

4.When is the last time someone yelled at you and why? Hmm. Last Saturday night. It sucked. I screwed up and everyone was tired.

5.What is your favourite Justin Timberlake song? I don't know that I have one... wait. Homelesstown? That SNL skit where he schooled the Salvation Army Santa. That was pretty good.

And THIS JUST IN:

Disneyland's raising the prices on character meals again, and now Ariel's Grotto is more than Goofy's Kitchen! It used to be something of a deal, cause it was about half the price (just over $15 to Goofy's $30 per adult) and they brought you a dish of warm fresh cotton candy between courses. Now that's my idea of a palate cleanser. But with the new prices as of September 12th:

Minnie & Friends - Breakfast in the Park at Plaza Inn (Disneyland) - Adults $25.99, Kids (3-9) $13.99
Ariel's Disney Princess Celebration at Ariel's Grotto (Disney's California Adventure) Adults $27.99, Kids (3-9) $15.99
Lilo & Stitch Aloha Breakfast at Disney's PCH Grill (Paradise Pier Hotel) - Adults $25.99, Kids (3-9) $13.99
Chip 'n Dale Critter Breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe (Grand Californian Hotel) - Adults $25.99, Kids (3-9) $13.99
Goofy's Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel) Brunch - Adults $25.99, Kids (3-9) $13.99
Goofy's Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel) Dinner - Adults $31.99, Kids (3-9) $13.99

It's now about comparable with Goofy's for dinner and more than brunch, while the food is still nowhere near as good, and the cotton candy is no more. Pfft. I see no reason to ever go back to Ariel's.

Excellent ham at the commissary today. Yes, Kids in the Hall fans, it was that good. And as I thought that, I suddenly remembered that there is in fact a chance that I might see Bruce McCulloch on the lot someday. And that effin' good ham and McCulloch combined to make me smile, right there, by myself, eating lunch. But, oof. Am full.

EEEEEEEEEEEEE.

From the Old 97s feed:

Would you mind mentioning on the board that I'm doing a set at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood at 9pm next Sunday the 26th? It's only $3 - which goes to Hotel Cafe,I'm not keeping anything, because my record is just about mixed and I just want to get my stage legs a little stronger. So I'm being all Minor Threat about it and just letting the club have their cut.

I'm definitely going. I think playmayt's in as well. sinca? What's up girl? Care to enjoy some music with us?

Why must they have it in Orange County? These are the questions that nagged my tired mind last night.

Hit the Orange County Fair yesterday with playmayt to see Chris Cornell and enjoy decadent fair food. The structure of that last sentence should in no way be interpreted as representing my priorities, cause the fair food was way more important to me than Cornell's show. Sorry music lovers, I've never been much of a Cornell fan. "Black Hole Sun" makes me want to carve my own eyes out and stuff them in my ears so that I neither have to see the awful nightmare inducing video nor hear the annoying whiny song. But playmayt's beloved Yogi is in Cornell's band (and a fricking amazing rock star of a musician) so we went. We ate. We conquered. ( Disgustingly in depth food reporting back here. )

We really only indulged in one non-food paying fair activity: we visited the petting zoo and ponied up $2 each for pellets and oats so the animals would love us. Boy, did they love us. Goats and deer like to eat skirts. No, I'm not being risque, I'm serious. They will try to eat the skirt off your ass. Make sure you keep a hold of it if you don't care to flash everyone else in the pen. The llamas were a bit standoffish, but I decided that was because they were pissed that they had to mix with the hoi polloi after the Echolls sold the estate. Wouldn't you be? The ducks hid under a net full of alfafa the whole time. The baby roos (or were they wallabees?) tried to stay out of reach, but were eventually petted. The pigs all either slept or ignored us. The chickens didn't care that anyone was there. The sheep were just after food. But the baby goats. The really tiny baby goats. When I knelt down to pet the littlest ones, the tiny white goat jumped right into my lap for snuggles and pets. Such a dear. I had to pick her up and put her back on the ground. Such little loves. If I had space I would keep a goat. And make lots of cheese and cajeta.

Then Cornell. Opening act Puddle of Mudd was meh to ok, mainly because music where the lead singer sounds constipated is not generally my cup of tea. We giggled and snarked through most of their set until the last song, when suddenly lyrics from "Summer Lovin'" were worked in. We loved it. All the girls in the audience sang along, especially at the "Tell me more, tell me more, did you get very far/ Tell me more, tell more, like did he have a car?" bit. The guys just kinda sat there in confused silence. Was a nice table to have turned.

I enjoyed Chris Cornell more than I thought I would. Like I said, I've never been a fan, and pretty much just went along for fair, food, and to see Yogi. I was not disappointed. I had more fun than I thought I would. I knew more songs than I thought I would. And I really liked the newer solo stuff. High points:

The James Bond song. Great song from a great Bond movie. This was probably the thin edge of the wedge in changing my anti-Cornell stance.

"Doesn't Remind Me of Anything." I love this song and totally did not realize it was him. playmayt, I lied. This is Audioslave, not Temple of the Dog. My bad.

Acoustic "Billie Jean." While I have heard it described as 'horrible, like "I dare you to actually listen to the whole thing" terrible.' (and that just this morning,) playmayt and I decided early on that the earnestness was a joke and giggled the whole time. At least, I hope it's a joke. If he's actually serious, then I see the horrible and raise you a burn it burn it get it away from me.

After the show we were hungry again (what? we hadn't eaten in over two hours. that's how it works at county fairs.) so we hit the food stands once again. I gave into my craving for a second Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich, which was also delicious despite the replacement of fried chicken breast with breaded tenders and playmayt had bacon and seasoning salt soaked roasted corn on the cob. Happy times for all. On to sleep. After the hour in the car to get back to civilization, of course. And thus another county fair ended in gluttony, exhaustion, and dazed stumbling to the car. Personal triumph: I managed to not fall asleep in the car on the way home. Yay.

When I uploaded the other Richard Sherman bits I taped at the Mary Poppins sing-along at the El Capitan in January, youtube wouldn't accept my favorite one because it was 7 KB too long. Then awesome Davebo led me to this awesome site which would make awesome shorter conversions of videos and I was awesomely able to fix it so youtube would accept it! Take that youtube! You will take my Richard Sherman videos and you will like it!

Very quiet weekend. Hollywood Bowl was fun, post with pics and vid later if I can ever get the media convert site to work again.

Woke up much earlier than I wanted Saturday morning. Tried to roll over and go back to sleep, cause up at 8am on my day to sleep in just not cool, but then I realized hey... I could go to Target... and there wouldn't be a line or crowds... and I need milk, toiletries, and HARRY POTTER... and Target has all three!

So yes. I bought the Harry Potter book. But Liz bought it off me the very next day, so does it really count?

I read the whole thing in one day. I settled into bed with Harry at 10.30 Saturday morning, and despite cooking a big pot of saffron rice with linguica and peas for lunch, chatting with my mom, venturing online, and doing three loads of laundry, I finished the book at half past midnight. It was the only way to stay unspoiled. It was a wonderful send-off to the series. I think now that it's all over I'll start collecting the British editions off ebay or something. I'd like to read those.

Din Tai Fung with playmayt and benhsu Sunday morning, where I ran into my friends Chris and Shannon! LA really is home now, because I also ran into three people I knew at the Hollywood Bowl Friday night: an old regular of mine from the video store in Santa Monica (yes, a man who came into a store where I worked three years ago so often that I recognized him. I became friends with many of my regulars at the big bad evil video store. They kept me as sane as I could be at that time in my life and were probably a big part of how I was able to stay as long as I did,) a friend from MyPC, and a guy who works here in animation who's also an exroommate of a friend of mine. That's it. I'm officially an Angeleno if I'm running into people I know at the Bowl.

Root beer floats party in the park Sunday afternoon seemed to go well and there'll probably be another one soon.

Potter madness continues behind the cut with this week's specially themed mondaysabitch questions and a recipe for butterbeer that I can't wait to try. ( Check it out! )

NO SPOILERS HERE, DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF A CUT. THE CUT IS ONLY FOR LENGTH. NO SPOILERS. NO!

This meme totally and completely stolen from ladyofbrileith. Because YouTube is evil beyond belief and I need some fun and fluffy to make the day seem less tiring.

Though, really, do I have any shame? I used to play showtunes at the mortgage company just to torture the neanderthal and the teenage neighbor. ABBA does not embarrass me. My Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious ringtone does not embarrass me. Am I embarrassable? Let's find out.

1. A Picture of Me (Without You) by George Jones
2. Where Does the Good Go by Tegan and Sara
3. Cha Cha Cha (Go Remix) by Jimmy Luxury & the
4. Here Comes the Hurt Again by Mickey Gilley
5. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
6. Love the World Away by Kenny Rogers
7. Could be Anything by the Eames Era
8. The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band
9. I Hear the Bells by Mike Doughty
10. Cosy in the Rocket by Psapp (Grey's Anatomy theme song)
11. Fidelity by Regina Spektor
12. Singular Girl by Rhett Miller
13. We Used to be Friends by the Dandy Warhols (VMars theme song)

Whoa. Most of what embarrassed me was country or TV related. What's up with that?

The last few days have been so jam-packed with awesomeness, how do I decide where to begin?

Should I talk about how totally sweet Harry Potter in IMAX 3D was Friday night, and how they managed to turn my least favorite HP book into a movie I love?

Or how John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl Saturday night was so good that I now want to go every year he does this concert, preferably with seats down front? And that I will be bringing a light saber with me from now on?

Video by Ron

Or the really cool retirees I ran into when I got off the red line Sunday night and followed to my new favorite shortcut from the Civic Center stop to the Ahmanson? These people were great. The woman I talked to most was a crack-up. I ran into them again as we were all leaving and she and I chatted the whole way home.

Or maybe last night. When a friend and I saw a panel with Dave Smith and Les Perkins and Tony Baxter hosted by Tim O'Day? And then watched a 1963 short made especially for Radio City Music Hall called "Disney goes East" which featured Walt talking from the screen to a live actor playing Mickey onstage, with Walt doing Mickey's voice. In 1963. Really late. No falsetto left. And then we watched a beautifully restored 1956 entry in the People & Places series of international travelogues called "Disneyland USA" with gorgeous color photography of Disneyland from December 1955 and August 1956. And then I met Kathryn Beaumont and her very sweet husband Al. And then we watched the 42 minute People & Places featurette again. And then about 15 of us sat around and listened to Les Perkins and Tony Baxter talk for about 45 minutes. Cause when guys these interesting and cool and connected and Disneyfied let you listen in on their conversations, you do. And then you say thank you.

I took lots of pictures of the pictures they had up onscreen before it all got started. I'll post some every day til they're gone. My pics aren't great, cause each shot was only there for a few seconds before it was whisked away and replaced with something equally awesome, so it was more a matter of getting the darn thing than making sure it was framed well and from a good angle. Sorry.

Tonight: MyPC meeting at casketgirl's. Thank goodness it's close to home. I have some hope of making it there. And being in bed afterwards before midnight.

Tommorow, Tuesday, JULY 17TH!: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISNEYLAND! 52 YEARS YOUNG! Sadly, I will not be calling in *cough*sick*cough* and going to The Park to celebrate. I will tough out my day here in the mouse's house and attend the festivites at the studio theatre on Dopey Drive instead. Remastered 1956 "People & Places" featurette screening at 6.30pm with mystery panel of film and Disney historians afterwards. Ooh-wee-ooh.

Wednesday: 9am-- Executive Coffee thing with a speech from Bob Iger that I was randomly emailed about a couple weeks ago. There will be pastries I'll do my best to avoid, he'll give a pep talk, and I will get to come into work a little late. Happiness all around.

Probably games with LCG that night.

Thursday: Outfest Dreamgirls sing-along and picnic at the Ford Ampitheatre. I still haven't seen the movie, and surrounded by happy gay men singing their hearts out seems like the best way to see it as far as I'm concerned.

Friday: Cool Britannia show at the Hollywood Bowl with jdekay, ubbercatta, and Ron for FREEEE courtesy of clndestyn! Thanks, babe!

Saturday: Scavenger Hunt on the West Side with many cool MyPC peeps. Then NOTHING. I will spend Saturday night AT HOME like a good little spinster. YESSSSS.

Sunday: 10am Din Tai Fung with benhsu and playmayt. Will finally meet benhsu. And must stock up on green tea cookies.

Hosting a root beer float party with the great The Jen at 2pm Sunday afternoon. Will probably sneak some orange soda in there because I have mad love for 50/50 bars.

This time, next Monday I really do have nothing planned. No meetings that can sneak up on me. No screenings, no movies, no games, no parties, no dinners. Please, no one think of anything fun to do Monday night. I just can't take it.

So, today is a good day! Why is today a good day? Because I'm going to have company for a whole weekend in September. Awesome company. I cannot wait!

Also, this weekend will be chock-full of hectic fun and goodness.

Today: The Dateline Disneyland broadcast from opening day is on the bill as the Minnie Movies presentation of the week. I'll be there at 12.30 to watch the famous opening speech, then have lunch on the sunny Commissary patio. Too beautiful outside to waste a whole day under fluorescent lighting.

Tonight: Dinner at CityWalk, Harry Potter in IMAX 3D, and possibly Howl at the Moon afterwards. Texas peeps-- Howl = Dueling Pete's, sorta.

Tomorrow: Game-testing during the day by the sea.

John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl with avarill in the evening. I'll be rushing back from the Westside, so I probably won't have time to put together an ultra-yummy picnic like last time with ubbercatta, so I'll just have to make do with Hollywood + Highland offerings. Hmm, Beard Papa and CPK? I think I can suffer through that.

Sunday: Brunch with jenn_ness at Toast!

Then we rock Felt Club like a hurricane, leaving crafters, buttons, and needles scattered all over Hollywood in our wake.

Jersey Boys that night at the Ahmanson with playmayt.

To illustrate my morning and most of the afternoon:

But why did you change the font?

I didn't change the font.

This isn't our font. This is completely different.

No, this is the same. It's just not in bold.

But it looks completely different.

Oh, it's in 12. We use 11. It's just bigger.

Why did you make it bigger?

I didn't. It came from NY that way. They must use 12. And they bold things. We don't.

I was eventually believed. But my mind. It was still beaten. No one is allowed to talk about General Hospital to me. EVER. Bane of my existance.

But then I got this battered little package from UPS. With a birthday present and letter from some cool people inside. One of those cool people was silly enough to write the letter on stationary from work. Which has his ultraprofessional direct line on it. So of course I called him. And had the fun, gossipy, giggly conversation I needed to snap out of my bad mood morning. Which was even better than getting a present at work.

Neil LaBute play tonight in Westwood! And I might try for Cat Club later cause I totally blew off my rock and roll lifestyle plans last night and stayed home to watch Regency House Party. It's this weird British thing narrated by Richard E. Grant that's half dating game, half social experiment. Fun!

So wonderful that I wish you could have all been there to experience it with me. Since that's not possible, I broke all sorts of rules and used the handy dandy (extremely shaky) video record function on my camera to snag this, this, and this, as well as the piece below. Enjoy! ( Many pictures back here. )

I know next to nothing about opera and even less about contemporary opera stars and performers, so even had I been told that Sumi Jo was appearing as The Queen of the Night, it would not have meant anything to me. But wow, was she good, even though she was ill and almost didn't sing in the second act. There was a family of horrible opera snobs behind us who had the deplorable taste to boo her during her curtain call because apparently her singing was not up to their standards. I loved her rendition of the second act aria, and am impressed that she's still singing it twenty years into her career. I found a more complete performance of the piece by Sumi Jo as well and enjoyed that at work today. All I know is that it was better then I or they could ever do, therefore un-damn well-booable. They were so horrible and insistant that I finally turned around and said "You do remember that they said she's ill and almost didn't sing the second act?" to which the obnoxious teenage son replied "I've heard people who claimed illness do it much better than that. She was awful." Um, no. Judge for yourself:

7.8: 7.30pm-- Mozart's The Magic Flute in concert. Other seat unclaimed, yours for $10.

9.6: 8pm-- Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky in concert. Other seat unclaimed, yours for $7.

9.10: 8pm-- Spoon at the Henry Fonda Music Box. Other seat unclaimed, possibility in the works, but could be yours for $32. Taken!