the last ten days

The Breeders

Various backdrops in a Dayton alley

The Breeders kick-off show at the Southgate House last night was awesome.

They played a mix from every album and sounded extremely great.

Man I love this band.

And this type of succinct articulation is exactly why I am not getting paid to write about music.

Extra bonuses of the evening:

- Sushi.
- Running in to Shiv from WOXY before he heads down to big hot Texas.
- Seeing for the first time, the new full color version of the Fate to Fatal EP.
- Hanging out with lots of friendly folks I haven't seen in a while.

All Tomorrow's Parties

In the UK

So somehow I ended up on a plane and a train and a bus, and now I'm in Minehead which is in Somerset I think, which is most definitely in the UK.

This marks my first time to this country.

Exciting.

I should be out experiencing things, but I thought I'd pop on and say howdy.

Hope to enjoy lots of the bands performing at this edition of All Tomorrow's Parties.

I'll be posting photos here through the weekend: UK Trip photos

for sale

digitally, and physically

As promised, information on the aforeblogged album, plus a free MP3 and a movie.

Digital EP on iTunes | Amazon | eMusic

BUY THE LIMITED EDITION VINYLSOLD OUT

record store day

sweet set

I didn’t actually take this photo, a kind stranger with a better view did the honors with my camera as I was pinned in a corner. She might have been with the prevalent rollergirl contingency, but I’m not entirely sure.

Either way, I love what she captured.

It was an excellent set, my mom finally got to see the Deals perform, snagged some new music, and we ate at one of our favorite places in Northside for dinner.

All sorts of win that evening.

Fate to Fatal

Kim and Kelley take a break after printing up 1000 limited edition "Fate to Fatal" EPs.

I'm going down to Shake It Records tonight (8pm) to see these fine ladies play some music in commemoration of their release and Record Store Day.

Things have been so pedal-to-the-metal that I haven't really taken the time to talk about this record. The cover is the first one I've ever designed proper, and it's a helluva an honor to work with The Breeders. Vaughn Oliver's work with them is one of the biggest reasons I do what I do these days. The fact I love their music? Gravy. The best gravy ever.

Total honor.

If you're curious how to get the EP on vinyl, it is out there at independent shops on 4/18, then it will likely show up in more places on and offline soon.

A recital, a Chamber Orchestra concert

I doubt I will ever be able to spell embouchure without a dictionary.

This is the busy season when it comes to music. With multiple performances each week and the tizzy of the quarter ending at school, I'm lucky to see Dan for large chunks of time.

He had his faculty recital last month—a quite enjoyable affair followed by reception.

This year we were able to comfortably entertain colleagues, students, friends and family at the house, which is proving to be a fine setting for such events.

And last week there was a performance by the university's Chamber Orchestra in which Dan was a featured soloist. I'm sharing two of the movements for your enjoyment. They blend together at 9 minutes in length. New word (for me) bonus: attacca means no pause between movements.

Neruda: Trumpet Concerto In E Flat, (Movement II. and III.) MP3

Bang on a Can All Stars

David Cossin and Glenn Kotche percuss (I think that's a word)

Our friend Meredith is always getting tickets to good shows and festivals. We work with her on a handful of different projects that combine our love of music.

She alerted us to a Bang on a Can All Stars performance at Miami University last week and all the guys at the studio met up with her to catch the show. (Mental note: Introduce Joel. He's been coming in part-time to help us out at the shop. Expect to see him on these virtual pages soon.)

Back to the show, it was weird (in the best sense) and excellent.

If you're not familiar with their style, they're tough to peg. I've heard it described as amplified chamber music. The band's comprised of clarinet, cello, keyboard, electric guitar, bass, and drums.

They recreated a piece from Eno's "Music for Airports" with full analog instrumentation along with a handful of other original works commissioned and arranged for the group. The second half of the show brought Glenn Kotche from Wilco on stage to close out the night.

Good stuff.

Current music: Bang on a Can "Believing"

Flashing lights

Kanye West plays Cincinnati

Saw Kanye's Glow in the Dark tour on Friday. Why? Because I think his latest album Graduation is awesome and I was looking forward to a big fun show, a spectacle.

I suppose it was delivered.

Big LED screen with animations = check
Smoke, some pyrotechnics = check
Flashing lights = check

Potential spoilers: In addition to all these big fun show features, there was an inflatable doll with breasts and a godzilla-like creature—all wrapped up in the context of Kanye's spaceship crash landing on an unknown planet while his onboard computer...

Hold up.

None of this matters and maybe you don't want to hear about it.

It was an fine show. Pricey... (though I can see how such a production isn't a cheap endeavor.) But it was too loud, and the sound was muddied by the echoey arena.

The visuals didn't add up to much. The band was on this rising platform that kept going up and down for reasons unknown to the audience.

Don't get me wrong, Kanye rapped and sang his heart out, working his tracks over with tremendous sweat and bearded energy. But ultimately he seemed distant on his makeshift planetary platform and I don't see how this experience was any better than watching it at home in high definition. At least I wouldn't have had guilt about not waving my hands in the air.

I don't mean to sound all bummed, but I was really hoping Kanye was going to glow.

On the flipside, I had a blast with my friends and the view from our seats was nice.

Listening: May 08

Above? Lyrics from Vampire Weekend's "Walcott." So cheeky.

I finally set aside In Rainbows because a healthy music diet should have a steady flow of new dishes.

Also, it was time to update the sidebar of my home page with recent favorites (a last.fm list isn't enough as I don't use iTunes that much).

I figured an archive of these selections might be nice to capture in an entry. So here goes:

	Madonna "Hard Candy" — A guilty pleasure. Madonna's latest strays away from fame angst and religion mumbling (largely), moving directly on to the dance floor. I thought Justin Timberlake's last album was one of the best of the year, so his presence here is quite welcome (no matter how calculated.) At times songs feel like old-Prince, old-Madonna, 70's disco (is that cowbell?) and something else. An appearance by Kanye just adds to the sweet ride. FAVORITE TRACKS: HEARTBEAT, MILES AWAY, BEAT GOES ON, DANCE 2NIGHT, VOICES
	Vampire Weekend — Some albums take a while to really sink into the brain. This is not one of those albums. The hooks sink in immediately. It's poppy, bright and brings some different instrumentation to the traditional indie-rock mix. I have no idea what these vampire kids are talking about in their lyrics (and I'm still not sure how they feel about the bears in Provincetown), but they usually rhyme and that's enough for me. FAVORITE TRACKS: CAPE COD KWASSA KWASSA, OXFORD COMMA, I STAND CORRECTED
	Bon Iver "For Emma, Forever Ago" — To balance out all the sunny stuff, I like to have a little mellow available. When the view out the window is overcast, this is currently what I'm playing. Mind you, it works on a sunny days to boot—adding a bit of urgency the day's soundtrack. FAVORITE TRACKS: RE: STACKS, FLUME, SKINNY LOVE, LUMP SUM
	The Breeders "Mountain Battles" — You're thinking, oh Chris, you've been brainwashed by listening to this album over and over (while editing the release party video). You may be right, but it still occupies a slot in my CD player and I give it a spin, often. Every single track has a decided vibe, with little details that creep out of the corners and tease playfully. It's always genuine, and a little weird in the good way. FAVORITE TRACKS: NIGHT OF JOY, WE'RE GONNA RISE, GERMAN STUDIES, ISTANBUL, WALK IT OFF, REGALAME ESTA NOCHE, NO WAY, MOUNTAIN BATTLES

Related: I'm looking forward to heading back to St. Louis this weekend, to catch The Breeders on tour.

Also enjoying these albums: Goldfrapp "Seventh Tree", The Black Keys "Attack & Release", Coconut Records "Nighttiming" - next on the list, delve into Portishead's "3".

Home button

An extra thrown in a package from record label Hometapes

I make light of my studiomate's obsession with vinyl, but when something like Brad Laner's "Neighbor Singing" shows up at the door with an album cover complete with Josh Keyes creations, I am smitten.

A couple photos here and here.

In other news, Tom filed away all the CDs and records in the office proper, and this makes me ecstatic.

Compounded with a successful tackling of an overflowing closet this weekend, I think the tide of spring is washing over me.

Current music: The Icicles "La Ti Da"

MusicNOW Festival '08

Memorial Hall — stage set with an installation by Karl Jensen

The MusicNow festival ended on Saturday night with performances by Grizzly Bear and Andrew Bird.

The former I'd heard about when Erik interviewed them for Bears Gone Wild. He told me I should bring down some bubba shirts for the fellas, so that's exactly what I did. Friendly guys those Grizzly Bears, accepting the bag of shirts graciously before putting on a sweet show. And by sweet I mean awesome, with unusual instrumentation and great harmonies. A little melancholy, a little fuzzy, and all totally enthralling.

Mental note: send out a camo tee to their sound dude.

Closing out the event was Andrew Bird and call me silly, but I was a virgin to his music prior to this evening. I am correcting this oversight by delving into his catalogue after experiencing a decided and significant "whoa" by his performance. A multi-instrumentalist who builds his song onstage with such a demeanor that you believe every word from his lips and pluck of his violin. That is, if you were one who might not believe violins before.

My words no good, here's a video of Imitosis on a French television program.

And alas, there are lots more photos, but I've got to hit the pavement and then follow-up on emails, do my taxes, and (insert the avalanche of Monday).

Current music: Andrew Bird "Imitosis"

The Breeders: record release party

At a Dayton V.F.W.

I've been pretty excited about this for a while and the day is finally here. The official word:

"To celebrate the imminent arrival of their new album, The Breeders would like to invite you to their official record release event. Join Kim, Kelley and the band to listen to a vinyl test pressing of the Mountain Battles album in its entirety."

So what's this have to do with me, aside from being a fan that's looking forward to the new album?

Well, I've been helping the band get their website online, taking photos over the past few months, and wielded a video-camera alongside Mando (bassist) to capture this release party.

If you've got a chunk of time to spare, you can hear the whole new album and watch it all go down.

I recommend headphones:

[ CHECK IT OUT ]

Kelley

(and me... there... in the window!)

Busy gal, this Kelley Deal.

She's got a book droppin' in 08, and maybe a new album too—but don't ask me for details, I know nothing.

What she doesn't have is very many photos of herself making music, so we spent a few hours snapping some shots this evening.

I need to study that Strobist 'blog more and learn about using flash off camera. Overall though, I think we got some goof stuff tonight, and either way, it was fun tryin.

Previously

Current music: The Breeders "Forced To Drive (Loho Version)"

Dan’s faculty recital

Performing Vignettes for Trumpet and Percussion by James M. Stevenson III

Drove up from Farm Day, threw on some pants and got to Dan's recital just in time.

The months of preparation paid off and we were treated to a great performance, and no, I'm not biased.

I have to say, I welled up a little seeing the last piece played out with Dan and his bestest friend “Brown”
on percussion. They've known each other since doing a tour in Italy and haven't stopped gabbing since. In fact, I think she's his #1 on speed dial. I'd be jealous if she wasn't so groovy.

When they came out for their bow (photo), I was flush with joy.

A reception followed where we packed 40 colleagues, family and friends into our apartment. So packed it was hard to get from one side of the room to another. Mental note: next party, organize a drink station and put a ladle in the mulled cider.

Big shout out thanks to my mom for coming, helping me get the food out, and for this recipe:

PUMPKIN DIP (so easy, I couldn't mess it up)

Current music: Vignettes for Trumpet and Percussion (#3) Eric Berlin And Eduardo Leandro

The National: Madison Theater - Covington, KY

Another solid show [ bigger, sharper picture ]

Haven't been out to many rock concerts this year. I'm not counting the American Idol tour.

Always try and catch The National when they roll through town. They've got music making down pat.

Stopped by my mom's on the way back up north.

Apple season has begun and she'd already been to our favorite orchard. A big bag full of delicious fruit and some cider was ready for pickup. (thanks ma)

This means autumn is here, but it wasn't the apples that tipped me off... It was when Frisch's Big Boy puts out the signs for Pumpkin Pie a couple weeks back. Like clockwork, and as reliable as Halloween candy taking over the seasonal aisle.

Current music: The National "Brainy"

The National: Shake It Records

fresh from their performance at Dustaroo

I like Last.fm because I don't have to do anything. It simply collects data from iTunes and publishes it to their slow performing site (now owned by CBS). What this webservice doesn't capture is the music that I play in my car.

That short list would have The National's Boxer lodged firmly in the CD player ever since its release. Solid album through and through, fuzzy emotions, and perfect as some say with a tall glass of lemonade (shot of whiskey optional).

Super happy to catch them two times on Friday. The first, a small acoustic set at Shake It, and again as full band at the 20th Century Theatre.

There's a few pictures here: Recent photos tagged "The National"

Previously: At the Comet 3/14/04, At WOXY 3/16/05

Current music: The National "Gospel"

The Young Republic

Nate Underkufler warming up in the hallway outside the lounge

Started today with a little diversion down at WOXY and ended up taking pictures of The Young Republic (again!). Good to hear some live music and see the crew there, albeit it way too short.

Been working round the clock, cramming so I can take a few days off this holiday weekend. No plans set but I hope it involves no browser compatibility issues.

I'll spare the details and provide some links:

• MP3: Girl in a Tree (acoustic)
• More music and info on The Young Republic's site.
• Grab the single Blue Skies over on WOXY's 'blog.
• All the photos from the Lounge Act today.
• Bonus image: A special message from the ladies restroom.

O Fortuna

Schuster Center [ + blurry zoom ]

Dan got me in to see the last Dayton Philharmonic performance of the season. The latter half being Carmina Burana, a favorite of mine since singing it with the May Festival Youth Chorus back when I didn't have any hair on my chest.

I tried not to mouth the words and look a fool, but my toes were tapping along for sure. Such a spirited piece.

Afterward, a gathering of the brass section over a spread worthy of royalty, and drinks under the stars. When I say royalty I mean grilled brats and burgers, cheese and fruit, and chocolate cake heavy with frosting. Heaven.

I'm reminded not much beats the smell of a fire. Can't wait for camping.

Oh the deer heads? An interior view from the from the hosts' abode.

Current music: "Tanz"

Current earworm: Meatballs soundtrack - 1979

and a dandelion

Are you ready for the summer?
Are you ready for the sunshine?
Are you ready for some friends (?) and bees (beads?),
the apple trees,
and a whole lot of fooling around?

Are you ready for the summer?
Are you ready for the good times?
Are you ready for the birds and bees,
the apple trees,
and a whole lot of fooling around?

Are you ready for the summer?
Are you ready for the good times?
Are you ready some lovin' fun,
in the sun?
Cause the summer is waiting for you.

Current music: The Camp North Star Kids Chorus "Are You Ready for the Summer?" [mp3]

Leave Spoons at Home

2006 year end

My friend loves music.

In fact, the first time I met him years ago, we spent a good portion of lunch just jabbering about bands and shows. We still dish music and noise, and his influence should be evident in the tracks I note with recent journal entries. My taste is awful, but I have a few handfuls of excellent sources to keep me from of spinning grunge and shoegazer stuff from the 90’s.

So I look forward to his yearly mix of favorites with Pavlovian drool — lots for the music, but extra for the packaging.

I still listen to the double disc set from 2004 (and 2005, but I haven't made a page for that yet).

This year he got inspiration for the artwork from his grandmother's couch, using it as a texture on the outside and the CDs themselves.

Super purdy.

Now to wear out the CDs and tear out the shopping list.

Packaging + Track List

Current music: Kimya Dawson "12/26"

trumpet city

Behind the red couch on a snow day [ + zoom out ]

Ice spittle hit the windows for hours yesterday. Sounded like a rainstick with no end.

Good day for grilled cheese and soup.

Dan has a super important interview this week. So instead of practicing in his studio, he came out to the living room and performed his entire recital sans accompaniment.

So while I worked through emails and HTML, I got a free concert.

An audio clip [ MP3 3.5 MB ] Hummel Trumpet Concerto

--

Snow came overnight and added a few inches to the ground, and we don't have sleds.

Current music: Dan practicing recital "Hummel Trumpet Concerto"

poo

the last 6 photos from my mobile phone

It's hard to sum up the sprawl of poo that was today.

Let's just say I have a new cruddy mobile phone to replace a broken one, but the good news is that I did not extend my contract. I also saved the last 6 photos, pictured above, but if you'd like a better look...

I used to post these mobile photos here, but somehow I mucked up some phone settings and I gave up trying to figure it out.

Also, I'm driving a rental Corolla with kidney-punching lumbar support while I try and figure out how to get my ride to a dealership for evaluation. Something to do with oil not getting to the engine... It's an aging '98 Passat with 140K, but I love it.

The good part of all this? I been trying for a while to find appropriate background music when I write in the ol' journal. Generally based on a theme that sums up the day, it offers an approach to an out of control digital music collection—unearthing long forgotten, or never heard tune-age.

Tonight I've been enjoying:

Ween “Don't Shit Where You Eat”
Modest Mouse “Shit Luck”
Eels “Old Shit/New Shit”
Quasi “Hot Shit”
Bug Guts “Beanstalk to Shittsville”
!!! “Shit Scheisse Merde, Pt 1 & 2”

So yeah, creating playlists based on word = fun. Really.

On a related note, I started feeding last.fm a while ago and it keeps track of this stuff.. I find the site sort've slow and confusing sometimes, but like all this, it might be nice in old age to sift back through the days and data slong gone by. Shitty or not.

Current music: Headphones "Shit Talker"

10/10 10:10

bringing WOXY back

Yay.

WOXY officially rocks again.

Better stream quality, totally free, and lots of good stuff in the works.

DJ Princess

behind the microphone [ +zoom ]

I went down to the radio station to take a few shots yesterday, and Babs was on duty. Even as the station gets ready to power-down and go off "air" this week, she still asks, "So what music have you been listening to lately?"

These people rock to their core.

She's heading off to Minnesota Public Radio to lend her sultry voice to The Current, so that's cool. (story here)

I hope to report future bright stories from these fine folks.

Until then, there are t-shirts .

A Trip to Motown

with the Cincinnati Pops

Dan performed with the Pops last night at Riverbend - the place I used to work when I was old enough to pour beer. It was a fine summer job, especially whenever Jimmy Buffet came through town and super-drunk folks wearing zany hats would tip well.

Enough about that, the Pops concert was great. And though I'm not sure how "A Trip to Motown" would include two selections from Flashdance, I can't complain hearing “What a Feeling” fully orchestrated. Irene Cara would be pleased. (The other selection was Love Them which the Pops have previously recorded. If you have iTunes, here's a sample)

Music of Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, and a new arrangement of "Birdland" rounded out the first half before The Contours took over the second.

Weather was unexpectedly good, I fear this implies more summer heat is on the way.

my first mash-up

Caption unavailable

I attempted listening to the #1 song in iTunes and was transported back to a time when MTV played videos. I lament this often because I think music videos were important to my development. I suppose I should stop beating this topic because kids raised on My Super Sweet 16 will likely turn out totally fine.

Anyway, my first mashup is a little over 2 minutes long, which clocks in about 1 minute longer than it needs to be. Though the technology makes mash-ups easy, it was hard to make all the audio blends totally seamless.

Hear it is:

Promiscuous Opposites (Paula Abdul + Nelly Furtato featuring Timberlands) MP3
(right click to save)

Desdemona Festival

Sawyer Point Park, Cincinnati

This marks the first year for the indie rock festival organized by Nick Spencer - a strong proponent of advancing Cincinnati as not only a destination, but a place to live.

And though Pitchfork said of the fest, "good luck with that" - the clouds parted ways of impending storm, and luck was indeed had.

I went down last night to find easy parking and a small but good sized crowd, excellent burgers, and short beer lines.

Caught a bit of Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, Northern State, The High and Low, and Apples in Stereo. For complete coverage, I can't recommend highly enough Good Hodgkins who came down to report from Cleveland (and takes EXCELLENT photos).

WOXY was there as well, my hub for information, general dish, food recommendations, and overall good time.

Then there was the highlight: as I was off to the right of the stage snapping photos, I get approached by a fellow Croc wearer, "Are you Chris Glass?" At this point my brows likely twisted into that look indicating memory access.

Turns out she knows me from the journal (a former Cincinnatian), just moved from Germany to San Diego, and is a fellow blogger and Flickr(er). We've crossed paths virtually a few times, but meeting someone in real life tends to help cement a connection (but in Kell's words: not in a Kathy Bates / Misery kind of way).

If the New York trip wasn't already a great reminder, this was another experience where I am glad to be online, in the company of good people.

Tonight: a bit more of Desdemona, then an unlikely music pairing with Pollard and Pearl Jam at the arena next door.

Jason Lytle

I just wanna elevate myself

Tonight, a benefit concert—the Emmett Art Show, benefitting a child that had a complicated entrance into the world.

Judging from the amount of support from artists and musicians, he's got a bunch of folks rooting for his well being. Among them, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, capping off an evening with a great art auction and a handful of local bands.

I'm still reeling a wee bit from seeing the lead singer from one of my favorite (now defunct) bands performing material in an intimate venue.

Good cause.
Good evening.

the devil’s interval

diabolus in musica

The weekend was full of interesting things. One tidbit in particular came by sitting down at a piano and learning about a tritone—a type of chord with a strange history:

In the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church banned an interval that we would today write as the notes C and F#, which is called a tritone. In those times, musical instruments were tuned differently than they are today, and our modern instruments can't reproduce this interval exactly... To hear it, or something very close to it, sing the first two notes of Leonard Bernstein's song "Maria" from West Side Story. (source)

Speaking of church, I also attended my first first communion this weekend, but details will have to wait until the work whistle blows.

Clogs + The Books

at the Contemporary Arts Center

MusicNow Festival, 2006

The installation of Karl Jensen's large paper lanterns and backdrop to the stage was mesmerizing. Cutouts of intricate detail and symmetry with light pouring from behind lent a cool vibe to the joint—like some fantastic nightclub of the future, but with really uncomfortable seating. Oh yeah, I'm focusing on the positive.

Clogs opened. Their instrumentation of guitar, bassoon, viola and changing percussion churned out quiet, contemplative pieces. Vocals would seep in here and there, more as instrument than lyric. Lantern, the title track of their latest album and inspiration for decor, closed their set with a bit of upbeat but wistful melancholy.

Short intermission where I got to hang with friends including Garrison, and then it was back inside for a most extraordinary experience that is The Books performing live.

Their set list was a numeric chapter listing on a DVD projected on to a screen.

I'm guessing that the beats and sound clips were contained on the DVD, with the two members of the band providing vocals, guitar and cello on the spot.

A hodgepodge of videos in the background reminded me of Vinnie's x-mas mixes. Weird and wonderful stuff, chopped up and twisted around to create something new.

Totally. Awesome.

And completely unlike the photos that came from my camera.

Gabrieli Festival

Springfield, OH

Sunday afforded a rare glimpse of Dan (pictured above) conducting rather than playing music for an audience. This marked the 25th year for the Gabrieli Festival, a brass choir invitational, held on the campus of Wittenberg University.

Groups from area colleges performed, with a combination of all the "choirs" playing together at the end. Pretty powerful stuff as trumpets, trombones, tubas and (french) horns surrounded the chapel (even up in the balcony) to play a work form the namesake of the festival. (more info on Giovanni Gabreili)

An excellent Sunday.

A student changes back into “normal” clothes after the performance

Editors

Acoustic set

Editors, warming up in the WOXY Lounge.

Charlotte Martin

Live in the WOXY Lounge

A fine spring day here in Cincinnati, with a pleasant surprise of taking photos of Charlotte Martin this afternoon. I usually have no idea what I'm in for, but this gal was super duper sweet, her socks don't match, she loves Kate Bush and sounds a bit like Tori Amos.

Brightened the day all the more.

And she has a winning smile - more photos up on Flickr

(and if you're in St. Louis, Phoenix or San Francisco - she's headed your way)

Bob Mould

Performing solo at the Southgate House

It was a stormy night and instead of staying in to watch movies, I got a wild hair to run down to the Southgate House and see if there were still tickets available for Bob Mould.

I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a no smoking show, with tables set up in a civilized manner on the main floor. Lightning flashed through the colored glass block windows, setting a nice vibe for the evening.

Local fella (Scott Cunningham ) going by the moniker Wake the Bear opened the evening with an acoustic set. Earnest and charming.

A Rolling Rock after he unplugged, Bob came onstage apologizing for vocal distress caused by Atlanta pollen, then jumped right into Wishing Well from Workbook. Allergies or not, he sounded great, pulling tunes from across his catalogue and making me recollect times I'd long forgotten. A time when Rolling Stone's college charts were my only connection to the world of music, and I'd zone out in headphones and pour over tiny lyrics in cassette covers.

Midway through the set, he switched to electric guitar and broke into Circles from his latest album.

I made the right choice not staying home.

5 photos from the show

Defying Gravity

Elphaba

Went to see Wicked tonight through a lucky turn of events.

Been familiarizing myself with the music for the past week or so, and what fun it was to see all the pieces fall in place with the dialog between the songs.

The leads were great, the costumes fun in Dr. Seussian way, and the sets did their job. Aside from a somewhat wonky angle of the stage, a giddy thumbs up all around.

I like this show a lot. Mainly for the notion of taking an old familiar story and twisting it deliciously into something with greater meaning. And as much as I thought things would fall neatly into good and bad, I don't think it's a spoiler by saying they didn't.

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