Jeff Tweedy takes on a raucous crowd in Minnesota......

Who: Jeff Tweedy of Wilco with opening band Snowblink

Where: Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN

When: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Highlights: One Wing, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Walken, Jesus, etc., Hummingbird, Theologians

Photo by OpenEye/Mike Flickr (photo not from Rochester show)

Jeff Tweedy had his hands full last night.  Playing solo to an audience of 1,170 the magnetic Tweedy had to deal with the following: a man child in the front who brutishly shouted, "nailed it" after one song, a balcony girl who chirped, "whatever" when he claimed all the songs he was playing were requests (Tweedy, rightly so, jokingly replied that she had a "shitty attitude"), a girl next to me repeatedly screaming "I love you Jeff Tweedy" and the pièce de résistance: after a pause from Hummingbird lyric, "remember to remember me, standing still in your past, floating fast like a hummingbird" a high pitched, singsong male voice echoed, "hummingggggbiiiird" causing the audience to erupt into fits of giggles, leaving Tweedy to reply at the end of the sing-and-whistle-along song, "Nice job, nice job, except for that one guy back there.  He kept jumping the gun."  


I quickly concluded that intimate concert settings don't make people act any differently than they would at an arena concert with 10,000 people.    


Tweedy handled the attention-starved hecklers with wit and his infusion of lively conversation was a delicious bonus to his unquestionable talent.  Tweedy surrounded himself with six acoustic guitars on-stage and cracked out the old harmonica for a few numbers.  His thumb picking was hypnotic, but then you've got his voice.  Does Jeff Tweedy not have the best rock and roll voice of all time?  Ok, ok 2nd best, because I have to give first place to Eddie Vedder.  You can argue with me all you want, but I'm sticking to it.  It's raspy, spirited, deep, sometimes nearly a whisper.  When he launched into the heart achingly beautiful "One Wing" singing, "you were a blessing and I was a curse, I did my best not to make things worse for you" the ice-block I've been encapsulated in all winter began to melt a little.  


"Jesus, etc." and "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" had the audience shyly murmuring the lyrics, while "Theologians" and "A Shot in the Arm" injected buoyancy.  After a standing ovation from a voracious crowd, Tweedy took the stage to deliver a boisterous "Casino Queen", followed by the sweet little Golden Smog tune "Pecan Pie".   


For the second encore we were treated to a truly raw performance - no microphones, no amplifiers, just Jeff Tweedy and his guitar, at the edge of the stage, belting out the lyrics to "Walken".  The man is a Midwestern wonder.   


And I simply cannot write this review without mentioning the alluring opening band Snowblink.  Featuring the luscious, velvet vocals of Daniela Gesundheit with Dan Goldman on guitar, Snowblink immediately captured the crowd's attention and it wasn't simply because of Daniela's antler-adorned guitar.  Together the Toronto based duo creates a quirky sound of ethereal folk, which translated into a wonderfully soothing, enrapturing performance.  

Coming soon.....

Review of the Jeff Tweedy solo show in Rochester, MN should be up Wednesday.  Wilco is one of my top five favorite bands of all time, so I am curious what the show will be like with just the lead.  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, enjoy one of my favorites, Pick Up the Change (singing doesn't start until 0:58 seconds in):

Rural Alberta Advantage commandeers bodies at First Avenue....

Today I bring you a concert review of a wonderful band called The Rural Alberta Advantage.

Location: First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Date: Friday, March 25th, 2011
Highlights: Don't Haunt This Place, Stamp, Frank, AB, In the Summertime

Photo: Joe Fuda

Taking up a position in the back of the sold out venue, I wasn't sure what to expect, but from the first song to the last, I found my body jerking around like a muppet (that's just how I dance OK).  The thing that amazed me most about this group is that they only have three people, yet the sound they created was so capacious it overflowed into every crack of First Avenue.  Most songs didn't even include guitar; bass or acoustic.  But they made sure to fill up that space with anything they could find.  There were keys, clapping, drum sticks beaten together, tambourine and I think I heard xylophone at one point from multi-instrumentalist Amy Cole.

Lead singer/guitarist Nils Edenloff had a unique, powerful, rolling voice that demanded attention.  Just when you were getting lost in the valley of sound, his voice unexpectedly surged, delivering a vigorous slap to the face - I don't know about you, but a face slap is a great way to get my attention.  This is one of those bands that thrives at live shows.  

Drummer Paul Banwatt played as if his hands might cease to exist tomorrow, unleashing on the audience a fury of movement I haven't seen since somebody zealously shook a stop sign at a bluegrass festival in Denver.  But I don't need words to convince you, see for yourself  in this live video below from Toronto:



The crowd was abuzz with his talents - I don't think one person in the audience wasn't moving - the band was sending telegrams through the floor imploring our feet to do crazy things.  Dealing with a rough Minnesota winter, we were all transported to a sundrenched daydream when they launched into the gorgeous, mesmerizing In the Summertime: 



This is a MUST SEE live show featuring a gracious, passionate, energetic band.  The Rural Alberta Advantage told the audience the show at First Avenue was one they'd never forget and I guarantee those of us lucky enough to be there felt the same.

Historical headlines.....

Researching old newspapers is a challenge.  Print can be smudged, sentences aren't grammatically put together the way we are used to and items they deemed newsworthy are just plain odd.  I always love a zany headline though, so here are a couple of my favorites to carry you through this Wednesday:

"Dead People, Cats and Wooden Indians Were Counted in the Twin City Census Padding of Twenty Years Ago"
-Minneapolis Morning Tribune (1909-1922); Apr 17, 1910; 
ProQuest Historical Newspapers Minneapolis Tribune (1867-1922)


"Mrs. Bones Says that Susan B. Anthony is Downright Mean" 


And the two subtitles within the article which also need to be noted read: 


"Says Susan is Mean" 


and my personal favorite:  


"Mrs. Bones Charges Miss Anthony With All Sorts of Things"
-Minneapolis Tribune (1867-1908); Feb 26, 1890; 
ProQuest Historical Newspapers Minneapolis Tribune (1867-1922)


Geez, Mrs. Bones - what did Susan B. do to you?! 

Rain soaked history seekers.....

This morning, Gandalf (aka, my gentleman caller) and I were out on a mission, braving the Saint Paul rain to take photos of my favorite building, the now abandoned, Pioneer Building, which used to house the Pioneer Press.  

Pioneer building:
 built in 1889 it was the first 12-story skyscraper in St. Paul!

Front entrance of building with a glimpse of
a toasty little skyway in the corner (we LOVE skyways!). 

This isn't the building, but I love rain on windows.
This is a blurry view of our apt in Saint Paul taken before our mission.  

Our goal is to gather some research on the buildings of Saint Paul, dig up some interesting facts and post some photos (new and old) on our Tumblr blog (first posting coming this week!).  If you're a history buff (and we both are, so it's ok, your nerdiness is welcome here), or interested in architecture, or just plain curious about what kind of place Saint Paul, MN is, then latch on for the tour!

Generating dollar bills.....

A couple of years ago I convinced myself I would make buckets of money writing ehow articles.  So I got to work straight away.  I wrote and wrote and wrote and ended up with...........five articles.  I only had five articles in me.  I quickly learned that, a.) I did not have any technical skills to share, b.) I am lazy and get bored very fast and c.) Technical skills aside, I couldn't think of any skills I had (I do have some skills, but let's be honest, who wants to read an ehow article about how to be a good multi-tasker....)

It was a sobering realization.  So what did I write my five articles on?  Well I had to really think at what I was good at (or just happened to know something, anything about): moving, bars, skiing, running and the wild card - emailing large files.  And here they are for your viewing pleasure:

How to Ski in Colorado for Less

The gorgeous, the one, the only, Winter Park, CO

How to E-mail Large Files (I don't recommend the steps outlined in this one, because I don't think I was able to send my large file)

How to Complete a Half Marathon with Minimal Training (really stretching for articles to write)

Seriously dorky picture of me running the
P.F. Chang's 1/2 marathon in Phoenix, AZ

How to Move with Little Money (pretty much the only thing I do know how to do)

How to Go to a Bar by Yourself (it happens ok)

So how much money do my five articles bring in every month?  I couldn't tell you, but I can tell you that every 8 months or so, I see a check for $10.34.  Buckets of money no, shot glass of pennies, yes.

And then these beauties came along....

Lately I've found myself staring dreamily at the gorgeous selection of hinged cuffs from zanneavenue.  Zanneavenue is a wonderfully unique shop on Etsy that features cuffs, necklaces, rings, belt buckles and more.  Her products are created using a combination of maps, industrial metal, recycled eye glasses, leather, and picture images, inspired by her background in mixed media sculpture and photography.  Essentially, "Zanne Avenue Jewelry is a reflection of my passion to travel and to give "mundane" objects new and beautiful life."

She certainly has succeeded in creating beautiful items out of everyday things!  The structure of the cuffs, with the hinges and the snaps is just so appealing to me - I can't get enough of them!  Below are just a few of my favorites, but you can view 42 other amazing cuffs here: 

Music Notes Cuff by zanneavenue

Blue Graffiti Cuff by zanneavenue

Photo Strip Cuff by zanneavenue

The blogosphere is cold, dark and empty today.....

Today I did not run from the mundane and that is OK, because our blogger stats show that we had 0 page views today.  Typically we get about oh....I don't know, three page views per day, so dropping to 0 has not derailed our blogging dreams.  When we have three views, that is a good day - it makes us happy.  However, lately I have become slightly concerned that two of those page views are from me and my sister (three if she's checking the blog at work....didn't even consider that one until just now).  Must make it a point NOT to look at blogger stats anymore.  Good night Saint Paul, MN!

Live free on your birthday....

It's your birthday.  All you get these days is another candle on the cake....another card with pictures of senior citizens on the front mocking your old age.  "Ha ha ha - you're so old!" they all say.  You hope people won't remember (including yourself) so you can claim you are three years younger than you really are.  But.....today I bring you some birthday cheer and hope.  Something to look forward to every year - free stuff!

I first discovered these loads of free things last year.  Not on purpose, purely coincident.  I was signed up for way too many websites mailing lists, but this time, I actually welcomed their emails with open arms, because they were offering me things for free.  Below is a list of places which will shower you with love on your birthday:

Aveda
The Swag: you will receive a coupon for a free "Personal Blends™ Pure-Fume™ or body care product offer (worth up to $24) custom blended with the aroma of your choice"
Verdict: awesome.  I brought my coupon in, smelled all these different scents, chose my favorites and they mixed up a small spritzer of perfume just for moi.  Granted I smelled too many scents at once and threw off my sense of smell, so for all I know I might be walking around smelling like a bottle of vodka mixed with patchouli.
How: sign up for their mailing list at avedabday.com

Kona Grill
The Swag: you will receive a coupon via email for a free entrée worth up to $20!
Verdict: well....let me ask you - do you like food?  I do, and I very much enjoyed this.  Kona Grill specializes in sushi, but when I went I had the Sweet-Chili Glazed Salmon, and only paid $0.75 (plus tax and tip of course)
How: become a Konavore

Noodles and Company
The Swag: well, they are noodles and company, so they give you what they can, and that is.....free noodles!
Verdict: again, can you go wrong with free food?
How: this one is going to take a little advanced planning on your part, because you need to sign up at least 60 days before your birthday.  You can do so from their website here.

Sephora (did I just hear angels singing?)
The Swag: Sephora Collection Beautiful Eyes Kit featuring: Lash Plumper Volumizing Mascara in Black, Nano Eyeliner in Silver Green and Colorful Mono Eyeshadow in Aspen Summit
UPDATE: the above gift was last years gift, this year I received a 6 oz bottle of Vanilla Birthday Cake shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath from Philosophy!
Verdict: used all three and am now a devote follower of the lash plumper volumizing mascara - the stuff just doesn't run.  The eyeliner and eyeshadow I could live without, but to each his own...plus it's free!  UPDATE: the shampoo works just fine - it's not too sweetly scented, the bubble bath doesn't really bubble, but I can live with that.
How: become a Beauty Insider

Yummmmm!  This bottle is many things, but edible it is not. 

And for the locals in the Twin Cities area......
Pazzaluna
The Swag: how old are you turning?  Here you get a bottle of wine priced at your age, so the older you are, the better the bottle.  
Verdict: don't know yet, but will let you know after I go for my upcoming birthday this week!
How: purchase of two entrées required and proof of age.  


Downtowner Car Wash
The Swag: free gold wash - a $21.99 value!
Verdict: well my car is sparkling like a rich man's fine china collection and they did the inside too!
How: one week before or after your birthday, march yourself down there with this coupon


And there you have it - free gifts you can look forward to on your birthday that will have you eating well, drinking well and looking fabulous.   

An Experiment in Dyeing

I bought some white cotton voile a while back in the hopes of someday (and I use 'someday' loosely) dyeing it to the color of my choice. So, on Sunday as I was moseying about trying to figure out what to do with myself I took out my yellow Rit dye that I got just for such a day. After carefully reading the instructions 5 times (it really is not that hard) I was finally ready! I wanted to create a dimensional look and try a technique with the dyeing so the fabric wouldn't look so flat. After folding the fabric the long way and then the short way, I ended up with a cube of fabric that I kept held in place with string. It was in this way that I thought I could make a sort of plaid with stripes going across and down with more dye being on the ends of the cube where the most dye would end up. Well... it didn't exactly turn out that way but I am still happy with the results. I will definitely keep experimenting with different ways and who knows, maybe I'll even go back to my roots and rock a tie dye effect soon!

It should be mentioned here that my interest in textiles, fibers, and dyeing have taken me all the way to Joybilee Farm in B.C. Canada to learn new skills in this area while staying at the farm as a wwoofer. Here I learned knitting, spinning, carding wool, weaving, and some dyeing techniques.

Tonight as I was cleaning up the remains of my Valentine's Day flowers I had a vision. Surely, I can't let these beautiful flowers go to waste! So, I looked up how to make a dye with the flowers and sure enough there is an easy way that I currently have simmering on the stove right now. I am uncertain of the success of this experiment but it was fun none the less. I pulled out the roses from the bouquet and sprinkled them into a large pot with water and brought them to boil.

Now I am letting them simmer for an hour until the petals lose mostly all their color. The petals will get strained and then I will add some lemon juice which I read will make a more vibrant pink. I will add my fabric that has been sitting in cold water mixed with alum to help hold the dye even after washing. I think I will let it sit in the dye pot overnight (off the heat of course) and see how it turns out in the morning!