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2001-02-17 - 12:50 a.m.

Barenaked Ladies and other sights

So I went to see Barenaked Ladies at Madison Square Garden last night.

What a show, as always. The only better concert ticket out there is Bruce Springsteen, and he's not that far ahead of BNL. An elaborate stage setup, an energetic, hard-charing, fast-paced romp through the setlist, with appropriate reflection on some of the slower songs. And the "Special Guests" on the bill turned out to be some chick I'd never heard of (Chantal Kreviaziuk) and Guster, who convinced me in their six-song set (What You Wish For/I Spy/Airport Song/Either Way (with Ed Robertson)/Barrel of a Gun/FaFa) that I should check out their show when the tour this spring.

I had never heard of Chantal Kreviaziuk before, and I'm not sure if I should have. She was introduced as a singer-songwriter, and she took the stage with an acoustic guitar. I have no technical musical knowledge or ability, but I could see she was playing very basic chords and looking at her hands to find them. She ditched the guitar after the first song. Her singing voice sounded a lot like Alanis Morrisette. Or Ani DiFranco. Or Tori Amos. Or Fiona Apple. Her music sounded a lot like Alanis Morrisette. Or Ani, or Tori, or Fiona ... But I suppose the lyrics were her own, though I couldn't really discern many of them.

But the BNL show also made me wish I had gone to the concert in Washington in November (I thought about it, then backed off) and the one in Atlantic City a week ago. Oh well. I'll learn next time.

Before the show, I had a nice dinner with Lori, whom I'd e-mailed that morning and arranged dinner since Lisa needed to work late and would meet me just before the concert. I waited for Lori outside Macy's, on the corner of 34th and 7th, and watched the people go by. A woman with a British accent asked me where Broadway was ("One block over, that way [east]") ... an Asian man asked me in limited English where Penn Station was ("Right there, underneath the big colored sign [Madison Square Garden]") ... a young woman was on her cell phone four times, trying to find someone she was supposed to meet ("I'm on the corner of 7th and 34th, under the big TV screen. Where are you?") ... a cyclist came cruising down 7th Ave., continuing straight through the throng of people crossing over to the east side of the street and colliding with a woman right in the intersection. When she cursed at him, he looked as if she was the idiot for walking on the green. I was just amazed that he made it all the way to the back of the crossing crowd before hitting someone ... Two young ladies met up with a third and walked westward to find a place for dinner. As they left, I heard one say, "If we don't find it, I know there's also this Chinese place that my parents like." I saw them an hour later, eating at the same restaurant Lori and I chose directly across from the northwest (33rd and 8th) entrance to Penn Station. They might have been going to the concert too.

So it was a pleasant night all around.

Oh, and the setlist:
Too Little Too Late
Alcohol
Life in a Nutshell
MSG Rap
Falling for the First Time
In the Car
Pinch Me
Kevin Hearn: Imperial March (from Star Wars)/Oops I Did It Again
Old Apartment
All Been Done
Tyler Stewart: Drum Solo
Humor of the Situation
Jane
Jim Creegan: Bass Solo
Off the Hook
Regis/Trousers Rap
Crazy
Great Provider
One Week
Never Do Anything
Brian Wilson
If I Had $1,000,000 (with Memory Medley)
First Encore: Light up My Room
Go Home
Second Encore: Call and Answer

- - -

OK, one problem with the concert was that I was there with a friend. Lisa's great and all, but for the first time in a long time, I was somewhere that I wanted to be with someone closer � a girlfriend. Heck, even just a date.

I don't normally mind not seeing someone, not being in a relationship. But there are times when I think it would be nice. When I come home late at night after work � it'd be nice to have someone to crawl into bed with. Or when there are parties to go to, or weddings. And I'm human too, I get horny sometimes.

So last night was one of those nights. I would've liked someone dancing alongside me whom I could've kissed, or gone home with, or had a few drinks with afterwards.

I think I need to take a more proactive role in dating. I've been content lately � more than content, even happy � with just letting things happen, not actively trying to pick up people in bars and parties. It's been fine for the most part, but it basically means I'm looking to fall into a date, accidentally. Like I'll trip and end up in a chair across the table from a beautiful woman. Or I'll make a wrong turn and end up on the pier just before the Love Boat sails.

What the hell am I doing?

So I'm going to try harder as the weather warms and summer nears.

- - -

I love the Internet. First, among my Christmas presents this year was a custom CD containing cover songs. The first track, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, turned out to be the little tune from the EToys commercials that were out during Christmas. The first 20 seconds � just a little guitar and mandolin (or ukelele) intro � of the song are played in the ads. Amy and James, who made the CD, found the song through a search on the Internet.

So I told James I was also looking for an instrumental played in a Volkswagon commerical, in which four people are driving to a party with the moon roof open to a star-studded sky. When they arrive at the house, they stop for a moment before leaving to continue driving. A soft melody plays throughout the commericial, and I found it.

On the Volkswagon website. And what a useful site. The commercials page archives recent ads and includes information about the music played. Quite a resource.

So, anyway, I'm going to order "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake from CDnow because it's such a cool song.

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