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Last night was the Ben Folds/Rufus Wainwright show that automat76 scored tix to. We got there post-Guster, as neither of us really wanted to see them. I was surprised at how many people did show up that early.

Rufus went on first. The piano was miked very badly I thought, and he played some really slow songs, so the set wasn't as good as the concert we saw a few months ago indoors at Promowest. Most people seemed to be there for Guster or Ben Folds anyway, and a lot of people didn't seem to know who he was. It was okay though and definitely worth seeing. He played "California" which he hadn't played last time. I do think I like him better with the full band though--his stuff needs that full sound.

During "Gay Messiah," suddenly a rainbow appeared over downtown Columbus. It was so odd that a whole group of people commandeered a cardboard box and made a sign trying to let Rufus know. Very funny. It disappeared when the song was done. Guster came out and played Loudon Wainwright III's "One Man Guy" with him, and kind of butchered it. I think they hadn't practiced enough yet. But then he played Jeff Buckley's "Hallaluja" and that was really good.

(I think maybe PromoWest is buried on some ancient burial ground or something, because weird things like that happen there. When I saw Tori Amos there last summer, a bunch of planes started landing during "I Can't See New York" when there hadn't been a plane in the sky all night. Weird.)

Ben Folds, I was prepared to think was just ok going in to the show. I'm not terribly familiar with all his stuff, just basically the stuff on the radio. I was disappointed when they announced that Columbus was one of the two dates on Tori Amos' lottapianos tour that he wasn't playing last year, 'cause I thought he'd be a good opener for her. I did have a notion that he wasn't really all that great though, because I'd seen him play on a TV show a few years ago and it was awful -- no one was in the right key, the timing was off -- just bad. That must have been a fluke though, because he played a really good show. I disagreed with his choice of ending it with "Brick" but he did come back for an encore, and played a minor key version of "Give me My Money Back" including a verse in Japanese which was funny. Earlier, Rufus came out and the two of them did a duet of Wham's "Careless Whisper" which was not only hilarious, but gave me new respect for the song.

There were quite a few father-son groups in the audience, and one in particular made me giggle. They were standing in front of us, and the son was about 12. Dad was pretty young and hip looking (maybe he was an older brother?). When "Careless Whisper" started, Dad had to explain to young junior why all the oldies were loving it, as son was probably not yet born when the song was released.

I also very much enjoyed watching the two of them laugh and blush uncomfortably, when Ben Folds & Guster performed and improv reggae song titled "Rock Out with Your Cock Out." Funny stuff.

I could be a real fan girl and walk down the street and try to catch site of the two of them. Their busses were parked outside the Capitol Hyatt this morning. :-)

I have this whole theory in my head about how Ben Folds embodies the spirit that all those sensitive alti boys want to but don't quite get. Maybe he really is the sensitive boy who isn't a pushover? Then again, I waffle quite a bit on my interpretation on what "Brick" is really saying about the relationship, so maybe he's not. Either way, I think he does a good job of writing good songs, that are funny, and "slice of life." I think I could expand this thought and write an article to submit to Bitch. Maybe.

I have also discovered the secret to quick beer and restroom breaks at Promowest. They bought the former Margarita Mama's space, and call it Fat Eddie's now. You can get from the bar to the amphitheatre and back with your ticket. I went to get beers and pee between sets, and did both and got back while the same people were still in line for the outdoor restrooms. Shhhhhhhh....it's my secret weapon.


OH! All you C-bus kids--I was handed a flier last night that says Bitch & Animal is playing Friday at Rockin' in the Streets for Pride. Supposedly their last concert ever, a mere half a block from my house (actually closer than Comfest!) There's info on Stonewall's site. Looks like it's $10. And Susan Powter's supposed to be there too this time.

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If I read one more article that calls the performers who were supposed to play this year's lollapalooza "aging" I will scream.

Here's an example.

I joked yesterday to my friend K that they didn't sell as many tickets as they thought because it was aimed at "old people like me." I was kidding. I'm freakin' 27 years old. (OK, so I did find my first major grey hair last night, but that means nothing!) Why shouldn't younger people be interested in these bands? Better yet, why aren't they?

We were the generation that grew up with lollapalooza in high school -- why aren't we nostalgic enough to go now? We're bringing back Strawberry Shortcake, and Care Bears, and He Man in toy stores. What about age makes you unwilling to go to a two day outdoor concert?

I know it's all about demographics and the behavior of the masses, not the behavior of the individual, when it comes to marketing something like this. But it's still vexing me. If aging means I can't go to shows anymore (or that my peers don't go to shows anymore), I don't want to get older.

I'm really just venting and pouting. I'm pissed that our culture is so youth obsessed that you're out of luck over a certain age bracket. I want to act my age *and* have fun.

And I hope I'm not destined to never see PJ Harvey play live. Cause that would suck.

(no subject)

So in addition to being ComFest this weekend, it's also Columbus Pride. The parade on Saturday steps off from Comfest, and it's always fun to see the two events meld.

I've often thought it funny how segregated events are at Pride -- girls get one event, guys get fifteen others (just like the ratio of girl:guy bars in C-bus). But they also cater to stereotypes too. Friday is "Rocking in the Streets" featuring Bitch & Animal for the girls, while Saturday, the guys get "Dancin' in the Streets" at the same venue, featuring the woman who sings the Queer Eye theme song. No, it's not enforced segregation, but it's pretty clear from the advertising as to which demographic is being sought for each. (And for the record, neither event takes place in "the streets" but rather in the parking lot behind Axis nightclub.)

I was checking on the time for the parade, and noticed (I thought) an event sponsored by Nine West. I thought that was a huge sponsor for Columbus. Then I realized, it said "Nina West." Nina is a local drag queen, (who, incidentally, I went to college with). She's good, but that's not quite so big a coup.

Recent Reading

I’ve been sadly amiss in writing about any of the books I’ve read lately. I’m catching up now:

( Mary Barton, by Elizabeth Gaskill )

( Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, by Jon Krakauer )

( Larry’s Party, by Carol Shields )

( Love Dance of the Mechanical Animals, by Maggie Estep )

Currently reading: Still Life by A.S. Byatt