Friday, March 16, 2018

A Satisfied Mind

You never know which way the wind will blow me.

Yesterday, I was siting on a ferry behind a table of eight New Jerseyans unwilling to go below deck to smoke, so instead playing cards to pass the time crossing ("Who's in? Ten cents a card!" to which someone responded, "No, 20 cents a card!") and tonight I was watching a German expressionist film while listening to Captain Beefheart guitarist Gary Lucas play the soundtrack he'd composed for it.

Because I've been away all week, tonight was my first opportunity to take advantage of the James River Film Festival and with Lucas accompanying "Der Golem," I was getting a two-fer: music and movie.  All I had to do to get a hat trick (eat-film-music) was stop by Asado on my way to the Grace Street Theater.

Crowded because it was happy hour, I took the only available bar stool, in between a couple of women razzing their male friend about all the texts he was getting from someone named Jazmyn ("You do know that proves she doesn't know how to spell her own name, right?" one teased) and a sullen young man nursing successive whiskey shots and staring at the wall.

Welcome to Friday, millennial style.

Meanwhile, I overheard one of the bartenders ask his roommate (who was finishing up a mound o' fries) what he was doing next. "I'm gonna go home and take a shower, then sit down and start drinking. When are you getting home?" The bartender explained that he was going to need to shower, too, asking if the drinking could hold off till he was ready, too.

"Not a chance," his roommate said without so much as a grin. Apparently Friday drinking waits for no man, not even your own roommate.

By the time I'd finished my honey sriracha shrimp tacos, there was a line of people waiting for seats, so I graciously gave up mine and walked over to the theater even though it was half an hour till showtime. I wasn't first, though, so I had the conversation of others to provide some entertainment.

I heard two women talking about the good old pre-GPS days of using maps, except one said they were inconvenient because you had to pull over to look at them and they got torn and creased. "Yea, but remember those Trip-tiks AAA used to give you?" the other asked reverentially.

It was funny to hear since Mac and I had just been discussing Trip-tiks and our fond memories of them while road-tripping to Cape May this week.

Then there was the conversation where someone was saying that he'd wrecked his mother's car coming home from an Edgar Winter, Peter Frampton, Bad Company show where he'd had second row seats in front of the Stacks. "When I left the concert, I was functionally deaf," he claimed. "I tried to tell my Mom that's why I'd wrecked the car."

From there they were off on a '70s tear. "I skipped school to see Todd Rundgren and I didn't even know who he was!" one humble bragged.

You get the idea about the make-up of the crowd. In fact, when JRFF organizer Mike Jones ("I'm basically the glue stick that makes this festival happen...with  a lot of help") came out and began talking before the film, at one point he asked how many people had Depression-era parents and the majority of people raised their hands. Young we were not.

And I don't know whether it was the Frankenstein-like aspect to the film or that a musician who's collaborated with everyone from Jeff Buckley to Chris Cornell was playing, but I'm here to tell you that the audience was easily 80% men. Guitar nerds abounded.

Lucas, who is Jewish, spoke about how tickled he'd been to discover this 1920 silent film based on a Jewish folktale ("A Jewish monster and a rabbi saves the day, how cool is that?"), so much so that he'd written a soundtrack with a musician friend and performed it all over the world, earning him a spot in the JAM (Jewish avant garde music) pantheon.

His soundtrack was masterful, taking us through the story of a rabbi who foresees disaster for the Jewish people and creates a clay monster (immense and awkwardly heavy-footed, a precursor to Frankenstein) he asks the spirits to animate to help defend his people. All the potential problems you'd expect from creating a monster ensue, but it ends up dead and the Jews are saved.

Praise Jehovah and pass the Manischewitz.

As if that wasn't enough excellent entertainment for the evening, it was followed by local band Zgomot taking the stage and playing a couple of Lucas' songs set to experimental short films. Then the man himself came back out to join them, doing a couple more, including one he'd written with Jeff Buckley.

If I needed to be baptized back into the cultural world, I couldn't do much better than with one of the top 100 horror films you must see before you die, accompanied by a guitarist who's played the Venice Biennale and Shakespeare & Co. in Paris.

All I can say is, beats the hell out of playing for 10 cents a card. Or even 20.

27 comments:

  1. Yeah but you gotta admit it's a great ferry ride, (Cape May to Cape Henlopen). The boats are newer now than when I first crossed, (on my honeymoon to New England). The trip worked out just not that marriage. However as I remember about halfway across one can feel the ocean swells pushing up Delaware Bay & it's a treat to feel those old barges roll. Besides there's something about those Jersey accents I find so endearing. Not it's not like I'm entering some screening of an old Coppola film but something so East Coast Americana. Something that might be pushed aside in the future as the America demographics keep changing, homogenized to something else. The new normal -- a Jersey accent with Indian, Hispanic, Asian overtones. Could sound funny. Now as far as that card game among the ladies -- well as you said, you did well to land back in Richmond. So much of the change here has been seamless & positive many people haven't even noticed...though many have.

    carroll

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  2. It was a great ferry ride, just that the first time the wind was gusting so hard that the boat was rocking continuously. They closed the cafe and told us not to leave our seats because it was unsafe. Coming back, it was absolutely perfect, and Mac and I enjoyed every minute of it!

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  3. .. let's hope we enjoy the Byrd & the FFF in this beautiful spring like weather, (ha!).
    I do remember standing out front of the Byrd in the snow a good many years ago. never having bought a pass for myself I suppose I'll be out thee again tomorrow hoping it's still not snowing or raining. It's not like the line never moves...it does, I bring my pet snail to observe. Oh well it is always beautiful when it's falling, like now. No one can dispute that. careful with that walk today Karen...tis a wet one.

    carroll

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  4. I also recall a FFF with snow falling, Carroll. I just want to make sure I get one of the new seats to sink into this year!

    Haven't walked yet but am intending to. I want to see what the neighborhood looks like.

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  5. Remember the new seats are only in the center. All the trees are covered. Power lines etc. The Ward should be nice...

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  6. So after that beautiful walk...have you had enough Winter yet?

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  7. I was over winter the day it started. I'd be fine with skipping it altogether. Not a cold weather person, even when it's snowing and beautiful!

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  8. Fair enough...guess I knew that answer anyway. Well with the old Byrd being packed it won't matter if they have the heat on or not. All that hot air in there for the cinema.

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  9. I wonder why that haven't begun online sales of individual tickets for the FFF? The Byrd has that option for their usual fare.

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  10. No clue. DO they usually do FFF tickets in advance?

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  11. hey...I can't carry this conversation on all day...gotta get some work done....remember i'm retired. careful -- don't slip. The Ward's streets can be unforgiving. later...

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  12. No...only the complete FFF package, (for all films) is available online. However for the Byrd's regular films -- tickets maybe purchased in advance online. Why not the FFF... soon they will be.

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  13. hint -- (as the blogger), I always want you to have the last word...

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  14. Your prayers have been answered, Carroll! Back by popular demand!! Well sort of. Nick's Market heard your cries for subs, and we're bringing them back, along with a one-size traditional Greek salad🎉. However these subs are PRE-MADE, as we are not setup to make made-to-order like we used to. They're still made by the one and only Mr. Tony Wiley with the same meats for the subs and olives, feta, peppers for the salad. We only make a limited quantity, so come get your sub/salad while supplies last. Make sure you come to our NEW location on Westwood Ave!

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  15. amazing, almost unbelievable. Karen -- this hardly ever happens! thanks, no --bless you for letting me know. U are special!

    carroll

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  16. OK...maybe that was a bit over the top ....thanks.

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  17. tonight will be clear & dry. probably no worse than 35-38 degrees on the sidewalk.

    I've never seen a bad movie yet at the FFF.

    Enjoy your day!

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  18. Since it is a small town, (in a way), though not that small...& since there is just one Byrd.. & every body has to use the same door & must stand on the same sidewalk...(of course it's hundreds of people), &...if I do walk by or catch you & Mac doing the bird-walk I'll give you a shout out. The least I could do after all these years...if I even still recognize you...."Dr. Bird-Lips I presume!"...an honor to make your acquaintance."

    ...and if not I'm still on this end. Let's hope the films are good. Besides it's a good experience anyway.




    CW

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  19. Just came from my first FFF, "Le Chemin." Crowds lighter than I expected, but that may be because it's Thursday. "Dr. Bird Lips, I presume?" would be a fine way to greet me if you see me.

    And, yep, I always enjoy the films I see.

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  20. ...did take in "Le Chemin" & while it was appreciated a bit too much symbolism for me. Was I viewing "Apocalypse Now" outtakes or "Twilight Zone Redux'? Saw where you were seated & waited until films' end to go over to say hi...however you musta have changed seats or left quickly 'cause you were nowhere to be found. sorry our paths seem destined not to cross. Nice boots!.. stayed for second feature. Probably will not go again until Sunday....

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  21. I did change seats at one point. May go tonight or may wait until tomorrow, not sure. Smaller crowds last night was nice, though.

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  22. sorry I missed you.

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  23. ..From someone's previous response concerning phones I can see you're on a roll. ...like don't push "that" button with Karen. Gotta tell you this though...I used to spend a lot of times in phone booths, phone-boxes, etc. record stores, hanging 'round marinas & crab shacks. Some of those things are dying & think it's sad. Maybe it 'was those tuna sandwiches that made you split last night. yeah 'know that seems a bit low rent. I might've moved to...

    cw

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  24. did you walk to the river today?

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  25. Sure did, but couldn't access the pipeline from Brown's Island, drat the luck! Tried. Running high right now, cw.

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  26. and it will probably be a bit high for a while considering the amount of moisture they're receiving in the mountains. I've got a trick knee so haven't been down to the river in a while.

    You never got to see the "Shape of Water" did you...i think it was over rated. let's both hope it doesn't snow any tomorrow. I'm puttin' this season behind me. .ready for the change..

    carroll

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  27. Good Morning Karen,

    I woke up this morning with my rhododendrons beginning to bloom -- surely a good sign of things to come --weather-wise. Hope your walk is a good one.

    Carroll

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