Archive for May, 2008

Nels’s shadow on the Temple Bar stage backdrop

I was thrilled that my good friend Phebbie accepted the last minute invitation to go see Nels play solo along with Norton Wisdom. It will be the first time she meets him, and I think –  to see this type of music I’m into. We got there too early, I guess. We weren’t allowed to hang around when Nels was setting up. This never happened! Usually I’d make a huge fuss, but I had to be on my reasonable behavior. Phebbie and I decided then to run across the street and get our drinking started in a sports bar. 

Nels and Norton opened for Kneebody. But by the time they were playing, we had to leave. I was happy that I finally get to introduce my 2 favorite people.

Nels sings into his pickup

Nels Cline screaming

Norton Wisdom

Nels and Norton

As I expected, IT was 8 hours long with just one 5 minute break. I was still undecided at noon whether or not I should go through it. I have already postponed twice, and the Next One won’t be for another 4 months from now.

I never feel ready for anything, less with type of test. Even as in the anticipation, I’ve been putting in an average of 10-12 hours a week trying to build up my endurance for the past several months. My technical applications are still fussy. Finally, at 12:35 pm, I decided to drive down to Sherman Oaks and by 1:30 pm, I was standing in a room about to face the Krav Maga’s Green Belt (Level 4) Test.

No one can imagine what was going through my mind at that point and thereafter. There I was, standing at a satellite Krav Maga location I’d never been to, about to take a serious physical test from instructors I didn’t know, in a room full of most people I’d never seen. My thoughts were mixtures of encouraging, daring, scolding, blackmailing, an instructor’s approval voices, another instructor’s disapproval on different ones. It was certainly a simmered war.

We started the warm up like no one’s business. By the time we get to stretching 15 minutes into it, we were already short of breathes. Right, it was scheduled to go until 7:30 pm. Pace your freaking selves!!! Majority of the time spent on these test sessions are for reviewing techniques in the curriculum. I was surprised all around on a few things that I’ve forgotten, and the things I thought I would absolutely suck at, and didn’t.

Well – you get the picture – drills , drills , a sip of water breaks here and there, then more drills. It all didn’t go without an incident. On the crazy run and roll exercise, I managed to fuck my right shoulder up. But I didn’t plan to leave for an injury! I had to tough this one out. By the time we were done with the reviews FIVE HOURS later, it was a quarter to 7. We were late to start the test, not unusual. We were given that 5 minute break before the test begins.

Finally, the vigorous test, where you must GIVE IT YOUR ALL – started with warnings of no granting of mercies. I had a huge concern about a few techniques that I wished I had spent the time perfecting them before today. We began with shadow boxing and about a million mother fucking sprawlings. As we already about to die, we then got into defense techniques and it went on from there. Every so often as we collectively slowed down, we were made to do 30 push ups, and 30 crunches. Good Times.

The last thing we had to do, that weren’t done in the past 2 tests was sparring. Sparring ain’t no joke! I usually like sparring, but not under this circumstances. I think it was about a half an hour worth of this, then we … were… finalfuckingly… done. Each our drenched out beings were beyond our own recognition. Beauty.

It was almost 930 pm.

So, here I am, at home. I just devoured down some Zankou chicken I picked up on the way home since my arms are not going to be doing any cooking this evening. I’m due for a long bath and hopefully this aches will go away. I promised my Krav Maga people back at the headquarter that I’ll see them in class(es) tomorrow. I’ll slip right back to my regular schedule with Sunday’s kickboxing with Marcus Kowal, followed by Krav Maga Level 3 with Sam Sade.

But I’ll go back slightly giddy, as today I just became Green – That’s the belt color for the level 4. I passed it, along with everyone else who were left standing at the end. Next one is Blue. I like blue. It will take about a year or so but I’m up for it.

yay
aow~
but
yay

This was a sincere attempt to elevate the taunting at Watt about my favorite band Rush. He, undoubtedly, has a huge respect for the musicians, but the music itself, ….  it’s not on his regular rotation. So when I heard Rush was playing in town, I immediately demanded that he should come with me to the show.

Being a sport that he is, he actually made it to the show. The venue was the new Nokia in Downtown LA. The audience… well, these were Rush fans, they are of a ‘particular’ kind. It’s the same people from the last 20+ tours that the band had done…. Same people but now with kids, which they bring along in an attempt to bond.

I really don’t know why I still like them since I was introduced to their music in the 90s. Then, I was just arrived from Thailand into a new land and a new family (latter of which I’d soon reject). Nostalgic, for sure, but more than that, I feel like I forever owe it to them for sparking my music exploration. I was already into John Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, and other ‘mild’ music – mostly because of the words. When I read the lyrics off of the vinyl insert of the Fly By Night album, I was more than thrilled to finally be “home”. It might be different if Pink Floyd was still the same guys making (not necessary the same) new music, or the Doors, or a handful of other bands. But for countless reasons, Rush is very  unique. For nothing else, it’s that they are still rolling out their tours, and I love it. 

Watt – always pushing to do a hundred things in a day, was tired. I kept an eye on him as he literally was laying low in his seat. Most Rush fans – of course – stand… as was I. Every so often I’d glance back to Watt making funny faces and pointing and people being ridiculous with their air drumming/guitaring. He was just watching the projection on the side wall, of all the live footage mixed with some animations. He bailed after the last note, having to leave to Tokyo to do a recording marathon in one week time frame.

It was a great fun night! I like to smash different worlds together and see what happens. This ‘never-to-be-repeated’ moment was all worth it.

Repost because it is worthy of your reading : In contrast – the 2007 Rush tour, I went with Nels Cline to Anaheim for it. I have to say that it was a much MUCH different vibe. First being an outdoor amphitheater, I feel was more natural for Rush. But – I let the qualified person tells the story :

Nels’s report from LAST YEAR

July 26, 2007 
Man oh man!!!… Peak and I were a half hour late due to her workload + traffic – the damn concert started at 7:30! But it was so great because the whole event was so…charming in some weird way. Geddy Lee was very likeable – an affable and self-deprecating front man. And he has aged well. And Peak just LOVES HER SOME RUSH. She was so happy. It was adorable!
Of course, I had never seen Rush – barely ever heard them! Here are some observations:
The audience was mostly young, male, and poorly attired. There were many father/son attendees (how cute is that?), and the relatively low number of the womenfolk made it easy for Peak to use the bathroom without waiting in line. This was in Orange County, so there were LOTS of XL Ts, baggy cargo shorts, and caps.
The sound/light production was – perhaps predictably – completely amazing. Insane moving lights. lasers, computer animation/films. The films included appearances by South Park characters and SCTV‘s Bob and Doug MaKenzie in special Rush bits – wow! 
Geddy Lee apparently always has a fake “amp setup” that differs each tour. Peak informed that last time it was a washer/dryer from which he ultimately removed clothing and threw it out to the crowd. This time it was a “Henhouse” chicken roaster that glowed like molten lava and which was periodically attended to by a “cook” in cook hat and apron! His singing is totally consistent, and he looks relaxed while he shreds his bass and does 3 things at once. 
Neil Peart never looks like he is having fun at all. Glenn (Kotche) + Scott (Amendola) – I think he slightly rushed one fill and, during his mostly uninteresting solo spot, he accidentally bumped one of his tiny cymbals lightly with his drumstick. An off night, obviously! There were killer overhead camera shots of him so we could see his majestic tub-pounding really well at times. He loves him some Buddy Rich! He even played traditional grip briefly twice, seemingly when double-stroking was required. 
Alex Lifeson played a succession of MANY Les Pauls – some with trem, some without, finally ending up with a white ES 345 hollow-body. He really doesn’t solo/wank much at all, and he consistently favors a lot of delay on his solos. His sample of “acoustic guitar” sounded amazingly convincing, and there were 2 “acoustic-guitar-on-stand” moments. One was actually a mandola or something, which was capo-ed and sounded great for all of the 30 seconds or so it was played. His hair is almost as white as his sporty footwear.
Peak really knows her Rush, and since we the audience are being treated to a repetoire spanning some 30 years, it was fun to try to guess which decade each song was from. My guesses were pretty good – mayde 70% correct. Interestingly, 2 of my favorite songs played turned out to be from the new CD. It seems that their music has become less ornate and synth-driven in the last 15 years, with the more heavily odd-meter/extendo stuff being from the 70s and the most synth-drenched being from the 80s, etc. …There were socially-conscious songs (slides of Klansmen, civil rights marches, electric chairs, children in gas masks), references to DHARMA and the like (is Neal Peart a Buddhist now?), and moments where the band pokes fun at itself, such as when Geddy Lee said, “We’re going to take a wee break now because we are so ancient.” Also, “Because we have 4,000 albums out, we have too much music that we want to play for you tonight.” Plus those South Park kids!
Besides flipping out for songs like “Tom Sawyer”, the audience would – rather winningly, to my mind – whoop and swoon when: Geddy sang high, green laser configurations occurred, hotshit solos or fills occurred, massive dangerous-looking flames (about 15 feet high, I would say!) exploded all over the stage. It’s fun to hear total DUDES gasp and sigh in delight! Weird, I know.
The final impression: Rush totally delivers. They were impeccable. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they and their crew knocked it out of the park.
The trip out of the parking lot was chaos and the only real drag.