We all scattered our separate ways this weekend. Jen went to get a haircut (which looks beautiful). Willow went with her, but since she barely has any hair, didn't get a haircut herself. The boys and The Dickens went north with their dad. I went to San Francisco with M. to see Angels of Light perform, first at Amoeba, then at the Bottom of the Hill.
There is a frog who lives in the barbed wire enclosed garden next to the Bottom of the Hill. He didn't seemed bothered by the soundcheck, and sang happily into the night. M. and I arrived much too early, as usual, and ended up at the coffee shop up the hill. Twice. The second time in the company of Dawn. Then we descended to the Bottom of the Hill and witnessed a rather boring opening band, followed by Devendra Banhart, who is an odd man. It's as if Jesus were to stumble while descending for the second coming and bounce on his head the rest of the way down, colliding on the way with the soul of the dearly departed Tiny Tim. The end result is hypnotic, humorous, and haunting, usually all at once. Banhart has never left his childhood, it seems. His lyrics have a strange, self-contained logic full of innocence and playfulness. They sound utterly strange coming from an adult. It is like what a three year old would sing if blessed with an adult vocabulary. I mean that in a good way.
Michael Gira, who once fronted Swans and now fronts Angels of Light, comes across like a man who never had a childhood. I've always respected him for the way he strips himself to the core for his audience. They managed to be wrenching and powerful using mainly acoustic guitar, bass, and some sort of lap steel guitar. No drums. None needed. The songs built to throbbing crescendos and died away again into the silence. There were even a couple of Swans songs in the set, including the wonderfully uplifting "Failure". An evening well spent, I say.

When I got home I discovered a cd that I'd ordered had arrived in the mail. It was in a box that was too large and heavy to contain just a cd. I opened it and discovered that in addition to the cd there was a pamphlet of poetry and some maple syrup! Now that's what I call value for your money. Upon reading the note contained within, I discovered that the extras were meant to compensate for the inadequately bottled dandelion wine I'd been sent last year. Still, it's nice to get unexpected things in the mail. Syrup is much better than wine anyway. So is poetry.

We bought a new phone today to replace the one that The Dickens gave a bath.

cds I listened to while working for less: Solitude Aeturnus "Adagio", Osso Exotico "Musica #1" and "Church Organ Works", Solstice "New Dark Age", Roy Harper "Once", and Varttina "iki"