beetiger

Jun. 2nd, 2008

lediva and I went to the opening concert of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors tour in Boston on Saturday night. Wonderful set up of the venue, with a bit of a mini street fair behind the actual concert area, plenty of space to walk around and for people to get up and dance, right by the water, and with a tent-like space that made the concert feel mostly outdoors while still keeping the flash thunderstorms totally out. (And there were no lines at the bathrooms.)

I found the whole thing really inspirational musically, both in terms of the length of the active careers of the two headliners (both Cyndi and the B52s have new albums out, and both of them are damned good, and they're performing with hugely high energy in their mid-late fifties), and just in terms of the political energy that was going on about just getting the queer vote out. One of the opening acts, The Cliks also just really inspired both me and

lediva -- hard queer rock with a really tight feel, very alive.

The only downside to the concert is that I found Carson Kressley (from Queer Eye) really annoying as an MC. I guess I'm glad I never watched that show. He just...wasn't on board with the whole diversity thing the memo was about somehow, with his celebrity queer schtick.

Much as it feels kind of trite to have a peak moment at rock concerts, I kind of did. Dancing/trancing to Rock Lobster in my little space and my stripey socks, I had a moment when I was there with

lediva but also back at a dance at summer camp, on crutches, dancing with a boy, letting myself down on the ground when the song called for it, knowing I couldn't get back up again alone. I was wearing a shirt with a unicorn on it. I was hoping he would kiss me, later on. He didn't. And I was in my room in college, alone, listening on the stereo, trying to convince myself that anyone would ever love me again. And I was dancing in a wave of color in the center of the universe, where love is the only thing there is. And then I was collapsing in a chair, and I wasn't sure if I could get up again, and

lediva's looking at me amused, like I'm a crazy mad thing she's somehow ended up with. And she *did* kiss me.

So, yeah. Catch the tour if you can. The opening acts are varying from place to place, but they gave out an iTunes sampler with a song from each of them and I think any of them would be worth hearing. (And if you get to one of the concerts where Joan Jett will be there, I envy you. :) )

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Sunday afternoon I went to the opening of an art show of my father-in-law's collage work, entitled "Portrait of an Old Man as a Young Artist". He started doing collage about 5 years ago, when he retired from being a professor of Social Work at UConn, and he's produced an oeuvre of work that's both voluminous and impressive. Very proud of him, and inspired as well. Perhaps I've still got something entirely new hiding in my own life, somewhere. I wish I could find it.

I'm getting set up to load new things at Mother's Hearth and etsy, but thought I'd offer them to you guys here first. $3.50 covers shipping of any of this to US/Canada. Thanks for looking!

	Festival Incense Travel Tin Handpainted aluminum tin, 1 1/2 X 2 inches, with a Fimo and glitter moon face. Filled with 10 cones of "Festival Smoke" incense, a bright summery white sage based blend, or I can substitute another basic scent of your choice. The tin is also the right size for perfume sample vials if you swing that way. I have a whole bunch of these. $7.50. (Want the tin but not incense? $6.00. Want the incense but not the tin? $3.50.)
	Zukoh Body Incense Zukoh is a traditional blend of aromatic wood and spice powders that is rubbed on the hands for ritual purification, as well as for actual disinfecting. In modern times it also works as personal scent, rubbed between the palms or applied at pulse points. This is my own recipe, and I really love it. Presented in a round inlayed tin. I have a few of these, though the tins vary a bit in the inlay. $12.
	Rockabilly Demon Necklace Handpainted Fimo charm with glass and plastic beads. 22 inches long. So fun! $10.
	Handpainted Cat Necklace Fimo cat face, about 1 3/4 inches tall, presented on black rattail cord. $8.
	Tribal face necklace Fimo, bone, glass, pearl, tiger eye, agate "fangs". 22 inches. This necklace has warped little mock-bone faces all along the length, as well as one as the charm, and reminds me of tiny headhunters or something. Really unique piece! $22.
	Computer Key Earrings Earring studs made out of repurposed computer keys. The glue on the back is a little kludgy, but they're wearable and real conversation starters. Currently available in Insert/Delete, X/O, Page Up/Page Down, left/right arrows, + - and ?/. $4.