An intimate venue

I went up to see One Ring Zero at Atomic Books Saturday night. I was worried about the van overheating again and I was really sick to my stomach so I nearly didn’t go. But I feel like I never go anywhere so I had better go.

I was too out of it to be aware that the band was actually playing so when I got to the store, desperate to pee, and walked in to see Joshua on the accordion and Michael on the theremin I had a tiny moment of dislocation and confusion. I hurriedly gave my plan of going straight to the bathroom and sat on the floor to watch the show.

The performance was absolutely amazing. It is unfortunate that the imminent danger of my exploding bladder prevented me from enjoying it to the fullest.

After the show, when I was feeling better, I bought a copy of As Smart as We Are and talked to Benn while waiting for Joshua and Michael from ORZ to be free to sign it for me. Benn showed me the new hardcover edition of the collected 1602 which looks damn sweet. Sadly I didn’t have money for it so we talked about Jonathan Lethem and how vorpal had suggested I read Motherless Brooklyn and Fortress of Solitude. Benn said I would like those two and named a book he thought would be a poor choice for me start with. I am well aware that as an owner of a little bookstore it is in his best interests to be able to recommend books to me but it points up yet another reason for shopping at the little stores. Not only is my money staying in the local community and helping support people I like but I get the personalized service which is very nice indeed.

I really enjoyed talking to Michael. Although he was obviously tired he was interesting and accessible. He asked me to come to the show the next day which he said was in Alexandria. I said I would try and then we were interrupted by the arrival of Rachel’s birthday cake. The boys from the band pointed out that Benn should have asked them to play her Happy Birthday which would have been very cool indeed. It kind of reminded me of this story Neil tells about seeing Tori Amos in this tiny little venue and the owner demanding that she stop her set and play Happy Birthday. I said goodbye, wound my way past the police cars responding to the guy throwing his girlfriend through the window of the café and went on to get Chris.

Sadly by the time we got home I was incredibly sick. I took all my ten million RX drugs with some lemonade and then ended up throwing up for a long time. Don’t ever take pills with lemonade if there is the slightest chance you will be sick. It’s beyond vile. Chris asked if there was something he could do and I asked him if he would behead me. He refused. I don’t know if that means I have done a good or bad job of raising him.

I looked up http://www.oneringzero.com/ and saw that they were actually playing at the book store in Arlington, not Alexandria at all. I sat for a moment trying to decide if it was all a cruel practical joke, an online error or if it was a human error brought on by exhaustion. I decided exhaustion and went to sleep.

The next day I packed Cul and Cam up and we took the train down to Arlington. Can I just say that the station attendant at the New Carrolton Metro station was beyond wonderful? One of my kids had chewed up my SmartCard so it stopped working. She gave me the envelope to request a replacement and bought me a ticket while I filled it out so I could still catch the train that would get us there on time.

It’s a really good thing we went because when we got there the only other person there was Michael’s dad so we quadrupled the audience right away. By the time the show really got going there were about ten people but still we were 30% of the crowd.

We had a terrific time. Cam said he had never heard any music like. Cul enjoyed the clever lyrics and the banter as much as the music. Michael let Cam play the theremin after the show. I promised to come see them next summer at the JCC and turned down an offer to come see them again the next day in Richmond.

Continuing the theme of coincidences there was a woman who had heard them on the radio that morning and just happened to wander into the bookstore with no idea they were playing. Isn’t that the coolest? That’s even better than seeing them on purpose.

All the way home I had to fight to not get sick again. It was so hard but I made it until we were out of the Metro. Then I went home and collapsed.

The funniest part is I bought the CD to be polite and supportive and I have listened to it like twenty times in the last few days. Chris said one song sounds like The Polyphonic Spree and they do to a degree. But he came in with Jeff the other night and I was listening to Modest Mouse and he thought it was ORZ so they sound like more than one band. It’s interesting to me how we are gravitating to the lush instruments these days. I’ve come a long way from the very simple basic music of the Ramones when I was fourteen or so. Of course the Ramones still rule, I’m just sayin’