You Paid $22,000 For That?!?!

Yesterday was Cheryl & Ellen's Day of Fun: Part Deux. We left Hoboken and headed to the big city. Upon our arrival, we went to Christie's auction house. The purpose was to see an Impressionism and Modern Art preview, but because I have no concept of time, realized we were 2 days early for the preview. After looking at some silverware, we poked our heads into an actual auction that was going on.

It was a photography auction and there were a lot of fancy looking people holding paddles. During the auction, Cheryl and I learned two things: 1) A world exists where money really is no object. 2) Cheryl and I really missed our calling. There was a close-up photograph of a cigarette butt that sold for $22,000, while a photo of Marilyn Monroe & Arthur Miller only went for $2,000. There were some creepy photos that went for obscene amounts of cash and some pretty ones that were a steal. The auctioneer was British, so that added to the fun. I had so much fun and would love to go to auction again.

After pounding the pavement a bit, we ended up at a furniture store so Cheryl could find a wedding gift. I found the most comfortable chair ever. Alas, I didn't have $3,500 to buy it. Perhaps I can sell a photograph or something.

Alas, the Day of Fun: Part Deux had to end at some point. Hopefully Cheryl & Ellen's Day of Fun: The Wrath of the Day of Fun will happen soon.

Quote of the Day:
"I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinions of himself than on the opinions of others." -Marcus Aurelius

New York Billy #5

This was, without question, THE GREATEST CONCERT I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!! This tops Tom Petty at the Tweeter Center on July 6, 2001 -- a setlist that included "TIme to Move On" and "The Best of Everything" played acoustic. This tops Ella Fitzgerald in June 1991. Hell, this tops my very first Billy Joel concert when I was sitting in the front row. Looking at tonight's setlist, you'll see why, followed by many, many comments.

Cold Spring Harbor:
* Everybody Loves You Now

Piano Man:
* YOU"RE MY HOME
* Piano Man

Streetlife Serenade:
* The Entertainer

Turnstiles:
* Angry Young Man
* Summer, Highland Falls
* Miami 2017
* New York State of Mind

The Stranger
* Movin' Out
* Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
* Only the Good Die Young

52nd Street:
* Stiletto
* Zanzibar
* Honesty
* Big Shot
* My Life

The Nylon Curtain:
* LAURA
* She's Right on Time
* Allentown
* Goodnight Saigon

Glass Houses:
* All For Leyna
* Sleeping With the Television On
* It's Still Rock & Roll To Me
* You May Be Right

An Innocent Man:
* Keeping the Faith
* An Innocent Man

Greatest Hits Vol. I & II
* The Night is Still Young

The Bridge:
* A Matter of Trust

Storm Front:
* We Didn't Start the Fire
* AND SO IT GOES
* The Downeaster Alexa

The River of Dreams:
* RIver of Dreams

Bonus:
* Highway to Hell (Chainsaw)
* Pop Goes the Weasel

* I don't know where to start. My Wish List is finally complete. I actually teared up (or it may have been excessive sweat) when he started playing "You're My Home". It was the only song I hadn't heard live that I really, really, really wanted to. After that, he immediately went into "Miami 2017". I was dying. Later in the show, he did "Sleeping With the Television On" and "All For Leyna" back-to-back and I was near hysterical.

* There were 2 girls sitting next to me when I took my seat. 5 minutes later, they got selected to be upgraded to the front row, While I felt a twinge of jealously, I was happy for them and knew I had a little more room to dance around.

* The show was being recorded for a live CD entitled 12 Gardens Live. Yay!!!

* After the second song, a banner was raised to the rafters to celebrate Billy's 12 sold out Garden shows. A balloon drop followed.

* Usually during "Goodnight Saigon", crew members who were in the military come up on stage. Tonight, current armed forces were up there. Everyone gave them an extended ovation.

* Billy gave the roadie Chainsaw a motorcycle after "Highway to Hell".

* This was the first time I have ever heard "Laura", "Honesty" or "And So It Goes" live. "And So It Goes" is one of my favorites, so that was a real treat. I hadn't heard "A Matter of Trust" on this tour, so that was great to hear too.

* He played 5 of my 6 all-time favorite songs: "Summer, Highland Falls", "Miami 2017", "All For Leyna", "Sleeping With the Television On" and "Angry Young Man". Tonight was the closest thing to a perfect setlist. Only the additions of "Captain Jack" and "Sometimes a Fantasy" would have made it truly perfect. But this was really ideal. And what added to the ideal-ness: No "I Go To Extremes". No "Don't Ask Me Why". No "Big Man on Mulberry Street".

* The man played for 3 HOURS!! He didn't get off the stage until 11:20pm. By far the longest show I've seen. The crowd was completely into it.

* I was jumping and dancing and singing and yelling the entire time. I was completely soaked and quite thirsty by the end of it. This has been such a great 4 months getting to see Billy all these times. He's a legendary performer and I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to see him perform in his hometown with fellow diehards. I've gotten use to seeing him every few weeks. It's going to be a letdown to not see him at the Garden every once in a while.

* The Tom Petty concerts begin in June. Billy set the bar really high. Should be a fun summer.

Quote of the Day:
"Don't take any shit from anybody." -Billy Joel

How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall?

I know, you look at me and think, "rock & roller". True, I loves my classic rock, but I am more than a one dimensional music fan.

Around my junior year of college, I started listening to classical music, after Top 40 radio annoyed me more than entertained. I found it so relaxing, and it was a great way to listen to a long span of music without commercials. Seeing as I didn't go to parties, clubs or date much on Saturday nights, I usually turned to the radio for my weekend entertainment. I would listen to the live broadcasts from Symphony Hall, hearing Keith Lockhart conduct the Pops or Seiji Ozawa conduct the BSO. It soon became something I eagerly anticipated.

Even now, if there's nothing on TV, I'll turn on the Light Classical station and peruse a pile of magazines or snuggle with a new book of crosswords to occupy my time. It's probably the closest thing to meditation I know.

So when I came across an e-mail saying the BU Symphony & Chorus were going to perform at Carnegie Hall to commemorate the inauguration of new BU president Robert Brown, I thought it would be fun to check it out. I found cheap tickets and dragged Erin with me. I've always wanted to go to Carnegie Hall and this seemed like a good event to make my maiden voyage.

After walking many, many, many stairs, we took our seats in the nosebleed section. I must admit, it was awesome to be in the same room all the great performers from Billie Holliday to Andy Kaufman have played in. However, the excitement of being in the venue dissipated pretty quickly.

Considering this was supposed to be a celebration, the music was among the most depressing I have ever heard. The show opened with a trumpet/trombone duet, creating a wall of sound, which it did, just not in a Phil Spector good way. It went downhill from there. During Act II, they had a movement entitled "the Angel of Death". Welcome to BU, President Brown!

Erin and I considered leaving early, but good manners got the best of us. If nothing else, at least I know how to get to Carnegie Hall.

Quote of the Day:
"It is by acts and not by ideas that people live." -Anatole France

The Big 5-9

Let us take a moment to wish a happy 59th birthday to the patron saint of the Genius Switch, Mr. David Letterman.

I had an excellent birthday yesterday. the highlight was dining at Naples 45 with Erin, Meg, Cheryl and Suzanne. We had a great dinner (including a free 2nd pizza for me). It was topped off by a trip to Cold Stone Creamery. Yay ice cream.

A great big thank you to all who wished me a happy birthday. As I said last night, turning another year older is a lot easier when you have great friends around you.

Quote of the Day:
"Dave is not a little weird. He's a quirky genius" -Rob Burnett on David Letterman

The Big 2-8

Happy Birthday To Me,
Happy Birthday To Me,
Happy Birthday Meeeeeeeeeeee,
Happy Birthday to Me.

YAY!!!!

Quote of the Day:
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." -Albert Einstein

David Sedaris is F'n Awesome

In August of last year, I came across an ad saying David Sedaris (bumping Dave Barry as my favorite writer on the Hierarchy) would be doing a book reading at Town Hall for March 31, 2006. On September 10th, I bought tickets. After a 6 month wait, the day finally came.

Erin and I went to Town Hall. We sat in the 6th row and received our programs. Already excited and thinking it couldn't get better, it did. Sarah Vowell, author of the brilliant book Assassination Vacation and The Partly Cloudy Patriot, would be doing the introduction.

Just as the lights dim and Sarah comes on stage, 2 people two rows in front of me take their seats. My first reaction was the same as anytime people get to their seats, especially good ones, at the last minute. I'm annoyed for them not getting there earlier and why be so late if you have good seats. Of the two women, one looks really familiar. Lo and behold it's Amy Sedaris, David's sister, star of Strangers with Candy and frequent favorite Letterman guest.

Sarah's intro was very funny. David comes on stage wearing a blue & white stripped shirt and an orange and white tie. The first essay he reads was in the New Yorker a couple of months ago, regarding a sheep and a crow. The second was a truly brilliant essay to be published in an upcoming New Yorker about his family's experience with a baby-sitter while he was 11. The family stories are always my favorite and even better with Amy sitting so close. She has such a distinctive laugh, and interesting to see family react to his stories. The third was about going to the doctor in Paris. He then read some entries from his diary and did a Q&A before calling it a night.

Town Hall was packed -- not an empty seat to be found. All to hear a man read. And paying good money to hear a man read. I have all of his books, not only on tape, but audio is well. And as amazing he is to read, hearing him gives his essays a whole new dimension. With the Q&A he is so quick witted, making even the most banal question interesting.

Amy was wearing a green and white dress with black fishnets. I'm not sure if I should find it amusing or creepy that a 40-year old woman carries a Sylvester the Cat pencil bag in her purse.

All in all an A+, 5 star, two thumbs up evening. I highly recommend reading David Sedaris' work, especially Me Talk Pretty One Day and "the Santaland Diaries" from Holidays on Ice. "Santaland" is the funniest piece of work I have ever read -- ever.

Quote of the Day:
"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." -Winston Churchill