Rufus Wainwright | johnozed

It’s a Saturday. Nice to sleep in. Slept really well until around 8:30 when construction started two buildings down. I was asleep a little after 12:00, very much heavy lidded over red eyes. Nice. I obviously much prefer it to drinking. I think I am getting overloaded by the convention coverage. Just way to much info, it’s worse when I’m alone.

When Bill or Juan is here it feels like the information is dissipated, at least it can start a conversation. Flying solo, it’s all input, no output. I’ve been toying with the idea of not watching Olbermann and Rachel Maddow (O & RM) this week, just some time off. I guess we’ll ultimately see how that works out. Didn’t do much last night, read some magazines while O & RM followed by the Daily Show and The Colbert Report played on before I watched Bill Maher.

You see what I mean? Even though it’s entertaining it’s just a barrage of information which while enlightening is generally preaching to the choir. Bill watched his cousins kids last night and is doing it again tonight so he’ll be in Stuyvesant Town. I have 3 Netflix discs Baby Mama, Stardust and a DVD of two Alan Bennett teleplays.

I think I’ll definitely watch Baby Mama tonight. Stardust is the movie that came out with Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfieffer last year to some pretty bad reviews. The bookkeeper at work recommended it and for some reason I listened so we’ll see where that goes.

Right now I’m listening to the Roches. I’ve always liked them a lot. I’ve only seen them twice, once with the Caroling Carolers at the Bottom Line and once at Town Hall, and also as part of the Songs from Liquid Days by Phillip Glass at Lincoln Center. I

have only a few of their records, but my favorite is probably Keep on Doing which is on right now, with an a capella version of the Hallelujah Chorus. This album and their first, The Roches were produced by Robert Fripp which makes it stand out from their other records. I wouldn’t mind hearing the Roches produced by Fripp again.

For some reason I’ve always liked Maggie Roche the most. She wrote some outstanding songs and seems to be the balance between Terre and Suzzy. They’re playing in Tarrytown in December with Loudon Wainwright. Suzzy had a fling with Loudon which produced Lucy Wainwright, the half sister of Rufus and Martha.

Lucy sings and tours with the Wainwrights. And the Roches are from Park Ridge. I reckon the fling between Loudon and Suzzy caused his marriage to Kate McGarrigle to cease. Oh those folkies!

So it’s been that kind of day.

I spoke with Harpy last night who was raving about iTunes Genius program. I took his advice and downloaded it and for the past 6 hours it’s been ‘gathering information on my library’ which is over 14,000 tracks. The progress bar hasn’t moved past the ‘i’ in information message. It had better be worth it, or Harpy gets it!

My niece Meghan and her husband Rob ran in the Baltimore marathon today. They ran 26 miles which is impressive. They’re both coaches as well as teachers at 2 high schools. Meghan ran it in 3:17:09 and Rob ran in 3:24:38.

So congratulations to both of them on their fleet feet feat!

It’s October 11! National Coming Out Day!
Come out come out whomever you are!

A very lazy Saturday. Did not sleep well last night, damn those Belgians and their beer. Stella Artois, how could you leave me in such a precarious state? I didn’t do much of anything today, in fact I did nothing at all and barely left the apartment. I was content, it’s quite humid out. Bill had his night off Broadway last night, in a one night performance of Pap Smear which I panned a few months ago.

It was a success. A full house, 250 seats at $35.00 a ticket. Yes there is an audience for broad comedy. Bill and I spoke about it and he was feeling a bit high after acting in front of so many people. He was also surprised at the sell out crowd, after coming from a small theater with 50 seats. I’m glad that it went well.

I watched Rufus Rufus Rufus Does Judy Judy Judy! A live concert from the London Palladium of Rufus Wainwright singing the entire live album of Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall. I originally wrote signing instead of singing which would have been an odd thing to watch, 2 hours of Rufus Wainwright performing in sign language. Sort of like watching a semaphore version of Wuthering Heights.

Now that I think of it, it sort of fell in line with what I watched on TV this morning, Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure. Not what I usually watch on a Saturday morning but That’s So Raven was a repeat. It was a documentary shown during pledge time on Public Television, lot’s of cool clips including Fred Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling in Royal Wedding. Even knowing how they shot that scene it still mind blowing.

So from watching Hollywood Musical classics featuring Judy Garland who was called the Queen of Hollywood Musicals, I saw Rufus, a current Queen sing Judy Garland’s songs, alongside his mother Kate McGarrigle, his sister Martha Wainwright and Judy Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft. Liza Minnelli was reportedly upset that Rufus was doing something that Liza had planned to do herself at some point. Rufus was entertaining as always though it’s really not my cup of tea, show tunes that is.

I got a call from the library today. Apparently I ordered a book by David Sheff, a writer for the New York Times. His book Beautiful Boy was in. It’s about his son’s addiction to methamphetamine. Don’t know why I ordered it, but after watching Rufus, a former crystal meth addict, I went to the library and picked it up. So far, so harrowing. Watching a Futurama marathon right now. Quite a silly show, highly enjoyable.

I plan to watch La Vie En Rose, starring Marion Cotillard who won the Oscar for her performance as Edith Piaf. Yet another messed up singer. Is there a pattern here? At this rate I’ll probably be playing Nico songs while watching a DVD of Marianne Faithfull. Thunderstorms this afternoon, leading to thunderstorms tonight. Such elemental drama.

Release the kites!

Here’s some pics from yesterday.
Hello Kitty installation around where I work