Andrew Bird at the Moore Theater

Last night my lovely wife and I went on a date to see Andrew Bird at the Moore Theater on Second Avenue in Seattle. I only found out less than two weeks ago that he was going to be in Seattle, and I rushed to get tickets. The only two tickets I could get were way up on the balcony, about three rows from the back of the theater. Lisa asked me the question, "Is it better to have crummy seats or to not see him it all?" I decided the former was the better option. In retrospect, that was absolutely true.

The Swedish band that opened for them, Loney, Dear, was a great fun and an enjoyable show in itself.

Andrew Bird did not disappoint either. I've already been hooked on his latest album, Noble Beast. I listened to it three or four times through right after I opened it. This was, of course, the tour to promote the album, so it provided most of the material, though he played a few of his older fan favorites like "Fake Palindromes" and "Tables and Chairs".

I wish I were a music critic so I could adequately describe the experience. He's an unusual artist, a whistling violinist, trained in the Suzuki method from the age of four. He operates a loop machine with his feet while he performs, building up textures of pizzicato violin plucks and bowed harmonies to accompany himself which he can turn on and off with the flick of a toe (He took his shoes off about as soon as he came on stage and stood on his rug in the middle of the stage). He also plays the guitar, and slings it around his back when he trades it for his violin. He whistles harmonies perfectly against the glockenspiel, or against a plucked line on his violin. His lyrics sometimes seem like nonsense at a first listen, yet they keep me coming back for more, searching for layers of meaning.

The Seattle Times posted a story about the upcoming concert a few days ago. I quote the following from that page:

[Violin and whisting] provide the cornerstone of Bird's compositions.... The result is some of the most singular music currently made: boyish yet professorial, buoyant yet shaded with pathos. His latest record, "Noble Beast," lays bare Bird's dignified tenor as well as his knack for flawless melodies and inscrutable diction. The public has taken note — "Noble Beast" (Fat Possum) debuted late last month at No. 12 on the U.S. albums chart.

I've included a video from his YouTube channel, which is fairly similar to what we saw last night, minus the film playing in the background. He even had the same sock monkey in the pinstripe suit seated just below the double phonograph horns, which spin dramatically during several songs, though not during this particular one. The video features a prototypical version of his song "Anonanimal," which he performed last night in its finished form. I find it haunting and beautiful. As always, I recommend choosing the HQ version of the video in the lower bottom corner, if you can!



UPDATE: Looks like a fellow concert-goer posted a very nice photo set on her flickr photostream.

For all you Cafe Rio fans out there...

OK, so I am a huuuge fan of Cafe Rio, but as they do not have them here in Washington I go through great withdrawals until I can visit Utah again. However, the other day I found a recipe for their house dressing!! The tomatillo ranch that they serve with their salads. It is sooo good. I've made three batches already and they don't seem to last more than 2 days each. Anyway, here it is for all of you who are in the same boat as me and can't have Cafe Rio whenever we want (or anyone else as well):

What you need:
1 hot pepper(the recipe called for a jalapeno, but all I had was a cyrano and it worked fine-I guess just pick whatever you want)
1 clove of garlic
3 larger sized tomatillos
1 handful of cilantro leaves(I make this a big handful cause I love cilantro)
1 splash of lime juice
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package of ranch dressing mix
(I found several different recipes and kind of combined them to fit what I had in my fridge but it turned out great. Play around with it and see what you like best.)

Instructions:
Combine the pepper, garlic, tomatillos, cilantro and lime juice in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. I suppose a blender will work as well if you don't have an awesome Cuisinart food processor like we do(thanks Trevor and Jess).
Then add the milk, mayonnaise and ranch packet and blend again until smooth.
I guess for a thicker consistency you can replace 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise with 1/2 cup sour cream(I haven't tried this though and cannot guarantee the taste).

Its great on salads of course, but I'm addicted to it lately and I am using it on everything - fajitas, salads, and even just as a dip with chips or tortillas. Enjoy!

8 Stitches and a Tetanus Shot

So I had an incident on Sunday night with a utility knife. I was trying to cut a roll of electrical tape in half because I needed it half the width. So ignoring the fact that you are supposed to cut away from yourself I went to work. About 5 seconds after I thought to myself, "hmm, I probably shouldnt hold it like this while I cut" the knife slipped and I lacerated myself. Props to Nick for being a good husband and rushing to the bathroom with me and my bleeding hand not knowing what was going on, and running to grab the first aid kit(thanks mom for the 4 kits we have in our house). And for taking me to the emergency room after taking one glance and knowing it needed stitches. It was at least 1/4 inch deep, probably more, I didnt care to examine it longer to see how deep it really went after seeing that it did in fact go through the subcutaneous fat layer. Nick did use the word flayed(sp?) when describing it. Lucky me it happened on a sunday night so I couldnt just go to a walking clinic, I had to go to the ER. 8 stitches and a tetanus shot later and this is what it looked like:



And then I have to wear a bandage like this, especially at work.


Other than the lidocaine shot to numb my hand(which hurts really bad by the way) the worst part is the tetanus shot. My shoulder is still in pain. Remember kids, always cut away from yourself.

Lunch Time Photo-op

So I was at home on my lunch break today and there I was making myself an orange cream soda(yum). I look up cause I see something moving outside the window. The window in our dining room looks out onto the lake. Anyway, I look up to see this:




I quickly grabbed my camera to snap a few photos, then he flew away.

I luv shushis!

Nick and I got a sushi set for our wedding and the other day we finally got a chance to try it out. We went to Central Market and picked up some fillings including Ahi Tuna, shrimp, Krab, avocado, and cucumber. This was my first attempt at making my own sushi so the first couple were rough but I picked it up pretty quick. I made the sushi while Nick documented the momentous event. Check it out-how to make your own sushi(fyi-I cant handle the sushi with the seaweed on the outside, so we made the inside out sushi rolls where the rice is on the outside and the seaweed is on the inside. I know, I'm weird.)

Step 1: Lay out the Nori (dried seaweed sheet).

Step 2: Put rice on top.

Step 3: Flip it over so the rice will be on the outside.

Step 4: Add whatever fillings you want. We made a lot of spicy tuna rolls. My favorite!

Step 5: Start rolling.

Step 6: Keep rolling.

Step 7: Make a bunch of rolls.

Step 8: Cut into slices and serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce. Chopsticks are a must. (isn't that a cute sushi set with the plates and little sauce bowls - can you call them bowls if they are square??)

Step 9: Admire your effort.

Step 10: Eat until gone.

Anyone up for sushi?!