Jan's and John's Peripatetic Adventure

A Little Ferry Music

We're in California continues...

Last night we went to a concert in San Francisco by our friends and Magnatune artists Tanya Tomkins and Eric Zivian who were performing, along with violinist Melissa Kleinbart of The San Francisco Symphony. They are amazingly talented so we never miss an opportunity to see them play.

The program was Debussy and Ravel and it was gorgeous. The first half was Eric on piano playing Debussy and Ravel and the second half was a Ravel Trio with the three of them. It was fabulous and we feel so lucky to know them.

The venue was a ferry on Pier 3 in San Francisco. You could feel the movement of the boat throughout the evening which everyone agreed was kind of weird but also very fun. It didn't seem to affect the musicians, though, because their performances were world-class. The audience was particularly appreciative and enthusiastic.

Rather than drive, once again we took the Bart and walked to the venue. You can see the neat photos I took along the way. The panorama showing the Bay Bridge is especially nice. That's Yerba Buena Island in the middle where the bridge passes through halfway to Oakland which you can see in the distance under the bridge.

Although we miss London and all the culture there, we're happy to be able to enjoy the culture in San Francisco, especially when it's our friends playing. Thank you, Tanya and Eric, for inviting us to such an extraordinary evening!

Lunch with Justin Bianco

We're in California continues...

Today we went into San Francisco to have lunch with Magnatune artist Justin Bianco. We met at our favorite San Francisco restaurant Hawthorne Lane.

He is incredibly nice and amazingly talented, we were so happy to have the opportunity to meet him. I had discovered his music while surfing the web a few months ago and loved it so much that I emailed him and invited him to be on Magnatune and he said yes. I love it when that happens.

Lunch was exquisite and we really enjoyed talking with Justin and discovered we have a lot of similar interests. AND, he gave us a copy of his gorgeous new album (we're listening to it right now) which we'll be releasing on Magnatune asap.

His music is fabulous, you should go buy it right now!

A Night on the D-List

We're in California continues...

Last night we went to see Kathy Griffin perform in San Francisco!

Wow, what an evening. It was me, John and our neighbor/friend Teresa (see photo). First we had dinner at the elegant and exquisite Hawthorne Lane. It was yummy. We finished in plenty of time to walk a few blocks to the Warfield Theatre.

It was a totally different buzz than when we had seen her New Year's Eve performance at the much smaller Alcazar Theater. Last night was larger, more crowded and, most interesting, the crowd was very diverse. On New Year's Eve we were literally the only straight couple there and I was one of the few women. The ladies' room was empty except for one other woman and we laughed about being the only women at the show.

Not this time: it was packed with couples, women friends, gay men, gay women, even moms with daughters. Kathy has reached the mainstream and I'm not even sure she knows it.

Our seats were in the first row of the balcony which was pretty good. The show started 40 minutes late which kind pissed people off. We all decided it was so the theatre could sell more drinks since that's how they made more money. Then the lights went down and the backstage announcer introduced Kathy. When he mentioned her show My Life on the D-List she broke in and added "that's Emmy nominated!" and the crowd went wild.

Then Kathy ran onto the stage and it was 2 hours of continuous hilarious mayhem. She was very different than when we saw her on New Year's Eve which was basically a completely memorized and identical version of the material for her not-yet-then-taped "Strong Black Woman" Bravo special. Last night she was way more energetic, all over the place, really really dirty and a lot more dishy. She covered the usual topics of Oprah and Clay Aiken with some newbies like her appearances on Larry King and The Today Show and a completely hilarious story about the way Paris Hilton talks (hey, beatch, publicist?). She was really amazing. She was also very endearing, you just couldn't help loving her.

I managed to get a couple photos even though when we were entering the theatre the neanderthal staff was shouting no cameras and checking handbags. I slipped my camera in to my pants pocket (thankfully I wore pants this time, I usually wear a dress) and let them examine my handback. Ha.

Previously I had thought we would go to the stage door afterward and try to meet Kathy but it was late and the neighborhood was not a place I wanted to be at 11 at night. As it was, it was pretty scary walking to the Bart entrance and the Bart itself was packed like sardines and included a particularly unpleasant group of intimidation-prone teens.

Maybe we'll do the stage door next time, especially since Kathy seems to be working her way up to the nicer theaters in, hopefully, nicer neighborhoods. I really really want a photo of me and Kathy someday. Sigh. It was an amazing evening and an incredible show. There's only one Kathy and we are bigger fans than ever!

The Hottest Day Ever

We're in California continues...

We were upset to read that today is predicted to be the hottest day ever in England.

The return of the heatwave was inevitable, which is the main reason we left London a couple weeks ago. We really feel badly for our friends in London who must endure the high temperatures. We hear it's awful and can only count ourselves lucky to have been able to leave.

Our weather in Berkeley continues to be beautiful and yesterday got briefly to 79 which is still very comfortable. Right now at 10:00 a.m. it's 66 with a chilly breeze. I actually need a sweater. But in London it says it's 90 at 6:00 p.m. Yikes.

Books Be Gone

We're in California continues...

When we're in Berkeley we have a weekend routine: we walk over to Telegraph Avenue for some Indian food and then buy a few books at Cody's Bookstore. We've been doing this since we moved into our house in 2000. We were shocked when we heard the news that Cody's was closing.

It's been there for 43 years and has been loved my many, including us. We've bought hundreds of books there over the years.

So, thanks to the brain-dead Berkeley government and the impotent Business Associations, Cody's on Telegraph Avenue is gone and now we have to drive to their (not very good) store on 4th Street thereby using gas and polluting the enviroment. Not very "green." Berkeley wouldn't know how to be "green" if you hit them over the head with a brick and I wish someone would.

Now there is no reason for us to go to Telegraph Avenue. Ever. What's that you say? There are great cd stores like Rasputin and Amoeba? Sorry, they pretty much suck, like cd stores everywhere. I prefer buying downloads or buying cd's directly from the artist's web site.

Frankly, Telegraph Avenue, and Berkeley, in general, have gone to hell in a handbasket. The street people/homeless problem here, as well as in San Francisco, is chronic, which makes going anywhere downtown or on Telegraph Avenue extremely unpleasant.

For years I've said that obsessively politicially correct Berkeley is on a suicide mission and the results are starting to show. Empty stores in downtown are staying empty and there are no new stores that anyone wants to go to. The streets are lined with homeless, beggars and just plain crazy people. Sometimes really scary crazy people.

The only reason to live here is the gorgeous weather, the proximity to San Francisco (although I'm not sure for what), the amazing culture and the intellectual and liberal population although, sadly, they can often be so "green" that if they had their way we wouldn't have cars, electricity or running water and all the restaurants would be serving nothing but bark. Is bark a carb? Hmm...

San Francisco Salon

We're in California continues...

Our life in California is not as exciting as London. Although we do go out to lunch or dinner almost everyday that in itself is not really a bloggable event. When we are in California a lot of what John does is related to his Magnatune work. And sometimes I tag along. Like last night.

John, me and Teresa (our neighbor/friend/Magnatune helper) went to the Creative Commons salon in San Francisco. It's a monthly get-together where people network and there are a couple short presentations. Last night was the first time we went. It was really fun going to San Francisco, which we don't do very often. We took the BART which is generally pretty nice and is certainly the easiest way to get from Berkeley to San Francisco. The panorama of the city was taken from my seat on the BART as we approached the tunnel under the Bay. You can see the evening fog rolling in, it's quite spectacular.

The Salon was fun, I had champagne, and we saw a few people we've met before and met some new people. We were particularly excited to meet James Polanco (see photo) from Fake Science which is a fabulous music download site. I discovered the site a few months ago in London while I was surfing for new music and bought several albums on the spot. It was such a fun coincidence to meet him and to be able to tell him how much we admire the work he's doing and that his web site is fabulous. The site has great music and an excellent manifesto. We're huge fans.

Afterward the presentations and some more mingling we left in search of dinner and ran into James on the street so we invited him to join us. It was a pleasure to have him join us for dinner. He is really intelligent, funny and interesting.

We remembered a restaurant a few blocks away we'd been to a few years ago and, strangly, were able to find it without knowing it's name or exact location. It is Soluna Cafe and Lounge and is near City Hall and the Opera. It is a spectacular restaurant with exquisite food that is delicious and artistically prepared. The photo is of the chocolate souffle with chocolate gelato. I didn't have any because I'm having a weight problem right now but everyone else assured me it was amazing.

A fun evening, a new friend and a new restaurant!

Front Row on the D-List

We're in California continues...

I'm so excited! We got tickets in the front row to see my favorite Kathy Griffin in San Francisco next week!

We were disappointed when we thought we were going to still be in London when Kathy was in San Francisco. But since we came back early now we can go see her. She is a must-see. Completely hilarious.

Also now that I'm in California, I can watch her fabulous Bravo show My Life on the D-List when it is actually on, instead of downloading it from iTunes like I have to do in London. But I'll be buying it on iTunes anyway so I can watch it again. And again. I wish they'd release her Season 1 on iTunes. I need more Kathy.

Plaisir d'Amour

Today we're listening to a cd we bought in Europe recently and it's so amazing I decided I wanted to talk about it.

When we were in Paris last week, we took taxis back to the hotel a few times. Often, the taxi was playing classical music. Amazing! Not Nelly Whats-her-name-who-cares-anyway. Not Pussycat Doll-crap. Classical Music. The music during one particular taxi ride was one of the most beautiful things we'd ever heard. But how to find it?

The announcement in French afterwards only said something about French Renaissance music and if they included the performer we didn't hear it. Then they played some Ravel piano music which I did recognise so we had a reference point if we were able to find a playlist online. And we did.

When we got back to the hotel we found the radio station's web site which had playlists for each day/hour and we were able to spot the Ravel and, therefore, the gorgeous music right before it: "Plaisir d'Amour - Chansons & romances de la France d'autrefois" by Le Poème Harmonique directed by Vincent Dumestre. Then I went to Amazon and ordered the cd and it was waiting for us when we got home. I ordered another of their cd's too because of the possiblity of it also being incredibly beautiful. And it is.

This is one of the reasons we enjoy Europe so much. Hearing amazing classical music in a taxi and then going online to find the title and then buy it? It's just not possible to have an experience like that the U.S. or even the U.K. Every country has its problems, even France. But France is also a very cultured country which is one of the reasons we love it so much.

Chilly California

We're back in California. When we landed yesterday it was 65 in San Francisco. This morning we needed jackets when we went out for our morning coffee. The forecast for the week is 70's possibly going up to 80 at the weekend. So, we're glad we made the decision to come back early from London where, a couple days ago, it was 105 inside the house on the top floor. Yea, we're getting air conditioning.

Once again, Clyde was beside himself that I'm back. This morning he came in and wouldn't hold still long enough for me to take a photo so here are a few action shots.

He's talking more than ever and follows me around the house making cat noises. I think he's saying, "You bitch, where were you, scratch me, sit down so I can sleep on your lap, where's my water, don't leave me again..." He really breaks my heart; he's such a sweetie.

Quiet California

We've decided to cut our stay in London a little short and go back to California tomorrow. I know, I know, shock and dismay. Ok, here's the thing:

It's effing hot. And I mean EFFING HOT. We can't stand it anymore. It's horrible. And the construction in the shop downstairs is supposed to last for weeks. Weeks of drilling, hammering and tedious noise. Nope, can't do it. Gotta flee. We are definitely calling the air conditioning company when we get back. This heat is just nuts, we can't live like this.

We had an amazing time in London this trip and are sorry to be leaving sooner than expected. But we'll be back in October and I'm sure I'll be blogging a few of the fun things we'll be doing in California.

Ta for now!

House Concert No. 9

Last night was our 9th House Concert!

This time, Magnatune artist Seth Carlin performed on fortepiano. He was outstanding. The audience was particularly enthusiastic. His performance was nuanced and vibrant and he really brought out the best in the instrument which, by its very nature, is limited.

Then he was joined by Magnatune artist Jeni Melia who sang some Schubert songs, accompanied by Seth. Stunning. They had only just met and had limited rehearsal time but you'd never know it. Jeni's voice was gorgeous and her interpretation was wonderfully moving. Seth's accompaniment was perfection, they are quite a combination that I think we'd all like to hear more of.

Then we had dinner which was again prepared by John but this time with the assistance of Seth's delightful wife and son who pitched in and made the concert preparation easier than ever.

After dinner Seth played two amazing pieces by Mozart. The B-flat major sonata and then the "Twinkle Variations" (Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman). He played from memory, without music, which I found very impressive. His interpretation of both works was extraordinary and again he bought out the best of the fortepiano, creating drama and subtlety. It was fabulous. The audience agreed.

Afterward we had dessert and mingled and, as always, it's fun for the audience to be able to talk with the musicians and see the instrument close up.

Thank you to Claire Hammett for coming early to tune the fortepiano. And thank you to Anneke Scott and Kathryn Cok for lending us their beautiful fortepiano for this concert.

Well, that's it for the House Concerts this season. We'll start them again in a few months.

And lastly, a sort-of hilarious story about last night's concert. At around 6, an hour before the concert was to begin we heard (and felt) very loud crashing noises down on the street. It sounded like a someone going on a rampage. We realized it was in the shop on the ground floor of the building. John and a friend went to investigate and discovered the shop on the ground floor was being torn to pieces for a renovation. Now?! At 6 o'clock on a Sunday evening? The noise, pounding and vibration was awful and we realized the concert could not happen if the construction continued. So, John gave some money to one of our friends who went down and paid them to leave. We suspect it was illegal for them to be doing that construction on a Sunday evening so we think they were happy to take the money and spend the evening in the pub.

Unfortunately, they're back now at 7:30 this morning, pounding away. I feel bad for Seth and his family who are directly above the chaos. Hopefully they got enough sleep and can now flee the house and find something fun to do in London. I may have to do the same because the construction noise will drive me nuts. Ah, London, never a dull moment and never really finished.

Farewell, Top 10

Today I am no longer in the Magnatune Top 10. I was up until yesterday but today I'm number 11.

It was great while it lasted. Thank you everyone who bought my album and helped me get into the top 10 and stay there for over a week!

If you haven't bought my album yet, buy me now! Who knows, I may even make it back into the Top 10.

Steam Cabinet

The heatwave is back and I'm very crabby.

Each of the weather forecast web sites says different things but the BBC says it's going into the 90's this week. Damn. We're kind of upset because tonight it's going to be really hot for our house concert which is our last of the season and possibly our last ever.

In addition to the heat, last night was the worst in Covent Garden since we've lived here. Probably because of the world cup, there are hoards of drunk, loud, young people wandering the streets screaming, singing, fighting, breaking things and generally acting like pigs. Last night, while looking out the window at the restaurant we had dinner in, we watched a bunch of drunk guys throw a Portuguese flag into the street, spit on it, stamp on it and then, get ready for this: set it on fire. Yes, they set it on fire in the middle of the street in Covent Garden.

The cars had to go around it. The police did nothing, I didn't even see any. The police in London aren't interested in the bad behaviour of the crowds anyway. I'm not sure what the police in central London do, exactly.

The whole world cup thing seems to be just an excuse for awful people to behave even more badly than usual. We're planning not to be in London for the next one. Yea, yea, I know, "good riddance" and all that. Whatever. Get drunk and set yourself on fire. Please.

So, lots of heat, lots of noise and a bit of flag burning. Makes you glad you don't live in London, dunnit?

Paris: Eurostar to London

We're back in London!

This morning we took a taxi to the Gare du Nord and took the Eurostar back to London. Champagne, lunch, iPod and, voila, we're home.

It was an amazing trip. Paris is gorgeous. We had a great time: great food, great sight-seeing and great fun.