Friday, September 28, 2007

Sufing game


Sufing game
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey
A weird and popular "surfing game" at lexington's oktoberfest

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

A few new pix from The Indigo performance


Rachel portrait
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey
I realized that I had neglected to post about a dozen pix of interest with my set from Mecca's show featuring The Indigo. Probably, I got sidetracked making classic cocktails for the girls. Anyway I've added about a dozen to The Indigo Set on my Flickr page.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Brooke


Brooke
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey
Lexington got a great treat in the form of a visit by The Indigo from San Francisco. Yay, Rachel, Mardi, and Zoe! The show was, of course, the handiwork of the ever-fabulous Mecca Live Studio, responsible for so many fun things here in Lexington. Thanks, Mecca!

Here are my photos.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

"Before your time, kid…"

A little while ago, I was beleagering a younger friend about her supposed love of early Rush, which I noisily decried to be "too long ago" for her to know about. Or appreciate?

It's funny—the same accusation would totally rile me.

In fact it did once, a few years ago. I was at the State Fair, gaping over the bitchery and pomp heralded by the many horse shows. I think I was paying witness to a particularly fruity Saddlebred Horse Show, which featured a cavalcade of jaunty tunes played on a colossal organ, live, everybody! Anyway, I was fascinated and sought out the organ player, who was sequestered in a corner of the showring seats, alone at his organ. I kind of hung around and watched him do his gig. He was not a jaunty man—in fact, he ended up being more of a vituperative, bitter grump. I know this because at one point he started playing "Cherish," by The Association—a song that I knew but couldn't place at that moment. So I asked him about it and he spit back this bile: "Ah, it's before your time…" The guy was positively sour. And I there I was, trying to connect with him.

I wanted to say: "Oh, dude—you so don't know of that which you speak."

Because that's a funny thing about music fandom: Loving music is a timeless habit. I happen to be a big fan of The Association, despite having been barely born during their heydey; Similarly, some of my 22-year-old noise-rock friends probably know more about John Cage than some scholars; And it's possible—entirely possible—that my friend-in-question might love Rush's "Fly By Night" as much as somebody significantly older than her.

Anyway, I guess the reminder for me is: watch it with the "it's before your time" thing. When it comes to a love of music, it often a bad idea to judge a fan based on age.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Jill and Joe's Wedding!


The reception
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey
Massive big fun was had by past and former Kentuckians and their North Country hosts for Jill and Joe's nupts in sublime Minneapolis-St. Paul. What a great time, y'all!

The set of pix is here!

saturday morning thoughts


For the first time in recent memory, I don't feel overwhelmed waking up in the AM. I've spent months now feeling the need to jump out of bed and start running as fast as possible until the inevitable bedtime, when I would rest so that I could do it again. That is not healthy, I am quite aware. And in fact, this has been the busiest craziest summer ever, from a mostly work standpoint, but also just in general. And lots of that has been really cool and some not so much and plenty just kind of in the middle. Mostly my issue has been with volume of stuff.

And I'm really happy to momentarily report that it's cooling off. And that refers to volume of stuff (VOS) and even just plain tempurature. The thing I wanted to announce is really quite simple: I'm wearing my hoodie. It's Saturday morning, things are quiet, I hear the hissing of the sprinkler watering my tomotoes and I'm wearing my favorite hoodie.

Last night, through a wonderful "friend connection," I worked at photographer at this benign horse farm party where The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played. Everybody was nice and reasonable, and cheerful, nobody got wasted or belligerent (including me – ha), I was nicely paid and I might get to do it again. This is calming.

Just came back from Minneapolis, from Jill's wedding (pictures coming) and that was a great trip in many ways. And? I'm glad to be home with not too much on the horizon. Except Mountain Workshop, which has me a little heebie-jeebie, I admit. But mostly in a really excited way. Besides that's a few weeks from now.

In the meantime, I'm hoping to sort through some pictures, keep the clients under control and help Lucy here and there with her new job.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

hammer time


hammer time
Originally uploaded by brian arnett
Hammer Schlager: I have got some shit to say about this North Country oddity.

Jillabration


Jillabration
Originally uploaded by brian arnett
me and "the bride," puttin' the hurt on a reception.

oktoberfreaks


seerSUCKERS!
Originally uploaded by brian arnett
jill's wedding reception, near Minneapolis. Land of the 1-liter beer. Gawd. What fun!

Jill's wedding!


aisle
Originally uploaded by brian arnett
Just came back from Minneapolis and Jill's wedding. Lucy give it the thumb up! (me, too.)

Mother - Daughter Reunion


Two Simmons, originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

My friend Merrill and one of the compelling portraits that she has around her place of her mom. I was secretly delighted to get this picture even though I was acting like I was not paying attention to such things while Merrill was standing there. ;-)

Maine Workshop Memories


Kate's Cottage, originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

I've been meaning to post this set of some casual snapshots that I took around the campus of The Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine. My time there was so precious. And so busy. When I got around to taking these pictures, one of my last days there, it felt … so weird to be taking snapshots. After spending the week shooting shooting shooting in the field. I felt funny walking around like a tourist taking these pix. But I wanted to share them.

Mingle Freely dot com!

I've owned the domain minglefreely.com for quite some time, but I only just now got around to plugging it in.

So! The good news is, my blog can now be reached from the web address minglefreely.com! Much easier to remember, right?

Joe Zawinul RIP

Just saw this morning that Zawinul died. And that requires a brief eulogy. Because Joe Zawinul and Weather Report grooved me through my early 30's, years that I remember fondly for the house parties on Kentucky Avenue often helmed by Lexington's great jazz-rock party band Lily Pons. So many of us had such a great time in the presence of our friends/incredible musicians. And there was no doubt that they took cues of inspiration from "Black Market-" era Weather Report.

Those were great times. In fact, just the other day, having dinner with some friends, I noticed a copy of Black Market on top of the stereo and couldn't resist putting it on. That music can still summon memories of some of my most carefree years. I never got to see Weather Report with Zawinul, which is a bit saddening, but not too much because I would have really liked to have seen them in the late 70's, well before I could have actually appreciated them.

A final thought: One of my favorite albums of all time, Brian Eno's "Another Green World," includes an austere instrumental interlude called Zawinul/Lava: Many musicians were inspired by Joe Zawinul. Many people delighted in his music.

Monday, September 03, 2007

RUSH! Riverbend 2007

Saturday night, saw an amazing show by the heros of my youth, Rush. The show tickledlme in every way and I am just so delighted that I didn't feel somehow too old to go see the patron saints of my teenage years. Here's my phone cam pictures

They're kinda psychedelic.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Chicken rotisseries


Chicken rotisseries, originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

The rectangles. Seriously! The orangish rectangles are chicken rotisseries.. It's a joke apparently about how they no longer need big huge amps like in the old days; so Geddy had a row of institutional chicken rotisserie machines. Last tour, it was washer/drier units. My cam-phone pic pretty much sucks, but here's a better photo.

Rush!


Rush!, originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

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