Catch Me I'm Falling...

Today I can feel the weather finally starting the change (thank God). Signs of crocuses and snow drop flowers blooming... I was even able to ditch my jacket.

Although cooler this past weekend, Sarah and I managed to get outdoors for a hike with her parents on Saturday afternoon, along one of our favorite nature preserves in the Capital Region. I already blogged last June about the Christman Sanctuary, which contains a couple of really stunning waterfalls. Well I think now is really the time for us to get cracking on our waterfall search, because things are thawing and the water is falling! Here are some photos I took with my new Canon EOS Rebel T3:

Interesting to see the changes with a longer exposure:

For those who attended our wedding, this waterfall might look familiar 

(we used a photo of it on our invitations).

Wicked Good

Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987)
Myths: The Witch, 1981
screen print with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
38 1/16" x 38". The Andy Warhol Museum,
Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol
Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. 1998.1.2452.4
From Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross.

The Museum's mini comic con went well yesterday... although it lacked a bit of the enthusiasm of the Albany Con a week before (think some people working at the Museum don't really get this comic book thing), it was still a good time--fun to meet different artists, and I had a chance to greet even more excited kids in my Spidey get-up... even received a drawing or two, which was sweet.

Another cool thing about the Alex Ross exhibit is that because it was curated by The Andy Warhol Museum, it includes not only some of Andy Warhol's comic book collection, but also some of the pop artist's original work--his Myths series from the early 1980s is quite striking, and includes a series of recognizable figures which Alex Ross would also go on to illustrate: Superman, Uncle Sam, and The Wicked Witch. For the latter, both Ross and Warhol based their designs on actress Margaret Hamilton, who memorably played the character in the 1939 movie adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz (Warhol went so far as the recruit Hamilton to pose for his painting--see above).

The character of the Wicked Witch of the West is such an enduring icon that it is interesting to see the spin that author Gregory Maguire has put on the character in his best-selling novel, Wicked. I must confess that I have yet to read the author's work, although Sarah and I did get to hear the Albany-born author speak a few years ago in Schenectady (Sarah, the avid reader, really enjoyed Wicked, as well as the author's two follow-up tales). Anyway, the gist of the novel (if you are not already aware) is a telling of the story of The Wicked Witch from another perspective, where she is, in fact, persecuted because of the color of her skin; in reality, she is a good-hearted gal, with a particular soft-spot for animals. 

Cast members from Wicked mingle with the audience
at Proctors Theater. Photo by Jeremy Clowe.

Tonight I managed to score us some discounted tickets the musical Wicked, which has a week-long engagement at Schenectady's Proctors Theater. I have seen a couple shows at the theater, which is just down the road, and it is a lovely, old-time venue, with regal ceiling, balcony, and stage. We were up very close to the stage, so had a great view of the action between The Wicked Witch Elphaba (beautifully played by actress Christine Dwyer, a fellow University of Hartford alum!) and her frequently shallow friend Glinda, The Good Witch (Jeanna De Waal, in an equally strong performance). 

The set by Eugene Lee was great, including a fire-eyed dragon towering over the stage, and huge robotic Oz; and there was exquisite costuming by designer Susan Hilferty--the stage was completely glowing by the time we were transported to Emerald City. I haven't read the book so I can't really comment on the translation, but several of the songs I had heard before on the TV show, Glee, and they sounded great here. I also appreciated the play's themes... that there are two sides to a story... things are not always black and white, and we should celebrate, not oppress differences... every which (witch) way. 

Related Links:

www.gregorymaguire.com

www.wickedthemusical.com

"Playing 'Wicked's' green witch a dream job," Albany Times Union, November 1, 2012

Calling All Heroes...

Some of the artist's reference masks on
display in the Heroes & Villains exhibition.
Photo by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell
Museum. All rights reserved.

Whew... managed to complete a first version of my Alex Ross exhibition video in time for the opening. There's several things I still want to enhance, but all the elements are there and I think it tells a decent, cohesive story.

I just got back from dinner with the artist himself and curators, and all is good... it's a nice installation, and we have some decent press happening. It should be an interesting opening weekend...

And it doesn't end for me with the opening tomorrow... on Sunday I will be representing the Museum and the exhibition at the Albany Comic Con... talk about perfect timing.

Everyday Is Like Sunday

Sorry, I couldn't resist that title. I thought today was as good a chance as any to finally talk about last Thursday's concert. I had seen Morrissey live a few times before, so I felt I was somewhat prepared...

The first time I saw the Mozzer was in 1992, Springfield, Massachusetts--it was my junior year of college, and around the time I really started getting into his work. He had just released Your Arsenal, and I was taken by the aggressive, guitar sound (at times rockabilly) that somehow worked alongside his personal, introspective lyrics. In retrospect, it was an approach he had already successfully utilized during his time with the Smiths, but I wasn't as aware of that music when it was originally released. This album, however, came out right during the grunge music years... and it seemed a bit more energetic and fresh in comparison. There was also the "look" of Morrissey (again, sort of a rockabilly meets beat poet) and the opinionated yet ambiguous way that he presented himself, which both confounded and intrigued the public. He just seemed awfully cool and different... somehow I always find myself going "against the grain."



Another album followed in the spring of 1994--the more reflective Vauxhall and I. It seemed a perfect "release" for me at the time (especially the track "Hold On To You Friends"), as I had experienced a rather rocky, emotional year, and was just figuring out how to find my footing. I appreciated the comfort of the artist's work so much that I traveled out to New York City to try and meet him during a signing he was giving at Tower Records. What I found were blocks of fans lined on the streets for the opportunity, making me realize the extent to which people had connected with his work. Unfortunately, I did not get in... I stood out for a few hours, and only caught a glimpse of the artist, holding up a sign that read "I'm sorry" for the many he did not have time to get to--I think that simple gesture said something about the respect he felt for his fans, in contrast to the acerbic nature of some of his opinions and lyrics. 



Things got quieter as the years went on... although I frequently played his new material during my stint as a DJ, I didn't find it quite as melodic and engaging, even though the love of all things Britpop was getting stronger and stronger for me. I did find myself going back to the early Smiths albums, and realizing that these were even more special for their heartfelt music and lyrics. 

In 2004, Morrissey returned to form with the album You Are the Quarry, and it had some splendid songs that seemed to come back around to a more simple, direct form of songwriting. After a long absence, a new tour was announced, with a special date at New York's legendary Apollo Theater... considering my love of soul music and Britpop, it was too tempting to resist. That was a lovely concert... with a lush theater providing quite the backdrop to Moz's melodramatic flourishes... plus, he was finally playing Smiths songs! Hearing "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" live was sheer joy... I caught him again in Boston a few months later, but that was marred by a drunken girlfriend who was causing me trouble at the time... heaven knows I was "miserable" now.



So this year, Morrissey was finally coming to me... Albany's Palace Theater, and I looked forward to bringing my sweet wife Sarah and good friend Frank to share in the experience. As I mentioned, the fantastic independent station WEQX was giving tickets away the other week, and I thought I would give it a shot... and won! So our upgrade to the second row promised to make this show all the more memorable.

There were the expected Morrissey clones--hair quiffs and moody black... people you half-expected to have a book of poetry under their arm. The one thing I haven't mentioned yet is that people have often thought that I resembled the artist (especially during the early 90s), and I haven't heard the last of that once Sarah and Frank made the same observation. I wondered if Moz himself considered it... we were literally looking straight across from each other during the show!

Yes, we realized that our second row seats were actually in the first-- we couldn't have been closer to the stage in some respects. We only caught a little of opening act Kristeen Young, which sounded interesting to me... more like a Bjork clone to Sarah. This was followed by a stream of film clips which I mentioned yesterday... offering a taste of some of Morrissey's early influences, including writer Oscar Wilde, whose wit the Brit certainly shares. 



Once Moz took the stage, you could feel the energy. Devoted fans who held on to their heart, and mouthed every lyric. I enjoyed doing the latter, especially to such songs as "You Have Killed Me" and "Everyday is Like Sunday." Morrissey looked older and didn't seem to move around as much as I remembered, but he and his band certainly did not lack energy or playing ability. At times I found myself impressed at how strong the singer's voice remains... he belted a cover of Frankie Valli's "To Give (The Reason I Live)" that made you think it was a song of his own creation. 

A Morrissey show is not a typical rock show, I think. Because of the nature of his music, it has the air of melancholy... slight depression... yet the music usually succeeds in countering that, and turning it into something quite emotional and, at times, uplifting. This was the case again at this show, although at times I felt it veered too much into a downbeat direction. Case in point: during his rendition of The Smiths' controversial "Meat Is Murder," the outspoken vegetarian showed film clips of the abuses of cattle and poultry farms. I have seen such footage before and been moved by it (I haven't actually eaten red meat in over ten years), but I think showing it in this venue was a bit much. Perhaps something a bit more abstract would have made it easier to digest... my poor wife averted her eyes, and I think many in the audience did not know how to react following this depressing visual... the songs that followed didn't help lift the spirits much. I think it's always a very fine line with this type of music, to not make it too despairing. 

Energy came back to the show in a big way with the common spectacle of fans trying to rush the stage and offer the singer a hug. It is always interesting... I think has been a part of every show I have seen. What happens is a dramatic tug of war between fans, security, and the artist... in some ways it is more "rock and roll" than the more typical shows I see! I was tempted at one point, but did not want to jeopardize my perfect seat. The same reason, I took very few photos... proper cameras were actually prohibited, but once I saw others disobeying and snapping shots with their phones, I decided to do the same. By the end of the concert and an encore of The Smiths classic "How Soon Is Now?" the true emotional energy of a Morrissey concert was revealed, and we were lucky to be able to witness it live, up-front and direct.

After the show, Sarah and Frank kidded me about the resemblance, and also picked up on the fact that many of my "moves" when I am performing seem borrowed from Morrissey. Looks like I have been found out! I hadn't really thought of it, but there is something I have picked up on with some of his stage antics, the same way that I have observed soul artists, The Beatles, Morten Harket, and David Bowie over the years. I especially liked one review of the concert that described Morrissey's use of the microphone cord as resembling a whip for a lion tamer... too true--I have used that trick, as well as the overdramatic sauntering around and falling to the stage. Why not?... I'm not really conscious of it, but I guess I have always been a bit of a sponge for pop music, much like Morrissey himself... 

One cool ending to the night: we ended up landing a V.I.P. pass, and hung out afterwards to try and meet the reclusive singer. After a bit of a wait, security came out and said that unfortunately he had "long gone"... we started to head out, when the singer's long-time guitarist Boz Boorer came out to greet some friends. We managed to speak to him as well, and I finally got my copy of Vauxhall and I signed... not by Morrissey, but I guess this was the next best thing (Boorer had also collaborated on this album that I so enjoyed). 

As I wrote, the next day I was exhausted... but did pull myself together to perform with my improv group. I guess people enjoyed it, but I had mixed feelings. It's hard to just switch it on when you're not really feeling it... especially with comedy. I wondered how musicians like Morrissey manage to do it every night on tour? Performing is not easy, and it must be challenging for the acts who care enough to give their fans a great show every time... Moz seems to find a way--I have yet to attend a bad concert, where he didn't seem to be giving it his all... I'm sure it won't be the last.

All photos ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Related Links:

"Morrissey Pleases Crowd at the Palace," Albany Times Union, October 19, 2012

"Morrissey is the same old Morrissey (in seal-hunt free Albany, N.Y.)," National Post, October 19, 2012

Morrissey's Official Facebook page


Still intrigued? Check out this great documentary we discovered yesterday:
"The Importance of Being Morrissey"