There was some rock action last Friday I failed to mention. My seventeen year-old step-niece went to see Green Day for the first time, at the Xcel Energy Center (a big-ass arena in St. Paul, built on the site of the former Civic Center). I remember going to see Green Day for the first time too…when said niece was still in diapers, fifteen years ago or so. This show was at a slightly different venue. A sweaty little basement on Selby Avenue in St. Paul, at the old Speedboat Gallery, next door to Motor Oil Coffee. There were maybe 30, okay, 40 or 50 people, tops, in attendance. And it was brilliant. To this day that place remains on my list of favorite spots for shows, even if it was only around for a couple of years. Another favorite show there was Jawbox, though I went embarrassingly fangirl afterwards, talking to their female bass player, trying to tell her how awe-inspiring I found her (in a largely male-dominated scene) trying desperately not to sound like a complete moron. I think I failed. Horribly. Sigh.
In other news… I’ve noticed a thing or two about where I’m working. One thing in particular is about the bathrooms. Once in a while, when I’m in the ladies room, I’ll hear the unmistakable sound of some dude in the men’s room, on the other side of the too-thin wall, yanking on the toilet paper roll. Sure, it’s somewhat muffled by layers of tile and plywood, or whatever, but that’s definitely the sound. I don’t know why it should strike me as so odd that we can hear it. Maybe it’s because the already hazy barriers of personal privacy in a public bathroom are so obviously being breached. But it makes me want to walk out of the ladies room, lean in close to the men’s room door and shout FIRE! real loud-like.
Oh c’mon, not like I would.
Really.
Bonus: Not only is this coming Saturday the first day of October (October?! Already?! Wtf?!) it’s also Free First Saturday at the Walker Art Center. This month’s theme revolves around puppetry and suchlike.
Plus: Though I recently started taking Arabic lessons, something tells me I’m not quite ready for Arabic Scrabble gameplay just yet. But the set is quite beautiful. And it might actually help me to remember the characters. Hmmm. Which reminds me, I need to do my homework. I think this week’s assignment had to do with the characters dal and dhal, but I’m not entirely sure. I’m such a first rate student!
And: Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Deerhoof are giving away a tribute album, of Deerhoof songs (de)constructed and re-recorded by fans, online.
