Great -- but small -- American Venues

There's no need to remark on the Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Centers of the land; that would be like reminding folks that Buffet is a billionaire or that Tyson is a tough cookie with a squeaky voice!

Instead, I'd rather focus on those smaller, more immediate venues for live music that may have gone unnoticed, sometimes even in our own hometowns. There are so many well-designed, intimate spaces that afford the attentive audience a chance to not only listen and see live music in its most pure form, but also to become part of the experience. In these special musical spots, your clap actually matters and when you whistle and holler, the artists feel it and feed off it to everyone's benefit. What follows is only a tiny selection of magical venues to explore:

The Ark in Ann Arbor, MI - Back in the U of M days, this is where I got my first taste of music performance in-the-round listening to the songs and stories of legends like Greg Brown along with new guard of folk acts like Steppin' In It (don't know them? well, you better!). It's a nationally known stop for singer / songwriters and for jazzheads to catch the likes of John Scofield and Medeski, Martin, and Wood. Despite the notion of "flyover country", the Ark is one venue not to miss if you're in the midwest.

The Rialto Room at Hotel Indigo, Athens, GA - Although Hotel Indigo can be a bit pretentious (the hipster/frat quotient is high!), the Rialto Room is a space that was designed for intimacy and quality acoustics using "state-of-the-art equipment". It so well-planned that you feel like the artist is playing practically for you alone. It's remarkable what good design can do to showcase the art that the acts bring to town, admittedly one frequently flooded with quality music.

The Bottom of The Hill in San Francisco, CA - I hear good things about this spot, but I've yet to get there -- in due time. Based on the schedule, this small venue caters to acts on the rise and established artists, as well in various genres including "alternative, rock-a-billy, punk, and hard-rock" with a bit of "folk, punk, and pop" mixed in. Rolling Stone considers this "the best place to hear live music" in SF which is seriously saying something (RS 813).

The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA - This is another "must play" venue for acts small and medium in addition to those legends who recognize the value of seeing the whites of the listeners' eyes. You can sit movie-theater style; you can smoke in the dedicated "smoker's alley" (although you shouldn't 'cause those buggers will eventually end up smoking you!) or you can dance it up close to the stage. I've seen many greats shows at the Variety and the neighborhood of Little Five Points is funky and fun for before and after!

The Highline Ballroom in NYC - If this one is anywhere near the new Highline Urban Park, then it's worth a visit; not to mention, it seems like every band / artist I watch out for is playing this ballroom on tour. Big reputation!

Johnny Brenda's in Philidelphia - Just one that I discovered in my searching, and it looks like one to check out in Philly. Anytime the name is one of those "man-lady" combos, you can bet it's a place where the love sows the seeds of musical adventure! Been there? Tell us about it.

How about your area? Is there some spot where you go to see live music that's not a stadium sporting a corporate moniker? Tell me about it: Post a comment and I'll put it on the bucket list.

To close, I leave you with the lyrics to a classic Dan Hicks tune that makes my point about heading to these wonderfully inviting, small venues to get yourself in tune with live musical energy!

CANNED MUSIC
Dan Hicks

Canned music, canned music, playing on the radio
Canned music, canned music, with out a doubt it doesn't go
Favorites on the jukebox are only half the show when it's
Canned music, canned music

A little before she left me, I asked her what it's all about
She said I feel like dancin', She feel like stepping out
I took her with the van, where the band was on the stand, playin'
Live music live music

She got us on the dance floor, to me it was a sight
I never seen my baby movin', like the moves she made on me that night
I did not have a chance the way that music made me dance, it was ah
Live music, live music

The rhythm was all around us, we was really steppin' out
My baby said I'm livin' for this music, I asked her what it's all about
She said I'm just a silly girl, this stuff has got me in a whirl
It's just some live music, live music

And that was the night she left me, danced herself into my memory
My baby had to leave me for the drummer, I guess I'll never solve that mystery
I think I've learned my lesson just don't get too near the band when it's
Live music, live music

A little before she left me, I asked her what it's all about
She said she feel like dancin', she feel like steppin' out

Avoiding Heavy Metal... in Seafood

After seeing the Academy Award winning documentary for 2010, The Cove, I swore to write off sushi forever. I think I knew about dangerous mercury levels in certain fish like bluefin tuna (and even large, fresh water fish species) before seeing the film which focuses on the plight of dolphins, specifically those cetaceans being slaughtered in Taiji, Japan (which continued at least until the film's release in Japan this year). However, I've enjoyed many a sushi marathon in various states, and I admit that it's a dining pleasure that has not been easy to forsake.

For Earth Day's 40th anniversary, The Nature Conservancy is making an effort to address the problem of mercury in the seafood we consume. The only way to avoid mercury build-up in humans is to avoid eating those sea creatures with high-levels as a result of predation which acts to concentrate the toxin in organisms' flesh.
Of course, enjoy the sea's bounty, but be careful what you buy and what you order! Here are some links to help aid in the tricky seafood selection process:
FishPhone - a clever little text-message service to help you choose which fish...
Seafood WATCH - Monterrey Bay Aquarium's downloadable pocket guides for seafood shopping
The Nature Conservancy - go directly to the article by Kate Frazer, "From Sea to Plate"

Jai Alai : The Original Basque Ball

Over the Easter holiday, I had the opportunity to witness firsthand the fast-paced sport of jai alai. Stepping into the Orlando Jai Alai Fronton (that's was the arena for the sport is called) was like walking into a sliver of Miami Vice-era Florida with plenty of colorful characters lurking about each with a glimmer of hope for the upcoming match. I posted a few bets, nothing ambitious, but the main draw was to witnesss the game play itself -- to verify why they call it "the fastest game in the world"!

The height of jai alai's popularity ---> the moustachioed 70's

photo courtesy of brooksfile.files.wordpress.com

According to historians, jai alai was originally played bare-handed against the wide and tall church walls in the Basque region of Northern Spain. The game comes to us via Cuba and then Miami and eventually the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. as well as gambling centers in the American West. Now a significant draw for wagerers, it seems that wherever the colonizing Spanish went, jai alai, or any of a handful of other "ball and a wall" games followed.

It's tough to get a true sense of the speed, agility, and coordination required of the players, but this video does a good job illustrating the dimensions of the game and the ever-present element of fear. The fundamentals of the catching and throwing are not that difficult to master; the real challenge is to muster up the 'cojones' to get in front of the speeding 'pelota', to scoop it and whip it, and at an angle that will make it hard to field on the rebound!

The History of Basque Pelota in The Americas - a comprehensive work on the history of jai alai from its origins in Spain by Carmelo Urza of the University of Nevada, Reno.

National Jai Alai Association - the skinny on the sport and its history from the pros in 'los estates'

H2G2 at The Beeb - a decent little "guidebook" write up about modern jai alai for the curious few

Florida Gaming Corp. - what the gamblers have to say about jai alai history