La Radiolina

The Spouse and I got up early with The Dark Lord for his first day of school. I made apple-cinnamon oatmeal and packed his lunch kit full of healthy foods. And then he left.

The other kids were blissfully sleeping so I had the experience of a quiet house. I was feeling quite blue until I remembered there was another reason today was special. How did Manu Chao know I would need his new album today? Such timing!

I briefly considered buying La Radiolina from iTunes but the liner notes in his CDs are always such fun so I made a point of buying the real CD in the real world. And I am enjoying it thoroughly. One thing I've always loved is that he's not afraid to revisit prior songs and recycle and reinvent so things can sound familiar yet fresh and exciting. The first listen has been great, like listening to new stories from an old friend. I hadn't expected to like it as much as earlier albums as I knew he was going for a heavier, guitar-focused sound this time around but I am loving it. Go listen here and see what you think.

Wild Night

My ears are still ringing just slightly after spending last night at The Roseland watching Manu Chao. There's no one in the last ten years whose music I've loved like I love his. It seems simple and repetitive but really there's a so much going on, so many rhythms and textures and languages. There's no one like him and he rarely tours the US so I was stunned that he chose to come to Portland.

I've had a number of false starts getting to see this guy. We were on the verge of blowing all the money we'd saved for The Dark Lord's bar mitzvah last summer so we could fly down to see Manu in Berkeley but the date conflicted with an old friend's wedding. When this year's first tour dates were announced, I immediately bought tickets for Sasquatch despite the huge production I knew that would be: the six hour drive, staying over, all the other bands I didn't want to sit through...but I was willing to put up with it all just for a chance to see Manu live. Luckily I was able to move those tickets along to someone who really wanted to make that trip.

I am not a concertgoer in general. Zoo concerts are about my speed these days and even they can be too crowded and loud for me. Nonetheless I needed to be at this show early for a good spot. We were relieved to see that we weren't the oldest folks in line. The crowd was good mix of all kinds of folks: lots of Latinos, the expected hippie kids, a very proper looking French couple, and lots of folks our age who've no doubt loved Manu as long as we have.

I made it clear to The Spouse that I wasn't going to be lost in the back where I wouldn't be able to see anything and he generously stayed right between me and some of the more boisterous folks. What a guy!

The show started a bit late, there were clearly some sound issues that were eventually sorted out. And then the band came on stage to wild applause. Once they started playing, I don't think they really stopped at all--one song blended seamlessly into the next. Everyone around me seemed to know the lyrics and we all enjoyed singing along. The band mixed up lyrics and melodies from time to time, completely changing the nature of some of the familiar songs making them into something completely different. They played nearly all of my favorites (only Minha Galera was missing) and U really enjoyed the expereince of hearing them live.

The band's energy was incredible--I honestly do no know how they can do this night after night. Manu's a few years older than I am but he just comes out and plays and sings and dances and jumps around like crazy. It was great to be up so close to watch the band members interact and play off each other and the audience--I would have missed all that had I been further back in the crowd.

It was super hot and I was achy and wildly thirsty when it ended. My ears were ringing, I'd been elbowed and stepped on, and knocked about more than I would have liked. All this was a very small price to pay to see Manu live. It really was fantastic. I'd waited for this for so long that I had feared nothing would live up to my expectations--how marvelous that I was dead wrong on that.

Now I need to go pick up the kids and get on with my regularly scheduled adult life. But it's nice to know that even responsible middle aged mamas can have a wild night from time to time.

Major Adolescent Hysteria!

And it's not the boys for once, it's me. I'm gonna be just a little wound up for the next 3 months.

I found out yesterday that Manu Chao is going to be at the Sasquatch Music Festival with his wonderful band Radio Bemba Sound System over Memorial Day weekend. He is the only musician I'd even consider traveling to see but I am so crazy for his music that I will go to Central Washington if that's what it takes.

He hadn't toured the US in years and was finally as close as Berkeley last summer but we had neither the money to fly nor the time to drive. So now we'll be going to the middle of Washington state deal with this whole crazy festival thing which it sounds absolutely ridiculous for a pair of self-respecting parents in their 40's but we are not missing Manu again. My wonderful parents and some other lucky friends will be taking the kids and The Spouse and I get to have a ridiculous, juvenile, crazy road trip weekend.

Maybe one of these days I'll act like a grownup...but not just yet!

Oh Happy Day!

Anyone who has read my profile or spent any time with me knows I am a huge fan of Manu Chao. I can't get enough of his crazy world beat multilingual music. I love the repetition of musical samples, the clever lyrics, the complex themes covered in seemingly simple songs, and the fabulous audio collage thing he has going on.

He's not terribly well known in the US which is probably why his latest studio album wasn't even released here. It's all in French which probably doesn't do much for sales on our side of the pond. I've only been able to find extremely expensive copies of this CD (like $60 and up) until one day in December when I took a peek on eBay and, miraculously, there was a copy of this very CD with a starting bid of $7.50.

Something went horribly wrong years ago in the process of setting up my account and things became so colossally screwed up that I have never been able to use eBay. And it's probably just as well, really. But when I found this album I simply had to have it. I called on the able assistance of a dear friend who managed to win it for me despite a few hours of competition with some Italian guy. I was considering emailing the guy and explaining to him that since he could actually buy the CD in Italy it would be really nice if he would just let me get it. But I don't speak Italian. Nonetheless he must have sensed my agitation because he stopped bidding and the CD was mine. It's been pointed out that I could have likely special ordered this from any number of music shops here in town, but I rather like this roundabout way of getting my hands on this CD. The best part? It was mailed from Bulgaria! You just don't get stories like this with iTunes!

And the music, unsurprisingly, is great. I'm on my 3rd time through (it would have been more were it not for my job!) and I'm liking it more with each listen. There are a few familiar musical bits from earlier albums but the sound is very distinctive. The lyrics, alternating from silly to serious to indecipherable (for me anyway) are entirely in French and Manu's voice is warm and rich. The album seems somehow simpler and more personal than earlier works. I'm delighted to have this new addition to my collection.