Magic

Bat for Lashes @ Bowery Ballroom

This week’s end started to get amazing on Thursday, Cheep and I had to make a horrible decision to pass out our press passes to Bat for Lashes at Williamsburg Music Hall because Buraka Som Sistema was playing that same night and we had purchased tickets already and had a pressing need to see them live.

On Wednesday, I strolled to work humming to Bat’s latest album Two Suns and decided we couldn’t pass up seeing her. So I posted our need for tickets for the Bowery show on Craigslist and decided to affirm we’d get those tickets. A kind man named John emailed me and sold me the tickets for the same price he payed later on in the day. Boy, were we glad! Bat for Lashes was absolutely magical. The crowd at Bowery was in a lull and behaving well, she pranced around stage with grace and her voice just had/has an amazingly powerful effect. During “Horse and I” yours truly got a bit choked up, I felt a deep sense of connection to the room and the music and for once felt its unifying power over people. Her lyrics also speak of things like that, and given we’re in quite a positive journey it really touched me.

Buraka Som Sistema @ Bowery Ballroom

On Saturday night, we went to Buraka Som Sistema who are also a band that’s more about getting people together and making them happy than anything else. Yes, they make amazing music but it was their attitude that really made the gig more enjoyable, I danced my head off, feeling alive and lucky and grateful… a feeling I intend to keep cultivating. It seems that when bands really come from a more positive place the fans respond in the same way. I will keep checking out this energy-theory in future shows.

To seal off our Buraka night, we saw an owl that’s been roaming around my neighborhood. He’s majestic to say the least.

Cheep, got any response for this?-Snail

Cheep: I’m so glad we got the tickets to Bat for Lashes. Usually on such short notice you don’t find a soul on Craigslist that’s willing to part with their tickets at a reasonable price (i.e. face value) but if John ever reads this, thank you so much.

The show was incredible. Natasha’s beauty and talent are mind blowing. When she sat at the harmonium in front of us, I couldn’t believe that voice was really coming out of her person, so flawless. It boggles my mind people pay hundreds to see a joke of a singer like Britney Spears lip sync while someone like Natasha puts on a show worth many times over what you paid for it. At the same time, however, I’m glad she’s our little secret so to speak. She had everyone in awe of her. Our heads followed her on stage, moving from left to right depending where she was and when. After not being able to sleep without listening to Two Suns for the past few weeks, seeing songs like “Two Planets,” “Daniel,” “Good Love,” “Siren Song” and “Travelling Woman” live was the icing on the cake. Great first time seeing her, it sure won’t be the last.

Buraka Som Sistema left me crazy for them. I know I supposed to take it easy but how could I? Those beats are too hot to contain! Snail, you pretty bagged it about them, their positive energy is undeniably infectious! These guys are going to blow up after all the buzz for their live show, let’s just hope that the crowd doesn’t morph into the retarded enabriated messes that happen with word of mouth. While the exposure is great for them as artists, its an absolute curse when it attracts fans of the douchebag variety.

A lot of the reason why I enjoyed myself so much is because I was able to cut loose and not regret it afterward. For the first time in a long time, I felt good pain-free and not even fatigued after a great dance party.

And that owl! I can’t get him out of my mind. I had never seen a real live owl before that night. The closest I’ve ever been to anything owl-related was dissecting owl pellets in 8th grade Science. It just looked so regal up on that house, like a guard.

I don’t know if it was just the elation of Saturday night but I did feel the post-concert haziness, soreness and lack of balance the next day. I became well acquainted with my bed and I kept leaning on everyone and everything I could whenever I got up (which wasn’t often)! haha. ah well, small price to pay for a good time I suppose.