A Friday Night at the Opus

I wish I was one of those people who could get into a conversation with someone and start off with something like, ‘You know this one time in school/college...’ or whatever the case may be and get into this long narration about this unpredictably cool story. Frankly, those tales are dreadfully difficult to come by since I didn’t do a lot of cool things when I was younger. But now I realize that it just takes treading out of the house, preferably after dark.

That said, Friday night’s show was a blast! Absolutely beyond brilliant! The day was warm but the evening was breezy cool and the scales were tipped in the Das’ favor.
We arrived at some point in the 8 o'clock hour and it wasn't particularly packed. Events like these don't really get packed unless it’s past what my late grandfather would call ‘a decent bedtime’. After finding a seat at the table right next to the stage and ordering a Screwdriver, I got myself comfortable on a white cushiony mattress for a four-act night of soft alternative-friendly music. Soon friends, colleagues and friend’s friends arrived, filling up the place and we were in constant motion to make some room at the table for the newcomers.

From here, there are a couple roads to take.

A) The Place- The show was at the Opus. It was the kind of place you expect to sit in if you had an open mic night. Dim lights, the sound of a ready audience and the excited band filled the air, and there was not enough room to take my jacket off. There was not much between the performer and the audience- which made it all the more special!

B) The People- You had all of them, the artsy types, the ones in jackets and jeans, the ones who even looked like they had come for a hip-hop rush. One guy in particular....we weren't really sure if he knew what kind of music was going to be played. His obviously clueless look made me want to guffaw but the night was not about him so I spared him the foul look. Then there was everybody else who was so very much in the middle of the music.
As soon as the music started up, there was this willingness and readiness to just sink into it regardless. There was head bobbing and looks of approval from the listeners, rising with every song. For me, I do little more than tap my foot and hoot aloud after every number. I work like a radar at these situations cos I know I will be writing about it later. Also, every so often I turned to the people sitting next to me- Yuvi, Ruan and my favorite blogger Pete, to make a comment and to watch them respond to the sounds in their own little space. They looked happy.

C) The Music- Like I had mentioned before, this was a mellow music night type thing. Our buddies there, Tony Das, Chris Das and Judy Das and Avinash Grubb were outstanding. And while my opinion might be a tad bit biased, other spectators tell me all four were fantastic, in fact.
The show started with Judy’s rendition of Corinne Bailey Rae’s ‘Girl put your records on’. Snow
Patrol’s ‘Run’ and Sara Bareilles’ ‘Love song’ were dedicated to yours truly, who became quite famous by the end of the night. One song in particular was pretty catchy, "Englishman in New York" and when I uploaded the track on my last post I had no bloody idea that they were going to be singing it. Pretty weird! By the end of the first set the band had definitely and undoubtedly gotten the crowd’s undivided attention and could do no wrong.
The second set had the band sounding pretty good on tracks like Ingrid Michaelson’s ‘take me the way I am’, Eagles’ ‘New York minute’ and Chris’ original composition ‘Breathing memories’ and I thought to myself that this was one of those performances that actually lived up to it’s buildup. It was a pretty cool night and the Das’ had done it with enough spunk to be entertaining without being overdone.
Anyway, this entry is longer than I intended, but it was a good night and it was great to go out and hear great music from people that I love. There's so much more to tell, but your attention span is probably disappearing right now. For more of Chris Das’ music head over to http://www.chris-das.com/. But before you do so, below is a recording of Chris’ version of ‘Run’ (should give you a feel about the show). Stay tuned, kids and thanks to those who made it!

This Friday will be fantastic, because I’ll be going to see the Das’ (Tony, Chris and Judy) do their thing, which I’ve been waiting for so many months now so you can imagine my excitement! I’ve been trying to get a little scoop about the show that’s going to happen and I’ll be spilling some of the details in this post. I have a feeling that this show is going to be even better than their previous appearances together cos it not only has Tony and Judy Das performing but his brother- Chris Das (who’s part of my crew) and Avinash Grubb- a pianist who would make any show worthy of sweeps.

As far as music goes, there are few things better than seeing a band live and realizing that they sound better than the stuff you hear on the radio or on CD. In a world of faltering, peevish, and weirdly assertive singers, it was like someone had thrown the door wide open to let in some air and that’s precisely what this band offers - excellent vocal clarity that perks your ears, good vibes between the band members, they relate to each other as one might imagine they would if they were playing in someone's home. From my point of view, I can't even begin to explain how much impact that has on stage presence. None of them had to try overly hard to provide some sparkling sense of humor, they’re just naturally witty and hilarious and it just makes them seem like very likable people.

I don’t want to get y’all excited, apart from the fact that secretly I do.


My crew and I will be the guests of the Opus event, to watch the brother-sister band (who, may I add, is incredibly easy on the eyes). The concert kicks off in the evening at 8 at Opus in Bangalore city on Feb 27th. It's going to be a wonderful evening and I'd be thrilled if you joined us.
If the very gorgeous family, gorgeous music and gorgeous place aren't enough incentive for you, then hold on to your hat. All this can be yours for a minimal cover charge. If anything it’s the best way to spend your Friday night. There will be songs from artists such as Ingrid Michaelson, Snow Patrol, One Republic and The Wallflowers along with one of Chris’ own compositions.
Let me know if you'll be in the audience so that I can look for you afterwards.

Hope to see you there!

Signing out with a an old favourite - 'Englishman in New York'by Sting

Tea does not make the brain function any better on a Monday - no matter how much of it I gulp down. The only upside to not doing all that great at all, really, is that the good people in your life pull you out of the dark weeds you sometimes get caught in- like making you laugh, saying the absolutely nicest things and accompanying you on difficult days. And its times like these that make me cherish my life, because anything else would just be messy.

The Oscars were a good time, but frankly, not enough Hugh Jackman to suit my tastes. He keeps getting hotter and I think I’m falling in love with him more with each passing day.
Sean Penn is kind of my hero. I hope I’m mostly as half as weird as he is someday.
Sometimes I feel like a schmuck for thinking Brad Pitt is hot. But I mean, c’mon!

Sweeeeet! Heath Ledger won for “Dark Knight.”

Danny Boyle just won Best Director for “Slumdog Millionaire”! Woohoo all around!

Truly Mr. Boyle, I can’t quit you. Except for during “28 Days Later”. Then I can totally quit you.

“Slumdog Millionaire” totally wins Best Picture! Man that makes me happy. Truly, all the award shows this year cannot quit Slumdog Millionaire.

Writing this makes me feel like Larry King.

My colleague Tina recently released her bunch of little chocolate treats called ‘Tina Truffles’ that come in cute silver boxes. The box is very minimalist. It comes with a purple ribbon on the front and once opened it contains the maker’s name and number.
The chocolates smell great. Very sweet and delicious smelling vodka, mixed with quite decent chocolate. Overall, I was extremely impressed. As far as homemade chocolates go, it was lovely.

These treats are priced at Rupees 30 and are definitely worth it. These are aimed at chocolate lovers who want to just sit down and take a bite of heaven while they read a book. Is that you? Well, then these will have quite the impression. Contact the creator of these sinful delights at tinamary.rajan@gmail.com

I step outside to get myself something to chomp on for a snack. The sky is on its way to getting dim with the street lamps lighting up the faint streets. The sun had already set, and it was only going to get darker. I was in the mood for something acoustic, so I fidgeted with my mobile until I found a track by alternative rock band ‘Live’. I love the polished, roundness of the band’s sound.
Sometimes it feels like music is the only thing that can bring out my emotions again. Most of them have been replaced by hate right now. Everything is about the corporate world because the world is so detached.

The only thing that makes me survive is my faith in god, the belief that one day, I might mean the world to someone and the thought that eventually, I’ll be able to stop defining myself through others, and simply be content with who I am.

Either way, something’s gotta give.

Catch you on the flip side.

Do you guys ever dream of being with someone in real life, someone you don’t really know, and then the next time you see them, you’re furtively thinking, Oh Man! You’d think people around me would notice if I blushed?

Well, my person like this is Adam Levine.

A couple of years ago, I had a dream where Adam Levine and I were both at this airport terminal, and he started flirting with me while we were waiting for our flights. At first I was like Oh my god! This is Adam Levine! He’d want nothing to do with me! But by the time we had to board the flight, he had charmed me so completely that he and I were practically engaged. And now every time I see Adam Levine on screen, I just have to smile, because he was so charming in that airport terminal, I couldn’t wait to introduce him to my mom. :-P

Plus, you know he’d know how to treat a girl in the sack. Is all I’m saying.

As a way of getting more exposure to more music gigs, I went to see the ‘METRO’ concert I wrote about earlier.

It was a wonderful concert in an intimate setting. The collection that the band chose to play was quite varied — from their absolutely melodic Rio Frio to the beautifully slow ‘The Standard’ to a tuneful Sandeep Chowta composition —all songs performed as brilliant as jazz interpretations can be. One of the highlights of the night was the band playing the song that drove me to their concert – Rio Frio. It was delicious to watch how enraptured the audience was and when Dave Weckl and Eric Marienthal lost themselves in the music and kept going on this great flurry of notes. Their parts were some kind of awesome that I can’t even begin to describe the emotions I went through.

Just thinking about it is making my stomach flutter.

At first I thought that the crowd was mostly made up of the same “type” of people, but now thinking about it I’ve never been to a show that was more diverse. Lots of differently aged people; there were people from my age to twice my age. It was odd to see a lot of guys old enough to be my father at the same concert as me.

Usually the sound and crowds of concerts make me especially awkward but with great company and even better music I feel over-stimulated.
Unfortunately, not many people I knew came for the event, and I wouldn’t force someone to listen to music they didn’t enjoy. But it was really good to see my friends faces light up as they sat through the show. The concert was quite amazing. The set lasted just over two hours and a half. Unfortunately, I forgot to get my digicam so that ruined the ultimately great shots I would’ve gotten.

I had to get the band’s album at the venue titled ‘METRO Express’. I’m still exploring the tracks, approaching each song with an open mind, but never analyzing too much.
It can be easily observed that the tracks introduce a unique and exceptional jazz style of this band. They achieve what is esthetic and intelligent. Ever since I’ve spent a great deal of time listening to music, I’ve been less enthusiastic by the fact that songs would never sound as good, until I heard these guys.

METRO has renewed my hope. Saved my life.

It goes beyond everything else to a completely spiritual experience, from stage presence to the notes and the key signatures. They have reached out with music that is unforgettable, moving and emotional.

Two guys stole the show that night.....

Dave Weckl
and

Eric Marienthal.
Below is one of the tracks they played on Feb 14 and my favorite! Get their music if you can. Their compositions speak to me, lifting, moving, and never crashing. Blissful listening!

MP3: 'Rio Frio' by METRO

At the Theatre in February

This post is long overdue; I wanted to write it before my head messes up my memories. It feels important to me, so excuse me if you’re here for an update about Valentines. I don’t believe anyone of us will be very creative if we don’t take a break and consider how we live our lives. I’ve always dreamt of spending my days in the theatre (not on stage) but just looking at the actors and drawing inspiration and last week has been just that for me. The more performances I saw the more I understood the connection between dance and creativity, between living “out there” and just being…
I love to go to performances, when the workdays are long and the sky turns bright before it turns black. You go in, hurrying to be on time; you leave the theatre, and it is night, velvety and magical. It was a triumphant evening, happily to be seated in a theatre on a warm day in February. It was a howling success when the South Korean Dance Troupe – CcadoO’s performed it’s piece called ‘Murder in the Elevator’, heating up the stage in a brilliantly paced, mysterious, drifting, certainly luxuriant exploration of very scary elements such as death, angst, existentialism, hopelessness, despair, love, lust, bondage and fear. The dance delved into the cause of death of a man found dead in an elevator… quite obvious in the title itself. The images, movements and sounds; all which help to uncover the events that led to his death.

‘Quantransitions’ & ‘Charade’ by Rhythmosaic Dance Company (USA): Delves into the relation of objects and things to the person presenting it and the audience he presents it to. The use of a chair, a laptop, eating an apple, playing a video of movements, all require an audience to be presented to… to be connected to. This performance used modern day technology to reveal associations with body, rhythm and sound.
‘Quantransitions’ was supposed to fuse the art forms, flamenco and kathak….which I didn’t seem to recognize but the dance was beautiful and entrancing and it ended all too soon. ‘Charade’ by Jonah Bokaer was not made for everyone and in particular got the reputation of being difficult and remote. It required concentration and an open mind. Half way through the performance I noticed people whispering questions to others beside them- ‘What is happening?’ ‘Did I come all the way to see this?’
But glance closer and you see entertainment full of interesting embedded messages that can occupy the adult mind most pleasantly.

You want the venue to be a mob scene at showtime, and it was, especially the past week. In the theater what registers is when the quality of reality as well as a sense of drama is revealed.

Cie Phillippe Saire (Switzerland) who presented ‘Could I just draw your attention to the brevity of life?’ used a very Broadway presentation to the whole theme. The performance made use of light in various ways… which was breathtaking! While the concept presented was fairly simple, the staging of it was unconventional and very post-modern.

If you haven't felt the earth move under your feet in the theater lately, then you should’ve stopped by Samir Akika’s (Germany) dance presentation of all that was urban and hip titled ‘Extended Teenage Era’. The central thrill to expect at the hundred and ten minute show was the troupe’s caliber performance and humorous take on the popular new world with the accompaniment of beats and intense dances that had the audience screaming out for more. It paid better homage to the kind of idiosyncratic world of today. It was a performance that broke all conventions, genres of music, art and dance styles- and my favorite! It received such rapturous reviews and I hope the troupe does come back here to perform again.

After the long row of the most fervid performances there are those who heal the hunger for more with a proper placement in bed, and the entertainment of choice to be a book. I have on my desk the perfect comic titled ‘Only love can break a heart, but a shoe sale can come close’ by Cathy Guisewite -- whose marvelous gifts include a clever grasp of the modern woman’s angst.

She conveys her profound, learned and insightful humour in a hilarious and decidedly American manner. Women’s career, diet, dating, and mother issues is, against all odds, a real page-turner.

So before I end this post, there’s some bad news and some good news. Bad news is that my file hosting site continues to trouble me hence I cannot upload music on my partly music blog. Good news is- for now- All the lovely readers who’ve wanted to download tracks I put up here on EC, grace the interwebs, here is the moment you’ve been waiting for…. A link that is provided below will take you to a page that will give you the option to both open the Mp3 (and listen to it right now) or save the Mp3 onto your desktop. All files are completely safe and ready for download. Don’t y’all love me!

MP3: Taking Back Sunday with ‘What's It Feel Like To Be A Ghost’