Roundabout

Oh no.

It is one of those days. A day when I feel nothing happened that's worthy of writing about. A day when the well is dry. A day when I haven't knit.

I know that I have some "ask the secret knitter" questions in reserve for just such an occasion, but to be perfectly honest, I don't feel like I have the brainpower tonight to do them justice. I promise I'll get around to them--and feel free to add your own--but it ain't happening this evening.

I've visited several blogs in search of inspiration, but nothing has jumped out at me. It's as though I have the shush of static between my ears.

So maybe if I start writing something will emerge...

I bought the new White Stripes album today. Listening to it and reading an excellent Jack White interview got me to thinking of the best concerts I've seen. So, since I've got nothing better to write about, here are some of the most memorable concerts I've attended, in backward chronological order.

1. The White Stripes at The Ohio Theatre (Columbus, OH/September 2005)

Holy smoke. I'm a fan, more of the casual variety than hardcore, but I was completely mesmerized throughout their performance. Who knew two people could make this much glorious noise? Jack and Meg White were touring in support of Get Behind Me Satan, and the devil himself would have done well to pay heed that night. They shook that old theater with the kind of force and passion I don't know that I've ever seen in live music. Go figure that I had an extra ticket and had to beg and beg and beg to get someone to tag along because Ohio State had a home football game against Texas that night.

2. Belle and Sebastian at Mershon Auditorium (Columbus, OH/November 2003)

Anymore it's commonplace to know a lot about your favorite bands and what they look like, but at the time info was a little scarcer on the Scottish folk-pop collective Belle and Sebastian. (It isn't any longer.) This was the rare occasion where I wouldn't have recognized the band if they were standing outside the venue prior to the show. For me there was a mysterious aura about them. I marveled at the number of band members on stage and how their songs, which always have sounded to me on the verge of unraveling, were exquisitely played.

3. The Flaming Lips at the Newport Music Hall (Columbus, OH/April 2003)

It seems ever so fitting that I attended a screening of The Lizzie McGuire Movie immediately prior to this show. That kind of cheery optimism is the perfect complement for the Lips' current brand of smiley-faced rock with a strong surreal/psychedelic current. This was the most joyous rock concert I can ever remember attending. Audience members in the club were actually polite and respected other people's space. Everyone was there to soak up the positivity, and I'll be damned if it wasn't a lot of fun. I've seen them one other time since. Sure, the shtick was pretty much the same, but why change a good thing?

4. Richard Buckner, Bruce Robison, and Kelly Willis at Wilbert's (Cleveland, OH/October 1998)

Kelly Willis rarely performed in the Midwest and at the time hadn't released an album in five years, save for a Texas-only EP A&M put out before they parted ways. I loved what I'd heard of her work and jumped at the chance to see her live. Imagine my shock when I walked into the place and saw the three artists eating supper at the bar. I got a seat front and center and was thisclose when they played. Of course I liked what I heard from her, but Robison was enjoyable and Buckner's searing energy had me going to buy Since at the record store the next day. It was just three songwriters, their guitars, and maybe a drummer tapping out some beats (I don't remember exactly), but it was a great, intimate show. (We're talking forty people in attendance tops.)

5. Guided by Voices at Special Occasions (Dayton, OH/fall 1994)

Dayton's hometown lo-fi legends--the lead singer is an elementary school teacher!--were just beginning to become known nationally. (Bee Thousand was their latest release.) I wasn't terribly familiar with them, but it gave me an excuse to visit a friend who was going to college back near where I'm from. I wasn't accustomed to indie rock at the time, but the performance of these "old" guys was something to behold. I left with two souvenirs: a signed copy of Vampire on Titus and a mild ringing in one ear that I can still hear when it's quiet.

6. Midnight Oil with Hothouse Flowers and Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers at The Ohio State Fair (Columbus, OH/summer 1993)

I include this in part because of the sheer strangeness of this concert taking place at the state fair. It was a really good show, but how odd to see an Australian band with a serious political/social justice streak at the same place as the butter cow. I could take or leave the opening acts, although I recall enjoying them that night. Midnight Oil really cooked.

7. U2 with The Pixes at Richfield Coliseum (Cleveland, OH/March 1992)

I was ridiculously pumped up to see this date on the Zoo TV tour, and I can't say I was let down. It was the first big rock show I attended, and what a way to start. (Sorry Billy Joel, but I don't know that you really count.) Spending part of spring break in Cleveland wasn't so bad after all.