Beautiful Birdsongs in the City of Angels

I return from Los Angeles unscathed, yet somewhat disillusioned by the freeze that has entrenched itself along the Wasatch Front. I always forget someting when I travel, this time it was my toothbrush (which as to be the most-oft forgotten item in traveling) and, sadly, the digital camera. Boo to me.

Some things I noticed: I don't get what a lot of people around Utah (or the U.S.) are doing complaining about Spanish being too prevelant. A common comment I hear is "learn the language or leave". Most of the arguments against immigration in the country I have heard sound couched in racism, now and historically, whether it be against Irish, Italians, the Slavic or Hispanics. Driving around L.A. (and whenever I visit a true metropolitan) reminded me just how much the United States is an immigrant country, that it is essentially hypocritical for us to carry on in such a way that some do, talking about deporting people who have lived here for years working hard and depriving their children (who have done nothing wrong) of basic rights in healthcare and education. Koreatown, Thaitown, Chinatown - these are all unique elements that add to Los Angeles's identity in a positive way. Incidentally, people of Hispanic descent are now the largest ethnic "group" in the city.

The consumerism aspect was great, in a used sort of way. I spent bills quite freely and got two (used) shirts, a new (very slightly used) pair of sneakers, a (used)hoodie and a new hat (as if I don't have enough of those) at Buffalo Exchange and narrowed the dozens of vinyl finds at Ameoba Records to Los Lobos, Sunset Rubdown, George Jones, The National, Randy Newman and Camper Van Beehtoven. (I could literally spend days there. I made a foray over to the hip/hop and electronica sections only to run away - my list was already too large from browsing just the rock.) I also picked up an Andrew Bird vinyl and tee at the concert.



About the concert: Andrew Bird was amazing, spectacular. I never realized what a presence he is on stage - a true showman. The music that he creates live is overwhelmingly beautiful - I've listened to and loved his records, but seeing him pull it off live gives such depth to his talent and adds an extra dimension to the musical textures he creates. Decked out in a three-piece suit, he played a few songs solo, just him, his violin and his loop pedal, before bringing out Martin Dosh (his great solo work can be found on one of my favorite labels, anticon) and Jeremy Ylvisaker to join him for the remainder of the show. He covered a lot of territory from his two most recent albums - Armchair Apocrypha and The Mysterious Production of Eggs, threw in a few older tunes and played a new one - about "if humans were to evolve into something else in the space of their own lifetime" called, I believe, "Anom-A." It was the best live show I have seen in a long time, certainly the most moving I've seen this year. There points when the beauty of it all nearly brought me to tears. It was so intimate that I felt throughout the show that he wasn't playing for a crowd of a couple thousand, but rather for me a dozen people in a small room (and the Orpheum's architecture and atmosphere were a boon to the music).

I've a good bit of Bird lately. Oh well, here's more, along with some Dosh. "Simple X" is one that Andrew Bird put lyrics to a Dosh song, "Simple Exercises." Listen for Bird's violin samples on "Um, Circles and Squares". It's hard to miss.

Andrew Bird - Measuring Cups (Live) (from Fingerlings 3)
Andrew Bird - Simple X (from Armchair Apocrypha)
Dosh - Simple Exercises (from Pure Trash)
Dosh - Um, Circles and Squares (from The Lost Take)
Dosh - I Think I'm Getting Married (from Pure Trash)