life is a highway and i'm cutting in front of the band

status check - feisty
background ambiance - s.o., s.o.

i'm in a fine mood today - good-humored and feeling productive - but i've discovered that i have a shorter fuse today than normal. i just don't feel like putting up with anyone's shit when i haven't done anything wrong.

it explains why i finished a terse conversation with a policeman today with a request that he simply answer the two small questions i have about a release i received. i was curt after he claimed i was trying to make more of a situation than was necessary. i wasn't trying to make more of anything - i was trying to get the answer to two important questions, simple as that.

other than this feistiness, i'm doing well. tired, though. woke up early to greet an electrician and probably should have gotten another hour's sleep. but i'm surprisingly alert and ready to get some things done. i just need people to cooperate, dammit.

but the important bit, the information you're all looking for (riiiiight) - the weekend recap.

a grand weekend spent mostly out-of-doors. shockingly, the days were comfortably warm without being overbearing and i tanned more than i burned. i looked over the city from a train bridge spanning the charles, getting a new glimpse at my beloved skyline. i managed to walk my feet raw (damn soccer sandals and kendall square wandering), but scored josh clayton-felt's "inarticulate nature boy" for $1 at the garmet district before watching the best benedick performance of the three i've seen onstage.

our normally deft boston driver finally pulled a dumb driver move while making her way to fleet boston pavillion sunday. because the fates love me, the car i had to politely and apologetically cut in front of was the averi-mobile. i hope neither driver stu nor anyone else who may have been in the car noticed who the dumbass with vermont plates was.

when rufus sat at the piano, i leaned forward in my seat, a grin spreading across my face without even realizing it. his vocal timbre, so unique and gorgeous, didn't always get along with the sound system, but overanxious and somewhat rude guster fans also made it tricky to hear clearly at times (i love guster. i love guster fans - i consider myself one. but don't mess with rufus). but i soaked it up. i wanted "cigarettes & chocolate milk," "april fools," and/or his "hallelujah" cover. got all three (with guster backing "april fools"*), as well as "dinner at 8," "california" and "grey gardens." life was grand.

he provided a delightfully memorable quote, after playing a guster-backed "one man guy."

"the song was intended to be ironic. but, uh ... well, we're sluts. i am, at least."

guster rocked, per usual. strong set with good energy, although there was less interaction than i'd expected, particularly considering there was a hometown crowd. but i sang along anyway, loving the setlist and thanking them for playing "come downstairs & say hello." realized i'd forgotten how much i loved "so long." was happy to be reminded.

and then there was ben, who further raised the energy level. mostly songs i knew, a few i didn't (and have since found) and a crazy intensity throughout. he grabs your attention by the little things - the blur of fingers over the piano keys, rising off the stool a few inches when pounding out a chorus. songs alternately funny, insightful and sweet (gracie's song). and then, just when you're ready to sign up for anything he wants to do, he plays "steven's last night in town" and follows with a percussion duel with brian. then you realize that he possesses more musical know-how and skill in a single hair on his head than you possess in your entire body.**

he also resembled the choral teacher i'd always wanted. with mad kung fu skills, no less.

so now, with a ticket to add to my collection of favorites, a guster road journal book to read and laugh at and a rufus tour poster to hang (numbered 373 of 1000, no less), i can say that everyone was right - fantastic show. and kindly request that all three acts get back to the area soon so i can see them again.

but seeing stu and matt sign autographs for fans who recognized them (well, one of them) felt more than a little odd.

speaking of seeing people - i've requested off august 5 and 6. as long as they're not already sold out, i'm buying at least one ticket for nathanson/day/o.a.r. who else is in?

* in response to paul's inquiry - i have witnesses who can attest to the fact that i was elated upon realizing rufus was peforming "april fools." it's been one of my favorite rufus songs for years and i'd always imagined that seeing him live would include that song. and i'd heard rufus had been joining ben for "careless whisper" - was slightly disappointed that he didn't for this show, but such is life. rufus played his set and then was done for the night.

** unless you are in the band present in the audience. in that case, ben folds possesses more musical know-how and skill in his right arm than you possess in your entire body. sorry, fellas, but you know i'm right. xoxoxo.