God, I've been lax as of late. My apologies.

Sooooooookay. When last we chatted, I left you with a promise to talk Montbleau. Well, really? I've sung his praises before - certainly sung the band's praises before, and I find that I've been parroting myself when talking about this most recent show. The words "consistency," "spark," and "jaw-droppingly goddamn good" have been popping up with not-so-surprising frequency.

So here is the thing about seeing RMB live: I don't have to wonder if I'm going to bear witness to an off night. The band actually seems incapable of having an off night. After seeing second-tier performances by almost all of my favorites over the years, I've grown accustomed to - and pretty accepting of - the occasional off night. It happens. It has to. It's unrealistic to think it doesn't.

But then there's the exception to the rule, and it doesn't make sense to me. The night after the biggest show the band has performed yet - the CD release at the Somerville Theater that I chose not to attend so I could instead drool over Ben Taylor (which, I assure you, I did) - and there's still more than three and a half hours of crazy intense music that packed the house and left my group of four dancing like mad right in front of the stage. Still incredible, still energetic, still focused...

...which is why there are two groups in my mind, when it comes to regional music: Ryan Montbleau Band and Everyone Else.

In other news. Shocking culinary turn of events to report here. Perhaps no more need for me to ever attempt the DIY Chipotle experience (although, let's face it, I will do on occasion because I'm good at it).

Why? Has Chipotle finally arrived? No. But Moe's has. And as I savored the close approximation to a beloved Chipotle CFB I loved so dearly during my DC days, I realized that this may just be enough to keep my Chipotle addiction satisfied until the real thing comes north.

At this time tomorrow, I'll be in Massachusetts. Which is great and weird at the same time. Weird that it feels weird, actually. I'll be ending my longest span of time without a Massachusetts fix in years - and I've been so busy here that the time passed surprisingly easily.

And, interestingly enough, I'll be back at a venue that occupied some of my hours last time I was in town. Another Thursday night at Felt...this time with some of my new favorite folks - Bushwalla and Todd Carey - teaming up with the Tides fellows.

I know. I'm greatly looking forward to it as well.

And the energy buzz that comes with impending journeys has come right back to me.

Or perhaps that's the homemade caramel Beth made for dessert this evening.

Hmm.