Yefim Bronfman - Symphony Center

 Anybody who follows classical music has probably noticed the preponderance of "babes" among concertizing artists. You got your Anne-Sophie Mutter, you got your Lang-Lang, you got your Joshua Bell. Even Yo-Yo Ma, although somewhat long in the tooth, is a cute guy. This was not so in the old days. Audiences at classical performances looked forward to seeing balding white guys with mid-section body fat on the stage. Isaac Stern, the first big star I saw playing live, resembled an obese mouse.  Recently I saw Julian Rachlin conducting and playing with The Academy of Saint Martins in the Fields (he was really good by the way). The man may have had a Strad under his chin, but his hair was frosted, and on his feet were shoes a pimp would be proud to wear to a funeral.

Not so with Yefim Bronfman. Even though he's Israeli, you have to admit that he's a balding white guy. During the concert, his manner suggested that he was a musician just like the people playing with him, and not a star. I really liked this. He played with some rank and file members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The concert led off with a Beethoven quintet for piano and woodwinds. The music was lovely, although between movements the various woodwind players created quite a spectacle releasing spit keys and shaking their instrument to clear the saliva. The oboist actually sucked the liquid out of his mouth piece. Now that was a queaze inducing moment.  Next up was a piano trio by Dalbavie (a French guy). It was amazing how much noise the musicians got out of a violin and a cello. The concert wrapped up with a Brahms quintet, and it was just glorious. And there were a couple of babes on violin.

Farley Granger

A while back I was on a Hitchcock kick, and I happened on Strangers on a Train. (This is a really good movie by the way.) In the first scene, an actor appeared who was so drop dead  gorgeous that I was perplexed by the fact that I had never seen him before.

Farley Granger was a Hollywood actor who appeared in a number of fine films, including The Purple Heart, They Live By Night, Side Street, Rope, and Senso, along with Strangers on a Train. He left the film business to have a successful career on stage, and also appeared in soap operas.

I have to direct you to his autobiography, "Include Me Out." This book is laugh-out-loud funny and includes Mr. Granger's observations about everyone from Barbara Stanwyck to Luchino Visconti. His comments about the various films he made are very insightful. If you're into Hitchcock, you will find his remarks about Rope and Strangers on a Train quite interesting. Mr. Granger's  attitude toward his sexuality was very liberated and I found it refreshing. He refused to define himself as gay, straight, or bisexual, approaching each relationship purely in terms of his connection to the person. While serving in the Navy during WWII, he lost his virginity twice in the same night, first to a woman, and then a man, in Hawaii yet. He described Shelley Winters as the love of his life, and had affairs with Leonard Bernstein, Authur Laurents, and Jean Marais (among numerous others).

When my friend Gordon's mother Lucy was in town, the three of us went out to dinner. Lucy and I got into gushing about how hot Farley Granger was. It was an excellent moment of cross-generational straight-female solidarity.

My Interest in Bret Easton Ellis: The Rules of Attraction

This novel illustrates a research finding which I often cited when conducting group therapy with juvenile sex offenders back in the day. When a man looks deeply into a woman's eyes, she thinks, "He loves me." When a woman looks deeply into a man's eyes, he thinks, "She wants to have sex with me."

Mr. Ellis puts us inside of the various heads of his college student characters, and the disparity between their views of reality is hilarious and heartbreaking. There was also a movie. As with Less Than Zero I was a little exasperated by the film. This book is not about young love.

And what is it that you want?

Want surfing?
Want architecture?
Want complete and total suspension of disbelief?
Want heroines who don't make you cringe?
Want Keanu Reeves?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pointbreak/
thelakehousemovie.warnerbros.com

Lollapalooza - Day Three

Health

I got up and dragged myself downtown to catch this band, in the rain, at 11:30 AM. I loved Health. They provided solid noise with beautiful, choir boy vocals on top...like grenadine on a tequila sunrise, like mayonnaise on a french fry, like....well I digress. Also we got a bass player waving his hair around like a silk curtain. A person with long hair who can flail it around artistically is an asset to any band. Highly recommend Health. Check it out.

Ike Riley Assassination

We got here somebody who really doesn't interest yours truly. If you like "coarse, soulful lyrics" meeting "at the intersection of groovy blues, folk, and plain 'ol classic rock" you might want to investigate Ike Riley. He is from Illinois, so that counts for something in my book.

Minus the Bear

I really don't think Minus the Bear provided enough "unique time signatures" to earn the moniker "math rock," but it did make for a nice resting and looking at the sky soundtrack.

X Japan

Leading up to this band's entrance, on the jumbo tron we saw young ladies going ABSOLUTELY BAT SHIT CRAZY over X Japan. They clutched X Japan dolls, waved X Japan signs and made the X Japan symbol. ( Hint: it involves an X.) And, I'm sure inadvertently over the PA, we heard a broadcast by the tech guys, i.e. "That's Toshi's mike." "Which one is Toshi?" When they finally came out and started playing, I was completely flattened by their metal assault, along with an interlude where one member played classical piano. About half way through the set I was trotting off to see a band on the other side of the park, and I could still hear Toshi wailing away. I may go see this band when they come through Chicago this fall. By the way, as a group, X Japan has given the world more drama than Lindsey Lohan, Bill Clinton, and Brittney Spears combined. I will provide a link.

Frightened Rabbit

I used to be a real push-over for Scottish guys singing about their broken hearts. Perhaps middle age has  rendered me callous ...or something.

The Temper Trap

You got your multi-culturalism, you got your serendipity. Very entertaining.

MGMT

I was quite interested in this band. Two years ago my godson and I sat on a curb eating while MGMT blasted away in the distance. Reminded me of Blue Cheer it was so loud. Unfortunately, today I had to bail. I was too hot, overstimulated and saturated by the presence of my fellow humans so I slunk away.

Felix Da Housecat & Digitalism

My godson is always very interested in the Perry's Place DJs. This year I vowed to devote an hour of my undivided attention to the DJs and here it goes...I really enjoyed Felix, he made me laugh, and to a lesser extent Digitalism. I sure can see why mind altering substances seem to go hand in glove with this music.

Your Roving Correspondent

I talked to my mom on the phone today, and she referred to the  music festival  we are discussing as "Your Hallelujah".  Maybe we shouldn't take her comments on Lady Gaga too seriously.

The Outdoor Toitlets

I didn't learn anything new today, but while patronizing a toilet outside Perry's Place, I heard my neighbor say "Wow, nice shit", when he entered the porta-potty.

In Summation

I look forward to sharing this experience next year.

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Japan