My friend Jen invited me to accompany her to a Chris Thile and Punch Brothers show last night (had never heard of them before). This summer I took Jen to a Patty Griffin concert in central park (and now she is, not surprisingly, hooked), so I figured I would give Chris and the Punch Brothers a shot. Anyway, it also happened to be the night of a full lunar eclipse (first time in 40 years that residents living in the dirty, concrete jungle of nyc would be in the right place at the right time to view this incredible sight in its entirety). Now, I was bummed though because the show intersected with the prime viewing hours of the eclipse, AND the show was taking place in some room in the Time Warner Center (which is sort of a Manhattan version of a mall. I mean really, how great can a concert taking place in some room in a mall really be?) So I was skeptical about the show, and bummed to miss out on the eclipse.
Anyhow, the night turned out to be a blast and more than I ever expected. First off, as Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers began their first song about a woman at a party who gets a little too aquainted with the punch bowl (and the consequences of this relationship...oh I've so been there), I knew I was going to get in to this music. But the music was incredible. It is kind of a mix of blue-grass, folk, & alternative. Never really considered myself a blue-grass fan, but this was/is amazing! The lyrics were moving and Chris' voice is soft but powerful and so passionate (not all about drunken women at punch bowls, but also about life, struggle, love, loss..you know, those universal themes of humanity). I guess for those "in the know" (which I am never), Chris Thile is considered a prodigy as he has revolutionized, and modernized, play of the mandolin (and he loves breaking all the rules of "traditional" blue-grass and folk music), and he is only 26. He recorded his first solo album when he was 13!
Second, the performance space turned out to possibly be the BEST PLACE in the city to view the eclipse. The room was on the top floor of the Time Warner Center , and small and intimate, but with huge floor to ceiling windows....and throughout the whole concert the moon was in the background so I got to see the eclipse from start to finish. AMAZING and a night I won't soon forget.Here is a link to the chris thile/punch brothers myspace page. Check it out!
3 comments:
Sweet, that sounds like an awesome night. BTW, the Punch Bros are in Columbus March 7th.
Anyone wanna go?
Dirty di, I'm glad you had such a fun and exciting evening. i really connected in some deep way to that eclipse also. it's inexplicable but profound. it's like one of those things that I'll only truly understand when God tells me. love you and I think that you are fantastic.
Jackness! It is so exciting to see you on the blog. I think you are double fantastic!
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