Catching up (again)

After finishing Water for Elephants, I wanted to read something less sprawling, and my next two books really fit the bill. First I read Astrid and Veronika, by Linda Olsson. What I liked most about this book was the sense of place. The story is set in a small Swedish village, where Veronika, a writer, has returned after the sudden death of her fiance to write a novel about the great love of her life. She befriends a reclusive elderly neighbor, Astrid, and together, ever so slowly, they build a trusting friendship that allows both of them to make peace with their demons. The stark, remote setting functions almost as a third character in this book and is what I will remember most about this rather slow, but still compelling story.

Next I picked up On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan. I absolutely love McEwan's writing and this book proved that he could draw me into a story that has the barest skeleton of a plot. In England, in the early '60s, two young people nervously approach their wedding night. Both virgins, their anxiety comes from opposite perspectives: he is ready to explode with desire and lust and she with fear. Yet while they love each other, neither has the capacity to talk about their fears, and ultimately they fail miserably in their attempt at consummating their marriage. It's a sad and frustrating story, but told exquisitely with McEwan's characteristic skill.

My Favorite Band (for now anyway): Crowded House

My first notice of the band Crowded House came when I heard their song "Don't Dream It's Over" about 5 or 6 years ago and thought it would be a perfect song for Josh's A Capella group, Dischord, to sing. After that I bought their "Greatest Hits" album and Garrett loaded it onto the slim server. We would be listening to a playlist he created, and every now and then a song would come on and I would say, "Who's that. I like that song." The tune was often from Crowded House. There is just something about their songs that appeals to me.

Anyway, when I heard they were performing at The Mann Center for Performing Arts, I convinced Garrett (somewhat reluctantly) to go with me and bought tickets.

Last Friday was a hot and muggy day, but by showtime, the temperature had plummeted about 30 degrees. So we sat shivering in the open-air (but covered) pavilion waiting for the show to begin. Pete Yorn was scheduled to open at 8:00, and when we got there at about 7:30 there was another young man putting on quite a performance: recording loops on his guitar and then jumping over to the drum set to flail away while playing the loops back and singing. Someone sitting near us told us that the performer was Liam Finn, son of Crowded House's lead singer and creative genius, Neil Finn.

Pete Yorn was OK (except it bothered me that he never even introduced his band members!)and then it was time for Crowded House.

WOW. What a great performance. Neil Finn really knows how to work an audience and he had this crowd totally involved and energized. I have never been to a show quite like it. We were all singing and dancing and laughing. The band seemed to be having as much fun as the audience, and they came back for two long encores (3-4 songs each).

Crowded House apparently has a huge fan base in Europe and Australia, but not so much in the United States. They are currently in the middle of a North American Tour that will take them to Oakland and San Diego as well as to many other cities in the next few weeks. If you get a chance and want to have a great time, GO SEE THEM!