1st quarter update

So, for those of you who still may read this blog, I am giving a seasonal update on the house. On Valentine's Day, 2009 the house hosted Dubious Liftings IV, a multi-annual festival booked by Nick Williams of the Cave Bears. The lineup featured Open Star Clusters, Mudboy, Skinny Vinny, Ambergris, Crank Sturgeon, Dag Attack (Steve D'Agostino), Flaming Dragon of Middle Earth. Sunburned Hand of the Man was on the flyer for some reason, although they had never confirmed.
The concert was quite possibly the longest, craziest, most varied, reckless, crowded show to ever take place here. I will mention a few of most notable moments of the night. Flaming Dragon of Middle Earth began with the most concise rock sets I've ever heard them execute. Dag Attack suprised me with a contemplative, slow-building, and emotional elegy on lap steel guitar. A western theme was reinforced by a time-lapse video projection of monument valley at sunset. Ted Lee installed a projector in the cupola, providing a porthole into his twisted, obsessive, film-collector-collage/media monger (sub)consciousness. It was not seen by many at the show, but possibly viewed hundreds of times by drivers by in a fleeting, confused glance up up and away. Open Star Clusters kicked the show into high gear with a floor board shredding flurry of herky jerkiness. At 9:30pm the cops came by to let us know that our neighbors were not enjoying the show.
Skinny Vinny then gave us something more to feel than to think about. Their energy was propelled by a raucous audience, reminding us that yes, free-imrov can and will party.
Oh there's too much to recall from this point on. Mudboy turned out to be what we all had come out for. Evoking an alien swampscape and putting us all in our own places. Crank Sturgeon gave an hour-long technical difficulty laden presentation of fluid transfer while wearing nothing but a huge heart on his shoulders. I didn't see the Cave Bears, but I do know that they bursted open a pinata that Lisette had made in the shape of a heart. I do remember candy all over the floor, and Zach shouting "Its SO good!"
Well, then the moment of truth came. A couple of angry officers shouting at the door: "Enough of this B***S***! Will one of your A**holes Get someone who lives here!" So then I had the sad responsibility of giving them my ID and taking responsibility for everything that they wanted to dole out. It was too much. They spent a half hour at the door and told me the city of Northampton was pressing charges for keeping of a disorderly household. The show was already over. The party was over in more ways than one. This was the last purple house show.
Honestly, its a bit of a relief. It has been good. It has been messy. Now I only have to clean up normal daily use of the house. Sure it sucks the we can't do shows here any more, but I really think that the purple house as a phenomenon became too much for a house. Things were literally bursting at the seems and even in-between.
For the last month, things have been quiet. I'm broke and hungry for food and friends. I'm actually looking forward to work. I may have just been taking the news too seriously, reading Watchmen too closely, or getting sleepless from watching Children of Men and Lost, but it seems as though the world is on the brink of dystopia, and this is the quiet before the storm.