This has nothing to do with planners, but I wanted to say I just got back from seeing my very favorite band, the Old Blind Dogs, play LIVE, and they were spectacular!! It was by far the best live gig I've ever seen. And how wonderful for me to get to see them here in Scotland. They played a great mix of songs from their new CD and older ones. Over the years I've listened to their CDs while I was in such far flung locations as Washington DC, Russia and Albania. Hearing those songs live took me back on a journey through my own personal history: there was my favorite song I listened to so often when my daughter was a baby in Moscow; here was the song from their first album I bought; I sang along with them to MacPherson's rant, which my kids and I danced to at full volume in our living room in Albania. So many great songs, and so many happy memories attached to them.
Several times during the show I thought to myself, "HOW are they DOING that??" I've never seen instruments played like that before, wow. They are all amazing musicians.
As if they weren't great enough as musicians, it turns out they are also really nice guys! During the break in the middle of the show they hung out and talked to us, and graciously signed copies of their new CD, which is aptly named (in my circumstances) Wherever Yet May Be. It took restraint not to elbow people aside to get my copy signed! I got to talk to Jonny Hardie, who plays the fiddle like magic, and it was all I could do not to GUSH about what a huge OBD fan I am!! I tried my hardest not to completely embarrass myself in front of him. Then I saw Aaron Jones (who plays this very cool stringed instrument called a bouzouki and also sings) and Fraser Stone (who is amazing on percussion) and wanted to chat them up a little bit. I follow Aaron on Twitter (and you should too: @The2Duos) and awhile back I tweeted him that I was really looking forward to the show. He kindly replied and said to say hi to him at the show--he's the one who stands, Fraser's the one who sits. So when I met Aaron, being the smartass I am I said, "So which one of you is Aaron, the one who stands or the one who sits?" Aaron actually remembered tweeting me that and looked at me and said, "Ah! I expected a giant Filofax!" He and Fraser very kindly took the time to chat with me for a few minutes, and again I had to force myself not to gush. These guys are great!
So if you ever find yourself lucky enough to have the opportunity to see Old Blind Dogs, don't miss it. They are amazing. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you must get their new CD Wherever Yet May Be, and check out their older stuff too.
Thanks for a spectacular show guys! I look forward to listening to your new CD while I'm in Indonesia, and beyond that "wherever yet may be." :)
Two of my absolute favorite topics in a single blog - planners and the Old Blind Dogs! Usually, my obsessions don't intersect, so I'm not sure if this is a good sign. I've seen the Dogs many times - both in Scotland and the US- but my favorite was at The Arches in Glasgow during Celtic Connections 2003. There is just something about the acoustics of the venue and the sound of good, authentic folk music that rouses the soul. Their talent is amazing, and the music really connects me to my Aberdeenshire roots. So glad you got a chance to see them live.
ReplyDeleteI'm stunned... I stumbled on your blog a few weeks ago, and ever since, I have been lurking here quietly every few days... I had no idea there were so many planner geeks in the world! I have been one for a couple of decades, and I was certain I was the only one. Unlike you, however, I've been completely closeted (though I guess I've outed myself now, haven't I?). And you are apparently a BAG junkie also??! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteBut the reason I've come out now is that I've been happily faithful to my Franklin 2-page-per-day Compact planner since the mid-90s (with occasional and brief dalliances), and for the most part, it has served me very well. But the past year or so, I have been fantasizing constantly about the Moleskine pocket weekly planner + notebook AND the Moleskine pocket daily. The fantasies are driven mostly by recent changes in my lifestyle that have made it less essential to track multiple appointments and more essential to have portability and a built-in journal (I'm also an avid art journaler, but that's a different obsession). I've become tired of the looseleaf, and I'm enamored with the idea of keeping an bound volume for the whole year. Reading about your Moleskine experiments is making me crazy! Should I...? Do I dare...?
- Tina