King Crimson

One of the top ten live shows* I've seen was King Crimson at the House of Blues in New Orleans in the 90's.  A bunch of the live recordings on the Thrak Attack double album (on their tour after the release of B'Boom) are from that show.  They were amazing the night before, technically amazing, a dazzling set.  But the next night they'd spent the night and all day in New Orleans.  I'm sure they were treated to the amazing food, friendliness, and a spat of beautiful weather, wandering around the French Quarter, looking at the Mississippi.  They were smiling and several times grinning at each other.  They changed up the set, dropped a couple of songs and added more.  The solos were longer, the improvisation more complex and seemingly joyful.  Enjoy.

*I refuse to rank my favorite shows.  They happened in different years and radically different venues, but are live experiences dear to my heart.

New Music Coming Soon

The IFPR studios have been very quiet for a while.  Between technical difficulties with the studio and Alan Evil performing with the band Lotus Blake not much has been coming out.  Alan has recently started an ambient project which should be out before Xmas and there will be a new album of songs in the new year.  Happy holidays from the Institute!

Test

Is this thing on?

Yeah, so it's been a while.  How've you been?  Are you seeing anyone?  No.  Well...


Anyway, I'm going to fill in the gaps eventually, I hope.  But in the meantime how about some pictures and links?  Yay!

A A Religion of Peace

Dream It Was Crazy (revisited 2013)

here

Dream? It Was Crazy - 2013

Some new-ish music.

A Poem

When I Walk

When I walk I pick up little objects

Rusted washers, old square nails, metal parts

that have been run over so many times

they have become a shape

bullets, an odd piece of wood,

pretty rocks

I used to bring my grandma a pretty rock from each

of my travels

Stripey granite from the Rockies

Stripey granite from the Alps

Fossils and quartz found near

Black flint and red sandstone found afar

Collected with the othering offerings

Brought by everyone and herself

And then, without her curating

The collection dwindled and dispersed

In the alleys I find the rusted things

Skins shaped by the traveled open ground

I had someone to bring them to

Offer them from my pocket every morning as I returned

Now they collect here

Unappreciated

But by me

Waiting to be dispersed.

Day of the Dead Art 6,7, and 8.

Day of the Dead Art

The Old Purse

Despite its silly names
And accompanying misogynistic/homophobic jokes
"Murse," "Man Purse," "Fag Bag"
It has carried the stuff I don't want
  to stick in my pockets
Because it's bad
  to sit on a wallet
And I want my phone,
  my notepad, my little camera,
  my tire gauge, my pens, my miniature tripod,
  my checkbook, my reading glasses, my loose change, and that wallet
handy.
I rarely have enough pockets for all this stuff
  that I need regularly, that I use.
Where else can I throw those extra screws when I'm done with a job?
Not in my pocket because inevitably they will poke me in the groin.
And a little room left over for a snack, found object, measuring tape, carpenter's pencils
But it is worn out.
The strap is frayed.
The corners are frayed.
The cloth at the straps is frayed.
And she gave it to me.
Occasionally I remember that.
Another little stab of pain.
So it is finally time.
I can never remove everything from the world that we shared in some special way.
There are other things she gave me
  that I will eventually replace
But I can burn this old purse now
  and replace it.
Maybe with a courier bag.
 

A Poem: Plowing the Garden

Plowing the Garden

Sitting on Pat's back
Warm with scratchy white hair
The patient pace
Pulling the old plow through the earth
Grandpa clucks and mutters rarely
to correct the old horse's path
I am a happy little light
Riding a content old horse
Followed by a satisfied man

The Nexus Six - Arbitrary Titles

The successful (of the three planned albums) RPM Challenge this year was The Nexus Six.  Download and enjoy!  Available as individual songs or as a .ZIPX file with artwork.

Player for 2012 RPM Challenge

alanzevil1's player:

RPM Challenge Begins

Starfish, you ain't a starfish anymore.

The Nexus Six

Regeneration

download

A New Song

120125

Some Photographs

 

 

Some Photographs

Some Poems:

Grandma Gave Me a Slice of Hot Banana Pepper

Learning, or trying
to read her twinkle
of mischief
as a soft crisp
yellow slice
of hot pepper
offered
like a treat
cool and hot
at once on the tongue
confusion for me
tears of laughter for her


Dull Hammers

Her words dull hammers
of an unhappy life
Unhappy childhood
of hateful parents
with broken spirits
the dull hammer
with which she writes
her one note poetry
over and over and over


Understanding

Once in a dream I heard
through the fog of waking
people in another room
speaking English
but it was not my tongue
and meant nothing
to me
the pleasant chatter
of friends discussing
without meaning


Buried

 My childhood bicycle
was buried all but a piece
of one wheel
in the red clay dirt
full of round red gravel
in the vanished pine woods
near the house
where I did not have
a bicycle

Samba Rio demo reel 1999