Halie Loren in Salem, OR at Boon's Treasury.

Wednesday we hung out at Boon's Treasury after work to listen to Halie Loren. (That made my fourth time seeing her perform.) She played a song by Regina Spektor; she described it as a wonderful song, and while she didn't understand the first bit, it was worth it to get to "the chocolaty center." She was right. The chorus almost brought me to tears right there.


This is how it works
You're young until you're not
You love until you don't
You try until you can't

You laugh until you cry
You cry until you laugh
And everyone must breathe
Until their dying breath

No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took

And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood

And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again

It's from 2006, so you're probably heard it (I don't really do radio, so if I don't stumble over it, I never hear it). If you haven't, listen. I wish Halie's version was available, or I'd share it because it was even better.

We all had our RUSH period in college, right?

Oh, the sublime pleasure of Limelight cranked on high in my new little studio/workspace. Geddy, you are too old to have that goddamn soul patch I've seen you with lately, but I still love you.


On second thought, the long hair, the Lennon glasses... I kinda like it.

Snakes and Arrows from 2008 didn't even cross my radar, but I took a peek tonight on iTunes and immediately bought it. Wow. Such great new material. They're no nostalgia act!

Peter Cetera and Oregon Symphony Orchestra

So much great stuff in Salem is keeping me busy I hardly have time to write about it. Time to slow down, perhaps? Nah! For some, the fair is done and gone, put to bed for another year. But this is worth sharing.

Last weekend I was gifted with tickets to Sunday night's performance by Peter Cetera backed by the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. This child of the 80's, band geek, lover of music backed by strings was all atwitter--in that way that does not refer to microblogging. Thanks Salem Creative Network!

The rain loomed large, but we decided to forge ahead. After four years, are we not true Oregonians, no longer scared off by a little mist, a few raindrops... a monsoon? We experienced all of those, interspersed with rays of sun and, yes, rainbows, in the hour leading up to the show.

Not a drop spilled from the sky during the show, however. Huzzah.

Our seats were nice, the crowd was small but enthusiastic as you might imagine those who would brave possible rain would be. Cetera gave a good performance, a 90 minute set of Chicago favorites and a few of his solo successes. He assured us that he didn't mind doing the old favorites; he, too, liked to go to see performers do their tried and true, so he understood. He also assured us that he wrote more than ballads, but it was us who made the ballads the hits, so we only had ourselves to blame. Honestly, I'd loved to have heard a selection or two that was new, or near and dear to his heart. He threw in a Beatles medley, too.

His traveling assets, The Bad Daddies, were awesome (Kim Keyes deserves her own show), and the Oregon Symphony Orchestra... well, of course they were AWESOME. There were some nice solos including a lovely cello piece, and they really let loose near the end with 25 or 6 to 4. I was giddy with excitement when the brass stood up. Here it comes! Knocked us off our seats. WOW.

I was so very glad to be listening to it from the tenth row instead of my hammock out in the back yard a mile away. Between fair entrance and two tickets, we had a $90 gift from Salem Creative Network.

The only downer was that our dear old* Peter, despite living in Idaho, cannot pronounce Oregon. He says "ORE-a-gone." He tweets, he blogs, but he can't pronounce Oregon. OMG.

* Old as in born in 1944, as in almost older than both of my parents, as in makes my 37 seem positively childlike. I swooned over this guy in high school. What's happening to this world? Let me off this crazy thing!

Seeking "Cowboy Music"

Earlier this summer, our camping neighbors asked permission before playing opera one night, then cowboy songs the next. We welcomed it, if for no other reason than the thrill of having such considerate neighbors. (Too bad Winston nipped him; but that turned out okay, too.) As evening wore on, we kicked back in the camper. Over the sounds of the bubbling creek and the crackling fire wafted music that, while totally foreign in style to our usual tastes, just seemed so perfect for the time and space.

The next morning I thanked them for offering up such a wonderful addition. In the conversation I caught "cowboy music" and "Sons of the Pioneers" and stored those references away for another day. Now I'm poking around looking for music of a sort I never imagined I'd seek out. Yeehaw.

[PS - Okay, after just sampling what I've found I've stored it on a playlist and am now shoving copious amounts of Depeche Mode, moody cello music by Adam Hurst and a techno version of Adagio for Strings repeatedly into my ears at high volume.]

Struck by cupid's bow for Adam Hurst, cellist.