In order to attend the West Sound Ukulele Fest, I needed to take the ferry from downtown Seattle to Bremerton. At half an hour, it’s the longest of the routes that leave from downtown. I spent the ride finding that place on the ferry deck in the sun and out of the wind. Every time the ferry would adjust course, which wasn’t often, I’d walk around and park myself in the next place, where I’d admire either the fall color on the shore or the container ships with their Lego stacked cargo or the sky reflected in the waters of Puget Sound.
I returned to Seattle late in the afternoon when the light was getting long. My fellow passengers were a group of kids done up for a rave downtown, the girls showing as much skin as they dared and decorated with glittery makeup, the boys looking like extras from 80s new wave videos. I hope they hydrated well and whatever drug they decided to use was not cut with bleach or some other terrible thing and that they used protection. May they party hard and healthy as it is an election year and we need their votes.
Also, the day I tire of a ferry ride is the day it’s time to pack up my things and leave Seattle.
As usual, some links are Amazon links and I get a little something if you buy. Please do, and thank you.
I had forgotten how much I adore Billy Bragg; thanks to my friend Sarah that’s been righted. Billy Bragg has a new album out, a project he did with Joe Henry. They traveled across the US by train and at intermittent stops, the duo recorded classic American railroad songs. The album is called Shine a Light, buy it here (you should, right now), but it’s on Spotify too. And there’s a bit of video about the project here.
I loved everything about the show and Billy Bragg is as relevant as ever — he played Accident Waiting to Happen and it could have been written yesterday.
I inherited my stepfather’s guitar, a lovely mahogany Guild M20 from the 60s. If you’re that person, and I am, you’ll know it as the same guitar Nick Drake played. (You don’t own Pink Moon
§
Pop Culture Happy Hour recorded a live show at the Neptune Theater — the same place we saw Billy Bragg — and my friend Erin invited me to tag along. I had no idea what to expect, the show isn’t in my podcast rotation. But it was fun, a bit like listening to your super smart friends talk about things that they’re interested in, but not in a snobby way, and you don’t feel excluded. Give it a spin, you can subscribe here, or have a listen here.
§
After months with plantar fascitis, I finally got some relief using this foot roller. Apparently every other person who reads my blog or follows me on Facebook has had — or currently has — this stupid condition to varying degrees. The roller and a daily practice of sun salutations seems to doing the trick. I also bought a pair of orthopedic slippers because I’m supposed to always have arch support and, yeah, I kind of hate myself. Getting old, man. Here is how I feel about that.
§
Should you find yourself in Seattle’s U-District any time soon, I recommend two places to eat. Chili’s South Indian, where the paratha is the most ridiculously fluffy version of this bread I’ve had anywhere. And Xi’an Noodles, where the noodles are fat and chewy and spicy and oh, now I’m very hungry.
§
Here’s hoping your week was full of good music and sparkling conversation. What did you hear this week that made you feel smart and included?
The new Regina Spektor. Her song, The Light, every day on repeat on my way to work…