Twenty five years later, still a classic

Suzanne Vega









I was reminded last night that it’s been twenty five years since this album was released. Twenty five years. Wow. It remains one of my favorite of hers in particular and a favorite album of all time.  You know those questions, stuck ------------ and you can only bring X # of albums, which ones do you take?  This is definate on the list. 

And as an aside: I wonder if my 45 of Left of Center, with Small Blue Thing on the B side is worth anything?  Probably not, as probably no one now even remembers 45s.  The latest YA book I'm reading, the teen guy has to "figure out" how to turn on a turntable, put the needle down and get the vinyl record to play.  Humph.  Anyway...



Last night’s concert was incredible. Two of my most favorite singer / songwriters live in at once.  It doesn’t get much better than that. Patty Larkin gets sounds out of a guitar that I wouldn’t believe possible if I didn’t see it live. And they both write lyrics that I find amazing.


There were two problems though. The first, is that when seeing or listening to these two ladies (never mind in the same night), I walk away simultaneously inspired and feeling unworthy. I listen and say, I want to go write. I want to produce brilliance too. And that is often immediately followed by the self deprecating I can never be that good.


The second problem was the venue. At first I thought it was kind of nice, charming. It was small and small is always favorable. However….the seats were uncomfortable and tight, and we know I’m not even tall.  Some of the seats would actually be horrible and not worth paying for.  The accoustics merely okay.  The enterance / exits small and looking a bit shabby in design. The executive director, a pretty blonde woman (it was Western CT after all), went up on stage to introduce the acts in her cargo shorts and white tank top.  At least she put down her plastic cup of beer that she'd carried through the house, first.  (Later one of the performers did mention the woman that afternoon has done the town's 5k road race.  Admirable and might have explained both beer and outfit, but in my mind did not excuse it.)

Also, I really dislike venues of any sort that have any kind of bar. This not only had bar, but popcorn and snacks ala movies. Not that I am against that sort of thing, but the whole, time/place issues.  Bad enough movie theaters have sticky floors, live theaters should not!

Okay, clearly I’m old school.  I admit, I have become a grumpy conservative old lady.  I think a theater and it's performers should have respect and these things show a lack there of.  But I digress, again.More importantly is the behavior that goes with this general lack of respect in the theater. Ms. Vega was very gracefully as the loony, probably drunk, lady repeatedly called out declaring her love and requesting songs by the wrong title. Sigh.  And leaving, I don't like wading through junk on the floor that is only marginally better than the last midnight showing I went to of Rocky Horror.


But all in all, it was wonderful and as it IS the twenty-fifth anniversary of this album there was a lot of this material in the set, which was so exciting.


So, as summer winds down, our bath walls go back up, my new staff at work gets trained, maybe I can produce something worth reading here… Maybe.