Short Takes

First, a belated mini-review of the Magenta Shift show at the Knitting Factory Friday night, featuring the bedazzling Ann Magnuson. She and her new band (incl. fellow Bongwater alum Dave Rick on guitar), rocked the house and provided plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. "The Power of Pussy" was a highlight, also reminding me that was the Bongwater album that we played at the record store so often way back when, but I never bought, and now need to own. Truly entertaining.

On an anti-music note, my quiet afternoon of reading in Bryant Park on Sunday was rudely interrupted by the sounds of "smooth jazz" emanating from the speakers on the bandstand nearby. This, mixing with the distant strains of "Y.M.C.A" and "Funkytown" floating over from the Gay Pride Parade down 5th Avenue was just too much noise pollution, so I gave up trying to concentrate on my book and left. Boo.

Finally, here's one in a series of random encounters involving my iPod:

Stepping into the elevator this morning I met up with one of my neighbors who saw me putting on my headphones and dialing up some music on my iPod. Wanted to know if that was an iPod (yes), and whether you needed to download a lot of music first (no, you can just rip MP3s from your CDs to put on it). Funny how it didn't even occur to him that you could put your legally-owned music on this thing first and foremost.