aeblog

Of Human Ingenuity (or Frankie B. and Jimmy L. do what they do best)

For those of you not in the know, I am talking about Frank Black and James Levine. I had the pleasure of seeing both of these fine musicians practically one right after the other last week. The Pixies did not open for the BSO, but somehow I found myself as a lucky audience member at these two very different yet somehow oddly related performances. I couldn't help but marvel at how wonderful and various and long lasting and powerful music of all sorts can be. And how lucky I am to be able to see and hear all this practically in my back yard.

I don't think that I can come up with many direct comparisons between these two shows other than both were led by individuals with long and impressive careers who had a bit more heft and a bit less hair than the early days of their fame. But don't let this indicate anything about their music. They know what they are doing, and they know how to perform in front of hundreds of people.

Seeing these in quick succession made me realize how amazing we human beings are. Well, at least some of us are, and we, as a race, are certainly capable of creating amazing things. I'm not sure if this sort of race self-assessment is fair, but I am continually blown away by this world we live in and the moments of beauty, both natural and anthropogenic, that exist all around us every day. Berlioz could not be more different from the Pixies in so many ways, but in the end both are music, both are well thought out, both are creative and ingenious, both are pushing certain limits and playing firmly within others, and really the most important thing: both are fun to listen to. Don't let these sorts of opportunities pass you by, my friends! Go, listen, enjoy and support it so it doesn't stop.

At the end of the day, despite the unfortunate wheezing of the heavy breather seated next to me (no, not my companion), I enjoyed the BSO show more. Yeah, I know this is stodgy, but there was something so beautiful and unadulterated about the sounds that filled Symphony Hall on Saturday that left me feeling fulfilled and blissfully exhausted at the same time.