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11 april 1997

10:38 p.m.

Dear diary, Simple pleasures for simple minds. I'm listening to opera while watching MTV, and I've just had the best laugh of the month watching Boys II Men sing Schubert's "Ave Maria." Actually, this CD set, "Tears from Heaven/Voices from Heaven," is awesome. Since I bought it blind, I was afraid I'd get yet another "Classical Music for People who Hate Classical Music" compilation -- the kind limited to Beethoven's Fifth, Bach's Air on a G String and bits of either Vivaldi's Four Seasons or the Nutcracker Suite. Instead, in addition to some pieces I love to death, there are a number I've never heard before. And they're just as moving. I've never really been one for opera. Choral pieces, oh definitely, but solo singing? Unless we're talking world-class stuff, it usually gives me a migrane. But this is a well-themed set of pieces. Part one is "music to evoke the tears that cleanse the soul." Two is "music for moments of reflection and meditation." All great for reading or studying. Even better for drowning one's self in. One thing, though. I wouldn't recommend listening to Part One, "Tears," if you've just broken up with your boyfriend. After I've listened through it once, I can remember every sad scene in every movie I've ever watched. No, I'm not getting a kickback from BMG Music or anything. I'm just honestly getting wrapped up in this music. Part of it, I think, has to do with having bought nothing but ska and industrial stuff for the last couple of months. After skanking all the way to school and back every day, a little Haydn is like a cool tradewind on a humid day. ...and yes, for all I know, these 30 pieces are as irritatingly overplayed to serious opera buffs as Pachabel's Canon in D is to me. I'm such a hypocrite. Tuesday was Walt's birthday, so we all headed out after work for a budget-conscious dinner at Daruma, a hole-in-the-wall ramen place on Ke`eaumoku. His former intended, Kellie, couldn't make it -- no surprise there. But she did give him a handmade, pressed-flower card enscribed with a gooey note and a few grotesquely-cute hearts. The rush, however fleeting, made it a good day for him. Actually, they were planning to go to Daruma anyway, because the eight of every month is half price day. A huge bowl of miso ramen, already nicely priced at $4, goes for $2. Even though many of my coworkers are raking it in, I guess most are young enough to have not forgotten their fridge-scrounging college days. Unfortunately, neither has most of the people in Honolulu. There was a line to get in. Running the length of the restauraunt, out the door, and along the sidewalk. Admittedly, it was a small restaurant (seven tables for four and eight stools at the bar), but ramen isn't exactly a meal people rush through either. So, we stood outside, watching traffic go by and contemplating dragging Walt next door afterward to "Club Foxy Lady" (or some similarly named "gentlemen's club"). "Oh, there's the comet," someone said, matter-of-factly. "Mmmm," everyone nodded, returning to their conversation. "Where?" I practically screamed. Apparently I was the only person on Earth who hadn't yet admired this astronomical marvel. After some embarassing stumbling, finger-pointing and open-mouthed gawking, I finally located the rascal. At first it looked like a fuzzy star -- maybe a planet behind a cloud. But after I blocked out a couple of streetlights with my hands, I got a pretty good look. Small though it was, it was still cool. I could just make out the two tails. No big deal, I suppose, but it was nice to actually see it -- especially after traveling to the darkest, most rural island and driving up a mountain to see it, only to get rained on. For a while, I was beginning to think the comet fit into my "3-D" book conspiracy theory (loosely based on the "Emperor's New Clothes" effect). That is to say, while there's nothing there, after a certain point, everyone will say they saw it... simply because they'd be social outcasts if they didn't. While I believe in Comet Halle-Bopp now (though I won't eat Hell-O pudding to prove it, thank you), the jury's still out on those damn "3-D" pictures. Oh yeah. About that "Hepcat" show. The place was packed. Quite an accomplishment, I thought, given that Radio Free Hawai`i wasn't around anymore to push the concert. As it turns out, though, the promoter started advertising on KPOI, Hawaii's hyperslick corporate rock station. On one hand, I was glad that the bands -- "Red Session," "Homegrown" (both local) and the 'Cats -- had a good turnout. But on the other, the idealist in me hates the fact that the crowd was harvested from the lucrative but pretty mindless demographic served by "The Rock You Live OnTM." Nevertheless, we were there for the music, and there was lots of it. Derek bumped into a couple of old college friends -- serious shoyu bunny material -- who were impressed to see him there. They hugged him and shouted their surprise over a blasting Toasters album (they're coming in May!). He kissed my neck, which almost made me jump. "She's enlightening me," he said. They quickly bounced off to hang from their own boyfriends. "Red Session" took the stage first. They're one of the older ska and punk bands in town, so although they were never my favorites, they've certainly earned my respect with their perseverence. And honestly, they've been getting better. Thankfully, they've also stopped playing "Tyke," their infamous song dedicated to the rampaging elephant who killed her trainer and roamed the streets until the police brought her down with a few dozen bullets. Next was "Homegrown," whom I'd never heard of before. There were definitely closer to punk than ska, but frankly I'd put them even closer to "unrelenting noise." Though their antics were funny (as was their triple-speed falsetto half-cover of the Spice Girl's "Wannabe"), their music was repetative and grating. Four chords, total, and only a moderate ability to play and sing at the same tempo as the drummer. Even worse, they paused mid-set, hushed the audience, then took a moment to give their thanks to KPOI for playing their song that morning. More than a few people hissed. Before I knew it, "Hepcat" was on. I was dumbstruck. It was like a totally different concert. They had a presence that just dripped with cool. Even on a small stage in a smoky, hot warehouse, they sounded even better than they do on their album. And their brass section was the stuff dreams are made of. The band also paused to give a heartfelt tribute to RFH, rightfully saying their group wouldn't have taken off as fast as it did were it not for the "Radio Revolution." Everyone cheered. After the thrash and bang of the opening bands, it was quite a shift to the flawless, flowing "old school" ska the 'Cats helped define. No one -- not even Derek -- could resist getting sucked into their music. Remarkably, some people skanked and others moshed... and both seemed perfectly natural. When they played "Dance Wid' Me," one of the songs that made the band one of Hawaii's ska legends on Radio Free Hawai`i, I pulled Derek out of the smothering, thick crowd, and we really danced. For a moment, there was no telling what I might've done. Everyone roared them into an encore, and they played three more songs. I took a breather to buy a "Hepcat" T-shirt, which I proudly wore to school on Monday. So did at least three other people. Thankfully, it was more of an icebreaker than an embarassment -- every one made sure the other knew about the "Toasters" and "Skankin' Pickle" concert on May 10. Franchon, the fellow Leo who I now work with in keeping the Radio Free Hawai`i page up-to-date, was kind (bored?) enough to throw together a astrological profile for me. Way cool. A couple of excerpts: "They tend to be quick-witted and get things done with sheer willpower. They have difficulty in being objective." "These people are restless, and... they may be promiscuous." These people display a dramatic flair when speaking, and they like to command the attention of all around them, occasionally being loud or verbose... They enjoy proving their point... although they sometimes get carried away and drive the point into the ground."