Johnny D's Poodle Factory
Garaj Mahal live, September 26, 2007
(Start at track 2, Poodle Factory; track 1 is just tuning.)
The last time I saw Garaj was in March 2004 in New York City. That was an epic show -- I went with three others -- an immensely gifted hairline-challenged pianist who claimed to have played with John McLaughlin, a childhood friend who was in the middle of post-doctoral work in an area related to artificial intelligence (and is now baby-sitting lemurs in Madagascar), and the former-blogger known as Wildflower Seed. I remember having four martinis over the course of the evening. The show was massive, pun intended. I also remember desperately wishing for a poodle factory. They did play it, as an encore. By that time I'm told I was slumped against the wall, pianist-man sitting by me, on guard. Then, on the way back, came the sher that we all remember (and now that WFS's old blog is down, I can guiltlessly repeat it here).
door se dekha, baingan aa raha tha
door se dekha, baingan aa raha tha
paas aa kar dekha, to headbanger aa raha tha
It was funny then, too. Funnier was after getting home, Mr. Lemur introduced us to this spaced out game that made no sense unless you were really far gone. And we were. Because *after* that came the episode of the four hour bathroom incarceration about which if I write more I'll have to do a BM-cum-WFS-cum-every other vanishing act known to man.
But I digress.
The point of this ramble is to tell you that I, finally after three and a half decades, saw Garaj again. Yes, at Johnny D's. To my despair Kai Eckhardt the second-greatest living bassist was absent. In his place they featured Jonathan Herrera, editor of a magazine for bassists. You can see the two of them play a lovely lilting duet here. And you will realize why I told my companion for the evening why, although the show was smashing, it would have been even better if Kai had been there. He just, sort of, holds the room together, you know?
Ah yes, my companion for the evening. Definitely more low key than the pianist and the monkey-man, but highly personable, for sure. The Drugged Turtle, as I shall now refer to him. You can see a snapshot of the top of his beverage in the picture below. That's Alan "Giga" Hertz in the background. He keeps time like the custodian of the cesium clock. And Eric Levy? That man has soul pouring out of his fingertips. What timing! And of course good old Fareed - sporting a rakish new goatee. He was on as well, right from the manic poodle factory that started the set (track 2 above, what, you haven't heard it yet?)
They played an hour and a half, only one set and a Celtic Indian for the encore. We cleared the tables from the front of the stage and a couple of guys in the audience expressed themselves to the fullest. Garaj Mahal -- what a band.
(Start at track 2, Poodle Factory; track 1 is just tuning.)
The last time I saw Garaj was in March 2004 in New York City. That was an epic show -- I went with three others -- an immensely gifted hairline-challenged pianist who claimed to have played with John McLaughlin, a childhood friend who was in the middle of post-doctoral work in an area related to artificial intelligence (and is now baby-sitting lemurs in Madagascar), and the former-blogger known as Wildflower Seed. I remember having four martinis over the course of the evening. The show was massive, pun intended. I also remember desperately wishing for a poodle factory. They did play it, as an encore. By that time I'm told I was slumped against the wall, pianist-man sitting by me, on guard. Then, on the way back, came the sher that we all remember (and now that WFS's old blog is down, I can guiltlessly repeat it here).
door se dekha, baingan aa raha tha
door se dekha, baingan aa raha tha
paas aa kar dekha, to headbanger aa raha tha
It was funny then, too. Funnier was after getting home, Mr. Lemur introduced us to this spaced out game that made no sense unless you were really far gone. And we were. Because *after* that came the episode of the four hour bathroom incarceration about which if I write more I'll have to do a BM-cum-WFS-cum-every other vanishing act known to man.
But I digress.
The point of this ramble is to tell you that I, finally after three and a half decades, saw Garaj again. Yes, at Johnny D's. To my despair Kai Eckhardt the second-greatest living bassist was absent. In his place they featured Jonathan Herrera, editor of a magazine for bassists. You can see the two of them play a lovely lilting duet here. And you will realize why I told my companion for the evening why, although the show was smashing, it would have been even better if Kai had been there. He just, sort of, holds the room together, you know?
Ah yes, my companion for the evening. Definitely more low key than the pianist and the monkey-man, but highly personable, for sure. The Drugged Turtle, as I shall now refer to him. You can see a snapshot of the top of his beverage in the picture below. That's Alan "Giga" Hertz in the background. He keeps time like the custodian of the cesium clock. And Eric Levy? That man has soul pouring out of his fingertips. What timing! And of course good old Fareed - sporting a rakish new goatee. He was on as well, right from the manic poodle factory that started the set (track 2 above, what, you haven't heard it yet?)
They played an hour and a half, only one set and a Celtic Indian for the encore. We cleared the tables from the front of the stage and a couple of guys in the audience expressed themselves to the fullest. Garaj Mahal -- what a band.
posted by Tabula Rasa | 10/01/2007 10:44:00 AM
9 Comments:
Funny, I read this post just as I was listening (after a long time) to this album. One of the bassists is called Kai E. Karpeh De Camargo, but I believe it's the same guy you're talking about. I think it's the only recording of his that I own.
three and a half decades.....*WOW*
surely you mean years?...masterji, masterji, bachhon ko kya sikhaoge?
rahul:
yes, that's the man all right. undercover. what a man.
szerelem, ??!:
i see allegory went out with the twentieth century.
If it's worth a vanishing act, then bring it on. You can always end it with a "it was all just a dream". Shyamalan will probably turn it into a movie.
Thanks for putting me on to these guys. It was an evening well spent.
..and 'personable', eh?
Just for that I will personably respond to your tag right here.
Last Book Bought
None in a long while. Most of what I read comes by way of my father. My mum doesn't let him buy new books unless he gives away as many as he brings in. So every few months the club library gets a large consignment and I get a smaller one. Recent acquisitions include “India after Gandhi” by Guha, “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” by Joyce, “India and Pakistan, the First Fifty Years” by Harrison, Kreisberg and Krux, “Fabric of the Cosmos” by Brian Greene and “Present History of West Bengal” by Partha Chatterjee
Last Book Read
“Shalimar the Clown” by Rushdie
Book I plan on reading next:
“Sacred Games” by Vikram Chandra
Books I completely detest:
“God of Small Things” by that Roy woman. I can not believe that the twaddle she peddles actually has a fan following.
“Ulysses” by Joyce. I am sure that people who are masochistic enough to read through this mind numbing juggernaut are forced to persuade themselves that they were somehow rewarded for their wasted months. Fortunately I am not one of them.
“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach. If I had a dollar for every Bach book that some starry eyed moron has quoted at me… Anyway, this is a great example of the self help drivel that losers gifted other losers for their birthdays in the 80’s and early 90’s. If I ever see a seagull soaring towards a higher plane of existence, I hope I have a shotgun handy to help it on its way.
km:
my skin's worth more than that.
mt:
yup, this is why the faithful hound needs to make like the prodigal sheep and return.
MT: come on, man, show the Seagull some love. It inspired so many people to...soar.
Now please let me kill myself.
KM: No, not you too. At the end of that book my only reaction was "eh??".
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