2005-03-18 - 10:10 a.m. Scott MX Turner subtitled the Fred's extravaganza last night "St Patrick's Day for people who hate celebrating St Patrick's Day," and that was quite apt. I am now a believer in all things Irish and Patrick-y. It was really a blast--the United 32's put on a fantastic show, featuring Diane George's facile tin whistle playing, Scott's compelling punk/folk stylings, and expert support on accordion and mandolin from Gavin Smith & Ian Roure, respectively. A heart-rending ballad version of "Garageland" set people's Bic lighters aflame, and the instrumentals managed to be sad and rollicking at once. How do they do that? Other highlights of the evening: many songs with the word "whiskey" and "wild" in them, a Thin Lizzy cover, and authentic Irish-American radio drama skittery. Speaking of green things, I have been looking for a good "green" juice (i.e., with algae and spirulina and all that) ever since Fresh Samantha stopped making their highly-nutritious but kinda quease-making version a few years ago. And that vision quest has been fulfilled by this stuff, which appears to be available nationwide in fine supermarkets near you. The bonus is that it actually tastes really good. And if you like the benefits of green tea but aren't a fan of the astringent taste, you may enjoy Yogi Tea's Green Tea with Kombucha (decaf and regular), which tastes almost citrus-y. When I've been able to pry myself away from the Ben Lee album this week, I've also been enjoying Petra Haden & Bill Frisell's new album, an ethereal set of covers (Foo Fighters, Stevie Wonder, jazz standards, Tom Waits) that will appeal to fans of both artists. Wonder's "I Believe" has been completely reconstructed here. Really pretty, transcendent stuff... Hey, Freddy's and its "Knit Night" are going to be featured on The Jane Pauly Show in April! Details on a need-to-know basis. thoughts? (7 comments so far) previous - next blog archive contact