My soul and my mind were pitted against each other today in a terrible battle. My mind won, which means everybody lost, and I was left an empty, self-loathing husk... until Dr Churchmont came home and made everything better by feeding me some home-made matzah-ball soup (she's got a Kaufman grandma back down the line) and reminding me that not everybody is good at all the same things. (I, for example, am NOT good at reading things from top to bottom--I tend to start in the middle and proceed willy-nilly in any direction--but I AM good at playing the guitar, and I'm a MASTER of the seven-minute nap--never mind that it is not nearly as good as the eight-minute nap...)
And then Michael and Theo cheered me at band practice by killing the set The Chris Monti Band is practicing up for the Blackstone River Theater on January 25th . (In the "She's killing it!" sense, not the "She's killing him!' sense.) In any case... soon as I finish typing this, I'm going to bed so I can wake up refreshed and work on remembering how to sing those 96 Devilfish songs. Thursday night (that's today, unless your reading this now, in which case it's tomorrow... ) The Devilfish will be at The Phoenix in Pawcatuck 7:30 to 10:30 playing dance music for your pleasure. Sunday, we'll be at The East Providence Yacht Club from 3-7pm. If all goes well with this debut we'll be back there in the summer and you'll be able to hear us across the river from India Pt Park, but on Sunday you'll have to swim or boat or take the bridge across the river and come ALL THE WAY to East Providence to see us. Two debuts in a week. If we're playing near your town we'd appreciate the support; we'll make it worth your while. Thanks for reading. -chris The Devilfish at The Phoenix Thursday 1/15/20 7:30-10:30pm 215 Liberty St, Pawcatuck, CT The Devilfish at The East Providence Yacht Club Sunday1/19/20 3-7pm 9 Pier Rd, East Providence The Chris Monti Band at The Blackstone River Theatre Saturday 1/25/20 7:30pm In the wilds of Cumberland ps And I'll start by saying god bless you if you made it this far, I myself dozed off during the second paragraph, but if you read and liked Philip Roth's Sabbath's Theater, I gotta hear from you. No matter how excellent that book may have been (in certain ways) It left me feeling frickin terrible. Mickey Sabbath puts Alan Bishop's most terrible characters to shame.
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Dr Churchmont and I had a delightful road trip to North Carolina and back over 10 days around holidays. We ate, drank, visited much family, and for the first time ever, celebrated the feast of seven fishes (our only contribution to that being the delivery of a fancy can of imported scungilli* secured from Ocean Pride Seafood on Atwood ave in Cranston). On the way back home we spent a really delightful day on the Mall in Washington DC, acutely aware of the beauty and the horror of the world, walking amongst the stone edifices of our federal government, simultaneously stately and slimy, on our way in and out of the National Gallery, The American Indian Museum, and The Sackler and Freer Gallerys.
After 3 hours in the National Gallery (a museum time-record for Dr Churchmont) we we were birthed into a wet and shining sunny world after a morning of rain. We walked the length of the Mall over 8 hours, peed in 8 different federally-cleaned toilets and lay upon a park bench gazing up into a now clear and blue sky, sometimes waving to formidable men in uniform and the occasional mob of tourists rolling by on segways. We walked through a large flocks of pigeons and seagulls massed about our countrymen and visitors from all over the world devouring crispy fried birds from a line of delicious and terrible smelling food trucks. It was an emotional day. I cried quietly but freely in the art museums, strolling toward the Lincoln monument, and walking along the simple and elegant Vietnam War Memorial: black marble and nearly sixty thousand neatly engraved names. Ostensibly, I am still on vacation, but the music heats up towards the end of the month. The Devilfish play the East Providence Yacht Club for the first time on 1/19, we play our first early-friday show at The Parlour on on 1/24... And on Saturday 1/25 The Chris Monti Band splits a bill at the lovely Blackstone River Theater with our friend Yacouba Diabate for a night of music from and inspired by West Africa. I've never bought the idea of music being an escape from anything. Here's to being engaged. Thanks for reading. -chris The Devilfish at The East Providence Yacht Club, Sunday, 1/19, early show 3-7 9 Pier Rd, East Providence, RI The Devilfish at The Parlour, Friday 1/24, early show 6-9pm 1119 North Main St, Providence, RI The Chris Monti Band at The Blackstone River Theatre, Saturday 1/25, 8-10pm (doors at 7:30) a split bill with Yacouba Diabate 549 Broad St, Cumberland, RI 02864. Call BRT for Tickets: 401-725-9272 $15 |
Notes From a Musical Life
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