Firth of Fabulous

The incomparable British guitar master, Steve Hackett, delighted a packed theater of progressive rock fans with his show, Genesis Extended.  The Lincoln Theater on historic U Street in DC was the first stop on the tour.  This was my fourth Genesis Revisited show (VA, NY, Phila, DC) and every one has been thrilling.  This show is not for the hit-ster fans of later Genesis and Phil Collins.  Only deep, earlier album cuts served here.  The music is at once exhiliarating, emotional, esoteric, and enduring.  Most overheard comment:  "My God, I feel like I'm 17 again."

Below is a clip from the Lincoln Theater.  It's my favorite passage from Steve's extended guitar solo in the song, Firth of Fifth.  (Apologies for the jitters -- it's difficult to remain still when you're enjoying the music.)



Steve's official website

Genesis Revisited CD/DVD set

More videos from the tour

Lincoln Theater DC Setlist
Dance on a Volcano

Dancing With the Moonlit Knight

Squonk

Fly on a Windshield

Broadway Melody of 1974

The Lamia

The Return of the Giant Hogweed

The Musical Box

I Know What I Like

Horizons

Firth of Fifth

Lilywhite Lilith

The Knife

The Fountain of Salmacis

Supper's Ready

Encore

Watcher of the Skies

Los Endos

New Jimi Hendrix Stamp Misses the Beat

With great anticipation, I bought a sheet of new Jimi Hendrix stamps at the post office today.  Must admit disappointment.  The artist rendering just doesn't do it for me.  Artistic license maybe, but the resemblance isn't quite there, and the color palette doesn't seem authentic to psychedelic art of that era. 

 And what are those bizarre lines around his face?

If I were in charge....it would look more like this:

IMO, for the music icon series, the USPS should stick with photographs.  They did a much nicer job on the Ray Charles stamp:

Hope they do a better treatment with the upcoming John Lennon stamp.  Here's one of my favorites:

 And if they need an idea for the Jim Morrison stamp, how about this?

At the rate it's going, postage will be up to 69 cents before we know it.

Andy Shallal for Mayor

Andy Shallal, an Iraqi American, owner of hip local restaurant chain Busboys and Poets, and all-around good guy, is running for mayor of DC.  This jaded former political operative is not easily impressed, but after hearing him speak at a private fundraiser, I put a yard sign in my front window.

Andy's the sort of candidate that's in short supply  -- someone with integrity, honesty, real-world experience, not a career politician beholden to special interests, a progressive who walks the walk.  The mission statement for his restaurants is this:

Busboys and Poets is a community where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted...a place to take a deliberate pause and feed your mind, body and soul...a space for art, culture and politics to intentionally collide...we believe that by creating such a space we can inspire social change and begin to transform our community and the world.

andy4dc.com

Madame Tussaud's at the Mansion

It was a little scary. I'd never been this close to really good wax figures. When I first walked in the room, they looked so real it was startling. But the true test is, do they look alive up close? Yes...eerily so. And from every angle. I swore I could see them twitch.

selfie with The Duke

The Beatles in wax (with John looking a bit like Dave Mason)