February Favorites

A Fantastic Woman: Along with Until the Flood and Draw the Circle (see below) at Rattlestick this month, this film powerfully depicts how terrible humans can be to one another simply because of fear and a lack of understanding. A Fantastic Woman movingly portrays one transgender woman's experience in the face of adversity and bigotry, while also grieving for her recently deceased lover. Despite occasional touches of fantasy, A Fantastic Woman feels grounded in reality, and even though Marina, the protagonist,  displays great strength, it made me quite sad that so many people feel they must take sides and form an "us against them" scenario in their minds as a knee-jerk reaction rather than reaching for empathy and sympathy. It is a true shame that so many people shun what they fear or what they see as different.

John Oates at Joe's Pub: Darryl Hall has better hair and his own web show, and he gets all the glory. But I've realized over the years that many of my favorite Hall & Oates songs (namely "Las Vegas Turnaround," "She's Gone," "Is It a Star," and "Alone Too Long") are heavy on the Oates. Thus, I figured it was about time that I gave John Oates his due, and when I saw that he was playing at Joe's Pub, it seemed like a great chance to hear what he can do when not dominated by Daryl and his golden locks. While John Oates certainly has a very different personality from Daryl Hall, he is just as entertaining. Oates told many fun and interesting stories about his songs throughout the evening, which was heavy on tracks from his new album, Arkansas, but also featured older solo material, and a couple Hall & Oates selections. Those selections were a reggae version of "Maneater" (Oates wrote the song after returning from Jamaica and had initially intended for it to have a reggae influence, but "Daryl in his infinite wisdom" insisted on a Motown groove instead) and a delightfully twangy version of "You Make My Dreams." I also greatly enjoyed the songs "Lose It in Louisiana" and "Let Him Come to You," both of which exemplify a mellow country style that I most commonly associate with early Jimmy Buffett. Based on this show, I would gladly see a John Oates solo performance again since he is most definitely an accomplished songwriter, musician, and entertainer in his own right.

Draw the Circle: Mashuq Mushtaq Deen gives a open, honest, powerful, and brave performance in this autobiographical one-man performance pulled together from interviews he has done with his family, partner, friends, and acquaintances to better understand their reactions to his transition to male. I also got the impression that this performance was integral to Deen's processing and understanding of his own journey. As confused as those who love and know him were about his choice to transition, Deen makes it clear that this journey was not a straightforward one for him either. Draw the Circle presents a perspective on the transgender experience that I had not previously encountered; it helped me get a glimpse of how difficult the journey of transition is for all involved, including the person transitioning. There is also an added layer in that Deen is a first generation American from an Indian family. In this way, Draw the Circle shares themes with My Lingerie Play, another Rattlestick production, about growing up queer in an immigrant family and finding one's place in the world. Nearly every Rattlestick production I see challenges me in positive ways to consider other viewpoints and look at the world through different eyes, fostering the understanding and empathy that are key to the human experience.

Viva La Madness, J. J. Connolly: Layer Cake is one of my favorite movies, but I didn't care much for the book. It took me ages to get through it, and it just didn't have the momentum, snappiness, or sexiness of the film. As a result, I put off reading the sequel, Viva La Madness, for over three years. It turned out that I need not have waited that long, since Viva La Madness is quite delightful and snappy indeed. As in Layer Cake, the criminals that our nameless narrator encounters while trying to mind his own business are especially clueless and inept, with the result being that I laughed out loud many times while reading this book. The plot is suitably convoluted, but not so much so that it's difficult to follow. I was able to read this rather quickly because I genuinely wanted to find out what would happen next and how our man would manage to keep his head above water when nearly everyone around him is constantly puncturing the proverbial raft. All in all, a fun and entertaining novel that is a worthy sequel to the film version of Layer Cake.

"If Not for You", Dave Koz: I knew this song was a winner within the first six seconds, as the softest of soft jazz chimes unfolded and brought to mind Chris Botti's Night Sessions album. "If Not For You" is Dave Koz's first release from his 'Lost Koz' vault, and I am definitely puzzled as to why it didn't make it as an album cut. It's a gorgeous, dreamy piece of music that is wonderfully relaxing.

"Charisma", Oliver feat. Jamie Lidell: If you think of your life as an 80s movie and are always looking for the perfect addition to the soundtrack, then look no further than the sexy synths  and smooth croon of "Charisma". The guys of Oliver know how to make fresh jams that sound perfectly retro, and there is no better vocal match for the genre than Jamie Lidell. Break out the Wayfarers, Members Only jacket, and high tops and electric slide into your neon-lit dreams.

"Bedroom Calling", Chromeo feat. The-Dream: Another excellent addition to the 80s soundtrack of one's life is this fizzy pop confection from Chromeo, who also know their way around an 80s groove. Their funk-tinged track is full of sun-kissed synths and a slick bass line, making "Bedroom Calling" on par with their hits like "Jealous (I Ain't With It)" and "Come Alive".

Midland at Radio City Music Hall: As much as I wish these guys were headlining (and they most certainly have the chops to do so), they were instead one of two opening acts for Little Big Town. Since they had the first spot of the night, they only got to play six songs to a sparsely populated auditorium. However, they performed the hell out of those six songs, and for anyone who doesn't believe Midland is the real deal (questioning the band's "authenticity" is apparently a "thing" that has been happening on the internet), the guys showed that they most certainly have what it takes as singers, musicians, and performers, with the acoustics of Radio City bringing out the rich timbre of singer Mark Wystrach's voice to great effect. Their rendition of "Burn Out" turned Radio City Music Hall into a honky tonk, and hearing a live version of "More Than A Fever" had me melting into my seat. "Drinkin' Problem" was a crowd favorite, and the set was rounded out by "Check Cashin' Country," "Make A Little," and "This Old Heart." Of course the real highlight of the evening was the meet & greet I got to do with Mark, Cameron Duddy, and Jess Carson before the show; they are highly personable and perfect gentleman. Mark complemented my jacket and referred to me as "babe" (when you dress like the 70s, you can talk like the 70s), so I was floating on cloud nine. While I am happy that Midland is making the rounds and getting exposure to a wider country audience, I am looking forward to the day when I get to see them headline (any size of venue) and play a full length set, mainly because I would love to hear "She's Gone" and "Electric Rodeo" live, as well as experience "More Than A Fever" in person as many times as humanly possible.