It Ain’t Over 'til the (Talented) Lady (Stops) Sing(ing)

Even after finally managing to cross attending a performance at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center off my bucket list in January of 2019, I never could bring myself to pony up $25 to watch recorded versions of the institution’s new opera productions at a nearby movie theater.  Not only are the tickets expensive, I’m constitutionally incapable of sitting still as images flicker across a screen.

I finally know what I’ve been missing.  The Metropolitan Opera offers a different free video stream of its cinematic productions every 24 hours during the ongoing lockdown.  (Donations are requested.)  Indulging in the benevolent gesture changed the tone of my quarantine. 

I could only afford a ticket in the nethermost tier of the Metropolitan Opera House to take in the double bill of “Iolanta” and “Bluebeard’s Castle” in New York City last year.  The filmed versions place the viewer in the front row and behind the scenes during set changes and between each act.  I was especially grateful for the clear vantage points that allowed me to admire Anna Netrebko in her starring role as Norina in a 2010 production of “Don Pasquale” on Saturday.

Now that I’ve learned how to insulate my laptop in ice packs to prevent overheating during the lengthy, data-heavy performances, I know I’ll be able to watch all of “Boris Godunov” tonight, and more importantly, Netrebko’s 2019 star turn in “Adriana Lecouvreur” on Saturday.


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It’s not all opera and ambient noise in my retreat.  I list my ten favorite jazz albums of 2020 (so far) at Plastic Sax.

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Apropos of nothing, here’s a reminder of Brad Mehldau’s brilliance.

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Nostalgic fans of gentle folk-rock of 1970s artists like Christine McVie, Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake will be beside themselves when they catch up with Laura Marling’s exceedingly lovely Song For Our Daughter. 

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Dream team!  Kevin Parker and Mike Skinner combine forces on “Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better”.

(Original image of Anna Netrebko on my television by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Roddy Ricch at the Uptown Theater

Hearing the most popular song of the moment performed live is among the biggest thrills a music obsessive can experience.  Roddy Ricch provided that rush in triplicate at the Uptown Theater on Thursday, February 13.  The 21-year-old Compton rapper executed his ubiquitous smash “The Box” three times in his 50-minute headlining set. 

Ricch’s debut album Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial claimed the top spot on Billboard’s Top 200 for four non-consecutive weeks since its December 6 release.  In addition to being streamed on Spotify more than 322 million times, “The Box” is a TikTok sensation.

I squeezed into the sold-out Uptown Theater to witness more than 2,000 of Ricch’s peers lose their minds during renditions of viral songs including “War Baby,” “Ballin’,” “Die Young” and, of course, “The Box.”  Ricch made cursory stabs at a keyboard on one selection and was joined by a Hendrix-inspired guitarist on several other hits.

I may have snorted derisively when Ricch commended his “day-one fans”- he’s been releasing music for less than three years- but I loved every minute of the adrenaline-laced experience.  It looked and sounded just like this.


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Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush sounds like a Kanye West remix of Genesis’ 1977 album And Then There Were Three.  A longtime skeptic of Kevin Parker’s ostensible genius, I’m finally on board.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)