To the max

Hey Toe, Happy Tuesday to you. I seem to be suffering from allergies or coming down with another cold. And I was feeling so healthy yesterday.

Yes, C* tried to call you from the Silver Jews show. We were waiting for the first act, I think, and I mentioned how you liked the Joos, and C* thought it would be good to call and share the moment. We were a little tipsy. Thanks for the call back, man.

The show was really quite good. I was pleasantly surprised--from reports I had heard, the concerts were great for fans, but nonfans probably wouldn't really be impressed because the Jews were a little loose and David Berman is not much of a showman. I think this has changed over the course of the tour, because he seemed really comfortable up there, telling jokes and gesturing with his hands during the songs. He has a notebook on a podium with lyrics in it, and he sometimes would refer to it, but he was never reading straight from the notebook as he sang, something I had heard he was doing. I guess the tour has helped him bone up on his songs.

The band sounded tight, and Berman's voice was very strong. C* and I were dancing (well, more like swaying) most of the show. The Joos are a big part of the soundtrack for when we were first dating, and they've been staple music for much of our marriage, too, so it was really romantic to see them live. It was a nice bonus that they actually rocked.

Saturday we went to some museums in Chicago. I enjoyed the Museum of Contemporary Art quite a bit. The Science and Industry museum was a little juvenile, and simply overwhelming--I don't think any of us enjoyed it.

I can relate to your high school memory, although I never heard of anyone breaking a urinal that way. I think there's a charismatic stoner in every school. Why people follow them, I don't know.

E-word