"Everyone I know is acting weird or way too cool. They hang out by the pool. So I just read a lot and ride my bike around the school." ~aimee mann

I saw Aimee Mann perform last Thursday at Barnes & Noble. I love her. One of the four books I'm currently reading is Nick Hornby's Songbook. (By the way, if you haven't read any of his novels, go do so now. A Long Way Down is my favorite.) Anyway, Songbook is a nonfiction book about 31 of his favorite songs (I think there are 31). He writes about Aimee Mann, and he says the following about the lyrics I quoted above: "These few words do the job of perhaps as many as seven hundred recently published semi-autobiographical but deeply sensitive first novels." I love that observation.
I went to see her at a cool Barnes & Noble event. She performed a few songs, and the writer Joseph O'Neill read from his book Netherland. There was a moderator who spoke to both of them. Joseph O'Neill is on the longlist for the Man Booker Prize this year and is the favorite to win. A video of the event is online here if you're interested. Here's a photo I took (obviously Aimee is performing and Joseph O'Neill is sitting on the far left):
I need to write about The National concert that I went to last night but I don't know if I'm ready for that. So I'll write snippets now. I got in line around 11:45am and was the first one there. They let us in the venue at 5:30pm, the concert started at 6:30pm, there were two opening acts, and The National went on at 8:30pm. It was a long day in the hot, hot, sun, so I was completely drained by the time I got back to my apartment. I'm still drained. But it was sooooo worth it. Because I was the first one there and it was GA, I got the best spot; dead center, front row, right in front of Matt. It was amazing. They played some of the songs that I was dying to hear but wasn't counting on (The Geese of Beverly Road, Karen, Green Gloves, About Today, All the Wine). I recorded it and my recording came out really well, aside from the presence of an annoying screamer standing behind me. I also took pictures (although they didn't come out great) and videos. I can't upload videos until Thursday but will add them to by youtube account then. Here are a couple of pictures:
This is Matt during Mr. November. He came into the crowd; it was phenomenal.