Avery Fisher concert

I went to the 11/10 concert, which was rather disappointing. The first piece was some weird Chinese modernist thing, which frankly just sounded noisy. I wanted to like it - supporting my sort-of countrymen & all - but I didn't. Gimmicky orchestral stuff isn't my thing. The young composer is quite handsome though. I was excited about Vadim Repin playing the Lalo Symphonie Espagnole, one of the staples of the solo violin repertoire, and yet again disappointed. He was out of tune a lot. At first I blamed it on nerves, but as it kept happening I couldn't figure out a good excuse for him. Also, he was wearing some kind of weird Nehru jacket & suede shoes that made him look as though he was playing in his pajamas & socks.

The only unqualifiedly good thing about the program was Beethoven's Seventh. I recognized a lot of the melodies, which had been floating around in my head unattached to any particular work. Yes, I was a typical diva violinist, only paying attention to concertmaster solos & the violin repertoire. I also pretty much stopped listening to classical music after I got out from under my mother's thumb 7 years ago so whatever I did know about orchestral music got jumbled up or forgotten.

I liked the whole experience of going to the concert though. It felt very grown-up & cultured; dressing up, having champagne beforehand, reading the program notes, etc. We used to go to concerts almost every week when I was growing up. I hadn't been to a New York Philharmonic concert since I moved here several years ago, & the only times I'd been in Carnegie Hall or Avery Fisher were when I was playing. Fortunately Sexy Englishman quite liked it as well, so we'll probably go to another one.

Sadly, I can't say as much for the ballet. A few months ago I begged him to take me to Sleeping Beauty, which was much more old-fashioned than I expected, with lots of solos & irrelevant (though beautiful) parts, & he hated it. He refuses to go to the Balanchine retrospective thingy they're putting on soon. I keep explaining that it was choreographed at least 100 years later but he won't listen. Maybe my lovely friend Dancer wants to go...

vodka comparison

On Friday, as I was organizing my apartment, I came upon a little limoncello that I brought back from Rome 5 years ago & forgot about. (I was there to play a concert, stayed a week with just my accompanist - learned how to shop, order wine with dinner & I even met a guy. So much better than family vacations. Plus I nailed the horrifically difficult & nearly atonal sonata to the composer's countrymen's liking.) I decided to try drinking at home for the first time & bought a little bottle of Ciroc to make lemon drops. When I was at the liquor store the guy was discussing vodkas with me, & I've been a diehard Grey Goose girl after a blind taste test between that, Belvedere & Ketel straight, but his "ewww" reaction to GG made me think about trying something new. He suggested Imperia & Ciroc as very smooth & nice so I tried the Ciroc since it comes in a small bottle. As I mentioned before, I can't really taste alcohol until it's about 80% of the drink so that little 250 mL limoncello bottle lasted about 3 martinis. By which time I was surprisingly quite hammered, especially after being a tidy tornado in my house - physical exertion speeds up alcohol absorption - so I went to the store again to get a bottle of Imperia before they closed. That Africa detox & sober-weekdays-while-working policy were clearly not a good idea, as they have lowered my tolerance appreciably. Anyhow, after tasting the Ciroc & Imperia straight, I have to say I agree with the liquor store guy. I don't think it'd matter much in a vodka soda, but they do truly go down a lot more smoothly than Grey Goose. & today at Citarella I found bellini mix from Cipriani's ("good with vodka, gin, white rum & sparkling wine"), which of course I had to try. Fortunately Imperia comes in a nice big bottle & I have a lot of chores for myself tonight, so I should stay fairly well-behaved. Plus I'm practicing now which forces my brain to stay focused. Wish me luck!

fairly quiet weekends

I've been pretty bad about posting, sorry - if anyone's even still reading this. (After sitemeter check: just enough to make every day show up separately.) I spend most of my time with Sexy English Boyfriend, & it seems like when I'm actually at my apartment I'm rushing around trying to get stuff done before meeting him. Last weekend we had a double date with my friend Double Trouble (so called because we have the same first name, are very similar in many respects & have slept together) & her sort-of-boyfriend at Del Posto. Yum! We had the prix-fixe menu in the lounge. The calamari, carpaccio, gnocchi, bucatini, & steak were all fantastic. I was expecting it to be a bit overrated but it was even better than we'd heard. Afterwards we went to SE's friend's art showing at Rebel. It was a little weird for me because he's hooked up with her, although after I saw her & realized she was no competition I was all right. Then we were very spontaneous & went to the midnight showing of Blades of Glory (see review). The rest of the weekend was helping SE get stuff done, as well as the Bloc Party concert Saturday. They were pretty good but I prefer their album since it was a little hard to hear in the hall. I took my friend Fledgling Designer (& SE) out to dinner Sunday night since I missed his birthday while I was in Colombia. We had a great time just the three of us at Meskel, a new Ethiopian place in the East Village. It got a great NY Times review, although I wasn't quite as impressed with it. The injera (bread) is a bit sour for my taste - yes I know, it's supposed to be - so I eventually stopped eating it & just had the meat with a fork. That was good, it just got irritating to eat it inside bread with my fingers.

Wednesday I took SE to one of Fashionista's friend's Soho House dinners. The food was all right, not as good as usual. I used to love snobby places & people but am starting to feel how empty stuff like that is. Everyone name-dropping, trying to prove how cool they are, talking about things most of them couldn't possibly have experienced (something like which vintage of Château d'Yquem is better, come on). I guess I am trying to be a more genuine person & this rings a bit false now. Also, F was being an undermining little snake - we have been really good friends but the more I get to know her & the more I grow up, the less I trust her. My distrust has crystallized lately because of her behavior with SE. On her birthday she was overly flirty & touchy with him when I went to the bathroom, to the point of making me suspicious. She seems to have a crush on him, which is not a problem so much as her evident desire to drive a wedge between us. SE & I have talked about it - she's been known to be jealous of me, but this definitely feels like she wants him. Anyway, that night she made several little snide comments calculated to scare him (wedding jokes) or turn me against him. Oddly enough, though I was insanely jealous of him over silly nothings when we first started dating, now that the threat is somewhat real I'm actually quite calm about it. It probably helps that he doesn't like her & finds her unattractive.

The next night was more fun. We went out with Lovely Blonde & her friend Lovely Asian, who incidentally has the crudest potty mouth I've ever heard. She talked about poo a lot. I was covering my ears but couldn't avoid hearing her description of one that she took a picture of & sent to her friends. She's pretty fun, though, I think because her face is so lovely when she's quiet that you can't help liking her. It was also a great night because SE didn't have work, so we could stay out late. We hit up Room Service & Retreat, my promoter friend's new club, & went home quite drunk.

The next morning we luxuriated in bed for hours. We are such sillies sometimes - for some reason he started telling me a story in a ridiculously plummy BBC announcer voice, about Princess [Renaissance Diva] & her meeting some unicorns & dropping too much acid in her youth. It was so cute of him. I love unicorns & being called princess. The rest of that day was low-key, just us enjoying each other.

Saturday we met up with Most Hated Ex-Boyfriend. I am not sure why I agreed to it; I think I wanted MHEB to eat his heart out that not only am I forever out of his reach, I'm even more desirable than when we dated 3 years ago. He was one of those nasty, much older guys who was using me for sex when I thought we were dating. It went ok - he probably texted hi & "let's get coffee" because he wanted to see if I'd fuck him, & behaved quite politely considering I showed up with boyfriend in tow. I haven't heard a peep from him since, which is just as well. After the surprisingly non-awkward brunch, SE & I went shopping in Soho. Varvatos for him - god he looks yummy in their stuff - & some extremely pornographic Agent Provocateur for me. We got the shirt with all the vinyl straps, a tie-side thong, & the Top Hat 1/4 cup bra & thong set in virginal white lace & pink ribbons. The second he saw me try it on he got hard. :) Later that night we hung out with some of his Brit friends, who are all really nice & cool. I've never met anyone with so many friends I whole-heartedly like & approve of. Everyone in his life is genuine & solid & good people. He inspires me to rethink some of my questionable acquaintances.

Sunday was a leisurely day of watching cricket & Easter dinner with Young Entrepreneur's visiting family & some of our close friends. (YE is his flatmate.) It was wonderful but stressful & depressing for me, in that YE's parents are so much nicer than mine that it made me want to cry. I had to go to SE's room for a bit to calm down. He comforted me, though, & I was able to rejoin the party.

This week was quiet. We went to the GenArt film festival with his friend. The movie, Crashing, was all right, a bit too long but an interesting concept. It's about a successful writer who ends up crashing on these two sexy young coeds' couch & writing about them. The novelty is in the way the movie illustrates the writing process by showing all the fits & starts of his imagination. Threeway with the girls - no, unrealistic - sleeping with them one at a time - getting caught snooping by both - only getting caught by one - etc. The girls were the best part. God they were so hot. The scene where they made out, I was ready to climb on top of SE right there. Izabella Miko & Lizzy Caplan, names to remember. They're good actresses too. Afterwards we had dinner at Patsy's across the street, where we three (me, SE & friend) got along famously. In fact, yesterday SE forwarded me emails from that friend & one I met Saturday, both saying how lovely I am. It was great timing - I'm trying to be more down-to-earth, & it's hard to let go of my defensive party girl persona & be this vulnerable. That they liked the real me was very reassuring.

Thursday I went to some parties with Cute Gay Guy & met this very nice married couple as well. They totally wanted me, as did the other girls at the afterparty, & the most fun part was telling SE about it & watching him get all excited. He loves that other people want me & can't have me. I am such a good girl now! I only kissed the wife a little & didn't let more than 10 minutes go by without mentioning my boyfriend to every guy hitting on me. I must really like SE. Which brings me to exciting news. I met his parents! They're visiting for the weekend from England. We had dinner at 11 Madison Park - fantastic, more on that later - & I think they liked me. I know I loved them. They are such warm, genuine, interesting people. I was very nervous beforehand but it seemed to go well. From what I know of SE's prior conduct with girlfriends I think this introduction means he really likes me.

So, about our amazing dinner... it was great in every way. The service is unobtrusive but always there when needed. All the amuse-bouches were well-timed & delicious - just when we were getting restless & hungry there'd be another yummy little morsel. I had the scallops, gnocchi & beef tenderloin, while SE had the tuna, lobster & lamb, all of which were scrumptious. (I didn't try the parents' dishes.) They weren't huge plates but the absolutely gorgeous, geometric & unhurried presentation somehow was more satisfying than a simple big meal. At the end I had a to-die-for chocolate mille-feuille that I was loath to part with although I shared with everyone. It was unexpectedly wonderful in so many ways.

my busy week

I keep trying to stay focused & get things done, but I'm very easily sidetracked. This past week was split between work, exercise, etc & stuff I'm not supposed to do. I had 2 sessions - one of my slaves brought me Godiva chocolates & a Barnes & Noble gift card as a belated birthday present, isn't that sweet? I also worked an exhausting promotion for a new VH1 show called Acceptable TV. It was not a well-thought-out way for them to reach their target young demographic but I got paid & I always enjoy analyzing how to get people to respond so that was fine.

Unfortunately the pay wasn't munificent, which is why it was so bad that I shopped. Last week I saw 2 of my friends wearing super hot dresses from American Apparel. Up to this point, I wouldn't shop there. I think I disliked the not-hot-enough models, then after I read the disturbing article in the NY Times about Dov Charney I definitely was not a fan. But these dresses were so good I had to check them out. I ended up buying 3 on Tuesday & 3 more on Thursday. They not only look sexy, they're about $26-36 with good, comfortable material. I can't go in there again for a while, it's too dangerous. Sexy Englishman helped by threatening (& carrying out) "punishment" if I shopped any more. Or maybe that was just an excuse for us to try spanking...

Even worse, I bought jewelry: I lost my favorite ring Monday, & I was kind of down all week so I went to Tiffany's & replaced it. I forgot that it was about $200 (had a gift card the first time), & I haven't exactly been economical lately so that was a problem. The other jewelry I got from a street vendor by my house, which wasn't as much damage except I'll pass him every time I go to the train & will need to tape my hands inside my jacket or something. I think I'm in that stage of being broke where it's gone on long enough to make me impulsive & restless, much more likely to say "oh fuck it" & just buy things instead of being disciplined. I'm usually really good about resisting temptation, so this is kind of scary.

I ended up spending a fortune on dinners this weekend too - Thursday I visited Fashionista at Lan where she just started working, & my dinner was $100. I guess I should have asked her first what the deal was. It's a fantastic resto in the East Village, & certainly not overpriced for the quality of the food, but I can't remember the last time I actually paid in full for myself to eat somewhere like that. I'm always on a date or someone rich is having a party. On Saturday Lovely Blonde very kindly accompanied me to a reception in Brooklyn for an art showing by one of my photographers. He takes pictures & then turns them into giant canvases, they look really cool & Warhol-esque. We took the train, not knowing we were venturing into Bed-Stuy! Nothing happened though, & the show went well. Afterwards we decided to take advantage of Brooklyn Restaurant Week & go to Blue Ribbon. It was really good, & the bartender gave us all our drinks, but that was another $100. Sunday was Fashionista's birthday & another wonderful, expensive meal at Lan. I got really pissed off for a few minutes because it was supposed to be $35 prix fixe & the bill came to $105/person. Alcohol is surprisingly expensive. I guess I don't notice usually because I rarely buy drinks. I forced myself to calm down & rationalized that it was her birthday & there was nothing to be done at that point.

I barely slept last week, what with having work early one day, being inexplicably unable to sleep one night, & staying out all night with Fashionista 2 nights. Got home at 9:30 this morning - her birthday was of course the occasion for indulgence on a larger-than-usual scale. After dinner we did gay night at Hiro, where I was admiringly called Naomi Campbell 3 times (I suppose because she's a quarter Chinese), & then a very noisy APT before the regulation apartment afterparty. I managed to make myself get up after a few hours' nap but I feel guilty for not getting much done & I'm trying to figure out why it's so hard to get myself home at a reasonable hour. I guess I'd rather go play than work on what I'm supposed to do. At least I manage to go to the gym & whip my ass into shape almost every day.

In happier thoughts, Lovely Blonde & I were virtually attached at the hip all weekend - we met up briefly Friday, then she went on the Brooklyn adventure with me Saturday & stayed over that night. We wanted to fool around but she had a tummy ache so we just snuggled. Sunday we wandered down to Soho & ended up at Kiki de Montparnasse & Agent Provocateur, which got us all excited. We both desperately want these adorable little vibrators at Kiki but they are crazy expensive. Afterwards we had brunch at Ideya with some friends of hers, then I had to go pick up my auntie from Penn Station. Lovely Blonde came to Fashionista's birthday dinner too & stayed out with us all night. We finally made out for the first time. Sexy Englishman was in Vegas for the weekend with some guy friends, & despite getting back late last night, joined us at the restaurant for a little while. We were so happy to see each other we had really hot sex in the bathroom. LB even joined in at first, but I think we all felt our first three-way should be on a bed where we could all be naked & have space. We are planning to go to Vegas some weekend soon, just the three of us. :)

Well, I only got 2 things crossed off my list today, but I'm going to the Snow Patrol concert with SE so I have to get ready. Another day semi-wasted...

more reviews

My friend Know-It-All insisted on taking me out to belatedly celebrate my birthday right before I left for Colombia. First we had dinner at Amma, this lovely Indian place in the East 50s. We ended up just getting a bunch of appetizers which were all really good. I love Indian but don't get to eat it much - I guess that's because my dates are usually trying to impress me & Indian hasn't quite acquired the same cachet as, say, French or Japanese. Anyway, I definitely recommend the crab cakes & lamb.

Avenue Q is so much fun! My voice teacher had me listen to the CD, since there's an Asian woman part, so I already knew it was funny, & seeing it live was immeasurably better. Somehow the whole puppet thing (about half the characters are puppets) works & isn't confusing. & the songs! They're funny when you read the music, & hilarious when acted out. Like "The Internet Is for Porn," Lucy the Slut's song "Special," &... all of them, actually. Everyone was great - they sang in tune & were all really good actors. The only small quibble I had was with the guy who played Princeton & Nicky, who came off a little too gay. It was easy to overlook though.

I also liked the ingenious set design. It looks like a row of houses converted into apartments in Brooklyn (obviously) & people can pop easily in & out of the doors & windows, while scenes that need to be indoors are staged out front without seeming odd. I have to give props to the puppet sex scene as well. I liked that part in Team America a few years ago & this scene was shorter but equally as hot. Or maybe it's just fun watching people go at it, even when they're puppets.

Speaking of going at it, I've been home for a week & with Sexy Englishman every night but one. We had a great weekend - Armin van Buuren at Pacha on Friday, sexy stripper makeup night at Penthouse (for some people who missed my birthday), & snuggling on the couch all Sunday watching movies. He might be the best boyfriend ever. He's always kissing me or smiling at me or saying something sweet & we are both equally freaky in the bedroom. I am trying very hard to keep my compulsive worrying at bay & not let my recent bad experiences turn me into a crazy neurotic & so far I think I'm doing all right. :)

busy day & pretty new shoes

Today was a very busy day of strenuous exercise, dance, voice lesson & errands. I left my house around 10:30 to get to the gym & got home at about 7, so it was like a full day of work. I'm also extremely sore all over from the conditioning classes I've been punishing myself with (missed exercise entirely last week), which means that I walk a bit stiffly & squeak in pain when trying to sit down. The teachers really love thigh work.

My voice lesson went very well - my teacher has me learning Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing", among other songs. I'm supposed to listen & sing it exactly the way she does, down to every note of every riff. Today he exclaimed happily, "In one month you went from white girl licks to black girl licks!!" I don't always know what I'm listening for but I guess my ear knows.

After my lesson I walked by Columbus Circle & noticed that Stuart Weitzman is having a sale. Against my better judgment, I went in to browse, & was seduced by these shoes:


Aren't they gorgeous? They're the same patent leather shoe, just different colors. I ended up buying both, because I couldn't bear to leave either behind. I will have to cut back on food in December but you know what, I had a good lesson despite being sick half this month, I had to deal with my mother all last week & I've had several sessions recently so I think a little indulgence is ok.

Rihanna is a dumbass

OK, that's not quite fair, as I'm not sure who wrote the lyrics to her song Unfaithful. But it's more fun ragging on her so I'm going with that. What the hell is the problem? You want to stop cheating? Break up with his pathetic ass! Either stop fucking around or just be honest with yourself & go out with other guys. I don't see why he's still with you. & you certainly have an inflated opinion of yourself, thinking he's going to die without you. Obviously you don't love him that much if you keep doing other guys while "trying" to stop. You can call it whatever you like, but cheating is cowardly - you're unhappy & looking for satisfaction elsewhere, & instead of being an adult & talking to your man about it, you just quietly disrespect him.

This song pisses me off so much because the melody is gorgeous. Rihanna's voice sounds almost as sexy as she looks but the lyrics totally ruin it for me.

interesting weekend

Sorry for the lack of posts... I've been busy working & partying. I started doing liquor promotions for a couple top-shelf brands, I've had 3 sessions with the same client since Wednesday (apparently I am a "genius" at his fetish), & I've gone out every night until dawn while still exercising every day. Hmmm. In retrospect, I probably should have stayed home some nights. Oh well. Thursday night I went out with some girls who weren't cute enough to get into Cain's 2 year anniversary party, so for the first time ever, I was ruthless & ditched them. I felt terribly guilty, since I've never ditched anyone before, but we're not that close & I made up a pretty good cover story. I'm going to make sure that situation doesn't come up again though. Friday I hung out with Brooklyn Hottie & then I was bad & ate very very late at Popburger with Resto Manager. (I've disciplined myself out of eating late at night, because it makes one fat & increases the chances of acid reflux.) He is incredibly sweet & I think maybe he could be a good boyfriend.

Saturday I spent most of the day with Jewish Princess, who is a sweetie but absolutely the definition of a trust fund baby. We got our night started a bit too early - really shouldn't have taken E before dinner, as it stole our appetites - but you know me, I'm the Energizer bunny when it comes to parties. She went home after the 1st club & I continued on to this hookah lounge on the west side to hang out with one of my exes, Fledgling Magazine Mogul. I thought he was over me but apparently we are not just friends yet. I was cruel & let Tech Exec & his friend come get me, although in my defense, I was rolling out of my mind & barely remember much of FMM's earnest pleas to give him another chance. TE & friend & I dropped by Cielo & I subsequently slept with TE, despite intentions to the contrary, also a result of the E. It was pretty hot, actually. We sat around chatting & destroying brain cells line by line until I went to dance class at noon. The rest of the day was spent snuggling/fucking/sleeping on TE's giant sofa.

Oh, in case anyone is keeping track, Handsome Young Guy has been out of the picture for about a month & a half. No badmouthing - I just believed his intentions were better than they were. On the one hand I miss having a boyfriend, but I think that my ex & HYG burned me pretty badly & I'm kind of gun-shy right now. (Cue Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable", my new song obsession: "I can have another you by tomorrow / So don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable.") There are a couple guys in the picture, & hopefully the Girlfriend will be around more when she finishes school in a few months. Brooklyn Hottie is lots of fun too. I don't know, I just don't really take girls seriously for romantic relationships. The girls I "date" are bi anyway so it's not like we're really going to run off to NJ & get married. That's not to say that I wouldn't, I just haven't met that girl yet.

This has been your update in my crazy life. I'll be in Florida with my family for the rest of this week so I might not post any. Happy turkey day, everyone!

P.S. This is the 100th post - hooray. :)

sexyback redux

I finally got Sexyback... & promptly noticed that in the bridge he says "I'll let you whip me if I misbehave." How cool is that? Of course technically he should say "Please Mistress whip me if I misbehave" but as soon as I heard that it became my new favorite song. I can't wait to do it in dance class.

bringing sexyback

I hate Justin Timberlake but I will have to get that SexyBack song. Yesterday in class we were in plank (basically a pushup you hold at the top) & it came on & I couldn't help dancing a little to it. Twitching, really, which probably looked funny. So I give in, I'll get it.

Went to dance class with my Dancer friend today... it was hot sweaty sexy fun. We did a lot of super dirty moves & I got most of them when I focused. (Of course she got all of them & looked awesome doing it.) Afterwards we had some appetizers at Republic, one of my favorite places in Union Square, & ended up meeting this very good-looking guy. I feel a little bad because he liked me better than Dancer, but we all had a great time chatting & drinking at Blue Water Grill. Oh & Handsome Young Guy left me a cute message about how work is killing him. With all this male attention I feel much better about myself now. :)

an almost utter waste of time

I've spent the last month practicing like mad, & this last week in particular driving myself insane trying to get a good recording of at least one piece to send in on an audition CD. I didn't want to use my old mp3s because I wasn't sure they were an accurate representation of me at this point. I probably spent 20 hours this week trying to get a 2 minute piece sounding acceptable with the crappy iPod attachment (more on that later). Today I finally, unwillingly, decided that a recording from 4 years ago actually sounds pretty much like me now. The good news is, I was at my peak then & apparently I've practiced so much I'm that good again, & I don't have to worry about the CD making me sound a lot worse than I really am. I'm still kind of pissed (& I'm sure my neighbors are too) that I had to play that little piece hundreds of times & now I'm not even using it. Well, maybe I'll play it at the live audition.

The bad news is, I thought this Belkin TuneTalk would really be CD quality as advertised & it most certainly is not. I can still use it for lessons, I'm sure, but whatever I play comes out sounding very choppy & uneven. I know it's not what I really sound like because I taped myself with a minicassette recorder simultaneously & it sounds fine that way. I guess I got what I paid for - it was $69.99 at the Apple store. Thank goodness I had those professional recordings on the computer.

pain

My trainer worked me so hard yesterday that I can barely walk today. Of course, being dedicated to a perfect body, that didn't stop me from going to a class & swimming, although I made a lot of faces during all that. I am currently struggling with my Belkin TuneTalk - an attachment that allows me to record to iPod - because I sound maybe half as good recorded as live. At least my ears think I sound a lot better when I'm physically playing. It's discouraging & challenging at the same time. All right, back to practicing.

City Opera's La Bohème

Irish Ex-Boyfriend had an extra ticket to the performance tonight. It was amazing! Mimi had a little trouble with her very high notes (flat) but overall it was incredible. The arias sent chills down my spine. I don't know why we never hear about the City Opera as much as the Met since they are this excellent. The set was really cool too; they often just moved things on & off stage during the action, instead of taking a break. For instance the garret of the 1st Act glided off as Rodolfo & Mimi sang their duet in the snow, & a huge Momus sign came down as tables & such glided on behind them. They even had a train for Act III! It wasn't real or metal, of course, but it looked completely convincing. There are still a few performances left, I think, so go see it.

La Traviata in the park

Last night I went to the Met's free performance on the Great Lawn. I love opera (though I'm not that kind of singer) & I rarely get to indulge because ticket prices are too high, so this was really wonderful. My friend brought sushi, pinot grigio & lawn chairs so we had a great time. I am forced to listen to crappy pop music so much that the pitch-perfect, lyrical arias were a welcome shock. I completely forgot that that's what real singing sounds like. It was also great that Violetta & Alfredo were Korean instead of white as usual. I love when Asian people are part of things without being an ethnic stereotype - they're in the part because they happen to rock. & surprisingly, the lawn was entirely packed. I'm talking people bumping into my hair because there was so little room to maneuver. It made me so happy, knowing lots of people still love classical music & it isn't dying of neglect, just pricing itself out of business.

They're doing Rigoletto tonight, 8pm, check it out. Don't drink too much unless you want to wait in a very looooong line at the Porta-Potties.