Time to tune up.

Saturday again! Time to dust up some ideas for music. Many people always talk about the concert they would love to go to, like Ellie and her friends going to Shakira. There are some concert I've been to, but also some bands that I would absolutely love to see one day, though I doubt they'll ever come to Ecuador. And some are dead, anyway, so that's a no go.

One of the concerts I always attend is by "Shades of Grey", a band from Cotacachi made up of retired expat musicians that do 2-3 gigs a year to support good causes. They do so at Ellie's parents' restaurant, and I always attend the bar at those events as it's a lot of fun and great music. Joel, the pianist (no, not Billie, though the same beard, but Joel has more hair), is not only a great musician, he's also a reluctant customer of mine, and the other day something unexpected happened, which I turned into a little storytelling. As I don't know in which community to share that, I thought I'd just throw it in here, after some music.

First Song - Root Beer Rag. Just the speed of that song... I have no idea how he even hits all the keys. It's such a great upbeat song.

Concert I absolutely want to visit: Mumford & Sons - There will be time with Baaba Maal. This song gives me the chills every freaking time. Especially the live version. One day, when I have the money, I will fly to see them live, no matter where. Just listening to the song now. Chills. Again. Can't help it.

Concert I visited: Elefante - Ángel It was the first concert Ellie and I went to. I'll never forget it. I didn't know the band before, but she said it's 3 rock bands in Quito for 25$, so I was game. It was rainy, the beer was stale and not as cold as the air. Our "seats" where shitty, we couldn't see much of the stage. But the music. Sharing a coat, warming each other, trying to sing along without knowing the lyrics. It's one of my most cherished memories in life.

#saturdayselections

There are those moments in life...

It was Thursday, the 17th of July. My man JK was at the market, treading dust around the Pandala-booth as he always does, engaging in conversations and being, well, funny. It had been a while since I was able to torture him with new creations, forcing him to try the latest I was working on. Not to get feedback, nor to have him buy one, but just to see the marvelous cinematic reaction on his face, all those little muscles creating the most surprising distortions mankind would ever see.

"Yeah, that's not for me. I don't have a sophisticated palate." was his verbal reaction to each of the spreads after being able to loosen his facia and to speak again, with that deep voice of his, very Tony Soprano, and that tone that makes you put on extra locks on your doors at night.

But that Thursday in the year 2025, it was different. I jokingly told him that I had something new for him to try, and after his body cringed noticeably (a Pavlovian response, I dare to proudly suspect), he took the cracker with Chocholate-Peanut-Spread that I slowly maneuvered his way. There was fear in his eyes, but he eventually surrendered to the inevitable, reached out, his hands only slightly shaking, and after a deep breath, he passed it into his mouth just like Socrates downed the hemlock.

I silently stood and saluted internally to such heroism. What a great man!

But something was off. His muscles... they didn't twitch. They seemed somewhat relaxed. It seems like he was as surprised as I when he mumbled: "Hm... Huh... that's actually quite good."

Suddenly, there was silence. The whole Farmer's Market stood still, the birds in the trees hushed, left with their beaks open just like the rest of people, flabbergasted. Even the wind faded, and the sun quickly pushed aside the clouds she had used as cover to not having to witness the dramatic scene.

"Yeah, I do not not like that."

All hell broke loose. People started cheering, shouting, euphorized by this unexpected turn of events. Champaign bottles were opened with a big bang, suddenly there was confetti everywhere, and an elephant in golden garments smashed through the gate, trumpeting, grabbing Joel to sit him on his back and walk a lab of triumph under a rain of flowers and bras.

It was amazing. Best Farmer's Market ever.

( @deirdyweirdy I tried hard to apply the lessons I get from your writings here! I hope the variety of words and metaphors reflect that - but please don't hold back on feedback [that to everyone else, too]!)