Hey all,
We found this site: http://notesfromspain.com (via a podcast I found on iTunes). It is maintained by a British guy who has been living in Spain for 7 years, after only planning to stay for a month! The podcasts (26+) are insights into life in Spain from a non-native point of view, but sometimes includes dialogue from his wife who is a native of Madrid. Plus he has photos that go along with some of them. Check it out!
Friday, December 30, 2005
An evening at Brandt's...
Rushed home from work today to pick MrsLacubriousJonez and head down to Growler's to meet LacubriousToo and MrLacubriousJonez for dinner. Alas, Growler's was too crowded so we decided to head to Delmar (at night) and eat at Brandt's before catching Javier's show at the same locale.
We worked our way through a pitcher or two (or three?) of Warsteiner Dunkel (yum!) and veggie burgers, pasta pesto (double-yum) and cashew chicken....forgetting to order our appetizer of Spinach Dip! The owner was nice enough to seat us where we could catch the show and our waiter was very attentive.
Javi, along with David and Carl, played three sets. The acoustics were a little rough, due to the hard surfaces in the restaurant, but the show was great and even included a birthday song dedication to yours truly! A la' Lluvias en Abril!
We saw several Javi Fans that we recognized from other shows over the past year (has it been nearly a year already?!) and everyone was really enjoying the music along with the beer, wine and spirits abundantly flowing!
All in all a great night and the only minor mishap was Cinder-fella (aka LacubriousToo) losing his shoe, but only for a moment.....Talk about kickin' up your heels! Hay Carumba!
We worked our way through a pitcher or two (or three?) of Warsteiner Dunkel (yum!) and veggie burgers, pasta pesto (double-yum) and cashew chicken....forgetting to order our appetizer of Spinach Dip! The owner was nice enough to seat us where we could catch the show and our waiter was very attentive.
Javi, along with David and Carl, played three sets. The acoustics were a little rough, due to the hard surfaces in the restaurant, but the show was great and even included a birthday song dedication to yours truly! A la' Lluvias en Abril!
We saw several Javi Fans that we recognized from other shows over the past year (has it been nearly a year already?!) and everyone was really enjoying the music along with the beer, wine and spirits abundantly flowing!
All in all a great night and the only minor mishap was Cinder-fella (aka LacubriousToo) losing his shoe, but only for a moment.....Talk about kickin' up your heels! Hay Carumba!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Today is my birthday...
Today I received this from Ed, Joanne, Holly, and Ryan
Happy Birthday
Who needs candles.
You can't blow these out, but they are sure better to take off the cake.
Happy Birthday Kim.
Happy Birthday
Who needs candles.
You can't blow these out, but they are sure better to take off the cake.
Happy Birthday Kim.
Also the following items were bestowed on behalf of Bill:
And the card! So Cute!
A Happy Birthday Singing Phone Call from Mom.
A Happy Birthday Phone Call from my Brother, Kev.
A Happy Birthday phone Call from Dad, Thanks for letting everyone in the office know!
A Happy Birthday Phone Call from my Brother, Kev.
A Happy Birthday phone Call from Dad, Thanks for letting everyone in the office know!
And this email card from Ed & Joanne:
Darrin took me out to dinner at The Hawthorne Inn and gave me a DVD:
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Dialogues...
...via email...
L2: Hey, Are you listening to music?
L1: On and Off, Why?
L2: I just wondered. I have been listening to Peter Gabriel, but if you get a chance, check out the very first part of JMB's "Step Into My Place". Does that sound like a door to you?
L1: It DOES sound like a door! What's up with that?
L2: I guess it's someone stepping into his place....
L1: LOL...That should go on the list of 10 (100?) questions for Javier!
L2: Hey, Are you listening to music?
L1: On and Off, Why?
L2: I just wondered. I have been listening to Peter Gabriel, but if you get a chance, check out the very first part of JMB's "Step Into My Place". Does that sound like a door to you?
L1: It DOES sound like a door! What's up with that?
L2: I guess it's someone stepping into his place....
L1: LOL...That should go on the list of 10 (100?) questions for Javier!
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Final at Finale'
Saturday December 17, the Lacubrious Crew attended the last two shows of Javier Mendoza Band.
Here is the message Javi posted on his message board concerning the breakup of the band:
Having developed a rapport with Javi and the guys, and experiencing a great number of shows over the last year, we were very sad but not completely surprised when we heard the news. Over the last few JMB shows we noticed that attendance was starting to fall off and at the last Cicero's show, the opening band "Fundamental Elements" had a large group that did not stay for JMB. I think this show had a real effect on Javi. I don't think the attendance problem has anything to do with the band members, or their skills. I personally think that Javi's target market has been changing over the last couple of years and becoming more mature. Overwhelmingly the people purchasing tickets to Cicero's and Blueberry Hill are in their early to mid 20s (at least at the shows we have attended). This, in my opinion, is why Javi's solo and duo shows are doing so well at places like Erato Wine Bar.
That being said, ON TO FINALE'
We started the evening at our favorite pub Growlers, after a great dinner and a couple of outstanding beers, we headed to the Finale' restaurant and Music venue. We arrived about 7:00pm picked up our tickets (for both shows) and were promptly escorted to our table. The venue was beautiful, and the acoustics were better than any other venue we have visited!
First off I have to say that the shows were both INCREDIBLE! This evening was in the top 1% of JMB shows that I have experienced. Everyone seemed very relaxed and ready to play. At the end of the first set , which went by way too fast, we talked to Jim, Moisés, David, Julie and Andrea for a few minutes and moved to our new table for the second show. When we got settled in and ordered a drink, Javi dropped by the table to bring us a "surprise" CD of some of the early versions of his songs and a few unpublished tracks. Just before the set started we were joined by Steve Leslie and his girl friend Adrianne. Steve is also a very talented musician and singer /songwriter who had not heard JMB before.
Tom James took some great pictures of the show:
(Sorry, the pictures previously listed here are no longer available)
Towards the end of the set Javi dedicated the song "Join the Party"” to the Lacubrious Crew. After the show we introduced Steve to the band, talked to Javi for a few more minutes and headed home.
Goodbye JMB, you will be missed.
To Javi, may 2006 be your best year yet!!!!
Here is the message Javi posted on his message board concerning the breakup of the band:
Jim, Moisés and David will be performing with me one last time at Finale in Clayton as a band. Come check it out! After this show I'll be performing with other musicians as well as David and Carl. Jim and Moisés are pursuing their other project full time. The JMB crew is parting, but I'll be performing solo, or with other musicians until I'm no longer in this world. Javier Mendoza is stronger than ever!
I am currently working on a brand new DVD and cd with new songs and in the summer I'll be going to Spain to work on a new CD. So keep on coming to shows and picking up my music, because without you I'd be doing something else!
Thanks as always for your continued support! You are the reason I'm still here! I'll see at upcoming shows in 2005 and 2006.
Having developed a rapport with Javi and the guys, and experiencing a great number of shows over the last year, we were very sad but not completely surprised when we heard the news. Over the last few JMB shows we noticed that attendance was starting to fall off and at the last Cicero's show, the opening band "Fundamental Elements" had a large group that did not stay for JMB. I think this show had a real effect on Javi. I don't think the attendance problem has anything to do with the band members, or their skills. I personally think that Javi's target market has been changing over the last couple of years and becoming more mature. Overwhelmingly the people purchasing tickets to Cicero's and Blueberry Hill are in their early to mid 20s (at least at the shows we have attended). This, in my opinion, is why Javi's solo and duo shows are doing so well at places like Erato Wine Bar.
That being said, ON TO FINALE'
We started the evening at our favorite pub Growlers, after a great dinner and a couple of outstanding beers, we headed to the Finale' restaurant and Music venue. We arrived about 7:00pm picked up our tickets (for both shows) and were promptly escorted to our table. The venue was beautiful, and the acoustics were better than any other venue we have visited!
First off I have to say that the shows were both INCREDIBLE! This evening was in the top 1% of JMB shows that I have experienced. Everyone seemed very relaxed and ready to play. At the end of the first set , which went by way too fast, we talked to Jim, Moisés, David, Julie and Andrea for a few minutes and moved to our new table for the second show. When we got settled in and ordered a drink, Javi dropped by the table to bring us a "surprise" CD of some of the early versions of his songs and a few unpublished tracks. Just before the set started we were joined by Steve Leslie and his girl friend Adrianne. Steve is also a very talented musician and singer /songwriter who had not heard JMB before.
Tom James took some great pictures of the show:
(Sorry, the pictures previously listed here are no longer available)
Towards the end of the set Javi dedicated the song "Join the Party"” to the Lacubrious Crew. After the show we introduced Steve to the band, talked to Javi for a few more minutes and headed home.
Goodbye JMB, you will be missed.
To Javi, may 2006 be your best year yet!!!!
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Columbia - Return to Music Cafe....
So after our last experience at the music café, you'd think we would never return...but here we are again. Let me explain; we're back in town with plans to see Javi at the Cherry St. Artisan on Friday. Being we are here a day early, we decide to hit our favorite pizza joint in Columbia, Shakspeare's Pizza. Lo and behold, who do we spot but STENDEK! He's a musician we saw at the Savoy way back. Sure enough he is playing at the Blue Fugue, formerly the Music Café. Thus we now have plans for the evening!
STENDEK was entertaining for the first part of the show, but then he turned to "mixing" / DJ-ing or whatever you call it. We listended for awhile but the smoke was killing us so headed to the hotel to get some much needed rest and get ready for Friday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)