London, et al

I returned from London yesterday, where I was playing at the Frieze Art Fair, an annual contemporary art fair in Regents Park.

I was also there to see River, a good friend of mine for many years. It was great to met some of her people and catch up with her.

I was playing in an exhibition at the fair, the brainchild of a friend of her's who also lives/lived in Milwaukee. Their exhibit was called 'club nutz,' a replica of a small comedy club that exists in a gallery in Milwaukee as well. They billed it, (when people poked their heads in and asked) as "the smallest comedy club in the world." The point of their exhibit was to (I think) create a unique space for live performance, but also to break down barriers a bit, inviting eminent gallery owners and art world stars to come give performances (anything from readings of Adolf Wölflito telling jokes, to demonstrating a whiskey-pouring jokes) My rendition there of Bach's second cello suite was not completely ill-fitting. I also did a short demonstration with River of some ideas of Rudolf Steiner...as you can probably see, there were quite a varied set of acts at clb nutz.

I also had some quite interesting/eclectic interactions with people in London. I met some a British pair on the bus who I began talking to after we both realized we had no idea where we were going (I probably asked 6 people per day for directions, this being my second trip to London). He asked me what I was doing in London if I was from the U.S. (as in, why would you bother to come here?) then proceeded to explain to me that Brits were less attractive than Americans because of how Darwinism weeded out the less physically attributed when Europeans were settling the U.S. He also said, people in California are especially tall because it was hardest to get all the way to the west coast. hmmm. not sure I agree. He also complained of how mean Londoners are...suggested I go to Ireland or the south coast of England, like Cornwall.

I also met a few musicians from Switzerland while at a pub with Jenny, the friend I was staying with. They were so friendly to me--one told me my french was impeccable except for having a slight German accent (?). He then proceeded to fill me in on all the cool things to do in Lausanne.

It was great to be in London-I ran into a lot of cool people, saw some great art. But in some ways it was exhausting as well, and reminded me in that sense of New York. Lausanne, said one of the swiss musicians I met, "est tranquille" accompanied by a kind of relaxed gesture. "London, on the other hand is a place of extremes, all or nothing of everything you do. "

so a good weekend...lots of perspective.