Once again, a good evening. This is Wumbo Wednesday, and to answer everyone’s questions from last week, or I guess originally my question… well, still nothing moved me, and it’s admittedly tough knowing you won’t be able to watch the majority of games due to spending Saturday mornings driving Senorita Weaselo to work, and then spending Sunday morning still asleep. Hey, it’s pretty the only day I can sleep in at all. Unless I have to leave for a gig early, then obviously not.
As for tonight’s fare, I have some fresh boots on the ground! So no, not a belated MarbleCon post from December. That’ll come with the Marble League preview whenever we have an idea of when Marble League ’22 will actually be (live from the home of the Green Ducks in Draklin).
No, tonight we have a boots on the ground from this week. The Joe Hisaishi concert at Radio City that Senorita Weaselo got tickets for, originally back in January, finally happened this week. And, as a bonus, since it was moved it was a day that I was then available, and tickets weren’t a bajillion dollars, Senorita Weaselo managed to get me a ticket without entirely breaking the bank, even though we couldn’t sit together. (Yes, I bought dinner. We went to our favorite Thai place in the city.)
This concert just covered the Miyazaki movies from the Studio Ghibli library, so no The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. (I was going to make a Grave of the Fireflies joke there, but he didn’t write the music for that one. Apparently Princess Kaguya is the only non-Miyazaki Ghibli film he’s scored.)
From the get-go, it was full orchestra (the American Symphony Orchestra), full choir, and girls’ choir. They advertised 150 players on stage, and I’d believe it.
The screens were there to show movie clips, and to help with everyone’s favorite game, Name That Movie. (Programs were available, for purchase.) I mean, after a bit you’d be able to recognize the movie, but hey, you want to try and place it as soon as you can.
The concert started with selections from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and putting on my arranger cap for a moment, it was interesting to see how it was scored for full orchestra. Nausicaä, being from 1984, and being one of the earliest Miyazaki movies, pre-Ghibli, probably didn’t have the same music budget. It’s a lot of synths, which works with the movie, and seeing that translate to full orchestra was interested. It’s not entirely synths though, and their is a choral part, and thanks to this concert I realized that this section was set to the Dies irae text.
Kiki’s Delivery Service followed, and the violin solo was the concertmaster taking a solo spot on stage (and it was solid, complete with what should be straight sixteenths but aren’t because the first note is slightly elongated and I’d like to see the score), before my (second-)favorite movie, The Wind Rises (with mandolin), and Senorita Weaselo’s favorite movie, Princess Mononoke. Did I cry during the hymn? Yes, for reasons we’ve already discussed. The soprano came out for Mononoke and the first half finale, Ponyo. Also, there are lyrics for the beginning of Ponyo; I thought it was a vocalise section this whole time. Ending, of course, with the choirs singing the end credits song. Well, in English. And just the choruses. The verses got passed around the orchestra.
The whole concert was admittedly me doing a lot of thinking “Oh, so that’s what he did, interesting.” Because I am a massive dork and know that I’m a shitty arranger once it gets beyond strings. And also, the orchestra was locked in. I don’t know how much of that was live mixing, because it still needs to be together, and it was, and especially in the first half.
The second half started with some smaller ensembles—wind ensemble, with brass in the wings, for Castle in the Sky. The original score was also heavy on the synths (this movie was 1986, the first Studio Ghibli film), though Hisaishi expanded upon it for the Disney dubbed version. Then, it was even smaller, more of a jazz band outfit for Porco Rosso, fitting for the movie, where a hotel bar is one of the main settings. Then the strings returned for Howl’s Moving Castle and its lush waltzes, or rather, the same waltz and motif teased in so many different ways (officially named “Merry-Go-Round of Life“).
Spirited Away was actually a shorter selection than I expected, only having its main themes and the song, but I guess there’s more incidental music than anything. I just figured you’d have more from the Oscar winner, but you do have to end on the franchise after all.
Like, full choral version of both “Stroll” and the closing song of My Neighbor Totoro. Like, how do you not end with the mascot?
Also, two encores! I couldn’t pinpoint the first one, and neither could Senorita Weaselo, or the two friends and members of our summer orchestra’s 2nd violin section that she realized were right in front of her the whole damn time. The second one was the ending music from Mononoke, “Ashitaka and San.” (No, her name is not Mononoke, it’s a title.)
In conclusion, we had a good time; no, I’m not a member of every group in the city, but I did know one of the violists; and no, the time would not have been better spent by the original plan of blitzing my way through Mementos because sporadic weekend playing means it’s taken me approximately one eternity to play Persona 5. Not even Royal, the vanilla edition! (Royal… eventually. Strikers first.) I’m “only” 125 hours in.
Anyways, what’s on tonight? Just baseball, as I see if the Yankees can successfully score something called a run. I don’t know, I think it’s a myth, and with… oh great, Corey Kluber revenge game? They’re getting two-hit, calling it now. This team was on pace to win 120 two months ago. Forget the ’01 Mariners (they’d need to go… 45-0 to get to the all-time wins record of 117 people were talking about in May and June), they may not win 100, and they keep this up, the 1978 references will intensify, but the other way. The division lead is in single digits and a loss to Tampa tonight makes it 8. Also they’re 2.5 behind the *sterisks, meaning there will be the inevitable walk-off in Game 6-7 of the ALCS, best-case scenario.
What else? Let’s see, we got European qualifiers in both the Shempions League and Europa Conference, including Dynamo Kyiv playing at home in Poland, for obvious reasons. There’s Argentinian footy, there’s assorted South American cups.
Oh, and there’s a rerun of BattleBots on TBS at… 10 Eastern? Watch the fights I’ll write about in the morning! (Which I’ll finish writing about after my gig.)
’59 Impala Stoned Vampire:
Welp.
Trading majors in the 3rd.
https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/1560125915098517504
MLB App: Josh Donaldson hits a grand slam in the 10th. The Yankees beat the Rays 8-7.
Senor:
https://youtu.be/2PCgSNLHtiM
I’m a goalie, I get wanting to use your own equipment that you’re comfortable with. But it is rather amusing that the Czechia goalie is using his Tri City Americans mask vs. the US tonight.
Also 3-1 Czechia now. Not great bob.
That’s some good mind-gamin’!
Found a funny;
Dude wrote a pilot script/screenplay about the character Shooter McGavin from the Adam Sandler movie Happy Gilmore. It takes place 10 years after the end of the movie.
Called Shooter.
Check it;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14cUHer9TjwpFwIcDSdtFKiEjI6nHZ8nH/view
Fun! It’s a shame it’s pretty much already been done (Cobra Kai) but I still enjoyed it.
Headline and lede:
2nd Paragraph:
#TungstenArm’O’Doyle
yeah i fucking know
I’m waiting for him to throw a no-hitter, hit a solo shot, and lose on errors 2-1. Take the Andy Hawkins to the next level!
I also attended a concert over the weekend…X and the Psychedelic Furs.
X rocks HARD for a bunch of 70+ year olds. See them if you can. (Furs were also really good)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZs_PgEMBJ4&ab_channel=HBwalter77
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnSheiZ2inE&ab_channel=HBwalter77
Yeah Right and I saw them play with James at the Greek.
That must’ve been awesome! I saw them about 12-15 years ago, and I’d swear they were better now.
They probably have cut down considerably on the intoxicants. And maybe Exene got some psychiatric help!
She was the biggest difference, seemed to be having a lot more fun.
How were the Furs?
Really good – Richard Butler sounds just like he always has. Saw them about 10 years ago and they were a little disappointing; not this time.
Nailed It!
https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1560079626575265805
That is so great!
Jomboy is one of those things that I rarely encounter but adore anytime I do. His breakdown of the Pirates error against the Cubs is a classic.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0r5QeMCslKg
Such a great video!
World Juniors tonight! Go ‘Merica!
Got a bag of really nice weed in the mail. Still quite hot for here, may crack some wine and look at the Northern Lights tonight.
Dumb non-polar guy question…are the Northern Lights visible any time of year? I assumed summer might be bad due to less nighttime. Does time of year matter at all?
It all depends on latitude. The further north, the easier to see. It’s the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, as the south you go of the Equator, the easier it is to see those auroras.
/Geography teacher
“Everything he just said is a lie.” – Kyrie Irving
He nailed it. I am not very far north but on the forecast tonight they said they would be very visible. About 15 kms to get out of town in the foothills and it will be great.
So again…time o year doesn’t matter, as long as it’s dark? (and electromagnetic conditions yadda yadda)
Correct. Auroras occur when solar winds and space dust interact with the ionosphere of Earth (or any planet with a big enough atmosphere). They’re never going away as long as the star close enough exists.
Thanks Marquis!
Oh that’s a beaut.
Doesn’t matter. Winter, Summer. I am sure there are reasons for the fancy coloUrs in the sky but I don’t know em.
They were amazing when I lived at the ski resort for many years.
Localized entirely in your kitchen?
Señor Weaselo, I thought, as a NYC citizen, you were legally required to capitalize The City.
What do think this is, Ohio State?
*THEE
Meanwhile I’m watching a game of I think tag, but one kid has pancaked another. More importantly they’re not running onto the stage.
That concert looks incredible. We’re at home finishing up The Orville’s 3rd season. Pretty freaking great.
Doktor Zymm is better at poker than John LaMarr and has the trophy to prove it.
What about Hedy?
It’s Hedley!
My wife has gone to California to visit family, leaving my daughter and I to fend for ourselves. She is convinced we cannot do this, and leaves all sorts of instructions and suggestions to ensure we won’t starve to death.
Last time she was gone we got a lab skeleton and had it sitting by an empty plate with the refrigerator open when she got home.
This time we’re amusing ourselves by texting things like “We’re out of bowls and can;’t have ice cream. What should we do?”
Ask her how to make toast
Or how to boil water
What to do when the other half of the sandwich is upside down
We’re using the sandwich one, but we think she’s just ignoring us now.
If she thinks I won’t set the shed on fire as a bit she is sorely mistaken.
That’s committment.
30 seconds after she walks out door…
As if no one here has the U20 Women’s World Cup match between US and JPN on a second screen.
México beat Germany last night!
Change is afoot. US and Canada are both out after the group stages.
Wow! That’s crazy!
That was quite the misplay.
We looked like an assembly of women who don’t have a domestic league in their country. Wait…..
Sounds like a great concert
Just hung some paintings that required drilling holes into the wall, so feeling very manly. And I didn’t even have to sun my balls.
Just because you didn’t have to doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have.
I also feel pretty manly after hiring a carpenter.