Warhol Museum

Silas and I met up with some friends from work to spend a little time at the Andy Warhol Museum on Friday. Bethany was at a yoga teacher event at the studio she at, so it was another nice boys night out.

We all thought the Silver Clouds installation would be really fun to watch Silas take in. However, I think he thinks much in this world is pretty crazy and mylar balloons aren't that much more clever than all the other great things he sees every day. He was pretty neutral about it all. Evidently, he's not developed such rigid expectations for the world that it was all that remarkable. He didn't not enjoy it, but it didn't elicit much of an emotional response.


He was particularly fond of Debbie Harry.

And staring at a film of a three-foot eyeball proved pretty interesting for him.


He was also very curious about Mick Jagger flailing around wearing eye makeup in a some Rollings Stones concert footage from the mid-1970's. Although, it's possible he was fascinated by the cathode ray tube used to play the film. He'd probably not seen a CRT before.

15 years gone by

Kurt Cobain died 15 years ago. That's a long time.

Zen told me the news when I stopped in Jimmy John's to see him at his work that day in 1994. The only other musician I remember where I was when I heard was John Lennon. I was in the back seat of my parents' car, riding home from church. Cobain and Lennon.

His music reached me at the time. It was exactly what I wanted, needed, at the right time. There are other timeless classics of their respective eras in my life that I appreciate all the time, such as Led Zeppelin, the Cure, Modest Mouse, etc, but none hit me the same.

In any case, Pitchfork did a nice write up and linked to a collection of YouTube videos of diverse covers of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Take a look through the videos. They are great, every one in its own way. They are a testament to the power of the song and his being the voice of that time.

http://pitchfork.com/news/35054-kurt-cobain-rip-april-8-1994/

Silas and the guitar

Every night, almost, I give Bethany and break and hang with Silas for some time. Usually we read and play. Most nights we also make the bed up like a campfire and sing songs and fiddle around on the guitar. A few times I really think he was trying to sing with me. I love that I get to spend this time with him.

Tonight, he was pretty grumpy and didn't want to sit around. I put the guitar down on the bed and was playing with him. Bethany started folding clothes at the far end of the bed, and Silas decided today he'd figure this whole guitar thing out. I'm not sure how soon he'll be able to play, but it was fun watching him touch all the parts, give it a bite test, and then faceplant on the neck of the guitar when he slipped. When I play, it's really sweet how he'll stare at my eyes and mouth for a while, then he'll watch my right hand strum and pluck at the strings, and then watch my left hand on the neck of the guitar, all big eyed and taking in all in. It's fascinating to watch him. Maybe I'll set up the tripod sometime at take a video (sound turned off, of course!). In the meantime, here are a few pictures from him checking it out on his own.

Unearthed

We went to Unearthed, a fundraiser for the Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest last night. A handful of artists created work from dead and fallen wood from Allegheny Cemetery. Some of the pieces were great. Some seemed like the artist either couldn't find inspiration in the piece they received or by the deadline. It was a fun night. Maya was circulating sort of on the clock for her job at the Lawrenceville Corporation. Tim's band, the Metropolitans played a set during the show. Silas just hung out in the carrier the whole time. He slept for the first hour or so and woke up and looked around for latter half. We didn't end up with any decent pictures of him. Alas.

Blogging with baby and listening to music

Sorry, perhaps a bit gratuitous...pics from yesterday and this morning.

It's challenging to move about and do simple things like typing with the little hanger on. I love it, though. He's already become such a good friend. I fear he's getting a little tired of the same 6 or 7 CD's in the changer. I need to expand some and teach him some of the goodies in the back catalog...perhaps a little Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, the Cure, Morrissey, Modest Mouse, Johnny Cash?

What's in the CD changer - 10 August 2008

Periodic posting of what's spinning in the 5-CD changer:

Talking Heads Sand in the Vaseline (2-disc set) [1976-1992]
The Avett Brothers The Second Gleam [2008]
Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs [2008]
Flobots Fight with Tools [2008]

alternates:
Animal Collective Strawberry Jam [2007]
Tapes 'n Tapes Walk it Off [2008]

Baby, baby, please let me hold you...

"Stay up Late" from the Talking Heads (from the Little Creatures album, 1985) has been on constant repeat in my head since we started this whole thing. I played it for Silas on Wednesday...the first recorded music he's listened to outside of the womb. Of course, we both sang to him before that.

"Stay up Late"
Talking Heads

Mommy had a little baby.
There he is fast asleep.
He's just a little plaything.
Why not Wake him up?
Cute, cute, little baby.
Little pee pee. Little toes.
Now he's comin' to me.
Crawl across the kitchen floor.

Baby, baby, please let me hold him
I wanna make him stay up all night
Sister, sister, he's just a plaything
We wanna make him stay up all night
Yeah we do

See him drink from a bottle.
See him eat from a plate.
Cute, cute, as a button.
Don't you wanna make him stay up late.
And we're having fun With no money.
Little smile on his face.
Don't cha' love the little baby.
Don't you want to make him stay up late.

CHORUS

Here we go (all night long) Sister, sister (all night long)
In the playpen...woo...(all night long)
Little baby goes, ha! (all night long)
I know you want to leave me...

Why don't we pretend.
There you go little man.
Cute, cute, why not?
Late at night wake him up.

CHORUS

Here we go (all night long)
Sister, sister...woo... (with the television on)
Little baby goes...woo! (all night long)
Hey, hey, baby! (all night long)
And he looks so cute (all night long)
In his little red suit (all night long)