Because Paulie Walnuts Wanted To Know About My Valentine's Day Bus Suitor

So last spring I was sitting on the bus reading a book (A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews--highly recommended, starts out hysterical but spirals into despair. Mennonites, man. Not quite the charming, loving, Old-World simple folk that Rhonda Janzen tried to pass her kin off as being). Anyway, this fellow strikes up a conversation and it really piques his interest that I'm a librarian. "Oh I have some old illustrated Bible pages, how can I display them? I love old books." And I tell him a bit about the dangers of direct sunlight and why you prop up books so not to bend the spine, show off my 1 credit hour of archives knowledge.

And then he asks me if I want to meet sometime and go to a movie and I say no. I mean whatever, but I am not attracted, his breath smells, and he seems a bit weird. Also, I reject the idea that just because I dare to be a woman in public doing things I should be macked on by men, especially men who interrupt my reading time. I mean I'll give him points for trying, but I have learned my lesson and I know I cannot be going places with someone after a 10 minute conversation. After 10 minutes my conversational skills are exhausted and I don't need to talk to anyone for at least 6 hours unless we are really on the same page. Like same references, listen to all the same podcasts, have extensive overlap in our reading materials. And I don't "go to the movies" anyway. Have you seen modern movies? I go to the movies with my mom and I don't even like to watch sex scenes with her, and she thankfully has barely acknowledged either of us has ever had sex since she did car sex ed when I was 6. And then of course, I must not want to go out with him because I'm married or have a guy or something and no, I just don't want to go out with you, dude.

So anyway, because my commute is LONG and the bus starts off crowded but thins out (I am usually one of the last 2-3 on the bus after an hour) I would occasionally see him but could avoid him for the next couple months. And then one day he sits next to me and I don't remember how exactly the this conversation gets started, but he makes the assertion that the United States is a ridiculously pro-abortion country. OH, REALLY? EXPLAIN TEXAS. And we are off to the races as I start calling him on his bullshit.

He is not an A+ arguer/discusser. Like maybe a B-. His argument is basically "abortion is bad because GOD" but he won't actually come out and say that. Instead he tries a lot of assertions based along the line that human beings are special, because they bury their dead (this is a big point with him), and you can't explain our evolution fully, and I poke holes in the argument all the way up Scottsdale Road. Which no, because animals mourn their dead. And humans are human because of a series of lucky environmental coincidences and anything could have evolved into humans based on enough time and luck. Maybe we could have been The Cat from Red Dwarf. Oh well there must be something other than evolution because of gaps in the fossil record. Oh you stupid intelligent designist. He tries the old "you must be pro-choice because you've had an abortion" angle. I say if or not, it's not relevant because I am a person with a brain and voting rights, you know. Because as a woman I can't have any opinions that don't stem from personal experience, apparently.

And his final summation, which he delivers with his supposed triumph clear in his voice is, "Well, if women don't want to get pregnant then they should be abstinent." And then I laugh because this fucker has no chance ever with me.

I don't even know what this guy's name is.

Then we abandon the Peak for the summer and then the bus schedule changes and I get on before 7am and I never see him again and that's fine with me.

So on Valentine's Day evening, I'm on the bus again on my side of town and holy hell he gets on. And he sits next to me and he's clearly feeling like "oh, I see that dumb liberal pro-choice girl and maybe I can win her over on Valentine's Day." And I say hello and he starts to talk and 15 seconds later I excuse myself as it's my stop anyway.

And I get off the bus.

Sheesh. My mom is right; I need a car.

Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden

Oh Saturday I took three buses to get to the Desert Botanical Garden to check out the blooming saguaro and the Chihuly exhibit in daylight.





I previously attended with my mom right before New Year, because I thought "Well, who else wants to see luminaria after Christmas?" Ha ha ha. Everyone wanted to see them. We were constantly dodging people who stopped in the middle of the path not to look at the sculpture but to take pictures. I find crowds uncomfortable, and then the added aggravation of people not even looking at the sculpture, and just mindlessly taking pictures to prove they were there and had consumed CULTURE, added to the general rage. So I put going back during daylight before the exhibit ends later this month on my to-do list. It was worth the sunburn.


Some of my experience this time around was colored by the fact I read Charles Stross's first two Laundry Files novels this week, and that makes the sculptures with their writhing feel particularly Chthulu-like.




See those snake heads?



Lilac polka dots do not decrease the feel of awe and energy.



And this gigantic thistle looks like an alien pod.

There were some lovely bird-like ones arranged around the pond that I saw at Christmas, but I believe that was closed due to the butterfly gardens. There are also more up the hill that are only visible at night.

You've got until the 18th to see them, and it was already 99-100 degrees yesterday (102 today) so get a move on! There's a reason they open the Zoo at 7am and the DBG at 8am here in Phoenix.

Getting A Grip

So as some of you know, I had a job interview this week for a position that everyone told me I'd be sort of insane to take. This was primarily due to the fact that I would have had to buy a car or scooter for a part-time job in a far off part of the city that paid $12 an hour. Other bits of advice included my own tendency to wind up in weird situations where I'm taken advantage of as part of company culture, that the pay was equal to unemployment, and there were no guarantees of it turning into a full-time job at any point soon.

I did do the interview as practice and enjoyed having a conversation with people and showing myself off a bit. It made me realize again how miserable I was at last job having my personality ground down.

However. I filled out an application to do standardized exam scoring, and have secured a position for March-April grading 10th grade writing exams. Yay yay for that. It's out near the Marlboro Mesa, so I'll get to see the bebes.

We are on BabyWatch! My sister is due Thursday, which also happens be be my maternal grandmother's birthday. And Groundhog Day. It's the prospect of having a kid born on that wacky narcissist's birthday that fills us all with a bit of fear. I went round her place twice last week to watch Peaches (to do the primary interacting and hanging out with her and take her to the park) and give my poor sister a rest.

And to top it off, I went to a breakfast Meetup today and talked to Geek Girls of the East Valley.

Busy, Busy

Holy crap, I just realized that I've had something going on every night since Friday.

So Dusie and I went to the Gainey Ranch Resort and Spa for this really great event. We had each paid $125 for this Arizona SpaGirls event--what happens is that that money goes to a good cause, and you get a party with free swag and refreshments and beauty treatments, and then you also get a spa treatment WITH gratuity included. It is really a holy cow good deal. Dusie likes to go to spas; I am more indifferent, but I love my sister and know this is the sort of sisterly thing she likes to do. Plus I got Moroccan oil hair treatments, and a small size Hope In A Jar (Philosophy is a local company) and a full-size cleansing milk and exfoliating powder. Dude! Swag! I love swag!

We are going to the spa on Friday. I am going to lay by the mineral pool after my massage and hopefully not get burnt. And In preparation I will shave my legs like a real lady and get my eyebrows done so I don't look so unkempt. It's a really pretty property.

Saturday was Scooter 202 at Vespa Chandler. Scooters are way cheap, yo. And scooter people are really nice. So there was a presentation on group riding by the place that can teach you to ride. and then we got walk-throughs on maintenance and helmet fitting and it was very educational. I sat on 2 Vespas but did not purchase one. ($650 down! Under $200 per month! But I am sensible and would save up and not finance.) Then I hung out with the baby, who I had not seen in 3! WHOLE! WEEKS! She has more hair and has mastered a cheerful "No!" that she uses but does not abuse.

Sunday was pretty quiet. Cain woke me up at 2:30 am though, and I couldn't fall back to sleep so I did my laundry and returned the car and SUFFERED the rest of the day. Dusie, my mom and I met up and went to Tempe Marketplace, and then my mom and I went to see Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt play together at the Mesa Arts Center. Yup, that's that show I was tempted by but didn't want to shell out for. She is such a nice mom. We realized that the last show my mom has apparently been to was a hellish Phish show in Massachusetts when Dusie was 15 or 16. I think she liked this a little more, but she doesn't like music really. The patter between them was pretty scripted, but Lyle Lovett's wit is so dry, a martini wishes it were Lyle Lovett.

Monday was The Lazy Arse's Book Club and it was really good. We meet again in 2 weeks to finish the book. There will be a review, because you should all read it.

Tonight I did not go to the other book club, because I got into work late and so had to work late and go to Target, and I'm tired, dang it. And I did not reread The Great Gatsby but I will go next month. But honestly, who hasn't read that book by age 21? And if you haven't, should you really consider yourself a well-educated adult?

Tra la la la la!

Kerry Leaves The House: CenPho Camp

On Saturday I attended CenPho Camp, a free conference for Phoenix area business owners that offered talks on social media and community building, and other topics.

No, I'm not starting a business. You all know I just like to go out and do things, and this homegrown conference was really interesting and well done. And as a former librarian, I am interested in social media and community relations. The sessions were taped and there's more information at the link.

Fun & Cheap In Phoenix, Again

Maybe not cheap, but rooftop yoga classes mean exercise and a view. How cool is that? And Sutra yoga is offering free yoga in various Phoenix parks on Sundays. Plus, on their twitter stream they sometimes offer "$2 Holla" classes where a certain password gets you in for $2.

April 12th is "Mai Tai Mania" at Trader Vic's, where $15 gets you drinks and niblets. "Trader Vic" Bergeron invented the Mai Tai, folks. And they are good. I know from personal experience.

My mom and I saw "The Philadelphia Story" at the Biltmore Fashion Center last night (whatever it's called--up at 24th St and Camelback). They are showing movies on Fridays at 7:30pm for free. Bring your blankets and chairs, take a picnic (if you buy something they validate 2 hours of parking), but leave your fear of wolves at home. I swear, I turned around the corner and saw this big tan colored dog and thought, "Wow, what is that--it's as big as Billie, and so gentle with those kids," and holy hell, it was an actual wolf or wolf mix of some sort. Really and truly.

Oh, and the Origins up there is giving free mini facials or samples to sell people on face cream. I like to score free stuff, but the timing was just not right for me to take advantage.

Fun Things In Phoenix

A couple of things I've run across lately that I'd like to recommend on general coolness, not my personal enjoyment.

Friday night movies at the Biltmore. They are free, outdoors on the lawn and they've got a great lineup picked.

Monday night Scrabble at Urban Beans.

Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale sponsors tons of author appearances. My mom went to see Linda Fairstein this week, and was pleased to see C.J.Box is also coming to town. So is humorous fantasy author Christopher Moore, and April brings both Martha Grimes and my favorite, Lisa Lutz.

Portland Park Coffee Potluck

Last Saturday, Aces and I went to the Portland Park Coffee Potluck organized by Tony over at Light Rail Blogger. It was a fun way to spend a cloudy morning--free coffee, baked goods from area coffee shops, some interesting people to talk to. I had joked before that I wasn't going to make Aces be my wing girl, but that's how it turned out. She managed to attract a cool attorney who lives downtown who I have to email about book clubs, a handsome artist, and a fellow dressed as an old timey reporter. At about 11am a lot of young families started popping in to join the single people and dogs that had previously dominated the crowd. I didn't know there were so many downtown.

Week In Review/Week In Advance

Last week:

Monday: See below for the details on Phoenix. I decided to skip the show because I don't stay out until midnight on a work night lightly and I was way tired.

Tuesday: I went to see my mom because she arrived in town on Monday. Her new place is very swank.

Wednesday: We went out to Cibo to see off Boss Lady. It's like Pizzeria Bianco, but with a wider menu, no wait, a friendly waiter called Matt, and they let you hang out and chat. I did not sample the homemade limoncello. Cibo not as good as PB, but it's good and more accessible and about the same in price.

Thursday: I woke up very late and went to Starbucks to cut the after effects of the 2 glasses of moscato I had the night before. I left without getting anything due to the line, but Huntress yelled at me in the parking lot, "Kerry! Get in my car!"and took me through the drive through. In the evening I made up fruit plates for Boss Lady's going away work party. She's not a cake person, so fruit was more appropriate. I also bought a package of Tim Tams, the Australian cookies that I found at Fry's around Christmas, thrilling my teammate World Traveler. The .33/lb oranges are so perfect--I bought an extra 5 lbs for myself today.

Friday: We kept it going with an office happy hour at the local pool hall where I ate 1.5 servings of delicious onion rings for dinner and had a hurricane. It's a bad sign when the tender has to look up the recipe when it is in the corporate menu.

Saturday: I went to the downtown farmers' market with my mom, Dusie, and SJP!. Dusie was looking for tomato plants. I was caught flirting with a guy and his well behaved pit/boxer mix, Goody. No, I did not get the man's name. We then went to the chocolate festival out in Glendale, which was a disappointment, although Dusie did buy a piece of silver.

Sunday: I have to fix my skirt to wear it to our meeting with the agency tomorrow. I have done very little all day.


This week:

Monday/Tuesday: One of these nights I have to make snickerdoodle quick bread for another work thing. Who knows what else I might do. EDIT: Monday night is Scrabble night at Urban Beans coffeehouse.

Wednesday: James McMurtry is playing at The Rhythm Room. I doubt I am going.

Thursday: I have to go to Target. But you should go to see St. Vincent at The Rhythm Room.

Friday: Nothing lined up that night. It may be my usual clean the house/laundry/catboxes/watch movies routine. Or I might have done all that earlier in the week.

Saturday: The Crimson Conquest wants me and The Huntress to meet up with her at the asscrack of dawn to go to the VSNA Book Sale. I don't really want to go as I have given up on the book hoarding. But I might go so the Huntress and I can go to Matt's Big Breakfast and the Royal Coffee Bar afterwards. And the farmers' market downtown. Then I may go home and nap. But there is also a steampunk fashion show at Evermore Nevermore in Mesa.

Sunday: I am going to the Willo House Tour. There's also a free yoga class in Coronado Park around noon sponsored by Sutra Yoga. I may visit the family afterwards.

Monday: I am getting a car to go shopping. I plan to hit DSW in hopes of hitting the SW stash of Nicole Beautiful Apple Mary Janes.

Kerry Leaves The House--January 9-17th, 2010 Edition

Here's what my week looks like:

Saturday (yesterday): I intended to go to this performance art/canal draining, but wound up oversleeping. Instead, I discovered that Willa likes the taste of cream cheese, and set out in the afternoon to go downtown to the Roosevelt and read this week's book club selection while drinking. I went to the Phoenix Urban Market to check it out and discovered organic Brussels sprouts are $7/lb. I did not audibly gasp. I also went over to Bunky Boutique and those of you who I might get a present for in the next few months are forewarned. This is the sort of place that sells adorable tutus for little girls to the tune of $54, and I saw a 0-3mo onesie with an appliqued whale that would allow me to test SJP!'s nascent sense of humor if only it were larger. Oddly, the items for bigger girls were more reasonably priced.

Since I had an hour to kill waiting for the Roosevelt to open, I sat on the grass under a palm tree around the corner and watched stray cats, including a black cat who decided against suicide at the last moment and dished out some bad luck instead. The Roosevelt is a comfortable place to while away a twilight hour drinking cider and eating grilled cheese and reading about prep school scandals in a leather chair with a music selection mirroring my own.

Sunday: Today I have to go over to the office to read up on corrections, blah blah.

Monday: "Away We Go" is playing at Scottsdale Public Library. Anyone want to come with?



Tuesday: I am having dinner with Wende and a friend of hers.

Wednesday: Book club at Scottsdale PL. Testimony by Anita Shreve.



Thursday: Aces and I are going to dinner at Trader Vic's. I invited her.

Friday: Nothing planned. I may collapse. Or I might go to Ikea and start another 24 hour shopping binge.

Saturday: Nothing planned, but I will probably go spend some time with SJP! and family.

Sunday: This day is problematic. Stupid marathon runs right by my place in the am, trapping me until about 1pm. There is restorative yoga at 4pm, Sunday is also apparently a really good music night at the Roosevelt.

And there you are.

Things To Do Around Town

We're always busting out the mid-century modern here, but hello! Tours of the Hotel Valley Ho! At $20 it's a bit expensive, but I think it's worth it. Less than the $200 to stay there, plus you learn about the fabulous mid-century design and the 2005 renovation. To bad Trader Vic's doesn't serve lunch, but there's a fancy restaurant at the hotel. Hmmm.

ASU has a cool design exhibit, but it's only next week, weekdays 8-5pm. Boo!

Our light rail is drunken party central, but tomorrow night it promises to be filled with ZOMBIES. I am riding, and Anners is thinking about joining me. Aces? Wende?

Upcoming Shows

So Wende and I went out to Bon Iver this week, which was an experience. Any feedback on which of these upcoming shows look interesting?

10/21 Monsters of Folk
10/28 Dirty Projectors
10/30 Sea Wolf
11/4 Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros (This show is down in Tucson--I very much want to go, but it will be a complex endeavor, with travel, time off and a late night.)
11/5 Lucero
11/17 The Swell Season or Thao With The Get Down Stay Down

Fancy A Night Out?

There's an interesting photo exhibit at Lux, and a free band that looks interesting.

Lyle Lovett is in town too. True confession: I have had a bit of a crush on Lyle Lovett for almost 20 years; apparently my ideal man is tall, thin, ugly-handsome, has multiple master's degrees, good with language, and Southern/Texan. Shouldn't be too hard to find. /sarcasm

Anyone Interested?

My mom will be here this weekend--maybe we could drag her around and make the case that there are fun activities in Phoenix!

Yeah, I didn't think so. But I still want to check it out.

More Options For Leaving The House

This week I went drinking. I hit Happy Hour for a colleague's goodbye, and learned some interesting tidbits. And on Friday I went to The Crimson Conquest's to watch True Blood and drink limoncello.

Here's a few things I am interested in:

Good Times In Hard Times: How To Enjoy The Recession. Wende, you can practice your deadpan! I'll even join in!

Ballet Under the Stars. It's not until September, though.

Flashlight Tours of the Desert Botanical Gardens. A little expensive at $15, but I think it might be worth it.

Let's Try Getting Out Again

The past couple of weeks have been a little slow in the getting out and doing things. Two weeks ago I bailed on The Phoenix Reading Society and water aerobics. I did go out to dinner at Joe's that Friday and had fun with the coworkers.

Last week, I went to Stacy's with The Crimson Conquest and Wende. We intended to go to see The Starlight Mints afterwards. At quarter to 8, the doors will still closed, and a guy came out to inform us he didn't know when they'd be opening up, that the first band had just finished soundcheck. We were not in the mood to be up until all hours, and Wende started ranting about professionalism. So we went to Conspire Coffeehouse. Click the link and look at the website, please.

Would you expect vegan cupcakes, no seating except outside, and dreadlocks? Not that there's anything wrong with any of that, but it was the sort of place where I'm like 10 years older than the average client, and even at 24 I was too old for all that because I had to be at the office at 8:30am and got health insurance with my job. It's the kind of place that says it is warm and welcoming, but really only warm and welcoming to a particular kind of clientele. I don't know--it is what it is and what it wants to be, but I did not feel comfortable.

This week:

Tuesday--Based on our previous experience, I will not be attending the Phoenix Reading Society meeting. Sigh. I should just find myself a book club, shouldn't I? There's a free Mexican indie movie at Scottsdale PL I might go to.

Wednesday--I have already tortured Wende by sending her the listing for the Raise Chickens In the Urban Backyard class at Drip Coffee this evening. She says the chicken fad has passed and is now obsessed with camels. At least they are good for carrying your junk behind the hump as you flee the heat. And they are good for managing the mountain pass as you escape to Flagstaff in search of Thai food.

Thursday night--Havana Cafe is having a mojito mixing class for $10, and Scottsdale PL is having a paperback swap at the same time.

Jenny Lewis @ The Marquee

I went out last night to see Jenny Lewis and The Heartless Bastards over at the Marquee last night.

It was a very energetic show, much more rock than I had been expecting. I hadn't heard Acid Tongue or much Rilo Kiley, so a lot of the songs were new to me, but it was all well done and enjoyable. Jenny Lewis likes her crowd pumped, and she's good at getting that energy out of people.

The 90's revival is in full swing--seen on the youth of America were numerous vests (matter of fact, as I was walking in the teenish girl beside me said, "Oh she's wearing a vest too, why are we all wearing vests?" when she saw her friend and I laughed and told her she was giving me a flashback to college), plaid shirts, big round 80's eyeglasses that do no one any favors, and babydoll dresses worn over leggings or cut offs. The ubiquity of phones and texting was a bit of a "huh?" moment--everyone was being seen and chatting with friends, but they would also pull out the phone at odd moments. About 10% of the crowd was over 25 it seemed, which made me feel so old. I was grateful the show started at 7:30 too, and I was home by 11. Old sleepless hag.

It's a big space with a floor that slopes towards the stage. They set up chairs at the back, and about halfway through I realized my new blisters The teenage girl in front of me was joined by her mom, and nudged her mom over a bit so I could see the stage. Seriously. I told them I was fine. I was so touched though. And another thing, the Marquee has a bike rack. How freaking awesome is that? It's only 3 miles from my house too. I might even go down to Tempe if I had a bike. Okay, I haven't been on a bike in 20 years. And the othopaedic surgeon warned me not to injure my right arm in the elbow area as it will be very hard to fix. But still, what is life?

This week:

Tuesday, The Phoenix Reading Society.
Wednesday, I have been invited to water aerobics with Le Chat, but Anners and I were going out to Joe's on Friday but might have to reschedule to this night.

Also, on the 22nd the Starlight Mints will be over at The Rhythm Room--anyone interested?

Other Fun In Phoenix

Mesa Contemporary Arts
Free until 8pm on Thursdays

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Free until 8pm on Thursday

Heard Museum
Free 11am-5pm second Sunday of the month (July 12!)

Also the Coronado Historic District is having a problem with peacocks and people are talking about trapping and relocating them. Anyone interested in peacock hunting at dusk one night?

There's no one interesting visiting The Poisoned Pen in the near future. I should go up to the park and canal on the Scottsdale border for a look around--it seems like a cool area.

I am really longing for a monsoon. If it doesn't rain soon, I might have to hatch plans to flee to a cooler clime for the day at least. A/C can only do so much. So can Ladies' Night at Trader Vic's, which also has a special prix fixe menu for $30 Sunday through Thursday. It includes 3 courses and a cocktail. A Mai Tai does not substitute for a monsoon. Be wary!

Where I've Been: Domestic News

This week I actually left the house to do something other than go along to awkward evenings in which I inadvertently pay for others' drinks.

I'm embarrassed to say, but I hadn't fully realized that I live so close to Scottsdale until Wende took me down there in January. And I hadn't realized that The Poisoned Pen mystery bookstore was so close. Last weekend I was checking the website when I erupted into epically shrill squeals of delight. S.J. Rozan brought her series with Lydia Chin and Bill Smith back! And she would be at PP on Monday night!

I didn't have any money for a copy, but she was a fascinating speaker. There were only 10 people there, which was a little sad--this is an excellent series that I think I've tried to hand sell to everyone I know at various points. There's a reason why I won't go into the plot but it deals with a little known intersection of 20th century Chinese history and the Jewish diaspora, and she says she has a lot of research that she might fold into other fiction projects. And she's happy her publishers were willing to wait for her to get back to Bill and Lydia and she still has a lot of stories to tell, and they are willing to publish.

Oh, and she's apparently left her architecture career to work on writing full time.

End of this month, Lisa Lutz will be promoting her new book and if her writing is a reflection of her personality, it will be fun.

Show Report: The Octopus Project, The Diagonals & Treasure Mammal

Monday night I drove over to The Rhythm Room in Phoenix, which is this dingy retro kinda club over by some Phoenix grit. Yes, Phoenix has grit, quite a lot. It was a nice surprise. The Rhythm Room bears a striking resemblance to the basement of Leutner Hall at college, of which I have some fond memories. Not as pretty as The Beachland Ballroom, but it does have a regular BBQ schedule and a shaded patio.

So, the music. Starting us off was Treasure Mammal (warning, these links goes to myspace).

Oh, Treasure Mammal. How can I describe you? It was like watching my pompous ex-neighbor play his "music" which is more like sound collages of screechy electronic sounds and rapid-fire beats. However, Treasure Mammal performed clad in a black lycra bodysuit with a small, strategically placed, florescent green oval. And sometimes a mask.

He had to take the mask off sometimes to see what he was doing and to perform the singing/spoken word part of his show, which consisted of a lot of ranting, howling, and saying "motherfucker" in praise of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes.

And sometimes yipping like a small dog being kicked.

I sat dumbfounded and worried. Thankfully, things got better.

The Diagonals are good--the lead singer has annoying patter, but the music is quite good. Garagey rock beats and quirky lyrics, although what is up with the image stream that has nothing to do with anything? They remind me of Cake without a trumpet.

The Octopus Project though--they have the whole package. Excellent pounding punky but tuneful instrumentals that had everyone in the club headbanging and dancing. The energy was amazing. It's a show experience that's like having sex in a good exhausting, happy fun way. They play along with the image show behind them in excellent timing. They have a cohesive visual image, the guitarist mc keeps great control, and everyone is having fun. The music flows over you and plays with different parts of your brain and forces you to pay attention--it's like a brain stimulation machine that makes you smarter. After the set, you will do calculus! If I were in Austin, I'd have a party just to book them to play. Highly recommended.