Trapped in the Closet

I've caught on very late, but there's a video masterpiece out there in the music universe, part of a groundbreaking new form called "hip-hopera." R. Kelly calls it...Trapped in the Closet.

Have 40 extra minutes on your hands? Watch parts one through twelve. Savor the adventures of Sylvester, Gwendolyn, Rufus, Cathy, Chuck, James, Big Man, Bridget Twan, and Rosie.

Fasten your seatbelts; it's going to be a bumpy night.

Rufus releases his stars

So I haven't been keeping up with the blogging as much as I sometimes have. Friday, however, I finally did something interesting again. I went to see Rufus Wainwright in concert at the Mann Center with openers A Fine Frenzy and Neko Case.

It was my second time seeing Rufus in concert, but I was particularly excited this time because the opening acts were more talented (I saw OK Go last time, ugh) and the Mann Center is a really cool to see concerts.

A Fine Frenzy, the stage name of singer-songwriter Alison Sudol and her band, are a good Coldplay-type band with some nice contemplative songs and a few more rousing ones.

Neko Case, whom I knew only slightly from hearing a concert of hers on NPR, was really amazing. She sings alternative country music that's actually thoughtful instead of just stupid, like a lot of country music (with a few exceptions - Lucinda Williams, Dolly Parton).

Rufus performing "Gay Messiah" in Judy Garland drag.

But the main act, Rufus, was absolutely amazing. He began around 9:20ish and played all the way through 11:55 with a short break for a costume change (haha). The most amazing thing about Rufus is his stamina! The last time I saw Rufus, in September 2005, he was recovering still from a cold, but this time he was in absolutely spectacular voice, belting out songs with little effort.

He played all of his most recent album, Release the Stars, and a lot of other songs from prior albums, as well as an Irish folk song and 3 Judy Garland songs. 

Most exciting was his encore, for which he came out in a bathrobe, only to reveal toward the end that he was wearing Judy Garland drag, a blazer on top and sexy black stockings below, with an effective Judy hat. He sang "Get Happy" from the movie Summer Stock, a staple in Ms. Garland's catalog, surrounded by his band members performing a choreographed dance. It was amazing. And then, in full Judy Garland drag, he finished off the night with "Gay Messiah." 

Fabulousness.

Joni Vivre

Let it be known that Joni Mitchell is one of the musical loves of my life. Though her early career, marked by exquisite folk albums like Ladies of the Canyon, Blue, Court and Spark, is impressive enough, she experienced continued artistic success with mid-career albums like Hejira and For the Roses, and continued to record even through an artistically rocky patch during the 1980s and 90s, when she experimented heavily with synthesizers (blech).

Though Joni certainly has her musical faults now and then, it would be hard for any level-headed individual to ever call her boring. She doesn't box herself into any genre, experimenting with folk, jazz, rock, and whatever suits her fancy. After "retiring" with 2002's Travelogue, an orchestral reworking of various songs from throughout her career, it was announced this week that she's signed a 2-record deal with Hear Music, the Starbucks music label. Her new album, Shine, will be released September 25!

Lately I've been swooning over the samples for Travelogue, and I finally broke down and forced myself to pay the $19.99 to download the extensive double album on iTunes. Many of the songs are extended reworkings of older songs she feels haven't received the attention they deserve or she believes could be enhanced with more extensive orchestrations. And, while overall I prefer her youthful voice better, with its vibrancy and more extensive range, there's something special about hearing her sing some of her older songs with her raspier, smokier older voice (much like the experience of hearing Elton John sing his greatest hits now that he's older - also thrilling oftentimes).

The point of this post is - if you don't know Joni Mitchell, buy some of her albums. Start out with Blue or Court and Spark, and then work your way through her canon.

The painting above is a self portrait Joni did for the cover of Travelogue.