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Monday, January 14, 2008
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New Website up!
Current mood:  peaceful
Lotsa stuff to listen to and a new layout. Please let me know your thoughts!
www.michaelplishka.com
~peace~
Plish
8:48 PM
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
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ice storm
ice
rain
drop by drop
a reputation
that's hard to carry
an atmosphere of indecision
weighs upon the boughs of bygone years;
ahh, for purity of thought
white lace
light upon the eye lash
crystal wonder
of winter's heart
upon my tongue
sun glistens
I squint
smile
6:09 AM
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Monday, October 01, 2007
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Suzanne Vega Review Live at the Park West, 9/30/07
Current mood:  artistic
Category: Music
Touring in support of her latest CD "Beauty and Crime", Suzanne Vega led off the concert with her a-capella version of Tom's Diner. Often reserved for the end of the show, thus giving the audience an opportunity to sing along, this humble beginning took the concert into a different, yet charming and beautiful direction. As Vega chanted each verse, one by one the band members entered the stage acting out what was being sung. It was no longer just a song - we were in Tom's Diner, seeing the morning unfold. It was the beginning of a new day in New York, and a new beginning was experienced in Chicago.
The concert was a mix of both old and the new. There was enough new to get a taste for the album but enough old to provide the common thread that made the concert like coming to a friend's house and being reminded of the history you share by the pictures on the wall.
Most of the newer tunes were fully backed by a tight band (comprised of guitar, bass, drums, keys, viola and lush layered harmonies) led by the driving artistry of bassist Mike Visceglia. The older tunes were often allowed to stand on their own, naked and stripped down with either Vega solo or Visceglia accompanying. As the colors of a sunlit cityscape give way to deep shadows and sparkling life at night, so too the stripped down versions of her songs had their own depth and lacked for nothing.
Vega's presence on stage was engaging and entertaining. Without compromising the profound, poetic artistry that characterizes the Vega experience, she had a lightness and comfortableness on stage that held your hand as you ventured into the deepest parts of the verse-laced chambers of her heart - yet never once did claustrophobia set in. On the contrary, every step opened into new sprawling vistas of beauty.
When the last song began (prior to the encores), it was surprising to hear it was a take on DNA's remix of Tom's Diner-complete with Vega grooving on stage. It was a far cry from the stage fright filled, soft spoken poet of many years ago. It was a glimpse of new beginnings. Just as every day is a new beginning – starting in the morning with a cup of coffee in Tom's Restaurant, through the streets of a life in New York (and the world), ending at "night" with a dance club themed motif. It was a day packed into an hour and a half - a day filled with beauty. The only crime was that the day was much too short…
4:52 PM
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Sunday, February 04, 2007
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The Catacombs
Current mood: content happy and tired
Category: content happy and tired Music
What a great evening! In spite of the fact of it being -5F at showtime, the evening was wonderful... The crowd was appreciative and loving and made me feel right at home. They all enjoyed themselves as did I. I'd love to play there again sometime.
All in all, a great night and it's recorded. I need to check and see how it came out but all the equipment behaved itself pretty well so I think it should sound great.
If anyone would like copies of the performance I can put together a CD for you.
Time for some tea and time to relax...
~peace~
Michael
8:18 AM
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Tuesday, January 23, 2007
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Black Ice
Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Life
Hard
Perfect
Glass
Steel carves white grooves
Sub-atomic particles
whirling against the black
scribed.
Breath rises under moonlit night
Cold air nips lungs
Deer prints through the snow
Scraping stop!
White shavings rise and fall
slow motion...
Life and ice
One dance...
6:32 PM
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Sunday, January 14, 2007
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Live and Unplugged
Current mood:  chipper
Category: Music
Last night was a great gig-the first of the Live and Unplugged series. Great artists and a cool atmosphere. The people there dug the music and it was truly a privilege to share the stage with such talented artists. Jen, Bob and John, you guys were great! Thanks for making the night such a blast. Thanks also to Donna for setting it up!
Thanks to Dustin and Deb for coming out and bringing your friends and family! I appreciate the support!!!
The next gig looks like Feb. 3 in Kenosha, details to follow....
~peace~
Plish
5:27 PM
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Thursday, July 06, 2006
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Charlie
Current mood:  grateful
Category: Friends
I sat down on the grass slope taking in the game at Alexian Field. It is a beautiful and simple park where the last third of the baselines were lined not by seats, but by green slopes of grass-the picnic area as it was called. People could watch the game from these areas without sitting on chairs, simply reclining on the grass. There were children running and playing, often times oblivious to the baseball game going on a baseball's throw away. This was intimacy with the sport at it's best if one so chooses. There was no guile here, simply athletes loving the game trying to make it to the big leagues. More than once I wondered how the team from Calgary arrived at this game-by bus or plane...in the minor leagues, a bus ride was not out of the question.
As I sat on the grass and semi-reclined a small boy, probably 3 or 4 began to run very close to me and cut right by my feet as he was playing. We made eye contact more than once and he very quickly sat down next to me. He wore a red t-shirt and blue shorts and velcroed sandals. On his head was a baseball cap also in red and blue that had a porpoise in a rectangular insignia. He looked at me with his gray blue eyes and told me in a quite articulate fashion, "Christopher keeps swinging his bat at everybody." I gazed down the hill and there, 15 feet away was a young child with a band aid over his right eyebrow, also three or four, wearing a cub jersey and he was pointing the business end of his tiny baseball bat at everyone and waving it as if it were his equalizer. I wondered if perhaps his bandaid was the result of his 'waving' antics as I told the boy, "Tell him he's not supposed to wave the bat at other people."
The little boy immediately got up and ran next to Christopher, who was surrounded by other boys 'playing'. With a furrowed brow and squinted eyes, the boy spoke up, "Christopher, you're not supposed to wave the bat at other people!!!" He then left Christopher to his own devices and ran back up the hill to his group where I assumed his parents were.
No more than a couple minutes passed and the boy sat down next to me again, "What is your name?" I asked. "Charlie" the boy said proudly.
"My name is Michael"
"My friend driving the bus is named Michael," and with that he scampered up and dusted off his pants and joined his playmates.
The game continued under the pristine sky and 70F weather and I shifted my weight on the grass to rest my derriere. My cell phone rolled out of my pocket and continued rolling down the hill. Rather than get up and retrieve my phone I decided to be an adult. So as not bring attention to the fact that my cell phone was rolling down the hill, I began, in a very mature manner mind you, scooching down the hill on my rear, after my phone. No sooner had I started that Charlie went running by me and grabbed my phone and brought it back to me. "Thank you, Charlie!"
"I'm just being very helpful," he responded.
"Yes you are, thank you!"
"If you drop your phone again, I'll get it for you again, ok?"
"Ok" I responded, my heart being touched by a clearly genuine and loving soul of so tender an age. He ran up the hill and grabbed his baseball from his mother and he came back down by me, ""I'm going to get this autographed," and it slipped from his tiny hands and began rolling down the hill. I stretched out my leg and bent my foot at a right angle to my leg and caught the ball as it rolled down the hill. I pulled my leg up the hill, grabbed the ball and gave it back.
"Thank you," he said as he scampered off to get autographs.
"You're welcome, Charlie," I responded, all the while knowing, it was I who was thankful...
10:42 PM
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Saturday, June 17, 2006
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bogus rules....(Chuck Taylor fans unite!!)
Current mood:  irritated
Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping
I went to a club last night and wore my Classic Chuck Taylors and I was denied entry. I gaze at women's feet and they're wearing flip flops and sandals. I get inside and guys are wearing sandals/thongs (the one's on your feet!!!) as well!!! I happened to have another pair of shoes in the car, so I eventually got it, but come on!!!! Sandals and flip flops are cool but Classic white Chuck's are not??? Where is the sanity??
This is ludicrous. I propose we book a party at Chuck Taylor night at Hard Drive Chicago wher EVERYONE wears Chuck Taylors. They can't deny us ALL entry!!
Are you in???
10:18 AM
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Sunday, May 07, 2006
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Chernobyl...
Current mood: Beyond Words
Category: Beyond Words Life
This is a photo essay that is heart wrenching...
If you want to donate to the cause of helping these children and their families, please write me.
Chernobyl Photo Essay
Be sure to click on the "Menu" button to the lower right of the screen for more info and more pictures.
Watch and weep...
~Peace~
8:01 PM
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Tuesday, May 02, 2006
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Post Gig
Category: Music
Just had a great time playing at the Asset Builders fund raiser!
Started out kinda lousy though. As I was opening up the speaker stand I caught my left pinky in the bracket as it opened and sliced the skin through the cuticle and smashed my fingernail...washed it off stopped the bleeding and played the show without a hitch..sore as heck now...
BUT!!!
Made new friends: Lisa, Latosha, Maria, Judy, Aisha, Denean, Bernadette, Lyman and Kim, just to name a few-sorry if I've missed some of you.
The above folks (though not exclusively) were a blast to be around and made playing a total joy, thank you to you all!
Gig was still a blast!
I'll post pics once I get them from Latosha and Mary.
~peace~
Plish
7:52 PM
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