My class outdid themselves performing our testing songs for the whole school, with George accompanying us on guitar and Asia on the bodhran. See that story here.
An unforgettable Friday. A good Friday. In addition to performing well, The kids took a fake test and graded each other�s tests fairly � FINALLY. No one got into a fight, the 5 inches of snow that greeted us on arrival melted by afternoon, the kids �got� Algebra that we were introducing today, and Bob sang a solo and I was there!
It�s been a very stressful week, the week before State Testing. 5th grade earns the Report Card for the whole school. We can�t afford to bomb on the test. Historically, the scores are dismal at this inner city school in a poor neighborhood. The School District has been overtaken by the State and our school is part of the reform project. Last year�s class improved significantly on the test and we were the 5th most improved school in the whole State. What reward did we yet? A charge this year, to have this class perform better than last year�s class. If we don�t, the school runs the risk of being completely overhauled � principal and teachers being transferred without wanting to be. No pressure at all, right? I was soooooooo ready for this show I could taste it.
The ride up to NYC was uneventful until I made the wrong turn coming out of the Holland Tunnel. We eventually wound up in the general vicinity and found a Parking Garage around the corner from the venue. It was already after 7:30 and the doors opened at 8:00. There was quite the line-up all the way down the block to 16th Street. We ended up as the vertex that started another block long line up 16th Street. There was an upscale Chinese Restaurant there on the corner. Danny walked out at one point and the number of people lined up already caught him by surprise. �Holy Shit!� he was heard to exclaim.
People kept walking by asking what band everyone was lined up for. The choral reply - �Great Big Sea!� �Who? �What band is that?� they�d ask incredulously. � What kind of music do they play? Celtic-influenced Folk-Rock? There are this many people lined up for THAT?� There must have been 25 people who asked us and I think more asked the people down the block. Made you feel like you had a real good secret to share with the world.
We saw some people from the Philly show and Lynda, of course. Char and Company, Ilene and Company, Michele, Donna, Cheryl and Howard, Caroline and Simeon. And Jason and Lia from the South Street Seaport Uprooted Show were there, too. Jason was our buddy who sang three-part harmony with Karen and I to General Taylor two years ago. It was his sister Lia�s first GSB show then and obviously not her last. Jason had recently moved from the Midwest back home to New York. Tonight he had brought Tony, his Dad and his Mom who name has escaped me.
The Pushstars did not disappoint. They were up for this show. Their set seemed tighter and I only wish the sound was better. The instruments overpowered the vocals most times. Chris got EVERYONE singing for �Keg on My Coffin.� Before and in-between shows they showed these weird cartoon on a big drop-down screen - weird. |
