You can see through seven pairs of leather pants*

I went to the opera last night with starfishchick -- COC's production of Berg's Wozzack. I quite enjoyed it. Nothing like madness to give an opera some juice. I particularly liked the sets and lighting - they had these fantastic screens that were used for set changes etc. that were painted to look like a concrete apartment building, styled like those Soviet propaganda posters with the really angled perspective. I'm not describing it well, but it was very striking.

I'm quite certain I found shoefiend in the first beer hall scene, too. Of course, now she's going to tell me that she wasn't even doing this one...

I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not a huge opera fan, although I've seen a lot of productions. I generally find the classics kind of boring (and too long, seriously) unless someone I know is in one, but I do like going to more contemporary works, or things with really spectacular staging concepts. Also, I hate Wagner. I've tried, I really have, but he just doesn't work for me, even though the music itself (in small doses) can be excellent. So I make it to one or two operas a year, something different, and that works perfectly.

I promise, though, when all my opera singers reading this become famous through Mozart or Puccini, I will suck it up and happily come see you. :)

*This was the best (possibly paraphrased, definitely translated) line of the opera. Ha!

Special Guest Booktalk!

I am breaking free from the tyranny of the huge list of books I have read recently to bring you this special update.

Chuck Klosterman Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural Nõrth Dakõta

I haven't even finished the book yet, but such is the power of Chuck Klosterman that after reading for half an hour at lunch, I actually went to HMV with the intention of buying GnR Appetite for Destruction. Which didn't happen. But I think you can guess what was the first thing I pulled off the shelf when I got back to work.

And I don't even have the excuse of being taken back to my youth! I listened to Simon and Garfunkel and George Michael in the 80s, despite the fact that I went to a headbanger junior high. My only brushes with metal were:

-I bought Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet in grade 8, when it first came out. I still kind of adore that album.

-Extreme "More Than Words" was my grade 12 grad song, much to my eternal disgust. (Seriously, have you ever actually listened to the lyrics?)

-When I worked at the music store in junior high and high school, we used to amuse ourselves on slow days by going through the folder of guitar/tab single sheets (which at the time were entirely hair bands), and picking our favourite member of each band, based on the awesome photos on the front.

After this, I think I can safely say that with good writing that makes me laugh, I can convinced into appreciating anything, even if it's just for a short while.