Seen and not seen.

Seen: Mark Eitzel in The Crane last night. No complaints there; in spite of a couple of unwelcome technical hitches, Eitzel is still an absolute genius. Why? Because when the PA starts acting funny, he stands away from the mic and sings and plays without any amplification whatsoever. The songs actually have more impact that way (though there are probably not many places where you could get away with it). And Clive Barnes, who played support, was fine too. (Here's an old interview with Eitzel by Dave Eggers.)

Not seen: I've got an artsfest, you've got an artsfest, everybody's got an artsfest. But the Drogheda Arts Festival, happening this May Bank Holiday Weekend, is the only one that has Terry Riley playing at it. (With his young fella on guitar, no less.) Sadly, chances are slim that I'll be able to go.



OB-seen: ...But I bet the tickets will be a lot cheaper than the upcoming Streisand gig in Kildare. (There are a lot of very useful and practical things you can buy for 550 euros, thank you very much.)