Rock Stars.

Firstly: thank you so much for all congrats on my grad school admission, especially new readers. I'm walking on clouds and will be all summer. For anyone who was curious about what I'm studying and where, I'll be returning to my alma mater, UMass, specifically the department of Communication. Some of you may know that Sut Jhally was one of the main reasons I came to transferred to UMass and while I fit a lot into the two years I had there I feel like there is much more to learn. My interests fall under the cultural studies umbrella, and I focus on the use of consumer goods/consumption in identity performance. It encompasses many areas and affects all of us, in ways as small as the coffee we drink to the careers we choose. It's complex and I'm going to have to work very hard to pick just one topic to cover in a thesis!

The theme of today's post is rock stars. This weekend was full of them. Eric and I had a picnic feast with some squirrels at Smith College, then nerded it up at Haymarket (him with the Sudoku and me with my knitting). At ten we went over to the Iron Horse. I was completely in the dark on the artists and was expecting to have a drink and knit. The minute Why? took the stage I was a mess. Later I would make a complete ass of myself trying to relay my enjoyment to Josiah the drummer, saying that the music made me "afraid in a good way". Yeah. I said that. Brilliant. It's urgent, spastic, enthralling, and sharp, and I want to see them over and over. Here is a video, which features a flying pug; obviously, I'm in love.



Another of the band in action elsewhere:



After the show the three bands took to the streets with a snare and some guitars in a wild roving parade, jumping on cars and causing a ruckus, drawing stares, cop cars and a huge ecstatic crowd. When it was determined that every bar was closed and every party too far, the crowd dwindled to a handful of UMass freshman, Eric and myself. I asked lots of questions and squirmed a lot. Come back soon, Why?

Onto other rock stars. The Yarn Harlot came to Webs, perhaps you've heard of her?



This was my favorite handknit sighting:


The woman said it was a Brandon Malby (didn't catch her name unfortunately).

I'm hoping to finish up my Webs knits very soon, so I can go on picnics with books and balls of linen, cotton or silk and knit some summer clothes. Stuff like this and this and this. And this, this and this. Slightly optimistic.

It's cold and rainy today and Eric is leaving me for the lab. I wish I had a kitten to run around with.

Cirilia