Celebrity

Last night I had a celebrity close encounter.

I got word that Bjork was in town with her boyfriend Matthew Barney who had an exhibit opening at SFMOMA. Rumor was, she was planning to DJ at Stud Bar later that night. I said "Sure, sure she is." A group of friends planned to camp out down there that evening just in case it was true.

I was out with a buddy when Monica called and said the rumor appeared to be gaining wide acceptance and the place was filling up... and that I should come down if for no other reason than it was a fun crowd. I had never been to the Stud Bar, since I always thought of it as a gay bar and thought I might feel out of place. My friend felt the same way and was somewhat reluctant to attend for that reason. But due to my policy of "lean yes" when on the fence about something potentially fun, I decided to check it out.

As we walked down the street toward the bar, I could hear the sound of a brass band coming from that very direction... then heard their sound muffle as if they went indoors. This was a good sign. I thought it might be the Extra Action Marching Band who often seem to be surrounded by cool goings on. I was right. They had gone into the crowded bar just ahead of us, and we were treated to a loud and already surreal display.

This bar was clearly not prepared for the onslaught of rumor-believers they had already received. There was one poor bartender drowning in drink requests, where on a busy night, the size of the place would call for at least three or four of them plus bar back help. I waited patiently for a drink. And while I was waiting, a parade of folks, hand in hand in a long single file chain, scurried along behind the bar toward the DJ booth. And sure enough, a colorfully-caped Bjork was mid-chain.

The entourage happened to settle right where my friends were parked. When I made my way that direction, they all looked like deer in the headlights, not really sure what to do or say in the presence of a celebrity. But what can you say that wouldn't sound dumb?

Quickly, the normally jaded artsy San Francisco crowd degraded into a sea of star struck paparazzi. Camera phones were shoved in her face from every direction and people pushed to get as close to her as possible. I was kind of stuck between her and the crowd and decided to help create a casual barrier rather than steer clear. She didn't seem super appreciative, but I was impressed that she toughed it out and didn't seem too phased by it all.

I stayed just long enough to hear what music she played. It was kind of hard to tell who was DJ'ing at any given moment, but after awhile it seemed more like a crowd full of people trying to catch a glimpse rather than a dance club with a great guest DJ.

So I went home, somewhat more appreciative of my anonymity. I'm glad I can go out and have fun without the mob scene her and others have to deal with regularly.

Fast

I fasted this past weekend for the first time ever.

Monica had a book called The Idiot's Guide to Fasting. When I saw the title, I couldn't contain my laughter. Why on earth would I need a whole book to tell me how to not put food in my mouth!

She assured me that there was more to it than I thought. So I read through some of the book and was intrigued by the process and the benefits the book claimed fasting could have.

Previously I always assumed that fasting was mainly done for spiritual, weight loss, or body cleansing reasons.

My "Eureka" moment while reading was the book's explanation of how much energy one's body uses in the digestion of food. Besides the above benefits, while fasting, your body can use the energy not used for digestion and focus it on other aspects of existence, such as mental clarity and healing itself of chronic ailments.

I thought about the Thanksgiving food coma we all know and dread. That is an easy example of how much energy is used up just digesting food. It made sense that there could indeed be real benefits to it. It occurred to me that in over 13,000 days on Earth, my body has never experienced even one day without eating solid food.

So I resolved to try it. Just one or two days to start. And then maybe with some regularity if it worked out.

It wasn't all that easy. I am certainly not accustomed to depriving myself that way. During moments when I had something to focus my attention on like cleaning the house or shopping, it wasn't too bad as long as I kept on drinking water or juice. No big crashes or suffering. It was true that after the first day, food seemed less urgent. I definitely looked forward to my first meal on Sunday, but didn't act like a crazy starving person while eating, and ate very light the rest of the day.

Today, I do seem to have more energy and clarity than usual, especially considering my regular Sunday night activities at The Buccaneer pub.

All in all, I'd say it's worth making an attempt at incorporating some form of this practice into my regular routine, even it's a big less self-deprived. It clearly seems to be a good idea from a self discipline and re-charging standpoint.

Mosh

It's not every day that you get to experience something for the first time.

Saturday night I went to a show at the Elbo Room to see a friend of a friend's band. I didn't know anything about it but heard that "sometimes things can get a bit crazy." I didn't really bother to ponder what that could mean, but went mainly to see my friends.

Once I got there, it didn't take long to surmise that I was attending a punk rock show. Normally when I come to that realization, I leave. The rage and negativity of punk rock has never really appealed to me, not to mention the noise. But this was a friend's band, so I stuck it out. As far as the noise and rage on stage, I wasn't disappointed. Three of the band members shrieked into their microphones just as someone might do if they were dipped into molten lava. No words, just screams. I stood there looking around at people's faces to see who was into it and who might be laughing. Most seemed interested and focused.

After awhile, some audience members started to become animated and physical, and it wasn't long before some people were throwing their bodies into other audience members in an attempt to get things a little rowdier. The crowd didn't seem to mind the bumps and elbows. If someone banged into them, they'd simply push them toward someone else and get back to watching the display.

I was interested neither in being pushed nor in pushing back. In fact, I was a little bit nervous for my own safety, so little by little I inched my way backward, away from the stage. I even considered leaving the area altogether and waiting the show out.

After the band finished and a short intermission passed, the headliner, Flipper, came on. Their music was a bit easier to listen to, and soon the crowd got physical again.

By this time, however, I had the pleasure of a couple more cocktails and was feeling a bit rambunctious myself. For some reason (alcohol), this time, rather than being intimidated by the crowd, it looked a bit like fun. I casually handed Monica my drink and said, "I'm going in."

In front of the stage, there was a seven foot circle of clear floor where bodies bounced back and forth pushing each other around like pinballs. I ran straight in and pushed the first person I saw. The rest was a blur. I threw shoulders into people who promptly pushed me across the room toward someone else, who generally did the same.

Never did I ever feel like anyone was angry or violent about it. I was in Rome acting like a Roman. After a few minutes of that, I emerged from the pit grinning from ear to ear. It truly felt like a life experience that hadn't been checked off the list for far too long.

I can't say that I'll be seeking out punk shows and looking for mosh pits any time soon. But I was super glad I jumped in.

Woo hoo!