The Fix

Hold me. My favourite little music club in the world is closing. Let me explain, though– it’s not really closing, it’s moving to a new intimate location. Why the panic, then?

We all know that the magic of Largo is actually created by the musicians and audiences who congregate there, and orchestrated/facilitated by Flanagan, the owner and booker. We should all trust Flanny’s good taste, and feel safe in the knowledge that he will be at the helm of the new Largo-at-the-Coronet.

I look forward to the ease of booking tickets (tickets! imagine that) online; not waiting in endless queues outside the door;  not being forced to eat sometimes mediocre food or pick random strangers from the line to fill out my table for four, as amusing though that could be. I know there will be more than one toilet, and it might even be in good working order. And I feel secure that I will be able to find all of my favourite artists (Jon Brion, Fiona Apple, The Eels, Aimee Mann, Nickel Creek, Zach Galifianakis) on the new stage…

BUt how odd that there will be a real stage. It’s a concert hall, not a little cozy club with an almost private, in-ny feel. Will I still be close enough to reach out and touch Jon (not that I would)? Will we still always feel like he is looking at us while singing, like the “pursuant eye’ of old portraits? Will the doorman get to know us? will I make as many friends as I did at the old place?

We have no choice: let’s all take a deep breath, and jump. I’m confident that Largo will catch us.

News, clips, etc from the documentary/performance film  about Largo

The Aeroplan website is endlessly frustrating. Just when you think you’ve got what you want, they yank the carpet out from under you– ha! You’ve got your flight all picked out? Well, in the 2 minutes that you took to make sure it was the right one, it vaporized!

Today when I’d done battle and emerged, bloody but somewhat victorious, I saw this farewell graphic and realized how ridiculous it is, and yet how much it explains…

 

Remember a while back, I said that “Heaven is located on Fairfax avenue just south of Melrose “?

Well, it’ll relocate to Chicago for the weekend. TONIGHT (Mar 9), Jon Brion plays the Chicago’s Steppenwolf theatre. I ‘m counting the minutes!

I’ll be back on Monday with stories and photos.