Dear Reader
Yesterday, a guy called Pedro tweeted at director Ava DuVernay, on the occasion of his 37th birthday, asking for a piece of advice she’d give him. She answered: Start a note in your phone and every night type in 3 good things that happened that day. Anything. Big. Small. Silly. Things no one would notice or feel but you. It’s a beautiful way to end the day. I have incorporated a version of this into my own life, a “G-list,” where I write down 5 things in my journal that I’m grateful for, at the beginning of the day. But I like the idea of noting down good things that happened at night, for a positive way to re-frame it.
And who doesn’t need some positive frames right now? Am I right? Chief among the things bringing me joy and positivity is music. One of the good things that happened to me during this quarantime is the day I clicked on one of my brother’s IG stories and found him playing the band Khruangbin. (It means airplane in Thai.) The Texas-based trio has songs for every mood you may be feeling, including one where they just say the word ‘yes,’ over and over, which, depending on the day, might just be the sign you’re looking for. To go with their aero theme, they have a playlist generator based on whatever flights you might have coming up. Since trips are not really in fashion right now, they’ve remixed it into a Shelter-in-Space generator, giving you songs for reading, cooking, gardening, working out, zoning out, etc.
They have a new album coming out next month, and their latest single, So We Won’t Forget, is a soothing melodic track that has a really beautiful music video accompanying it, about cherishing memories, even from hard times. Discovering Khruangbin will be a memory I’ll hold onto long after this is all over, and that’s definitely on my G-list!
Here are today’s entertainment events for you:
1. Glen Hansard will be performing as part of the Courage concert series from Other Voices in Ireland. The Oscar-winning Irish singer will be singing from The National Library of Ireland, 8pm GMT / 12pm PST / 3pm EST on their Facebook page as part of their ongoing IrishCentral Happy Hour livestream series.
2. Meanwhile, Usher will take part in the next installment of Pay It Forward Live, Verizon’s weekly streaming entertainment series in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19. The eight-time Grammy winner will be joined by Jermaine Dupri and B.Cox, 5 pm PST / 8pm EST.
Lolla From The Vault, which has been happening every Thursday at 5pm PST/ 8pm EST, will release the Red Hot Chili Peppers set from Lollapalooza 2006.
3. The Laugh Factory on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood Tuesday has been live-streaming virtual stand-up comedy sets on its YouTube channel. The comedians have been performing at 2pm daily from their empty living rooms, which seems ripe for jokes that don’t land...ha!
4. Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian is back on Facebook hosting a live meditation, with the theme: 'Our True Intent..?'12.30pm GMT / 5:30am aka super early PST / 8:30am EST.
5. Alvin Ailey dancers have come together once again, to dance as one while apart. This time it’s an excerpt of Camille A. Brown’s City of Rain. Starting at 4pm PST / 7pm EST on Facebook, IG and YouTube.
Thank you for reading. I’ll leave you with this poem, in case you don’t follow me on social media, where I shared it yesterday.
Everything is Going to be All Right by Derek Mahon
How should I not be glad to contemplate
the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window
and a high tide reflected on the ceiling?
There will be dying, there will be dying,
but there is no need to go into that.
The poems flow from the hand unbidden
and the hidden source is the watchful heart.
The sun rises in spite of everything
and the far cities are beautiful and bright.
I lie here in a riot of sunlight
watching the day break and the clouds flying.
Everything is going to be all right.
And here it is read by Andrew Scott — even better.
Stay safe, stay sane
Your neighbour
Nadia