Thought i'd put up a few pictures of our poor little puppy. They're fairly low quality shots from my cell phone, but as luck would have it that's the only photographic equipment she'll sit still for. She's in her cat pose in the top image, and just emerging from a bath in the middle one. And she looks so cute curled up in a ball napping in the bottom pic. She's slowing down a bit these days, a little more lethargic, less playful. Dunno how much longer she has. It's been a fun ride.

Veronica and i had a night right out of 1996 on Monday. Thanks to our Popscene/Aaron Axelson connections, we swung tickets for the 100 person Yeah Yeah Yeahs studio session at the Metreon, starting at 7pm. We arrived at 5:30pm and had dinner, just like old times, at the Firewood Cafe. We got in line around 6pm, behind 3 or 4 high school kids. Come 6:45 there were only maybe ten people in line total, making me feel a bit of a tool for standing there for an hour. The kids in front of us were nice enough. We got on the subject of cameras in venues, and i mentioned that Veronica had been forced to check in her phone cam at the Warfield once. They asked us what show that was, and i immediately realized that i would sound like an old fart if i admitted we had been there for the A Mighty Wind tour. Veronica blurted it out though ... damn i felt old. Anyhoo, we got ushered in at 6:50 and sat down in the second row. For a high-energy rock band like the YYY, i thought it a bit odd that there were three stools at the front of the theater (no stage, really). And no drum kit either. Turns out the performance was just Karen O singing and Nick playing a six string acoustic ... more Cat Power than girl power. The drummer got to sit around drinking water. They played "Maps", a excellent cover of Björk's "Hyper-Ballad", and two songs i didn't recognize. Very good, if only twenty minutes long. The mood was tainted a bit by some moron who heckled the band continually. Karen looked uncomfortable enough already (perhaps coerced into this show by their management, an unfortunate side effect of hitting it big?) but this guy was unbearable. Before their last song she finally had security get rid of him. Good riddance.

After that, we headed over to the Fillmore. Earlier in the week, we'd gotten tickets through our friend Greg for the Wired Rave Awards, featuring a set by The Rapture. We whiled away a few minutes in the Boom Boom Room with Noel, Nate, and co. until the venue began letting in people with non-V.I.P. tickets. Inside we immediately ran into Danny and Wired employee Donald, and had a few drinks until the band took the stage. Veronica had seen them once before and not been too impressed, but we both thought they rocked this time. Their second song was a cover of "Dumb Waiters" by the Psychedelic Furs ... i'm unsure if this is a regular Rapture occurence, or if it was a mini-tribute considering the Furs were playing Slim's in SF that night. Veronica suggested trying to hit that show afterwards, but we decided to head home to Cobi. One night, two shows, both free ... not bad, eh?

On Sunday Veronica and i finally made it to see Mama Mia, the ABBA musical. I managed to avoid it in SF and then in Boston, but Veronica finally took charge and bought tix a few months ago. Didn't help that the St. Patrick's Day parade was rolling down Market on Sunday as we were trying to get to the Golden Gate Theater, but we made it. The play was very enjoyable. There's actually a detailed story, it's not simply a parade of ABBA songs. Well, not only a parade of ABBA songs. The plot centers on a Greek bride and her single mother. The daughter is intent on learning who her father is, and invites several candidates to her wedding while trying to keep her mother in the dark. I was particularly pleased that one of the possibilities was a Londoner with season tickets to Chelsea. Go you blues!