Jonatha Brooke: As the maniac, the saint, the sinner, the drinker, the thinker, the queer.

The awesome view from my seat in the Allen Room. @Allison Tyler

Wednesday night, I had the pleasure of experiencing Jonatha Brooke perform her tribute to Woody Guthrie in honor of what would have been his 100th birthday.  It was incredible to hear his poignant (sometimes humorous, sometimes sexy, always perfect) lyrics set to her original music, and even more so to listen in a venue showcasing my city as its backdrop.

It would have been hard to take my eyes from that soaring view, if not for the delicious elixir that is Jonatha's voice...ripe with emotion, clear and smooth as good bourbon, a taste of honey, a hint of vixen and a whole lot of heart.  She captivated her audience, and me.  Why the hell this woman isn't at the top of the charts makes no sense.

If you've never heard her music before, I suggest you pick up The Works, which is Jonatha's 2008 album, the celebration and culmination of her research and love of Woody Guthrie, that was the basis for Wednesday's concert.  Keb' Mo' (another of my favorites) duets with her on "All You Gotta Do Is Touch Me".  Yum.

Read more about the concert here.  You can download Jonatha's beautiful (and tear-inducing) rendition of This Land Is Your Land from iTunes for .99.

OXO

Allison

Mandala, A Musical Palindrome

Fascinating and beautiful.  Just watch.  And listen.

Thank you, Daniel Starr-Tambor.

OXO

Allison

Stuff You Should Know

My favorite armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. @Allison Tyler 2012

Some folks claim that the best things in life are free, and if the Stuff You Should Know podcasts (which you could also download from iTunes) are any indication, those folks know of what they speak.

I am in love with Josh and Chuck and their weird, witty, informative and free podcasts about pretty much every damned thing in the world from Jack the Ripper to taxidermy, competitive eating to dead adventurers on Mt. Everest, quantum suicide to dreadlocks to knights, and everything in between.

A creepy podcast I recently listened to, How Lobotomies Work, led me to the hearbreaking and fascinating tale of Howard Dully, and mused me out of my writer's block to begin working on a short story based upon this atrocious medical practice of our not-so-far-off past.

I listen to the podcasts on my subway rides to and from work and often laugh aloud at Josh and Chuck's antics.  I always get off the subway feeling a wee bit smarter than when I got on.  These guys make me happy.  Check them out!

OXO

Allison