Ferraby Lionheart and How I Almost Died

Ferraby Lionheart, originally uploaded by savemejebus.

After running in Beverly Hills with the Nike Run Hit Remix people last night, I dashed off two miles away to check out Ferraby Lionheart open for the Brunettes at the Troubadour. Ferraby was his usual charming, engaging self, and the new songs from Catch the Brass Ring worked well live. Songs that employed horns and strings, such as the Mardi Gras-like "Before We're Dead," suffered a little since Lionheart employed a minimal sound of guitar, pedal steel, keyboard, bass and guitars, but his charm and wry sensibility still carried through. By the time he closed with his rendition of "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Ferraby had won the smallish crowd over. He shares a similar musical sensibility with Jon Brion--and the comparison is favorable. Both write songs of love and life that offer a sense of muddling through it all because, in the end, it's worth it.

I also got to the Troubadour in time to catch most of the Mezzanine Owls' set. They're a terrific local band. There were only about ten people inside when I got there, but in a few months they will be selling out their own shows. They're that promising and good.

I didn't make it through the Brunettes set. They were kind of lame and I left four songs in. I probably would have given them more of a chance had I not been so exhausted.

When I got home (almost 11), I made a quicky dinner of fried Spam and rice. To get rid of the smell I lit a pineapple scented candle and placed it in the kitchen. I was watching TV (Leno, unfortunately, since NBC is the only network I'm getting on my TV at the moment), and promptly fell asleep. The candle was still lit. I woke up this morning with the TV on and remembered the candle. Thankfully it hadn't burned the kitchen down.

Ironically my Mom's main concern when I moved out on my own was that I was going to leave a candle burning overnight in my apartment and set myself on fire. I guess I shouldn't tell her that it already happened.