Rush

I had to miss this month’s CMAP user group meeting – but for good reason. Rush was playing at the Nissan Pavilion in VA. I scored tickets next to the soundboard area. The person I sat the closest to had 3 Alienware laptops setup, but only one of which I could see clearly. It was running Windows XP. I saw a splash screen for software by the name of TouchMixer. Google tells me the software is made by Derivative Inc. This fellow controlled all of the video effects on the big screen.

I’ve seen some good performances the first 7 months of this year:

• Jean-Luc Ponty, Al Di Meola, and Stanley Clarke at Wolftrap in VA.
• The Producers (the musical) at the Hippodrome in Baltimore. If you like Mel Brooks, or think the movie is funny, this production will have you in tears.
• Maynard Ferguson at Glenelg High School in MD.
• Diana Krall at Merriweather in Columbia, MD.
• Rene Marie at the Kennedy Center in DC.

The next 4 months look pretty bleak.