Gin and Zilbertronic

Well things down in Charleston have certainly got busy in a hurry.  With the festival starting a few days ago, the town is buzzing with people and posters and performers, and its hard not to get swept up in a bit of the excitement.  Last night we went to see Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, a troupe of all-male dancers who performed Swan Lake, an absurdist spoof on John Cage and Merce Cunningham, a Bach revue, “The Swan,” and some other small scenes.  The show, lasting almost 3 hours, was greeted with raucous laughter and applause, and its not hard to understand why.  It was such a perfect combination of grace and humor, nimbleness and chest hair, that even a non-dance person could get into it.

I also got to see the dress rehearsal of Proserpina, a new opera by Wolfgang Rihm, which features a girl’s choir of zombie-like teenagers twitching as they repeatedly say, “you’re ours, you’re ours, YOU’RE OURS!”  It’s bleak, expressionistic, violent, and stark.  What’s with germans?  Yesterday I played a concert of Rihm music, that was well attended and received!  And no one left!  The music is engaging but incredibly violent and full of angst, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Charleston crowd.  Beyond a few poorly timed sneezes and coughs, it was a terrific audience.

Tonight I’ll go to see the Colla Marionettes perform Haydn’s Philemon and Baucis, which got written up in the Times today.  This is also the project that Bella is working on.  (Right this instant, she’s shepherding a crew of Italian Marionetteers to the local Piggly Wiggly grocery store so they can create an elaborate Italian feast for some lucky patrons…)

Man there is a lot going on.  Lastly we went to see Nick Cave’s Soundsuits at the gallery across the street, and though there was no dancing, it was a wild, vibrant, exciting exhibit.  Just really fun to look at, both for the weird trinkets hidden in the suits, and just the eccentricity of the design.

I know, I digress.  What have we been eating, you wonder?

Fried Seafood Platter at Dave’s Carry-Out: Captures all my favorite things; Fried food.  Eating outside.  Scallops.  Fries.  Deviled and Fried Crab!

We’ve made two trips to a dynamite bakery we found, Wild Flour Pastry: Had a mozzerrella, pesto, and tomato scone with hanging cheese particles, an oozing double chocolate cookie, and a crackly nutella and banana puff pastry.

In other news, our coffee moratorium is officially over.

I’ve been running a few times since I arrived in Charleston, but tonight had a different feel about it.  What was it?  The night was slightly humid and hot, it was cloudy, there were some odd smells about, and, I had two cups of highly caffeinated coffee!   My eyes are bulging, my fingers trembling, my mind racing, and yet I feel GREAT!  When I was training for the marathon earlier this year I used these gel paks with caffeine, and maybe its a result of not being a coffee-drinker until I was about 21, but the stuff gets to me, in a big way.  Didn’t matter how many miles into the run I was, how depleted or bored or frustrated I might be, a little perk seemed to make it all go away.  Tonight I was able to trace my way to the water and run along it for about a ten-minute stretch, with the setting sun at my back.  As I try to get back into writing, one of the things I want to dwell on is the process of discovering a city through running.  For me, its one of the most exciting ways to experience and learn a city.  I rarely make a specific route, instead sketching out a direction or landmark, and wandering my way around.  Charleston is perfect for this kind of running, with narrow streets, garden paths, and just general beauty.  Unlike Houston, I’m not in danger of running into a multi-lane highway on the edge of the local neighborhood, and for that, I am most sincerely grateful.

In other news Bella and I are discovering Charleston at a pretty good pace.  Today we went to an absolutely terrific and charming place called Hope and Union Coffee, with a very minimalist website, and a very awesome menu of skillfully-prepared coffees and espressos, and nutella and banana croissants.

The day before we celebrated the third day of Bella’s birthday extravaganza with a trip to Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B.), a restaurant I’d seen written up and recommended umpteen times, and which cultivated a sort of casual yet elegant southern charm.  (White tablecloths, tailored waiters, cornbread service)  We feasted on Shrimp and Grits (loaded with butter and house-made sausage), and a plate of House-Smoked Ham, Cheese and Tarragon Souffle, and fresh Long Beans.  The Shrimp and Grits were flavorful, spicy, comforting, and positively unctuous.  And as for the mixed plate, whoever thought to pair a light-as-air cheese souffle with delicious smoked-ham jus is a veritable genius, IMHO.

More adventures to follow, I assure…

Things I’ve noticed in 3 days in charleston:

This city could give a masterclass on pastels.  Specifically pinks, oranges, yellows, and that kind of lime-puke-green shade, seen most prominently on shoulder-strewn sweaters.

It’s pretty.  Really totally gorgeous.  The buildings are historic, old, refined, and inviting.  It feels like its always been here. There are palm trees, kumquat groves, and ivy.  And garden walks.  Lots of little gated walkways through the city leading to nowhere in particular.

People amble.  I’ve even started doing it.  I’ve seen about 3 people in a rush since I got here and wondered what they were so concerned about.  Sun, breeze, and water.  Why rush?

Flying Lotus – “Cosmogramma” – Effortlessly cool. Jazz for the 21st century. How does music this painstakingly organized sound so damn relaxed and grooovy?

Local Natives – “Gorilla Manor” – An amalgamation of all animal bands. On purpose? Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, stripped down to basics with a bit of punk edge on top.

Sleigh Bells – “Treats” – M.I.A. for white people.

Voila! It’s almost finished. After a tortorous session of  editing code, clicking refresh, and wondering what the hell just happened,  my website is almost fully operational, with sound and video clips, cool backgrounds, and some lame attempts at humor. In fact, there’s a link to this here site, which, though having sat defunct for quite some time, may soon enjoy a renaissance!

Here it is…Enjoy!

Ben Zilber