Today was my first day back at work, it still feels so surreal. I was walking over and it was awesome to smell that not quite spring but more like summer smell of the trees coming into their ripeness. I was walking down the street and the proximity of my house to the airport is miniscule - there's a good view of planes approaching YYZ (Pearson Airport) for landing. I kept thinking "that was me two days ago, up there watching the cars, and now I'm here...walking to work, just three days ago I was in England". It felt strange. Just like going to Prof's poetry reading/awards ceremony, I was sitting on the subway for the first time in a month or so, and it felt completely strange and wonderful at the same time. It's almost indescribable.
I was supposed to have plans tonight but they got quashed. It's just as well because I hadn't realized exactly how tired I was. I watched some terrible television and then decided to read more of the Warren Ellis book - I seem to be getting through stacks of reading lately, it's great! In between that though I took a turn and started watching videos of Mastodon on Letterman and other live performances of theirs. I recollect walking home from work tonight listening to them and thinking "man I really like music that has torque". I don't even know if that makes sense. Then there was a brief tangent about what a ridiculously sexy word torque is.
Back to the point though. So I was watching Mastodon videos and I realized how completely different they are from some of the other bands I like - performance wise. I mean both Mastodon and the Mars Volta are at least fractionally progressive rock bands, and they both take no issue with putting out concept albums, they have even collaborated, however I guess their paths do tend to diverge after that. Correct me if I'm wrong, right now I don't feel like going into all the differences between the bands - both do have great album art though. Sometimes I think my musical scope must seem limited, I mean I've liked the same two bands for almost ever and Mastodon is a pretty new addition.
Anyway, what I noticed about Mastodon in their videos and even retroactively to their concert last month is that they're very serious in their posturing on stage, they sort of just stand there and do it. They do get into it but in a very straight, stand up way. I'm not sure how to describe it. Conversely when Cedric and Omar and the rest of the guys in the Volta start playing they go absolutely crazy with it and dance - maybe it's because their music is inherently more danceable. Consider - the salsa and latino influences - that might be it. They get completely lost inside that world and their inhibitions disappear and they just express their music through their bodies. It's great - and they did this even when they were a post core band (Cedric and Omar originally) - At The Drive In - I would say that ATDI's music was overall less danceable than Mars Volta's music, but not lesser.
Oblivion - Mastodon (this song has been stuck in my head for a whole month)
Tetragrammaton (live) - The Mars Volta (one of my favorite songs off Amputechture)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T9eMKxjiLc&feature=related (around 1:31 is AMAZING, amongst other moments) Damn you Omar, damn you for your grace.
and part two (yes it's that long) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zykM-XOZIsY&NR=1
Which reminds me - Omar and Cedric dress so incredibly well. Why can't all men be this stylish, and while we're at it, uninhibited? This is also the first video/appearance where I realized that Omar was left handed....after five whole years. I feel so ignorant sometimes.
(Omar is the guitarist in the yellow shirt and black satin vest, Cedric is the singer)
Now I feel self conscious about my level of involvement in this stuff, but hey, it's what I love and what keeps me sane. Someone should pay me....
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