Snow Can't Quench Fire

Joe's Pub was packed full of people, mostly in the entertainment industry. Maybe that was the cause for the mix up. I waited about half an hour, sidestepping the blasts of cold air and the pushy people before asking about Lynne's tickets. The ticket counter ladies said that Lynne had already picked up her ticket (singular, not plural). That didn't make sense - I had just spoken to Lynne at work. She wasn't leaving until 7:00 pm. When would she have picked up the tickets? I guess the look on my face told a story of confusion and sadness; I waited around a little longer and one of the ticket counter ladies just gave me a ticket. (That's all it takes, huh? *LOL!*) I thanked her and reminded her of Lynne, to let her know that I was inside. I went through, passing the tables surrounding the stage and through everyone squeezed up by the bar before returning to the entrance. Goapele went onstage and Lynne finally appeared at the ticket counter during the second or third song. I went out to meet her and noticed the ticket counter lady giving her a ticket. Lynne had been waiting outside in the snow for me for about half an hour. I shoot the ticket counter ladies a look and struggle not to roll my eyes or to suck my teeth as we entered.

The mellow flow of Goapele; awww, take the picture!

Goapele did her thing; the Sade influence is quite apparent. (She did a couple of bars of Sade's "Kiss Of Life" last night.) She's the band's girl, too - like Sade, her voice is the distinctive sound of the band's core. And a pretty voice it is, but at times her vibe seemed a bit TOO mellow. Y'all know that I love my dynamic vocalists like Patti LaBelle, Sandra St. Victor, Teena Marie, Rachelle Ferrell and, of course, Sarah Vaughan. I like her songs (my favorite is "Too Much The Same"), I just think it's gonna take a moment to really get into her style.

Oh yeah, and for my entertainment, Lynne brought along a camera! It felt so nice to have one in my hands again. I didn't get any really great pictures of Goapele, so eventually I turned the camera on Lynne, who loved it. See?

The Lady Miss Johnson shows you the details; the snow boot every girl needs

We hit the snow-covered streets to look for food, eventually settling at Rice, a cute mostly-Thai spot on Mott Street whose menu features a bevy of exotic rice-based dishes. I ordered the Indian Chicken Curry with Thai Black Rice. It was delicious; I ate the entire bowl even though I generally find mushrooms revolting. Next time, I'll try the Thai Coconut Curry.

Lynne and I haven't hung out much in the 8 or so years we've known each other, but everytime we do, every way we connect just seems to naturally come back into focus. We had such a good time, just enjoying each other's company and catching up with easy conversation. I really want to do this much more often than we do.

cavorting with New York's Bravest; Last Exit to Brook'nam

After dinner, we headed back out into the snow to go home. The snow was actually quite beautiful and our easy conversation continued as we slowly walked towards the subway. On the way, we came across two firemen shoveling snow and almost automatically my short attention span kicked in and I began composing the picture. Whatever Lynne was saying at the moment fell on deaf ears. Realizing this, she mentioned it and pulled out the camera. We got a couple of cute shots, but the snow, although lovely and magical, made it difficult to take a clear, well-lit picture. We thanked the firemen and made our way to the 6 train. We parted ways again, going in opposite directions, but I know it's only temporary. I know that wherever she is, I have a friend waiting for the next time we hang out.