Last weekend was intense. On Friday night I saw the final program of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season, Themes & Variations. On Saturday night I saw the Barboza lineup of Northwest Terrorfest. I intend to write about the ballet and the festival in more detail later, so I won’t say too much here, but naturally, I heard a lot of music I like.
Barret Anspach
There is alwasy good music at the ballet, but one piece in particular really grabbed me last Friday. Barret Anspach is a local-to-me composer. The double violin concerto VVLD was inspired by Vivaldi and written for the ballet Signature. I could not find an embed of the music, but it is worth clicking through to hear it on his webpage. http://barretanspach.com/#/music/vvld
And if you really can’t be bothered, here’s some of his older work.
Shrine of the Serpent
I saw five great bands at NW Terrorfest on Saturday, but of course I had my favorites. As often happens with me, I was most interested (and then impressed) by the opening band. Shrine of the Serpent from Portland were crushingly heavy. I recently read an article about Henry VIII and their set reminded me of his habit of executing people by “pressing.” But unlike most ridiculously heavy bands, Shrine of the Serpent have loads of melody.
Immortal Bird
I love the name Immortal Bird, which reminds me of Thao Nguyen’s feminist rage in “Meticulous Bird.” But the music is much different. This Chicago trio is more like the prize box at the dentist. Yeah, you had to let someone drill holes in your mouth bones, but look at all the fun goodies you can pick from!
If that sounds like a backhanded compliment to you, just ask yourself if you’ve ever seen a kid who wasn’t stoked to dig through the dentist’s prize box? (Plus, if you bought tickets to NW Terrorfest, you probably kind of like the sound of the dentist’s drill.)
Pelican
No, I did not see Pelican live last weekend, but since when have I ever been able to stick to a theme for an entire Music I Like post? The first time I ever heard Pelican, I realized there had been a seabird-shaped hole in my life up to that point. So when I found out this weekend that they are releasing a new album, Nighttime Stories, next week, you can bet I listened to the available tracks and loved them. I’ll probably like them again in next week’s post.
The United States has been in a bind since China stopped accepting our recycling for processing last year. It’s a little ironic, really, that we can’t handle our own waste. We’ve got big trucks for residential recycling pick up and automated sorting lines. But we have no facilities for actually, you know, recycling the material. For that we depend on China. Meanwhile, here is a photo of recycling pick up in Qingdao.
On our second day in Oslo, we visited the Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset) on the Bygdøy peninsula. When we planned our Norway itinerary, my daughter and I both picked a couple of must-see items that we would accomplish no matter what. The Viking Ship Museum was my first pick. I’ve been to several exhibits of authentic Viking-age artifacts, but boats are (ironically) not so mobile. So the closest I’d gotten to a real Viking ship was the Gokstad reproduction at Viking World in Iceland. Íslendingur is awesome, but the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo displays the actual Gokstad ship.
Getting There
It’s worth just dedicating an entire day to museums on Bygdøy (or two, since most museums seem to only be open from 10-4 and you can’t fit them all in that window). Bygdøy is called an island, but it’s really a peninsula. You can just drive or take the bus to get there. But it’s more fun (and faster) to take the ferry from the downtown Oslo harbor.
We caught the second ferry of the day at City Hall Pier 3
(tickets were free with our Oslo Passes) and got off at the Dronningen stop.
From there it was about a 10-minute walk to the museum through a quiet
neighborhood of fancy houses.
Oseberg Ship
The Viking Ship Museum houses three authentic Viking ships that were used to bury their wealthy owners together with the grave goods contained in the ships. The Oseberg ship is the largest of the three and arguably the finest Viking Age find (a farmer dug into it in 1903). Built in Norway around 820 A.D., the clinker-built oak ship had room for 30 oarsmen and was richly ornamented.
Detail, Oseberg ship bow
The Oseberg ship probably sailed along the coast and up rivers in Southern Norway before being pulled ashore to bury two high-ranking women. One was in her fifties and the other was in her seventies. They were buried on a bed in the ship, along with the richest trove of Viking era grave goods ever found. Whoever they were, at least one of them was extremely important. The grave goods include a functional sled and a highly ornamented horse cart. The Oseberg ship is also notable for being the source of most of the textile remains from the Viking age.
Oseberg ship
Gokstad Ship
In 1879 two teenagers dug into “The King’s Mound” on their farm to see if there was really anything buried there. They discovered the grave of a Viking king (or an important chieftain, at least) who was buried around 900 A.D. The chieftain was not as wealthy as the Oseberg women, but his burial gifts were still extensive, including shields, small boats, and exotic animals. Compared to Oseberg, the ship is less extravagant in ornamentation, but bigger in size.
It was used for ocean voyages until the chieftain was killed in battle. (This is why they modeled Íslendingur after Gokstad instead of the more famous Oseberg.) Having walked around on its replica in Iceland made the relatively plain Gokstad ship more interesting. It was easier to imaging the ship fitted out with sails and shields, ready to cross the ocean and devastate monasteries.
Tune Ship
A farmer found the Tune ship in 1867. It was the first Viking ship to be excavated and is still one of the best-preserved Viking ships in the world. But compared to the other two it mostly serves to illustrate just how amazing the Oseberg and Gokstad ships really are. Not only is the ship itself less complete, but the grave was plundered and the remaining goods are not in great condition.
All This and More
Even though I’ve already seen a lot of Viking artifacts, the
items at the Viking Ship Museum are quite unusual. There wasn’t a lot of
overlap with other exhibits, so I still felt like I learned a lot – for example,
I always wondered what Viking shoes looked like, and now I know. There were several
documentaries on loop in the museum, including one about textiles, which was
all new information for me.
A normal person with only a passing interest in the Viking
age would probably be satisfied with half an hour in the museum. But I had to
read every single plaque and watch every film in its entirety. We spent well
over two hours there, not counting the gift ship, where many items were
purchased. I have no regrets.
A Penny Saved
We visited the museum using our Oslo Passes, which more than
paid for themselves on our museum-focused itinerary. But if you’re only going
to visit a couple of museums, your ticket from the Viking Ship Museum grants
free entry to the Historical Museum,
Norway’s largest collection of historical artifacts, including Viking
treasures, Egyptian mummies and a multitude of ethnographic exhibitions, within
48 hours.
Today I learned that my first martial arts teacher died in a car accident last weekend. He was 59 and had only retired from his job as an EMT two weeks ago. Because I was saddened by the news, I didn’t notice at first that the message telling me about it ended with “Stay safe.” It’s a common response to hearing about a tragic accident. For many people, it’s even how you say goodbye, a secular descendant of parting with a blessing. But something about it always feels off to me.
When someone says, “Stay safe,” it’s shorthand for “I care about you and don’t want anything to happen to you.” That’s a sentiment I can appreciate. We should be grateful that people care about us enough to worry. But there’s more behind that particular phrase than the intended meaning, and it kind of grates on me.
Asking the Impossible
Hearing about bad things happening to other people reminds us of our vulnerability, and makes many people want to take extra precautions. “Stay safe,” could be simply a reminder not to take unnecessary risks. When you hear about a fatal car crash or someone falling in the Grand Canyon, you want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone you love, so you remind them not to drive recklessly or stand too close to the edge.
But to me, “Stay safe” asks the impossible. It feels like an attempt to hide from the truth that the world is an unpredictable place. You can drive safely and still be killed in a crash. Or you can avoid driving at all and be run over by a reckless driver. You can stay home from the Grand Canyon and die tripping on your own porch stairs. If there is a message to take from a meaningless death, it is not to “Stay safe.” The lesson we should learn is that no one is guaranteed tomorrow. And if today is all you have,
Don’t waste it.
I was in middle school the last time I saw my jiu jitsu teacher, and I have no idea what he did with his time off the mat. I hope he made the most of it. But so many people put off their dreams for retirement, and not everyone gets that far. Or they retire and end up spending all their money on medical care instead of adventures.
Risk and Reward
Lots of things we want to do are risky and scary. It’s tempting to wait until it feels safer. But Warren Miller always says:
If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do.
Warren Miller
Actually, you’ll be lucky if that’s true. You could be dead soon. Better do it now.
On my kitchen wall hangs an illustration of the Repsol Honda that Nicky Hayden rode to win the 2006 MotoGP championship. Hayden died in 2016 at age 35. The early death of a motorcycle racer comes as a shock to no one. What could be riskier than racing motorcycles?
A motorcycle going 200 mph is more dangerous than a bicycle going 20 mph. But it was the second one that killed Hayden. And no one can say he didn’t fully use the time he had. There is no way of knowing which risks will kill us, and there is no way of avoiding all risk. You might choke sucking the marrow out of life. But leave the marrow behind and you risk going hungry.
So by all means, drive with care. Wear a helmet. Belay on. Make good choices.
Technically speaking, I have indigenous ancestors. But several generations of whiteness separates me and any Native cultural heritage. So I am always curious when I hear about artists who do have that background. And when I find them, they almost always make music I like.
Silla + Rise
Tanya Tagaq is the most famous Canadian throat singing crossover, but she is quick to clarify that she had to develop her own style because she was isolated from other singers when she was in college. The trio in Silla + Rise maybe are a bit more traditional in that they pair off. But throat singers Cynthia Pitsiulak (Kimmirut, NU) and Charlotte Qamaniq (Iglulik, NU), and DJ, producer, and dancer Rise Ashen are still innovating. Their Debut pairs traditional throat singing with dance beats.
Jeremy Dutcher
Another First Nations artist, Jeremy Dutcher is also a trained operatic tenor. In Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa he gives an operatic interpretation of his tribe’s water-themed songs that were recorded on wax cylinders and had been sitting in a museum collection for over 100 years.
I have also written about Khu.eex’ before. I remain intrigued and perplexed by their hybrid style.
Black Belt Eagle Scout
Indigenous and indie are natural companions, as Black Belt Eagle Scout demonstrates beautifully. I’ve already shared my love of this local-to-me artist who scratches the same itch as Thao Nguyen.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Growing up in Arizona, heavy metal and hip-hop were natural enemies, and I saw lots of Indians at heavy metal concerts. But that was a false dichotomy, and now I know hip hop resonates on the rez, too. I first heard the connection in the Snoop-like vocals of Khu.eex’. Now there’s Snotty Nose Rez Kids, a Haisla duo whose album Trapline references the ongoing land rights struggle in British Columbia.
At first I thought there was a little too much Macklemore in their in flows. But I also heard Childish Gambino and lots of other tasty ingredients there. Then I heard
Shifting perception and raising a fist
Don’t forget you was raised with your face in a tit
“Son of a Matriarch” featuring The Sorority
and now Snotty Nose Rez Kids can do no wrong in my book. Plus now I have to check out The Sorority.
I’m a freelance content and grant writer sharing my work and my thoughts about books, music, and travel on this blog. If you want to know how I can help you share the things you care about, read more about me.
