zrath

So, as mentioned in the previous voice post, I went to the Magic Castle with Spino tonight.
We went to see Armen Ra play the theremin, that ancient spooky electronic musical device. It makes a sort of eerie
waaaaaaaa sound and was used in films like "The Day The Earth Stood Still" and "Mars Attacks" among others.
It was quite an adventure, like The Goonies! (Okay, maybe not like The Goonies)

At about 5 pm, I made myself presentable as per Castle dresscode, left home and grabbed the bus on Santa Monica Blvd.
At the next stop, a quartet of German tourists tried to extract some information from the driver, who told them to wait
for the MTA 4, which wouldn't show up for another two hours because it doesn't come this far during daytime.
So I told them to get on and pay for a transfer so they could get off within the 4's area of travel and grab it, or grab
the 704 Rapid Transit like I was planning to do to zip to Hollywood semi-quickly.
The one German who spoke English told me they were going to Hollywood, so I told them to stick with me.
They could get off at Highland, like me, then walk up to Hollywood Blvd. and all its touristy crap!
We got off at Sepulveda and decided to grab a waiting MTA 4 since the 704 was nowhere in sight.
While we traversed Beverly Hills, I suddenly realized that the German guy had told me they wanted to visit the Sunset Strip!
See places like Whiskey-A-Gogo and The Roxy, not Hollywood! Crap! So I give them corrected directions and told them to get
off at San Vincente instead, then walk up to Sunset Blvd. and turn right. Much better! Whew!!
That crisis averted, and the Germans safely off at San Vincente, I resumed my trek Eastbound, looking at all the new stores
and development along Santa Monica Blvd. Dang, the place has changed so much since I last travelled through there.
I eventually got to Highland, disembarked and went to the corner Del Taco for delicious chicken soft tacos.
(I don't know what it is, but those lil' things are delicious! I love 'em!)
I called Captain Spino and let him know I was here. He said he was on his way.
So I enjoyed my lil' soft chicken tacos and curly fries and Cherry Coke.
30 minutes later, the USS Ryo-Ohki hove into view and entered the Del Parking. I clambered aboard and off we went!
Apparently, Sweetie was not joining us, as she had to get up at o'dark hundred hours the next day.
We drove North, took a sidestreet (Orange?) and soon the Magic Castle could be seen glittering like a jewel on the hill:

We went around back to avoid the silly steep hill (the USS Ryo-Ohki is a stick!) and lined up for the valet parking.
We got out of the car and entered the Castle proper, through the door at the bottom of this photo:

The dress code was stricter tonight! I had not worn a tie, so they lent me one. And they nixed my very nice leather jacket
because it was zippered! Argh! They checked it in and found me a size 60 formal jacket that fit, though I couldn't button it.
Spino navigated the maze that is the Magic Castle to get us to the room where Armen Ra was performing.
We got there just as the thereminist was finishing his first tune.
We watched and listened to the rest of the show and were mesmerized.
Armen Ra looked like a backing musician for the late Klaus Nomi or for Kraftwerk.
He had that Cabaret Voltaire/man-machine look and the only parts of his body that moved were his hands and arms.
Playing the theremin is extremely difficult and demands precise control and intense concentration.
Here's a YouTube video of the man in action last year at a benefit concert.
I've always been interested in weird scientific gizmos like tesla coils and theremins, so I was thrilled to not only see
one up-close, but to also watch someone play it with such mastery and skill.
Jean Michel Jarre has a theremin. He used it in the albums "Oxygene" and "Oxygene 7-13", and he played it live at the
"Oxygen in Moscow" concert back in 1997. I watched a DVD of that concert and his playing seemed rather hamfisted.
Nothing like the precision and finesse displayed by Armen Ra in tonight's performance.
The show, with only 7 tracks total, was over rather quickly. It was marred only by Armen's backing CD skipping twice during
the finale (which was the "The Godfather Main Theme"). Armen recovered very well and seemed more amused than annoyed.
All in all, I'm glad I went. I now understand how the theremin is played.
Afterwards, I examined the theremin, then Spino and I went in search of something else to check out.
We queued up for the Close-Up Room and saw Peter Samelson, a gentleman of great talent and sparkling wit.
He had a really nice patter and performed a wide range of tricks with the greatest of ease. (No flying trapeze!)
It's really something to be sitting literally a few feet away from a magician and watching him/her perform tricks flawlessly.
I had been in this room before, back in January, watching David Roth's skill with coins and not believing my eyes.
Kudos to them all for honing their skill to such a high level.
Eventually, it was time to go. I returned the tie and vest and received my jacket back.
Spino drove me home and we cracked jokes all the way there, as we're wont to do.
And now I am home, typing this words and uploading the 2 outside photos I took (no photography allowed inside the Castle!).
I do so enjoy these little adventures...