Settling down with Lewis Black

(You have to read to the end to get to the Lewis Black part.)


Above: a pint of beer from a pub in Ithaca. Ironic message, no? To be fair, there's an ad for an Ithaca taxi company on the back. Pretty smart advertising. FYI: That glass is now in my dishwasher.

Last week, I was supposed to interview Ravi and Anoushka Shankar for three different projects - two pieces for the Post-Standard and a podcast for SU - and I was as nervous as I was excited. Unfortunately, the Shankars cancelled their show (which was scheduled for tomorrow night) because the elder Shankar has a shoulder injury. The prep time that I had spent on these three projects could've been better used for media law reading, but more than that, I was disappointed to lose the opportunity to talk with a genius like Ravi Shankar.



On the other hand, I did get to see an amazing show (photo above) two weekends ago in Ithaca. Santoor maestro Shiv Kumar Sharma played with his son Rahul and tabla player Aditya Kalyanpur (who has studied with tabla geniuses Alla Rakha and his son, Zakir Hussain.) The santoor is an ancient folk instrument that Pandit Sharma basically raised to the level of sitar on the classical front in India. It is similar to the western hammered dulcimer - the santoor is a sringed instrument that is played by hitting the strings with mallets. The tabla is a set of traditional drums that are played with the hands, not sticks.

The three men, dressed elegantly in traditional Indian kurtas and pajamas, entered the stage, humbly folding their hands together and bowing their heads towards the audience as they sat down to tune their instruments. From the first note, the performance was mesmerizing.

The musicians were having a ball, smiling and laughing as they played off each other, really showcasing their talents. Pandit Sharma seemed to hold back a little, which allowed the younger musicians to really let loose. Indian classical music is all improvised, so the effect was even more astounding when the tabla player copied exactly every fast-paced, complicated taan (a series of notes and beat patterns that are composed during the set) that the younger Sharma played.

Displaying the trademark style of his esteemed teachers, the young tabla player's hands moved skillfully and frenetically over the drums. Rahul Sharma also showed that he has inherited his father's great santoor skills with the intricate tunes that he created. There was a much-deserved standing ovation, but sadly, no encore.

I honestly hope that these guys come back to the states soon. It was such an amazing thing to see in person.

In other news, I also saw the Strokes, whose performance suffered due to a seizure-inducing light show and horrible PA system, which made for a disappointing show. Actually, I suffered more than they did... I had really been looking forward to it, because I love their albums, and I had heard that they were an amazing live band. On the other hand, they made some hilarious jokes about snotty academics, which I think most of the Cornell crowd didn't quite get. (Sorry Sumi, that's how I saw it.)

And last, but not least, I interviewed Lewis Black this afternoon. It was definitely the highlight of my week. Before the big phone call, obviously I had read as much as I could find about him, and I was surprised to learn that he's a very sweet, generous man who is just thrilled to be where he is right now. He's been around for a long time, and he's really earned his current position of fame. If you haven't seen his act, his stage persona is an angry guy who is just fed up with everyday idiocies.

I had a really pleasant conversation with him, and we bonded over both of us being single with parents who just want us to F***ing settle down already! When I told him I was a 31-year-old, single Indian woman, he guessed that my family was surely flying in suitors by the cartful. (Thank goodness, they haven't resorted to that yet.) But if Lewis Black is still being nagged by his parents to find someone to grow old with, then I am in pretty good company!