More of the Summer

These pictures are from the Gomez in-store from Monday. I finally got them uploaded, but not where I wanted them. Close enough.
This guy in the band was playing this instrument that I could only describe as "black box with a tube that you blow through." Anybody know what this is?

I thought I was going to try an eastside place for lunch that had been written up in the Chronicle recently. Rio Rita looked a little too sketchy as I drove by it, a few blocks east of the interstate on 6th Street. Outward appearances rarely put me off, but it didn't didn't say "lunch" to me; more like "late night crime scene." Sorry, no picture.
A bit down the road I spotted a fixed up place called Buenos Aires Cafe.

It had a nice Bistro feel, with wood floors and leather chairs. I got a table by the window, looking out at the non-gentrified buildings across the street. We had dinner in this building a few years ago when it was a home cookin' kind of place. I don't miss the old place, and this new establishment speaks to attempts to upscale this part of town.
I considered the Mayonesa de Ave, which was a blend of chicken, vegetables, and mayonnaise. I asked the waiter how mayonnaisy this dish was, and he warned me off, saying it was extremely mayonnaisy. Good to ask in advance. I opted for a less adventurous breaded cutlet sandwich, served on a bagette. It had an adventurous name (Milanesa), but a sandwich is still a sandwich. It came with a nice mixed green salad, and was about $10.00. The place was not packed, but the three servers seemed overwhelmed, and my water glass sat empty for several minutes. The waiter had earned all the goodwill he needed by steering me away from the mayo. I might go back for the Empanadas, but there was not much else on the menu that sounded all that enticing.

On Monday, there was an in-store with Gomez, an adult, indie-pop band from the UK. They have had one minor radio hit, and I read in the Dallas paper that their songs have been featured on TV shows like Grey's Anatomy. They were terrific, though they played only 25 minutes. You could tell that they knew how to craft and arrange songs, and three different guys sang lead on just five songs that they played. Listen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKJJRnuCwF4 "See the World"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-NWJ9OykJs "Airstream Driver."
If you listen, you will hear the distortion in the lyrics on this song, as part of the studio production. I don't know how, but they were able to reproduce this sound in the record store, for just this one song. I just chalk it up to the idea that these guys really know what they are doing.

There is another in-store that starts in 30 minutes.

Peace,

JS4