Used our CMJ badges to go see Rebecca Gates at North Six last night. A cavernous club, much like its neighbor, Galapagos, North 6's charms are hidden at first by a little front room with a teeny bar that looks like the results of a rec room liquor cabinet raid. But behind that lurks a huge stage and bar area.

The opening band, Canyon played self-indulgent space-rock, really really loud (although the volume was probably the sounds person's fault). I spent most of their set hanging out in the front room. I envisioned the day when clubs are smoke-free, volume-controlled, full of comfortable chairs, nice-smelling, with shows at 7:00 and 8:00 PM. I've been dreaming of this since I was 18, so it's not old-fogeyness at work...There's really no compelling reason why rock clubs have to be so uncomfortable and damaging to the nervous system.

Anyway, Rebecc'a set was nice. She's beautiful and very talented, although I think her solo stuff is better suited for a small intimate lounge rather than North 6's huge stage and loud sound system which tended to swallow her up. Her new songs have a rambling, unfocussed quality that I found hard to stay with because I hadn't eaten dinner and was quite spacy....

After that we went to Pete's Candy Store to see JoyBoy's new band, The Easy Lei's. They were maginificent. The opposite of self-indulgent, they worked extra hard to put on a good show, mostly cornball Hawaiian standards and a couple of Tahitian numbers. Excellent playing, very funny mugging and grass-skirted antics. They played a medley of "Bad Moon Rising" and "Aloha Oe" that was both touching and clever.

I took a class yesterday with one of the new teachers at my yoga studio. It was heavenly. Not vinyasa, not terribly complicated, but not beginner stuff either. I could tell by his inflections in the closing "Om Triambukam" chant that the teacher is a Sivananda-head, and my suspicions were confirmed. He also studied with Alison West.

So perhaps it's not further training I need so much as deeper inspiration...? Cuz I felt wonderful afterwards, and rather inspired to teach my class today.

The meditation workshop today will be about mantra meditation, my favorite kind. I hope I do it justice. Will check in later to tell you how it went, Dear Diary.