10 nov. 2007

I was actually planning to stay in and watch some flicks I had backlogged but got a nudge to venture out, so I headed out to aMuse. There was a new art installation on the walls which I made the mistake of scrutinizing. Some anti-war/anti-propaganda polemic which was comprised of a series of graphic photos from the conflicts of the 20th century. Nothing to inspire a milonga like looking at a bunch of horribly obliterated corpses, huh? Not that I disagree with the sentiment, but to post such a thing in a Mission District art gallery is essentially like friendly fire - you're disturbing the ones who are already on your side.

The milonga itself was definitely affected by the Tango de los Muertos festival but still managed to draw a decent crowd, plus there was a little more room for navigation. I wasn't familiar with the dj but I know he's been an SF staple for a long time now and his music selections were very good. I pretty much sat and watched / listened the whole night, which isn't unusual for me. One of my teachers and a good friend stole me for the last tanda, which unfortunately was a Pugliese set. Don't get me wrong, Pugliese is one of the orchestras I have loved for my entire tango existence but I just cannot interpret him to my satisfaction. It's the inherent tension, the rubato, the elasticity, the theatrics, etc. Being at heart an introvert, I just don't think it's in my nature. But seeing as how the inviter is such a good dancer and a good friend I couldn't really say no. From my end I definitely felt off. It was my only dance of the night so I wasn't warmed up, plus the moisture in the room seeped into the wooden floors which made them a bit grabby. But I still had fun.

Afterward, I went home and watched Spider-Man 3. Yeah, kind of a let down, but oh well. It had its dumb fun moments. Tonight maybe I'll check out Amarcord, Infernal Affairs, or Last Night.