jason santa maria
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{   March 05, 2003   }
Pins and Needles
This morning found me in the hospital, not in the ER, but in The Medical Arts Pavilion at Suburban General near Norristown. Don’t worry, I’m not dying, at least that’s what they tell me now. I went in for what is called an EMG, which stands for Sticking needles in your muscles and sending an electrical current through them. It seems that after I went snowboarding over Christmas that I banged myself up a little bit too much (stand up, go 10 feet, fall and bruise tailbone excruciatingly, repeat) and am now reaping the benefits. Every time I lay down my left leg goes to sleep, not in that pins-and-needles way, more of a I-can’t-feel-my-leg kind of way. A few needles and jolts of electrical current later and I am told that I have no nerve damage. Apparently I may have just bruised a bone badly and, if that being the case, it might take a few more months to heal. All told it was a slightly uncomfortable experience, the doctor never introducing himself or asking my name, just throwing me a gown and asking me to “hop in”. Oh well, that should teach me not to hurt myself so much anymore.

Last night festivities included a show at the Troc with Interpol and opening bands The Ravonettes and Laguardia. I have to say, a bit regretfully, that I was pretty bored. Interpol really didn’t offer much in the way of a live show, just standing and playing with barely a spec of recognition of the crowd before them. Some friends say that being gloomy and introverted is their shtick. Then I suppose I just don’t get it. There was nothing at the show that I couldn’t have gotten from the CD (with the exception of one new song). No change-ups. Don’t get me wrong, I love their music, I just wish they brought a bit more with them. And the band leaving the stage presumably ending the show only to be cheered on for an encore routine is just plain silly. We know you are coming back. All of your instruments are still scattered about the stage. The house lights are still down. The sound guy hasn’t put on filler music. Just stay the hell on stage and play another song or two if you want. The Ravonettes, who reminded me more than a bit of X, were fun and had a tall cute bassist. Laguardia sounded promising from the first few songs, but I missed the rest of their set in favor of getting a beer.