Even before we moved, I knew that KCRW was just about the best thing about L.A., but now that we’re here, we’re learning first-hand. First and foremost, Morning Becomes Eclectic is about the best radio show out there, and the rest of the lineup is interesting and intriguing as well. Second, the Fringe Benefits card – what a deal. We pledged as members about six weeks ago, and for that pledge we not only supported local public radio, but got two tickets to see the Dodgers and two as-yet unused passes to see the Groundlings perform. In addition, we got the Fringe Benefits card, which has so far saved us a bunch at our local video store, and now qualified me for two tickets to see Paul Simon, which I won last week by calling into the station. The show, at the Greek Theater in Griffith Park, was last night, and it was terrific. I had a phase where I listened to “Rhythm of the Saints” non-stop for about a year, it feels like, in my Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan/Peter Gabriel’s “Passion” phase, and that album led me sort of backwards into Paul Simon’s catalogue. As last night’s show proved, he has one of the deepest, greatest bodies of work out there, and wasn’t afraid to play the stuff that people wanted to hear, everything from “Crazy After All These Years” to “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.” He hasn’t quite gone the Willie Nelson route of packaging it all into a hits medley on stage, but instead changed up a few of the songs so that they were somewhat new, yet still recognizable. His newest material, which we’re just getting to know, is strong enough, as is his voice, that he can mesmerize even when you don’t know all of the words. It was a little chilly out under the stars last night, but our wine (a bottle unceremoniously poured into a plastic carafe and two tiny plastic cups) kept us warm.

I leave this afternoon for the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in northeast Italy, so there may be some updates from abroad, or I may be so tired from watching old magic films, D.W. Griffith melodramas, and Danish comedies that I won’t have time. Kind of bummed to be missing the entire playoffs, but I’ll get over it. Time to get out the euros…