tonight’s dream
I am a member of a large touring band of some sort. It’s the size of an orchestra but I don’t remember it having the instruments of an orchestra. Perhaps it’s a jazz or swing orchestra. In any case, I don’t play an instrument; I seem to be there in a purely administrative capacity.
We are in Canada. The band has been given a large, derelict shopping mall to rehearse in. The architecture seems to date to the 1980s, but the building was not well-designed and has been declared unsafe. The band is not even allowed inside the building; we rehearse in a semi-covered outdoor cafe on the exterior of the mall.
In the middle of a number, the store next to the outdoor cafe explodes from a gas leak. Glass showers outward into the parking lot. The authorities arrive and shoo the band away from the ruined exterior.
I note that the jagged hole in the store’s glass facade resembles the maple leaf of the Canadian flag. I pull a musician aside to point it out to him. Not only does he not find this funny, he has a hard time seeing the resemblance.
Men in grey suits and fedoras (these guys, actually, now that I think of it) show up to investigate the explosion. I suddenly remember that I’ve left something inside the mall and go in to get it, in spite of the fact that one of the stores just exploded. No one stops me — they have more important things to do.
As long as the jagged hole in the glass facade doesn’t look like two persons bumping their brows together and yelling – ouch – at the same time, you’re OK.
Analysis: Your job as the administrator of a large group is clearly a reference to your former career as a fast-food restaurant and movie theatre manager. More specifically, the period when you were a struggling writer (the mall’s 1980s architecture confirms this time frame.) The band not being “allowed” inside the building is an obvious allegory for the rejection you experienced during these years. The semi-covered cafe where you are permitted to perform is Funambules/Nada*
The “explosion” represents your sudden late ’90s professional success, at which point “men in suits” shooed you away from the little cafes. The maple-leaf hole represents the work itself (the artist’s “mark”), obviously inspired by your recent purchase of a Scott Joplin record (composer of The Maple Leaf Rag).The oblivious band member is there to remind us that even for successful artists there will always be people who “don’t get it.” The men in suits ignoring you speaks for itself.
The dream ends on an obliquely positive note as you go off to retrieve something. I look forward to the next chapter.
*The tiny Lower East Side performance space where Todd and I both got our start 20 years ago.
Is this like one of those games, where the correct answers are printed upside down?
I am a member of a large touring band of some sort.
— Ok, you mean a band of brothers? —
It’s the size of an orchestra but I don’t remember it having the instruments of an orchestra.
–Hmmm…but why do you believe it has instruments at all?–
Perhaps it’s a jazz or swing orchestra. In any case, I don’t play an instrument;
— But who said these are musical-type instruments you should play?–
I seem to be there in a purely administrative capacity.
— again, you protest but… You administrate, but apparently there’s a prohibition against seeing “the instruments” you administer. Administrator of a band of brothers. Hm. “Father Todd?” –
We are in Canada.
— Hahaha,..wait, really? You dream of Canada.–
The band has been given a large, derelict shopping mall to rehearse in.
— Naturally, you’re in Canada! no, sorry do go on–
The architecture seems to date to the 1980s, but the building was not well-designed and has been declared unsafe.
— The architecture seems to date to the nascent period of your first strivings in performance, or writing, thinking, being, that laid the basis for where you are now. That was not well-designed meaning certainly you can’t script it yourself. But why go and declare it all “unsafe”? Surprises are always unsafe, yes, but.
Hm. or..a Maguffin. Maybe just, it is exciting.
The architecture is the consumer psyche of the 1980s, aged, the architecture of entertainment culture is exciting because it is always unsafe, never well-designed.–
The band is not even allowed inside the building;
— Aha! Prohibition against excitment. Rehearsal isn’t even ALLOWED in Canada, I’m sure. Who gets banned from an already “unsafe” building?–
We rehearse in a semi-covered outdoor cafe on the exterior of the mall.
— Is that “semi-covered on the exterior” an important detail? Sounds daring, exciting, tell me more–
In the middle of a number, the store next to the outdoor cafe
— NO, no tell me more about the “semi-covered on the exterior” part! —
In the middle of a number, the store next to the outdoor cafe
explodes from a gas leak.
— Oh,alright, go ahead, anyway THERE’S the explosion. And you know from where the explosion is from as well? Really, how precise. Gas leak? You knew the outside is semi-covered and the explosion is a gas leak, stuff far away like that? But not stuff about the instruments right in front of your eyes, that you are administrating.–
Glass showers
— Ah the obligatory cum scene after the “gas” explosion, finally!–
Glass showers outward into the parking lot.
— whatever, I stand by my interpretation–
The authorities arrive
— Yes,yes, the LAW. Saw that coming, glass showers, explosion etc.–
The authorities arrive and shoo the band away from the ruined exterior.
–Wait I missed something, WHOSE ruined exterior again? —
I note that the jagged hole in the store’s glass facade resembles the maple leaf of the Canadian flag.
— For Americans, Canada’s symbol is the fig leaf over the genitals.–
I pull a musician
— You pulled a musician? —
I pull a musician aside to point it out to him.
— And he doesn’t see the fig leaf for the genitals —
Not only does he not find this funny he has a hard
— Oh, yessss —
time seeing the resemblance.
– …..sigh….go on.-
Men in grey suits and fedoras (these guys, actually, now that I think of it)
— Men with HATS, in no less than one of the primal conspiracy kill-yer-nation’s-father theory scenes…–
show up to investigate the explosion.
— You certainly must want the case solved, hiring THOSE people and all.–
I suddenly remember that I’ve left something inside the mall
— Huh? Don’t you want to talk to those investigators a minute? Why the rush? They’re wearing HATS and all safe and stuff.–
and go in to get it, in spite of the fact that one of the stores just exploded.
— again with the explosions?–
No one stops me —
–In your dreams, of course not. You chose a Texas bunch that didn’t stop Ruby in front of their eyes from plugging Oswald.–
they have more important things to do.
— a humble turn of the cheek, but we know it’s a dream, meaning the point was, YOU have more important things to do.–
I’m not sure why Canada, except that these dreams tend to take place in foreign countries. I like Canada, the metropolitan parts anyway.
I don’t know the architectural terms, but there is a thin cement roof, reinforced concrete, once red, now faded to a sort of desert rose, which juts out over the cafe area to provide shade. It is curved in a design I associate with 1950s coffee tables (and 1980s architecture).
“It is curved in a design I associate with 1950s coffee tables (and 1980s architecture”
Anthropomorphic, yes.