THE WIDE WORLD OF INSTRUMENTS. GET IT.

Friday night Elise and I headed over to the Gramercy Theater (f.k.a. the Blender Theatre at Gramercy. *Sigh* Shitty sound system, but I think for atmosphere and “home-yness” may be my fave NYC venue) for HEATHENFEST.

We needed something to do. People watching is always fun.

Anywho, twas a better show that I expected (but just as nerdy as a crowd as we expected. No haterade here, just sayin’. We’re big nerds ourselves). But the coolest thing was seeing all the crazy instruments from Alestorm and Eluveitie in the flesh. WTF is a hurdy gurdy, you ask? Well, let’s review the less conventional instruments seen on stage:

1. The hurdy gurdy. Kind of like a mechanical violin, but with a crank. See Anna Murphy of Eluveitie.

2. The Gaita and the Bodhran. See Chringel Glanzmann of Eluveitie. Yeah, it looks like just some bagpipes and a tambourine, but they’re Spanish bagpipes and a drum made out of goatwhore skin. Nice.

3. Lastly, the keytar. They way I see it, I can play piano and I’m nasty at Guitar Hero, so with that pairing I should be a natural with the keytar and I’m willing to give it a shot. Can you rent one of those? Anywho, for metal keytaring in action, check out Alestorm’s Christopher Bowes.

And one last note on Alestorm… “WHEN I SAY HILLSHIRE YOU SAY FARM! HILLSHIRE! FARM! GO MEAT!”

-Julia