
On Thursday, June 16, Zentripetal Duo performed live at DeVore Fidelity's Monkeyhaus.
It’s not unusual to enjoy great music at DeVore Fidelity’s Monkeyhaus, but that music usually comes from LPs, loudspeakers, and tube amplifiers. Last night was a different story: While we did listen to music on the hi-fi, we were also treated to the special, comforting sounds of live, unamplified music. Zentripetal Duo (violinist Lynn Bechtold and cellist Jennifer DeVore) played three pieces—Gene Pritsker’s C17H21NO4 (the molecular formula for a drug popular among hipsters, baby boomers, and Wall Street tycoons), Astor Piazzolla’s "Violetas Populares," and Dan Cooper’s Design Duo.
The first five or so minutes of the performance seemed illusory and vague, as though I couldn’t completely grasp the fact that I was hearing music performed by humans rather than music produced by boxes and wires. There were differences, of course. There is a certain scale, immediacy, and ease to the sound of live music that hi-fi struggles to match. And something else (and I think this is important): It’s impossible to connect and interact with hi-fi components in the same way we connect and interact with other people. Something special happens when we watch others create beauty.
Hearing live music in the Monkeyhaus confirmed two things:1. The sound in the Monkeyhaus is exquisite. Several people, including the musicians, commented on this.
2. There is definitely a difference between live music and reproduced music. We are lucky to have both.

Late in the evening when it’s dark your stereo seems to sound the best. Unfortunately, those moments are rare and hard to enforce. To create the possibility of experiencing music in its full intensity at any time and place, the Musicmask has been developed. Musicmask is a mask that completely covers the eyes, but which still allows you to keep your eyes open. This is important because you’re more alert when your eyes are open than when they’re closed. Scientific research shows that removing visual stimuli increases the perception of music. With Musicmask, listening to music will become a magical experience.

John DeVore rocks Musicmask.

Musicmask gives Jonathan Halpern super powers.

Andrew turns Musicmask inside-out.

Adam Wexler is shy around MusicMask: "I just got here, and you've already blindfolded me?"
Fortunately for me, listening to music is already a magical experience. Wearing the Musicmask was kind of nice, I admit—like a massage for my eyes—but it merely made me sleepy. I didn’t notice a change in the sound of music. Others, however, noted rolled-off highs and midrange boosts.
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Margery loves Musicmask.

Musicmask loves Jeff Wong.

Musicmask makes Jen smile.

Herb Reichert is proud of Musicmask.
I think the Musicmask is made of plastic, foam, and Velcro. It comes with a 10-day money-back guarantee and costs $44.95.


Lights and musicinside the Monkeyhaus.
The theme of the night was “covers.” From the Hauskeeper:
In these days of faux sincerity and mock reality, of phony innovation and white-washed political cover-ups, the dung-chucking enlightened ones demand relief, but relief in kind. Music shall be played in Monkeyhaus Thursday, June 16th, but it shall only be cover songs. No original songs may be played by the original artists, unless immediately preceded by a cover version of the same song by another artist. One need not follow the cover with the original, but it is an option for those with an educational bent.Cool, right?

