Cabaret Ralph's
I can't tell you how irritating it is when you're in the supermarket, trying to get together the ingredients for minestrone from memory, and the invisible pianist is belting out Oobla-dee Oobla-dah. I love the Beatles, in fact, I always thought I'd marry Paul, but I can't stand instrumental versions of their songs. Actually, I can't stand Oobla-dee even when they 're singing it.
It is seriously weird. It plays music all by itself. The keys are moving but nobody's home. It's been there for weeks now — and why surround it with a display of wine? There are brochures on its music stand with information about how you, too, could own one of these magic pianos.
Last week it was playing Roundabout, from the 1970s Yes album, Fragile. Can it get any weirder? I've had enough.
At least at Nordstrom, over at University Towne Center (yes, that is Towne with an -e), in La Jolla, they have a real live person playing, instead of all this jiggery pokery. UTC has an ice-skating rink in its food hall, too, so you can watch precociousness in tights as you eat your tacos.
Shopping here can be an other-worldy experience sometimes!