Cowboy Junkies - Louisville (03.27.2008)

4k and counting (and their blood is on your hands mr. bush)

theirs and the blood of over 250,000 innocent iraqi citizens.






Masters of War
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 1963

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead


Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

some sad news...

earlier tonight, i got a note from linford asking that i post a couple of notes to help get the word out and to let fans know that they were having to cancel their part of the last two shows w/ani "due to a family emergency."

unfortunately, the emergency was a serious one, his father just had a "massive heart attack" and had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital. karin & linford were just leaving birmingham and headed home so they could be with him as soon as possible.

sadly, i just got a call from karin letting me know that linford's father had just passed away. this, as karin said was "sudden and unexpected." she asked me to post something just to let everyone know what had happened.

many have heard and read of the admiration, love and respect that linford spoke of his father with, both verbally and in his writings. my best wishes and thoughts go out to linford, karin, and to their entire family during this time. peace to you all.

something linford had written about his father a couple of years ago...

Every day arrives, becomes evening, becomes night, becomes morning: Birth – Life – Death – Resurrection: Wow God.

A hawk flies dead quiet into the locust grove next to the garden and waits: Birth – Life – Death – Resurrection: Wow God.

The maples this year were golden, rouged through and through, gilded with ambers and lovely rust. The maple grove shook out the softest yellow blanket of leaves, a kneedeep invitation. Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring: Birth – Life – Death – Resurrection: Wow God.

My own father turned 80 this fall. My father: the Amish boy who left the Amish farm at age 21 and eventually bought an upright piano for his own son. Birth – Life – Death – Resurrection: Wow God.

This is the vibration of the universe, the everywhere song, the rhythm of everything.

Linford Detweiler for Over the Rhine,
Nowhere Farm, November 3, 2006

Over the Rhine, last night at the...

holy motherchurch of american music.







what an amazing night. it was short, far too short. but they were stoked and inspired. and inspiring.

there was a great, respectful and appreciative crowd, mostly ani's audience, of about +/-1,800 and the ryman holds +/-2,400, so not sold out but still a nice size audience. there must be quite a few of ani's die hards following this tour, when karin introduced "born" and "drunkard's prayer," both got great applause and most others seemed recognized.

the show started with a powerful "i don't wanna waste" and an early on admission, by a grinning from ear-to-ear & admittedly "twitterpated" karin (then she wondered if if that was the first time "twitterpated" was used on the ryman stage) of... "yeah, it's our first time and we're honored to be here" and it ended with the beautiful "motherless child," playing to a drop dead quiet house. this song is stunning. maybe their best cover ever. and a standing ovation. at the ryman.

it was just "the trio" w/K&L&J, which is a great sound and juicy worked his usual magic on the room. the sound was pristine. perfect. as i've said about the ryman before, you don't just "hear it," it wraps around you and swallows you whole.

the evening was made far more special by the fact that i was given backstage access to take pictures. not long after i arrived at the ryman, the promoter took me backstage where i met up with karin, linford, jake and juicy. after we said some quick hello's and shared a few hugs, karin walked me out to and on to the stage. the ryman is one of the most famous stages in the world, the list of greats that have played it is virtually endless. the greatest of greats have stood there, year after year and walking on that stage an awe inspiring experience and an honor.

great night juicy, jake, linford and karin. and glen. thank you.

more pics can be seen @: http://picasaweb.google.com/bivester

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals @ Headliner's, Louisville (03.11.2008)

great show. grace and band were incredible. it was my first, will not be my last. :=)

see for yourself:

"Come rain, sleet or snow, Tift is still playing"

tift's gibson





the bad news...about 4"-5" wintery mix of snow, sleet & ice was on the ground, it had consistantly been falling since about 8:00 am in the morning. and still was...and tift merritt, one of my favorite singer/songwriters, was scheduled to play a free set, her only show in the area, at ear x-tacy @ 6:00pm.

the good news... an e-mail from ear x-tacy about noon yesterday, simply said "come rain, sleet or snow, tift is still playing"

well, i got there about 5:30 and there were only about 10 people there so far, it ended up that about 30 or 40 of us braved it in just to see her (and about another 15-20 or so shopping the store and listening) and she was impressed and happy that so many had braved the elements to see her. so happy that she expanded her planned 30minute set to about an hour and 15 minutes. it was tift solo, on her acoustic gibson and keys. she played most of the new record, the beautiful, "another country" w/a few from "bramble rose & tamborine" thrown in for good measure. about 1/2 way into the show, she stepped out in front of the monitors, as she excused herself to the people sitting on the floor and said "can you hear me ok? let's try this" and launched to a beautiful, almost acapella version of "supposed to make you happy." it was stunning. beautiful. even in the middle of a busy record story on a snowy friday night. it was dead still and quiet.

afterwards she said "if you've got anything you want me to sign, if you wanna say hi, whatever, i'll be here" and she hung around and chatted, signed and asked everybody how they liked the new record, joked about the snow. she was wearing, as she explained, a "carolina blue," not "kentucky blue" ear x-tacy sweatshirt/hoodie* that she made john (ear x's owner) "give her" because she was "horribly unprepared" for the weather, it was snowing like crazy and she didn't even bring a coat and was wearing about 6" open toed heels (to which john commented "i like your snow boots"). she said, "wasn't it 60 degrees here yesterday?" we all answered "yes."

during the show and meet and greet, the snow turned to ice and the drive home was a little slippery. but it was well worth the trip. many thanks to tift, john and the staff @ ear x-tacy for making it happen.

*




and, if you aren't familiar w/tift, you should be:

Tom Waits For No One

freakin' brilliant.

hillary, i'm so disappointed in you...

i thought that we renounced the politics of fear...


seems your husband even commented on it,


obama's response...


game. set. match. obama.

if that's all you've got left hillary. let it go. quit now.