b-sides | besides...

what we need is music

2008-07-15T15:41:00.005-04:00

hello all,

starting today, all music related posts will be hosted on my new site(s), these sites will be virtually identical in content:
http://whatweneedismusic.wordpress.com
and
http://whatweneedismusic.blogspot.com/

and this site will be more of a personal type blog site.

below is a "mission statement" of sorts for "what we need is music," thanks in advance for your support...

ok, i've had this idea for a while, maybe instead of just an "idea," maybe it's a vision, maybe it's a dream, maybe it's nothing. but it's been stuck in my head and won't go away for long long enough that i thought, "what the hell, give it a shot."

to explain, i started "blogging" a while ago and my ramblings are 90%+ about music, i also frequent the message boards of several bands; over the rhine, cowboy junkies, patty griffin, ryan adams, tom waits, to name a few. Some I’m active on, some I just lurk. personally, i enjoy writing about a concert i just saw, a new cd i just bought, etc and i also enjoy reading and am intrigued about and by others experiences. so i started thinking, with the opportunities on all of these message boards, with fans and lovers of music from all over this country and all over the world, would it be possible to channel those experiences, that love of words and music down to one or two spaces for people to share? imagine if fan of "over the rhine" in colorado could share an experience with "patty griffin" in germany and turn them on to something they were unaware of, or a cowboy junklies fan from hawaii could relate a story to a ryan adams fan in England that hooked them? or someone in louisville recently discovering the music of a new artist
like ben sollee could tell the world about him and share a link with them to hear his music for the first time and let them decide for themselves. could be cool? no?

so here's the idea, dream or whatever...

i have started blogs on blogspot and wordpress, both titled "what we need is music." the idea is to send me your reviews, both concerts and cd's, photos if you have them (linked only please, they would need to "hosted" somewhere). maybe your new musical "finds" and how others can hear them (links to websites, myspace pages, etc) and what you like about them. talk about, help promote or increase awareness of upcoming concerts that you are going to see and/or artists you appreciate. the goal is to talk about music you enjoy, not trash music that you don’t. but by all means, if you see a show that disappoints, invest in a cd that doesn’t deliver, be honest and talk about it objectively and fairly. i see this being all encompassing, it can be whatever we make it, whatever we decide for it to be, whatever we make it...

the best of 2008 (so far)...

2008-07-12T19:45:00.018-04:00

as i noted a few posts back, the year is now, incredibly, half over. so i thought i'd list some of my favorites through the first six months of 2008.

so here they are...

CD's (top ten, roughly in order*)
teddy thompson – "a piece of what you need"
cat power – "jukebox"
shelby lynne – "just a little lovin’ "
kathleen edwards – "asking for flowers"
cowboy junkies – "trinity revisited"
alejandro escovedo – "real animal"
tift merritt – "another country"
ben sollee – "learning to bend"
r.e.m. – "accelerate"
kris delmhorst – "shotgun singer"
honorable mention
steve winwood – "nine lives"

*(order subject to change depending on what i just finished listening to)

CONCERTS
02.10 - cat power @ the vic (chicago)
05.25 - over the rhine / ohio: in concert (cincinnati)
06.11 - alejandro escovedo (w/ben sollee) @ headliner’s (louisville)
04.26 - over the rhine (w/julie lee) @ canal street tavern (dayton)
04.17 - kathleen edwards @ headliner's (louisville)
03.11 - grace potter and the nocturnals @ headliner's (louisville)
*03.14 - over the rhine @ the ryman, opening for ani difranco would have to be my top concert experience and had it been a full set, would have unquestionably topped this list.

if you are unfamiliar with any of these artists, i highly recommend checking out their music and seeing them live if they are anywhere in your general area.

should you be so inclined and/or curious, there are links to their (and many other great artists) websites and/or myspace pages on the right hand side of my blog.

do yourself a favor and give them a listen.

and enjoy.

restoring a little faith in mankind, one sunflower at a time...

2008-07-09T10:08:00.018-04:00

while i was in atlanta this past 4th of july weekend, i spent time with my parents just north of town. only a few years ago, this was "the country," but now is sadly becoming another victim of suburban sprawl in a city thst continues to grow like it's native vine, the kudzu. just another "chain store mecca" with subdivision after subdivision of virtually identical houses on quarter acre lots taking over once beautiful farmland and woodlands.

in one of the few slices left unplowed, their neighbors have acres and acres of sunflower fields. they sell them on the side of the road for $6 per dozen, honor system, self-serve/cut 'em yourself... they have a little stand on the side of the road with several pairs of snips and a cigar box sitting on a counter (and a few dozen pre-cut flowers for those too lazy or in too big of a hurry to wander through the fields to do it themselves). you simply grab a pair of snips, walk the fields as long as you like, choose and cut the flowers you like, then put the money in the cigar box and go on your merry way. after cutting a dozen or so, we opened the box to pay and saw what must have been several hundred dollars in the box, sitting there unattended. it was pretty cool to see that that trust and that trust be respected.

restoring a little faith in mankind, one sunflower at a time...

i wandered thru the fields for a couple of hours w/my camera, it was beautiful.

[sun]flower

tom waits - "glitter and doom" @ the fox theatre/atlanta (07.05.2008)

2008-07-06T20:47:00.043-04:00

still on a great 'post-show' buzz. a couple of posts back i mentioned fearing that i sounded like a “gushing fool." well, here we go again...

the show was last night was absolutely incredible, a great show/set, the acoustics in the fox are amazing and the mix was perfect, kudos to the guy running the sbd.
---
so, about 9:00 PM, the theater goes dark and slowly, dim lights begin to highlight the backdrop on the stage. you can sense, but not really “see” any movement. then, a white hot spot hits center stage, and seemingly out of nowhere… standing on a beat-up riser, in a dark “slightly worn” suit and a dark bowler hat, with a huge smile on his face is the reason that we are there, tom waits. hands straight up in the air, he starts stomping on the riser, the crowd is standing, clapping, whistling and screaming. white plumes of “smoke” start floating up into the lights from the riser. he stomps harder, smoke keeps rising and his smile gets bigger. he stomps and smiles, we clap and whistle, seems to be a fair trade.

and we're off...

there were so many highlights it’s hard to know where to start. vocally, he was "on the mark," with it being the last night of the tour, i guess he didn't feel like he had to "save" his voice ( ;-) ) and before i start rambling too much, it seems appropriate to note that his band was fantastic, all great players (named below), tight and meshing perfectly with each other and with him. he has added a full time horn player and keyboardist and larry taylor had moved from his usual position on bass to "guesting" on lead guitar on a few songs (apparently only @ the atlanta show). other than taylor and his son casey on drums/percussion it was a completely different group of players than when i saw him a couple of years ago. i guess "the" highlight(s) for me would have to be "9th and hennepin" followed by a rocking “lie to me.” during the intro for “9th and hennepin," a single bare unlit light bulb dropped out of (seemingly) nowhere right next to tom’s face. unfazed, he continued talking. as soon as he kicked into the song, the light, much to tom’s "surprise, and shock," flickered on and became a prop which he mastered for the duration of the song, then “poof”…it disappeared much as it appeared.

"chocolate jesus," "hold on" & "get behind the mule" were also pretty amazing and would have to be close seconds for me and the "innocent when you dream/hoist that rag/make it rain" trifecta was also pretty damn sweet. at the end of and extended take on “make it rain,” and with tom chanting (ie: screaming) a command to “make it rain,” glitter began to fall over him like rain (apparently from that same magical place that gave us the light bulb) covering his dark suit and bowler. very cool visually. towards the end of the set, regardless of your beliefs, if you weren’t ready to shout a big, loud "AMEN" or "MERCY" after he took the sold-out crowd of 4,000+ to church with "jesus gonna be here," well then, you just weren’t alive and breathing to begin with.

along the way, he charmed us with a couple of subtle, yet hilarious stories about; $300,000 watches (or $9.95 CVS watches), condiments (or condom-mints) and alphabet soup (or nazi pas-ticas) as only he could, before closing the set with a rowdy and fun “singapore.” after a short break, he and the band returned and kicked off the encore w/a killer, extended ”eyeball kid” where during the chorus, he playfully swapped out his black bowler with one covered with tiny mirrors reflecting the spotlight all over the theatre. at the end of the song there was great little exchange between him, casey and the audience. then he sent us all home happy with the appropriate “anywhere I lay my head.”

he started the show with the big smiles and we left the theatre with them. again, seems to be a fair trade.

what a night. he's as brilliant a showman and performer as he is a writer and musician, which says a lot. there was not a single lowlight/mediocre moment in the evening. hell, it was tom waits!

i found the quote below in "the columbus (oh) dispatch" it seems to describe him perfectly, much better than i ever could...

Waits may be one of the country's best accidental musicologists. He rummages through an assortment of genres — blues, gospel, jazz, folk, Latin, beat-box and cabaret, to name some — and weaves them together into something new. Hearing one of his songs for the first time, one is almost positive that it's an old favorite. Yet everything he does is remarkably original and fresh.

Add to that his unmistakeable lyrics — inspired in part by the Beat Generation and refined by his partnership with his wife, writer Kathleen Brennan — and it's easy to see why he is one of the most important singer-songwriters of this age.

The showmanship is always a direct relation to the music. He opened in the guise of a revivalist preacher, booming out Lucinda, Way Down in the Hole and Falling Down.

His antics reached a peak later in The Eyeball Kid, an oddity of a song in which, for one verse, he donned a mirror-ball hat. As he revolved slowly in the interludes, his head became a makeshift light show.

When the songs slowed down and the thoughts grew deeper, though, he stilled his physical energy and flowed into such profound moments which held the audience absolutely still until their final chords.

In a sense, Waits is a medium, channeling the spirits of long-dead bluesmen, pioneers of rock and traveling minstrels. His voice, while aging, still can travel from a growl to a wail to a whisper in a split second.

Waits doesn't create new worlds; he makes people rethink the past, present, and future. His song Time, sums it up: “… their memory's like a train/You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away/And the things you can't remember tell the things you can't forget/That history puts a saint in every dream.”

on a personal note, it was also kind of a sentimental journey for me. many years ago, the fox (and atlanta in general) was where “i cut my live music teeth.” in my younger days, there was a time that i rarely missed any show of note there. my friends (and sally, my “ex”) and i were regulars. we saw it all. it was nice to be back there again, it has probably been 20+ years since i have seen a show in that beautiful place and it was just as sweet as i remembered it. lotsa good nights, good vibes and good memories for me in that building, it felt "good." so to top off the night, just for the hell of it it, i decided to detour down piedmont, past the old “broadview plaza” and blew a kiss and say a “thank you” to the corner where the old “great southeast music hall” once stood. i also spent a lot of great nights with friends there and that was where, 30+ years ago, i was fortunate enough to see mr. waits perform for the first time and was introduced to the genius that is tom waits and i’ve been hooked since (btw, he was the opener for the comedian, martin mull who wrote a song about the old music hall called "i've played some shitholes, but this takes the cake" =) ).

the set:
lucinda > ain't going down to the well
down in the hole
falling down
chocolate jesus
all the world is green
cemetery polka
who's been talkin'* > 'til the money runs out
such a scream
november
hold on
black market baby
9th and hennepin
lie to me
lucky day
on the nickel
lost in the harbour
innocent when you dream
hoist that rag
make it rain
dirt in the ground
get behind the mule
hang down your head
jesus gonna be here
singapore
encore:
eyeball kid
anywhere i lay my head

*howlin' wolf cover

the band:
patrick warren - keyboards
omar torrez - guitars
vincent henry - horns & acoustic guitar
casey waits - drums and percussion
seth ford-young - bass
sullivan waits - congas and clarinet (and selling t-shirts and books before & after the show...)

*larry taylor joined in on guitar on several songs.

i had to "stealth" the pictures, so there is nothing particularly "artistic." more just to document the evening...

2008 concert update, half a year in review...

2008-07-02T21:52:00.028-04:00

wow, it's hard to believe that the year is half over! so far i feel like i'm a little behind schedule with only 15 shows under my belt this year.

what i may lack in quantity, i guess i have made up for in quality...the first show of the year kicked it off properly, cat power @ the vic in chicago on february 2nd. it was -2f
(-42f w/windchill) and that is cold, very cold, numbingly cold. it's hard to describe the enigma that is this woman. she is natural beauty with a voice like no other. indescribable. (imnsho) she, OtR and ryan adams are "the best" out there making music right now, i'm glad i finally got the chance to see her peform live. she and her band were simply amazing. the second the show was over, i wanted more, and i still do. i can't wait for the next time.

alejandro escovedo (with carrie rodriguez) and kathleen edwards both rocked @ headliner's (kathleen rocked louisville so hard she may have triggered the earthquake that still had us shakin' the next morning after her show). and there was a couple of brilliant opening sets by the local phenom, ben sollee (f/OtR & alejandro) and mary gauthier (OtR & cowboy junkies). plus, a great set and a nice opportunity to chat with justin and tasha golden of ellery at the rudyard kipling.

i feel fortunate to have been introduced this year to the rockin', kick-ass blues of grace potter and the nocturnals (also @ headliner's) and the good vibes and beautiful voice of julie lee (accompanied by jake bradley) opening for OtR @ CST. i saw great sets delivered by both and i hope to see them again soon.

i've also been lucky enough to see my favorites; i've had eight over the rhine shows (so far). i was blessed with opportunity to walk the stage and backstage area of the ryman with K&L. "i" stood where johnny, hank, willie, patsy and virtually every legend of american music has stood and peformed, on the hallowed hardwood stage of the ryman auditorium, then watch them, along with jake perform a great set of music on that same hallowed ground (and walk off to a standing ovation). it was an honor to be there that night. a stage and venue that has been graced and revered by the greatest of music legends, artists that helped create and form the art of "american" music as we know it. oh what a night, not only was this the highlight of my year, it is one of the highlights of my life. thank you karin and linford.

i also got to see them with the closest of friends in the intimacy of the canal street tavern, a month later in the vastness of the brand spankin' new national city pavilion, sitting on the banks of the ohio, as they performed "ohio." followed a week later by a night in my hometown of atlanta. and a couple of weeks after that on an indescribable, beautiful night in the incredible, idyllic new harmony, indiana. as for the "other" favorites, i got to see cowboy junkies, who delivered a great set @ the clifton center only about 10 minutes from my home in louisville.

this weekend, over the 4th of july holiday, i get to start off the second half of the year on the right foot too, with tom waits at the fox theatre in atlanta. one of the best ever, in one of the best venues in the country.

and i get to see my mom and dad too.

a good start to the "back nine" of '08, i'd say...

02.10 - cat power @ the vic
02.23 - OtR (w/ben sollee) @ the bomhard
03.07 – tift merritt @ ear x-tacy
03.11 - grace potter and the nocturnals @ headliner's
03.14 - OtR @ the ryman* (w/ani)
03.27 - cowboy junkies (w/mary gauthier) @ the clifton center
04.17 - kathleen edwards @ headliner's
04.25 - OtR (w/julie lee) @ CST
04.26 - OtR (w/julie lee) @ CST
05.25 - OtR @ the national city pavilion
05.31 - OtR (w/mary gauther) @ the variety playhouse
06.09 - OtR @ woodsongs
06.11 - alejandro escovedo (w/ben sollee) @ headliner’s
06.13 - ellery (w/garrison starr) @ the rudyard kipling
06.14 - OtR @ new harmony, in
-----
07.05 - tom waits @ the fox
07.23 – OtR @ the fraze pavilion

HOLY "PEHDTSCHJMBA"

2008-06-29T21:13:00.009-04:00

the video below explains the blog title..."PEHDTSCHJMBA"

the final night of the tour...next saturday night, july 5th, tom waits @ the fabulous fox theatre in atlanta. and i will be sitting 19th row center...on the aisle.

and i get to see my mom and dad too. =)

"rain dogs"

"make it rain"

over the rhine - "ohio: in concert" @ the national city pavilion/cincinnati (05.24.2008)

2008-06-19T23:25:00.028-04:00

ok, i'm a little late getting to this one...

i realized that never posted anything about OtR's - “ohio: in concert” show, i started (and stopped) writing it several times, it was too good of an evening not to publically comment on. at first, just afterwards, it was a bit too overwhelming to try to put into words, then I traveled to atlanta the following weekend to spend some time with my family and to catch their show at the variety playhouse. then it just kind of got away from me.

so, here goes...on the day of the show, the inaugural show at the national city pavilion, i arrived around 2:00 for soundcheck, a lot was going on; juicy, mike and nick were doing the final audio and stage set up, mickey was finishing setting up his drum kit. i wandered around and got to spend a little time w/karin and linford and chat some with jake and (OtR's manager) glen. everyone was in a great mood looking forward to what was ahead, all was right with the world. there was still an amazing amount of finishing work going on around the venue. i saw full-grown trees planted in a matter of minutes, two huge video screens placed and hung and seats numbers placed on several hundred seats. not to mention a kid getting stuck on a roller coaster @ coney island and taken off the ride by a ladder truck from the anderson township fire department. interesting afternoon. and oh yeah…there was sound check too.

i walked around and shot during the very loose sound check. karin and linford had brought on a couple of extra players to fill in the sound for the show and to more replicate the sound of the album. kenny hutson (a former bandmate of jake’s from the vigilantes of love) joined in on guitar and pedal steel and nick radina (of the cincinnati band, tropicoso), a familiar face from doing tour management and monitors on several previous OtR tours, on percussion, and they were a perfect fit, a great compliment to the sound. i always enjoy hearing the music flush out and come together during the final minutes before a show and i appreciate the opportunity to be there.

the show kicked off just a few minutes after after the scheduled 8:00 pm time with karin walking out on the stage solo, quietly sitting down at the piano and launching into the opening notes of "B.P.D." seconds later, the rest of the band casually strolled and picked up their instruments and joined in. and we were off.

the show was split into two sets, "disc one” and “disc two” (if you aren’t aware by now, they were playing their acclaimed album “ohio” in full, in sequence) and "B.P.D." was the perfect rousing, wailing starting point to the evening. the other “disc one” highlights for me: “what i remember most,” the always beautiful “anything at all” (dedicated to cincinnati's legendary bluegrass diva and good friend of karin, miss katie laur), followed by the rarely played “professional daydreamer,” the fun and sexy (a "make out song," as karin intro'ed it)“lifelong fling” and the apocalyptic hymm and always moving & powerful “changes come,” which karin dedicated to “all of those we remember on memorial day.”

time to take a break and flip sides…

after an OtR first, a clothing change mid-show by karin…and as the crowd strolled back in to the opening notes of “long lost brother,” we were off and running with side two. next was the touching and beautiful yet pained “she,” the rollicking “white girl rap” of “nobody number one,” followed by “cruel & pretty,” which i love and is always a treat to hear. things then slowed down with a heartfelt explaination by karin of writing the next song 5 years ago as war broke out in iraq and how hard it was to believe that 5 years later, while playing “remind us” again that we are still fighting this war. “a wing and a prayer” indeed. during the closing moments of the song, there was an erie sound of fireworks going off in the distance, almost sounding like gunfire.

now we’re gettin’ political and topical and next was one of my favorites, a wailing version of “how long have you been stoned” was dedicated to “the current administration” to a smattering of boos (the show was in the very "red" state of “ohio” afterall). the song closed with an extended, almost tribal drumbeat provided by mickey and nick. a very nice touch. next was the rarely (if ever) played “when you say love,” the torch song/ballad “fool,” the norwood inspired “hometown boy,” vocally always one of karin’s best and then they closed it out the "official" set with the lovely “bothered” and the out-and-out gospel and hopeful words of “idea #21/it’s not too late” with just karin, linford and jake on stage. a very different from the full choir version on the record, but equally as beautiful and moving. and everyone in the place was smiling and standing as they left the stage.

after a short break the encore and surprises kicked in to high gear, with everyone back on stage, a heavy drumbeat and bass line kicked in, then the ironic and tongue-in-cheek words “i went back to ohio” rolled out of karin’s mouth with a half sneer/half smile, the perfect surprise, the perfect song to follow their 2 disc classic tribute to their home state. and they had a blast with it. simply “my city was gone” by cleveland’s “the pretenders” rocked! after the applause died down, there was a request (command?) of “hit it kenny” from karin and we got the tease of the heavy guitar opening riff from “CSN&Y’s” “ohio” (tin soldier’s and nixon’s comin’, we're finally on our own, this summer i hear the drummin', four dead in ohio) before the song transformed into an out and out rockin’ version of gillian welch’s “miss ohio.” "oh-me-oh-my-o, miss ohio" was sure having some fun up there tonight.

and to close out the evening, in this political season, they said goodnight to all with their timely “bi-partisan initiative”…”if a song could be president,” with the “underachiever in chief” line even getting applause…in freakin’ ohio!

it was a fantastic night, hearing many of the songs that had been out of the rotation for a while was like welcoming old friends again and hearing professional daydreamer, when you say love and idea #21 for the first time in concert was wonderful.

the evening ended with smiles, good conversation and hugs at a short after party, then a short stop off for a drink with friend’s @ lebo’s down the street. my only regret of the evening, unfortunately, missing what would have been the undisputed cap on the night…bruce’s soaring karaoke rendition of “sweet caroline.”

soundcheck

the line-up:
karin bergquist - vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards
linford detweiler - keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass
jake bradley - bass, electric guitar
mickey grimm - drum kit
guests:
kenny hutson - electric guitar, lap steel guitar
nicolas radina - percussion

who'm i kiddin' but me...

2008-06-19T14:00:00.006-04:00

words from "who'm i kiddin' but me" by karin bergquist
from "the trumpet child" by over the rhine
photograph (c)2008-bill ivester, taken in new harmony, indiana

enough said...

2008-06-17T10:19:00.000-04:00

over the rhine - "under the beams" @ the rapp granary/new harmony, indiana (06.14.2008)

2008-06-15T16:04:00.035-04:00

ok, where to start? it's going to be hard to talk about this without sounding like a gushing fool, seriously.

i headed out to new harmony for over the rhine's show there a little early, wanting to get a feel for the town after discussing it with mickey (grimm, OtR's amazing drummer & resident of new harmony) several times and then recently reading more about it and it's history. while driving over i got a text from karin (bergquist, OtR's amazing vocalist) telling me that everything was fine, but to suggesting to "bring yer waders" and informing me that the national guard was there, since new harmony sits on the banks of the recently severely swollen wabash river... that didn't sound very good. i really didn't know what to expect but i continued to drive and soon began passing army transport trucks (probably 30+ or more) loaded down with sandbags, backhoes and other heavy machinery. ok, now i was a "little concerned." a few more miles down the road i began to see, on both sides of the interstate, what appeared to be lakes, but then i noticed the rooftops of barns and homes and realized that they were really corn and soybean fields, not lakes. ok, now i was a little more concerned, maybe a little bit worried.

i soon reached my exit and a few minutes later, new harmony. only to find one of the most beautiful little towns that i have ever seen in my life. almost surreal in its beauty and charm, it's like a town time forgot. in a good way. then as i turned off of church street towards the granary, i spotted the many national guardsmen, in full camouflage unloading these flatbeads full of sandbags and building virtual walls to protect the historic homes, the "roofless church," the incredible, modern, richard maier designed visitor center from the ravages of nature... high, fast running water. i was within 10 feet of the flow of a river that should have been about a quarter of a mile away. once again, surreal. very surreal.

and yet, none of this dampened the spirit and the people of this amazing place. they went on with life seemingly as they always do. the street antique show was still happening, the local (and very good) country music band was still playing on the street corner, neighbors were still walking and riding their bikes around town, smiling and stopping on the street to say hello, shake hands and welcome all to their home, then offering sightseeing tips to an obvious stranger (me). a woman stopped me as i was coming out of the roofless church, asked where i was visiting from, welcomed me, then put down the kickstand on her bike and said "oh, you've just got to see the garden across the street." she took me by the arm, leaving her bike unattended on the sidewalk and walked me to the garden while explaining much about the town to me. again, very surreal and then you begin to realize, it's so sad that this is such a shocking aberration...this is how we used to be, this how we should be.

a little later, while walking the town before the show and turning the corner towards the granary not long before the doors opened, i crossed paths w/molly and grafton (mickey's wife and son) riding their bikes to the show, waving, laughing and talking all the way (you're probably expecting me to say someting about surreal about now...).

so how do you top off a day like this? you take a town full of these kind people, add a few interested visitors, put them in one place... a beautiful, historical room, "the rapp granary," as linford might say; "a well made thing," to share an evening of beautiful words, music, discussion and friendship led by a group of wonderful, talented and "good" people; karin bergguist, linford detweiler, jake bradley & mickey grimm... "over the rhine." i was lucky enough to spend much of the 30-minute preshow w/mickey's mom, sandy and his sister, kim. what a blast, it's easy to see how mickey "is what he is" after spending some time with sandy, what a kind, sweet and lovely woman.

and it's always a pleasant surprise to walk into a room where OtR is playing and see a grand piano on stage, this time a steinway baby grand was sitting on the front left corner of the stage and linford (OtR's amazing piano player) took full advantage of the beauty it had to offer us. karin was spot on vocally as all have come to expect from her, full of passion, energy, spirituality and beauty. my expectations are always high for her performances and she has never failed to meet (and generally exceed) them. last night was no exception, simply, she rocked the joint. her voice is an amazing "instrument" in it's own right, a true gift of nature. and she has mastered it. jake (yep, OtR's amazing bassist/guitarist) and mickey were as solid as ever and he really seemed to enjoy playing front of his neighbors. it was also great to see molly joining in on several songs, her harmonies w/karin are wonderful.

in short, the show was amazing, a big event for this small town, mostly all locals who seemed to be pleasantly confused by us travelers. the band played two sets, with about a 30 minute break in between to socialize over homemade cookies, brownies and punch, it wasn't "timed" and no one was too rushed. and the treats were delicious.

during the first set linford told a charming story about playing hymns on the family piano for his mother when he was a child and trying to stump her with them (he also noted that he was never able to). he continued the story talking about visiting her recently and taking her to a covered dish church dinner, complete with tater-tot casseroles and fruit and "jello mold" desserts. apparently the entertainment, a local barbershop quartet, was unable to make it and since linford was "a professional musician" and there was a piano in the corner of the room, he became the featured entertainment for the evening. playing old hymns that were called out to him by his mother's friends, he discussed how odd it was that he can't remember songs that he wrote five years ago yet he remembered everything they requested that evening from his early years. a couple of songs into the second set, he mentioned that during the break a woman said "well you talked about the old hymns but you didn't play one." so he launched into a beautiful solo of "let the lower lights be burning" for her, to a quiet, dark, still room. it was stunning. beautiful.

all-in-all, i can't imagine a better day spent. it was beautiful. perfect. and yes...a bit surreal.

the setlist...

first set:
i don't wanna waste
fever
born
desperate
roll
innocent
trumpet child
kiddin' (and mickey really showed off for the hometown crowd)
trouble (w/molly)

break:
homemade brownies and kiss cookies

second set:
motherless child
orphan girl (w/molly)
let the lower light be burning (linford solo)
suitcase
ohio
tom (w/molly)
president (w/molly)
encore
hush now
drunkards prayer

the line-up:
karin bergquist - vocals, guitar, piano, cookie sheet
linford detweiler - piano, guitar, bass, vocals
jake bradley - bass, guitar
mickey grimm - drums and all kinds of shaky things
molly felder - backing vocals

ellery @ the rudyard kipling/louisville - june (friday the) 13th, 2008

2008-06-14T00:03:00.015-04:00

tonight ellery, the husband and wife duo of tasha and justin golden (on piano/vocals and guitar respectively) played an opening set for garrison starr @ the legendary "rudyard kipling" in old louisville. it was a beautiful set in an intimate room with great sound. unfortunately, it was under-attended, but that didn't effect tasha and justin, they played like it was a full house.

i was first exposed to them via over the rhine a few years ago and have seen them 6-8 times since and love what they do more and more each time i see them. tasha has one of the more beautiful, sweet but yet powerful voices that i have heard lately. they are excellent writers, with touching, meaningful and thought prevoking lyrics with beautiful melodies. in other words, they do it all and they do it well. very well.

i got a chance to spend quite a bit of time just chatting about music, people, politics and nothing in particular with them before the show and they are truly generous, nice people, funny and insightful and lovers of music, each other and what they do. as wonderful people as they are artists. which always makes finding and supporting performers like this so much more enjoyable and rewarding.

find out more about them @ http://www.ellerymusic.com

OtR tomorrow night in new harmony. :)

alejandro escovedo @ headliner's/louisville (06.11.2008)

2008-06-12T22:31:00.018-04:00

one of these days i have to play catch up, it's been too long.

but on to "now"...

my god, what an incredible show. hands down the best live performance that i have seen this year. alejandro's band consisting of: alejandro escovedo - guitar & vocals, david pulkingham - guitar, hector munoz -drums (his drummer of 23 years), brian standefer - cello, josh gravelin - bass and carrie rodriguez - violin & backing vocals generates a power that must be heard to be believed. remember the phrase "wall of sound" that was associated w/phil spector in the 60's...well, this is an updated, unabashed, incredible loud and live "wall of sound." all of the basics of hardcore rock and roll, two guitars, bass & drums, supplemented by an amazing cello player and the incomparable "special guest," carrie rodriguez on violin.

tonight was the first night of his tour w/james mcmurtry (who performed a painfully long hour & thirty minute opening set) after opening 3 shows for dave matthews (and as alejandro said, "having the honor of being ignored by 17,000 people per night"). he fully took advantage and enjoyed playing for his audience, a crowd there to see him. and carrie, dove in head first and rocked her fine little ass off, she was a great compliment/addition to this group of players.

most of the songs played tonight were from his new record, "real animal" (due out june 24th & recorded in lexington, ky) which he sold (and i bought) early tonight for the first time tonight + a several of his standards thrown in. one of the highlights was the title song "real animal" which he wrote about iggy pop and who he damn near channeled during the performance of the song. an amazing perfomance. he opened with "put you down" to set the pace and closed out the show with a rocking cover of the stones "beast of burden," during the "pretty, pretty, pretty girls" chant he invited two girls out of the audience that were dancing in front of the stage to join him on stage for the duration. and he enjoyed having them up there. a lot, it seemed.

what a show. go see this man play live. you will not be disappointed.

ben sollee opened the evening and played a beautiful 30 minute solo set. i was standing next to carrie rodriguez who came out to watch ben play and she replied "WOW!" and hooted, whistled, screamed and applauded loudly after each song ben played. pretty high praise from an amazing talent in her own right.

mcmurtry wasn't "bad," just your basic alt-country power trio, after about the third 6-7 minute song that was virtually indistinguishable from the one before or after it, i was ready to move on, unfortunately james wasn't. it would have been a perfect night if it had just been ben followed by alejandro.

but even he and his "set that wouldn't end" couldn't dim the light that was alejandro tonight...

some pics from ben's opening set.

is he crazy or just an out and out liar...

2008-05-18T14:22:00.001-04:00

"straight talk express" my ass...

you decide. oh yeah...OBAMA 2008!

canal street tavern

2008-04-24T20:23:00.002-04:00

kathleen edwards - headliner's/louisville (04.17.2008)

2008-04-20T19:14:00.021-04:00

first, kathleen edwards rocks. absolutely no debate or question about it. she rocks. for those not familiar with her, she's one of those little girls (maybe 5'-5'2" & 100-110 lbs) with a big voice and she can drink and cuss (and rock) harder than any man (or woman) twice her size. she is currently touring in support of her (excellent) new record, "asking for flowers" and played headliner's on thursday night, which was a perfect (yet unfortunately, underattended) venue for her and her band, led by husband colin cripps.

this was the third time that i had seen her and while she was excellent everytime, each show has been better than the one before and last night was no exception. about 5:30am (after her show ended about 12:30 am), louisville experienced a very rare event, a 5.4 scale earthquake, followed by a 4.7 aftershock @ about 11:40am, i joked to a co-worker that kathleen rocked the city so hard that it was still shakin' the next morning.

her set was well balanced from her two previous records, "failer" and "back to me" (still my favorite) and leaning heavily towards stuff from "asking for flowers." while her first two nailed me from the first listen, i was a little disapponted with "asking..." on the first pass, but it has grown on me with each additional listen and now holds up very well to her other work.

she opened the show by telling us..."you’ve got to warm up a little bit before you bust a nut” and moved into the beautiful "mercury" (from "failer"), playing an old and well-worn gibson acoustic. we were also treated to her on electric and fiddle/violin, her band was tight and had a great time playing with her/for us. we also got the back story behind "i make the dough, you get the glory" (great one/marty mcsorley) and the live debut of "oh canada."

one of the funniest moments of the night was her telling us after the first couple of songs, "i love playing louisville, this is my beverage mecca" then she bent over, picked up her glass, which we later found out contained woodford reserve and held it up to the audience and said "i'm no diva, but it's great that you don't have to explain what 'bourbon is' in your rider when you play here" to huge applause. then she asked "which way is woodford county?" someone pointed towards the back of the stage and she turned around, took a sip, bowed and blew a kiss in that direction. later in the show, while playing very hard and pacing the stage, she accidentially kicked over her glass of woodford and told us, "oh no! i spilled my bourbon...GOOD NIGHT!" (it was quickly replaced with a smile from a fan up front).

kathleen, like most music that i seem to enjoy, doesn't really fit neatly into any "genre"... not pop, not rock, not alt-country, she's like if you threw them all into a bag, shook it up hard and let it go. and it works. beautifully.

i was able to snag a setlist and she signed it and a couple of pics for me after the show. as she was previously, she was very sweet and personable, thanking me (and everyone else) for coming out and supporting her and her music, such a sweetheart.

i've said often, if you get a chance to see this girl play live. GO! trust me, you will not regret it.

Cat Power - Song for Bobby...

2008-04-14T18:53:00.002-04:00

god, i just love this woman...

Reach a hand to the crescent moon...

2008-04-07T21:37:00.002-04:00

Reach a hand to the crescent moon
grab hold of the hollow
If she sits in the palm of the left
that moon will be fuller tomorrow
If she sits in the palm of the right
that moon is on the wane
and the love of the one who shares your bed
will be doing just the same

Won't you come with me', she said,
there's plenty of room in my iron bed
You're looking cold and tired
and more than a little human
I know I'm not part of the life you had planned,
but I think once your body feels my hand
your mind will change
and your heart will lose its pain'

Out among the fields gently hipped
beneath the corn,
Assiniboine bones beneath the highway
he stood there and he thought of home
A finger traces the path of a satellite
You're drawn to a distant copse of trees
A voice as sweet as Mare's Tail
clings to the prairie breeze

Won't you come with me', she said,
there's plenty of room in my iron bed
You're looking cold and tired
and more than a little human
I know I'm not part of the life you had planned,
but I think once your body feels my hand
your mind will change
and your heart will lose its pain'

Do I reach for you
when I know you're on the wane?
Do I sense you when I know you're not around?
Do I search for you
when I know you can't be found?
Do I dare to speak your name?

Raise your eyes to a moonless sky
and try to wish upon a rising star
Search all you want for her blessing
but you won't find her sparkling there
Now cast your eyes to a part of the sky
where nothing but darkness unfolds
and watch as all around you
she reveals the brilliance of secrets untold

Won't you come with me, she said,
there's plenty of room in my iron bed
You're looking cold and tired
and more than a little human
I know I'm not part of the life you had planned,
but I think once your body feels my hand
your mind will change
and your heart will lose its pain

(Mike Timmins)

april 4th - 40 years ago...

2008-04-04T23:51:00.004-04:00

Abraham, Martin and John
Recorded by "Dion"
Words and Music by Richard Holler

Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
You know, I just looked around and he's gone.

Anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked around and he's gone.

Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked 'round and he's gone.

Didn't you love the things that they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free
Some day soon, and it's a-gonna be one day ...

Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walk up over the hill,
With Abraham, Martin and John.

---------------------------------------------------------

a sad memory of a sad day. it's one of those things that i remember like it was yesterday, hearing the news over the radio while riding in the car with my mother (today is her also birthday), hearing the news and her saying simply saying, "oh my god."

i was 12 at the time of his death and growing up in atlanta, i knew of him and what he stood for but i don't think i had any clue of his worldly (or even national) significance at the time of his death, but i knew something major, something horrible, something big had just happened from her reaction.

the world lost a great man, a great leader and part of our conscience and a piece of our soul on that day, it would have been a much better place had he been allowed to stay in it longer.

Cowboy Junkies - Louisville (03.27.2008)

2008-03-28T22:57:00.004-04:00

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

2008-03-25T09:12:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-03-16T14:25:00.003-04:00

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...

2008-03-15T18:38:00.010-04:00

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)

2008-03-12T17:01:00.006-04:00

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"

2008-03-08T14:54:00.018-05:00

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

2008-03-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

freakin' brilliant.

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

2008-03-01T15:32:00.002-05:00

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.

'nuff said...

2008-02-28T10:19:00.002-05:00

vote democrat in november!

Over the Rhine @ The Bomhard Theatre in the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts/Louisville (02.23.2008)

2008-02-25T23:24:00.002-05:00

great show last night in this sold out, beautiful, acoustically sweet, 600 seat theatre within louisville's kentucky center for the performing arts. juicy had the room mixed perfectly and K&L&M&J delivered a beautiful, pretty diverse set including; including kicking off the show w/the surprising and stunning cover of "motherless child," many of the usual choices from TTC + "jesus in new orleans" (linford discussed that the ani tour would be their first return to NO since katrina), "cruel & pretty" followed by, at linford's request, "cast me away" (just K&L), a beautiful "etc whatever" (again, just K&L), "suitcase" and a wailing "b.p.d."

oh, and ben sollee rocked the fucking joint opening. a-damn-mazing set. this kid is a star.

he's opening for kim taylor next saturday night @ the northside tavern in cincinnati, can't wait to see him again.

Cat Power @ The Vic/Chicago - 02.10.2008

2008-02-11T21:14:00.001-05:00

ok, i had two "firsts" yesterday, one of them was hell, the second made hell worthwhile...

the first first, "hell" was driving into and then hanging out in -2 degree weather (-42 w/windchill, the "good" news, it was supposed to be -8 ) in the legitimately named "windy city", the second was the cure for "hell" (and the sole reason for deciding to drive to a frigid chicago in early february for "fun")...spending the evening w/the talented and lovely chan marshall, aka: cat power.

she and the dirty delta blues band came out after a (too long) set by the completely dreadful opener "appaloosa" and played about a 2 hr set culled mostly from "jukebox." the vic is a pretty rundown older theatre in the lincoln park neighborhood of chicago, kind of a nice dive with great sound kind of place.

we chose to sit in the balcony when we figured out that we would be able to score front row up there as opposed to standing with about 1,200-1,300 people downstairs. as i said the audio was great, the audience was great, quiet, and most importantly, respectful and very appreciative. the set was mostly from "jukebox" and a few songs from "the greatest." the band was pretty amazing, w/judah bower and greg forman as standouts on lead guitar and keys respectively. and chan, what can i say, she was brilliant, mesmerizing...perfect. from the voice (i mean "the" voice), to her awkwardly sexy movements/dancing, she performed the majority of the show from the very front of the stage (standing in front of the monitors) making eye contact, smiling and waving at those down front (ok, maybe the balcony wasn't such a good idea ) and the rest of the show she danced, glided, slid, sat, rolled and made full use of the large and open area of the stage. basically, she (they) nailed it, every aspect of the show, nailed. perfect. excellent.

they played for about 1:50 and didn't do an encore but after she walked offstage and came back a couple of seconds later with an armful of tour t-shirts and started throwing them out to the audience, smiling, laughing and playing w/the crowd, nobody really seemed to mind.

i've been a fan of her's for quite a while, since "you are free" and this was the first time i have had the opportunity to experience her live. it will not be the last.

yes we can...

2008-02-03T19:23:00.000-05:00

like him or not, you gotta admit, this is a pretty stirring piece of work...

fwiw, i like him. i wanna be FOR someone this time, not against someone. i like hillary too. unfortunately, due to this crazy assed primary set-up, i'll probably never have to choose between them, other than symbolically. by the time our primary rolls 'round, the decision will have long been made. [EDITED TO ADD: well...maybe not!]

i feel that on many important decisions facing the next president like; iraq, the economy, security, judges, taxes, immigration, the infrastructure of this country (or we continue to blow up and then rebuild highways, bridges, schools and fire stations in iraq while our's crumble here, masters of war indeed) etc., that i would find similar acceptable results from both obama and hillary. but, i do feel strongly that health care and insurance is one of the single biggest issues and potential disasters facing this country and that some sort of health care reform has a greater possibility of getting passed under a clinton administration than any other. she has been a long time very vocal advocate and it is important to me personally.

but, i do love the passion, hope and fire in his voice, i do love that he's inspiring and getting young people involved. very kennedy-esque. i'd love to see them on a ticket together, not saying who'd be "on top," but i think they'd be tough to beat.

february 10th can't get here soon enough...

2008-01-03T19:33:00.000-05:00

february 10th can't get here soon enough...

"could we"

crying, waiting, hoping"

"remember me"

"who knows where the time goes"

"love and communication"

"maybe not"

nah, not excited or anything...

2007: The Year In Review...

2007-12-30T12:54:00.000-05:00

karin bergquist/linford detweiler, taft theatre, cincinnati

karin bergquist, taft theatre, cincinnati

karin bergquist, joe's pub, new york

karin bergquist, fountain square, cincinnati

margo timmins, music mill, indianapolis

carrie rodriguez, the brown theatre. louisville

charlie louvin, the brown theatre, louisville

i was fortunate enough to make it to 40 concerts during 2007. 24 of those evenings were spent with my favorite band (who i saw for my 100th show in annapolis, MD in april) and some of my favorite people, over the rhine. i was also lucky enough to see some true music legends; charlie louvin, jorma kaukonen and david bromberg and some of my favorites; cowboy junkies, tim easton, patty griffin, carrie rodriguez and ryan adams a couple of times. it was a good year.

01/30/2007 - Kim Taylor & The Last Town Chorus @ The Phoenix Hill Tavern, Louisville, KY
03/26/2007 - Jorma Kaukonen & David Bromberg @ Kentucky Theatre, Lexington, KY
04/19/2007 - Patty Griffin @ The Beacon, NYC
04/24/2007 - Carrie Rodriquez/Lucinda Williams @ The Brown Theatre, Louisville, KY
05/29/2007 - Charlie Louvin, Ryan Adams @ The Brown Theatre, Louisville, KY
06/01/2007 - John Butler Trio @ Headliners, Louisville, KY
06/20/2007 - Mieka Pauley @ The Pleasant Perk, Cincinnati, OH
07/11/2007 - Ryan Adams @ The Brown Theatre, Louisville, KY
07/25/2007 - Cowboy Junkies @ The Music Mill, Indianapolis, IN
06/25/2007 - Tim Easton/Carrie Rodriguez @ Jim Porter’s, Louisville, KY
08/15/2007 - Patty Griffin @ The Brown Theatre, Louisville, KY
08/31/2007 - Josh Rouse (w/OtR) @ Coney Island Moonlight Gardens, Cincinnati, OH
09/06/2007 - Alejandro Escovedo @ Headliners, Louisville, KY
09/07/2007 - John Prine @ The Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY
10/01/2007 - Tim Easton/Mark Olson @ St. Francis, Louisville, KY
11/27/2007 – Cowboy Junkies @ 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH

Over the Rhine:
02/02/2007 - WFPK Studio/Live Lunch, Louisville, KY
02/02/2007 – The Dame, Lexington, KY
03/16/2007 - Canal Street Tavern, Dayton, OH
03/17/2007 - Canal Street Tavern, Dayton, OH
04/20/2007 - Ram's Head, Arlington, VA
04/21/2007 - Joe's Pub, New York, NY (7:00PM)
04/21/2007 - Joe’s Pub, New York, NY (10:00 PM)
04/27/2007 - 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH
04/28/2007 - 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH
05/27/2007 - Fountain Square, Cincinnati, OH
06/08/2007 - 3rd and Lindsley, Nashville, TN
08/09/2007 - Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, MI
06/22/2007 - The 930 Listening Room, Louisville, KY
08/30/2007 - Joseph-Beth Bookstore, Cincinnati, OH
08/31/2007 - Coney Island Moonlight Gardens, Cincinnati, OH
09/01/2007 - The Dame, Lexington, KY
09/02/2007 - 3rd and Lindsley, Nashville, TN
10/05/2007 - Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington, IN
10.12/2007 - Kentucky Center for the Arts (WFPK Live Lunch), Louisville, KY
11/17/2007 - Canal Street Tavern, Dayton, OH
12/11/2007 - The Belcourt – Nashville, TN
12/13/2007 - The Music Mill, Indianapolis, IN
12/15/2007 - The Taft, Cincinnati, OH
12/16/2007 - St. Elizabeth’s, Cincinnati, OH

*the new year is starting to shape up well, i've scored tickets to see the #1 on my list of favorites, but yet unseen artists early in '08, cat power @ the vic in chicago in february. one down on my "musy see list for the year, neko to go... plus, i'll also get to see OtR & the junkies at home, in louisville in february and march. not a bad start to the year, three of my favorites, in my hometown, if only ryan and neko would drop by...

also, i've compiled a list of the best music released of 2007 (imho, of course), there was some great stuff put out this year:

The Best:
1) Over the Rhine - "The Trumpet Child"
2) Teddy Thompson - "Up Front and Down Low"
3) Cowboy Junkies - "Trinity Revisited" (w/Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant & Vic Chesnutt)
4) Ryan Adams - "Easy Tiger"
5) Levon Helm - "Dirt Farmer"
6) Over the Rhine - "Live From Nowhere V2"
7) Patty Griffin - "Children Running Through"
8) Johnny Cash - "The Great Lost Performance" (Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ - 1990)
9) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - "Raising Sand"
10) Lucinda Williams - "West"

Honorable mentions:
(in no particular order)
Richard Thompson - "Sweet Warrior"
Feist - "The Reminder"
Bruce Springsteen - "Magic"
Ryan Adams - "Follow the Lights"
*only this far down the list because it's just an EP
Wilco - "Sky Blue Sky"
John Butler Trio - "Grand National"
Cowboy Junkies - "At The End of Paths Taken"
Jorma Kaukonen - "Stars In My Crown"
Swan Dive - "Until"
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - "This Is Somewhere"

hope your year was great, and the next one, even better.

Cat Power - To Be A Good Woman

2007-11-14T23:32:00.000-05:00

Cat Power - Good Woman - Live TM Paris 22.10.2003.dkly`
Uploaded by Superpatri

GOOD DOGS DIE HARD - The Photography of Michael Wilson

2007-11-08T20:53:00.000-05:00

last night i went to an exhibit by photographer michael wilson in cincinnati (actually @ "the york street cafe," a very artist friendly venue in newport, ky). simply stated, michael is a genius, a brilliant yet humble artist. posted below is karin bergquist's recollection of the evening, with words like her's to capture and express the night, any effort i might make would be lame in comparison (scroll down below the photos for karin's thoughts)...

Karin Bergquist & Willow | Norwood, Ohio | July 1998

Muddy Waters' Cabin | Stovall Plantation, Mississippi | April 1996

Karma to Burn | West Virginia | August 1994

Replacements (Paul Westerberg & Tommy Stinson) | Minneapolis, Minnesota | July 1990

Leo Kottke's Guitar | Boulder, Colorado | April 1995

Mt. Calvary Choir Member | Youngstown, Ohio | October, 1993

Emmylou Harris w/ Dogs | Nashville, Tennessee | May 2000

Loudon Wainwright III & Joe Henry | Pasadena, California | February 2007

GOOD DOGS DIE HARD

We spent last night with our friends, celebrating. Michael Wilson is opening a portrait studio and we’re all thinking, Yes. When you are a fan, you want everybody to hear it, to see it, to know it and feel it. I’m talking about that chemical reaction that starts on your skin and seeps through the layers, leeching through the veins soaking into your bones like water into a dry sponge.

If everybody could just see this (feel this, taste this…) life would be so much better all the way around.

We walked up into the third floor of the York St Café to find Michael and Marilyn, his children, sister Donna, and a couple of close friends and family members still scurrying around in preparation for the silent auction of some of Michael’s prints.

The energy in the room was sacred, but not sterile. Holy but not austere. And the hair on my arms prickled to life as we walked around the room drinking in the work of our greatest single musical influence.

Isn’t that something? He’s a photographer by trade. But Linford and I have repeatedly stated that he’s been more influential to us musically than any other single source.

(After all, it was Michael who first played Tom Waits for us.)

I came to realize Michael had chosen an older photo of myself and our beloved Willow, our Weimaraner, for his brochure and as one of the portraits to be voicelessly auctioned off that evening.

Something stirred in me seeing the old girl, so alive, so at work, watching me for her next clue.
Other folks who remembered her commented how her naturally sepia-toned beauty transcended her death thanks in part to Michael’s keen eye.

Beauty in the eye of the beholder, and so on…

I then saw Emmy Lou Harris’s portrait with her dogs, and Bill Frisell and Joe Ely each with theirs. And I know that Michael shares this deep deep love of dogs with us. I’ve seen him with his own. I’ve seen our own formerly abused and extremely man-shy Great Dane, Elroy, whine with gushing affection at the touch of Michael’s gentle hand.

We spend much of our lives trying to wrap our heads around what it is we do – what it is we are supposed to do – what we are called to do. However you want to phrase it, on a good damn day we simply surrender to it, wag our tails and play.

We find that in fact we truly are capable of chasing the Frisbee, and we run, jump and catch it looking surprisingly like Derek Jeter.

We run.

Some days we have to work so hard to be faithful to It especially in it’s most elusive, gray moments, some of those moments lasting for years; and that spiraling transition we call depression. I think about my own crippling self-doubts and the smoke and fog of that blinding deafness. The smoldering depression that lurks around the corner just waiting for one spark of fear to set it off again.

And I’m so thankful that I’m not the only one in the world who has ever felt this.

I am especially thankful that I’m not living there today.

We’re all still learning – which means we ain’t dead yet.
Tail wagging.

Run.
Run.
Run!

With gratitude and admiration,
Karin

PS Stay tuned for more about Michael Wilson’s Portrait Studio or go here now:
http://www.daylightportrait.com

wow, it's been a while...a long while

2007-10-27T22:31:00.000-04:00

i just got a copy of the dvd/cd, "trinity revisited" by cowboy junkies, it will be released next month here in the US (and is currently available in canada and europe). and it is brilliant.

for those unfamiliar w/the project, the junkies went back into "the church of the holy trinity" in toronto the revist their seminal album "the trinity session." they recorded the original album twenty years ago, in one day, with a single microphone hung from the church's ceiling on a budget of a couple of hundred dollars (and almost half of that was spent on pizza) in an historic, empty church in downtown toronto.

the dvd also includes a nice, well-done documentary/retrospective of the recording of the original album. margo tells a great story of her mother saying "your life will never be the same" to them after hearing the recording for the first time. not only was that true for the band, it was true for many others too. this album has been and continues to be a great influence on many musicians, both those up and coming and those yet to come, including one of their guests on this revisit, ryan adams. who imho, is one of the most prolific and talented artists making music today. and one of my personal favorites. on this effort to "revisit" the original (not redo), they went back to the church and invited in some musicians they respected and admired; natalie merchant, vic chesnutt and ryan adams.

from the junkies:

"Trinity Revisited"
The recording of The Trinity Session was a momentous occasion in, not only, our bands life, but also, our individual lives. The day that the album was recorded, we walked out of the church feeling that we had just participated in something that was much greater than the sum of its parts. The subsequent release of the album and the way that it captured the hearts, minds and souls of so many people in so many different ways, and in so many different parts of the world seemed to indicate that something special did happen in the church that day and, lucky for us, we had a tape deck locked in record. The day after the recording our mother happened to be visiting us while we listened to the playback. After listening for a while she turned to us and said, “your lives will never be the same”…and she was right.

In order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that very special day we decided to take the risky move of going back to the Church of the Holy Trinity and seeing what twenty years of experience would bring to those same set of songs. Our goal was not to re-do The Trinity Session, but to re-interpret it. In order to give the project an edge we asked along some artists whose own work and lives were in some way affected by Trinity and whose work has also had an affect on our lives and music. Much like the first time around, we kept rehearsal to a minimum. The idea was to cobble together a loose band sound and to let the church and music take over while the tape was running. Ryan Adams, Vic Chesnutt and Natalie Merchant all showed up keen to participate in our little experiment and once again, the church took over.

We couldn’t have dreamed of a better end result for this project. We were all a little astounded at how good things sounded and how easily it was for the eight of us to meld together as a group. The Lamoureux brothers, Pierre and Francois, did an astounding job at capturing the performance on the fly. The DVD looks and sounds beautiful.

Trinity Revisted is a special document celebrating a special day in our lives. Sometimes its unwise to revisit past glories, but sometimes, that’s just what those glories require…enjoy.

this is truly a beautiful and inspired piece of work, the junkies are consumate musicians, an amazing band playing together, intact for over 20 years. three siblings (margo, mike and pete timmins), a lifelong friend (alan anton) and an "unofficial" member/sideman/multi-instrumentalist (jeff bird), that's been there almost since the beginning. with the junkies, much of the attention and recognition usually is centered around margo and mike, but this recording further supports my belief that there is no better rhythm section in music today than pete and al. they are the backbone, the drive to what's happening front and center.

the decision to bring in some "new blood" on this project seemed to inspire them as a band even more. the guitar work between mike and ryan is incredible, they play off each other beautifully and seeing the smiles, winks and nods between them when one or the other does something truly amazing is pure joy to watch. ryan trading off vocals and harmonizing w/margo on hank williams' "i'm so lonesome i could die," his lead on "200 more miles," a junkies signature song, is perfect, he takes the song and makes it his own (a song they have been playing for 20 years no less), no small feat. a friend told me that he had heard ryan had said that he "didn't need to practice the tune, because i've been playing it all my life." if he didn't say that, he should have, the lyrics just seem written for him to sing and he nails it. just imagine ryan's voice w/these words and the beauty of margo & natalie merchant on harmony and backing vocals. 'nuff said.

200 More Miles
(Michael Timmins)

Atlanta's a distant memory, Montgomery a recent blur
and Tulsa burns on the desert floor like a signal fire.

I got Willie on the radio, a dozen things on my mind
and number one is fleshing out these dreams of mine.

I've got 200 more miles
of rain asphalt and light before I sleep
but there'll be no warm sheets
or welcoming arms to fall into tonight.

In Nashville there is a lighter in a case for all to see
it speaks of dreams and heartaches left unsung.

And in the corner stands a guitar
and lonesome words scrawled in a drunken hand.
I'm traveling paths, travelled hard before
and I'm beginning to understand.

That I've got 200 more miles
of rain asphalt and light before I sleep
but there'll be no warm sheets
or welcoming arms to fall into tonight.

You say that I am crazy, my life wasting on this road
that time will find my dreams - scattered dead and cold.

But ahead there is a light
drawing me to reach an end
and when I reach there, I'll turn back
and you and I can begin again.

I've got 200 more miles
of rain asphalt and light before I sleep
but there'll be no warm sheets
or welcoming arms to fall into tonight.

I've got 200 more miles
of rain asphalt and light before I sleep
but I wouldn't trade all your golden tomorrow's
for one hour of this night.

Atlanta's a distant memory, Montgomery a recent blur
and Tulsa burns on the desert floor - like a signal fire.

and oh. my. god. the extended feedback laced, trippy intro between ryan, mike, jeff (on electric mandolin) and pete (on drums) on (the velvet's) "sweet jane" alone is worth the price of the disc. but you also get ryan tossed in trading verses and harmonizing w/margo as a bonus. damn!

they close it out with a soulful, throbbing "walking after midnight" in a way that patsy cline could never imagine, but probably would enjoy. margo, ryan & natalie taking care of the lyrics, mike and ryan shredding on guitar, jeff on harmonica and pete and alan (on bass), imho the best rhythm section in music today, thumping and driving the beat.

ryan and natalie merchant sit in and become a part of this ensemble and help take what was a classic, damn near perfect piece of music to a completely new level. it's not better, that's just not possible, but it's equally as good, which is one hell of an accomplishment.

if you are a fan of music, and especially a fan of cowboy junkies or ryan adams, this is a MUST SEE/HEAR.

sorry this was so long, fewer words wouldn't seem to do it justice.

you can see a preview (and order) here--->http://cowboyjunkies.com/

i saw john prine last night...

2007-09-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

:-)

I'm on a Roll...4 nights, 4 shows

2007-08-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

and i haven't got a care!

A Classic...

2007-08-25T00:17:00.000-04:00

not much can be said except...watch

Family, Friends & First Birthdays

2007-08-23T22:08:00.000-04:00

last friday, mark (my nephew in law) and i headed down to atlanta for braedon's (my great nephew) first birthday. i had just been down there a couple of weeks earlier so this was another quickie trip, mark and i hit atlanta about 2:00 am saturday morning. tracey and braedon were already there and his party was planned for saturday afternoon.

we, along with family and friends, celebrated his first birthday with a party at my mom & dad's and it was a blast. he was in a great mood, very wound up, having a lot of fun and putting on a little show for everyone. the big fun was that he had his own cake and enjoyed it...a lot, as you can see from the pictures above. he got lot's of great gifts...toys, books, clothes but seemed to enjoy the boxes and wrapping paper far more than any gifts that were inside of them. i gave him a couple of books, "pat the bunny" and "goodnight moon" they were callie and zach's favorites when they were little (and i wanted "clive eats alligators" but it's out of print) and i'm looking forward to sitting down and reading them to him. i have some great memories reading those books and i'm looking forward to more.

it's great how kids bring family and friends together, he's a blessed boy, with a lot of love surrounding him. it was a good weekend.

Patty Griffin @ The Brown Theatre (07.15.2007)

2007-08-22T23:10:00.000-04:00

i went to see patty griffin last wednesday night (07.15) at the lovely brown theatre here in louisville. and as usual, she delivered a beautiful set. she and her band, led by the incredible, yet understated guitarist, doug lancio played a set mostly pulled from her new record, "children running through." the highlights were: "get yourself another fool (the opener, what a way to get a show rolling), poor man's house, long ride home, be careful, (a rocking) no bad news, up to the mountain."

she was in great spirits, very playful and joking around. she also told a quite touching story about playing at the "twice told" on bardstown in her early days (1996) and talked about the former owner, rick told, who passed away a few years ago, mentioning that he was among the first to try to teach her to pronounce "lou-ah-vul" and then dedicated a billy jo shaver song "to rick...wherever you are." i had no idea that she played there early days on or that she played the benefit for him after he passed away ('til scott told me). nice moment...

this was the 6th (i think) time i've seen her and right up there with the best, but she is pretty consistantly amazing. i hope i get the chance to do it again soon.

Such a night...Over the Rhine (w/Dar Williams) @ Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids (08.09.2007)

2007-08-11T16:01:00.000-04:00

somewhere between ft. wayne and grand rapids, i seriously started questioning my sanity for making this trip, what a freakin' haul! but in the end, it turned out to be worth every single second of the long and frustrating time on the road. the venue, the "frederik meijer sculpture gardens & amphitheatre" was amazing, just amazing, the only negative was there just wasn't enough time there. it's nice to see american commerce generate and support such a beautiful public space. and it turned out to be a beautiful, comfortable night with just a few small drops of rain (quite a nice break from the 100-102 weather here) and a nice cool breeze.

while the music is what draws everyone in, the meeting of friends has become an overall and very important part of these concerts. this is truly a communal experience with people coming in from many places gathering and sharing good times and conversations. some old friends, some meeting for the first time. as always, it was great to spend time with sue, kent and alan and to meet and talk to molly, betsy & myron and carrie and brookd.

dar williams opened w/a very nice solo acoustic set, a little under an hour, hit several of my favorites (from "beauty of the rain") and was in great voice and very funny.

OtR did a great hour-fifteen/twenty minute pretty traditional set (it was a co-headline w/a curfew). karin was in top vocal form and all were having a great time. linford looked spiffy in a suit and barefoot, karin explained that he forgot his boots in the hotel and just decided to forgo his shoes in general. the crowd was a nice mix of fans of both acts and subscribers/patrons not familiar with either. but they were polite, quiet and responsive to both dar & OtR, a pleasant surprise for these types of subscriber type shows/venues. there were singles, couples and quite a few famalies with young well behaved kids in attendance, karin and linford both especially seemed to enjoy two little girls (prob 4 or 5 years old) that danced ballet in front of the stage on a few songs, looking down from the stage and smiling at them several times.

the show was prob one of the more all around professionally managed that i have seen in a long time, excellent sound system, worked & tweaked to the max by juicy. mickey and jake were up on risers that added some nice dimension to the stage set and the lighting was really nice (a little tricky for pics when mixed w/the daylight). these guys run a pretty spiffy place. more pics are HERE and the setlist was:

*"trouble" replaced "hush now" as the final song and "i'm on a roll" wasn't played.

yep, a great night...

Cowboy Junkies - December Skies ("Unofficial" Video)

2007-07-30T23:49:00.000-04:00

Cowboy Junkies - Indianapolis (07.25.2007)

2007-07-28T17:20:00.000-04:00

i headed up to indianapolis after work on wednesday to catch a show by "cowboy junkies" at the "music mill," a spiffy, shiny venue in the wealty north indy 'burbs surrounded by strip centers and expensive cars stuck in traffic.

before the show, i met up w/a few friends (cher, seth, sara) and happened to stumble across susan, a very nice woman whom i met a CJ show in cincinnati a couple of years ago. she had just ordered, was enjoying a glass of wine @ "the music mill grill," we reintroduced oursleves to each other and she joined us for dinner and conversation also. a very nice time.

the show was great, started promptly at 8:30 w/no opener (a "good thing"), it was the last night of the tour and the band heads back to toronto after the show. personally, i've always enjoyed shows on the last night of a tour run, they seem to be a little "looser" and bands seem a little more willing to let go and have fun, no need to "save" themselves for future performances. tonight was surely no disappointment, imho, maybe not an "exceptional" CJ show but a very damn good one. the band was tight and margo's voice was amazing as usual and they really seemed to be enjoying themselves. the set (posted above) was heavy on "at the end of paths taken" as was expected and it should be and the new stuff sounded great live.

after the show, i hung around and chatted with friends and got to talk to jeff and pete for a while while as margo worked her way through the line. several of us "regulars" waited 'til last and she seemed happy to see a few recognizable, friendly faces. as always, she was very chatty, friendly and funny. and very happy and relieved to be heading home. she signed the setlist, a couple of pictures and my copy of "XX," as did pete, al and jeff. i mentioned to margo that mike was the only one missing and margo's invite, i went back to the bus, said hello to mike and he signed my book and setlist and talked for a while.

great people, music = great night. here's hoping the make another trip through these parts when the tour resumes this fall.

Mieka Pauley - A Double Dose

2007-07-23T20:22:00.000-04:00

this past weekend i caught two shows by the boston based singer/songwriter mieka pauley. the first show was an intimate little show on friday at kim taylor's coffee shop in cincinnati. it was arranged for a few friends by brian o'donnell, a cincinnati based radio dj for WNKU and all 'round good guy. brian is a great supporter of acts like OtR, kim taylor, ellery, mieka and quality independent music in general. radio could use more people like him.

the show was at "the pleasant perk," kim's coffee shop in cincinnati and the place was packed. mieka delivered a great solo acoustic set, very informal, very nice, she covered some stuff from her previously released cd's, a couple of new songs and a beautiful cover of john prine's "angel from montgomery" during her hour long set.
she is an accomplished writer & guitar player and has a great voice that will hopefully someday be heard by more and get the recognition she deserves.

but, on saturday night...wow. what a difference a night makes. tough crowd, tonight mieka was here in louisville, opening for a local band "north jordan" and this place, "the skybar @ saints" couldn't be more unfriendly to performers like mieka. it is basically a twenty-something "look-a-me, i'm beautiful (and hip and cool too)" bar with a stage. full of plaid shorts and polos w/flipped up collars, i'll guarantee you the guys took as long getting dressed and fluffed as the girls did. a "look a me, i'm beautiful and i'm ordering the right kind of (pick one) beer/shot/martini" (and if you didn't notice that i ordered the right kind of kind beer/shot/martini, i'll tell you, loudly, several times) kind of joint. sure as hell not my kind of joint.

and my god, they were intent on the fact that no matter how loud mieka played, she was not going to interupt their conversations.

if anything, i gained a helluva lot of respect for her, she is a pro. she hung in, did her thing and gave it all she had and never let up, one bit. and she never stopped smiling. by the end of her set, she actually had quite a few people walk up closer to the stage to (try) listen. as i said, i'll give her credit and much respect. she never backed down, in voice or intensity. good for her.

to bad...the rest of those dumbfuck little posers don't have a clue what they missed.

as she sings in "blunt"..."if this guitar wasn't so expensive and i didn't need it night and day | it would make a pretty good blunt object"

for more about mieka:
mieka
mieka's my space

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Louisville

2007-07-12T13:17:00.000-04:00

wow. ryan finally put it all together, acted like a grown up and played one of the best shows i have ever seen in my life last night. it would have to up up in the top ten shows i have ever been to (and i've been to a few). an all acoustic set that went for close to two and a half hours, about an hour forty-five + a forty-five (yep) minute encore with ryan saying after the first song... "go ahead, sit down, we're gonna jam a while and bring some sad shit up in here." and "i'm just gonna sit around and play my music with my friends" and that's what it was like, casual, very relaxed and perfect.

he was in a great mood, laughing, joking, funny and having a great time, plus the audience was excellent, quiet, respectful and appreciative, and not "good for a ryan adams audience," simply a good audience. the set was great, the playing was perfect and his voice was spot on... i honestly don't think they could have done anything to make this a better night of music. perfect, just perfect.

the highlights for me (and there were no "lowlights") were: oh my god, i taught myself to grow old, wildflowers, let it ride, pearls on a string (incredible harmonies), two, dear john, nightbirds, peaceful valley, goodnight hollywood blvd, i see monster. but as i said, the whole show was pretty damned amazing.

the set was great (from RAA, i didn't keep track):
Blue Hotel
Goodnight Rose
Off Broadway
A Kiss Before I Go
This Is it
Let It Ride
Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
Easy Plateau
I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
Beautiful Sorta
Peaceful Valley
Wildflowers
Two
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Pearls On A String
Magnolia Mountain

Encore:
The Sun Also Sets
Blue Sky Blues
Dear John
Nightbirds
Carolina Rain
Goodnight Hollywood Blvd.
I See Monsters
Cold Roses

and afterwards...
i met ryan adams. after the show, i sort of snuck out of a closed exit door (the curtain was pulled) after his show. unknowlingly, it was right next to the stage door, i guess that's why it was closed (hey, it was unlocked and no usher was there). just as i walked out, he walked out of the stage door with a security guard, we almost walked into each other. i said "killer show tonight," he said "thanks." then we walked through the alley, and just talked as we walked. i bought a poster and he was telling me all about the guy that is doing them for him (a different, local theme to each poster, only 200-300 per show). about half way thru the walk, i said "hey, you just laid it all out up there for 2 1/2 hours, i don't wanna bother you, i'll let you go" and he put his arm on my shoulder and said "man...don't be silly. this is what i do. i'm just glad a few people like it." we chatted a little longer as he walked to the bus, which was right by where i parked, he said "hey...thanks for coming, how many times have you seen us?" i said "six now, they have all been great, but this was the best yet." he said "thanks, hope you keep comin' around, i appreciate it."

"I Want You To Be My Love" (the "Unofficial" Video) - Over the Rhine

2007-07-06T15:28:00.001-04:00

no one really knows where this came from and/or who did it, but it's causing quite a bit of stir in the OtR fan community, in a good way. it's been deleted from youtube once, for reasons unknown. apparently, in some way has been created or at a minimum circulated by a guy from portugal.

but regardless, where ever and whomever it came from, it is beautiful, creative, inspired and true to the song. this sums it up best, from karin, "I'm just sobbing...in a good way. wow." and linford, "We think it's wonderful... !!!"

enjoy...

LMAO!

2007-07-05T21:19:00.001-04:00

from imho, the funniest show on TV, "the office"

the fourth of july, 2007 - a nation in distress

2007-07-04T21:08:00.000-04:00

looking at our country on this independence day, our founding fathers are probably rolling over in their graves at what we have become. hundreds of thousands have sacrificed and given their lives over hundreds of years to give us freedom, liberty, justice and honor. and we've allowed a small group of elitist mama's boys and their thugs to steal much of our birthright away in a little over six short years. the work of hundreds of years, thousands of lives, slipping away in six short years. and we sit back and continue to allow it to happen, many justify and excuse it happening in the name of fear, and in the fear of terror. and worst of all, they package and sell it to the masses under the name of "patriotism." afterall... they tell us either "you're with us or you're against us."

yet the leaders of my own country have done more to take away my freedom and that of my fellow citizens than any outside force. our leaders do more to spread fear and terrorize the people of our country and the world than any terrorist. and we sit back and continue to allow it to happen.

we are a divided nation, our worst enemies could not have done a better job dividing us as a people than our own president and vice-presiden have done. creating wedges and scars so deep that they may never heal, all in the name of greed, power and politics. our own leaders have become our worst enemy. and still, we continue to allow it to happen.

with the apathetic, lethargic and selfish state of this country at this point in our history and paris, lindsey, britney and i-phones passing for news and "high crimes and misdemeanors" by our leaders virtually ignored or just blindly accepeted as a fact of life. it's slight-of-hand, simple distraction and deception. we accept (and care more) that paris hilton gets more jail time (and news coverage) for a driving with suspended drivers license than does a man who outed an active CIA agent, from the inside the white house no less, and who's sentence was then commuted by the president. for a crime that earlier he himself labelled as possibly "a treasonous act." and we watch. and we tolerate. and we forget. and we move on. waiting for the next "thing" to happen, and yes, we'll allow it once again.

the only solution (imho) is drastic action, nothing short of the impeachment and removal of office of this president and vice president will help get us back on track. and i'm not holding my breath for that, we're just too distracted, disconnected and lazy as a people to pull it off. people will stand in line for a week to get an i-phone but won't stand in the heat for 2 hours to protest an illegal war. they will blog, text and e-mail about lindsey's rehab stunts or whether britney wore panties out to party last weekend, but won't write their congressman or senator in protest. hell, most probably don't even know their elected representatives name. as someone said, again sadly, it looks like we get what we deserve. or at least what we tolerate. and imho, toleration is acceptance.

and whatever happens, if it should ever happen, cheney must go first. as bad as it is currently, and it is horrific, the worst thing i can imagine is bush's removal from office with cheney as the sitting vice president. talk about catastrophic.

sadly, i think 01.20.09, the day a new president is sworn in, is the best we can hope for, if we make it that long. that or maybe that this democratic congress that will finally grow some balls (and chop off "w" and dick's huge brass ones) and do what they were elected to do. and firmly place him/them in lame duck status until then.

then hopefully, at a minimum, we as a country (or the world) prosecute the fuck out of them for the "high crimes and misdemeanors" that that they have committed against their own citizenry and the citizens of world and they live the rest of their lives in the humiliation and contempt that they so richly deserve.

oh well, that was pretty heavy. and it's a holiday...go drink a beer, shoot your fireworks and celebrate. that is what this holiday is all about, isn't it? but today, on this day we celebrate our freedom, ask yourself, when will we step up as a people? what is it going to take? when will we stand up and say NO, this must stop, we will not allow this to happen in our name any longer?

Nothing Is Innocent
from The Trumpet Child

We’d wake the dead
With voices in our head
We’ve gotten used to ignoring the truth

We close our eyes
And breathe and eat the lies
That tell us we’re so much better than you

Silence is loud
Humility is so proud
Nothing is innocent now

All the king’s men
Will serve scrambled eggs again
When white-washed walls come crashing down

We’ll blink and nod
And say, How odd
And wonder why old friends don’t come around

Silence is loud
Humility is so proud
Nothing is innocent now

The acid rain
We fear the pain
Will blister and burn the skin

But what is more
The fear we bore
Will eat us alive from within

Silence is loud
Humility is so proud
Nothing is innocent now

For you and me
In the land of the free
Is anything innocent now?

"a heart needs a home"

2007-06-30T23:48:00.000-04:00

i stumbled across this on "you tube" today. a truly incredible, inspired performance of a beautiful song.

richard and linda thompson - "a heart needs a home"

originally released on the album hokey pokey, released 1975

the saddest songs are the happiest,

2007-06-29T21:11:00.000-04:00

the hardest truths are the easiest, put yourself to the test...

the title and opening line are from an "over the rhine" song ("what i remember most"), but ryan adams sure seems to subscribe to it. i'm not sure what it is about a heartbreakingly sad song, if it's the simple beauty, the honesty, the raw emotion, the guts to just say what & how you feel for the whole world to hear, i have no clue what it is but the great ones do it well. dylan, waits, townes and my favorites, over the rhine and cowboy junkies & ryan adams, they take you some place special with their words and music. there is something in their words, their phrasing, their music. it moves you in a strange way, to a strange place, not to sadness, it's more of a comfort, a peace, they "relate." or to quote OtR once again, it gives you a sense of "yeah, we're gonna be alright." when done properly, there's not much better, ryan adams does it properly. from his first solo effort, the brilliant "heartbreaker" to his lastest "easy tiger" and many times in between, he has mastered it.

at his best, he is one of the top two or three people making music right now, at his worst he is troubled, confused and fucked up. but regardless, whatever he is, you get the sense, for better or worse, that there is an honesty in his music and he's just throwing it all out there, almost like he can't hold it in any longer. you can take it or leave it, he's just tellin' you how it is. i thought this record was pretty damn good at first listen, and it gets better and better every play. this one's gonna stick with me for a while.

callie and zach came over after work, we grilled hamburgers and corn, had "daddy fries"(tm) and a happy birthday cookie to celebrate zach's birthday (last monday). he reached in the 'fridge and grapped a BBC american pale ale to have w/his burger. weird. callie is taking him out with her friends tonight to celebrate. i think he gonna have a helluva headache tomorrow morning.

they left and lilly and i took a long walk and gave "easy tiger" yet another listen.

"Tears of gold, tears of gold promise the rapture and heal the soul
Replacing tears of gold with music and laughter
Tears of gold, tears of gold"
~Tears of Gold | Ryan Adams | Easy Tiger

forever young & getting old(er)

2007-06-25T21:09:00.000-04:00

saturday, i was babystitting for braedon (my 9 month old great-nephew), we were swinging on the porch & playing the game "how big is braedon?" i would say "how big is braedon?" he would then do his part of the game and throw his arms up in the air (like a touchdown) and i would say "so big." then he would smile and laugh really big, then stare at me and wait for me to do it again. and again. and again. it just doesn't seem like it was that long ago that i was sitting there with zach on my lap, playing the same game. man, how time flies...zach turned 21 today.

i guess as a parent, all you can hope for is that you get them here, to this point in life, to "adulthood" with the common sense, the good judgement, the confidence and the tools they need to get the rest of the way on their own. it's their ride from here on out, they know you are always there for them, but it's their life to live. their decisions, their choices. one night you go to bed a child, you wake up the next morning a responsible adult. that is how it works, right?

i feel very lucky, very blessed. i have two great kids, well...great adults...great people. actually, i guess as a parent, that's your goal (and your fears) to get them "here" safe and sound. i am very proud of them both. they made it, we made it. yep, i am very lucky, very blessed.

happy birthday son...

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

over the rhine - live in louisville & "the trumpet child"

2007-06-23T18:35:00.000-04:00

they all four walked onstage smiling & laughing...mickey had karin cracking up over something as simple as the two them snapping their fingers to kick off "fever." the chemistry of this foursome is amazing, fun, lighthearted, it seems that it would be impossible not to enjoy these people "working". but, while it seems to be all in good fun, when they get down to it...they seriously "get down to it." and once again, these people never fail to amaze me, and they did once again tonight, delivering another beautiful, inspired and fun set at the "930 listening room" here in louisville.

the show was pretty close to sold out (my guess, in the 250-275 neighborhood) and it was a great, respectful yet involved and appreciative crowd. i had three "first timers" with me that were just blown away by what they saw and heard and at 108 times into this, i can't say i was much different. i've said before, i don't think i have ever seen them playing like this, so "in to it," so inspired, so good yet so loose and having such a good time just doing what they do. and it is infectious. to everyone. there were a couple of times during "long lost brother" & "b.p.d." that i thought karin might internally combust...or just out and out explode. last night was as good or better than any performance of those two songs that i have ever seen. and it's pretty cool to watch karin, linford, jake and brandon shaking their heads in amazement and smiling ear to ear during mickey's solo on "who'm i kiddin'" knowing that seeing him play, time-after-time, night-after-night, that he still seems to surprise & entertain them too.

last night they were also joined by mickey's wife, molly (molly is the lead singer in "swan dive" and they were also celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary) who joined in on harmony/backing vocals with karin on "and can it be" and "fool" which were the highlights of a great set for me (as was mickey and molly slow dancing during the beginning of the song, almost bringing karin to tears). "and can it be" rivaled some of the performances w/karin and terri from years ago, which were some of my favorite performances of one of my favorite songs.

after helping out at the merch table after the show, where business was brisk, then hanging out with friends and K&L a while, i left the venue to find my rear driver's side tire was flat. brandon and jake saw me in the corner of the lot getting the stuff out of my trunk to change the tire, they came over with karin who noted "we're not leaving 'til we're sure you're ok" and after he had just finished their load out and working his ass aff all day long, brandon isisisted on taking the tools away from me, jacking up my car and changing my tire for me.

yes, these people may be great musicians, singers, artists, writers, performers...but, more importantly, they are even better people.

thanks to all for helping and more importantly, for caring, and especially to brandon...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a few officially "leaked" songs from the august 22st release "the trumpet child" are ---> www.shorefire.com/clients/rhine/

carrie last night, OtR tonight

2007-06-22T14:12:00.000-04:00

no time to write...

rambling thoughts & fond memories...

2007-06-18T21:31:00.000-04:00

ok for some reason, while listening to this and walking tonight, i was struck with some vivid memories. good ones. great ones.

when i was younger, there was a pretty tight knit group of us, 4 or 5 guys. we all lived in the same neighborhood, varied in age over 2 or 3 years and did most everything together for several years. one of the guys name was mike vismore, and he lived just around the corner from me. mike had a sister named maria, she was a couple of years older than me (and i was a year older than mike), she was hot, she sunbathed in the back yard and i'm not sure if it was the first summer that she did it or if was the first time we "noticed," but i do remember we hung out at mike's house a lot that summer. he also had a brother named tim, who was 5 years older than me.

ok... i digress, the "flashback," tonight i remembered like it was yesterday, walking into mike's house one afternoon, his mother was still at work and tim was playing this record. loud. we heard it and were pretty much blown away, it was released in july of '68, so i would have been 12 or so. i asked tim about the record and he invited us into his room to listen, he was burning insense, his room had posters all over, etc. it was pretty cool to us and he played it through for us from start to finish. he told us about "the band" the dylan connection, etc. he was very into music and as i said, he was older, a senior in high school, had grown his hair long, yep...a budding hippie. he thought it was very cool that we were interested in and liked this music and as he bought new stuff, he always went out of his way to play it for us or let mike take it into his room so we could listen to it. i heard the allman brothers, traffic, cream and i'm sure many others for the first time in that house. and i remember mountain's "mississippi queen" being played so loud one day that the next door neighbor called the police. tim also exposed us to "something else" a year or so later that enhanced our love of music, but that's another story better discussed elsewhere. ;=) :=)

this is a great record that led to me learning a lot about music, and in turn, emotion and life. thanks tim, wherever you are.

apparently, it's influenced a couple of others too...
"You hold me just the same way
Levon would play
And The Weight is my favorite song
We’re gonna pull through

Breaking our own rules
We’re gonna pull through

Maybe, sorta, kinda
If I really had to say
Something good is on its way
And we’re gonna pull through"

from: We're Gonna Pull Through | Snow Angels
(Words and Music: Bergquist/Detweiler)

ribeye steaks!

2007-06-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

the kids came over for father's day dinner, i'm eating less and less red meat these days... but screw it, i just scored well on my cholesterol test and it's father's day. so...rib-eye steaks, "daddy-fries," as callie named them when she was young (my special home made thin cut french fries) and corn on the cob from the grill. hush, it's father's day! to me, this is a much better way to spend and celebrate the day than in some restaurant.

it was a great day, i rarely get to have the both in the same place at the same time anymore and it makes it special when that chance comes around. we have to figure out a way for it to happen more often. and i got a great "highlands" t-shirt and some ear x-tacy gift cards too. :=)

the soundtrack for tonight's walk was cat power's "you are free." this record, released in 2003 was the record that i originally discovered the voice of chan marshall (aka: cat power) on. and what a voice i found. after one listen i immediately went out and purchased her back catalog and she is one of the very few artists that i will go out of my way to make a trip to the store to pick up their new releases on street date.

a quote from a review on amazon sums it up pretty well..."'You Are Free' is crafty, melodic, layered, painful, beautiful & inspired. Its' quiet spaces give way to angry lamentations that manage to flow together seamlessly. Anyone who can sing, "turn out the lights, set yourself on fire, say goodnight" & make it sound sexy & like a piece of freedom, deserves attention." and as amazing as this record (and her prior work) is, she has continued to get better and better with each new release, with her latest, "the greatest" being tied for my favorite record released last year (w/neko's "fox confessor bring the flood" & tom wait's "orphans" boxed set, not bad company).

the only voice that moves me, sticks with me more than her's is karin's, and yet they couldn't be more different...

beer, blackjack and girls in short shorts, on the church lawn

2007-06-16T21:50:00.000-04:00

tonight was the annual "st raphael's big picnic," in louisville each catholic parish has an annual fundraising picnic, there is usually one almost every weekend somewhere in town all summer long. they have fish frys, bake sales, cake walks, carnival type games & rides, raffles, beer tents and yes, real live gambling!

st. raphael's is one of the oldest and largest in the city and it's at the end of my street, a very short walk. a couple of years ago, my parent's were here for callie's graduation and the picnic was the same weekend. my dad and i walked up, after a few minutes, he looked a little confused and said "ok, we're sitting here, drinking a beer and playing blackjack in a church parking lot?" i replied, "yep." he said, "this is great!" (trust me, baptist's in the south don't raise money this way).

it is also a huge social event for middle and high school kids in the area (the church also has a middle school and all-girl high school) and the girls show up all dolled up, in their hottest (and shortest) attire strolling the grounds in groups of three or four and the boys look goofy and act like idiots, usually in larger groups. pretty interesting and different ways of trying to get each others attention. i think the girls idea works better.

me, i lost $30 playing blackjack & "beat the dealer" (a pretty cool dice game). oh well, it's for a good cause, right? i consider it a donation, not a loss. ;=)

tonight i listened to a newer release on my walk, since i'm going to see him live this week, i chose tim easton's "ammunition," it was only my second full listen and man, i love this guy's work. he's four albums into his career and not a clunker or disappointment in the bunch. great literal, topical music with a little edge and a little fun thrown in at times. i'm seeing him twice next week (opening for carrie rodriguez), i've seen him once before and he was very impressive live. i'm really looking forward to these two shows, it's rare that i look forward to seeing both acts on a bill equally (ok, i look more forward to "seeing" carrie but you know what i mean).

tim & carrie x 2 and OtR 5 minutes from my house, looking like a good week.

J. P. M. F. Y. F.
tim easton

jesus protect me
jesus protect me
from your followers
not all of them

just the ones that turn love into fear and hatred
and the ones that say they are above me
and the ones that point their fingers down at me
and the ones that judge me when me i am troubled
and they tell me on my street that i am lost
and they tell me on my doorstep that i will burn in hell

jesus protect me
jesus protect me
from your followers

like the ones that only speak from anger
they're screaming from my television
while stealing from the hands that feeds them
and demanding that you are the only way
while spitting in the face of love
with one hand on the bible
and the other in the purse

jesus protect me
jesus protect me
from your followers

like the ones that turn their heads on the dying
and laugh in the face of pain and suffering
they would kill in the name of freedom
or the ones that would manipulate the constitution
and try to make laws of their opinions
while walking shoulder to shoulder with greed and violence
to the ones that would start wars in your name
to the ones that would attack me for this song

i sing, jesus protect me
jesus protect me
from your followers

not all of them
just the ones who turn love into fear and hatred
yes they turn love into fear and hatred

the voice of a generation

2007-06-15T21:45:00.000-04:00

dylan, need i say more? how about dylan & cash?

it's impossible for me to pick a favorite dylan record, my favorite tends to be whichever one i'm listening to at the time. "nashville skyline" tends to be one i listen to a lot. i'm not sure why it sticks with me, but it does.

as trite as it sounds, he (dylan) was, and continues to be the voice of his generation and his relevance today is hard to question. much like johnny cash, a friend and mentor, who he duets with on this record (recorded in 1969), he seems to be making some of the best music of his life in the latter part of it. which is saying a lot.

their duet on "girl from the north country" brought together two of the most distinctive and important voices in american music and gave each of them creditability in different way. with dylan showing respect and admiration for music and musicians that came before him and cash recognizing, respecting and acknowledging where music was heading. it was not a popular decision among his fans or label for him to embrace dylan and his generations anti-war stance and progressive politics, yet he didn't care and did it anyway. he did what he felt. it was also a risk for them both, with dylan veering off towards country music and cash taking a step from traditional country towards folk and popular. and it worked beautifully. but more than anything, there was a true respect, admiration and friendship born. these were true visionaries and risk takers, at a time in their career that neither needed to take a risk. yet they chose to be true to themselves and their music. as they both have (and did) throughout their careers.

while i was aware of him, i didn't really "find" dylan until a few years after this record was released, but once i found him, his words, his thoughts, they never left. they never will, they are a part of who i, and many people my age, are. he, more than anyone else is part of our DNA, part of what defines us and our lives. his voice, conscience, words are what we wanted to say, what we needed to say but couldn't. he speaks, we listen. he was "us." he still is. he always will be.

"Once I had mountains in the palm of my hand,
And rivers that ran through ev'ry day.
I must have been mad,
I never knew what I had,
Until I threw it all away.

Love is all there is, it makes the world go 'round,
Love and only love, it can't be denied.
No matter what you think about it
You just won't be able to do without it.
Take a tip from one who's tried."

this little exercise is bringing back some good memories. :)

it was inevitable, wasn't it?

2007-06-13T21:21:00.000-04:00

inevitable that i thow an OtR selection into this little experiment? first off, i listen to OtR all the time... there is such a depth, breadth and wealth to their music that it still amazes me at times. i just can't believe that there are so many that haven't found it, that don't "get it."

"eve" is a classic, if not brilliant piece of work. from the opening track "happy with myself," to the spare and beautiful closing with the "hidden" track "bothered." as as said early on, one of the biggest drawbacks to "i-poding" is the tendency to listen to "songs" not "albums" and records like this one suffer the most from that bad habit. honestly, there is not one weak track on this record, not a single one. and it seems, the more i listen to it, which i will have to do more often, the better it gets.

it was a beautiful night for a long walk, this weather makes you just wanna stay out and play. my grass is dying from lack of rain (but, i haven't had to mow it in a week! :=) ) and i'm having to water the trees i planted last fall, but man, it's good for a nice, long walk.

and for what it's worth, i received a great report from my recent visit to the cardiologist. he was very happy w/the resuts from my exam and EKG, my cholesterol is at a very healthy 121 (it was approaching 300 about 2 years ago at this time when my heart nearly exploded), he's put off my next stress test for a year and is considering reducing some of my medication.

"i'm happy with myself, i'm happy with myself..."

oh yeah, some jackass apparently snagged my sweet little "lumix" camera and i had to replace it. i've been eying this sweet, sexy little thing for a while and it's as cool as i thought it would be. it's 10.1MP w/a 3-1 schneider zoom lens, spiffy, high tech and easy to use menus. and at about the size and weight of a razr cell phone it's perfect to throw in your pocket. woo-hoo, can't wait to go out and play with it.

dinner and a walk

2007-06-12T23:09:00.000-04:00

after work and a few errands tonight, i met callie for dinner after she got off work. i love it when she calls and asks if i want to meet her for lunch or dinner. it's amazing when i look and her and realize that she is grown, an adult, a woman. but no matter what, whenever i look at her, i still see a little girl, i hope i always will. time passes. too quickly. way too quickly.

the weather lately has been incredible. beautiful. still hot but very low humidity and very pleasant, lilly and i walked a little earlier than usual tonight and a little longer. the music of choice, sticking w/my full album idea, i chose the beatles "abbey road," there has been a lot of talk recently about "sgt pepper," imho not only is it not the "best album ever" it's not even the "best beatles album ever." i'll take "abbey road," "let it be" and "rubber soul" over "pepper" anyday of the week. i have nothing againt pepper, it's damn good, the others are just better.

just as we were turning the corner and heading for home, "golden slumbers," came up, followed by the amazing "carry that weight" and "the end" carried us up to the front door.

when this was released, i was 13 years old. time passes. too quickly. way too quickly.

the world was a better place when these boys were making music for us...

"and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make."

then i sat on the steps as i listened to "her majesty." lilly rolled in the grass. not a bad way to end a day.

OtR @ 3rd & Lindsley/Nashville (05.29.05)

2007-06-09T23:48:00.000-04:00

another great show by "over the rhine" last night, opened by "treva and the suits" which had a very "ellery-ish" kind of sound (and they were very nice) and "swan dive" (fronted by mickey's wife, molly felder and bill demain). i enjoyed both.

as usual, OtR delivered a great set to a sold out, appreciative, hot, sweaty, packed crowd in this funky little "L" shaped club. the setlist was pretty typical of the past few shows with the added highlight of a duet by karin and molly on "fool," damn, it was great to hear this underperformed gem once again and their voices sounded excellent together. hint hint, i hope there is more of this to come in the future.

the lighting was less than spectacular for shooting but it was pretty nice for viewing the show, very "warm." my pics from the show are @: http://picasaweb.google.com/bivester

not the best, not horrible either.

got in @ 4:00 am, i'm gettin' too old for this rock 'n roll lifestyle. but, damn, i enjoy it...

we have all been here before...

2007-06-04T20:38:00.001-04:00

for my generation, an album full of anthems. sadly as relevant today as the day it was released a little over 37 years ago.

"and i feel like i've been here before,
feel like i've been here before
and you know it makes me wonder...what's going on"

on and on...

2007-06-03T21:38:00.000-04:00

Gregg Allman | "Playin' Up A Storm"

(imho) a "modern day" and underated blues masterpiece, this album was a commercial disappointment, hell, i think it was virtually ignored at a time that gregg's career was a bit lost in it's own right.

the allman bros were the first band that i really got into during my teens and high school and they were really the soundtrack for my high school years. i saw them live (luckily w/duane) many, many times. after duane's & barry's death, and being one of, if not "the" biggest band in the country, the band and especially gregg and dickey betts, got a bit lost... both musically and personally. leading to one of many break-up and reformations of the band for a decade or so. this record was recorded during what was the first of many and appeared to be a "permanent" break up of the ABB. this was gregg's first real "post allman" solo effort, his life and career were a mess, he was in the middle of his "on again, off again" marriage to cher, his brother had recently died, if there was an illegal substance available, he was addicted to it, he was drinking heavily, he had just escaped serious jail time costing him most of his friends and business associate and his band had just broken up. good time to move to LA i guess.

ever heard the saying "you gotta live the blues to sing the blues?" the mess that was his life resulted into a modern day blues classic. sadly, few bought it and/or ever heard it. gregg at this point in his career was arguably one of the greatest blues singers ever to record. and he was livin' what he was singin'. the pain, loss and sadness in his voice tells the story as much as the words. he had just moved from georgia to LA and replaced his circle of musicians w/LA session players for a very different backing sound that works well for this music. he covers everyone from his own band ("come and go blues") to ray charles ("brightest smile in town") and closes out the record with the soulful, pleading "one more try."

for some reason, this record always stuck with me, not sure why. i was in a very happy long term relationship at the time, life was good. so it wasn't the message or the "blues" theme, maybe it was just because this guy was singin' his heart out, singing what he felt, what he was living. maybe because i had just been a fan of gregg and the ABB for so long, i don't know, again...don't really care.

"you brought me love, ahhhh tender love, that made my whole world glow
then you took it all away, ummm just why i'll never know
i'll soon forget, in time, i'll smile again
but, i can never, never smile as i did then

i had the brightest smile it town, oh yeah...
you took it it baby and you turned it upside down

ohhhh yeah, you took baby and you turned it upside down"

released: 1977

John Butler Trio

2007-06-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

wow!

i went to see these guys play friday night @ headiners here in louisville and was completely blown away (i also lucky enought to see john butler do a pretty incredible short solo set @ ear x-tacy prior to the show). zach and i went, along w/a friend of his and we had a great time. the JBT is really one of those "unclassifiable" bands with roots in rock, jazz, reggae, folk, jam, etc. and they are truly amazing players w/butler on several acoustic guitars & banjo, shannon birchall- upright and elecric bass, michael barker-drums, possibly the most incredibly full sound i have ever heard from a 3 piece band (the police reunion @ $300+ per ticket & these guys @ $15 per show? i say, forget the police rehashing their old stuff & go see JBT 20 times w/the same money). and loud, damn they play loud.

lyrically his music is strong, topical, political and full of "social commentary" (but never "preachy") and perfectly matched with their playing. and my god, these guys love to play for an audience, they feed off of them like sharks, the more the audience gave, the more took and gave back ten fold, 2+ hours after they took the stage the place was in a spent frenzy, exausted, happy and content. as it should be.

their new record, "grand national" hit a couple of weeks ago and is (imho) excellent and was the focus of the set but they also pulled heavily from their (again, imho excellent) previous release "sunrise over sea" for a really great set. it's still early in their tour promoting the new record and the energy was amazing, if they continue to get stronger on the road, well damn, i i can't imagine... if you get a chance to see these guys play, go! seriously...GO!

Van the Man, early on...

2007-05-31T21:02:00.000-04:00

tonight's choice, van morrison's 1968 release, "astral weeks." a trippy, experimental, free form improvisational and sometimes brilliant work. i read once that this album was basically live, with all the musicians in separate rooms, playing what they wanted, what they felt, live. i can believe this. while this isn't (imho) some his strongest work lyrically, his vocals are typically outstanding. much like the music, free form and improvisational. this may not be as outstanding as some of his later work, but his was my intro to van and a nice little flashback.

continuing on my quest...

2007-05-30T21:35:00.000-04:00

well, i'm continuing on my quest to listen to full albums that i have ignored for far too long. but tonight instead listening on my nightly walk with lilly, they helped me get through an afterwork chore of mowing and yardwork.

my first choice of the night was traffic's "john barleycorn must die" (in reality, steve winwood's intended first "solo" album), from the opening notes of the jazz influenced "glad" i was instanty thrown into the "wayback" machine... while mowing the front yard. it's kind of amazing how music, like nothing else, can instantly transport you to a time and place of long ago. to a good place, a good memory, a good "time." this album was originally released just as summer broke after my freshman year of high school. to this day, the song "john barleycorn" holds it's own with anything in my catalog. a good listen. a damn good one. as is the whole record.

next up, a real change in pace, linda ronstadt's 1975 release, the beautiful and underrated "prisoner in disguise." i think this record (along with her "heart like a wheel") helped me rediscover country music, from the beautiful "love is a rose, hey mister..., many rivers to cross, the sweetest gift," to her incredible cover of dolly's "i will always love you" (eat your heart out whitney), her country influences made me take note and want to listen to that music again.

it was interesting and refreshing, in an odd kind of way, that this young, beautiful girl with huge dark, innocent eyes and a powerful, crystal clear voice could sing so sweetly of lost love, of heartache and sadness with so much reality, emotion and beauty. you could tell that she felt it in her soul, in her heart. i think ronstadt possibly never got much of the respect & creditability that she was due since she wasn't a "singer/songwriter" and was just a "cover artist." but, i think few have matched their talents to the music they performed better than she did during this period of her career. and she had a great knowledge, respect and reverence for the songs she chose to sing. going from country to motown to rock, back-to-back, and never missing a beat. all while backed musically by some of the best of the L.A session players available. now i'm feeling the itch to listen to "heart like a wheel"...

yep, music can take you back, maybe where you "want" to be, maybe where you "need" to be, maybe just help "root" you to where you are, to where you came from. i'm not sure why, i'm not sure that i care. i just want to go there for a while. and listen.

i'm kind of diggin' this idea...

ok, finally...

2007-05-29T23:04:00.000-04:00

...i'm going to start using this thing. i don't know how enlightening, how rambling, how "whatever" it's going to be, but...i'm gonna do it. or at least i'm going to try.

tonight, i took a nice, long, late (later than usual) walk with lilly. i consider the "ipod" one of the more significant inventions of my lifetime. as silly as that sounds (and i realize, it does sound silly), but i love music, it gives me so much, and the ipod has completely changed the way i listen to it, made music so much more accessible to me. it goes virtually everywhere with me.

that said, i have recently noticed that it seriously changed my listening habits, for the worse. i have recently realized that rarely listen to complete albums, in sequence anymore. that i have created playlists, or use shuffle and really kind of got away from the "concept" of "the album." and i have been missing that.

ok, back to the walk with lilly, we usually do between 1.5 & 2.5 miles on these walks through my great, old neighborhood (called "the highlands") and i listen to music throughout the walk. tonight, just prior to heading out, i commited (to myself) that i would no longer "shuffle" through these walks, that i would pick an album, one that was significant to me for one reason or another and listen to it in sequence through the walk. it was a good idea.

tonight, my first choice in this little listening adventure was neil young's 1970 masterpiece "after the goldrush"...yep, "there was a band playing in my head..." as i mentioned, by changing my listening habits, i'm really hoping to sort of rekindle a love affair with some of the music that has been important to me for one reason or another, primarily earlier in my life. my "formative" years so to speak. maybe a good memory, maybe not. but an important or significant one nonetheless, something that has too long been to ignored by me for one reason or another. and hopefully, i'll rediscover some of those little gems that are wedged in between the more well known songs that i had forgotten about.

"after the goldrush" was a great choice to start this little adventure off with..."when you dance, do your senses tingle and take a chance..."

more later.