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

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...

:-)

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

and i haven't got a care!

A Classic...

not much can be said except...watch

Family, Friends & First Birthdays

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)

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)

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)

Cowboy Junkies - Indianapolis (07.25.2007)

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

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

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

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!

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

the fourth of july, 2007 - a nation in distress

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"

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,

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)

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"

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...

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

carrie last night, OtR tonight

no time to write...

rambling thoughts & fond memories...

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)