There’s music in my memories…

He told me something very wonderful.  I cried.  I knew at that moment, it would be one of the happiest moments of my life.  And then I noticed the song on the radio.  Now, I love Rod Stewart’s Maggie May as much as the next person, but I can honestly say, when I realized it would forever be aural wallpaper during one of my greatest memories, I was a bit disappointed.  I guess its funny now. (And to be honest, I immediately knew I would write this post, but when I sat down to write it, for a brief moment, I couldn’t remember if it was Maggie May or Tonight’s the Night, so how bad could it be?)

 It could be worse.  It could have “a-zig-a-zig-ahhhh” in it!

Does everyone remember what song was playing in most of their memories? 

Sugarland - Stay

This video is so stark and emotional.  It almost made me cry!  Its like Sinead O’Conner’s Nothing Compares 2u video.  I like it though.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yIyxkZod2cM

 (I can’t embed it, its from the record label.)

Superdrag at Barley’s (tonight and tomorrow)

So, who is going and what night?

Bad pictures from a good night!

Billy Joe Shaver!

I’m really looking forward to seeing Billy Joe Shaver tonight at the Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson.  We went to see Todd Snider there earlier in the year and I really really like the venue.  Its completely covered, so if it does rain, we’re still safe and dry!  The sound was great when we saw Todd so I can safely guess it will be good tonight too. 

If you don’t know who Billy Joe Shaver is, here’s a quick spotlight from Matthew Everett in this week’s Metro Pulse:

In 1973, Waylon Jennings recorded Honky Tonk Heroes, a full album of songs by Billy Joe Shaver. The Texas-born Shaver seemed set to break through to bigger success, but he never did make the charts. He kept making music, though, cultivating a harder, Texas-blues edge with his son Eddy on guitar, and albums like Tramp on Your Street, Highway of Life, and the live Unshaven earned him new recognition from country traditionalists and alt-country carpetbaggers alike. But trouble has dogged Shaver’s steps in recent years: his wife and his mother both died in 1999; Eddy died from a drug overdose on New Year’s Eve of 2000; and Shaver suffered a heart attack onstage in 2001. In April, he was charged with assault after shooting a man in the face in a bar in Lorena, Texas. But Everybody’s Brother, Shaver’s new CD of religious songs (he once said, “If you don’t love Jesus, you can go to hell”), is getting good reviews. (Matthew Everett)Billy Joe Shaver with Peter Cooper • Thursday, Oct. 18 • 7:30 p.m. • The Shed (Maryville) • $10

Days Aren’t Long Enough

I’ve been listening to the new Steve Earle CD, Washington Square Serenade, all weekend.  I’m digging it, if for no other reason that its a classic Steve Earle sounding album.  I was particularly drawn to this song.  I’d guess its for obvious reasons.  

Another year has come and gone
Another circle ‘round the sun
Another thousand tears have fallen
I don’t ever count ‘em ‘cause
I’m surrounded by your love 
And days are never long enough

Four more seasons on parade
Show their colors then they fade
But that won’t happen to us, darlin’
We’ll remember how it was
Then begin again because 
Days are never long enough

Time’s never late
Isn’t bound by our fate
Try as we may
Love might never be found if we wait
Until the sun comes up
On another day my love
Days are never long enough

Time’s never late
Isn’t bound by our fate
Try as we may
Love might never be found if we wait
Until the sun comes up
On another day my love
Days are never long enough

Reservations

How can I convince you it’s me I don’t like
When I’ve always been distant
and I’ve always told lies for love

I’m bound by these choices so hard to make
I’m bound by the feeling so easy to fake
None of this is real enough to take me from you

Oh I’ve got reservations
about so many things
but not about you

I know this isn’t what you were wanting me to say
How can I get closer and be further away
From the truth that proves it’s beautiful to lie

I’ve got reservations
about so many things
but not about you
I’ve reservations
about so many things
but not about you
not about you
not about you
not about you
it’s not about you

Saturday Night at the Bijou

We’ve got 6th (!) row tickets for Scott Miller on Saturday night at the Bijou Theatre. Scott always brings his “A” game, but this is most certainly my favorite place around here to see a concert. Its a solo show, but I hear there’s going to be some special guests. Chris Knight is opening and after seeing him at last year’s Americana conference, I’m on his bandwagon as well. Tickets are still available. What are you waiting for?

Here’s a trailer for his Mule Train thingy he did a few years ago:

Superdrag Reunion!

I just got this in a myspace bulletin!

Please visit www.superdrag.com for all the details.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE RUMORS CAN BE PUT TO REST…
ORIGINAL SUPERDRAG LINE-UP REUNITES FOR SELECT U.S. DATES

Knoxville, TN – Superdrag will be back on tour this Fall, with all four original members. Last seen onstage together more than 8 years ago, the original line-up of John Davis (guitar, vocals), Don Coffey Jr (drums), Brandon Fisher (guitar) and Tom Pappas (bass) have 6 performances scheduled for 2007.

Though Superdrag may be best-known for their 1996 major-label debut Regretfully Yours and the hit single “Sucked Out” that helped launch the band towards international success, the follow-up Head Trip In Every Key, issued in 1998, was widely regarded as the band’s creative peak. Amidst label woes and line-up changes, namely the departures of founding members Pappas and Fisher, the band would issue their third and fourth full-lengths In The Valley Of Dying Stars and Last Call For Vitriol to universal critical accolades, and expand their hard-won fanbase through incessant touring, with the help of bassist Sam Powers and guitarist Mic Harrison. Many of Superdrag’s latter-day fans have never had an opportunity to see the original line-up onstage together…until now!

Tickets will be on sale through (???) beginning July (??) for the following dates:

10.05.07 Nashville, TN City Hall
10.13.07 Chicago, IL Metro
10. 20.07 Knoxville, TN Barley’s Taproom
11.02.07 New York, NY The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza
11.03.07 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
11.08.07 Washington, D.C. 9:30 Club

Superdrag formed in 1993. The band issued 3 acclaimed 7”s and one EP, The Fabulous 8-Track Sound Of Superdrag, before the release of their first proper full-length in 1996. Changin’ Tires On The Road To Ruin, a collection of b-sides, alternate versions and rarities, was released in April 2007.

Sights from ‘Roo

I just can’t describe it all

I went to Bonnaroo. I left on Thursday at about 1PM and I got home late Sunday night/early Monday morning. Other than that, its hard to tell you what happened. I saw a LOT of bands. I saw a LOT of people. I walked a LOT and sweat a LOT. But as I was discussing with a friend, you just can’t explain it. I know I can’t.

In no order, here are some of the shows I saw some or all of:

• The Black Angels
• The Little Ones
• Mute Math
• The National
• Rodrigo y Gabriela
• Smokin’ Dave and the Premo Dopes
• The Richard Thompson Band
• Tortoise
• Gillian Welch
• Dierks Bentley
• The Roots
• Lily Allen
• Angel and the Love Mongers
• Tool
• The String Cheese Incident w/ Keller Williams
• Regina Spektor
• Manchester Orchestra
• Ziggy Marley
• The Hold Steady
• North Mississippi Allstars
• The Biscuit Burners
• Franz Ferdinand
• Ween
• The Police
• The Flaming Lips
• Mavis Staples
• David Bromberg and Angel Band
• T Bone Burnett
• Charlie Louvin
• Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys
• Wilco
• The White Stripes

The thing is this. Bonnaroo is about so much more than the music. Its the atmosphere. Its the people. Its the conversations you have with strangers. Its the things you see that you don’t see anywhere else. Its the feeling you get from being a part of something great. Its such an amazing thing that the amazing and wonderful music that you have an opportunity to see, actually becomes secondary to the experience of being there.

Getting Ready - A Picture Post

Check. Check.

Check.

Check.

Check. Check.

Check.

Check.

Check. Check.

Check.

Check.

Not checked.

Not checked.

Not checked.

I had a fun-filled entertainment consuming weekend. #1

On Friday I went to the World Grotto to see Tim Easton, of whom I am a long-time fan, and Carrie Rodriguez, who tops my significant other’s *cheat list. A group of us had planned to go, mainly a couple of B’s friends (who fought over Carrie’s affection the entire week prior) and us, but none of them were very interested in Tim Easton’s set, and, of course, that was the one I was anticipating.

As soon as Tim started, though, they were enthralled. It was just him with harmonica and guitar. It was such a phenomenal show After being frustrated by uninterested VERY-talkative (oddly enough seemingly all lesbian) attendees, he asked for requests and promptly played my favorite song (YAY!), Rewind, off his first album. His stage presence combined with the audience actually having requests finally caught the ear of the talkers and provided a few uninterrupted beautiful songs before his set was over!

I was less familiar with Carrie Rodriguez’s stuff, but she is a super-talented fiddle player with evidently a huge lesbian following. (The guys credited it to her opening for Lucinda Williams a few months ago, but I’ve never noticed an sexuality-unbalanced audience at a Lucinda Williams show. Of course, I probably wouldn’t have noticed this time had they all not been screaming to talk OVER Tim Easton’s set.) I had seen her a few years ago when she performed with Chip Taylor, of Wild Thing and Angel of the Morning, fame. They made a few duet albums and now she’s got a solo album out. She really was outstanding. Towards the end of her set a couple of the guys from The Greencards, who had played the Bijou earlier that night, joined her on-stage for a few songs. When Tim Easton came back out they all joined in and played my other fave of his Don’t Walk Alone. (You can hear it here, with a weird Dr. Who video?!?) The sound was great, the music was great, and the company was great. Gotta love it when a plan comes together.








*It’s a joke, people.

My Cousin, Bachar, is in a band!

Yup. And I knew it, but I didn’t really know about them. I mean, when you find out that your favorite cousin is a lead singer, it automatically makes you a fan of the band. Even before you hear ‘em. But they really are good. They’re called the Poisonville Rats. They are kinda punkabilly. I haven’t heard them live yet (they don’t have enough music for a show yet) but the CD is good. They’re big buddies with the Tennessee Rounders and I love seeing them live. Fun show! So I’m excited to think that sometime soon, I can go check out the Rounders and my beautiful cuz opening! Yay!

Check ‘em out here.

I’m going to Bonnaroo!

I’m getting pretty stoked about it too. I’ve never been. I can’t actually believe that! My favorite thing in the world is going to a music festival. Camping and live music is just me. I love it. It just never worked out that I could go. But this year, I’m there. I’ll be flying a big skull and crossbones flag if you wanna find me!