more snow and ice for the holidays

blizzard

We've had a foot and a half of snow here, Madison was specifically mentioned on CNN. I guess we are in the thick of it.

















































Dug a path to the street and cleared the sidewalk this morning.

Just got a call from the boss: tonight's show is cancelled..yay!
Only wish planning had transpired to be snowbound with my sweetie.
Hope we can still have our dinner date tomorrow..

Arboretum

Last Saturday Hannah and I with Tim and Bess hiked our beautiful nature preserve for a nice sunny jaunt around the marsh in our lovely Arboretum here. Ahh, sunshine, fresh air and good company.

and Sunday a return to Cherokee Marsh

H and I visited again for the second time since we've been seeing each other. These hikes in the wilds of Wisconsin are very nice and relaxing, can't get enough.

view:
The Commitments

listen:
Rasputina

A visit with Dr. Evermor / Eleanor & Natural Bridge

It was a very nice weekend to be out and about, temps in the high 60s all weekend. Saturday had to be the bluest sky ever. Hannah and I journeyed out at noon and headed up Hwy 12 to Dr. Evermor's sculpture park
PBS story on the Forevertron and Dr. Tom Evermor
















The pics above are from the net, I neglected to bring my camera.

We lingered until about 4PM, chatting breifly with the Doctor and Eleanor. Then doubled back on Hwy 12 a bit and west on County C to Natural Bridge State Park. It was great to be out in the woods on such a gorgeous day. A nice little hike around the perimeter and a visit to one of the oldest firepits on this continent at the foot of the formation.

H1N1

or some other flavor of virus has laid low my sweetie and I this week. She started coming down with it on Wed and my distress began early Thursday. Particularly sad for dear Hannah as All Hallows Eve is her most favorite and celebrated of holidays. Here's H getting into the spirit of the holiday a week ago.

Seems contradictory tho to refer to it as a Holi-day per-se, being a celebration of darkness and evil hauntings and such. I was reading the Catholics Church's rant the other day warning of too much celebrating with Satan. Now that was scary.
My cohorts are mostly in favor of partying with Beelzebub. Not really in my nature, but who am I to decline a good party. Tho I have passed on the downtown celebration for over 10 years now mainly cuz it used to be more fun in the 80s. All moot point as I recover from this devil bug. Fever broke yesterday (!) and is settling into a simple head cold today. Will call H in a minute and see how she's faring. Hoping she is up to carving a few more pumpkins today. Some of her work at chez Hamer:























listen:
The Mic
WORT

view:
so much dumb broadcast TV
my head could explode

Dilettantes in public and being leaf tourists

Just returned from a very nice trip with Hannah to Prairie du Chien over the weekend. spent most of Saturday at LaRiverre Farm Park for a party put on by the in-laws of our guitarist Sam to play at his wife's family gathering - the Shedivy clan - have gathered nearly every year for 10 years in the Park Barn. Knoshing and music-making friendliness for all who attended. This fine structure for country gathering is situated in a 320 acre park and reserve in western WI.






















An overnight in town and then on Sunday we made the trip across the rivers to Pike's Peak State Park in Iowa for the view of the beautiful valley where the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers join together. The weather was pretty chilly all weekend, but only a minor distraction from the good company, music and leaf tourism. The leaves aren't actually kicking in with color much yet, but that doesn't matter a smidge.


























The greatest pleasure of the weekend was spending nearly 2 full days with Hannah and getting away from our routines and such. This jaunting-about activity is soon to be somewhat diminished by the arrival of fluffy white slippery stuff and even less hospitable temperatures, so the timing of this trip was perfect.

It was a very unique sort of 'gig' - I hesitate to call it that. I believe we played our hastily put together set with competency. My kit sounded great in the room, I could hear everyone too so it wasn't a struggle to be tight. Given the number of little ones about, I held back from the possible heavy hitting I might have preferred, but I also tried to not be overly subtle on our slower quieter numbers. I think it worked out. It was difficult not to show off too much with my sweetie in the front straight ahead of me. Anyway, it was fun to play for those folks and there were some fine performances of folk rock material throughout the day from the Shedivy clan and friends. Did I mention the food? Well, it's worth mentioning that the cooking and presentation of victuals was very well done! Sliced beef, turkey/noodle casserole, pasta & potato salads & assorted snacks were yummy. Skillfully avoided the desert tray which looked very tempting. Anyway, I hope we sang for our supper in an entertaining manner for our gracious hosts.












I'd normally blog about the hotel room here...but don't really feel inclined to give a review in this case. H enjoyed a swim before the pool closed and we both enjoyed the hot tub and huge comfy bed. It was a bit ostentatious for me to have accommodations like that, literally one of the last rooms available in town, due to my late booking. I should know better! My good fairy had a hand in my finding the room that became avail, it had been booked solid with leaf tourist reservations. Happy that we ended up staying over in Prairie du Chien and our little excursion into Iowa Sunday was very nice.

























This was one of those times that the thought "it's good to be home" wasn't the first thing on my mind when coming back to Madison from a trip. But still, it is good. Feeling very rested and centered.

Listen:
Radiolab podcasts
Ladyhawk
Agitpop - Back at the Plain of Jars
Bruford's Earthworks - All Heaven Broke Loose
RTQE

joke

Hannah has given a 'note' about my profile. She feels my statement that I feel 'somewhat uncomfortable referring to myself in the 2nd person' should stated 3rd person. Perhaps a stretch for the intended irony Not funny I guess, so I've corrected it. Being defensive of her calling me out on my poor and lacking usage, which was really a joke I forgot about, it gets me to wonder if my 'sense of humor' is getting thru even 1/2 the time. But I know Hannah 'gets' me, so I should be happy with that, but for this blip. Then Gordon tells this one last night:

So a termite walks into a bar
and says
"where is the bartender"

huh huh

It took Tom about 10 seconds to get that. Who is it then with a dull sense of humor..

listen:
Lowell George
The Mic

post Labor day post

The end of the 2009 summer draws near, but with very nice weather to enjoy. Along with the weather, I've been enjoying spending time with my dear friend Hannah. She seems to like me, despite my quirks and such. Finding myself in good humor much more, when loneliness stops all kinds of doors swing open. HcT is a great woman, and we are enjoying each other's company with movies, dining options (the near east side is rife) and an actual date last Friday. Houses in Motion played & we sat up in the balcony an bobbed heads, both prolly too tired to shake booty with the youngsters.

Replaced my rear bicycle tire in Aug, which was in a bald way. In other DIY mechanical activities, also put brake shoes on the rear - some cretin actually stole them from where I was parked at work. Bike thieves carry metric allen wrenches!

Worth blathering about was the Zappa plays Zappa set in Milwaukee attended 3 weeks ago. It was mind-bending. That Dweezil spawn o' Frank sho can play that geetar. The whole band was fantastic. Inca Roads! Black Page! and many other favorites. A pal is the guitar/sax tech and enabled Joe A. and I to bear witness to this event of true musical greatness. Dined on some Mexican entrees enroute. They were very reasonably priced too, much like the concert - I had a PBR tall boy and a couple soda-corn-syrupy-treats, just to attempt tp pump a lil' survival juice into the wallets of Milwaukee service industry brothers and sisters you understand.

The trio of dilettantery is gearing up for our 1st performing in front of people. In about 3 weeks we'll be proving we can play a reasonably tight and entertaining set. It's thankfully a party environment, no pressure really.

listen:
Ellery Eskelin trio - 1 Great Night...Live
Heartless Bastards - The Mountain
Jumbo's Killercrane - The Slow Decay
Dub Trio - Cool Out and Co-exist
lots of Tom Waits
a little John, Paul, George & Ringo
crickets

read:
David Sedaris - Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim

blue skies

The weather is really great today, for my day off. 80, sunny and no humidity. Just came in from a trip to a neighborhood festival, but the blazing sun did me in. It will certainly be nicer out there once the sun hits the (somewhat distant) treeline and buildings on the Ave facing west.
The Flat Tire taps they were tasty.

Best part of the trip was the exploratory zig-zag along the river front. Last years flooding kinda wiped out the the landscaping along the riverbank, but it's coming back and I see there are a few little trails forming. It's great having greenspace areas near the homestead.

Tonight looks to be a Mother Fools/Mickeys/Marquette triple M trifecta of live performances. Oboy. I'm seriously hoping to not have to plan for another RTQE tomorrow, tentative dinner and social plans await if not.

Patrick and Sam and drummingTom have made a commitment to stop spending as much time playing songs we know and concentrate on jelling our respective contributions into our own music. I have much hope that we will get there, maybe this year.

Also on Tom's playing out agenda is a gig downtown, 1st on a bill of three groupings. The thing is to be a duo with Lachmund and I for about 45" or so. I may completely pull out the stops and become more or less unhinged at this. Just so you know. It's

Saturday, August 8th
Capitol Lakes Grand Hall
333 W. Main, Madison
7PM (note the early time)
●Lachmund and Hamer duo
followed by, not necessarily in this order:
●Hannah Jon Taylor quartet
●JoAnne Pow!ers quartet with guests from Chicago and Philly

I should note that, once again, some of the best music at the place I work has been cover stuff, imagine that. Pete K and the crew were spot on with his group Shakey doing Neil Young's 'Harvest' yesterday. A superfine turnout of friendly patrons and the music of Neil Young played with heart and gusto. Good times! Can't say much for the late show, but I hung in there until bartime.
And then there's The Gomers and that Gomeroke. They make it a show. I have said, 'hey, if the singer sucks, just listen to the band!' and of course 'they can play anything'

Oh the drama at work, will it never subside? 'nuff said
Am I enjoying my day off? Most certainly.

listen:
Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Heartless Bastards - Stairs and Elevators
Thelonius Monk w/John Coltrane
Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones
Bill Monroe

wham wham wham

Tonight's late night club-sitting oeuvre was festooned with steel barrels as percussion. Old school industrial. I should know, about 1991 I was doing this too - blame it on Skinny Puppy...and Jamie Muir in King Crimson 1972. From him came the loops of heavy chain in each hand. Thrash, thrash. Ah, the good old days.

10.5 hours of door and 3+ of clean/setup this morning, that's all I've got.

listen:
(in between sets)
Dub Trio
Heartless Bastards
the bartenders played these, bless 'em
(this morning)
Richard Thompson - Amnesia
Dub Trio haha
(this afternoon)
múm
birds

I like it, I play it?

I've been thinking (overthinking?) about the criteria for my RTQE playlists, with another one coming up this Sun the 5th. Gregory states at the top of each program the description:

A program of electronic, experimental, ethnic, classical and improvised conduct for the discerning survivor of the 20th century

Greg has a mission which I admire, but have trouble fulfilling: to play music that is new and to some degree noteworthy, sometimes regardless of whether it might be something listened to 'recreationally'. Let's just say his degree of having an open mind is something I admire. I mainly play things I listen to purely for their enjoyment. I do try to include some artists I'm not familiar with, who have new releases which dropped in the last 6-9 months. It's all about the 'new' for some listeners, and certainly for the artists/labels who submit their work hoping for airplay.

So when I start to overthink this, which only muddies things up, remember: it's only recordings of music, after all. And everything's new to somebody.

listen:
múm - live 2007
Adrian Belew - Desire Caught by the Tail
Amon Tobin - The Foley Room
Oregon - live 1972

Sunday and gorgeousness

The front came thru WI last night, and now we have beautiful weatha. Yay!
Dispatched the clean and set-up of the club super early, so now I can get a nap in b4 Sam whisks us out to Stoughton and jammage, drumming, cavorting, dogs and nature.

listen:
björk - Voltaic
Richard and Linda Thompson
Dub Trio - New Heavy
Crim - The Power to Believe
Joni Mitchell - Hejira

read:
Nat'l Geo July
NY Times

welcome to Summer

to hell with it, AC in the window NOW.

listen:
XTC - Skylarking

coffee

Alison Jewer taught me how to do a better job of making coffee. I'll share:

Grind your beans of choice, I like Just Coffee Jenny St. Market blend, and more than you think.
The grounds don't like the super-hot boiling water, apparently it 'burns' the grounds.
Boil yer H20, take it off the burner for 10 seconds or so, pour just enough to soak the grounds.
After about a minute, add the rest of the very-hot-but-not-boiling water.
Enjoy yourself a cuppa caffeinated goodness. Trust me, it's smoother and you also get more strength in your decanter from the beans, unless you measured the amount of beans like a sleepy monkey.

listen:
Head Pump final show at Senior Scenester Potluck #Deux (Biff, Hannah Jon Taylor, bassist (whose name I forgot), Brian, Blunt)
the RTQE candidates for tomorrow night

arf, arf

The dog days of summer have arrived. Highs in the 80s and humid. Will I put the AC in the window this year? Not until I can afford the increased kilowatt hours anyway.

Last night's thunderstorm was so loud and bright from the lightning show I couldn't get to sleep. Or it could have been the effect of late afternoon iced coffee from Mother Fools (delicious!) on the way to Sam's for jammage. Steve totally spaced our plan to renew 'movie night' Thursdays and didn't return my call until it was too late to get it going. Thunderstorm in full progress and I had already started in on the chips and salsa for our snacking. Had a good chat anyway, much more civil than our exchanges at the bar where we are usually 1/2 in the bag, wore down and ready to vent frustration. Yesterday was a 'dry' day for me, in an ongoing struggle to stay out of the pit of alcoholism. I dance on the edge and tell myself "you don't really need a drink" often enough to convince my bad self.

This weekend is just jam-packed with exciting plans. Tonight it's Happyoke and The Detroit Cobras at the bar. Tomorrow afternoon Senior Scenester's Reunion Potluck Deux at the bar again. Sunday afternoon jammage in Stoughton and then subbing for Gregory on WORT from 9PM to 11PM. Today I'll whip up some Pasta Salad for Scenester's, begin picking the playlist for RTQE and get ready for another marathon shift 4:30PM to 3AM.

listen:
Heartless Bastards - The Mountain
birdsong (supper's ready!)

Bass drum and trio

Gregory and I had coffee and a nice chat Saturday morning at (the new) Zoma coffeeshop. So nice to have this place open again. GT loaned his new box set of Bill Evans' last sessions and a book by Haruki Murakami. "An aquired taste" says Mr. Taylor. I will find out tomorrow most likely, with the cool and cloudy weekend weather we're having here.

Sam Patrick and I had a fun and rocking practice out in the country this afternoon, despite the less than perfect weather. Overcast and raining a bit.

The view out the door:
Good to be settling in at our Stoughton digs again. Sam hosts our rehearsals in town on Mon and/or Thu where I use his son Mitchell's kit. Today it was nice to have my own full 4 piece set together and back in action after the dead mouse incident:

Bass drum rejuvinated

Got to rock really hard on Beatles numbers (It Won't Be Long, I'll Get You, Come Together..) and we really nailed some others that we play often. Sam continues to challenge me with traditional types of grooves that Tom hasn't had much experience playing. Really good for my chops and great fun to pull beats out of thin air to accompany songs I've not heard (or heard for many years).

listen:
Sat morning
Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation
Richard and Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver
for Sun morning
Heartless Bastards - Stairs and Elevators
Joey Baron - Tongue in Groove
Roger Miller/Maximum Electric Piano - The Big Industry
müm - finally we are no one

in sound and actions

the low accumulates

and the highs disperse all too soon


listen:
Bill Monroe

home, yea

I did dally, then sallied forth thru the rain from the lake of Louis, warm rain. It was ok

RTQE pledge rapping was somewhat successful, after 2 simultaneous calls in the last 20 min.
$160 of the $220 goal.

Dr. Sketchy this afternoon was eye bleedingly boring.

Backtracking further, dispensed with the morning's toil early, back home by 10:30 to be ready for a 1:00 call.

I carved quite a notch in the Isthmus today, that's for certain.

listen:
a small but generous peck of RTQE pledger's voices
Paul Simon, now

read:
more of those Nat'l Geo mags

The memorials are over, or have they just begun?

Friday's Unk Memorial Jam was a success on many levels: strong attendance and I *think* the music was quite good. My portion of the gig followed a set of Gregory assembling something from Jazz records (recorded on that date - naturally) with a trio of Arthur Durkee, Marianne Eggerstrand and I. Then a bit with Jon Arnold, Joanne Pow!ers and I. Some pretty frisky stuff in there, particularly the 2 saxes + Korg noisilator vs. drums portion. The highlight for me was our rendition of the Zelda Hayes Unit composition "Flip Ut!". Dug playing in 6/8 and Artie and I seemed to lock in nicely. I had a 'seeing' into the dusty memory banks of listening to the Zelda crew playing that number at OCayz, which totally got me through it. Zow

Sunday I finished setting up the bar super early and off to Wis Dells on the Greybus at noon after a tasty lunch on the Electric Earth patio. The last real food until Monday night! So Mom and her hubby picked me up there and we were back in 'Boo before Halton arrived. Mother and her loving sons in the same room for the first time in, gosh, 2 years! Took a drive out to Devil's Lake and through neighborhoods not visited in years. Hal was even more shocked than I at all the changes. The thing I noticed on the drive were all the disused rural properties - farm houses with their windows broken out and collapsing barns and outbuildings. The world has moved on. We were never a 'farm family' even though many of our high school chums were and hopefully they went on to some line sustainable in these times. Another observation - it's so nice and quiet and green around the old stomping grounds. When I yearn for home, this is really what I am remembering. The peacefulness of small town and country life. It's pretty sweet. Sunday night I slept for 8 hours for the first time in I don't know how long.

Back to Madison Monday, Memorial Day and a brief meditation/remembering of our war heroes, who gave everything and made the ultimate sacrifice for our once and soon-to-be-again great country. War is a hell I hope and pray you and yours will never know. There are no words to express my gratitude for the bravery and courage of our fallen. Pray for peace.

Monday evening the Sam/Patrick/Tom trio resumed in our country digs now that the weather allows. I proceeded to get kind of trashed, but the playing was pretty good anyway. I hope I'm not fired. Oh wait, you can't fire a volunteer, only ignore them away. I have hope.

Back in the thick of workaday routine, but with some renewed good inner strength to draw on, so it's OK. The weather is a little too cold, blah. A radio show on Sunday to plan and the usual detritus of life to sort through. I have an easy life and take none of it for granted. Repeat and rinse.

listen:
Ladyhawk

read:
a literal STACK of National Geographic mags
the notes I make so I don't forget

good fairy in action

Riding home from the WORT block party, the strap on my bike pannier bounced out and wrapped around the rear sprocket of Mr. Schwinn. Bike - dead stop. Tom - continued forward, over the handlebars! Managed to land on my feet thanks to quick reflexes or ... luck? Nah, it was my good fairy. I am not particularly superstitious by nature. I walk under ladders, black cats cross my path, with no fear of repercussions. But sometimes when I need it most, I sense the presence of some 'other' watching out for my sorry ass. Today that unseen benevolent force interceded and saved my carcass from what might have been major trauma. Sweet.

And it was a beautiful day to be out of doors.

WORT hosted it's 9th annual Block Party today and this was the first one I've attended. Great to see many friends and make a few new. Marilyn Fisher and I had a table set up for the Madison Music Collective. I was primarily there to collect donations for Friends of Uncle Larry. Spread the word also about the Mother Fools event this Friday: an Uncle Larry Memorial Jam. We will make some music out of air with our fully operational flesh and bones and instruments and hope to raise some more money for Unk's kin.

Starting another house sitting stint this week starting tonight for pals who are going to Nashville for 4 days. Happy to help those dear friends out and looking forward to hanging out with the cats, hopefully a little drumming (I can't play my kit at home), and a change of domestic scenery for a few days.

Going to visit my dear mother next week - loooong overdue and happy to have a couple days off to make the trip. Downside to this is missing the Staff Party on Memorial Day, they're going to a Brewers game. Family first. I get enough drunken revelry these days.

Now to download the RTQE broadcast that I slept through and fire off some emails to friends and cohorts.

the show that should have been our anniversary show

The Bellrays! fucking awesome. I loved working the last time they were here and we rocked out last night. The dissapointing turn-out :( warranted a cut for me, so at about 11 I went straight for the Lake Louie Premium. I should say that The Hussy and Knuckel Drager rocked hard too, really solid show. Too bad maybe a little rain scared some away or ?

Another beautiful day and drumming at 5 w/Sam and Pat'k - woot!

Listen:
JJ Johnson/Kai Winding - The Great Kai and JJ

Happy 5th Anniversary

That nightclub I work at, H I G H N O O N S A L O O N
is 5 years old today. My how time does fly. I've only been there
4 1/2 years myself, but it does feel like a special day.

Gots to work for our party, and try to not get too drunk before closing time.
2 shows with 3 bands at 6 and Gomeroke at 9:30-ish. The early show is cheap, although I dunno how many of our 'regulars' will wanna rock at such an early hour. Hopefully many and the Gomers playing late is kind of perfect. Should be fun.

listen:
The Beatles - Revolver, Rubber Soul
Timbuk 3 - 100 Lovers

R.I.P. Unk

Reading the post from Jan. 17 it dawned on me that was the last opportunity I had to play music with the dearly departed Uncle Larry. Unk passed away suddenly on April 25th

obit

I had been lucky to have been in a trio with Unk and Tom Lachmund for 4 years, although we had taken somewhat of a break since last fall. We were called Primordial Soup and played a few gigs over the years at Mother Fools and Zuzu Cafe.

I've learned so much about Uncle Larry in the last week, he was much loved, no surprise there.
How I regret the times we might have played and enjoyed each others camaraderie since then.
I miss him so much.

Don't wait around to tell those closest to you how much you appreciate them.

Listen:
Heartless Bastards
Fripp - That Which Passes
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

25 random things about me

1) I have one phobia: heights (over 20 ft. or so)

2) I grew up in Baraboo, WI on the south side, basically the bad side of the tracks.

3) My parents were divorced when I was 14 y.o. after 25 years of marriage.

4) I joined the Navy at the tender age of 17 with my best friend at the time. I became a radio operator aboard the ship after some scary times as a deck hand hanging from the yard arms (see #1) with a scraper and a bucket of paint.

5) As a young man I was painfully shy and speaking to a group of people was akin to torture.

6) In High School the only class I excelled in was Art. Straight As, but to this day I still can't draw very well.

7) I was once completely lost in rural Taiwan.

8) I was once completely lost in the woods for about an hour. That day I also learned what 'thicket' actually refers to, in 3 dimensions.

9) When I was in 3rd grade we rented a house for a year next to a Mink 'farm'. Working and playing around those rows of caged minks and one day witnessing the yearly slaughter were the beginning of my animal-loving later life. So my neighbors, they was some cruel motherfuckers and I was secretly relieved when we moved back into town the next year.

10) I consider Madison my adopted home town, as it ever will be.

11) I can tell when it's a full moon.

12) I sometimes imagine myself as blind man or what it would be like to have earlids.

13) Punctuality is very important to me. It is a great indication of character. Waste your own time if you wish, but please don't keep me waiting.

14) I used to have the worst case of hay fever in the summer growing up with uber-ragweed in the fields next to our house. It kept me indoors through much of August and September. My 2+ years in California and maybe the fresh sea air worked it out of my system somehow. I haven't had a bout of hay allergy woe since I was 17.

15) I broke my left arm in 6th grade playing 'battle ball'. 3 fingers on my left hand had their tips crunched at work a few years ago. It's good I'm a righty!

16) I learned to drive at age 35.

17) My favorite color has changed 3 times. As a kid it was yellow, then came blue, now it's gray. You'll know it's changed again if start to use Just for Men.

18) I am red/green colorblind, a condition one in 4 males have to some degree, you might be surprised to learn. The degree of my colorblindness is pretty minor, red things on a green background don't 'pop' as they do for most people. So much for my graphic design career. And yes, I can tell what color the stop light is.

19) I dig red hair. My first crush in grade school was a girl with flaming red hair. My first kiss planted on the lips of another redhead.

20) OK, I have TWO phobias. I am not much into the sight of blood. My own doesn't bother me much though. I get over it a little having to dress cuts for folks at work. I just worry that if someone gets their belly sliced open, I won't be of much use.

21) Sometimes I have extraordinary luck and am conviced that unseen angels intervene on my behalf when I need it the most. When I have bad luck, the angels are sleeping.

22) My favorite condiment is salsa, followed closely by mustard.

23) I disike hard drugs, after some trial and error many years ago led to the conclusion that those drugs and people who use them don't like me much either.

24) I had a comic book collection when I was 12 that would allow me to retire comfortably if it magically appeared now 40 years later. I was such a little geek boy - stamp collecting, butterflies (a killing jar -arggh), cowboys and indians, playing army with a realistic 'arsenal' that included a shoulder-holster, OK I'll stop now.

25) I can't dance, but sometimes I don't let that stop me.

listen:
The Beatles Anthology disk 3
T-Bone Burnette
Latin Playboys

It's tax time and 3 rehearsals this week in between shifts. Not going out on nights off, as much as I'd like to. Starting to assemble the gig rig for SPARK and get my ducks in a row.

Enjoying a 6er of New Glarus Organic. It's great local brew and a welcome addition to the growing number of Organic choices. It's the only Organic item at the neighborhood convenience store, that's for certain.

listen:
john abercrombie - live at merlyn's
xtc - english settlement
david byrne & brian eno - everything that happens will happen today

American

I live in the United States of America. Maybe you do too? There are two continents in our half of the globe (OK, there's Antarctica and a sliver of Asia..) being North America and South America, last time I looked at a map. So, why do we call ourselves 'Americans' when referring to being citizens of the USA? This vexing nomenclature has troubled me for many years. My guess is that we feel we are so bad-ass, the naming reflects the 'tude that the rest of 'America' doesn't really count. Also, that it's just convenience to claim that title. We are all about convenience. We are also all about asserting our superiority. It seems like 'American' has become sort of a dirty word in the world at large (subject to change!), I'm ready to be done with the usage. That's convenient for me, eh? But there's another reason I'm gonna try to purge this word from my vocabulary:

There is a long-lived 'superstore' in Madison called American. I would hazard a guess that the majority of the goods sold are imported from other countries where they are manufactured, across the ocean. Yet it's AMERICAN. Their TV ads end each little rant about the big savings with "at A-MER-I-CAN" uttered with the melodic inflection of voice one might use to describe a puppy dog or your new sweetheart.


OK, now that my reactionary rant is out of the way...
The gig last Saturday with db and friends went very well. Union Cab delivered Tom and lil' drum kit to Mother Fools with ease and right on time. The evening's performances, they were charming and delightful.
It's weird to sit in the audience for 1 1/2 hours and all relaxed and shit and then get up there!
Duet of db and Kathleen Baird was mind-blowingly great and surreal. Rafi Boehm made a nice addition to db's thing with his superb conga rhythms. Wilhelmina Baker and db thought their performance art portion was off the mark, but I enjoyed it immensely. 2 great creative minds and bodies pouring it out in a way that could probably only have happened there at MF.
db and I locked in to some nice vibes and people seemed to enjoy it. It is so strange to be in a storefront type window of a busy street and keep focused. Moments of 'letting go' and connecting with me bro. The feeling returns.

Monday was another fine jam with Sam and Patrick. We are firing on all cylinders and seem to be developing a group personality. There was one new thing that was so exciting that I cajoled Sam into setting up the recorder and capturing it for further work. It ended differently, but I was clear to say that I liked the shape of v1 as much.

At work last night- the ongoing deep freeze of my toes and trying to keep a positive attitude, not play the role of 'cynical old hipster'.
People having a good time, despite the cold and economy being hosed.
#3 on the 4 band bill Marionette Men sang the line "Rock and Roll is a dead end job". Man, no shit. Glad to be having many 'irons in the fire'. I do have 2 sticks to rub together. Are we all tired of saying things could be worse?

listen:
Arve Henriksen - Cartography
Taylor/Hamer (for reference)

view:
Hank III and Hellbilly Assjack boot DVD
(have worked 2 shows when they played but never got to watch and listen for more than a second)

read:
TapeOp
Thomas Pynchon (1085pp! I'll be living in this one for awhile)

the weekend for somebody

The trio of honking sax/clarinets and swooping fretless bass and I have nixed yet another practice this afternoon. I couldn't be happier about that. After cleaning a particularly grubby night club this AM (for S who owes me big time) Tom could use some inactivity for a little while. It also presents the dilema of how the tiny drum set is getting to Mother Fools this afternoon. I may see how dorky it will seem to be sitting on the Metro bus with an 18" bass drum in my lap.

Pal Gregory has been gastro-intestinally disabled out in Anaheim this week. Wishing him a speedy recovery although I believe he is up and about as I write. Will be doing the Tom version of RTQE Sun night in his stead and it's looking like his walks might need some attention later.

This gives me an idea for a performance piece:

play a 45 of "Let it Snow" on a record player and at some point smash it to smithereens with big shovel.

listen:
Peter Gabriel - Shaking the Tree

just cuz it's cruel, doesn't mean it's not true

I guess that means sometimes the truth is better left unspoken?Unless being a callous bastard (or bitch) is your thing. So we protect those we love from truths that could do damage. I think it's also selfish to do this. Maybe what we fear is the damage to the relationship more than a genuine concern for others? What is love..isn't this the eternal cypher ruling mankind?
Our psyche develops it's own mechanisms for hiding truth from ourselves when it's inconvenient, but the truth is still there, much like the bad weather outside my door. Not that I am hiding any truths myself, I'm patiently waiting for the truth to be spoken most of the time. Honesty is the best policy, y'know. And keeping yer yap shut is a virtue to which I aspire as well.

I've been sitting indoors much of this week with the below zero temps and all. My animal inside knows what's best, so I obey. Working with the public, we trade observations of the weather mostly. I hope I'm toughening up a bit, it seems even us Wisconies have alot to gripe about this winter.

Tomorrow, or later today I get to share the stage with good pal db pedersen. I better get to bed so I can dispense with the early tasks and be fresh for the, er, gig.

Looking forward to the book sitting on my bed to wash away all the badness of the day, be still my thumping blood pump and send something else into the dream hopper.

listen:
Paul Simon - Graceland, Rhythm of the Saints
Talvin Singh - ok
Goat Radio - live

read:
Thomas Pynchon - Against the Day

wishing all a happy newest year

and despite the downturns and suffering, there is a sense of hope and dare I say *faith* floating about. in my orbits anyway. I seem to vacilate betwixt KNOWING the big change in washington is going to pull us all back up, and knowing that these things take time and ALSO KNOWING that the road immediately ahead is going to suck. that said, please join me in some idealism and BELIEVE that 2009 is going to be a much better year for us all.

nose to the grindstone and facing the challenge of getting about in the ice-covered everything today. december turned out to be a snowy snowy month, breaking all records. January is usually cold as a female black magic practioner's mamary gland, but here's hoping for a break from shovelling!

been strategising for upcoming gigs and keeping the chops going. The trio of congealing virtuosity is helping so much. we didn't get together on new year's day as I'd hoped. mon will be a return to form.

broke a cardinal rule: to not depend on borrowed stuff for gigs, again. this sweet lil snare drum with a new head kicks so much ass that I'm a spoiled drum monkey now. thanks B!! the spirit of siggi b pervades it's wood and heavy-duty hardware.

I am so thankful to have a job, that I can do, and we get to rock out sometimes. that's always in the mix somewhere. the various elements of the mix is not to everyone's liking, so I hear. that's just tough. and will pass, like everything.

Always lotsa amazing recordings to listen to. Gets me through a fallow period of no inpiring performances happening. I, for one, do not recommend touring thru these hinterlands this time of year.


listen:
Steve Jansen - Slope
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (1997)
Hank Jones (with Billy Higgins!) - Oracle


read:
Dustin Long - Icelander