The last few weeks’ highlights:
Went to Stuttgart after Thanksgiving with Superflux to play the big annual Duck Gumbo. It’s like a large rural frat party/Madis Gras. In its own way, it is awesome. Pictures from last year will help give you an idea. I’ve only just now remembered that I briefly met Anthony, the proprietor of Little Rock Blog. He’ll give you the low down better than I. There’s even a picture of me – I’ve finally made it in there!
Last Thursday Bryan and I went to Nashville for a gig. We thought we might stay a few days but his Nashville-connected buddy couldn’t make it. We stayed with the buddy’s parents, who happen to be the President and First Lady[1] of Belmont University. Now, the idea behind our gig was that we would play the student union cafe joint, and the post-basketball crowd would filter in to pack the place. Turns out we had no sound guy so when the game was over we weren’t playing. As a result we started 30 minutes late and played to a crowd of maybe 20, three of whom were paying attention and specifically there to see us (the aforementioned parents plus my friend, the gloriously talented Shelley Raymond, whose CD you all need to buy right now from CafePress). Getting to finally meet Shelley was really the main reason I wanted to take the gig, which involved using up two vacation days from work.
The next day we stopped by yet another Tower Records Going Out of Business sale. This time I only spent $191. Then we headed west, stopping in Memphis so that I could introduce Bryan to the joys of Midtown, especially Shangri-La Records and Xanadu Music and Books. We also checked out the formerly legendary, now near-dead Strings and Things[2], which went bankrupt early this year, and has since re-opened under different management. This time, though, they have no major contracts, so no Gibsons, Fenders, Marshalls, etc. You can thank Guitar Center’s arrival for that. I had expected Strings and Things to withstand the Internet and Guitar Center onslaught, but they made some unfortunate decisions to expand right when GC arrived. So they’re pretty much toast. Sadness.
All last weekend was spent working on a mix DVD that I’m giving out to some people for Christmas. I also picked up a few dozen classical LP’s at the storefront of the former Anthro-pop (more dead music store booty). Rod left them outside with a FREE RECORDS sign, so I snatched up a hefty sum. I spent most of yesterday listening to nothing but Sviatoslav Richter while converting VHS videos to MPEG, and reading The Real Frank Zappa Book. I never left the house. Good times.
1.) If they don’t call them that, why don’t they? They should.
2.) Web address expired.