Always Remember!

Okay, I think this thing is cooling off, but since Lefty* just did his on Friday, and Dorian posted yet another addition Monday, I don’t think it’s too late for a handful more, although the trend seems to be moving to valentine cards featuring people from movies I haven't seen.

It may have started as a simple paean to the virtues and neverending love of one Ted Grant, but the whole thing has to have taken on a life of its own. Dorian seems committed to keeping the list of new creations up and has put a link to it on his sidebar. Wonder how long it will keep going?

Like some other folks, I’ve found that once you start doing these, it’s hard to stop. Characters kept popping into my head and I just HAD to come up with something for them. I’ve resisted putting anything else up, but I think I need to get it all out of my system, once and for all.

Reading what others come up with has been a real trip. Like Mike, I’ve been impressed with the range of creativity, coupled with the feeling of both homage and biting wit that’s on display in so many of them. And, hey, it pulled me back to my blog this year!

Anyway, I did my first one because I felt there weren’t enough non-mainstream characters being used. I kind of continued in that spirit, so this latest creative spurt of mine ended up turning into a romp through some of my favorite (including a few bygone) independent and alternative titles.


So, what else is new? Bitchy is from the late Naughty Bits by Roberta Gregory.

I miss Bone. It was one of a trio of titles that saved me as a comic reader several years ago. (Naughty Bits and Stray Bullets were the others.) Now all these years on, two of them are gone. Sigh! By the way, I am looking for Bone collections to fill out my set. I’m looking for the hardbacks (because I started buying them in hb and have this maddening consistency thing), in black and white (because I just don’t care for the color versions and there’s still that consistency thing to deal with), hopefully second-hand for around 10 or 15 bucks a pop (because I’m cheap). That’s right: I’m a tightwad snob with OCD. You read it here first.

So please try again later, won’t you?

From Eric Shanower’s Age of Bronze. Well, somebody had to up the homo content a little! I actually wanted to use the panel of them kissing, but didn’t want to hunt for the issue. I don’t have the trade that collects that issue yet, but do have the first one, so I was able to find a sort of substitute. That’s the difference between pawing through a long box and going to a bookshelf for you. (What? You think I’m Mike Sterling or something??) Anyway, taken out of context, the expression on Achille’s face gets at what I was going for. Scan is a little warped because I didn’t want to crack the spine of the book, which, of course, would be the advantage to working with the floppies on something like this.

But you all already knew that didn’t you? If not, check out the Dark Horse Little Lulu reprints and see why! This is probably my favorite comic being published right now.

From Carla Speed McNeil’s awesome Finder, which has now retreated to the web to continue the story. And, by the way, I do mean the part about sexy!

Switching to some anime:

Wedding Peach is one of my favorite anime series. Part parody, part rip off, it’s like Sailor Moon on girly-steroids! It’s chock full of all the delirious, over-the-top craziness that I love in magical girls anime. This line is a nod to the excellent fansub from the TechnoGirls. Like Sailor Moon, Peach is prone to making long speeches in the midst of the fight scenes in which she outlines the offenses of the villains and declares her opposition to their evil. On the TG fansubs, these speeches always ended with something like, “and I, Wedding Peach, am severely perturbed at this.” (Click the link above and scroll about halfway down for a more in depth explanation of this.) Then she would attack. Needless to say, I loved it. I haven’t had a chance to get the WP commercial US releases, so I don’t know if that aspect was preserved or not, but when I started thinking about creating little graphics that start “CHARACTER NAME is doing or feeling something,” well, it didn’t take long for Momoko and crew to leap to mind.

And speaking of Sailor Moon. And fight speeches. And catchphrases. The first US dub release used the “I will punish you” line more than the original Japanese version did (or at least that seems to be the way I recall it), but it certainly works well in this context. And once WP came into the picture (so to speak) it was only a short hop to Sailor Moon herself.

Nuff said! (At least I know Mike agrees with me.)

Okay, so she’s not a comic character. She is, however, the goddess of music, and that’s good enough for me.

And on that note:



It’s been a lot of fun, but it’s time to move on to other blog topics. (hopefully)

*Speaking of Mr. Brown, Mike** was kind enough to provide the link to where his blog is currently residing, until he gets things straightened out. I updated the links in my earlier post to reflect this. Lefty also gives an update in the comments section for that same post and at his log. Roger Green also did excellent work as part of the "Find Lefty" patrol and left notes in various places.

**Did I actually just name-check Mike Sterling four times in one post?

Images copyright their respective holders, of course.

Quick Takes From Last Week

COMICS

Some corners of the comics world are reeling from the news of Seth Fisher's death. I met him once, kind of by accident. For a couple of San Diego con's. I helped out at the NBM booth to pick up some extra spending money. Fisher approached the booth one afternoon to talk with their sales rep about some work. I think he was wanting to see how they decided what books to publish or something. He had a copy of Willworld with hi, which impressed their sales guy. I don't remember a lot of the details of the conversation, because it was business that really didn't concern me. I was just a bystander. Or, maybe, I don't remember much else because I was staring at his chest the whole time. His shirt was unbuttoned about halfway down, providing a great veiw of his chest hair, which had been shaved into the shape of a star! That part, I do remember, quite clearly. (On his site, there's a photo of him with heart-shaped chest hair, so apparently, he was also a chest hair artist as well.)

RIP Seth, you'll be missed.

POLITICS

Factcheck.org has the real story behind the State of the Union address.

Locally, the Courier-Journal had one of the best political cartoons in response to the SOTU.

You just have to know that the name-calling isn't over yet. The Republican idea of bipartisanship seems to be "let's all get together and agree to do what we say." It's only a matter of time before someone gets called an 'obstructionist.'

One of the CJ columnists also had a really touching euology for Coretta Scott King.

(The CJ links will expire at some point, not sure when, as they move their older stuff to their paid search part of their site.)

MUSIC

Nice, if a little breezy, article about a performer I wish would come to Louisville: Candye Kane.

When the Roll is Called Up Yonder

A little while ago, I started working on a blogroll for the sidebar. My goal is for this to evolve into a nice, rambly list of places I like to go on the web, if I can stop visiting them long enough to work on the list. I need to something to the blog template first, though. I really don’t like the way any of this looks any more.

Still, for better or for worse, I’ve started one, which gives me a chance to give some overdue recognition to some folks whose web presence has really meant a lot to me over the past year.

Ramblin’ With Roger (Roger Green)

I want to be Roger when I grow up. I envy his ability to reliably turn out well-written, well-thought posts on a variety of topics. He has a memory for detail and a way of expressing himself that makes his stories come to life. Roger has also reached out to me with sympathy and an occasional kind word in private that have been really helpful in the aftermath of my father’s death.

Plus, he’s got a really cute young ‘un.

Blog This Pal! (Gordon Dymowski)

If I can’t be Roger, then growing up to be Gordon would be just fine too. He’s a real model for posting on a regular, but not necessarily daily, basis but making it count with fun, readable, worthwhile posts. Anyone who can come up with 100 reasons he loves comics is worth reading. There are just too many joyless comics sites around. Having left a job or two without anything lined up, I can appreciate his stories of his hunt for new employment, which has happily come to an end. I’ve also done lots of work for non-profits.

Gordon had some really nice things to say about my Mixed Bag CD, which I’ve never properly acknowledged until now. Thanks, man. You made me blush.

Plus, he lives in St Louis, which means we could potentially get together for coffee next time I visit my brother.

Lefty’s Corner (Chris “Lefty” Brown)

Chris is the man behind the Mixed Bag CD exchanges that brought so much good music into my life this year. I really appreciated being let into the fun and games, despite the irregularity of my blogging. Working on the mix gave me something to concentrate on that was fun and a nice distraction from all the other stuff. I just wish I had been able to do the Halloween Mixed Bag too, but the timing was bad due to the work conference.

I really enjoy the musical posts he makes in his blog, and appreciate it when he talks a little about the challenge of integrating his political beliefs and faith in today’s polarized society. I’ve pretty much given up on organized religion because I wasn’t able to do what he’s attempting to do (or at least I wasn’t able to deal with the inherent frustrations).

Lefty had a really eloquent post a few of weeks ago about the death of childhood dreams. It’s one of the best things I’ve read on the web in ages! He also had an enthusiastic, unashamed comics fanboy moment a while ago that was so warm and sincere that it really made me smile.

Plus, I’m a lefty (handed) too and we gotta stick together. (And, yes, I'm a political lefty too!)

Progressive Ruin (Mike Sterling)

I had a moment of panic over the holidays, when Mike said he was clearing his sidebar of anyone who hadn’t posted in a while. Fortunately, I did manage to have a post in November, which was his cut-off month. I was very nearly freaked out about losing my coveted spot among his links, especially after he said nice things about this blog. Not freaked out enough to sit down right away and, you know, start posting more or something, but I was disturbed enough to think seriously about my lack of posting activity. You gotta start somewhere.

Anyway, should I start slacking again, I figure this post ought to buy me a few more months, especially since I’m name-dropping and all. Hey, it beats trying to do this every day.

Speaking of such, Mike’s another one of those who makes this blog thing seem so effortless. I’m constantly and consistently entertained and amazed at the stuff he can dredge up from a dusty long box of comics.

Plus, he’s another lefty.

Postmodernbarney (Dorian Wright)

I never can remember if the title should be one word or two, but I never miss reading it. Where else can you find the Bat-Buddy and Objectifying Men Week, plus commentary that really makes you think? His take on Brokeback Mountain made me even more eager to check the film out for myself. His general take on gay novels and film, and the whole GLAAD awards deal, laid out some stuff I’ve been thinking for a long time now, but in a much more organized and eloquent fashion.

One the highlights of the summer for me was going to PMB and reading the following:

“Go read Eddie-torial Comments.” Totally made my week. I should have said this before now, but thanks.

Plus, where else can you find the phrase, "gayer than a gay thing that's gay"?

Comics Worth Reading (Johanna Draper Carlson)

She renovated her site not long ago, and I’m still adjusting to the new look. I'm afraid it’s got a few too many boxes for my tastes. Cosmetics aside, though, the content has taken a big step forward (and it was already pretty daman excellent) now that she’s bringing many of her longer reviews from the old CWR site and incorporating them with the kinds of reflections and responses to comics news she does in her blog. I always knew there was a lot of good content in the old site, but didn’t want to take the time to search through everything to find it. This new approach puts everything front and center, especially now, as she reposts items from the old version of the site. (I wish she would note somewhere that the material is a repost, though.)

I think she does her best work when she writes longer pieces, and I have greatly enjoyed reading series overviews like this one for Maison Ikkoku. Another one of her strengths lies in looking at topics other folks aren’t talking about, like this thoughtful piece on pdf review copies.

She covers a broad spectrum of material on her reviews, which I appreciate, since I read a broad spectrum of material. I don’t always agree with her, and I like that. She’s praised stuff I have seriously disliked, but she always does a fine job of explaining what it was she saw in the work. It hasn’t changed my mind, but I appreciate her take on things. On the other hand, she also expresses her dislikes clearly enough that I can tell whether or not I might find something of interest in a comic she didn’t care for. And at times, her negative take on something I like has made me pause long enough to try and express, at least to myself, exactly what it was I saw in the work or exactly where I disagree with her. Maybe one of these days. I’ll get better at putting it into writing.

Like many others, I have made purchases based on her recommendations. Recently, at Half-Price Books, I picked up a couple of manga volumes that she has praised.

Plus, this is the place where I start my blogreading every day. It was through her that I discovered some of the guys above, who in turn led me to some of the others. In other words, this post is all her fault!

Comics Reporter (Tom Spurgeon)

For me, this one fills the void left behind when Journalista ended. Spurgeon doesn’t approach things exactly the way Dirk Deppey did, but I appreciate the wide net he throws in his searches for material. Inevitably, there is a link or a post every day about someone or something that I find really interesting, which I otherwise would have missed, because no one else was covering it. At the same time, he does such an excellent job of distilling and analyzing other topics that are making the rounds that I often read his pieces about topics I would normally have no interest in.

Keith's Spam-Catching Little Blog

And, finally, last, but certainly not least, we have Keith’s Spam-Catching Little Blog. Okay, so that’s not the real title, but that’s essentially what it is and I do believe in truth in advertising.

Some time in 2005, when I did my run down of the top concerts we attended the previous year, he was appalled that I had rated Kris Kristofferson at number 6! I told him that it was a great show, but that I thought there were several that were better, and number six isn’t so bad really, and anyway this is my blog which about my opinion not his, and if he really wanted to disagree with me he was free to do so and could leave me a comment or better yet get his own blog. (Deep breath!) So he did. Get a blog, that is. Where he posted exactly once and then abandoned to the spammers. I have a feeling that if my top show and top CD for 2005 list comes out, and John Prine is not in the top spot on either list, that his blog will pop out of retirement. I’m actually kind of looking forward to it. It’s the kind of thing that keeps our life together from becoming too boring.

Good lord, maybe if I weren’t so long-winded, maybe I would post more. I’m worn out after all that! How does Roger do it? Maybe I ought to rethink this sidebar thing…

Here's Looking At You!

So I Was Sitting in the Car the Other Day, Feeling Bored, When I Suddenly Realized....

....Hey! I've got a camera phone!

PRESENTING:

The Fickle Hand of Fate!

The Delirious Thumb of Destiny!

The Futile Fist of Fury!

Random Ramblings

Missed Holidays

Happy Belated National Gorilla Suit Day! Thanks to Mike Sterling and Roger Green for pointing out that I missed it. I need to make a note to mark my calendar for next year, I guess. I do so hate missing out on festive occasions when one can wear hairy apparel.

One of our program managers retired a couple of years ago and insisted on having his retirement party on Halloween, so everyone could come in costume. He wore a gorilla suit.

Music Note Addendum

I couldn’t get the link to this story to work yesterday, so I cut it out of the post, but it seems to be working now:

I’m pretty bummed with the way the whole deal with Nellie McKay and her label went down. I hope that she can manage to get the rights to the songs back and take them elsewhere. Reminds me a lot of the struggle Patty Griffin went through over one of her albums. The results were pretty much the same, but she managed to go on with another label, more freedom, and released awesome CD a couple of years ago. I’m guessing the same thing will happen to McKay. She’s pretty talented too.

(Thanks to Augie de Blieck for the link.)


Saw This in A Parking Lot Last Night

Posted without comment

And Finally

Got this in email a while ago, so probably most folks have seen it. Still, I’ve been wanting to post it here for a while. So, in honor of the many Oscar noms for Brokeback Mountain and last night’s State of the Union address:


Now that I’ve finally seen BBM, I’ve got some thoughts rolling around I need to sort out and post. I can say this: I was moved on many levels. I need to read the original short story. And I need to re-read Dorian’s post on the movie. Something he said kept sticking in my head while I was watching it, but I couldn’t remember it clearly enough to process both it and the film at the time. It’s been a while since I’ve seen something that gave me something to grapple with afterwards.

But Wait…There’s More

Apparently Dad needs a cell phone.

This and That

Personal Notes

Happy Birthday Fred Hembeck!

Congratulations Gordon Dymbowski!

Glad you’re feeling better, Chris Brown!

Oh yeah, Roger Green, if you hadn’t noticed it yet, Lydia is completely adorable. I love the growth/development updates in Ramblin’ with Roger.

Music News

Rhett Miller (of the Old 97’s) has a solo album coming out soon. His first one, The Instigator, was an addictive strummy, power pop concoction that I just LOVED, so I can't wait for this one.

Roseanne Cash’s latest CD is out. After reading some of her comments about it, I can’t wait to get a copy. In the space of a couple years, she lost her dad, mom and step-mom (June Carter Cash), and this release is one way she tried to make sense of it all.

Our concert calendar for the first part of the year is filling up pretty quickly.

The library has a bunch of new CD’s and is doing a series of free concerts to promote the expansion of their music library. The list of artists that performing is astounding: Loudon Wainwright III, Iris Dement, Dar Williams, Ladysmith Black Mambazo! All for free! It’s almost mind-boggling.

We went to the Wainwright show a couple of weeks ago. I was a little underwhelmd, given the praise that I've seen heaped on him as a songwriter. I found him to be mildly entertaining at best. Iris Dement is Saturday and I know that will be a good show. She holds an audience like no one else I've seen and has the most wonderful dry sense of humor.

There’s a group in town trying to fill the void created when IBMA pulled their awards show out of Louisville with a brand-new bluegrass festival. For a brand new festival, the line-up is pretty impressive, with newer national acts like Mountain Heart and Cherryholmes mixed with local favorites like Hog Operation mixed with legends like Doyle Lawson and JD Crowe, topped off with nationally known, Kentucky-based folks like Michael Cleveland and Dale Ann Bradley. I’m looking forward to it.

We’re also going to see Kris Kristofferson in Nashville in March!

Miscellany

I’ve got the makings of a lengthy post on comics rumbling in my head, but I’ve as yet been unable to get it all worked out enough to finish it. I may just post it anyway, as is, because I think it’s going to be a work in progress. The gist of it is this: I’m not sure there’s a place for me in comics any more, and I have mixed feelings about that. That doesn’t mean, however, that I’m giving up comics or planning to do so any time in the future.

Oh yeah, and my dad won a contest:

I've lost my mind!

I'm actually going to try and do this.

Not as a runner, mind you. All three races take walkers as well. I've signed up for a training team with the Y. I'm hoping it'll be the boost my fitness routine needs.

I'm not bothered at all by the thought of the first two events, but the 10-miler scares me a little.

I Get Mail Too

Of course, sometimes it makes me wonder what the folks at the Post Office think about me.

The other day, I pulled both of these out of the box:

More Mail for Dad

The YMCA sent my dad some mail:

Apparently, they're worried that he might be leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Seriously (and a little less tacky perhaps), this is the kind of thing that really would have helped him. If he had taken something like this up years ago, he might still be with us today. Follow through on that resolution to get more fit. Your loved ones will thank you for it.

Always Remember

Okay, it the meme wasn't dead already, then this certainly did kill it. But it was fun!

My Father Still Gets Mail

When Dad went in the hospital, we started having his mail forwarded to me, so that we could take care of things that might come up. Since I'm now the "Estate of Carl Mitchell," I get some official stuff from time to time, usually Medicare statements. Everything else has tapered off, except for the odd piece of junk mail, some of which is unintentionally quite funny.

Since dad is a vet, this one is not too off the wall. I've written them a couple of times trying to get it to stop, though:


This one came from his former bank, several months after we reported his death and closed the account It's one of those things that happens in large corporations, where one department doesn't talk to another.


It gets a little bit sillier when you see this notice on the envelope:



And even better, when you see the contents. I think his bank is inviting us to commit insurance fraud. It does say he cannot be turned down, after all....


Speaking of insurance, Nationwide seems to think he might be a good auto insurance risk. I guess they're figuring he's not in too much of a hurry to get anywhere these days.


Finally, there's this bit of techno junk mail. I'm not sure they have the kind of connection needed for him to get online.


I guess it's a good sign that looking at stuff like this doesn't upset me any more. I'd like to think Dad would have gotten a kick out of it, too.

Guess Who Got a Scanner for His Birthday?

Once again, it's been a while...for the usual reasons...yadda, yadda, yadda.... More on that later.
I have a training this week that will keep me out of the office from Mon-Wed. Thurs and Fri, I'm off, and the training picks up for the next Mon and Tues, so I'll probably have a little more time and attention span for blogging. I hope.

Anyway, I hit the big 41 a couple weeks ago, and Keith got me a scanner. I knew about it already, because I was with him when he bought it, but I held off on using it until it was an "official" gift.

I've been storing up bits and pieces for a while now, waiting for the time when I would have a scanner, so I figured I'd share one of them right now.




I found this odd little tidbit lying on a counter at the post office. It hits just the right religious looniness button for me to find it irresistable. I just wish I could make out the face with the horns in the satanic smoke. I know it's got to be a current US political figure, but who? It's not W; that much I can tell, but it's obscured enough by the cross-hatching that I can't make it out. Any ideas?

Yesterday Was Conference Set Up Day!

Loading the car.

Table centerpieces. The masks are supposed to be some kind of Katrina memorial thing. Don't ask me. I just chair the committee.

Mums for the stage.

The stage is decorated. Some of the trees have lights in them.

The Men of Thunda won't be there. :-(

THUNDA!

It's the day before conference day. I've got hand outs to copy, talking points to revise, prayer candles to light, stuff to haul, evaluations to sort, stuff to stuff, trees to decorate, and no time to blog.

How about some more Men of Thunda?

What I Did at Work Today

Assembled a Forest.

Gathered Door Prizes.

Printed Posters.

Killed a Printer.

Got Stuff Together.

It must be....

CONFERENCE TIME!!!!!

Babbling

I got this from a couple of other sources, but Roger has it too, so go carve yourself a pumpkin!

Have you signed the pledge yet?

Have all those drug ads on TV driven you crazy yet?

Halloween safety tips for pets

Cost of living calculator (Courtesy of BonzerSites.com.)
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It looks like Zombie Tom may have a new hometown: Pittsburgh!

"A zombie-preparedness study, commissioned by Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy and released Monday, indicates that the city could easily succumb to a devastating zombie attack. Insufficient emergency-management-personnel training and poorly conceived undead-defense measures have left the city at great risk for all-out destruction at the hands of the living dead, according to the Zombie Preparedness Institute."

Clever bastards, those zombies:

"Today's zombies quickly learn to open doors, break windows, and stage ambushes," Cornelius said. "In one 1985 incident in Louisville, a band of zombies was able to lure four paramedics and countless law-enforcement officials to their deaths by commandeering an ambulance radio and calling for backup."

(That day is still spoken of in whispers by officials here in Louisville. The last mayor tried to cut funds for the zombie watch towers along the riverbanks, and there was a huge public outcry. Twenty years later, and the memory is still hauntingly fresh.)

Speaking of ZT, he's been awfully quiet lately. Maybe he's packing for the big move.
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And, finally, some comics babbling:

Cognitive Dissonance has the welcome news about the return of Castle Waiting! And at Comics Reporter, even better news about the long-awaited second issue of Dylan Horrocks' Atlas. Not only that, follow the CR link on through to Comics.212.net, and there's news that the next issue of Berlin is also solicited for January release! My long comics dry spell is coming to an end. Seriously, after a couple of years of watching titles I follow either wrap up or fold, it's good to see word about some that have been more up in the air.

Yesterday on My Lunchtime Walk, I Saw....

A Giant Slice of Watermelon!

Who Says Blogging About Blogging is a Sin?

Introducing Banjo Spam!

I wasn't really surprised to get comment spam, since eventually they find their way even to little trafficked sites like this one. I was, however, surprised at the content:

"Great blog you have. I have a site about banjo music for tom dooley. You can check it out at banjo music for tom dooleyGreat blog you have. I have a site about banjo music for tom dooley. You can check it out at banjo music for tom dooley."

"Great blog you have. I have a site about bela fleck banjo instruction. You can check it out at bela fleck banjo instruction."

Yes, other folks get spam for manhood-enhancing products and low-interest home loans. I get spam for banjoes! At least someone thinks I have a great blog!

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I guess it says something about my approach to blogging that my two year blogiversary passed week before last, and I didn’t even notice it. I don’t know if that’s because I basically didn’t post at all during much of the first year of Eddie-torial Comments’ existence or if it’s because several of my early posts make me cringe.
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We have a winner!

Yes, that contest thing was serious. And I do have a winner, even if no one actually entered the contest!

Yes, no one followed the rules, but Roger, my one loyal reader, did actually leave the correct answer in the comments section for that day. That’s close enough to sending me an email, so I decided, what the hell, I’ll send Roger some stuff off my desk.

Winging Roger’s way right now, is a package containing:

One of my old business cards!
Some Amnesty International stickers and stuff!
A personalized notepad! (okay, it’s personalized to me, but can’t everyone use one of those?)
A prayer card to Saint Dymphna!
An old price sticker from the late lamented Hawley-Cooke Booksellers! (Life just hasn’t been the same since Borders took over the best independent bookstore in town and sucked all the personality out of it.)
A binder clip! (Just to make sure there was something slightly useful in there.)
Some things I’ve forgotten because I didn’t make a list before I sealed the package!

Obviously, I have a long way to go before I get good at this blog contest thing. Maybe I should offer something out of my closet next?
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Damn Dial Up

I’ve been house-sitting for some friends this last week, so I’m stuck with a horribly slow and unreliable dial up connection, which has really limited my online time. I guess years of DSL or cable access have made me slightly spoiled. I have however been doing a lot of writing, so I’ve got a bunch of stuff to post, which I think I’m going to plop out all at once, since this is conference week and I don’t have much time.

Concert Pics

Keith's got some new pics from recent shows up.

Amy Ray at Headliners


I was underwhelmed with the opener, but Amy Ray and the Volunteers rocked the house with a set the showcased tunes from her new CD, Prom, with a handful of stuff from its predecessor, Stag, sprinkled in. (Like Johnny Rottentail!)

The crowd was smaller than we thought it would be. For the Stag tour, Headliners was so packed you could not move an inch without bumping into someone, no matter how hard you tried. Anticipating this, we got there early, stood in line, and made straight for the balcony, since the floor seats were bound to be obscured by people standing. As it turned out, all the precautions weren’t necessary. It was a good-sized crowd, but not overwhelming or obtrusive. Keith and I were part of only a handful of folks in the balcony. We sat on an ottoman in a corner, right up on the rail, in direct sight of stage left, which gave us a nice, cozy box seat, with an excellent view of the show.

For my money, Prom is the best CD of 2005. There’s just nothing that tops this personal collection of tunes that reflect about growing up gay in the rural south in the 70’s, and touch on gay issues and gay life in the 21st century. I’m planning to review the CD soon, so I won’t go into detail, but I had high hopes for this show.

Which did not go unmet. Ray was obviously charged by her band, and the whole set rumbled with energy. I wish she had spent some time talking about the songs and where they came from, but the music stands so powerfully on its own, that this is a minor quibble, rather than a complaint.

Nanci Griffith in Lexington



Griffith was a little annoyed by some minor sound problems that plagued the set, but for the most part she kept that hidden from the audience. In fact, except for a feedback squeal during Gulf Coast Highway, the problems were mostly not noticeable. Nevertheless, throughout the show, she was kind and gracious to the audience, sharing jokes and stories and chatting freely.

The set had a lot of songs from her newest CD, Hearts in Mind, so several older favorites weren’t included. I was a little disappointed not to hear Mary Margaret, but she managed to build some surprises in the set, with songs like Late Night Grande Hotel. She also managed to strike a careful balance between making a political statement or two, and turning the show into a manifesto. I’m one of the sort that would not have objected to the manifesto, but I was impressed with they way she inserted a line into Flyer about bringing the troops home tonight, and a few minutes later, laughingly referred to herself as a “left-winged creature.” A performer can be political and entertaining at the same time, and Griffith certainly proved it.

She also channeled some of her social concern into an area everyone in the audience could agree with at this point in time, hurricane relief efforts. She shared her sadness at the destruction to the gulf, including the Gulf Coast Highway, then shared her hope that after the rebuilding she’ll be able to go and see the blue bonnets in bloom again. It’s been just amazing to me how many musicians I like are from or have lived or have sung about the affected areas: Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier, Kate Campbell, and now Nanci Griffith.

When it was obvious that she was starting to move into her closing number (I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t White Freight Liner Blues), I thought “Already? She just started playing!” Then I looked at my watch and realized it was after 10:30! Time does fly when you’re having fun.

Kate Campbell at the Rud



The Rud provides an intimate music experience, which perfectly suited this evening with Kate Campbell. I first saw her perform in March of last year, and instantly became a fan for life. Within a few months, I had managed to acquire all of her CD’s. There’s something about her music that taps into parts of me that other songs don’t. This is another subject for a planned upcoming post, so I’m going to hold off on saying any more about it here.

Campbell devoted her set to playing every song off her new CD, Blues and Lamentations, which had come out a few days earlier. I hadn’t gotten a copy yet, because I wanted to do it at the show, so I got to experience the songs for the first time from the songwriter herself, complete with commentary about the origins of each song. Can’t beat that!

She deviated from this course a couple of times, once to insert a New Orleans song, once to do a Kentucky song, and once to do an Alabama song. This allowed her to touch on the place she was born, the place she was singing, and the place that’s been in most people’s minds recently.

It turned out to be one of the most special evenings of music I have ever experienced. After the show I chatted with her a bit and got some CD’s signed. I hope I didn’t babble too incessantly.

Sometimes Justice Isn't Pretty

Okay, I know that he's a long way from being found guilty, and there's simply no telling what the Republican dirty spin machine will do to fight this, but, just for a moment, let me savor the idea that the system works the way it should, from time to time, at least.

Pix A Go-Go!

Keith has some pics of the Lucinda Williams show up.

There are also some pics of the special Homefront show that Jean Ritchie did recently.

I haven't written much about that show because it's really hard to find the words to do it. She is so gracious and giving, and such a repository of important cultural heritage, that any time you can see her on stage is truly a special treat. She's in her 80's, and, although she's still performing regularly, she might not be with us much longer. I think we're really blessed to have seen her perform twice this year. My great-grandparents died when I was in my early 20's, so I have a lot of childhood memories of them. There's a feeling I get when I think about them or look at the old pictures of them that I really can't describe, except to say that it is very special to me. I get a similar feeling when I see Jean Ritchie play.

And, finally, every blog needs a picture

of a half-naked man in a kilt playing a drum!

He's part of Men of Thunda, a local group that describes their sound as "celtic tribal." We saw them at an international heritage festival last month. My pics cam out a little dark, though.

Oh Lord, I’m going to ramble ‘til I get back to where I came

Going to try to actually get some stuff posted tonight. Otherwise, Roger might meme-tag me again.

Since we’re kind of in a lull between active periods, I figure I’d better post now while I can. We have a show tonight (Amy Ray), followed by an out of town show (Nanci Griffith) next Monday. When we get back from that, I’ll be housesitting for some friends for a week. As soon as I get back to our house, it’s CONFERENCE DAY, followed by the first Annual Mitchell Brothers’ Reunion Road Trip!

We decided on Nashville for the destination, so I get to be the tour guide. It’s IBMA awards and fanfest weekend, so there’s a good chance of catching some good shows, provided we can get a hotel room.

After I get back to town from that jaunt, I run headlong into my 41st birthday. Wow!

So how about some rambling about something other than my boring personal life?
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Name That Tune

Everyone seems to be doing blog contests these days, so I’m going to try too! Tell me the name of the song the main title (the one up there in bigger letters than everything else) of this post comes from and identify the songwriter, and I’ll send you something off my desk!

Seriously, I’m obviously needing to tidy, and I’m sure I can find something interesting in this mess to send someone, just don’t hold out any hope that it might be a CD.

Email your answers to me at memitch at att dot net no later than five p.m. (EST) Monday, October 17, 2005. First correct answer based on the date/time header on the email wins. In the case of a tie, I’ll rummage around and find something to send both winners! Be sure to include your name and address so I’ll know where to send your prize!

Oh yeah! There are a couple of extra hints (not that anyone needs them) hidden in this next little tidbit.

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If I Needed You

Borrowed from the meme-addicted Roger, who got it from Lefty. The idea is to take an artist and answer the questions using the titles of their songs.

Artist/Band: Emmylou Harris

Are you male or female: Boy From Tupelo

Describe yourself: Here I Am

How do some people feel about you: Heaven Only Knows

How do you feel about yourself: Too Far Gone

Describe what you want to be: Michaelangelo

Describe how you live: Beneath Still Waters

Describe how you love: Easy From Now On

Share a few words of wisdom: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

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Johanna Draper Carlson posted some great reviews last week. Of course, she always does great reviews, but this time she hit on a motherlode of books I’m interested in reading, these two in particular. I always appreciate pointers to the good stuff.

Need a job?

Lefty gets excited about comics.

It’s been a rough week for cuddly characters. The Smurfs get bombed out. Wallace and Gromit get burned out. And the Teletubbies are strung out! (That’s so not right!) More positively, last week Augie discovered Asterix! (Thanks to Cognitive Dissonance and Comics Reporter for the Smurfs links. CR now has a link to the Smurf video now.)

Keith’s from Arkansas, too. Not too far from Fayetteville, I think. It looks like we chose the wrong time to visit his mother last month. Sigh!

Remember those “Question Authority” bumper stickers from the 80’s? Some times, that’s a really good idea.

Dr. Doom’s Top 10 Euphemisms for Sex. Gotta love Progressive Ruin!

Once again, I bow to the genius that is Postmodern Barney! God bless you, Dorian Wright!

Make way for the Incredible Pope-Man!

And from another side of the religious spectrum: Muslim heroes!

This is a BIG AD. (From Keith)

What God really said to Bush.

News story I’d really like to see. Thank God for the Onion!

Slideshow video from Carrie Newcomer.

Delbert McClinton e-card.

Old 97’s e-card. They have a live CD out!

Wanna see inside Rhonda Vincent’s Tour Bus? It’s sponsored by Martha White!

If you watch all of Dwight Yoakam’s video, you’ll be casting a vote for it at CMT.

One of Mary Gauthier’s fans created this slideshow using her song Mercy Now and images from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Gauthier is promoting it on her own website. There are a whole lot of people who could use a little mercy now.

Fun Kim Deitch animation. I have to admit it work better for you if you know something of the whole Waldo saga. Here’s a good book to bring you up to speed.

I found some of the above lurking on my clipboard, where it had been for god knows how long. I think some of them were acquired while my dad was ill, and I’ve since lost any attributions I may have had for sources. My apologies, but I thought they were too good not to use.

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Weight Loss

I finally cracked the 220 plateau. I’d been really discouraged lately with the weight loss, because I hadn’t been able to get below 220. This morning the scale said 216, which was a much-needed boost. I haven’t been noticing a lot of difference in the way my clothes fit lately, and this damn belly seems as huge as ever to me

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Music

Speaking of Lucinda Williams, she was a part of a back to back concert week recently. WFPK closed out the Waterfront Wednesday season with the Duhks and Hem. It was a perfect night, cool, but not too cool. Both acts were fantastic. The Duhks had some sound problems at first, but I loved their blend of traditional music, gospel songs, and country twangers!

The next night, we saw Lucinda Williams at the Brown. She’s got a rabid following that expects to hear certain things from her, so I was surprised that she did a half dozen brand new songs that night. She’s road testing some tunes in preparation for putting a new album together. It left less time for some things I wanted to hear her do, so several of them got left out of the set, but it was a rare treat to hear some works in progress out of this great songwriter.

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Now Playing:

John Haitt--Slow Turning: Ahhhhhh!

A User’s Guide to They Might Be Giants: I really, really needed this one this week.

Let Freedom Sing: This Land Is Your Land Vol II: Stuff from the heyday of the 60’s folk boom, when everyone called it “protest music.” The perfect antidote to an overdose of the Bush Administration.