What a weekend

New friends in town. More of me out on the town.

First, Friday night I went out to see Via Audio and Jukebox the Ghost. They were great! And, I got to see them at a new (well new to me) venue, the ND, down on Brushy and East 5th. So much fun. The venue was cool with a great balcony area overlooking the stage. The staff is awesome and the sound was great.

Of course any time I go near East Sixth I have to go to East Side King. I love that place. Beet French fries with Kewpie Mayo. Yum! Chicken Thigh, yum again. I think I might go there tonight. Eh, laziness will probably win out on that one.

Then on Saturday, I got the best treat. Months ago Dale Watson and the Lonestars mentioned they had a show at the old Lonestar Brewery in San Antonio. I pledged then to go, but thought nothing more of it. Well, I went down with some good friends of the band and they had VIP passes waiting for us. Free food, free beer and we got to hang out in the tent with other bands. The best part was listening to those guys rock out. We had a great time. But, we had to get back to Austin. I had another show to go to at the Mohawk. The band was Harlem. I have to admit that I am a little fuzzy on whether or not I really liked them. I think I liked them, I mostly danced around. So that must be a good sign right. I think I am getting to old to go to rock concerts without ear plugs. It is hard to enjoy the show with all that noise distracting me.

Well, Sunday afternoon was spent lounging by Barton Springs pool. It was awesome. Love that place and the water and the weather were so nice.

I am heading back to work this week. Wish me luck!

Fire on the Mountain

A western town is once again on fire. This time it is Boulder, I cannot help but invoke the lyrics from Emmylou Harris's "Boulder to Birmingham."

The last time I felt like this, I was in the wilderness and the canyon was on fire. And I stood on the mountain, in the night and I watched it burn, I watched it burn, I watched it burn.

And really, when it comes to wildfires, that is all most of us can do when they unleash like hell-furry on our mountain and valley homes. My first years in Jackson were some of the worst fire-wise. The Green Knoll fire, right in town. The Jackson Lake fire. And there were so many more. And they let the fires burn out there to a certain extent because it is healthy for the the forests.

Two instances stand out in my mind. The first is when I was working a course behind the ranch. There had been no fires too close to the ranch itself (it was located in Hoback Canyon), so it was decided that the trip could proceed without any danger to staff or student. But, on the second day of the course smoke started pouring into the mountainous terrain we were moving through. It was so thick we worried that the fire was just around the corner, or that it would overcome us quickly. We tried using the emergency cell phone to contact the ranch with no luck. We decided that since we were on one of the main routes, either the forest service would come out (our trip was registered with them), or our own ranch would send horses to help us evacuate. As it turned out, the fire we were concerned about was still no closer. However, fires hundreds of miles away had shifting winds that was blowing the smoke from Montana down to Wyoming.

The second instance. I was sitting on the north eastern edge of Leigh Lake, one of the most amazing places on earth. The day was grey. It was a summer of all threat no rain, it thundered, it lightening, but it never rained. The moisture content of many of the trees was lower than that of cut lumber. On this day, we watched as the lightening struck the mountain, Moran Mountain to be specific, dozens of times. About an hour later, we saw what looked like the smoke from a small campfire rising out of the woods on the western side of the lake. At first, we thought it was irresponsible campers not respecting the fire ban that had been in effect all summer. But, at the day wore on, it was clear that this was not a campfire. It quickly spread, in a matter of hours, from a small campfire looking thing to a massive, raging fire. By night fall, the fire lit up the entire night sky. We wondered weather we should think about canoeing out, or even hiking out. However, the fire was resolutely moving across the base of Moran over to Jackson Lake. I sat up that night watching the red sky, and the helicopters come flying by, flying by, flying by to dip in the lake and carry the water over to the mountain.

It was just one of the many ways that Wyoming, and western wilderness in general, can bring you to your knees, humble you in an instant when it shows you how insignificant you are.

Mixed Media

Greetings faithful reader(s)(?). This past week was pretty cool. On Monday, I auditioned for a friend's play. It had been a couple of years since I have done any acting. It was so fun to (try and) get into a character's brain and see how and why she works the way she does. It was harder than I remember. It is (as may people before have suggested) like being naked because you have to completely open yourself. As you all know I now regularly get on stage and sing for people, that is a very different experience for me for some reason.

Ultimately I was not invited back for another audition, but it was great fun and a very wonderful experience for me. I met a gal at the auditions who was also trying to make her acting dreams come true. I have adjusted to meeting talented musicians at every corner, but it was slightly surprising to meet this gal, and see so many other actors and actresses also trying to launch their career from Austin. Since the audition on Monday, I have been thinking about Austin differently. All around me now I see dreamers, and it is a beautiful thing. Whether it is new businesses, or business ideas, Austin overflows with creative stores, restaurants, and other places where people have set down their dreams to grow. The actors, and singers, and dancers, are just one portion of the dreamers living in Austin, it is a truly unique place. New York is bigger and flasher, but the people are harder and more concerned about self. Austin, is not so big that people will not come up and say hello to you and make you feel welcome. LA, is where big music and acting dreams come true, but there is a pervasive shallowness to the people and the dreams, and it just leaves you feeling hollow. Again, Austin has heart, and that heart inspires loyalty and creativity.

On Thursday, I went to see another friend perform in I, Witness. It was inspiring dance. The dancers, and of course my friend was amazing, were so full of life and energy. The Blue Theater, is a cool space where the audience surrounds three sides of the stage. I had such a wonderful time and it was great to see and support a friend.

What a great week artistically!!!!!

The Future of Rock and Roll . . . it might get loud.

Well it has been a good long while since I have been to a proper rock concert. However, tonight I accompanied a new friend to the Mohawk for the "Red River on the Rocks" concert. It was a day of local and regional bands tearing it up on the main outdoor stage of the Mohawk and the inside stage. Here were my favorites (admittedly, I did not get there until 7pm).

Frank Smith

FUTUREBIRDS

Ume

I need to provide more info for these bands, but they were really awesome and were up on stage giving it their all. I loved it. More later on these great artists!!!!

Swimming Holes

Well, I must say this about the Hill Country around Austin, there are a lot of great places to cool off during the summer months.

I have been trying to explore the more wild side of Austin. While I am far from the Mountains, I don't think I need to completely abandon outdoor recreation. And, while it is a million degrees, I cannot wait out the heat like I did in Jackson and Boulder. Moreover, the Austin area has magical cold springs and rivers. Not a little cold, really really cold. Barton Springs, a place I have mentioned before on these pages, boasts water temperatures around 68 degrees year-round. Other rivers and springs around here have similar temperatures. A friend introduced me to Deep Eddy pool. While one side of the pool smelled like feet, no joke, the other side was chlorinated and was awesome!!!

Venturing further out into the Hill Country, I found Pedernales State Park. It is an amazingly beautiful place. The river is meandering and rather shallow this year. If you are not careful you will end up in the shallows and the shallows get entirely too warm on Austin's 100+ degree days. However, the deep water is slowing moving and cold and provides the right amount of relief.

General does not like the swimming. Yes, he can swim just fine thank you, but he prefers not to. Anytime you release him into the water, he immediately starts swimming back to shore where he sits and looks angrily in your direction from the shore.

Hamilton Pool (thanks for the suggestion John H.), does not allow pets, it is a wild life preserve. Travis County has taken great steps to ensure that there are great trails, good guard rails to keep people on the paths, and great streams, plants and flowers to admire. As my friend and I walked down the quarter mile into the canyon holding the pool, we enjoyed the canopy of trees shielding us from the unforgiving sun. Under this canopy are every manner of Texas shrubbery and trees. Once we reached the bottom of the canyon, there was a beautiful stream full of fish, lined with lush green moss. There were tall trees with roots that looked like craggy fingers digging down into the stream. It was also incredibly peaceful. Then we were upon the massive cave-like hole that is a all natural pool.

It was great way to pass the afternoon, and a nice way to take my mind off the job search, the job not finding. Another friend of mine recently sent me an email exclaiming his love of wilderness and how he believed that god was in nature and all you had to do was go out in nature to find god, or the divine.

I would have to agree. While floating under the tree pictured in the center of the photograph, I could look up and see rays of sunlight just peaking through the leaves of the tree. The water in my ears quieted the chatter of those around me (though everyone was very chill), and I just felt at peace. I was glad I took the adventure out 71, and I will definitely be out there again.

Moving on up . . . to the East side?

Well, now I know where all the hipsters are. But, knocking on hipsters is really no fun. Though I wonder what this group would have been before there was such a thing as hipster? Perhaps they were always that way, and now we are all being trendy by naming them thusly?

I took myself down to east 6th to experience a little more of Austin.

I don't know, but there were a lot of mustaches, side burns, and corduroy shorts. It was really fun! Emily and crew were my guides. We started off at Shangri-la, it is a cool bar that hosts sock hops on Sundays. The jukebox was awesome, as per usual. The bartenders were very nice and the martinis were very dirty. Some crazy Rob Zombie movie was playing on the television, but I had to give up. Too creepy.

Then it was off to Liberty, and Liberty is great because it has this awesome Thai food stand outback. I am told it is now very famous because Anthony Bourdain visited the place when he was in Austin. Good for him. The food is unbelievable! So yummy. Sticky buns with fried chicken thigh and a spicy mayo sauce with cilantro and mint. Damn, now I am hungry again. The bar itself was so so, but they have a massive back patio area with amazing fans and cold beer, in Austin that is sufficient to make a place great.

Oh, and while on the way to Liberty we came across a 30-piece band playing gypsy music and marching down the street. The name of the band was . . . I forgot, shoot. But they play around Austin a lot and it was really cool to see them just wandering down East 6th. I have a video and will post it soon.

After Liberty we started to wear down because we are old and it is hot. We ended the night at Brixton in Austin, this bar will forever be in my heart because they serve Quilmes beer. It is this lovely brew from Argentina that Holly, Matt and I were very fond of. I am sure I can find the picture of a liter-sized bottle sitting on a counter in our hotel room with a random picture of Holly tearing it up on the slopes. It was a great "worlds collide" moment.

It was also a great night out with friends!

Shine a Light

Man, this economy is killing me. Straight up killing me. My soul is super low about everything. Hey employers, I know this is your market, but you could show people a human decency. How about a reply email? How about some acknowledgement that I just spent 15 minutes on your company?

Fine.

Anyway, I went out tonight and played an open mic. Admittedly, the guitar players, the singers, are all much better than me down here. But, they are kind and I am pleased to be here. The only thing that is going right for me lately is music. And, by going right, I mean that people actually want to interact with me.

Stephanya says, "Think on something and it grows." Well, aside from a job, I have been thinking on someone liking my music and me getting some regular paying shows here in Austin.

Hard times, hard times. For everyone out there looking for a job, best of luck to you, and, you are not alone. Meanwhile, I will be playing music and learnin' some fiddle.

"Come on, come on down you got it in you, got to scrape that shit right off your shoes." - The Rolling Stones

Freedom

In the summer of 2007 I quit my job, dedicated myself exclusively to eating amazing food, drinking too much and throwing a massive party. Why? I was going to law school that is why. I was told by someone at some point that I should take it easy before I head into law school because it was going to be hard and miserable. That someone was right. I look back on that summer as the last time I felt simultaneously free and not guilty. I worked from 10am to 2pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and I occasionally worked at Pica's Mexican restaurant. It was great, some times I exercised, sometimes I wandered around, mostly I did nothing. Three years later and one million miles away from my lovely mountains and cold rivers, I am about to embark on that path again.

Well, almost. I am actually excited to work, to have a schedule and no homework, oh and over time. But, I am also excited to sit around and do nothing, or play the guitar, or read a book. I use to lay on the floor of my apartment in Jackson for hours reading books. I also spent hours laying on the couch listening to the classical music station from NPR.

I went to law school because I wanted money and shiny things. I wasn't always that way, but I had become that way. Now, I am glad to say that law school cured me of wanting those things, and taught me to appreciate my life the way it was, the way it is.

I am back.

Saved

http://www.ilike.com/artist/The+Jenn+Ford+Project

www.myspace.com/thejennfordproject

No fun, no fun at all

My head hurts sooooo bad :( I hate reading the computer screen. I feel like a tiger trapped in a cage down here.

I make same face this dude is making, several hours a day.

4th of July

I spent a awesome Sunday toodling from Gospel Sunday Brunch at Stubb's to Barton Springs to Nutty Brown Cafe!

Gospel Brunch was soooo yummy. The music was great and the food was even better. The grits were soooooooooo good. Then we went off to Barton Springs where they are militant about not brings anything fun or food based, but we won ultimately (while everyone else was busted for having everything from grapes, to a can of soda).

Then we went home and got pretty for Nutty Brown. We got there just in time for the Bob Schneider show. He was funny, talented and full of energy. The Nutty Brown is an amazing venue. The cool breeze that drifts across hill country is so refreshing after spending a hot day in the city. The venue is massive, though they allow high back chairs all the way to the front, and that is very annoying for a night show.

There was the fireworks show, it was great (though I am actually not at all interested in fireworks). The show was made awesome by the lone electric guitar player doing the "Star Spangled Banner." The video is in the previous post.

A great weekend, back to the grind of bar review. But, I am glad Sam and Corinne came down to cheer me up and make me have a fun weekend.

Happy Drinking/Independence Day Everyone!

Wooot Wooot!

It takes all kinds doesn't it?

Well my cousin Corinne rolled into town last night. A good friend of mine from Boulder rolled in this afternoon. What is a new Austin-ite to show visitors when she does not know much herself?

Well, Corinne and I rolled down to south Congress. I made good on a promise that I made to a new friend from Telluride. We shopped and shopped. I stumbled upon two amazing stores. One is a co-op for local clothiers, the other is a t-shirt shop. The clothier had absolutely amazing dresses from local designers from Austin. Some of the clothes were made from re-purposed threads. There were also tons of great graphic tee shirts and amazing jewelry. I bought a cute little heavy cotton dress that I plan on wearing everywhere. We were also in search of a smoothie stand. I knew it was down there, but we got side tracked by the Paraguay v. Spain soccer match (not me, my cousin, but it was an enjoyable game). We "discovered" this great t-shirt shop, Storyville. It had the most amazing statement t-shirts. Those of you who know me (her of the "that's what she said" t-shirt, and the "I drink your milkshake" t-shirt) know that I am a sucker for statement shirts. There were such pearls to be found. A turtle on his back exclaiming, "Uhhh, this is awkward." To the, "Oh snap," with a picture of a camera flashing. My personal favorite, "That'll do pig," with just a strip of bacon on the shirt. Soooooo many good finds. But, I had to resist. I have a very delicate (non-existant) beer and music budget to think about.

Which brings me to the purpose of this picture-less post (pictures to come, too excited not to share). I stumbled upon another Storyville tonight. This Storyville was at Antone's (West 5th Street). This Storyville was a 90's rock band, hey, don't knock till you remember those good old days. This Storyville was led by an albino black dude (check it if you do not believe me). The band was AMAZING. They had two electric guitar players, both capable of creating on the moment riffs and fantastic-ness. Yes, between me, my cousin, and my friend from Boulder we lowered the age in the place by half. But, I swear you all would have killed to see the lead guitar player going OFF on these riffs. Moreover, the lead singer was having so much fun. It was clear he loved his job, loved his fans, and loved making music. He was jamming to the riffs as much, if not more than, the audience. It was a joy. My friend from Boulder turned to me at one point and said, "This is exactly what I wanted to hear when I came to Austin." I think both of us were prepared to be too cool for school, but we found ourselves awe-struck by the talent on stage. The band was infectious, rocking, and a just a damn good time. Now, this was not my kind of music per se, but at the end of the night, I could not imagine a better way to pass July 4th eve.

oh yeah, and we totally got shut down (two hour wait) at the Salt Lick. Booooo. But we enjoyed great food and great company at the Moonshine on Red River (thanks Shannon and Everleigh for the suggestion). Fried avocado anyone?

Tomorrow Gospel Brunch at Stubb's with a Bloody Mary special. Yeah you read that right. Church and Bloody's. Going to hell, yes. Hangover free and soul at ease, yes :)

I am not leaving Austin until they kick me out (which could be very soon so send money).

A 6th Street Experience

Well, despite my best efforts, I went out last night and had a great time instead of studying. Oh it was so fun. Mark convinced me I needed a 6 hour study break. We hit 6th in earnest, starting with an Irish bar because someone must have Guinness on tap. Of course, there was a band. Of course, they were great, not amazing, but great. We stayed a good little while and discussed the merits of good drinking buddies. I also accidentally went to the men's room, and did not realize until it was too late. I had only had a beer and a half at this point :(

We left the bar intending to head home so I could try to coax Doodle to go to the bathroom. Doodle refused to pee all day, in protest of the fact that I did not stop the thunder and lightening. He is convinced that I have control over this and is inconsolable when I do not stop the thunder and lightening. So we were going home to deal with that whole situation. But, we were walking past this bar. It sounded like they had a bunch of old black men playing. And . . . . they had $1 PBR and Lone Star tall boys. It could not be helped, we had to go in. I wandered to the back of the bar to discover this rather slight, young white guy singing his heart out. He had a bass guitarist and a drummer on a minimal drum set up. They were playing blues songs and Stevie Ray Vaughan songs. There was no one there, but they were up there going for broke. They invited me and Mark to stick around, and we did. The bar started to fill up and the band started playing more well known covers, but were still really solid and were putting out a lot of music given their streamlined set up. The lead guitar player and singer was killing it with amazing riffs and would wander around off stage to show off his skills.

We took a brief break from the bar because I really did need to deal with Doodle. By the time we got back downtown, 6th Street was all the way live. People going round. Bars with open doors/windows and music pouring out. We got back to the bar, the Dizzy Rooster, with the aforementioned band. The bar was packed, but not up front, where it counted. The band was doing more standard covers, a little disappointing. They asked for request, I yelled Stevie Ray Vaughan, he played a Hendrix cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan. He called out for the last song of the night, of course I yelled out Johnny Cash, he came back with Folsom Prison without missing a beat. So much fun.

Then I toodled into the bar next door and did some karaoke-ing. Did Magic Man, woot woot. Then home, then woke up with the worst PBR headache :(

Makin' Music

Well, while I am going to buckle down for the stupid bar, this does not mean that I will not be writing and performing music. I auditioned for a band right when I got to town. I got a call back, but the band is a bit in shambles right now. I am hoping they get back to me. I had assumed that they just selected someone else. Billy suggested I email them. I did, and got a message back that they were still considering me, but also had lost a drummer and some other ridiculous stuff. I auditioned for another band, but they are just getting started and I am not sure when they will be rip roaring and ready to go. I think I got spoiled by having the opportunity to work with Mike, Marty and Emily. They were ready to go, organized, or at least willing to read my emails. Because of all this, I have decided to look for a lead guitarist and just do my own thing. This was what Dale Watson suggested when we sat down some weeks back. (oh by the way, Dale Watson and his Lone Stars are touring, they will be coming through Denver, Colorado on the 12th? at Cervantes).

I wrote a bunch of new songs. I am going to try and get out to open mics for real next week. However, there is Bob Schneider show and my cousin, Slam-nasty and Jason are all coming next weekend. But, I think I will get out and play. It is time.

Bottom Line

Heads up!!!! There is a great clip with Lyle Lovett, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and the big band at the bottom!!!!!!

Well I had every intention (and pictures to back it up) to tell you about every day and every great thing that happened in Telluride. But, the week got away from me and life got a hold of me. I need to be living it, not writing about it. I will say some things about Telluride. Telluride reminded me of why I love the mountains, why I loved living in Wyoming and Idaho. It was cold at night, freezing cold, and beautiful during the day. The best were those cold running streams and creeks around town park. I treated them like hot tubs. Just got in there and sat, Andrea was laughing at me cause I was the only one that was all about staying in there. Aside from the fantastic mountain time, there was the music. My god, there was just some fantastic music. Now, as I said before, there were great nationally renowned musicians and bands, but there were bands I just discovered for the first time there at Telluride.

Here is the list:

1) Imelda May - wonderful Rockabilly singer from Dublin, got up there and killed it. Was it bluegrass, no. Did she fill town park with feeling and spirit, yes. She was amazing.

2) Cadillac Sky - the lead singer reminded me of the lead singer from the Band (Levon Helm). They were rocking with mandolins, violins, and guitars (and standup bass and drums). They were on early, but they sang and performed like they were the headlining act. I bought some of their music off iTunes when I got home. I won't lie, I loved them live more, but the songs I selected were good.

3) Carolina Chocolate Drops - three extremely musically educated black musicians from North Carolina doing traditional bluegrass and Appalachian music. They focus on songs performed and written by African American bluegrass musicians. They played some fantastic songs, did a great cover of both Jackson (Johnny Cash) and Hit 'em Up Style (Jill Scott).

4) Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros - mind blowing. I was not expecting them at all. Got a text from Stephanya to make sure I watched them (cool, I was already there by the chili pepper happily waiting for the goods). I remember being at Sasquatch Music Festival some years ago now. I was nearly passed out (from allergy meds). I was laying on the ground, curled up under a blanket watching Arcade Fire from way up on the hill. They were so amazing that I managed to rouse myself to take in the spectacle. While not as theatrical as Arcade Fire, this band covers that ground with the music. The songs are so moving and lovely. Once again I was rocking and rolling.

Honorable Mentions: Brandi Carlile (everyone else knew about her, I did not. She was awesome. It was like watching a mid-90s female rocker. There just are not enough women out there killing it). Mumford and Sons. Punch Brothers.

Mostly, this weekend was another reminder of how important it was for me to start living again. Really living. I really feel like I put my life on hold for law school. All of you know how much I hated law school. But, if it was not for law school I do not know I would have ever started playing guitar. I certainly would never have met my bandmates. So thank you law school for that (AND FOR ALL MY FRIENDS IN BOULDER). But, somewhere between driving out west years ago to live in Idaho and applying for law school, I forgot why I went out there in the first place. I went out there to be close to life, to the basics.

After I got back from Telluride, I felt good about my decision to come down here to Austin. Its not the country, it is not the mountains, but it is a place where a lot of people are just following their dreams and living their lives. I also got some sad news that some friends from Idaho died recently. They were young dreamers and I would have counted them among the kind of people really living. It was a reminder of the fact that, many times over, I have been given a second chance at life. I don't want to waste those chances or good fortunes anymore. I want to be out there living and drinking it all up. Get back to living, get back to doing the things I love, that is what I took from my trip to Telluride.

And, despite these professions that I need to get back to living, law school had grabbed me with its old, dead hand and is pulling me back in the name of the bar. Booo.

And we were off!!!!!

Andrea picked me up from the Denver airport around 8:30pm. Armed with burritos (a must) and all things important for car camping (wine, fresh veggies, fancy outfits) we torn up I-70 heading west to Telluride. It was dark almost immediately. The original plan was that we drive until we were tired and then camp somewhere, get up and drive the next day. About 30 minutes into the drive I made the executive decision that we were going all the way! Wooot woot, even doing our very best that meant that we would get there at 3am.

Whatevea - I do what I want.

Andrea drove to about midnight, I took over and busted out the old verizon navigator. After getting slightly lost in Grand Junction we were on our way, heading down route 50. It was not so bad at first. But, then I got bored, and started having flash backs of my ridiculous drive to Austin. "Dude, you are in the mountains, there are no tornados." Andrea murmured, as I grumbled that it looked "too" cloudy. Then the road started going all kinds of ridiculous turny, up-downy. I swear to god we took so many turns that I thought we were heading back to Boulder. But, no we got there. But I had "x-itis" and was a super grump by the time we were about 7 miles outside of Telluride. We were stopped by the stoned-est or stupidest yokel in the world.

Him: "Where are you all going?"

Us: "Family Camping"

Him: "Well there are alot of those around here." (sidenote: no there are not, there is only one).

Us: "Well it is at the high school."

Him: "Oh the High School?"

Us: "Yes, do you know where it is?"

Him: "Uh, yeah, it is down that a-way." As he lamely waves his hand in the dark in the general direction of town.

Us: "Okay, thanks . . . "

And I proceed to grumble and bitch all the way to the campsite about his ridiculousness. I get to camp, cannot think about parking, unloading, setting up tent. I run to the bathroom, correction, port-a-john. Then I lamely sit as Andrea deals with the whole tent setup. I was so tired, I just wanted to go to sleep. What do I do? Strip down to shorts and a t-shirt and throw the sleeping bag over me like a blanket. TIMES THE F OUT. It is somewhere between 39 and 45 degrees outside. I just dressed like I am cruising around Austin's 90 degree nights. In short order I freeze, wake up, stumble around family camping, put on more clothes, go over to the play ground and lay down in the mulch (which was warm). Watch the sun come up, finally stumble back to the tent, fall asleep for an hour, get up and start the festival-ing.

My Whole Heart

That is how much I loved Telluride Bluegrass, with my whole heart. There is so much to post and write about. So, like most people who throw down for a festival, I looked at the lineup and saw some familiar names, decided it was worth the gamble. Unlike some other festival goers, I go in whole hog, I like to get there real early and just sit and take it all in. Telluride Bluegrass festival did not disappoint in the least. From 11am to 1am it was nonstop amazingness. Sometimes it was a little band that I had never heard before (like Cadillac Sky), other times it was the old standards from the likes of Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas (with this amazing drummer, Omar Hakim), and Del McCoury Band. It was just nonstop talent and pure dedication to the intricate craft of making grass blue. I am breaking the reporting of this amazing festival in several post arranged by day. I just wanted you all to know that this was an amazing trip. Without my good friend Andrea encouraging me, and without Billy coming through in a big way, I would have missed out on one of the defining moments in my life.

Start Your Week Off Shitty with Chicken Shit Bingo

That is a picture of a chicken who was about to make someone $114 richer. Chicken shit bingo is just like it sounds. You buy a ticket with a number on it, if the chicken deposits its load on your number ...... boom, you are a rich man/woman. The lower half of the woman you see in the picture is Ginny, of Ginny's Little Longhorn bar. On her awesome shirt is the the phrase gracing this post, "Start Your Week Off Shitty."

It was a hoot. Billy and I had the great idea to ride our bikes up to Ginny's. Not from my house, no no no, that would be too easy. We rode the bus down to the Continental Club, then got Billy's bike, then rode our bikes from the South Congress ALLLLL THE WAAY up to Ginny's. It was at least 7 miles up to Ginny's. At first it was just hotter than hell, and I was grumpy. But then it was fun. I loved getting some exercise, and Austin has had this random breeze blowing through for the last week or so. I would not call it cool, but it was nice.

This was the sight that greeted us when we arrived. There were as many people outside as inside. They had speakers hooked up so you could enjoy the tunes outside. Inside, there was that chicken in the cage, and a bunch of people intensely focused on the "shit." Others were enjoying the sounds of the band, Dale Watson and his Lone Stars. Of course there was dancing, two stepping and whatnot. During one of the set breaks, I met up with these amazing dancers. They were so friendly, we talked about everything from hurricanes to fly fishing.

Best of all was the free flowing lone star beer that everyone bought me. Yum! There is nothing better on these hot Texas days (and nights, and mornings, and evenings) than cold watery beer. I have developed a new love for all things lone star and bud light. When I am not drinking it, I place the bottle down the front or back of my shirt. I don't care that it looks crazy, it feels good, and tastes good too.

Here are some other fun pictures.

License plates from around the states and Ginny and one of the bartenders.

The stage and photos of famous people who performed at Ginny's, a random dude showing his excitement about chicken shit bingo.

Two Steppin'

Well, everyone always talks about the Broken Spoke. "Oh if you two-step (Texas swing) you have to go to the Broken Spoke. All the best dancers go to the Broke Spoke." So I had to go, just had to go. Now there was some very very very very good dancing at the Broken Spoke, but there were also just normal peeps out there breakin' it down country style. It is a good time. It reminded me of the Stagecoach Bar on a Sunday night (but without the whole me serving tacos part). It was great fun and Dale Watson and his Lone Stars were out and about. On one of the walls on the way out of the bar there are pictures of the owner posing with Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, etc etc etc. I got a great picture of the band and a new friend posing with boots.

The band totally hammed it up as you can tell. Everyone was looking around trying to understand why the band was playing the same note over and over again. There was a lot of dancing, a lot. So much fun

Here are some more pictures! Oh, we also went to a little dive called the Horseshoe Lounge. Some dude came in selling pizzas, yum.

San Antonio - and done!

San Antonio seems a city of contradictions. It is old in a way that is not common to many western cities. There are contemporary buildings built in the 70's right next to buildings that are hundreds of years old. Parts of the city reminded me of the French Quarter in New Orleans, other parts of the city are more reminiscent of Cincinnati, or some other eastern/midwestern town. The Alamo was not on my list of places to visit this time. But, I did drive right by it, that probably does not count.

Our goal was Soho Wine and Martini Bar. I am never one to turn down a martini (Gin, dirty), or a nice glass of wine.

It is situated in an old bank. They built their bar up around this massive vault. Despite its age, the Soho Bar has the feel of a lounge, with comfy couches, oversized armchairs, and post modern chandeliers strewn about the ceiling.

The Soho Bar is just above the Riverwalk. One of my partners on this adventure insisted on having a draft Guinness. We decided that between the weather and the need for Irish beer we would explore only a small part of the Riverwalk.

The Riverwalk is a strip of shops and stores along a path that is next to a channeled river running through San Antonio. It is below street level for a good distance.

(I took this picture from the street above).

(Walking down from the main streets to the Riverwalk).

We ended up at the classic "Irish" bar. Lots of "old country" stuff on the walls, and lots of dark wood paneling. There was an actual Irish guy playing the guitar. I cannot decide whether he was really good or if I just liked his song choices. It seems that the music bug radiates from Austin. Everywhere I go down here people are playing, or listening, to really great music. Whether it is contemporary latino music (big down here, and very good), or real country songs (heard a Dwight Yoakam album in full the other day at this hipster coffee shop, very contradictory), or new bands making cool sounds (KUT, the local NPR affliate down here, just plays awesome music all day long) there is just awesome music happening all the time.

I have not been playing music as much as I would like. I am hoping next week to get to some open mic nights. Haven't heard about the 2nd round auditions since last week. Either it is not going to happen, or they already chose someone. Oh well either way.

:)

San Antonio

Heading down the road to San Antonio tomorrow to explore the sights and sounds.

I will, of course, let you know how it all goes.

Sorry about the fonts

hey, complete aside. i know the fonts are jacked on this thing. and no matter how much editing and adjusting I do, they just won't stay the way I set them up.

Great Weekend

(It's me and Scott H. Biram, who told me to come back and

see him again because he can do the show much better then.)

Barton Springs, Scott H. Biram and MGMT.

First, let me say again, that the people in Austin are really so nice. I remember when I was living in Victor, I never worried about going skiing by myself. There were always cool people around and you could just meet up with someone in the line or on the lift. Well, Austin is just like that when it comes to shows. People are so friendly here, they come right up and strike up a conversation.

Saturday I was a total waste of space. I think between recovering from a cold, getting excited to visit with some new friends for dinner, and the Scott H Biram show I was just a little antsy. Anyhoo, rallied in time to drive out to a lovely dinner in the hills and meet some amazing, accomplished, and hysterically funny new folks. Thank you all for the hospitality and the Chardonnay.

Then it was a bit of a dash back into town to meet Billy (missed Steph and Marco by a minute) for the Scott H. Biram show at the Red-Eyed Fly.

(This is the back patio at Red-Eyed Fly)

Another cool little bar off of 6th (I think it is on Red River). There were some local acts opening, I only caught the last one. A mix or gwar, hard rock, and a little funk. Yes, I know what I just wrote sounds crazy pants, but it was true and they totally grew on me. It was rough at first because it was loud, but then it was awesome. Then Scott H. Biram took to the stage. Great music, I think I heard of him before but could not place him. He put on a great show, playing some news songs and some Delta Blues songs. I really had a great time!

That is a great little clip from the show. He was so cool!

Sunday was another waste of space day. I managed to rally in the afternoon with a trip to Kerby Lane's were I tasted excellent guacamole (it is everywhere down here, and it is awesome) and sweet potato french toast. Had some this morning as a matter of fact. Then I went to Barton Springs because it was 100 degrees outside and you cannot function in that kind of weather. CANNOT!

Barton Springs lives up to the hype, cold and awesome on a hot summer day. Unlike a lot of man-enhanced springs, this spring is huge.

So wonderful. Jumped in, cooled off, jumped out, started sweating immediately, jumped in and cooled off again.

Then, had to hustle home and get ready for MGMT outside at Stubb's. Now, I knew it was going to be hot. Chose a nice long summer dress for the occasion. That was a huge mistake. I was once again sweating like that whore in church I so often reference. Good god. I decided, after three hours of praying in vain for some coolness to descend upon this outdoor venue, to tie my dress up as high as decency would allow. I also found a discarded paper taco dish, and used it as a fan. This was my best decision because all kinds of people started coming up to me to partake in the fan awesomeness. You have to imagine, it is a crowded outdoor show, 95 degrees, 100% humidity, even the bands were like, "WTF?"

Made a new friend in the process and he informed me that it was totally ok to sweat. I told him I had not been riding my bike (a bit of a signature for me normally in summers) because of fear I would flood venues with my resulting sweat. "Awww, hell no, you're suppose to sweat down here. People expect it. You can stink too. Let's go bike ridin'!" Cool, done. Whether or not it is indeed okay to sweat and be stinky, this dude says it is, so I am rollin' with him (my sweaty wolf pack now has two members).

(Stubb's Outside)

Well, there was no way in hell I was pushing my way forward to the stage, between the heat of the night and the heat of the bodies I would have surely died. I did enjoy the musical styling of MGMT from a far, and they did not disappoint. A much better band live; lots of live instruments and not a lot of sound mixing. I recorded a little, but it sounds like hell so I won't burden you with it. They were really amazing though. From now on however, when I roll anywhere, I will have one of those "lady fans" that were so popular back in the day. Now I know why those southern bells were so fond of the fans.

That was the weekend that was. Lots of fun people coming my way this week and weekend. Keep reading. Miss you all!

On Deck

Well, I am sick, but I am recovering.

Here is what is on deck for this weekend.

Adventures: Dinner with the Uncles, Mtn Bike Ride!

Shows: Scott H Biram and MGMT!!!!!!

Keep reading, I miss you all!

Makin' Lemonade

Well, we got shut down on a show Wednesday (despite braving a big ole thunderstorm).

No worries, onward to Lovejoy's and other haunts down on 6th street. Lovejoy's is a great grimy bar with amazing art work and what not all over place (including on the bartender's face). Motorcycles outside, cold beer and pool inside.

Very cool place, excellent beer selection. There was DJ there spinning 60's garage rock; and, while Steph objected to his selections earlier in the evening, the dude came into his own shortly before we all headed home. Great genre of music there that I am only now discovering, but thoroughly enjoying.

On to a local tattoo shop where Billy knew a guy.

So my wolf tattoo is not going to be as cool as originally imagined. Boo! The colors will not show on my dark skin. I did discover a new thing, scaring. I think I will just reduce my original vision to a sketch outline in grey. And, that will be cheaper than what I was planning on anyway. A win all around.

Finally to one more bar, where after ordering food, we discovered Billy had no license so we could not stay. But it was a neat place, Casino El Camino.

Nice mellow night on the town where we planned our next shows, listened to great music at every bar, whether it was a jukebox or a DJ.

Oh and here is this little gem . . . Helter Skelter indeed.

I am going to do a whole post on cool tattoos of Austin!

Sweat Solution

For years I heckled girls wearing short shorts. I argued it could never be hot enough to warrant so little clothing. Well, I was right about this matter as it concerns Boulder and Jackson. However, the solution to sweating down here in Austin is tank tops and shorts. Maybe not short shorts, but shorts. As long as I am rolling tank top and short shorts style I am good to go. Dude imaged above certainly is ready for Austin. Happily, he would fit right in here.

The short shorts solution has presented another problem, lack of exercise. Now I have to exercise so I look less like the dude above (the resemblance is uncanny), and more like ..........

Tattoo

Well, I almost forgot to tell you all the most important announcement! I am getting a tattoo (eventually). Here in Austin there are tons of amazing (and also terrible) tattoos. I have been threatening for years to get the Teton Range tattooed across my stomach. I still might. That is not my latest obsession, however. My new and awesome tattoo will look something like ............

Well it will be a wolf howling at the moon and a dream catcher is next to the moon. But, you get the idea. Think county fair t-shirts, or black van art. Here are some more inspirational photos.

The best thing about this tattoo is that it will be on my left side/ lower to middle back. When I arch my arm I will howl!!!!! It is going to be amazing, and I was practicing this awesome move last night at the bar. When I told one friend about this amazing tattoo she responded that I was going to need to go out immediately and buy a black t-shirt that is all shredded. I will do you one better. I will get this t-shirt.

And I will be wearing it as a t-shirt, not a dress, for decency reasons.

Outlaw Country

I came to Austin because I wanted to hear and play a certain kind of country/alt-country/americana music.

I googled around for a show to go to. I found the Continental Club, and saw that a guy named Dale Watson was playing on Monday night. I did not link to any of his music. I just read his biography and some reviews. There was one quote that stuck out immediately.

"I'm one of Dale's biggest fans - I enjoy all his records and think he's great. I think there's a great deal of similarity between Dale and Waylon and myself...Kris and all the guys who just want to play their music and not have to go through all the bullshit. Dale stays true to what he believes in...whatever they say made me and Waylon 'Outlaws,' I think he's the same...if WE were, HE is." -Willie Nelson

That was all I needed to know about Dale Watson right there. The show was great. The man got on stage at about 10:15pm and played STRAIGHT until 1:45am. Don, Mike, Chris, and Dale's other Lone Stars were fantastic. It was amazing! At the end of the night, I was sitting outside trying to figure out how to use my new worthless phone. Mike, the drummer came outside. "You were really phenomenal. Awesome show." I said. "Thanks, you were great out there singing and dancing. What's your name?" And we had this great conversation. I told him about my silly dream of being a songwriter and singer. Then the bassist Chris came out, I said hello. "You better not let Dale know you sing, he'll have you up there in no time." Mike said, "Oh you have to go meet Dale, come on!" We rolled back into the bar, and I tapped Dale on the shoulder. "Hey I just wanted to say great show." I said (so lame). He replied, "I wanted to meet you. Where are you from? This is your first show? Oh man I cannot believe you missed chicken shit bingo last night . . . ." And so on, great musician and truly nice guy.

First night out on the town in Austin was amazing!

Boots, beers, whisky, and Honky Tonks

Oh man!!!! What a great great great night.

This story cannot be told without recalling my first days in Victor, Idaho. I had been in this little town in Idaho before, working for the local NOLS branch. But, visiting is different from living. Real living in Victor started in late July 2004. My good friend had moved over the pass, I was living with a woodworker (and Hungarian goat farmer) who was rarely around. I had the good fortune of living right in "town." Victor is a very small town; there was one flashing yellow light, two bars, a gas station and, at that time, very few stores besides the Victor Valley Grocery store. If I walked about 3 minutes, I could go from my front door to the Knotty Pine Bar & Grill. And that is exactly what I did every other night. I worked the late shift at a hotel (2pm to 10pm). By that time, all my friends and family on the east coast were in bed or out on the town. I did not know many people. So, I would get home around 11 o'clock every night and head over to the Knotty Pine. It was a local bar where everybody knew everybody. I quickly made friends with the bar tenders (a bar tender is a lonely soul's salvation). I would strike up conversations with the folks sitting around me, and slowly started making friends. The best part about the Knotty Pine was the live music acts that alway came through. Great bands (soul, funk, bluegrass, folk) came through on a weekly basis. Sometimes lots of folks were there, but often times aside from the bar tender, waitresses, and cooks, I was the only one, or one of few people, there. And it was great. Good, friendly people just hanging out, drinking too much, and having a great time. Those folks I met at the Knotty Pine are still some of my best friends today. I would drive all day and all night if they asked.

Well, last night reminded me of the good old days back in Victor when I was younger, more naive and better looking. I walked in, ordered a beer and roamed around. I walked to the back of a bar where there was a tattooed fellow sporting a white tank top and black and gold blazer. "I like your boots." I thought I heard him say. I looked around but thought I imagined it. "I like your boots," he said again, "Where did you get them? What size are those?" "Oh you are not going to buy those boots off her feet." The woman standing next to the blazer-ed fellow added. "Thanks I just got them. But, I really like her boots." The woman was wearing these awesome cowboy boots with dark brown leather stitched on lighter tan leather with purple accents on the dark leather. Well we started talking. They are originally from Montana, but moved to Austin some years ago. I told them I was about a week and a half Austin old. They said, "Well do you need friends?" "Yes!" I exclaimed. We all had a good laugh and headed into the main area to watch Dale Watson tear it up.

Well, you don't just make a friend. You gotta have stuff in common, you have to share some stuff. Well my blazer-ed friend, right after the first song started asked, "Do you know how to two step?" Does the pope shit in the woods? Those readers who know me know that two stepping is one of my all time favorite activities! "Yes!" "Well I don't." He replied. "That's okay, I will teach you and still make it look like you are leading." We had a great night, and by the end of it he was actually doing a damn good job with it too. Well that kicked off a whole lot of two stepping. Great dancers at the Continental Club. So much fun.

My bedazzled boot friend was no slouch either. She was a great dancer in her own right and we had a great time out on the dancer floor. But, even better, we knew every word to the covers Dale Watson sang (Jackson, Luckenbach, Tx, You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin') and we sang loud. Even Dale Watson and the Lone Stars noticed. "How nice to make a friend that likes all the songs you like. And can sing too!" Dale Watson said at the end of the night.

I have met some of my best friends at bars. I hope these new friends will be friends down the road. My bedazzled boot friend said, "This is great, I always remember we met singing and dancing at the Dale Watson show!"