I gotta get a bracelet

DBAD

Adorable puppy upstages sixteen performers

I went out on my last evening in Nashville. There were four bands playing, who were supposed to be pretty good, but I have no idea, since they were all trumped by the adorable cuddly puppy that some train-hopping, hitchhiking travelling kids had brought to the club. I ended up sitting outside all night, puppy-sitting while they watched the show. I couldn't help myself.

I'm now on my way to Sheridan, WY to visit my uncle. It's my first step toward home. I should be back before the weather turns nasty...

More nothing.

On Friday night, I had the urge to go out, so I went down to the club to see what was going on.  It was a sadly dead Friday night-- I think there was a lot of competition around town that night.  I ended up finding myself in the uncomfortable position of really liking all of the musicians who played that night as people, but not really being into any of them as artists.  Kinda weird.

I watched a fascinating documentary last week called "Iron City Blues," about this crazy town in southern Tennessee where there is no law.  None.  There used to be a single police officer, but after he quit, they never found a replacement.  A Nashville blues singer went down there to make this documentary and write a blues song about the town, which is, of course, included in the film.  If you have 53 spare minutes, this is a decent way to spend them.

Still more show reviews

Last week I caught Nashville's own Spinal Tap, Rowena of the Glen. She was so cute and sweet, I thought of her as the Dolly Parton of magickmetal. At the beginning of her show, she walked around the room with incense, blessing everyone. Even though it wasn't my kind of music, how could I leave the room? I stayed for the whole set.

On Saturday I got into the sweaty hot sold out Gogol Bordello show, which I've been looking forward to for at least a month and a half. Those guys did not disappoint. They brought all their energy and played two sets rather than have an opening band. Afterward, I went across the street to check out some fresh meat. They were pretty good for high school kids. Better than a lot of the twenty-somethings I've seen lately.

I swear, soon I'll move along and stop doing show reviews.

Hey...

Maybe some of you beer-loving scientists can tell me why any other beer consumed post Fat Tire tastes like bananas. I've noticed it particularly with Black Butte Porter and Yuengling Lager, but that observation has been limited by personal experience.

I've been too heavy on the show reviews, so all I'm gonna say about last Saturday's show was that I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you like experiprogpostrock, check out Gunslinger and Pushy Lips. I know, I know, I chose to attend based on the name alone...

Oh, and Seattle? Don't think I didn't notice that your weather has actually been nicer than Nashville's a couple of times recently. You're on my list, pal, so just watch your back.

I saw a saw!

On Monday night we went to a show in a super divey bar with terrible sound, but some friends were playing and a 22 ounce bottle of Fat Tire was only $4. The first band, who I think is split up and reformed and possibly changing their name, but here's the singer, was quiet and pretty, but I wasn't really picking up what they were putting down until the drummer traded in his sticks for a saw. A saw! I've never seen anyone play a saw before. It was amazing how he could get such precise pitch just from bending it. The sound was hauntingly lovely, and he played... at least three or four other instruments during the show, including a violin, a harmonica, and something that looked like a giant harmonica. I found out it was called a bass harmonica. Wacky. The third band, Bankrupt and the Borrowers-- whose myspace page doesn't really do them justice-- are some guys we met in Austin. Easily the best band of the night. Check them out if they make it to a town near you, although I think they might be (out of money) just about done touring for a while.

Tuesday night we went to see the Jesus Lizard, who are touring again after something like ten years of disbandedness. They were really good, but I am not a fanatic, and they weren't good enough for me to stay in the crowded hot sweaty smelly sold-out room, getting jostled by every sweaty loser in the room every two seconds (okay, maybe I woke up a little cranky that day), so I took off after three or four songs. But it was reportedly a great show, and those guys can rock pretty hard for their age, or any age.

So much for this week's show review...

I thought nothing was worse than those skinny hipster jeans

Then I was subjected to skinny hipster jean shorts. On guys. I didn't get any pictures, but I don't think you would thank me if I did.

So far, things have been fairly mellow in Nashville. I've seen a couple of local bands play. Sound and Shape stood out. I got some ethiopian food that wasn't as good as my fave places in Seattle, Chicago and Austin, but it's not the only game in town. On the Fourth of July, despite the apocalyptic combo of thunderstorms and a celebrity shooting, we managed to go out to catch the "last show" from The Pink Spiders, which was tight and energetic. Those guys know how to put on a show.

Even I am bored reading this blog post, but it has been a couple weeks, and I felt the need to reassert my presence on the planet, so sorry, and check out the cool bands...