Denied

Strange how events fall into place sometimes in a string of misfortunes, leaving us wondering why what we wanted is being denied to us.  Denial makes us feel smaller, less important, more trapped by circumstance and fate, and less able to move and enact the things we want for ourselves. 

It was a string of things, nothing very important, that piled on this weekend to make a person feel small.  We had plans--dinner and a concert, Fleetwood Mac, for crying out loud.  I watched a documentary on the group as I spent some time on the treadmill, and got a little work done before heading off to Sioux Falls to enjoy dinner before the concert.  We had reservations, which we knew was important because we'd been to the packed Crooked Pint once before another concert, and there was no way we'd get in early enough to eat and get to the concert. 

But the reservation was a bust.  We got there before our reservation time, but they told us they'd given our table away.  "We just got busy," she said.  Yup, just like before every other big concert.  So we stood for half an hour or more waiting for a table.  Their offer?  A free appetizer.  Poutine is good, but not that good. 

Fine, plenty of time.  So then we head over to the Sanford Arena and got in with 20 minutes to spare.  Except we had to stand in line for 45 minutes, and by the time we got to security the concert had already been going on for 20 minutes.  We could hear it, muffled through the walls and the floor, "Rhiannon," for one.  Finally, through security and on to the scans, where our tickets from StubHub would finally get us in, even though, by that time, we were getting a little annoyed. 

But the scanner bleeped a big red X, and the worker told us to go to the ticket office.  Another denial! 

At the box office, the woman there told me the same ticket had been scanned two hours before.  So there was that, a ripoff ticket from StubHub.  The woman offered me a ticket--there were tickets available--but the prospect of dropping another hundred bucks per ticket when the hundreds I'd already spent had just gone up in smoke, that didn't appeal to me. 

So we paused, had a seat, listened to another muffled song from that great band, and decided to mitigate our disappointment by having a beer.  It seemed only fitting that as we pulled up at Castaway's, across the street, the last few letters were dim, so we walked in under the Castaw and tried to spin ourselves back up from our denials. 

Today I reminded myself, as I cheered for the Rams to prevail over the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII (53 for you non-Romans), that disappointment is often self-inflicted.  It didn't really matter who won the game.  It didn't kill us to stand and chat while the folks at Crooked Pint tried to find us a table.  We've got the Fleetwood Mac albums at home. 

And StubHub is refunding what we spent on the tickets, with a discount on our next purchase. 

We had a fun drive down to Sioux Falls chatting with our friend, a nice meal, a chance to see some great music, and a safe drive home again.

And that Super Bowl?  We got to watch, cheer, chat, eat, and share the night with some good people.  Life is good. 

Farewell Wave to David Bowie

In 1975, after graduation from high school and joining the Army, I ended the year being shipped off to Germany (West Germany in those days before the wall fell).  Music was at the background of much that I did then, whether it was on the radio or played through some other form.
In Germany it was the thing to have a good stereo to play music on, and I quickly began to set up a stereo that reproduced good sound.
On that stereo in 1975 and 1976, there were three albums that got a lot of play.  They were Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run album, The Four Seasons album Who Loves You, and David Bowie's Station to Station.
One of my favorite songs on that album was "TVC15."  What did it mean?  I didn't know, but that song always got me jumping, feeling better, made me want to dance and move.  See if it works for you!

Inside and Outside

The wife found her first tulip volunteering that spring had finally arrived in South Dakota yesterday. And the lovely day continued, as I was able to fire up the wood splitter in 40 degrees and split the wood that had piled up after cutting down some trees last fall.  I rolled some of the logs from back in the trees out into a clearing so they can be split.  Then we took a good walk/jog in the park, where people were walking their dogs and enjoying the warm day.  Then back to more outside work for a while, and lunch and the last "free" episode of "Mad Men" on Netflix.  Then some school work and a trip back up to DSU where we saw Expatriate and Burlap Wolf King play some awesome song.  A good, long spring day, full of good times.

The First Tulip Arrives in Madison

Goodbye to All That (Loud Noise--AKA--Kick Ass Rock and Roll)

After 38 years, I'm letting go of my big-ass stereo equipment, the stuff I bought when I was a teenage soldier in Friedberg, West Germany.  These served me well over the many years, rattling the windows of many homes I had hither and yon.  After I let these go, only my Marantz turntable will be left of the powerhouse stereo I carefully assembled over the course of a couple years, doing my research and saving my money.

What you see here are, first, my big and heavy (50 pounds!) Teac SX4300 auto-reverse reel to reel.  This baby would play music for seven hours uninterrupted.  It had a clean and clear delivery, especially at 7 inches per second (it's a two-speed).  I've still got many reels of music, some (like Larry Hosford) that I have not been able to find since 1978.  So it goes.

Then there is the matching set of Kenwood amp and tuner, a KA-8300 amp and a KT-8300 tuner.  They were excellent components, especially that kick-ass amplifier.  What a beast.  I matched these up in 1976 with a pair of Pioneer HPM-100 speakers, and they would rock the house.  The sound they made was a beautiful thing, and I loved to hear The Edgar Winter Group rocking "Frankenstein" turned way up loud.  Sometimes too loud.  I had to have both the speakers and the amp repaired after too vigorous play.

These components were a signature in my barracks room, my bachelor pads, my dorm room, and my several homes.  Now they're heading to new homes via eBay.  

Check them out if you're interested.  It would be good to see them go to new homes (at high prices!).  

Teac.

Amp.

Tuner.

Go ahead.  Bid.  Then you too can be rocking to this:

Blue Jeans 'n Classics, the South Dakota Symphony, and Fleetwood Mac

The wife, the mom, and I enjoyed our Sunday afternoon with the Canadian group, Blue Jeans 'n Classics, who played with the South Dakota Symphony to offer up many hit songs of the group Fleetwood Mac, songs that I remember so well, especially from my two years in Germany.  My big expensive stereo at that time could crank out the tunes on the albums Fleetwood Mac that appeared in 1975, then Rumours, appearing in 1977, both while I was doing my soldier duty in Friedberg.  They were awesome records for me at the time, great lyrics, beautiful signing, and some hard-driving rocking.

The group of musicians that put on their show were welcomed by the crowd, and they were well worth it.  I hope the many sponsors from Madison that supported bringing them here were pleased with their efforts.  Thank you, sponsors!

The World is a Little Colder Today

Each of us works on our own schedule, but we hope to create something that remains when we're gone.  On this cold January day, we note the loss of Pete Seeger, the great folk singer and author of great songs including "We Shall Overcome," "Turn! Turn! Turn!," and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," songs that we think of as America's songs, our songs. It's good to stop and note with gratitude the gift that artists like this give to us.  Thank you, Pete Seeger, and rest in peace.

At My Door the Leaves are Falling

This morning the song in my head is one by Johnny Cash, "I Still Miss Someone," as it describes the mournful loss of a loved one, set against the the falling leaves and the wild winds, both of which are going on outside my windows.  The wind is whipping out of the south, leaves tearing off the trees and covering the yard once again.
The welcome rain comes as a marking of the end of our summer days, a blast of what is to come as we move into the fall season.  It's been a long haul with little or no rain to speak of, and the grass and trees have shown their stress, turning brown and sere as the long dry spell went on.
It has now rained steadily all morning, and with some luck it will continue.  Certainly the farmers don't have the same perspective, since many of their crops are still in the field.  But we'll take it, we lawn farmers.

October 25, A Day to Celebrate

When the wife's birthday comes around, we take the chance to get out and do something a bit different to make the day special and to celebrate the event.  So, this year we buzzed out of town and did some things that she likes to do, which, in this case, involved eating some good food, doing a little shopping for clothes and other stuff, and feeling lots of different kinds of yarn.  Anything the wife wants to do, I'm her man. 

Crawford's in downtown Sioux Falls

We also did some things for yours truly, which involved picking up some new tires for the bicycle and having a good "old-fashioned" down at Crawford's, where we had some excellent food (blackberry ribs and walnut-encrusted pork chop) and dessert (midnight chocolate cake).  Yum!  Beautiful place, too. 

We also picked up a copy of the new Joe Walsh album, "Analog Man," but we forgot it in the trunk and haven't listened to it yet. 

The Earl is Dead. Long Live the Earl.

Earl Scruggs is gone.  There will be bluegrass tears all through the country, mostly from folks who came to love the banjo through his fancy fingerwork.  His banjo picking on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album and the recorded commentary from him there were the things that drew me in.  I was taken enough to purchase a banjo way back in 1978, and I carted that banjo and Scruggs' banjo instruction record around for over 30 years.  Too bad I only ever learned a couple of licks and never really played.  But I always appreciate a good banjo picker, and Earl was among the best.  He was a great ambassador for the instrument.  Story here.
Enjoy this banjo dynamo as he appeared with Steve Martin and other men with banjos on David Letterman. 

The Tinder Box Heats Up Mochavino's

The Tinder Box at Mochavino's

Mochavino's was graced tonight with the cool bluegrass fusion band The Tinder Box this evening.  These guys have a unique sound, mixing banjo, guitar, and trumpet with some high lonesome vocals, a snare, and a bass drum.  Nothing plugs in!
Their original music, available on a free CD they offer at each appearance, is haunting and beautiful, and I find myself playing the songs over again and singing along.  Check out some of their music on their Facebook page or on their Youtube page.
The three guys are Dominic Osterloh on banjo, Chad Konrad on guitar, etc., and John Wallner, trumpet.  Chad and John offer up some great harmonies while Dominic picks away on the banjo.  You might think the combination sounds a little odd, but these guys have it worked out.  It's really amazing what a philosophy, sociology, and psychology major can put their collective minds to.  Their songs are often haunting and sorrowful, but then they'll do a foot-stomping blues number and shake things up.  Nice.
Combine that with some good food, good company, and good conversation, and things are . . . good.

Early Holiday Present, Eskimo Style

Sure, it's a little early to be singing the Hallelujah Chorus, and you might not expect the folks young and old in a little Yupiq Eskimo village to be the internet sensation they seem to be, but there they are, putting on their version of George Frideric Handel's Messiah.  Enjoy.  Thanks, Nancy!

I've got to say I enjoyed it more than the cute little girls in pink singing to Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass."  Nicki singing it herself, that's another matter.  I hope the kids didn't learn the song by watching the video.

A City with Class

The city of Grand Rapids set out to prove that they're not the dying city that some were describing, and in the process they created a lively look at their city and the commitment to it that their residents have.  5000 people participated in this "lip-dub" of Don McLean's "American Pie," all nine minutes of it.  Check it out.  Thanks, Christina, for the link!