Triple Cobra

I came close to skipping today's in-store at Waterloo with San Francisco band Triple Cobra. I had never heard of them, and the temperatures around here give me a feeling of reverse cabin fever, not wanting to leave the house betweeen the hours of 10 AM and 8 PM.
I am so glad I went. This is a rock band that understands that music can be a show. With theatrics, costume changes, bubble machines, choreography, and a lusty vibe, they had it all.
Between the girls in the outrageous costumes, and the charisma of the lead singer, there is a lot to watch, but the music doesn't take a back seat to the visuals. It took me a while to figure out who they reminded of, but once it hit me, it was obvious: Freddie Murcury and Queen. Glam Rock with heavier drums.

The singer has a great rock voice, with hints that he has some formal training in his background.
This first picture is him standing, really balancing, on the rail of the stage during a guitar solo. Never seen anybody try that before.

They were more than backup singers. They were dancers, and even sang co-lead on a song or two. If I heard correctly, they are sisters, and the one on the left designs and makes the outfits.

Costume change in between songs. Awesome.

Triple Cobra is on a tour promoting an album released in 2006, which is not real polished. They've got new material, and are waiting to get signed by a label so they can record again. With the right producer, they could probably make a great album.

Bubble machines for the last song, "It's Still Not Too Late for Us to Die Young."
This show was so much fun, I couldn't get the smile off my face.

Rock on.

Peace,

JS4

Before There Was Hope

On 44th Street, there is a rental house that Carrie and I pass by when we are walking Beau, or coming home off Guadalupe. In 2005, we noticed a Jeep out front of this house with a bumper sticker that read simply, "Barack Obama 2008." The bumper sticker was green and gray, as it was before the catchy slogans and market-tested graphics.

Sometimes we would comment on the message, sometimes not, but we both knew that we both noticed it every time we passed. It was like this little seed that was planted, of something that was possible. When we did talk about it, Carrie's basic point was that it was too soon for Obama to run. Maybe in four, or eight years, she would say. Carrie has a hard time getting her hopes up, because disappointment crushes her so. She had long predicted that the first black president would be a Republican.

I would try to convince her that there are times when a candidate has to get in now, even if it is "too soon," because momentum is huge, another chance may not develop, and too thick of a voting record can be used against you, especially as a sitting Senator. Usually, if it came up, I would speculate on a "President Obama," and she would say, "I don't want to talk about it," or words to that effect. She did say that if Obama became president, we would have to write a thank you note to the people who rented that house, drove that Jeep, placed that bumper sticker, planted that seed.

We all know how the election turned out. I don't write this to point out how I was right, and Carrie was wrong. That happens all the time. ... What?...

In the Summer of 2008, a few months before the general election, the people who rented that house, drove that Jeep, placed that bumper sticker, planted that seed; they moved. We never got the chance to thank them for the small but significant role they played in giving us hope that Obama could become president. I write this to say, "Thank you," to them. They'll never know what a service they did. It wasn't the internet, social media, brilliant campaign strategy, or the other stuff that has been credited for Obama's victory. It was simply hope, courageously stated on a bumper sticker, in 2005. Thank you.

Peace,

JS4

More Falafel, More Music

I returned to the Flying Falafel for lunch yesterday, on a lunch date with my lovely wife. Parking on The Drag is never easy, and mid-day when it is 102 degrees is a added level of difficulty. We pulled into the small lot behind the restaurant, where "We'll tow your a**" signs were everywhere. Uncertain if this meant us, I wanted to check. On the sidewalk, I spotted the woman who served me my Po'boy last week, and I asked if we were okay parking in that lot. She said some unkind words about the landlord, and indicated that we better move the car. Her brother had just stepped outside, and he - get this - offers to move my car for me, to a safer lot next door. I hand him my keys, and voila, spontaneous valet parking! I already liked these guys after one visit, and now they are my new best friends. Would it even matter if he food stunk? Well, yes, it would, but we don't have to worry about that.

The Thursday lunch special came recommended by "Anonymous," so we split a large plate of Menssef. It was tender lamb, in a yogurt reduction (or maybe a strained yogurt) sauce with rice. It was creamy, and complimented the lamb nicely. I'll go back again, if you are in Austin, you should let these nice people make you lunch. Can't promise you the valet service, though.

Another in-store yesterday with Monahans, who got some nice press upon the release of this new album. Their previous stuff was described as "alt-country," but now I'd say they've gone heavy on the "alt" part of that. This is a band that has gotten to the chapter in their career entitled, "So, You've Realized and Accepted that Commercial Success is Never Going to Happen."
Very liberating, so now they seem to be doing what they want. They played about seven songs, and there was not a radio single among them. One guitar created a haunting hum, the other moved through rough chord progressions, and the drummer stood front and center, though only sang occasional back-up. It was good, and only one of the songs wandered so far afield that I got bored. Monahans is destined to be critically well-regarded, and commercially unviable; and they seem okay with that.

The wives and kids of the band members were there in support, and some of the kids were really rockin' out. The kid in the red shirt was doing a mean air guitar with the plastic toy in his hands, and the little girl was looking for a mosh pit to join.

Kids of all ages love live music.

Peace,

JS4

So Much Music

Carrie and I went to Charlie Robison's in-store at Waterloo on Tuesday. He was recently divorced from his Dixie Chick wife, Emily, and all of the songs on the new album reflect that struggle, or at least his side of it. All this music may be cathartic for him, but he does not appear to be having much fun. He has too many players in his band, as he does not need a keyboard player and a pedal steel player. There were so many layers of music, that I could rarely make out the lyrics to the songs.



I have liked most of his music since 1998, when we saw him tape an Austin City Limits show. Carrie had a greater affinity for him early, and I came around when Lloyd Maines was playing with him at the ACL taping. Tuesday, we just kind of ached for him, as he looked and sounded depressed, playing for a rather small audience at the record store. I worry that he may become to Texas Country music, what John Daly has become to PGA Golf. At least Daly still draws a crowd to see his every potential train wreck. I hope Charlie Robison doesn't fall into that kind of tailspin.

Here are a couple of songs from Charlie's better days:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGulN5J8e64 El Cerrito Place

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7osnZTch6UM My Hometown

St. Vincent is from Dallas, and drew a big crowd to Waterloo. This is some kind of underground phenomenon that I was unaware of. The woman is the singer, and she plucks out the rhythm of the songs on her electric guitar, as there is no drummer. The key instrumentalist was the violin player, with a couple of guys on flute and, I think, an oboe. This is not in any way your traditional pop sound, but she can, indeed, really sing. The young, nerdy hipsters in the crowd seemed enthralled. I looked on youtube for a typical St. Vincent song, but since they are unclassifiable, their is no typical song. Listen if you've got too much free time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYoT14ZRY2E

Usually, in-stores occur at 5:00, with free Shiner beer, which they start serving when the band starts, and shutting down the keg soon after the music ends. Camera Obscura's show was at 1:00, with no beer, but the promise of free pizza from Austin's Pizza. I got there a little early, hoping to score some free lunch. The pizza was already gone at 12:50, and I saw only a few people with pizza in the crowd. I declare this promotion a failure, and hope they return to giving the people what they want: Shiner beer.

Camera Obscura was an intentionally nerdy young group from Glasgow, Scotland. Where Gomez was an adult indie sounding UK band, these guys and gals were 10 years younger, with a sound to match, though not unpolished. Nothing special, but somebody gave them a travel budget.

If you've read this far, surely you want to friend me on Facebook. I am appalled that friend can be a verb, but you can't stop the train that is "social media." If you've already friended me (conjugation alert!), thanks.

Peace,

Jay

High Speed and a Slower Pace

Man, I'm just blogging my a** off this week.
Look at all this "content."
What is making all this productivity possible is our new cable modem and wireless router.
I now know (somewhat) what those words mean. We got all this new technology and our new laptop, so no more dial-up for the Gerard/Laughlin household. I no longer have to go to the library to get this done.

After nearly three weeks off, I can feel the pace of my life starting to slow to summer speed. June has felt very busy, and I'm not a big fan of busy. Being busy is overrated, and made popular by people who get a lot of stuff done. I'm glad there are people who get a lot done; some of my best friends are busy. That's just not how I want my summer to feel.

One way I can tell that I feel less stress is how I react to traffic and stupid drivers. During low-stress summer periods, I find myself being more patient, and tolerant of the morons with whom I have to share the road. Doesn't make them less moronic; I am just less bothered by them.

I really noticed this phenomenon on my first day back to school last August. Some clown at 45th and Airport wouldn't turn right EVEN THOUGH HE HAD THE GREEN ARROW! I found myself yelling "sailor quality" curse words at 8:30 AM, less than five minutes after shifting into "going to work" mode. "Wow, where has that been?" I thought to myself. The Summer of Jay 4 ended right then and there.

That first day back at school, without students, is usually a chance to show up a little late, catch up with fellow staff members, and ease back into the routine. Not this time. I cruised in to find out that the meeting had already started. No one had told me that the new Instructional Coaches were going to be there FIRST THING on THE FIRST day. It was like going from 0-60 on that roller coaster at Silver Dollar City. I'm sure these enthusiastic women (and one token guy) had some wonderful ideas for how to teach our students, but I was not mentally prepared to go like that on day one. These Instructional Coaches were supposed to offer ongoing support throughout the school year. We never saw them again. Maybe they'll be back again on our first day this year. If so, I hope I get a heads up that they are coming , and I really hope they aren't scheduled to arrive until the afternoon.

Peace,

Jay


P.S. I just saw that South Carolina's Republican Governor Mark Sanford admitted to an affair while he was "clearing his head," er, "doing some writing," er, "hiking the Appalachian Trail," er, in Argentina with his mistress. This comes in the wake of Republican Senator John Ensign from Nevada admitting that he, too, had an affair. Looks like they'll have to turn in their "Sanctimonious Defenders of Traditional Marriage" cards at the next GOP meeting. Both of these guys were on the list of possible presidential candidates for 2012. Now I think they are spending the weekend with John Edwards, at his "So You've Decided to Kill Your Political Future" seminar.
Will Mike Huckabee be the last Republican standing, next time around? Mitt? Hey, Newt hasn't had to admit an affair in several years. Maybe he's counting on second chances and short memories.

Need a New Po'boy

One of the first blog entries from last summer was about Gene's, a New Orleans, home cooking kind of place on East 11th. They had great shrimp po'boys that were a priority anytime I had a day off. Sadly, Gene closed up shop and moved back to New Orleans a couple of months ago. I was not consulted. That blog entry:

http://jaysummer4.blogspot.com/2008/06/return-to-genes.html


Through the grapevine, I'd heard of a new spot for po'boys. As unlikely as it may be, the name of this place is The Flying Falafel, located on The Drag next to UT. After I ordered my sandwich, I heard the young woman who had taken my order call back to "Mom" in the kitchen. This drew my interest. Typically, restaurants on The Drag are staffed by students who need work close to campus. I inquired if this was a family operated establishment.

Come to find out that "Mom" is from Jordan, and the now adult children were born in New Orleans. This explains the mixed menu of Middle Eastern and New Orleans foods. This family has been in Austin for a couple of years, so they are not Katrina evacuees. But they are nice addition to Austin, however they got here. I told them that I had been a fan of Gene's, which led to an on-the-spot compare and contrast between the old favorite and the new po'boy. For the record, The Flying Falafel's po'boy has more shrimp, and more sauce than Gene's, including a mixture of ketchup and mayo on one half of the bread. Different, but just as good, and very fresh.

The brother of the family joined in the conversation, and it turns out that they are considering moving into the old Gene's location, as a way to expand their business. You heard it here first. I gave them some semi-solicited advice : "Go for it." People are used to getting New Orleans food at the Gene's locale, and they can build on that base to turn people onto their Middle Eastern fare. I am admittedly in the tank for this little mom-and-pop (though I saw no sign of a "pop") restaurant.

Word on the street is that they have a killer Thursday lunch special. Carrie and I are planning to try it this week. It's one of "Mom's" recipes from Jordan. I'll let ya know.

Peace,

Jay

Here's a New Post

There are a number of reasons why I have not had a new blog entry for several days. We have been looking to upgrade our in-home technology for a while. Carrie has wanted a new laptop, and I have wanted to replace our 19" TV with something from the modern era. With decisions like this, we almost always move at a glacial pace. The glacier melts during the summer, and we finally make some moves. While Carrie was working in Las Vegas, I bought the new TV, after much research and trips to three Target stores. She had already ordered the new Dell, and we were waiting on delivery.

These purchases were also timed to coincide with a visit from Scott, our tech support guru from Garland. Carrie and I can often muddle through with hooking up new equipment, but what takes us two hours to figure out, Scott can do better in 20 minutes. Scott, known in some quarters as "Scootie", or merely "Uncle", also repaired a broken A/C vent in our bedroom while he was here.
Pictured below are the old and new TVs. The new one is a 32", which shames the old one, while still fitting in our small living room. We are still using rabbit ears for reception, so we have not fully moved into the 1980's yet.

Getting hours of tech help from Scott means plenty of eating out in Austin. He is a creature of habit like us, so we had old favorites like the chicken fried steak from Hyde Park Bar and Grill, and breakfast tacos at Julio's. We mixed things up by taking Scott for a burger at The Counter Cafe ( very good, but I have not seen the cute waitress there in months) and Mexican food at El Chile. El Chile has always had good food, and the hipsters who used to frequent it have moved on, so our last few visits there have been even better. Good enchiladas and chorizo quesadillas.

Sadly, we were unable to see any live music with Scott, so he'll just have to come back. I'm sure we'll have more projects to tackle soon.

Peace,

Jay

Majestic X2

Back in March, Carrie and I attended a Ryan Adams concert in San Antonio, courtesy of a Christmas present from Carrie's and my brother-in-law, Keith. The concert was great, and a reminder of one of the many reasons I love to see live music. The sound was horrible for the first few songs of the show. At first, I thought that maybe the distorted vocals, bleeding through the fuzzy instruments, was an "artistic decision," but obviously a bad one. No, Mr. Adams was growing quietly perturbed, and then stopped the show, apologized and asked us to wait while they fixed the problem. Setting aside the question, "Pre-show sound check anyone?" we waited. The rest of the show was terrific, with Mr. Adams in a much better mood, funny even. He thanked the audience profusely for our patience and was totally at ease. Seeing how musicians deal with things that go wrong during a show is one of the "anything can happen" aspects that I enjoy about live music.

That show was our first visit to The Majetic Theater in San Antonio. The venue is breath-taking. The historical marker says it was built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, but that, nor I, can do it justice with mere words. It is a venue that is value-added to any show that can be seen there, and I hate to say it, is so much cooler than The Paramount Theater in Austin.

While at that concert, we took note that the musical "Wicked" would be playing there in June. We decided that we would invite my Dad and his wife, Brenda, to come down to San Antonio to see the show with us. I like musicals, and I say that with an unblemished record of heterosexuality. There was a period when I saw several musicals that I did not enjoy, and I thought I might have soured on the experience. Then I realized the problem: Andrew Lloyd Webber. Maybe you liked "Cats" or "Phantom" but I would rather have a root canal than see another of his shows. He is to musicals, what "We Built This City" and "Say You, Say Me" are to 80's music.

"Wicked" was great. Carrie had seen it before, and I figured if she wanted to see it again, it must be good. I won't go into too much detail, because I know that some regular readers of this blog are planning to see it. The staging, sets, costumes, and performances were all first-rate, and made even better in the intimate setting of The Majestic. There were quite a few groups of women in the audience, who obviously were big fans of the show, with their matching, custom "Wicked" tee-shirts. Goofy, but no harm in them getting their Wicked on at the Saturday matinee. And who knew that a wicked witch could be such a sympathetic character?

Peace,

JS4

Tish and Polvos

Carrie and I went to see Tish Hinojosa at Waterloo on Wednesday. Tish is a sweet-voiced folk singer who bilingually crosses over into country, or adult contemporary, depending on the style of album she wants to make. She is one of the first songwriters that Carrie and I saw live after we moved to Austin. Tish has moved to Germany, and the small crowd at the show spoke to the fact that she has not been around to cultivate a following. Her current album is more of the country variety, and she and some of her old bandmates played a nice set with crystal clear vocals, and no annoying cliche country hooks.

You can listen to one of her songs from from 1990 here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=talSh23RN2E

I headed to South Austin for lunch yesterday at Polvos on S. 1st. It was early, not to hot yet, so I sat on the big covered patio. Polvos goes against the grain, and charges for chips and salsa. They are quite proud of their salsa bar, which means you have to pay, and go inside to get your salsa yourself. I turned off the cheap part of my brain (not an easy task) and went along with the system. I ordered the chili relleno al nopal, with pork and a pecan cream sauce. Wow! The spices and the meat blended perfectly, with just the right amount of heat. Some might think the sauce to be a little too sweet, but that is the only criticism I can imagine. The portion was huge, and I packed up a box of leftovers that I ate today. And the salsas were great, by the way.

It rains so infrequently these days that last night's storm rates a mention. We were ready to round up the pets in case it turned severe. Instead, we were treated to the kind of rain that moves us to sit on the porch swing, watch the storm swirl around us, and wave to the neighbors across the street, who also savor such weather from their front porch. A summer gift from the weather gods.

Have a good weekend, all.

Peace,

JS4

Check Out the Pictures

No, not in this blog post.

I got some pictures uploaded onto the posts from the previous two entries.
I'm getting closer to figuring out the secrets of blogspot.

Check back tomorrow for a new, full post.

JS4

More of the Summer

These pictures are from the Gomez in-store from Monday. I finally got them uploaded, but not where I wanted them. Close enough.
This guy in the band was playing this instrument that I could only describe as "black box with a tube that you blow through." Anybody know what this is?

I thought I was going to try an eastside place for lunch that had been written up in the Chronicle recently. Rio Rita looked a little too sketchy as I drove by it, a few blocks east of the interstate on 6th Street. Outward appearances rarely put me off, but it didn't didn't say "lunch" to me; more like "late night crime scene." Sorry, no picture.
A bit down the road I spotted a fixed up place called Buenos Aires Cafe.

It had a nice Bistro feel, with wood floors and leather chairs. I got a table by the window, looking out at the non-gentrified buildings across the street. We had dinner in this building a few years ago when it was a home cookin' kind of place. I don't miss the old place, and this new establishment speaks to attempts to upscale this part of town.
I considered the Mayonesa de Ave, which was a blend of chicken, vegetables, and mayonnaise. I asked the waiter how mayonnaisy this dish was, and he warned me off, saying it was extremely mayonnaisy. Good to ask in advance. I opted for a less adventurous breaded cutlet sandwich, served on a bagette. It had an adventurous name (Milanesa), but a sandwich is still a sandwich. It came with a nice mixed green salad, and was about $10.00. The place was not packed, but the three servers seemed overwhelmed, and my water glass sat empty for several minutes. The waiter had earned all the goodwill he needed by steering me away from the mayo. I might go back for the Empanadas, but there was not much else on the menu that sounded all that enticing.

On Monday, there was an in-store with Gomez, an adult, indie-pop band from the UK. They have had one minor radio hit, and I read in the Dallas paper that their songs have been featured on TV shows like Grey's Anatomy. They were terrific, though they played only 25 minutes. You could tell that they knew how to craft and arrange songs, and three different guys sang lead on just five songs that they played. Listen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKJJRnuCwF4 "See the World"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-NWJ9OykJs "Airstream Driver."
If you listen, you will hear the distortion in the lyrics on this song, as part of the studio production. I don't know how, but they were able to reproduce this sound in the record store, for just this one song. I just chalk it up to the idea that these guys really know what they are doing.

There is another in-store that starts in 30 minutes.

Peace,

JS4

A Full Weekend

Okay, I got these pictures uploaded. I just could not position them in the text as I wanted.

This picture is from our day in Cuero, visiting with long-time friends.
In the background is the garage of the Netardus' house. When Brad and Dina's daughter Maddie walked into the garage, which is filled with bikes, toys, and the riding lawn mower, she exclaimed with the wonder of a three-year-old, "Wow! What is this place?"

These pictures are from "Card Night" with Tara and John. Since Tara is drinking red wine, I guess this is her "Bloods" gang sign.

This pic is from our first day's lunch at Trudy's.

So I did not have time to get new tires, and make it to the in-store on Thursday. During any Summer of Jay, this creates no dilemma, as fun trumps responsibility. I blew off getting tires, picked up Carrie, and headed down to Waterloo to see Ryan Bingham. He's been getting some radio play, his sound is good, and there is an added bonus that I am an acquaintance of his guitar player. Corby Schaub is the son of Craig, who worked with Brad at the Perdenales Electric Co-op. I have floated the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers with them, and we have all embarrassed ourselves to some degree on these trips. Given that much alcohol was consumed on these floats, making memories a bit fuzzy, and that many years have passed since I last saw Corby, it is no wonder that he did not really remember me when he happened by me before the show. Still, he was nice enough to visit for a couple of minutes before they took the stage.

Bingham and the band played an acoustic 45 minute set, which put a premium on how well they played. Corby had a mandolin solo that was so precise, at one point it was like he was playing a piano. They both play a mean guitar, and Bingham has a raspy, kerosene voice that sounds like a rockin' chicken-fried Tom Waits. Good stuff. I'm posting a link to youtube of a song off their previous album. I hope that works, so you can listen for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmXdWOG0dTw

Friday, Carrie and I spent the first full day of the summer just like we have the last several "first days." Sleeping in, she took the day off. I did get those tires replaced, which I hope does not become an annual tradition. We went to Trudy's for margaritas and nachos, sitting on the deck. I don't think I've been there in a year, but it's always where I want to start the summer. We are usually among the oldest people there, and the loud music they play on the deck is a reminder that we are just a few years beyond their target customers.

On Saturday night, we played cards with Tara and John, which was noteworthy because of the great company, the awesome ginger shrimp that Carrie made, and one weird hand of Spades, wherein Carrie and I took all 13 tricks. I must humbly report that John and Tara soundly defeated us. No rematch is scheduled.

The busy weekend continued on Sunday with a trip to Cuero, to see Jennifer and Anthony, with Brad and Dina and their two kids coming from San Antonio. We had not seen Jen and Anthony and their FOUR KIDS! in over two years, so it was great to catch up and see their new (to them) house. The kids swam, we all ate burgers and leftover cupcakes and had a swell time, vowing not to wait so long before getting together again.

Some of the gaps in this post are where photos were supposed to be inserted. I'll try to fix this soon. Once again, technology gets the best of me. But if that youtube thing works...

Peace,

JS4

The Blog is Back.

For the first time since August, I just clicked on "New Post," jumping back into the pool of technology and communication. This is the Summer of Jay 5, being the summer break after my 5th year of teaching. Don't let the blog title fool you.

A few minutes ago, my boss announced that everyone could leave when we wanted, since this is the last day. I stayed to write this first entry from work because the high speed internet connection is so cool, unlike the dial-up at home. Everyone else has either gone home or to lunch, so the place is eerily quiet.

Many people have asked, "Are you going to do the blog again this summer?"
Some asked in obvious anticipation, looking forward to reading about my exploits and thrilling days of leisure. Others who asked, did so with a bit of a cringe, the sub-text being more along the lines of, "You're not going to do that again are you?"

Well, the obvious answer is yes, I'm going to write as often as I can, while still finding time to eat out, see live music, catch up on delayed projects, run, relax, and travel. I'll write several days a week about all the excitement that is my life, which I hope will include seeing many of you during the next 10 weeks. Since it has been so long since I wrote here, I also plan to do some kind of flashback entries, recalling some of the events that occurred during the school year. In true blog dork fashion, I have compiled a list of notes which will remind me of the topics that at some point I thought worthy of writing about months after they happened.

I'm glad you are reading, and I hope you will return regularly. Save this site on your favorites; it can't be too much worse than some of that other crap to which you quickly link.

One of the first things I'll do this summer - really as soon as I leave work - is buy new tires for the car. See, the fun goes from 0-60 around here, just like that. If all goes well, I'll make it down to Waterloo for an in-store, the first live music of the Summer of Jay.

Today, June 4th is a significant day, for at least two reasons.
The first reason is that it is my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!
I hope the card got there in time.

Today is also the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The following iconic photo is in honor those who stood up for rights, progress, and freedom. May the survivors, and those killed, someday be seen as heroes in their own country.

Peace,

JS4