4 For 4

Last week, Monday through Thursday, Waterloo had music every day at 5:00. I'm happy to say that I made every show.
Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel often comes across as a guy with an enormous ego. However, his life's work stands as a tribute to the work of others, mostly Bob Wills, of Western Swing fame.
Asleep at the Wheel has kept this kind of music alive, and is the only band to play at the Austin City Limits Festival every year since the beginning. On their latest album, they invited Leon Rausch, an original member of the Texas Playboys, to sing and tour with them. Ray Benson stood back and gave Rausch the spotlight during the show, and Ray seemed honored just to be a part of it all. Maybe his ego comes from the confidence in knowing that he is a great band leader, who can make other people look good, sound good, and feel good. Nothing wrong with that.

The Henry Clay People said their show would be the quietest one they had ever played. Still, it was the loudest of the week. All rock, with a little Ramone's vibe, and lyrics I could hear and understand. Good stuff. They'll be at ACL in October.

The four lead guys of Stonehoney can all sing in a smooth modern country kind of way. The harmonies were impressive, and they have been compared to the Eagles. Vocally, that may hold up, but musically they reminded me of Little Texas, circa 1995. Very "Amy's Back in Austin" mid-tempo ballads, and not much range. The last song they played kicked it up a notch, but it was too little, too late.

Thursday's Jonathon Taylor and the Northern Lights show had a little bit of Blind Faith, and a whole lot of Black Crowes sound to it. Overall it was good, but they seemed to not have a lot of passion for what they were doing.

Four days in a row allowed me to see good music, but I also had a chance to talk to some of the in-store regulars. This can be good or bad, as more than a few of the people wander in just for the beer. The guy who serves the beer, and wears a battered name tag that reads only "Slippy," is not a regular employee of the store. His regular job is in the kitchen at the fancy French restaurant, Aquarelle.

The picture of the final band was not taken by me, as I forgot my camera that day. I asked a lady in the crowd, who was somehow connected to the band, if she could e-mail me one of the pics she had taken. Technology is amazing, and I'm a little surprised that I was able to get the picture from my email into this blog. Not sure if I could do it again... The blank box at the end of this post is a remnant of a failed attempt.

Peace,

JS4

Albuquerque Trip

We've been home from Albuquerque for more than a week, so these pictures are not exactly timely. When I'm loading pictures into a blog post, I have a devil of a time getting them into the order I want. These are basically reverse chronological order, and I don't have the patience to fix it.



The Albuquerque trip was a way to see Mark and Leslie Denton (valued blog readers) and their daughters Deanna and Miranda. It had been two years since we had last seem them, so it was great to catch up and reconnect. Lots of games played, ice cream eaten, and laughs shared. Their family had recently returned from a trip to Maui (Not all vacations are created equal), so we saw lots of cool pictures from paradise.



One day we drove up to the Pecos area for a picnic in the cool mountain air. The weather was beautiful one minute, then stormy the next. This cycle of weather repeated itself several times in a few short hours. The most dramatic shift was an intense hail storm that lasted for a good 20 minutes. Fortunately, we had a screen shelter to stand beneath. That's where I was standing when I took this picture of Mark, braving the pea-sized chunks falling from the sky.



The weather timed the wet stuff perfectly around our lunch plans, and the only time it rained hard enough to put out the fire was when we were finished cooking.

Leslie and Deanna cooking hot dogs:

Mark built the fire. I just jumped into the picture to claim some credit.

I have a general policy that the only time I want to eat hot dogs is at a baseball game. At a ballgame it is mandatory. An exception to the hot dog policy is if they are cooked over an open flame (preferably outdoors). I had a couple of dogs, and saved room for s'mores, another campfire treat. I'm not sure what made the difference, but these were the best s'mores I'd ever had. I'm not naming names, but someone in our party agreed, and consumed at least three of them.

While in Albuquerque, we went to the city aquarium and gardens. The girls were kind enough to sit for a couple of pictures.

Miranda:

Deanna in the Children's Garden, where everything is BIG:

Good times.

Peace,

JS4

Owning Property

For only the third time in 15 years I am protesting our property taxes on our lovely home on Avenue D. 362 days out of the year, I focus my attention on the wonderful things about our house. When it comes time to appeal the tax value, I prepare the "We live in a shack with 7 foot ceilings in the bedrooms" defense. This has worked pretty well in the past, and I have learned a great deal about how they determine the value of houses. Google Earth and Ouija Boards seem to be the favorite appraisal tools these days. I am trying to get the description of the property changed, to reflect two areas where I think they have our structures overvalued. First is our garage/shed in the back. My first argument was indisputable: The county said it was 24 feet wide, not the 18 feet it actually is. Carrie took a bunch of pictures of me measuring stuff to support our case. I like this one because, "Look, there's Beau."
The more difficult part of my argument has to do with our back closet, which I am trying to get classified as attached storage, rather than living space. To make these changes required a formal hearing before a three member board, which in my case was made up entirely of white guys in their 60's. There is an adversarial feel to the formal hearing, with a county representative arguing for the higher property value for taxing purposes. The county rep took issue with my wanting to reclassify our storage closet.
You know how sometimes you think of the perfect thing to say, maybe a half hour after it would have been helpful or funny? Happens to me on a regular basis. I wished I had said to the contentious county rep, "This is a space the size of a jail cell, with a 7 foot ceiling, no windows, and no heating or air-conditioning, and you want to call it living space. Really?" Maybe it was for the best that this response did not come to my mind until I was in the car on the way home. The case was not resolved, and the county will be doing a visual inspection next week. I'll let you know how it turns out. And really, despite its flaws, and with the help of family and friends, our little house has been a wonderful home since 1995.


This next picture documents my next tax battle with the county. Last week, Carrie and I closed on a condo purchase. This is the front of the complex on Speedway, one block from our house. Our unit, a one bedroom, is in the back. So becoming landlords is in our immediate future, and we hope to lease it to a quiet graduate student in August. If we win the lottery before we get it leased, it would become a guest house, so be rooting for our Lotto numbers to come up. Of course our guest room is always available here on Avenue D. If you are reading this blog, and we have never met, the above statements should not be construed as an invitation.

Peace,

JS4

Zach and George

Here is the three photo sequence of Zach doing a flip at the pool at Abilene State Park.

But wait, you cannot believe your eyes. The second picture is not Zach. I kept missing him in mid-air. So I had to tell him over and over to go again. He didn't seem to mind. While waiting, I was practicing getting people in mid-air, and captured another boy in red trunks as he did a spinning flip. After five attempts, I got a shot of Zach as he was entering the water. Close enough, and at least he is facing the camera.

When I heard this morning that George Steinbrenner had I died, I was surprised that my thoughts were generally charitable. "What he cared about was winning," I thought. I hate the Yankees, as all good-hearted people do(Yes, it's a good-hearted hate). Over the years, when the Yankees have closed out one of their purchased championships, I have made a point of turning off the TV before the final out, as a way to avoid seeing them celebrate.

Today as I was running on the treadmill at the gym, the TVs kept playing clips of celebrating Yankee teams, and I could not avoid seeing them. It compounded the yuck factor of running on a treadmill. My thoughts became less and less charitable. It pained me that the Yankees were reigning champions when he died. I was glad when coverage turned to his being banned from baseball for his actions related to his vendetta against Dave Winfield, among other things.

Another of my uncharitable thoughts was that the megalomaniac Steinbrenner timed the announcement of his death to coincide with the All-Star Break, the slowest news and sports news days on the calendar, so that he could dominate at least one news cycle, and be the center of attention at the game. I also thought about the Yankee announcer, Bob Sheppard, who died two days before, and whom Reggie Jackson called the "Voice of God." Maybe Steinbrenner figured he would need someone working for him on the inside. Not that it would help. Finally, I thought that Bruce Springsteen is "The Boss," not G.Steinbrenner, R.I.P.

Peace,

JS4

Mind the Gap

We spent this past weekend in Abilene and Buffalo Gap, helping my dad celebrate his 70th birthday. The burgeoning tourist locale that is Buffalo Gap, where we stayed, has led to the opening of several nice B&Bs. Quality visiting time, and quality food were the themes of the weekend. Again, Happy Birthday, Dad!

We swam at Abilene State Park. Here is Zach, about to flip from the high dive. You may have seen a photo sequence in another blog post, since I was able to get it loaded in the correct order. The pool was nice, and many structures in the park were built in the 1930's by the CCC. That's government stimulus spending at its finest, and still paying dividends.

We had dinner at Perini's, which has some of the best steak you can find. Out front is the giant armadillo, which was not there the last time we ate at Perini's. I'm certain I would have remembered a 45 ft. armadillo.

After dinner photo of the family:

Carrie and Jay:

On Saturday morning, we went to the Grace Museum in downtown Abilene, where they had an Ansel Adams exhibit. It was inspiring, and I was trying to be an artist when I took these shots from where I went for a run between Buffalo Gap and and the "town" of View early Saturday morning.

In case you missed it, I was going for a wind motif.

Peace,

JS4

Radio, Part One

Standing in the crowd during the Shannon McNally in-store at Waterloo last week was Jody Denberg,the former music director of KGSR. Until Jody left the station in December, KGSR was great radio. Now, with the exception of the ever infrequent local artists that they manage to work into the playlist, KGSR is nearly indistinguishable from the classic hits station, BobFM. Every time I hear them playing Pink Floyd, or The Cars, I want to puke. I kinda like Pink Floyd and The Cars, but they don't belong on KGSR. I did not talk to Jody after the show because someone else had his attention, but I wanted to tell him that he was missed. I'll bet, and I hope, that he hears that a lot.

I've only spoken to Jody once, and that was at the first KGSR Christmas Party that I sneaked (I like the word "snuck," but it seems to be a non-word) into. Back then they held the party at the Austin City Limits studio at UT, and just getting in the building was the tough part. I really wanted to see Patty Griffin that night in December, so I waited until most of the show was over, and drove down to the studio building. As luck would have it, someone had propped open a side door (probably to smoke), which allowed me access to a stair well. I climbed the 5 flights of stairs to the studio level, and walked in with a group of other people who had taken a restroom break. Too easy. I was in.

At that point, there really wasn't anybody whose job it was to be a hard ass about security. It was dark, people were enjoying the show (Patty had just taken the stage), so I just found a place on an open bleacher seat. Oh, and there was still free beer left, so I grabbed one. The show was great, and when it was over I walked down to the floor, where Jody Denberg was standing. This was basically his show, and a few people were chatting him up. I waited until they moved on, walked up to Jody and said, "That was a great show, and I had to sneak in just to see it." He stepped back just a bit, to see that I did not have an admission badge around my neck. He then stepped toward me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said, "Man, I'm proud of you. I'm glad you made it in tonight." He knew that I had filled the seat of a person who hadn't cared enough about the music to stay for the whole show. I thanked him and left.

18 months ago, I got myself into the KGSR party with a bona fide pass. Now the party is held in the ballroom upstairs in the Texas (UT) Union. They have more room for sponsors and their ilk up there. More sponsors means more older people leaving early. The building is wide open, but security to the ballroom is pretty tight. So I go upstairs and wait until an older couple exits and is heading down the outside stairs. I follow them at a non-threatening distance until I am sure that they are leaving for the night. Before they get to the main "Drag" crossing, I approach them most respectfully, saying, "Excuse me, are y'all leaving the show?" They are, they say, and I ask if I might have one of their passes. The woman hands me her pass, which she hasn't even put on, because the adhesive might have ruined her fancy dress. I can't thank them enough; I slap that pass onto my shirt and walk into the ballroom. I get to see full sets from The Bodeans and Alejandro Escovedo, and there is free Bar-B-Que and beer. If I could just get Carrie to join me on these outings, they would be even better.

The station still hosts great events like Blues on the Green, and Unplugged at the Grove, but the soulless quality of their broadcast day leaves a hole in Austin Music. 750 people have joined a Facebook page called, "I love KGSR, but please bring back the old format." God Bless 'em, but social media cannot turn back the clock, and the corporate tools have test marketed authentic radio into the grave. So sad.

Two random thoughts:
1) I don't want to diminish the suffering of the people in the Northeast U.S. They are not accustomed to the heat, which has been deadly. But I heard that a "heat wave" is defined as three or more consecutive days above 90 degrees. Okay, around here we call that "April."

2) I know a little about geography, but it confounds me how Holland, The Netherlands, and The Dutch can be all the same country. No wonder they are killing in the World Cup (that's soccer). I always thought Trinidad and Tobago had an unfair advantage, but these guys have taken it too far. If they beat Spain in the finals, while wearing those little wooden shoes, it will be time to break up the three headed monster that is the Holland-Dutch-Netherlands juggernaut.

Peace,

JS4

A Post With No Name (It Felt Good to Get Out of the Rain)

A couple of events of note since I last blogged:

1. My Dad had his shoulder surgically replaced in Dallas last week, a few days before his 70th birthday. All seemed to go well, for which we are thankful, but we do hope that this surgery represents his last annual trip to Baylor Hospital for major surgery.

2. Winston the repair man finished his work on the back of the house. Then it rained. Water leakage under the back door. Winston, very responsibly, has been back to re-repair the seal under the new threshold, and will return tomorrow with some weather stripping. Then perhaps, a water hose test, 'cause who knows how long until the next rain.

Carrie and I did make it to the Paramount Theater to see "Lone Star," the 1996 John Sayles (written and directed) film about life and death in a border town in Texas. If you've never seen it, you should watch it two or three times. If you've seen it once, as Carrie and I had, it is so worth seeing again. Even characters who are on screen for a short time come across with real depth and complexity. It is like Larry McMurtry could write a book based on this movie. As the story unfolds, family histories and racial divides are revealed in sometimes funny, but more often poignant or painful scenes and flashbacks. This movie is just as good as it was 14 years ago.

Lloyd Maines can do pretty much whatever he wants to do in the Texas music scene. He produces records, and sits in to play with a number of artists. Unofficially, he has appeared on Austin City Limits more than anyone else, always as a side man, not the star of the show. For 13 years or more, his regular gig has been in support of San Marcos songwriter Terri Hendrix. After all that time, they play off each other perfectly, both musically and with the banter between songs. I just think it is cool, and says something good about each of them that even without big financial success, they keep making music together, and do it because they love it, and seem proud to be associated so closely with one another.

I've seen Terri perform probably a dozen or more times since 1998. The first was a Waterloo in-store for "Willory Farm," still my favorite of her albums. She does not seem to smile as freely while she plays as she did back in those days. She's just as kind and appreciative as ever, but it is as if life and the music biz has beaten her down a little over the years. The songs are thoughtful and well-crafted, and she is worth a paid admission if you get a chance to catch a show.

I'd seen Shannon McNally a few years ago at an in-store, in the pre-blog days. Then, it was just her and Charlie Sexton on stage. As a duo, they may have been the most physically attractive pair to ever grace the Waterloo stage. Now she's got four ugly dudes in her band, and she's not trying so hard to look hot, but I am still impressed by her live performance. She's like a Tupelo Bonnie Raitt, all soulful and southern. When she goes high, she's just a couple of steps away from a full yodel. She apparrently took some time off to have a child, and in the meantime she was honing her guitar work, because she was not shy about playing lead. If her show at the Continental Club that night had started at a reasonable time instead of midnight, I'd have made the trip.

If you've heard of Tokyo Police Club or Passion Pit, you are way younger or hipper than I am. I tried to go to an in-store show that featured both bands, but no luck. A throng of cool looking kids were lined up around the corner, braving the heat an hour before their sets. No way was I getting in the door. It was a quick reminder that there is a ton of music out there that is passing me by, but Waterloo caters to the "download generation" now and then.

Peace, JS4