8.03.2004
Hot Damn and I Am Not Worthy
**Apologies in advance, yelling and cursing ahead**
What a day. You know how just when everything seems calm and normal I find some *thing* to go nuts about like a play in Tokyo I have to see or Lost in Translation or seeing Shonen Knife (which was great fun though I failed to blog about it...I don't blog about eve-ry-thing). This one is kind of on par with the play in Tokyo.
There I was, minding my own business, eating curry rice for lunch and for a change instead of doing my usual re-read a textbook gig I decided to be edgy and read the Kansai Time Out at work. So reading through music listings, pop and rock first. Nada. Nearly skipped Jazz because, well, usually too expensive and don't know the names. I never got into that...ah...who is it? Nora Jones. Probably good but I don't know.
So whattahell. I'm eating. Read through. Who is coming to Osaka?HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN?!?!? From Austin though I sadly sadly sadly have never seen them play. Have heard on KUT (live and on many shows) but sadly sadly do not own CD's. I am so unworthy. But one thing I know, they are a big western swing band and they like Bob Wills, and may I add I was raised on the song "Roly Poly" played on an old victrola? The bassist is a Tulsa boy. Where was he when I was in Tulsa I ask you? And the fiddle player, this girl, she's from Kansas and she went to North India to study Indian violin after college. How could I not be smitten?
I have so many regrets. Why didn't I see them? Why didn't I buy their CD's? But wait, perhaps they are coming on a day I work. Eh? Eh? NO! Not a day I work. Least not at that time. A Saturday evening (my schedule will be changing...more on that soon). So I can go. So can Marie. I have just called her and frantically tried to explain my zeal. She is into it. God bless Marie.
Oh in Austin I wouldn't go berzerk like I am now. Wouldn't have a heart attack, but you don't know what it's LIKE here. No fiddles. Can't just stroll into Broken Spoke or Continental any old night of the week. Actually my secondary goal for vacation next week is to go to the one or two "country" bars here. I will be hard pressed to find bluegrass or rockabilly. But Western Swing? Unheard of. Hence the current heart attack. The addiction never dies. Didn't know I needed it till they held it out before me. I must, I must make it a rule to explore one livehouse a week once I move to the big O proper (as opposed to these 'burbs).
Not homesick. Not homesick. But this kind of thing and I get a little...excited. Just a little.
Funny too because the following week, six days later they are playing at Cains Ballroom in Tulsa and I am forcing Colin to go to it. If he doesn't I will consider him a lost cause. He will go.
A good co-op friend I hung out with and who is another crazy architect builder carpenter is best friends with a fellow who played fiddle on tour with them a couple of years ago. I haven't heard them but I have heard him (that friend of a friend). He burned Artz's Rib House up. Lord.
Is this a plot from my friends and family to drag me home? Let it be so. I will come if the Hot Club of Cowtown asks me to. Will I speak to them? Will I buy them beer?
This is better than the Asylum Street Spankers coming unless of course it was the original Asylum Street Spankers. Though probably I would still have a heart attack if the current incarnation came as well.
Here it comes...cornbread. Need cornbread and Shiner. Or Tecate, I don't care. Seriously, someone at home please send me my boots. Both pairs. Where I am going to put them I don't know. You can send my hat if you can find it too. Oh and for the love of god please send my boot jack as well, or if you can't find it they cost about $5 at Cavendish's or Sheppler's. Someone, in the name of all that can be swung, waltzed or two-stepped, please, SEND DON WALSER, NOW!
What a day. You know how just when everything seems calm and normal I find some *thing* to go nuts about like a play in Tokyo I have to see or Lost in Translation or seeing Shonen Knife (which was great fun though I failed to blog about it...I don't blog about eve-ry-thing). This one is kind of on par with the play in Tokyo.
There I was, minding my own business, eating curry rice for lunch and for a change instead of doing my usual re-read a textbook gig I decided to be edgy and read the Kansai Time Out at work. So reading through music listings, pop and rock first. Nada. Nearly skipped Jazz because, well, usually too expensive and don't know the names. I never got into that...ah...who is it? Nora Jones. Probably good but I don't know.
So whattahell. I'm eating. Read through. Who is coming to Osaka?HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN?!?!? From Austin though I sadly sadly sadly have never seen them play. Have heard on KUT (live and on many shows) but sadly sadly do not own CD's. I am so unworthy. But one thing I know, they are a big western swing band and they like Bob Wills, and may I add I was raised on the song "Roly Poly" played on an old victrola? The bassist is a Tulsa boy. Where was he when I was in Tulsa I ask you? And the fiddle player, this girl, she's from Kansas and she went to North India to study Indian violin after college. How could I not be smitten?
I have so many regrets. Why didn't I see them? Why didn't I buy their CD's? But wait, perhaps they are coming on a day I work. Eh? Eh? NO! Not a day I work. Least not at that time. A Saturday evening (my schedule will be changing...more on that soon). So I can go. So can Marie. I have just called her and frantically tried to explain my zeal. She is into it. God bless Marie.
Oh in Austin I wouldn't go berzerk like I am now. Wouldn't have a heart attack, but you don't know what it's LIKE here. No fiddles. Can't just stroll into Broken Spoke or Continental any old night of the week. Actually my secondary goal for vacation next week is to go to the one or two "country" bars here. I will be hard pressed to find bluegrass or rockabilly. But Western Swing? Unheard of. Hence the current heart attack. The addiction never dies. Didn't know I needed it till they held it out before me. I must, I must make it a rule to explore one livehouse a week once I move to the big O proper (as opposed to these 'burbs).
Not homesick. Not homesick. But this kind of thing and I get a little...excited. Just a little.
Funny too because the following week, six days later they are playing at Cains Ballroom in Tulsa and I am forcing Colin to go to it. If he doesn't I will consider him a lost cause. He will go.
A good co-op friend I hung out with and who is another crazy architect builder carpenter is best friends with a fellow who played fiddle on tour with them a couple of years ago. I haven't heard them but I have heard him (that friend of a friend). He burned Artz's Rib House up. Lord.
Is this a plot from my friends and family to drag me home? Let it be so. I will come if the Hot Club of Cowtown asks me to. Will I speak to them? Will I buy them beer?
This is better than the Asylum Street Spankers coming unless of course it was the original Asylum Street Spankers. Though probably I would still have a heart attack if the current incarnation came as well.
Here it comes...cornbread. Need cornbread and Shiner. Or Tecate, I don't care. Seriously, someone at home please send me my boots. Both pairs. Where I am going to put them I don't know. You can send my hat if you can find it too. Oh and for the love of god please send my boot jack as well, or if you can't find it they cost about $5 at Cavendish's or Sheppler's. Someone, in the name of all that can be swung, waltzed or two-stepped, please, SEND DON WALSER, NOW!
