Wednesday, September 21, 2011
We’re sitting here far back from the stage in the chairs-allowed zone. We’re waiting for Cee Lo and for Stevie after that. But here’s the thing… Skattex. Scabex. Shrillex. Who are these guys? Over there on another stage more than a football field away, a band is playing: Skrillex. They’re way over there, yet the ground [...]
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
At precisely the time when Black Dub was supposed to start, the guy in front of me moved stood up. He looked down at his girlfriend and up at the stage and started hooting, “Come on, guys! It’s time to start!” And at that very moment, the band came out. They began playing and singing, and the [...]
Monday, September 19, 2011
An airplane is flying overhead pulling a banner advertising a Snowball Fest in Colorado in March. The two women standing in front of me are now sitting down studying tomorrows festival lineup. Some people to my left are standing next to me in a circle laughing and talking and drinking beers. There are lines at [...]
Monday, September 19, 2011
So I set up my chair when I get to ACL. I set up my chair far back from the AMD stage, where I can sit in middle-aged comfort and look around and take out my notebook and jot a few notes while I wait for the music to start. And then the skies darken. [...]
Meet me in the middle of the day. Let me hear you say everything’s ok. Bring me southern kisses from your room. Meet me in the middle of the night. Let me hear you say everything’s alright. Let me smell the moon in your perfume. —Steve Forbert, Romeo’s Tune Saturday morning, after having seen him [...]
It was Friday. It was evening. The week was done. We were sitting outside on the patio at Austin Java sipping iced teas. The dog was alternately drinking from a bowl of water, sitting on the wall behind us watching the traffic on Barton Springs Boulevard, and contentedly lying in my lap. A group of [...]
Monday, February 28, 2011
They sat at the table eating their Thundercloud egg salad sandwiches. He guzzled an iced tea. She was drinking water. The Cars were playing over the speakers. “It’s really quite amazing,” he said. “What?” she said. “This song,” he said. “That this song is playing here and that it totally makes sense.” “This is The [...]
Saturday, January 1, 2011
For the New Year. For tomorrow. For you and for me. There’s songs to make you smileThere’s songs to make you sadBut with an happy song to singIt never seems so badTo me came this melodySo I’ve tried to put in words how I feelTomorrow will be for you and me —Ngiculela, Stevie Wonder, Songs in [...]
My brother came to town for ACL again this year to hear the musicians sing and play. He came for three days, and for most of that time it was cool in the evenings, and the sky was blue and sunny during the day. He had a pass which got him back stage with the important [...]
The window’s open. The front door’s open. And the back patio, too. A CD’s spinning in my computer. The volume on the stereo is turned way up. Oh everybody, get on the floor, let’s dance. Don’t fight the feeling, give yourself a chance. I’m on my feet. I’m singing. I’m dancing. Trudy’s not so into [...]
