It was overcast tonight, but the frogs didn’t mind. They have a full Saturday night jam goin’, and they literally take turns solo’ing. (how does one write that word?) Anyway, I tried to record it with the handy and super-cool Edirol R-09. Man, you should hear it…and I really wish you could…I really tried, but apparently did not get close enough to the lagoon. Next time…
Enjoy the lunar love!
Filed by darby at 10:27 pm under Arts
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This view of the moonrise is seen most every night from our couch. Of course, I removed me back side to take the picture. I know it’s ambitious, but it really only took a sec… I love the green of the tree and blue of the night sky. Do you see the lone star?
***UPDATE***Well, it seems that the full moon is not officially until Saturday evening, June 30th. My bad. More pictures to come Saturday night.
Coming away from Austin after this years South by Southwest left me with so many experiences, to the point of sensory overload. My intention at the time was to write a synopsis of the 10-day extravaganza, which I never did. After SXSW, while talking to good friends about what stood out, I found that I kept mentioning the film, Crazy Sexy Cancer.
I am so happy to learn that TLC Life Lens has picked up this film, which will air as the first documentary in their Life Lens series in August, 2007. From the Crazy Sexy Cancer website:
In 2003, 31-year-old actress/photographer Kris Carr was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer. Weeks later she began filming her story. Taking a seemingly tragic situation and turning it into a creative expression, Kris shares her inspirational story of survival with courage, strength, and lots of humor.
Kris Carr, the filmmaker, was at the (premiere) SXSW screening, and it was the first time she actually viewed the film, as the editing had just wrapped the week before. During a brief Q&A after the film, this dynamic, gorgeous, vibrant, and funny woman shared more of herself than she already had by documenting her healing process.
Having been engrossed (again) with the ideas and philosophies of healing and alternative therapies for cancer recently, I am overjoyed that this film can now be shared with the masses. Kris had stage 4 cancer, and with no traditional methods (the big 3 being surgery, chemo, and radiation), has healed herself with nutrtition, love, acceptance, and many other things that she can tell you about much better than I can. Check out this amazing film in August if you are able. And let’s all go forth and HEAL, O.K.?
Filed by darby at 9:07 am under Arts, raves
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The “lobby” at Union Station Hotel, Nashville, TN
As I sit in our hotel room on a hot Saturday afternoon in what was once the Union Station railroad terminal that opened in 1900, I have images of Jim McGuire’s Nashville Portraits series running through my mind, fresh from viewing them an hour ago. The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, where the Nashville Portraits are on display, is just next door, making it a rather convenient situation. Housed inside an historic 1930’s art deco building built originally as Nashville’s main post office, our love of this periods architecture was also quenched.
Below is one of the images from the exhibit, taken in 1975, of a young Guy and Susanna Clark. To get an even better feel for these two classic characters, indulge yourself with the amazing film about Townes Van Zandt, entitled Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt.
Friday night in Nashville brought me a bit of Dinosaur Jr. and The Black Keys (from Akron, Oh…Go Zips!) at City Hall, which accentuated the same show seen Thursday night in Atlanta. The Black Keys ripped it, ever fine-tuning the possibility of damn good two-person bands.
In between sets, David and I wandered over to The Station Inn across the street, sometimes touted as the worlds most popular bluegrass club. We caught a couple of short sets by Blind Corn Liquor Pickers from Kentucky. While their picking was wonderful, I am sad to report that they might opt for an alternate lead singer, in lieu of their newest member, Beth Walker. I don’t want to be mean here, but it was literally painful to listen to her at times. I applaud people following their dreams, and it takes courage to even get on stage, so props to Ms. Walker for that. Still, the vocals were ill-suited to the incredible sounding music behind them.
Saturday evening brought us to Opryland, which is exactly what you think it to be if your image includes families of church-goin’ Americans, sandals with socks, and cheese fries. It was Jim Lauderdale, one of our favorites, that brought us there, though. Unfortunately, there seemed to be some mixed information as to when he was going to play, so he only played one song. We decided against waiting over two more hours in the oppressive heat to catch his next set, but am sure we’ll see Jim again.
Which creates a perfect segueway to our Saturday night show at the Douglas Corner Cafe. The night started with the kindness of a stranger, Shannon Cain, who offered us a seat at his AWESOME table (all the seats were taken, with not much room to stand anywhere, so this was, indeed, an appreciated gesture, and we gladly accepted.) Unbeknownst to us, Chris Masterson (of Son Volt fame) opened, accompanied by the incredibly talented and beautiful Eleanor Whitmore on violin, mandolin, and vocals. Truly amazing and mesmorizing. Next up was Bruce Robison, another incredible singer/songwriter, also accompanied by Ms. Whitmore.
Interestingly, I just learned that Jim Lauderdale “discovered” Bruce, connecting Bruce to his publisher, helping to kick-start Robsion’s ability to sell his songs to Nashville. It seems this is a path many take, including Lauderdale himself. While Bruce’s sister-in-law, Emily Robison of the Dixie Chicks, helped to make his song “Travelin’ Soldier” a hit, many other Nashville artists are eating up his writing, helping to provide a lucrative career for the talented Robison. And I love it when great musicians get paid.
All three of the nights performers hail from the incredibly musical state of Texas, and I am sure make routine rounds in the cojointly musical state of Tennesee. Although Nashville is better known for its cheese covered popular country, it is fully oozing with amazing music of all types, sans the cheese, and offered us an incredibly musical weekend.
Filed by darby at 10:43 am under Arts, travel
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Depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes
The amazing photographer, Chris Jordan, has a new exhibit entitled Running the Numbers – An American Self-Portrait, at the Von Lintel Gallery in New York from June 14th to the end of July.
This series deals with American consumption at its worst. As we all consume and add to the heaps of waste piling up, it is no wonder that we, too, can begin to waste less. Simple acts, like using a Nalgene bottle for water and refilling it for everyday use, carrying a personal coffee cup instead of wasting one every day when we need our fix, and using canvas bags at the store would make a significant improvement.
Discussing waste reminds me of that scene in Sex, Lies, and Videotape, which opens with Andie MacDowell’s character, Ann, talking to her therapist about garbage. I relate as much to it now as I did watching it for the first time as a senior in high school.
ANN: “Garbage. I started thinking about what happens to all the garbage. I mean, where do we put all of it, we have to run out of places to put it eventually, don’t we? This happened to me before when that barge with all the garbage was stranded and nobody would take it? Remember that?”
DOCTOR: “Yes, I remember. What do you do when these moods overtake you?”
ANN: “Nothing. I mean, nothing. I try not to do anything that will produce garbage, so obviously we’re talking about eating and basic stuff like that. Did you know that the average person produces three pounds of garbage a day?…Don’t you think that’s a lot of garbage? I’d really like to know where it’s all going to go.
Filed by admin at 4:48 pm under Community
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The back of the postcard reads – “Based on research of seven fascist regimes including Hitler’s Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. The Bush/Cheney regime exhibits all of these traits. Work to stop them while you still can.” -Lawrence W. Britt of Syracuse Cultural Workers
I bought this postcard a couple of months ago at the bookstore Maloprops in Asheville, NC. I also just returned from Asheville a couple of days ago after seeing incredibly inspiring music by The Nightwatchman and Ben Harper. The message is clear. We must all rise from our slumber and become awake, and remain awake. And fight for justice.
The highlight of the evening, for me, was The Nightwatchman joining Ben for an electric rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War.” The Asheville audience was more than receptive, and it seemed some of the older fans were well aware of the roots behind this powerful song from one of our masters of poetry. The Nightwatchman ripped the guitar to beautiful shreds, at times with his teeth, a la his Rage Against the Machine days. Tom Morello, a.k.a. The Nightwatchman, may very well lead us into our much needed revolution, one man and woman at a time.
Masters of War
Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masksYou that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets flyLike Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drainYou fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people’s blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mudYou’ve thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain’t worth the blood
That runs in your veinsHow much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I’m young
You might say I’m unlearned
But there’s one thing I know
Though I’m younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you doLet me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soulAnd I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand o’er your grave
‘Til I’m sure that you’re dead-Bob Dylan
Filed by darby at 1:10 pm under Arts, Politics, raves
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Having just spent an incredible 5 nights in the amazing state of Oregon, I have to brag. I have great friends doing great things. Native Grounds Nursery is in Brownsville, OR, closer to Eugene than Portland but easily accesible by both. It is also the home of Keli and Mike, two of the best people on the planet. Although I have absolutely nothing to do with the beauty you will see below, they have everyhting to do with it. A great example of people living their dreams and making their lives what they want them to be.
Look at their flippin’ GORGEOUS nursery, which they have built from, uh, the ground up. A beautiful example of how good life can be.
And here’s the tractor (a.k.a. “our Lexus”) that gets ‘er all done:
Filed by darby at 12:46 pm under raves
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