tugmoose

from washingtonpost.com:

Drive-By Truckers at 9:30

Rock-and-roll isn't a meritocracy. But sometimes, the deserving get what's due 'em. At a sold-out 9:30 club on Saturday, the Drive-By Truckers were treated as heroes, and performed in kind.

Through seven fabulous albums and endless tours, the Alabama-born Truckers have drawled about sweet tea and family feuds with unrivaled thoughtfulness and twang. No urbane Yankee like Al Kooper (Lynyrd Skynyrd's patron) ever safaried south to pluck them from obscurity. No record label that was able or willing to alert the masses ever stepped forward. So the Truckers hit the road and have stayed on it. And, during a sweaty, loud set that lasted nearly three hours -- and was carried live on NPR's Web site -- the hard and brilliant work seemed to have paid off.

The Truckers showed the newbies in the club and on the 'Net what they'd been missing. Few other live acts flaunt three songwriters as talented as Jason Isbell, Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood, all of whom can also sing and bend guitar strings. Isbell favored modern folk rock, with several odes to Dixie touchstones played over three power chords (including "The Day John Henry Died" and "Decoration Day"). Cooley focused on self-destruction. "Women Without Whiskey" had him detailing a loser's having to choose between a lady and liquor. "Whiskey's hard to beat," he sang, with a look that made the line as sad as it was funny. Hood songs are almost all about redemption. The climax of "A World of Hurt," a new tune full of middle-aged wisdom on the power of love, had him shrieking "It's great to be alive!" again and again, and was so hopeful it hurt. And while there might be a song by somebody somewhere that can fire up a concert crowd the way Hood's "Let There Be Rock" can, none came to mind on this night.

-- Dave McKenna

actually, they finished with:

31. The Living Bubba

32. People Who Died (one of my fave Jim Carroll songs.)

with this.

Isn't that Desdemona? Or something.

I'd avoid Desdemona, especially if the groom's name is Othello.

By the way, is there a connection between Shakespeare's Desdemona and Wilder's Norma Desmond?

 

(Someone had to.)

A premise so lame it actually worked.

Sadly, I remember more of the show than the actual, um, you know..

Was he cute, at least?

So you can just declare a recreational activity "over"?

Oh well, guess I'll be heading back to the pool after about 26 years. They still have "pools", right?

Now, where's my speedo?

I recorded shows for about a year. For me it was like getting a drivers license - it's a big kick to drive people around at first, but it gets to be a hassle pretty quickly.

I recently brokeout my inline skates after a couple years off, blew out a wheel, went to Dicks for a replacement. They don't carry inline skate stuff anymore!

Did I miss a memo on this?

And I'm worried about the whole situation in the Middle East, too.

Dog Blamed for Hitting Woman With Truck

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: July 13, 2006

Filed at 7:25 p.m. ET

OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- A police dog that was left in a pickup with the engine running apparently knocked the vehicle into gear and ran down a woman who was walking to her mailbox.

Mary F. Stone, 41, was expected to remain hospitalized with a fractured pelvis and tailbone until at least Friday, said her husband, Paul Stone.

The dog, a German shepherd named Ranger, had been left in the truck while its handler responded to a domestic disturbance call Tuesday, police Lt. Loring Draper said. The truck's engine was on so Ranger would have air conditioning.

Draper said Ranger must have hit the shift on the steering column, putting the automatic transmission into gear. As the truck slowly rolled forward, police officers yelled to Stone, but she couldn't get out of the way in time, he said.

A front and rear tire ran over her. ''She had tire marks on her clothes,'' her husband said.

The truck then went through the Stones' yard and struck a vehicle in the driveway.

Draper said police were trying to determine if there might have been some malfunction that would have allowed the gear shift to be moved easily.

Mike Love hated Pet Sounds.

Nuff said.

Overrated.

Relative to . . . what? "Overrated" is your opinion of other people's opinion of the album. Do you have an opinion besides "It's not as good as people say." What elements do you dislike? Just saying "Overrated" is a lazy way of jumping into a discussion without making any intellectual effort.

In my opinion, anyway.

Just saw Jeff throw up again (it's on Sundance channel - 2.5 stars, guess that's a C+). Is it just me, or does it sound as if Jeff's voice is dropped in when he says "I think I'm gonna throw up"? Maybe a little creative editing there?

That's a great match? According to the ESPN guys, it is. The play-by-play guy seemed to think it was a wonderful play.

If that's what soccer's all about, no need to worry about it catching on in the US. The main draw of the World Cup is it appears to be the world's biggest drunken orgy.

Take it here.

In a related note, DBT's Blessing and Curse - Aftermath, to be specific.

Keefs lucky to be alive after the coco nut tree fall

did we find out why he was in a tree ?

Maybe he was looking for Darryl Hannah.

Poles and Krauts at it again. These countries just don't like one another.

Just starting on TCM:

First time I saw the Gourds was at the first ACL Festival in 02, and I recall 'em whining that they've never been on the TV show. Then they broke into Gin & Juice.

Just the Othello chapter right now. I'm sort of watching/reading the plays, then reading Bloom's commentary.

Guess this guy never heard Wild Billy's Circus Story.

Worst BS song EVER!

The Go! Team rawks!!!

Aren't most of Wilco's better songs about being alone?