One point of view among many.
Soft grey light
Tree stippled by bare branches
Laps dust scoured ice.
Softens the ground
Shoes fall dry,
Step by step.
Down the trail,
After the slow climb
The beat of my stride
Is the pulse
Of the world.
Steady if slow
Wind on hill grass
Each careful step
Is all
Is all
Is all
Is all
Is…
That’s all.
Gary Lourdes of The Jayhawks, Amanda Shires, Justin Townes Earle, Brynn Davies and Nick Forester lining up for the finale at eTown
Justin Townes Earle and The Jayhawks last night in Ft. Collins. The show was a taping of eTown, a Colorado variety show for radio. If you aren’t familiar with eTown, you should be. Click through and see if they are on one of your local stations. If not, you can stream their shows and they are starting to post video as well.
I took my daughter, along with a friend and her daughter. It was a great show for the girls. Not blow your head off loud (which I am firmly in favor of, but not for my kid), and the radio show thing gave it some visual variety, as well as hearing the artists being interviewed by Nick Forester, the host.
Both main acts were awesome, though Earle and crew seemed a bit rusty from a layoff. Or maybe the new album that is coming out has taken his attention. He played one new song and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. He also played a smoking version of a Lighting Hopkins song which was as good as anything I have heard by him.
Seeing the Jayhawks was like a flashback. They were just getting big about the time I left Minneapolis for good. I love their new album, Mockingbird Time, and the both the new and old songs were great. In the interview portion I even learned that Marc Olsen was in a band I followed in the early ’80s.
The pic above is from the finale. It is an eTown tradition to have all the artists featured come out and sing a final song together, along with Nick and Helen Forester. The tune last night was Dylan’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” which had the whole crowd singing along on the last chorus. A big bonus was seeing Amanda Shires playing with Justin Townes Earle. If you don’t know her, again, you should. She rocks. And my daughter really dug her boots, which are awesome I didn’t take that picture, but those are the boots she was wearing tonight-check out TwangNation for the source post).
7am today.
Snow, sky, moon.
That squeaky sound under your shoes in the driveway.
The cold draped over a shrub.
So you get this-
This is a more traditional arrangement. I’m working on my own take on the John Henry Story, but I’ve been playing this one so much that I though I’d just record it.
Just trying to make some noise.
You Marxists (that is those of you who have actually READ Marx), will hopefully get the reference. As I slowly work on making recordings of songs that sound good (note: I am working on that, not actually achieving) I have been messing around with some different ways of putting them on the web. For a while I was working out of a folder on this website, but a friend suggested SoundCloud (thanks Mark), and so I am trying it. The archive page is now a SoundCloud widget, and I am messing with their embedded players.
So here are a pair of tracks- the same song done two different ways. If you have it in you to listen to them both, leave me a comment telling me which one you like more, and why. I can’t make up my mind with this song. I like the country style swing ballad, but I also like the all-acoustic version. Don’t bother commenting on my sucky singing or sloppy mandolin playing. I am well aware- that isn’t the point.
Sounds like a band:
And just the acoustic:
I really would like to hear if you have an opinion. So drop a line below.
Five inches of new snow last night (above 7000ft) made for an awesome ski day. The kid was in ski school so I spent the day cruising around with friends (everyone I know in a 15 mile radius was on the mountain today).
We had the great view above on the way home. The only disappointed person was Kit the American Girl doll, who was dressed and ready, but her skiing isn’t quite there yet.
But the crowd last night was full without being jammed, and judging by the number of folks singing all the words correctly and the positive energy it was a serious fan crowd.
Band of Heathens was the opening act, with roots rock very reminiscent of The Black Crows, then Isbell and crew let it rip- including this seven minute version of “Ain’t Never Gonna Change” at the end of the set. Which came right before a three song encore featuring Isbell solo for “Daisy Mae” and John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery.”
The closer was a rousing version of “Codeine” for a solid two hour show by the headliner. Can’t beat that for $20.
Here is Isbell at full throttle- one of my favorite songs by him, or ever.
I started 2012 with a two sport day. That’s gotta be a good sign right? A few hours of skiing with the family, then a steady 5.5 mile run.
A little video of the skiing fun!
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Well, yesterday was the last run of 2011. Tomorrow will be the first run of 2012. The run was sort of like the year. No speed, just getting through it. Though the scenery is always nice (running outside is SO much better than running on the treadmill I have never seen a bobcat or turkeys at the gym, and never been inspired to write poetry there either).
So what’s on the road ahead? Who knows. I just keep doing the miles. Hoping for a bit more speed this new year though. Signed up for an adventure race in June, thinking about another half marathon (can I break 90 minutes in the half?), PB in the Bolder Boulder? We shall see. Happy New Year everyone. Lace up those shoes.
A little Christmas eve snowshoe today. Still plenty of snow in our neighborhood.
The dogs were digging the snow.
And finally, a holiday message in video and snow!
The cameraman was non-union. What do you expect on Christmas Eve?
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