Ok, blogger seems to sort of be working. A Vashti Bunyan contoversy a la the R. Kelly debacle seems to be brewing down in the comments. At least I don't have to try to defend her for peeing on minors. By the way, I listened to Kelly's Chocolate Factory front to back this weekend and it reminded me again what a classic album it is and topped off my gas tank of R. Kelly love. Hey that's a bad metaphor that could be a song lyric, which reminds me of a song I heard on Fallon's finest country music station, KHWG. It was by Tom T. Hall and it's called "old dogs, and children and watermelon wine". It's nuts.
We left early friday morning for the Poinsettia extravaganza. It was hot dusty fun and I complained through 90% of it, as is my way. I consider complaining to be a competitive sport (this is how I was raised) and I excel at it. Poinsettia offered a plethora of complaining possibilities. I couldn't sleep, I wasn't about to crap with so many people around, my fingers swelled, my nose hurt from the dry air, you get the idea. The formal dinner was a delicious feast. After a false start the Alkali Flats ripped Mina, Nevada (pop, 261) a new one, and on their 125 year anniversary, no less (Minas, not the Alkali Flats). I really hope someone puts some pictures up on the internet real soon. I can't wait to see the ones from Mina. Of course, the Flats had some competition from the other band sharing the bill, One Night Stand, the worlds most incompetent cover band. No offense to the Four Eyes, but at many times during the night while I was standing in back of the bar drinking whiskey and marvelling at how bad they were fucking up yet another solo, I would close my eyes and pretend that it was the Four Eyes Christmas show and it worked perfectly. The highlights were when they played a lyrically incorrect version of "teen spirit" and when they played DW's request of Bad to the Bone. Also when they fucked up the solo in Don't Fear the Reaper so badly that they just gave up and stopped playing. I could go on but you had to be there I guess.
I so wish I hadn't forgotten my camera. The Mina party was a surreal experience without anything to compare.
ReplyDeleteIt's really hard to fully and accurately describe the scene there that night. Imagine a really short, round woman wearing a BIG hat topped with poofy ribbons, drinking Sparks, growling, "Sweat white boy!" to the Flats after chanting for them to play Calija.
ReplyDeleteBrew
I loved the request for "Boot Scootin' Boogie", too, that was great.
ReplyDeletei knew there would be a reason for me to regret opting out on this trip. DW requesting 'bad to the bone' from a shitty cover band in a small town in nevada is one of them.
ReplyDeleteacclimation. give it a week and you'll come back bitching it's too loud in the city, that real winders don't let the light in and running water just doesn't have the same feel.
ReplyDeletei'll post pictures by tomorrow.
I'm glad someone else is appreciating Tom T. Hall. The Songs of Fox Hollow was my favorite record as a child. Sneaky Snake rocks.
ReplyDeleteMiss B
Quoting the Wikipedia article on Mina: "Despite its size, Mina can be quite volatile." Yeah, no shit!
ReplyDeleteI just posted a link to the Poinsettia list to pics I took, most are of Poinsettia but a few were taken on the drive to Mina, and a few at the in Mina itself. enjoy.
-Erik
I somehow managed to never get on the Poinsettia list. I'd really like to see those pictures, how do I get on that?
ReplyDeleteOMO